#inspired by a news item about a kid stuck in a trash can

[mrspasser]

Don’t tell mom

Matchablossom fanfiction

Kojiro planned to feed Kaoru, close up the restaurant, change his clothes and then head to S. He should've known that the kids don't care for his plans...

In which Reki calls for help, Kaoru has secret pockets in the sleeves of his kimono and there's improper use of a trash can.

"You want coffee before we go?" Kojiro asks as he takes the empty plate and wineglass away from where his last customer of the day sits at the bar.

Kaoru dabs at his lips with his napkin and hums thoughtfully. He crumples the cloth up and tosses it on the plate before Kojiro turns away. "Might as well."

"Thought you could use the caffeine," Kojiro offers. "You've had a long day. If you want to win any races tonight you're gonna need a double espresso." It's said with as much faux innocence as he can muster and it immediately makes the flint appear in Kaoru's eyes, just like he intended.

"I can win with my eyes closed when I'm racing you!" Kaoru is already up from his chair, leaning his hands on the bar.

"Because you cheat, letting your robot girlfriend take the wheel!" Kojiro calls back through the open kitchen hatch. He quickly cleans the plate and the glass in the sink, doing the last bit of clean up before he can close up for tonight. He already did the rest while Kaoru was eating, grumbling about his day. The master calligrapher had two workshops today and those always tire him out, mostly from having to socialise with lots of different people. If Kojiro wanted to tease him, he'd say he's tired from having to smile all day; straining muscles he never uses. That's not it, though, Kaoru smiles often enough. It's usually hidden behind a black mask, or only visible to those who have the privilege. Kojiro loves having that privilege.

Their bickering back and forth is enough to rile Kaoru up, make him forget about his earlier lethargy. Having a full stomach helps too. The man always forgets to eat when he's busy at his studio, so Kojiro was happy to feed him today when he showed up towards the end of dinner service. He's always happy to feed his friend; he likes having some company while he putters around the bar to clean up. His servers straighten out the front room and the kitchen staff does most of the cleaning in the back, leaving only the loose ends for their chef. They have a system and it works. Sometimes even Kaoru helps: lining up the centrepieces at the tables with the artworks on the wall, or something equally perfectionistic. He doesn't need to help to earn his meal, Kojiro mainly likes the comfort of having his best and oldest friend around.

When his phone buzzes in his pocket, Kojiro lifts a finger to stop Kaoru's angry rant. His friend glares at him, but obediently shuts his mouth. He checks to see who it is and then hits the speaker button. "Hey Reki, what's up?"

"Joe! I'm so happy you picked up! We uh... We kinda need your help."

"What did you do?" Kaoru arches an inquisitive eyebrow at his words, inching closer to where Kojiro rounds the bar so he can hear the conversation better.

Reki immediately gets defensive. "Who says I did something?" Kojiro and Kaoru exchange a meaningful glance at his tone. To be fair, it's a one in three chance that Reki was the one that caused the trouble. Langa and Miya should never be ruled out. "And why do you immediately assume something bad happened?"

Kojiro sighs and rolls his eyes. "Why else would you need help?"

"I could be needing help with my maths homework!"

"You would've called Cherry." Kojiro ignores the smug look from his pink haired friend. He did fine in school, but he likes working with his hands more. Besides, he's kinda lost touch with the non-practical side of the things they learned in school. Kaoru is better at it anyway. 'Nerd' he mouths at his friend, who elbows him in the side in retaliation.

"Fine," Reki relents. "But we could really use a hand. Can you come to the park?"

"Did one of you bail and need a ride to the hospital?" Kojiro's mind is suddenly filled with the images of blood and broken bones. There's a rail slide in the park that the kids like to practice on, but it's pretty challenging. He immediately feels around his pockets for his car keys, yet he's still in his work clothes and his car keys are in the apartment upstairs. Kaoru slides a hand up the sleeve of his kimono and shows him his own car keys instead, moving with him towards the door.

"No, no! No hospital needed." Reki hesitates for a second. "Just get here, alright? We'll explain it then. Or, I guess you can see for yourself."

"That doesn't bode well," Kaoru says when Kojiro disconnects the call after Reki oddly suggests he should bring some tools. "Come on, I've got tools in the back of my car."

"Maybe his board broke down?" Kojiro gets in on the passenger side of the small Toyota Kaoru drives.

"Reki could fix that himself."

The drive to the park isn't very far. It certainly doesn't give Kojiro enough time to think of valid reasons for why Reki needs his help. He's just thinking that maybe one of the kids climbed to the top of the jungle gym in the park and can't get down, when Kaoru stops the car by the entrance to the park. They immediately spot Reki and Langa, standing beneath a lamp post just inside the wrought iron gates that decorate the main entrance. The kids seem surprised that Kaoru gets out of the car too, eyeing his formal wear curiously.

"You brought Cherry?" Reki almost whines, self consciously rubbing a hand through his hair.

"Technically I brought Joe, seeing as I drove us here," Kaoru answers haughtily, folding his hands into the sleeves of his kimono and drawing up to his full height. He looks intimidating like that.

Reki makes a face and looks at Kojiro. "We were kinda hoping it would just be you."

"Why did you call me anyway?" Kojiro is puzzled: both Reki and Langa look no worse for wear and they both have their skateboards with them, still fully intact. "You both look fine, I don't see any problems. And why would you not want me to bring Cherry?"

Kaoru huffs. "Because they did something stupid and they thought a gorilla would understand."

"Hey!" Kojiro exclaims.

"See! You don't even know what we did and you're already mad!" Reki fidgets with the skateboard in his hands, looking far too guilty. Langa, next to him, has a blank look on his face, but that's kind of his default expression. His face doesn't emulate much in general, except when you put free food in front of him.

