#i was thinking of a tea i had with lemon and blue pea flowers in it

[lunafool]

tea time!

tagged by: @inkantation

tagging: steal it uwu

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

saw you talking about tea the other day and now i'm intrigued 👀 any flavors you're particularly fond of? asking for a friend also. please do ramble about it bc it's delightful :D

Jay! Hi! Fellow tea lover?

Hm… I love lots of teas, but really I prefer simple teas to anything super decadent or elaborate. I don’t ever add anything to my teas unless I’m sick (then I’ll add a bit of honey).

My go-to is just a simple green or peppermint tea, though I’m also a huge fan of spiced chai and earl grey. I adore jasmine tea - jasmine is probably my favourite, but it has to be a good jasmine, so I don’t have it all the time (again, it gets expensive). I always have some green or peppermint tea on hand though - a quality cup is always nice but I don’t as much mind if these are the cheaper kind.

I’m not a huge fruit tea person, though I did have a peach white tea once - that one was lovely cold - and of course a good lemon ginger is always nice. If I’m having bubble tea though, I always go for a mango or lychee green tea if they have it!

I have to say that I can’t remember what pu’erh tea was like - I know it was interesting and I liked it, but I’d need to try it again I think to recall it properly. I haven’t found a rooibos tea I’ve been particularly crazy about, but it’s nice too, just not what I’d gravitate towards.

If you want a sweet or dessert type tea, then any oolong is great, but I think I’m spoiled for that wuyi oolong now hahaha. I’ve had a vanilla black tea - it’s really good. I’d highly recommend that one. I also have this sweet apple-cinnamon tea with nuts. I don’t have it super often, as I’m not a fan of sugary teas but this one is a nice dessert on its own. It’s very nutty which makes it pretty unique.

When I’m sick, I’ve had a couple good teas. One I have for colds is a eucalyptus-mint. I recommend having this one only when you are very congested because boy is it strong. Tastes amazing though. Also my mom had several Korean friends when I was little, so I have fond memories of her making yujacha at their urging when I wasn’t feeling well as a young kid, and boricha for us to put in the fridge and drink cold. I love both.

I don’t usually have chamomile at home, but this is largely because on days when I’m really incredibly stressed (like, shaking with anxiety, actively spiralling, kind of stressed), I like to go for a walk in the evening and pick up a chamomile from a nearby café to take back with me. It’s an indulgence that way.

Other cool teas I have tried:

Butterfly pea flower tea: More of a novelty than anything but this tea is bright blue and changes to red when you add citric acid. It’s a natural pH indicator!

Lavender black tea: Incredibly good. This was another gift from my mom a few years back. Very nice in the evening.

Mushroom tea: These tend to be incredibly overpriced due to purported health benefits so I’ve only ever had samples but honestly? The ones I’ve had are very nice, a smooth, rich flavour. Not convinced they’re worth that price though.

Dandelion tea: People say this can be used as a coffee substitute. I’m not entirely sure I agree with that but it does have a dark roasted flavour that is similar to black coffee. It’s a little sweet though. I like this one a lot, but I only have this with food because if I don’t have anything in my stomach it makes me cramp a bit (as I found out the hard way) :/

Matcha green tea with roasted rice: Okay a friend of mine got me some of this as a gift when she went back to visit family for a bit and. Um. This tea is so incredibly good. We had some together and it was fantastic. I’ve been saving it and only having it at times I know I can really savour it because I want it to last. If you can find some good quality stuff I highly recommend it.

Aaaand sometimes, admittedly, I will enjoy an orange pekoe. It’s nice on occasion. I make it pretty strong hehe

I hope this was fun for you your friend! 😆

What are your favourite teas, Jay?

[articskele]

I'm working on this refsheet for my oc Crumpette Sugar-Blossom (I shared her on a doodle-dump once but never actually posted her solo) and I decided to go crazy and draw some ref stuff for her cafe/bakery/eatingplacething too and thought youd think its neat :3

i wanna try to come up with a menu for the place~

:O!!!! OH I LOVE THIS

And I found that doodle dump with Crumpette and she's so cute!!!!!

YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE LAYOUT OF THE PLACE AND DESIGNS FOR DISHES AND EVERYTHING OMG........ I am just grinning rn LKFAJSDGRGH

AND THE VERTICAL KITCHEN IS SO FUNNNNNN :D!!!!!! I can just see her flitting about checking the ovens or pulling out a flat board of wood she can use for rolling out dough or as a cutting board!! And she forgot to push it back in so later she bonks her head on it while trying to fly upwards akjsfsd

OK SO in that doodle dump I noticed Crumpette with this really cute slice of chocolate cake and it immediately made me think of cosmic brownies!! I never actually had those growing up but it fits The Vibes and I thought it was cute ouo

She kinda reminds me of those grandma cookie tins that sometimes get used for holding sewing equipment, or this one soup and sandwich place I went to years ago that gives you a chocolate-dipped strawberry with your meal!

As for food ideas!!!

A roll cake with strawberry and flower designs on it like this!

A jelly donut with strawberry filling, dipped with red (strawberry or chocolate flavored?) frosting and white spots to look like a mushroom!!

A heart shaped breakfast sandwich! And the little wrapper thingy over the bottom half that lets you hold it easier is this lime green and white gingham pattern :D

Macarons!! The doodle dump has a little bunny in the background so I imagine them being that shape lol. Ooh or butterfly shaped!!

Cinnamon rolls!!

Some kinda floral tea (maybe butterfly pea since it can change from blue to pink if you add something acidic like lemon juice?) served with buttery crumpets!!

Maybe the crumpets have her face stamped on them, or you drizzle it with honey and put ground up green pistachios through a stencil so it's in the shape of her wings, or something like that ouo

Not a food but this place definitely serves some drinks with silly straws, or you can ask for one instead of a regular straw :D

Strawberry souffle pancakes!

This strawberry gorgonzola pizza with honey!

I'm picturing this parfait where the different layers are a pastel pink, yellow, green, and blue? Ooh ice cream parfaits-

Maybe there's a drink that makes it look like you're drinking out of a honeysuckle flower, with the part that sticks out of the flower being the straw?

On that note there are definitely sweet fizzy drinks ouo. Ooh, maybe milkshakes?

Or maybe the ones where there's cotton candy over the glass and you pour something on it to make it dissolve and mix in with the rest of the drink! Like this!!

Not to mention all the possibilities for stuff like boba pearls or fruit jelly at the bottom of a drink, whipped cream on top with lucky charms, stuff like that!

Eeeehehehe this is so fun :D

[yumefuusen]

What do you think about TMNT boys if they're a latte drink?

I'm craving so much for latte drink these days. I bought some with different flavor. My all time favorite is matcha latte! I love matcha 🍵💓 the bitterness from the matcha tea with the sweetness from the milk balances out the flavor and united in harmony. Ouch, I'm too poetic here, I guess.

And I've been thinking about our lovely boys if they're a latte drink. Of course it'll be fun, right?

This based on my personal experience about the drink.

Leonardo, butterfly pea latte

Source: Instagram

I haven't tried this butterfly pea latte before but I've tried only the butterfly pea tea. Just pour hot water into a glass, add couple of dried butterfly pea flower and let it steep. The color should dissipate from the dried flower in this time and your water turns blue. The more you add the dried flower, the darker the color will be. The one thing that I love from this tea, it can change the color if you add certain substance into it. For example, you can turn it into purple to neon pink if you add some acid like lemon juice, or you can turn it into light blue to darker blue if you add alkaline substance like baking soda. It's like hydrangea: the color of the petals changed depends on the pH of the soil.

But still, this butterfly pea latte is mesmerizing to me. I'll definitely try it!

Raphael, red velvet latte

Source: The Urban List

I personally don't like red velvet cake that much since it came into layers of cake and frosting, but I like the drink version of it. I once ordered a Starbucks' red velvet frappuccino and I love it! It wasn't too sweet, the aftertaste also not linger too long in my throat. For a sweet tooth like me, one thing I can say for this drink: perfect 👌✨

Donatello, purple taro latte

Source: Hypebae

I had a bad encounter towards taro. When I was a kid, I ate steamed taro and I didn't like the taste: bland, flavorless, mushy. Ew! I also had a taro milk drink once when I was in elementary school. I thought it was cool because the purple-y, violet-y color of the drink. Aaaand I was wrong. It was bad. Reaaaaly bad. It was too sweet, and the aftertaste kicked my throat so hard. Since then, I promised to myself not to eat or drink anything with taro in it.

But now, I love everything made from taro: mooncakes, silky pudding, chiffon cake, steamed cake, even taro latte. Purple is my color now 💜

Michelangelo, boba thai tea

Source: WeHeartIt

I went to Thailand for vacation with my family and I drank thai tea there for the first time. The process of making thai tea is kinda similar to the milk tea that I got when I was in Malaysia called "teh tarik". Teh means "tea" and tarik means "pulled", this drink is made from brewed tea with milk (usually sweetened condensed milk), prepared by pouring the liquid back and forth repeatedly between two containers so as to produce a thick foam on top.

