The shots set off a panicked stampede at a gathering to honor the NBA champs. None of the injuries was life threatening and police quickly apprehended three suspects.

(Image credit: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos claims The National Enquirer had blackmailed him into dropping an investigation. He alleges that the tabloid tried to tie his hands by threatening to publish his nude photos.

The post Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accuses National Enquirer of blackmail in nude photo scandal appeared first on Digital Trends.

If you watched the Golden Globes, you witnessed Darren Criss hitting a major career milestone when he won Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film, beating out big names like Hugh Grant and Benedict Cumberbatch. However, before taking on his now award-winning role in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," Criss had an already impressive career that expands well beyond this well-deserved win.

In addition to starring in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" on Broadway, many know him for his Blaine Anderson character on "Glee." Playing the role of a lead vocalist jumpstarted his real-life musical career, eventually debuting his own Indie Pop band Computer Games in 2017.

But Criss's success doesn't stop there. Just last month, he partnered with Clorox on their What Comes Next Project, an initiative that spotlights young "changemakers" leading cleaning-driven projects in their local communities. Being an activist himself, Criss's involvement with the project showcases his passion for supporting young leaders looking to make a difference.

In other words, what doesn't Darren Criss do?

In an effort to understand what makes him tick, we asked Criss what helps him unwind—because we all know that is crucial to success (and sanity). See below for our chat with the actor-meets-songwriter-meets-activist.

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Oreo truffles are always a good idea, but these Carrot Cake Oreo Truffles (made with Carrot Cake Oreo cookies) will make you feel like spring is in the air!

We finally got some snow in Boston this past weekend. But it wasn’t much. And I promise, I’m not complaining (the last time I complained about not having had any snow in mid-January, we got like 18 blizzards in a row that lasted straight through May). I am definitely complaining about the cold, though. Yesterday was 5 degrees and it was not OK.

Sooo, you’re probably wondering why I’m posting such a happy spring recipe in the midst of freezing cold weather. I mean, it’s still January and let’s face it, we have a lot of winter left. Well, I blame Oreo. If I’m not supposed to be in major spring mode, then why the heck did they release their new Carrot Cake Oreo cookies like 3 weeks ago? To me, carrot cake screams spring and Easter and all things sunny and happy. So, while I’m certainly not done with my winter cooking (give me all the mac and cheese, please), I hope you’ll indulge me for a bit and take this little escape to spring. A preview of what’s to come, if you will. Plus, these Oreos are limited edition, which means that if you want to try this recipe, you may only have a few months to do so!

CARROT CAKE OREO TRUFFLES RECIPE

Chances are that you’ve had an Oreo truffle by this point in your life. They’re the kind of dessert that’s served at many holiday parties because they’re so easy to make and also freaking delicious. I haven’t made them in many, many years, but when I bought these Carrot Cake Oreo cookies, I knew that’s what I wanted to do with them. I think because Oreo truffles are generally made with cream cheese and all good carrot cakes have cream cheese frosting. In fact, the Carrot Cake Oreo cookies actually have a cream cheese frosting filling. Genius!

Alone, I think these new cookies are fun. They’re basically like golden Oreo cookies infused with carrot cake flavor and a little spicy kick and they remind me a lot of the Pumpkin Pie Oreo cookies.

Making these Carrot Cake Oreo truffles is just as easy as any other Oreo truffles are. First, put the cookies in a food processor and blend them to fine crumbs. Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or spatula), combine cookie crumbs, cream cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Once all the ingredients are combined, roll the mixture into golf ball sized balls on place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. I recommend popping them in the freezer for an 30 minutes to an hour so they can harden up a bit.

Then dunk the Oreo balls into melted white chocolate to fully coat. I recommend using white chocolate wafers, like these Ghirardelli ones (affiliate link), but if you can’t find them, white chocolate chips are fun (I just think the wafers melt much more nicely).

I topped my Carrot Cake Oreo truffles with some fun spring-themed sprinkles. And popped them back in the freezer for 15 more minutes so the chocolate could fully harden.

