MasterClass Launches Weekly Free, Live-Stream Series with the World's Best

MasterClass, the platform that makes it possible for anyone to learn from the best announced MasterClass Live, a new series where members can connect with MasterClass instructors and outside experts, taking their learning beyond MasterClass's video-streaming classes, downloadable workbooks, and apps.

For the foreseeable future, MasterClass is making this member benefit available to all.

"MasterClass Live is directly part of our mission to democratize access to the world's best," said David Rogier, co-founder and CEO of MasterClass. "The Live sessions are free and across a wide range of topics from scientific thinking to interior design so everyone has a chance to learn from the best."

Upcoming MasterClass Live sessions include:

• Wednesday, April 22: Award-winning designer Kelly Wearstler will share interior design techniques to make any space more beautiful, creative and inspiring.

• Wednesday, April 29: Community activist and self-proclaimed "Gangsta Gardener" Ron Finley, whose MasterClass is launching on Earth Day, will share tips on how to keep plants alive and thriving, garden in any space and grow your own food.

• Wednesday, May 6: Daniel Negreanu, one of the best and most influential poker players today, will break down his tips and strategies for making the most of your hand.

• Wednesday, May 13: SPANX®  founder Sara Blakely will dive into her entrepreneurial journey and her approach to inventing, selling and marketing products that people love.

MasterClass Live sessions average an hour and are fueled by questions from the audience.  MasterClass kicked off its first session in March with former FBI hostage negotiator and MasterClass instructor Chris Voss, who discussed negotiating through collaboration and empathy in the time of social distancing. This was followed by sessions with makeup artist Bobbi Brown, renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Cronut® creator Dominique Ansel. Additional MasterClass Live sessions will continue to be added to the series.

MasterClass Live is free and all are welcome. Tune in on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET by clicking here or by going to the MasterClass YouTube channel. Share your thoughts and join the conversation by using the hashtag #MasterClassLive on Twitter.

ABOUT MASTERCLASS: Founded in 2015, MasterClass makes it possible for anyone to learn from the best. With MasterClass, step into Anna Wintour's office, Timbaland's recording studio, and Neil Gaiman's writing retreat. Improve your serve with Serena Williams, perfect your pitch with Shonda Rhimes, and leave the atmosphere with Chris Hadfield. Hundreds of video lessons from 80+ of today's most brilliant minds are available anytime, anywhere on iOS, Android, desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku with the All-Access Pass ($180/year). Subscribe to greatness with MasterClass.

MasterClass's current roster of courses includes:

Business: Howard Schultz (business leadership), Anna Wintour (creativity and leadership), Sara Blakely (self-made entrepreneurship), Bob Iger (strategy and leadership), Chris Voss (art of negotiation), Goodby and Silverstein (advertising and creativity)

Culinary Arts: Gordon Ramsay (cooking), Alice Waters (home cooking), Thomas Keller (cooking techniques), Wolfgang Puck (cooking), Dominique Ansel (French pastry), James Suckling (wine appreciation), Aaron Franklin (Texas BBQ), Massimo Bottura (Italian cooking), Gabriela Cámara (Mexican cooking)

Film and Television: Werner Herzog (filmmaking), Martin Scorsese (filmmaking), Ron Howard (directing), Spike Lee (filmmaking), Mira Nair (independent filmmaking), Jodie Foster (filmmaking), Ken Burns (documentary filmmaking), Helen Mirren (acting), Samuel L. Jackson (acting), Judd Apatow (comedy), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting), Shonda Rhimes (writing for television), Natalie Portman (acting), David Lynch (creativity and filmmaking)

Lifestyle: Bobbi Brown (makeup and beauty), RuPaul (self-expression and authenticity), Kelly Wearstler (interior design)

Music and Entertainment: Steve Martin (comedy), Christina Aguilera (singing), Usher (performance), Reba McEntire (country music), Herbie Hancock (jazz), Deadmau5 (music production), Armin van Buuren (dance music), Hans Zimmer (film scoring), Tom Morello (electric guitar), Carlos Santana (art and soul of guitar), Timbaland (producing and beatmaking), Penn & Teller (magic), Itzhak Perlman (violin), Danny Elfman (music for film)

