#also I decided while posting these that she's worked glitter into his fur and presented him in costume as Mister Mistoffelees

[blujaydoodles]

[shows up to Halloween a week late with a smoothie] oh hey

[juminsmysticmc]

Hi! I've been waiting fur your requests to open back up! I'd love to see how RFA +V +Saeran +Vanderwood would react to an MC who bakes really well. Like heaven in your mouth well. Thank you so much!

RFA + Minor Trio with a Mc who bakes really well

Hii! I’m sorry that it took me so long, opening these Requests also took ages, I hope you can forgive me, hahah. I hope you enjoy the HC. By the way - I suck at baking XD

Jumin

,,You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy.... when skies are gray…’’ you summed while you baked your orange chocolate cake.

It had been a long time since you last decided to bake anything, but this was due to your stay at Jumin’s penthouse when the both of you were still unmarried.

Now that you were his wife, you weren’t that shy anymore.

You used the moment of silence to bake a cake for your husband, who was pretty stressed out lately.

You hoped that he would enjoy the desert you prepared with a lot of love.

Just when you finished decorating the beautiful cake, the door opened and Jumin came in.

He began to sniffle and immediately confessed that he could smell something yummy.

With your usual smile, you greeted and kissed him.

,,Would you want to enjoy my cake with a cup of coffee?’’ you asked him, kind of scared that he could reject you due to his work.

But of course Jumin Han would never push you back.

He eagerly nodded and went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

After ten minutes, you helped him with the coffee and both of you sat on the couch, sipping the brown drink.

Jumin now finally took the fork into his hand and began to eat the soft creation you made.

Suddenly he moaned and looked at you with a shocked expression, making you think that your food was disgusting.

But it was different. Jumin couldn’t believe that you were the one who baked the cake.

,,It’s like an explosion in my mouth. I really love it! Maybe I should organize a coffee and cake project…’’ he began to mumble loudly when he chewed on his third slice of cake.

Zen

,,I’m so excited that I will be able to eat a cake made by you!’’ your boyfriend laughed, noticing that he never ate a cake made by you.

,,Don’t expect to much…’’ you mumbled embarrassed.

,,Ah, don’t be so humble…“ he smiled and kept observing you.

You were creating a real masterpiece. Zen couldn’t explain how you did it because you moved so quickly, but he knew that it smelled very very good.

A few moments later, you called him.

,,Yes, what can-” he stopped.

You opened the warm oven and took out the chocolate cake you had just prepared.

,,It’s still hot, but I wanted to show it to you.“ you mumbled.

Zen immediately took out his phone and took a few pictures.

,,I have to post this! My fans have to know how good you are!“ he laughed and posted a photo.

Not long after he posted the photo, he posted the same picture in the group, receiving a lot of responses from Yoosung and Seven that they will come over too.

,,Mc, close the doors. Two idiots are coming over…“ he whispered and took a spoonful of your cake, feeling like he was in heaven right away.

,,How can it be so sweet and soft?“ he asked you in a whiny voice.

For today, he ignored the fact that chocolate was the cause of pimples.

Yoosung

You always loved to bake cakes and prepare desserts.

A few years later, it wasn’t any different.

You still loved to bake sweets and see the ones you loved smile.

,,Mommy!!!!!“ you heard your little girl scream through the house.

Then you heard loud footsteps and suddenly, a blond girl and brown haired man stood in the door.

,,Daddy said I have to wait for my present!“ she whined.

,,Okay and why are you complaining now?“ you asked her and put the big cake in the fridge.

It was a cake with three layers.

It would look like a big princess dress since you planned to put princess in the top.

,,Huh? But your friends always take ages!“ she whined.

,,Don’t complain now,“ you warned and saw her stomping away.

Yoosung approached you and hugged you from behind.

,,You’ve been in here a pretty long time…“ he teased you, overestimating you.

But when he saw the pink-violet cake on the table a few hours later, he didn’t know what to say.

And it even tasted good!

,,You’re wasting such a good talent!“ Yoosung whined and ate a second slice.

It tasted really good, and Yoosung was once again proud to have you as his wife and the mother of his daughter.

Jaehee

When she asked if you would be willing to help her with the coffee shop, she didn’t know that you were such a good baker.

Well, perhaps it was because you just didn’t tell her that you worked in a pastry shop.

One day, she just got up and found three wonderful cakes in the glass cabinet.

Next to them were beautiful cupcakes and muffins.

It wasn’t even 9 AM and you already did half the work.

,,What’s that?’’ she asked you with an amused face and kissed you on your cheek as a good morning greeting.

,,I’m not sure. I think it’s for the garbage. Maybe you could taste the cupcake?’’ you asked her.

She nodded and took one of the cupcakes with the pink glitter on top.

She slowly bit off the cream and then tasted the cake.

,,Oh my god…’’ she mumbled and opened her eyes in shock.

You thought that the worst would come up, but she took three more bites until nothing was left.

,,Okay. I think you need to show me how to do it…’’ she said, staring at the cupcakes and combatting with herself if she should hide them instead of selling them.

Saeyoung

Your resume said that you actually worked in a pastry shop in LA and later moved back to Korea.

Unfortunately, your shop in Seoul was sabotaged and you had to give up on your dream.

A little bit later, Unknown and the RFA robbed your time and you didn’t have the time to think about it anymore.

Just a few months later, when you decided to bake a cake to cheer up the RFA, you remembered that you were really good at it.

You decided to bake a really big white cake with a cat on the front and LOLOL on the back.

The icon on the cake would be Zenny and the decoration would be coffee beans.

This way a piece of everyone would be a part of the cake.

And you had to be honest, you were pretty happy with the results.

Of course you hid your cake, and when the RFA came to visit, you and your fiancé, as well as his brother who lived with the two of you, got really emotional. 

,,Woah, when did you do this?!’’ Saeyoung asked you, pretty hyped, and licked his finger that was covered in cream.

,,Hehe. While the both of you were arguing over pizza and chicken.’’ you answered Saeyoung.

His eyes widened when he licked his finger once again.

You thought that the cream was salty and that you mixed up salt and sugar, but apparently he loved your cream.

The cake didn’t even last a day. The RFA only ate the cake and gave you a lot of compliments.

,,I wish my birthday would be every day so that you would have a reason to bake a cake for me!’’ your husband whined and kissed your cheek, thankful for your efforts.

Saeran

You knew that your boyfriend had a sweet tooth and you wanted to make him happy once in a while.

The past month was hard and it was still the beginning.

And so, while he was in Jumin’s company, trying to get his father and save his older twin brother, you gave your best at home.

You added the ingredients and made an apple-cinnamon-pie.

Of course, ice cream and whipped cream weren't left out.

,,Woah, these are enough calories for a mouthful!’’ you laughed to yourself as you added sugar.

A good odor welcomed the almost red haired man when he opened the brown door.

Did you invite someone?

But you were alone in the kitchen, your clothes completely white from the flour.

Saeran let out a soft laugh as he saw you.

,,Did you grow old on your own without me?’’ he asked you and patted your white hair.

,,Mhh...you simply took too long. I fell in love with the apple pie instead.’’ you teased him and smiled brightly, expecting a kiss while you closed your eyes.

Saeran happily gave you a kiss and then looked at the pie.

,,So I have an enemy now?’’ he asked you.

You were in pain, his words were filled with irony.

But you quickly sliced the pie, added the warm cream and ice cream, and gave him a spoon.

,,Defeat your enemy!’’

He put the spoon in his mouth and mumbled a ,,Mhhhh’’ before he added another spoonful.

,,Oh my god, I don’t want to defeat this pie. Who did-you?!’’ he asked you, laughing now and enjoying the pie.

You happily nodded and gave him a second slice.

The best thing today was to see his smile.

Jihyun 

,,Come on, Lucy!’’ you called her.

When your daughter approached you, you explained the baking process step by step.

She even helped you to bake her dad’s birthday cake.

Of course, Jihyun couldn’t stand the surprise. Instead, he entered the kitchen and kept taking pictures of the both of you.

Both of you chuckled as Jihyun was simply obsessed with the pictures.

Your house was filled with photographs, but this was also something beautiful in your eyes.

Later on, the RFA came over and ate the cake with you.

Really, no one believed that you baked the cake and that Lucy helped you!

,,Really! Ask Daddy! He even broke his promise and came into the kitchen to take pictures!’’ Lucy exclaimed.

,,Breaking promises is an old habit of your dad,’’ Yoosung said

But not even Jihyun could believe that you were that great at baking.

It was almost as if he was floating on clouds.

Since then, your job was to bake a cake at least once a week.

Vanderwood

You knew that Vanderwood would get angry at you.

Just the fact that the kitchen was a mess would give him a reason to kill you.

But you ignored the death thoughts and instead kept baking for him.

When Vanderwood saw the kitchen, he really was about to kill you but his anger vanished when he saw the beautiful cake with his name decorated with chocolate cream.

His heart grew warm as he thought about you.

A bit later you opened the door, not expecting him so early you totally bumped into him and almost fell on your back.

But your boyfriend caught you before something happened.

His smile was reflecting in your eyes.

,,What you’re doing home already?’’ you asked him, not even trying to hide the candles.

,,I wanted to enjoy my birthday with my princess.’’ he confessed and lead you to his lips.

,,You taste sweet. Did you eat it without me?’’ he asked you with a cute smirk.

You lightly slapped his shoulder and put the candles on the cake.

He quickly blew them out and expected to have to act as if the cake was tasty.

Instead, he had to try his best to not explode from happiness.

It tasted very good.

His eyes widened with every bite he took.

,,Is it okay?’’ you asked him, worried that it would be disgusting.

But from the look on your boyfriend’s face, the cake was more than yummy.

