#i love all the gifts joe gave me but this is one of my faves

[stedesbonnet]

they’re my dads 😌

[deaddovecoterie]

HSMTMTS Holiday Special Soundtrack Review

1. This Christmas by Sofia Wylie

SHE REALLY POPPED OFF WITH THIS!!!!!! i’m so glad they gave her a song with lots of spicy jazzy stuff which totally reflects both her and gina, and i love that. her vocals were amazing and even all the extra stuff in the background was so good. like a 9/10 for this one

2. The Perfect Gift by Joshua Bassett

SO !!!!! SOFT !!!!!! MAJFGNGIFNFJSJSJ I LOST MY MIND WHEN I HEARD THIS ONE😭 everything about this song just screams domestic rini and the lyrics are so perfect and fitting for their dynamic. he communicated how ricky feels so well and i could genuinely picture everything that he was signing. joshua bassett never misses and i stand by that. 9/10 only because we didn’t get like some backup vocals from liv or something 😳

3. Feliz Navidad by Frankie Rodriguez and Joe Serafini

FIRST OF ALL, THIS DUOOO PLSSSSS I LOVEEEE THEM SO MUCHHH JOE COMING THROUGH WITH THE VOCALS, HIS VOICE IS EVERYTHING I CANTTTTT. their voices are so pretty and they NEEEEEEED more solos or duet in season two or i will be throwing hands. joes voice is so powerful and just yesssss. that’s all i have to say. tbh the sirens in the first part just did not do it for me💀🤚🤚 so like a 7/10

4. Hanukkah Medley by Julia Lester

julia babe they did you so dirty with this 😭😭😭😭 julia’s vocals are INSANEEE THE TALENT THAT THIS WOMAN HASSSS but the song itself are just so bad i’m so sorry, this song was just not it. 2/10 for the song itself but 10/10 for julia’s vocals

5. Last Christmas by Matt Cornett

YES MATT CAME THROUGH WITH THOSE VOALS, IM SO GLAD THEY GAVE HIM SOMETHING IN HIS VOCAL RANGE!!! he truly does have a really nice voice and so i’m happy they gave him something that was just smooth and fit his voice. i genuinely really like it, like if definitely listen to it even if it wasn’t on the soundtrack so yeah, like a 8/10

6. White Christmas by Larry Saperstein

AMEJGJGKGIGKRGIGIRJDH I LOVE MY UNPROBLEMATIC RED HEADED KING, LARRY IS SO ELITE, he sounded SO GOOD, like it really fit his voice. AND THE TAPPING IN IT??? PLS THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR ME😭😭😭 anyway 10/10 i love this man

7. Little Saint Nick by Joshua Bassett and Matt Cornett

STOPPPP THIS DUO IS SO GOOD, I LOVE THIS ONE CAUSE ITS JUST SO SOFTTTT these boys together warm my heart, and joshs voice in this makes me smile so much skdmfigmgjd pls i’m gonna cry🥺🥺🥺 like a 9/10 cause it’s actually a bop

8. Believe by Dara Renee

i normally don’t like slow christmas songs BUT LIKE THEN IT RAMPED UP AND I WAS LIKE OH SHIT THIS IS INSANE SKDMGKYMGIFMSJFIGMHJS DARA FUCKING RENEE RUN ME OVER. i just- *dies* she’s so talented and her belting and vocal range and her voice????? LIKE THE RUNSSSSS AHHHHHHHH ALSO ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WHEN SHE SAID “childrenNNNN” WAS THAT TIKTOK TREND WHERE- never mind😳 anyway, i’m dead. i’m alive but i’m dead. 10/10

9. What Are You Doing New Years Eves? by Kate Reinders and Mark St. Cyr

meh, this one didn’t really do it for me to honest. i found they used way too much auto tune on marks voice (also kates but not as much i don’t think). i don’t really have any thoughts on this one, it didn’t really thrill me. but kate sounded great :D i’d say only a 4/10 to be honest

10. River by Olivia Rodrigo

OLIVIA PLEASEEEEEEE LET ME BREATHE U CRIED SO HARD LISTENING TO THIS, OLIVIAS VOICE IS SO ANGELIC I LITERALLY CANT GET ENOUGH IF IT😭😭😭😭😭 shes so fucking flawless, her voice is like honey. to be honest this kind of sounded a bit like drivers license??? i said i’m not a fan of slow songs but for livs vocals i’m gonna give this a 9/10 cause goddamn

11. Something in the Air by HSMTMTS Cast

no thoughts head empty😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I WAS JAMMING OUT TO THIS ON REPEAT FOR 7 HOURS STRAIGHT DONT TALK TO ME ABOUT IT, ITS SUCH A PROBLEM IM SO OBSESSED, THE SONG IS SO HYPE AND THE CASTS VOCALS TOGETHER AND THE JOSH AND LIV DUET ON THE BRIDGE???? PLS I HAD A FUCKING HEART ATTACK DMGKHMMHKGMGIDSMGKIFIDJDUVFKGIFI AND JOES RUNS?? JULIAS RUNS??? DARAS RUNS??? GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK BYEEE THIS ONES LIKE A 20395868/10

