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quoththemaiden · 2 months

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@mrghostrat This is now the third time since December that I'm writing about your middle-aged men and their middle-aged-man problems (1, 2). Please come collect them, because they're causing a disturbance.

Or, if you aren't able to wrangle them, then please enjoy this scene inspired by Chapter 10 of Big Name Feelings.

For everyone who hasn't already seen the top portion of this on Discord, know that this is set sometime after the con but before the big bang.

—

"I think your hair might be getting long enough to braid now."

Crowley's eyes snapped over to him. "Braid?"

Aziraphale blinked at the sharp question. "I didn't mean anything by it." He'd still never figured out quite where Crowley's gender identity lay, or if it changed day-by-day. He suspected Crowley's public presentation of his gender was either "whatever's simplest for everyone involved" (around people he didn't know but generally liked, like at the con) or "whatever causes the most problems for everyone involved" (like with a particularly annoying security guard that had left Aziraphale remembering that being middle-aged, white, and extremely stuffy in appearance was its own form of armor). Aziraphale's own perception of Crowley's gender was just "Crowley." What Crowley felt about it was something Aziraphale had never quite managed to parse out. "You can do whatever you like—"

"Do you know how?"

"How...?"

"To braid hair." Crowley's tone was oddly urgent. "Like for your nieces or cousins or—"

"—for crafting, yes. Tassels for bookmarks and such. You want me to—" Crowley practically flinging himself down onto the sofa next to him was answer enough. "Oh."

Crowley's hair really was barely long enough to braid, Aziraphale decided as he gently freed it from its elastic band. He ran his fingers through it slowly and carefully, easing out the light tangles from a day's confinement. Crowley slumped forward in boneless contentment, and Aziraphale had to switch to prickling the top of his scalp with his fingernails to get him to sit up straight enough for Aziraphale to work.

Aziraphale determined his gameplan, then, and gently eased up a few locks of hair at the crown of Crowley's head, smoothing down the top with the flat of his palm. He started working the strands into a French braid, taking it tiny piece by tiny piece to ensure every section was balanced in size. If Crowley were doing it himself, he suspected he'd get it done in just five messy joins, but every strand he brought in gave Aziraphale another excuse to run his fingertips along Crowley's scalp and he luxuriated in each opportunity. "Has anyone ever told you your hair is unreasonably thick?" he murmured, his voice huskier with fond affection than he'd intended. Crowley spared him from a tease by being too utterly sedated to manage more than a vague hum in response. Aziraphale smiled at that and kept his progress blissfully slow and methodical until he had no choice but to tie the braid off at the nape of Crowley's neck — half a French braid, half a ponytail made bushy from having had waves worked into it. He placed a soft kiss to the back of Crowley's head, padded by the thickest part of Crowley's braid and somehow all the more intimate for it. "All done, love."

Crowley leaned back against Aziraphale's chest, tilting back his head to look up at him with eyes made impossibly soft with contentment. "I'm never putting my own hair up again. Just hope you know that."

Aziraphale chuckled softly, just as fond. "I'll manage somehow, I suppose."

—

Crowley's boneless appreciation of the hair braiding had turned into boneless napping, and while Aziraphale enjoyed having Crowley fall asleep against him at certain times of day, he had never been one for naps himself and there was a limit to how long he could stay motionless sans entertainment before even he got antsy. He eased his way out from under Crowley, grateful the other man was a heavy sleeper even during the day, and was left deciding what quiet amusement he could pursue until whenever Crowley woke up and started making noises about dinner. He could always read some fanfics, of course, but his eyes couldn't help but be drawn towards his favorite muse.

His muse who had, he recalled, tempted him into joining a rigged bang and had talked him into getting a digital tablet. Aziraphale still planned to do his official art for it traditionally, because he was sure Crowley's writing would deserve no less... and, if he was allowed to be vain in the privacy of his own mind, because he still remembered the feeling he'd had when Crowley responded to his scans with barely coherent keysmashing. He wasn't in deferential awe of Crowley anymore, although he still loved his writing just as much, but part of him still hoped that Crowley might respond with just as much enthusiasm at getting to see the finished piece in person, textured paper and unprocessed colors and all. Well, assuming he could be gutsy enough to actually give it to him in person instead of just leaving it on the drafting table for him to find, which was really the more statistically likely result. But anyway.

But anyway.

His muse was sleeping in front of him, and a stylus on an iPad would make hardly any noise at all. And if he got good enough at using it, maybe he could draw some extra digital art to celebrate the fic as well.

In any case, sketching Crowley while he slept was one of life's little joys. He didn't think Crowley knew how often he did it, and that was probably for the best. If he did it all in his notebook, it would have been too easy for Crowley to flip through and find the sketches (and removing sheets would have felt damnably like a guilty conscience). With his iPad, however, he was safe to sketch as much as he liked and there was no real way for Crowley to stumble across it. Aziraphale willfully shoved aside the thought that that didn't really sound any less guilty and started setting stylus to screen. It wasn't long until he'd settled into a comfortable rhythm, his eyes flicking back and forth between the screen and where Crowley was lying face-down on the sofa, his new braid highlighted in a beam of afternoon sunlight.

Something Aziraphale did appreciate about digital art was that white could be layered on top of other colors and be shockingly vibrant, which wasn't an effect he could get easily with his beloved watercolors. Something else watercolors didn't give him was the ability to pick out very fine details, and as his sketch started coming together, he found that was exactly what he wanted to do now. While Crowley's hair was a vibrant red in his selfies or on stage, when he'd had the opportunity to run his fingers through every strand, he'd found that Crowley's hair was showing his age just as much as his own was.

The first day Aziraphale had found a grey hair had come as a shock. He'd naively assumed that with his hair being as pale as it was, even if it started greying, he might well never know. Instead, he found that the grey hairs' texture was frustratingly different from the strands that were still blond, and until they reached a critical mass fifteen long years later, they had an unfortunate tendency to stick out unattractively if his cut was anything less than perfect. He had become quite a regular at his barber's.

With Crowley's hair being as long as it was, his grey hairs had worked smoothly into his braid. From even the small distance from couch to armchair, they melded into the red strands perfectly... but Aziraphale had just spent long minutes twining them into neat twists and didn't need to see them now to know they were there. Aziraphale zoomed in close (another marked benefit of the digital display) and set his pen to a thin, sharp line, layering sleek silver strands into the red braid he'd drawn. Following the way they weaved around each other and dipped in and out of view felt delightfully meditative.

Eventually, Crowley made a soft snuffling snort-groan as he roused from his nap, slowly turning to unbury his face from the pillows. "Wha' time'zit?" he mumbled, patting around blindly for his cellphone.

"Coming up on 5:30 now," Aziraphale replied softly, trying not to startle him into full wakefulness too quickly. He rose and fetched Crowley's phone, placing it gently into his fumbling hand. "There you go."

"Mmrrr. Don't need it now." Crowley tucked the phone under his side in what Aziraphale would have guessed would be a very uncomfortable fashion but which Crowley did without even thinking. At least it wouldn't be going anywhere from there, Aziraphale supposed. "What're you doin'?" Crowley made grabby hands at the iPad Aziraphale had brought over with him.

