#and i saw a christmas photo in pinterest

[slowdive1994]

might as well succumb to christmas cheer, right?

[agendabymooner]

mamma mia (again) ! daniel r. x ofc (måneskin member! ofc)

“they ask me why i’m so hot, ‘cause i’m italiano.”

summary: a series of video clips, but it’s only just danny ric being in love with a certain lester alessandro.

content warning: hint or two of suggestive comments (nothing detailed or graphic), use of explicit language, filler blurb or something, danny being a simp for few videos straight (“have my kids” type beat), lester being an etsy and pinterest enthusiast, literally posted this blurb from my phone so they’re crazy about their image limits 😩

note: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE 105 FOLLOWERS?! UHM? seriously, i’ve never been so happy. i honestly only started posting these because i have them ingrained in my brain and won’t let go until i write or make something. just indulging my imagination you know? enjoy xx

masterlist

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐁𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐘 𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏

【VIDEO ONE — daniel ricciardo is a gatekeeper】

[1st image: yeah, i dunno. everyone just found out that i made it official with my girlfriend and i’m pretty sure i just saw lando weeping in his room. max was the second to react to it and i’m so sure he recoiled. he did say that he didn't want to know what happened in imola few months ago.]

[2nd: interviewer: what happened in imola few months ago? daniel: *chuckles* wouldn’t you like to know - nah, i’m messing about. nothing happened in imola besides from me retiring to my bed early. i think we were both drunk when i posted that photo and i know it looks lewd but there's no way we could've done anything questionable.]

[3rd: d: but yeah. we didn't really want to catch that much attention until maybe i don't know... when we're married or something *chuckles* i: keep it a secret until the wedding? d: yeah. but charles, the absolute fool, posted videos during the concert with me in the background. It would've been real nice if no one caught onto it until we had a mini ric running and racing, you know? just to wreak havoc.]

【VIDEO TWO — daniel ricciardo talks about lester’s love language in his gq video】

[1st: i got this journal from lori. it has my initials "DR" on it for daniel ricciardo*laughs* it's one of those many first gifts that i’ve gotten from her throughout our first few months of dating. her love language isn't just shitting on my life -she has every single aspect of love language within her and this is one of them.]

[2nd: when she gave this to me, all she said was "you can write out your thoughts if you can't let them out through your mouth. *giggles* "she clearly had her thoughts sorted out that time especially when she showed me a page with an embossed phrase or nickname, "tasso di miele" - it means honey badger. she apparently bought the custom embosser from etsy and almost fought tooth and nail just to get it in time. *laughs even more* i love her so much, i honestly wanted to cry that day.]

[3rd: lori actually has a laptop with *laughs* itunes on it and she still got some playlists from 2010-2014? yeah. she’s put a lot of old taylor swift songs in my ipod during the christmas break. my favourite album right now is speak now. she loves red.]

【VIDEO THREE — lester hates ashy hands confirmed】

[1st: daniel: i think i should just cover my hands with gloves all the time. lando: that literally has nothing to do with anything that we're about to do. d: lori tells me that my hands are rough whenever she holds them.]

[2nd: l: or you know... you can just use a hand lotion all the time because your hands dry up real fast? d: ah that's true. i wonder if that's why lori just casually put a bottle of hand cream on my travel bag. the thing smells nice though. it’s chamomile.]

【VIDEO FOUR — it’s okay to spoil your partner; even if it’s an accent chair from her pinterest board】

[1st: d: lori just sent me a picture of an armchair from ikea. l: why was she randomly in ikea, by the way? I saw the text. d: window shopping. but anyway, she saw this armchair that she had on her pinterest board. she asked "pretty or no?" with the green velvet chair. l: what did you tell her?]

[2nd: word to word? I texted her "LOL you should see the accent chair I've gotten you for our flat in monaco." l: are you serious? *laughs* d: she wouldn't tell me what she wanted for her birthday. I only got a brief idea when she left her phone in my pocket once and gave me a free access to her pinterest boards.]

[solarpunkani]

okay so pardon me as I wax poetic late at night about solarpunk again but like

and once again, I'm biased because I'm co-hosting the aesthetic week event, you know the drill, but

I feel like sharing our projects--big and small--are so important because they can inspire other people to do their own. And obviously this can be about sharing news about climate action, and scientific projects and progress and discoveries, but tonight I'm thinking about crocheting.

As we think about the future we want to create as solarpunks, we trade ideas. And oftentimes a lot of the ideas we trade are about futures with barter systems, where many many people do crafts like sewing and mending and knitting and the like. But--and I could easily be the only one but I feel like I'm not--I personally was too nervous to start many crafts myself. Because I didn't know what I'd do with the craft, if I was even capable of it, or if it was too big and complex for me. I'd been tossing around the idea of learning how to crochet for years, and my mom's been tossing the idea around just as long if not even longer for herself, but y'know what brought me over? You know what finally got me to give it a shot?

An online Solarpunk friend sharing pictures of a bag.

I saw that bag and I went 'huh maybe I could do something like that,' and within a few days I'd bought a bunch of yarns and hooks and was on a call (with a different online friend) learning how to do some basic stitches and knots to get started. By the end of the night, I was teaching myself how to make granny squares, with the help of a (different) online friend writing instructions to help me out as I got stuck.

And maybe I finish my bag, or my scarf, and I post a picture online--not even a professional, pinterest-ready photo, just a quick pic of it laid across my bed or something--and I inspire someone else to start crocheting. Hell, I've already inspired my mom to take a crack at it once the Christmas season is over.

But it doesn't even have to be me. It doesn't even have to be crocheting. Maybe someone posts a picture of a hat they just finished knitting, and someone else decides to pick up a loom or some knitting needles. Maybe someone crafts a birdhouse or a desk or a bench out of wood, and someone picks up a hammer for the first time. Maybe someone crafts something awesome out of clay and wire, and someone gets inspired for a new project. It can even be across artforms! Maybe someone sews an awesome dress, and someone else is inspired to write a short story by it. Maybe someone writes a short story, and someone else goes to paint a mural somewhere inspired by a scene in that story.

And in a sense I find it incredibly solarpunk. To inspire one another to learn and grow, develop new skills, to always find inspiration and hope to keep trying new stuff.

Some people laugh and scoff at the idea of posting ~aesthetique~ homemade clothes to the solarpunk tag, a handful think the whole aesthetic week event is pointless, but I find it the opposite. Solarpunk is about revolution, but it can't always be big revolutions. Sometimes its the small revolution of picking up a craft that changes your life, or creating an image that inspires others to fight for a better future. It can be about writing something that makes others question why things are the way they are, when they can be better. Sometimes the desire for a nice knit scarf can be the start of a mini barter system, or become part of the mutual aid we all dream of.

I feel like I had a point with this but I forgot. But uhm... yeah.

[certaincollectionlandblog]

Mick Schumacher with a Southern girlfriend - Wedding Edition

*Disclaimer: I use Y/N and reader, but when I write this in my mind I see her as a tall plus size gal (mainly because that's my personal body type), but also because I really see Mick doing amazing with a woman like that. If there is anything I write that doesn't apply to you feel free to leave it out and like always feedback is always appreciated and loved!

Photos from Pinterest

~ Mick knew for a while that he wanted to marry you. There was no doubt about it in his mind. You were the woman for him. You gave him such a sense of comfort and home that no other woman ever gave him before.

~ He grew up watching his parents have one of the most beautiful love stories ever written and he saw that for him with you. It was like God knew what he needed in someone and put in all in a you shaped package.

~ Mick's family had a ranch in Texas and while you loved going to Texas and spending time on their ranch he knew that he couldn't propose to you there. Your family had land in another state (I'm getting a Virginia/Tennessee/North Carolina vibe here) and he knew how special that space was to you.

~ Gina and his mom were the first to know of his plans to propose. He knew this wasn't an over the phone conversation so he sat them both down. His mom cried happy tears and gave him such a bear hug. Her little boy was growing up and she was so happy to see him experience such a wonderful love.

~ In fact Mick went as far as to visit your parents while you were busy out of town at college wrapping up finals to ask their blessing. He knew he didn't need it, but you both were huge family people who were raised that family was pretty much the back bone of life.

~ He even asked your parents for their okay to use y'alls land to propose out of respect for it being their home.

~ Your mom, Gina, and his mom all helped him pick out the perfect ring. Your dad has the mission of being the one to go help you move out after finals saying your mom couldn't get off work when in reality they were ring shopping with Mick.

~ He ended up picking a ring similar to your grandmother's knowing how special she was to you and your mom almost cried.

~ Mick recruited the aid of your siblings in keeping up with the weather reports knowing how much loved snow and helping Mick put up lights.

~ A Christmas proposal that could only be rivaled by Hallmark was under way.

~ Mick knew you were so smart and would be sure to be suspicious if he was in town when you got back from college for Christmas break right away. However, your parents had the perfect plan to help him out. Your parents told you that for Christmas they had invited Mick and his family out to spend Christmas with you guys knowing how much it mean to you to spend the holidays together.

~ As soon as they got to the house your mom pointed out how nice the weather was and asked if you wanted to take Mick up to watch the stars like you two loved to do. Mick had greeted you with flowers at the airport when you picked them up, but that was nothing new. He loved to spoil you with flowers. As soon as you got to the top of the land you saw the lights all laid out and when you turned around for Mick he had already dropped to take a knee.

~ Something about the snow really made the blue of Mick's eyes pop and you knew your eyes weren't leaving his anytime soon. You were speechless and he knew that didn't happen often so he grabbed charge of the silence.

~ "Y/F/N Y/M/N Y/L/N I've fallen in love with you. Growing up we're read fairytales, but told they don't exist when we reach adulthood. You see life through a childlike joy with a compassion and love for life like I've never seen before. You make me feel at home every time I'm with you, regardless of where we are. I love you and I look forward to every second I spend with you. Thank you for making me believe in fairytales again. So what do you say, will you marry me?"

~ You couldn't say anything other than nod your head yes and pull Mick up to hug him tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

~ You didn't miss the cheers of both yours and Mick's family which had hiked up behind y'all all recording and taking photos. You were so enthralled with Mick and the proposal you didn't even notice them there.

~ You and Mick decided it would be best for you guys to wait until after your college graduation to get married knowing how stressful college was Mick didn't want to overwhelm you planning a wedding during that to.

~ You guys ended up getting married on his family's ranch in Texas three weeks after your college graduation in late May. It really was a full circle moment.

~ Mick is a shy guy, but you both knowing how important family is to y'all ended up having a huge wedding. The guests were mainly family and then some close family friends.

~ You don't know how you got so lucky, but you know that having a love so strong with Mick and your family by your side that you two could get through anything.

~Instagram~

yourinstagram

liked by charles_leclerc, carlossainz55, yourmom, and 528 others

yourinstagram Best Christmas gift ever!!

Comments on this post have been limited

Roughly six months later

yourinstagram

liked by yourmom, yourbestfriend, f1wags, and 473 others

yourinstagram Did something pretty fun yesterday. Would recommend marriage 10/10

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f1wags MOTHER HAS BLESSED US ONCE MORE

yourbestfriend I feel like I should have consented before seeing that second photos brb grabbing some holy water

yourinstagram You took the photo?! 🙄

[trulybetty]

dec' x 28 - snowman

Prompt: snowman Pairing: sequins!joel x reader Word Count: 1,253 Warnings: domesticity, baby girl miller, really loose fit of the prompt, festive fluff. Summary: Joel Miller in an ugly Christmas sweater. AO3: Linked

x. masterlist

“You promised me,” Joel muttered, eyeing the sweater.