12. That’s Christmas to Me by Julia Lester, Joe Serafini, Frankie Rodriguez and Kate Reinders

also a meh. not a wower in my opinion. their harmonizations are great and so are the vocals, but the song itself just isn’t my fave. 5/10

13. Christmas by Dara Renee, Joshua Bassett and Matt Cornett

DARA REALLY SAID MAIN CHARACTER🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 her voice is just so powerful, smooth and ughhhhhh i can’t get enough of her. and may and josh with the back up vocals? yes pls😌😌 the saxophone and everything? ugh everything is just so good. 8/10

[xsecretblastsx]

2x01 Summer Kind of Wonderful

SEASON TWO HERE WE GO.

I was dying to get here, this is one of my favorite episodes in the whole show. It’s also the episode were I really turned into a Chair shipper, so there’s that too, also The Hamptons!! Honestly was not to love about this episode.

I think this is the longest recap I’ve done in a while. As usaul recap under the cut.

Thoughts I had while watching:

I’ve watched this before and yet I’m still surprised our first taste of S2 is Nate going at it

After the super promising tease on Nate and Serena on the S1 turns out... she’s covering for him while he sleeps around... 😒

Chuck being Chuck, still a womanizer, still obsessed with Blair and as always ignoring Serena’s disgusted face. Also hilarious his enormous basket with cuttlery and such.

Look Joe Goldberg!!! Or is it Dan Humphrey? This bookstore setting is making it even more confusing.

Hi Jenny! And her never ending disatisfaction with her place at whatever she’s trying.

This scene between Chuck and Serena is so underrated. Her mocking face is hilarious. Pimp all you want Chuck it’s useless. Good luck in your suicide mission indeed.

What’s a Jitney? 😆How about where Blair returns to the Hamptons with a new beau. On your face Chuck Bass! On the words of GG: ain’t karma a bitch? We know Blair Waldorf is.

“A hot lifeguard is like Kleenex: use once and then throw away, you couldn’t ask for a better rebound” so says Blair 🤔

“The only thing lamer than dating Dan Humphrey is mourning Dan Humphrey” speaking words of wisdom Blair Waldorf

Of course all the wisdom goes out the window when Chuck appears. With the most extra polo ever and the shortest shorts in the history of menswear

Not that Blair wasn’t transparent with all her talk about James but oh my god Serena’s is so bad a going along with it.

“You’re lying. Your eyes are doing that thing were they don’t match your mouth” Chuck Bass: a walking manual on Blairisms

“I bet you’ll like him as much as I do” “If by that you mean I won’t like him at all then you’re right” meanwhile Serena is trying to pretend she’s anywhere else and not there silent witness to that verball pin pong

I always wonder how Jenny and Dan end up being like that with a Dad like Rufus

So this is “Jenny admitting she was a bitch and that Eric didn’t deserve it” first season.

“A honk instead of a knock? Did someone order a townie?" Blair’sn lines this episode are hilarious

I feel bad thinking that Nate’s main contribution so far is looking really good without a shirt.

Chuck Bass: a walking encyclopedia on everything Blair Waldorf.

If only the show had given us more Chuck and Cece interactions.

I feel I should have kept a score for all the Chuck and Blair jibes to each. That pin play on Blair’s part was check mate though. Auch. I almost feel bad for Chuck. Almost

In terms of cinematography that scene were they talk about the pin is gorgeous probably my fave in the show only behind that scene in Paris in S4. The matching outfits, the colors and the scenery are sooo good. Also the acting.

Knowing her like he does it’s interesting Chuck doesn’t realize Blair only gave that pin to James to hurt him. But the fact that it works is very telling on Chuck’s insecurities and feelings.

Nate being kicked out so the husband won’t catch him wouldn’t be half as hilarious if it wasn’t for Serena’s “no effing way face”

“Damn that Motherchucker” a novel by Blair Waldorf

I love Blair’s summer dress by the way

“All I could see was that Chuck Basstard” the sequel novel, also by Blair Waldorf

What a difference a summer makes: Nate and Chuck talking about Blair. I do feel Nate’s like “thank god it ain’t me anymore”

“And unlike you I don’t lose something if I let it out of my sight” Blair strikes again, this girl is on fire.

This episode is kind of proving that I barely care for any other storyline that doesn’t have the original four. After those two side by side arguments, getting back to Dan is really annoying

I kind of love it when Rufus points out to Dan how he never stops talking and doesn’t let anyone else said anything. Is kind of boring already how he only seems to write about Serena and the UES.

Chuck’s cricket outfit reminds me of how I should enjoy the crazy outfits while they last.

Ofc Chuck’s has a PI on speed dial Eric, duh. Gotta love him though: “i know that face, that face is not your friend” sorry Nate

I’m still trying to come up with the reason why the show let the fake dating storyline between Nate and Serena be such a waste. Whyyyy????