Aziraphale handed over the iPad without even one thought, much less a second. "Oh, I was just waiting for you to wake up, really."

"...Angel." Crowley had zoomed out on the picture (with a completely unsurprising lack of propriety) and was now staring, frozen and much more awake, at the drawing of himself. "You aren't going to post this on Tumblr, are you?"

Aziraphale laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of that, despite the ripple of shock Crowley's tense tone had caused him. "Come, now. When have I ever posted a drawing of you, my dear?"

"When have you ever made a drawing of me?" Crowley retorted. He waved vaguely at the screen, accidentally sparing Aziraphale from having to answer. "I don't mind being old, but I don't want the world knowing my boyfriend thinks I'm old." His frazzled waving turned a little more flaily.

"Crowley..." Aziraphale gently took the tablet back from him and set it down on the floor so he could take Crowley's hand in both of his. "I assure you, I'm not the kind of artist who spends my time drawing things I don't think are beautiful. And that includes every detail I put in."

Aziraphale would have hoped that was obvious, really. The strands of hair he had drawn weren't brittle grey; they were molten silver. They caught the light like a precious metal woven like a ribbon into cinnabar-red hair. Crowley could have been a queen, fallen asleep after a long day in her finery. He could have been a fae whose very essence was beauty, sleeping with no fear that it would be stolen away because it couldn't.

He could have been an ordinary man, who was so deeply, truly loved that even his grey hairs seemed to shine like the soft gleam of a newly-forged star when they caught the last strong beams of afternoon sunlight shining in through the windows.

Aziraphale hoped Crowley could see it, too.

Crowley made a grumpy noise. "I still don't want it on Tumblr. — Not that I can tell you what to do with your art, but—"

Aziraphale interrupted him with a warm smile. "I don't want it on Tumblr, either. I drew this just for me."

"...really? Even though...?"

"Just for me," Aziraphale whispered in confirmation, his eyes seeking out Crowley's and saving him from having to finish that sentence. "I've only ever drawn you for me." I love you to the point of creation, his heart sang. It wasn't quite how that quote went, he knew. It was the only way it had ever gone, for him.

"Hn..." Crowley shifted to look at the iPad where it lay down on the floor. "I suppose... Well. Despite the subject matter, you drew it well, at least."

"Well, thank you for that," Aziraphale jibed back lightly, completely devoid of malice.

"Ngh, you can't blame me for feeling self-conscious about my greys when you haven't got any."

Aziraphale let out a huff of a laugh. "Oh, Crowley."

"What?" Crowley looked defensive, then abruptly switched to looking shrewd. "Wait. Do you dye them??" He leaned forward eagerly, like this was taboo knowledge.

"Oh, where was that compliment two decades ago? No, not at all. Do you know how long I spent getting over feeling self-conscious about them, and now for you to not even realize I have them?"

"No way. You've been holding out on me!" Crowley's eyes had a light in them that Aziraphale had seen sometimes — the look of someone who has been wanting something very much and thinks he's just figured out how to get it. Aziraphale drew back instinctively in trepidation. He had no idea what Crowley could possibly be wanting, though a fluttering feeling in his chest suggested that it was, in some way, him.

Ridiculous. As if they hadn't had sex already.

"I'm going to go get dinner started."

Crowley let out a whine that cut off abruptly enough that Aziraphale suspected he actually hadn't intended to make it.

Aziraphale paused. "What?"

"Ehhh... just envious, s'all."

Aziraphale took a moment to muse about whether Crowley knew the difference between "envious" and "jealous" and decided, firmly, that he had faith that he did. "Of what?" he asked with an incredulous laugh, since he still had no idea what "envious" could possibly apply to here.

"Negghhh, you've gotten to play with my hair enough to know I have greys, and I haven't gotten to touch yours once."

Aziraphale blushed darkly at that, remembering some choice occasions in which Crowley had gripped his hair tightly enough to hurt. He cleared his throat and opted not to mention them. "That feels much more like your fault than mine."

"Just... tryin'a respect your boundaries, angel."

"Why would that be a boundary?" Aziraphale asked, baffled.

"I asked for it and you haven't."

Aziraphale didn't quite remember it that way, but it was a fair enough interpretation from Crowley's point of view, he supposed. "Well, no. It sounds perfectly nice, but I'd hate to bore you with it. I know you're much more fidgety than I am."

"Not bored," Crowley insisted, his eyes urgent. "Never bored when it's you, angel. Siddown."

Aziraphale laughed breathily. "Too late. I'm already up to cook dinner."

"Angel."

"You'll just have to wait," Aziraphale teased in a singsong lilt, casting a smile back at Crowley over his shoulder.

Crowley flung himself back on the couch with an impatient whine, leaving Aziraphale feeling very smug about his attempt at whatever the romantic equivalent of foreplay was. Crowley sounded very much like he was being left with blue balls. "Bastard."

"Only as much as you deserve, my dear," Aziraphale sang back as he went into the kitchen, acutely aware of Crowley's eyes following every step.

—

It wasn't really in question, at all, that Aziraphale would end the evening snuggled on the couch with Crowley's hands in his hair. There was also no question that he'd enjoy it thoroughly, and he also knew it wasn't the kind of thing that was likely to lead to anything more. So, instead, he just relaxed into it and let his thoughts drift.

"...do you really think I'd mind if my red fox turned into a silver fox?" he mused. The thought was languid, easy, relaxed. Crowley spluttered in incoherent surprise anyway, and Aziraphale laughed softly. "Yes, I know. There's a reason I'm not the writer of the pair."

"Y'are, though. Don't think I've forgotten that you are."

Aziraphale blushed a little at that. "Oh."

Crowley's hands resumed their meditative motion through Aziraphale's hair. "But... yeah. I'd rock it, wouldn't I?"

"You would," Aziraphale murmured with a smile. "And I'm quite looking forward to seeing it someday, my dear."

#good omens #ineffable husbands #bnf au #fanfiction of fanfiction #my writing #not actually about asexuality but let's be honest that hair-petting scene was my kind of ace #apologies for any misrepresentation about watercolors #seriously bilvy come get your middle-aged men and their middle-aged-man problems out of my head #and be aware that if you leave time between posting future chapters then i might have to write more and nobody wants that

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homeimgs · 2 years

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#HomeDecor

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izcana · 3 years

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House of Rosier and All of It’s Glorious Flaws

Before you read this, you should read Lover Boy (the whole series). You don't have to, it can be a stand-alone story, but I think it makes it so much better to see the dynamics of those people.

The story is told from Thomas' P.O.V.

***

"Mr Park, Mr Isaacs, Mr Agnes. This is the 3rd time you 3 have been late to my class," McGonagall seethed, her stony glare fixed on the three boys (us) who looked nowhere near guilty enough for their tardiness. "Detention with me tonight, half past 7." A girl sitting in the first row (one row in front of us) looked back from her (was that 6th year?) textbook disdainfully and rolled her hazel eyes. Who reads a textbook one year ahead in their free time? I was worried about my marks but reading one year ahead was just beyond me. Either she was way too smart or she was just a snob.

