#I do think she needs a more glam adventuring outfit though

[dilemmadraws]

She’s beauty, she’s Grace, she’ll kick you in the face 💕

My new DnD character Aneska, ex-beauty queen, current barbarian trying to rehabilitate her image after “accidentally” throwing a judge across an auditorium. She had her reasons okay! 💋

[faelune-home]

Jumbo ask meme: 🌹, 😊, 📀, 🛍️, 🔮, and 💗 (sending you the same questions bc I think they're good ones!)

Apologies for taking a few days to get back on this, I needed to collect my thoughts to write it, which took some time on its own XD But thank you for the ask \o/~~ Always appreciated ^^

🌹 - miqo!Fu is very much the social butterfly type. Maybe initially with larger groups she’s a bit wary - joining the scions, she was more subdued since she’d just been thrown into it, plus the feeling that everyone else already knew each other and she was the newbie, but she eventually grew out of it, and especially after the Waking Sands attack, she vowed to hold a bit faster to her friendships with those that did survive - but otherwise, she’s always the first to try and make new friends, or at least be open for others to talk to her.

Making enemies tho...well she never deliberately sets out to do that, and unless the other person is set on being hostile, she would try to bridge a gap. Although after all that she’s been through, that tendency is a bit slower, maybe she’ll allow the diplomatic folk to make the first step before her, but actively trying to make enemies isn’t her thing.

😊 - Aaah, at the risk of sounding cheesy and obvious lol, its her friends. ^^ but i suppose in the event they’re not available, ironically it would be the opposite - some time alone in Gridania. She’s still very fond of the old forest since it was the first place she really knew in Eorzea.

And making others smile is her goal, she set out on the adventury thing to help others (and make a legacy to share with her loved ones that they could emulate...so in a way still continuing the idea of helping others for the sake of helping others). If it makes things easier for those that struggle, then she’ll try her best \o/

📀 - miqo!Fu is a bit less easy to manipulate after so long, tho she does have help from the other Scions to make sure she’s not being given the slip. She tries to be careful nowadays after so many events have occurred, but she still wants to be open and friendly to all. But for the most part she does trust very easily, and she likes to hope others will trust her. Hopefully without any insane hero worship, despite her goal of leaving a legacy, too much hero worship makes her uncomfortable cos she feels it makes people forget who she is as an individual vs what deeds she’s done as the WoL. Maybe from strangers she’s fine with it, but from those that she’d consider friends...ideally no.

The lies and manipulation though....aaaaa. That’s a tricky one, because obviously those closest to her that she trusts have done that for all their own reasons, and it depends on the individual how she feels about it. This feels like an appropriate point to discuss that, even if things get a bit wordy. >.>

(I’m gonna read more here, partly due to talking spoilers and partly due to length. Ironically the next few questions after this are very short in comparison but this one about “lies and secrets and trust” got very wordy on its own lol)

HW and ShB spoilers after the cut

With the Lyse reveal, it did sting to start with given how close miqo!Fu was the “Yda” and Papalymo, but after some thinking on it - like Lyse’s situation, understanding that it was a maybe not so healthy coping mechanism after losing her sister that then just spiralled further, plus the immediate aftermath of Papa’s death affecting all of them, putting Lyse’s situation into some perspective for the WoL - miqo!Fu got over it a lot quicker than even she expected. In the end of that case, Lyse is still a friend, and one that she trusts a lot, especially after seeing that, for all Lyse was trying to emulate her sister, she really was more like the same person Fufu already knew.

Urianger’s frequent cases are a mixed bag for miqo!Fu >.> Because on the one hand, she knows he’s not doing it maliciously, but at the same time, its still secret keeping rather than trusting her, or even the other scions, so intent on working on his own. Plus the fact that often, his plans are eerily pragmatic and someone is on the chopping block along with it - Minfilia was cast off to the First in the conflict against the Warriors of Darkness, and now she’s gone for good, and G’raha obviously offered himself up as a sacrifice with the WoL in the frontlines first, so Urianger technically had less say in that, but that one didn’t pan out anyway - and she doesn’t agree with that, she’d rather try to avoid as many deaths or sacrifices as she can. She trusts him maybe a bit less now, however she’d still trust him to watch out for her if need be, its just when it comes to making plans, she’d rather if he worked with others rather than doing things on his own.

The catboy himself is kind of an example as well >.> miqo!Fu still doesn’t see the point in him hiding his identity other than so she wouldn’t then want to make sure he didn’t do that. But the identity hiding part aside, he falls into the hero worship side of things that makes her uncomfortable. She still trusts him as a friend and companion of course, but the idea that she’s somehow untouchable  and all powerful just because of some old texts that survived past the 8th calamity doesn’t sit well with her. Again, that may be the end goal with her becoming an adventurer, but she does want to hope she can fade off and let the stories do their thing where she doesn’t have to then experience the fawning, and having it up front with a companion doesn’t help.

(Have i went too far down a rabbit hole here? is this off topic from the original question? idk :’D i hope its still okay, it’s nice to think a bit deeper about my girl and her motivations and thoughts on things)

🛍️ - This one :’D I feel this one differs from player to character, a lot of the glams i post here on tumblr and socials in general are more me as a player having fun with fashion over me actually representing what miqo!Fu herself would do. There’s some overlap though.

As a player, as Lady Fufu, I go for aesthetic, whatever looks nice, or whatever my vision for an outfit is. Miqo!Fu on the other hand, while she does have a fashionable streak, she tends more towards function and comfort.

So more flat shoes than heals for battle, the heals are better served for fancy occasions where she doesn’t have to fight. Skirts or trousers depends though on what job she’s running as.

One common point is skirts for dancer ^^ I like my flowy skirts flying around as she spins and flips.