Just in case I forget: this white party was sponsored by Vitamin Water. For real there’s product placement and then there’s this.

The constrast between Serena looking like a greek goddess next to Nate’s I didn’t bother of an outfit is making me dizzy.

Chuck’s outfit for the white party kind of deserves a post of his own. Then again is probably my fave outfit of his on the whole show.

James calling out Blair for using him, while mentioning charade feels kind of overplayed now. Anyway he’s already pointing out how Blair and Chuck are the same and that’s why they deserve each other.

“Don’t you see? We’re the same? Stop trying to fight it” “I will fight it to my last dying breath because any resemblance to you is something I would hate about myself” this whole dialogue feels like a premonition.

Serena and Nate kissing and being totally into it while paparazzi plays is the background is just one of those moments. This is the kind of content I’m here for. Only to be ruined by Dan Humphrey.

And here we are again Dan getting mad when he doesn’t have a right to, thankfully karma is a thing in the form of drinks poured all over him

And somehow is Serena the one busy cleaning that suit, useless Dan is useless

Chuck’s “I’m so screwed” face when his PI tells him Blair’s guy is actually a british Lord is priceless.

THREE WORDS EIGHT LETTERS SAY IT AND IM YOURS.

Epic scene aside they both look so good here. This episode is gift in matching outfits.

Dan, Serena and fireworks. 😪 here we go again

I loved this episod the first time I watched it and I think I love it even more so now. It’s really good, full of funny lines, great outfits and epic moments. Season two is as of now my fave season (i think this is also true for many people) and it starts with a bang. Quite literally actually with the opening scene being Nate going at it with an “older” woman, which I guess was meant to be shocking in part because we ended last season wondering if something was going to happen between Nate and Serena.

Sadly it didn’t and that’s my biggest complain for this episode because how on earth did they thought it was ok to waste all that set up, and to add insult to the injury they are like so Serena and Nate are secretly dating... but it is just like a throway line because except for that amazing kiss at the white party we never see them fakee dating and I honestly want to pull my hair out of frustration. Just imagine the possibilities that weren’t, granted fake dating is one of my favorite tropes but it could have been quite the storyline imagine: Serenate fake dates and that sparks the feelings that were pushed aside on S1 but that were always there, and now there’s nothing that can stop them to act on it, except Serena has feelings for Dan too, and she struggles because of it all the first half of S1 until eventually she picks Dan and breaks Nate’s heart, combined with all the other pressures in his life, he wants something easy and this happens to coincide with Blair’s downright spiral and that’s how Nair happens again in the second half of S2.

My point being you could add so many more moments in the Serenate saga, also give more force to the idea the show always tried to do: that Serena can’t really let go of Dan, because Nate and her are quite something and yet... and still have almost the same story on the second half which was important because it gave closure to Nair and also had both Chuck and Blair realizing a couple of things. Alas one can only dream and be happy that at least we got that kiss at the white party

So back to the episode, we learn that Nate is having and affair with a married woman, Serena misses Dan a lot and basically mourned him the whole summer meanwhile he was being an asshole in the City fooling girls he met at his intership and Jenny is working and trying to stand out in her own internship at Waldorf desings. Which reminds me Eric is such a gem of a character, he’s always have good one liners but whe’s also a nice counter balance to all the manipulation and bitchery going around him. Anyway all of these storylines are barely a tease of what’s coming, and they really take off in the next episode, so I’ll get into them then, so at the end of the episode Nate manages to keep the affair goin into the city, Jenny earns a bit of respect from her boss and Serena and Dan see each other again (thanks to Cece which is another character I wish we had see a bit more) they meet at the beach ready to see if there’s something to salvage between them. We’ll see.

The real star of this episode are Chuck and Blair. This episode belongs to them. I’ve seen comments that claim this is the season that made them epic and really take off and I quite agree, and this episode in particular sets up the stage for it, touching on a lot of the aspects that are going to be their arc for this season and even beyond. So at the end of S1 Chuck stands up Blair and she goes alone to Tuscany and he doesn’t goes after her the whole summer. Instead he spends the summer in The Hamptons being Chuck Bass, she ends up in France. We soon learn that while Chuck  enjoyed himself during the summer Blair wasn’t far off in his mind:, the minute she’s back he goes aftet her, roses in hand only to find out she came back with a new guy, and she does everything in her power to rub that fact in his face which Chuck should have expected, it obviously bothers him but truth is they both know this is just Blair trying to get back at him for abandoning her, he hurt her, she obviously doesn’t tell him but he ruined his summer and she couldn’t stop thinking about the motherchucker

Shenanigans ensue but there are bits that really stand out: first of them the heart pinn. That's a telling bit about Chuck’s feelings, when that pin make its first appearance on S1 it was the beginning of the end for Chuck, the meaning of it was what got her to accept going to Cotillion with Nate  and now she has gave it to James and Chuck buys it because I guess part of him couldn’t believe she would go as far as to use that to hurt him, that’s a low blow and she also didn’t gave it to him that week they were going out after the wedding, even though it went really well but most importantly he believes she can’t really feel that way about him because he’s just not the kind of guy someone can feel something for, but specially someone  like Blair Waldorf, who dreams of finding her prince charming and such, and to his utter horror it’s revealed that Blair’s new guy is actually a british lord. Just his luck.

