#Fast US-Canada Shipping

[wjdexclusives]

Discover the Allure of WJD Exclusives: Your Go-To Jewelry Destination in the USA, Now Serving Canada

https://www.wjdexclusives.com/blog/discover-the-allure-of-wjd-exclusives-your-go-to-jewelry-destination-in-the-usa-now-serving-canada/

Discover the Allure of WJD Exclusives: Your Go-To Jewelry Destination in the USA, Now Serving Canada

In the heart of New York City lies a treasure trove of craftsmanship, quality, and unparalleled value—WJD Exclusives. We are a beacon of luxury for jewelry enthusiasts, a place where the discerning Canadian shopper finds not just a piece of jewelry, but a testament to excellence. Our Canadian customers rave about our competitive prices, swift shipping, and the convenience of shopping with a neighbor. After all, there's a unique comfort in proximity, especially when it's paired with WJD's commitment to exceed expectations.

A Sterling Relationship with Our Canadian Neighbors

We understand that for our Canadian customers, the magic of fine jewelry is magnified by the ease of purchase and delivery. It's why WJD Exclusives has fine-tuned the shopping experience to ensure that every step, from browsing to unboxing, is seamless and satisfying. With us right next door, Canadians can enjoy rapid shipping that makes the international border seem like a mere formality.

Unmatched Prices That Shine Just Like Our Jewelry

Affordability is key to the WJD experience. We believe that luxury should not be elusive, and it's this belief that has endeared us to our customers in Canada. Our pricing doesn't just compete; it leads, ensuring that every budget finds its match without compromising on quality or design.

Speedy Delivery That's as Reliable as It Is Quick

Time is precious, and so is the anticipation of waiting for your new favorite piece of jewelry. We value your excitement and your time, which is why we've optimized our shipping processes to offer fast delivery to Canada. It's our way of ensuring that the joy of your purchase is not dimmed by delay.

Here's Why Canadian Customers Choose WJD Exclusives:

Price Point Perfection: We've struck the perfect balance between quality and affordability.

Proximity Advantage: Located in the USA, we're just a stone's throw away from our Canadian patrons.

Swift Shipping: Our logistics are primed for speed, making quick deliveries across the border a standard practice.

Engage with WJD Exclusives

We invite our Canadian customers to explore our extensive collection at WJD Exclusives. Our range of engagement rings, wedding bands, bracelets, earrings, and more are curated to cater to your exquisite taste. If you have questions or need assistance, our customer service team is as quick and reliable as our shipping—call us at 1.888.88-JEWELRY.

At WJD Exclusives, it's not just about making a sale—it's about forging lasting relationships built on trust, quality, and satisfaction. Experience the luxury of fine jewelry with the convenience you deserve. After all, when it comes to adorning your life with beauty, why wait?

[an-emo-trashbag]

my order already shipped and it's been less than 48 hours since I ordered my cd 😭

[ego-meliorem-esse]

July 13th, 1917

Be it from a sense of paternal concern or simply patriotic duty, Arthur made sure to leave his soldiers in the charge of an older Corporal and made his way to the quite pathetic excuse of a medical section where his son was left to rot.

Arthur had heard about the attack. He had been informed the day prior.

He had seen war and famine and sickness, but never like this. Arthur wasn't young, in any sense, and what wonders and strong political oppinions young men had, had left him a long time ago like a ship leaving the harbour in a hury to claim new land. This though, had left shock echoing within his tired, millenia old frame. He wasn't used to this.

Arthur made his way through the trenches with soldiers from every corner of the globe instantly stopping whatever they were doing prior and saluting him as if etiquette and rank mattered in hell. As if it was more importaint to greet the Higher ups than to survive long enough to even write a letter back to family. Arthur did understand that though. Routine and rules were the only thing keeping these poor and wretched souls from being consumed by thoughts of an imminent death.

The path to the section where Matthew was held was quite straightforward and quite familiar. He had marched to and from it hundreds of times and had a sort of automatic rithm in his step. Arthur made his way to the small and damp room with a fast pace indicative of familiarity, only to stop in his tracks in the shabbily built doorframe at the sight that awaited him in the corner.

Matthew sat in the corner of the sad makeshift medical section of the trenches, his back firm against the cold, damp wall.

His once-piercing blue-grey eyes were now clouded over with milky white cataracts, rendering him completely blind. The newly used gas had stolen his sight. His skin, once tanned and healthy, now bore the sickly pallor of a much older man who had endured unimaginable suffering.

Matthew's uniform, discarded in favour of his worn down undershirt, was now a tattered and stained relic of his time in the trenches. The not-white-anymore shirt clung to his emaciated frame as if decency still mattered in hell. The physical toll of the war was clear on his body. Not that Matthew would have to worry about seeing that any time soon. His hands, which had once held a rifle with resolve, now trembled even while resting on his thighs.

Despite his physical and emotional anguish, Matthew remained seated upright, his back pressed against the unforgiving, stained wall. A testament to his resilience if there was any left, a silent protest against the horrors that had taken his sight and left him broken in body and spirit.

As he sat there, his spirit reduced to a hollow shell, Matthew's face bore a mixed expression of utter defeat and complete indifference. His lips were drawn into a thin, lifeless line, and his cheeks were gaunt from the weight of his suffering. His blank, unseeing eyes stared into the abyss, as if waiting for answers and also hoping they'd never arrive.

In that moment, Matthew was not a representation of Canada; he was a young man who had been scarred and broken by the senseless brutality of war. The trenches around him buzzed with activity, but he remained isolated in his silent world of darkness and despair. The young medics job was done. He had patched Matthew up and left him to his own misery. Matthew was grateful.

Arthur stood there silently under the doorframe for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few seconds. A strange and unfamiliar twinge of emotion plucked and pulled on his conscience. He hadn't felt guilt in quite some time. This feeling was reserved for drunken nights spent in solitude with the doors to the room he resided in firmly locked so that his sliver of self-deprecating emotion wasn't witnessed by any but himself, while he drunk himself to unconsciousness.

He preferred the emotional solitude to this.

Arthur had believed himself to be capable of most things. Especially conversation and confrontation. He was quite good at those as centuries of existence had proved. He believed himself quite skilful with words. Most of the time he knew what to say and when to say it without it resulting in unwanted and unforeseen consequences, while still making sure his opinion was heard.

Arthur had no words forming as he stood in that doorframe. If Arthur was a good man, his reasoning would be that he felt such strong empathy and sadness that words wouldn't be enough to express the sorrow he felt at that moment. If Arthur was a good man he'd run to his son, assure him that this wouldn't happen ever again and that he was safe. If Arthur was a good man he would fall on his knees in front of his oldest son and beg for forgiveness.

Arthur wasn't a good man.

He could admit to his shortcomings, but to act on them was not in his nature.

So he stood there for another 5 or 6 minutes watching his son shallowly breathe in and out, hearing the boys lungs struggle to keep up with his muscles contraction and need for air.

He must have made a noise, as Matthew's head tilted slightly to the left, almost looking at Arthur but definitely not seeing him. Arthur looked back at him.

The room was quiet, save for the desperate plea of Matthews lungs to be put out of their misery.

Sensing nothing after a few moments, Matthew turned his head back towards the blank wall ahead.

Arthur silently turned his frame around and slowly started walking the path he had taken to get here. As he took a few steps, he released the breath he didn't know he was holding.