🔮 - Star gazing! She loves the wide open night sky! Definite night owl, much like me the player XD But then she has an important job to do so she’ll stomach the mornings if need be.

Oh and she’s definitely a snuggler ^-^ In her home village, she’d often go to bed with at least a few younger miqittens cuddled up into a pile with her.

💗 - Miqo!Fu would probably say her eyes, big and bright and purple :D

Other might say her tail, its very expressive, you can read her easily by it XD

[redbootsthetimetraveller]

I wanted to request the “OC dressed by other OC” things but you’ve got so many!!! And they’re all so cool!! Would you mind saying what some of your favourite ones’ styles are (i.e. mod, psychedelic, hippie, glam, etc.)?

Love your art❤️

oh I am always up to talk about my characters and thank you for sending this!! I appreciate these sorta things because it’s a nice message AND I get to talk about my characters which helps me actually figure them out lmao

and I know you’re asking for my favourites but that is subject to change and I want to talk about all of them. and I’m not entirely sure exactly what styles of dress they each come under but I’ll use the terms where I see fit, and I’ll just. ramble about their individual dress styles. that’s the same thing right!

this is gonna be long (spoiler alert: IT IS) so to keep things short for those who don’t want to scroll through a mile long post, I’ll put it under the cut

so I’m gonna start with the starstrucks because they ARE my like. main characters. I am planning something with them which is in its very early stages of development but I’m hoping that when things around me settle down I can work on it a bit better than what I have (but I procrastinate the things I WANT to do so we’ll see. feel free to nag me about it though)

roger claire: considering he’s like. the main-main character (not intended, that was meant to be snowy but HERE WE ARE) his outfits and style of dress changes a lot but also it’s not that creative for a lot of it. at the start he wears more mod clothing, but he’s not that daring since he is pretty cautious. he had a strict family. anyway around 1965 he starts getting a lot more daring and he’s definitely not an extravagant dresser he does know how to dress sharply despite that so you get things like his peacoat that I DEFINITELY didn’t copy directly from micky dolenz on the cover of more of the monkees, and that really heavily decorated overcoat that’s 18th-century inspired but also Groovy, y’know? that sorta thing carries over into the seventies where he pretty much wears shirts with the sleeves rolled up, light coloured trousers, and a few t-shirts because Variety™. haven’t really thought about beyond that but he’d probably dress like a cool dad

pete sutton: he’s got sensory issues so he’s even MORE cautious in dress style than roger. main thing is turtlenecks though. and a lot of purple. there’s a quote about ray davies being the kink most likely to wear a tie offstage and I think pete’s the starstrucks’ equivalent

snowy smith: he’s got the most defined wardrobe out of the lot of them! black-and-blue striped jumper, a black peacoat, blue jeans, blue-green shirts, his leather jacket (which has blue-violet stripes on it so it’s unique from the million other jackets I draw) since he’s definitely on the rocker side of things and cuban-heeled beatle boots he doesn’t need since he’s already 6′1

charlie morris: REALLY mod. at the start of the story he has a collarless jacket with pink trimmings. his colours are yellow and green but I also always end up drawing him in red

davey peacock: mod, but the mod that your parents approve of. does get a bit more adventurous when his uncle, the manager, gets fired, and I gave him a union jack jacket like pete townshend had at some point lol. he also gives hippie clothing a shot around 1968 and in the eighties he has a mullet and not a good one

rory locking: SO MUCH ORANGE. aviator sunglasses, collared shirts with the first two buttons undone, his kinda short jacket that’s plasticky leather with a fluffy lining (those style jackets have a particular name don’t they? I can’t remember it) but like. there’s so much orange. why did I do that my markers are dying

mick lily: light was denim. that’s about it.

next we have the midnight delusions

jimmy jade: scarves. he has a gold embroidered black suit that I’ve drawn a couple of times and ALWAYS regret it because OW, pink, and a lot of black

teddy van alst: he has a leather jacket. wears interesting trousers and really plain shirts typically. he’s the one with the cool glam makeup even though it’s 1966 and glam isn’t exactly a thing yet. he’s a rocker though

arthur floyd: has a leather jacket like his bf teddy! it has roses embroidered on it. he has a rose sorta aesthetic going on, along with the blue-and-gold star outfit that I drew him in a couple of times. he’s sort of a carnaby street mod if that’s a thing lol

lucky littleproud: gonna be real with you he’s boring he wears colourful shirts and trousers that’s about it. I haven’t worked on him much :(

peter morrison: between hippie and mod. definitely more on the hippie side compared to his sibling

stevie maple (counting him here even though he kinda isn’t a Member): textured shirts, he’s more of an american mod. considering he IS american (unfortunately)

all of those side characters I have absolutely no idea how to group but are part of the same story as those two bands:

sylvia chase: mod, but she also doesn’t put much effort into her appearance. that’s the best way to describe her style

holly keys: she’s a model so literally whatever is the ‘hottest’ trend

james cassidy-bell: he dresses like brian jones in the early-mid sixties

katherine robinson: mod, and then the most avant-garde things she can find if she’s going in public. and a lot of red lipstick (that’s her Thing)

morgan morrison: MOD but also like that sorta soft aesthetic thing that was popular in like. 2017. because why not am I right

christopher goldstein: he is also a model but I draw him in really dandy-ish stuff a lot. him and jimmy sorta have a prep/goth dynamic going on

and that’s about it for the characters who really are gonna appear often enough to bother describing their dress styles! moving on now

keith neptune: band tshirts and anything with patches on it.