This is the third milk tea drink that I love after matcha and taro. It's not too sweet and rich with tea flavor, even after mixed with milk.

💙❤️💜🧡

Also, it's my first time tagging someone else here. If you don't like it, you can ask me to remove the tag. Thanks!

@turtle-babe83 @aurora-the-kunoichi @donniesdove @hagelpaimon @kawaiibunga @thelaundrybitch @exovapor @roxosupreme @ladyofparchments @jessie-merrow

[ceylonandcyanide]

In honor of Reiji’s birthday, I’m gonna share some silly drink recipes with y’all ✨

Drink #1: Literally just his Death Parade pop-up cafe drink

Ingredients: blue pea flowers, lemon component (lemon juice, lemonade, lemon soda, etc…), curaçao syrup, and a candy rose for decoration ✨

Instructions:

1. Brew the pea flower tea. Sometimes it comes in blends, so if you can’t get your hands on just the pea flowers I recommend choosing a blend that uses a pale colored tea as a base.

2. Add just enough of the lemon component to change its color to purple. The color change happens due to the change in pH, so the citric acid is a necessity.

3. Add a small amount of curaçao syrup and stir. You only need a small drizzle or a spoonful, it’s thick and the color spreads easily.

4. Add the candy rose and enjoy!

The taste is citrusy and sweet, and a little rich when made hot or with lemon soda. I made an iced version once by letting the tea cool first, adding ice after mixing in the curaçao, and using lemon juice as the lemon component. It was very refreshing!

Drink #2: I dicked around making sketchy strawberry drinks and thought of him ;-;

Ingredients: strawberry syrup or jelly (I’ll probably have a recipe up for this once I finalize my cursed creation: Kanato Milk), pale-colored herbal tea (I used an elderberry, rose, lavender, chamomile, and lemon balm blend), and curaçao syrup

Instructions:

1. Brew your tea

2. Add a few spoonfuls of strawberry syrup or jelly to the bottom of your cup. I used five spoonfuls of a homemade syrup, but how much you need will depend on the kind of syrup or jelly you have access to

3. Pour the tea over the syrup and stir till it’s blended thoroughly

4. Add a small drizzle of curaçao and DON’T stir. You only need a small amount since the color spreads, and stirring will ruin the color separation

With the separated colors it looks like his character color and the red of his eyes, though I’m hoping to get a richer, bloodier red next time to get a closer match. A hibiscus tea might work best.

After mixing though, it looked sketchy and the way the colors shimmered in the light was unnatural and didn’t look like something you could safely drink. All the same, it tasted like a strawberry and orange candy and had a lovely aroma. I think it’s a step in the right direction for the perfect non-toxic version of his poisoned tea ✨

[skellebonez]

Happy Birthday Kit!!!

It’s your birthday @kitkat1003​ heck yeah! And for your birthday Spirit is going to have a good day because I and many other people love them a lot! I hope you like this fic as much as I loved writing it!

It was possibly the oddest favor Spirit had done for anyone, ever. But, if they were being at least a tiny bit honest with themselves, it sounded like it could have been one of the more enjoyable ones. Well… technically Pigsy said it was “not a favor I’m just asking you to do this”. So. Potato potahtoe.

Specifically he asked if Spirit would “spend the day with him.” That was it. Simple, easy, long to be sure but not as long as many of the other favors that required a fetch quest at the very least. That was the original bare bones request, vague as it was. Just spend the entire with with Pigsy, 9 AM to 9 PM, and they would be right as rain.

And it wasn’t even like that would be hard! They already had work scheduled for the day, helping Pigsy open the shop and working the register. Why, they could even finish up the task while at work, two bird one stone and all that!

At least, that was what Spirit thought. Before Pigsy met them at the shop entrance and announced in a tired voice after chugging some very very clearly fresh and not sweetened coffee-

“Store’s closed for the day. We’re going shopping.”

Store closed.

For the day.

And going shopping.

Going.

Shopping.

Spirit pushed down their immediate shudder of “oh, that’s not what we had planned today and now today is different oh no I was not prepared for this oh dear oh jeepers” that ran up their spine.

“Uh- o-ok… where are we headed?”

“Food market, mostly,” Pigsy said with a shrug as he adjusted a few reusable baskets in his hands. He must have had a lot on the list for the day or he was buying a lot in advance. “Thinkin of hitting up another place or two in the area if we got time, but nothing too strenuous.”

A bit of Spirit’s tension eased from their shoulders and spine at this. They’d been to the market plenty of times before, so even though it was out of the blue it wasn’t exactly that unusual for them. The last time they went had been with Pigsy and Tang, and while their fighting over which carrots looked “good enough” wasn’t the most… fun conversation to be present for, it was nice.

Pigsy had even bought them a snack, insisting there were no strings attached. No favors. Just a snack from a friend to a friend. And that memory was nice… nice enough to help elevate any extra anxiety still lingering in the demon’s spine (that came from the news anyway, the regular anxiety was as there as always).

“Well, best to head as quickly as possible?” They offered, following Pigsy as he lead the way. “Want to get there fast to get the pick of the best vegetables, right?”

“You’re speakin my language!”

~

The market was surprisingly calm and quiet. Maybe it was because it wasn’t one of the usual busy days, or maybe it was because of how early they were in the day, but instead of the loud bustle and clutter and yells of vendors there was just a set of clearly dedicated loyal customers and relaxed vendors making small talk.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Pigsy said suddenly as they made their way down to where he would usually buy root vegetables. “They do this sort of thing a couple times a month where the market isn’t open to the public for a couple hours. It’s a little somethin to help out the local restaurants and other businesses who come here for their supplies.”

“Is that why that guy at the entrance looked at me like I was about to steal a child’s lunch money?”

That hadn’t been fun at all. Until Pigsy had stepped up beside him Spirit thought they were genuinely in some sort of trouble they didn’t know about.

Then again. That happened a lot. Thinking they were in trouble they didn’t know about. Pigsy was trying to make sure that didn’t happen as much. “If I could tell their brain to stop it wouldn’t happen at all” was what he said when Spirit overheard him talking to Tang about them.

It wasn’t good to snoop, Spirit knew that, but… it was. Nice. Oddly nice. He wasn’t going to be able to just tell Spirit’s brain to stop telling them things, and before Spirit would be confused and maybe a little horrified at the idea, but after spending so much time with the pig demon it felt. Nice.

Their conversation continued on for a moment, Pigsy explaining what the market on these special days was like and how the deals here were so helpful and every stall they stopped at Pigsy made it a point to keep the conversation going with the vendor himself. Just open enough for Spirit to insert themselves if they wanted, though they didn’t except at the vendor selling oddly colored flowers (which led into a short explanation about how they were made) and an explanation of how many of the dried ones on sale were imported from other countries and difficult to find outside their stall.

They didn’t know why Pigsy was buying flowers, though. At least, not the specific reason. Dried, fresh, some with stems and some with only the heads. Some bulbs as well. Maybe he was going to try some more floral broths or flower infused noodles? He’d done that in the past apparently! And Spirit had watched him made odder things, experimental dishes that didn’t really change much with the old recipes so much as they simply added more depth to them.

Spirit did notice, however, most of the flowers he had purchased were… purple. Or, in the case of one, blue. An odd one out to be sure.

“Alright, we’re done!” Pigsy announced, smiling widely at his haul. Which, all things considered… wasn’t actually as much as Spirit expected. Still, a good haul. “We’re going to put this all away at the shop, I have an appointment with Sandy later but we’re not expected at any specific time so there isn’t really a need to rush.”

“AH, hold on just one moment!” The flower stall vendor said as he came out from behind his stall. “Pigsy, I want you both to have these. For being a wonderful return customer and for the nice conversation.”

Spirit watched as he tucked a purple flower behind Pigsy’s ear, a daisy if Spirit was correct. And then he did the same to them, making them tense in surprise. If they said anything after that Spirit didn’t realize due to their shock, but the next thing they registered was Pigsy gently guiding them out of the entrance.

~

Sandy was more than ready for them when they arrived, urging Spirit inside and to his couch while Pigsy and he talked about… something.

Spirit wasn’t paying as much attention as they normally would when they were immediately swarmed with cats.

Cats on their lap, cats on their arms, cats on their shoulders. Cats. Cats everywhere. So many cats.

“Uh… S-Sandy…” Spirit started, an uncertain chuckle bubbling up as another cat plopped down on their head. “Do your cats… smell fear? Or do I smell delicious? They’re vibrating very violently. And… rubbing against me. A lot. I mean, I know they’re purring but this is weird.”

Sandy turned toward Spirit, covering his mouth to keep himself from laughing at the sight.

“No, no they don’t and you do not,” he said with a shake of his head, and he gave a look toward Pigsy. “You probably got some catnip on you somehow at the market. You’re just their favorite person right now.”

“… oh,” Spirit breathed out, reaching up to pat one of the cats on his lap carefully. The cat let out a trill, rolling onto their back as they pressed harder into Spirit’s side. Spirit couldn’t help it. They gave in to the temptation to quote a video Mei showed him long ago. “… I have been chosen.”