“I did,” you acknowledged with a knowing smile, remembering the promise you made to avoid matching outfits. 

“Then please explain why darlin’ I’m looking at some ridiculous sweatshirt?”

“But you didn’t make Sarah promise you.”

He groaned, a sound that was half-resigned, half-amused. “Do I have to wear it?”

You leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on his lips, feeling them curve into a reluctant smile. “You know the answer to that,” you replied, pulling on your own matching sweater. You caught the brief look of disappointment on his face as he lost sight of you in your bra.

The sweater was admittedly garish, bright red with stitched snowmen and snowflakes, but as you all got dressed, even Joel couldn’t resist a smile. The baby looked adorable, snug in a miniature version of the sweater, alternating her tiny fists into her gummy mouth.

Much like the festivities in October, Sarah was championing another set of traditions for your small family and its new arrival. She’d been begging for a family Santa photo for weeks. You’d mentioned casually bringing the baby to the mall for a photo alongside Sarah. The words hadn’t finished leaving your lips before Sarah had exclaimed the words ‘matching christmas sweaters’.

Joel had put his foot down over dinner that night, remnants from Thanksgiving you’d hosted for your family in town for the holidays two days before. Though it hadn’t taken much time for Sarah to sweet talk him into her festive plan.  

“On one condition,” he said around a mouthful of leftover turkey, “you don’t go posting these everywhere,” he conceded with a wave of his fork.

Sarah had been practically buzzing with excitement and with no delay had started bombarding the two of you with ideas from her Pinterest board she’d curated, it’d actually been somewhat impressive. She’d even allowed Joel the choice of sweater from her shortlist, unbeknownst to him that she had fixed it for him to pick her favourite. It had needn’t of mattered, for Sara Joel would hang the moon if it made her smile.

Later that night, Sarah posted the picture to Instagram despite her promise to her father. She showed you the post with a caption that read, ‘First family Christmas with my baby sister! #MatchingSweaters #FamilyGoals.’

“Didn’t you promise not to post it?” you’d asked, despite already having pulled up a website to create a Christmas card from the very same image.

Sarah gave you a devilish grin that was unmistakably all Joel, “He’s got no clue how to use the internet,” you raised an eyebrow as she doubled over, laughing at her own joke, “He’ll never see this!”

It was later that evening, the baby sleeping soundly and Sara in her room FaceTiming with her mother, when you and Joel were sat in front of the TV watching some action movie you’d conceded on to avoid half of an hour of back and forth. 

You were absently scrolling through your phone when Joel’s phone on the coffee table started to buzz with notifications. Joel groaned as he leaned forward to pick up his phone when it didn’t fall silent after the first notification.

“I should just switch the damn thing off,” he grumbled as he reluctantly slipped on his glasses when he realized he couldn’t clearly read the text.

‘Joel! Saw the Christmas pic, nice sweater!’ the message read, followed by a string of laughing emojis.

Joel looked at the phone with a mixture of confusion and amusement. “How did they even find that picture?” he muttered, half to himself.

You leaned over, peering at the text. “Aww, they’re excited for you.”

A new text came in, this time from Tommy that was just simply a string of emojis. 

Joel shook his head, a smile creeping onto his face despite his attempt to look annoyed. “I don’t even know how I got into this chat. Or how to even get out of it.”

The teasing from the group chat continued a playful ribbing that was clearly grounded in affection. They were genuinely happy for him, for the life he had built with you, Sarah and the new baby. As the messages ran back and forth, poking fun at his sweater and the ‘adorable’ family picture, Joel couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and contentment.

You watched as his eyes softened while scrolling through the messages. “You secretly love it, don’t you?” you teased.

He looked up, the mock gruffness in his expression failing to mask the warmth in his eyes. “Maybe just a little,” he admitted. “But don’t tell Sarah,” a smirk on his lips. “I have a reputation to maintain.”

[cuntydreamgirl]

things i love (because i've been too much of a hater lately):

farmer's markets, candid photos, f1, the smell of cookies, steph bohrer, football, birthday paragraphs, emily henry books, retail therapy, reading, handwritten letters, mexican food, red nail polish, learning new languages, french accents, voice messages, pinterest, fc barcelona, olivia rodrigo, journaling, vanilla lattes, traveling, taylor swift's discography, brunch, potatoes in any form, sally rooney's normal people, sunday mornings, thrifting, in n out, fresh pastries, tan lines, trees!!!, chelsea fc, "the grandstands that he saw built as a kid growing up now rise for him", long skirts, gift-giving, grey's anatomy, scuderia ferrari, fresh flowers, freckles, harry styles, lake trips, concerts, manifesting, my bff, compliments, the irish (paul mescal and ayo edebiri), big sweatshirts, walks through campus, fun bed sheets, warm lighting, hot chocolate and christmas movie marathons, gracie abrams, kitten heels, fruit!!!, black mini skirts, vanilla creamer, people watching, the idea of living in london one day, cream blush, post-beach showers, la la land, my family, "we should do this" texts, academic validation, long car rides, real girl's girls, bonfires, kind strangers, late night workouts, vienna by billy joel, airports, soft launches, romanticizing life, criminal minds in the fall, my mom's cooking, hammocks, photobooths, "update me on everything", december 18 2022, halloween, rainy days, platonic love,

[d1tz]

🐋 D1TZ's Crystal Escapade! 🌊🦭

➜≋🌊﹒ If I'm gonna be honest, I need a little space to breathe

﹒ PERSONAL INTRO ⺌﹒

੭⛵️⊂ Welcome, traveller! My name is January, but you can call me Jan or Ditz! I'm 18 years old (don't be weird about it). I'd rather not disclose my gender, but I go by they/them! I also aDORE music bands like Wallows, Rex Orange County, and Dayglow. As you can see, I am not obsessed with BG3's Preminger 💙⊃

➜≋﹒ And I'm living and loving my life by the sea!

﹒ BLOG INTRO ⺌﹒

੭⛵️⊂ This personal blog is a mix bag of Plushstarion content and my Tav (Tavern Rootbeer) and Astarion's shenanigans. I can't promise to post daily Plushstarion, but I can try! 💙⊃

➜≋﹒ If I'm gonna be honest, I need a little bit of the breeze

﹒ MINI FAQ ⺌﹒

⊂🐚⊃ "Can I use your photos as my pfps?"

I don't mind at all! Astarion does make himself a photogenic material for pfps, even in plush form.

⊂🐚⊃ "May I share your photos of Plushstarion?"

I highly encourage you. Spread Plushstarion in all his glory! Just don't forget to credit me, of course.

⊂🐚⊃ "What inspired you to post pics of Plushstarion?"

I saw a blog where they post daily Astarion pics. Seeing pictures of my beloved never fails to put a smile on my face! Since I got Plushstarion for a Christmas exchange gift, I thought to myself..."Hey, why don't I do the same thing, but with Plushstarion?" Lo and behold, this blog now exists! At first, it was supposed to be only for Plushstarion, but I've made it my own personal blog and added my Tav whenever I feel like it!

⊂🐚⊃ "Can I send asks about your Tav?"

PLEASE do! I may not be fully done with Tavern's lore, but I'll happily answer any ask! I love rambling about them whenever I get the chance :DD

⊂🐚⊃ "Can I permanently borrow Plushstarion?"

Haha no 🫶

➜≋﹒ And I'm living and loving my life by the sea!

੭⛵️⊂ And that's all folks. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to read everything! If you have any questions, my ask box is a few clicks away!! 💙⊃

Credits: Blue star divider by @chachachannah , blue gradient divider by @rookthornesartistry , blue aesthetic pictures from Google/Pinterest (the link below is there if you want to individually download the 9x9 picture above!), song name is Life by The Sea by Tubbo

Link to individually download the 9x9 pictures above

Tavern Rootbeer's reference art

[e-dubbc11]

Just One Day

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: A couple of swear words, talks of abandonment, tiny bit of angst if you squint but not really. This is all of the fluff, the fluffiest of them all. It’s the cutest, it’s so cute it’s nauseating.

Word Count: 6.7k-ish ( I am SO sorry it’s a little long but it needed to be)

Summary: It’s holiday time! Reader is an owner of a small boutique. A handsome stranger walks by her shop every morning, they start to talk and he tells her he doesn’t enjoy this time of year, she asks him to give her one day to change his mind.

A/N: This is based off of an ask from my sweet sweet Lily @munsonownsmyass She asked for Christmas fluff and that is exactly what she is getting. It is all the Christmas fluff wrapped into one fic. You wanted a hallmark movie? Well a hallmark movie you shall have! Now, I tried to find out what time of year it was that Billy’s mother left him at the fire station but I couldn’t find it anywhere so I just made it so it was at Christmas time and since it’s my story, I do what I want 😆. I really hope you all like it!

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

The countdown to Christmas had officially started today, the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday. Shoppers were out and about early that morning, customers in and out of your little boutique shopping for gifts, and this time of year it was hard to keep items in stock.

Your little shop was doing very well considering it was New York City, the home of Dillard’s, Bergdorf Goodman, and Bloomingdale’s. Maybe it was because your shop had a lot of items that weren’t necessarily mainstream style, they were unique.

Clothing pieces were mainly black or white, you carried a lot of jewelry that you called “toned down rock star,” most of the pieces had studs or rivets on them, dainty skull necklaces and earrings were all over the counter and in the glass cases, and fairy lights hung around mirrors and in the display window.

It was a combination of rock and femininity, leather and lace, and you were very proud of what you had built. Your hard work was paying off.

Before opening earlier that morning, you had been busy changing up your display window when he walked by. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, long winter coat, scarf wrapped around his neck and carrying a cup of coffee. You couldn’t help but stare at the man’s beautiful deep brown eyes, they looked like two polished pieces of black onyx, his dark brown, almost black, hair was perfectly styled and he had a short well-groomed beard.

He smiled as he walked past you decorating your window, that perfect smile. He was the most handsome man you had ever laid eyes on and he was smiling at you.

The following week, he walked by every day and at the same time, 7:45 sharp. You thought he must be a man of routine and always so punctual. The suits were always different but the smile never was, his smile was always the same as it was every day—perfect, and you always knew what time it was when he walked by.

On an early December morning, you were busy trying to move some items from the store floor to the display window and completely lost track of the time. It wasn’t until you heard light taps on the glass that you realized what time it was, there he was standing outside your display window smiling and he extended his long fingers in the air to wave to you—it was 7:45.

You could feel the heat rising to your cheeks, oh no—you felt yourself blushing when he made a pointing motion over towards the front door to your store. He wanted to come inside.

Immediately the hair on the back of your neck started to stand up and your hands started to get warm, why did he want to come inside? Maybe he saw something in the window he wanted for his girlfriend, there’s no way a man that handsome would NOT have a girlfriend, right? You walked over to your front door to unlock it.

God, he was even more handsome up close, you didn’t know that was even possible.

“Good mornin’, I know you’re not open yet but I just wanted to ask you a question.” He said in a friendly voice, he had a slight New York accent.

“Oh! Of course, please come inside, it’s quite cold out there this morning.” You made the motion to invite him inside and pulled the shade back down, the store was still closed after all. “Was there something in the window you liked? Sometimes it’s hard to keep items in stock so if you saw something for your girlfriend, I could set it aside for you.”

With an ever so slight glow in his eyes, he was looking around, taking everything in and smiling while he did so. He seemed to really like the vibe of your store.

“Actually, I don’t have a girlfriend. I just wanted to ask you—do you change your display window every mornin’?” He asked.