How he longed for that whiskey bottle and that dark room where he could lock himself in and slowly drift out of consciousness instead of facing his own mistakes.

Arthur definitely was not a good man.

[dailycass-cain]

So you want to preorder the NEW Batgirl #1 coming to a comic shop near you on November 6?

Well, hopefully, this can help you attain that preorder. So you're doing your part to make sure this series lasts.

The first step is to find your local comic shop. Use a search engine for that most heavenly of place that has comics.

Or if you already know search them online (they might have an online shop), an app, call the store, or visit it in person.

Now I'm using my experience from the shops I visit in the midwestern area. So this could be different in the region you're in the US (or Canada). I have no idea on the best way to attain this book outside the country save Canada. So anyone who can answer that pls chim in here.

I mean, possibly, you could buy it on their website (or their eBay shop) and MAYBE they have international shipping. Then again, if you have a US friend maybe they can do this all for you?

Preorders will begin next month. If you go in person you could put your order in. If you know those who work at the LCS they might think of you and put that in your pull list.

I know one LCS in my area, he is thoughtful enough to sometimes keep a variant that has Cass for me knowing that Wed I pull up I'll nab it. Cause he knows my weakness. That, and Rian Gonzales variants.

Likewise, the other LCS I went too. There was a clerk there who'd put stuff in my pull that she knew I'd like.

But there's always that chance they might not do any of this. So it's best to just do this person next month to guarantee your preorder.

Now let's talk about variants. Some shops if they sense there's "blood in the water" when preordering will order more comics. More comics mean more chances to get the variants (i.e. the Artgerm or Jeff Dekal ones).

There are only two variants that might be problematic to attain that I can foresee.

The holo variant from Artgerm one. Unless there's a comic convention near you that same weekend there's a good chance these might sell pretty fast. It is Artgerm after all.

Unless, your LCS is part of a "larger" chain. So one of my LCSs is a Graham Crackers which is a HUGE midwestern comic shop. So there's a really good chance I'll be able to attain all my variants.

HOWEVER....

The other LCS I go to, while they are my primary pull list really don't dabble much too much in variant covers.

This is because they're trying to make a profit and they don't see being able to make one. At least that's what I was told back when I had Batgirls on my pull.

If they do. It would be two or three copies. Like the last AAPI Batgirls variant. Said my shop owner did secure me a copy even without me asking them because they knew of my interest in Cass.

I've noticed since they "enacted" that policy they do order more of the "hotter" comics. Like I noticed a few Birds of Prey, Batman, and X-Men variants in one visit not too long ago.

Still, I know attaining the 1:25 Skylar Patridge will be next to impossible from them. They don't order 25 copies of a comic (unless it's Batman or Spider-Man).

For that, I'd recommend a larger comic shop chain (or if you know your LCS. They might order enough and you can reserve said copy via them next month).

If not...

Again, I'd recommend a larger chain with their web shop or if they have one via eBay. I've nabbed all the variants I want because Graham Crackers is HUGE in the Midwest.

If you know your shop will have more than 25 copies of Batgirl #1 please preorder the 1:25 by Patridge next month if possible.

Or wait until their website opens orders (usually a week prior to release on a Thursday.

If not... There's always a chance if there's a comic around that period (or a bit after) they might have it to purchase. However, you so won't be paying the original cost of it. 😬

Now here's my overall impression of the release. DC itself doesn't think this comic might sell. I mean they're only doing a 1:25 only for this series. That's it.

That already is 🚨 because we aren't getting a 1:50 like we did with Batgirls #1.

That is why I HIGHLY stress PLEASE PREORDER THIS COMIC! DO NOT WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER 6th! Show your love for this character by preordering the heck out of it! Add this to your pull list!

Please do your part!

That said, please go crazy and nab these covers and variants. They ain't kidding when the last Cass solo was over 14 years ago (I'm counting Batgirl Vo1. 2). You've voiced your want. DC heard it. This is you honoring that want.

Cause if not...

Well, I can't say cause in all honesty? The old DC regime is gone. They ain't side scheming or pushing something else behind the scenes. Just this might be it for Cass when it comes to an ongoing solo.

Why I say please do your part. Hopefully, this helps and if not someone better than me can advise you better (and they reply via this post). But this is me doing my best with the knowledge I know.

[fsugirl1]

Some days are so big…so PACKED with content…so unexpectedly swoon-worthy that they demand an edition of

⭐️ FSU’s Occasional Newsletter ⭐️

Is That An Earthquake Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

The day began with a vague disturbance. Was it seismic activity? Inbox tomfoolery? A very happy birthday wake up for @lila-rae?

That last one is between her and Mr LR but

Bottom line: we could sense something coming.

It’s Not The Size Of The Entourage, It’s What You Do With It

We knew Tom was in Scotland and we figured it might be for golf but we did not know until this morning that he brought every single one of his brothers and best mates. So many of his closest dudes in one place made us 🤔

Lord knows he’s a generous friend and his circle is tight, but we wondered what they might be celebrating?

The delulu? It was percolating.

Our Italian Romance: Starring Tomdaya 🎥

We were already abuzz and the delulu was bountiful on the dash when suddenly the most cinematic and romantic photos of our favorite couple dropped. We learned they were canoodling at the gorgeous Castillo di Reschio, with such romantic activities as pasta-making (watch those fingers, Z!) and horseback riding.

And if that wasn’t enough, A POOL DATE. Both of them sunkissed and beautiful, reading books and looking like the movie stars they are.

No, your eyes don’t deceive you. They did switch books. 🫠

Every single one of us immediately wondered why our partners weren’t offering to read aloud to us in the pool at an Italian castle. But then, who hasn’t wondered that at least once?

Dad Said His Tea Was Cold But We Say It Was Piping Hot

As if we weren’t all twitterpated enough from the Italian romcom baecation pics, Zendaya’s Father In Law Dom felt like we needed a glimpse into their everyday life at home. He shared that the newest member of the Coleman-Holland family, Daphne the dog, is a “beautiful” addition to the clan and that her youthful energy has found a fast friend in her aunt Rosie, who is just a year older. Big brother and recent outcast (banished to live with Uncle Darnell, what did he do?) was said to be too old to enjoy the young pups.

Dom was feeling chatty I guess because he didn’t stop there. He went on to share that Zendaya had recently joined Nikki and Dom for dinner at the local pub.

He further said that Granny Tess, siblings, cousins, all the boys and “the dogs” would soon be accompanying him and Nikki on an anniversary celebration trip to Portugal. Dare we hope for more family photos?

Even if we don’t, that’s another bingo square, baby.

Aunt May Has Shipped It For Years

To top off the content-crazy, your favorite aunt and mine, Marisa Tomei, said at an event in Canada that one of her favorite parts of her Spider Man experience was watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and “fall in love.” 🥰

That face she’s making? The I can’t take it they’re so cute face? We were all wearing it. Even the strongest soldiers among us were grinning and kicking their feet. (We saw you, don’t try to deny it!)

While we await word from the pixel analysts on what people starring in their own epic love story read to each other on vacation, and while we bask in all the little details that make the story more real and more beautiful every day, let’s take a moment as I close to appreciate just how hot Zendaya’s back is in this dinner photo.

Until next time, remember my friends: be kind to each other. I love you. I’m wishing that each of you will find the one who thinks reading to you in the pool (Italian or otherwise) is the most perfect day.

And I hope your birthday is as filled with happy surprises as @lila-rae found hers for the third year in a row!

