Just when we thought we had had enough dose of item numbers this season, post a Munni, a Sheila, a Razia and the several tiny-winy ones, the idiot box started showing promos of another one that claimed to be the baap of all songs.

A research has suggested that almost every woman has a collection of shoes that will never see the light of day. While the average British female owns 20 pairs, 11 of those pairs worth a probable total of 400 pounds will remain tucked away in the wardrobe awaiting the right occasion that never comes.

Despite leaving more than half of their footwear to gather dust, most women will continue to fuel their shoe addiction, splashing out on an additional eight new pairs a year.

Nearly a third of the 3,000 woman surveyed even admitted forking out on shoes that were the wrong size, just because they liked them.

According to the study by Co-operative Insurance, the average spend on a pair of shoes is 36 pounds, so eight pairs a year would cost 288 pounds. "It's staggering to think about how much the average woman's shoe collection could be worth," Lee Mooney, head of home insurance at the Co-operative, said.

"Whereas a few decades ago shoes may have been considered an indulgent purchase, it's now the norm to spend a considerable amount of money on them every year," Mooney added. — ANI

Dum Maaro Dum, the movie, sure provided 'last for a month' material for the rumour mills in Bollywood. AB Junior as a rapstar, with Dhain Dhain number pulling off, Deepika failing to sizzle in sexy skirt and sexy number, and the 'hot rumour' about hunk Rana Dagubbati falling head over heels for dusky Bipasha Basu (John did you hear this!). Lady Bips enjoyed the cozy company of this young fella and we got to see it in loads of pictures flashed everywhere.

And this beauty triggered off a trend (Of dumping old boyfriend for a younger version, this is what you are probably thinking!) of stacking chunky wristbands, bracelets…giving us a style, fashionistas call 'stacked bangles'. Yellow, orange, turquoise, red…spirals, star-shapes all clubbed together on one hand. While we put our hands together for this new style statement, we saw a lot of Hollywood celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Eva Longoria sporting the same stacked bangles at various occasions. So, we have a trend here. Now let's see how you can get it right without having to look like a bangle stand! A quick run down.

Let's start with a simple suggestion — do not try to wear all the trends at the same time. Do not get carried away. Sahil Kochhar, jewellery designer from the city, tosses up simple suggestions. "This summer less is less and more and more; so set a style with no more than 3-4 bangles.

Load one wrist with 12-15 bracelets in different colours and shapes. Stacked bangles look chic and casual, make sure you look like a jumbled fashion statement, with stacked bangles and a churidaar."

Bollywood celebrities have taken a hands-on liking for the trend with Deepika Padukone, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee flaunting the stacked bangles in different colours with a mix of metals. There you are — a mix of metals.

As Amisha Sethi from Ludhiana says, "It looks uber cool if you blend various colours in a mix of metals like leather, plastic, glass or bracelets with precious stones. This looks ultra-cool if worn with a sundress or skinny jeans. No matter how precious gold is…you will not get a stacked look with this metal. Stacked bangles give an electric look, which is only possible if you have more than two colours on one wrist."

So, go ahead and create your own — stacked bangles. Besides, this is one trend that doesn't show disparity between thin and medium, for both sized bracelets go down in a stack. Check out Kanya, a rapster who is a fan of the trend, who stacked Cartier love bracelets with multicolored joints by Burkman Brothers for his performance. Don't forget, as we repeat — do not try to wear all fashions in one go. If you are wearing stacked bangles don't wear layered necklace or chandelier earrings. Give yourself space, a trend everyday!

jasmine@tribunemail.com

UK Pop star Ellie Goulding, who won the gig of a lifetime when she was asked to sing at Duke William and Duchess Catherine's wedding reception, has admitted that the experience was one that she will never forget. "It was an amazing honour to be asked by Kate and William to perform at their party," Goulding, 24, said.

"The atmosphere was incredible and it is a night I'll never forget!" she added. Goulding was reportedly the only singer invited to perform at the intimate bash, where just 300 close family and pals of William, 28, and Catherine, 29, partied down.

Goulding is said to have performed her moving cover of Elton John's Your Song, plus her more-dance friendly hit Starry-Eyed.

The royal couple reportedly chose the rising star because they were both huge fans of her 2010 debut album, Lights. — ANI

Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson, who shed 80 pounds in less than two years, says her fiance David Otunga has told her not to lose any more weight.