Writing: James Patterson (writing), David Mamet (dramatic writing), Judy Blume (writing), Malcolm Gladwell (writing), R.L. Stine (writing for young audiences), Margaret Atwood (creative writing), Dan Brown (writing thrillers), Neil Gaiman (storytelling), Billy Collins (poetry), David Baldacci (writing thrillers), Joyce Carol Oates (short story writing), David Sedaris (storytelling and humor)

Photography: Annie Leibovitz (photography), Jimmy Chin (adventure photography)

Design and Fashion: Frank Gehry (architecture), Diane von Furstenberg (how to build a fashion brand), Marc Jacobs (fashion design)

Sports and Games: Serena Williams (tennis), Stephen Curry (shooting, ball-handling, and scoring), Garry Kasparov (chess), Daniel Negreanu (poker), Phil Ivey (poker strategy), Simone Biles (gymnastics), Misty Copeland (ballet)

Politics and Society: Jane Goodall (conservation), Bob Woodward (investigative journalism), Karl Rove and David Axelrod (political campaign strategy), Paul Krugman (economics and society), Doris Kearns Goodwin (U.S. presidential history and leadership)

Science and Technology: Chris Hadfield (space exploration), Will Wright (game design), Neil deGrasse Tyson (scientific thinking and communication)

FASHIONADO

Atlanta: Where to Order Easter Meals for Takeout and Delivery

For many Americans, this Easter Sunday will be an intimate family affair. Church services will be broadcast via video or TV and meals will be served only to the members in your household. Eater.com has been great about providing up-to-date dining information across the nation during these unprecedented times.  Beth McKibben has put together a list of Easter dining takeout options for Atlanta. This is what she writes:

As Georgians continue sheltering in place, this year Easter sees people gathering around the table at home and not over brunch at a local restaurant. But, many restaurants, bakeries, and catering companies around Atlanta still offer takeout and delivery, and are even serving up special Easter menus to-go this Sunday. Make sure to order ice cream and dessert, too.

This guide will continue to be updated until Friday, April 10 so continue to check in with Eater.com.

Easter Meals for Takeout and Delivery

Oak Steakhouse

The restaurant at Avalon in Alpharetta is offering a family-style meals comprising of a salad, bread, two entrees, like glazed ham or smoked chicken, two sides, and dessert. The meals feed between two to four people, and must be ordered by 2 p.m., Thursday, April 9. Pick up on Saturday between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., or on Sunday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Email Jeff Gates at jgates@theindigoroad.com to order.

Cru Wine Bar

Order Easter brunch with a mimosa kit at the Alpharetta wine bar. The three-course, prix fixe menu is only $24, with the option to add a mimosa kit for $25. Pick up on Easter Sunday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call 678-248-5181 to order in advance.

Arnette’s Chop Shop

Preorder an Easter steak dinner that includes a 20-ounce beef Wellington and all the sides. The meal serves up to four people for $120. Call 404-969-0701 to order for pick up Saturday, April 11.

Haven

For $140, order an Easter meal featuring glazed ham or leg of lamb, fingerling potatoes and green beans or a salad or rolls. The family meal serves up to four. Call 404-969-0700 to order for pick on Saturday, April 11.

Local Three

Just as it would have done in the dining room on Easter Sunday, Local Three is offering family-style brunch and dinner for curbside pick-up on April 12. Brunch includes everything from cinnamon rolls and banana-pecan bread, to pancakes and bacon and Easter eggs filled with candy paired with mimosas and Bloody Marys. Brunch feeds six for $150. As for dinner, choose from turkey, ham, or brisket, and feast on sides like mac and cheese, a spring salad, and pimento cheese. There’s grasshopper pie for dessert. Meals range between $150 to $175 and feed six people. Call to order. Menu online.

Canoe

The restaurant is offering brunch and lunch packages for Easter. Brunch is $80 and includes pastries, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, and Bloody Mary mix for pick up Saturday, April 11, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lunch features entrees like prime rib, salmon, or pork rack served with family-style sides such as red bliss potatoes and glazed carrots. Prices range from $90 to $130. Pick up Sunday, April 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Order online.