[csuitebitches]

A Brief Guide to Yachts

This is a continuation to my cultural education segment (aka my rich bitch guide).

The yacht is an invention of the 14th century Dutch. The Dutch used small, fast boats for chasing smugglers, pirates and criminals. Rich ship owners and merchants began using these small “jaghts” to sail out to celebrate their returning merchant ships.

The first yacht club in the world, called the Cork Water Club, was established in Ireland in 1720.

Some famous clubs include:

USA:

1. Annapolis Yacht Club: Surrounding the Spa Creek Bridge in Annapolis, the Club boasts over 75 wet slips and dry dockage. The club began in 1886 as an informal canoe club, and today has 1600 regular members active in social, racing, and cruising programs

2. Chicago Yacht Club: Founded in 1875, Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. The Club is home to more than 1,400 members, including a winning America’s Cup skipper, and Olympic medalists.

Italy:

1. Circolo Canottieri Aniene

2. Circolo degli Esteri

3. Compagnia della Vela

Canada:

1. Royal Canadian Yacht Club

2. Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

Yachts are most active in the summer months (May- August in the northern hemisphere) or the winter months. many yacht owners decide to keep the maximum number of guests onboard to 12 (plus crew) for chartering.

Different types of yachts:

Sailing Yacht: a yacht mainly propelled via wind and sails

Motor Yacht: a yacht propelled via one or more motors

Gulet Yacht: a hybrid yacht with both sails and motors

Open Yacht, Cruiser, Cabin Cruiser, Express Cruiser: an otherwise uncategorized standard yacht for cruising and entertaining

Luxury Yacht: a yacht that includes high-end finishes and features and the latest in modern performance technology. The term ‘luxury’ can precede any type of yacht, i.e. “luxury motor yacht”, “luxury sailing yacht”, etc.

Sports Yacht: a yacht geared towards fishing, water sports, or cruising with a sleeker design and more powerful motor for faster cruising speeds.

Catamaran Yacht: a yacht with two hulls (pontoons) often made of fiberglass that can be used in shallow waters.

The most popular destinations:

1. Monaco

2. The French Riviera

3. Greece

4. U.S. Virgin Islands

5. Palm Beach, Florida

6. Costa Smeralda, Italy

7. St. George’s Parish, Bermuda 

8. Newport, Rhode Island 

9. Nantucket, Massachusetts

10. Greater Victoria, Vancouver Island

Insane super yachts

Football club owner Shahid Khan's 95 metre Lürssen Kismet was delivered in 2014. On match days, a four-metre silver statue of a jaguar, its paw resting on a football helmet, graces the bow. Elsewhere, its sizeable foredeck has enough space for Khan's beloved football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, to stage a practice.

The 70 metre Feadship superyacht Joy features a deck that's wide enough to enjoy a tandem jog around. This yacht is all about exterior living, which includes making use of these ample decks with some great sporting facilities. A basketball and badminton court is set all the way forward on the owner's deck. This is complemented by her large gym and dedicated spa. All of this adds up to make Joy an ideal choice for those interested in a yacht with ample fitness, wellness and sporting amenities.

[verdemoun]

some time warp au before work just classifying some ships and shitposts.

charthur. Thank you, thank you, hold your applause.

However they weren’t actually together before Arthur’s death. Arthur was diagnosed with TB before either one had the confidence to act on the obvious attraction and flirting. Arthur telling Charles he had TB was a devastating confession of 'I can't be around you because I don't want you to get sick - which is more difficult than I care to admit because you're the only person I want to be around'

Charles ended up dying of illness in Canada in 1908. He was willing to try to move on and have a family like Marston but in reality he spent 8 years missing Arthur, wondering what they could have had if Arthur didn't get sick, if the gang didn't fall apart.

Isaac grew up hearing his father's voice soften telling stories about the gang but specifically Mr Smith and shipped it. Eliza and Arthur were never going to have that relationship (Isaac has always accepted this) and he was really happy for his dad to have someone who made him happy.

Isaac is not immune to being a little shit and would use modern lingo Arthur had no way of contextualising. 'Feeling gay today, sir?' 'Heh, gay indeed'

Second Charles woke up in the timewarp, Arthur and Charles both saw it as a second chance and gave uhaul lesbians a run for their money when it came to 'how fast can we move in together and capture the dynamic of being married for 10 years'

Isaac loves both his dads and he calls Charles his cooler dad. Charles was at first shocked Arthur never mentioned having a (deceased) son and then just annoyed about how much it explained about why Arthur is the way he is.

Isaac lowkey idolises Charles because they have a lot of similiarities like both are happy just chilling in peace and quiet but also capable of being incredibly goofy and silly when they feel like it. Board game nights include alcohol and usually end in Isaac trying to prove he can lift up Charles meanwhile Charles can throw Isaac over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

If Isaac gets into enough trouble for Charles to pull out the 'I'm not mad I'm disappointed' Isaac will cry.

If Arthur ever says no to something eg borrowing the truck for crime, Isaac will look him dead in the eye while calling out 'hey cool dad can I borrow the truck' and Charles will say yes. Mostly because he knows Isaac does know how to hotwire a car and will take it anyway but also he does go a little soft being called dad let alone cool dad.

[eponymous-rose]

So I've been rewatching Star Trek: TNG as comfort TV during/post-move and just got to Yesterday's Enterprise, which I remember liking well enough, but man, it's really unusual in the context of the rest of these early episodes. For one thing, the violence shown is a lot more stark than we've seen in the show thus far - Riker with his throat cut, Captain Garrett with the metal shrapnel in her head, lingering close-ups on dead faces. It's dark and moody and the "happy ending" resolution (as far as we know at this point, anyway) is saving the few survivors of a brutal battle, patching them up, and then shipping them straight back into that battle to be killed.

Given the show's not-so-great track record with its female characters, it's weirdly refreshing that we get a re-do for Tasha Yar. And yeah, she falls in love with a dude and goes off with him on his ship, but she was ready to say goodbye to him and that would've been that - what finally prompts her to step willingly into the meat-grinder is the realization that she had an "empty death" (Guinan had some really raw lines in this one) in the other timeline, and that now her death can have some meaning. It's nicely done, if a bit of a self-flagellating "mea culpa" on the writers' parts.

The alternate timeline isn't the gleeful, campy evil of the Mirrorverse, it's just an exhausted grind through the final days of a losing war. Lots of little touches show how desperate things have become - Wesley's been fast-tracked to a full ensign, Picard is a tactician first and foremost (he takes officers' opinions under advisement, yes, but he's also keeping from them the inevitable, imminent surrender), the bridge is laid out so the captain is front and center with everyone else in the background. As a contrast with the actual Enterprise's chill 90s living room lounge vibe, it's pretty striking. It's like a sneak preview into the bleak and war-heavy sci-fi that would start saturating pop culture a decade or so later, and then it's a firm rejection of that premise - "This isn't a ship of war. It's a ship of peace."

I have a long, long history with TNG - DS9 is my favorite Trek on balance, but TNG is encoded in my DNA. From around ages 3 and 5, my brother and I were watching and rewatching TNG constantly. (My parents would laugh over the fact that my brother didn't know how to read yet but had memorized the episode titles of the first couple seasons.) We had pajamas. We scoured every garage sale and had a giant metal can full of action figures and phasers and tricorders and ships and even, shockingly, that transporter toy that made things disappear using mirrors.