"Yes, Professor," Newt and I, the said Mr Isaacs and Mr Agnes (pleasure to meet you) mumbled. We were always the obedient ones and Minho (Mr Park) was the opposite.

"Sure, Prof," Minho snickered, sitting down with Newt at his table with a goblet on it. I mentally facepalmed. He'll definitely get in trouble for that.

McGonagall glared at the Minho. "Double detention, Mr Park." That's what I thought.

She turned her back to the boys and strolled up to the desk. "We will be practising how to do the Vanishing Spell. Take out your wands, please." I took a peek and noticed the girl had closed her textbook, sticking gold-foil bookmark in place. A name was written in perfect (of course...) calligraphy on the cover, though it was partially blocked by the tassel of the bookmark. Typical rich pureblood Slytherin, I thought, eying her Slytherin tie and necklace (family heirloom, perhaps? Whatever it was, it certainly looked expensive...)

There was a rustle as the students of Gryffindor and Slytherin opened their satchels and took out our wands. Such a shame we shared transfiguration with the Slytherins, too. Transfiguration was always my favourite class and McGonagall was a brilliant teacher and all, but the Slytherins made it unbearable. I could just hear their taunts of "Mudblood!" and "Filthy half breed!". Most of the Slytherins were pureblood maniacs, as Minho shamelessly said.

"Good. Now repeat after me – Evanesco. Do not point your wands and attempt this, yet. Make sure you articulate every syllable." All of us repeated the word. Everyone kept their arms at their sides, though I saw some people's (namely Minho) hands twitched as if they wanted nothing more than to jab their wand and get the spell over with.

"The movement to accompany this would be a sharp jab towards the object. Everyone try that, please. Without the word." We all did so again, and this time.

"Now you may try the spell."

The classroom exploded in sounds of Evanesco's! I tried it once and nothing happened (according to Newt, at least), although, in my opinion, it became a bit more transparent, so that's something. Somehow, the girl sitting in front of me managed to get it on her first try and Professor McGonagall beamed at her proudly. I wasn't sure what her reaction was because she had her back to me.

Newt followed my eyes to the girl. "Who's that?"

"Some rich Slytherin pureblood," I muttered, glaring at her back.

"What's got you so sour?" Minho questioned, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Tommy's obsessed with some Slytherin girl sitting in front of us," Newt told him, even though I slapped my hand over his mouth.

"Who is–––" Minho started to ask but he didn't get very far with it before McGonagall interrupted him.

"Mr Agnes, Mr Park, Mr Isaacs, that doesn't look like you practising the spell to me. Unless you want to receive another detention–––"

"No thank you, Professor!" Newt interrupted quickly, jabbing his wand furiously in the direction of his goblet. Before I turned away, I thought I caught a small flicker of a smile on the corner of McGonagall's lips.

We headed to detention at twenty past 7 (we were actually on time, Minho!) To my dismay, the girl from the transfiguration class was there, also. She spared us a glance but turned her head away disinterestedly as if we weren't worth her time or attention. I seethed silently and directed my glare elsewhere.

"For detention today, you'll be organising the supplies for the next lesson," McGonagall said, eyeing the goblets and animal cages warily. "That will consist of cleaning the animal cages and stacking the goblets in the shelf over there," she said, gesturing loosely to the said shelf. "No magic allowed. I won't be supervising you but I'll know if you use magic." And with that, McGonagall took her leave.

I don't think she'd actually be able to know if we used magic or not, but who knows? I'm not willing to test her bluff.

"She's not going to actually know, is she?" Minho questioned, raising his wand.

The Slytherin girl tapped it away. "I'd rather not receive another detention. Don't let's use our wands...we can get it over with, now."

I sent her a fierce glare. "Stop telling us what to do!"

"Why do you hate me so much?" The girl deflected, stacking the goblets. "Have I done something to you?"

"You and your fellow Slytherins...rich and fancy purebloods..." My anger was starting to boil over. I channelled that into stacking goblets faster than she was, which wasn't that big of a challenge considering how slowly she was doing it.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Why should I tell you?" I demanded. Perhaps this was unreasonable, but at the time, I was furious.

"I can't call you 'Mr Agnes', can I?"

"Thomas," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Oh," she commented flatly. I was waiting for the 'Mudblood!' comment but none came. Instead..."You're Teresa's brother."

"Yeah. You know her?" I thought my attitude towards this girl was starting to deflate, as much as I hated to mention it. "Also, what's your name?"

"Cyrah Evangeline Rosier, at your service," the girl ––– Cyrah Evangeline Rosier said, with a mock curtsey.

"Making the service of a Mudblood?" I questioned. She's a Rosier; throwing this kind of stuff around was dangerous for her.

"Why not? We're both in detention, anyway." I noticed she sped up on the goblet stacking. "I think we're done with these."

"Ya know," Minho drawled. "It's unfair that you two are stacking goblets whereas we're cleaning iguana poop. What did you do to get here anyway, Cyrah?"

"I hexed Malfoy," Cyrah answered simply.

"Malfoy...as in –––"

"How many Malfoy's do you know, Tommy?" Cyrah cut in, rolling her eyes.

"Hey!" Newt complained. "Only I call him Tommy." Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Awfully possessive, aren't you?"

"All that aside – why did you hex Malfoy?" Minho asked. He was smiling widely, on the edge of grinning. I could understand why. Lucius Malfoy was one of the most egocentric people on the planet. It was also satisfying to hear that a fellow pureblood and "proper" student had hexed him.

"I made sure he knew what would happen if he hurt Cissy. He stared at Emma for too long and Cissy was upset about it. So...ya know..." She made a twirling motion with her wand. Who's "Cissy"? Probably Lucius' girlfriend, I reckon.

"I'm pretty sure Cissy could have come to her own defence, though," Minho commented. "She's in the 7th year."

Cyrah nodded her head shallowly. "Yes, but she was too upset to do anything about it, so..."

"Who's 'Cissy'?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity. Newt gave me a 'don't pry' glance, but I could read him well enough to see that he was grateful, too. I'm sure he wanted to know who 'Cissy' was, also.

"Narcissa Black. My cousin."

"Wait..." Newt muttered, connecting dots, definitely. He had that look when he was trying to pay attention in History. "You're related to Bellatrix Lestrange?"

Cyrah stared at him warily. "Yes."

We were silent during the processing of this information. "How's Aunt Esteeli?" Cyrah asked suddenly. I had no clue what she was talking about.

Apparently, Minho did. "She's doing quite well." Unlike Cyrah, Minho was generous enough to spare us an explanation. "'Aunt Esteeli' is my mum."

"You two...are related???" Newt demanded, his face stretched into a "what the shuck?" expression. I was sure my face was the same.

"Yeah, we're cousins."

We processed this information again. "Ummm, how come Minho's not a...no offence...pureblood maniac?" Newt asked uncomfortably.

"Hey!" Cyrah protested. "I'm not a 'pureblood maniac'! That's Bella," she added on second thought.