He’s anything but that, therefore not for Blair. He tells her as a much later in the episode when he let’s her know that he basically stood her up because he was afraid of her getting to really know him and see he was not good enough nor someone she could be with. And this is something that’s going to be quite the struggle for him for a long time, more than once during the show he’s going to remove himself from the picture because he believes she deserves someone better who can actually make her happy, and this season this happens quite a few times.

Thing is nothing is ever that simple, and this is the other bit that really stands out for me: when James calls her out on how she just use him to make Chuck jealous she justifies herself by pointing out Chuck’s an awful person, who lies and deceives so he kinds of deserve it, and James points out the fact that well she’s sort of the same, and they deserve each other. She lashes out at Chuck because of this and blames him for her argument with James, it’s his fault she played with James, and Chuck’s point out that no one force her to do anything she did it because they’re the same, meaning they scheme and manipulate to get what they want, so she should just stop fighting this thing between them, she rejects him claiming she would hate any resamblance to him. This whole argument is honestly quite interesting, because variations of it are going to keep popping up the rest of the show, and depending on who you ship you either take literally as if  Chuck is the root of Blair worst tendencies or rather see this argument as representation of Blair struggles not with Chuck, but with herself.

Blair struggles in accepting herself, at her core she’s an insecure person, and the fact that she has a dark side that she can’t exactly change because it’s so deep roothed in her bothers her even before she and Chuck were anything, to me it bothers her not because she really wishes she was nice & good person, but rather because Serena is  nice person, who’s regarded as literal ray of sunshine at times, and Serena got two things she wanted for the longest time: positive atention from Eleanor and Nate’s interest.So that fight within herself was always there, it didn’t appear the day she started dating Chuck, is just that in the same way they brought out the best in each other, when things go bad between them the opposite sometimes happened, and even then when they blame each other for something half the time it was to share some of the hurt and to avoid dealing with their own shortcomings and mistakes. Truthfully Chuck and Blair did something for each other no one had really done for them they accept each other fully, Blair’s able to accept and love his darkness, and for Chuck there’s no darkness in Blair she’s the way she is and that’s what makes her wonderful. It was easier for them to love each other than to love themselves. 

Finally the biggest stand out of the episode is that iconic scene, the one that really puts into place the dynamic they will have for the rest of the season: Three words, eight letters are brought to the table, and they won’t move forward until the words have been said. It makes sense, because they tried this twice before, the first one came out of nowhere and it ended with Chuck getting dumped in favor of Nate, and that burned him badly, the second one Blair was the one who got hurt, and both times this pretty much happened because they aren’t able of telling each other how they feel, particularly Chuck. The first time he didn’t let her know he actually cared and wanted to be with her, the second one he didn’t tell her he was afraid, and all of this was too much too soon. So Blair wants, needs some kind of reassurance, and it makes me wonder how that week after the wedding really went, what happened? how wonderful it must have been that even though he abandoned her a that helipad she still had hope in the fact that he may love her. He doesn’t say it, and yet I still love this moment so much for  because jus by asking him to say it is in some way an admittance on her own feellings, and he fails to saythe words  but he did try, and the fact that he did try is also a form of admittance and as such  from here on no matter what happens, how much they fight and toy with each other there’s always an undercurrent of love behind their actions,and this is (borrowing a phrase from a certain popstar) the most amazing unspoken dialogue ever. 

Random bits I’ve noticed

Chuck has a bouquet of yellow roses for his intent on getting Blair back. If my memory serves right, those were his mom favorites

I’m such a sucker for the little backdrop details like the Van der Bass house having all these background pictures of the wedding

Thanks to Chuck for giving us the rank on Blair’s favorite films: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday & Funny Face (even if he said Charades to prove a point)

I’ve read somewhere I think it was on twitter that Blair’s crying in the garden scene was unscripted, Leighton did because she got really caught up in the scene particularly by Ed’s acting. I’ve looked it up but so far I haven’t found anything on this.

There’s a bunch of miniature cyclists under the mirror where Cece’s doing the final touches to her hair, looks sort of weird.

that vitamin water is even on the invitation, agust 30, 2008.

[trashyeggroll]

2, 15, 29, 36, 40, 63, 64, 66, 76 (can be any system not just PC), 81, 94, and 96. Why are you adding banking to the Post Office? Who's the nominee at this point without Joe; I'm not a fan of him just being the nod either but admit now I'll vote because I'm not into the behavior we've seen.

Hey rhanks anon!! 😇🤩😁

2. Have you ever faked an orgasm?

Oh heavens yes, but I don’t recommend it. You teach people bad habits that way and then you’re never gonna get off!