Kaoru assesses them with sharp eyes and then pans his gaze over their surroundings. Every few metres a lamppost lights up the darkness. He stops at the sight of a lonely skateboard, a little ways over. "Where is Miya?" The words are sharp, with a hint of worry.

"Yeah..." Reki draws out. "That's kinda the thing."

"He's in there," Langa interrupts, pointing in the direction of the skateboard with the purple x on it.

"In where?" Kojiro sees nothing but nicely trimmed rose bushes and yellow pavement. There's some benches at the edge of the square where they're standing, but that's about it. Last summer Kaoru did a calligraphy demonstration on this square. Kojiro remembers, because he got roped in to carry all his equipment.

The calligrapher in question, who made his way in the direction Langa pointed at, suddenly stops beside a large trash can. It's one of those models that always remind Kojiro somewhat of a robot: the large bucket sits up on two legs that run up the whole length of the trash can, holding up a raised lid that covers the top opening like an awning. The front of the bucket has a door so the city workers can empty the thing easily. Kaoru bends over slightly to peer into the top opening. When he turns back to the others his eyes are comically large. "What is Miya doing in a trash can?"

"What?" Kojiro makes it over in a few large strides. There appears to be a faint light coming from inside the trash can. The source reveals itself as Miya's Switch. The kid is sitting on the floor of the otherwise empty trash can with his knees folded up against his chest and his nose almost touching the screen of his game. Kojiro is dumbfounded. "What??"

"You see, we made a bet," Reki starts.

"We thought Miya wouldn't fit inside the trash can," Langa adds.

"The slimes dared me," finishes Miya from inside the trash can. His voice echoes slightly against the metal of his current housing.

"So you climbed inside a municipal trash can," Kaoru deadpans, disapproval clear in his tone.

"He went in willingly!" Reki hurries to say. "And the thing was empty anyway. It's not like we dared him to go sit in a bunch of trash."

Kojiro touches the raised lid, which doesn't budge. There's an opening on two sides, but they're too small for even Miya to fit through. The whole thing isn't even big enough for Miya to stand up in. "How the hell did you get in?"

"The door was open," Langa explains, gesturing towards the front of the bucket.

"With the emphasis on was," Kojiro quickly understands, as he tries but fails to pull the door open. There's a lock on the front, requiring a key that no one of them currently possesses. A quick check with Miya confirms that he indeed can't open the mechanism from inside, which explains why the kids had called for help. "I'll have to break it open."

"Are you crazy?" Kaoru interjects testily. "We have a slight inconvenience on our hands and your immediate reaction is to resort to vandalism?"

"Do you call this a slight inconvenience?"

"It kinda is," Langa shrugs. "At least until the battery of Miya's game runs out."

"How long has he been in there already?!" Kaoru demands before declaring he doesn't even want to know. He whips out his phone - again from a hidden pocket in his kimono sleeve - and points the torch light on the lock. "We could pick the lock," he offers after a short inspection.

"Already tried that," Reki says, brandishing a T-shaped tool from the pocket of his hoodie.

"You can't pick a lock with a skate tool." Kojiro fears Kaoru's eyes will get stuck in the back of his head if he rolls them any harder. "I'll go see what I can do."

A few minutes later Kaoru sits crouched in front of the trash can, trying to pry the look open with a screwdriver he had in his car. Kojiro and the others watch over his shoulder eagerly. "How did the door get locked anyway?" Kojiro asks, side eyeing the two teens.

"It just happened."

"It was an accident."

"Reki pushed the door closed behind me and the lock clicked into place," echoes Miya from inside. There's faint noises coming from his game. At least the kid is entertained.

Kaoru gets to his feet with an angry huff. "How could you kids be so stupid?" he bites out, which Kojiro knows to translate as "I can't get the lock to open." Kaoru will never admit he can't do something, he's too proud for that.

"It didn't work?" Reki asks, sounding disappointed.

"It's still locked, isn't it?" The kids flinch back at Kaoru's angry hiss. A lot of his friend's emotions come out as anger, Kojiro has learned over the years. Sadness, worry, frustration, disappointment. Reki and Langa will learn that too, if they stick around long enough.

Reki turns to Kojiro, sidling a bit further away from the angry Cherry Blossom. "Didn't you bring an angle grinder?"

"I'm a chef," Kojiro replies incredulously, "do I look like I use power tools in my kitchen?"

"We are not destroying municipal property." The kids protest, hell, even Kojiro argues, but Kaoru can't be swayed. "We're not vandals, nor are we delinquents."

"We skate at an abandoned mine every week," Reki counters. "That's pretty illegal. And you and Joe even founded the whole skating scene there!" He yelps in pain when he gets wacked on the head with a fan.

"Ko - Joe, don't you know someone at the Fire Department?" Kaoru asks over the heads of the two teens. He gives Kojiro a meaningful look that makes him think he really should know someone there. It dawns on him a moment later.

"Chief Edo!" The town council sometimes has lunch meetings at Sia La Luce and the fire chief is a big fan of Italian cuisine. So much so that he sometimes orders food to be brought to the fire station, even though the restaurant normally doesn't offer take out services.

"Are you calling 119?" Reki exclaims when Kojiro takes out his phone and taps the screen a few times.

"911?" Langa's face shows emotion for the first time that evening as he rounds on Reki. "Is Joe calling the police?!"

"No, the Fire Brigade," Reki corrects. "And it's 119, not 911."

"Pretty sure it's 911."