MASTERLIST 1MASTERLIST 2MASTERLIST 3

10.11.2019// 01:21 MEST

Tagged:

@foreversunshine-love​ @giulia2372 @sailormoonrocks666

@widya345 @remiliadacalde @r-f-a-journalists

[kennadavenportgayle]

Mother’s Day (Sean x Mc)

Title: Mother’s Day

Pairings: Sean x MC (Taylor) 

Rating: PG

Word count: 2,040

Summary: Sean surprises Taylor-along with their two daughters-in bed on mother’s day with breakfast. They soon head on an adventure to the zoo while Sean and Taylor talk about the future of their family. 

Author’s note: Rip Es amiright? Anyway, as promised, and like the last hiatus, I’mm be posting an ES fic every day at 12:30pm PST so y’all don’t have to die in this drought even though I’m pretty sure this won’t help you lol. Anyway, enjoy. 

The sun spilled into the room between the gap of the curtains, the soft early morning slight stretching out over her face and chocolate brown hair. She stretched and yawned, coming to as she pulled the blanket up to her chin. She smiled to herself, thinking that both of their daughters had slept through the night. She rolled over to look over at Sean’s side of the bed but as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she realized her husband was nowhere to be found. 

“Sean?” she called out but there was no answer. 

Instead, she was greeted with a knock at the door and several little whispers and giggles. She sat up in bed as the door creaked opened—Sean always said he would oil it but he always did forget—and two little girls with their hair in buns and their pjs still on, shakily carried a tray with an arrangement of breakfast items on top, into the room. Taylor gave them a bright smile as they slowly brought it to her side of the bed; their little arms shaking as Taylor gratefully took it from them. Sean followed close behind, his pj bottoms being dragged underneath his feet as it hung low on his hips, his oversized white shirt covering his stomach that would have been exposed. 

“What is this?” Taylor asked as Sean helped the two little girls onto their giant California King sized bed. 

“They wanted to make you breakfast in bed,” Sean responded, kissing Taylor on the head. “Happy Mother’s Day.” 

“We’re you surprised mommy?” one of the five-year-olds asked. 

“I very much was, Ella, thank you,” Taylor responded as she quickly hugged her. “And we made you a card,” Mia, Ella’s twin sister, shyly said as she handed Taylor a roughly cut out heart, an entire glitter factory somehow being blown up on the card, and on the side was choppy handwriting that only five-year-olds could create. 

Both the girls signed their names on the inside with the words “I love you” written above it, little stick figure pictures drawn in crayon with the bodies long and spaghetti-like. Arrows pointed to the different sticky figures saying mommy, daddy, Mia, Ella, and another pointed to a dog-shaped figure with the word “puppy” pointing to it. Taylor glanced up to look at Sean who was sitting on the bed now too. We don’t have a dog, she mouthed and he merrily shrugged. “Well thank you girls,” she said kissing and hugging them both. “This was very sweet of you.” 

She looked at the tray that was sitting in her lap. A coffee with not nearly enough creamer in it was sitting in her favorite mug, half of the contents spilled all over the tray. The liquid of the coffee was mixing with the orange juice, only a drop in the glass. A plate with slightly burned toast was smeared with her favorite strawberry jelly, a plate of very pale looking pancakes sat next to it. And of course, the classic sugary cereal in the bowl with milk was last; it had clearly been assembled first. 

“Mia and Ella insisted on making everything themselves,” Sean said with that tone that sounds like they’re really proud of their kids but it’s also the universal pitch for other adults to just be proud of the kids too. “They also wanted to carry the tray by themselves. And they insisted on pouring the milk on the cereal first.” 

Taylor gave them a small laugh. “Well I love it, thank you girls. And you know I’ve heard that daddy’s favorite food is cereal.” 

Sean chuckled as Taylor handed him the mushing Frosted Flakes but she shoveled a spoonful into his mouth anyway, smiling behind the pain. Taylor decided to just eat the pancake with her hands, since the utensils seemed to be hiding underneath a watery mess of orange juice and coffee. She pulled it apart, giving the cooked parts to her daughters and swallowing down the raw middle. They all ate together in quiet for a bit, picking at Taylor’s food until the only thing left was the liquidy mess. Sean carefully took it off Taylor’s lap and headed downstairs to put it away as Ella and Mia snuggled up underneath the blanket with their mother. 

“We have a surprise for you!” Mia said, in that excited five-year old way. 

“Really?!” Taylor said, her voice pitch trying to reach the same excitement as Mia’s. “Well can I know what the surprise is?” 

“We’re going to the zoo!” Ella quickly shouted, jumping out of the little crook where she was all snuggled up. 

“Ella!” Mia snapped, shooting a look any five-year old would be scared of. “You weren’t supposed to tell her!” 

Taylor laughed as Sean reentered the room. “Ella did you ruin the surprise?” he asked her, scooping her up and tossing her in the air until she giggled. “I guess there’s nothing left to do but go get ready for the zoo!” The two kindergartens screamed and jumped up and down as Mia climbed out of bed and Ella escaped Sean’s grasp. 

“Okay go pick out your outfits and I’ll do your hair,” Sean called out to them as they skipped out of the room. “And then tell me what animals you want to see while we’re there!” 

Taylor climbed out of bed and headed toward the door, ready to help the two little girls gets dressed. Sean stopped her in the doorway, putting his hands above him and hanging slightly on the door frame. His white t-shirt came up just enough for her to get a peak at his abs. She eyed him curiously as he refused to move but brought his lips down to hers. 

“You,” he said each word between a kiss. “Have nothing to worry about, I have the girls, and you go take a shower, put on your favorite outfit, take your time.” 

“Wow,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “ I wish every day was Mother’s Day.” 

He chuckled as he kissed her once more and gave her a hug. She turned to head to the shower and he quickly smacked her butt. She flashed him a look over her shoulder and he gave her a seductive wink before heading to get his two little Taylors ready for the day. She turned the hot water on and stripped off her clothes. The water immediately began to fog up the bathroom glass as she stepped in and washed herself off. She even had enough time to wash her hair and she made sure to leave the conditioner in for a little bit longer than usual, it would probably be a year before she would be able to wash her hair like this again. She also took a moment to shave, not having done it since probably Valentine’s Day when she begged Diego to take the girls for the weekend so Sean and her could spend some time to themselves. 

When she was done, she turned the water off and wrapped herself in a big towel, drying herself off and walking into the bedroom where a nice outfit was spread on the bed. She glanced up and looked at the door, Mia and Ella gasped as they scampered away, wanting to see what Taylor thought of the outfit they had chosen for her. She laughed and quickly pulled the ripped jeans over her legs, putting the light pink t-shirt on, and pairing it with a complementary jean jacket. She found her own white strappy sandals and threw them on. She swiped on some makeup before putting on a pair of oversized sunglasses and head downstairs. 

The three of them waited for her as she walked down the stairs. Mia and Ella giggled and jumped with excitement as Taylor smiled at them, giving them a little fashion show as she walked down the stairs. 

“You look pretty mommy,” Ella squealed as she hugged Taylor’s legs and Mia joined her. 

“Do you like how daddy did our hair?” Mia twirled as she broke away from her mom and showed Taylor the work Sean has done. 

Mia’s hair was in two very loose braids, the elastics looking like they might fall off of her kinky hair, ruining the imperfect braids. Ella’s hair sat on top of her head in two little space buns, a few bobby pins sticking out and they looked like they would fall off of her head if she ran too fast. She smiled and kissed them both, “Daddy did a great job.” 

Sean laughed, knowing she was being sarcastic but he took the false compliment anyway. He even had time to dress and get the two girls some food and water in them while Taylor was getting ready. They grabbed a couple of supplies they would need for a few hour trip to the zoo and they pilled into the car. They only drove for a few minutes before they had arrived. A few other families were already there, children running in front of their parents as they anxiously waited to get their ticket to head into the zoo. A few overstressed moms didn’t look as anxious and stressed today, holding their toddler’s hands as they headed inside the gate. 

Sean pulled his wallet out and bought four tickets and they walked in, presenting their tickets to a zookeeper nearby. Ella and Mia grabbed Sean and Taylor’s hands as they tried to pull them along, wanting to see the lions, elephants, and penguins. Taylor snagged a map and led the three of them around, heading to the penguins first. 

Mia and Ella ran ahead, still in sight of their parents, as they pressed their chubby cheeks on the glass of the penguin exhibit. They pointed and jumped as a few penguins dived into the water, swimming elegantly with one another. One penguin hopped back onto dry land and shook off her feathers, splashing her fellow birds with droplets of water. Sean and Taylor stood back as they watched the two curious girls admire the animals, leaving kissy marks on the glass that they were sure a billion other kids had touched and kissed as well. Whatever to build their immune systems. 

Soon, they moved on to the otters that were a little ways away. They dove, carrying rocks and air bubbles popping off their fur, right on the glass. Mia and Ella tapped on the glass and ran around with smiles on their faces and their giggles filling the air as they tried to keep up with the fast swimming otters. Sean and Taylor sat on a bench, hand in hand, and admired their daughters, still wondering how they were able to create such beautiful little girls. 

“Hey,” Sean said nudging Taylor as they watch Mia trip and fall, only for Ella to stop and run back to her sister, helping her up and cleaning her off before they were both running around again, naming the otters silly things like ‘rock’ and ‘seaweed’. “What do you think about having another one?” 

“Yeah?” Taylor asked, peering at him from behind her sunglasses. “You think you’re ready for another 40 weeks of being pregnant?” 

Sean chuckled and brought her hand to his lips. “But seriously, do you think we could raise another one?” 

Taylor looked at Mia and Ella, who were now distracted by an ant on the ground and marched around him, arms pumping and they lifted their legs high. She shrugged and looked back at Sean. “We have screwed up on these two yet, I mean they aren’t dead. But we might get a surprise fourth one just like how we got a surprise second one.” 