15. If you could choose only one food to eat to the rest of your life, what would it be?

Specifically, beef pho with meatballs (phở tái bò viên)

29. Dumbest lie you ever told?

🤔🤔🤔 I’ve told a lot of bad ones but I guess once I told my parents I went to a football game (& went to make out in my gf’s Jeep instead) and I misunderstood what my friend reporting back said, so I said we lost when they were watching a news clip saying we won 🤪

36. What would you name your daughter/son?

We plan on having one (1) kid, and regardless of sex assigned at birth, their name is gonna be Emerson. We have to hurry bc my cousins are coming close, they’ve already had kids named Eleanor and Evelyn.

40. What was the last gift you gave?

For our upcoming anniversary, I got us one of those WiFi connected, standalone air filters that mrs t has wanted for awhile (given, y’know... five pets!)

63. What are 3 things that irritate you about the same sex?

64. What are 3 things that irritate you about the opposite sex?

I’ma combo these to reject the premise of a same/opposite sex to me, personally, and because I generally am irritated by the same root behaviors that reflect in different ways depending on socialization—

1. When the cishets get married and all of a sudden are very 😇 I am a GOD FEARING woman and OBEY MY HUSBAND (& worse when the husband is posting that shit about his wife)

2. People who act like having a kid is nbd and they don’t need to do any research or planning into doing a halfway decent job. I’m not talking about those who struggle with other oppressive issues like poverty, addiction etc, and I’m not saying you need to have access to classes and books and the best preschools—just, the baseline solidly stable people who seem so committed to passing on the emotionally abusive behaviors they learned from their parents w/o ever questioning it

3. Denim jeans with designs on the butt. I disagree with the lifestyle, but I’ll respect it if you’re into that 😉

66. How would you describe your bad side?

I’m a shutdown-er. Usually if I haven’t been sleeping enough or been bad with my meds, something smallish will set me off and I’ll spiral emotions and then just pull the failsafe switch when it gets too much. 😕 I’m working on it! Helps to practice identifying what’s caused the spiral and talk about it. Also to sleep 😴

76. Do you play any computer games? What is your favourite game? (anon said any system!)

I have Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch systems, no gaming PC, but that spread pretty much covers everything 😌 The Mass Effect games are my all time faves but I also love Witcher 3 and RDR2!

81. How long have you been on Tumblr?

I have a secret trail of abandoned blogs going back to about 2009

94. Do you watch Youtube? Who is your favourite youtuber?

Not really, not the way the kids watch YouTube, and I don’t know if he counts but—

96. What is the meaning of life?

I’m not religious and not even really that spiritual but have you ever sat around with a big group of people who love and support each other unconditionally, family or friends or comrades?

Why are you adding banking to the Post Office?

The unbanked and credit invisible population of the United States are shut out of services and access to funds for absolutely arbitrary reasons, and there’s no social safety net for that. There’s no way, other than money and time, for most people to enter the US financial system, much less begin to build wealth in the first place.

The USPS already has the physical presence throughout the United States to serve poor and unbanked people as a banking branch, and with government backing, they should offer zero fee, no credit check required checking accounts to everyone.

More on this here

Who’s the nominee right now without Joe?

Pie in the sky: Can I get, uhhhh, President Stacey Abrams, VPOTUS Julian Castro, Secretary of Treasury Warren, Secretary of Housing and Urban Devepment AOC

Reality: How about Joe drops out and either encourages the delegates to vote for his next choice, or for the 1st/2nd place from their state? I don’t think there’s a winning way to do this but Joe needs to Go. I’m sick of talking about Bidens and Clintons and if we had any real leadership in the “established” wing of the Democratic Party, he never would have run in the first place. Just different flavors of the same old rich white people in both parties and trying real hard to kill us all

[ladedanixie]

Fake/Pretend Relationship Fic Recs

a wfn challenge (Its 3 days late, but I decided to finish it anyway) : themed recs by trope, kink, or specific au.

The Expiation Expedition by @obstinaterixatrix & @dragonomatopoeia: Voltron, Keith/Lance, 40k

Lance is well aware that miscommunications can result in horrific, preferably avoidable mishaps, which is why he tries to circumvent them whenever possible. It just figures that the state of an entire planet's fragile political climate rests on him running straight into one.

This is possibly one my favorite fics. There is so much well done world building and honest exploration of relationships that it brings a tear to my eye. There’s political intrigue, and clear character writing for all the characters. I love the development of Keith and Lance’s relationship as a result of being fake married and its done without any of that excessive or unnecessary angst that most fics with this same trope do. Like the healthy open communication that happens between them is probably one of my favorite aspects about it. There’s even lesbian space lizards, which is awesome. Also unique and hilarious metaphors, similes, and descriptions, think maybe a cross between douglas adam and terry pratchet. 

6 more recs under the cut

this sudden burst of sunlight by @attilarrific: Critical Role, Shaun Gilmore/Vax’ildan and Kashaw Vesh/Keyleth, 40k

Vax and Kash get drunk and pretend to date. It's all Scanlan's fault.

