#homegrown brands

[suchananewsblog]

Raise your glass

Homegrown libations to begin the year with, from a coffee gin to a 100% agave spirit . .

[accio-victuuri]

wang yibo - announced as chief spokesperson of YAYA

From the stage to the screen to the track, he has experienced multiple life roles, and he has gone all out for his love; from the first manufacturer of down jackets in China to the global leader in down jacket sales, it has used quality to create classics. Welcome @UNIQ-王一博 to become the chief spokesperson of YAYA brand.

[shaadiwish]

While the market is filled with designer brands, there are only a handful of labels who truly stand out for being one-of-a-kind! One such brand that ShaadiWish wants every modern bride-to-be to keep an eye on is Moledro.

[plokoonsdisapprovingeyebrows]

#genuinely didnt realise target could be a grocery store?? gonna have to go to the one downtown just to see if they do that here lmfaoooo

it counts as a grocery store by technicality because there is a section to buy simple things like milk, eggs, ground beef, boxed stuff. but that's about as far as it goes from what I understand. there's no cut meats (steaks and roasts). literally just things that can get shipped in, as in, then labeled (if they need labeling). this may also be a very US thing, I dunno how NZ Targets operate.

I was about to say "Oh, like what the warehouse is trying to do!" and then I got to ground beef. Yep that's solidly a Supermarket Item here ksfjhgkjdh.

(anyway i googled the one here and it turns out it literally just sells furniture. no groceries for us i guess lmao)

[kamalindian]

View this post on Instagram

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[mt-oe]

Idol!Mizu AU where Mizu is in a girl group 🫡 she's known for being the "handsome" girl of the group but also her and reader having constant romantic tension with each other on stage

Fans speculating whether or not Mizu and Reader's interactions are just for fan service or more genuine

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Hey dear!

I hope you're still there! I wanted to look for girl groups with a similar trope (or at least what fans make it out to be) to better visualize the idea. Though I think I made this more dramatic than the idea.

Honestly, I really have to thank you because your idea introduced me to C-Pop and it's been great so far! Thank you so much <3

Hope you enjoy! Mwa mwa :*

warning/s: not proofread, short, she/her for mizu, implied afab reader

note: Yes, I used oshi no ko for the pic, but I do not condone incest. That's fucking disgusting. It was the only idol manga I knew with the panel vibes I was aiming for ;;

It was 6:57pm at Tokyo Dome. The venue usually filled only by the brightest and most talented idols was now filled with fans clutching their light sticks and banners excitedly. Admins from both official and unofficial fan pages handed out fan made photo cards to anticipating hands as they sang along to the music video playing as they waited and practiced their chants.

Outside, those who got out-lucked by others during the ticket selling or just couldn't afford the tickets, waited, hoping for even a glimpse of their bias by some lucky chance. Some were even hoping that a scalper would come pass by, try not minding how overpriced it would be. Double, triple, or even quadruple the price. It didn't matter. Any price would be worth it just to watch the biggest and hottest idol group in the world.

The talk of the town—the world rather.

Four members recruited as trainees at the same time, each scout claiming that they were a once-in-a-lifetime find, now formed under one group. They were charming, addicting, and they knew how to get everyone hooked.

Akemi, the group leader and princess. Born and raised in Kyoto. Undeniably pretty, soft, alluring, yet at the same time, fierce, well-spoken, and confident. "I want to be great," she said during the interview. And indeed, great she is. Rumors had it that she was the daughter of a famous businessman, but due to the lack of evidence, the rumor stayed a rumor. Ise. She may be the oldest in the group, but her charms never faltered with age. Always the face in sexy and mature concepts. Brands aiming for a more elegant and stronger appeal would come rushing at every given chance. Faced a lot of backlash at the start of her trainee days for being scouted along the streets of Kabukicho. However, after a long struggle and proving her talents, the information was finally forgotten, drowned in the sea of praises. Mizu, the lady killer. Homegrown from Kohama. The talent manager almost put her in a boy group due to her androgynous-borderline-masculine look. Usually stoic and aloof. Everyone would kill for her to smile at them. She rarely posts on social media. Her managers have to beg her for a crumb of an update. Fortunately, the company somehow found a social media manager for her. Now fans await her gym pictures, drooling over her abs, and her livestreams where she basically just does the most normal things. Everyone eats it up though. You. Everyone considered you as the doll of the group. An all-rounder, handling singing, dancing, and the most active when it came to fan interactions. You definitely had the most fan meeting fan cams. Able to handle every concept equally, whether it be the typical cute idol concept or a more mature sexier concept. The face card never declines.