He didn’t have a girlfriend. A smile spread across your face, the butterflies in your stomach were hard to control, and you weren’t expecting that question, so you started to chuckle a little. “Oh! Well, for the month of December, yes I do. I get a lot of fun little gift items this time of year and it seems to help bring people into the store so I like to try and show off as much as I can in the window, hopefully people see something they like.”

You were holding one of the newer items that came in recently and you were on your way to place it in the display when he tapped on the glass. “Like these! I just got these in the other day, chocolates filled with different kinds of alcohol.”

The handsome man’s eyes lit up when you mentioned the word “chocolate,” he must have a sweet tooth.

“Plus I love this time of year, and I love to decorate. It’s a lot of fun, don’t you think so Mister?”

His smile wasn’t as bright after you said that. “Oh I am so sorry, it’s Russo…Billy Russo.” He extended his hand for you to shake it.

“I’m y/n, it’s nice to meet you Billy.” You said, shaking his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you too y/n. And I’ll take your word for it, I don’t really enjoy this time of year.” He said.

You didn’t even know Billy but it broke your heart to hear him say that. His dark chocolate eyes looked so sad, there must be a reason as to why but you didn’t want to push him to talk about something he was clearly a little uncomfortable talking about.

He interrupted the silence. “Well I’m sorry y/n but I do have to get to work, I would love to look around the next time I come by, if that’s alright.”

“I’d like that, Billy. It was very nice to meet you.” You said to him.

“It was very nice to meet you too, y/n.” He said with a smile on his face. “Will I see you tomorrow?” He asked.

“7:45, right?” You joked.

“7:45.” He said.

On your way home that night, you thought of Billy. You knew not everyone enjoyed the holiday season, people had their reasons but for Billy, something told you that he wanted to like it but had every reason not to.

What were his reasons? Could you convince him otherwise? You did know one thing…that you’d like to try. But would he agree to it? Well, the worst thing he can say is no. Now you would just have to work up the courage to ask him.

Another week had passed before you could ask Billy to spend the day with you. During that week, he came to the shop every morning before he went into work at 7:45 like he always did, he even brought you a coffee which was very sweet of him.

You learned some things about him during that week also. He told you he owns his own company, he was in the marines, and very briefly mentioned he grew up in a group home. It was obvious Billy didn’t want to talk about that at all, which you couldn’t blame him for.

The fact that he even mentioned it surprised you but still, you didn’t want to pry or ask a lot of questions if it made him uneasy. But he loved to ask you questions, about your shop, about your family, about your life. He certainly did seem interested in you. Maybe now was a good time to ask him.

“Billy, I’d like you to give me one day to convince you that the holiday and Christmas seasons can be amazing and fun. What would you say to that?” You finally asked him. Your heart was beating right out of your chest wondering if he would say no.

He flashed you a slight smile and said “I’d say you have your work cut out for you, but let’s see what ya got anyway.”

You were so surprised by his response, you weren’t sure you heard him correctly. “Really?!”

“But what if you can’t?” Billy asked.

You glanced at the floor and back up to his handsome face. “Then I’ll never ever bother you about it again. You are free to continue to bah humbug your way through life and I won’t judge you for it. But I get to plan the entire day and you can’t say no to anything, deal?” You extended your arm for him to shake your hand.

Billy firmly gripped your hand and shook it with a confident look in his eyes. “It’s a deal, y/n. So when do we start?” He asked.

“What’s today, Wednesday? Meet me here on Saturday morning, 7 am.” You told him.

He rolled his eyes. “7 am?!! Come on y/n, that’s so early for a Saturday!”

“What did I say, Mr. Russo? I said you couldn’t say no to anything, remember?” You said with a slightly wicked smile.

“Alright, alright…7 am, Saturday morning, I’ll be here.” He sulked a little, but only a little and tried to bite back a smile. “Anyway, I gotta get to work. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“7:45, right?” You asked.

“7:45.” Billy said.

A light snow fell on the city Friday night into Saturday morning and you thought it couldn’t be more perfect for today with Billy. You were going to make sure to show him a good time and maybe, just maybe he would have second thoughts about the holidays and Christmas.

He texted you earlier that morning to ask what he should wear because he didn’t know what kind of activities you would be doing. Always a marine, you couldn’t say that Billy was never prepared, you really liked that about him. So you told him to dress warm, in layers, there would be a lot of outdoor activities and a few indoor ones too.

He texted back Ok great…I can’t wait to see what you have planned.

As usual, Billy was on time. 7 o’clock on the dot. He had on black jeans, black boots, a leather jacket and a winter hat. Does this man ever NOT look handsome? He caught you putting the finishing touches on your display window for the day.

“Wait a minute, what time did you get here this morning anyway to change your window around?” He asked in complete disbelief.

“I think it was around 5:30? Maybe? I can’t remember. It was early though.” You were full of energy, excited to take on the day.

“You’re insane y/n, absolutely insane to be up this early on a Saturday morning. Here…” He chuckled a little while handing you your coffee.

It was hard not to laugh at him, he did look a little sleepy but he’s not going to have time to be tired with everything you have planned for today. “Thank you.” You took the coffee from his hand, and brushed his fingers with yours, they were warm after being inside his black leather gloves. “You excited for today?!” You asked him with your eyes wide and a giant smile across your face.

“Not as excited as you are but I am excited. I don’t want you to get your hopes up though, like I said before, you have your work cut out for you.” He said.

“Challenge accepted, Mr. Russo. Challenge accepted.” You stated with confidence.

“So what’s our first mission?” Billy asked with a smile on his face.

You smiled back at him. “Mission…are you ever NOT a marine? Never mind, I know the answer to that. Ok, Mr. Russo…to the park!! Let’s go!” And you gently pushed him out the front door of the shop.

When you arrived at Central Park, the walkways hadn’t even been cleared from last night’s snowfall but it wasn’t that much so it was quite easy to walk through. The park was so beautiful after fresh snow had fallen, everything was covered and everything was very quiet. It was just very peaceful.

“I’m so excited it snowed a little last night, now we can make a snowman!” You told him.

“Y/n, there isn’t that much snow on the ground, how are we gonna make a snowman?” He asked you with a furrowed brow.

“Well, we’ll just have to make a little baby snowman then.” You said. “Remember, you can’t say no!”

The snow was the perfect consistency for making a snowman, not too light or powdery and just heavy enough to stick together. You watched Billy start to roll the base of the snowman, he was concentrating very hard, trying to get it perfectly round and smooth.

Such a perfectionist, you wondered what his apartment must look like. You imagine it must look like a museum, everything has its place, it’s very clean, and it probably could use a woman’s touch. No, no, no you can’t be thinking about that, Billy wasn’t yours. This was just an outing with a friend, nothing more.

He placed the head of the snowman on top of the body and asked “Ok y/n, but what about the face?” He asked.

Luckily, you were prepared for that question. You pulled out a small plastic bag from your backpack that contained two small rocks for the eyes and a baby carrot for the nose.

Laughing at you, Billy asked “You packed the snowman’s face in your bag for the day?!! What else do you have in there?” He made a motion like he was going to open your backpack when you pulled away.

“Don’t worry about what else I have in here, now crouch down so I can take a picture of you with your baby snowman.” You said.

“Only if we take one together too.” He said softly. “It is OUR baby snowman, after all.”

You stared at him for a brief minute. There was something about the way he said those words that was so sincere and warm. The smile on his face wasn’t forced or fake, it was genuine. He even smiled with his eyes, the way he looked at you with those intense brown eyes sent shivers down your spine. Oh no, your crush on Billy Russo was real, it was very real. Hopefully, he didn’t notice.

After taking a couple pictures, he asked what was next on the agenda. “Where is the cruise director taking me next?”

“We’re going to feed the ducks, follow me please.” You said with excitement.

The two of you walked side by side towards the bridge, talking and laughing together. When you reached the bridge, you opened your backpack and pulled out three small bags that held uncooked oatmeal, grapes that were cut in half, and rice. Billy started to laugh again.

“Ok, seriously y/n what else do you have in there? I’m half expecting you to pull a rabbit out of there the next time you open it.” He said.

“Ok, after this, I don’t have any other weird shit in my bag, I promise. It’s just food for the ducks.” You said.

Billy looked a little confused. “We used to just feed the ducks bread when we were kids, what is this stuff?” He held the bags in his hands, carefully looking them over. “Oatmeal, grapes, and rice? These ducks are eating better than I am!” He said jokingly.

Billy Russo made you laugh, at times he made you laugh like a crazy person which you loved. Having someone around that could make you laugh like that was just something you needed in your life, you’ve always loved having people around that you can laugh with.

Billy was easy to talk to also, even though he didn’t say that much, he always wanted you to talk and he loved listening to you especially when you talked about your family. Maybe it was because he never had one and wondered what it was like? You couldn’t be sure.

While you were feeding the ducks, Billy did do a little more talking about the way he grew up, his time in the marines but he never revealed too much. He was still very guarded and he kept a lot inside but it seemed like he was starting to trust you a little more. You continued to talk to try and make him feel at ease.

“My father used to take me here when I was little.” You told him. “There were always so many swimming around, like there are right now. See that one down there with the little tuft of feathers on his head?” Billy nodded. “There was one just like it when we used to come here a long time ago, he was the one who would eat out of my hands. He had no fear. I always wanted to be more like that duck, but I’m just shy and scared of everything.” You tried to laugh it off a little and dropped your gaze from Billy’s face to the water down below.

You could feel Billy staring at you while you continued to stare down into the water and feeding the ducks from the different bags of food. He reached into the bag with the rice in it, looked at it, and gingerly touched the back of your hand before taking the rice out of the bag. Did he mean to do that? It was probably just an accident.

“I’d say you’re pretty fearless.” Billy stated. “Taking someone that you barely know on an adventure like this just to try and help a cynic enjoy the holiday season more. That took some guts y/n, asking me here today. I’m very happy that you did though.”

You felt yourself start to blush a little but looked down again towards the duck food which seemed to disappear from the bags rather quickly but that’s only because you and Billy just talked and talked on that bridge for at least an hour.

“The bags are empty, does that mean we’re movin’ on to the next thing?” Billy asked. He really did look like he was having fun.

“It sure does! Are you ready?” You asked him as you grabbed the sleeve of his jacket.

“Lead the way, y/n. Lead the way.” He said with a glimmer in his eyes.

It was time for ice skating at Rockefeller Center. It was apparent that Billy had never been on ice skates before, wobbling back and forth, trying to keep his balance. It was amusing to watch.

“Do you want me to get you one of those walkers like they give to the kids?” You giggled.

Billy narrowed his eyes and glared at you, if looks could kill. He was not amused for the briefest of minutes before you took his hand in yours. “Pick one foot up, then do the other one, make sure you shift your weight from one foot to the other. Keep your other arm out for balance. That’s it.” He was starting to get the hang of it. “Do you think you could push off with one foot and skate up ahead of me?”

He tried to push off but forgot to let go of your hand and you both went tumbling down onto the ice. He felt terrible though for causing you to fall.

“Shit, y/n. I’m sorry—that was my fault. I forgot to let go. Are you hurt?” He asked with a concerned tone to his voice, looking you over to check to see if you were hurt. You could tell he was a little angry with himself yet you still found it endearing, the perfectionist in him wanted to get it right and definitely did NOT want to hurt you.

“It’s ok, Billy. It’s ok, really.” You told him grabbing his hand again. “I’m not hurt, I’m fine. Have we done enough skating for today? Are you ready for a couple of indoor activities?”