The Companion

The newly opened restaurant in Bolton is offering Easter supper for takeout. The menu features either pork loin or mushroom lasagna, broccolini or butternut squash, and strawberry pound cake for dessert. Call to order. Check Instagram for updates.

Star Provisions

While the market itself is closed, Star Provisions is offering ten themed Easter baskets in its online store filled with candy, games, activities, and other assorted treats and gifts. There’s even a basket for dogs. Order online for contact-free delivery within five miles of the market. Call 404-365-0410 (ext. 4) after purchase to schedule delivery.

The Southern Gentleman

Easter family meals available for curbside pick-up on Sunday, April 12, between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Meals feature a main dish like whole roast chicken or pork loin, sides, apple pie, and a bottle of red or white wine. Call 404-939-9840 to order by Wednesday, April 8. Family meals $60 to $65 and feed up to six people.

Whiskey Bird

The Morningside restaurant is offering an Easter family meal for $96 that includes deviled eggs, pimento cheese and crudite, salad, glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, and red velvet cupcakes. The meal feeds up to six people. There’s even an option to order a four wines for additional $60. Order by Friday, April 10 for pick up on Easter Sunday. Click here to preorder and pay in advance.

South City Kitchen

Order Easter dinner comprising of entrees like smoked brisket or French toast casserole, along with salad, biscuits, and dessert. Order by Tuesday, April 7, for pick up on Saturday, April 11. Email sshaheen@fifthgroup.com to order. Pick up locations at South City Kitchen Midtown, Vinings, and Buckhead or at The Original El Taco in Virginia-Highland.

The Iberian Pig

The Buckhead location is offering suckling pig and tapas specials, while Decatur plans to offer brunch tapas special paired with mimosa and Bloody Mary kits. Check Instagram for details and order by emailing lauren@chgrestaurants.com.

Morton’s Steakhouse

The downtown Atlanta steakhouse is offering a special dinner for two, featuring a starter, one entree per person, and desserts like key lime pie and cheesecake for Easter. Dinner is $109 and must be ordered by Thursday, April 9. Call to order. There’s also “chef’s kits” for cooking and grilling steaks and chops at home. Details can be found online.

Empire State South

Easter dinner to-go at Empire feeds up to four people and includes a choice of honey baked ham or lamb with mint, five sides, and pound cake for dessert. Menu details are listed on Instagram. Meals are $125. Call in order or order online for pick up this weekend.

Oceanaire

The Midtown seafood restaurant is offering a four-course, to-go dinner at $150 this Easter. Think jumbo shrimp cocktail, family-style sides of grilled asparagus and lobster mac and cheese, crab cakes, center cut filets, and key lime pie. Order by Friday, April 10. Call to order and schedule curbside pick-up.

Cooks & Soldiers

Order a fried chicken dinner that feeds four for $125. The “Easter Picnic Basket “ includes a basket of fried chicken, four biscuits, two bikini sandwiches, three sides, six peanut butter cookies, and two bottles of wine. Call 404-996-2623 or email lauren@chgrestaurants.com to order for pick up on Saturday or Sunday.

Lyla Lila

The Midtown restaurant is offering an Easter menu featuring spring pea, butter lettuce, and radish salad, wood-roasted pork roast, scalloped potatoes, braised greens, cornbread, and French lemon cake. $75 for two people. $150 for four people. Email info@lylalilaatl.com to order by April 10. Pick up on Sunday, April 12, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Hampton and Hudson

Order brunch and family diners to-go for Easter. For brunch, the menu features a choice of quiches and a mimosa special. The “Build-Your-Own” Easter dinner is $80 and offers dishes like honey glazed ham, deviled eggs, sides like green bean salad and Brussels sprouts, biscuits or rolls, and tiramisu for dessert. Serves four. Order by emailing events@hamptonandhudson.com for delivery or pick-up. *Mimosa special for pick-up only.

Jen Chan’s

The Cabbagetown restaurant is offering Easter brunch or dinner for delivery on Saturday for $24. Think mushroom asparagus quiche, eggs, and ricotta pancakes with mimosas for two brunch or cornbread casserole, miso lemon ginger carrots and spatchcocked herbed butter Cornish game hen with a bottle of red for dinner. Order online.