Anyone who didn't know them had to be living under a rock or something.

Several news reporters struggled amongst each other to get the latest news about the on-going concert. Some fans even got interviewed about their sentiments, ranting on live television about how excited they were. Traffic reports had to be monitored constantly with how large the traffic jam was.

Finally, the clock struck 7.

It was go time.

The lights dimmed and the general announcements were given. Though it wasn't like anyone cared. They were too busy scrambling back to their seats, making sure their light sticks were on the correct settings. Excitement rushed through them as they watched the back-up dancers get into position on stage.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as the music started. The stage filled with smoke and colorful lights, adding to the hyped up feeling. Fans stood up as they saw the silhouettes of their idols, screaming their lungs out.

"Tokyo! Did you miss us?" the familiar voice of Akemi could be heard as the platform was raised, causing a massive wave of screams and cheers from the crowd. You suppressed the urge to gasp as you finally got the opportunity to see how big of an audience your group had amassed. You knew your group was famous, but to see what Tokyo Dome looked like sold out?

It was like a dream.

A sea of lights glimmering in the dark, like stars littering the vastness of the sky. Each a different color to represent their bias, some blinking multiple colors to represent their equal love for each member. If you had to envision what a fantasy world would look like, it was definitely this.

Your eyes looked over the tarps hung over the railings, all welcoming your group back in Tokyo, expressing their love. Each banner causing your smile to brighten as you sang through the mic, a bounce in your step while you roamed through the stage, wanting to interact with everyone equally.

Enjoyment ran through your body as you performed. An intense want to bring your fans the same joy that they brought you motivated you to do your best. You could feel your heart swelling with affection for your fans. The blood in your veins running faster as the lights shone brighter and brighter but never outshining you.

What can you say? The stage was your playing field.

Everything was going great. The song was going well, no technical difficulties, and none of you were getting tired yet. Your skirt fluttering animatedly as you continued to roam around, waving and reaching your hand to those in the VIP standing area. As the song reached it's final chorus, you were about to stand up straight when your foot suddenly slipped, causing you to fall forward.

A gasp made it's way off of your lips as you closed your eyes. All your thoughts going blank as you waited for the pain to hit you. However, seconds passed and...nothing.

Oddly enough, it feels like the stage became a bit more quiet. Slowly, you opened your eyes, expecting to see the floor and a bit of blood. Instead, your eyes met the surprised—and maybe even swooning—eyes of your fans.

Confused, you looked back to see Mizu's hand gripping your arm tightly, preventing you from falling. A stern yet concerned expression on her face. She looked back at you, eyes narrowing as she pulled you up into her arms effortlessly. Her lips tugged into a small smile, hands wrapping around your waist as you giggled and gave her a nod to thank her silently. Ah, damn it. You could see the amount of Tiktok edits made later.

Fans squealed at the interaction, whispering and fawning over how romantic it was. The constant romantic tension between the two of you was no secret within the community. It started as a joke during the group debut with how many times the two of you interacted behind the scenes, but now everyone's wondering whether there was something more to it.

Song after song, your group performed tirelessly, starting with songs from the cute concept albums. Eyes were on you and Akemi mostly, having fit the concept the most. However, you couldn't help but feel a particular set of eyes on you, even when it wasn't your part yet.

You looked around, before your gaze landed on Mizu's, who immediately looked away. A small amused huff leaving you as you walked over to her, bumping her lightly with your hip, making her eyes widen slightly.

The lights soon dimmed as the group finally finished with the first half. The other members leaving the stage to give way for each other's solo songs.

Wiping the sweat off of your forehead, a cold sensation suddenly pressed against your shoulder, making you jump. It was Mizu. In her hand was a water bottle. She chuckled and handed it to you, amused at the residual rush you felt. "You're doing an awful lot, aren't you?" she chuckled, sitting down next to you, her pants already changed for her solo.

"Well it's Tokyo Dome after all," you sighed dreamily, taking a huge gulp of water before smiling sheepishly at your makeup artist who looked pissed at you for ruining the lipstick she just retouched. "Who knew we'd reach this far?"

Despite spending your trainee days together, the blue-eyed idol was still an enigma to you. Someone you felt a strange sense of longing and comfort, but at the same time, someone you couldn't quite grasp.

Mizu smiled fondly at you, patting your head. "I always knew you could do it," she mumbled, eyes studying your form. The amount of stamina you had for performing never ceased to amaze her. Unbeknownst to you, she shared the same sentiments. You were incredible to her.

