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Dress Code for the Royal Wedding

A morning ceremony

Invitations for the royal wedding were mailed out last week, and loads more details about the impending nuptials are coming in, such as who will be attending the big event and what guests will be wearing! While rumors are swirling that wedding outfitter Bruce Oldfield will be designing Kate Middleton's gown, we now know for sure what attendees must wear to the Westminster Abbey wedding, as the dress code was printed on the invitations: "uniform, morning coat or lounge suit." Sounds stuffy and conventional, but this formal attire can actually be quite fun and even colorful. Check out some examples of each, plus info on the spectacular hats Middleton has requested!

Queen Elizabeth II in "morning dress"

Typical "morning dress" is clothing that fits somewhere between ultra-formal and business wear. It is traditionally worn until 6 p.m., and for women, it usually includes a hat and, often, gloves. Mini-dresses are forbidden in this dress code and if pants are worn they must be accompanied by a coat. The Queen is well-known for this look—especially her bright coats and matching hats—as exhibited here. Her hands are covered and her blouse matches the flower atop her head. Nice attention to detail!

Middleton's take on morning dress

Kate Middleton wore this a blue printed coat and hat to a wedding in 2009.

Colorful morning dress

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (previously Parker Bowles) wears a traditional dress and coat with matching hat and gloves

Michelle Obama's morning dress

The first lady wore a lemongrass Isabel Toledo coat over a matching shift dress with green gloves to the inaugural events in 2009.

Morning coats

These are, by definition, single-breasted coats where the front is cut away, leaving “tails” in the back. They were originally designed to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse.

Prince William wearing his morning coat to a wedding

What a handsome dude. We love Kate Middleton's outfit here as well, but it may be too casual for the occasion.

Morning coat and hat

Prince Charles has upped the ante on his formal attire with the addition of a top hat.

Lounge suit

These suits typically consist of striped or checked pants, a waistcoat, and a formal shirt and tie. Oh, why hello, good sir!

The princes in lounge suits

Here Prince Harry (second from right) and his friends wear their lounge suits at a London wedding.

Uniforms

Prince Andrew is Commander in the Royal Navy and wore a naval uniform at his wedding to Sarah Ferguson. He will be attending Kate and Wills' wedding—and most likely wearing a uniform—but his ex-wife Fergie did not receive an invitation.

Hats!

Awesome milliner Philip Treacy has been enlisted by Middleton to make custom hats for some of the guests, and possibly her veil. This is one of his creations on the bride-to-be.

Most Attractive Film Aliens

Popular culture and UFO enthusiasts have generally led us to believe that space aliens are wan creatures with massive coke-bottle eyes. But in the movies, there are numerous examples of aliens that looks like, well, movie stars. The latest example is Alex Pettyfer, who is the "I" in this weekend's "I Am Number Four." We've put together a gallery of some other extra attractive extraterrestrials. Check it out.

Alien: Neytiri (Zoe Saldana)
Movie: Avatar (2009)
Planet of Origin: Pandora
Special Power: Can climb dizzying heights without breaking a sweat. Can use log into the internet using her dreadlocks. Can break you in two.

Alien: Gaila (Rachel Nichols)
Movie: Star Trek (2009)
Planet of Origin: Orion
Special Power: Defies the old saying that it's not easy being green.

Alien: Klaatu (Keanu Reeves)
Movie: The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Planet of Origin: Unknown
Special Power: Has a way cool robot sidekick.

Alien: Leello (Milla Jovovich)
Movie: The Fifth Element (1997)
Planet of Origin: Earth, from Mondoshawan remains.
Special Power: Saving the universe while wearing little more than Band-Aids.

Alien: Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle)
Movie: Men in Black II (2002)
Planet of Origin: Kylothia
Special Power: Can shoot snake-like thingies out of her fingers.

Alien: Sil (Natasha Henstridge)
Movie: Species (1998)
Planet of Origin: Unknown
Special Power: Super strong. Amazing regenerative powers. Can turn from a blonde knockout to a hideous tenacled beast in the blink of an eye.