“Hey, I wouldn’t want to have a surprise fourth one with anyone else,” he pulled her in and gave her a quick kiss. “So, you wanna start trying?” 

Taylor nodded, giving him a big grin. “I think five years of having these two brats around, we’re finally ready.” 

Sean chuckled as they both stood to gather the two girls and head on to the next exhibit.

[sp4c3-0ddity]

Wizard of Oz AU. I dont know about you, but HUnk would make a great cowardly lion.

Cause of death:  this ask

Hilarity of the idea aside (and I laughed when i saw it so thank you very much for that Anon), I tried. It’s been years since I’ve seen the movie so the details are a little sketchy, but I hope you like it!! (oh right and it’s purely gen; and who’s who is probably incredibly obvious, despite the epithets yes Keith is Toto shh)

Now posted to ao3!!

The Cowardly Lion was having a very bad day. And it wasn’t because the fur along his spine stood on end, no (though that was a contributing factor); it was because the great, haunted fortress with a maelstrom swimming in the sky above housed the notorious Witch.

“We’re gonna die,” the Lion muttered, not for the first time. “We’re gonna die, and I’m never going to get my courage, and I’ll always be the scaredy lion, and–”

“Lion,” interrupted the Scarecrow, peering at him from underneath his wide-brimmed hat, “if you don’t lighten up, I’m going to start believing you.”

The Lion snapped his jaws shut, sharply enough that everyone - except Pidge, who looked far more focused on their destination than the rest - flinched. The dog even went so far as to growl at him from his place in Pidge’s arms. “Sorry,” he mumbled sheepishly.

“We’re all scared, Hunk,” said the Tin Man. He patted him on the back, consoling him. “But if we want our boons from the Wizard, we have to carry on to the castle.”

“Right,” the Lion agreed. But the Tin Man didn’t look scared, and neither did the Scarecrow, or even Pidge, the smallest of them all. No, she only seemed to steel herself more.

“I hope it doesn’t rain,” the Scarecrow said, glancing up at the sky, heavy with thunderclouds. “I won’t be able to move much if my straw gets soaked.”

“I’ll rust over again,” the Tin Man agreed.

“I don’t like getting wet,” the Lion added.

Pidge looked at each of them in turn, eyebrows raised. “I can go in by myself if you’d rather stay out of the path of the storm,” she suggested. When the dog yapped indignantly, Pidge smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take you with me.”

“If he goes, I go,” the Scarecrow said, frowning at the small dog.

(The Lion didn’t understand why he had it out for the dog; if anyone should dislike him, it should be him, a cat. Then again, he wasn’t there when they met, and the Lion saw no reason to fear him, for once.)

“We’ll all go,” the Tin Man interjected before anyone else could snap. “We’re with you, Pidge.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him. But the smile disappeared when her eyes swiveled forward again.

The path wound through fallow fields, black with soot and thick with crows. The Scarecrow scowled at them as if they offended him personally - which, the Lion reasoned, they probably had since he was a scarecrow - and the dog barked the minute any of them flew too close overhead. Lightning struck in the distance, and thunder rumbled only a few seconds behind, the Lion’s muscles tensing as if to urge him to flee.

I’m fine, he reassured himself. This is fine.

At least it was fine until they reached the wrought iron gate before the Wicked Witch’s fortress.

“Well,” said Pidge, head tilted back to take in the dark building, which was still quite a distance away, “here goes nothing.” She pushed the unlocked gate open - there’s no way the Witch is expecting us, right? - and led the way onto the grounds.

“Everything’s so dead,” the Scarecrow observed from beside him.

“The Witch must’ve killed it all,” said the Tin Man worriedly.

“Just like she’ll kill all of us,” the Lion said before he could stop himself.

“Lion!” the Scarecrow whined while the Tin Man pressed a hand to his face.

Pidge, to her credit, looked entirely unaffected by the gloom when she smirked at him. “Don’t worry, Lion,” she said, adjusting her glasses so that the lenses reflected a timely flash of lightning. “I’ll protect you.”

The words hardly left her mouth before a pair of flying monkeys swooped from an upper window and headed straight towards them. “Ah, Pidge!” the Lion cried, reaching for her despite the fear that had his heart trying to leap from his throat.

But the monkeys were faster, and one of them grabbed Pidge under the arms - easily fending off her flying punches - while the other snatched the dog. The pair left before Shiro, who was closest, could retaliate with his hatchet, drifting upwards on swift wings despite the hostages they now held, the dog’s frantic yapping fading as they retreated into the fortress.

“And what are we?” the Scarecrow demanded, waving an angry fist at the fortress. “Dead hay?”

“In your case,” the Lion quipped, “almost.”

The Scarecrow snickered, but his mirth vanished quickly. They both looked to the Tin Man. “Now what?” he asked.

The Tin Man sighed. “We get her out,” he said, “but–”

“Ooh, check it out!” the Scarecrow said, pointing closer to the fortress wall.

The Tin Man opened his mouth, likely to berate him for interrupting an important conversation, but then the Lion spotted what the Scarecrow indicated:

Three figures in hooded cloaks on patrol.

“Disguises?” the Lion said, glancing questioningly at the Scarecrow.

“Disguises,” the Scarecrow said, smirking.

Together they turned to the Tin Man, who smiled and said, “All right, suit up.”

Somehow, it didn’t shock the Cowardly Lion that Pidge slew the Witch entirely on accident, especially since they didn’t have the opportunity to decide on a fully-fledged plan that would allow them to snatch the Witch’s broomstick from under her nose.

“I wonder if I could fly this thing,” the Scarecrow said while they walked through the Haunted Forest - which didn’t seem so haunted anymore - on their way back to the Emerald City. He held the charred broomstick in his hand - also somewhat charred - and stared at it thoughtfully.

Pidge narrowed her eyes at him. “There is a vacancy for Wicked Witch of the West now,” she said. “Thinking of applying?”

The Scarecrow snorted. “Please, I don’t need a brain to know that’s a terrible idea.”

“What’s so special about those slippers anyway?” the Lion asked, looking down at the glittering red shoes on Pidge’s small feet.

“They’re magic, apparently,” she said, rolling her eyes to show what she thought of that.

“Could those give me a brain?” wondered the Scarecrow, walking backwards so he could face them.

Pidge snickered when he almost tripped over a fallen branch, and then she replied, “I don’t know, could they?”

The Scarecrow shrugged and faced forwards again, but the Lion caught the Tin Man staring wistfully at the slippers more than once on their trek back to the Emerald City.

The slippers were definitely a curiosity, but the Lion wasn’t quite brave enough to take them.

That’s not bravery, he chided himself. That’s theft.

Still, he wondered what sort of magic the Wizard could possibly work to help him overcome his cowardice. How powerful would he have to be to make the Cowardly Lion brave?

Pidge tore back the curtain and stared at the man called the ‘Great and Powerful Oz’. Gone was the majesty, the mystique, the power - it was all just an illusion, wasn’t it? In fact, if Pidge didn’t know any better, this ginger man with the thick curling mustache looked…familiar.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked him.

The man flinched and stumbled backwards into the contraption. “I am the Great and Powerful Oz!” he said, voice not so impressive now that he no longer spoke through a megaphone.

“That’s bull–” The Scarecrow squeaked when the Tin Man shushed him with an elbow to the ribs.

“My name is Coran,” the man that was Oz said with a sigh. “I’m a magician.”

Pidge’s spirits fell, and as she glanced at her companions, she sensed they felt the same. “It doesn’t matter,” Pidge decided, glaring at Coran. “Can you give us what you promised us or not?”

“Hmm.” Coran twirled his mustache. “Perhaps I can.” Before she could argue, he disappeared behind the contraption, and before she could demand to see what exactly he was up to, he returned with a few odd objects in his hand. “For the Scarecrow.”

The Scarecrow stepped forward, mouth turned up into a giddy smile. “Yeah?” he said. “You do have a brain for me?”

“Oh, I have something even better!” said Coran. He unfurled a thick piece of paper and showed it off to them before presenting it to the Scarecrow. “I have a university degree! Now you can say whatever you want and people will have to listen to you, because you have something that proves you have a brain.”

The Scarecrow momentarily looked confused, but then he grinned. “Hey, Lion!” he said, shooting a glance over his shoulder. “I’m a genius like you now!”

“Yeah, of course you are,” said the Cowardly Lion. When he rolled his eyes at Pidge, she stifled a giggle behind her hand while Keith thrashed his tail.

“For the Tin Man,” Coran continued, “I have something that ticks, sort of like a heart.” He held up a fist-sized clock, painted red, and when the Tin Man approached him, he attached it to his chest. “It is strong enough for a metal man, and won’t rust when it rains.”

The Tin Man smiled.

“Oh, no,” said the Scarecrow, leaning towards Pidge to whisper into her ear. “He’s going to cry and rust his face, and we’ll have to oil him up before we can leave.”

“And for the Cowardly Lion,” said Coran.

“Yes?” said the Lion, his voice coming out as a low, almost frightened rumble.

Coran stepped towards him and presented to him a medal with a yellow ribbon. “For you I have a Medal of Valor, for exceptional honor and bravery. Dear Lion, do you know what good you’ve done today?”

“Um.”

“You’ve done good,” said the Scarecrow, clapping him on the back.

“So good,” Pidge agreed, reaching up to pat him on the shoulder.

Even Keith agreed, wagging his tail and barking.

The Lion - proven not so Cowardly after all - grinned and allowed Coran to drop the medal around his neck, where it sat against his chest, the ribbon almost buried in his mane. “Thank you, sir,” he said, clasping his hands together in gratitude.

You’re all as brainless as the Scarecrow, Pidge thought, rolling her eyes as she looked between the Scarecrow, to the Tin Man, and finally the Cowardly Lion. You already had wit, heart, and courage to spare. Still, she smiled fondly at them when they turned back to her.