They didn’t even pay attention to Sandy and Pigsy until something on a trey was placed on the table between all of them, the clinking jolting some of the cats and making them roll off Spirit (who was grateful for the use of their arms back).

“So… I was hoping you might want to taste test something I wanted to add to the menu for special occasions that Sandy is teaching me to make,” Pigsy said with a smile, gesturing to the trey. “He actually made these in advance, they take a long while to dry properly, but they’re supposed to be worth it. But I, uh, can’t guarantee anything.”

It was very… purple and blue. A clear cup filled with what Spirit assumed was blue tea and a purple… stick of some kind that seemed to be flowers dipped in sugar? The only thing that seemed to stand out was the tiny cup of what smelled like lemon juice between them.

“The stick is candied lavender!” Sandy explained, gesturing to the hardened blossom. “You can use it to stir the tea and add sweetness or just eat it as is! But before you choose, pour that little cup into the tea.”

Spirit raised an eyebrow, almost wondering if this was some kind of prank. It didn’t feel like Pigsy and Sandy would pull a prank like this but. Well. Who knows… but they wanted to trust that they weren’t so they did as asked, slowly pouring the lemon juice into… the…

“It’s turning purple,” Spirit whisper shouted, eyes wide and awed as the blue tea slowly turned from the brilliant blue to a more brilliant purple from the bottom of the cup up. “What. Purple? It’s purple! The tea changes colors!”

Pigsy chuckled, nodding his head with a wide smile. “Yup.”

“It’s called Butterfly Pea Flower tea,’ Sandy explained, smile just as wide. "Lemon and lime juice made it do that! It’s not really a rare tea, but we added some extra stuff to the lavender that should make it taste even better when you mix it all in. Go on, give it a try!”

Spirit looked between the two of them and picked up the lavender stick and tea cup, mixing them together as they sat back and took a sip.

It was… amazing. Earthy and slightly bitter from the lemon juice. There must have been honey as well as sugar in the lavender stick, bringing a bright sweetness to the drink. There was a bit of spice to it, maybe cinnamon, as well. It was nothing like anything Spirit had ever drank before. It was warm without being too hot, and combined with the purring of the cats surrounding them…

They realized they felt. Good. Not perfect, not completely relaxed. They didn’t know if that was possible. But they felt good. Happy.

“I think… I think people will love this.”

[luckycloud808]

weird asks that say a lot from @julietgiulia​

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? Coffee mugs

2. chocolate bars or lollipops? Chocolate 

3. bubblegum or cotton candy? Neither

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? Shy, conscientious, perfectionist

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? Glasses

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? All contributors

7. earbuds or headphones? Earbuddies :)

8. movies or tv shows? Movies

9. favourite smell in the summer? Hot soil, flowering plants, fruit and needle trees, post rain, towel after ocean swim, wind through car window driving through forest(ed highway)

10. game you were best at in p.e.? Hockey, soccer, california kickball, high jump and arm hang? 

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day? Usually oatmeal or millet with omegas, fruit and oat milk or avocado bagel with black pepper and nutritional yeast

12. name of your favourite playlist? A nice mix for ness

13. lanyard or key ring? Key ring

14. favourite non-chocolate candy? Licorice, candied fennel or anise seeds

15. favourite book you read as a school assignment? Les miserables, The thief lord, The cellist of Sarajevo - off the top

16. most comfortable position to sit in? Slumpy posture, one leg over or under the other, knee tuck or apple sauce

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes? Hiking boots or black sambas

18. ideal weather? Sunny after rain a little windy

19. sleeping position? No pillow usually on my left or on my back or front with one leg bent 

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? Notebook or notes app

21. obsession from childhood? Fairies and making homes

22. role model? Opa

23. strange habits? Not sure what qualifies as strange

24. favourite crystal? Not really into them but maybe jade or quartz 

25. first song you remember hearing? I turned out a punk or something by Joe Strummer

26. favourite activity to do in warm weather? Backpacking

27. favourite activity to do in cold weather? Cuddling, snowy adventuring, dancing

28. five songs to describe you? Hazel (bob dylan), Planted a thought (arthur russell), Junie (solange), Corridor of dreams (the cleaners from venus), Even cowgirls get the blues (emmylou harris)

29. best way to bond with you? Quality time, presence, care, spontaneity / silly curiousity

30. places that you find sacred? Oma and Opa’s yard and greenhouse, forest, Veluwe, ocean

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? Floral dress, nice earrings with sambas and sweatshirt or hiking boots, wool socks and over shirt, with shorts and tank top

32. top five favourite vines? Fresh avocado is the only one that comes to mind

33. most used phrase in your phone? Yay sweet and or That’s funny

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? Can’t think of any

35. average time you fall asleep? 2am

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing? Probably one of those justgirlythings ones here or Fb I have no idea

37. suitcase or duffel bag? Suitcase

38. lemonade or tea? Tea

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie? Lemon tart

40. weirdest thing to ever happen to you at your school? High school - Maybe bear spray yoe evac? authority figure telling me what I was wearing was inappropriate? psych teacher crying in class? Post sec - Tiktok famous boy makes a tiktok of me knitting in psych class? boy crushing steals my textbook just to get me to go to his car so he can return it to me? 

41. last person you texted? Daisy 🌼

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? BOTH

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? Hoodie

44. favourite scent for soap? Rose, patchouli, rosemary, lavendar, mint, etc.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero? Fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? Naked 

47. favourite type of cheese? Cashew cheese or if I could brie

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? White nectarine but there are so many to try!

49. what saying or quote do you live by? “She walked with her entire body as if to gain momentum for an event in which her entire body would participate.” - Anaïs Nin (A spy in the house of love)

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? Probably my kid best friend

51. current stresses? Health issues, unstable income

52. favorite font? Freight rn

53. what is the current state of your hands? Coffee shakes

54. what did you learn from your first job? Hundreds of PLU’s, how to pack groceries, how messy and wasteful people are, that everyone should have to do a customer service job in their lifetime, how really great and awful people are, that I shouldn’t let other people’s stresses make me feel like I should be stressed, that quitting is good sometimes

55. favourite fairy tale? The six swans, Vasalisa the wise, Baba yaga, Bluebeard, Rumpelstiltskin, The red shoes, The velvet ribbon, Goldilocks and the three bears, and many many more

56. favourite tradition? Writing letters and cards, dressing up for halloween, celebrating birthdays

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? Eating disorder, depression and heartbreak (although these are things I still need to keep being overcome)

58. four talents you’re proud of having? Writing, taking notes, learning about my body, feeling for what resonates

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? Heyo, how bout that!

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? Nausicaä of the valley of the wind (hayao miyazaki)

61. favourite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.? Recently found on my Tumblr feed from a book waiting on my shelf: “I want to believe, walking those aimless nights, that I was praying. For what I’m still not sure. But I always felt it was just ahead of me. That if I walked far enough, long enough, I would find it–perhaps even hold it up, like a tongue at the end of its word.” - Ocean Vuong (On earth we’re briefly gorgeous)

62. seven characters you relate to? In no particular order, not long thought out: 1) Sabina (A spy in the house of love), 2) Elio (Call me by your name), 3) Patti (Just kids), 4) Sally (The ruby in the smoke), 5) Camille (Un amour de jeunesse), 6) Dani (Midsommar), 7) Orla (Derry Girls)

63. five songs that would play in your club? I follow rivers - the magician remix (lykke li), JA! (bizzey), Gasolina (daddy yankee), Nice for what (drake), This must be the place - naive melody (talking heads) / love my way (psychedelic furs)

64. favourite website from your childhood? Myscene, Club penguin - those free gaming websites 

65. any permanent scars? A few on my face from tables and my dog, one on my knee from flip flops on a boat launch, a few burns here and there that probably aren’t permanent

66. favourite flower(s)? Always changing, echinacea and yellow roses rn

67. good luck charms? Change on the ground, nice earrings, well worn shoes, spotting flowers or animals

68. worst flavour of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? Cream of mushroom

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? Popped in my head, maybe not the most fun - the flower bud in the centres of apple tree fruiting spurs make the king fruit (the biggest and best apple from each spur) and if you pick the king blossom then all the surrounding blossoms will be bigger and better 

70. left or right handed? Right

71. least favourite pattern? Galaxy?