The tactile experience of those toys is burned in my brain - the loose nacelles on the Enterprise model, the click of the left phaser button, the little hole at the bottom of the Borg cube that we once stuck a pencil in and had the tip of the graphite snap off and rattle around forevermore. My brother and I played incessantly with our action figures, to the point where most of them had the paint at least partially rubbed off - we created hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of new episodes over the years. The first time I ever used a touchscreen was at some sort of Star Trek exhibition in Canada in the early 90s that we stumbled across on our way to visit my grandparents.

I'm always fascinated by how kids interact with fictional media - my brother and I were so young, but we obviously knew Star Trek wasn't real. Except... I just always assumed that important people watched it, realized "well, that seems nice", and were actively working to make that future happen. I was (perhaps a little embarrassingly) older when I realized that no, we weren't gonna be out there on science missions to the stars during my lifetime. At least, not in an Enterprise kind of way.

At any given time, there's just this Star Trek filter over how I experience the world - when I got to go to college thanks to scholarships, I had that weighty feeling of responsibility and awe that came with daydreaming about Starfleet Academy. I saw my career shift from the gold of engineering to the blue of science to the red of command. And the older I get, the more I appreciate a show that, for all its flaws, managed to make a utopia interesting and complex.

Because TNG was such a phenomenon when I was a little kid in the early 90s, a lot of my family relationships also have TNG tied up in them. I remember going to my grandparents' apartment and my uncle showing us a fan magazine about the show. I remember another uncle who didn't really "get it" but gifted me and my brother astronaut ice cream because he knew we liked that space stuff. I remember watching most episodes curled up on the couch or my parents' bed with my brother and my mom and dad. When Mom got sick and we talked about death, I remember the way she wistfully brought up the Nexus from Generations or how she hoped she could see the next season of Picard (she didn't, sadly, but she really enjoyed that first season). Hell, one of the first real bonding moments I had with my otherwise hyper-professional and businesslike PhD advisor was when she made a TNG joke, I laughed at it, and she said, "I just love that show, everyone's so nice to each other."

It's just been a lot of fun coming back to this show, is all. I think I periodically forget how much it's affected me and the extent to which it was a fundamental, formative influence. While a lot of it either hasn't aged well or fails to hold up to modern media analysis, so much of it is still lovely, and occasionally there are these moments of shockingly good storytelling.

Star Trek good.

[richincolor]

New Releases

A whole bunch of books releasing today to get us ready for our summer beach reads. Which of these is on your list?

Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez MTV Books

Mac has never really felt like he belonged. Definitely not at home—his dad’s politics and toxic masculinity make a real connection impossible. He thought he fit in on the baseball team, but that’s only because he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Finding his first gay friend, Cammy, was momentous; finally, he could be his authentic self around someone else. But as it turned out, not really. Cammy could be cruel, and his “advice” often came off way harsh. And then, Mac meets Flor, who shows him that you can be both fierce and kind, and Mikey, who is superhot and might maybe think the same about him. Over the course of one hot, life-changing summer, Mac will stand face-to-face with desire, betrayal, and letting go of shame, which will lead to some huge discoveries about the realness of truly belonging. Told in Mac’s infectious, joyful, gay AF voice, Hot Boy Summer serves a tale as important as hope four gay teens doing what they can to connect and have the fiercest summer of their lives. New friendships will be forged, hot boys will be kissed…and girl, the toxic will be detoxed.

Better Must Come by Desmond Hall Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Deja is a “barrel girl”—one of the Jamaican kids who get barrels full of clothes, food, and treats shipped to them from parents who have moved to the US or Canada to make more money. Gabriel is caught up in a gang and desperate for a way out. When he meets Deja at a party, he starts looking for a way into her life and wonders if they could be a part of each other’s futures. Then, one day while out fishing, Deja spies a go-fast boat stalled out by some rocks, smeared with blood. Inside, a badly wounded man thrusts a knapsack at her, begging her to deliver it to his original destination, and to not say a word. She binds his wounds, determines to send for help, and make good on her promise…not realizing that the bag is stuffed with $500,000 American. Not realizing that the posse Gabriel is in will stop at nothing to get their hands on this bag—or that Gabriel’s and her lives will intersect in ways neither ever imagined, as they both are forced to make split second choices to keep the ones they love most alive.

Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho Disney Hyperion

Agnes Chan never expected to be the punchline of her own life . . But how else do you explain getting accidentally run over and seeing a lifetime of careful preparation, endless training, and all your hopes of a track scholarship to college destroyed in a split second? Not to mention the only witness to your humiliation being your #1 archnemesis, Royce Taslim. So, when Agnes finds a new answer to her scholarship predicament in the form of an international stand-up comedy contest for teens, the last person she expects to be up against is also the last person she wants to - Royce. Because for years Royce has represented everything Agnes extreme privilege, popularity, and physical perfection (ok maybe she doesn’t hate that part so much). Behind the scenes, though, Royce’s flawless façade fades away, revealing someone Agnes never expected—someone who shows her that perhaps the best parts of life are the ones you aren’t prepared for—and as the competition heats up, so do things between these two rivals. But will the pressure to win be too much for them to handle—or will Agnes (and Royce) get the last laugh?

Spin of Fate (The Fifth Realm #1) by A.A. Vora G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

The world is governed by Toranic Law, an ancient magical force that segregates people into upper and lower realms based on their morality. It’s said that if the sinful lowers commit themselves to kindness, their souls will lighten, allowing them into the blissful upper realms. But Aina, one of the few lowers to ever ascend, just wants to go back. Desperate to reunite with her mother, who remains stuck in their horror-infested homeland, Aina joins the Balancers—a group that defies Toranic Law by bringing aid to those condemned to a life of suffering in the lower realms. Alongside Aina are two new recruits: Aranel, a spoiled noble spying for the upper authorities; and Meizan, a ruthless fighter trying to save his clan from extinction. Before long, Aina, Aranel, and Meizan find themselves in the midst of a brewing war. On one side, a violent lower king is bent on destroying Toranic Law; on the other, the upper authorities will do anything to stay on top. The trio must face both sides head-on if they want to stop a conflict that could break not only Toranic Law… but the universe itself.

Death’s Country by R.M. Romero Peachtree Teen

Andres Santos of São Paulo was all swinging fists and firecracker fury, a foot soldier in the war between his parents. Until he drowned in the Tietê River… and made a bargain with Death for a new life. A year later, his parents have relocated the family to Miami, but their promises of a fresh start quickly dissolve in the summer heat. Instead of fists, Andres now uses music to escape his parents’ battles. While wandering Miami Beach, he meets two photographer Renee, a blaze of fire, and dancer Liora, a ray of sunshine. The three become a polyamorous triad, happy, despite how no one understands their relationship. But when a car accident leaves Liora in a coma, Andres and Renee are shattered. Then Renee proposes a radical idea. She and Andres must go into the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend’s spirit and reunite it with her body—before it’s too late. Their search takes them to the City of the dead, where painters bleed color, songs grow flowers, and regretful souls will do anything to forget their lives on earth. But finding Liora’s spirit is only the first step in returning to the living world. Because when Andres drowned, he left a part of himself in the underworld—a part he’s in no hurry to meet again. But it is eager to be reunited with him… In verse as vibrant as the Miami skyline, critically acclaimed author R.M. Romero has crafted a masterpiece of magical realism and an openhearted ode to the nature of healing.

