List of All Articles with Tag 'life'

When a credit card issuer decides to close an account, there may be a narrow window of time in which you can help safeguard your credit scores

Jazmin Sagastiverza and Jean Franco Vergaray have an untraditional love story. That continued when the two got engaged and Sagastiverza began to go wedding dress shopping. The couple originally met in 2015 when Sagastivera went to a dance class with a different date and Vergaray was the one teaching it. She said they hit it off quickly and have been together ever since. They got engaged in September 2021 and were married on 1 April 2023. "We had a lot of little jokes on the invite [about the date]," Sagastiverza told Insider. "We were like, ‘And this is not an April fools’ joke, so if you’re coming, please RSVP. The wedding had around 50 guests in attendance as the pair wanted something “really intimate.” It was a destination wedding in Baja California, Mexico, at the Villa Santa Cruz. "We keep describing it as a beachy fever dream," Sagastiverza said. "It was just very, very chill." One aspect that wasn’t very chill was wedding dress shopping. Originally, Sagastiverza didn’t have an idea regarding what type of dress she wanted and remained open-minded by trying on everything. "I had so many different options," she said. “The only thing she was convinced couldn’t work was a slip dress because she didn’t think she was tall enough. “You have to be, like, 5’9,” she said. The situation improved after she had an appointment at Les Aimants, a New York-based bridal brand. This “bridal lab” allows brides to pick and choose specific pieces from various wedding dresses to be combined into one custom wedding dress in eight to 12 weeks. To ensure the dress fits the bride perfectly, its founder, Manon Martin uses 3-D rendering software in addition to 3-D body measuring to create renderings that allow brides to customise their dresses as they are made. Sagastiverza showed up at the Greenpoint, Brooklyn, studio after failed attempts looking in Manhattan. She sat down with Martin over a glass of champagne to figure out what type of dress she wanted. Martin suggested she partially customise her dress by taking the top and bottom from two different gowns. As skeptical as Sagastiverza was about trying on a slip dress, she trusted Martin’s opinion and it was almost perfect. The gown had spaghetti straps and a V-neckline with triangular detailing on the bodice with a simple skirt. But she still felt something was missing until Martin brought out a detachable train that had flowers embroidered on it which sealed the deal for her. The entire back of the dress was customized to become backless so the train sat at her waist. "I just felt like it was really tailored to me, which was the thing that set her apart from every other place that I went to," Sagastiverza said. Throughout the process, she was able to see what the dress looked like on a 3-D rendering of her body measurements to make sure she loved it. "I put it on, and I was like, ‘I feel so expensive,’" she said. "It’s crazy because you compare it to other places, and it was actually really affordable.” In total the dress cost approximately $2,700. Read More Rita Ora shares why she chose a see-through wedding dress: ‘It was meant to be’ Bride cuts and dyes her wedding dress purple for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Leigh-Anne Pinnock unveils the three wedding dresses she wore to marry Andre Gray in Jamaica

The felonious ursine has been linked to 21 break-ins in Lake Tahoe, California.

Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Maddow and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be among those appearing this fall at the 92nd Street Y, as the New York City cultural institution marks its 150th anniversary

Lower domestic airfares that travelers have enjoyed this summer will start to disappear after mid-September, with a new

It's no secret that most fast food "secret sauces" are a riff on Thousand Island dressing.