Billy nodded, still mad at himself for dragging you down onto the ice with him.

You pulled him to his feet and skated, very slowly, back to the entrance to the rink and walked over to the bench to take your skates off. Billy angrily untied the laces to his skates and you felt like you had to ask. “Billy? Are you ok? I’m sorry about the skating—I probably should have asked if you were comfortable before just pushing you out onto the ice, so if I—“

He interrupted you. “No, it’s not that y/n. It’s not, I just—“ He paused then turned to look at you. You could tell it was difficult for him to tell you what he was feeling so you didn’t push, you just let him go at his own pace. “If I had hurt you, I don’t know what—ah shit, why do I feel like such an asshole when I try and say what I feel?!”

It was your turn to interrupt him. “But you didn’t hurt me Billy, I told you I’m fine. It’s not my first time falling down on ice skates. My very first time on ice skates, I looked like Bambi out there so you don’t have to apologize for that.” You knew it was difficult for him to say how he felt and you were happy that he tried and that’s all you could have asked for.

He smiled a little.

“Now come on, Mr. Russo—let’s go get you a hot cocoa bomb.” You said.

“A what?” He asked.

“You’ll see.” You answered.

After looking at Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for a few minutes, you headed to a coffee shop close by called Maman, you made your way there just to get out of the cold winter air for a little while. Billy looked confused when you gave him two cups for the hot cocoa.

“I thought we were getting hot chocolate.” He said.

“We are, these are hot cocoa bombs.” You told him.

Still looking quite confused, Billy asked “Ok, well how does it work?”

One mug had the hot chocolate bomb in it and the other had the hot milk in it.

“So just pour the hot milk onto the chocolate ball and all the fun stuff in the middle will be released, I got the one with marshmallows inside, don’t forget to use your peppermint spoon to stir it.”

Billy looked at you like you were crazy. “Ok, so the milk will melt this and the hot chocolate and the marshmallows are inside? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes. Here…watch me.” You proceeded to pour the milk over the chocolate, releasing the marshmallows from inside the shell and they floated to the top. “Now it’s your turn.”

When he did his, there was a childlike smile that danced across his face. After Billy told you a little more about the group home earlier, you thought about how he never really got to be a kid and do the things that little kids do like build a snowman, or have hot chocolate and that in a way made you feel sad for him and made you realize just how special your childhood was because there were children out there that didn’t grow up the way you did, Billy being one of them.

“Well, you’re right y/n, that is fun and it’s delicious.” He had a tiny bit of marshmallow on the tip of his nose which made you chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” He asked you.

Still laughing you told him. “You—uh you have a little marshmallow on your nose, lemme just get that.” And you wiped it off with a napkin, but you felt yourself blushing again while you did it. Your ears and your cheeks were warm which moved through your entire body. You weren’t cold anymore, you actually felt like you were sweating a little. Again, you were hoping Billy didn’t notice.

After enjoying your hot chocolate and a quick snack, it was off to another location but you didn’t tell him where you were going. Walking along the sidewalk, the two of you just talked and talked, Billy walked very close to you and always on the outside of the sidewalk, where the traffic was.

He never let you walk on the outside, it was like he was protecting you. You had been listening so intently that you almost walked right past it, the revolving door, the black sign with the gold letters—FAO Schwarz.

“You brought me to a toy store?” He said. There was a little excitement in his voice.

“I didn’t bring you to just ANY toy store, I brought you to THE toy store!!” You said enthusiastically. “I also have a surprise for you.” You said with a sly smile. “Come this way.”

The two of you walked through the store looking at all of the holiday and Christmas decorations, lights and ornament displays, beautiful wreaths adorned with bows and white lights caught his attention, and the toys—oh the toys.

You watched all the children playing, and walked past a few playing on the giant dance-on piano. Billy was smiling at the kids sliding and dancing on the piano.

And then there was the room with all the candy, his eyes were glowing at the sight. You should have known better than to take a man with a giant sweet tooth into a room full of candy.

After you stopped him from buying all of the candy in the room, you took him to where his surprised was. The gentleman behind the counter asked him “Are you Mr. Russo?”

Surprised, Billy said “Uh yes, yes I am.” He turned around to face you and asked “Uh, what is this, y/n?”

You lightly clapped your hands together. “Merry almost Christmas, Billy! You get to build your own remote control racecar!”

Billy closed his eyes and you’ve never seen a smile as big as the one he just gave you. Shaking his head slightly in disbelief, he looked at you like you hung the stars in the sky.

He was getting to experience things he clearly never got to experience as a child, he was speechless and the smile on his face made you the happiest person in the room.

Billy pulled you into his chest for the biggest hug you’ve probably ever received, his body was warm, you could feel how strong he was by his embrace and you could feel his abs and chest through the shirt he was wearing, and the scent of his cologne was intoxicating. It was spicy and unbelievably sexy. You didn’t want the hug to end but you pulled away anyway.

“Well, get to work Mr. Russo. Go build that car!” You told him.

Watching Billy put together his racecar so meticulously made you think that because of how he grew up, he most likely takes very good care of everything he has. He knows what it’s like to have nothing, to come from nothing so when he gets something, he treasures it.

Leaving the store, Billy couldn’t stop smiling. “You didn’t have to do this, y/n. Thank you. I can’t remember the last time anyone did something like this for me, if ever. Just…thank you.”

You didn’t know who was smiling bigger, you or him. “You’re welcome, Billy.”

“It’s starting to get dark, are we done for the day?” He asked sounding a little disappointed.

“Absolutely not, sir. I have one more thing planned but we have to take a drive if you’re up for it.” You said.

“I am definitely up for it. When do we leave?” Billy asked.

“As soon as we get back to the shop and I can get my car.” You said looking up at him through your lashes.

“Well I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for me, y/n.” He said.

You had been in the car for a few minutes when Billy realized the two of you were leaving the city. “Oh we’re leaving the city? Where are you taking me?”

“Well, we have a little bit of a ride but we’re going to my hometown. I love driving around looking at Christmas lights so I thought I would take you to all my favorite spots if that’s alright?” You said.

“That sounds great.” He said.

Your time in the car with Billy was spent singing along to 80’s metal, some classic rock, with some 80’s and 90’s hip-hop thrown in there. The two of you exchanged bad jokes, he kept an eye out for cops (because you were speeding just a little), and you really couldn’t remember the last time you laughed this much or had more fun.

The smile never left his face, whether he was looking out the window or glancing at you. With a lull in the action, you thought maybe now would be a good time to ask—he could always say he didn’t want to talk about it.

“Billy?” You said softly.

“Yeah?” He said.

“Now, you can tell me to mind my own business or tell me you’d rather not talk about it but, I just—“ you paused for a minute.

He looked at you like he knew what you were going to ask him.

“Why don’t you like the holiday season or Christmas?” You finally asked him.

Billy took a deep breath, brushed his beard with his fingers, and even though you couldn’t really look back at him because you were driving, he turned his body slightly to look at you.

Taking the exit into your hometown, there was a parking lot off to the right so you pulled over because you wanted to look at him.

“I wasn’t completely honest when I told you I was an orphan.” He told you. “I had a mother, I should say I still have a mother but she…she was a drug addict who wanted nothing to do with me. Now, I don’t remember a lot but the memory of her leaving me is vivid…” He paused for a minute and glanced out the window before he continued.

“She just dropped me off at a fire station in Albany, it was cold outside and there were Christmas lights around the front door frame and a picture of Santa taped to the door. So I don’t remember the date but I do remember those things and yeah that’s why I uh, really don’t like this time of year. She left me, like a piece of trash on the side of the road, she left me.” His voice hitched as he spoke and he gnashed his teeth. He was angry which he had every right to be.

You had never heard anything as heartbreaking as the story Billy just told you, except it wasn’t a story, it was real life—his life. No wonder he hated this time of year, how awful to be reminded of that every year, every time you saw a Christmas light or a Santa Claus, to know that the woman that is supposed to love and protect you, abandoned you and never looked back.

A tear rolled down your cheek. “Billy—I, I am so sorry. I’m sorry I asked, I completely understand why—you—“ Another tear fell onto your pant leg and you were left speechless, your throat felt dry and all you wanted to do was pull Billy into your arms to hug him.

You had a feeling of shame deep down in the pit of your stomach remembering you were taking Billy to look at Christmas lights, which was probably the last thing he wanted to do.

“Shit, this is probably the absolute worst thing I could do—take you to look at displays of Christmas lights. I’m gonna turn around, we can go back to the city and—“

Billy stopped you. “No, No y/n. I don’t want you to do that.”

“But Billy, this whole day must have been—“ You started to say.

But he interrupted you again. “One of the best days of my life—there is nothing I can say to thank you enough for what you did for me today. You know I didn’t even think of her once today until you asked me about it? Not once. It’s normally on my mind every minute of every day this time of year but YOU made me forget all of that.”

He leaned over the center console of the car and brushed your tear stained cheeks with his thumbs, the sadness in his eyes suddenly disappeared as he inched as close as he could get to you.

Frozen in place and trembling slightly, you didn’t know what to do but you didn’t have to do anything. Resting his forehead against yours for a moment, he then pulled back a little to only lean in again, you closed your eyes as his lips met yours, his long slender fingers traced the soft skin of your neck and back up so his hands could caress your face once again.

“I’m sorry y/n. I’ve wanted to do that for a while. I don’t know if you could tell but I kinda have a crush on you.” Billy confessed with a smile.

This time you moved in closer to him, taking his hat off so you could touch his hair that was just as dark as his eyes, and you whispered in his ear.

“Well, I kinda have a crush on you too Mr. Russo. I have ever since the first day you walked by my shop.” You kissed him on the cheek and grazed his beard with your fingers as your lips moved from his cheek to his lips. The taste of peppermint on his lips lingered from the candy he had earlier and he kissed you back with more intensity, parting your lips with his tongue. He entangled his hands in your hair and pulled back so he could pepper kisses on your cheeks and down your neck.

“I’m glad the feeling is mutual.” He said with a warm smile and he kissed your forehead, his lips felt soft against your skin despite being out in the cold for most of the day. “If you’re still up for it, I’d like to go see the Christmas lights like you planned…please?”

You looked into his deep brown eyes, he was being sincere and not just humoring you.

“Are you sure, Billy? Because I really can just turn around and head back—I don’t want—“

He cut you off with another kiss and then that perfect smile. “I’m sure, sweet girl. I’m sure.”

You nodded. “Well ok then! The first display isn’t too far away. You ready for our final mission, handsome?” You asked.

“Ready.” He said with a wink and a smile.

You drove around your hometown for the next couple of hours, showing Billy all of your favorite displays of lights, a few were set to music which he had never seen before, you went down one street where every single house was decorated, including their yard. That street was one of your favorites to drive down, you could tell he was staring at you, smiling because you were smiling and he looked…happy.

Afterwards, the two of you ended up enjoying pizza and beer at one of your favorite places in town. Billy loved to hold and kiss your hand, he loved to listen to your stories, including the one about your 21st birthday that started in the very bar you were sitting in and didn’t end until you walked through all of downtown and had a drink in every bar.

“…So needless to say, that ended poorly.” You said while laughing. There was another question you wanted to ask Billy, you were nervous but you asked anyway.

“Why did you agree to do this with me today, Billy?” You blurted out.

He took your other hand in his and glanced down at the table quickly and back up to have your eyes meet his and said “I’ve noticed this since my company has taken off, because I wear expensive suits and drive a nice car, the women I’ve dated…they’re all about what I can do for them. What nice restaurant can I take them to, what kind of flowers can I buy them, or gifts I can give them.”