This fic is a riot to read. It’s fun and hilarious and does a great job of exploring Vax’s and Kash’s personalities as well as showing how much of a jackass they both are. It’s fun to see them more or less commit to this fake relationship more out of spite than anything else despite the fact that they don’t like each other that much in the beginning. And in the process they kinda of learn what’s important to them, and they learn more about each other, and kinda become actual friends, which is a process I very much enjoyed. 

never say never. by @mel-iorn: Shadowhunters, Simon Lewis/Jace Wayland, 4k

As the office holiday party draws near, Simon is getting borderline desperate to find a date to bring with him. Well he knows he can go solo... but with his rather recent ex AND someone in management that keeps dropping hints that he should impregnate their daughter going to be in attendance, he really, really, really rather not.

Such a cute fic. I had a smile all the way through. Simon is so sweet and smitten and that is so nice to read. I especially enjoy this line: “ he’d really, really like a definitive answer so he can go back to over analyzing the usual things like how Not Straight Poe Dameron is instead of whether he wants to get coffee with Jace in a platonic or romantic sense.” It cracked me up and me feel for poor Simon. Jace’s thoughtfulness for Simon in this fic was so nice as well. The gift he gave Simon made me melt. 

How to Torment Your Family in Six Short Courses by @mcbangle: Check Please, Shitty/Lardo, 2k

Shitty answers an ad from a certain art student proposing to pretend to be his girlfriend with the express purpose of pissing off his family on Christmas. Mischief ensues.

Couldn’t stop laughing while reading this fic. I feel a special kind of joy seeing Shitty’s asshole family being tormented by Lardo’s uncouth behavior during dinner. Shitty’s voice is fairly well done here. And his obvious enjoyment of his family’s disapproval is fun to read. I do like the breaking up of the six courses and seeing how Lardo gradually amps up the behavior until the family just kicks her out. 

Feels Good to be Alive Right About Now by @mikkalia15: The Flash, Iris West/Linda Park, 1k

“You’re going to be fine,” Iris says firmly. “There isn’t anyone I’d want more as my back up than you.”

Right, right, Linda’s backup, nothing more. Never mind that she’s had a crush on Iris West since she was hired for Central City Picture News, never mind that she’s currently going to a gala in Starling City posing as her girlfriend. How the holy hell is she suppose to make it through the night without making a fool of herself and/or overloading on the urge to just blurt out her feelings?

Her smile feels a little wobbly, a little strained, all she wants to do it pull Iris into a kiss, turning her perfectly done lipstick into a smear of dark red, instead, though, she swallows.

A cute fic. Linda’s internal panic about going on a fake date with Iris during the date is great. Love the way the two of them shut that one dude down. I like the detail of their coworkers already thinking they’re dating. It’s sweet that Iris knows her fave tea and candy. A nice breezy read.

Practice Kisses by Drownedinlight: The Flash, Wally West/Cisco Ramon, 5k

Wally asks Cisco to be his pretend boyfriend to show off to an ex-boyfriend. It turns out that Wally and Cisco are not that great at pretending, though. 

Adore the interactions between Wally and Joe. I feel like that isn’t often explored, so I appreciate their warm relationship here. The way Cisco stuck it to Wally’s ex with his music knowledge was hilarious. That and the details about Cisco knowing so much about music cause of his brother was so good. I really like the thought of that, and now I’ve adopted it as a headcanon. Also there are not enough Wally/Cisco fics out there, and this one is so good, and cute, so I can’t be more thankful that this exists. Also the fact that Joe assumed they were together cause they were both on the bed was so funny, as was the intervention that followed. 

Who Knows, Someday I'll Win Too by @biofreak659: Transformers Prime, Knockout/Breakdown, 20k

Pre-series. All love stories start somewhere. Some just start off on the wrong foot, and continue spiraling downwards. Based largely on Bringing up Baby.

What a fun ride. Real detailed world building. Great Knockout and Breakdown voices. Knockout’s snark is hilarious. Their dynamic here is honestly the best part. The way Knockout gets roped in had me cracking up. I love the fact that in later chapters they wind up having to open and run into doors. All the shenanigans these two get into is great.

[whambamthankyoubram]

ALL OF THEM IM A NOSEY BITCH

YOU ALWAYS DO THIS

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? MORE CEREAL THAN MILK OBVIOUSLY I’M NOT SATAN

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? No bc my cheeks are cold as hell and I need warmth

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? I fold the corners or put little mailings/postcards in them, whatever I have laying around!

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? Tea, nothing; coffee, milk only!

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? Yes :( There’s a gap in my teeth and I hate it. I wish my teeth were perfect.

6: do you keep plants? Nope.

7: do you name your plants? Can’t name the plants you don’t keep, my dude

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Uhhhh...no?

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? YES all the time.

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Side!

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? 

12: what's your favorite planet? Pluto bc it is still a planet okay

13: what's something that made you smile today? My boyfriend’s Snapchats

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? Messy af

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! “In space, the skin on your feet peels off.” EW SPACE WTF

16: what's your favorite pasta dish? MMMMMM any pasta tbh I’m Italian I will eat anything

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? I love my hair color the way it is now!