Cremalosa

Advance order that Easter cake from the new Decatur gelato and treat shop. The Robin’s Egg gelato cake is filled with lemon cream strawberry gelato and iced with lemon buttercream. Six-inch cakes are $22.50. Eight-inch cakes are $45. To-go pints of gelato can also be purchased on Thursday, April 9, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Order online or call 404-578-2739 by Thursday, April 9. Pick up cake orders on Saturday, April 11, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ⠀

Easter Catering

Alon’s Bakery

A catered Easter brunch from Alon’s includes mains like beef tenderloin and leg of lamb, as well as baskets that feed up to 18 people filled with bagels, pastries, quiches, crab cakes, and fruit. The bakery is also offering chocolate Easter eggs, boxed chocolates, and other assorted chocolate candies. Check out the menu and then order online.

Source: Eater.com

FASHIONADO

Wearing Masks - A Vogue Perspective

KES NYC

Wearing Masks

KES NYC

Wearing Masks

Collina Strada

Wearing Masks

Collina Strada

Wearing Masks

Masks may become the most essential must-have, life-saving fashion accessory and  EMILY FARRA wrote an excellent piece for Vogue Runway about it:

When it comes to the United States’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, a common refrain among colleagues and friends is that we aren’t taking enough cues from South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. The curve has been “flattened” in those places for a variety of reasons, one being that face masks were already a part of their cultures. In many parts of Asia, it’s customary to wear a mask (and maybe gloves, too) on the train, at the supermarket, or just walking around the city, regardless of your health; it’s a daily precaution, one that’s equally about self-protection as it is about protecting others. Meanwhile in the U.S., you’d be fairly shocked to see someone wearing a surgical mask at your local Whole Foods.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, the CDC has assured Americans for weeks that healthy citizens do not need to start wearing masks—first, because diligent hand-washing, social distancing, and staying home are widely considered the most effective ways to stop the spread, and second, because we need to reserve those medical supplies for healthcare workers. But as we prepare for the peak of COVID-19 diagnoses and our federal and local governments begin planning our eventual return to “regular life,” the CDC is apparently reconsidering its stance. In an NPR interview earlier this week, CDC director Robert Redfield said the agency is “aggressively reviewing” its data on masks worn by the general public. This comes after its discovery that potentially 25% of infected individuals are asymptomatic; the thinking seems to be that if you don’t know you’re sick but wear a mask anyway, your risk of inadvertently infecting others is lower. On Tuesday, President Trump essentially told Americans not to wait for further instructions and to start wearing a mask if they please—though, like the CDC, he warned that we should not buy N95s or surgical masks, which are already in dangerously short supply at hospitals. Instead, we should pick up bandanas or fabric masks, or simply make our own. Conventional fabrics like cotton will block liquid droplets and can provide incremental protection against airborne particles, as opposed to an N95, which, as the name suggests, blocks 95% of particles—precisely why a fabric mask is not suitable for a doctor or nurse treating COVID-19 patients.

As I wrote last week, designers who are eager to help should make fabric masks for their customers and educate them about why “regular people” shouldn’t aggravate the medical supply shortage even more. If the CDC does change its recommendations and we see a surge in civilian demand for masks, that message will be even more crucial; the biggest argument against a nation-wide mask recommendation is that we might panic and start buying up those hard-to-get medical supplies at inflated rates, making the dire shortages even worse.

But maybe that’s an alarmist concern; the people who were going to ignore the “rules” and order medical masks online probably already did it. Or they’re going to do it no matter what the CDC says. In an op-ed for the New York Times, Zeynep Tufekci, a University of North Carolina professor specializing in the social effects of technology, argued that the CDC’s original guidance—that the public doesn’t need masks and should reserve them for healthcare workers—may have started the problem in the first place by confusing people and inspiring them to do the exact opposite: “Unfortunately, the top-down conversation around masks has become a case study in how not to communicate with the public, especially now that the traditional gatekeepers like media and health authorities have much less control. The message became counterproductive and may have encouraged even more hoarding because it seemed as though authorities were shaping the message around managing the scarcity rather than confronting the reality of the situation.” She also wrote: “Research shows that during disasters, people can show strikingly altruistic behavior, but interventions by authorities can backfire if they fuel mistrust or treat the public as an adversary rather than people who will step up if treated with respect. Given that even homemade masks may work better than no masks, wearing them might be something to direct people to do while they stay at home more, as we all should.”

