#Brambleberry Lane

[catty-kitkat]

A fake travel poster I did for Demon of Brambleberry Lane.

[canaryatlaw]

well, today was okay. kind of in a crappy mood due to a couple of different things, nothing serious, just the same lingering bullshit I’ve been dealing with for weeks now, yet it still manages to feel like betrayal....I don't know why I keep putting myself up to this. but, anyway. Last night I’d left off with our family friend (whose name I’m okay with using because she was definitely on tumblr and following me at some point though idk if she still does but also because her name is also Rachel) about meeting for breakfast at like 9:30, so I set my alarm for 8:30 which is way more time than I would need to get ready by myself (I’m generally 25 minutes max) but since I was with my family and everything I knew it would be a whole production and we’d need time. So it went off and we started to get ready, eventually ubering to our final destination, where we met up with Rachel (other Rachel, of course). Our families have been friends for years and years, her family is back in New York where mine is normally but she lives out here, but she works managing a restaurant and logs like, 75 hour weeks, which is insanity by any measure really (when I was working 50 hour work weeks I was constantly exhausted) so we don’t end up seeing each other very often, but since the family was here we made it happen. It was a really cute little place, I got corned beef hash with eggs which is a non-traditional breakfast choice for me because when I’m at a restaurant I tend to be more of the pancakes/french toast/waffle type than eggs, but I really like corned beef hash (I discovered it on one of our childhood trips to dutch country Pennsylvania in the buffet bar) and never really get to eat it, so I thought I’d take the opportunity here and it was super delicious. It ends up that the restaurant was in the same restaurant group as the one Rachel manages, and because of that they decided to comp all our meals, which was very generous given that there was six of us haha so it was not an insignificant amount. my dad was like so confused though. he loves buying things for other people (like legit, he does) and he was just like what, you mean I don’t get to pay?? 😂😂 he figured it out soon enough though. after breakfast we ended up walking a bit towards the hotel and the loop, and walked along the river for a while which was very nice. There was a ton of kids on one of the river tour boats (definitely like a field trip) that passed us and literally all of them were waving at us and screaming HIIIII and it was really cute. We ended up walking back to the hotel, where we hung out for a bit until the shuttle came to take my family to the airport. so we said goodbyes, and they left, then Rachel and I decided to get go ice cream haha because we could. we took the bus a few stops up and then walked a little to a Jeni’s ice cream store, which I think I’ve been to with Rachel once before but I’m always down for ice cream of course and this was insanely good (apparently they sell pints in whole foods if you’d like to try for yourself). I got one scoop of cream puff (which was like, the most heavenly thing, it was even better than an actual cream puff because it was ICE CREAM that tasted like one) and one scoop of brambleberry crisp, which was of course also delicious. They really like, also mastered getting the scoops to be perfectly round so they fit in your cone perfectly and it’s not like a constant challenge of trying to eat the ice cream before it melts (these are the things I worry about when eating ice cream). So we ate our ice cream and talked for a while before parting ways, I walked back to the bus route and took that the rest of the way north as it got me pretty close to my apartment (it’s the second closest bus stop/route to me), I could’ve done the red line but that was a little further out of my way and I still had my big bag of stuff from staying over with me which was gonna be a real pain in the ass to carry around. When I had to get off the bus, while I was trying to pick it up one of the straps broke, so I had to carry it from the bottom and goddddd was it heavy, I would walk like 20 feet and then have to put it down and rest my arms lol (again, I am so, so weak). Eventually I made it all the way to my apartment, my right hand is like bruised on the inside right below my fingers, not like a traditional bruise but it’s red and tender lol and I’m trying not to add any suspicious marks because I already have a super noticeable bruise on my forearm from carrying a too heavy shopping bag for too long (either that or my too heavy purse, could be either one, did I mention the strap of my purse also fell off?? that was like March though) and like, just dealing with all the stuff I see at the DV clinic I’d rather just not give people reasons to speculate about such things, lol. for some reason it reminded me of when I was observing a trial and there were domestic violence allegations, i.e. mom was getting beaten up by boyfriend and that made her an inadequate mother because it meant she couldn’t keep her kids safe (a premise which is of course flawed but that’s an entirely different conversation we’d have to have) and her public defender decided to argue that she believed it was the 15 year old son who was actually hitting his mother, and the mother wouldn’t say anything because she was protecting him, and I just remember sitting there like what the actual fuck, and the judge very much did not appreciate what she was trying to argue by essentially maligning a child on no evidence whatsoever other than her opinion, definitely not an argument unfamiliar to public defenders in juvenile court, because if a kid comes forward with accusations of abuse, of course one of the arguments you’re going to use is saying the kid is lying, which I still think is awful, but I understand why it is used (but I still hate it). Anyway, tangent. I got home and like, laid down on my bed for like 20 minutes with my eyes closed while also listening to the latest legends of tomorrow podcast episode for their season 3 wrap up. when that was finished I just went on my laptop for a bit, doing a few random things and looking up some recipes so I’d find something to make. I decided I really wanted brownies, but I knew I didn’t have any actual chocolate, just cocoa powder and different types of candies. so I looked up what happens when you melt m&ms (which just sounds like an amusing premise to me) and it looked like it would work out pretty well, so I used those for the chocolate that