Alien: Alien Jumpsuit Chicks #1-5
Movie: Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)
Planet of Origin: Unknown
Special Power: Can morph into a game center trashing giant in a bikini.

Alien: Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie)
Movie: The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
Planet of Origin: Anthea
Special Power: Has a surprisingly good singing voice.

Alien: Celeste (Kim Basinger)
Movie: My Stepmother Is An Alien (1988)
Planet of Origin: Unknown
Special Power: Looks like Kim Basinger.

Alien: Kitty (Tahnee Welch)
Movie: Cocoon (1985)
Planet of Origin: Antarea
Special Power: Can make Wilford Brimley seem light-hearted and carefree.

Alien: General Zod (Terence Stamp)
Movie: Superman II (1980)
Planet of Origin: Krypton
Special Power: Can do everything Superman can, but with his underwear inside his pants.

Alien: Space Girl (Mathilda May)
Movie: Lifeforce (1985)
Planet of Origin: Wherever space vampires come from.
Special Power: Can suck the life force out of you and turn you into a zombie.

Alien: Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry)
Movie: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Galaxy of Origin: Transylvania
Special Power: Looks unnervingly good in fishnets. Can seduce anyone.
Read More: Yahoo

Will there be a 'Sex and the City 3'? Sarah Jessica Parker votes yes

Still steamed over the two hours of your life you wasted watching Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda go on the middle-aged version of spring break in Abu Dhabi? Sarah Jessica Parker does not feel your pain.

In a sit-down with the Los Angeles Times, the actress reveals that a third "Sex and the City" movie could happen, despite the second's underwhelming response from audiences and critics alike (not to mention those Razzie nominations).

"I would go back," says Parker. "I think there's one more story to tell. I know there is. I'd definitely tell that [third] story, and I know [writer-director] Michael [Patrick King] would do it right. But maybe not now. Maybe in five years, you know?"

As for rumors of a "Sex" prequel starring Blake Lively as a young Carrie Bradshaw during her early days in New York, SJP says no way.
"I was like, 'Wha-a-a-a-t?'" she says. "There are a lot of important and interesting stories that 21-year-olds can tell. I don't begrudge any 21-year-old the opportunity to tell their stories. They prove to us on an everyday basis that they're interesting. Even their narcissism is interesting. Even their inertia is interesting. Even their tonal speech patterns are interesting."

That said, "I don't think we can pretend to go back," asserts Parker. "It's creating two histories. It's like, 'Oh I didn't know that about Carrie Bradshaw.'"
Read More: MSN

The 10 Most Irritating, Least Helpful Parenting Tips Ever

I have nothing against friends and family offering advice when you come to them with a dilemma. It's the people who pipe up, unbidden, because they see you with a child and assume you have no idea what you're doing. Too often these people are elderly great-aunts. Fortunately those ladies are afraid of the Internet, so I can rail against them and they'll be none the wiser! Thanks, ladies.
1. "Sleep now, because once that baby comes you'll never sleep again." Technically this is a pregnancy tip, of course, but I'm shoving it in here anyway. Yes, Great-Aunt Hildy, I will sleep throughout my entire third trimester. Because I am part bear.