"Hey! No touching the hair!" you huffed, swatting her hand off playfully. "And you're here with me too, aren't you?"

She raised an eyebrow and gave a small nod, smile never leaving her lips. "I am, but you.." her voice trailed off into a fond whisper as she stood up again. Cerulean eyes squinted as she laughed softly, her voice hinted with something else. Admiration? Attraction? Love? "I never doubted you. You're more of an idol than anyone in our group."

You were about to question her about it, a small tightening feeling in your chest. You knew about the fan allegations and you knew Mizu knew about it too, but sometimes she made you feel like they were true; that your fans had noticed something you didn't.

As you opened your mouth to ask, her wardrobe manager rushed into the room and immediately scolded her for wandering off when it was almost her solo. She flashed you a small smile and a little wave before her face rested back into her usual stoic expression.

A sigh left your lips as you stared at where she previously sat. 'I'm going crazy, aren't I? She's probably just doing this to make the act more believable..' you thought, standing up as well to talk over to your makeup artist.

Your heart hurt slightly at the thought. What will happen once all of this was over? When the audience no longer cared about the small smiles and touches she gave you? You wished you could stay here forever, to be by her side through the ups and downs of this idol life. Maybe even after, in a more peaceful one. But realistically...

Mizu would forget about you then, wouldn't she?

The inner turmoil boiled up in your chest, making you sigh. 'I need to stop. We're in the middle of a concert,' you thought to yourself. Your eyes traveled to the small TV they had set up backstage, watching as the love of your life you bandmate performed her song.

The twinkle in your eyes brightening as you watched her. Each lyric, each dance move, each fan service, making your heart clench with a strange sense of longing. "She's going all out, isn't she?" your makeup artist said softly, attaching the gems to your face. You quickly snapped out of your love-dazed trance and huffed. "A bit," you replied. "But she's not going to outdo me."

It was frustrating. How both of you tiptoed around your feelings but never taking a step forward.

No.

You couldn't take the step forward. A step forward meant the end of your career. Her career. You couldn't do that. Not when she was shining so brightly.

After a bit of preparation, it was finally your turn to be on stage, performing your solo. Undeniably, your performance was impeccable. Choreography practiced to perfection, each note hit, and every pose timed to give the most impact. However, despite how seemingly well you were performing, your thoughts were plagued by the uncertainty you felt.

After all this, it would be over anyway. When the lights of your idol career stops shining, so will her small reassuring gestures, so will the butterflies she gave you.

As the song transitioned to the next album, you were pulled out of your thoughts by a hand on your waist, giving you a small pat. Ocean eyes squinting as she smiled at you reassuringly. "Keep your mind on the stage," she whispered against your ear before turning her mic on.

She's right. You were getting distracted.

"Oh who do you think I am," you jokingly whispered back, covering your mic before joining Ise and Akemi walk around the stage. A chuckle escaped her lips as she watched you move, eyes filled with admiration unbeknownst to you. The interaction making her fans swoon as the romantic scene fueled their fantasies. She soon joined the rest as everyone did their best to give the performance Tokyo deserved.

Confetti flew around as the performance finally ended. You were now accepting gifts from your fans, catching stuffed toys thrown onto the stage. The turmoil in you continuing to brew, the stage really brought you a strange kind of happiness. Would you choose to stay here? Or would you take the dive forward into love?

Like a prince charming, here to save you from your thoughts, Mizu gave you a small pat. A hug hidden by the smoke covering the stage as the platform lowered. Oh why the hell were you thinking so much?

Maybe someday, the both of you would finally brave it out and confess. Maybe someday, the world will accept two idols falling in love. But today was just another job well done.

[dulltoned]

Kismet Snippets

Brought to you by the Trolls Discord.

Ablaze:

- Used to be "We R Who We R" by Kesha

- After being introduced to rock music it's now also "Why Worry" by Set It Off

Trickee:

- "Lucky Strike" by Maroon 5

- "Deal with It" by Ashnikko

- Listens to a lot of sad music when he's alone

Hype:

- Will lose his shit to Kesha with Ablaze but he prefers "Crazy Kids"

- A really big fan of "Right Now" by Sabrina Carpenter and "Anything Can Happen" by Tors

Boom:

- Loves "What a Man Gotta Do" by the Jonas Brothers

- Guilty pleasure for country, really likes "Homegrown" by Zac Brown Band and "I Don't Want This Night to End" by Luke Bryan

- Favorite song of all time is "It's Gonna Be Me" by BroZone and he will not tell Branch that.

