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She hit headlines after flashing her nipple and her bottom while performing on stage.
And if reports are to be believed Madonna's diva demands are more outrageous than her exhibitionism.
The 53-year-old singer's rider includes all sorts of extravagant conditions as she performs her MDNA tour, according to reports.
Treated like royalty: According to reports Madonna has some outrageous demands included on her tour rider including special flowers and furniture
According to In Touch magazine Madonna travels with a huge 200-person entourage and has very specific requirements to the way her dressing rooms are set up.
A source tells the magazine: 'She requires all furniture be removed from the rooms and replaced with her own pieces that she has shipped in.'
It is claimed the singer demands 20 international phone lines in the room as well as special white and pink roses that must have the stems cut to six inches.
As well as all this the singer is also said to demand special fabric for her room.
Peek-a-boo: Madonna was seen peering out from a balcony with her daughter Mercy in Florence, Italy yesterday
Making a stage booby: The 53-year old singer exposed herself while on stage in Istanbul
A source told the Daily Star: 'Madonna has probably the longest list of requirements of any of the world’s music stars. She expects things to be just right or it puts her off her stage show.'
Within the 200-strong team she is said to have 30 bodyguards, a yoga instructor as well as personal chefs and an acupuncturist.
Madonna is currently in Florence, Italy and she was seen on the balcony of her hotel with her boyfriend Brahim Zaibat and her daughter Mercy.
She needs her people, all 200 of them! Maddona is said to be touring with a huge entourage
The singer stunned fans when she flashed her breast while on stage in Istanbul earlier this month.
But despite critics slamming her for the attention-seeking move it seemed Madonna was not perturbed.
In fact, the singer pulled her pants down to reveal her thong, her fishnet tights and her bottom while on stage in Rome last week.
A spokesperson for the star was unavailable for comment earlier today.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Lifestyle: Baby it's cosy outside - Daily Mail
The best way to extend your living space? By transforming your patio or garden into an outdoor room. Two alfresco aficionados tell Andrea Childs how
Abigail Ahern enjoying her outdoor room
Abigail Ahern is an interior designer and owner of chic homeware boutique Atelier Abigail Ahern in London’s Islington. She lives in East London with her husband Graham and their dogs Maud, a Welsh terrier, and miniature schnauzer Mungo.
I wanted our outdoor room to look as tantalising and fabulous as the interior of the house. We have a double-height glass extension that opens fully on to the garden, so decorating the space immediately outside the doors is fundamental.
I was inspired by my time living in LA, where outdoor rooms are totally over the top. Mantelpieces, sofas, artwork – they’ve got it. My moose-head light has that decadent feel.
The fireplace is the most ambitious part of the space; everything else is just cosmetic. It took the builders a weekend to construct the chimney. The ‘flooring’ is reclaimed York stone flagstones.
It doesn’t bother me that it’s impractical. I have a problem with most conventional outdoor furniture – it’s drab and not luxurious enough for the look I want. You need texture and the softness of fabrics to give the space warmth, so I drag all the furniture out of the house. The only constants are the two black plastic lounge chairs.
Lighting is the most important part of any outdoor room, but it’s often the most neglected. I’ll pull my indoor lamps outdoors for the evening. I buy freezer bulbs from hardware shops – the little ones that go in domestic fridges and freezers – so I don’t have to worry if it gets damp outdoors. The huge angled lamp is usually in the living room, but it’s on wheels so it’s easy to move. The driftwood light has been outside for three years and still looks great – I covered it in Ronseal yacht varnish to protect it. I use an external circuit breaker to prevent any accidents.
I’ve planted scented bay in pots for fragrance. There’s viburnum, too. I wanted plants that are green all year round and easy to care for.
Friends think I’m nuts because even in winter I get them to put on their coats and
sit outside. On summer weekends, we’ll eat dinner outside at the table, then spend the evening lounging in front of the fire. I need a magical space to make me feel happy, and this is it.
Find out more about Abigail’s designs at atelierabigailahern.com, tel: 020 7354 8181
Jackie Piper's Cambridge creation
Jackie Piper, a product designer, is one half of Whitbread Wilkinson, creators of the iconic Pantone mugs, as well as their own-brand homeware and stationery. Jackie lives in Cambridge with her husband John, children Neve, nine, and Edan, 11, and their whippet Lily Mouse.
This was a typical student garden, with a washing line and weeds and not much else. We tackled it two years ago. The original plan was to put up a summerhouse at the end of the garden but it seemed a shame to cover up the sunniest spot with an oversized shed.
It took two weeks to plan the space, plus another to build it. We had to work out the height of the wall, whether the fireplace should be central, and which side to put the doors into the alley behind the garden. The willow panels at the side soften the look of the bricks, and they’re great for hanging bunting on.
The fireplace gives us a reason to go down to the end of the garden even if it’s cold. We’ve had marshmallow roasts for Neve’s birthday in October, and hosted mulled wine parties on Christmas Day. I always carry down a few blankets for when it gets chilly in the evening.
