Jason Momoa celebrated his 40th birthday with a Guinness and whiskey cake that weighed 168 pounds

Jason Momoa was surprised with a Guinness and whiskey cake for his birthday, and it weighed a whopping 168 pounds.

The massive cake, made by UK-based baker Aggy Dadan of Edible By Aggy, took a week to make and was infused with Guinness and whiskey. It was served atop a giant sugar surfboard and featured a massive wave on one side and a mountain on the other — two of Momoa's favorite things, Dadan told INSIDER.

"I was thinking, what could be better than putting the whole thing on a sugar surfboard," Dagan said. "We incorporated a little mini pint of Guinness, because he loves Guinness, and a little box of donuts for his best friend [Mada Abdelhamid], who calls himself 'Donut Man.'"

Late in 2018, Dadan made a 3/4 scale cake bust of the actor for the Aquaman premiere and kept in touch with Momoa afterwards. This time, Abdelhamid, who is also Momoa's trainer, reached out to Dadan and commissioned the cake for his surprise 40th birthday party in London.


"Jason is a big family man, so [Abdelhamid] wanted to include things that represented that in the cake," Dadan said. "They left it pretty much up to me, which I love. I love when people let me use my creativity."

Dadan included a few pieces to represent Momoa's family life, such as the wolf and the moon, which represent his son Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa, and his wife Lisa Bonet.


The elaborate confection featured a chocolate figurine of Momoa riding a wave and playing guitar at the same time, as well as a similar figurine climbing a mountain. The cake was also served on a sugar surfboard made out of a thin wooden skeleton covered in a half inch of pure sugar, Dadan explained.


source:- https://www.insider.com/jason-momoa-celebrated-birthday-with-a-whiskey-wedding-cake-2019-8

The Gift Of Literature: The 11 Best Gifts For Book Lovers

Book lovers – we all know a couple of them. Every time you see them, there’s always neck-deep in some new release from their favourite author. Sounds like it’d be easy to think of gifts for book lovers? Just grab them something that they’d love to read and they’ll be thankful!

However, sometimes you don’t know what genres they prefer, or whether they’ve actually read a book you’re considering getting them. Or maybe you want to be more creative than just getting them yet another book! Let’s take a look at some of the top book gifts and non-book gifts for book lovers of every kind.



11. Book Safe

Looking for mother’s day gifts or father’s day gifts for your book-loving parents? This book safe can hide their important possessions in plain sight. It won’t look out of place on any bookshelf, and at first glance, no one’s going to suspect it as anything other than a dictionary. This is definitely among the top novelty gifts for book lovers!

10. The Sandman Omnibus by Neil Gaiman
If you’re looking for gifts for comic book lovers, look no further than the complete Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Widely considered one of the greatest comic book series of all time, any graphic novel enthusiast is going to go gaga over this literary gift. It’s also a great gateway drug to comic books for teenage book lovers.


9. Fountain Pen
Many people who love books also love writing, whether they’re aspiring to have their own novel one day, or just like jotting down their daily lives in a journal, a fountain pen is a great way to make their love official!

Fountain pens write vastly better than the average ballpoint or gel pen and provide access to a wide array of inks to suit any personality. It can also be one of those romantic Valentine Day gifts for your significant other because whenever they use it, they’ll think of you!

The legendary Lamy Safari is one of the best starter fountain pens on the market, and it’s a great gift for any book lover. Just make sure that your recipient is ready to start spending a lot – once you get started with fountain pens, it’s hard to stop.


8. Journal
A perfect companion to the fountain pen gift! A good journal will enable your giftee to express themselves in writing. You'd do well to choose a journal with high-quality paper with a good GSM (grams per square meter) rating, which will allow the ink to settle in better and will actually last much longer than regular paper.

Journals sometimes have a reputation for being somewhat feminine gifts, but tons of great male writers throughout history have kept journals of their own; so, they’re definitely a good choice for male book lovers too!