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. My ex never let me forget the time I was passed out on his couch, and I woke up intermittently before falling back asleep. He was watching Rush Hour. I asked him, (HALF ASLEEP MIND YOU), Oh, is this the movie with Chris Rock and Bruce Lee? (I’m awful).

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I write my thoughts and crazy paranoia in there boyyyyyeeeee

20: what's your favorite eye color? BROWN

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. Uhhhhh it’s a longchamp bc I’m a white girl

22: are you a morning person? Not really

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? SLEEP!

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? Not sure

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? I’ve never broken into anything omg

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? My Uggs, because I’m a white girl

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? Mint

28: sunrise or sunset? Sunset

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? My BFF giggles sometimes when she talks and idk it’s cute

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? Fuck yes, have you ever seen a spider? In your shower? Without your glasses on? 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I LOVE SOCKS! When I get socks for Christmas I get so excited. I can fall asleep with socks on, but at some point in the night, they’re coming off my feet lol.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. I ate pizza while I was drunk #wowimsocool

33: what's your fave pastry? Cinnamon buns, does that count?

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? Winnie the Motherfuckin Pooh. No :( He fell in the mud and I had to throw him out bc the washer couldn’t fix him

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? Fuck yeah I do!

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? Noooo clue tbh

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? Clean, but it’s always a mess

38: tell us about your pet peeves! I hate when the President sniffs into the microphone while he’s delivering some sort of address, blow ur nose next time or stop doing coke

39: what color do you wear the most? Black lol

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? Nose ring, no special meaning I just really like it

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? An Abundance of Katherines bc I fucking love the shit out of John Green

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! Not really tbh

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? Probably my bf

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? The other night, at the beach! So pretty :)

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? Yes

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. I couldn’t think of any, next question

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? Aerosol cheese

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? Bugs, yes, ew

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? Don’t remember!! I bought the first Glee soundtrack when it came out LOL

50: what's an odd thing you collect? Socks?

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? I associate “All Night” by Chance the Rapper w my bf

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? Salt bae for sure

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? Beetlejuice was the only one, I watched a little of Pulp Fiction - they were both ok

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? My friend :( she’s ok now but I saw her the other night and she was upset

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? Not sure 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? Laughter and the way people get excited over things

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? It made me feel like I’ve been having too much sugar tonight tbh

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? I’M THE WINE MOM!!!! I am the wine QUEEN ok that’s all I ever drink. My bff is the vodka aunt, but she lives miles apart from me so we rarely drink together nowadays 

59: what's your favorite myth? Dude? I don’t have one

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, T.S. Eliot. 

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? I got a really ugly hat once, and I gave a really ugly hat once, at the same Christmas exchange party 

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? Nope

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? Hell no I’m a living mess

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? Black

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? Yes, my bff 

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? Mad lilies! They’re my fav flower

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? Depressed and tired tbh

68: what's winter like where you live? Cold but not too cold bc you know global warming

69: what are your favorite board games? Scrabble!!

70: have you ever used a ouija board? Yes lol

71: what's your favorite kind of tea? ANY KIND! Right now I’m really feeling ginger turmeric from Trader Joe’s, though, soooo good

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? YES.

73: what are some of your worst habits? Uhhh not going to bed early enough lol

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. This person is a HUGE JARLEY FAN and super adorbs!!! Hates Mon-El and LOVES TO RANT ABOUT IT AND I LOVE THIS PERSON REGARDLESS 

75: tell us about your pets! So I have a dog, he’s almost 12 years old which is really depressing bc he’s probably going to pass on soon :( I’m obsessed with him and love him so much!!

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? Yeah, taking my bra off why am I still wearing it

77: pink or yellow lemonade? PINK, always

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? Hate club, get them the fuck away from me

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? One of my old boyfriends learned how to knit for me which I thought was very sweet

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? Aqua! Because I like it?

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. “Comets.”

82: are/were you good in school? Not really

83: what's some of your favorite album art? Ohhhh I know this, I love Californication’s album art so much

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? I have seven!!

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? No

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? Wat

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? The Lion King, BITCH

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? Not really

89: are you close to your parents? Yes

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. NEW YORRRRRK. Concrete jungle where dreams are destroyed you’ll never get anywhere go back to long island

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? Somewhere over the summer, not sure where yet tho

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? In the middle

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? Top knots bc I’m lazy

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? The Weeknd LOL

95: what are your plans for this weekend? Date night, then I’m not sure!

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? Ohhh I procrastinate so much

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? Not sure about the Myer-Briggs type, but I’m a scorpio + Ravenclaw

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? Yes! I think in November. It was chilly, but a lot of fun

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.