72. worst subject? Economics

73. favourite weird flavour combo? Miso and apple, blueberries and coconut curry, orange juice and beer (I don't know if its really possible to find a “weird” combo maybe it’s more like “not found in my culture”)

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? 5 if 0 is no pain (I don't think I’ve been above 8.5)

75. when did you lose your first tooth? No idea

76. what’s your favourite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? Gnocchi or boerenkool

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill? Flowering plants

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? Station coffee

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo? School id

80. earth tones or jewel tones? Earth

81. fireflies or lightning bugs? I don't think I have much experience with either

82. pc or console? I cannot either way

83. writing or drawing? This is my kryptonite question

84. podcasts or talk radio? Podcasts if I had to choose

84. barbie or polly pocket? Polly pocket

85. fairy tales or mythology? Mythology (stories are linked more)

86. cookies or cupcakes? Cookies

87. your greatest fear? My health issues keep accumulating and getting worse forever

88. your greatest wish? My health issues resolve

89. who would you put before everyone else? Myself, Suzmom or Marleymoon

90. luckiest mistake? Choosing mini school, don't regret it but maybe not the best decision

91. boxes or bags? Bags

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? Sunlight and rocksalt lamps

93. nicknames? Ness, nessie, nessa, bean, bear, benjamin, kindje, sweet pea

94. favourite season? Late spring or late summer

95. favourite app on your phone? Flo, Spotify, Google maps, notes, weather, find my

96. desktop background? Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized? 7+

98. favourite historical era? I love revolutions and renaissances but all of em have hard times and good times

[dangerously-human]

Tagged by @simplyghosting, thank you friend!

Name: Rachel

Nicknames: Rachel B (alternatively, Rachel B the Jesus Thief), Sweet Rachel, Danger/Rachel-Danger, Sunshine

Zodiac: ???

Height: 5′7″ (I wanted to fight the doctor the last time I went and they said I was down to 5′6.5″, listen, I wanted 5′8″ and never made it and YOU ARE NOT TAKING THAT HALF INCH FROM ME YOU BASTARDS)

Languages: Only fluent in English. I’m probably around a fourth grade level with Spanish (have lost a lot of it but can still read it pretty well), and I have a teeny bit of ASL and a very very tiny smattering of Irish

Nationality: American (German and Welsh heritage)

Favorite season: spring

Favorite flower: Way way way too many! Pansies, forget-me-nots, tulips, crocuses, sunflowers, hydrangeas, hyacinth, snapdragons...

Favorite scent: lemon

Dogs or cats?: Love both! My cat Bo is sitting next to me as I type this, though, so I feel obligated to say cats (though I think I prefer dogs for stereotypical personality,/way of relating, which is actually why Bo and I get along so well, he needs constant affection and always wants to be held)

Number of blankets: An abundance, but I only sleep under one

Dream trip: Back to Ireland!

Blog established: October 2010

Random fact: I am currently wearing very cute bumblebee socks and listening to a Twenty One Pilots playlist

Gender: Female

Current time: 6:23pm

Favorite fictional character: This is a cruel question, so I try to pick someone different each time. Today’s is (zero surprise) Endeavour Morse because I LOVE HIM OKAY

Coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate?: Hot chocolate

Average hours of sleep: Probably around 7.5

Favorite artists: Twenty One Pilots, PVRIS, EDEN/The Eden Project, The Chainsmokers, Skillet...

Stuck in my head: Well, I’m currently listening to “Car Radio” by Twenty One Pilots, so I guess that

Last movie I saw: Arrival (I liked it!)

Last thing I Googled: “do everything in love” (couldn’t remember the verse)

Other blogs: @justanotherquoteblog, which is rarely active anymore, but who knows, maybe I’ll go back to it someday

Do I get asks?: Yeah, on occasion! Mostly nice ones, which I appreciate very much :) 

Reason for URL: I’ve given this explanation pretty often (from The Elephant Man, but also for the poetry of being human being a danger either to me or coming from me), so you guys could probably tell it better than I could by this point

Followers/following: 893 / 772

Lucky number: My favorite is 8

Currently wearing: Red and black shirt with blue flowers on it and skinny jeans, plus the aforementioned bumblebee socks

Dream job: Data something or other, preferably in research of some kind

Favorite foods: Mashed potatoes, peas, heath bars... idk, those are the first couple things that came to mind

Instruments: Played cello a long time ago

Favorite song: I think it has to be “You should be sad” by Halsey for how often I’ve had it on repeat lately

Tagging: @xayhra, @brontes, @paula-of-christ (idk which of your blogs I’m supposed to tag!)

[streamacademe]

Week 134, Day 932.

Last week, my lack of motivation, focus, and energy did not improve; I think I had a mini burnout. Therefore, I took Wednesday and Thursday off and worked the bank holiday Easter weekend instead. I have learned that, unless I have a strict deadline, it does me no good to try and push through a mental wall. 🌿 Currently, I’m working on my journal paper corrections. I’m not gonna lie, it’s hard work. However, the hardest bit is the beginning, after which I have kind of started to enjoy the challenge and the process. 📝 When it does get too overwhelming, I try to focus on other things for a little while. Sunday, I went for an hour long run to get away from everything. Yesterday, I spent two hours painting my bathroom, with 'Friends’ in the background. Tonight, I intend to eat chocolate and watch the GBBO. I have also started meditating as a form of escapism, which is especially helpful in light of the current global crisis. I have been using Meditainment, who are offering 20 free guided meditations for the duration of this pandemic. 🌍 When I sit down to work, I always have a cup of tea on the go, which to me is a great moral support. Last week, I ordered some loose leaf tea from Snail & Rabbit, including their amazing ‘River Trent’ tea, which brews blue and turns purple if you add a little lemon! ☕

Right, it’s back to work for me. As my motto goes, you just gotta turn up and do your best. ✨ Have a grand week at home! Photo: River Trent tea; the blue butterfly pea flower is what turns it blue! Source: Phone camera. 

[montressori]

Thank you for the tag @hallusionima 💗💓💝

Name: love 2 be a Mystery Girl

Nicknames: I’ve never really had any nicknames :( my brother calls me Lemon sometimes cause apparently I’m sour lol

Zodiac: Cancer sun, Sagittarius moon, and I am actually Not sure of my rising sign. Would have to check my birth certificate and I don’t know where it is welp

Height: around 175cm

Languages: English, I can speak Thai but not read or write it, and I learnt italian at school :-)

Nationality: heh. I mean on my passport it says New Zealand but I’m a third culture kid babey! I don’t feel like I belong anywhere and I feel uncomfortable claiming any nationality 🤪 enough for people to tell me I look “exotic” and ask me where I’m from all the time! I love that!

Favourite season: autumn/winter

Favourite scent: cedarwood, rain, Singapore cookies, the smoke from blowing out a candle, honeysuckle, jasmine, elderflower, cinnamon, the smell of nectar in the air on warm days in Spring

Favourite flower: gardenia I think :-) also love cherry blossom, wisteria, lilacs, magnolia and sweet pea

Favourite colour: periwinkle blue (blurple 🙃) and turquoise!

Favourite fictional character: Chloe Price. I am unabashedly in love with her

Favourite animal: I LOVE animals. All of them!! Right now I have a soft spot for elephants 🐘🧡 they are just very good. See also: https://youtu.be/i1qQOGCyRbY

Coffee, tea or got chocolate: tea!!!

Average sleep: hahahahahahaha god, my sleep schedule is so fucked, I genuinely don’t know how to answer this question

Dog or cat person: I love all animals 😤🥺

Number of blankets: my ideal state is to be covered in so many blankets that I can’t feel my limbs

Dream trip: Norway, Iceland, Japan, England, Italy

Blog established: 2017

Followers: buh

Random fact: I’m having a very pathetic second emo phase. I dyed my hair blue and pink and downloaded all my old Mayday Parade and Pierce the Veil albums, this IS a cry for help

I tag @donvie @thenightmarestops @bittersweet--creature and @riotnsurf 🥰

[weilongfu]

Wei’s Final Fantasy themed tea drinks

I had a birthday party a few weeks ago and I wanted to do something interesting with drinks offered at the party since none of my friends really drink soda anymore. So I made tea drinks. I also made them Final Fantasy video game themed by naming them after different restorative items.

Potion: Restore your health and vitality with this spiced hibiscus tea.  - Hibiscus flowers - Cinnamon stick - Dried orange peel - Cloves - Fresh ginger - Sweeten with sugar to taste.

Ether: Refresh the mind and restore focus for magical abilities with the flavors of rose and mint - White tea leaves - Rose petals (use a bit more than you think) - Mint leaves (use sparingly!) - Butterfly pea flowers (for natural blue coloring) - Dried lemon peel - Sweeten lightly with sugar to taste

Elixir: A slightly sour green tea lemonade to get your body and mind going - Green tea leaves - Lemon peel and juice - Butterfly pea flowers (Turns tea blue, after adding lemon juice, it turns pink/purple!) - Add just enough sugar to cut some of the sour of the lemon, but not so much that it’s very sweet.

[chimcharstar]

ALL THE COLOURS

HERE WE GO BOYS

zinc white; how are you really feeling today? no one-word answers please!

I’m feeling tired because I’m supposed to be in bed. But happy because I did the work and I can get away with sleeping in and things are just chill right now. I have devised a way of sneaking waste food at work. If you put it in these little metal containers and hide them under the fridge, nobody notices them and throws them away. This eve I dined on garlic bread and prawns.

cadmium yellow; when you think of the word “happy” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Walking with coffee and tunes. I’m trying to appreciate things in my life I will feel nostalgic about later in the moment, so I don’t regret anything. This is one of those things. Although I might not have the tunes part for long because I fucking broke my headphones and they may or may not start playing my music out loud for all the world to hear. I hope people like disco!

lemon; what’s your comfort food?