nico (haven’t come up with his surname yet, if y’all have suggestions I’ll take it): baggy jeans, sneakers, baggy tshirts, and has a denim vest with patches on it but Different types of patches to keith. if keith has the sorta etsy partches nico has ‘I pickpocketed these from a bikey who hasn’t showered in a month from a servo in the middle of nowhere’ patches

grey: they have a brow leather jacket that I think was inspired by jim morrison, a stamp out the beatles jumper, and a really big and motheaten black woolen jumper which they wear with beatle-boots, a white collared shirt, and like. not black jeans but very desaturated blue jeans that happen to be very dark

jude anne sutton (yes I know she and pete have the same surname they’re not related they’re in different universes): mod. enough said

rene shannon: mod but boring. he’s Repressed y’know

leslie (I’m gonna change her surname lol): honestly mainly shift dresses and that one really simple black-and-white dress, and their ripoff black watch tartan jacket, and tall boots.

danny: honestly? he dresses like a mod but at heart he’s a rocker. he’s a rocker who washes

that One character I won’t name: it’s complicated. he goes from trying to be a teddy boy with the rest of his friends and then it goes a little wrong and they fight about it and then they discover early rocker culture and he sticks with that for a while and then starts dabbling in more mod stuff and then DEFINITELY his style changes into the dandy stuff of the middle of the sixties. you know the stuff I’m talking about. and then he’s a hippie for about two seconds and goes back to dandy stuff but throws a few of his old rocker pieces back in. THEN he has a breakdown and fucks off to america for three years (returning home like twice for two days before fucking off again) where he’s got a peacoat, his old leather jacket, a turtleneck, a few shirts, and two pairs of jeans. that’s it. for three years. and workboots obviously because he’s trainhopping. I have that part very worked out as you can tell!

harper (character I have sketched exactly Once but have his style very sorted out): he starts off pretending to be a teddy boy in the way that a fifteen-year-old with a highly overprotective and lowkey horrible mother would probably be. he is also kinda Broke for that exact reason. and then he and the above character get into more rocker stuff and that’s probably where the two drift apart and where rene/jude/leslie/whoever else I may come up with would come in

anyway!!! I think that’s every character I have a defined style for. some of it’s a little hard to explain but I hope this cleared things up. I have also had a migraine for most of today so my ability to use words is extra impaired lmao!

and I’m so sorry for just. rambling. but I do have a lot of characters and I love them all so much and I’m so happy you like them too!!!

[hockeytrashgoblin]

First Date (AustonxAshley)

Author’s note: Is this realistic? Nope. Do I care? Another nope. Enjoy.

I was sitting on my bed stressing about what I was going to wear on this date with Auston. The last time he saw me I was in a ginormous Bluejays shirt that was not very flattering so I wanted to look at least a little bit more presentable this time. However I didn’t want to be dressed up either as this wasn’t a fancy date by any means. I had argued with him for almost half an hour to get it to not be in a fancy restaurant. Instead we were going to go to the aquarium which was one of my favourite places in the world. I was worried about going to fancy restaurants since my eating habits were very strict and I was fussy.

“Leaaaah help meeeee.” I said in a snapchat video showing her the two different options. One being black ripped jeans, gray croptop, blue flannel with skull sneakers. The other one was light-wash shorts, my pizza sweater, with my blue skateboard shoes and knee socks. I kept waiting for her response but was greeted with a phone call instead.

“Hello?”

“Where are you going on this date?” she asked not bothering with small talk.

“The aquarium.”

“Seriously? Out of all the things you could do you chose something you’ve done a million times?”

“Yes. I love it there. Now which oooone?!”

“I don’t know because the pizza shirt outfit looks cute as hell on you but the flannel will be easier to not get your sleeves wet when you pet the stingrays.”

“Oh shit true! I looove the stingrays. The first time I went I wore a long sleeved shirt and then my arm froze so bad on the way home.”

“What did you shove your entire fucking arm in without rolling up your sleeve first?”

“No! I just reached too far trying to give the ray a boop.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I know.” I put her on speakerphone and started getting changed.

“Are you gonna do makeup and stuff?”

“Pfft no.”

“Why not? I thought your whole thing right now was that you wanted to look more presentable.”

“Yeah I want to be wearing clothes that fit and aren’t ripped by accident, not be in full glam makeup. I don’t have the patience or the talent to do that. I don’t even have foundation that matches my face right now.”

“God you’re crazy. It’s not that hard, Ash.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re good at makeup.”

“You should’ve just called me earlier, I would’ve come over to help you.”

“Nah I can’t be bothered. I don’t want him to expect me to look like that always. Makeup is a special occasion thing for me, not an everyday thing.”

“What and going on a date with Auston Matthews isn’t a special occasion?”

“It is but if I’m gonna date him long term I don’t want to do this shit all the time.”

“Are you at least gonna do your hair?”

“No.” Leah groaned loudly. “Oh my god what now?”

“You’re not even going to do your hair?!”

“No. It’s washed and brushed though if that makes you feel better?”

“Well it does a little bit, but come on. A date Ashley.”

“Well to be fair I’ve never been on a good date. All my dates have been like, mcdonald’s.”

“That is so sad? Why does no one want to treat you good?”

“Wish I knew dude.” I finished getting dressed and checked the time. “Okay Leah I gotta go Auston is going to be here soon.”

“Alright call me when you go back home, I want to hear all about this.”

“Okay bye.”

“Byyyye.” I hung up on her and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and make sure my hair was okay. My face was breaking out but there was not a whole lot I could do about it. I hoped he wouldn’t be too judgemental about it. I didn’t think he would but you never know. I went out into the livingroom putting my camera into my backpack along with some snacks incase I got hungry on the way or in there. Are you supposed to bring in snacks? No. Does that stop me from sneaking them in? Nope. I was tying up my shoes when there was a knock on my door. My heart jumped into my throat as I got up, walked up the stairs and unlocked my door. With a deep breath I open the door to find Auston smiling.

“Um hi.”

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Gooood. Would you like to come in? I’m just getting a couple things gathered up still.”

“Yeah sure.” I moved out of the way and locked the door behind us. “What’s that for? Kidnapping me there Ash? Jokes on you Mitch knows I’m here.”