Coran then looked at her, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

“So…what about Pidge?” asked the Scarecrow, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, what about Pidge?” echoed the Lion, standing just behind her.

“Where are you from, Pidge?” Coran wondered.

“Kansas,” she told him, “and I’d like to go home. I’m sure my family misses me by now.” How long had it been? She’d lost track of time.

“Oh!” Coran said with a gleeful grin. “I too am from Kansas.”

There it was again, that prickle of familiarity, but her eyes still widened in surprise when she said, “You are?”

“Yes, and I’ve been meaning to visit, so we’ll go home by balloon!”

Pidge stared at him. Really? It was that easy?

“Yes, come along!” said Coran, strolling past them and down the steps. “We’ll get ready straightaway!”

One grand speech and bout of clumsiness later, and Pidge stood between her new, fantastical friends watching Coran float away in an orange balloon.

“He’s a charlatan,” the Tin Man said.

“At least he was fun,” said the Scarecrow.

“That’s a nice balloon,” said the Cowardly Lion.

Keith yapped, as if his voice alone could call back the drifting balloon.

“That was my way home,” Pidge bemoaned, feeling angry tears prick her eyes. She collapsed onto the steps, heedless of the crowd that gathered to bid her and the so-called Great and Powerful Oz goodbye. She distantly heard the others sitting around her.

“It’s not so bad here, Pidge,” said the Tin Man.

“Yeah, it could be home for you too,” added the Scarecrow.

“All you need is courage,” agreed the Lion.

Pidge sobbed, their attempted consolation distressing her even more. Never had this adventure felt so permanent, and even Keith’s damp nose pressed comfortingly against her hand didn’t help.

“Pidge,” said the Scarecrow, placing a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

“W-what?” She looked at him, then followed his gaze towards the sky where Coran and his balloon had disappeared, her eyes falling on a pink bubble that drifted closer and closer until it coalesced into the shape of a familiar woman.

“Pidge,” said Allura, crouching on the floor in front of them, “why is it you cry?”

“My one way home is gone,” Pidge said, struggling to get her words out between her tears. “Oz was a fake, and Coran’s gone in his balloon, a-and–” She sniffled, wiping tears away from her eyes. Something about Allura’s care and composure made her want to emulate her, but the tears still came.

“But you still have a way home,” Allura told her, tapping her chin and tilting her head up to look her in the eye.

Pidge swallowed, her tears shocked dry by tentative hope. “What?” she said.

“The ruby slippers,” said Allura, pointing to her feet. “Why do you think the Witch Haggar wanted them as badly as she did?”

Pidge’s jaw dropped, but she clicked it closed. She stood up, something like anger mingling with her newfound hope, and she clenched her hands into fists. “You’re telling me I could’ve gone home any time?” she demanded. “Just as long as I had the ruby slippers.”

Allura briefly looked shamed, but she regained her composure. “No,” she said. “Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion–”

“Cowardly no more,” the Lion muttered gleefully.

“–you had home within you all along. But you needed to come to realize it.”

“And why didn’t you tell me that before all this nonsense?” Pidge asked.

Allura inhaled, visibly struggling to keep her temper. “Do you not remember why you left home, Pidge?”

She blinked. “I…argued with my mother.” She clutched Keith closer and said, “Keith ‘menaced’ the neighbor’s cat, and I…left.” She stared at her ruby slippered feet. “Oh,” she said lamely. “I want to go home now.”

“Guess we can’t convince her to stay,” said the Scarecrow with an odd two-fingered salute.

“I’ll always remember you,” Pidge promised.

“And us you,” said the Tin Man with a smile.

“Oh, gosh, now I’m going to cry!” said the Lion, reaching up to wipe his face with a furry arm.

Pidge laughed and hugged each of them in turn; Keith also accepted affection from the three of them, even from the Scarecrow.

“What do I do?” Pidge asked Allura once she bid her new friends goodbye.

Allura smiled. “Tap your heels together three times,” she said, “and remind yourself that there’s no place like home.”

“There’s no place like home,” Pidge murmured, clicking her heels together. She closed her eyes and remembered her mother bringing her soup in bed last time she fell ill.

“There’s no place like home.” Her father teaching her how to play chess and promptly demolishing her.

“There’s no place like home.” Matt, showing off his acceptance letter from a university, and chanting that soon he would be an educated man.

When Pidge opened her eyes, it took her several minutes for them to focus on her mother’s anxious face hovering over her. “Mom?” she said.

“Oh, Katie, you’re okay!” Her mother leaned down and kissed her forehead, lips lingering for a moment as if to check her temperature.

“Of course I’m okay,” Pidge said, eyes wide and confused. She realized she lay in bed and struggled to sit up. “Where’s Keith?”

“I…” Her mother glanced towards her bedroom door - when did she get there? - and said, “Shiro’s taking care of him while we get this problem sorted out with Honerva.”

Pidge blinked, then smiled. “You mean you won’t have him put down?”

“What? Of course not! I’m very sorry we let Honerva convince us, Katie, especially since it convinced you to run away in the middle of a tornado!”

Her memory of what happened before she landed in Oz slowly trickled back, but before she could question her mother further someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” her mother called.

“It’s me,” said Matt from the other side. “Can I come in?”

“Yes!” Pidge replied before her mother could.

Matt opened the door and stepped into her room, his face splitting into a relieved smile when he caught sight of her awake and healthy. “Pidge!” he said, standing beside their mother. “How are you feeling?”

“A little tired,” she admitted. “And confused.” She rubbed her head, noting an ache in her temple for the first time.

“I talked to Lance and Hunk yesterday while you were still…out of it,” Matt said. “And they were wondering if they could visit.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Pidge. Out of it? “How long was I asleep?”

“Only a day,” said her mother, “but it was a very long day.”

A dream, Pidge thought, sinking into her pillow with a heavy realization. Was it all a dream?

Matt and her mother left her to rest after another five minutes, but when Pidge turned onto her side she found herself unable to sleep. It only got worse when Lance and Hunk paid a visit.

“You!” she said, shooting upright and pointing at Lance. “And you!” She pointed at Hunk.

“So you missed us even in your dreams?” Lance quipped with a smirk.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she said, pushing hair out of her face.

“Try me,” said Lance, pulling up a chair. “I’m sure it’ll entertain me, at least.”

Hunk sat on the edge of her bed. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, Pidge,” he said.

“No,” said Pidge, flashing a smile at them. “It was strange enough that I actually don’t want to forget, so listen closely, because I won’t tell it twice.”

[brajeshupadhyay]

The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week

Welcome to the T List, a newsletter from the editors of T Magazine. Each week, we’re sharing things we’re eating, wearing, listening to or coveting now. Sign up here to find us in your inbox every Wednesday. You can always reach us at tlist@nytimes.com.

Book This

A Grand Hotel Reopens in Texas

Reopening this month is Austin’s Commodore Perry Estate, an Italian Renaissance Revival mansion secluded within the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Both a 54-room hotel and private club by Auberge Resorts, the Commodore was originally built in 1928 by the architect Hal Thompson as the country residence of the Texan businessman Edgar Perry. The Italianate mansion’s original rooms, with picturesque accompanying Juliet balconies, have been transformed by the designer Ken Fulk into signature suites with walls in shades of pink, celadon and sunshine yellow and furnishings in velvet and faux fur. Hand-painted murals by the artist Deborah Phillips are offset by midcentury pieces sourced by Fulk from over two years’ worth of shopping trips to the state’s famous Round Top Antiques Fair. While Perry may have sold the estate in 1944 with the regret that it was “a great place to throw a party but too big to live in,” Fulk’s vision gives the mansion a second life as a place to gather — perhaps for dinner at the Commodore’s Lutie’s Garden Restaurant, with a menu filled with produce grown nearby — or merely spend a decadent afternoon strolling the estate, which spans 10 acres and includes a 50-foot swimming pool. Rates start at $525 per night, aubergeresorts.com.

See This

Robert Longo’s Cinematic Musings

I’ve looked at a lot of digital exhibitions from art institutions in the last few months, and my response has almost unanimously been: I wish I could see this in person. One of the more satisfying examples of this kind of presentation — for me, at least — is “Robert Longo: Quarantine Films,” on the website of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow. It functions as both a watch list and a kind of autobiography, interspersing examples of Longo’s work alongside his thoughts on various classics of cinema and how they’ve influenced him. (Longo made one deeply flawed but rather criminally underrated film himself in 1995: “Johnny Mnemonic,” with Keanu Reeves as the star and a screenplay by William Gibson.) Writing about Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film “Taxi Driver,” he reminisces about moving to New York and driving a cab to support himself. In a riff about Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt” (1963), which Longo describes as “a film about making a film,” he concludes that “sometimes beautiful is all art needs to be.” He even makes a fairly convincing case for 2019’s “Joker” — a film I walked out of — as a useful parable about the importance of gun control. Longo is an artist with a style you might call apocalyptic. He makes achingly beautiful paintings out of ugly things, whether a mushroom cloud, a businessman who appears to be falling through the air or a militarized police force, shrouded in tear gas and backlit by the golden arches of a McDonald’s sign. His work is scarily relevant in 2020. “Robert Longo: Quarantine Films” is live now on garagemca.org.

Sandals for summer are no more groundbreaking than florals for spring, and yet donning the right pair can still be an opportunity for self-expression, one that can dress up an ordinary denim skirt or a cotton voile dress. This summer, opt for sandals embellished with crystals to add a sense of decadence. René Caovilla has brightened an otherwise ordinary kitten-heeled thong, while By Far has reinvented the mule, laying the over-foot strap with a grid of thinly cut rhinestones. The French jewelry designer Justine Clenquet has joined in with her debut footwear line — launched this month, in step with her brand’s 10th anniversary — which features vintage-inspired silhouettes adorned with Swarovski rhinestones and disco-like glitter. For those looking for slightly more subtle options, both Gianvito Rossi and Roger Vivier offer styles that can easily transition from a long walk in the park to an intimate dinner, making stepping around just a little more sparkly and fun.

