baccarry

[baccarry]

Day 14 – The Big Overhaul (aka “I Can Fix Him… the Box Version”) 

So… I haven’t posted in three days. And there’s a reason for that:

I was ridiculously busy because I decided to redo everything.

I didn’t like the color.

The lid wasn’t opening smoothly.

The whole box felt too rough to the touch.

And then… chaos.

I disassembled the entire box and started sanding it down.

Dust everywhere. Not chips, not shavings — fine wood powder that got absolutely everywhere.

I even had to create a makeshift breathing shield because, of course, my respirator was nowhere to be found.

Then I realized sanding could also help me even out the boards, so… back to the store for more sanding discs.

Sand. Smooth. Sand. Smooth. Stain.

This time I used the same Palisander shade but from a different brand — and WOW. Just look at the difference!

✨ Next: decoration time.

I burned the White Tree onto both a keychain and the lid of the box (video of the process included — it’s so satisfying to watch).

At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to add metal leaf or not. But once I burned the full tree and reassembled the box with all the hardware — corner brackets, bronze fittings, leather straps — I realized gilding would clash. Neither gold nor silver looked right with the warm bronze tones.

So… no metal leaf. And honestly? I don’t regret it.

I carefully aligned the hinges this time, added the lock, tightened the leather straps and… voilà. The box is done.

If you’re worried this feels like an abrupt finale — don’t worry.

There will be one last post: the grand unboxing. (It’s coming after July 19th.)

Our anniversary is actually August 1st, but I’m planning for him to open it earlier — during our nature getaway.

Because honestly… where better to learn how to blow a horn than out in the wild? 📯

[baccarry]

Konichiwaa blessed me with even more gorgeous art for my fic! 

I’m still in awe every time I see my scenes and characters brought to life like this. 🖤

If you’ve read the fic, you’ll probably recognize these moments. If not… maybe this is your sign to check it out. 😉

[baccarry]

Day 9 & 10 – The Box is (Almost) Done! 

Yesterday I didn’t take any photos because I was elbow-deep in glue and tightening clamps to get the frame as even as possible.

Spoiler: it worked.

Here’s what I finished yesterday:

Assembled the full box

Lined all the walls with jute and velvet

Trimmed off uneven edges

Picked up the hardware

AND even managed to attach the hinges.

But the crown jewel?

I made the false bottom — and it looks freaking AMAZING.

By the end of the day, the box looked almost complete: just needed to stain some parts and finish attaching hardware.

Today’s session? Also an adventure:

The side handles turned out way too big, so I had to (ahem) “modify” them with pliers and then sand the edges smooth.

The lock refused to sit properly… but I forced it into submission.

And with that… the box itself is officially DONE.

(Well… for now. I’m still waiting on leather straps and forged corner brackets. Tomorrow I’m planning to embroider the White Tree of Gondor on the lid.)

Then I moved on to the presents:

The “contraband compartment” is packed in kraft paper, tied with string, sealed with a Lothlórien leaf wax seal, and finished with dried flowers.

I made a scroll by printing my message on aged paper, staining little wooden sticks for the ends, gluing them on, rolling it up, and tying it neatly.

You can see the result here.

I tucked everything into the secret compartment, stabilized it with real straw, and placed the false bottom on top.

Then… I test-fitted the horn.

And oh. my. goodness.

It looks INCREDIBLE.

Like, beyond my wildest expectations.

One last thing —

I’m planning to burn the design (the White Tree) onto the lid and then gild it with metal leaf for a final flourish.

I need your help! Which one would look better? 

Tomorrow (fingers crossed) the rest of the hardware arrives, and I’ll start adding the finishing touches — including that embroidery and gilding.

[baccarry]

Day 8 – Productive but Not Satisfying

You know those days where you do a lot… but end up with very little to show for it?

Yeah. One of those days. Still, here’s what I managed:

Cut and prepped the base and lid panels

Trimmed the oversized side walls

Glued all the box walls together with PVA wood glue

Started the decorations — finally, the fun part! Let’s get into it:

The box has two sections:

Upper compartment – the elegant one. I’m lining it with green velvet, fixing it with a staple gun while desperately trying to make the staples invisible because, come on — staples in Middle-earth? Absolutely not.

Lower compartment – the secret one. (Internally, I call it “the smuggling section” because it’s meant to hide… well, items the good people of Gondor might not entirely approve of.)

So! It’s lined with rough jute fabric — simpler, more utilitarian.

Between the jute and the wood frame, a little pocket formed… and I got the idea to tuck a lavender sachet in there.