He paused and squeezed your hand a little tighter. “You didn’t do that. You wanted to do something for me and never expected anything in return—I—I never knew what that was like before today. And even though this time of year will always be hard for me, you gave me something I never thought I would have—a happy memory at Christmas time. Thank you…for everything.”

The tears stung the back of your eyes, as you tried to keep it together but you couldn’t help but blink and let them stream down your cheeks. Your heart felt like it was going to leap out of your chest, that’s really all you ever wanted was to give him a happy memory.

A memory that would make him smile every time he thought about it, you knew it would put a smile on your face every time the thought crossed your mind.

You leaned across the table to kiss him again. “You’re very welcome, Billy.”

You will never forget every time Billy smiled that day, from the walk to the park in the snow, the childlike smile he gave you when you showed him how the hot cocoa bomb worked, the light in his eyes when you told him he was going to build his own racecar, to when he told you he had a crush on you. He didn’t even really need to say it, every single smile felt like…a “thank you.”

The Not Too Distant Future

The water beneath the bridge rippled with the movement of all the ducks swimming by, back and forth they swam, gobbling up all of the food that was thrown into the water. Your diamond engagement and wedding rings shining brightly in the early December morning sunshine, even his gold wedding band reflected the sunlight as the two of you had to fight the other little hand reaching in to get some rice to throw down to the ducks.

“They eating it, mommy!” The little boy said, your little boy.

“Yes they are, baby.” You told him.

He was a carbon copy of his handsome father with beautiful dark brown eyes and hair to match. “The duck goes quack quack, daddy!”

“Yes it does, buddy.” Billy said smiling down at his son, watching him reach his chubby little hand down into the bag. Your little boy would laugh every time he’d see the ducks eat the food he threw down to them.

And there was your husband, you could feel him stealing glances at you. They were all for you, the woman who made him a husband and a father. He loved you more than anything, he loved you for giving him the family that he never had but always wanted.

Billy watched his son as he put his hand inside the bag to get more food but it was empty. “All gone!!” The little boy said as he took off running towards the other side of the bridge.

“Benjamin William Russo, don’t you run away from me!” You playfully yelled as you chased him down before he could get to the other side, the toddler laughing as you scooped him up in your arms, and blowing a raspberry on his chubby red cheeks. And Billy not able to take his eyes off of the two loves of his life, smiling his perfect smile at the both of you.

“Alright buddy, let’s go get a hot cocoa bomb.” Billy said.

Little Benjamin Russo looked at his father slightly confused. “What’s that, daddy?”

Billy looked at his son, kissed you on the forehead, and focused on his son again. “You’ll see, buddy. Mommy will show you. She showed me.” He leaned in to kiss you on the lips. “She showed me…everything.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @munsonownsmyass @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman

If you’d like to be added to (or removed from) my tag list for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕

[turvi]

Art Deco

The picture was taken from Pinterest obviously

George Weasley X f! Reader

You have always loved taking pictures and have requested your father for a camera for a long time. When you finally turned 18 your father gifted you a camera. When you took your camera back to Hogwarts all your friends were amazed at the photography skills you had. The Weasley twins were especially interested.

Because whenever they asked you to let them see the pictures in there you would refuse. So when during the holidays you were at the Burrow along with your friends Harry and Hermione you decided to bring your beloved camera, Fred and George made a plan to get hold of your camera as soon as you left it.

"Y/n hurry up we are getting late" Ginny yelled from downstairs.

"Just a minute I can't find my camera," you said breathlessly

"Oh, Merlin Y/n were are going Christmas shopping, give your camera a break you won't need it there" Hermoine voiced

"Hermione my love you never know when a pretty view is in front of my eyes and I would like to capture it with my camera, for example right now," I said descending the creating stairs

"Right now we are standing in front of you," Ginny said putting her hands on her hips resembling a lot like Molly.

"Exactly my point," I said finally giving up my search for the camera to look at the two blushing girls.

"Ok girls looks like I am going without my camera" you huff

As soon as you close the door Fred and George come out of their room.

"Ready to look at some pictures George?" Fred asked with his signature smirk

"Absolutely Fred"

"Why don't I make us some hot chocolate Ginny said they will be out for a while so while we look at the pictures we will have a hot beverage to enjoy" Fred suggested

"You read my mind, Fred"

Soon Fred entered their living room with two mugs brimmed with steaming hot chocolate.

"Ready George?"

"Ready Fred"

They soon were going through the pictures you had taken and as expected they were very beautiful. It looked like a professional photographer had taken them. You had taken photos of literally everything from the first sunrise of the winter to birds feeding their babies to George. Wait!??

"Go back"

Fred clicked the buttons to see a candid picture of George.

"She must have clicked my photos too since I am more handsome than you" Fred quipped

George didn't even bother answering as he was busy calming his beating heart. He had feelings for you ever since Ron first introduced you two but never acted on it since Ron is your friend and thought it would make things awkward.

"Huh, looks like our Y/n has feelings for you"

He was stunned at his words. He stopped paying attention as soon as he saw himself on her camera

"What makes you say that?"

"Look she has taken only your pictures" Fred had a shit-eating grin now. He was enjoying this. His twin brother and Ron's friend who would have thought?

Yeah, sure he saw when George would dagger stares at some poor boy when he approached you, or the time when he caught George giving you heart eyes when you were discussing your passion at the dinner table, or the time he walked in on George smelling the blanket you used. Ok yeah, he knew it was very obvious.

"Show me" Fred handed your camera to George's shaky hand. He noticed how the color of his twin's cheeks was turning the same as the color of their hair as he went through his photos. You made him look so beautiful. There were so many pictures of him.

Pictures of him laughing with Fred, sleeping on the couch, smiling in the sunlight, all sweaty playing quidditch. The butterflies were now breakdancing in his stomach.

"So are you going to finally tell her about your feelings?" Fred interrupted him from his thoughts.

"Wha- what feelings?" his palms were sweaty, there was no way Fred knew about his feelings

"Come on George I am your twin brother you thought you would be able to hide your feelings from me for too long?" he patted George's back

"Now you better tell her how you feel or I will kick you out of our home because your puppy love is slowly driving me crazy"

With that Fred left George in the living room to wonder how will he confess his love.

It was getting dark when you, Hermione and Ginny returned to the burrow. A huge commotion started forming at the doorstep. Everyone excited to see their presents.

"Kids no one will see their presents until Christmas" Molly berating the kids trying to clear the crowd

As soon as everyone took their spots you noticed George was still there leaning on the wall looking at you with an enamoured look.

"So you like taking pictures of sunrise?"

"Ye- yeah I think they are beautiful"

"You think I'm beautiful too?" he asked without missing a beat.

Your breath hitched his smirk only growing at your reaction. He closed the distance between you not breaking eye contact. You felt sparks when he took your hand putting your camera on your extended palm.

"I am so sorry I -

You got interrupted as he closed you in between him and the wall, putting an arm beside you.

"Sorry? Oh no love I loved the pictures you took there are so many I bet if I try looking I'll find more"

"ah," that's the most you could get out of your mouth.

"Don't worry I think you are beautiful too, would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me sometime?"

You quickly nod

"Words baby" nuzzling in your neck with his nose enjoying the reactions you are giving him.

"Y-yes I would l-like to" you took a deep breath to calm your beating heart

"Good I am looking forward to our first date," he said leaning away but not before kissing your cheek.

A/N: Was that good?

[purplesurveys]

1783

How long has it been since you moved out of the house you grew up in?    I haven't moved out.

What color shirt are you wearing?    It's light purple.

The last time you ate leftovers, what was it that you were eating?    I think it's been a while since I have a terrible habit of keeping leftovers and then never coming back for them ever again... BUT OH I think it was a double cheeseburger from McDonald's? sometime earlier this week. I still have a handful of other paper bags in the fridge that I need to get to soon.

What was the last flavor of ice cream you ate?   I had Aice's coffee popsicle when we went to Tanay over the weekend which I was super stoked about since it's my favoriteeeeeeeeeee and I haven't had the chance to have it since 2021 ehehehe. I must have finished it in 5 minutes and chewed my way through the ice cream for the most part lol.

Do you regret anything you've done in the last 24 hours, and if so, what?    Not charging my laptop last night because I had to painstakingly migrate from one outlet to another today, given that I was out all day for work.

What is your favorite type of soup? 🍜    Miso soup, mushroom soup, and this last one is more stew than soup but I love kimchi jjigae.

When was the last time you saw a beautiful sunset? 🌅    It's honestly been ages. I haven't had the time to pause and simply watch a sunset happen and silently soak in those few minutes in a while. The last time may have been all the way back in June when my friends and I had dinner on a tiny cruise boat in Bangkok.

What is your favorite song at the moment?    Cult of Personality by Living Colour for reasons that anyone who even slightly follows wrestling would know, haha.

What is your favorite board that you've made on Pinterest?    I'm not that deep into Pinterest to have boards. I only ever use it for quick searches when I need certain pegs for work Powerpoints.

Do you get on Facebook or Instagram more?    I'm on the Reels tab on Instagram more frequently than I would like to admit, lol. I'm connected to more people on Facebook but it's also still more boring, so when I'm on there I typically just look at the first 10, 15 posts on my feed to see what people are talking about then already close the app.

What color is your favorite sweater?    I don't have a favorite sweater.

What are three things people would never guess about you just by looking at the photos you post on social media?    I don't talk to my brother; I don't know how to ride a bicycle; I was deep into the British YouTuber invasion of the early-mid 2010s.

What is one thing you have too much of?    Right now that would be boxes of my fave coconut-scented reed diffuser but that's only because that's what I got my workmates this Christmas and I have yet to wrap them and give them out, haha.

What was the last thing you ate or drank that was blue raspberry-flavored? It must've been months or years now; raspberry is definitely not something I encounter a lot.

What are three of your favorite scents?    Vanilla, anything that's being baked, and apparently coconut.

What was the last flavor of tea you drank? ☕️    Lemon.

When was the last time you wore your hair in a fishtail braid?    Almost exactly a year ago.

What is one annoying thing your computer does?    I'm so attached to this laptop and it's my baby that I don't even have the heart to say anything bad about it lol. It's extremely slow and the 10 hour battery life has turned into 1 hour in the last six years and it barely has any storage left and has stopped becoming eligible for updates, but IT'S MY BABY DAMMIT.

What type of fruit do you eat the most?    I avoid fruits.

How often do you go out to eat?    Once or twice a month, I would say.

What would your dream wedding dress look like? 👰‍♀️    I'm too lazy to describe anything in detail as it is 10:30 PM and I'm too tired from work lololol but I would love anything that'd channel Audrey Hepburn. Something that'd be able to accentuate the waist with verrrrrrry subtle sleeves and a quiet yet elegant train that doesn't try to steal attention.

Which fall flavor do you prefer: pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon?    Pumpkin spice. Got to try the Starbucks drink when they were randomly giving out pumpkin spice free samples and I came out of that store a changed and converted woman.

What is the most annoying thing about your life right now?    All other PR/ad agencies are going on shutdown by the end of this week and my fuckin workplace isn't starting ours until next Friday.

Which holiday treat do you like better: candy corn or conversation hearts? Candy corn I guess, but I'm not a big candy person to begin with so eh.

What is your favorite apple-flavored treat?    Chewy candies, like Mentos.

What are you counting down the days to right now, if anything?    Our office shutdown. I'm so excited for it that I've started to stop exerting 100% effort at work lol.