Branch:

- Eclectic loser, doesn't have a favorite

- Really likes "Lose Your Way" by Broadside and "When the Earth Stands Still" by the Phoenix Chamber Choir, though.

Ablaze: Raspberry Sprite and Steak Nachos with extra jalapeños.

Trickee: Limonada/Brazilian Lemonade and blackberry and cheese danishes.

Hype: Fruit Punch Energy Drink (any brand) and fruit salad without any grapes.

Boom: Supersweet caramel coffee with whipped cream and soba, hot or cold for both the food and the drink.

They all build their bonds with Branch before they start to meet each other through him. Their individual friendships start to form long before they consider starting up a band.

Branch never stopped singing, not completely. Not until Kismet broke up. He didn't sing often after Grandma Rosiepuff died and he never sang in public. What he did sing was never happy but he still sang to himself on occasion. Music was in his blood, both as a Troll and as someone who's been performing since he was in diapers. It's not something that he could just quit at the drop of a hat like that.

It's only after Branch builds them their own hideout that the idea starts to form. Kismet are all hanging out in the space that Branch built for them, drinking after some party or another, and singing loudly. Underneath them screaming the lyrics, though, one of them hears a softer voice singing along. "Oh my- Branch your voice is so good!" "You sing!?" "Hey, that's damn good."

That's when the first spark ignites.

It takes a while for them to bring up being a band, let alone getting Branch to join in, and it takes even longer for Branch to open up about BroZone and his childhood. But they get there, they assure Branch that there's no pressure, but Branch feels safe with them and he likes singing so one day he tentatively agrees.

Branch never preformed on stage and he was never shown in the band's branding but everyone knew there was a fifth member of Kismet.

[auriidae]

my 100% homegrown ocs who were definitely not inspired by any preexisting characters that i have any current attachments to whatsoever (their names are michi and jenners and they're very beloved to me)

(at first this was a 'haha design my fave characters as if they were my ocs' thingy but then i got attached to them and now they have their own personalities and the vague basis of a backstory and EVERYTHING. jenners is a city girl whose apartment is full of antique junk she paid way too much for. and michi is a midwestern guy who regularly makes sandwiches with canned tuna and grocery store brand white bread. yknow? they're madly in love with each other and they both have terrible taste in music and no concept of the future <3)

[suchananewsblog]

6 Homegrown Gin Brands You Must Try Recommends

Let’s agree – India has experienced a gin revolution in the past few years. We have seen Indian gin landscape blooming like never before. What used to be the tiniest section on the bar menu has now taken over the country with an endless list. So much so that today you will find at least one fine bottle of a gin in everyone’s collection. This has subsequently paved way for more and more Indian…

[accio-victuuri]

Okay, the scheduled ad time slots look legit. If you wanna follow along WYB’s announcement for his new endorsement with YAYA ☺️

November 6, 10:18, 12:18

November 7, 10:18

November 8, 10:18 Official brand announcement, Yibo 10:30

[buffetlicious]

A colleague who recently retired recommended this Red Bean Bread (S$3.50) from Wataa Bakery. This halal-certified confectionery is a franchise brand of homegrown Swee Heng Bakery. This fluffy yellow bread has a spiral of sweetened red beans embedded in the dough and sesame seeds on the outside. The bread is good on its own if not a wee bit sweet due to the sweetened beans.

[shaadiwish]

There are tons of brands available for bridal footwear. But when it comes to groom footwear, guys are struggling to find something that suits their style and personality.

[mariacallous]

Nearly four years ago, the Department of Homeland Security stated for the first time that domestic violent extremists, rather than foreign terrorists, had become “the most persistent and lethal threat” to the United States. The F.B.I.’s director later told a congressional committee that the primary threat came from adherents to “some kind of white-supremacist-type ideology.” When Joe Biden took office, shortly after the attack on the Capitol, he directed staff to draft the first-ever “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism,” which promised “a comprehensive approach to addressing the threat while safeguarding bedrock American civil rights and civil liberties.” But, in the intervening time, have we become any safer? In a riveting narrative from this week’s issue, David D. Kirkpatrick explores:

The limits that law-enforcement agencies face in going after potential homegrown terrorists, and how a growing number of amateur investigators and vigilantes—who make use of the latest technology and operate without the “protections, training, or restraints that come with a badge”—have stepped into the void.

How far-right groups often operate as multilevel-marketing schemes, in which members are incentivized to sell branded materials to an ever-growing number of recruits, effectively paying for their operations by amassing new members—even those who aren’t yet “fashed out,” meaning fully fascist.