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams Labyrinth Road

Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended. At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries. In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what’s left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.

Queerceañera by Alex Crespo HarperTeen

Joaquin Zoido is out and proud of it. And while he knew his dad and sister, Carmen, would be super supportive, he wasn’t quite ready for them to surprise him with a queerceañera, a coming out party to celebrate him. Between all the talks of tastings and venues, and the chirping of his family’s RSVP texts, the question of who will be his chambelán is on everyone’s minds. What Joaquin is decidedly trying to not think about is whether his mom is going attend or if she’s finally replaced him with her favorite godson, Felix—the boy who made Joaquin realize he was gay and who was his first kiss. But when an impromptu lie snowballs into a full-fledged family-group-chat rumor, every Zoido from Texas to Mexico starts believing that Felix is not only Joaquin’s chambelán but also his brand-new boyfriend. To avoid the pity and sympathies of an ill-timed breakup, Joaquin and Felix strike a deal—they’ll stay fake boyfriends until the party. Yet, as the day draws nearer and old feelings spark anew, Joaquin will have to decide whether a picture-perfect queerceañera with a fake boyfriend is worth giving up the chance of something real.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté Page Street YA

Written as a collection of vignettes and poetry, The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a creative nonfiction reflection on Black girlhood. The debut YA title, by award-winning author Angela Shanté, is a love letter to Black girls set in New York City and serves as a personal and political critique of how the world raises Black girls. As Shanté navigates the city through memory, she balances poetry with vignettes that explore the innocence and joy of childhood eroded by adultification. Through this book, she illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or exploited in stories and poems about personal and political boxes, love, loss, and sexual assault. Many entries are also studded with cultural footnotes designed to further understanding.

This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves. Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation. But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors. Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?

The Boy From Clearwater: Book 2 by Yu Pei-Yun, illustrated by Zhou Jian-Xin, translated by Lin King Levine Querido

After his imprisonment in Green Island, Kun-lin struggles to pick up where he left off ten years earlier. He reconnects with his childhood crush Kimiko and finds work as an editor, jumping from publisher to publisher until finally settling at an advertising company. But when manhua publishing becomes victim to censorship, and many of his friends lose their jobs, Kun-lin takes matters into his own hands. He starts a children’s magazine, Prince, for a group of unemployed artists and his old inmates who cannot find work anywhere else. Kun-lin’s life finally seems to be looking up… but how long will this last? Forty years later, Kun-lin serves as a volunteer at the White Terror Memorial Park, promoting human rights education. There, he meets Yu Pei-Yun, a young college professor who provides him with an opportunity to reminisce on his past and how he picked himself up after grappling with bankruptcy and depression. With the end of martial law, Kun-lin and other former New-Lifers felt compelled to mobilize to rehabilitate fellow White Terror victims, forcing him to face his past head-on. While navigating his changing homeland, he must conciliate all parts of himself – the victim and the savior, the patriot and the rebel, a father to the future generation and a son to the old Taiwan – before he can bury the ghosts of his past.

Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire by Paula Yoo Norton Young Readers

Paula Yoo’s latest is a compelling, nuanced account of Los Angeles’s 1992 uprising and its impact on its Korean and Black American communities. On April 29, 1992, following the acquittal of four police officers charged with the beating and arrest of Rodney King and the earlier killing of teenager Latasha Harlins, the city of Los Angeles erupted in violence. Many of these events were centered on the city’s Koreatown, where tensions between the Black and Korean American communities had simmered for years, fueled by economic challenges and redlining and enflamed by sensationalized and racist media. Based on more than 100 personal interviews, Rising from the Ashes follows these events through the eyes and experiences of the families of King, Harlins, shooting victim Edward Jae Song Lee, and dozens of business owners, journalists, police officers, firefighters, activists, and other community members. Deeply researched and compulsively readable, this is a vivid, propulsive, and moving story of a pivotal moment in recent American history that continues to resonate today.

[beebascloset]

Ethical Alternatives to Dolls Kill

While Dolls Kill offers kawaii, punk, goth, and streetwear fashions, they’re an unethical fast fashion company that has been accused of stealing designs from small creators. They’ve also been accused of promoting rape and racism (implying that only white people can be goth, selling a Native American headdress as a costume, and supporting police during the Black Lives Matter movement) and having a lack of transparency in how they reduce their impact on people, animals, and the environment. With this in mind, here are some of my favorite alternatives I found (you can tap on the titles to access the sites)

LOUDBODIES

This Romania-based retailer offers sizes from XXS-10XL, and you can even make a custom order for free if you'd like! Many of their pieces are pricey, but they do offer an affordable line of fashion. Their values include sustainable and recycled materials, made-to-order clothing, low waste production, OEKO-TEX certified fabrics, carbon neutral shipping, body-inclusive models (see above) and locally-made clothing. They also offer worldwide shipping.

NOCTEX

NOCTEX is great for dark, goth, edgy fashion. They’re based in Canada and ship internationally. Available sizes only include XS-XL, but this retailer uses reclaimed and deadstock materials, and also have low-waste production. They offer many items including tops, dresses, pants, skirts, footwear, and accessories like bags, makeup, and jewelry, so there’s a lot to choose from!

Uye Surana

For lingerie lovers, this is the place! While they’re based in New York, their clothing is ethically made in Columbia, with cute designs that come in sizes XS-5XL, so it’s quite inclusive! Items include bralettes, undies, stockings, camis, and garter belts, so go on and be adorably sexy, my loves.

KILLSTAR

Despite being introduced by Dolls Kill, the UK brand Killstar is actually more ethical. In fact, they’ve cut their ties with the brand over the owner’s support of police during the BLM movement. They’ve donated to charities that promote ending racism (whereas Dolls Kill promoted racism to an extent) and they also promote individuality. They offer sizes XS-4XL (from what I’ve found) and they even have men’s clothing!

Broken Promises

Another brand that left Dolls Kill, Broken Promises is based in California. Offering sizes XS-3XL, this brand offers clothing that caters to skate culture for all genders. Their clothes are also sold at Zumiez, so if you don’t want to shop online and you would prefer to go to the mall, you’ll probably find them there!

Disturbia

And another UK gothic brand that was promoted by Dolls Kill, this family-owned business has been going strong since 2003. Their website claims that sustainability is “a core value in [their] ethos”, and their goal is to create fashion that doesn’t harm the environment. They’re committed to recycling and reducing their carbon footprint, and all of their leather is false or recycled to reduce animal cruelty. They have a fully traceable supply chain with manufacturers in the UK, China, Portugal, Turkey, and Morocco, all with safe production facilities. Rest assured, your money will be going to a great place.

Cyberdog

Ravers, this one is for you. Catering to clubbers and DJs since 1994, Cyberdog offers neon and dark streetwear. They’re based in London, and their flagship store is located in Camden Market, so anyone who lives around the area (or would like to visit) can see these rad designs in person! (P.S: A huge downside is that they only offer sizes S-L, so this brand has the smallest size range on here)

Gothic Lamb

“The home for melanated misfits”, as their designer calls it, is black-owned and offers sizes from S-5XL, making this brand one of the more inclusive ones on this list. The owner, who calls herself Lucy, founded Gothic Lamb in the summer of 2016. She was inspired by brands like Killstar and Disturbia, however, she found that there was a lack of representation at the time, as she felt that none of the models looked like her, so she decided to create her own. While there is a small collection, it’s still a great collection and it’s a great place to purchase from if you like supporting black-owned businesses.

publicspace

A vaporwave-streetwear brand based in Los Angeles, CA, they support and collaborate with artists to create their designs (hence why they’re named publicspace). Though they have a small collection, their size range is XS-3XL, so it’s mostly inclusive.