What was the last book you read about?    It's an autobiography.

Have you been daydreaming a lot lately about a scenario you wish would happen?  I've been dreaming about it a lot, frustratingly enough.

What are three of your favorite things about camping? ⛺️    I've never gone camping before.

If you could choose what month to be born in, what month would you have chosen as your birth month, and why?    My birth month has never really been an issue to me and I wouldn't change it even if I could.

...and what is your actual birth month?    April.

What are three of your favorite things to do on a rainy day? 🌧️    If I had it my way I'd turn on the aircon, make my room as dark as possible, and take a long nap.

Would you rather eat strawberries 🍓 or watermelon 🍉?    Neither.

Do you prefer smoothies or milkshakes? 🍹    Milkshakes.

Do you prefer hamburgers 🍔 or hot dogs 🌭?    Burgers.

When was the last time you felt nauseous?    I had the most awful motion sickness last Monday.

What was the last thing you ate that made you feel nauseous?    The bagnet and bone marrow dish I had two weeks ago didn't necessarily make me feel nauseous but it did give me awful heartburn.

Do you enjoy going to your local county fair?    We don't have one in my city.

How far away do you live from the place where you were born?    I'd say it's a 1.5-2 hr car ride.

Do you prefer zebra print or cheetah print?  Cheetah.

[percervall]

decorating the house

Player: Kostas Tsimikas Words: 982  Requested: - Warnings: None, fluff, suggestive ending A/N: I wrote this one towards the end of last month, but didn't get around to posting it until now. The idea was kind of inspired by @footballerimaginess blurb on Kos decorating the house

Please let me know what you think! 🧡

Autumn masterlist

----------

“Hey babe?” came Kostas’ voice from the corridor as he walked into her home office. 

“Mm?” she responded, still focussed on making sense of the numbers on her screen. 

“Oh, you’re working,” he observed when he laid eyes on her.

“Gimme a minute..” she said, mumbling something under her breath about men named Greg and their inability to organise. Kostas smiled as he watched her work. She sighed and rolled her shoulders, pushing her blue light glasses up into her hair as she spun around.

“Okay, you had a question?” 

“Yeah, where do we keep the Halloween stuff? I tried the garage but it’s not there,” Kostas said.

“It’s up in the loft with the Christmas decorations. Why?”

“Oh, just thought I could decorate while you worked. The lads made it into a competition to see who could decorate the best. I have a feeling some of them will cheat by asking their partners to do it and then taking the credit,” Kostas explained, a child-like glint in his eyes. 

“Sounds like fun. What’s the prize?” 

“Pep said he’d get the winner a bottle of wine. Second and third both get Halloween sweets.” 

“So everyone’s a winner?” Kostas shrugged. “All right, well I’d say do your best– or worst since it’s Halloween,” she continued. She wondered if she should be concerned about the grin that broke on her boyfriend’s face when she gave him free rein like that, but decided it would probably be fine. What was the worst that could happen?

Kostas hadn’t been lying when he said he wanted to decorate. When she emerged from her office three hours later to get coffee, he had already decorated the staircase and hallway. She stopped in her tracks to take it all in. He’d strung cobwebs through the balusters of the staircase, adorning them with tiny black plastic spiders. The wall of the entryway was decorated with paper bats. She had a feeling he’d spent a good amount of time making those because she’d never seen them before. Her pumpkin-shaped glass jar had been filled with battery operated fairy lights, and placed on the entryway table. It looked really good, she had to admit.

As she moved into the living room, she stopped again. Their dining room table was covered in decorations and art supplies. Kostas was focussed on something that involved a glue gun and some candles. She dug her phone out of her back pocket and snapped a quick photo of him. Placing her mug down on the kitchen island, she moved to stand behind him.

“How’s it going?” she asked softly as to not startle him.

“So far so good. Did you see the staircase? And the wall?” Kostas said, looking up from his work. Now that she was closer, she saw he was using old crayons to add a drip-effect to some of the left over candles from last year. 

“Mmhmm. Where did the bats come from? I don’t remember them from last year?” 

He looked at her with a grin.

“That’s because I made them. Found a tutorial on Pinterest, it was easy enough to follow. I made too many so I used some for the wall behind the TV as well,” he said, pointing towards the fireplace. She followed with her eyes, taking in the paper bats and the cobwebs draped over the mantle. He’d put her skull candle holders down already and the two fake dog skeletons.

“And I saw someone use these things to make dripping candles,” he continued, holding up the crayons.

“Is that what the glue gun is for?” she asked, picking strings of fake cobwebs out of his hair. 

“Uhu, you put the thing in there,” he said, loading another crayon into the opening where the glue stick would normally go, “and then the heat will melt the wax. It’s easier than the blow dryer.” He nodded to her discarded blow dryer as if to prove his point. 

She smiled, watching him move the glue gun around the pillar candle until it looked like blood was dripping down it. Pressing a kiss to the crown of his head, she moved back to the kitchen to make herself another coffee. While the Nespresso machine spluttered away, she rested against the counter. 

“I think you might win this Kos,” she said as she took another look at what he had done so far.

“Really?” 

She nodded in reply and retrieved her mug. Taking a sip, she sat down opposite him at the table. 

“Can you film me making these candles so Pep knows I did it?” 

She smiled at how eager he was to get this right but got her phone out and started filming him crafting away. Turning around, she zoomed in on the fireplace.

“Just so you know Pep, Kos is in charge of decorating from now on. Couldn’t have done it better myself,” she said before turning back around. Kostas laughed and finished his final candle. He unplugged the glue gun, and gathered the candles. She kept filming him as he placed them down on the mantle. 

“Babe, if football somehow doesn’t work out for you, you have a future in interior design,” she commented as she put her phone down. Kostas beamed at her from across the room, admiring his own work. She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. 

“My beautiful Kos, a man of many talents..” she murmured and kissed him briefly. Kostas tightened his arms around her, chasing her lips when she pulled back. 

“Mm, follow me upstairs and I’ll demonstrate something else I’m really good at,” he pretty much purred in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. 

“Gotta clean up first babe, you made a mess.” 

“Give me five minutes and I’ll show you just how much of a mess I can make,” he replied, moving his lips down to her neck. 

---

Paper bats The mantel

[pagesofserene]

Dec. 14th: 11-Days Before Christmas (2022 Story Relay Marathon)

Hi, kindred souls! This is the second story relay of a 12-day story relay marathon I endorsed to my friend, ShiaraS (Discord: Shiara#5382) , that we will be doing from Dec. 13th to Dec. 24th—AKA 12 days before Christmas!

Since this is a marathon of sorts, we decided to lay some ground rules so we can "finish" each relay for each day. It would start with me drawing a prompt every morning from a plastic container that will serves as our bowl for this occasion. These prompts were collected by us from different sources (I will do my absolute best to give appropriate credit for the original creators/source material).

The story relay would then consist of 5 turns for both of us with a max. of 10-16 sentences each turn. After these, the story relay for that day would be considered "finished". THERE WILL BE NO EDITING DONE FOR ALL STORY RELAYS.

These rules were placed since ShiaraS' exams were also scheduled during the set week.

HERE'S THE WRITING PROMPT FOR TODAY'S STORY RELAY:

He was tracking a reindeer through the woods and came to a clearing. As he walked through the trees a hand pulled at the hem of his shirt. "Finally, we've been waiting for you," said the red and green clad elf. (via Pinterest link by bibliomavens.wordpress.com)

START OF STORY RELAY:

"Let's go. We are way behind schedule already." The tiny creature shuffled to his left. "What? Wh-why?" the man stammered as he tried digged his thumbnail to his index finger. "Hurry. Eric thinks this is not the time for your silly jokes," the elf demanded while wriggling its toes "Who's Eric? And I am not coming with you. Who do you think I am?" "I am Eric." pointing its tiny fingers right in front of its eyes, "You are Leo the Understudy", pointing at the man. "Well, Eric—", Eric the elf waved both of his hands, "—Hi. I am Leopold NOT Leo and I am not an understudy. I am a wildlife photographer.", Leopold showed his camera and Eric looked at it for a few seconds and shook his head with his hands on his waist. "No. No. Eric knows you are Leo, Santa's Understudy."

The man's eyes grew as big as the moon, "Santa's what now?" Eric the elf growled impatiently and pulled on the man's arm again. "We don't have time for your jokes, Leo. Santa needs help right now or the children of the world will wake up very disappointed tomorrow morning." Still dazed by all this, Leo let the little elf pull him through the trees. He had no idea what was going on. He came out here to get some shots of wild reindeer in the snowy forest floor, a sure winner for holiday magazines, and now an elf was telling him he was Santa's understudy? The only thing that made sense was that the eggnog at Chris' party had hit him harder than he imagined. Eric the elf pulled Leo for a long while until they Leo heard the sound of a man's voice not far from them. "Come now, Rudolph, don't be like that." The duo broke through the trees and Leo faced another shock as he saw Santa's sleigh parked feet away from him. But that wasn't what what shocked him, no, it was the sight of a sulking, red nosed, reindeer up a tree branch while Santa Claus tried to lure him down with some carrots.

"Oh Santa, what has gotten to Rudolph this time?" Eric wobbled towards the old man who even with him slouching trying to lay pieces of carrots in a comical pattern still towered over him tenfold. Leopold transfixed for a minute with the scene before him, still managed to whip his camera out and took a handful of shots. He decided that even though a bout of sugar rush from two glasses of eggnog gave him this improbable delirium, he will make the best of it by taking as many photos as he could. Perhaps in the morning, it will result in acceptable nightly pictures. He was so focused on doing so that he failed to observe the jolly tall bearded man who started to walk towards him. "It's been a long time Leo. You've grown!" "You know me?" queried Leopold after taking a portrait of Santa Claus. "Very well! I remember when you were a foot taller than Eric here but now voila!" claps Santa as he peered through his half-moon spectacles. "Who would have thought you'll return?" "Eric did! So as Martha, Lily, Lydia, and many more!" chimed Eric behind Santa Leopold bit the inside of his cheeks. "I'm sorry who are you, really?"

"Come now, Leo," Santa laughed, "Enough with the jokes. I know you had to blend in with the locals but I really do need your help with Rudolph." "I really have no idea what you're talking about! Who are you and why do you keep acting like you know me?" Santa's laughter stopped and he stepped closer to Leo. Leo backed away, uncomfortable with how close Santa was. "You really don't remember?" Santa said morosely. Santa looked defeated as he backed away and sat on a nearby boulder. He looked so sad and hopeless that Leo couldn't help but feel guilty even though he shouldn't. Eric the elf patted Santa's knee in comfort, all the while glaring at Leo. "Look," Leo started, "I'm sorry about all this but either I'm hallucinating or you have the wrong person. Up until today, I thought you were just a fairytale." Santa winced and Leo felt the guilt grow some more. "I am very real, Leopold." Said Santa, "All this is real. I do not know what happened to your memories but if you help me tonight, I believe I can help you restore your memories." Leo frowned. He would be lying if he said something about all this didn't feel right. It's weird and insane but it felt right, more than anything had the past 10 months. There weren't any gaps in his memories, he could tell you where he was born, what day, where he grew up, his first school. He could say it all. But, he would only be saying it. Everything from his past seemed so factual, so devoid of emotion as if reading someone else's biography. He remembered where he grew up but he couldn't remember what game he liked to play when he was a kid. He knew all the subjects he took in school, yet nothing in his memories told him who were his closest friends. Still, is all that enough reason to give in to this madness?