Food from my old workplace. I have trouble finishing food usually but not this stuff. I will probably scream while eating it. You know this and you love me

hansa yellow; what’s your guilty pleasure song?

“I Will Survive”. People were singing it in the Office and I guess it’s so famous and ironic and cringey now or something. But then I remember that one fucker

yellow ochre; name an artist/band whom you just discovered & can’t get enough of!

Herbie Hancock. I don’t know if I’ll listen to every single thing from him but I was just listening to some funk as you do and his like solos? I was vibing. We were having brain to brain communication. It was an experience. It was so so good. It was good fucking music. Listen to this shit. Herbie Hancock - I Thought It Was You This stuff makes me want to wiggle on public transit. 

naples yellow; where do you feel most at home?

Bonsais and my quiet neat fucking room. Or not giving a fuck in other people’s mess.

raw sienna; with whom do you feel most at home?

YOU HO

golden ochre; describe the relationship you have with your closest friend.

We reblog asks and send each other all the asks. ADHD disaster energy finding balance. The worst posts I’ve ever seen followed by revenge. Two gay best friends who are best friends. No seriously I am so grateful for your unconditional love and your warmth

golden deep; what’s your favorite season?

Autumn. When the leaves were falling and the sun was shining all bittersweetly I was running around taking so many pictures because there’s like this golden time and then it’s gone.

cadmium orange; what do you like to do on your days off?

I like to buy too many plants and pretty rocks that are just vibing. I just like to wander around with coffee without a schedule. Listening to funk and disco. Seriously I’m the coolest person ever

orange lake; do you have anyone you can turn to when you’re sad?

U HO. And some online mutuals of course :) I feel like I don’t turn to people when it’s real sad hours though. I just give my ocs more PTSD.

titans; do you prefer slow mornings or relaxing evenings?

Relaxed evenings. Fuck mornings. All my mornings are slow buddy. 

shakhnazaryan red; are you currently binge-watching anything?

No, because I had to go and cancel my Netflix as all my favourite things got more episodes. 

red ochre; are you more right-brained (creative) or left-brained (analytical)?

Oh right brained bitch.

burnt sienna; is there a painting that brings you peace when you look at it?

No, paintings are stressful. It’s always like “Holy shit, that must have been so much work! I don’t enjoy painting myself! This person is better at painting than me!” I have much love in the heart for Van Gogh.

english red; what animal do you relate to most?

I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work. I could say a cat, because I want to lie down in a patch of sun, knock things over, and complain loudly. I would say a dog because I think people are way better than they really are, am tenaciously loyal to them, and get excited about going for a walk.

vermilion; what’s your favorite accent?

Whatever this one hot guy at work has.

cadmium red; do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other?

FOR FUCKS SAKE okay I’m going to google what my type is

You got: Mr./ Mrs Perfect

You like someone that truly has is all. You need someone who is well rounded in all aspects of life. When it comes to looks and personality, only perfection receives your affection.

Wow, what does that mean at all

scarlet; describe your current crush/es.

Ok, one of them gave me cheesecake, one of them offered me pizza, another one is the guy whose Facebook you stalked for me and we still couldn’t find his birthday but I laugh about one adorable photo still (the car one), and one of them I spent half an hour trying to find where I put the birth chart of and we’re actually really compatible. I’m sorry, if you want more information I’ll have to ramble about it in your messages.

ruby; what does your ideal first date look like?

OH I JUST WANT TO WALK DOWN A STREET HOLDING HANDS AND GO TO A RESTAURANT WEVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE AND TRY SOME FOOD AND LAUGH A LOT, AND THEN MAYBE GO ENJOY THE VIEW OF THE OCEAN AT NIGHT. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? IS IT?

carmine; what does your ideal second date look like?

I don’t know, fuck it let’s go to the aquarium!

madder lake red; would you ever kiss someone (or accept a kiss) on a first date?

I dunno man. I feel like I wouldn’t if it wasn’t socially acceptable but I’m also wild and crazy.

rose; what’s something really positive going on in your life right now?

I REALLY ACTUALLY LIKE MY WORKPLACE. And my living situation is pretty okay. It’s not great I guess but I’ve been coming a long way.

quinacridone rose; what’s something you’re really looking forward to?

Literally what are these colours. Okay, I’m looking forward to putting wires around crystals to make them into jewellery. Then, I want to give the jewellery to my friends. 

violet rose; what does your dream house look like?

An old as fuck, old fashioned as fuck haunted-looking mansion I can give some love.

violet; is there any place in particular you’d like to settle down?

I need the outdoors bro. I need those trees. I gotta live in the countryside again someday.

blue lake; what would you like to do/accomplish before you settle down?

Write some books! Run rampant in the city…

cobalt blue spectral; what is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?

I think it would have to be the hills where I grew up. It was bursting with biodiversity, there was a rustic sheep farm, everyone shut the fuck up, there would be frogs, the smell of the fresh air in any season, some days would just be heart-stoppingly beautiful and I ache for it sometimes. Birdsong? I heard some birdsong today and I wanted to cry. I remember our hedges would be deafening with the birds in it.

ultramarine; when was the last time you were in a good mood? do you know/remember what sparked it?

Today, it finding something I maybe could sit around and read and then finding it in me to actually get out of bed lol.

blue; what’s the most recent dream you remember?

The one I just had. A lot of it is blurry, which is frustrating because I got some strong almost-memories of it throughout the day, but it sticks out to me because I was bawling my eyes out a lot in the dream, and I also hurt myself the way I used to and I had to check that I hadn’t done it in my sleep. But I think it was a very expressive dream and those are my natural emotions.

bright blue; what does your dream family look like? any kids or pets? 

I like the idea of a husband and some dogs, cats and chickens. Kids maybe.

how many of each?

A lot of chickens, but not too many please.

blue cobalt; do you like your name? would you give yourself a different name if you could?

I do like my name, and I did give myself a different name. Even if I knew how annoying everyone would be about pop culture Gordons, and I did. I still would choose this name.

prussian azure; what’s your favorite scent?

I’m running out of things to say as my favourite scent. OK, Nomad from Old Spice. I don’t know why, I think it must suit me or something. Maybe it’s the citrus… stuff going on there.

azure blue; what’s your favorite type of tea, if any?

Red Rose, my mom made it for me as a kid and she drank it all the time while teaching me piano or reading books.

turquoise blue; if you could start a garden, what would you plant?

Flowers, to show off to everyone, and then I don’t know, maybe some fucking pumpkins and easy things like corn and peas.

cerulean blue; if you were guaranteed to have a viewership, would you start a youtube vlog?

I think I’d be happier to have one if I knew no one was watching my antics LMAO

glauconite; describe your body without using any negative adjectives.

Best of both worlds

yellow green; picture yourself walking in a field. what do you see & hear in this scenario?

I’m still thinking of where I grew up. I see the sun through the branches of very old maple trees, and hear the wind in the long grass.

green light; are you in a comfortable place in life? if not, what do you think might make it better?

Yes, but I could make it better by moving in with cleaner roommates and getting a cat. And maybe work at something I’m actually interested in, or go to school or something.

green; name three countries you want to visit; do you have any actual plans in place to visit any of them?

I don’t have plans, but I’d like to visit Mexico, France, or Japan.

emerald green; do you speak any languages besides english? are there any additional languages you want to learn?

Kinda French. I want to learn Spanish… now Portuguese because everyone at work speaks it… literally, any very popular language. I want to learn so many languages

oxide of chromium; what’s your favorite book?

BRO WHAT IS A BOOK

olive green; are you currently reading anything? how do you like it so far?

Yeah, I’m reading a personal account of a Satanic cult. I had to stop reading it because I wasn’t ready for the graphic details.

mars brown; what’s a movie that always puts a smile on your face/makes you laugh?

Megamind/Thor Ragnarok

burnt umber; what’s something you plan to do before the day is over to take care of yourself?

Wow I feel really called out right now. I was going to eat some chicken because I’m hungry. Because that’s what I should be doing at 3AM.

umber; have you drank enough water today?

Yes, but probably not. I’ve been trying really hard today though.

voronezhskaya black; what or who is your go-to outlet for when you need to vent?

Probably you again, welcome to the salt mines!

sepia; name five things that always make you happy.

Buying a plant, rolling around on my fuzzy blanket, videos of cats being idiots, little unexpected thoughtful gifts, people sharing food.

indigo; what’s the best/sweetest compliment you have ever received?

A Treasured Mutual once spontaneously said I was a really good person because I was chill and they felt free to be themselves, to be vague.

payne’s gray; describe your aesthetic?

Looking around my room, it would seem to be whatever those studying people organizing notes with the window open on a sunny day have. I don’t know if this is me, but my room looks… vaguely feminine and organized in that way.

black; post a selfie because you are so beautiful!