Kojiro ignores the boys squabbling over the correct emergency number. He's not calling that anyway, as they risk a fine or at least a bill if they call in the fire squad through official channels. Kaoru's idea is their best shot: Kojiro can probably call in a favour to rescue Miya from his predicament. Not that the kid seems to care much about being locked up inside a trash can, he's as cool as a cucumber in there. Or so it seems. Kaoru keeps a sharp eye on him anyway. He thanks his lucky stars when Chief Edo turns out to be on duty tonight. The older man is understanding and promises to send over some help quickly. While they wait for help to arrive, Kaoru lectures the boys sternly on their idiotic behaviour. He's noticeably more lenient towards Miya, going as far as speaking calmly with the still locked up kid. Kojiro suspects Miya isn't as laid-back about the situation as he tries to appear, so he herds the two other young boys to the other side of the square where they can toy around with their skateboards for a bit.

A red hatchback with the fire department logo on it appears by the entrance to the park, with two firemen stepping out. One of them is Chief Edo, who greets Kojiro with a jovial clap to his shoulder. "Now, where's the fire?" he jokes. Kojiro shows the two men the trash can with Miya inside and it turns out to be an easy job for one of the various master keys they have in their car. The door of the trash can opens on squeaking hinges and Miya half falls out, stumbling when he has to stretch his sore limbs to catch himself. Kaoru rights him with a hand underneath his arm, keeping the boy close even though he makes the kid bow to the firemen to thank them for their trouble.

"Thanks again," Kojiro says, walking the two firemen back to their car. "I'll make sure to bring by lunch for the crew tomorrow."

"Reki and Langa can do that," Kaoru suggests, only it's more of a command. "They can also wash the dishes afterwards." He still has a hand on Miya's shoulder, steering the kid towards his small Toyota. The thirteen year old is strangely subdued, evidence that his little adventure did not leave him unaffected.

"That's not fair! What about Miya?!" Reki cries out.

"I think sitting in a trash can for over an hour is punishment enough already," Kojiro interjects before Kaoru can react. His stern face matches Kaoru's thunderous expression, although his is mostly for show. Getting a friend stuck in a trash can is nothing compared to the shit he and Kaoru got up to when they were younger, but he does kinda want to teach them a lesson. After all, he could've been on his way to S right now, instead of standing here in an empty, dark park, still dressed in his chef's uniform. "I expect you boys to come by the restaurant tomorrow morning."

Both boys give him a reluctant nod and then they skate away, the wheels of their skateboards rolling noisily down the sidewalk.

Kaoru is waiting for him by the car, his hand on the opened car door. Miya is already sitting in the back, face glued to his game again. "Do you still want to go to S?" he asks quietly, his eyes following Kojiro as he walks around the car to the passenger side.

Kojiro sighs, his shoulders slumping as he leans his arms on top of the car. "I guess we better get the kid home first."

"He needs a bath," Kaoru confirms, his nose wrinkling slightly.

"It'll probably be too late for S after that." Kojiro considers going anyway, but he has to get up in time for lunch service tomorrow, so he didn't plan on staying at S for that long to begin with. It's not worth the hassle, he decides. They can always go tomorrow night.

"Wine and a movie?" Kaoru suggests instead, guessing his thoughts. He already moves to get behind the wheel, counting on the other to agree.

Kojiro nods and gets in too. "Sounds like a plan."

[oboevallis]

the books

so in private practice violet wrote two books about her life and the practice and everyone was pretty pissed at her but they let her publish anyway, so im not sure if this makes a lot of sense but here you go! hope everyone’s staying safe and doing well. and im working on some other stories so be on the look out for those

“Thanks for helping me pack Maggie.” Amelia smiled as she folded another sweater into the cardboard box.

“I really don’t want to. We’re gonna miss you around here.” The other woman pouted.

“I know.” Amelia shot a sympathetic smile to her. “But I think Link and I need our own space. Once this baby comes, no one is going to be too fond of us when he’s crying his head off.”

“No one would mind.”

“You may not mind, but the kids wouldn’t get any sleep, and Meredith would say that she doesn’t mind but would be passive aggressive.”

“Okay, you maybe right, but we will miss you.”

“I’ll miss you guys too. I’ve been living with you guys since I moved to Seattle.”

“Hmm.” Maggie hummed as she went to her sisters closet and started folding the contents that were hung. “Your closet is such a mess.” She complained as she pulled out the clothes.

“Sorry.” Amelia chuckled as she moved to her bookshelf, and started bubble wrapping the picture frames. “Organization isn’t quite my thing.”

“Really? I never would of realized.” The cardio surgeon sarcastically said. Once she cleared the hanging clothes she moved to the floor where she had her shoes, and started a new box for them. As she was about to stand up and takes things on the shelf she spotted in the corner of the closet, a box with two books on top of it, one labeled ‘Beautiful Scars’ and another ‘Private Practice’, she tentatively picked on up before Amelia realized.

“What are you doing?” Maggie was shocked by the change in her sisters demeanor, she was all bright and shiny before, and now it was like someone drained the life out of her.

“Just looking at these books.” Amelia struggled to get up, but once she did she walked over to Maggie and grabbed the box and the books. “Looks interesting, could I read one.”

“No.” Amelia quickly said turning around to look at her. “I-it’s just nothing you’d find interesting.”

“Come on you know me, I’ll read anything. Any book I see a basically need to read it.” Maggie chuckled.

“Trust me you won’t like it.” She sighed as she placed the three items into the box that contained the items that were on her bookshelf.

“Ooooooookay then.” Maggie could tell something was off, but decided to let it go for the moment. “I’m gonna start taking boxes down stairs.” She smiled picking one up and making her way to the door. “And don’t you dare pick one up.”

“You think I could physically pick one up?” The neurosurgeon chuckled gesturing to her swollen abdomen. Once she was out of eyesight she turned around and ran her fingers to over the books and the box.

“Ready for me to take that one down?” Maggie asked, startling the other woman. She simply nodded and taped up the box, and stepped out of the way so it could be brought down stairs.