Shop secondhand

You can also shop on Etsy to purchase from independent designers. A much cheaper option would be to shop secondhand. Sites like Poshmark and Depop are great for shopping secondhand, especially if you want to buy from fast fashion brands like H&M and Shein without giving them your money. Alternatively, you can go to your local thrift shop (do not shop at the Salvation Army, they are aggressively Christian, homophobic and transphobic) or consignment store. You can give your unwanted clothes and other items to these places (consignment stores will give you a certain percentage of their price for the item) to help people and need.

In conclusion, please do not buy from unethical fast fashion retailers and consider shopping ethically, whether it be for new or used clothes.

[olympeline]

Wanted to ramble a little more about this ask because it got me thinking about fandom trends and culture. Which are subjects I’ve always found very, very interesting.

When it comes to any kind of divide in fandom, like Hetalia’s UKUS v. USUK, I stand by my statement that the vast majority of fans on either “side” are chill and nice. Just normal people enjoying a hobby respectfully. Mature enough to recognise that the opinions of others don’t have to upset them because they’re not obligated to accept them.

Like so many things in life, the problems only start to come in when people begin treating fandom too seriously. Passion in your hobbies is good. Your hobby affecting your mental state in a negative way is not. “Too much of a good thing makes it bad,” and all that jazz. The older I get, the more I think this happens in fandom because of two things: projection and insecurity. Which causes a breakdown between “this interpretation isn’t for me” and “this interpretation is wrong.” Though admittedly even that’s not as simple as I just made it out to be. Some interpretations are wrong…if you want to stick close to canon. Like if you said America hates fast food and Canada is loud and eye-catching, that is an interpretation that is canonically “wrong.” If you want to write the NA twins that way it’s perfectly fine, but it is OOC compared to how they were originally. How close a person wants to adhere to canon varies from individual to individual. We all pick and choose when it comes to which parts of a character or ship we like. That’s normal. Fandom would be pretty boring if all we cared about was adhering to canon. Actually if we did that, I’m not sure there’d be any fandom at all.

I think it gets messy when people start to project onto their favourite character and so change them to fit that interpretation. Without being secure enough to admit they’re doing it. Or emotionally well enough to understand why they’re doing it. Instead they get hostile and passive aggressive and make posts about how they have the “right” interpretation. Which is different from people posting about why they like a ship or character, I want to make that very clear. UKUS isn’t my preference but if I see some pretty UKUS art on my dash, or stumble on a well written post about why the author likes UKUS, that’s still a pleasure for me. Someone being arrogant and posting about why UKUS is better? That’s a paddlin’ block. I can tell that person is going to be a pain. Even if they make some good points, I still don’t want what they’re offering. It’s all tone and attitude and the people who tend to have the rudest tone and worst attitude are insecure projectors. I’d rather talk to someone who disagreed with me but was nice about it, than endure some tit with a bad attitude who shared my opinion. Discussion and debate in fandom is fun if done respectfully. Discourse is a pit full of tits.

UKUS shippers are more vulnerable to acting like this because America has replaced England as the character people project onto the most. On tumblr, at least. Not sure about other sites because this is the only social media I have. It used to be the other way around, which is why the extremely “uke-fied” England was so ubiquitous in the past. The Western fandom followed on from the Japanese one and took their projection cues from Japanese BL fans who love the hardcore seme/uke tropes. These days the Western fandom is doing its own thing and now it’s more common for fans to make America their projecting character.

For a certain kind of emotionally unhealthy fan, this comes with problems because USUK is closer to canon than UKUS is. Not canonical because no pairing in Hetalia is canon except maybe GerIta. Closer in that USUK “fits” with canon better than UKUS does. I don’t think that’s a very controversial statement. If you’d never heard of Hetalia and someone described America and England and finished with: “Which one of these two would be more dominant if they were in a relationship?” I think it’s a safe bet most people would say America. Real life relationships are complicated in which partner is more dominant and why. Media and fandom are simplified and trope-ified for clarity and brevity. England has more “sub/bottom/uke” tropes to him than America does. The whole point of a tsundere is for them to eventually get softer and be “tamed” by someone brave enough to get close and break down their walls. So in terms of pure canonicity and nothing else: USUK > UKUS. Whether this makes USUK the “better” version varies from fan to fan. Some people hold canon in high regard, some don’t care at all. What being further from canon does do is give UKUS a streak of insecurity that USUK never had. You can tell because when Hetalia was at its peak, USUK shippers weren’t aggressive about their top/bottom preference because they didn’t need to be. Badly behaved, maladjusted USUK shippers saved their vitriol for FrUK instead. They already had the “closer to canon” argument on their side. They lashed out at their main rivals and started piss annoying ship wars instead.

So UKUS fans project onto America like USUK fans did (and still do) England. No problem yet. Until an unhappy fan who doesn’t like themselves starts doing it too much. Maybe the rest of this post is rubbish, but this part of the argument is a hill I will die on. So much fandom wank comes from miserable, self-hating fans projecting hard onto their favourite characters. Then taking any criticism of their interpretation of that character as a criticism of them. Since they’ve made that character into themselves, even if they don’t realise it. An unhealthy coping mechanism, basically. How many times have you seen a post with an unpleasantly arrogant tone about the author being “right,” only to look at the rest of their blog and think: “Wow, this person is one bad day away from their next suicide attempt.” Not just about UKUS, but any less canonical take in any fandom. Secure, happy people don’t feel the need to boast.

If you want a non-shippy example of this happening with America, his weight is a good one. Canonically, America isn’t fat. Any time his shirt is off we can see he has washboard abs. Nation-people gaining weight as their populations get fatter doesn’t seem to be a thing in Hetalia. They weigh more but stay slim because magic. The US has big problems with obesity, if you’ll pardon the pun, so if fans want to bend canon and make America actually look fat, it’s a logical step. No problem yet. If a fat fan wants to do stuff with fat America inspired by their own experiences, that’s potentially an interesting take. Still no problem. If an insecure fat fan, deep in self-loathing over the way they look, starts doing this? This is where it can go bad. America has become “them” and so any criticism of their a-canonical fat portrayal of him riles them up. Like it would if a stranger walked up to you and started lecturing you on your personality. Worse, it reminds them of the misery in their own lives that they can’t control. Misery they’re trying to escape by using America as their unhealthy comfort character. “I’m fat and I hate it but America is fat and gorgeous and loved! How dare you try to ruin my his happiness by not agreeing this portrayal is better!” People in all fandoms do this with weight but also other things like: race, sexuality, gender, etc. Anything that makes them angry at the world and themselves. Comfort characters are fine and dandy in moderation. Comfort characters as a substitute for dealing with feelings of self-hatred are definitely not. That’s when healthy fun turns into a poisonous coping mechanism. Denying reality because you can’t bear to face it is never good. Even if it’s something as small as refusing to acknowledge your interpretation of a character has less or no basis in canon. This is a hard left website and it gets even worse when these fans try to shore up their arguments and silence criticism with the language of social justice (“Don’t like my fat America?! What are you, fatphobic?!”) but that’s a whole other can of worms.