On that note, several designers are already hard at work making fabric “civilian masks” and even showing you how to make your own. Coperni’s Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer shared a pattern for a fabric mask on their website a couple weeks ago, plus a step-by-step Instagram video (which even a novice should be able to follow—you just need scissors, fabric, and a needle and thread). “We were inspired [to start making masks] by our family, most of whom work in the medical field,” Vaillant and Meyer wrote to Vogue in an email. “We immediately wanted to help, even with our limited assets. The idea is to leave the FFP2 approved protective masks [a European standard that equates to N95 masks] to the medical staff, and encourage the population to make their own masks for everyday life.” They soon received hundreds of photos from Instagram followers and friends all over the world who used their pattern to sew a mask. “It was surprising to see the links that were created between different people around the world who were experiencing the same situation and were looking for solutions,” the designers add. “A bond of solidarity and support has been built around this cause all over the world.”

While Vaillant and Meyer currently don’t have the capacity to produce and sell masks on their website, they had another idea for brands that want to help: “We strongly encourage luxury houses and groups around the world to donate their stock of unused textiles to produce ‘mask-making kits’ to be given or sold to the general public. We will be happy to help in the development and conception of such a project.”

In New York, Collina Strada’s Hillary Teymour has been sewing masks with leftover fabrics in her studio with pretty results, from daisy prints to acid plaids. She’s already donated many of them to the Masks 4 Medicine initiative; while they aren’t a substitute for medical-grade masks, some doctors and nurses are using them as “covers” over their N95s to extend their lifespan, since they’re now forced to reuse them repeatedly. After sharing photos of the masks on Instagram, demand from Teymour’s customers spiked instantly. “I had so many [Instagram] DMs from people asking for the masks,” she says. “I felt weird about exploiting a product and selling something that is an essential need, so we started just giving them away for free with all purchases on our e-commerce site. But now I feel like people are just buying product [on our site] to receive a mask, so I’m figuring out a good price point to move forward with them.”

Lia Kes, the founder of sustainable New York label Kes, began selling upcycled cotton and silk masks on her website last week. She’s also been wearing one anytime she’s outside: “I haven’t left home without a mask in the past few weeks, and neither have my kids and our team,” she says. “The reaction from our Instagram followers, clients, and influencers has been supportive—we’ve never experienced as much online traffic as we are [now], and the reaction is heartwarming.” It’s a nice bonus that her masks come in luxe materials and shades of berry and ivory. In addition to selling them to civilians, proceeds of the masks will also go towards buying medical supplies for healthcare workers.

In the coming weeks, it’s fair to assume dozens more designers will start making fabric masks for civilian use, whether or not it becomes an official CDC mandate. It’s a sharp pivot from what we saw just two weeks ago, when designers were more focused on sewing masks for healthcare workers. When it became clear that wasn’t going to work—mostly because fabric masks don’t offer enough protection, and N95s can only be produced in FDA-approved factories—the CFDA encouraged them to explore making other types of PPE, as well as fabric masks for people like us. If you’re in the market for one right now, consider the masks by Threeasfour; Citizens of Humanity; Maison Modulare, a new line of sustainable products by Hiraeth’s head designer Chrys Wong; and Lingua Franca, which isn’t selling masks, per se, but has shared virtual tutorials for hand-stitching your own. Rachel Comey also shared a how-to video on Instagram for making a fabric mask at home.

Selfies are certainly about to look a lot different, especially here in New York where cases of COVID-19 have risen to more than 47,000. But before you panic and wear your mask 24/7, my sister—a NICU nurse who wears them often—warned me of their vaguely dehumanizing effects. If you can’t see someone’s face, you can’t fully read their emotions or see their smile, and those connections are more important than ever these days. The advice we’ve heard is to wear a mask only when you’re out of the house and it makes you feel safer, not when you’re on the couch FaceTiming your mom. Plus, you’ll need to take off your mask to properly sanitize it: “It’s important to wash them daily,” Teymour insists. “You need to treat your mask like workout clothes. If you worked out super hard the day before, would you wear the same clothes the next day?” Hand-wash yours in warm, soapy water, and let it dry completely overnight. If you’re looking to help other people get masks, too, Teymour says New York’s Division of Child Protection is accepting fabric masks for at-risk children. “I can only make so many, so anyone who can sew can help,” she says. “We’re stronger together.”

