Blog Posts by Claudine Zap

By Claudine Zap

Move aside, Kate Middleton. Eat your heart out, Kim Kardashian. British socialite Petra Ecclestone has you both beat when it comes to over-the-top weddings. The Formula One heiress reportedly dropped an estimated $5 million to $7 million on her big day to wed businessman James Stunt in a three-day extravaganza in Rome.

Buzz on the Web was certainly big: Lookups on the extravagant bride increased 389% in just one day.

Still, the blonde heiress seems to be aware that she is blessed with good fortune, as it were. She told ABC, "I'm not spoiled, I'm privileged, and I think there's a huge difference in that."

The 22-year-old certainly knows how to live the good life: She is the daughter of billionaire Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone, who's thought to be footing the bill, and former Armani model Slavica Radic. The celebutante is also a fashion designer who, according to People, will release her line of Starks handbags in the fall.

The daughter of

Prince Charles and his bride, Diana, Princess of Wales, on the way out of St. Paul's Cathedral at the end of their wedding ceremony on July 29, 1981 in London. (AP Photo)

A fairy-tale romance between a prince and his princess-to-be. A sparkling sapphire and diamond engagement ring. A wedding watched around the world. Sounds like the royal wedding of Kate and Will. But actually, this royal wedding took place 30 years ago: On July 29, 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer. In many ways, it was the wedding that changed the world. Here, a look at the legacy.

Diana arrived in a glass, horse-drawn coach. The couple married at St. Paul's Cathedral in front of 3,500 guests. Outside, a crowd of 600,000 well-wishers filled the streets. And a global audience of 750 million tuned in to watch the wedding on TV -- the largest ever for such an event.

The 20-year-old bride wore an elaborate Emmanuel design with a 25-foot-long train (that was copied for years after she appeared in it), and memorably flubbed her 32-year-old groom's name when saying her vows, calling him Philip Charles instead of Charles Philip.

After the ceremony,

On July 4, the U.S. throws itself a big birthday party. That usually means town parades, backyard barbeques, and lots and lots of fireworks. This year, not so much. Given belt-tightening budgets and bone-dry lands, fireworks displays have been canceled across the country.

Here are some guidelines about whether it's safe -- and legal -- to get your own sparklers.

Regulations are set locally and vary by county, even within the same state. So, check with your local government -- the neighborhood fire station should set you straight -- before you plan your own show.

Severe droughts have put a dimmer on light shows from Florida to Arizona. And statistics back up the fears: The National Fire Protection Association notes that more fires are reported on Independence Day than on any other day of the year. In 2009, fireworks were blamed for an estimated 18,000 fires.

According to Yahoo! News, fear of wildfires has led to bans on fireworks in many counties in Texas, where

By Claudine Zap

Fire up the grill and dust off the "World's Best Dad" mug: Father's Day is Sunday, June 19. Here, five fun facts about the day.

1. The first Father's Day: A sad event spurred the very first day to celebrate fatherhood. Residents in Fairmont, West Virginia first honored dads on July 5, 1908. The reason: 210 family men had been lost in the Monongah mining disaster.

But the holiday really didn't catch on until a booster got Father's Day fever: One Sonora Smart Dodd, from Spokane, Washington, who celebrated her dad in 1910. She believed that her father, a Civil War vet who had raised her and her siblings since his wife had died in childbirth with their sixth child, deserved a day as much as any mother.

2. Presidential proclamation: The bill to officially recognize the third Sunday in June was signed into law in 1972, by President Richard Nixon, father of Tricia and Julie. Why the long wait from the initial commemoration? Congress apparently resisted

- By Claudine Zap

As a writer for Yahoo! covering the royal wedding, the last thing I ever figured was that I would have a link to the British monarchy. But it recently occurred to me that I actually do have a royal tie. OK, it's several generations removed, but I think, a story worth telling.

My connection to British royalty is my great grandmother. Her name was Alexandra Marie Oppenheimer. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1876. (While she remained in Europe her entire life, her son -- and my grandfather, eventually moved to America). Alexandra was known affectionately as "Sasha" to her friends, and "Granny" to my dad.

A photo of her 80th birthday at a French resort shows a cute, white-haired lady surrounded by her family, including my dad at age 12.

Alexandra's family was English. Her father was posted to Frankfurt as the British trade consul. When his daughter turned 16, she came out to society, and was presented to the British Queen: Queen Alexandrina

By Claudine Zap

It's a scientific fact that Marshmallow Peeps are practically indestructible. Which is a good thing, considering that the Easter candy is used for so much more than eating: Peeps have become central props in colorful diorama contests.

The Washington Post held a must-see Peeps Show for the fifth year, with eye-popping results that must be viewed to be believed. This year's winner came up with a candy re-creation of the incredible rescue of 33 miners in Chile. See the winner of the Peeps Show and the runner's up in the slide show above.

Last year's winner re-created the house elevated by balloons in the movie "Up." A-mazing.

The chick-shaped treat with the hecka-long lifespan dates back to the 1950s and has only grown in popularity on the Web. Searches in the last week alone for "marshmallow peeps" have sweetened the Search box almost 1,000%. Peeps fans are also craving "marshmallow peeps recipes," "peeps dioramas," and "peeps art."

Naturally, you

[Image from Claudia Bradby]

If you ever wanted to be like Kate Middleton, now's your chance.

Before she was a royal bride-to-be, Middleton worked for the London-based retailer Jigsaw. As her role as accessories buyer for the junior version of the store, the princess-to-be collaborated with jeweler Claudia Bradby on a necklace design.

In honor of the wedding, the designer is bringing back the necklace mid-month as part of her Heritage Collection inspired by the royal wedding. The re-issued pendant comes on a longer chain, and will, like the original, sell for 54 pounds.

The artist first reached out to the junior fashion buyer back in 2007 to see if she was interested in doing some real jewelery. Middleton loved the idea when she saw a need for higher-quality offerings for the younger set -- the piece was originally aimed at the teen market.

The two met three times and came up with a delicate pendant that hangs on a silver snake chain and features a sterling

Kate Middleton with Prince William The British princess-to-be must choose a lady-in-waiting. News of this development caused royal watchers to hit the Web, with Yahoo! searches on "lady in waiting" rising 925% in one day. Fans of the royal family also wanted to know "what is a lady in waiting"? Good question.

Dictionary.com defines the term as a woman attending on a princess or queen. Translated into American English, this position is basically a personal assistant to the princess. For those not schooled in palace intrigue or caught up on back episodes of "The Tudors," this role is traditionally taken up by a person close to the royal, such as a family member or friend.

The duties of a lady-in-waiting include handling the mail and traveling with the royal party on official visits. While the job is probably ideal for the sister of the bride (who will also serve as maid of honor at the wedding), there could be a hitch. Kate may go for someone more schooled in castle culture at first, before throwing her sister in