Getting back to UKUS, Tumblr’s userbase is mostly young, hard left-leaning, queer or queer sympathetic, American women. America the character is some of these things but not all of them. He’s kinda sorta young (if you go by his “human” age of 19), kinda sorta queer (plenty of ship-tease in canon, mostly with England), and he’s definitely American (duh, heh). When tumblr fans project onto him, it usually involves them changing him in ways that give him more of the traits they have but he lacks. The American stereotype is definitely more right-leaning than left (guns, bibles, capitalism, yeehaw!) at least outside the US. Which is the stereotype Hima would have been exposed to. Take it from a resident of the Old World. The left-leaning American fans can’t identify with this. So they nudge him further left to make him more palatable to them. Women take a more submissive role physically (mentally varies from couple to couple) in sexual intercourse. Unless it’s two women or there’s pegging involved. Just from the mechanics of being the one who receives rather than the one who gives. So projecting fans want America to take the “female” role and be on the bottom. Exactly the same as the Japanese BL fans wanted England to do when they projected and uke-fied him. Birthing the (in)famous “super submissive, super exaggerated tsundere” fanon!England that some fans dislike so much. Also, yes: the most tiresome bottom!America-thumping UKUS fans tend to be some of the most vocal uke!England critics. Never noticing how transparent the walls of their houses have become as they toss their rocks.

So, to sum up this long ramble, I think the reason the small minority of UKUS shippers get that annoying and controlling reputation anon mentioned is because they’ve fallen into the unhealthy projection trap. They want their personal, fanon America to distract them from the unhappiness of their real lives. This portrayal has become a crutch to them and anyone who questions it - even mildly - makes them furious. Try to take an addict or emotionally compromised person’s coping mechanism away and they’ll lash out. My closing statement, professor:

Vast majority of UKUS fans on tumblr: chill dudes having a good time and existing cheerfully alongside their USUK sisters 👍

Very small minority of “America is me! I’m emotionally compromised, use fandom as a crutch, probably have daddy issues up the wazoo, and enough self-loathing to give an incel a run for his money! My interpretation is best and ANY ATTACK ON IT IS AN ATTACK ON ME AND ALSO PROBLEMATIC!!” UKUS fans on tumblr: annoying, unhappy people who should take a break from fandom and go get therapy ASAP for everyone’s sake, including their own 👎

[artbyzephra]

Been wanting to practice Anatomy a bit more in depth - it's something that I know, but then get lazy on and a refresher can help immensely. Recently bought a book by Rockhe Kim, that's just fantastic to go through, and spending time in this sketchbook to go through everything they're talking about.

Trying also to practice brush pen while studying, so the sections I "know" now also become "how can I get better line quality", where having that sort of distraction can help push through the study itself. Because it's honestly very hard to break past that barrier somedays and work to just be humble bringing in new information. Hell, I even dropped out of art college 10+ years ago for that very reason - something seemed simple to me so I didn't put the work in, and then it became overwhelming way too fast.

And who knows, sometimes you'll surprise yourself with new information if you go and try practicing fundamentals again that you haven't thought of in awhile.

Not sponsored or anything - I just think this book is really damn neat. Anyone looking to do more anatomy practice - I'd highly recommend it. It goes over potential mistakes artists can make too, but in a way that is very respectful when it comes to examples. A lot of times art books or teachers can be demeaning without even meaning it.

The book does share a lot of differences between Male/Female forms, but personally I'm a defender of that while also understanding all the flaws that comes with it. Often times practicing male vs female bodies is how you first encounter body differences visually to practice different forms. I choose to take it as a starting place, that you then can use to see how a body can differ and make it your own where the lesson isn't just contained in the book but then grows over time.

I am not either body type represented in this book, but that doesn't diminish the knowledge presented. And honestly, how am I going to draw some of my favorite male characters if I don't practice a more feminine form? Or some of my favorite women who have a more masculine frame? If nothing else, they seem to be more respectful when showing the differences, and go super in depth not just for how they may look at a front view, but how it translates across all sorts of movements and perspectives.

[daftpatience]

hi! i think i remember on your bigcartel you had a page about when POs from different periods could expect their orders, but it's unavailable with your store closed. is there anyway i could check the status of my order?

you're right! here's the info from that page:

♦ Mar 2024 preorder: This preorder runs from March 10th to 30th, 2024. Production will happen through april, and items will start to ship in may. folks are likely to recieve their orders from may through july based on location. ♦ Nov-Dec 2023 preorder: preorders are starting to dispatch now that it's march, after some delays! sorry. folks should expect to recieve their preorders from April-June depending on where they order from. ♦ Aug-Sept 2023 preorder: the daft punk charms arrived misprinted and replacements have arrived! DP charms have been dispatched. How long will it take for my order to arrive? generally orders within canada arrive within a couple of weeks. to the usa it can take 2-4 weeks, and internationally you may be waiting months.

as an aside - nov-dec preorders are STILL dispatching currently. i still have a lot of orders to go, so i'm extremely thankful for everyone's patience and kindness ;w; i'm just one fatigued disabled me, so they're not going out as fast as i used to be able to ship orders.

[badgerswithbagels]

THE IDES OF MARCH ARE UPON US! Have some Ides of *Merch*!

Name two more iconic best friends than Brutus and Caesar! I came up with a random idea for a T-Shirt, and then also turned it into a mug and a sticker. Act fast because I will only have these items in my shop for the remainder of March. You can use the code CAESAR for 10% off any purchase over $19.99, but only today or tomorrow. I currently ship to the US and Canada, US shipping is free!

[fireandiceland]

for the kiss prompts - #12 with prucan? <3

Sneaking away to a hidden corner to share a secretive kiss.

This is a premier, my first time writing this ship! I hope I got them right cause I love the prompt :)

note after I was finished: I was thinking this is happening in the corridor of a hotel they stay at for a world meeting and they dont want Germany, America etc. to know about their relationship yet ;)

~ 🍁 ~ 🍻 ~ 🍁 ~ 🍻 ~ 🍁 ~ 🍻 ~

"He- hmpf!" Prussia almost chocked on the rest of the surprised exclaim when a hand was pressed over his mouth and he was quickly pulled into the dark niche in the hotel corridor that he would've overlooked if he wasn't dragged right into it.

Logically speaking there wasn't much that could happen to him, but his heart had still decided to beat faster and his hands had started to tremble lightly. They only stopped when he heard the calmingly familiar sound of Canada's quiet giggle next to his ear.

"Sorry.." Canada whispered and peeled his hand off Prussia's face once he was sure he had been recognised. "I didn't want to scare you." Now he looked seriously concerened. Prussia quickly took Canada's hand for comfort and noticed how his corners of his lips immediately turned slightly upwards again.

He looked so cute, positively adorable, with his cheeks tinted a shameful red but his eyes sparkling with curious energy. An unruly strand of hair slipped in Canada's face, only adding to his boyish charm that Prussia so adored.

"Don't worry about it, schon in Ordnung," Prussia reasured and pushed the curl of hair disturbing his view at Canada's eyes back behind his ear. "Why did you steal me away to this- uhhh..." Prussia looked around the dark corner that was somehow hidden behind a potted plant supposed to bring a sense of nature into the corridor, "...spot?"

"I just wanted to see you." Canada wrapped his arms around Prussia's waist and leaned his head against the other's shoulder. "Without all the other's around. I missed you."

