#caroline clay

[userlaylivia]

@another-step-you-take, @cuddlyreader

[vintage1981]

Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense - Child's Play / I Don't Remember (Official Clip)

A family awakens to find themselves trapped in their own home, all windows and doors sealed by impenetrable walls. Now they are faced with a bitter sequence of paranormal events forces that have taken over their lives.

Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense, aired in the United States as Fox Mystery Theater, is a British mystery anthology television series produced in Britain in 1984 by Hammer Film Productions. Though similar in format to the 1980 series Hammer House of Horror, the Mystery and Suspense series had feature-length episodes, usually running around 70 minutes without commercials.

The series was a co-production by Hammer Film Productions with 20th Century Fox Television (as was the 1968 anthology series Journey to the Unknown). It was first aired in the UK by ITV in 1984, though it was shown in different timeslots (and a different running order) throughout the various ITV regions.

[g1rlmusicfm]

i adore this album! tag ur answers pls 🫶🏽

[lokis-army-77]

Hehe, everyone look at my worm family that I made as a Christmas decoration for work this year. The camera doesn't do them justice bc irl they look real.

[jameslano]

Gang'nem / Islamorada, FL

[myriaed]

@seesgood continued from here

clay, usually stoic and unimpressed with those around him, couldn't help the grin that overtook his lips as he pictured in morbid clarity the details of caroline's midnight alleyway snack tryst with the predator boy toy. stupid humans, always getting themselves into waters too deep without a lifejacket. ❝ so this wasn't a hook up story. nice mislead in the beginning there, ❞ he compliments, turning over a line of pancakes once more and scoops each up in a pile on the spatula, moving them over to a plate. the bacon is going to be piled high too but he's gotta wait for it to finish, so he turns to face her in the chair she's chosen and leans a hip on the kitchen counter. ❝ get in trouble with who? jeremy? nah i think he might let you decide on what we have for dinner, though. he tends to favor those who take out the trash in bear valley so we don't have to do it. ❞ he had, too, taken out quite a number of them. it was kind of his job around here. ❝ is this an activity you take part in often, or...? ❞

[dfartproject]

🔻 Welcoming DF New Member: Caroline Chopin 🔻 Sculpture 🔻 @caroline.chopin @des_fig @des_fig_group @hybridscrib #caroline.chopin #destructuralismefiguratif #lille #lillemaville #tango #syntonie #voie #emergence #motus #sauvage #organique #organic #organico #contemporarysculpture #clay #ceramicart #ceramicsculpture #collectionneurs #collectionneurdart #atelierdartiste #arttoday #sculpturecontemporaine #artcollector #artcontemporain #artcurator #artcurators #sculptures #sculpture_art #sculptor #sculpteur #sculpteur (at Lille, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClmZOkErZLW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[woso-dreamzzz]