2. "Sleep when the baby sleeps." Everyone gives you this one — annoying relatives, pediatricians, the cashier at the drugstore where you were buying newborn diapers. Are these people all robots, capable of instantly dropping off to sleep whenever their child is unconscious? Do they not have other things to do, like bathe, or simply relish the rare moments of silence you get when you have an infant?
3. "I think your baby's hungry." Whether you're nursing or bottle-feeding, everyone assumes you don't know how to feed your child. And every time your child cries, whines, grimaces, or squirms, they are going to assume you are starving your poor baby and you need reminders to feed it. Lest you forget! This advice is especially maddening when they turn out to be correct.
4. "Relish every moment of your baby's first years, because they'll be grown before you know it." You mean, time only moves forward? I had no idea! I thought we'd be like this forever and ever! This sort of advice, obvious and innocuous as it seems, always put me on the defensive, as if I had just been carrying my baby under my arm like a football, muttering, "Grow up already, why don't you. Just GROW UP."
5. "I hope you're sleep training that child. Do you WANT him to be spoiled?" Oh, distant relative/person whose aisle I shared at the supermarket, I'm so glad you know exactly my child needs. And that you know, from your years of scientific research, that any child not allowed to cry it out will be a horrible waste of flesh! (See #6 for this parenting tip's counterpart.)
6. "I hope you're not doing that 'crying it out' thing. It's so barbaric. Enjoy your baby all through the night!" Again, kudos to you, whoever you are, for knowing what's best for our unique family situation! I will be calling you at 4 a.m., so you can enjoy our baby as well.
7. "Why are you bringing your child outside when it's so cold out?" It never ceased to amaze me that, no matter what my child's age, total strangers will express alarm and revulsion that I dared expose him to the elements. "And WHY ISN'T BE WEARING MITTENS? He's going to get consumption!"
8. "Your child isn't really sad/angry/injured. He's just manipulating you." There's no doubt that children can push our buttons as if they've had professional training in it, but the notion that my kid's authentic feelings are in fact manufactured to elicit a reaction really chaps my hide. If that were always true, he'd be a pint-sized sociopath. I'm pretty sure that's not the case.
9. "Schools are just glorified prisons. If you loved your child, you'd homeschool." Oh, if only I loved my child enough to abandon my livelihood, tear him away from the community he so enjoys, separate him from the professionals who have dedicated their careers to childhood education, and forced him to stay home all day with me, where we'd be at each other's throats for hours! If only! Please note: I am not opposed to homeschooling, at all — in fact I wish it would work for us, but it would not.
10. "If I were you, I'd just—" OH NO YOU DON'T. I know where this is going. Listen, unnamed distant acquaintance who last parented in the 19th century (it's true — I often get my unwanted advice from ghosts) you don't know diddly about my kid, and our relationship, and what works for us.
Read More: Yahoo

Lawmakers says she learned a lot at Hooters

Rep. Julia Hurley, newly elected to the Tennessee House, credits her work at Hooters with helping her win her seat in what’s regarded as a conservative district.

The Bottle Cap Portraits of Molly B. Right‏

Molly B. Right is a brilliant self-taught artist, from Charleston, South Carolina, who uses discarded bottle caps to create incredible portraits.
She began creating bottle cap portraits back in 1993, when she started pondering the phrase â€œJesus Savesâ€. Saves what? â€“ Molly asked â€“ Does he just save souls, or if he had the time, would he also save things like string or rubber bands? Does he save bottle caps? And thatâ€™s when she took this question and turned it into a full size portrait of Jesus. â€œNow Iâ€™m doing bottle cap portraits of archetypal women that donâ have anything to do with Jesus saving anything. Now Iâ€™m the one who is saving bottle caps. Molly says in the artist statement on her official site.The process of creating bottle cap portraits begins with a painted portrait on a sheet of metal. Molly then glues the vintage bottle caps in an overlapping pattern, sort of like scales on a snake. She pays great attention to details, making sure there are no visible glue traces, and using several transparent washes of glaze to define her portraits even further.
The bottle caps Molly B. Right uses for her beautiful portraits are considered collectibles on their own, since all of them date from the 30â€²s to the 70â€²s.

6 New Myth-Busting Rules for Singles

I thought I knew a lot about how singles think and feel. After all, I’ve written about dating and relationships for ten years and my name is Singleton (no, not a pen name).
But the surprising and sometimes counterintuitive results from a new study of more than 5,000 single people are making me question my assumptions and take note. Commissioned by Match.com and led by top researchers, this is quite possibly the most comprehensive survey of singles to date.