"My side of the family are 'blood-traitors', see," Minho explained. "Technically, my mum was disowned after her 16th birthday. From the Néturn family."

"We–––"

"Ah, I see you've cleaned everything up," McGonagall said, coming in at the worst moment possible. "You may go, then."

"Bye," Cyrah said with a small smile and left.

***

If anyone wants a sequel, please message me either here or on Archive of Our Own. Disclaimer: I don’t own Maze Runner or Harry Potter. I wish I did (J. K. Rowling and James Dashner are amazing), but I don’t.

#Harry Potter #The Maze Runner #tmr #hp #harry potter AU #lover boy #newt #minho #thomas #teresa #teresa is thomas' twin #narcissa black #bellatrix black #crossover #maze runner x harry potter #professor mcgonagall

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oreramar · 4 years

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Got resin bookmark molds and gave them a test run. Also learned how to make simple embroidery thread tassels to tie to said bookmarks.

#craft #resin #tassels #I just like putting colors together on things sometimes

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tjswritingstuff · 3 years

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How to design a journal.

I want to preface this with a disclaimer, no two hand made books will be the same. The book that you make is yours and yours alone. The most important thing is that you enjoy what you’ve made. If it doesn’t look like someone else’s creations that’s fine, if you choose colors that others might not choose to go together or themes that someone else might not find appealing don’t worry about it. As long as you are making something that you enjoy, you’re a step ahead of everyone whose never tried.

There are several different types of Journals you could choose to make, decide what your purpose for your new journal is and it will help inform how you want to design the book.

Different types of journals:

Basic journal – basically any kind of journal that you want to create.

Junk Journal - A junk journal is a journal made from recycled Materials. What makes a journal a “junk journal?” is that it’s recycled materials.

Bullet Journal – A personalized planner system.

Smash book – Is a scrapbook style journaling method where everything is “smashed” together rather than organized.

Art Journal – an artist’s journal, essentially a more visual form of journaling.

Theme

Choose the overall Theme. Generally, I’ll have an idea based off either a color, or an image.

Images

I’ve found for the creation of my journals fewer images is better. I will make 4-6 copies of 1-2 complimentary images and spread those throughout the book. I use them on pockets, bookmarks, envelopes, journaling cards, and whatever else I can think of. Anything that needs tied to the theme will use one of these images.

For example, my “space” themed journal used these two images:

The “Paris” themed journal I made for my mom used these images:

My “Cotton” themed Journal used this image along with a cotton themed craft paper.:

If you can’t find what you’re looking for you always have the option of self-created images, however there are a lot of image files out there to choose from if you don’t have something specific in mind. Some of the sites that I’ve found to find images include:

o Morguefile.com

o Biodiversity Heritage library

o Vintage Image Gallery

o Google search advanced filter – Search for you desired image and filter by license type

o Public domain Pictures

o Creativecommons.org

Note: Just because an image says it’s free doesn’t mean that you can use it for any purpose. Check the licensing agreement on the images you use.

Creative Commons License allows for noncommercial use of a work. This means if you are making a journal for your own personal use then you can use the image. But if you are making it to sell you cannot.

A Commercial License can either be granted by the creator for all users or it can be purchased to use or modify for commercial purposes.

Public Domain images are images that anyone can use for any purpose.

If you are using a licensed image, make sure you know what rights you have to the image and what you can legally use it for.

Color choice

For your journal you’ll want to pick 3 colors. Your main color, your accent color, and your neutral color.

- Main color(s) – this will be the color most of your design elements are in. Generally, either choose one main color or two colors that work well together.

- Accent color(s) – these are the colors that you incorporate into your layouts. They don’t take up as much of the design as the main color, but they do make it more interesting.

- Neutral color(s) – I use neutrals on things like bookmark ribbons, Dividers, the back cover, the thread color, etc.

If you have images already chosen, your main color should be the one that Is most prevalent in the images. If you don’t have images already selected, you can use your main color choice to narrow down the images you select from.

Choose a color that works well with your main color. Organize your color pallet from either monochromatic, analogous, complimentary, split complimentary or tetradic color harmonies to get colors that work well together.

Choose a neutral, tans, blacks, whites, greys, etc. Neutrals are strong choices because they look good with any other colors and can be used to tie a theme together. That’s why most paint displays use neutral interior design colors against the walls. I tend to use darker neutrals with lighter neutrals and vice versa. Picking one color for your neutrals and sticking to it keeps the theme consistent.

For my space journal my main color was purple, my accent colors were light blue and pink, and my neutral was black. For the “Paris” Journal my Main color was navy blue, my accent colors were brown and gold, and my neutral was white. For the Cotton journal my main colors were brown and white, my accent colors were black and red.

Pick your cover materials

The best part of making your own book is that you get to choose the cover. You can create a cover out of just about anything that is flexible enough to bend and secure to the chip board. The most common cover materials are:

- Cloth

- Leather

- Paper

Notes: you can use more than one material. You can use paper for the front cover, and leather or cloth for the back and spine, or you can sew a paper image directly to cloth or leather.

If you don’t have enough of one piece to cover the entire book, covers can be made from different pieces glued or sewn together.

Choose your dimensions

An 8.75” x 11.25” book will require a different binding technique than a 5.75” x 8.75” book. Determine how big you want your book to be and determine the best binding method for your choice.

Pick your pages.

There are many different paper types to choose from. A true junk journal is made from paper that you are recycling. It doesn’t have to be the same type, color, or even shape. My personal preference is to use either white copy paper or tea-stained copy paper. White paper gives the journal clean, consistent paper to write on, but I love the look, feel, and smell of tea-stained paper.

Some paper types to consider

- Paper Scraps from previous projects

- Craft papers

- Old envelopes

- Upcycled notebook papers

- Blank copy paper

- Dyed/stained papers

- Ledger pages

- Old receipts/receipt books

- Newsprint – Recycled newspapers go a long way; I’ve been using the same paper for collage work for about 2 months now and I’m still working with the front page text.

- Magazines

- Old book pages

Throw in some extras

One of the fun parts of creating your own book is including things in it that you enjoy. When you have a theme, the colors, and the pages you can add more personal touches to your book to create a design that is unique.

There are endless ways that you can create unique pages and layouts but somethings to consider might be:

- Bookmarks

- collaging

- Modified Paper clips

- Ribbons

- Buttons

- Stamps

- Stencils

- Stitching

- Pockets

- Pen loops

- Envelopes

- Dried flowers

- Belly Bands – Belly bands were originally wrapped around books to hold them closed, now they are commonly found in junk journals as a strip of paper or fabric that holds something in the book.

- Tassels

- Tab Dividers

- Ephemera – Ephemera is any collectible memorabilia that was expected on only have a short time usefulness, old scraps have found a new life in Junk journals. Some common ephemera include:

o Old Receipts

o Ticket stubs

o Vintage Advertisements

o Luggage tags

Pick your closure

One of the things about a junk journal Is they can get thick. Between the different weights of papers, the use of embellishments or ephemera, pockets, etc. You may end up with a book that doesn’t want to stay closed without some help. That’s okay because there are options! Pick the closure that works best for you!