The Oscar-winning star has dropped four dress sizes and both she and her long-term partner are still adjusting to the transformation.

The 29-year-old singer said, "I haven't actually caught up with how I look. Some people don't like it so much and tell me to stop.

"My fiance tells me not to lose more, he likes me very basic, no make-up, no heels, no fuss. I think both of us are still struggling to come to terms with this new me. He'll tell me not to dress up, but I tell him to get used to it." Hudson who has a 20-month-old son, David with her fiance, insists she has no desire to lose any more weight as she is happy with her current frame.

The Dreamgirls actor says that she is more concerned with not losing any more than gaining and wants to remain this size for the rest of her life. "Honestly, I want to stay at this weight. I don't want to lose any more. — PTI

Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner is set to play Hollywood legend Steve McQueen in a new bio-pic about the King of Cool. The actor has also set up his own production house called The Combine to make the movie which will look at the life and times of the icon who starred in classics like The Great Escape and Bullitt.

After shooting The Hunter in 1979, McQueen was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancerous disease linked to asbestos exposure.

The heavy smoker was too riddled with tumours to be cured and died in 1980, aged 50. Renner made his name playing bomb disposal soldier William James in Kathryn Biglow's 2008 Oscar winner The Hurt Locker. He's since gone on to star in hits like Thor, The Town and the upcoming Mission: Impossible sequel alongside Tom Cruise.

He's being groomed to succeed Cruise as secret agent Ethan Hunt in the action franchise and earlier this week it was announced he will replace Matt Damon as the star of the latest Jason Bourne flick. — PTI

From intense characters to song and dance, Nana Patekar has done it all. But the actor has realised that dancing around trees is "just not me".

The versatile star plays a tough Delhi Police cop in his upcoming film Shagird, which is finally releasing after a two-month delay because of the cricket season.

"I loved working in the movie because it is very realistic. I prefer doing such roles rather than dancing around trees. That is just not me," Patekar who plays ACP Hanumant Singh in the film directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, said. The thriller was shot extensively in the Capital and revolves around the crime branch of Delhi Police.

The 60-year-old actor said that the gritty drama may raise eyebrows and it was the shock value which attracted him to the project.

"The main theme of the movie is how power corrupts people who have access to it. It is so realistic that the content may shock people, but that is what made me say yes to the role," said Patekar.

The film produced by Reliance Big pictures and starring Rimi Sen, Zakir Hussain, Mohit Ahlawat and Anurag Kashyap in a cameo, will release on May 13. — PTI

Miss India Kanishtha Dhankar, who is all charged up to bring home the Miss World title, says she won't do any item numbers in Bollywood.She says in case she ever does a film, it would have to be deliver a message. "I don't think I am open to doing item songs. If I do a Bollywood movie then it would be something that should have a message in it, like 3 Idiots, Guzaarish.

I want to do something where I can spread the message and make a difference," Kanishtha said.The 22-year-old model says she wants to work with filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar."There are many filmmakers I would want to work with like Anurag, as he has a different sense for cinema, then Karan who makes movies larger than life," said Kanishtha, whose father Raj Singh Dhankar is an Indian Navy officer and mother Kusum, a lecturer in Delhi.

Kanishtha was in Lavasa, along with Miss India-Earth Hasleen Kaur and Ankita Shorey, Miss India International, to inaugurate the Resource Centre at Christel House School for underprivileged children.The trio provided the children with educational aids like computers, a projector and books."The underprivileged students are first generation children from their family to go to school. These people here are making a great change in their lives," said Kanishtha. She said her main focus was winning the Miss World crown."I am looking forward to bring (home) the title. I am preparing myself for the title in terms of working on physical fitness, diet and making myself well versed about what is happening around the world among other things." — PTI

Actor Jim Caviezel has spoken out about how playing Jesus in Mel Gibson's controversial movie The Passion of the Christ has wrecked his career. Since playing the Son of God in the 2004 film he said offers had dried up and was shunned by many within his own industry.

Although a box office hit taking more than 400million dollars worldwide the movie was condemned as being anti-Semitic.

Gibson, the film's director, was later accused of making anti-Jewish remarks after being arrested for drink driving.