It keeps the fabric from sagging,

My beloved loves the scent of lavender.

So it’s practical and romantic. Look at me go.

And that’s it. That was the day.

Not flashy, not dramatic, but one step closer.

Tomorrow’s another chance to actually feel like I accomplished something 😅

[baccarry]

🧵✨ Middle-earth DIY Masterpost ✨🧵

“One does not simply… make a normal gift.”

A lovingly chaotic journey of sawdust, secret compartments, and way too much emotional investment in fictional Gondorian men.

Welcome to my Tolkien-inspired crafting log — part romance, part woodworking, part absurdity.

The Project:

A handcrafted gift for my husband in the style of Middle-earth — featuring a signal horn, a custom wooden box with hidden compartments, and way too many decorative flourishes.

I’ve never built anything like this before. Naturally, I decided to document everything.

Posts by Day:

🔨 Day 1 & 2– The Idea Strikes & Wood Is Bought

🔧 Day 3 – Disassembly & New Plans

🪵 Day 4 – Jigsaw Chaos & Plot Twists

📯 Day 5 – The Horn Quest (Feat. Confused Husband)

🛠 Day 6,7 – Assembly & Boromir in the Office

🪡 Day 8 – Velvet, Jute & Lavender Pockets

🌳 Day 9 & 10 – The Box Is (Almost) Done! False Bottoms & Gilding Plans

[baccarry]

Day 6 & 7 — Things Are Taking Shape!

Yesterday we were out all day — errands, shops, chaos — and I even had to pick up my husband’s main gift (nope, not the horn!) right in front of him.

Thankfully, the girls at the register packed it so mysteriously you’d never guess what’s inside. But still… close call.

And now: Day 7 — surprisingly productive. Let’s go.

I finally dry-assembled all the panels using dowels and joined them together.

Turns out the structure wasn’t super stable — good thing I ordered those decorative tacks.

So the plan is now:

Countersink the screws,

Hide the heads with antique-looking tacks glued on top,

Let the dowels act mostly as alignment anchors.

But that’s for later — back to today!

Once the box was together, I had to decide: should I disassemble it for staining?

Honestly, I didn’t feel like risking a break… or dealing with the hassle.

So I just went for it — staining in place.

Started with a brush — way too slow.

Enter: paint roller. Much more fun.

Layer one, layer two… and by the third coat, I paused.

It dries with a slight grayish tone, not quite what I pictured — but I’m hoping the oil finish (after decoration) will warm it up.

Meanwhile in today’s episode of “I can’t stop shopping for this project…”

I ordered:

dried flowers

the wax seals I mentioned earlier

and — this was fate — a Boromir horn enamel pin.

I’d been looking for a vector image of a horn for the letter design… and just stumbled on it.

How could I not order it?

Small brag moment:

I stopped by my old job and finally picked up my birthday presents — one of which was a Boromir Pop figure!

And it’s from the meme scene: “One does not simply…”

He’s now standing (sitting) proudly in my husband’s office.

They grumble together in spirit 😌

If all goes well, tomorrow I’ll be cutting again and hopefully finishing the rough exterior work on the box.

Stay tuned — sawdust continues.

[baccarry]

Day Five — THE HORN HAS BEEN ACQUIRED! 📯

Of course, it wasn’t without adventure.

The place I ordered it from turned out to be a historical workshop in the middle of an industrial zone — only accessible by car. So I had to ask my husband to drive me.

I wasn’t too worried about him seeing the shop name and ruining the surprise, but!

He insisted on walking me there (which I appreciated, because I have zero sense of direction), and while we were checking the map, this happened:

🐻 Whoa, this place is histo— clearly realizing something 🦊 WHAT?! internally panicking and cursing my luck 🐻 Nah it’s just some shop here. shows me the screen 🦊 Oh wow acting mode activated I thought you were gonna say it’s some kind of historical landmark or whatever — looks like a dump. 🐻 Yeah, just garages.

Whew. Crisis averted.

Then began the quest to actually find the store — which is tiny, hidden, and up a steep vertical ladder, through a workshop… and I was in a dress. Of course.

Inside, I was greeted by two literal warriors — I mean it. They looked like they’d stepped out of a reenactment camp.

They immediately asked why I needed a horn and if I knew how to blow it. Then one of them started demonstratinghow it’s done — and I panicked, because my husband was waiting right outside.

(He’d parked in the furthest possible spot, which turned out to be… directly under the shop’s only window 😬)

So as the guy raised the horn to his lips, I blurted out:

“Oh please don’t! The person it’s for is downstairs, it’s a surprise!”