was to be melted, and then used a combination of m&ms and rolos for the part of the recipe that called for chocolate chips. they turned out pretty good, the bottoms were kinda hard and somewhat plasticy because of the candy pieces, but the parts with the caramel from the rolos were super great, so that was good. I made a quick parmesan pasta soup recipe for dinner (which as heavenly) and sat down to watch Supergirl. Again, my feelings are mixed because I’m somewhat invested in the whole Sam/Ruby/Lena plot but at this point really do not give a flying fuck about most of the other characters at this point. I liked the Alex helping take care of Ruby plot, and I did really get a kick out of them using Lex’s old mansion (which has an invisibility cloak on it???) as a hideout, that was pretty cool. I felt so bad for Ruby of course throughout the episode but especially at the end, having to deal with seeing her mom like that in something that is so unexplainable and horrific. The fact that they’re giving Alex and Ruby more interaction makes me think they’re gonna go the route of something happening to Sam and Alex then taking care of Ruby, which, as much of a sweet plot line that would make for Alex, I really do not want to happen because I very much want a happy ending for Sam and Ruby and for Sam not to end up killed over something that was very much not her fault (see, now I’m thinking about season 8 of Smallville and being like but did I blame Davis for what he couldn’t control??? but most of his objectionable behaviors were choices he actually made, not the monster, especially culminating in that one character death that I am never going to forgive the writers for, ever, so as much as these plots are similar the characters outside of the monsters are very different). But yeah, that was all I really got from the episode, I could not care less about Meh-El returning to help them fight Reign, essentially with a go fuck her pass from his wife, which was really the only way they could justify it being okay for him to have feelings for Kara. Anyway. When it was over I tuned right into The Resident for their season finale, and hooooooly shit man, it was so good!!! I’m actually really impressed with the show so far, they've been consistently knocking it out of the park for pretty much the entire season, which is no easy feat, as I’m sure plenty of one season shows could tell you. I thought they did an excellent job of wrapping up what was really a very complicated plot within one episode, when it looked like it was going to take longer than that, but they did it in a way that didn’t actually feel rushed or forced, just very well done. Of course Bell is going to stay in power for now, he’s more of a long term villain (”villain”) when of course Lane is going to be the one to take the fall. When he was talking to her about it I knew he was setting her up, the cold son of a bitch that he was, but I mean it certainly worked out well for him. With the twist at the very end involving Conrad’s father, I was VERY glad we got a season 2, because that is wayyyyyyyyy too good of a hook to just have been dropped. I’m quite excited for what next season will bring us. When that was over I went to last night’s Brooklyn 99, which was excellent as always, we’re so close to Jake and Amy’s wedding!!! and of course, watching it this week after everything that happened over the past couple of days felt that much more satisfying, knowing that they tried to end it but the show and its fan pulled through and gave it new life. like man, if there ever was a question about the influence of social media, this incident surely should have answered it. So that was good of course. But then I watched Designated Survivor, which I had to watch with the knowledge that they did not get renewed, and that we only had two episodes left 😔😔 I was very sad about this because I really do love this show so much (and not just because it’s made my Gugg’s brother and I’d much rather support him over Guggs) because of Kiefer and how much I love his acting, and of course Italia is a gem, and I had such a lovely time talking to her about it back in San Jose in December. Hearing her talk about Kiefer and him telling her how she needs to watch 24, it was just so sweet, I really liked it. I did hear from a source that the reason for the cancellation was more about behind the scenes things than ratings or anything, which is disappointing of course because you want to think that everyone making a show gets along swell, but of course that’s not always the actual case. Oh well. As far as the actual episode, it was pretty quality, I died at the opening scene with Kendra, this show really writes its female characters so well in that I absolutely adore all of them, they’re all just these brilliant strong women who don’t take shit from anybody and I love them all. The main plot was kinda meh, I know they said Michael J Fox would be around for the rest of the season but they really should’ve just given him an official role, as opposed to finding a way to shoehorn him into the plot every week in increasingly ridiculous positions, and it just gives me way too many good wife feelings, not just because he’s playing the same exact fucking character, but also because they had a way of shoehorning characters into plots with about as much tact as they showed here. When it got down to the whole special counsel thing and Kendra was like “it’s not even clear if any charges can be levied against a sitting president” which made me LOL because way to be relevant and throw little pieces of current events in there, even when the people in their government are really superior to ours in pretty much every way, and that I will for sure miss. President Jack Bauer.....I will always have a special place in my heart for you, lol. After that I watched the news for a few minutes before watching Jimmy Kimmel, then catching the opening monologue of Seth Meyers, who is always consistently funny, and then finally getting ready for bed. Tomorrow I have PT at 2 but nothing to do before then so I’ll probably sleep (it is already 2:30 am right now) and then maybe get some groceries. My bar prep course doesn't officially start till next Tuesday, so I have a week to myself, though I’m starting at the DV clinic on Friday for one day a week, so that should be good. I really, really hope I hear from the NY job in the next few days so I’ll at least know where I’m standing with all of this. Okay, that’s enough for now, my eyes are getting droopy and I think it’s a good time to let them stay shut. Goodnight friends. Sending you lots of love. 