Leo looked over at the reindeer sniffing the air up above the tree. As crazed as anything that happened the last hour or so, he at least was near a reindeer albeit a different one from what he was following earlier. For all that, he could at most help the fabled old man and his overpassionate elf. Never mind how much absurd the situation was. He stepped forward and slowly picked four pieces of carrots off the snow-covered grass which was somehow arranged by Santa into a poor attempt of imitating a wink emoji. The creature was observing him with a look of annoyance, almost challenging him. "Hi, I'm Leopold but your friends here keep calling me, Leo. I guess you could call me that as well if you wanna be friends." Rudolph batted his eyes unbothered. "I hear your name is Rudolph. Can I call you, Ru-Ru?" its antlers gave a slight movement. "Do you like it? I like it enough for you. It suits you. But I gotta say having a tantrum and climbing up trees is definitely not on-brand for your name, Ru-Ru." Leo quipped munching on a carrot. The sound and the look Leo has been showing perked Rudolph's interest. "Oh do you want a carrot?" it started snorting in protest. "You do, do you?" Leo started munching more carrots. "You better hurry getting down here or else I would devour all of these carrots. Nom nom" Rudolph grunted and leapt straight towards Leo. "Woho ho ho! You did it, Leo!" exclaimed the now hopping and clapping Santa followed by Eric's shrill cheers, "Leo The Understudy!"

The next few moments were a blur. As soon as Rudolph had gotten his fill of the carrots, Eric hurried them along to get back to delivering presents. And, before he knew it, Leo was sitting next to Eric in the back seat of Santa's sleigh as the man himself urged the magical flying reindeer to soar higher. The air above the ground is colder and more biting, and yet Leo couldn't feel too unbothered by it. Up here, the clouds were within reach feeling like lightest water between his fingertips, the moon was bigger too, but even more amazingly, the lights from the towns below made it all look like another group of stars on the earth. "This is incredible." Leo gasped. "Still think this is a dream?" Eric asked him and Leo could only shake his head. No, this was definitely not a dream, he couldn't come up with half the amazing things around him. Because of his apparent memory loss, he never got to join Santa and Eric in actually delivering the presents. Instead, he had to stay by the sleigh and keep Rudolph from having any more tantrums. He did learn that when in flight, the reindeer moved so fast that it was impossible to see them unless they wanted to be seen. Anyway, when Santa had delivered his last present to a little boy in the Philippines, they all flew back to the North Pole. "Memories are special." Santa said, "They mold and shape us. Without the right memories, you would be a different person. So, your real memories can't be gone. They're still inside you, just buried." "And if that's true, you can help me? How?" "Every gift I deliver is unique and special. Each one holds a memory. Hopefully, that can help unlock your memories." Leo was unconvinced, "My old gifts?" Santa laughed, "Don't be silly. Not the gifts. The gift wrappers."

Leo stared incredulously at Santa, "Who keeps the wrappers or bags that came with each gift they ever received?" The old man sighed, "I take it you didn't keep any of yours?" "No. Not that I know of." Santa glanced at the young man and gestured towards his camera. "That camera, how long have you been using that?" Leo instinctively clutched his camera and recalled the day he first saw it. It was seven years ago. It was the year all of his classmates and neighbouring kids started to be preoccupied with individual hobbies and clubs of interest. He never really quite understand why it felt like he couldn't find a single interest he could spend hours doing except one thing, observing those that are around him. He was climbing up the bus on the very last day of school before Christmas break. He saw the driver clutching a worn-out bag. He remembered asking about it as he took his seat behind them. It belonged to the lady driver's father who passed away last summer. She found the bag with the untouched camera inside. It's unused by her father and did not have any sentimental value for them. She was contemplating dropping it off at the pawnshop but went against it when she saw how curious and fascinated Leo was. She gave the bag to Leo when then arrived at his stop. Since that day, Leo never went anywhere without it. The lady bus driver, always beamed whenever she saw Leo carrying it and mostly, especially when he was using it. "It's a long time ago. Feels like ages. It came with a bag." Leo saw Santa grinning. "It wasn't from you, it's from my old lady bus driver. Just so you know." "I didn't say it came from me...but the contents, some of it possibly." Leo gaped at him in confusion, "What? There was nothing inside the bag except the camera." " Did you check for other items other than the camera?" "What's in the bag?" Eric poked his knee, "Santa's gift for that year, dippy."

Leo frowned, "Even if any of that's true. We're on our way to the North Pole and that bag is in my apartment. I have work tomorrow." Eric scoffed, "Human brains." "What Eric means to say is that we are currently on the fastest transport in the world. We can stop by your apartment and make it back to the North Pole in no time." Before Leo could protest or agree, Santa had already flicked the reins again and the reindeer sped off into the night. True to his word, they reached Leo,'s apartment in what felt like seconds. Eric went with him while Santa combed the reindeer. Luckily for him, Leo was a bit of a pack rat and the bag was tucked away in a battered box in his storage closet. It was dusty, the leather was all but peeled off, the strap was torn, and the buckle was rusted shut. If Santa was right and gifts told stories, this bag would have a lot to tell. The trip back to the North Pole was as quick as Santa promised and when they got there, they were greeted by cheerful, excited elves. They shot confetti into the air that sparkled like little stars. There was an actual marching band and even jugglers! "Welcome home Santa!" "Ho Ho Ho," Said Santa, "Thank you all for this welcome! It was a long night but I'm glad for it all." "Movie! Movie! Movie!" The elves cheered. Santa laughed as he approached them. "You know the rules everyone. No film until Christmas morning." Leo whispered to Eric, "Film?" "The elves remember every toy they make. When Santa visits a house, he asks the Christmas ornaments to record the kids' reaction to their gifts. We watch them on Christmas morning." Leo looked amazed, "I didn't know that." "Come on, follow me and grab your bag." Eric said. The elf lead Leo to a house at the end of the street.

Before they entered through the door, Leo noticed how this house was different from the ones they passed by. Most houses had twinkling lights and polished finished while this one only has a wreath made from ivory vines and adorned with lilacs and one glowing star. Inside, a series of chimes echoed as they walked to the center where a huge round wooden table stood. Eric nudged Leo towards it and pointed to the bag. Leo placed the bag on the table and watched as Eric climbed on a stool he dragged towards the table. Then he began sniffing and patting the bag all over. His saucer-like wide eyes blinks furiously as he did this for a minute. Suddenly, he giggled and open a flap at the bottom of the bag and revealed a royal blue envelop neatly tucked below. Eric excitedly give the envelop to Leo. "Is that it? I thought there would be some whooshing sound or bright light. I still don't remember." Eric rolled his eyes, "You open it, receive the gift then place the envelop with your both palms on the table." Leo opened the envelop and saw what lies in it, a plastic card. He looked closely and it seems to be a credit card of sorts. It has his name on it written in gold lettering as well as his other personal details. "What is this?" "Oh you got the card all these times and didn't use it! It's a card of all wishes!" cheered Eric who somehow managed climbing on top of the table. "If a child wishes for a thing, you as the Understudy will see a vision of that wish above the child's head like a hazy gray cloud—if the kid was nice but not jolly, and unhappy. A bright red if that kid was naughty but still jolly. Blue, if a kid is both naughty and unhappy. Those are only the things that I know of." "So I grant wishes by swiping the card?" Eric took off his hat and became somber, "No, you do it before and after Christmas only. And you use to buy it anything you think a kid will need to —" Eric air quoting, "—survive so they can last until Christmas for Santa to come to give them presents." "I can do those things?" Leo was incredibly awed by the prospect "Not only you, dippy. There were others you see before you but they chose to live by human rules that they also perish by human ways." "There were others?" "Yes. I believe the owner of this bag and camera was an Understudy." Eric pointed out nonchalantly. Leo gaped and stared at his camera, the bag, and the card. "Why else would he have a brand new camera he didn't use placed inside a wornout bag before he died? It's his last attempt to pass along the torch to you together with Santa's gift."

The gift and seeing the North Pole went a long way to convincing Leo that some of this was real, but he wasn't quite there yet. "I still don't understand what you want from me." He said, "If I'm supposed to be the Understudy, it's pointless now that Christmas has gone." "Weren't you listening? You arrived late. You should have read the card when the former understudy, that bus lady, gave it to you. But you didn't so we had to build extra special toys to make up for your absence." Leo was silent. What else could he say? Who even reads the cards anymore? He didn't even know those were still popular. "I'm sorry ... I..." "Don't be sorry." Eric said and handed Leo a thick brown book and a candy cane. "Just read this." Leo frowned and sniffed the book. "Is this a gingerbread book?" "Of course it is. Did you think it would be leather?" He almost said, yes, but with how Eric laughed at the word, leather, he figured it wasn't important. He was currently talking with an elf in the North Pole after getting a lift on Santa's sleigh. The book was indeed made of gingerbread and right in the middle of the book was an empty space in the shape of a candy cane. Leo looked at the candy cane Eric gave him and placed it in the space. The effect was immediate and the book opened before him. The pages inside were, thankfully, made of regular paper. "The Understudy" He read aloud. "This is the story of every understudy that came before you." Eric explained, "Read this to know more about who you are and why the children of the world need you." Leo gulped, he considered closing the book and running to the sleigh, flying back to his apartment, and forgetting all this madness. But something stopped him. Call it fate or magic, whatever it was, Leo decided to trust it and read the book.

THE END. OR IS IT?

Please stay tuned for the rest of the story relays we will be doing!

[fenimores-book-nook]

Quatrième jour d'écriture sur les soins personnels

(Day four of self care writing ;) )

November 17th ~ 2023 *FRIDAY*

If you couldn't tell through my text, I'm very happy that it is Friday. It's not only the last day that I work this week, but it's alsoooooooo OPENING NIGHT FOR THE MOVIE, THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES, AHHHHH! I've been looking forward to this movie ever since I heard a new Hunger Games movie was coming out. And even more so after I read the book. Which is most definitely in my top three favorite books. :3 I'm planning on going to the theater in my town with a couple of my friends. As well as, because I'm a nerd, I'm bringing along one of my copies of the books. (yes, one of, I own two copies) 'Cause wouldn't it be fun to write my thoughts down in it and have everyone that I saw it with sign it? Yes. Yes it would. And who knows? Maybe the actors or the author will show up, I don't want to be unprepared. (haha, I wish)

So, I am looking forward to THAT. You better believe I will be having a post or thoughts that I wanna get out here about it. Don't worry, I'll make sure I put "spoiler warning" if I include any. ;)

(pinterest, obviously)

I've noticed in my last two (I think) self care writings I didn't really start it with a greeting, but you know what? I think that's okay. Happy morning, if it is also morning for you, if not, afternoon or evening! It's 10:29 am currently, for me. I have been in the mood to write all morning, so I started out with journaling in my notebook which I realize I've never posted a photo of my journal. Really, I switch between notebooks quite often. It's just whatever I feel at the moment, what kind of notebook I want to match my feelings. :)

Now, since I like making lists and answering some questions, we're gonna do something like that. :)) (plus, self-care writings, of course)

(this is a part of the "night journaling" one that I've done before :) )

How am I ~ I'm doing okay. I think I feel about the same as I did yesterday, but that isn't bad, I don't feel worse! And that's a victory worth celebrating. :)

Today's goals ~ Keep an optimistic mood throughout the day! Talk to one of my close friends about some struggles that I think they could relate to. (even if it's something not so good to experience, having someone to relate with helps with not feeling so lonely tremendously)

Experience goals fully ~ If I'm feeling my mood dip down, do something to clear my mind and get the good feelings going again! Even if it's just to feel some sort of comfort; read a comfort book! And even if my friend ends up not being able to relate with me, still look at talking to someone as a victory. It can be really hard to talk about feelings sometimes, so don't forget about those steps!

