Once again circumstances dictate what we refer to as a “tale of two posts,” with news events rendering a post entirely dedicated to lighthearted fare inappropriate.
Of course we refer to the situation in Missouri (although Minnesota was hard hit this weekend and people in Alabama continue to experience extremely difficult circumstances as they try to put the pieces back together again). We use the words posted on Twitter by one of our favorite reporters, Brian Stelter, to go along with some of the photos.
Mr. Stelter writes about television and other media for the NY Times, and he was scheduled to be in Chicago yesterday for the final Oprah show. Instead, he volunteered to help with the paper’s coverage of the disaster in Missouri. It was his first experience covering a natural disaster as a reporter.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
From Mr. Stelter:
(FYI, the Tweets we show from Mr. Stelter are not all in chronological order, please disregard the ‘time stamp’ shown on the graphic.) Below, Kyle Gordon looks out the window of what used to be his home.
Eric Thayer/Reuters
His wife Alicia managed to rescue her wedding bouquet from the debris.
Eric Thayer/Reuters
This used to be a Walmart.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
This was a Home Depot.
Jeff Robersoon/AP Photo
More from Mr. Stelter.
Below, outside St. John’s Regional Medical Center Sunday night.
Ed Zurga/Reuters
And inside.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
And a wider shot of the hospital.
Eric Thayer/Reuters
Another tweet from Mr. Stelter, followed by a photograph he took.
Another image from Joplin.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
One final tweet from Mr. Stelter.
And one final photo.
AP Photo
As one would expect, local and national non-profits need as much help as they can get, KMOV-TV has a lengthy list of such groups you can peruse if thinking about a possible donation.
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We move on to far more lighthearted fare, beginning with the Obama’s official visit to the UK. Below, the Queen with the President and Mrs. Obama earlier today.
Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Michelle Obama opted for Barbara Tfank, wearing a dress from this past winter’s Resort collection. Queen Elizabeth was in Peter Enrione, her longtime tailor. (If interested in purchasing Barbara Tfank, Barneys carries her exclusively.)
Perhaps of more consequence to our readers, the First Lady and Mr. Obama met with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka William and Kate.
AP Photo via The Daily Mail
Kate opted for the “Shola” bandage-style dress by one of her favorite labels, Reiss. (One caveat for anyone planning to look at the dress online, the Reiss website crashed this morning from the crush of traffic it is experiencing and remains down as of this writing, 4pm EDT 5/24.)
Getty Images/Reuters via The Daily Mail
Not only was this the couple’s first official engagement since their wedding, it was also Kate’s first formal appearance as a member of the Royal Family. Below, we have a better look at the dress as it was shown on the company’s website, it came in two colors, the camel and a royal blue.
Via Reiss
The Princess (we won’t go into the tedium as to why it is deemed acceptable to refer to her this way, it just sounds better than the Duchess) looked tan following her 10 day honeymoon.
Toby Melville/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
As always, the British media weighed in on what was worn by whom; the following is from The Daily Mail’s story:
- The Queen’s patterned white dress is a trademark look, but Michelle’s clashing outfit was a far cry from the pared-down elegance we have come to expect from the First Lady
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The faux-pas could perhaps be explained by Obama’s nerves as she probably erred on the side of caution, choosing an outfit she knew would please the Queen
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So perhaps nerves have got the better of Catherine Middleton, who looked thinner than ever when she met the Obamas at Buckingham Palace today.
Tonight we shall see serious party frocks at the State Dinner hosted by the Queen and Prince Philip. For more information than you could possibly want on the ensemble, visit our sister site, What Kate Wore.
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Yesterday we chatted about the fabulous news of the soon-to-open Ladurée store, but also asked for insight on the distinction between a macaron and macaroons. A tip of the hat to the inimitable (and always gracious) Toad, of To the Manner Born fame, for he was good enough to share this story from Sauce Magazine addressing this very topic.
“Macarons – or “macs” as I affectionately refer to them – are French sandwiches whose shells are made up primarily of whipped egg whites, ground almonds and sugar. They rise in the oven and are paired together with a sweet filling. There are various methods, recipes and baking times that work for some and not for others (you can read all about the tasty tribulations of macarons here). Although finicky, macarons are delicious, beautiful and – to me – macarons vs. macaroons
the trouble.”
Via One Charming Party
Our friend Elle Marie is also an outstanding chef, and she verifies that the two are completely different creations, while also giving us some background on the confusion:
“There was a huge debate publicly after an editor for “BonAppétit” spelled the French Macaron “Macaroon” insisting that was the English spelling, but they are actually two different pastries…. I know it’s still a debate, but they are actually two different cookies, but some think they are synonyms.”
With thanks to both Toad and Elle Marie for their assistance, we say adieu until next time!
The Preppy Princess 