[kidsviral-blog]

Awesome Ways To Make A Boring Fence Beautiful -- Your Neighbors Will Be Jealous

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/awesome-ways-to-make-a-boring-fence-beautiful-your-neighbors-will-be-jealous/

Awesome Ways To Make A Boring Fence Beautiful -- Your Neighbors Will Be Jealous

When it comes to keeping neighbors’ prying eyes off of your backyard or first floor, erecting a fence is generally the easiest thing to do.

But if your neighborhood is tight-knit, putting up a fence can seem a bit offensive (pun intended). If you still want to maintain a sense of privacy without the ugly side effects, here are just a few things you can do to spruce up an otherwise offputting fence.

1. Turn your fence into a wall that your kids are allowed to write on!

The Good Life

2. Glue marbles to it and they’ll beautifully catch the light every afternoon.

The Wool Acorn Shop & Blog

3. Hanging old trays you’ll never use indoors is an elegant way to recycle them.

Jennifer Rizzo

4. You can do the same with vintage china.

A Cultivated Nest

5. Old frames with fresh coats of paint perfectly complement small planters.

Five Painted Lane

6. Mirrors not only make your backyard seem bigger, they’re also a beautiful touch.

The Brambleberry Cottage

7. Add an old window for an adorable effect.

A Painted Journey

8. Express your style by painting a fun mural on your fence.

Flickr / Tony Alter

9. Not only are these tin can planters adorable, they’re also super inexpensive!

Ciera Design Studio

10. These mason jar lights add just the right amount of ambience to your backyard.

eHow

11. You can also cover your fence with hanging planters.

Tootsie Time

12. Opt for a more modern fence idea with recycled shutters.

Cottage in the Oaks

13. Live near the beach? This surf fence is perfect!

Pinterest

Find other fun fence ideas here!

These fences are so beautiful and functional! Just remember, if you have a dog, these tall barriers are just asking to be broken out of (or into).

Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/beautiful-fences/

[catty-kitkat]

I haven't done a digital drawing in about a month. Likewise, I haven't done any finished art of my OCs in a long time. So, I gave my fiery, lion man, Ciarán some love.

I used a custom brush by Coby17 for the circular lace in the background.

[catty-kitkat]

I took a sketchbook doodle and digitally colored it. I liked the expression and pose of the sketch and wanted to finish it up. I played around with line thickness to try to help with the perspective and lighting. As well, as coloring the lines in blue that were closer to the light sconces. The background was something quick I threw together to try and give it some visual interest (especially given the Lacke of backgrounds in my gallery).

[catty-kitkat]

A colored pencil sketch of a modern-day AU of Edna.

[catty-kitkat]

An old Adelaide chibi from 2022. I still like how her sausage curls came out here.

[catty-kitkat]

A redraw of my OC Philip as a kid, around 5 years old. The image on the right is the original form 2021 and the image on the left is the redraw. I thought the pose was nice and wanted to redraw it.

Philip was insecure and shy as a child. Additionally, he was a chubbier kid, unlike Philip's more muscular adult counterpart. Philip's child design is the one to divert the most from their adult design out of all the Forsaken characters. Philip has a different body type, hairstyle, and personality as a kid compared to his adult self. His colors and eye shape were the elements that carried over from his adult design.

[catty-kitkat]

In March, I started designing a suit for my OC, Philip. His two main outfits are rather revealing and I wanted to give him a more modest outfit. Now that I have some free time I wanted to work out his colors and finalize the design.

[catty-kitkat]

A four-panel comic from my sketchbook. Earl has a very unique hairstyle, what it looks like when it's wet/down. His friends find his wet hair to be funny.

[catty-kitkat]

A colored pencil portrait of my OC Earl Shrew.

[catty-kitkat]

A bunch of chibi doodles form Nov 2021.

[catty-kitkat]

An old lineless chibi that I still like. A chibi Agitha curtsying to greet the gusts to the Turner estate.

[catty-kitkat]

A portrait of my OC Henry as a kid (around the age of five). Henry happily enjoying a cookie his mama made him.

[catty-kitkat]

An old drawing that I never posted from September last year. A portrait of my Victorian-era OC Adelaide. She's the mother of my Clyde Turner who tragically passed away in labor.

I drew her with some flowers that represent her character.

. Forget-me-not represents remembrance after death

. Lilly flowers represent motherhood, and both symbolize devotion and love

[catty-kitkat]

A chibi of Clyde from last year.