I’m in my PYJAMA CLOTHES. I only want to take a selfie with GOOD NATURAL LIGHTING and the DAYTIME DARK CIRCLES around my eyes not the NIGHTTIME DARK CIRCLES. Maybe I have one hanging around

[prettylittlelyres]

Inside the Writing Process

Part 6: Writing in a Colour Scheme

This Inside the Writing Process post is all about how I’m writing my setting descriptions in She Has No Name, doing my best to bring across a certain colour in the reader’s mind.

Aesthetics are important to the visual enjoyment of a written piece, and infusing a section with colour is a good way to achieve that. For me, this isn’t particularly to do with symbolism, but I do like to assign certain characters to certain colours, so it has a lot to do with association.

We meet again later on, in the kitchen our flat shares. It would be a bright, airy sort of space, a well-lit common area for breakfasts in the sunshine, morning light streaming in through the window, a huge great pane of glass that opens the wall, floor to ceiling, for several feet. A table with four chairs sits in from of it and I can imagine the long shadows their legs would cast over the terracotta-tiled floor… if this weren’t the South-West.

As I push open the kitchen door I realise that, in spite of the gigantic window, the only real light in the room comes from the recessed lights in the ceiling, and from the lamp on the extractor fan. I feel like I could get used to it, though, to the plantpot-coloured light hanging in the room, vermillion like the skin of a pomegranate.

Rosie is standing at the hob, leaning on a lipstick-red walking stick as she cooks, but she turns around and grins as I come in. “Hey, Celeste,” she says, “I’m making some soup for supper. Do you want some? It’s tomato and lentil, with red onion.” She taps her wooden spatula against the rim of the pan, rests it on a plate on the work-surface, and digs a spoon out of her cutlery drawer. Then she offers me a mouthful, and, oh, wow, the soup smells so amazing that I couldn’t resist walking closer and sipping it off the spoon if I wanted to. And why would I want to?

I step close, and Rosie’s delicate hand cups my chin softly as she feeds me the still-steaming soup.

The bright fire of chopped onion and black pepper spreads across my tongue, and I blink as Rosie’s fingers slip away from my skin.

“Good?” she says, holding the spoon handle between her fingers like a cigarette.

“Good,” I say, grinning, “And, yes, please. Shall I go and fetch some bread? There’s a supermarket not too far away—”

Rosie twitches violently and grips her stick harder as she sways on the spot. “Could you get my wheelchair from my room quickly, please?”

“Um… Uh… Yeah, yeah. Are you OKK?” I hold her shoulders gently and try to get a look at her face, but her head’s bowed, her neck bent, and all I can tell is that she’s gone from pink to white in the last few moments. But I can feel her pulse leaping even under my hands, even in her shoulders, her arms.

“Stood up for too long,” she mumbles, and I barely catch it. But I know she’ll know more of what’s going on that I do, so I don’t ask any more questions. Gently, I let her go, and then run to her room, knocking the door open and grabbing her wheelchair from where it’s parked under the desk, like a swivel chair. I push it clumsily down the corridor back to the kitchen.

Rosie’s lying on the floor when I get in, stick beside her, limbs lax, but her eyes are open, just about, and she looks up with half a smile as I cross the room with her chair. “Thanks,” she says, lips barely moving.

“Are you OK?” I say, crouching beside her and taking hold of her hands, “Has this happened before?”

Very slowly, with my help, Rosie manages to sit up, and then to clamber from the floor into her wheelchair. “I lose count of how many times. It’s OK. I just spent too long…” She grips the arm-rests of her chair and squeezes her eyes shut, breathing deeply through her nose for a few moments. “…Too long on my feet… and had a little spell. It’s called POTS.” She fumbles for the dials on the hob controls and turns off the halogen under the soup-pan.

Rosie’s colour is, of course, red (which is also why she’s called Rosie, rather than her full name, which is actually Rosemary). Celeste’s colour is blue, and Suzette’s colour is yellow (but we haven’t met Suzette just yet).

That’s why her wheelchair’s frame is red, why she uses red walking sticks, and why this whole scene (which centers on her despite being told from Celeste’s point of view) is full of references to the colour red.

I like writing colour schemes into my descriptions, so, in my writing journal, I have a double-page spread with lists of things which are those colours, as well as the names of different shades, so that I can incorporate them into the scene I’m working on.

I started these lists looking at the colour thesauruses on WritersHelpingWriters, and then started adding my own entries to them, including some emotions the colours bring to mind.

blue: ocean - sky - robin egg - denim - cornflowers - ink - sapphires - curaçao - storm clouds - cold - forget-me-not - lavender - Delft tiles - willow-pattern - ice  topaz - hyacinth - bella luna blue tea - dawn - tartan - soft - calm - water - night

yellow: butter - sunflower - lemons - gallia melon - citrine - fallen leaves - mustard - sunbeams - rapeseed fields - honey - oil - amber - mahonia - daffodil - buttercup - gold - marigold - mango - goldfinch - cornfield - peaches - cableknit sweater - legal pads - canary - warm white fairy lights - moringa

green: pears - grass - pine trees - beize - pistachio ice cream - moss - mould - algae - courgette - lichen - aloe - river-water - ficus - peas - lentils - sage - shrubbery - holly - ivy - apples - lime - mint - mojito - matcha - herb garden - oak leaves - flower shoots - heather - rainforest - hedgerows - tea

red: pomegranate - wine - scarlet - roses - Maltese cross - blood - ruby - blood orange - apples - gerania - lipstick - red velvet cake - rosehip syrup - strawberries - raspberries - gingham - red&black notebooks - Rosie’s coat - Rosie’s wheelchair - sunset - bricks - terracotta - plantpots - cinnamon - nutmeg- ladybirds

At some point I’ll make lists of other colours, to have on hand when I want to incorporate them into other scenes, but for now I’m happy with these lists, and to keep adding to them where I can think of new entries. Once I have them set down, it’s just a case of slipping them into scenes where I want to create the sense of a particular colour, and it’s really quite a fun part of writing, because I suddenly have a way to explain that everything that goes on has a kind of aura about it.

I have lists of words for particular atmospheres as well, but I’ll get to that in another post!

[sussex-nature-lover]

Wednesday 24th February 2021

From the Patio

I’m waiting for my outdoor potted bulbs to leap into action. One double container of Hyacinths failed, the other double - quite strangely - had one bulb flower a couple of weeks back (that perished in the snow) and the other is at about the same level as these are. The bulb in the ground is quite a bit behind the times, which is to be expected of course.

Someone has been making rather a mess with the compost and for once I’m not blaming Nutsy. I think this is the culprit below. Hopping on and off the bits and pieces and spilling soil by accident. Of course if a giant sunflower pops up in the Summer, or even a little weedy one, I’ll revise that opinion for sure.

We’ve made some new feeding stations and they quickly proved popular

We used a few logs which are too big for the burner and a mix of either seed or fruit suet, chopped up, or both. I think they make a good backdrop for photos. The towers and hanging feeders fulfil a purpose but don’t give such a clear view of the birds.

I think it was quite obvious what to do, wasn’t it? The Blue Tit looked very quizzical. 

Blue Tit

The female Pheasants like their new tables. Although standing in the water pot is somewhat unconventional and not to be encouraged.

The new settings are nice, but not as attractive as this one below

Guest Photo credit again to Ms NW tE in SE London. Robin looking absolutely splendid in its Spa

I love everything about this photo. It’s one to be proud of. The colours, the background, the composition and of course the subject matter. 

GARDEN NOTES:

This week both Crow and I have seen big Bees out and about when there’s been a bit of sunshine. There was a very nice and Spring-like spell yesterday.

Today we were awake just before 6am and could hear some calling, perhaps a Robin, it was a bit further away from the window so hard to make it out properly. As we lay in bed drinking our tea we had rooftop visits from Blackbird, Starling and Blue Tit. Mid morning I saw a very brief visit from a singular Goldfinch. That’s the second day running.

NOTES FROM THE KITCHEN:

We’ve been mostly eating fish but last night had the chicken recipe I like so much from my Tagine recipe book. The one with shallots, garlic, green olives and preserved lemons. It’s extremely tasty. We had some vegetable cous cous and sugar snap peas with it. A lot of people seem to dislike cous cous, but I always enjoy it, whether with a main meal or as a salad dish when we have BBQs. Mmmmm BBQ, it won’t be too long now.

QUIZ:

Can you name this three birds?

Of course you can, but in reality it’s a device, just to show off a very bad photograph of the very welcome returner to the garden.

WHAT DID I LEARN TODAY:

It was the other day actually but I hadn’t got around to writing about the Lewis Chessmen, which I find interesting. As you know I do enjoy my historical investigations.

The 11th century Chess pieces the Lewis Chessmen made from walrus tusk and found on the beach in the parish of Uig on the Isle of Lewis (Hebrides) and now in the British Museum, were found in 1831 buried in a sandbank in the Isle of Lewis, the largest island of the outer Hebrides in Scotland.  The sea carried away the sandbank uncovering a mysterious building (a small brick oven) that had been buried under the sand.

 Carved of walrus ivory, they may have come from Iceland, although recent investigation suggests that the Lewis Chessmen may have originated in Trondheim, the medieval capital city of Norway, and home to the Norsemen during the eleventh and twelfth centuries who were the overlords of the isle of Lewis.