Different types of closures on journals

- None, you can always choose to let the book lay however it lays.

- Buttons

- Ribbons

- Strings

- Paper Bands

- Magnets

- Leather ties

- Buckles

Put it all together

The one most important thing to remember is to enjoy the process. If you are making something that you love it doesn’t matter how it looks to anyone else, don’t be afraid to experiment or to try new things.

I have found for me repetition of images, colors, and accents create books that are consistent in theme but allows flexibility in individual page designs.

My favorite projects though have been the ones where my idea basically consisted of “what if I used this specific image…okay…what do I have that would match it?” and then just going from there.

#journal #journaling #journalling #book binding #design #junk journal

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noonachronicles · 7 years

Text

Books

Kim Namjoon/Rapmon X Reader

Just a short Namjoon fluff that I’ve had l sitting around because I feel bad it’s taking so long for me to update literally anything.

It was her favorite smell. Yellowed pages of paper mixed with the aging glue that bound them together and the old ink that shared their stories. Books brought her comfort and helped her escape from pain. She looked to her left and then to her right, making sure she was alone before bringing the book to her nose. She closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply, taking in the years this particular book had been through. Her exhale was a satisfied sigh. Behind her there was snicker. With a gasp she turned quickly, hitting her back against the bookshelf.

“I didn't know you were there.” She said trying not to wince from the book that had jabbed her.

The blond boy looked up at her through big almond eyes that absolutely took her breath away. His plump, pink lips were in a smirk. In an instant she wanted to kiss those lips, an urge that had never come to her so quickly before. An urge she would find later she could not escape.

“I just thought it was funny because I do the same thing.” He smiled.

“Oh, wow.”

“What?” He said looking at her curiously.

She blushed not having meant to say that outloud. “It’s just… you have the most amazing dimples.”

His dimples deepened with his smile and he bit his lip. “Do you want… I'd like to show you my favorite book.”

She nodded enthusiastically and followed him through the bookstore. The store was so quiet and deserted that she wondered if he could hear her racing heart. Walking behind him allowed her to take in his broad shoulders that were covered by a loose fitting, oversized gray sweater. The cut of the neckline was wide enough that she could see the smooth tan curve of where his long neck met his shoulders. Suddenly he stopped and she almost collided with him because she'd been too distracted.

He lifted himself to his toes and stretched his arm up to the top shelf and grabbed a thick leather bound book. When he brought it down he smiled at it fondly as if seeing an old friend for the first time in a long time.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, fondly, and looked over at her. “Close your eyes.”

Trusting this stranger completely she did just that and smile spread over her lips. He opened the book to the very center and lifted it up to her nose. She hummed with delight as she breathed in the pages.

“It's beautiful.”

“It's the oldest book he has here.”

“If it's your favorite, why don't you buy it?” She mused as he slipped it back into its place.

“Then no one else would be able to enjoy it.”

“What if one day someone else buys it?”

He leaned in close to her ear, “I would find another favorite, but don't tell her that.”

She turned her face to press her warm cheek against the cool glass of the window. The tink-tink-tink of raindrops calming every inch of her. One hand kept her book open in front of her, the other one running her fingers through Namjoon’s hair as he laid his head on her lap with a book outstretched above him. He laughed lightly at something he'd read and she looked down at his beautiful face, the one she had become so accustomed to. His big round glasses frames took up the top of his face, but his emotions were always in his mouth. The bite of a lip here, a smirk there, one of his deadly dimple bringing smiles. His pout and the simple thin line they made when he was angry. She knew all about those lips. The ones she had wanted to kiss as soon as she saw them and her brain had not steered her wrong. His kisses were magic. The same magic of her books. Healing the pain and filling her with comfort.

“Joonie”

“Hmm?” He kept his eyes on his book.

“I love you.” That was the first time either of them had said it.

He placed his book over his chest and looked up at her, “Jagiya, what do you want to do today?”

“Just this.” She said, “You and me and the books and the rain.”

“Ok.” He said lifting his book back over his face nonchalantly.

She didn't need for him to say it back. She repeated that in her head like a mantra to keep any tears from building up in her eyes. She steadied her breath and looked back at her book, not reading a single word. She's never felt so vulnerable, never felt like such a mess.

“Hey, jagi?” She looked down at Namjoon with glossy eyes as he peeked at her from under his book, “I love you too. You know that, right?”

“Mhmm.” She nodded happily. “Of course.”

He sat up next to her on the seat of the window nook. He took in her form as it drowned in the oversized gray sweater she stole from him the second she got the chance. Nothing was visible except for the fingers that held her book and her bare legs that were kicked up on a footrest.

“Kiss me.”

“Why?” She chuckled pretending she was still reading her book.

“Because I love you and you love me.”

She put her book down on the footrest and pulled her legs beneath her and sticking her lips out cutely. He grabbed both of her cheeks with his large hands and pulled her lips to his. She giggled into the kiss and it made him love her even more.

“Take off my sweater.” He said pulling away from the kiss.

She tilted her head curiously, “Why?”

“Are you going to question me all day or are you going to trust me?”

She grabbed the hem of the sweater and pulled it over her head to reveal nothing but her cotton underwear beneath. He grabbed her hand and directed her to scoot closer. She moved so that she straddled his lap. It was not the first time he'd seen her nearly naked but she still blushed at the way his eyes never left her face, despite the distractions that sat bare and in his eyeline.

He wrapped his arms under her thighs and stood up. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly.

“Namjoon!”

“Trust me, would you?” He laughed carrying her down the hallway to the bedroom.

“But I’m almost finished with my book!” she feigned a whine.

He bounced her in his arms to hear her squeal, “It will still be there when I’m done with you.”

Namjoon’s tongue stuck cutely out of the side of his mouth as he focused on looping a hair tie over her hair creating a sloppy bun. She leaned over the edge of the tub when he was finished and grabbed the book they had been working on together. She lifted it over her shoulder to him but he refused it.

“Actually, I was hoping you might read tonight.” he said with his hands on her shoulders.

She looked over her shoulder at him with a pout. “You know I love when you read the ones in English, Joonie.”

“I know, but please, humor me? Just for tonight.” he begged.

With a sigh she leaned back against his chest, the only thing between them was a thin layer of soapy water. She let book open to the page with gold tassel they’d been using as a bookmark and let out a gasp.

“Joonie,” her voice was barely a whisper.

“Yes?”

“Is this…?”

“Do you want it to be?”

“Kim Nam Joon.” she said sternly.

“Yes, jagi. Yes it is what you think it is. Yes, I want to know if you will marry me.”

“Oh,” she said simply as her lip trembled. Namjoon grabbed the book from her shaking hand and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Don’t cry,” he murmured into her hair.

“I’m so happy.” she sniffed and then looked for the book realizing it wasn’t in her hand anymore. “Hey, give me my ring.”

Chuckling Namjoon grabbed the tassel out of the book and let it hang before her. A silver band with a humble but beautiful diamond dangled from the end. She slipped the ring on her finger and leaned back against his chest again pulling his arms over her shoulders like a sweater.