One Headlight - The Wallflowers (listening now)

Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

Love Drought - Beyonce

Under the Bridge - RHCP

Strip My Mind - RHCP

Literally anything by RHCP

Do You Realize?? - The Flaming Lips (I cry literally every time I listen to it)

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? Neither, because I am choosing to live in the MOMENT :) 

[brittanykotary]

OMG, LOVE! - Fall and Winter

What better time to finally find a little time to gather my faves from the past few months than on the first snowed in day of the season? Rounded up a little bit of this and a little bit of that while I’ve been writing Christmas (and one Hanukkah) cards and watching no less than four Netflix Christmas movies. I hope you enjoy! 

Beauty and Fashion:

Essence Brighten Up! Banana Powder - I am OBSESSED with this powder! I use it to both set and brighten up under my eyes, chin and forehead. It is super smoothing and soft, and it’s such a bargain! I usually stock up when Ulta has the entire Essence brand for Buy One Get One 50% off. 

Great Lakes Collagen Protein - The packaging isn’t the cutest, but I am seriously convinced that this collagen protein powder is making my eyelashes grow! I add two heaping teaspoons to my coffee in the morning and you can’t even taste it at all, plus I’m getting some added protein to start my day, which definitely isn’t a bad thing. This brand is almost half the price of Vital Proteins and on Amazon prime - score!

Pink Velvet Scrunchie - Scrunchies are baaaack and this pink velvet one from Target is so cute and only $4.99! 

It's a 10 Miracle Oil plus Keratin - This hair oil is totally worth the hype - it smells amazing and you only need a little for a great smooth and shiny result.

Lifestyle:

Warby Parker Louise Wide Glasses in Birch Tortoise - Earlier this fall I tried Warby Parker’s at Home Try On program for a new pair of reading glasses and was so impressed with the brand, quality and experience! My glasses came quickly and their customer service was top notch. I have the Louise Wide style in Birch Tortoise - kind of a dark blue and khaki mix - and I love them!

Dyson V7 Motorhead in Fuchsia - And now we enter the section of an OMG, LOVE! post in which I obsess about something Chrissy (and her mom) introduced me to. If loving your vacuum is wrong then I don’t want to be right. This thing is AWESOME. It’s cordless, bagless, comes with a ton of great attachments and seamlessly goes from carpet to hard flooring. It’s hands down one of my best purchases in a long, long time. Ugh, I’m so 30.

Apple iPhone XS Max and Heyday Print Case - I may or may not have had a bit of a mid-life crisis yolo moment and upgraded to the iPhone XS Max. #NoRagrets It’s incredible (FaceID 4life) and I love the Heyday case I picked up for it at Target! Heyday is a newer brand at Target and has super cute Apple accessories like iPhone cases and iWatch bands that are really affordable. 

Mpow 059 Over Ear Bluetooth Headphones - I’ve been in the market for some over the ear wireless headphones for a bit and gave these a try after reading all of the positive reviews on Amazon. Bonus - they were $39.99! The quality and comfort for the price is crazy, I love that I can use them wired in with the included headphone jack, or charge them up to use as a wireless bluetooth connection. Perfect for at my work desk and traveling on a plane - a great gift for anyone that needs new head phones!

Food and Bevies:

Cuisinart Griddler - My brother Patrick inspired this purchase and I’m so happy with it! You can use it as an indoor grill, griddler, panini press and a waffle maker (I bought the waffle grates separately). It has a drain that catches excess grease and is really easy to clean - the grates are dishwasher safe! 

Mrs. Anderson's Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat - This silicone baking mat is a great alternative to parchment paper that you can use over and over again! It’s heat safe up to 480°F and you don’t need to use any added oil or nonstick cooking spray - win!

Trader Joe’s Pizza Crust - Rebecca and I tried this on a whim while she was visiting and I’ve bought them no joked five more times since! You get two flatbreads in a package and can top them with whatever you like. We did a pesto/feta on one and pepperoni/green pepper/mozzarella on the other - they are soooo good! 

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie - If you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert to bring to an upcoming holiday party, look no further than this baby right here! It is so, so easy and SO, SO good! The crust consists of canned cinnamon rolls and yes that is as good (probably even better) as it sounds. Definitely suggest reading the comments and taking the advice to bake the bottom crust for about 5-7 minutes before adding the filling. Give this a try, you won’t regret it!

Entertainment:

TCL Smart 4K Roku TV - Yooooo I got a new TV and it’s so dope! My sweet, sweet friends upgraded me and I’m over here livin’ in 2030 with this 4K smart beauty! 

New Amsterdam on NBC - Out of all the shows that started this fall, New Amsterdam is definitely one of my favorites! It’s kind of a mix between a Grey’s Anatomy and a Law and Order type vibe and riiiight up my alley. 

Old Dominion - Hotel Key - This song is the jaaaam, I’ve got it on repeat! 

Brett Eldredge Glow (Deluxe Edition) - I’ve been fangirling over Brett Eldredge for awhile now and his Christmas album - Glow - is no exception. It has both the classics and some new originals that will definitely get you into the holiday spirit.

What have you been loving lately? What are you wishing for this holiday season? Share it with me on Twitter and Instagram @brit_kotary using #OmgLove!

Clinks and winks <3

B