Hellooo. Spring is in the air!! Although not really. I mean, it did get up to like 25 degrees today (20 degrees higher than yesterday), so maybe it really is. But spring is in my mouth at least. OK, that sounds kind of weird. But also kind of happy.

I was thrilled with how these Carrot Cake Oreo truffles turned out and can say without a doubt that they’re the best Oreo truffles I’ve ever had.Of course, you can make Oreo truffles with absolutely any Oreo flavor you choose, but some flavors are definitely better in truffle form. I think one weird thing about the new carrot cake cookies is that they’re crunchy (because duh, they’re cookies), which obviously takes away from the carrot cake appeal a bit. These truffles bring it right back!

They’re best enjoyed right out of the fridge with a cake-y (carrot cake-y!) filling and deliciously sweet coating. Be careful because these Carrot Cake Oreo truffles are a little bit dangerous to have sitting around your house; I recommend making them for an event or bringing them to wedding showers, baby showers, or any other gathering with friends.

Oreo truffles are one of the easiest desserts to make and one that almost everyone loves!

They may not make spring arrive any more quickly (though it’s totally staying light out just a tiny bit later now!), but they’ll at least bring spring to your heart. And your mouth. OK, I’ll stop saying things like that now.

Have you tried Carrot Cake Oreo cookies yet?

If you love baking with fun Oreo cookie flavors, try my Oreo Funfetti Popcorn or my Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cheesecake Bars. I also really want to try these Triple Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches from Homemade Banana.

The post Carrot Cake Oreo Truffles appeared first on We are not Martha.

The post Recipe: Collagen Coffee appeared first on All Sorts Of.

A little Christmas romance for ya!

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Attention shoppers: One of your favorite stores is adding home decor to its roster.

From megawatt retailers like Amazon and Target, to direct-to-consumer companies, to small boutiques, design enthusiasts are in no shortage of places to find beautiful furniture and accessories. Still, we're always craving somewhere new to shop.

Over the past few years, big fashion brands like Gucci and the Elder Statesman have released equally stunning home decor collections. Now, J.Crew is dipping its toes into the interiors world with a line of their very own.

We'll let that sink in for a minute.

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Netflix's latest original movie is already making waves as "Roma" has taken home over three dozen awards so far. Recently named one of this year's Golden Globe contenders for Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Director and Best Screenplay for "Gravity's" Alfonso Cuarón—it's clear "Roma" is steadily on its way to the Oscars, but before the cast and crew walk down even more red carpets, we sat down with production designer Eugenio Caballero to talk about the unorthodox process he and the rest of the "Roma" team went through to create this true original.

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(via)

A luxury resort in Bali has banned guests from taking gadgets to the poolside so they can "truly relax" and enjoy the moment. Yes, it means no smartphones, no social media, no selfies, no messaging, no web surfing, and no music.

The post Luxury resort bans smartphones from poolside so guests can ‘truly relax’ appeared first on Digital Trends.

From Kitchn → Watch Marie Kondo Organize Things in the Kitchen

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DENVER—Seemingly oblivious to the fact that Prohibition had ended roughly 85 years ago, a group of patrons attending a speakeasy Friday were apparently unaware that it is legal to go to regular bars again. “I guess they still haven’t realized that they don’t need to sneak around to buy alcohol, or go to a place with a…

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If you really want to put Brian Henderson to sleep, ask him to weigh in on where the spoons or cereal bowls should live in the mountain cabin. And yet, you obviously need them to be somewhere that makes sense for your everyday cereal consumption. Having everything you need in a place that makes sense takes small annoyances out of your every day. I say this knowing that we chose to put the fridge on the other side of the island, but listen, some of us prioritize natural light and the assurance that our coffee mugs are close to the coffee maker high in life. So today’s post is bringing you INSIDE the kitchen cabinets to show you the interior function and where everything goes with hopes that if you are renovating your kitchen soon, you can glean some information (or at least learn from the comments). As a reminder, here is the overhead plan so you can see where everything lives:

Grace took the lead on this and she got INTO it. The kitchen cabinetry has been her baby and she is caring for it like most first parents. At one point, I saw her Googling average size of a butter knife to ensure that she was designing the flatware drawer to maximize the space. She also considered the tallest cereal box possible and the average size of canned soup. These are things you don’t know you are going to obsess about in the field while in design school, but hopefully she did so you don’t have to.