“You love me.” she teased happily.

“Very much.” he kissed her head again and grabbed their book.

He read to her until the candles that were lit around the bathroom had burned down to nothing and the water surrounding them was slightly cold. Some of the time she held the book for him as he read, the other part of the time she slipped her fingers into his free hand and admired how well they fit together. When their hands got pruny from the water she imagined that’s what their hands would look like together years from now and her heart filled with pure joy.

Namjoon knew very well she wasn’t paying attention to what he was reading, but he continued on regardless. He knew that she would come back to the book later and reread the pages she had been daydreaming through. She did it all the time, even if she would never admit it to him. He liked that she did it because he knew that when she daydreamed it was of him, of them, and he couldn’t fault her for that.

She sat in the rocking chair watching his hair fall over the tops of his glasses. He needed a haircut. He was leaning against the headboard a book open in his hand.

He read aloud, “Finally the prince burst through the thickets of the forbidden forest, mere steps away from the castle. He ran. His lungs burning, begging for air as he made his way to the castle doors.

Throwing the doors open to the great hall he cried, ’Princess, I'm here! I'm here to save you.’

But he was too late-”

A tiny gasp escaped the lips of Namjoon’s main audience, her small hand clutching at his forearm making his dimples grow deep with a smile, “Minhee, you know what happens, why are you acting so surprised?”

The little girl with her father's eyes and her mother's soft brown curls, looked up at him shyly, “Appa, you say it scary.”

“Oh, I'm sorry angel. I'll say it differently next time.”

“No!” She whined, “that's what makes it good.”

“Ok,” he chuckled and kissed the crown of her head before he continued reading, “As the prince looked around the quiet hall he noticed all of the destruction. Tapestries ripped from the walls, bricks and beams fallen on the ground. In the center of the great hall laid the giant beast, slain. Standing atop his stilled chest was the princess. Her silk dress slashed in pieces and splattered in the black blood of the monster. The infamous sword, with its golden and ruby hilt, clutched in her hand. Silently he bowed before her, the truest warrior.”

“You can stop there.” The little girl announced and tucked herself in under her blanket.

“The story's not over yet.”

“I know.” She smiled happily.

“There's still the part where the prince tells her he loves her and their big royal wedding...and the happily ever after.”

“I know, appa.”

He looked up at his beautiful wife as she smiled at the pair of them, “She's growing up too quickly.”

“I know.” his wife smirked cheekily and Minhee giggled under her blankets.

“Aish, little one! Close your eyes it's time for bed.” Their little girl squeezed her eyes shut and pursed her lips waiting for her good night kisses.

Namjoon gave her several quick kisses and then turned to his wife who was now by his side. He reached his arms up and took the small bundle from her arms.

“Switch!” She said and bounced on the small bed attacking her daughter with kisses. Minhee squeaked with delight, twisting and kicking under the blankets as she was tickled.

The newborn bundle in Namjoon's arms squirmed slightly at the noise so he brought him into the next room so that his two favorite girls could play. Placing his baby boy in the crib he sat on the edge of the bed and then laid back against the cool sheets.

He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep. He didn't mean to. He was just going to rest his eyes. When he woke up later it was early morning and she had tucked herself under his arm at the end of the bed and had thrown a blanket over the two of them. As carefully as he could he picked her up in his arms and brought her to the head of the bed, tucking her legs beneath the comforter.

Before he was able to slip back into bed himself there was a stirring in the crib. He picked up his woken son and fed and changed him. Namjoon brought him into the living room, sat on the couch with the little one resting against his chest and pulled up a book from the table, and began to read to him.

#kim namjoon scenarios #kim namjoon fluff #bts scenarios #bts fluff #rapmon scenario #rapmon fluff #kpop scenarios #kpop fluff

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everythingbychoice · 5 years

Link

Beaded tassels are attractive, versatile accessories that can be used to decorate around the home, embellish clothing, or jazz up jewelry. You can make them in any design and color you want. All you have to do to create one is join several strings of beads, called trailers, together into one tassel skirt. Then, you can top off the skirt with some decorative beads or a bead cap.

EditSteps

EditDesigning Your Tassel

Decide how many trailers your finished tassel will have. You can make a tassel with as many trailers as you want. Just remember, the more trailers you make, the heavier the tassel will be. Keep this in mind especially if you intend to add the tassels to a piece of jewelry, like a pair of earrings.[1]

When deciding how many trailers, also consider the size and type of beads you will be adding. The number of trailers not only affects the weight of the tassel, but also the bulk. For bookmarks, keychains, or necklaces you may want to go bold with large beads. But for earrings, smaller beads are better so they don't hurt your ears.

A thin-tasseled earring might only have 5 or 6 trailers, while a keychain might have up to 20.

It’s helpful to sketch out your pattern on paper so you can visualize what the final piece will look like.

Choose bead types and colors according to your design. Beads are made in many different sizes, colors, and materials. Depending on what you want to do with your tassel, you can choose any combination of beads that suits your style and purpose.[2]

Usually larger, decorative beads are used on the bottom of the tassel trailers and on the body of the tassel. Small, simple beads called "seed beads" are great for use as fillers and spacers. Play around with different sizes and shapes until you find a design you love.

Metal beads will be heavier than wooden or plastic beads, so keep the size and weight of the beads in the mind as you decide which to use.

Gather all your beading supplies and place them in front of you. Once you’ve decided how many trailers and what types of beads you want, you need to gather all your supplies. Beading supplies can usually be found at craft and sewing stores–there may even be a specific aisle dedicated to jewelry-making materials.[3] You’ll need:

A spool of beading thread

Beads of your choice

A large, thin needle called a beading needle

Scissors

Ruler or tape measure

Something to cap the trailers and finish the tassel: a bead cap, one or more larger beads, or a small jewelry ring called a "jump ring"

EditMaking the Trailers

Cut your beading thread into segments to form the trailers. The trailers are the individual strings on the tassel that make up the tassel's "skirt." They can be any length you want, but you need to make sure to cut the thread about longer than the length of the finished skirt. To cut your thread, lay the line out alongside a ruler or measuring tape and make equal cuts until you have made enough trailers.[4]

The extra length will make it easier to tie the starting and ending knots and to attach the trailers together in forming the tassel skirt.

For earrings, you probably want to cut no more than of thread, for a finished skirt that is about long. For keychains, bookmarks, or other jewelry, decide what is comfortable for you to carry or wear and measure based on that.

Tie a stopper knot in one end of each trailer to hold the beads in place. Stopper knots are larger knots at the end of a line that will keep the beads from falling off. You can either tie a specific stopper knot, or just make a couple knots on top of each other to form a single knot big enough to keep your beads from slipping off the thread. The knot just needs to be bigger in diameter than the hole of your bottom bead.[5]

Tie the knot as close to the end of the thread as you, leaving just about tail at the end. If you find it's difficult to tie the knot that close to the end of the line, you can leave a little longer tail and just trim it at the end.