Buy This

Colorful Handblown Glassware for Gathering

In March, as New York City went into lockdown, the creative community working at UrbanGlass — a nonprofit organization that provides glassblowing studio space, exhibitions and classes for artists and designers in Downtown Brooklyn — faced an uncertain future. Glassblowing is impossible to do at home, and since glassblowers work in proximity to one another and often share tools, reopening the studio — even with social distancing protocols in place — is a tricky proposition. In a show of hope and resolve, three artists — Susan Spiranovich and Adam Holtzinger, the founders of the design company Keep, along with Anders Rydstedt — decided to team up on a project called Re:Gather, the results of which will be made and shipped as soon as the artists are able to return to a studio. Their first product, Cupples, is a series of simple and elegant glasses offered in five colors, including blush, aqua and amber, and features an interlocking design — a glass band wrapped around half the cups corresponds to an equivalent cutout in the other half — that illustrates the need for social connection. “We recognized a shared sense of loss for in-person collaboration that is essential to our work,” says Rydstedt. The name Re:Gather may seem self-explanatory, but it is also a reference to the glassblowing process itself, during which the material is gathered or collected on the end of a blowpipe. Finally, Cupples is meant to remind us of the comforts of sharing a meal with one another, with the hope that we will be able to do so in the near future. $200 for a set of two, keepbrooklyn.com.

This is a momentous year for the Irish-born, Scotland-based jeweler Grainne Morton: She’s celebrating her 50th birthday, as well as her 25th anniversary making her fastidiously eclectic jewelry that has found a fan-base of avid collectors around the world. Morton had originally planned to mark her double milestone with a large celebration in a castle just outside of Edinburgh. But the lockdown meant downshifting plans, and in the quiet of the last few months, she and her team have instead been hard at work, making unique pieces of jewelry that feel like the rarest of finds — 10 of which will be released this Friday. “My parents had an antique shop where they lived in Northern Ireland,” Morton explained to me. “They would come visit me in Scotland and spend all week trawling the antique shops here. In order to spend time with them, I would come with, and I started collecting.” Morton is fond of mixing mother-of-pearl, moonstones and other gems with found cameos, antique buttons and vintage glass. Everything is made by hand, sometimes taking weeks to complete, as the individual components are first set in silver and then soldered together into playful compositions, often set on a cross or dripping from an anchor piece. As we’re thinking more consciously about who and what we surround ourselves with right now, Morton is creating more than just a beautiful object but a sense of permanence amid the ephemeral world around her. Available July 10, grainnemorton.co.uk.

From T’s Instagram

The post The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week appeared first on Shri Times.

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2AK6Wh8

[darwinbigelow]

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner!

Just a few holiday highlights from my first time hosting Christmas at the UDH!

If you were ever curious about if I’d accidentally burn my house down hosting Christmas, this post has your answer. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here and catch up (read onward from that post), or just guess from the somewhat obvious context.

But regardless, here were are: my first time hosting Christmas. You guys would know more than most how satisfying it must have been checking this off of my goals list. Considering how much renovation has been done to this house (and still needs to be done), I sure was happy to see people enjoying a home I’ve worked so hard on! Despite the chaos, I’m happy to report that there were zero fires where they weren’t supposed to be (just the one was in the fireplace, *coos* like a good little fire).

There was also dog shit on my floor at one point. I suppose that’s what happens when you party naked invite a family that has six dogs between us. (This post has a lot of dog photos… thankfully no pics of poop.)

And the fur… my god, the fur that flew! I am pretty sure we vacuumed before everyone showed up, but there was no evidence of that after the first hour.

Just in case you don’t know these puppers, let’s recap:

Charlie + Stella

Charlie is mine; Stella is K’s (if you haven’t been here in ages, he’s the not-so-new boyfriend and his dog is the cutest little mini dachshund… with attitude).

Buddy

Buddy is Mom and Dad’s dog… aka, the Pooping Menace (thus the dog shaming). I love him dearly, even though he’s kind of an asshole for being a guest in my home and pooping on my floor in response. C’mon Buddy, my decorating isn’t that bad.

Lemon, Lana… and Dobby!

My sister is a foster mom failure… she just hasn’t quite figured out that whole giving-them-back part of being a foster. Lemon and Lana are sisters (Lemon = red, Lana = black) and have wildly different personalities (Lemon will hide and run away, while Lana will get right in your face). Dobby is a brand new lil’ man and he is so gangly and such a ham for photos!

Ok, so that’s all the doggos, and my goodness, what a crazy first hour that was. Everyone went in and out the doors to grab presents, bring the dogs in, take off coats, find a place to sit, clean up poo, stuff our faces with appetizers (not in that order, but after washing our hands), hugs, etc. Possibly the funniest part was that I had just finished touching up the scratches on the black and white staircase that morning!

I’m brilliant with my timing, I tell ya.

K decided on steak for our dinner, so he took over cooking while I entertained in the living room. He’s in pursuit of the perfect peppercorn sauce recipe, so be on the lookout for that post coming to the recipe section soon!

After the first bit of chaos, we settled in to watch movies and simply catch up. Anyone recognize this movie??

Also? THIS CHEESE. It’s my favorite, and I am just going to tell you that I am automatically an authority on cheese by virtue of Wisconsin birthright, so you should listen to me on this. It’s called Humbolt Fog by Cypress Grove, so pick some up and try it for yourself. This is not a sponsor, and the stuff isn’t even from Wisconsin, so it’s not a state pride thing — I just stuff this cheese into my mouth with reckless abandon and advocate that others do the same.

Family

Mom asked me to take pictures of everyone with my “nice camera”, but I didn’t set up any extra lighting. In hindsight, I wish I had. In front of the tree was definitely the best spot, but facing a light source and photographing people is a bit different than fixed objects!. Still, I’m glad I got a couple of pics. K and I had to wait until later in the evening because we were running around so much. My sister and her BF are extremely photogenic, aren’t they?

Mom and Dad and the Pooping Menace (Buddy).

We all had a really great time. Mostly retelling funny stories, missing loved ones, and making each other laugh. And, obviously, never sitting still long enough to photograph. (Goal for 2018: learn how to take better photos of moving targets.)

And as you can see, making a giant mess! We passed out presents, ate a wonderful dinner, and then dispersed as the dogs tired out. When they all started to fall asleep (Charlie gets these adorable droopy ears and eyes), we knew it was time to say goodbye.

My first time hosting was cozy, frantic, and fun. I am so glad I got to show off the house this year!

Did any of you host this year? How did it go?

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[sherlocklexa]

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner!

Just a few holiday highlights from my first time hosting Christmas at the UDH!

If you were ever curious about if I’d accidentally burn my house down hosting Christmas, this post has your answer. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here and catch up (read onward from that post), or just guess from the somewhat obvious context.

But regardless, here were are: my first time hosting Christmas. You guys would know more than most how satisfying it must have been checking this off of my goals list. Considering how much renovation has been done to this house (and still needs to be done), I sure was happy to see people enjoying a home I’ve worked so hard on! Despite the chaos, I’m happy to report that there were zero fires where they weren’t supposed to be (just the one was in the fireplace, *coos* like a good little fire).

There was also dog shit on my floor at one point. I suppose that’s what happens when you party naked invite a family that has six dogs between us. (This post has a lot of dog photos… thankfully no pics of poop.)

And the fur… my god, the fur that flew! I am pretty sure we vacuumed before everyone showed up, but there was no evidence of that after the first hour.

Just in case you don’t know these puppers, let’s recap:

Charlie + Stella

Charlie is mine; Stella is K’s (if you haven’t been here in ages, he’s the not-so-new boyfriend and his dog is the cutest little mini dachshund… with attitude).

Buddy

Buddy is Mom and Dad’s dog… aka, the Pooping Menace (thus the dog shaming). I love him dearly, even though he’s kind of an asshole for being a guest in my home and pooping on my floor in response. C’mon Buddy, my decorating isn’t that bad.

Lemon, Lana… and Dobby!

My sister is a foster mom failure… she just hasn’t quite figured out that whole giving-them-back part of being a foster. Lemon and Lana are sisters (Lemon = red, Lana = black) and have wildly different personalities (Lemon will hide and run away, while Lana will get right in your face). Dobby is a brand new lil’ man and he is so gangly and such a ham for photos!

Ok, so that’s all the doggos, and my goodness, what a crazy first hour that was. Everyone went in and out the doors to grab presents, bring the dogs in, take off coats, find a place to sit, clean up poo, stuff our faces with appetizers (not in that order, but after washing our hands), hugs, etc. Possibly the funniest part was that I had just finished touching up the scratches on the black and white staircase that morning!

I’m brilliant with my timing, I tell ya.

K decided on steak for our dinner, so he took over cooking while I entertained in the living room. He’s in pursuit of the perfect peppercorn sauce recipe, so be on the lookout for that post coming to the recipe section soon!

After the first bit of chaos, we settled in to watch movies and simply catch up. Anyone recognize this movie??

Also? THIS CHEESE. It’s my favorite, and I am just going to tell you that I am automatically an authority on cheese by virtue of Wisconsin birthright, so you should listen to me on this. It’s called Humbolt Fog by Cypress Grove, so pick some up and try it for yourself. This is not a sponsor, and the stuff isn’t even from Wisconsin, so it’s not a state pride thing — I just stuff this cheese into my mouth with reckless abandon and advocate that others do the same.

Family

Mom asked me to take pictures of everyone with my “nice camera”, but I didn’t set up any extra lighting. In hindsight, I wish I had. In front of the tree was definitely the best spot, but facing a light source and photographing people is a bit different than fixed objects!. Still, I’m glad I got a couple of pics. K and I had to wait until later in the evening because we were running around so much. My sister and her BF are extremely photogenic, aren’t they?