First up, the cooktop counter:

The cooktop wall is full of cooking supplies: pots, pans, utensils, spices and the more important “junk drawer/charging station.” My fantasy is that our phones will just stay in there all the time while up there, especially at night and that I’ll no longer have an iPad or laptop on the counter charging, but instead inside a drawer, hidden away. The “junk” portion of the drawer is one that I’m very excited about as it’s the first drawer you run into from the kitchen door (where we’ll most likely be entering and exiting the most) and instead of having a tray or a “bowl of anxiety,” I’d like to have a drawer of it so I can hide that anxiety until later. The “anxiety” part (at least in my home) is induced by unopened mail from the IRS and random receipts of things that surely need returning. But up there, I don’t foresee too much of this so it’s mostly for keys, phones and loose change.

The peninsula is otherwise known as “the bar.” It’s the part that separates the living room from the kitchen.

I’m so excited about these fridge drawers (we partnered with Build.com for all the appliances) because the bottom drawer will house kids’ snacks and fruit, and the top one will be mixers and beer for grownups. Also, not having to run and get ice maybe ever again up there seems unbelievable (the closest store is 10 minutes away, which is certainly not far, but there and back is a half hour trip).

For the drawers, we have flatware on top (perfectly measured for the height of average knife, fork, etc…thanks Grace), our plates and bowls in the middle and the bottom drawer houses the kids’ stuff so that they can get their own plates to set the table and when they unload the dishwasher, they can put their own stuff away. We have this now in our kitchen and it makes it easy and it works. Also, they recently started unloading the dishwasher and while the first time took a good 40 minutes, they do it rather mindlessly now, almost like we do. FYI my “chore nagging strategy” mostly consists of me saying a version of these phrases over and over: “so helpful,” that “we need your help,” “the whole family helps out,” “you are good at helping,” “I have a fun job and you are old enough to have some jobs, too”, etc. Charlie even tried to repeat my “many hands make light work” phrase to Birdie that he’s heard me say one million times. His version was “lots of hands make it go fast” and I was like, “yah, bud. Exactly’.”

Anyway, this drawer will ensure that I won’t have to nag them to set the table or unload the dishwasher ever again.

On the island, we have the sink, dishwasher and the garbage receptacle.

These were all pretty standard but we are building this pull-out, two-tiered tray for cleaning supplies, dishwasher soap, and the top tray is reserved for sponges. In all my life I have never thought I’d have a designated sponge area. What eye-sore can I possibly put next to my sink now??

Time for the full-height cabinets, which were a beast to figure out.

We are doing two retractable cabinets doors for the appliance pantry and the dry bar which I am very excited about. Let it be known that you lose a good four to five inches of interior space with the hardware and the additional box you have to build to hide the hardware. You basically use the same hardware as you would a TV cabinet and it’s pretty big and ugly. We decided that it was worth losing the space since we won’t be there 24/7, but if this were our main house, I’m not sure we would have made the same choice.

The idea/fantasy of leaving the door to the coffee maker open every morning for two hours without a door in the way trumped the space we were losing.

Here, you can see the skeleton of what goes on inside the cabinets. You’ll see that the pull out shelves in the food pantry and the dry bar are designed specifically for short things on top (cans of food, bar supplies) and tall things on the bottom (cereal or mixers/larger bottles of alcohol).

Grace did such a great job making sure that the appliance cabinet counter had enough space for a coffee maker and toaster, that your hand had enough space to reach in and grab the toast, that the cereal bowls and mugs fit in a way that was the most space efficient. Same with the dry bar. That rendering gave you all the dimensions that we are working off of, but why stare at that when you can see how pretty it is going to be, here:

Now, I will tell you that we haven’t finalized the interior finishes and will likely do some sort of treatment on the back wall of the dry bar and appliance pantry. This post was more for people who like to nerd out about the hyper specifics of kitchen fuctionality (or need it to get them out of the headache of figuring out ideas for their own renovation).