Gratitude ~ I'm grateful for my sister, I love how much we talk even with her not living at home anymore. It's fun to just talk about books or just about life with her. I'm also grateful for Christmas music because it's such a cozy type of music. :)

Affirmations ~ Even though it feels sucky right now, it doesn't mean it's going to feel like that forever. This is just temporary. It's only a chapter, or even just a few pages; not your entire book.

To-do today ~ DECORATE MY ROOM FOR CHRISTMAS!* Yes, I'm one of those people that decorates for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Although, you could've come to that conclusion on your own with my other posts. ;) Do some house cleaning things after work. Go see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes at 7:30 tonight!! And REST! The past couple days have been kind of busy, so take time to recharge. <3

*I didn't end up decorating today but I am going to try to do it this weekend. Hopefully the motivation will be there! ;)

Christmassy photo from last night. :)

Fast forward (I've been doing that a lot lately) quite a bit to now: 11:50 pm, yes. I have watched The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. *screaming internally* And as much as I want to just spill my guts on everything about it, I am also very tired. So we'll leave off with one more self-care thing and say goodnight. ;)

One thing that happened today that I'm grateful for. (that I feel like helped my mental health)

I face-timed one of my closest friends and talked about something that has been bothering me for several days now. And she not only was a great listener but it helped so, so much that she could relate to it. And we discussed different things that I had been wondering about too. I feel like that talk made me feel more secure in that friendship and gave me a sort of peace with the whole situation. (very grateful for her <3)

And with that, I hope you have a great night and...

jusqu'à la prochaine fois,

Thalia <3

[glimmerbugart]

This Cottage is My Dream

In the heart of England's verdant land, Lies a charming cottage, oh so grand. With thatched roof and walls of stone, A sight that makes your heart its own. Nestled by a babbling brook so clear, Where tranquility banishes all fear. The scent of roses fills the air, As nature's symphony plays with flair. Step inside to find a warm embrace, A haven where serenity finds its place. The crackling fire dances and glows, Welcoming souls with comforting prose. Each nook and cranny a story to tell, As history weaves its enchanting spell. Cobblestone floors, weathered and wise, Whisper tales of love that never dies. Windows adorned with lace curtains white, Invite the golden sun's gentle light. A cozy chair waits by the window sill, To watch the world go by at will. In the garden, blooms of vibrant hue, Paint a canvas, a breathtaking view. A path of stepping stones meanders on, Leading to secrets hidden, never gone. Oh, this cozy English cottage so fair, A refuge from life's burdens and care. Where dreams take flight through the night, And stars twinkle with pure delight. So come, dear souls, seek solace here, Embrace the warmth, release all fear. In this haven, time moves at a gentle pace, And finds its serenity in this treasured place.

The other day I stumbled across this little YouTube video of this sweet English lady giving a tour of a beautiful cottage, called “Inkwell Cottage,” in the Cotswolds. Since moving into this house, we’ve always had this vision of turning it more into a cottage like feel, so when I saw this video, it inspired me. All of the little spaces and nooks are exactly what this house has going for it and I realized I need to start working more on my home decor to achieve the look like Inkwell Cottage. It’s just the coziest and most comfortable little home and I’d love to have my home reflect what they’ve done in this cottage.

So I started a Pinterest board for ideas. Wanna check it out? Click here.

This is going to take some time and effort… and lots and lots of patience since I’ll be needing to research and go on hunting missions at local consignment shops for things that fit this genre. But I’m up for it. I’m thinking that once my Christmas stuff is up and the house is all decorated, that will free up a lot of space in my basement where I can figure out what I want to keep and what I want to sell/donate. This will also give me a drive to get the area down there more organized… which it desperately needs.

In the meantime, I found these photos of Inkwell Cottage to show you. It’s just so so pretty!

[stampwithtami]

50 Inspiring Holiday DIY Cards & Gifts [Scoop Video 165]

HOLIDAY CRAFTS 🎄Are you ready to flood your loved ones with handcrafted holiday cheer? ⭐️Buckle up because The Stampin' Scoop Show is about to unload a craft bonanza! This episode is jammed packed with over 50 creative projects for holiday paper crafting cards and gift ideas, ready to fill your head with twinkling inspiration.🎁 Beyond just idea generation, we're going to equip you with practical knowledge on crafting quick and easy gift card holders and a stunning holiday card featuring the Saint Nicholas Card - a sure shot at making your Santa-listed loved one's heart flutter! 🎅 As the cherry on top, brace yourself for not 1, but 2 new tutorial series that kick-off today - The Above It All Bundle Series for sky-high creativity and the Merry Bold and Bright Series to add splashes of festive extravagance to your craftwork! Over the next couple of weeks, you'll be endowed with tutorials for all the shared projects, making you the Picasso of Paper Craft!🖌️ Crafting was never this fun, or festive! So, are you ready to let your creativity shine this holiday season? 🌟 Let us know which project you're most excited to start on We'll be creating these fun cards on the video. VIDEO VIEW VIDEO ON YOUTUBE INSTRUCTIONS PHOTOS  Want to save these ideas for later? Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board. Have you tried these designs? I love to see your creations! Be sure to share them on #shareyourcrafts post every Saturday on my Facebook Page ABOVE IT ALL GIFT CARD HOLDERS I used the Stampin' Up! A Walk in the Forest Designer Series Paper on these gift card holders.  These are so quick and easy to make. Use the template as a guide, you'll find it on the instructions pdf. These 2 I used the Stampin' Up! Above It All Bundle.  The polar bears are from the Beary Christmas Memories and More pack.  SAINT NICHOLAS CARD  This is the card Linda made on the video. There is instructions for it above.  MORE HOLIDAY DIY CARDS AND PROJECTS OMG!!! I can't stand how cute this is and how much I love it. When I was looking at the gondola I saw a camper trailer. I will have a tutorial for this card on Sunday.  Stay tuned to the Above It All Series for more tutorials to come.  This home decor shadowbox frame makes a great gift. Or keep it for yourself and display it. I love the little bear hanging out of the window waving. Keep tuned in for more in the Merry & Bright Series. These are swap cards from the Merry Bold & Bright Suite and the Merriest Trees Bundle. I created this Saint Nicholas slimline card. Tutorial coming. These boxes were all part of my Tricks & Treats Series. You will find the tutorials for them and the entire series at these links: - Faux Metal Sending Cheer / Tricks & Treat Favor Boxes - Santa, Elf and Snowman Holiday Favor Boxes These are some more amazing swap card inspiration from the Sending Cheer Bundle and the Stars at Night Bundle.   These card ideas are from the Stampin' Up More Wishes Stamp set and the Night Devine Bundle.  Cards from the Magical Meadow Bundle and the Fragrant Forest Stamp Set From the Joy to You Stamp Set and the Joy of Noel Bundle. From the Stampin' Up Festive & Fun stamp set, Jolly Words Stamp Set and the Gift of Giving Stamp Set. Cards from the Cheers to the Season stamp set and the Christmas Classics Bundle.Cards from the Stampin Up! Beary Christmas Suite.   WANT IT ALL? We want to celebrate our 35th anniversary in style! From 3–31 October, anyone who joins our fun crafting community as a new demonstrator can choose either 35% OFF the cost of their Starter Kit or get 35% MORE product with their Starter Kit! What a deal! Use the resources provided below to share the news of this amazing Starter Kit offer before it’s over!.  Can I join as a demonstrator just for the discount?Yes, it’s the most popular reason people join. No selling, classes, parties, etc necessary unless you want to have fun doing these things. Many people take advantage of the great deal just for themselves DETAILS GIVEAWAY Enter to win our giveaway free. Enter by leaving a comment on this video on Youtube or Facebook . No purchase necessary. Read the full article

[whennnow]

"Put On Thy Beautiful Garments" Book Review

November 15, 2018

[Image ID: A photo of the title page of a book titled "Put On Thy Beautiful Garments: Rural New England Clothing 1783-1800." The page is blue and has a sepia illustration on a cream background.]

A month or two ago I was in the midst of a Pinterest research trip, when one of the blogs I was reading mentioned a book I hadn't encountered in my research before: "Put on Thy Beautiful Garments" by Merideth Wright. I did a bit more digging (with the intention of adding it to my Christmas list), and found an old library copy for less than $10! So I went ahead and ordered it. Unfortunately, I mixed up my shipping and billing addresses, so it got sent to my house instead of my dorm, and I had to wait a long time before I actually saw it.

There seem to be two versions of the book - one published in January of 1990 by Clothes Press with the title "Put on Thy Beautiful Garments: Rural New England Clothing 1783-1800" and the other published by Dover Publications in December of 1992 with the title "Everyday Dress of Rural America 1783-1800: With Instructions and Patterns." Both have the same cover illustration (done by Nancy Rexford), but I am unsure of the content differences between the two. So to keep from confusing anyone, including myself, I am reviewing the one from 1990, "Put on Thy Beautiful Garments."

The book is divided into five sections. Part 1, “What People Wore,” goes into some background, providing general information, research, and instructions for using the book to make the clothes it contains. Part 2 is “The Individual Garments,” and it looks at each article of clothing individually and discusses who would wear it when, fabric choices, and construction, as well as providing simple, scaled down patterns. It is divided into “Women’s Clothing” and “Men’s Clothing.” Part 3 goes more in detail about fabric and gives instructions on hand sewing techniques. Part 4 is a collection of places you can buy patterns, fabric, and notions, as well as places you can look for more historical information. Part 5 is a very thorough bibliography.

I found the book to be incredibly educational, particularly the section on period-appropriate sewing techniques. Also interesting was the inclusion of clothing worn by the Western Abenaki people! While it doesn’t give instructions or patterns for their clothes, it does talk in depth about what they wore, what it was made of, how it was worn, and how trading with the settlers impacted their wardrobes. I’m actually very glad it doesn’t include instructions on making their clothing, as that would feel appropriative. “It’s a culture, not a costume,” after all.

Having been published in the very early 90s, some parts are a bit dated. For example, in the section on women’s stays, it talks about using cardboard or roller blinds as boning. It makes me very glad that synthetic whalebone exists now, and that the internet makes it widely accessible. Also dating things a bit is the resource section - it talks bout mail ordering and ordering from catalogs. I haven’t had a chance to look into all of the resources listed yet (maybe keep an eye out for a follow-up post?), so I’m not sure if that section is terribly useful.

The patterns start at the innermost layer and work their way out. The women’s section starts with a shift, then stays, pockets and petticoats, three types of gowns (open and round gowns, shortgowns, and chemise gowns), a neckerchief, and an apron, followed by a bit on hair and headwear. The men’s section is arranged similarly, starting with the shirt, then the cravat, breeches, waistcoat, coat, and frock, followed by a hair and headwear section. There are also short sections on stockings and shoes. Patterns or drafting instructions are given for everything except the headwear. The patterns are drawn on grids where each square is an inch, allowing easy drafting and sizing. Instructions are straightforward, often referencing what type of stitch or finish would be used.

I can’t think of anything that disappoints me about this book, honestly. I’m thrilled about the section about sewing techniques and I can’t wait to dig into the Resources and Bibliographies to see what gems are still accessible!

With any luck, I’ll be back before Christmas with a follow-up post!

Stay warm, stay safe, stay dry.