“Yeah, thanks Maggie.”

_______________________________________

“God Maggie, what happened?” Meredith asked as she spotted her sister browsing through Amazon.

“Huh?” The woman asked turning around the face the latter.

“You only go online shopping when something goes wrong in your life.”

“Oh.” Maggie chuckled, thinking back to when Jackson dumped her and 15 Amazon packages came to the house that week. “No, I’m just looking for some new books to read.”

“What about the bookshelf of unread books in your room?” The general surgeon asked as she pulled out her children’s lunch boxes to pack for the next day.

“Well, it’s just, um like, someone suggested them to me.”

“Why are you acting so weird?”

“I’m not acting weird. Your acting weird.” Maggie quickly said as she shut her laptop and brought it upstairs with her.

“Alright then.” The front door then opened and she heard a pair of keys drop into the bowl by the door. “Amelia?”

“Yeah?” She whispered stepping into the kitchen.

“Hey, you settled in at Links?”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna spend one more night here, before Zola infiltrates my room.” She chuckled stealing one of the baby carrots Meredith was putting into containers.

“Hmm.” Meredith chuckled, slightly slapping her sisters hand. “She’s been begging for her own room. So if things don’t work out with Link you and the baby will be stuck on the couch.”

“Oh shut up.” The neurosurgeon playfully rolled her eyes. Amelia then sat down on the island chair, stealing another carrot much to her sisters dismay. “You know I was thinking earlier, since I’ve lived in Seattle I’ve lived with you and the kids the whole time. Well other than when you left for San Diego and had a secret baby.”

“And when you were married to Owen.”

“Oh yeah, well I was here a majority of the time.” Meredith nodded, smirking at the comment. “Well I’m gonna go up to bed.”

“Wait, could you do me a favor? And fold the laundry.”

“Oh my God, how’s the laundry going to get down without me here?” She chuckled as she made her way the the laundry room. “It’s always the pregnant woman that gets taken advantage of.”

“Melodramatic much?”

________________________________________

Maggie quickly finished the book ‘Beautiful Scars’ assuming the character Alice was her sister. The sexually confident, risk taker neurosurgeon. She found the book fascinating, and inspirational. She knew it was based on real life experiences of the woman and she seemed to included the lives of her friends and their stories helped her recover. It frustrated her that the books didn’t arrive at the same time, but the second book was supposed to get her some time today.

“We brought pizza!” She could hear her sisters boyfriend yell as he entered the house.

“Auntie Maggie!” Ellis cheered once she saw her aunt come down the stairs. “Look Auntie Amelia’s back.”

“I see.” Maggie chuckled, she knew Amelia was the youngests favorite. “I hear there’s pizza?” Ellis nodded enthusiastically, Meredith tried to maintain a healthy diet for the kids so whenever they got pizza it was a treat.

“Auntie Amelia what’s this word?” Zola asked, pointing to the word in a book.

“Re-cip-ro-cate.” Amelia observed the book a little closer, grabbing it out of the girls hands. Flipping it to the front cover to reveal the title ‘Private Practice’ “Where did you get this?”

“It was in an Amazon package and I’ve read all my books.” Maggie’s heart dropped when she saw the interaction.

“What the hell Maggie?” Amelia asked holding up the book so she could clearly see it. “Where’s the other one?” Maggie hated lying, and it always scared her when Amelia cornered her.

“I-I already read it, and it was really good. I don’t know why you didn’t want me to read. It’s crazy what happened to that woman, I mean she was just trying to help her patient, and then that happens, it’s crazy!”

“Yeah, and what about the part that she basically calls me a whore?”

“I didn’t take it that way, I think she was explaining that after the attack she had intimacy issues and you helped her in a way.” Amelia dramatically rolled her eyes and walked over to the trash can and started ripping out pages. “What the hell Amelia? What’s going on, what’s in that book that you don’t want me to read?”

“Just forget it Maggie.” She told her boyfriend she wanted to leave, he seemed visibly confused, but obliged. Leaving everyone very confused at the woman’s outburst.

“Why did Auntie Amelia get so upset over that book?” Zola asked her other aunt.

“I don’t know.” The woman shook her head, still confused.

________________________________________

It was Maggie and Amelia’s day off, and the neurosurgeon felt incredibly guilty for her outburst the previous night. So Amelia took the two books and the box and made her way back to her old home.

“Maggie?” She cautiously asked as she stepped through the door.

“Amelia?” Maggie stopped in the middle of the stairs.

“I want to apologize.”

“No I should, I know you didn’t want me reading those books, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m really sorry, and I didn’t think your a whore for your information.” Amelia nodded and walked up the stairs and into her sisters room, and made her herself comfortable in her sisters bed.

“Sit down.” Amelia patted the space next to her, and smiled through the tears already starting to form in her eyes. She pulled out a stack of papers from the box, it was the papers that contain who her sons organs went to. Maggie seemed visibly confused as she looked through them. “Okay. So you’ve already read the first book. My friend from down in LA wrote that book about her experiences, and then later on she wrote another book. And that book is more about the practice as a whole and how we worked collaboratively and were a family. One of the chapters talks about one of the ethical fights we had.”

“Okay.” Maggie sweetly whispered, encouraging her to continue, looking back down at the papers.

“And umm, that fight had to do with my son.” Maggie looked visibly confused, once she heard that. “And your probably thinking ‘Amelia, you don’t have a son, and you’ve never mentioned it’ and it’s just not something I talk about. So ummm basically he didn’t have a brain, ironic right? And I decided to donate his organs and a lot of people in the practice didn’t agree with it and it was just this big ethical debacle, but in the end the organ procurement happened. And my baby saved a lot of other babies.” Tears stung in the woman’s eyes.