Platonic Masterlist

+ - Child!Reader

*- Teen!Reader

Alexia Putellas x Reader

The Little Bambi Ballerina Masterlist +

Holiday Spirit II* -> You go to Alexia's for Christmas

Pequeñita's Chinchilla Masterlist +

Leaving * -> You're leaving

Leaving II * -> Your Career Grand Slam

Leaving III * -> You've made a mistake

Leaving IV * -> Alexia takes you on holiday

Leaving V * -> You hate clay courts

Leaving VI * -> Your schedules don't match

Leaving VII * -> Olympic chaos with your sister

Leaving VIII * -> coming soon

Perfect + -> You're just perfect

Jenni Hermoso x Reader

Foxes + -> You like foxes

Foxes II + -> You draw Jenni

Foxes III + -> coming soon

Alexia Putellas + Jenni Hermoso x Reader

Ruin -> Your guardians fight for custody

Marta Torrejón x Caroline Graham Hansen x Reader

Conejita's Flowers Masterlist +

Irene Paredes x Reader

Sisters * -> You and your sister's wife

Aitana Bonmatí x Reader

Estrella's Stars Masterlist +

Fridolina Rolfö x Reader

Wiped Out * -> The match between Australia and Sweden

Wiped Out II* -> You look like your cousin

Älskling's Crime Scene Masterlist +

Mapi Leon x Ingrid Engen x Reader

Bebita's Bike Masterlist +

Protective * -> You get injured

Teeny's Hedgehog Masterlist +

Heart + -> They meet you in the hospital

Heart II + -> You try to recover

Heart III + -> You get adopted

Heart IV + -> A soft day off

Heart V + -> You're sick

Cub's Pride Masterlist +

Teenage Dirtbag * -> Ingrid just doesn't understand you

Teenage Dirtbag II * -> It goes well until it doesn't

Skatt's Bugs Masterlist +

Icy * -> Ingrid gets angry

Icy II * -> You think about your life

Icy III * -> coming soon

Katrina Gorry x Reader

Sleep * -> You fall asleep

Sleep II * -> You forget your medication

Bubs' Grumpiness Masterlist +

Steph Catley x Reader

Angel's Hearing Masterlist +

Sam Kerr x Kristie Mewis x Reader

Chook's Dinosaurs Masterlist +

Ellie Carpenter x Daniëlle van de Donk x Reader

Pipsqueak's Teasing Masterlist +

Alessia Russo x Reader

Tesoro's Mirror Masterlist +

Mary Earps x Reader

Rugrat's Library Masterlist +

Carnival + -> Mary takes you to the carnival

Leah Williamson x Jordan Nobbs x Reader

Bug's Hugs Masterlist +

Lucy Bronze x Keira Walsh x Reader

Peanut's Travels Masterlist +

Dogs + -> You meet a different Nala

Bear's Shyness Masterlist +

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle x Reader

New Girlfriend * -> You adjust to your Mum's new girlfriend

New Girlfriend II* -> Ona's tipsy

New Girlfriend III* -> coming soon

Dogs II + -> You don't like Ona

Keira Walsh x Laura Feiersinger x Reader

Dogs III + -> You meet Laura

Katie McCabe x Caitlin Foord x Reader

Gremlin's Yellow Cards Masterlist +

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Duckie's Ducks Masterlist +

Lia Wälti x Reader

Helper + -> You're the best helper

Helper II + -> You're sick

Helper III + -> You help your Mummy's girlfriend

Helper IV + -> coming soon

Frida Maanum x Emma Lennartsson x Reader

Squish's Foraging Masterlist +

Katie McCabe x Reader

End of the World + -> You world ends

End of the World II + -> The World Cup tension

End of the World III + -> It's different at Mammy's house

End of the World IV + -> Christmas in Australia

End of the World V + -> The last day in Australia

End of the World VI + -> coming soon

End of the World VII + -> coming soon

Beth Mead x Vivianne Miedema x Reader

Liefje's Aquarium Masterlist +

Munchkin's First Aid Kit Masterlist +

Foster * -> You're taken to a new home

Foster II * -> Your first visitation

Pernille Harder x Magdalena Eriksson x Reader

Hide * -> You can't hide anything from your mothers

Proud * -> Your mothers come to your Arsenal debut

Proud II * -> The London Derby against Chelsea

Proud III * -> The aftermath of the derby

Proud IV * -> The night after the derby

Proud V* -> Your first match for Sweden

Proud VI * -> You join Bayern Munich

Proud VII * -> Your biological parents want a meeting

Proud VIII * -> A friendly against Barcelona

Bully * -> Violence isn't always the answer

Help * -> You're struggling a bit

Olympique Lyonnais x Reader

Prodigy * -> A slow morning at baggage claim

England Lionesses x Reader

Rugrat's Library Masterlist +

Blood Sugar * -> You have a hypo during a match

Blood Sugar II * -> You go on Bake Off

Arsenal Women x Reader

Arsenal Women Masterlist

Barcelona Femení x Reader

Barcelona Femení Masterlist

Baby Crossovers

Peanut and Liefje

Peanut and Liefje

-> Liefje's your best friend

Cub and Älskling 

Cub and Älskling

-> You meet Frido's Älskling 

Teen Crossovers

Mignon and Pollito -> You and your partner in crime

The Special AU

Melting Pot

-> A melting pot of universes

Melting Pot II

-> A day in the life of the Engen-Leóns

Melting Pot III

-> coming soon

[dwellordream]

A Guide to Writing Children and Young Teens

Most of this information is derived from the book Yardsticks by Chip Wood, an informational text aimed at educators and parents who are curious as to how children change developmentally from age to age. The book is not just based on the author's observations and experiences as a teacher but on the work of scholars such as Arnold Gesell, Dorothy H. Cohen, William Crain, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, Robert Pianta, Caroline Pratt, and many others. Writing Four-Year-Olds:

"Four-year olds are flexible, exciting, and creative creatures who love to exaggerate and engage in imaginative play. A four-year-old's tall tale about an adventure she had with an imaginary friend may puzzle a parent or teacher but delight the four-year-old. And this play is critical for the development of fours' understanding of right and wrong, early application of social rules, and manners. They sometimes can seem especially "bossy" (particularly with their real and imaginary friends), but this assertiveness is positive rehearsal for learning acceptable limits and how to be a real friend and helper." (Wood 2017)

Traits:

Have trouble with reading and writing, as well as most close-up visual activities

Awkward with writing utensils, handcrafts, and small movements

Clumsy; collisions and spills are common

Friendly and talkative; will work near but not with a buddy

Love dress-up games and acting out drama

Enjoy 'potty language' and repeating curse words

Love to be given 'jobs' such as setting the table or folding clothes

Are often fearful at night-time

Writing Five-Year-Olds:

"Five-year-olds take in the world through their senses. They see, smell, touch, hear, and taste just about everything--one thing after another, but only one thing at a time. Their intense focus on detail enables them to see not just the butterfly but the pattern on its wings, its proboscis uncurling into a flower, its antennae waving delicately. Fives can give sustained attention to anything that fascinates them." (Wood 2017)

Traits:

Find it hard to space letters and numbers while writing

Better control when running and jumping than 4 year olds

Often fall or slip out of chairs

Interpret words in the most literal/basic sense

Like to explain things to peers and adults in the most detail possible

Struggle to see accept there is more than one way to play a game or complete a task

May actually believe toys or other objects are alive

Can become stuck in repetitive behavior out of fear of trying new things and failing (such as drawing the same images again and again)

Seek adult approval more than 6 year olds

Writing Six-Year-Olds:

"At six, children's capacity for logical thought begins to blossom. As in Piaget's classic experiment, a six-year-old will tell you that two equal balls of clay remain equal in volume even when one is rolled out into a snake shape. Sixes also begin to grasp cause and effect in the natural world, understanding, for example, that it's the wind that makes the trees move, not vice versa." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

May experience more frequent illness than earlier years

Are easily upset when criticized by adults or peers

Often in a hurry and sloppy because of it

Teething as they start to lose baby teeth; chew on fingernails, hair, pencils, etc

Start to value competition

Begin to experience anxiety to perform well

Often bossy and critical towards friends

Begin to care intensely about having a 'best' friend

Can understand past and present as a concept and identify historical markers such as year/date

Comfortable working/playing in noisy, busy environments

Writing Seven-Year-Olds:

"Seven-year-olds are serious children who see and feel with a thoughtful intensity. After the outwardly expressive exuberance of six, sevens turn inward to consolidate the enormous cognitive and emotional growth they've just experienced. They become quieter and more sensitive, self-conscious, and self-absorbed as they figure out how to manage new feelings and cognitive structures. Seven is a year of moving forward cautiously, of craving security and structure while avoiding risk and uncertainty." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Crave stability and predictability; like knowing their schedule

Become more perfectionist than earlier years and begin to worry about schoolwork for the first time

Usually have a 'best' friend but who that is varies wildly day by day

Love being read aloud to, especially longer books with chapters

Moodier than 6 and 5 year olds

Enjoy being in confined spaces/hiding during games

Start to develop more coordination in sports

Often begin to write far smaller/neater than in prior years

Typically want to keep their personal items neat and tidy

Love secret codes such as Morse code and Pig Latin

Mistakes in schoolwork seriously disturb them

Love to classify and sort things

Begin to enjoy board games and online games

Can memorize poems, songs, and chants easily

Writing Eight-Year-Olds:

"Eight-year-olds wake up in the morning with plans for adventure percolating before their feet hit the floor. To be eight is to be inventive and creative, full of energy, curiosity, and imagination, always in a hurry to try the next new thing--or to create the next new thing themselves. With a friend, or better yet, a group of friends, eights roll along with plans for a parade or a play, thrilled with their truly wonderful ideas for the "what" and blithely unconcerned with the "how"." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Develop a love for jokes and sense of humor becomes more refined

Start to care deeply about morality and fairness

Growth spurts can lead to physical clumsiness

Adjust well to change and bounce back faster than 7 year olds

Start to desire the approval of their peers as much as the approval of adults

Begin to form larger friendship groups or cliques

Very talkative and tend to exaggerate about their experiences

Become more ambitious in terms of schoolwork or personal creative projects

Writing Nine-Year-Olds:

"Fairness begins to matter a great deal as nines take on the cognitive task of understanding ethical behavior at a new level. They're concerned about global justice: Why are some people poor? Why are we allowing climate change to happen? Why are some people cruel to animals? Nines show concern about fairness on the local level, too, and often feel singled out for unfair treatment by a teacher, parent, or coach. Their complaints--signs of their increasing understanding of and sensitivity to how the world works--can also be a way for nines to express their growing sense of peer importance and group solidarity." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Often eager to try new styles of dress or appearance, such as haircuts or different clothes

May begin to bite nails, twist at hair, make odd expressions to deal with tension or discomfort

Have a general sense of popularity and want to avoid associating with 'unpopular' children

Enjoy negotiating and arguing with adults

Can revert to 'baby talk' when they feel nervous or silly

Begin to appreciate inappropriate/'edgy' jokes, will mimic online trends/memes, especially sexual/racial/body humor

Desire to use social media to express themselves

Start to lose interest in imaginative play; more focused on facts/how things work

Want explanations as to why they have to do homework or chores from adults

Writing Ten-Year-Olds:

"Happy and easygoing tens generally look up to and admire their teachers and parents and take real pleasure in both family outings and teacher-led activities. They enjoy their classmates, too, and can engage productively in collaborative, project-based learning. Because of their relative calmness and instinct for getting along with others, ten-year-olds do well in a variety of group configurations, including mixed-age groups: They can often help elevens and even twelves in cooperative pursuits." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Often enjoy reading more than younger years

Ready to start using tools such as compasses, protractors, rulers, and templates

May be hotheaded, but are also quicker to forgive than older children

Are more sensitive and empathetic towards friends than 8 or 9 year olds

Generally like being able to lead/guide younger children

Can concentrate for longer periods of time than younger years

Usually eager to learn new things

Start to enjoy word problems and riddles

Writing Eleven-Year-Olds:

"Elevens are, in a sense, electrified. As adolescence begins, cognitive structures in the brain are rewiring themselves at the same amazing speed at which the body is beginning to transform. Relationships with peers and adults are turning topsy-turvy. At home and in school, academically and socially, eleven-year-olds are busy engaging whole new worlds with a sense of outward boldness, yet inward tentativeness. Their lives crackle with the energy of change as they begin to establish a sense of physical and emotional identity." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Stay up late compared to younger children and have more trouble rousing in the morning

Often act out more at home compared to in school

Huge appetites and sleep for longer when given the chance

Often blurt out rude comments without thinking

Cis girls typically have an earlier growth spurt than cis boys

Can become very indecisive and fearful of making mistakes

Like to challenge teachers and parents over rules

Can debate without it becoming personal

Imitate more sophisticated adult language

Begin to focus on what they want to do as adults

Writing Twelve-Year-Olds:

"Along with intense enjoyment of their peers, twelve generally enjoy talking with adults outside the home and can do so with friendliness and a sense of confidence. Yet, twelves can also be unpredictable and hard to read. One day, they fervently want to do schoolwork as part of a group; the next day, they just as fervently want to work alone. They often say "That's not what I meant!" when a teacher misreads their seemingly rude tone or comment. At home, moody, introverted, childish behavior or one-word responses reflect their need to rest and regroup in a safe environment." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Want parents and teachers to take them and their ideas seriously

More open to making new friendships than 11 year olds

Often struggle to follow through with practicing a sport or instrument in their free time

Want to help peers with schoolwork

Can appreciate complex moral issues

May begin to discover a subject or talent they excel at

Better able to switch between playful and serious than younger children

Love testing out new slang and pop culture references

Want to make their own money

Writing Thirteen Year-Olds:

"Thirteen is an age of dramatic contrasts. Because thirteen-year-olds commonly slip backward developmentally as well as move forward, they may seem like younger twelve-year-olds one day and more mature than they really are the next. They want adults to notice, listen, and talk to them but also to leave them alone. They're engaged one minute and bored the next, suddenly confident and just as suddenly unsure, alternately outgoing and withdrawn, brooding alone and then shrieking and shouting with friends." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

May struggle with hygiene and/or acne

Most cis girls have begun menstruating by now

Extremely skilled at mimicking peer behavior

Often mean as a defensive strategy when worried about being ignored or left out

Far more adept at sarcasm than younger children

Can become very quiet and secretive compared to their younger selves

More judgmental of teachers than younger students, will gossip about adults

Interested in global justice issues but struggle with empathy in daily life

Can vary between reserved, stoic behavior and unusual aggression when asked questions by adults

Become messier with their personal belongings

Writing Fourteen-Year-Olds:

"To fourteen-year-olds, the question "Who am I?" seems best answered in terms of "Who are we?" The way that others see these students seems to matter more to them than how they see themselves. Fourteens are moving steadily toward peers and away from parents and teachers as the central figures in their lives. They bond in small social groups, travel street and school together, and pour enormous physical, emotional, and cognitive energy into developing an adolescent subculture." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Often embarrassed by the adults in their lives and become very critical of parents

View school as primarily a social experience, don't want to miss out on seeing friends everyday

A small minority will become sexually active

Typically very interested in current events and politics

Will say "I'm bored" when confused, or pretend challenging schoolwork is easy to save face

Love to correct adults and peers on information; hate being lectured

Very expressive faces and body language, can seem contemptuous for no reason

Often become interested in researching various subjects

More willing to admit an error than 12 or 11 year olds; redoing work is not as daunting

Able to joke around with adults

Enjoy mysteries and 'unknown' areas of science/math/history

[the-bi-library]

Here is the final part of the bi4bi books posts!