Of course, little things might change, but I go to bed with such peace knowing that when we get up there, we won’t have to think about where things go. I hopefully won’t regret shelving height (although they will likely be adjustable) or feel like we missed something. This very second, I don’t know where the Tupperware will go, but don’t worry, I’ll be sure to ask Brian to weigh in on this. I’ll do this first thing in the morning before he’s had his coffee. There is nothing he loves more than me bombarding him with esoteric design decisions at 6:40 am.

So for all you kitchen pros out there—either designers or expert home-makers—what are we missing and should anything change? The cabinet boxes are almost done, but I don’t think things like the flatware drawer is finished yet, I don’t know how much we can actually change, but I’d love to hear your ideas and if nothing else then others reading along can learn from your advice.

Need a little refresher on the mountain fixer kitchen? Here are some posts we’ve done so far: 

• Mountain Fixer; The Kitchen Cabinet Evolution
• The Big I Design, You Decide Mountain Fixer Kitchen Plan Reveal
• Mountain Fixer: The Final Kitchen Layout & Cabinet Function

The post All About the Mountain Fixer Kitchen Cabinet Interior Functionality appeared first on Emily Henderson.

I’ve been slowly helping out friends of mine decorate their already great house and today you get to see how we pulled together their family/TV room. They have a 4-year-old and a dog that licks and jumps so we had to make it pretty kid- and pet-friendly. The architecture is modern farmhouse and their style is what we have jokingly dubbed “inviting post-apocalyptic homey.” It’s specific and yet it’s pretty universal, because, hell, if I lived through the apocalypse, I’d be psyched to be invited to their home. They like neutrals, with hits of mustards and muted blues. Samesies. We joke because she has influenced my style so much, edging up my fashion and muting down my colors, but likely I have in turn brightened up her typical camo palette. We are both from the PNW and she is moodier than I (not surprising) so I bring the happy while she brings the edge. Together, I LOVE what has happened.

Last year, we customized her sofa at Cisco Home and I know you are all going to freak over it because we did and do all the time. She chose a distressed fabric that looks almost like roughed up denim and at the time, I remember advising against it because I thought it looked too “I’m Industrial,” but as it has worn in, it’s kinda perfect. It’s a washed canvas that has a ton of give and distressing and the more wear it gets (with a toddler and a dog, it’s a lot) the better it gets, as you can see. It’s low and deep and 10 feet long with a single thin down-filled cushion (key) and loose back cushions for ultimate comfort. It’s high quality, high comfort and high style. To be fair, it was not cheap (around $8k) but they were ready to invest and if you break down the amount of time they’ve spent on this sectional, it’s definitely been worth it. We also had the fabric stain treated and while it has only been just over a year, it has worn perfectly.

Where I came in was the ottoman and the rug. I wanted to ensure that the sofa had a warmer toned best friend. That caramel ottoman does just that with its tone and the simple tufting. Plus, it perfectly matches the fur-tone of their French bulldog Boris. Oh, I forgot to mention, in 2018, it’s VERY important that your pet matches your color palette for the most Pin-worthy and “thumb-stopping” photos. And yes, that’s the new term for if/when your large clumsy thumb stops on an Instagram photo and double taps that ish. Welcome to our new reality where we let the action of the world’s chubbiest appendage indicate personal (and corporate) success.

The rug is one of my favorites that I’ve used a few times. It’s soft, warm and neutral but with enough pattern to give the space some style. It has also held up surprisingly well under high family traffic.

Those shelves were kinda challenging being so skinny, so we just styled them out with books, frames and some neutral objects and tried to make them feel not so itty bitty.

A lot of lounging and TV watching happens in that room. It’s just so comfortable and kid/pet-friendly.

That’s right, she bought that painting from the rummage sale for $200. It looks so good up there and fits into this whole “modern farmhouse” vibe that the house has going on.

Here’s a shot that lets you see the whole space…

The lamp is from Schoolhouse Electric and we bought the trunk at the flea market last year. The pillows are a mix from Target and some borrowed picks from A 1000 X Better, a staging company that is great if you need an LA staging company.