He looked disappointed, but just gave a gentle little “fiiiiiit” sound and handed it to me.

Close call.

Then as I was leaving, one of the guys offered me a ride — and honestly, I didn’t know whether to feel flattered, scared, or just deeply amused.

Picture it: bearded, broad-shouldered man with a side-sword says,

“My lady, may I offer you a ride somewhere?”

Meanwhile, I’m gripping a bag where the horn is very much sticking out the top,

and watching my completely unaware husband scrolling memes in the distance.

To keep the legend intact, I told him I barely found the workshop, and had no clue there was a historical store —

but I did meet a local “inhabitant.” He laughed. Legend survived (for now).

Back at home, I managed to do a little… which still felt like a lot:

More drilling & screwing (timelapse incoming!)

Dry-fitted the side panels

Realized I messed up the size and need to trim them down —luckily, I’d planned some wiggle room.

Tomorrow I’ll probably skip the updates since I’ll be out all day — picking up the second part of the gift!

But on Monday, it’s back to building, and I’ll share the next steps then. Stay tuned!

[baccarry]

Day Four — So Far, the Most Productive One

Picked up the glue and dowels today, and finally bought the wood stain. I gave up waiting for the dark oak delivery and realized I actually need to stain before assembling anything. So! It’s going to be Palisander instead — a bit lighter, but still authentic enough.

We also went and got more beams, and now I’m scared I miscalculated everything and might need yet another one -_-

Started assembling the narrow side panels — it’s slow because I saw slowly, so… I sweet-talked my husband into letting me use the jigsaw. Bribery phrase of the day:

“No, I’m not going to cut off my fingers.”

After a quick tutorial, I was allowed to saw things myself and… OMG it’s FUN

bZzZzZzZzZzZzZz!!!

Funny moment: my very sensible giant of a husband still had no idea what I was making — even though he saw me drilling, cutting, and even saw the half-assembled frame. So here’s how that conversation went:

🦊 "I’ll probably need to buy more wood. You do realize I’m making a box, right? To pack the gift? I had to expand it because of the new parts.» 🐻 "Not really.» 🦊 "What do you mean, “not really”?» 🐻 "I saw you building something… on little legs. I thought it was a small table.» 🦊 "A TABLE?? Why??» 🐻 "I dunno. Who knows what’s in your head."

He absolutely cracks me up and melts my heart — and honestly, I admire his patience. I’d be tearing my hair out trying to guess what’s being made and what’s going inside, but he just lets me be. We love that in a man.

Surprisingly, even with the jigsaw, my cuts are coming out clean — though I’ll sand everything anyway. For the main frame, I’m still using the handsaw and miter box, for better precision.

Also drafted the velvet lining plan (thank you, staple gun!) but I’ll write about that once I actually get to it.

Today’s wins:

Finished all the rough cuts

Assembled two narrow sides

Cleaned up the chaos — which was honestly the worst part.You can see a time-lapse, but know this: what you see as 5 seconds was 15 minutes of pain for me 😅

P.S. I found some LOTR-themed wax seals! I used the horse one for his birthday, but now I’m eyeing either the Crown of Gondor or a Lothlórien leaf — both would look amazing. Just waiting for payday to order the rest!

Tomorrow I go pick up the horn — fingers crossed it’s still there!

[baccarry]

Day Three – Level: “This is no longer just a box”

Thank you all for your support and kind words (especially @emmathefanficgal @lucifers-legions @theshakespearetrash @erathena @lady-of-ithilien @konartiste ) — you seriously give me so much energy to keep going, not give up, and keep sharing!(Tumblr, please don’t ban me, I’m just building a box 😭)

Yesterday I went on a bit of a shopping spree and ordered all the decorative extras for my Middle-earth masterpiece:

a latch,

hinges,

antique-style feet and corner protectors,

dark oak wood stain,

vintage-style tacks (to hide outer joints and give it that old-world charm).

Also, my velvet and jute still haven’t arrived — and honestly, I have no idea how well jute and “vintage” are going to get along.

Also grabbed some basics — PVA glue, dowels, and… looks like I’ll need to buy 4 more wooden beams.

This time I’m dragging my husband with me — one solo trip was more than enough. I am not a cargo elf.

I also brought clamps from the garage. Things are getting serious.

(My husband is slightly panicking about not being able to come up with a worthy gift in return —

“I don’t know what to get you, you do SO much to me…”

Silly man. He’s already the best gift I have.)

I finally sketched a new cutting plan.

And I had an idea — I’m adding a hidden compartment! That’s where I’ll place a secret gift and a letter.