Thread the open end of the first trailer through a beading needle. If you have a steady hand or are using larger beads, you can skip this step. Threading the line through a beading needle is to help you work quickly and efficiently without losing the end of the line or struggling to feed the line through each bead.[6]

If you're having a hard time threading the needle, try folding it at the end and pushing the folded loop through the needle's eye. The fold will stiffen the thread, making it easier to push through the eye of the needle.

You can also wet the end of the thread with your tongue to make it easier to pass it through the eye of the needle.

If your needle has a really small eye, try using a needle-threader–they're available at most craft stores.

Slide the beads according to your pattern down the needle and onto the thread. Holding the needle upright (or the thread if you do not use the needle), slide the beads onto the thread one at a time according to your planned design.[7]

Some people like to start with larger starter beads at the bottom and then add smaller beads, but it’s not a necessary step. As long as the knot you made at the bottom is wider than the diameter of the first bead, you can add the beads in any order you want.

Leave at least of open thread at the end of the line so that you can tie off the line and secure the beads in place.

Seal the top of the trailer with another stopper knot to hold the beads in place. Directly after the last bead on the trailer, add another stopper knot to secure the beads onto the line. Don’t forget to make sure the knot is wider than the last bead so that the beads don’t slip off.[8]

If you don't finish off each trailer with a stopper knot, your beads will fall off the line and you'll have to start over.

Tie this stopper knot as close as you can to the beads. Ideally, it should be flush against the last bead, so that your row of beads doesn't slide on the trailer.

Make the rest of the tassel skirt by adding and securing your beads to the trailers. For each trailer, thread the needle, slide on the beads, and secure the beads with stopper knots. When you are done, you will have several beaded strings ready to form into a tassel skirt.

To easily keep track of how many trailers you've made, lay them out on the side of your workspace as you finish them.

Use a piece of tape to stick the completed trailers to the table if you are worried about losing any. This is a good tip if you have a cat or small children that might get curious about your project.

Inspect your trailers to make sure you like the way they look. Once your trailers are all made, lay them out on the table in front of you. Make sure they look how you want as individual strings and that you like the way they look together with the other trailers. If you don’t like any of them, cut open the knot, remove the beads, and remake it.

There is no specific way the trailers should look. It's completely up to you and your design preferences!

EditJoining the Trailers

Join your trailers under one or more larger beads to finish the tassel. To create a tassel with a beaded skirt at the bottom and a big bead or string of beads on top, just feed the lines of the individual trailers through one or more larger beads and secure with a large stopper knot.

To make it easier to pull the ends of the trailers through the topper bead, either twist them together to make one bigger and stiffer line, or thread them through a large-eyed needle to easily pull them through the bead's hole.

To secure the topper beads, you can add a dab of hot glue or super glue at the point where the thread comes out from the top bead.[9]

Cap your trailers with a bead cap to create an ornate tassel. Bead caps are bell-shaped caps that slide over the top of your tassel skirt and give it a nice, finished look. You can choose between open or closed bead caps, depending on how you want to use the tassel after you’ve finished.[10]

For an open bead cap, just thread the trailers through the hole in the cap and secure it with a stopper knot and glue as you would with a large bead topper.

For a closed bead cap, tie the trailers together with a large knot and super glue the knot to the inside of the bead cap.

Tie the trailers onto a jump ring to add them to a piece of jewelry. If you want to add the tassel to something else where the top won’t show, you can just tie each trailer to small jewelry ring called a jump ring. This forms a tassel skirt that you can attach to a bracelet or a necklace, or even sew into a clothing project.[11]

You could also glue the tassel to the back of a brooch.

EditVideo

EditTips

Doing the beadwork on a flat surface will make it easier to thread the beads in the pattern you have in mind, and also makes it easier to compare the succession of beads on the trailer you are working on with the ones you've already completed.

EditThings You'll Need

Spool of beading thread

Beads of your choice

Large, thin needle called a beading needle (optional)

Scissors

Ruler or tape measure

Bead cap, 1 or more larger beads, or jump ring

Hot glue or super glue (optional)

EditRelated wikiHows

Knit With Beads

EditReferences

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#EverythingByChoice

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albinzadamski · 6 years

Text

Real Party: Liberty Poetry Café

Inspired by the sonnets of Shakespeare and the words of William Wordsworth, host a bridal shower or Valentine’s Day Tea along the lines of a Poetry Café.

BOOKMARK THE DATE

Craft an invitation card in the format of a bookmark: print party details on long thin strips of cardboard with floral paper printed on the reverse. Thread through a cotton or twine tassel at the bottom edge.

CORNER CAFE

Host the tea at your favourite coffee shop, tearoom or any dining room and living room will do. Corner off an area and by pulling in couches and chairs close to coffee tables and side tables you will create a cosy nook. Add Party Pieces Rose Gold Floral Garland across the space for a festive touch.

A HOST OF GOLDEN DAFFODILS

Take a leaf out of the books of Romantic poets and full the room and surfaces with vases of pastel spring flowers: yellow daffodils, pink tulips and green wheatgrass in pots.

RHYME OR REASON

No Poetry Café would be complete without poems: visit your local library and check out a dozen or so poetry books. Make these into mini stacks and tie each pile with pretty ribbons to form part of the table centre decorations.

POESY PLACEMATS

Set the table with Party Pieces Liberty paper napkins and plates, or have you seen the new Ditsy Floral collection? Craft your own paper placemats from pretty patterned paper and add the printable “Something Novel” or “Delightful” party circle tags to tie them in with the theme.

VERSE VOTIVES

Make your own theme appropriate decorative candles by printing out poems onto paper. Cut into strips, fold and cut out a mini heart “window” in the centre of each. Wrap around glass mason jars and fasten with tape. Add a tea light candle inside the jar and trim the lip of the jar with a satin ribbon bow. Not only will the soft candlelight create a romantic and fragrant atmosphere, but also the votives can be gifted to guests after the festivities have ended.

GOOD IDEA: Keep the little heart cut-outs and scatter these on the table like confetti.

HOW DO I LOVE THEE?

Serve classic teatime treats like buttercream cupcakes, pastel macaroons and tea sandwiches: combinations like Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche and Roast Chicken with Cranberry will go down a treat but you can never go wrong simply serving Cucumber with Cream Cheese and Egg Mayonnaise with Watercress.

CREATIVE COCKTAILS

In addition to serving different types of tea and coffees – set up a Mimosa Bar, where guests can create their own cocktail by mixing one part Prosseco and one part fruit juice. Decorate with fresh fruit pieces, herbs and Ditsy Floral or Rose Gold paper straws.

BUNDT BUNTING

A classic Victoria Vanilla Sponge Cake served with fresh double thick cream and berries is made even lovelier by adding a mini bunting cake topper mimicking the festoon one hanging overhead.

PEN NAME

Make it easy for guests to get to know one another by giving each guest a little paper ribbon brooch to wear during the party bearing their name.

CONVERSATION CRACKERS

Purchase or make mini crackers from pretty paper and ribbon bows. Fill the paper poppers with little paper scrolls detailing a conversation starter, a famous quote or line of poetry and possibly even a trivia question, riddle or joke?