I'd appreciate it if you let me know if there are any more bi4bi books that I didn't include here 💕

Books listed: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Drowning Summer by C.L. Herman Case Sensitive by A.K. Turner Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn The Light Years by R.W.W. Greener The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson Tell Me Anything by Skye Kilaen Her Scarlet Letters by Cat Giraldo Break Free by Raleigh Ruebins Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant The Door Into Fire by Diane Duane The Stone Prince by Fiona Patton Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon When the Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan Cleans Up Nice by Margo Phelps Educated by Nellie Wilson Queried Sick by Dallas Smith Chance Agreement by Margo Phelps Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress Release by Suzanne Clay Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain To Beg or Not to Beg by Cat Giraldo Two Winters by Lauren Emily Whalen Electric Idol by Katee Robert Neon Gods by Katee Robert The Scandalous Letters of V and J by Felicia Davin The Spinster's Swindle by Catherine Stein Rocky Mountain Freedom by Vivian Arend Um traço até você by Olívia Pilar Biforia by Rebecca Romero Escalando Você by Rebecca Romero Entre estantes by Olívia Pilar → translated Between Bookshelves by Olívia Pilar Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders The Stars Undying by Emery Robin Legend of Korra: Graphic Novels Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour Novels Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachiban Brimstones and Roses It Would Be Great If You Didn't Exist My Werewolf Girlfriend The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur Xeni by Rebekah Weather

Part 1

Part 2

[the-phantom-author]

Hasan Piker | genral dating headcannons

I caved and wrote most of these at 3am. Enjoy.

@starsyoubreaklikesugardust

Probably meet through a friend, i picture Caroline, Austin, or maybe QT

Very chaotic first couple of months, he is a busy man with a very full schedule. That being said, he makes time for you.

Like he'd set an alarm just to make sure he messages you in the morning and calls at night when he doesn’t see you.

You stay at his house often. As much as he is busy during the day, the morning and night are reserved for the both of you.

He's not a huge fan of sharing each other's clothes, but does love matching clothes. He just likes it when he can see you both wearing the same jacket or shirt.

That being said, you have full access to his jewelry drawer. The look that would adorn his face when he sees you wearing his bracelets or necklaces. Buy him a bracelet with both of your initials on it, trust me.

Cute local dates, like hole in the wall coffee shops, family owned restaurants, farmers markets. 

He is also a show off. Surprise fancy dinners, going to award shows and events. All while also being an icon during irl streams, you may not be a streamer but you're always good for content.

Popping up on stream every so often, usually just to give him food or something to drink, but there are several stream series that you’re involved in.

True Crime reacts being the main one, doing Bob Ross painting together encouraging chat to join in, bringing back the cooking streams and cooking stuff together, making things out of clay, ect.

Being the person who calms him down, having to remind him that chatters are just that, chatters. And that sometimes internet drama can be left online.

Doing each others self care routines, paint his nails, brushing each others hair, forcing him to do face mask.

[fritzes]

time for the olympics! this draw is already very cursed but here are my thoughts:

wta:

in the first quarter, we obviously have the heavy favorite to win this in iga. her projected quarterfinal opponent is danielle, but I don't think she can challenge iga on clay. that being said, two of iga's usual nemeses are in her quarter: noskova and, of course, ostapenko. however, this is basically just roland garros part 2 and it takes the match of someone's life and then some to beat iga, and even then that might not be enough. to beat her here would be an insane achievement and I'd be forever impressed with any player if they did it

the second quarter doesn't have a top four seed because of elena's late withdrawl, so this is really open. the highest seed is qinwen who is coming off of a clay title. caroline garcia has home court advantage. naomi did play the aforementioned match of her life against iga at roland garros and came so close to winning it, so if she can carry that here she can absolutely make a deep run. leylah, emma navarro, and karolina muchova are also in this quarter and could definitely be dark horses to make a deep run. this is definitely the least predictable quarter and could potentially have some really good matches

the third quarter is really stacked. jasmine is the top seed, and she absolutely proved herself at roland garros and could really be a force here. the projected quarterfinalist is jess, who has had a really up and down season and has kind of lost all her consistency. she could absolutely make a deep run, but she could also very easily lose to elina in the second round. krejcikova, fresh off of her wimbledon win, is also in this quarter and we could see a rematch of the wimbledon final. the change to clay could honestly favor both of them, and that's a rematch that would be interesting to see. there is also a potential rg semifinal rematch between jasmine and mirra in the second round

and finally, coco has what seems to me a very clear path to the semis. her first round opponent is ajla, and clay is her worst surface by a lot. maria sakkari is the projected quarterfinalist, but I've really lost all faith in maria at big tournaments, everything kind of fell apart after miami. I think a likely quarterfinalist is kostyuk, who has given coco a lot of trouble in the past. that being said, I think coco is really locked in for this. also, kostyuk is very erratic and could potentially lose early to putintseva or siniakova. it's coco's quarter to lose.