“Amelia.” Maggie whispered taking her sisters hand in hers. “I had no idea, why have you never told me.”

“It’s unbearable to think about and remember everyday, so talking about it is even worse.” Maggie held the woman as she cried. “I’m sorry I overreacted, I just I didn’t want you reading it. I was pissed when she published it, but maybe it helped people.”

“It’s okay.” Maggie cooed as she ran her fingers through the teary eyed woman’s hair. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. And I love you.”

[3centsofbutter]

Things I’ve missed about the sun - Bakugo Katsuki

Bakugo katsuki x reader

You used to be my sun, that’s what I always saw you as. 

A bright blistering star that blinded me if I ever dared to look upon you. You were dangerous to the touch but I basked in your warmth nonetheless. I missed that about you, how you were always there for me even if it wasn’t intentional.

“Oi Baka, you gonna keep starin’ at the window or are we gonna have a conversation like regular people do?”

Hatsume waved her hand in front of your face in an attempt to pull you from your thoughts. It was a humid Sunday afternoon and you had joined your friend for tea at the mall. College exams were finally over and done with so you both decided to celebrate before you were thrown back into the busy rhythm of life. 

“Since when did they have Bakugo collectables at Toyco?”

An all too familiar face stared back at you aggressively on a giant poster advertising the new line of hero collectables plastered outside the Toyco opposite the cafe. It seemed like his presence always found its way into your life no matter how far away he was. 

“Hm, Ground Zero merch, never thought it would be this quick before that bastard had his branding stuck all over the shirt’s of kids.” She lifted the straw out of her iced tea and pointed it at your face. “You’re not still hung up over that sack of trash, right?”

You sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of your neck, a light blush dancing on the apples of your cheeks. It had been a while since you had talked to the hot-headed blonde but your high school crush on him had persisted. You were in the support class F and frequently interacted with hero studies class A for support items and general classes which coincidentally made you form an odd friendship with Bakugo. You were both really close at one point but fell off once the school year had ended. You really missed him even though he was just a phone call away, you could never bring yourself to make an excuse to call. 

“Well, it’s really hard when his face is every third news story on TV!”

Hatsume threw her head back and laughed. 

Bakugo was strange, obviously, and was infamous amongst the school for having the worst temper and the many incidents Class A somehow found themselves in, and by default, you found yourself in the midst of the chaos. 

“Bakugo! You know my workbench is not a bed, right?”

It was after Bakugo’s kidnapping fiasco that you found him lying on your workbench in the shared support facility. It was 5:30 in the morning and he knew that only you’d be there. 

“I want you to upgrade my gear, all of it.”

His voice was soft, almost a whisper, a rarity you had never heard from him before. You decided to entertain him. 

“Gotta be more specific, Sir.” You picked up his gauntlets and ran your fingers over the minor scuffs and scratches on its surface. “You can’t level up your gear like you evolve pokemon, tell me what you want done.”

His voice was still quiet. “I just want it to be better, got anything for that?”

You placed the gauntlet down on the table next to him and pulled out a wheely chair from underneath the table. 

“Is everything alright Blasty? Things have been rough for you recently but it’s not your fault, y’know?”

He sighed and raised his arms towards the overhead lamp and stared at the scars and burns that decorated his forearms. You had never paid much attention to them before but now in the light, it almost seemed like a work of art, you remembered that Hatsume once said that each uneven patch of skin and scar that marked a hero’s body was like a war trophy, a symbol of their resilience and hardships that they faced to get where they were today. 

“I hate these scars,” He said, as he dropped his arms back onto the table. “Those bastard villains gave me 6 more to hate.”

You carefully took one of his arms and held it in your hands. His silence was enough for you to know that he didn’t mind the invasion of personal space. You lightly traced the scars with your fingertips in silence, some had faded but some were more prominent than others. 

“Your hands are rough, you know that?”

You chuckled and lifted one hand into the light, fully showing the callouses that marked them. 

“You gotta have this many when you’re working with metal all the time.”

He grunted in agreement, not saying a thing more. 

“I like your scars y’know.” You placed his arm back on the table. “They show how hard you worked to get here.”

Your eyes met for a second in which it felt like an eternity. He was the one to break it. 

“Thanks.”

You both sat in silence as you watched the sunrise from the UA windows, relishing in each other’s company. It was such a simple interaction that was forever ingrained into your memory and probably the first time you ever fully realised your feelings for the boy. 

“Maa how long has it been, 5 years you’ve liked him?” Hatsume teased as she stole a forceful of your cake. “Maybe you should call him, would be a lot better than daydreaming about him all the time.” 

You furiously shook your head. “He’s probably busy doing hero stuff y’know, he doesn’t have time for a lowlife like me.”

You pointed to the poster that almost felt as if it was constantly eavesdropping on your conversation. “He’s got bigger things to worry about, Hatsume.”

She sighed and propped her chin on her hand. 

“Mmm, maybe if you didn’t leave so early at the reunion night last month then maybe you wouldn’t be in this position.”

“You know how I am with parties! If it’s past 10 I gotta go home, not all of us are night owls like you!”

It was honestly a terrible night. There were over 30 people crammed into Yaoyorozu’s penthouse apartment and there was too much going on to have any meaningful interactions with anyone. Sure it was nice to see everyone again but it was more like small clusters of people in their own conversations and you didn’t really seem to fit in anywhere. You had talked to Bakugo that night, but only briefly before he was dragged off by Kirishima to greet some other people. You had learnt that he was currently stationed in Kyoto in a partner agency with Kirishima. 

You sighed and stared at the empty plate in front of you. Hatsume had taken the liberty to finish off the rest of your blueberry yoghurt slice while you were lost in your thoughts. 

“Why don’t you make some support gear for him?” She asked. “He always liked the stuff you made anyways.”