Caviezel recalled how he was warned against taking the role by Gibson himself who warned him he would never work in Hollywood again. "He said, 'You'll never work in this town again.' I told him, 'We all have to embrace our crosses'," he told an audience of churchgoers in Orlando, Florida, in an interactive session.

Prior to playing Jesus, Caviezel was considered one of Hollywood rising stars and appeared in 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and 'ngel Eyes' with Jennifer Lopez.

Caviezel, a devout Roman Catholic, said he knew playing Jesus would be risky.

"Jesus is as controversial now as he has ever been. Not much has changed in 2,000 years," he added. — ANI

Make way for the Segway! This stylish equipment is the latest fixation in the lives of the Double Dhamaal boys!

The Segway is a pollution-free, battery-operated vehicle which is a huge rage among the youth abroad. On the sets of Reliance Entertainment's Double Dhamaal, the cast was obsessed with the Segways and guess who was responsible behind this? Our very own Sanju baba!

As we all know, Sanjay Dutt has a passion for all latest gadgets and equipments. He had recently purchased a Segway, which is always present in his Vanity Van during his shoots. And when the rest of the cast got their hands on it, there was an entirely new kind of dhamaal created there!

The boys, including Arshad, Riteish, Ashish and Jaaved, were constantly arguing over who gets to ride the Segway first and this wasn't only restrained to the cast. Director Inder Kumar too got smitten by the cool machine and was a frequently seen giving instruction on the sets moving around on the Segway! Actor Ashish Chowdhry became a total pro at riding it as well! Well, when the Segway is launched in India, we all know who will be the perfect choice to promote it. — HRM

The sequence of the downswing as described in the previous article is the hips initiating the downswing followed by the dropping or downward action of the arms. The entire motion from the top of the backswing could be termed as the forward swing. This combines the downswing motion to the ball and the follow through after impact. The follow through could help in changing the downswing action if the downswing plane is incorrect.

The first move from the top of the backswing sets the club into the downswing plane and it is difficult to change the club from here to impact. If we throw the arms and shoulders out too early we come 'over the top' and thereby from an out-to-in path resulting in a pull-slice. If the hips turn too fast the club drops too much from the inside resulting in a push or push hook.

Most players are confused about the relationship of the club face to the path of the club. They do understand that the club face is square to the target line at impact. While that is correct, we cannot determine this position as it is like slamming the brakes of a car at 100 mph. The easier way is to relate the club face to the path of the club. The club face should be square to the path of the club on the backswing, downswing and follow through. The path is an arc so the club face has to open on the backswing to be square to it and close on the follow through to be square again to the path. If it is open to the path we will slice, and if shut to it will create a hook.

When the path is out-to-in, the club face will be open to the path though square to the target line and therefore will produce a ball that starts left (for right-handed players) or pull and then turn or slice. The opposite is true for the push hook with a club path coming from the inside and the club face shut to the path.

We can change this with the follow through. A player who comes 'out-to-in' will have a follow through going too much to the left or around his body. If we try to follow through a little outwards or away from the body with a 'high finish', the path of the swing will change and become more from the inside-to-out, and thereby stopping the pull and eventually the slice.

For the player who has a push hook should try and finish to the left and around the body and the arms should remain close to the body and around it. This will change the path to a in-to-square to in-path. 

I am a 35-year-old single mother who takes good care of my 13-year-old-daughter. Recently, I met a friend at a party and now we have a mutual liking, so much so that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. However, I am little concerned about breaking this news to my daughter. How do you suggest I should approach the issue? -Himani, Chandigarh

Want your child to shun junk food and be healthy? Then, ensure that all your family members dine together, scientists say.

Researchers at the University of Illinois in the US found that children who sit down to eat with their families are less likely and eat unhealthy foods and to be overweight.

They found youngsters who ate with their parents at least three times a week were 12 per cent less likely to be overweight, the Daily Mail reported.

The children were also 20 per cent less likely to eat junk food, 35 per cent less likely to have eating problems like skipping meals or bingeing, and 24 per cent more likely to eat vegetables and other healthy foods.

"Sitting down together as a family, there are nutritional benefits from that," said Amber Hammons, who led the study at the the University of Illinois at Urbana.

However, the latest paper reviewed 17 studies that were based on observations not actual experiments, and Professor Hammons acknowledged this didn't prove shared meals trim waistlines.