It won’t have velvet, just some straw filler for that rustic vibe. I’ll seal it with a plywood panel — either woodburn a design on it or cover it with fabric. The horn will go in the main top compartment — dramatic reveal style.

Today’s plan:

Check which beams I can use right away

Maybe head to the market for the rest

If there’s time, start cutting and assembling!

P.S.

It’s worth noting that I’m picking up the main part of the gifts — the ones that determine the size of the box — on Saturday and Sunday. (And of course it would make sense to wait and not cut the wood just yet… but where’s the fun in that???)

I’ll definitely take a picture of the horn and post it — but the second item is a secret and way too personal, so it’ll fit perfectly into the hidden compartment 🤣

[baccarry]

All problems start the same way… A woman was sitting around, getting bored.

If you ever read my old blog (RIP, deleted by Tumblr without trial or mercy), you might remember: I love going overboard with gifts. If not — here’s a little throwback.

For my husband’s birthday, I burned a map of Minas-Marseille (where our story began) and the White-Stone Hall (where we live now). I added a Helm’s Deep LEGO set, a Middle-earth Atlas, custom chocolates with sigils, and a scroll with wishes.

Now our wedding anniversary is coming up.

And I had no idea what to give.

Until I stumbled across a signal horn in a local shop and went: that’s it.

Because I didn’t actually fall in love with Boromir until I realized how much he reminds me of my husband — in character and in how he carries himself.

I’ve said it before: I basically write my Boromir based on my husband.

And Boromir without a horn? Not canon.

Horn — ordered. Picking it up on Saturday.

Then came quest #2: how do I present it?

A gift bag? Just hand it over?

Nah.

It needed something meaningful, themed, Middle-earth-y.

Especially since this is our wooden anniversary.

So — a box! A wooden one. But the ones I found were either the wrong size or insanely overpriced.

Then I remembered: I’m an engineer. With free time. Dangerous combo.

Went to the market. Bought some wood.

And now you’re invited to witness my noble quest:

Project Middle-earth Box™

The plan:

Handmade crate

Velvet lining inside to hide screws and flaws

Runes and rustic decoration on the outside

Day 1.

Wood — cut. Frame — assembled.

Result — crooked. Screws visible. Sadness.

Day 2.

Starting fresh. Wooden dowels this time.

Drilling. Fitting. Drilling again.

Everything — covered in sawdust. Including my soul.

But hey, it’s almost working.

Stay tuned for more woodworking adventures from Middle-earth.

[baccarry]

✨ Yesterday I got the email from Tumblr – and yes, my blog has been restored! ✨

Turns out it was restricted by the anti-spam system, but now it’s fully back and functional. Thank you, Tumblr Support 💙

While this blog was offline, I kept creating elsewhere: I ran a side channel @eodred , participated in @boromir-week (of course I did), and even started a new project — a gift for my Boromir husband — a horn and a hand-made wooden box for it.

I’ll be gradually reposting all of that here, and I plan to keep this blog alive and active again.

So yes. I’m back.

And @support — thank you.

[baccarry]

For the last time, Denethor did NOT say that he wished Faramir had died instead of Boromir! Peter Jackson made that up!

He wished that Boromir had been in Ithilien to take the Ring.

I actually don’t think the implication that “Faramir should have died” occurred to either Denethor or Faramir! Faramir is absolutely consumed with anger at Boromir and Denethor for taking the Rivendell mission away from him—I think his anger is keeping him from collapsing into a puddle of sadness, actually—and he straight up BAITS Denethor into that conversation. He WANTS to hear Denethor admit that he screwed up:

“I would ask you, my father, to remember why it was that I, not he, was in Ithilien. On one occasion at least your counsel has prevailed, not long ago. It was the Lord of the City that gave the errand to him.”

Think back to Ithilien and what Faramir says to Frodo:

“Alas that ever he went on that errand! I should have been chosen by my father and the elders, but he put himself forward, as being the older and the hardier (both true), and he would not be stayed.”

And here is Denethor’s lament from Pippin’s first encounter with him:

“My Boromir! Now we have need of you. Faramir should have gone in his stead.”

It’s kind of funny, because “AU where Faramir goes to Rivendell and everyone lives” is very popular in fandom! Like… don’t you think that Denethor had the same thought??? “If only I had listened to the divine messenger who clearly chose Faramir! Everything would have been 100% better!”

The idea that Denethor wants Faramir dead is complete nonsense. When Faramir is mortally wounded, he gives up governing Minas Tirith, he holds Faramir’s hand and weeps, and he has a psychotic break and kills himself! You can be mad at someone and still love them. Denethor and Faramir are going through some incredibly hard times, but the love is there, deep down.