Source: Vogue

FASHIONADO

The Stars Come Out for Elton John's "Living Room Concert" for Coronavirus Relief

Tonight, Elton John is set to host the iHeartMedia Living Room Concert for America, a live concert series benefiting those impacted by coronavirus. During the hour-long special, John will be introducing a roster of big-name musicians who will practice social distancing by performing live from their homes; the special will aim to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts by asking viewers of the concert to donate to a variety of related causes.Below, all the information on how to watch tonight’s concert.

WHO’S PERFORMING? The event has a star-studded lineup of performers including Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish, the Backstreet Boys, Alicia Keys, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Sam Smith, Tim McGraw, Camila Cabello, H.E.R, Dave Grohl, and more. Stars such as Demi Lovato, Lizzo, Ciara, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa McCarthy, Ryan Seacrest, and more are also scheduled to make appearances as well.

HOW AND WHEN DO I WATCH? The hour-long concert is airing tonight, March 30 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. It will be broadcast on all Fox platforms, as well as on all iHeartRadio stations.

HOW DOES IT BENEFIT COVID-19? During the hour-long concert, viewers will be encouraged to make donations to Feeding America, a nonprofit organization that works with over 200 food banks across America, and First Responders Children’s Foundation, which provides support to first responder families who are enduring financial hardship due to the pandemic.

SOURCE: VogueRunway

FASHIONADO

Piedmont Park Conservancy sends letter with COVID_19 updates to its Patrons

Piedmont Park is an Atlanta staple. The historic park that spans more than 200 acres is one of the most popular (and beautiful) spots in Midtown Atlanta. From music festivals to community based events or just picnic-ing in the park or playing with your dogs, Piedmont Park has now become the to-go place for cabin fevered self-quarantined Atlantans.

The President of the Piedmont Park Conservancy provided COVID_19 updates as it relates to park business and the public so we felt it was worth sharing:

I am writing to you today because of the new reality that COVID-19 has brought to Piedmont Park.

Piedmont Park, already the most visited attraction in Atlanta, has seen an immense surge in visitation since St. Patrick’s Day weekend when Atlanta companies, schools and local attractions all began to close and move to home-based activities. Visit the Park on any given day, and you would think it was a summer Saturday in the Park with some sort of event happening. But instead, we are seeing people who just need to get out of their homes, clear their minds and move their muscles in an open, 200+ acre space that doesn’t threaten their social distancing efforts.

The Piedmont Park Conservancy is working harder than ever. Our small landscape crew is continuing to operate in order to keep up with the park demand. Director of Operations David Esslinger is strategically rotating and distancing the crew in order to preserve our workforce so that everyone can enjoy Piedmont Park for however long this lasts. Eight men, David, Stanley, Derek, Alan, John, Lorenzo, Todd and Michael, are showing up to contribute to something much bigger than themselves.

Right now, City of Atlanta parks are open. Our bathrooms need more cleaning, and we recently obtained 30 extra trash bins which need emptying. We also made an investment of adding soap dispensers to all of Piedmont Park’s bathrooms, and are funding the soap supply throughout this time, even though we typically rely on city funds for bathroom maintenance. 

Even if mandates relating to isolation or gatherings become more stringent, Piedmont Park is in full bloom: the grass will still grow, plants and trees will still need watering, and bushes will need trimming. Without focused care and attention, it doesn’t take long for beautiful Piedmont Park to not be so beautiful.

We are adjusting to operational disruptions that nonprofits everywhere are experiencing - Our volunteer groups are no longer a resource. Two of our three revenue streams, public programs and facility rentals, are and will be experiencing a significant loss for the foreseeable future. But thanks to a dedicated staff, committed board of directors and friends like you, I know we will be able to weather these unprecedented times together.

We encourage you to visit our alerts and closures page for the latest updates: https://www.piedmontpark.org/alerts-closures/ Please never hesitate to contact us if we can provide any information or be of service.