Gareth Wyn Jones, star of BBC series The Family Farm, has launched a search for a butcher who will help him hunt and prepare grey squirrels to be used in burgers. The farmer, 56, plans to serve up the invasive squirrel as part of the menu at his pop-up restaurant in the forthcoming Welsh Game Fair at the Faenol Estate, near Bangor, in September. Jones launched an appeal to help him source grey squirrels and is encouraging visitors to the fair to think of the non-native rodent as “any other wild food” when they tuck into his burgers. The pop-up will mark Jones’ first time running a restaurant. The farmer, who farms near Llanfairfechan in the foothills of the Carneddau Range, said: “Grey squirrels are not native to this country. They were introduced from America and they have led to the decline of our own red squirrel population. “Squirrel meat is like any other wild food, eating them is like foraging for anything else. We have to remember they are a pest. On the farm if I have too many rats, crows or whatever, I have to deal with them.” He added: “What’s the difference with squirrels? Their meat is a by-product so why waste it? It’s a fantastic wild food. “All I need now is an alternative butcher to supply the grey squirrels and it’ll be ready, steady, cook.” Grey squirrels from North America were introduced in the UK in the 1800s and are a major threat to native red squirrel populations. They outcompete the red squirrels for food and space, as they are prolific breeders. Grey squirrels also carry a virus called squirrelpox, which they are actually immune to, but can spread the disease to red squirrels, therefore decimating the local populations. The Woodland Trust describes the introduction of grey squirrels in the UK as having had a “disastrous impact” on red squirrels, which are the UK’s only native squirrel species. Red squirrels are a legally protected species. It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure or disturb them. Jones, who has more than a million followers across his social media channels combined, said the best way to “change things” is to eat “food that’s been produced here”, including game like grey squirrel. James Gower, chief executive of Stable Events, the organiser of the Welsh Game Fair, said: “Our aim is to celebrate everything that is best about the countryside and rural pursuits, including the wider benefits of conservation and field sports. “The pop up restaurant will provide a real showcase for the finest fare the countryside has to offer,” he added. “I can’t think of a better mine host than Gareth Wyn Jones who is passionate about promoting proper local produce – and has great likeability. “The idea of putting squirrel burgers on the menu is inspired because it means we can find a good use for a real rural pest and tantalise people’s tastebuds at the same time.” Read More Men sometimes need help – and I’m determined to start asking for it ‘Oblivious’ woman defended after walking through beach wedding: ‘They don’t own the beach’ King’s Guard shares sweet exchange with young boy wearing royal uniform

American actor Francia Raisa has revealed that she has polycystic ovary syndrome. The How I Met Your Father star, 35, shared an Instagram post on Monday (7 August) to celebrate the release of her friend’s book, Living With PCOS: Road To Reversal by Candice Craig. “My friend wrote a book about PCOS,” Raisa wrote in an Instagram Story to her 1.7m followers as she posed with her Craig. “I also have PCOS and still learning how to live with it. Thanks for this @candice,” she added in the next slide, photographing Craig’s book. Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common condition that causes irregular periods, difficulty getting pregnant and high levels of androgen hormones. The condition occurs when follicles (fluid-filled sacs) form in the ovaries. According to the NHS, PCOS affects around one in every 10 women in the UK and more than half of these women do not have any symptoms. Symptoms of PCOS usually become apparent in your late teens or early twenties, which also includes excessive hair growth, weight gain, thinning hair, oily skin or acne. While the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, the NHS says that it typically runs in families and can be related to abnormal hormone levels in the body, including high levels of insulin – the hormone that controls sugar levels in the body. While Raisa did not disclose any more information about her condition, the Grown-ish actor recently opened up about donating her kidney to Selena Gomez in 2017. Raisa reflected on her kidney donation during a recent appearance on the Good Guys podcast. Speaking to hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer, Raisa recalled how the medical procedure felt like the right thing for her to do amid Gomez’s lupus diagnosis. “I’ve said this before, but that was a time where I just felt it in my heart,” she said. “I knew I was a match. I knew it was going to happen.” Raisa emphasised that she was the one who chose to donate her kidney, adding: “No one forced me to do anything. It came out of the genuine kindness of my heart, and I’ve been super blessed ever since.” Meanwhile, the “Calm Down” singer has also opened up about her relationship with Raisa after the kidney donation. In a March episode of Apple TV Plus’s documentary series Dear…, Gomez explained how the How I Met Your Father star offered to donate her kidney. “My best friend. Her name is Francia. She said: ‘No, I am absolutely getting tested,’” the Disney Channel alum recalled. “And within three days, she went to get tested, and she was a match. And it was one of those moments where I felt watched over. I know I was so, so, so lucky.” Gomez added that Raisa “not even second-guessing [being] a donor” was “unbelievably overwhelming” and that she will “never ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia”. Raisa has previously tried to dispel rumours that the pair have been “feuding” since the donation, with the actor telling TMZ last month: “There no beef, guys.” Read More ‘Oblivious’ woman defended after walking through beach wedding: ‘They don’t own the beach’ King’s Guard shares sweet exchange with young boy wearing royal uniform Noah Schnapp fans perturbed by twin sister’s reaction to him coming out Raven-Symoné details cosmetic surgeries she had before she turned 18 What is ALS and what are the causes? Jonnie Irwin shares emotional milestone with son Rex amid terminal cancer diagnosis