“No, I have to lock it or else it will open if it’s windy at all.” I said laughing at him. “Besides I don’t think I’d have a chance in hell of kidnapping you. Too small and wimpy.”

“I donno, my face doesn’t agree with wimpy.”

“Oooh my god shut up I didn’t mean to!” I said pouting grabbing my backpack and standing in front of him.

“I’m just kidding.” he said smiling bigger. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes! Always!” I say smiling and going up the stairs dragging him behind me while he laughed at me. We got out of the house and into his car which was too nice for me to snack in that’s for sure.

“What’s wrong?” Auston asked worry on his face.

“Am I allowed to eat snacks in here?” he just laughed at me again.

“Seriously? That’s what’s got you all frown-y right now? You just want to eat some fucking snacks in my car?”

“Dude stop laughing.” I smiled and shoved his shoulder. “This car in more expensive than anything I’ve ever owned in my life I just want to make sure it’s okay..”

“You little cutie, go ahead.” he started driving right after that and I pretended I didn’t see the blush on his face. I pulled out some candy from my backpack. “Why does it say your name on that backpack?”

“Cuz it’s mine.”

“But you’re like almost 20 why do you label your bags?”

“Um well it’s kind of from the 8th grade.” this made him laugh again.

“Why do you still have it?”

“It’s adventure backpack. It’s the one I had with me at the ballgame too. I keep it for going out on tripes like this because it holds just enough and I don’t care if it gets wrecked. It’s got my name on it because it was from the grade 8 trip and like 60 of us had the same backpack.”

“Was yours full of snacks then too?”

“Yeah it sure was. Especially day two after the farmers market. I had so many fruits in there. I got so sick.”

“What did you get?”

“Strawberries mostly. My friend was supposed to split paying with me for two things of them because it was cheaper but she then didn’t want to pay me back after so I fucking ate hers too. Take that Rhiana.” I mumbled the last part and he just laughed at me again.

“That is a lot of strawberries.”

“Too many. I threw up when we got back to the dorm we were staying at. But then I was fine and ate some candy with other friends.”

“Wow. You’re crazy.”

“Those were my wild days.”

“No wild days anymore?”

“Not really. Me and my friend go to this one dance club sometimes and I go to ballgames but other than that I just sit at home on the phone with grandma watching hockey or baseball.”

“How long have you been into baseball?” he asked while looking down to his phone.

“Excuse me sir. Stop with the phone, I’m not trying to die tonight.”

“I’m just trying to put music on, I’m sorry.” he mumbled.

“Here I’ll do it, what’s the passcode?”

“Um..it’s the same as my twitter name.”

“Wow not very creative Matthews.” I go into the phone and look up a song to play.

“You never answered my question. How long have you been into baseball?”

“Since the womb. Grandma literally started on me the first season I was alive for. I went to my first game just before I turned 2.”

“Wow that’s really young.”

“Yeah I sat through the whole game though. Didn’t leave my seat once after the game started. Apparently I was really into it. We’ve been to games every year since, it’s our tradition.”

“That’s such a cool tradition to have!”

“Yeah and now we’ve started another one where we go to Sting games every year. That’s what started to get me into hockey. Then I was there for the playoffs last year so I watched it everyday. Now I sit in my house and talk to her every night while we watch hockey together but not together.”

“Was she talking to you the other night?”

“You mean when you exposed me?! Yes. Yes we were talking and let me tell you I will never hear the end of this for the rest of my life.”

“Well you should’ve been easier to find.”

“Hmmph.” I pouted getting more candy from my bag. “Would you like some chocolate almonds?”

“No that’s alright. Save me some to sneak later.” he gave me a wink and I blushed hard and looked out the window, which confused him. “What?”

“Don’t wink at me, jesus.”

“And why not?”

“Too hot. Can’t handle it.” I said looking at him and now it was his turn to blush.

“Oh. Sorry..” it was awkwardly quiet for a while until Auston broke the silence again. “Okay so you know how you said no fancy?”

“Yes. I remember arguing a lot insisting on no fancy.”

“Yeah I remember that too. You’re literally the only girl I’ve tried to date in years who turned down a fancy expensive date to go to see some fish.”

“Well I’m special what can I say? I love the fish.”

“Well I didn’t do anything fancy but I did do something.”

“Oh my god Auston what did you do?”

“I might have paid to have the aquarium to ourselves.” he said as we pulled into a parking garage close to the aquarium.

“WHAT?!”

“Maybe. Might’ve.” he quickly found a parking spot and unbuckled turning to look at me.

“Auston that’s so much! Why? I would’ve been fine with others there too..”

“I didn’t want our first date to be you fighting for my attention all night while fans talk to me and stuff..”

“Cocky. But aww I appreciate that.” I say smiling looking down. “I definitely wouldn’t be very good at fighting for attention. I’m not that interesting.”

“What? No that’s not what I meant at all!”

“Oh no, I know Auston. I didn’t mean to make it seem like that’s what I was saying.”

“I think you’re very interesting.” he said getting out of the car. I blushed but followed him out of the car. We went up some stairs and got outside, only walking a little bit until we got to the aquarium. “Here we need to go this way.”

“Austooon.”

“I’m sorry okay I just want this to be great. Now let’s gooo.” he walked over behind me and pushed my back to make me move making me giggle.

“Okay okay I’m going jeez!”

“Good. This is going to be fun I promise.”

“I know it will. I love the fish.” he laughed and rolled his eyes as we went in the back of the Aquarium.

“Welcome Mr. Matthews. Everything is in order and you guys can take your time looking through the aquarium. We hope you have a good time.”

“Um thank you.” Auston said with an awkward smile before walking into the beginning of the aquarium.

“This really wasn’t necessary you know that right?” I asked walking beside him.