7. Electric Corkscrew
Nothing matches a book so exquisitely as a brilliant bottle of wine. An electric corkscrew will make it easier for your friend to pour a glass to pair with their favourite book.

It’s one of those great cheap gifts that are appropriate for a wide variety of people, including wine and book lovers. It’s also a good fit for wedding gifts – newlyweds are sure to have a lot of wine ready for their honeymoons.


6. Sleeved Blanket
On cold days, there’s nothing quite like curling up next to a fireplace or space heater with a good book. Any book lover would be served well by a warm blanket to make things even cozier. Try getting this for children’s book lovers – who doesn’t love reading cute, inspiring stories while feeling all warm and fuzzy inside and out?



5. S. by Doug Dorst
Wanna turn a book lover’s world upside-down? S. is a novel within a novel, with several separate layers of storytelling. S. contains the text of a novel called The Ship of Theseus, written by a fictional author named V.M. Straka and ostensibly written in 1949. It also contains markings and notes written by Jen and Eric, two college students who repeatedly exchange the book, trying to uncover the identity of the author.

S. is a dramatically new take on the traditional novel. This and other books like it are unique gifts for people who don’t just love novels and narratives, but also the act of reading itself.


This alternate-history novel follows a ‘literary detective’ named Thursday Next, who travels through different novels and literary universes in pursuit of a criminal who has been kidnapping characters from classic literature. Lovers of classic books and poems like Jane Eyre and The Raven will enjoy meeting famous characters in this universe-hopping adventure.

source:- https://www.who.com.au/the-11-best-gifts-for-book-lovers

How Online Gifting Marketplace Will Transform In Next 5 Years

The gifting market in India which is estimated at $30 billion in the next 4-5 years of which $400 million would be attributed to the digital space

The e-commerce landscape in India has witnessed a massive boom over the past decade. Of which, the online gifting industry is one of the biggest contributors to the growth of Indian e-commerce space. The global gifting market is estimated to be $475 billion, and India is expected to emerge as one of the most influential contributors by 2024. A research report by Qwikcilver revealed that the country is set to touch $84 billion by 2024 from $65 million at present.

Today, the concept of personalised gifting has gradually evolved with an increasing number of millennials being inclined toward personalised gifting – both for corporate and personal gifting. The growing popularity of online retailing is increasingly making it easier for consumers to browse and choose products from a variety of options. Both generation X and Y are tech savvy and opt for services available online. It is expected that with the advent of globalisation and increasing internet penetration; the overall online gifting marketplace is set to grow on a rapid rate. The surge in economic growth, rising disposable incomes, aspirations, idea of long distance/overseas gifting and exposure to global trends are some of the driving factors contributing to the growth of online gifting marketplace recently.

Other contributing factors like digital evolution and advancement in technologies, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning has given a significant boost to the overall growth of e-commerce space in India and globally. The future of Indian online gifting marketplace is bright and is set to scale threefold in the next five years. It has been witnessed that the market in the last five years has been more organised and is tending to pace its momentum at a significant rate. The gifting market is broadly categorised into festive, personal and corporate gifting. Corporate gifting enjoys the lion's share of the market, accounting to 80%, with consumer gifting contributing to 20%. Another important category making a vital contribution to this space is the gift cards. The global gift cards market is expected to touch $690 billion with India contributing to more than 10% of the total share. 

source:-http://www.businessworld.in/article/How-Online-Gifting-Marketplace-Will-Transform-In-Next-5-Years/08-02-2019-166934/

11 wedding traditions from around the world

From a month long of crying in China, to a turmeric bath in India and wearing wedding lassos in Mexico – Vogue takes a look at different wedding traditions celebrated around the world.

The event of a wedding always comes with traditions. From all around the world, see how different wedding traditions seal true love in numerous different ways. From faux kidnappings in Russia to Austrian brides being awaken from a gunshot, with fulfilling these wedding traditions those who wed will live a happy and long life together. 