Thank you for your continued passion and interest in beautiful Piedmont Park. 

Mark Banta
President and CEO
Piedmont Park Conservancy

Stay healthy. Stay safe.

FASHIONADO

Here’s What to Know About the Coronavirus Pandemic Today

As more facts and figures emerge around the pandemic COVID-19 in the days ahead, Vogue will be pinpointing exactly what you need to know each morning AND we at FASHIONADO felt it is important to help spread the word. Please stay safe…

Below, here are the latest updates.

For official information on coronavirus prevention, please visit the World Health Organization or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites. There are now coronavirus cases in all 50 states, as West Virginia reported its first yesterday.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared a “human biosecurity emergency,” which allows government officials to enforce shelter-in-place orders and curfews if necessary. The government has also banned large indoor gatherings for more than 100 people.

The European Union has banned non-essential travel to Europe for at least 30 days. In the U.S. officials are expected to enact limits for crossing the Canadian border, in addition to the travel bans from Europe, China, and Iran.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that a shelter in place order could be announced in the next 48-hours, though he and Governor Andrew Cuomo are in disagreement about the potential mandate. A shelter in place order has been expanded in Northern California, which will affect 8 million people.

The White House is working with Congress to create a $1 trillion stimulus package in the midst of massive financial fallout during the coronavirus crisis. The package would benefit small businesses, the airline industry, as well as provide direct payments to low and middle-income households.

The International Olympics Committee and the Japanese government are still planning to move forward with the 2020 Olympics in July despite growing concern from athletes around the world.

The 2020 Glastonbury Music Festival in England has been canceled. The headliners included Diana Ross, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Paul McCartney.

Amazon will only receive essential items in its UK and US warehouses until April 5th in an effort to prioritize inventory space for household and medical supplies. The company will still sell non-essential goods but may sell out of items faster.

As of this morning, there are more than 198,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide. Read more helpful tips from experts on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Source: Vogue

FASHIONADO

How to Feel Your Most Confident Self this Valentine’s Day

Whether you’re going on a blind date or spending time with your spouse, Valentine’s Day can be quite intimidating and daunting. However, radiating confidence is one guaranteed way to impress that special someone. While this task may seem difficult to implement, it can be achieved with just a few tricks. Here are some of our tips on how to feel more confident this Valentine’s Day.

To start off, you’re going to want to dress to impress. Studies have shown that clothing can actually influence your mindset. Going above and beyond to dress up this year will not only impress your date, but it will also help you feel more confident. If you haven’t gone shopping for a new suit in a while, Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity. Check out this selection of suits to help you get started. With that being said, you’ll also want to spruce up your grooming. A clean-shave will be sure to help you feel put together and ready to go. In order to do so, experiment with top of the line razors that will get you the smooth and sharp shave you need for your date.

Next, you’ll want to plan out your date night. Going into the date with a plan will not only help you to feel more prepared, but it will also boost your self-confidence. Knowing you have a killer night planned will shift the focus from trying to figure out where to go and what to do to simply focusing on your partner. If you’ve been with your partner for a few years, try taking them somewhere new and exciting! Going outside your comfort zone and trying something new will be sure to give them an exciting night. In contrast, for a first date or a blind date, dinner and a movie can be a great start to your potential relationship. Here are some tips to help you get started if you’re unsure where to begin!

Last (but definitely not least), you’ll need to remember to have a positive mindset. It can be easy to doubt yourself, especially when going on a date with someone new. But having a hopeful outlook for the date and focusing on the positive will give you a confident attitude that will be sure to impress your partner. Thinking positively has also been proven to lower levels of stress and improve your overall physical wellbeing. Focusing on the good in a situation, surrounding yourself with people who make you happy, and utilizing positive affirmations are just some of the ways to turn a negative mindset into a positive one. Not sure where to start? Take a look at this article for more tips to help you stay positive.

Confidence is more than just a smile and a firm handshake; it’s a state of mind. Showing your date you’re confident and comfortable in your own skin will allow them to feel more comfortable and confident on the date as well. Overall, it’s important to keep the focus on your date and give them a night they’ll never forget.

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