 It seems that they brought the Chessmen with them from Norway when they voyaged to the island. Some authorities date them to the 12th century. There were four sets, not all complete. According to legend, they were stolen by a sailor from a ship anchored in Loch Hamnaway soon after the year 1600.

 A shepherd known as Ghillie Ruadh murdered the sailor to get the treasure, but fearing discovery, carefully buried the pieces. A few years later he was hanged in Stornoway for another crime, and is said to have made a dying confession to the murder of the sailor.

 A local peasant, Calum nan Sprot, working nearby found what he concluded to be a collection of elves and gnomes. The superstitious highlander flung down his spade and fled home in horror. Superstition in the Isle of Lewis had survived in a powerful form.

 Thus, when the peasant first looked at the group of singular little ivory figures, it was natural that they should appear as the pigmy sprites of Celtic folklore. However, he was induced by his wife to return to the spot and take the figures home.

 He sold them to a local collector who realized they were Chessmen pieces. There were 78 pieces in all, belonging to eight or more sets. 67 are now in the British Museum and the rest in the

National Museum in Edinburgh

 Experts are unanimous in regarding them as "The most astonishing collection of ancient Chessmen in existence".

image via @FrankOnTheRadio Twitter account

And if you’re wondering what set me off on that subject, it was the fact that in the recent snow, people were fashioning their own snowmen in the style of the chess pieces. Apparently it’s been a thing for a few years.

If you didn’t know

Where did chess originate? Chess originated in India after 500 BC and had arrived in Christian Europe via the Islamic world by at least the AD 990s. The original Indian and Islamic game was adapted to reflect medieval European society, so that the Indian war elephant was replaced with the figure of the bishop. The rooks biting their shields resemble the Viking berserkers of Norse myth, while the pose of the queens is derived from depictions of the grieving Virgin Mary. The pawns, lacking any human features, reflect the abstract pieces used in the Islamic version of the game.

More on this link

QUIZ ANSWER:

On the birdbath are (from our left to right) a House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Ta Daah, a Goldfinch. The first since last Summer.

I snatched up the camera, but too slow to focus before it flew: they never seem to stay long at all and only come to drink, not feed - the opposite of the Long Tailed Tits with their ‘flying visits’ They only feed and I’ve never seen one drink. 

Despite the fuzzy photo I was thrilled to see it and it is proof they’re still around, Hoorah.

Photo from the archive. Four Goldfinch together, a record. Hope to see more of these lovely birds this year

[mellicose]

That Woman Over There - Chapter 8

A You Me and Him Fix-it Fic

Rating: teen, for some strong language

Word count: 2300

Warnings: none

Summary: ~ Set after the birth of Monty, Olivia’s baby ~ A dear friend of Olivia comes to visit for a week, and she disturbs the fragile peace between her, Alex, and John.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

“Happy birthday, darling!” yet another stranger yelled just as soon as Alex and Liv opened the door. They insisted that Connie stay near, so they could introduce her as a world-renowned flower artist.

She worked in just about every continent, but she was certainly not world-renowned. Known, perhaps, but not lauded.

Well, not much.

Both Alex and Olivia wore the flower crowns she made them for the party. Olivia’s was top-heavy with cabbage roses in shades of pink and red, while Alex’s was made with beautiful rich magenta anemones and studded with violets and microdaisies.

“Are those real?” Olivia’s friend touched the flowers on her head delicately.

“Very! She just threw them together this morning,” Liv said, squeezing Connie’s hand. “She’s quite talented.”

“Quite so,” the lady said, and she ogled Connie’s breasts. “Do you specialize in birthday parties?”

She groaned internally. Olivia’s smile flickered.

“Not at all. It’s usually museums and art shows and royal garden parties,” she said.

“Isn’t that cute,” she said. She scrutinized her further. She had short brown hair threaded with silver, and her pale blue eyes were large and ravaging.  Her nostrils flared ever so slightly at Connie’s jean miniskirt and her high heeled booties.

“I’m going to check on the food,” Connie said, and walked away quickly. She wasn’t a shy woman, but she did not like that woman’s gaze. Sometimes Olivia was too nice. She walked blindly to the back door and bumped into John.

“Whoa, who are you running from?” he said, giving her a dazzling grin. She gasped.

“My God, where did it go?” she said, patting at his face. He turned his head to give her a better look. The beard was gone. She caressed his prickly cheeks. All that was left was maybe a day’s growth.

She pulled him outside, where the other guests milled around the appetizers tables and danced.

“Can you believe that falsetto?” he said, referring to the music. Justin Timberlake sang about drinking and heartbreak. “Is he even old enough to have a drink?

The woman appeared at the back door with Olivia in tow. She searched the crowd for Connie.

“Come on,” she said, and started to dance against him.

“I suppose all is forgiven,” he said. She gave him a serious look. “Okay. I suppose wrong. Why the dirty dancing?”

She turned around and ground up against his thighs. “It’s her,” she whispered, and pointed her chin at the woman in khaki pants and a green fleece vest. He burst out laughing.

“She get a bit cheeky with you?” he said, and put his arm around her waist and followed her lead. It wasn’t precisely what he imagined, but after last night, he would take what he could get. She smelled like the flowers she had pored over all morning at Liv’s kitchen table. “She’s harmless.”

“To you. You’ve got a penis,” she said, and turned to grind against his hip. “She makes my skin crawl.”

Her thigh muscles warmed his leg. He tried to focus on anything but how good she felt.

“Wow, this feels really convincing,” he said. “I am thoroughly convinced.”

The woman walked resolutely to them.

“Oh my God,” Connie whispered into his chest.

“Hello, John,” she said, squinting up at him. “How’s the misogyny business?”

As ever, he smiled. “Booming! I was meaning to say something about that. I-”

She cut him off. “You ran off before I had a chance to properly introduce myself,” she said to Connie.

She pointed up at him, and held him closer. “He just swept me away before I could get back,” she said. “Still in the first flush and all,” she said.

She gave Olivia a perplexed look. Olivia looked at them, then back at her friend.

“Artists,” she said, giggling. She shrugged.

John nuzzled Connie’s temple. “Got here too late, I’m afraid,” he said. “Alpha wins again.”

“Ugh,” she said, but she finally walked away to scrutinize the food.

What’s going on? Olivia mouthed, but Alex winked and pulled her away.

“Thank you,” Connie sighed. “I’m terrible at telling people to fuck off.” He still had his arm around her, and he let her go.

“Don’t worry yourself. I’m good at doing the pretend boyfriend thing.”  They walked to the low brick wall at the edge of the garden and sat down.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be. We’re even now.”

“For what?”

“For last night. You know, with the drunk ladies and the bat and the yelling? You played the angry girlfriend brilliantly,” he said, smiling. His eyes crinkled.

“Right. I guess I tried too well to forget,” she said.

He bit his lip. “You smell spectacular. You got any leftover flowers?”

She nodded.

“Make me a crown. Please,” he said, showing her his teeth.

“You sure? What if your internet buddies see you decked out in dahlias and sweet peas?”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what they think,” he said. “I want to look pretty.”

“Let’s do it, then,” she said.

“Yay!” He jumped up and cheered.

“You are such a nerd,” she said, shaking her head.

“Yep,” he said, and followed her inside.

🌹🌹🌹

He sorted through the flowers, caressing the velvety gerbera daisy petals and long calla lily stalks.

“Pick whatever you like,” she said. She stood close to him, in front of the kitchen window.

“I want you to pick them out. Define me with flora,” he said, holding a small bouquet of ranunculi to his chest. “There’s no stink cabbage here, is there?”

She ran her index finger along his jawline. “You know John, you didn’t have to shave your beard.”

He sat on the counter. “After what you said? How could I keep it?”

“It wasn’t that bad,” she said sheepishly. “I was angry.”

“Are you kidding me? ‘70’s porn pussy’? It’s absolutely brilliant, and very hard to forget,” he said, rubbing his nearly bare chin thoughtfully. “What do you know about 70’s porn?”

She started to snip at the flower stems and separate the bunches of purple statice.

“Just whatever I was able to get my hands on from my mother’s collection,” she said, and plucked a dwarf sunflower from a vase on the windowsill.

“That’s not weird,” he said, eyebrows raised high.

“And generations of boys raiding their father’s collection isn’t just as weird?” she said.

“Fair enough,” he said. “So …” he hesitated.

“Go on. You’re dying to ask.” She bit off a length of flower tape and started to attach the sunflower to the wire hoop.

“Your mum. She had porn?” he said. “My mum would give my da grief for letting me watch Doctor Who. She thought the companion’s skirts were too short.”

She wove jasmine stalks to the wire and secured it, then started to tape an ombre purple peony on either side of the sunflower.

“It wasn’t porn per se,” she said. “It was more … art. Really naked sexy art.”

“So … porn,” he said.

“No. Art,” she said. “Who says that sex can’t be a thing of beauty?” she said.

“Right,” he said, smiling. “Art.”

“Before she married my father, my mother was an art groupie, so she has a pretty big collection,” she said.