“I wanted to spend time with just you. Get to know you better ya know?” he said rubbing the back of his neck.

“That’s very sweet Auston.” I said smiling at him before running off. “Look at the flat nose fish!!”

“He’s funny looking.”

“I think he looks like perry the platypus.” Auston laughed beside me.

“Yeah he kinda does.” we started walking around and seeing all of the animals. We were joking around and having a great time getting to know each other and talking about the fish. We kept sneaking snacks also which kept making Auston laugh telling me that sneaking was not needed since we were alone and making me shush him. I took a lot of pictures of the fish and I started sneaking some of Auston but of course he caught me when we were petting the little crabs.

“Are you taking pictures of me?”

“Maaaaybe?” I said shyly.

“Whyyy?”

“Because you look cute.”

“Stop no I don’t.”

“Yes you do.” I said simply as he started walking again. I put my camera away and ran a little to catch up to him but of course being as clumsy I am I ran into him and almost fell over. He caught me though thank goodness but it didn’t stop me from blushing.

“Stop trying to take me out Ashley.” he said laughing.

“I’m sooorry.”

“You’re so damn clumsy.” he complained while he was still smiling.

“Boy you don’t even know the half of it. I’m so clumsy.” we walked into shark tube and I kept looking at Auston. I was scared of sharks and while it was common knowledge to my friends and family that I panicked or needed someone to hold my hand, it was not knowledge Auston had. He had his hands in his pockets as we  stood on the conveyor belt going further into the shark tube. I thought I would be okay and I was. Until I saw a shark’s teeth. Then I freaked. I looked at Auston again who was looking around at all the animals with a smile on his face. I looked down to see his hands still in his pockets. While looking around at the animal I took his hand out of his pocket and held it.

“Um whatcha doin?”

“Sharks scare me.”

“Why did you want to come here then?” he asked laughing but holding my hand properly.

“I love the fish. I love everything except the shark teeth. The shark teeth scare me.”

“Oh no can’t have that.” he said letting go of my hand and wrapping his arm around my shoulder holding my other hand. “Is that better? Still scared?”

“Nope this is much better.” I said blushing leaning into him while we went slowly through the tube. Once we got out he moved his arm and I pouted making him laugh.

“If you wanted to hold my hand you could’ve this entire time cutie.” he grabbed my hand again and pulled me along happily through the jellyfish part of the aquarium. He loved the jellyfish and everytime he got that excited look on his face my heart beat fast. Him holding my hand still was not helping with the heart thing. We walked back up to the top level where the stingray petting was.

“Waaaait! We need to pet these little sharks first!”

“You literally just help my hand because you were scared of sharks.”

“These are tiny and I can’t see their teeth so it’s okay. Aus, look at them!!”

“Two fingers right down their backs, they love that. Don’t touch their fins though.” the worker instructed us. We nodded and went and pet them.

“They’re so cuute.”

“They aren’t the only ones.” Auston said looking at me.

“Oh my god shut up.” I said blushing hard.

“Can we go to the stingrays now please?” he asked tugging on my free hand.

“Yes! I love them! Are you ready to see me cry? Cuz I’m gonna.” I said giving him finger guns which made him scoff and roll his eyes at me with a smile. We walked up to the sandy part and I put my backpack down. I took off my flannel and shoved it into my bag before turning back to Auston who was staring at me. And I gotta say that did absolutely nothing to help my self image problems. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Why did you take your shirt off?”

“I want to pet the rays. I don’t want to get my sleeves wet and freeze on the subway.”

“If you think I’m letting you go home late at night on the subway you’re wrong.” he said rolling his eyes and his sleeves up.

“It’s not that late? It’s only like 8. I’ve been on the subway latter than this before.”

“I don’t care, I insist.”

“But it’s so far out of your way..”

“Maybe I want to spend more time with you.”

“Do you?”

“Maybe.” he said smirking at me.

“If you want to spend more time with me you just have to ask Aus.”

“Fine I want to spend more time with you so can I please bring you back home?”

“Why of course.”

We spent a lot of time with the rays before we decided to leave. Auston thanked the people at the desk and we left to go back to his car. The ride was filled with joking around and talking about all the fish and stuff we had just seen. It was really fun and we got to my house a little bit too fast for either of our liking. He walked me to my door and we stood outside for a while.

“I had a really good time with you tonight Auston..” I said shyly looking at the ground.

“I had a good time too. You’re a lot of fun.”

“Pfft yeah I know.” I said laughing. “Seriously though thank you for doing all this for me. It was really sweet of you. And thank you for holding my hand in shark tube.”

“You don’t have to thank me for holding your hand you freak.” he said smiling at me grabbing my hand. “Look I’ll do it again. Because it’s fun and I like to.”

“You’re a dork.” I said leaning in faceplanting into his chest.

“You’re cute.” he said putting his arms around me in a tight hug. “You’re different and special I can tell. I really hope you let me see you again.”

“Um yeah? If you want to deal with my clumsy ass again then definitely.” I said looking up into his eyes and smiling.

“You’ve got really pretty eyes..” he said quietly.

“Thank you Auston..You do too ya know.” I replied quietly. We were silent for a minute until Auston spoke up again.

“Can I be honest?”

“Yeah dude always.”

“I want to kiss you so bad right now but you’re so damn short.” he said making us both laugh.

“Hang on a second.” I said getting out of his hug and going up the stairs to stand on the ledge of them. “There. Now I’m tall.”

“I’m still taller, but this will work much better I think.” he said pulling me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he brought his soft lips to mine in a sweet simple kiss. He pulled away smiling and I was a blushing smiling mess. “Definitely worked better.”

“Shut up.” I said giving him another kiss. “Okay you should probably go.”

“Aw how come?”