AND THE WORST PART is that Faramir kind of digs his own grave! He is so eager to score a point against his father that he reinforces Denethor’s central personality trait of only trusting his own intuition. At the Council of Elrond, Boromir had admitted that Denethor only allowed him to go to Rivendell after a long argument: “loath was my father to give me leave.”

Denethor has a very hard time trusting other people, respecting their opinions, or delegating responsibilities in general! And Boromir was maybe the only person who could have changed his mind… and now he’s dead. Because Denethor allowed him to change his mind.

So it’s no wonder that Denethor gets up the next morning and chooses violence:

“In truth Faramir did not go by his own choosing. But the Lord of the City was master of his Council, and he was in no mood that day to bow to others.”

GEE I WONDER WHY.

[baccarry]

Something cozy and welcoming

I’ve officially given up on trying to restore my old Tumblr account.

I’m keeping this page up, but I’ve created a new one just for Boromir Week — I didn’t want to miss it.

Also, someone suggested making a Discord server — and I really hope it won’t be full of “fast” chaotic messages, but instead something cozy and welcoming.

If you’d like to join, you’re very welcome:

🌿 https://discord.gg/Aum4B3NH

[baccarry]

well. tumblr deleted my acc AGAIN. I’m going to have another meltdown.

TUMBLR FIX YOUR BUGS PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. 😭

[baccarry]

I’m just so tired.

This is my second shadowban (or whatever this is), and I still don’t know why. I can’t properly reply to your comments or send messages anymore. I contacted support twice, but based on my past experience, I don’t expect much. Honestly, I almost cried yesterday. I’ve been enjoying blogging so much lately, connecting with people—and now this.

I’m almost certain someone reported my comments just because I’m Russian. And I’m so done with the aggression and baseless hate over geopolitics. It’s absolute bullshit. The same thing happened last time—once I mentioned where I was from, bam, silence.

But I really want to participate in Boromir Week. And I really want to stay in touch with all of you. I’ve also been thinking about creating a themed blog—maybe silly, maybe childish, but my inner child deserves some joy, too.

For now, this blog will stay up until May 31st—just in case support actually replies (which I doubt). After that… honestly, I don’t know what else to do.

To those of you I’ve talked to or who’ve commented on my stories—I’ll reach out to you from the new blog. If I don’t, and you’d still like to stay in touch (I’ll be changing my nickname and everything), please just leave a comment, and I’ll message you.

[baccarry]

Today is my dear husband’s birthday.

I always thought only crazy people wrote posts like this. But honestly… not writing it feels like not telling the most important person how much they mean to you.

We grew up in different worlds, we are different in temperament, background, and views on life.

But after 13 years of knowing each other and being friends, 7 years of “romantic relationship,” and almost 5 years of marriage — I feel like I’ve fallen in love with him all over again.

And I have to thank Boromir from my fanfic for that.

As I was writing him, filling him with all the positive traits of my husband, I suddenly realized: I created a perfect book character, and yet the real thing has been right here beside me all along.

And somehow, that made my love for him even deeper.

Later, I showed him the fanfic — and it felt like we became even closer, closer than we had ever been before.

I’m endlessly grateful that life gave me someone so caring, so loving — someone I can call my friend, my companion, and my husband.

Someone who can handle my temper and my failures and almost never says “I told you so.”

Someone who hugs me through joy and through the moments when nothing goes as planned.

Someone who laughs with me at our silly inside jokes.

With him, even facing Mordor or standing before Denethor wouldn’t be scary.

I just needed to write this. For myself. And for everyone who’s been reading my Boromir fanfic.

P.S. Part of the gift has already been given — and Minas Marseille made quite a splash!

The rest he strictly forbade me to give until morning! 

[baccarry]

HELP! MY COMMENTS ARE BROKEN!

I have no idea why, but comments aren’t working for me at all — not even a little bit! 😭

I can see your comments under my posts, but I can’t reply to them.

Also, the comments I left earlier — for example under posts by @emmathefanficgal and @lucifers-legions — have completely disappeared. I can’t see my comments or your replies anymore. The only thing showing up is a note saying:

“Some comments may be hidden or deleted.”

And now it’s even worse: private messages only send sometimes — about half the time they just don’t go through! 🙃

Why? For what reason?? 🤷‍♀️ No idea.

And the worst part — this is the second time this has happened to me. Last time, the only “solution” was deleting my account and starting over, because Tumblr support never replied.

If anyone has experienced this or knows what to do — please, I’m begging you, let me know! 🙏