interesting r1 matches: ostapenko/osorio, garcia/cristian, osaka/kerber, muchova/fernandez, putintseva/kostyuk, andreescu/tauson

atp:

well. this top quarter sure is something! we don't even know if rafa is actually playing singles, but if he does, we could have a rafa/novak match in the second round. which is insane. I don't think rafa has any chance of winning, but still. this draw shouldn't be too hard for novak. the seeds in his quarter just aren't people who can really challenge him, and I highly doubt the projected quarterfinalist of tsitsipas could beat him right now

the second quarter, aka taylor's wimbledon draw in reverse. there's the potential for a rematch with musetti in the fourth round, which could be interesting. musetti has been a problem for him all year, and the wimbledon qf will definitely be lingering in taylor's head. whoever wins that (if it happens) unfortunately probably has to play zverev, although I could see him potentially losing to jarry. I'm not really certain in any prediction about this quarter (mostly because I'm way to biased towards taylor) so we'll see how it goes

this third quarter is the one I'm the most excited for, because the idea of a casper/daniil clay olympics quarterfinal is just so fun. based on the rest of the players in this draw, they should both be able to get there unless felix randomly decides to peak. if that match did happen, casper would of course be the favorite but you never know when clayvedev will emerge (we all remember rome...)

much like the wta draw, this last quarter seems straightforward for the second seed. carlos is in incredible form right now, and it's hard to see anyone in this quarter challenging him. his quarterfinal opponent could be adm or tommy paul; adm has never beaten him and he just beat tommy paul at wimbledon. like I said with the wta fourth quarter, this is his quarter to lose

interesting r1 matches: arnaldi/fils, machac/zhang, musetti/monfils, bublik/fritz, auger-aliassime/giron, de minaur/struff

[desertdollranch]

Welcome to La Grande Pâtisserie

Grace Thomas is excited to announce that today is the grand opening of La Grande Pâtisserie! Everyone in Grace's hometown of Bentwick, Massachusetts, has been eagerly awaiting the debut of this authentic French pastry shop. There's nothing else like it anywhere in town! Bentwick prides itself on being a quaint little village with a high standard of living for its residents, so this is the perfect place for Grace to see her dream come to life.

In her third book, Grace Makes it Great, it's been a few months since Grace returned from her summer trip to Paris. In that time she has been working hard to make her bicycle-delivery-based baking business successful, but she realizes it may need to start growing much faster! Her grandparents' bakery may have to close down forever if it doesn't stop losing money and business to the local grocery store bakery. So, using what she learned while working at the patisserie in Paris, Grace teams up with her grandparents to turn their bakery into a beautiful, unique French pastry shop.

As for my part in all of this...... like Grace, this opening day is a dream come true. For inspiration, I based this on the bakery playset that was sold as part of her collection when she was the Girl of the Year in 2015. Her bakery was notable at the time for being the most expensive doll item ever released by American Girl, at $500.

(Later surpassed in 2020 by Joss Kendrick's surf bus, at $650).

Now, of course, nine years later, it's still very expensive when bought secondhand, even when it's sold without all the small accessories. I certainly couldn't ever justify spending that much on one single doll item. And why should I, when I can build something like this with my own two hands, for a lot cheaper? I've already built Caroline's parlor, three arcade video games, a skee ball lane, Kanani's shave ice stand, Grace's pastry cart and bistro set, bedrooms for Josefina and Kirsten, a greenhouse, Rebecca's phonograph, a few small pet habitats, and lots more for my dolls. I like having creative control that lets me expand on the things that interest me the most. I like making or collecting small accessories to supplement my projects. And I like that my renditions can be built at a more realistic scale. The bakery in Grace's collection is scaled so small that it looked more like a child's playhouse than a legit bakery, and so I was shooting for something scaled larger.

I've had Grace in my doll family for four years now, but it's only recently that I've felt like I have enough small accessories accumulated to make the whole thing look top-notch and full of detail. I also can't get out of my head the idea of making a little breakfast joint for my dolls and me to share breakfast and coffee with them on weekend mornings. I'm thinking maybe that will be accompanied by occasional videos showing Grace making breakfast for me and another doll. So keep an eye out for that!

If you haven't seen it already, you can browse Grace's hashtag to check out all the other things I've made and collected for her.

And here we are...... it's opening day!

So let's take a closer look at La Grande Pâtisserie. Grace is so eager to show off what's inside, and while she does that I'll explain how I made everything (not to take the magic away, but I always hope to inspire other crafty readers who may want to make their own doll stuff). This you see here is only a small part of the pâtisserie! I'll show you the front of the shop, the kitchen, and then the outdoor seating area.

When you walk in, the first thing you'll notice is the pastry case.

On the top row are the fancy cakes and macarons. The middle shelf has croissants, cupcakes, eclairs, and beignets. The bottom shelf has jelly donuts and petit fours (back row), plus a square of frosted gingerbread, cherry cheesecake, chocolate tart, raspberry tart, and madeleines.