“Because if you come in we’re gonna kiss more and that’s gonna lead to things and I am no hoe Auston Matthews. I will not be banging on the first date. Wait until at least the second.” I said making him go from serious to snorting in a millisecond.

“You’re hilarious. Fine I’ll go.”

“Message me when you’re home so I know you’re safe please?”

“Yeah of course I will, don’t want you worried.” he gave me another lingering kiss before leaving. “Bye Ashley.”

“Bye Auston.” I went inside my house and almost cried of happiness. This night had been absolutely perfect and he had wanted to see me again. Something no other person I’ve dated had wanted. I got into pajamas and into my bed and waited for Auston to let me know he was home. He did and he told me again that he had fun with me. I told him I had fun with him too and then went to bed with the biggest, dopiest, smile on my face.

[gadgetblogger]

A Style and Colour Analysis Consultation with Styld

A few weeks ago in collaboration with Women in Tech ZA, I produced and executed a really great tech and digital conference  in Gauteng, that has been warmly received with the overall feedback of being “both educational and inspirational”.  This event was also held in Cape Town a month before the Gauteng one. Should you wish to to read more about these events and the speakers go to : http://usefulandbeautiful.co.za/events/ 

This was no ordinary conference, it consisted of a line-up of 16 females (all executioners in their fields of expertise) and we managed to collaborate with some amazing prize sponsorship partners, such as Samsonite, Estee Lauder SA, TRACE, MultiChoice, Elemis, to just name a few - who treated both our speakers and delegates on the day.

One of those sponsors was a local startup called Styld - which is South Africa’s first fully personalised online personal styling service, that was founded by a busy professional Keshni Morar,  for busy professionals (who was basically our entire target audience for the event so it was the perfect collaboration). Keshni kindly sponsored a styling and colour consultation for each of the 16 Gauteng Speakers worth R2500 each and a delegate prize of a R100 voucher for each of the 120 delegates whom attended the conference. As a speaker at the event, I was fortunate enough to have been gifted with one of these R2500 consultations services and as a super busy professional from Cape Town (Styld’s consultation services are only available in Gauteng for now), I was super eager to try this service out while I was still in the area.

So here is a brief account of what that service entailed and how it has left me feeling a bit more confident in my day to day life style, both as a busy professional and to be honest as a mum too.

Step 1: Trust and a warm atmosphere We were greeted by Keshni  and her consultants at her intimate studio in Centurion. The moment you walk you, you can’t help but feel a warm homely atmosphere (unlike a mall environment which can sometimes feel quite clinical).

Step 2: Getting Measured Probably the least favourite part of the experience, (but it turned into quite possibly the part that enabled giving me the most confidence boost I’ve been craving for many years), is getting your measurements taken. This does require trust and Keshni’s warm connection with people definitely shines through. As a not so new mum anymore (my kids are 13 and 11), I have had to resolve to the fact that the size 6-8 I once was pre baby days is unlikely to return and that I need to make peace with that and still be happy with myself and what I wear every day,  especially when out in public - which is part of the package of being a business woman and entrepreneur – networking is key. I did provide my basic measurements beforehand but Keshni went in a bit more depth with conversations on what areas of my body I am least confident about and what would make me feel more comfortable in “hiding” those areas. Unfortunately Cinderella’s  Fairy Godmother wasn’t an option :)

Step 3: Experimenting with garments of different colours that are not quite what you would pick off the rail. Keshni pre-selected a few items for me based on her meeting me the day before so she had an idea of my skin tone and sizing.I must admit  my initial reactions, from seeing what she had picked out made me quite nervous, it did concern me ever so slightly (and that’s putting it mildly), because the colours she chose was definitely out of my comfort zone which I would NEVER pick of a rail. Even as a digital diva, I am still a traditional shopper who prefers going into physical stores for clothing rather than using ecommerce platforms. Surprisingly though I found myself letting go and trusting in the choices and in some ways falling in love with the image of myself that I was seeing in the mirror (which rarely happens these days)

Step 4: The colour analysis This was very new to me , I’ve never had a colour analysis before and given my ethic background have always been advised by many that I am a warm tone. This process was most likely the most interesting part of the consultation for me and took the most amount of time as I was draped with a white cloth and various hues (all quite similar ) was placed on  this white drape while i looked into a mirror focusing on specific facial features.  Some colours definitely made me look brighter and happier white others (that I thought was my safety ones) made feel look quite tired and definitely highlighted those dreaded dark circles around my eyes (I was wearing the bare minimum makeup on that day – certainly not any concealer). By the end of this exercise it definitely left me with lots of food for thought as a 40 something who honestly just wants an easier life  when it comes to clothing choices. Even though Steve Jobs is one of my icons, I don’t wish to be a like him and wear the same outfit every day – as a woman, I enjoy embracing my femininity so I am this point where a few classic pieces that I can mix and match and look glam at any occasion, be it a client meeting, a conference presentation or simply a school meeting would make my life a lot easier. I’m most certainly done with the experimentation of the latest trends and colours, I want to be able to pull out an item of clothing from my cupboard or choose an item of a certain colour should I go shopping and be comfortable that it will just work on me, and after having this colour analysis session, I found that goal was well achieved  - and it turns out after this exercise, I’m not warm as preciously advised, but cool and muted :)

Step 5: The execution Meeting Kershni and treating myself to this consultation - something to be honest  I had never for one, would have found the time to do, and secondly would have found it difficult to  justify the cost but this has certainly opened my mind to being adventurous with colour, style and it has certainly given me a confidence boost that I needed (especially after a few traumatic personal recent events). But after the experience, I actually see it as a personal investment in myself.

While I was tempted to purchase all of the outfits she had picked out for me, I left with just four items, 3 garments and the colour swatch (that is personalised for my unique skin tone) as I think that will be something that will be valuable to me for the rest of my life.