MUCH LIKE FRIDGE POETRY

For a bit of fun and instead of a typical guestbook, print and cut out a host of words. Then encourage guests to write a short poem to the bride-to-be and stick these inside a notebook with their other well wishes.

NOTEWORTHY

Make the party favours by purchasing plain paper envelopes and note cards. Decorate the envelope with floral paper liners and create a set by wrapping a paper band around a pile of cards and envelopes and seal with the printable party circle tag saying “Noteworthy”.

EX LIBRIS

For additional party favours make the printable bookmarks, “From the Library Of” bookplates and package these into little parcels for each guest to use as part of their home library. You may even wish to gift these together with a new or second-hand book of poems.

Download all free printables here

The post Real Party: Liberty Poetry Café appeared first on Party Pieces Blog & Inspiration.

from Home Decor Collection https://blog.partypieces.co.uk/real-parties/real-party-liberty-poetry-cafe/

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lotsofdogs · 6 years

Text

PBF Gift Guide: Gift Ideas Under $25

If I were on top of my game and a better planner, sharing my PBF Gift Guides before Black Friday and Cyber Monday would’ve probably been a good idea but then again, it’s really hard to focus on shopping for gifts when your mind is consumed by thoughts of travel and turkey. If you’re just now coming up for air after Thanksgiving weekend craziness, hopefully the timing of my gift guides will be helpful to you! And if you’re all done with your holiday shopping, I hope you can hear my applause from here. Phew!

I’ll be sharing a small collection of various gift guides over the next couple of days/weeks with normal blog content sprinkled in the mix as well. As always, this won’t be a complete gift guide takeover, but I plan to feature similar gift guides to those I’ve published on the blog in the past that seemed to go over well with you guys!

Since stocking stuffers and inexpensive gifts are some of my favorites to shop for, I wanted to kick off this year’s PBF Gift Guide series with a roundup of gift ideas under $25. In fact, many of these gifts are under $10 and will hopefully pop out to those of you looking for that one special little something to wrap up for a loved one this year.

Enjoy!

Also, if you have any gift ideas for me to include in my favorite Gifts That Give Back Gift Guide this year, please let me know in the comments section of this post!

PBF Gift Guide: Gifts Ideas Under $25

Letter Board

I ended up ordering a letter board for our family on Black Friday because it seems like such a versatile way to communicate everything from holiday greetings and Happy Birthday messages to dinner menus for casual get-togethers with friends and more. It’s the kind of gift I could see many people enjoying but not thinking to directly add to their holiday wish list.

Corckcicle 12-ounce Stainless Steel Stemless Cup

This handy little cup keeps hot things hot for three hours (Coffee! Tea!) and cold beverages cold for nine hours (Wine! Cocktails! Iced coffee!). If you happen to reheat your cup of coffee 5 times every morning then I think you can understand the appeal of this gift idea! I also LOVE it for wine, especially when you’re on vacation or want to enjoy a cold glass of white wine on the back porch without it sweating and warming up too quickly. A great gift for coffee and wine lovers alike! These Corkcicle cups are selling out like crazy (probably because they were featured as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things this year – some additional colors are available via Things Remembered) but Swig and Sassy Cups seem to make similar 12-ounce cups with a lot of different colors available on Amazon.

Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate

I’m pretty sure this hot chocolate has been included in a gift guide every year since I began sharing gift guides on the blog. Apparently free samples work because Ryan and I first fell in love with this hot chocolate when we tried it in a Williams-Sonoma store and it blew us away. We ended up unknowingly buying it for each other for Christmas that year and now it’s something we buy every holiday season. The chocolate shavings make it feel a little more gourmet and special than usual hot cocoa and every cup is rich and creamy. The peppermint hot chocolate is my favorite flavor but every one I’ve tried has been amazing.

Gifts Ideas Under $10

Invisibobble

The Invisibobble was a previous Things I’m Loving Friday feature and it’s something I use every single day. It does the best job of any hair tie I’ve found at eliminating the bump in your hair caused by pulling your hair back with an elastic and I use it to pull my hair up at night to save my waves when I curl my hair so they last for a couple of days. The Invisibobble is also great for creating a loose messy bun!

Cozy Socks

I wear slippers non-stop in the colder months and when I travel, I love packing slipper socks to bring with me to keep my feet nice and toasty. A new pair of cozy slipper socks is a fun gift to give and receive and I love the look of these Pudus Classic Slipper Socks and the Amazon reviews are fantastic. And if you’re looking for athletic socks, BOMBAS socks are the best and a huge hit with my entire family.

Beauty Blender

I know, I know. I am SO late on the Beauty Blender train but now that I’m on it, I am never, ever hopping off! I used to dot on my concealer using my fingers but once I discovered Beauty Blenders, they changed everything. They allow my makeup to go on smoothly and cover blemishes and dark spots with less makeup and better coverage. Win, win! I love using them to dab concealer on my face and also smooth it over the dark circles under my eyes. Even those who already have a Beauty Blender would probably welcome more of them as a stocking stuffer since they are disposable and should be replaced fairly frequently.

PopSocket

HECK YES, PopSockets!!! This little gadget took some getting used to but after four or five days of using it, I don’t know how I managed my phone without it. I have the larger version of the iPhone 6s and my PopSocket makes it much easier to snap selfies, prop my phone up when I want to watch a video or follow a recipe online and makes me feel more secure when I hold my phone and text or respond to emails. I swear by my PopSocket and with so many different patterns, colors and designs available, it’s easy to find one that will appeal to everyone on your gift list this year.

Stainless Steel Straw / Koffie Straw

I don’t know what it is about drinking liquids through a straw but I greatly prefer it to gulping from a glass or a mug. I use my stainless steel straws daily and love popping one into a can of LaCroix or a tall cup of water. The Koffie Straws are my favorite for sipping hot coffee or tea in the morning and protecting my teeth from staining.

Seche Vite Instant Dry Top Coat

If you know a woman who loves to paint her nails but rarely has the time to do so, consider this fast-dry top coat! This nail polish was one of the best discoveries of 2016 for me (thank you to a blog reader for recommending it) because a few swipes of this top coat over any nail polish – essie, OPI, you name it – and your nail polish will dry almost instantly. It’s a miracle-worker especially when you want to paint your nails at the last minute and don’t have time to sit around, not touching anything for a bazillion hours. I LOVE this stuff so much!

Additional Gift Ideas Under $50

Makeup Remover Cloth (This $7 cloth is AMAZING and powerful! It easily removes makeup, including stubborn eye makeup at the end of the day.)

Portable Bluetooth Speaker (This $13 speaker has wonderful reviews.)

Tassel Keychain

Lil’ Chizler (A cheap but powerful food and label remover tool and a very useful stocking stuffer.)

Initial Mug (LOVE Anthropologie’s new intial mug design!)

Personalized Key Hanger (Love the rustic look of this Etsy find.)

New Book + A Unique Bookmark

Festive Candles

Cozy Sweatshirt

Journal/Planner

Essential Cocktail Book

Custom Name Ring

Body Butter

6-pack of Hand-Selected Local Beers

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