Brazil

In Brazil it’s traditional for brides to write down the names of their single female friends inside the hem of their wedding dress (Greek brides also do this, but on the soles of their shoes). This blessing is to bring them good luck and marriage. The Brazilian bride also wears gold shoes which, during the “heel-and-toe dance” at the reception, are placed on the dance floor for guests to drop gifts of cash into.

Nigeria

Here it’s all about marriage material, literally. Vibrant costume changes are a customary wedding tradition for Nigerian brides, dressing for several ceremonies in various ancestral-rooted robes. Ensembles are made from aso oke, hand-woven fabric symbolic of the bride’s family’s tribe, her new husband’s tribe, or both. Fabric and colour consistency is key, with the couple setting a matching dress-code agenda, an aso ebi, for their guests to wear too.

Austria

Austrian weddings go off with a bang. In the upper regions of Salzkammergut, Tyrol and Styria, wedding traditions include gunshots or firecrackers to wake the bride up early on her wedding day, with neighbours and friends creating chaos outside the house to frighten off evil spirits.

Japan

The sake-drinking ceremony of san san kudo (meaning “three three nines times”) is one of the oldest Japanese wedding traditions, dating back to the 1600s. Instead of exchanging wedding vows, the bride and groom – and parents too – sip sake, three times each, from three different-sized cups. The first set of sips represents sealing the bond between the families, while the second three sips represent hatred, passion and ignorance. The last three sips represent freedom from those former flaws. Three is considered a lucky number and so nine sips is equal to triple happiness.

Tunisia

Drawing on very old wedding traditions, henna, which is believed to bring good luck, plays a special part in a Tunisian wedding, where the couple is celebrated for six days before the actual ceremony. In the initial henna ceremony the paste is painted in intricate floral and butterfly designs on the bride’s hands and feet by a female member of her family. The harkous ceremony comes the day after, where henna is reapplied as female musicians play traditional Tunisian songs.

source:- https://www.vogue.com.au/brides/trends/11-wedding-traditions-from-around-the-world/image-gallery/4f076add293c60b96adb61bfd9391a49

Best gifts for BBQ and grill lovers in the UK

Cooking with fire - there’s something quite primal about it, isn’t there? Every nation has a way they do it best; India has a fiery tandoor, Japan’s yakitori is seared over white-hot charcoal while Italy crisps up pizzas in wood-fire ovens.

In the UK, the most-loved method by far is barbecue.

At the first suggestion of sunshine and blue skies, gardens, parks and balconies across the land burst into action as we prepare to grill ourselves a feast.

While some of us are content with the occasional weekend cookout, we all know at least one person who would flame-grill every meal if they could: the BBQ aficionado.

They’re the ones who barbecue in February even though there’s still frost on the ground, has every BBQ-worthy marinade under the sun and whose first thought upon hearing the words ‘Bear Grylls’ is that it’s an invitation to fill the racks with tasty morsels, rather than the ex-SAS survival expert.

Whomever the BBQ mega fan in your life, they deserve to be celebrated for their mastery over the grills. Where would your summer be without them?

Whether you’re looking for a birthday gift or just something cool to give them at their next al fresco soiree, you’ll find the perfect gift in our edit below.

Scroll on to discover the best gifts for BBQ and grill lovers.

Customisable BBQ Branding Iron

Cowboy-vibes abound with this classic steak stamp that lets them sear a personalised message into meat and hardy veggies like jacket potatoes.

Making a mark is easy enough; simply spell out the words in backwards mirror writing, slide them into the steadying clips and ensure the iron is red hot before stamping onto food.

It's a great method to remember how guests want their meat cooked (rare, medium or well done), as well as a fun way to liven up a BBQ feast. Giddy up.

https://www.standard.co.uk/shopping/esbest/home-garden/bbq/best-gifts-for-bbq-and-grill-lovers-a4183411.html