And most recently I appeared on the Expresso show and decided to wear one of the outfits that Keshni had hand-picked for me  during my consultation and I must admit, while the interview itself was probably my personal best, appearance wise I’ve never personally felt more at ease with the way I looked.

For anyone who is thinking of a style consultation or not sure what it entails, I hope my account gives you a bit more of an in-depth view and you find it as fulfilling as I did if you decide to try out this service. I would recommend you don’t rush the process, and allow for at least  3 hrs of time and be open to trust and honestly, at the end of the day its’ about you feeling better about yourself and in order to do that, allow the stylist to make recommendations based on their expertise (honestly they really know their stuff) and be totally honest about your goals.  Of course I would love to look like J-Lo, but that won’t happen so I want to embrace the best of myself that I can possibly be. We all feel better when we look our best and it’s about how we feel and that’s what I loved most about the experience, it really was all about me and my needs. Thank you STYLD.

Website: www.Styld.co.za

Address: Styld Studio on Saxby, 39 Saxby Avenue, Eldoraigne, Centurion

Follow: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin

[shannonparis29]

Into the Unknown...

So, now that we’ve caught up to everything about my pageant journey-I can talk about my current status.

At the beginning of February, I was let go of my previous job (they went bankrupt) and I qualified for unemployment.  In a way, it was good I didn’t qualify for I may or may not would have been able to afford it. However, I did have plans to support my family for Diva, or even help if they need me to do so. I’ve always been told that even if you can’t compete, it’s good to “support.” Because usually, everyone starts off that way. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.

Anyhow, I truly thought I was done competing for a while, and I had no plans on competing unless I felt like I could do it again.

They always said,

“You’ll find it again.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“You’re not retired from competing again.”

“You just were outperformed on that day.”

“You can do better.”

It’s hard to think that way, because as I’ve said I wasn’t in the mindset of competing again. The mindset I had when I won interview or even my first year was far more optimistic and happier than the one I had now.

I also wasn’t going to pursue anything in the court, either. I had aspirations, once, before I competed for Diva, but it didn’t work out. That aspiration went away, but I found another. Diva. And that became my true passion.

Or……so I thought.

So, then COVID-19 happened and as you know, EVERYTHING STOPPED. Everything pretty much desisted. A lot of events were cancelled or rescheduled. Some events were moved to Facebook live….some queens did Facebook live shows. (I’ve done a FB live show three times). Once for the court, twice at home-and it was failure for me. I perform better in front of an audience. It is just not my thing. And I didn’t get tipped for any of the shows I did outside of the court. Restaurants were only open for carryout, drive-thru or curbside. Our cases did go down-briefly till the governor decided to reopen to country. The United States Government gave us a Stimulus check. I ended up paying my phone for two months, getting new glasses and some new clothes-things I needed, as well as stuff I could live off of.  During that time, I added Disney Plus and Hulu. I had Netflix for two months but I preferred Hulu and Disney Plus because they had better selections. UsofA Diva Nationals was postponed-giving all qualified contestants more time to prepare for Nationals. Glam, Freddie and Dustin would reign just a bit longer through all this. Things are reopened now, but cases have gone up, and they are talking about masks being a requirement, though some places do that already. Even my favorite arcade as of June 19, 2020, require masks to go in. I recently bought a frozen mask because if I am forced to wear one, at least it’s something I like AND 2) The N95 I have trouble breathing in.  

But enough of the “COVID” talk, during COVID, I realized a lot of things.

After watching Frozen and Frozen 2 (I didn’t get to see it in theatres when it came out), I realized that I was a lot like Elsa. I could relate to her on so many levels.  This is going to sound weird, but I felt like her story paralleled mine. Yes, she is character in a movie, but I actually liked Frozen 2 better than the first one. The music was better, Elsa sang a LOT more, had a larger role and both sisters (Anna and Elsa) discovered things about themselves. (If you haven’t seen the movie, please do).  I realized that I wanted to cosplay and maybe even perform as Elsa sometime. As a plus size gal, and someone who does not limit herself by her size, I was going to do it. And Frozen 2 inspired me, a lot more than I thought it would.

Then, something happened. I felt something telling me to try competing again, once all of this madness was over. To prepare for a chance again.

Like Elsa in Frozen 2, I wanted to ignore it.  Into the Unknown sums it up well.

“I’ve had my adventure/I don’t need something new/I’m afraid of what I am risking if I follow you/Into the Unknown!”

Basically, I interpret that as, in regard to me, I’ve travelled everywhere for Diva and the court. I’ve done a lot and I’ve done enough. I don’t know if I want to go through it again and possibly embarrass or make a fool of myself.  Not that I did before, but that kind of was my mindset.

But then, there was a part of me that decided that I was going to compete again. Yes, you heard it. I am competing again, but it won’t be till the new season most likely. I wish once things “clear up” and “have Nationals” there’d be that “last call prelim” but I was told there won’t be any new prelims since it’d be unfair to the contestants who qualified earlier. I did compete earlier that season, I just couldn’t do other prelims at that time, and I didn’t qualify at the prelim I did.

As of now, there is no updates-which is expected because of COVID, but I have a lot done already. I am gonna give you a list of what I got package done/paid for already. As of June21st

Presentation- I recently bought two sets of jewelry at auction (silver and black earrings) and they could be used for presentation if they follow theme. As most pageants, presentation isn’t going to be determined until much later. And it usually is my last category.

Interview-Already have the dress and shoes (and it’s brand new)

Evening Wear

Hair is paid for and on the way

Gown is a little over halfway paid for.

Talent

My hair and costume are paid in full and I hope to receive them within the next month or so.

My mix has gone through three major changes and it is done. I am not changing it anymore.

Costume for my person in my talent has been ordered and should be here within a week or so.