You drummed your fingers on the table, you guessed that was true. 

“He probably has some big shot designers working for him right now, he wouldn’t want anything a college student is making.”

“Maa, you’re so annoying you know that?”

You simply laughed at her, even you could acknowledge you were a piece of work. 

“Mum, Mum! Look it’s the real Ground Zero!”

You looked outside the window once again to see a child pointing excitedly at that stupid poster. Every time you looked at it, it seemed to infuriate you even more. 

“Can you please sign my lunchbox, Mr Hero? Pretty please!”

You did a double-take at the Toyco and noticed a very familiar blonde headed boy, albeit his hair a little shorter since the last time you saw him. He was dressed casually in a pair of shorts and a graphic tee, different from how you usually saw him on the news. You watched him as he bent down and signed the kid’s red lunchbox and ruffled his hair with an encouraging smile. It looked like the public relations training worked wonders on him. 

He noticed your staring from the across the mall and you quickly turned away. Hatsume was nowhere in sight and a napkin with the words ‘GOOD LUCK!’ messily scrawled onto it was there in her place. You began to panic as you felt the heat rising to your face. 

The bell on the cafe door tinkled. 

“Is that you?”

You sheepishly looked up at him. 

“I thought you were in Kyoto, Bakugo. What brings you here?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, “I missed home so I thought about setting up an agency around here. I guess I’ll be around a whole lot more now.”

His face was a slight tinge pink and the awkwardness hung in the air like a thick blanket. 

Hatsume hadn’t bullied you about this for all those years for you to let him slip away from you again. Maybe it was time for you to pull up your bootstraps and act upon your feelings for once. 

“Are you free tonight?”

That caught him by surprise. “I guess I am.”

“Wanna grab a bite to eat?”

The widest smile stretched across his face. 

“Is this a date?”

Your face was heating up to an unreasonable degree. “It is if you want it to be.”

He laughed. 

“I’d be honoured.”

Your sun was back to stay. 

Master list of all my stuff

A/N Getting a bit inspirational by posting 2 in a day after leaving the site for like what, a month or so? lmao.

[sisterkosho]

Modern!AU Headcanons | Geto Family

Credits: Y'all know the drill. Ayume art in the header by @hiikkups on Instagram. Go follow her. 🔫👁👄👁

Warnings: None today. Just some modern shenanigans for your reading pleasure.

Notes: Y'all also know the other drill. I procrastinate and don't write Ayume's bio, and y'all get some random fic/HC post because I gotta keep y'all fed somehow. With that being said, here's some modern HCs for the SuguYume fam while I work on the Discord, because we were talking about it again last night and it's honestly one of my favorites + another coping mechanism so yEET--

It all started when Ayume Nejireta Geto moved in next door with her husband and two children.

What could possibly go wrong?

Turns out, their elderly neighbor, Rui, was none to thrilled about their house having been built on top of one of her flower gardens. Despite it happening decades before they even arrived there.

Grandma holds a grudge ok.

Thankfully, she didn't scare them off like she did any of the previous families who had lived there.

You get used to her after awhile.

The one person she happened to take a liking to was Satoru of all people, who she met during one of the family's backyard BBQs. Which are always a mess btw, needless to say.

She even made cookies for him.

Ayume and Suguru were extremely confused because of this. How did he manage to get on her good side?

"She never gives us cookies, wth."

Turns out he had been flirting with her. Big surprise.

Though in his own defense, you'd never guess Rui was a grandma just by looking at her. The neighborhood is convinced she's immortal and doesn't age.

Ever since that day, Satoru made it a point to stop by Rui's whenever he's visiting. Just because he knows flattery will get him free food.

He's rarely allowed to visit specifically for that reason. Well, that and the fact that he's just a bad influence on the girls and everyone knows it.

Then again, the family friend, Juno, isn't much better.

He somehow got ahold of the spare key, and will randomly just let himself in.

They once woke up at 3 A.M because they heard rummaging around coming from the kitchen.

Suguru instinctively grabbed a bat and went to go switch on the lights.

Only to find Juno eating out of their trash like a raccoon.

This lead to the girls new favorite excuse.

"Juno ate my homework."

We don't talk about the time he brought a rock over claiming it was his son.

Sometimes they question why they still associate with him, but still let him stick around for whatever reason.

At the very least, he's intimidated by Ayume. So he doesn't cause too much trouble.

The family has a wide array of strange decorations in their home. Most of which they don't even recall buying.

Such as the weird plant in their dining room that sorta looks like it has a face...

There's also the model volcano the girls made for a school project.

For some reason, they had stuck one singular googly eye on it and named it "Jogo".

Ayume and Suguru were understandably a bit concerned, but It's fine as long as you don't make eye contact with it.

Ayume runs a little Etsy shop where she sells stickers she made. Along with some other little aesthetic items like pins.

For designs inspired by various curses, they're surprisingly cute.

The girls like to help her make some of the designs from time to time.

Since it's more of a hobby than an actual job, she always makes sure the money earned from the things they helped with are spent on them.

Shopping trips tend to be the most chaotic.

And that's not even considering the encounters they have with Mahito. The hobo that tends to hang around the entrance.

We don't talk about him.

Somehow, the trips always lead to Ayume running around while pushing the girls on the shopping cart.

Suguru always ends up having to chase after them because plz they're gonna get hurt--

Heaven forbid they run into Rui somewhere along the line, because it only gets 10x worse. She offers to push the cart and ends up almost knocking down every shelf and person in sight.

There was one instance where she ran right over Satoru.

After all that, Ayume and the girls end up making Suguru push them around in one of those carts with the seats on them for the rest of the trip because their legs got tired from running around.

They eventually end up getting kicked out.

Suguru sometimes has to wonder what he's doing here.

