Can't Imagine Life Getting Better Than The Spice Girls Reuniting + Prince Harry Whistling, And Other Thoughts On the Closing Ceremonies

We have to face it--the London Olympics is officially over. But at least they went out with a bang--a British-fabulous bang, one that got about ten songs firmly stuck in my head. (Quite the mashup going on in there right now.) More on that in a second.

But first, some of my favorite visuals from the spectacular Olympic sendoff, which really lived up to the excellent athletics that came before it.
Team USA's entrance was a blizzard of berets: check out Missy Franklin, Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux.


One of the first big musical acts was One Direction--whose hair was going in many directions.

KATE MOSS OMG KATE MOSS! OK, I never expected to see her. Amazing. All the models were fab, of course, but there's only one Kate.

Russell Brand as Willy Wonka--now that's inspired casting. And no, Hollywood, you shouldn't take that to mean you should remake Charlie and the Chocolate Factory again. DON'T YOU DARE.

Um, Fatboy Slim was there, and "Rockafeller Skank" was played, and what happened next was an amazing souped-up version of the She's All That prom scene--you know every female U.S. athlete of a certain age was thinking it--and I could hardly take it.

Jessie J gets the gold medal for gutsiest outfit--and by the way, good thing the Beauty gals warned me about her new look, or I wouldn't have known it was her.

OK, let's get to the Spice Girls. You can watch the video here, but I'm just going to let the images speak for themselves...







And let London mayor Boris Johnson's dancing speak for what's in my heart.

Ridiculously wonderful image ahead: PRINCE HARRY SANG AND WHISTLED to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

And a beautiful parting shot that'll stay with me for a while... the faces of the Brazilian athletes, watching as the Olympic flag was officially handed off to Rio de Janeiro.


 
See you in 2016, world.

What's Hotter? Ryan Lochte in a Swimsuit Or a Real Suit?

Sure, we all know Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte looks great in a swimsuit. But when I saw a picture today of him wearing real-people clothes, I was shocked. The man cleans up well.

See?

Now I'm in a conundrum. Which suit is best on Ryan? And no, his birthday suit doesn't count as an option. Not going there, ladies.

The Most Breathtaking Pictures of Olympic Swimmers in Action, Seen From the Bottom of the Pool

So, I think it's obvious that I am obsessed with talking about (and, yes, looking at) the male swimmers at the 2012 U.S. Olympics. And now you HAVE to see these amazing pictures from an angle you've never seen before...

Here's a shot of Michael Phelps:

And our boy Ryan:

I think this one is my favorite:

These are just stunning:

Amazing Things That Could Happen at the Olympics' Opening Ceremony!

The 2012 Olympics kick off TOMORROW and I don't remember the last time I've been so excited for the opening ceremonies. While the details have been pretty hush hush so far, we do know that movie director Danny Boyle (the man behind Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours and more) is producing the show. We also know it will be a star studded, pop culture infused spectacle that showcases the very best things the U.K has given the world (cough, David Beckham). 

Truth be told, some pretty incredible things have been leaked. The show is titled "Isles of Wonder" (inspired by the Shakespeare play The Tempest) and Danny Boyle told the Today Show that he's trying to create a "live film.' I don't know about you, but I have the chills already!
Here's just a few of the amazing things we've been hearing about:

1. A Harry Potter vs Mary Poppins Showdown
I picture a Quidditch game over the crowd--brooms versus umbrellas! But, during a portion of the show that features favorite British storybook characters from Alice in Wonderland to Peter Pan--Lord Voldemort and a hoard of flying Mary Poppins-esque nannies are possibly going head-to-head.

Source: google.com.mx via Lauren on Pinterest

2. The Queen is Coming!
It's the Queen's job to officially declare the "games open" however it's confirmed that a live appearance is weather dependent. But, widespread rumors suggest that she also prerecorded a segment in Buckingham Palace that features James Bond himself--Daniel Craig--that is a key part of the show's opening!

Source: madhattery.royalroundup.com via Lauren on Pinterest

3. Two Words--David Beckham
Becks has confirmed he's appearing in the show but mum's the word on anything else. Yet, papers in London like the Daily Mail believe he'll have the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron with, wait for it, a flaming football. I am praying to the soccer Gods that this is true.

Source: pin4fun4550.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

4. Sir Paul McCartney Ties It Up with a Bow
Paul is definitely closing out the show with a much anticipated performance. Possibly a sing-a-long to the Beatles classic "Hey Jude." Thousands upon thousands of people singing in unison "take a sad song and make it better" is just perfect.

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Lauren on Pinterest

5. The Athletes!
We can't forget that the whole point of the opening ceremonies is to honor the impressive and inspiring athletes from over 200 countries participating in the games! I don't know about you but I always tear up during the "parade of athletes"--a mainstay of every opening ceremony!

Source: kidactivities.net via Lauren on Pinterest

And how about these crazy facts about the opening ceremonies:
- There are 10,000 volunteers on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly from the stage to the stands.
- And 10,000 performers!
- The show cost around $42 million to pull off . . .

Nothing symbolizes physical fitness better than ...

McDonald's, right?

The fast-food chain is a major London Olympics sponsor, and it has some pretty big plans—literally. The world's largest McDonald's will open this summer in Olympic Park. The AP describes it as a "cathedral-like restaurant" whose two stories house room for 1,500 diners. If spectators can't find a seat there, they'll have three other locations from which to choose in Olympic Park, and a fifth location will be set up in the athletes' village. A rep for the organizing committee says the games basically wouldn't happen without partners like McDonald's—and Coca-Cola and Heineken, which happens to be the official beer of the games. 

It's very sad that an event that celebrates the very best of athletic achievements should be sponsored by companies contributing to the obesity problem and unhealthy habits.. McDonald's projects that 10% of Olympic-goers will eat its fare during the games. The sponsorship is actually nothing new: The company has backed the Olympics since 1976.

Ralph Lauren Unveils US Olympic Team's Uniform Sketches!

WWD reports that the US Olympics team will wear "white with red and navy accents" for the closing ceremony and while at the Olympic village. Opening ceremony looks will be unveiled at a later date.

"Ralph Lauren takes great pride in understanding our US athletes and creating a sense of patriotism through clothing," the US Olympic Committee's managing director of consumer products PEter Zeytoonjian told WWD.

You can score these pieces for yourself at RalphLauren.com.