Raven-Symoné has revealed that she underwent several cosmetic surgeries as a teenager, after her father encouraged her to do so while she was receiving criticism about her weight. The That’s So Raven star said she had two breast reductions and liposuction done before she turned 18 in 2004. Speaking on the latest episode of her and her wife Miranda Pearman-Maday’s podcast, Symoné recalled: “There was paperwork involved. My dad suggested strongly that I should get my breasts reduced. “He was like, ‘So you don’t feel bad, is there anything that you want?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, if I get lipo, will people stop calling me fat?’” She continued on The Best Podcast Ever with Raven and Miranda: “So I got a twofer. It was just a mess, just being that young and the pain of it all.” Symoné also disclosed that, after her first breast reduction surgery, she suffered a seizure. “I remember waking up and seeing everything… and then I just started to have this dry mouth and couldn’t breathe and went back under,” she said of the experience. The Cheetah Girls star said she does not remember much else because she was “disassociating” from reality, but admitted that not knowing what caused the seizure “freaks her out a bit”. She still went ahead with the second breast reduction. While she advised others who may be considering similar procedures to wait until they are fully developed before going under the knife, Symoné added that her decision to get breast reductions prevented her “t**ties reaching her ankles”. “I don’t know if I regret it because they grew back not to that big of a size,” she said. Last year, Symoné credited her wife with helping her “kick sugar”, which led to her losing 40 pounds (approximately 18kg). She told The View: “With [Pearman-Maday’s] help and guidance and love and fantastic cooking skills… she helped me kick sugar. “I say ‘kick sugar’ because it is an addictive drug and I was addicted to it in wheat form, in regular form. And it’s out of my system.” Receiving bad news about her health from her doctor also spurred Symoné to take her weight more seriously, so that she could be around longer to spend her life with her wife. “I want to be here for her as long as I can,” she said. “I found out some numbers at the doctor that were not pleasant for someone in my age bracket – or any age bracket, to be honest with you… She doesn’t want to take me to an early grave, and I want to make sure I am there for her in the best health possible.” In July, Symoné called on people not to use diabetes medication Ozempic purely for weight loss, as it is “made for certain people”. She opened up about her family’s history of pre-diabetes and diabetes, and said she is “more susceptible” to the disease if she is not careful about what she eats. “So, I think it’s very important we understand certain medications are made for certain people – and to not take that away just for glamazon purposes,” she told E! News. Read More ‘Oblivious’ woman defended after walking through beach wedding: ‘They don’t own the beach’ Men sometimes need help – and I’m determined to start asking for it King’s Guard shares sweet exchange with young boy wearing royal uniform