"How? How do you get us kicked out of WALMART?"

"Beats me. Hey, let's go to Ikea next!"

They are currently banned from 3 different Walmarts, two Ikeas and a McDonald's.

The McDonald's was from the time Satoru had come to visit and got stuck in the play place.

Suguru had to climb up there to try and get him out, but also got stuck.

Turns out, Rui had gotten stuck before they even got there. Which they only learned after hearing a faint "So. You too huh?" from the the next tunnel over.

In the end, they ended up having to call the fire department to get these two grown men and one grandma out of the play place.

It was on the local news and everything.

The footage had been provided by Nanako, who had recorded the entire incident while Ayume and Mimiko giggled hysterically.

You better believe they were never able to live it down.

After that nightmare, Suguru had tried to make dinner but ended up setting off the smoke alarm.

All he was trying to do was put a frozen pizza in the oven...

Needless to say, it was a rough day for everyone.

Date nights for the couple are rare and reserved for special occasions. Mainly because they hardly trust anyone to babysit.

Rui doesn't seem to understand the concept of children, and it would be a cold day in hell before they'd ever ask Satoru.

But sometimes, they manage to convince Kento.

He's the only one they find trustworthy enough for the job. Because although the girls find him a little boring and strict at times, he's the only responsible person they know.

At least with him, they can rest assured that the house will still be standing by the time they get back.

And on the plus side, the girls love Yu. Because let's face it, he's the fun uncle. So when Kento makes it a point to bring him along, there's always plenty of fun to be had.

Even if it feels like he's stuck babysitting 3 kids instead of 2 at times...

In case it wasn't already obvious, they're one of the most chaotic families in the whole neighborhood.

But that's what makes them interesting, so they somehow manage remain on good terms with everyone.

If one thing is for certain, it's that there's never a dull moment when it comes to the Geto family.

[sunflowrhaz]

I was tagged by @theleavesoflorien​ to answer a few questions that dig a little deeper. thank you darling!! (this is literally months old oops) 💛

1. Do you prefer writing with a black pen or a blue pen?

both really, i don’t have a preference

2. Would you prefer to live in the country or in the city?

country! i hate cities so much! i grew up visiting my grandparents farm all the time growing up! although instead of the country preferably a seaside town such as the one i live in. it’s not too busy but not far away from everything.. plus i couldn’t part from the sea! 

3. If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?

picking back up painting, continue learning norwegian (don’t look at me like that marianne i keep saying i’m learning it but i’ve been so slack asdfdsasdf), get back into marimba

4. do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar?

tea with sugar is so gross! i only drink herbal teas. my favourite is spearmint

5. What was your favourite book as a child?

the harry potter series!! and the rainbow magic books asdfgfdsa, the princess diaries series, anything roald dahl, anything dr suess, captain underpants lol, hairy maclary, mr mcgee and the biting flea asdfdsadf soo many i was such a loner as a child and literally read every single book i could find

6. Do you prefer baths or showers?

showersss

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which one would you be?

a mermaid so i can live my h2o fantasy adfasdfds or a dragon 🐉

8. Paper or electronic books?

paper always! i love the smell and i would love to have a giant bookshelf filled with books one day! i read on my phone for fics of when i get a free ebook but my right eye is so blind it’s like bitch no stop please lmaoo

9. What is your favourite item of clothing?

all my flowy boho cotton blouses and pants! and my fave blue jeans and grungy tshirts

10. Do you like your name? Would you like to change it?

i used to wish it was a little more unique like shortening it to ren/wren instead of lauren because i had 4 other lauren’s in my grade at school 😂i was literally friends with two lauren’s asdfgfdsa

but in the end i do love my nicknames lozz,lozzy, lozza so it’s not so bad!

11. Who is a mentor to you?

my mother and my grandfather! my grandfather is my biggest inspiration 💛seeing all that he has achieved and his views and mentality on life.

12. Would you like to be famous? If so, what for?

nooo thanks. the only famous i would want to be is for activism/humanitarian/environmentalist stuff but even then i wouldn’t want to be super famous and known?

13. Are you a restless sleeper?

nope! once i’m out i am out! i love my sleep and do everything i can to ensure i get the best sleep ever! now if you’ll excuse me i’m off to listen to harry’s calm meditation 😂

15. Which element best represents you?

fire and air

16. Who do you want to be closer to?

my brother! i feel like i don’t see him as often anymore what with his work and living in seperate houses. he is my best friend so i miss just always having him near me all the time.

17. Do you miss someone at the moment?

no one so much as just not seeing my family as often even though i do see them every week. i just want a big family holiday to spend time with them. and i’m missing some of my mutals atm who are busy lately 😞

18. Tell us about an early childhood memory.

i blocked out so much of my childhood eeep ummm probably visiting my grandparents farm, riding horses, my grandfather driving us around on a trailer on the back of a tractor, collecting cicada skins with my brother and starting a collection of cool bugs, stealing berries off the mulberry bush ahaha, finding snake skins (why did we like collecting skins wtf asdfd) 

19. What is the strangest thing you have eaten?

snails? crocodile? i don’t even know ahaha (snails are amazing btw yummm i used to eat them all the time in vanuatu growing up)

20. What are you most thankful for?

my family, my health, the beautiful country i live in, the friends i have made on here 💛so many things

21. Do you like spicy food?

yummmmmm yes! just not super duper spicy i can’t handle that asdfgfsa

22. Have you ever met someone famous?

no i don’t think so? wait patty walters from as it is i got a pic and a hug from him <3 other than that no i don’t think so i mean i’m in the middle of nowhere asdfdsa woohoo australia

23. Do you keep a diary or journal?

i kept a super embarrassing diary at 12 but apart from that nope! like seriously that diary haunts me i don’t know what happened to it please for the love of god i hope it got thrown in the trash asdfdsa the CRINGE 

24. Do you prefer to use pen or pencil?

pen! 