So there you go. It’s not some crazy design masterpiece but it came together really well and is such a lovely place to hang out and relax.

Vintage Trunk

Custom Sofa

Donna Floor Lamp

Rug

Ottoman

Accent Chair

Live Edge Side Table

Sconce

Vintage Indigo Pillow

Neutral Patterned Pillow

Navy Tassel Lumbar Pillow

Throw Blanket

Tall B&W Striped Bottleneck Vase

B&W Dipped Vase

Ceramic Bell

Linden Indigo Pillow

Tan Wool Pillow

Mustard Patterned Lumbar Pillow

Marble Tray

Vintage Camera

Vintage Portrait

Black Candle Holders

Punk Table Lamp

Planter

Basket

Credenza

1. Vintage Trunk (similar) | 2. Custom Sofa | 3. Donna Floor Lamp | 4. Ottoman | 5. Rug (different color) | 6. Accent Chair (similar) | 7. Live Edge Side Table | 8. Sconce (similar) | 9. Vintage Indigo Pillow (similar) | 10. Neutral Patterned Pillow (similar) | 11. Navy Tassel Lumbar Pillow (similar) | 12. Throw Blanket | 13. Tall B&W Striped Bottleneck Vase | 14. B&W Dipped Vase | 15. Ceramic Bell (similar) | 16. Linden Indigo Pillow (similar) | 17. Tan Wool Pillow (similar) | 18. Mustard Patterned Lumbar Pillow (similar) | 19. Marble Tray (similar) | 20. Vintage Camera (similar) | 21. Vintage Portrait (similar) | 22. Black Candle Holders (similar) | 23. Punk Table Lamp | 24. Planter (similar) | 25. Basket (similar) | 26. Credenza

*** Photography by Sara Tramp for EHD

The post My Friend’s Kid- and Pet-Friendly Family Room Reveal appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Instagram is reportedly building a new standalone ecommerce app called "IG Shopping." If it launches, IG Shopping would allow 'grammers to browse and purchase a range of products, similar to how they can in the current app.

The post Instagram said to be prepping a standalone shopping app appeared first on Digital Trends.

On Thursday, Pantone announced Ultra Violet as the Color of the Year 2018, and publications, brands, and people from across the globe have since taken to the internet to share their opinions on the new reigning hue. Colors are so steeped in personal preference, that it's no surprise that—like every year—there are the people that love it and the people that don't. We rounded up some reader comments and reactions from across the web to see what everyone is saying about the mystical shade of the moment.

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Courteney Cox was the only cast member from Friends to never be nominated.

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"I am Kristen Bell, and I am a narcissist."

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We've applauded Monica's cleaning skills, she's clearly got some great cooking skills, now its time for her interior design skills to get a little shine (or Monica's grandmother's interior design skills). If Pantone's 2018 Color of the Year looks familiar, then you must be a Friends fan.

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For those who love the often colorful retro styling of Smeg refrigerators, they're already a work of art. However, the Italian brand partnered with Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana to create painted appliances more worthy of a museum than your meal prep. And now, the fridge is available at Neiman Marcus.

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If you're looking to renovate your bathroom this year, and wondering how much you'll spend, this is when you either curse or celebrate the city you call home. Some locales roll out the remodeling red carpet and give you a lot of bang for your buck. Other cities laugh while you silently and grudgingly hand over your wallet. Is your city on the list of most expensive places to remodel your WC?

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Microsoft has a penchant for building whimsical offices with nods to childhood nostalgia. Just take their Vienna headquarters, for example: it features bright colors and an indoor slide. Now the Seattle-area-based software giant has taken things one step further by constructing a fully functional treehouse on its five hundred acre Redmond, Washington campus.

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We're online shopping more than ever and, unfortunately, that means bringing unwanted waste into our homes in the form of cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and other packing supplies. (A problem that gets especially frustrating when I discover the refrigerator-sized box on my porch actually just contains the single pack of face wipes I ordered). It's almost like an Amazon hangover—a night of fun and frivolous (or not so frivolous) spending turns into a dreadful morning where you have to live with your living room box monster until you're ready to become Box Cutter Betty and tear everything down.

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