A former managing director opened up about a secret interview test that allowed him to understand whether the applicant was suitable for the job. In a resurfaced appearance on The Ventures podcast, Trent Innes, a former MD for Xero Australia Trent, said he would take the interviewee to a kitchen and offer them a drink. They would then take their drinks back to the meeting room where he would conduct the interview. He explained: "One of the things I’m always looking for at the end of the interview is, does the person doing the interview want to take that empty cup back to the kitchen?" The reason behind the subtle test comes down to attitude, according to Trent. "You can develop skills, you can gain knowledge and experience but it really does come down to attitude, and the attitude that we talk a lot about is the concept of 'wash your own coffee cup.'" Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter He believes there's more to the test than meets the eye, as it demonstrates that the candidate "would actually really drive a culture of ownership," for completing one of the "lowest level" tasks. "If you come into the office one day inside Xero, you’ll see the kitchens are almost always clean and sparkling and it’s very much off that concept of wash your coffee cup, but that sort of led into the interview space," he continued. Trent aimed to hire people who had "a real, strong ownership and a growth mindset." "It’s really just making sure they’re actually going to fit into the culture inside Xero, and really take on everything that they should be doing," he added. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

When Mohamad Orfali, the head chef and co-owner of Orfali Bros. Bistro in Dubai, received an email in

It’s nearly Strictly Come Dancing season, with many of this year’s contestants already announced. Broadcaster Angela Rippon will make history as the show’s oldest contestant, and she’s joined by a cast of actors, news presenters, comedians and more. Here’s a look at the fashion of this year’s contestants… Zara McDermott Zara McDermott is the first Love Islander to join Strictly Come Dancing. The 26-year-old documentary maker said on BBC Radio 1: “I am nervous, excited, every single emotion honestly – I cannot wait.” She’s usually wearing gorgeous gowns on the red carpet and co-ords and crop tops off-duty, so it’ll be no surprise if McDermott throws herself into the deep end on the show and goes all-out with her costumes. Angela Scanlon TV presenter Angela Scanlon – known for fronting the revamped machine combat competition Robot Wars and Your Home Made Perfect – is fun and flirty with her fashion choices. She started her career as a stylist, so knows her stuff when it comes to fashion. Her personal style is all about bright colours, bold patterns and a hint of sparkle – perfect for the Strictly dancefloor. Angela Rippon Broadcasting icon Angela Rippon, a journalist, author, newsreader and TV presenter, will be 79 when the programme is filmed. Her fashion style is classic, with cardigans, turtlenecks, silk shirts and suit jackets her clothes of choice. It won’t be a surprise to see Rippon wearing a lot of floral glitz, sparkles and glamour on the dancefloor – and perhaps some costumes that will push her outside of her comfort zone. Krishnan Guru-Murthy British journalist and lead presenter at Channel 4 News Krishnan Guru-Murthy sticks to what he knows. You’ll usually find him wearing a dark two-piece suit – likely with a brightly coloured tie – or loose shirts. Amanda Abbington Amanda Abbington is best known for her roles in Mr Selfridge and Sherlock. Her style is generally quite muted – she favours classic outfits in black, white or neutral colours – so the Strictly wardrobe of sparkles and shine will likely be a new experience for her. Layton Williams Layton Williams – known for playing Stephen Carmichael in the TV series Bad Education – will be a showstopper this year. He’s often found wearing bold tailored outfits that help him stand out from the crowd – think dramatic silhouettes and daring ensembles, which will likely translate onto the Strictly stage. Eddie Kadi You’ll find BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter on the Official UK Afrobeats Charts Show and stand-up comedian Eddie Kadi wearing everything from casual outfits to patterned three-piece suits and striking colours. So it’s safe to say that he’ll do his best to wear unique and outgoing costumes in this series. Adam Thomas Actor and TV presenter Adam Thomas is best known for playing Adam Barton in ITV soap Emmerdale and Donte Charles in BBC drama series Waterloo Road. He’s usually found pairing denim jeans, chinos or slacks with a plain T-shirt, polo or shirt – so perhaps he’ll stay on the safe side whilst waltzing across the dance floor. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 veg you can still sow in summer Areas with lower bird diversity ‘have more mental health hospital admissions’ Expert hacks for keeping your home cool in summer