The outdoor entertaining guide

A garden party (courtesy photo).

Tips, tools and must-have accessories for al fresco gatherings.

Style

White House press secretary Jay Carney is questioned by the press during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, May 20, 2013. Pressure was building on Monday for the Obama administration to fire more people linked to the Internal Revenue Service's extra scrutiny of conservative groups, possibly including another top IRS official. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

White House press secretary Jay Carney discusses favorite band

Chris Richards

Carney, whose voice as White House mouthpiece guides the media, talks about the band that has guided him.

Magazine

SILVER SPRING, MD - APRIL 18: Koby Maxwell poses for a portrait on Thursday April 18, 2013 in Silver Spring, MD. Maxwell worked as a producer of the film, 'One Night in Vegas'. He is also a singer and actor. (Photo by Matt McClain/ The Washington Post)

‘Nollywood’ filmmaker brings Africa’s biggest stars to Washington

DeNeen L. Brown

Ni­ger­ian film industry is second-largest in the world

Food

When women drink alone. . .

M. Carrie Allan | Special to The Washington Post

We might just want a cocktail, period. Mostly, we want the experience on our own terms.

Wellness

Deb Thomas, of Clark, Wyoming, speaks at the 'Stop the Frack Attack People's Forum' to discuss how people living near oil and gas fields are impacted by fracking, in Washington May 22, 2013. REUTERS/Gary Cameron (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY ENVIRONMENT)

Green groups criticize Environmental Defense Fund

Lenny Bernstein

Large pro-environment group is scolded for joining forces with oil companies on “fracking.”

Weddings & Romance

Date Lab: When shy collides with outgoing

They both like sports. But while he’s an adventurer, she’d rather sit on the sidelines. Will it be a deal-breaker?

KidsPost

Benjamin Price, who wants to be a movie critic when he grows up, is off to a good start. Among the summer films that he plans to write about are, from above left, “Monsters University,” “Epic” and “Despicable Me 2.”

A movie critic in the making

— Moira E. McLaughlin

Benjamin Price watched his first movie at age 2. Now, the 7-year-old reviews movies on his own blog.

Reliable Source

Briefly: Amanda Bynes, David Vitter, Jay Carney

The Reliable Source

Okay, she's been arrested -- happy now, you creepy foul-weather fans? And other brief news from here and elsewhere.

Advice

Carolyn Hax: Couple’s squabbling short-circuits fun in their outings

Carolyn Hax

Breaking the scolding cycle; paying too much on Mother’s Day; bad breath could end a relationship

Travel

Travel Guide 2013

Advice on the guide books versus Apps, the use of electronics on planes and more practical trips for savvy globe trotters.

Travel coverage

Home & Garden

A worker from Florida Power and Light repairs Pepco power lines downed by heavy storms six days ago in Bethesda, Maryland July 5, 2012. About 600,000 customers from Ohio to Virginia remained without power, six days after violent storms first struck and as a heat wave continues to bake much of the region, local power companies said Thursday. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY ENERGY)

Ready for the other side of summer?

Jura Koncius and Mari-Jane Williams

Prepare for the season of floods, fires, wind and power outages.

Fashion

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 15: US singer Solange Knowles attends the Opening Ceremony and 'The Great Gatsby' Premiere during the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Theatre Lumiere on May 15, 2013 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Fashion at Cannes

Between photo calls and red carpet appearances, the film festival is full of incredible style moments.

Parenting

Illustration for Almanac0509

A trace of dishonesty

Marguerite Kelly

A mom suspects her teen of copying art and claiming the work as her own.

Lifestyle Videos

A peep is worth a thousand pictures

A peep is worth a thousand pictures

Resident “Peeps editor” Tracy Grant describes the marshmallow-stuffed recipe for a winning entry.
Tantehorse’s ‘Dante: Light in a Darkness’ (Preview)

Tantehorse’s ‘Dante: Light in a Darkness’ (Preview)

Founded in 2006 by Mirenka Cechova and Radim Vizvary, Tantehorse is a physical mime theatre company based in the Czech Republic. The black comedy, “Dante: Light in a Darkness” is part of Tantehorse’s “Dark Trilogy.”
‘Eveningland’ by Christopher K. Morgan & Artists and Skybetter & Associates

‘Eveningland’ by Christopher K. Morgan & Artists and Skybetter & Associates

Preview of “Eveningland,” a collaborative work by D.C.-based contemporary dance company Christopher K. Morgan & Artists and New York’s Skybetter and Associates.
Arachne Aerial Arts and In-Flight Theater: ‘For That Which Returns’

Arachne Aerial Arts and In-Flight Theater: ‘For That Which Returns’

Preview of “For That Which Returns,” an aerial performance based on the myth of Demeter and Persephone.