Other items:

I’ve ordered tights, lashes, and I am always getting hairspray, nails, etc. I am not doing drag “as often” so whatever I don’t use ends up being saved for another time, pageant or not.

Travel, etc: Working on that. Nothing has been arranged or set YET. Again, can’t do much without a date.

So, here’s my current list of “things” that are Not fully done yet.

Presentation: outfit, shoes, stones, hair-tbd

Evening Wear-Owe just below half on the gown and the shoes (and stoning the shoes currently).

Talent: Need to get the prop and small things.

Interview: Jewelry?

Travel: Nothing done yet, but focusing on my package FIRST. Then, saving for travel after.

Meals: Ditto what I said for travel. I know how to cut costs by bringing own food but saving for at least one “going out to eat” event.

Entry Fee: Usually it’s about $100 sometimes a little less if you “register” early.  Again, TBD.

Paying My Makeup Artist: Ditto what I said for Travel and Meals.

The most important thing is having the package ready FIRST. If I have no package, there’s no pageant. I’ve also made many mistakes in regard to competing, especially when I “start” to run out of time. I start to “cut corners.” I start cutting things out to adjust to be ready in time. That is not going to happen this time. I’ve gotten a lot done so far. And I plan to be ready as soon prelim season starts, if not sooner. I plan to be ready to do this and I don’t plan to make the same mistakes I made in previous seasons. My desire came back, and here I go, into the unknown and I am ready to show myself.

[beachesandbrows]

One of my favourite things to do is scroll through Instagram, and lust after the lives of some of the most popular bloggers in today’s social media world. Many of these girls have achieved so much in their careers to date and are sure to achieve much more, and I absolutely aspire to follow in their footsteps. Be it style or makeup, these are the Instagram pages I turn to for a little inspiration when I need it.

STYLE: These are some of the most stylish girls I follow, and whom I love to take ideas and inspiration from.

Louise Cooney (@louisecooney_)

A fellow Limerick lady, Louise’s Instagram as a whole is stunning to look at. Her style is simple yet stunning and her life is quite enviable from her amazing travel posts to her gorgeous ensembles.

Terrie McEvoy (@terriemcevoy)

Terrie is probably my number one inspiration in the blogosphere and even more so in life. It was her blog that inspired me to start my own. Terrie is a fellow Irish gal but she is living and working in Sydney. Aside from the amazing sunny life she leads there, she is also embarking on a round the world trip in a few weeks and I can only imagine the stunning pictures she’ll be posting then!

Suzanne Jackson (@sosueme_ie)

Another huge inspiration to me and I think its safe to say this Irish beauty tycoon is an idol to almost every beauty and fashion blogger. Her success is enviable and her vision and drive are a lesson that hard work definitely pays off.

Dominique Nugent (@dominiquenugent89)

Dominique is the QWEEEN of hair, even when hers is thrown up on her head she still looks gorgeous! She almost always sports a funky braided hairstyle and changes up her hair colour as though changing outfits. Not to mention she has a fabulous and adventurous style.

Emma Roche (@emmazoeyroche)

Emma’s Instagram is brimming with lacy tops and oversized shirts and jumpers. She has a gorgeous girly but edgy style.

Niamh Cullen (@niamhcullenx)

This girl is so down to earth not to mention super stylish! Her outfits are unique and often surprising, as she pairs items that one wouldn’t normally put together and yet for her, it works. This girl is definitely one to watch.

Alisha LeMay (@alishalemayx)

I love scrolling through Alisha’s page for some style inspiration. She basically tries on clothes and styles outfits from different retailers, showing you different brands and trends, perfect for some rainy day online shopping.

Alicia Roddy (@lissyroddyy)

Again, like Alisha, Alicia styles outfits and gives plenty of inspiration again for some beloved retail therapy.

MAKEUP: As an aspiring MUA, these are the girls I look up to as artists. Whenever I’m in a rut when it comes to new ideas or techniques, these are who I look to for inspiration.

Aideen Murphy (@aideenkatemakeup)

Aideen is an amazing makeup artist from Dublin, only 22 and already so successful. She has been reposted by Anastasia Beverly Hills twice already and I know for a fact there are bigger and better things on the horizon for this talented lady.

Jamie Genevieve (@jamiegenevieve)

Jamie is a Scottish MUA who is probably going to take over the world some day. Her basic foundation routine is goals, as is her blinding highlight. Subscribe to her YouTube to learn her tricks of the trade.

Keilidh Cashel (@keilidhmua)

Keilidh is an Inglot senior artist and at just 21 years of age she has already created her own eyeshadow palette and is definitely set to be one of Ireland, if not the world’s, number one makeup artists.

Tara O’ Farrell (@tara_makeup)

Tara is a makeup artist and blogger from Dublin, whose main line of work lies in bridal and makeup for photoshoots. She also models and probably has a million and one other hidden talents. When I get back to Ireland I will definitely try to attend one of her makeup masterclasses as I can only imagine the tips and tricks she has to share after her years of experience.

Jeanette Cronin (@jeanettecroninmakeup)

Jeanette hails from Cork and is a phenomenal makeup artist. She is currently in the midst of opening her own makeup studio in Cork city and again, she is someone who I am sure has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the makeup industry.

P. Louise Makeup Academy (@plouise_makeup_academy)

Last, but certainly not least, I am sure every one has heard of the wonder woman that is Paige from P. Louise Makeup Academy. She started her own studio and school of makeup from scratch and has been a huge influence on makeup trends. I think it is safe to say that each and every one of the aforementioned makeup artists has at some point taken inspiration from the ultra glam that is the signature look of P. Louise.

These girls are all fabulous, super stylish and super talented and are sure to bring a bit more glam to your newsfeed.

Lots of love,

Eimear x

Instagram Inspiration One of my favourite things to do is scroll through Instagram, and lust after the lives of some of the most popular bloggers in today’s social media world.