"It's just an association," she said. "Families who sit down together could be healthier to begin with." One in six boys and one in seven girls were classed as obese in 2008 in the UK alone. The number of overweight children was also around one in seven.

The extra pounds can affect a child's self-esteem and sets them up for health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. The new study, published in the journal Pediatrics, is based on findings from nearly 183,000 children about 2 to 17 years of age.

While those studies yielded mixed results and weren't easy to compare, overall they show regular family meals are tied to better nutrition.

Professor Hammons said it's possible that parents may influence and monitor their kids more during shared meals.

"We also know that families that sit down together are less likely to eat high-calorie food," she added. As a result, the researchers encourage families to spend more time together around the dinner table. "It doesn't have to be every day," Professor Hammons said. "We know that families are very busy." — PTI

Half of the married men in a survey did not know the date of their wedding anniversary.

One in 10 under-25 even confesses to giving his wife a gift he had previously been given by someone else. Research by insurance company Sheilas' Wheels found that one in five women buys her own flowers rather than wait for her man to deliver. And, as many women have long suspected, one in four men will buy their wife's anniversary flowers at the local petrol station. — IANS

Poonam Aggarwal is a well-known name in Ludhiana. For many years now, she has been running her outlet 'cream and crunch'. Here she shares her prize-winning recipe with us.

Eggless Choco-Chip Mousse

Ingdredients:

Milk - 1 lts.

Sugar - 150 gms

Gelatin - 85 gms

Water - 1/2 cup

Soak gelatin in water and leave aside the dough for five minutes till the gelatin swells up. Now heat the gelatin in double boiler till the whole grains are dissolved in water. Keep aside in hot water only. Meanwhile, heat milk. Don't boil it. Add sugar. When sugar dissolves, add liquid gelatin slowly while stirring continuously. Leave it to cool down.

Ingredients for the Mousse

Fresh sweet beaten cream - 500 gms.

Chocolate sauce- 1-1/2 cup

Choco chips or broken Amul chocolate - 1/2 cup

Roasted nuts - 1/2 Cup (if desired)

Almond crunch - 1/2 Cup (if desired)

When the milk mixture is completely cool, keep the container in another ice bowl and start stirring slowly. Add chocolate sauce and chips when the mixture starts getting thick, and then add fresh cream. Mix evenly and quickly and pour it in a bowl. Decorate with cherry and roasted whole nuts or chocolate nutties. Keep the bowl in freezer till the mousse is set. Serve cold.

(As told to Poonam Bindra)

Preparations for the Karan and Pam wedding are currently on in Ram Milayi Jodi on Zee TV. While the actors are busy shooting for the sequence that will be the turning point in the show, they make sure to have their share of fun in between the shots. While Karan, Pam and Hetal share a strained relationship in the show, off screen it is completely different.

A source reveals "The two girls gang up against Karan and make him the victim of their pranks. Recently Pam pretended to be furious with Karan and Hetal too joined the act by supporting her. It was later that the duo revealed that they played a prank on him. Karan now addresses Pam as Pam maam." The source adds " During the wedding sequence Karan, Hetal and Pam had a fun photoshoot , where they made him act like the bride and the two actresses played grooms."

Pam aka Sunayana Fozdar says "We are always up to some mischief especially me and Hetal. We always gang up against Karan because his character is suppose to be shy, we are like the boys on set and love to play pranks."

Aruna Irani ( May 3, 1952, Mumbai ) who shares her birthday with you has acted in about 300 movies, with many memorable performances to her credit. Irani is the sister of film-maker Indra Kumar and married to film director Kuku Kohli. She made her debut in the movie Ganga Jamuna when she was only nine. After doing several small roles in films like Jahanara, Farz, Upkar and Aaya Sawan Jhoomke and pairing with comedian Mehmood in films like Aulad, Humjoli and Naya Zamana, she finally shot to fame with her brilliant performance as an aggressive gypsy woman in the super hit Caravan. Bobby, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Do Jhooth, Khel Khel Mein, Bhanwar, Aas Paas, Love Story and Kudrat are her memomorable contributions to the film industry. Later she produced some serials and acted too. Aruna Irani will do well in hubby's production in 2011-12. As per her horoscope she has a very long and healthy life.