Mom and Dad and the Pooping Menace (Buddy).

We all had a really great time. Mostly retelling funny stories, missing loved ones, and making each other laugh. And, obviously, never sitting still long enough to photograph. (Goal for 2018: learn how to take better photos of moving targets.)

And as you can see, making a giant mess! We passed out presents, ate a wonderful dinner, and then dispersed as the dogs tired out. When they all started to fall asleep (Charlie gets these adorable droopy ears and eyes), we knew it was time to say goodbye.

My first time hosting was cozy, frantic, and fun. I am so glad I got to show off the house this year!

Did any of you host this year? How did it go?

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Glitter Lace Napkin Rings

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The post A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner! appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.

from car2 http://ift.tt/2Cyy15K via as shown a lot

[chocdono]

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner!

Just a few holiday highlights from my first time hosting Christmas at the UDH!

If you were ever curious about if I’d accidentally burn my house down hosting Christmas, this post has your answer. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here and catch up (read onward from that post), or just guess from the somewhat obvious context.

But regardless, here were are: my first time hosting Christmas. You guys would know more than most how satisfying it must have been checking this off of my goals list. Considering how much renovation has been done to this house (and still needs to be done), I sure was happy to see people enjoying a home I’ve worked so hard on! Despite the chaos, I’m happy to report that there were zero fires where they weren’t supposed to be (just the one was in the fireplace, *coos* like a good little fire).

There was also dog shit on my floor at one point. I suppose that’s what happens when you party naked invite a family that has six dogs between us. (This post has a lot of dog photos… thankfully no pics of poop.)

And the fur… my god, the fur that flew! I am pretty sure we vacuumed before everyone showed up, but there was no evidence of that after the first hour.

Just in case you don’t know these puppers, let’s recap:

Charlie + Stella

Charlie is mine; Stella is K’s (if you haven’t been here in ages, he’s the not-so-new boyfriend and his dog is the cutest little mini dachshund… with attitude).

Buddy

Buddy is Mom and Dad’s dog… aka, the Pooping Menace (thus the dog shaming). I love him dearly, even though he’s kind of an asshole for being a guest in my home and pooping on my floor in response. C’mon Buddy, my decorating isn’t that bad.

Lemon, Lana… and Dobby!

My sister is a foster mom failure… she just hasn’t quite figured out that whole giving-them-back part of being a foster. Lemon and Lana are sisters (Lemon = red, Lana = black) and have wildly different personalities (Lemon will hide and run away, while Lana will get right in your face). Dobby is a brand new lil’ man and he is so gangly and such a ham for photos!

Ok, so that’s all the doggos, and my goodness, what a crazy first hour that was. Everyone went in and out the doors to grab presents, bring the dogs in, take off coats, find a place to sit, clean up poo, stuff our faces with appetizers (not in that order, but after washing our hands), hugs, etc. Possibly the funniest part was that I had just finished touching up the scratches on the black and white staircase that morning!

I’m brilliant with my timing, I tell ya.

K decided on steak for our dinner, so he took over cooking while I entertained in the living room. He’s in pursuit of the perfect peppercorn sauce recipe, so be on the lookout for that post coming to the recipe section soon!

After the first bit of chaos, we settled in to watch movies and simply catch up. Anyone recognize this movie??

Also? THIS CHEESE. It’s my favorite, and I am just going to tell you that I am automatically an authority on cheese by virtue of Wisconsin birthright, so you should listen to me on this. It’s called Humbolt Fog by Cypress Grove, so pick some up and try it for yourself. This is not a sponsor, and the stuff isn’t even from Wisconsin, so it’s not a state pride thing — I just stuff this cheese into my mouth with reckless abandon and advocate that others do the same.

Family

Mom asked me to take pictures of everyone with my “nice camera”, but I didn’t set up any extra lighting. In hindsight, I wish I had. In front of the tree was definitely the best spot, but facing a light source and photographing people is a bit different than fixed objects!. Still, I’m glad I got a couple of pics. K and I had to wait until later in the evening because we were running around so much. My sister and her BF are extremely photogenic, aren’t they?

Mom and Dad and the Pooping Menace (Buddy).

We all had a really great time. Mostly retelling funny stories, missing loved ones, and making each other laugh. And, obviously, never sitting still long enough to photograph. (Goal for 2018: learn how to take better photos of moving targets.)

And as you can see, making a giant mess! We passed out presents, ate a wonderful dinner, and then dispersed as the dogs tired out. When they all started to fall asleep (Charlie gets these adorable droopy ears and eyes), we knew it was time to say goodbye.

My first time hosting was cozy, frantic, and fun. I am so glad I got to show off the house this year!

Did any of you host this year? How did it go?

You'll Also Love

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (The Ugly D...

Glitter Lace Napkin Rings

Day After Christmas Shopping

Photo Highlights from Christmas

The post A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner! appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.

from mix1 http://ift.tt/2Cyy15K via with this info

[garagedoorsbrighton]

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner!

Just a few holiday highlights from my first time hosting Christmas at the UDH!

If you were ever curious about if I’d accidentally burn my house down hosting Christmas, this post has your answer. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here and catch up (read onward from that post), or just guess from the somewhat obvious context.

But regardless, here were are: my first time hosting Christmas. You guys would know more than most how satisfying it must have been checking this off of my goals list. Considering how much renovation has been done to this house (and still needs to be done), I sure was happy to see people enjoying a home I’ve worked so hard on! Despite the chaos, I’m happy to report that there were zero fires where they weren’t supposed to be (just the one was in the fireplace, *coos* like a good little fire).

There was also dog shit on my floor at one point. I suppose that’s what happens when you party naked invite a family that has six dogs between us. (This post has a lot of dog photos… thankfully no pics of poop.)

And the fur… my god, the fur that flew! I am pretty sure we vacuumed before everyone showed up, but there was no evidence of that after the first hour.

Just in case you don’t know these puppers, let’s recap:

Charlie + Stella

Charlie is mine; Stella is K’s (if you haven’t been here in ages, he’s the not-so-new boyfriend and his dog is the cutest little mini dachshund… with attitude).

Buddy

Buddy is Mom and Dad’s dog… aka, the Pooping Menace (thus the dog shaming). I love him dearly, even though he’s kind of an asshole for being a guest in my home and pooping on my floor in response. C’mon Buddy, my decorating isn’t that bad.

Lemon, Lana… and Dobby!

My sister is a foster mom failure… she just hasn’t quite figured out that whole giving-them-back part of being a foster. Lemon and Lana are sisters (Lemon = red, Lana = black) and have wildly different personalities (Lemon will hide and run away, while Lana will get right in your face). Dobby is a brand new lil’ man and he is so gangly and such a ham for photos!

Ok, so that’s all the doggos, and my goodness, what a crazy first hour that was. Everyone went in and out the doors to grab presents, bring the dogs in, take off coats, find a place to sit, clean up poo, stuff our faces with appetizers (not in that order, but after washing our hands), hugs, etc. Possibly the funniest part was that I had just finished touching up the scratches on the black and white staircase that morning!

I’m brilliant with my timing, I tell ya.

K decided on steak for our dinner, so he took over cooking while I entertained in the living room. He’s in pursuit of the perfect peppercorn sauce recipe, so be on the lookout for that post coming to the recipe section soon!

After the first bit of chaos, we settled in to watch movies and simply catch up. Anyone recognize this movie??

Also? THIS CHEESE. It’s my favorite, and I am just going to tell you that I am automatically an authority on cheese by virtue of Wisconsin birthright, so you should listen to me on this. It’s called Humbolt Fog by Cypress Grove, so pick some up and try it for yourself. This is not a sponsor, and the stuff isn’t even from Wisconsin, so it’s not a state pride thing — I just stuff this cheese into my mouth with reckless abandon and advocate that others do the same.

Family

Mom asked me to take pictures of everyone with my “nice camera”, but I didn’t set up any extra lighting. In hindsight, I wish I had. In front of the tree was definitely the best spot, but facing a light source and photographing people is a bit different than fixed objects!. Still, I’m glad I got a couple of pics. K and I had to wait until later in the evening because we were running around so much. My sister and her BF are extremely photogenic, aren’t they?

Mom and Dad and the Pooping Menace (Buddy).

We all had a really great time. Mostly retelling funny stories, missing loved ones, and making each other laugh. And, obviously, never sitting still long enough to photograph. (Goal for 2018: learn how to take better photos of moving targets.)

And as you can see, making a giant mess! We passed out presents, ate a wonderful dinner, and then dispersed as the dogs tired out. When they all started to fall asleep (Charlie gets these adorable droopy ears and eyes), we knew it was time to say goodbye.

My first time hosting was cozy, frantic, and fun. I am so glad I got to show off the house this year!

Did any of you host this year? How did it go?

You'll Also Love

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (The Ugly D...

Glitter Lace Napkin Rings

Day After Christmas Shopping

Photo Highlights from Christmas

.yuzo_related_post img{width:170px !important; height:170px !important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{line-height:14px;background:#ffffff !important;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover{background:#ffffff !important; -webkit-transition: background 0.2s linear; -moz-transition: background 0.2s linear; -o-transition: background 0.2s linear; transition: background 0.2s linear;;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a{color:#102a3b!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a:hover{ color:#113f5e}!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover a{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo__text--title{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post:hover .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{ margin: 0px 6px 0px 6px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; } jQuery(document).ready(function( $ ){ jQuery('.yuzo_related_post .yuzo_wraps').equalizer({ columns : '> div' }); });

The post A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner! appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.

from The Ugly Duckling House https://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/a-crazy-christmas-with-the-fogles-my-2017-christmas-dinner/

[bespokekitchesldn]

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner!

Just a few holiday highlights from my first time hosting Christmas at the UDH!