These were all made by me, mostly with clay and puffy paint. A lot of them were based on the little pastries that were part of Grace's collection, some I made for other dolls and other occasions, and a few were based on real bakery treats.

The "glass" pastry case is clear plastic that comes from packaging material, including a few 18 inch-sized doll boxes. Whenever I buy something with this sort of strong but flexible clear plastic, I hoard it for future projects.

These three cakes were made from layers of foam board. This is a great material to work with because it's easier to cut than wood, very lightweight, can be shaped with sandpaper, and takes paint very well.

The jelly donut, eclair, and cupcake, all made from clay. The heart sprinkles were not made by me.

The cherry cheesecake. Those are wooden beads on top of the slice. I used a mixture of glue and food coloring to make the cherry sauce.

And the little berry macarons. The berries are made from seat cushion foam that I cut up and soaked in red paint.

The to-go bags (the small one has a croissant poking out) are printables that came from AmericanGirlIdeas.com. I made the croquembouche on the right, originally for Marie-Grace and Cécile. It's pretty big and doesn't fit in the pastry case.

I promise I will show off more contents of the pastry case when the dolls and I start having breakfast together!

Looking past the pastry case, here's the behind-the-counter setup.

The walls here are a large cardboard tri-fold that I spray painted aqua blue. Everything hanging on the walls is held there by Velcro that I superglued onto the tri-fold, so I can take them down and switch them around. You'll see why very soon.

The art on the walls all came from Pinterest, except for the painting of Provence on the upper left. That was made by an AI image generator. The red display shelves are foam board I painted. I made the menu in the middle (if I haven't said so already, I really love making my own printables/labels/packaging etc. It's the thing I look forward to the most when making doll stuff).

The three under-counter refrigerators are product pictures I found through a web search. They're glued onto a panel of foam board, which is glued onto a cardboard box to give it strength to hold the accessories on top. If you look closely, you can see little squares of Velcro in the upper left and right corners. That's there to attach another panel, which you will also see very soon.

The coffee maker was a thrift store find, but it originally came in a set of three toy appliances. This is so fun to play with. It really "brews" coffee; if you fill that little reservoir (covered with a sticker) with liquid and hit the button, it will dispense the liquid into the cup below while making coffee brewing noises. I made the coffee pot using this tutorial. Directly above the coffee maker is a shelf of white mugs, which I bought from Amazon.

On the left is the toaster. It makes real "toasting" noise and pops the toast up when the timer is done. The sticker on it and the coffee maker came from Farm and Feast: Gather Together with Friends and Food, an activity book & kit published by American Girl.

In between the toaster and the coffee maker is the waffle iron. I made that from a makeup compact.

I made the waffle from painted clay. And I only realized now that maybe the waffle should be lined up with the hinge and not at an angle....

Grace is demonstrating here how her machine can brew both pots of coffee AND shots of espresso!

Over here is the blender. The toy appliance set did originally have a a blender in some versions, but I've not found it at any thrift store and so I just made my own. This is made from two clear plastic cups, one for the base and one for the blending part. The lid, which by a beautiful coincidence was the perfect size, came from a fancy container of gelato, and there's a smaller metal lid on top of that. The little blade inside is just a metal wingnut glued to a metal washer. The base is painted pink and it's glued to a mason jar lid ring. I designed the button panel, and the buttons are pony beads painted black.

The little box of chocolates on the red shelf were made by me as well from clay and puffy paint.

Grace can make blended coffee and smoothies in the blender. The milk and orange juice containers are printables I found somewhere on Pinterest and can't remember where. I made the little yogurt from a Keurig coffee pod filled with clay and topped with some white puffy paint. The little plastic containers of blueberries and cherries came from a Make it Mini set. The bowl of fruit contains berries, peaches, and bananas, which I made. I did not make the grapes, but found them at a thrift store attached to a set of plastic napkin rings.

On the top shelf on the wall, Grace has displayed three baguettes and a bag of biscotti, which are twice-baked long cookies that pair nicely with coffee. These are all made by me. I designed the paper bags holding the baguettes, while the biscotti bag was a printable from American Girl Ideas.

I also made Grace's dress, based on the Opening-Night Outfit from her collection. (And if you notice that my Grace looks slightly different from other dolls, it's because I enhanced her freckles a bit).

Above her right shoulder, on the bottom red shelf, you can see the little pineapple cake that I made from a Make it Mini set. The little pineapple rings and cherries came in those tiny plastic containers next to the blender.

Now that you've seen the front of the shop, let's check out the kitchen!

As much as she loves working in all parts of the shop, Grace's favorite place to be is in the kitchen, using her hands, making the magic happen.