For a moment Prussia tensed up again, still not a hundred percent used to Canada's physical way of showing his affection, then returned the hug, glad about the moment of togetherness Canada had created for them. "I missed you t-"

Once again a word died on Prussia's tongue due to Canada's doings.

The soft kiss Canada placed on his lips made Prussia's heart skip a beat. It had been too fast for him to even react. He only really realised what had happened when Canada slowly pulled back, his lips now turning into a full on smile as his eyes fluttered open.

"-too."

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT ECOMMERCE NEWS (INCLUDING ETSY), Early May 2024

Welcome to my latest coverage of Etsy and other ecommerce news, early May edition. I am off for a short vacation Monday, so thought it best to get this report out now.

Want to get shorter versions of these reports but more frequently? Become a paying member of my Patreon. I will be adding new resources and content there once I get back from my trip.

Want to get these posts via email? Sign up here.

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

Etsy’s first quarter financial report for 2024 was not great, but that was expected.  The real news is that they no longer expect the current quarter to be much better [Tumblr post by me]. Also, they are still planning on changing search. 

Canadian shipping service Chit Chats is shutting a dozen offices in 4 provinces, starting April 29 through May 15 [LinkedIn Post by me]. It appears they expanded too fast and have much more competition now than when they first opened, so the additional locations were not very busy. Some may be replaced by drop off points. There is a thread in the Etsy forum with more info.

Etsy CEO Josh Silverman made over $16 million in 2023, roughly the same amount as 2022 [pdf; see page 56]. Almost all of that was stock options. Chief Financial Officer Rachel Glaser made over $8 million, as did Chief Technology Officer Rachana Kumar. 

ETSY NEWS 

Etsy buyers are receiving emails asking them to rate their recent purchases, as discussed in this Etsy forum thread. The owner of Garden Path Rosaries at Peter's Square Marketplace sent me the screenshot below, which popped up after they clicked the email to confirm they had received the order.

These questions may be connected to details popping in recent reviews, even though the popups and emails say the feedback “won’t be shared with the seller or shown on Etsy.” See this screenshot from Kathie from PillowDetail’s shop:

It’s also possible these review details come from a different test, or even from the act of leaving a review, as some buyers report getting similar options when they leave public reviews. [As is usual with Etsy, they change a lot of things without explaining how any of it works.]

Etsy seems to have deleted most Messages in seller spam folders without any warning, and some shop owners are not happy about it. [The only one I have left is a recent Message that Etsy moved there erroneously.]

Etsy is still promoting its TurboTax discount to Canadian sellers - even though the integration only works in the US. [post by me on LinkedIn]

Canadians no longer need to have a Canada Post Solutions for Small Business account to use Etsy Labels - and the discount for Tracked Packet to the US is very good. [Patreon post by me]

NBC News calls out Etsy for AI crochet patterns that don’t work. While the article blames the images being made by AI, I’ll bet the patterns were too. 

Despite this type of criticism over allowing AI items to be sold on the site, Silverman told a recent investors conference that he is still all in on AI in many forms. “Many sellers on the platform are generating content in collaboration with a machine, Silverman said, and a large amount of new item listings are generated in collaboration with GenAI. But given that Etsy is a platform for handmade goods, the boundary between man-made and machine-made required some clarification. “We had some discussions about, is that handmade or not? Does that belong on Etsy? And we decided, ultimately, that it was—in the same way that electronic dance music, the most popular form of music in the world right now, is collaborations between humans and synthesizers,” said Silverman. “I think this collaboration between humans and machines to generate art is actually going to be the next frontier.” He did admit that the search chatbot tested on the app many months back was poorly received. [The article is really worth reading, in my opinion.]

Gift Mode has now launched worldwide [text with embedded video], and gift teasers will soon include videos from the giver. The teasers have been growing in popularity, with 7% of gift orders in March using the teaser. 

The Marketplace Trends report for spring & summer is out, and apparently there has been a 266% increase in searches for divorce gifts. Even more impressive is a ”2,159% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for lawn games”. Skim through the whole report if you want to know what is trending up. 

Etsy released 2 different “impact goal” posts on Earth Day, which included Reverb and Depop. While you can read a lot more detail in the 2023 Integrated Annual Report [pdf], here are the individual posts: 

Environmental impact goals: reduced carbon emissions, on track to be net zero carbon emissions by 2030. “[S]ellers created 108 million listings with circular attributes on the Etsy, Depop and Reverb marketplaces, including vintage, upcycled, used and secondhand items.” The document mentions increasing Disaster Response Grants (for U.S sellers only) and “open source resource guides that help makers access climate-related disaster information and funding.” 2024 goals are listed. 

Social impact goals: discusses gender, race and disability representation in its workforce, and funding for “creative entrepreneurs from low-income and underserved communities.” 

Related to the environmental impact goals, Etsy published a disaster guide (mostly US-focussed), and put out a (very short) funding guide for US sellers at the same time.  

ECOMMERCE NEWS (minus social media)

Amazon

Amazon added over 5 million sellers since 2018, 2 million of them in the US. That's only about 100,000 more than Etsy in the same time period, comparing 4th quarter 2018 to the end of 2023. 

There are now Amazon shoppable livestreams on Prime Video and Freevee. “Amazon Live’s FAST channel will feature 24/7 programming from popular creators and celebrities, such as reality TV stars …Brands like Tastemade and The Bump will also host streams to sell their products.”

Amazon drone delivery is ending in California, but continues in Texas and will soon start in Arizona. 

Amazon’s first quarter was great, but note that ⅔ of its operating income comes from the cloud services, not ecommerce. 

BigCommerce

BigCommerce announced many new features, including more country localization, new builder options, syncing inventory through Feedonomics, and of course, AI. 

eBay

eBay is now testing an Explore feature to put together a clothing shopping feed with AI. I don’t have this in Canada yet, but it has been spotted in the US and the UK, and the links in the article do work in Canada. I selected a bunch of women’s options and was presented with a feed that had a lot of men’s clothing, so this appears to work about as well as Etsy’s Gift Mode, which Liz Morton compared it to.

eBay’s sales and revenue were both up slightly in the first quarter, while active buyers were down 1% from the year before. 

Shopify

Shopify is reorganizing Support, in part to inject more AI into the process. Employees are worried about possible layoffs. 

Walmart

Cart.com is now helping new sellers start on Walmart Marketplace, and is offering multi-channel syncing for existing businesses as well. 

All Other Marketplaces

Vinted has turned a profit for the first time, riding the trend of interest in secondhand clothing.

Ruby Lane will be increasing its shop fee to $45 from $25 as of June 1, and will be removing the rebate for listing 15 new items monthly. 

Bonanza’s annual Spring sale runs May 8th to 15th. The coupon code sellers must activate is SpringSale2024. 

The EU has forced Shein under the umbrella of the Digital Services Act.”The European Commission specifically noted new requirements for Shein around illegal products on its site. The company will have four months to submit a risk assessment report and will need to introduce mitigation measures against “the listing and sale of counterfeit goods, unsafe products, and items that infringe on intellectual property rights.”

Shipping 

Labels service Shippo is introducing paid tiers for any businesses printing over 30 labels a month through its service. Anyone printing 30-200 labels a month will be charged $19 monthly; under that is free.

Canadian customers - who are already being charged 5 cents USD per label - are also affected, although we get fewer features and carriers [Shippo just confirmed this via support ticket.] Sounds like there are cheaper options for most of us elsewhere now.