It was essential to be able to cook on the fire, so there’s a grate where we grill sausages and burgers. I hate barbecues – they look like spaceships that have landed at the bottom of the garden – whereas a fireplace looks suitably domestic.
We chose slate paving as it’s so practical. It can be cut incredibly accurately, so it fits together tightly and weeds don’t grow through the edges. And it makes a smooth surface for furniture.
The table and chairs stay out all year. They’re made from powdered aluminium with UV-resistant mesh seats, so they’re easy to keep clean and can be easily wiped down if it has rained, so you don’t get a wet bottom.
Decorating the space is part of the fun. John made the horse print, inspired by a famous Mark Wallinger painting called Ghost, which was based on the famous Whistlejacket painting by Stubbs. It’s not waterproof, but I like to bring it outside on special occasions for a touch of drawing-room drama. The melamine plates are part of a range that I designed for the National Gallery and are the next best thing to weatherproof paintings!
This space really comes into its own on a summer’s evening, so lots of candles are the finishing touch.
John does indulge in a little alfresco double bass playing, but there’s also a waterproof socket for plugging in an iPod dock or an extra lamp. It’s those practical details that make it a workable space, not just an indulgence.
See more of Jackie’s designs at w2products.com
How to make an outdoor room work
Warmth A fireplace gives that indoor/outdoor look. You won’t need planning permission and a builder can install one with a lined chimney in two to three days. If you don’t have the space, a firepit will give a similar focal point. For added cosiness, drape sheepskins over chairs and keep a pile of blankets handy for chilly evenings.
Lighting This comes into its own at night. Think layers of light – a statement piece such as a floor lamp; ambient lighting from side and wall lights; and mood lighting from lanterns and candles. Get an electrician to wire in a waterproof electrical socket.
Furniture You can now buy wing chairs, sofas, loungers and side tables for outdoor use. And if your outdoor room is adjacent to the house, you can make your furniture multitask indoors and out.
Accessorise Don’t be precious about bringing favourite pieces outside. You’ll get to appreciate them all over again in an outdoor setting.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Awards for church chair designs - Christian Today
The Bishop of London this week presented awards to designers for their stylish and innovative church chair designs.
The winners of the Church of England's church chair design competition were announced by Dr Richard Chartres at a ceremony held at St John's Church in Hyde Park, London.
In addition to the bishop, the judging panel included one of the country's leading furniture designers and makers, John Makepeace, illustrator Matthew Rice, chair of the Church Buildings Council, Anne Sloman, and vicar of St John's, the Rev Stephen Mason.
The winners of the students and recent graduates categories were Nick Shurey and Sebastian Klawiter, who will take away £1,000.
They said: “It was a real honour to have been involved, and we’re ecstatic to have won – it was a real surprise.
"We spent much time on establishing our starting-point and then it was a last-minute dash to get our initial design submitted by the deadline.
"A lot of effort then went into working up the finished design."
They added: “We had never worked together before, and hope we’ll have another opportunity.”
The second category was for design professionals, with the award going to Tomoko Azumi at the TNA Design Studio.
She said: “It was a real privilege to have taken part in the competition, using my knowledge of chair design in the context of church buildings ancient and modern. I am really pleased to have had this opportunity to help enhance the community’s use of such buildings.”
The final category acknowledged the quality of design in seats already in production.
Nigel Shepherd, Luke Hughes & Company, picked up an award for their stacking bench, while the second award in the category went to Simon Pengelly, of Chorus, for his wooden stacking chair.
Mr Shepherd said: “I am thrilled to have this design recognised in such a way. It is brilliant the way this competition has drawn attention to the importance of good design for furniture in churches.”
Mr Pengelly commented: “I am honoured to have won in this category. Too much church furniture is poorly designed and made. This whole competition has been inspiring in what it is trying to achieve in opening up awareness of the importance of design excellence.”
Dr Chartres said the response to the competition had been extraordinary.
"There is a need to open up our churches more and more as community hubs for a great variety of purposes.
"We’re in this for permanency, for eternity, so our furnishings, while being flexible, have to signal something of that as well.
He continued: “Our aims were very simple. We wanted to engage designers with the potential that exists in a very flourishing church context; we wanted to help parishes consider very carefully how they replace pews when their removal has been agreed; we wanted to encourage the highest possible standards of design in our churches; and we wanted to widen the range of affordable as well as well-designed chairs.”
Designs were judged on their sympathy with historic church interiors, affordability, functionality, comfort and aesthetic merit.
The Church hopes that the best of the designs from the competition will go into manufacture.
Mr Makepeace said: "Furniture design is about linking people to the building they’re in. As society has become more sedentary, we have become dependent on seating that provides better support than a flat seat and back. Given the quality of our churches, we need chairs which are comfortable, classically simple and enduring.”
Source: www.christiantoday.com
Madonna has been such a big star and admired by thousands, she doesn't need to resort to this kind of diva sexy image. I hope she takes a long look of these photos, as theres nothing flattering about them only drawing more attention to her age.
- Jane , London, 17/6/2012 01:21
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