If you were ever curious about if I’d accidentally burn my house down hosting Christmas, this post has your answer. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here and catch up (read onward from that post), or just guess from the somewhat obvious context.

But regardless, here were are: my first time hosting Christmas. You guys would know more than most how satisfying it must have been checking this off of my goals list. Considering how much renovation has been done to this house (and still needs to be done), I sure was happy to see people enjoying a home I’ve worked so hard on! Despite the chaos, I’m happy to report that there were zero fires where they weren’t supposed to be (just the one was in the fireplace, *coos* like a good little fire).

There was also dog shit on my floor at one point. I suppose that’s what happens when you party naked invite a family that has six dogs between us. (This post has a lot of dog photos… thankfully no pics of poop.)

And the fur… my god, the fur that flew! I am pretty sure we vacuumed before everyone showed up, but there was no evidence of that after the first hour.

Just in case you don’t know these puppers, let’s recap:

Charlie + Stella

Charlie is mine; Stella is K’s (if you haven’t been here in ages, he’s the not-so-new boyfriend and his dog is the cutest little mini dachshund… with attitude).

Buddy

Buddy is Mom and Dad’s dog… aka, the Pooping Menace (thus the dog shaming). I love him dearly, even though he’s kind of an asshole for being a guest in my home and pooping on my floor in response. C’mon Buddy, my decorating isn’t that bad.

Lemon, Lana… and Dobby!

My sister is a foster mom failure… she just hasn’t quite figured out that whole giving-them-back part of being a foster. Lemon and Lana are sisters (Lemon = red, Lana = black) and have wildly different personalities (Lemon will hide and run away, while Lana will get right in your face). Dobby is a brand new lil’ man and he is so gangly and such a ham for photos!

Ok, so that’s all the doggos, and my goodness, what a crazy first hour that was. Everyone went in and out the doors to grab presents, bring the dogs in, take off coats, find a place to sit, clean up poo, stuff our faces with appetizers (not in that order, but after washing our hands), hugs, etc. Possibly the funniest part was that I had just finished touching up the scratches on the black and white staircase that morning!

I’m brilliant with my timing, I tell ya.

K decided on steak for our dinner, so he took over cooking while I entertained in the living room. He’s in pursuit of the perfect peppercorn sauce recipe, so be on the lookout for that post coming to the recipe section soon!

After the first bit of chaos, we settled in to watch movies and simply catch up. Anyone recognize this movie??

Also? THIS CHEESE. It’s my favorite, and I am just going to tell you that I am automatically an authority on cheese by virtue of Wisconsin birthright, so you should listen to me on this. It’s called Humbolt Fog by Cypress Grove, so pick some up and try it for yourself. This is not a sponsor, and the stuff isn’t even from Wisconsin, so it’s not a state pride thing — I just stuff this cheese into my mouth with reckless abandon and advocate that others do the same.

Family

Mom asked me to take pictures of everyone with my “nice camera”, but I didn’t set up any extra lighting. In hindsight, I wish I had. In front of the tree was definitely the best spot, but facing a light source and photographing people is a bit different than fixed objects!. Still, I’m glad I got a couple of pics. K and I had to wait until later in the evening because we were running around so much. My sister and her BF are extremely photogenic, aren’t they?

Mom and Dad and the Pooping Menace (Buddy).

We all had a really great time. Mostly retelling funny stories, missing loved ones, and making each other laugh. And, obviously, never sitting still long enough to photograph. (Goal for 2018: learn how to take better photos of moving targets.)

And as you can see, making a giant mess! We passed out presents, ate a wonderful dinner, and then dispersed as the dogs tired out. When they all started to fall asleep (Charlie gets these adorable droopy ears and eyes), we knew it was time to say goodbye.

My first time hosting was cozy, frantic, and fun. I am so glad I got to show off the house this year!

Did any of you host this year? How did it go?

You'll Also Love

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (The Ugly D...

Glitter Lace Napkin Rings

Day After Christmas Shopping

Photo Highlights from Christmas

.yuzo_related_post img{width:170px !important; height:170px !important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{line-height:14px;background:#ffffff !important;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover{background:#ffffff !important; -webkit-transition: background 0.2s linear; -moz-transition: background 0.2s linear; -o-transition: background 0.2s linear; transition: background 0.2s linear;;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a{color:#102a3b!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a:hover{ color:#113f5e}!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover a{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo__text--title{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post:hover .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{ margin: 0px 6px 0px 6px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; } jQuery(document).ready(function( $ ){ jQuery('.yuzo_related_post .yuzo_wraps').equalizer({ columns : '> div' }); });

The post A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner! appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.

from The Ugly Duckling House https://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/a-crazy-christmas-with-the-fogles-my-2017-christmas-dinner/

[lowmaticnews]

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner!

Just a few holiday highlights from my first time hosting Christmas at the UDH!

If you were ever curious about if I’d accidentally burn my house down hosting Christmas, this post has your answer. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here and catch up (read onward from that post), or just guess from the somewhat obvious context.

But regardless, here were are: my first time hosting Christmas. You guys would know more than most how satisfying it must have been checking this off of my goals list. Considering how much renovation has been done to this house (and still needs to be done), I sure was happy to see people enjoying a home I’ve worked so hard on! Despite the chaos, I’m happy to report that there were zero fires where they weren’t supposed to be (just the one was in the fireplace, *coos* like a good little fire).

There was also dog shit on my floor at one point. I suppose that’s what happens when you party naked invite a family that has six dogs between us. (This post has a lot of dog photos… thankfully no pics of poop.)

And the fur… my god, the fur that flew! I am pretty sure we vacuumed before everyone showed up, but there was no evidence of that after the first hour.

Just in case you don’t know these puppers, let’s recap:

Charlie + Stella

Charlie is mine; Stella is K’s (if you haven’t been here in ages, he’s the not-so-new boyfriend and his dog is the cutest little mini dachshund… with attitude).

Buddy

Buddy is Mom and Dad’s dog… aka, the Pooping Menace (thus the dog shaming). I love him dearly, even though he’s kind of an asshole for being a guest in my home and pooping on my floor in response. C’mon Buddy, my decorating isn’t that bad.

Lemon, Lana… and Dobby!

My sister is a foster mom failure… she just hasn’t quite figured out that whole giving-them-back part of being a foster. Lemon and Lana are sisters (Lemon = red, Lana = black) and have wildly different personalities (Lemon will hide and run away, while Lana will get right in your face). Dobby is a brand new lil’ man and he is so gangly and such a ham for photos!

Ok, so that’s all the doggos, and my goodness, what a crazy first hour that was. Everyone went in and out the doors to grab presents, bring the dogs in, take off coats, find a place to sit, clean up poo, stuff our faces with appetizers (not in that order, but after washing our hands), hugs, etc. Possibly the funniest part was that I had just finished touching up the scratches on the black and white staircase that morning!

I’m brilliant with my timing, I tell ya.

K decided on steak for our dinner, so he took over cooking while I entertained in the living room. He’s in pursuit of the perfect peppercorn sauce recipe, so be on the lookout for that post coming to the recipe section soon!

After the first bit of chaos, we settled in to watch movies and simply catch up. Anyone recognize this movie??

Also? THIS CHEESE. It’s my favorite, and I am just going to tell you that I am automatically an authority on cheese by virtue of Wisconsin birthright, so you should listen to me on this. It’s called Humbolt Fog by Cypress Grove, so pick some up and try it for yourself. This is not a sponsor, and the stuff isn’t even from Wisconsin, so it’s not a state pride thing — I just stuff this cheese into my mouth with reckless abandon and advocate that others do the same.

Family

Mom asked me to take pictures of everyone with my “nice camera”, but I didn’t set up any extra lighting. In hindsight, I wish I had. In front of the tree was definitely the best spot, but facing a light source and photographing people is a bit different than fixed objects!. Still, I’m glad I got a couple of pics. K and I had to wait until later in the evening because we were running around so much. My sister and her BF are extremely photogenic, aren’t they?

Mom and Dad and the Pooping Menace (Buddy).

We all had a really great time. Mostly retelling funny stories, missing loved ones, and making each other laugh. And, obviously, never sitting still long enough to photograph. (Goal for 2018: learn how to take better photos of moving targets.)

And as you can see, making a giant mess! We passed out presents, ate a wonderful dinner, and then dispersed as the dogs tired out. When they all started to fall asleep (Charlie gets these adorable droopy ears and eyes), we knew it was time to say goodbye.

My first time hosting was cozy, frantic, and fun. I am so glad I got to show off the house this year!

Did any of you host this year? How did it go?

You'll Also Love

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (The Ugly D...