The findings reveal what I call Singles 2.0, a new breed of men and women who are defying age and gender stereotypes while shaking up their actions and attitudes toward dating. The facts and figures are striking. But how can they help those on the dating frontlines?
Based on the research findings, there are several real-world implications for singles trying to meet their matches.
Check out these six new and myth-busting rules that’ll help you improve your dating life right now!
Rule 1: Approach single men with fresh eyes
In some ways, this new study could be subtitled: “In defense of the unmarried American male.” Single guys, who have long gotten a bum rap for being commitment-phobes and romantically blasé, are evidently misunderstood. The survey makes it clear: don’t buy into these myths. Men fall in love faster, are more eager to have children for the first time (24% vs. 15%), and when it comes to love, feel just as intensely as women do. The most surprising fact about men may be this: “More men than women would marry a partner they weren’t sexually attracted to,” says renowned biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher. “Shared interests and family are more important.”
Rule 2: Stop thinking that single women are clingy and dependent
I’ve heard from numerous single men who fear that clingy women will threaten their independence. Guess what? Study findings reveal that — across every age group — women in a relationship are more likely than men to hold tight to their own interests, personal space, bank accounts, regular nights out with their girlfriends, and separate vacations. So relax, guys. It looks like we’re the ones who should worry about being overly needy.
Rule 3: Join the crowd and expand your dating pool
Prejudice is waning and singles are more open to dates of different races and religions. A relatively small percentage of men (20%) and women (29%) consider it “very important” or a “must have” to find someone who shares their own ethnic background, while even fewer men (17%) and women (28%) are specifically looking for partners who share their religious backgrounds. “Be part of the future,” says Dr. Fisher. “It’s clear that others are getting rid of their past ideas about the right partner.” For many singles, knowing that the tides are turning may free you up to expand your pool of prospects, too.
Rule 4: Whoa, slow down! Don’t rush to judgment about your date
I have nothing against the lucky few who’ve experienced love at first sight. But what about the rest of us who aren’t immediately felled by Cupid’s arrow? We’re used to going out on a first date and not experiencing the 4th of July fireworks we’re told we must have. The research suggests that success comes if you’re not so quick to throw in the towel. So why not slow down next time and give your date a second chance? “Maybe the single most important finding is that 35% of these people fell in love with someone they didn’t initially find attractive,” says Dr. Fisher. Of this subset of people, “71% grew into the attraction through great conversations, shared interests or both.”
Rule 5: Embrace dating as you age
Conventional wisdom holds that dating success and enjoyment are like a milk carton. They come with an expiration date. According to this new study, singles 65+ report the greatest level of happiness over the past 12 months combined with the least stress over their single status. So relax about being single, older, and dating. It turns out that your love life down the road will be better than you think.
Rule 6: Disavow outdated dating obstacles
Remember all the traditional reasons why you weren’t supposed to date someone? He’s not this. She’s not that. Findings indicate that singles are increasingly disavowing what were once considered romantic hindrances. For example:

Myth: Office romances are taboo. This is undoubtedly true in some places and circumstances. But the relative few who engage in office romance seem to be grown-ups who can handle their love lives in ways that don’t affect their work. After breaking up, 56% reported that the romance didn’t affect their professional relationship and 36% would consider dating someone in the workplace in the future.
Myth: You’re unemployed and therefore unlovable. Wrong! You’re not a dating pariah. Fifty percent of singles are open to seeing someone unemployed if they found the person interesting.
Myth: Single parents are alone on Saturday night. Says who? Single parents go on more dates than singles without kids, and more of these moms and dads are currently dating someone, too.

Amid all the surprising findings, a few results seem familiar. For example, despite their independent streak, women still aren’t comfortable asking men out. “I suspect there are certain aspects of courtship that are never going to change,” says Dr. Fisher. Still, it’s hard to deny how dramatically the dating landscape has indeed changed. But I’m happy to embrace changes that keep me optimistic about romance. How about you?
Read More: Yahoo