Why the F.B.I. is reluctant to categorize extremists with terms such as “far right” or “white nationalist,” using instead much broader categories such as “domestic violent extremism,” “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism,” and “anti-government or anti-authority violent extremism.”

The story of an operator with the code name Vincent Washington who infiltrated a white-nationalist organization called Patriot Front, and offered the trove of information he obtained to an online publication called Unicorn Riot, rather than to the police.

[dresden-syndrome]

Hello comrades!

I'm on my last steps to finishing college and it's been a really stressful time in my life. My time has been consumed by too much work to do and struggle with motivation to do... literally anything. Thanks for your ongoing support and investment :) not soon but someday, I'll be back!

I'll be back with these brand new EESU government supplied OCs! Expect a lot of creepy carewhumping, a couple Party insights, black tea, red wine, barbed wire, locked doors and delicate homegrown roses. Central heating not included; it's gonna be hot until it's not.

Dear comrades, this summer we're going south.

(Art from all-female AU. All my OCs are male by default but i'm more into lady whump than y'all might think)

Art tag: @painful-pooch @prismpanic @generic-whumperz @suspicious-whumping-egg @onlywhump @whumpedydump @whumpthefifth @monarchthefirst @sunshiline-writes @project-xiii

[rjzimmerman]

A couple of days ago, I was collecting seeds from the milkweed pods in our yard. Having not done this before, but being fully aware of the fuzzy stuff that flies out of the pods, I was battling fuzz (technically, "floss") as I was pulling off and storing the seeds. Then I got smart, and decided to cut a slit in the pods and then gently pull out the mass of floss and seeds, and then just pulling the seeds off and dropping then into the container. As I was doing that, I noticed how super soft the floss was as I pulled it fresh out of the pods, and wondered........do any clothing manufacturers use this stuff? Did a Google search, and learned....yep!

Excerpt from this story from Happy Eco News:

As consumers demand more eco-conscious apparel, brands are getting creative with natural materials that keep warmth in and environmental harm out. One unlikely hero emerging from prickly planted fields is the common milkweed—yes, literally plucked straight from the wild. While best known as the sole food source for iconic, struggling Monarch butterflies, milkweed’s hidden potential is nestled right inside its fluffy, silken floss. This fleecy fiber is an amazing natural insulator and is finding a new application in jackets, parkas, boots, and ski gloves for humans.

As outdoor apparel companies race to reduce environmental impacts, milkweed clothing insulation is proving a promising substitute for conventional insulation fillers—one aligned with cleaner agricultural systems. Its hollow-cored fluff offers an animal-friendly, biodegradable alternative to goose down. Unlike petroleum-based synthetics like polyester fibers, milkweed fills garments with a regeneratively sourced material that decomposes rather than lingering for centuries in landfills.

With conscious consumerism accelerating across industries, apparel buyers now consider impacts far beyond cost and quality when evaluating purchases. An unlikely hero from both suffering North American grasslands and climate crosshairs is rapidly gaining traction as a sustainable insulation material – common milkweed floss. Beyond keeping heat in and winter out with insulating performance rivaling goose down, milkweed rates exceptionally on multiple sustainability indicators resonant with eco-conscious consumers.

As a native perennial thriving on marginal lands, milkweed flourishing requires no irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides – regrowing reliably year after year. From a toxicity and allergen standpoint, milkweed avoids issues associated with many synthetic insulations or down. And supporting milkweed crop expansion helps reverse monarch butterfly declines blamed on agricultural habitat loss. For shoppers concerned over microplastics shedding into waterways from standard fleece, milkweed offers a soft, homegrown, biodegradable alternative. In short, milkweed checks all the boxes for socially mindful consumers seeking future-focused apparel that balances functionality with ethical, regenerative supply supporting threatened pollinators.

Signaling the momentum of milkweed clothing insulation, major brands like Patagonia are incorporating the fluff through novel partnerships with companies like Vegeto Textiles. Dedicated milkweed plantings bandwidth habitat zones while fibers make their way into garments. Other types of textile manufacturers are also jumping on board, some with announced plans to insulate blankets and quilts with milkweed.

Still, despite its promise, milkweed clothing insulation remains in its infancy. Technological barriers to processing millions of floss strands into a stable textile filling have just recently been worked out. Machinery and techniques to update this long-known application concept into a scalable commercial reality. Companies have worked for years honing best practices for taking raw milkweed fluff through cleaning, drying, and fiber alignment steps to transform fuzzy floss into outdoor-ready filling. Advancements in the coming decade will further improve integration potential across diverse textile products, opening doors for milkweed clothing insulation in everything from t-shirts to winter boots.