Glitter Lace Napkin Rings

Day After Christmas Shopping

Photo Highlights from Christmas

.yuzo_related_post img{width:170px !important; height:170px !important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{line-height:14px;background:#ffffff !important;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover{background:#ffffff !important; -webkit-transition: background 0.2s linear; -moz-transition: background 0.2s linear; -o-transition: background 0.2s linear; transition: background 0.2s linear;;color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a{color:#102a3b!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb a:hover{ color:#113f5e}!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover a{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo__text--title{ color:#113f5e!important;} .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb:hover .yuzo_text, .yuzo_related_post:hover .yuzo_views_post {color:#454747!important;} .yuzo_related_post .relatedthumb{ margin: 0px 6px 0px 6px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; } jQuery(document).ready(function( $ ){ jQuery('.yuzo_related_post .yuzo_wraps').equalizer({ columns : '> div' }); });

The post A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner! appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner! published first on http://ift.tt/2hUI8pL

[brajeshupadhyay]

Welcome to the T List, a newsletter from the editors of T Magazine. Each week, we’re sharing things we’re eating, wearing, listening to or coveting now. Sign up here to find us in your inbox every Wednesday. You can always reach us at tlist@nytimes.com. Book This A Grand Hotel Reopens in Texas Reopening this month is Austin’s Commodore Perry Estate, an Italian Renaissance Revival mansion secluded within the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Both a 54-room hotel and private club by Auberge Resorts, the Commodore was originally built in 1928 by the architect Hal Thompson as the country residence of the Texan businessman Edgar Perry. The Italianate mansion’s original rooms, with picturesque accompanying Juliet balconies, have been transformed by the designer Ken Fulk into signature suites with walls in shades of pink, celadon and sunshine yellow and furnishings in velvet and faux fur. Hand-painted murals by the artist Deborah Phillips are offset by midcentury pieces sourced by Fulk from over two years’ worth of shopping trips to the state’s famous Round Top Antiques Fair. While Perry may have sold the estate in 1944 with the regret that it was “a great place to throw a party but too big to live in,” Fulk’s vision gives the mansion a second life as a place to gather — perhaps for dinner at the Commodore’s Lutie’s Garden Restaurant, with a menu filled with produce grown nearby — or merely spend a decadent afternoon strolling the estate, which spans 10 acres and includes a 50-foot swimming pool. Rates start at $525 per night, aubergeresorts.com. See This Robert Longo’s Cinematic Musings I’ve looked at a lot of digital exhibitions from art institutions in the last few months, and my response has almost unanimously been: I wish I could see this in person. One of the more satisfying examples of this kind of presentation — for me, at least — is “Robert Longo: Quarantine Films,” on the website of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow. It functions as both a watch list and a kind of autobiography, interspersing examples of Longo’s work alongside his thoughts on various classics of cinema and how they’ve influenced him. (Longo made one deeply flawed but rather criminally underrated film himself in 1995: “Johnny Mnemonic,” with Keanu Reeves as the star and a screenplay by William Gibson.) Writing about Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film “Taxi Driver,” he reminisces about moving to New York and driving a cab to support himself. In a riff about Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt” (1963), which Longo describes as “a film about making a film,” he concludes that “sometimes beautiful is all art needs to be.” He even makes a fairly convincing case for 2019’s “Joker” — a film I walked out of — as a useful parable about the importance of gun control. Longo is an artist with a style you might call apocalyptic. He makes achingly beautiful paintings out of ugly things, whether a mushroom cloud, a businessman who appears to be falling through the air or a militarized police force, shrouded in tear gas and backlit by the golden arches of a McDonald’s sign. His work is scarily relevant in 2020. “Robert Longo: Quarantine Films” is live now on garagemca.org. Sandals for summer are no more groundbreaking than florals for spring, and yet donning the right pair can still be an opportunity for self-expression, one that can dress up an ordinary denim skirt or a cotton voile dress. This summer, opt for sandals embellished with crystals to add a sense of decadence. René Caovilla has brightened an otherwise ordinary kitten-heeled thong, while By Far has reinvented the mule, laying the over-foot strap with a grid of thinly cut rhinestones. The French jewelry designer Justine Clenquet has joined in with her debut footwear line — launched this month, in step with her brand’s 10th anniversary — which features vintage-inspired silhouettes adorned with Swarovski rhinestones and disco-like glitter. For those looking for slightly more subtle options, both Gianvito Rossi and Roger Vivier offer styles that can easily transition from a long walk in the park to an intimate dinner, making stepping around just a little more sparkly and fun. Buy This Colorful Handblown Glassware for Gathering In March, as New York City went into lockdown, the creative community working at UrbanGlass — a nonprofit organization that provides glassblowing studio space, exhibitions and classes for artists and designers in Downtown Brooklyn — faced an uncertain future. Glassblowing is impossible to do at home, and since glassblowers work in proximity to one another and often share tools, reopening the studio — even with social distancing protocols in place — is a tricky proposition. In a show of hope and resolve, three artists — Susan Spiranovich and Adam Holtzinger, the founders of the design company Keep, along with Anders Rydstedt — decided to team up on a project called Re:Gather, the results of which will be made and shipped as soon as the artists are able to return to a studio. Their first product, Cupples, is a series of simple and elegant glasses offered in five colors, including blush, aqua and amber, and features an interlocking design — a glass band wrapped around half the cups corresponds to an equivalent cutout in the other half — that illustrates the need for social connection. “We recognized a shared sense of loss for in-person collaboration that is essential to our work,” says Rydstedt. The name Re:Gather may seem self-explanatory, but it is also a reference to the glassblowing process itself, during which the material is gathered or collected on the end of a blowpipe. Finally, Cupples is meant to remind us of the comforts of sharing a meal with one another, with the hope that we will be able to do so in the near future. $200 for a set of two, keepbrooklyn.com. This is a momentous year for the Irish-born, Scotland-based jeweler Grainne Morton: She’s celebrating her 50th birthday, as well as her 25th anniversary making her fastidiously eclectic jewelry that has found a fan-base of avid collectors around the world. Morton had originally planned to mark her double milestone with a large celebration in a castle just outside of Edinburgh. But the lockdown meant downshifting plans, and in the quiet of the last few months, she and her team have instead been hard at work, making unique pieces of jewelry that feel like the rarest of finds — 10 of which will be released this Friday. “My parents had an antique shop where they lived in Northern Ireland,” Morton explained to me. “They would come visit me in Scotland and spend all week trawling the antique shops here. In order to spend time with them, I would come with, and I started collecting.” Morton is fond of mixing mother-of-pearl, moonstones and other gems with found cameos, antique buttons and vintage glass. Everything is made by hand, sometimes taking weeks to complete, as the individual components are first set in silver and then soldered together into playful compositions, often set on a cross or dripping from an anchor piece. As we’re thinking more consciously about who and what we surround ourselves with right now, Morton is creating more than just a beautiful object but a sense of permanence amid the ephemeral world around her. Available July 10, grainnemorton.co.uk. From T’s Instagram The post The T List: Five Things We Recommend This Week appeared first on Shri Times.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-t-list-five-things-we-recommend.html

[darwinbigelow]

A Crazy Christmas with the Fogles — My 2017 Christmas Dinner!

Just a few holiday highlights from my first time hosting Christmas at the UDH!

If you were ever curious about if I’d accidentally burn my house down hosting Christmas, this post has your answer. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here and catch up (read onward from that post), or just guess from the somewhat obvious context.

But regardless, here were are: my first time hosting Christmas. You guys would know more than most how satisfying it must have been checking this off of my goals list. Considering how much renovation has been done to this house (and still needs to be done), I sure was happy to see people enjoying a home I’ve worked so hard on! Despite the chaos, I’m happy to report that there were zero fires where they weren’t supposed to be (just the one was in the fireplace, *coos* like a good little fire).

There was also dog shit on my floor at one point. I suppose that’s what happens when you party naked invite a family that has six dogs between us. (This post has a lot of dog photos… thankfully no pics of poop.)

And the fur… my god, the fur that flew! I am pretty sure we vacuumed before everyone showed up, but there was no evidence of that after the first hour.

Just in case you don’t know these puppers, let’s recap:

Charlie + Stella

Charlie is mine; Stella is K’s (if you haven’t been here in ages, he’s the not-so-new boyfriend and his dog is the cutest little mini dachshund… with attitude).

Buddy

Buddy is Mom and Dad’s dog… aka, the Pooping Menace (thus the dog shaming). I love him dearly, even though he’s kind of an asshole for being a guest in my home and pooping on my floor in response. C’mon Buddy, my decorating isn’t that bad.

Lemon, Lana… and Dobby!

My sister is a foster mom failure… she just hasn’t quite figured out that whole giving-them-back part of being a foster. Lemon and Lana are sisters (Lemon = red, Lana = black) and have wildly different personalities (Lemon will hide and run away, while Lana will get right in your face). Dobby is a brand new lil’ man and he is so gangly and such a ham for photos!

Ok, so that’s all the doggos, and my goodness, what a crazy first hour that was. Everyone went in and out the doors to grab presents, bring the dogs in, take off coats, find a place to sit, clean up poo, stuff our faces with appetizers (not in that order, but after washing our hands), hugs, etc. Possibly the funniest part was that I had just finished touching up the scratches on the black and white staircase that morning!

I’m brilliant with my timing, I tell ya.

K decided on steak for our dinner, so he took over cooking while I entertained in the living room. He’s in pursuit of the perfect peppercorn sauce recipe, so be on the lookout for that post coming to the recipe section soon!

After the first bit of chaos, we settled in to watch movies and simply catch up. Anyone recognize this movie??

Also? THIS CHEESE. It’s my favorite, and I am just going to tell you that I am automatically an authority on cheese by virtue of Wisconsin birthright, so you should listen to me on this. It’s called Humbolt Fog by Cypress Grove, so pick some up and try it for yourself. This is not a sponsor, and the stuff isn’t even from Wisconsin, so it’s not a state pride thing — I just stuff this cheese into my mouth with reckless abandon and advocate that others do the same.

Family

Mom asked me to take pictures of everyone with my “nice camera”, but I didn’t set up any extra lighting. In hindsight, I wish I had. In front of the tree was definitely the best spot, but facing a light source and photographing people is a bit different than fixed objects!. Still, I’m glad I got a couple of pics. K and I had to wait until later in the evening because we were running around so much. My sister and her BF are extremely photogenic, aren’t they?

Mom and Dad and the Pooping Menace (Buddy).

We all had a really great time. Mostly retelling funny stories, missing loved ones, and making each other laugh. And, obviously, never sitting still long enough to photograph. (Goal for 2018: learn how to take better photos of moving targets.)

And as you can see, making a giant mess! We passed out presents, ate a wonderful dinner, and then dispersed as the dogs tired out. When they all started to fall asleep (Charlie gets these adorable droopy ears and eyes), we knew it was time to say goodbye.

My first time hosting was cozy, frantic, and fun. I am so glad I got to show off the house this year!

Did any of you host this year? How did it go?

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