It was in the process of creating that Grace found her passion. She considers baking a form of artistic expression. Here she is trying out a new recipe for pain au chocolat, which is like a chocolate-filled croissant. I think this is what she might be serving me the next time I stop in for breakfast.

Some common ingredients she uses are flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, baking powder, nuts, and jam.

I made pretty much everything here, except the text on the labels, which also came from Farm and Feast. I also didn't make the label for the butter box. The little containers of baking powder and vanilla are my favorites. The vanilla extract bottle came with a Miniverse Make it Mini surprise package. I made the label for it as well. And the baking powder is just a tiny glass jar from Dollar Tree, with a label attached, which I did not design.

Here's a wide shot of the kitchen counter. She's got two ovens, a proofer/holding cabinet, and a few shelves for stainless steel dishes.

The counter here is actually the same one seen in the previous pictures, behind the pastry case. This panel with the ovens and dishes attaches with Velcro to the refrigerator panels. I just printed out the three pictures and glued them to the panel. The left side and middle panels were generated by an AI image maker based on my prompts, since I couldn't find a real picture of exactly what I was envisioning. The right side panel is a product photo of industrial double ovens.

On top of the counter, I've put a few mini kitchen tools: a stock pot, a colander, a box grater, and a stand mixer. Hanging on the wall are mixing spoons, spatulas, and an oven mitt.

All of these dishes and tools were thrift store finds, with the exception of the oven mitt, which came with Farm and Feast.

On the left is a stove top (another printed image) that attaches with Velcro onto the pink marble countertops, and that's her crepe pan in the picture on the left. It's a real cast iron pan that I was gifted this past Christmas, and as I thanked the giver all I could think of was how cute this would look in my doll-sized kitchen.

Grace's adorable cupcake shirt and black apron were not made by me, but are from her original collection.

Let's go look at the outdoor seating area.

This is the other side of the cardboard tri-fold. I spray painted this red and then printed out the windows and door image.

I also made Grace's shirt and skirt. It's based on Grace's Sightseeing Outfit from her collection.

The shop has an outdoor seating area where customers can bring their pastries, breakfast, or coffee and enjoy them in the open air.

This table is a revised version I made a few years ago for Grace, based on the bistro set from her collection. It is seriously such an easy craft, anyone can do it. I used an inexpensive marble-print cardboard cake board from Michael's, glued it onto a cardboard tube taken from a roll of paper towels, and glued that to the base which is made from a black plastic takeout container. I gave the tube some extra stability by gluing it inside of a prescription drug bottle. Then I painted the tube and bottle black; the base is black plastic.

The chair was a lot trickier. I made this a few years ago with flexible plastic-covered wire, and the seat is cardboard with a cushion glued to it. I really had to force that wire into shape, and used floral wire to hold it together. Then I spray painted it red.

Putting the red chair in front of the red storefront kind of makes it disappear, so I'll bring back some pictures of the first version of her bistro set that I made in 2020 (one of my earliest pandemic projects).

These pictures are from Grace's trip to Paris! She got lots of inspiration there for how she wants her own shop to look. Here she is eating at her aunt and uncle's La Pâtisserie.

The turquoise menu board is just foam board that I painted, with a dowel as the pole. At the time I made it, I didn't have a printer, and I usually just did all my printing at the library. But the library closed during lockdown, and so I had to freehand paint and draw everything! The tabletop here is painted as well, but I like the cake board version better.

The croissant, brie cheese, and berries are made from clay. The little Eiffel Tower is a foam board base and some of that rigid clear plastic for the menu holder. The cup came from Dollar Tree, and the green straw is actually a small leftover piece of that flexible wire the bistro chair is made from.

So that's everything! I spent very little money on all the supplies, and used upcycled materials as often as I could. This won't be the last you'll see of the shop. This was definitely a huge time investment, and so I'll be using it often from now on.

[this-is-fox-speaking]

ash has gotten a little update!! basic info below under the cut

NAME: Ashley Leap Comet

ALLOTPUN: Asleep

GENDER: Bigenderfluid

PRONOUNS: she/him

AGE: probably around in her young 20’s? i dunno! i sometimes change it on a whim

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

SPOUSES: none… because i don’t selfship in sparklecare (yet. maybe.)

PARTNERS: none

PARENTS: Caroline and Uni

LIKES:

Clay sculpting

Plushies

Drawing, doodling

My Little Borsey (Gen 4)

Chicken

Naked noodles

Furry content

Soda

Sugary treats

Horror content, mostly online horror

Napping

DISLIKES:

Fruits and veggies

Being yelled at, raised voices

Loud arguments

Not understanding something

Being misinterpreted

Secrets actively being kept from her

Insects (mostly spiders or large bugs)

Not winning in something competitive, sometimes, even if it’s for fun