“What’s an art groupie?” he said.

“She would spend time at all of the art haunts in Montmartre, in Paris. All her friends were painters and sculptors and writers… she herself tried to write, but sadly, she was never very good at it in French, and even worse in Spanish and English.” She fluffed the peony petals, and started attaching small pale yellow ranunculi, interspersed with jasmine. “She had a passionate affair with a nameless artist right before she met my father-”

“How did your parents meet?” he interrupted.

“My dad went to France with a close friend who would soon be diplomat there,” she said, and looked out the window.“Is that thyme on your back porch?”

“Yeah, it is. I love the way it smells on summer evenings,” he said.

“How romantic. Could you get me some sprigs? Especially the ones with the tiny flowers.”

He jumped off the counter and darted across the yard. Her eyes followed him, and she bit her lip. He did have a nice ass. He ran back in, threw two handfuls of the herb on the counter, and sat by the sink.

“So, where were we?” he said.

“Noticing that you also have a bay tree by the shed,” she said, giving him an exaggerated grin.

He nodded. “Right. I’ll be back in a flash,” he said, ran to the door, then doubled back. “Just to let you know, I also have rosemary, basil, sage, lavender, lemon balm, peppermint, and chamomile growing against the house where you can’t see it.”

“Ooh, chamomile! Make sure to pluck it as close the the earth as possible,” she said.

He saluted, then ran outside. In less than a minute, he handed her the requested greenery.

“Okay. We were at … art groupie,” he said, panting lightly on the counter.

“This chamomile is fabulous,” she said, breathing in their herbaceous perfume.

“I keep Olivia and Alex in tea,” he said, smiling. “Ever had an herbal bath?

“Nope. I’ve only had the quick, cold, and bubble varieties,” she said, started to stud the crown with the delicate chamomile flowers. “My father would make me rub myself with eucalyptus-infused rubbing alcohol when I was feverish, but that’s as far as that goes.”

“That sounds lovely,” he said. “I’ll have to try it.”

“It’s interesting. The alcohol evaporates quickly which cools the body, but the smell is headache-inducing.”

“Eucalyptus opens up the lungs, so it’s great for chest colds,” he said.

She gave him a look.

“What? I was sick a lot as a kid. I think it was more psychosomatic than not, but still. So … Montmartre?” he said.

She worked the bay into the sides of the crown. “She had a disastrous affair with a nameless artist that left her very vulnerable-”

“Is he actually nameless, or do you not want to say the name?” he interrupted again. She slapped his arm lightly.

“She doesn’t want to say his name, so I don’t know it. All I know is his work, and his mark on the bottom right corner of his sketches and paintings.”

“That’s exciting. He could be famous. Ever tried to compare the mark to something you’ve seen in an art exhibition? That’s what I would do.”

She nodded. “No luck, though.”

“But what does the affair have to do with art porn, and your father?” he said.

“I had a linear story, but you’ve interrupted me so many times that I don’t even know what I’m saying,” she said, and held up the completed crown. “Tada!”

“It’s brilliant, literally,” he said, caressing the bright yellow sunflower petals before putting it on his head. “Do I look gorgeous?” he said, batting his eyes.

“Like part of the family,” she said. The comment made him glow.

“But now you need one,” he said.

She shook her head. “Nah. I’m not really the flower crown type. It’s like getting high on your own supply.”

“Nonsense!” he picked up a giant, pale peach cabbage rose and jumped off the counter. “Here, let me…” he put his hands in her hair.

She slapped at him. “What are you doing?”

He put his hands up. “Sorry about that. I just want to do a quick dutch braid, so I can thread the flowers through it. May I?”

“Oh,” she said. “I guess it’s okay.” She stood still as he brushed her hair with his long fingers, and began to braid. It was nice to have someone besides a hairdresser doing her hair. “How did you learn to do it? I can’t do a french braid to save my life.”

“My sister. She’s terrible at them as well. When we were kids, I made fun of her for having clumsy fingers, and she bet me I wouldn’t be able to do it either. She had to do my chores for a week,” he giggled. “All done.” He stepped back to admire his handiwork. Now, her hair fell over her left shoulder in a messy braid that grazed her breast. “You look … like a hipster goddess,” he said.

“Fuck off,” she said, rolling her eyes and walking away.

“I was joking,” he said, gently pulling her back by the sink. “No hip. But let me finish my thing.”

“Fine. But be careful with the roses. They’ve got thorns.”

“Duh,” he said amiably. He scraped off the thorns with his thumbnail and threaded the stems through the braid starting at the crown of her head. She looked at him as he worked. He bit the tip of his tongue with concentration. The afternoon sun shone in from the kitchen window and gilded the brown of his eyes, and the spattering of freckles on his smooth skin was breathtakingly alluring. Her fingers twitched to touch his forehead, and trace the smile lines at the corners of his eyes. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

“What’s with the fists?” he said, gently squeezing her wrists. She looked down. She was white-knuckled with longing.

“Oh. This is nothing. It happens sometimes. Anxiety,” she said, waving away his touch. There were red crescents on her palms where her mercifully short nails bit into her skin.

“I’m done!” he said. “Tell me what you think.” He pointed to the small mirror hung by the back door. When she looked at herself, she hiccuped with laughter.

“Oh my God,” she said. The roses drooped in the braid, and her head was hoary with sprays of baby’s breath. “It’s … a look.” His smile faded, and it made her heart ache. “...that I shall wear with pride.”

He actually bounced with glee.“So I did well?”

“Beautiful,” she said.

“Good enough to go work for you?” he said.

The face she made bent him over with laughter.

Next Chapter

[tipsycad147]

Butterfly Pea Flower Lavender Lemonade: Magic Lemonade

Kelly from Primally Inspired 

An all natural, colour changing, “magic” lavender lemonade recipe using butterfly pea flower.  This recipe is fun and filled with health benefits, too!

One of our local coffee shops recently served me an all natural, colour changing, herbal “butterfly tea” and I was mesmerised.

That’s because when I squeezed a lemon in my tea, the colour changed from dark indigo to vibrant hot pink right before my eyes. I was completely fascinated!

So I went home, did some research, ordered some organic dried butterfly pea flowers on Amazon (Find HERE) and have been hooked ever since.

If you’ve never had or heard of this “magic tea” before, you’re in for a treat!

The traditional recipe (nam dok anchan) from Thailand simply uses butterfly pea flowers, lemon and honey and it’s often drank in the evening as a relaxing, stress relieving tea. But I’ve got to be honest. I didn’t love the taste.

I wasn’t about to let that stop me, though. So I had fun experimenting with different flavours to add to my butterfly pea flowers.

And I discovered that when you add different fruit juices and/or herbs to butterfly pea flowers, it goes from blah to absolutely delicious!

To date, my favorite butterfly pea flower concoction is adding lavender and lemon. I love lavender lemonade and if you do, too, I think you’ll especially love this adaptation. I mean, have you ever had a lemonade that’s so vibrant purple and then changes to brilliant fuchsia….annnnnd it’s completely natural and healthy? How cool is that?!

My toddler calls it our magic lemonade and we love making it together!

And the good stuff doesn’t stop there. In traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, Butterfly Pea Flowers (Clitoria ternatea) have been used for centuries as a healing plant medicine and herbal health tonic!

Health Benefits of Butterfly Pea Flowers

Healers throughout the world traditionally and most often use butterfly pea flowers (Native to Southeast Asia) as a memory enhancer, brain booster, stress reliever and antidepressant. Several studies show that the brain boosting effects offer a wide spectrum of neurological benefits including helping with depression, stress and anxiety.

Butterfly pea flowers are also highly regarded for their beautifying properties. In fact, many hair and skincare products are derived from the Butterfly Pea Flower because of the positive effects it has on skin and hair. This beautiful blue flower has been studied to show that it helps combat wrinkles, encourages collagen production and protects your skin from premature ageing. Butterfly Pea Flowers can also promote healthy hair growth.

How does butterfly pea flower tea change colour?

When the sapphire blue flowers are steeped in water, they turn the water a brilliant shade of dark purple or blue. The longer you steep the flowers, the richer and more vibrant the colour.

The butterfly pea flowers are rich in a violet and blue plant pigment called anthocyanins. When the flowers are subjected to a change in pH level from an acid (lemon, lime, honey, citrus fruits, etc), it causes a colour change, much like how hydrangeas can change colour with different pH levels.

Butterfly Pea Flower Lavender Lemonade Recipe:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dried butterfly pea flowers

1 teaspoon dried lavender

2 cups water

1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons lemon juice)

1-2 tablespoons honey or sweetener of choice

Instructions

Steep the dried butterfly pea flowers and dried lavender in 2 cups of very hot water for 10-15 minutes. The longer you steep, the richer the colour.

Strain and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, stir the lemon juice and honey together until smooth.

Pour the lemon juice/honey mixture into the strained, cooled purple tea. Stir and watch the magic happen! Enjoy!

primallyinspired.com/butterfly-pea-flower-lavender-lemonade-magic-lemonade/