25. What is your star sign?

sagittarius sun, capricorn moon, libra rising 

26. Do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy?

CRUNCHY! wtf who is eating soggy cereal you are seriously disturbed asdfgfdsa

27. What would you want your legacy to be?

this is so tough ummm just bettering humanity and the environment idek 

28. Do you like reading? What was the last book you read?

yes!! i was the loner kid in school who sat in the library at lunch reading all the books asdfgfdsa. the last book i read was the raven king by maggie stiefvater because LIBBY got me totally obsessed with this series god dammit what have you done to me and i am currently reading call down the hawk which is a sequel to the raven king (dammit libby asdfdsdfdsa)

29. How do you show someone you love them?

i always seem to cater to them with acts of service? so like cooking for them etc.. just doing stuff for them and looking after them in general? idk how to describe it. also sweet little messages and notes and cuddles! oh BOY will i tell you how much i love you in a birthday card or message asdsa like i will bring a tear to your eye baby just made my grandpa cry with his bday card asdfdsa

30. Do you like ice in your drinks?

crushed ice mmmmmm

31. What are you afraid of?

losing my family, never travelling, being stuck/tied down

32. What is your favourite scent?

the ocean, rain, books, sea breeze, wet grass, coffee, lavender, clean sheets, spearmint

33. Do you address older people by their name or surname?

mostly their name? i mean i feel like where i live in australia it’s pretty chill and not so formal? i even call my grandparents by their first names adfgfdsa mainly because my grandma did NOT want to be called grandma 

34. If money was not a factor, how would you live your life?

OH BOY! i would be travelling non stop! i would literally never come home, i would be travelling around the world, living overseas etc... literally i would just be living on a boat sailing around greece or wherever. omg how i would love to do that :(

35. Do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean?

it depends. i would say the ocean (i love her so much) but also i was a swimmer for over 10 years so i love the pool too. i love sitting on the bottom of the pool, it’s so calming

36. What would you do if you found $50 on the ground

keep it but if i knew whose it was i would return it

37. Have you ever seen a shooting star? Did you make a wish?

no :( hopefully one day

38. What is one thing you would want to teach your children?

i’m not having children

39. If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it?

maybe a quote/word or something on the back of my arm above my elbow idek i have an entire tattoo board on pinterst asdfdsa even though i know i would never get one i am too indecisive  

40. What can you hear right now?

 i’m listening to a pop punk playlist on spotify

41. Where do you feel the safest?

at home with my family

42. What is one thing you want to overcome/conquer?

my procrastination habits omg i am the worst!! certain family relations

43. If you could travel back to any era, what would it be?

dinosaurs mate, straight up, jks jks... no but really dinosaurs would be soo cool though, or maybe ancient greece?

44. What is your most used emoji?

💛✨😂

45. Describe yourself using one word.

more than one came to mind so giddy, optimistic, cheerful

46. What do you regret the most?

not travelling heaps after school ( i mean i was broke but still i should have worked more *sigh*) travelling looks really bleak now thanks to covid :(, losing touch with 3 certain people from high school i suck at staying in touch with people i am such an introvert 😞

47. Last movie you saw?

enola holmes and i loved it so much!

48. Last tv show you watched?

the mandalorian

49. Invent a word and its meaning

wobmap - intense affection and wonder for nature and the world

asdfgh what even

i tag: @pridesobright @sunflower-vol14 @rnbziamau @dailylouis @boobear-harold @princessparkhl @rosegoldeyelids @echoedsparks @angelharry (it’s been a while my secret santa pal ahaha hello!) and whoever else want’s to do this please feel free to say i tagged you! :) feel free to ignore 

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

Do You Want To Build A Snow-Mick?

Belated Secret Santa for @dragongoddess13. I’m so damn sorry that I’m late for this, but I hope you enjoy it!

AO3

              In the cold night hours, two motorcycles sped down the streets of Washington D.C. Few cars were out, likely returning from somewhere like they had. However, none of the cars or walkers would have thought the two bikers were well-known heroes. Hell, they didn’t even know that they hadn’t just saved the world, but time as well on several occasions. All they saw were two bikers cruising along and passing each other intermittently.

              The duo made its way out of the city into the suburbs, noticing that the roads had been pre-treated. In the week that they had been in town, the forecast had called for snow on two different days. None had appeared on said days. That worked out in their favor with the bikes. Not that either of them would have minded a little bit of snow to make things feel more in season.

When they pulled to a stop on the concrete pad in front of one of the houses, Sara Lance took her helmet off and grinned at her companion. “Told you we’d get home quick.”

“There’s barely any traffic tonight,” Leonard Snart replied once his own helmet was removed. “If there was, my way would have been faster.”

“One of these days, we’ll have to see whose route home is better.”

“I know there’s at least a thirty second advantage.”

“Pfft, thirty seconds? Come on, Len.”

Leonard pulled out the keys from his pocket as they walked up to the door. “Still faster. But I’m not shying away from that challenge. We’ll just have to wait until we’re out of winter.”

Sara tilted her head. “It’s cold, but we haven’t had any snow yet since we landed for the holidays. I’m sure it’ll be fine within the next week.”

“Maybe so, but Raymond told me that there’s supposed to a snowstorm coming in a few hours. Showed me his weather apps and everything.”

“Was that where you were when Mick and Gary were cleaning me out with the dreidel?”

The door finally unlocked and both stepped inside, happy to shed their coats and shut the door. Leonard flicked on a light to reveal his smile. “I thought you were kidding about losing in dreidel?”

Sara dumped her helmet on the shelf. “No. That’s why I don’t have any chocolate to bring home. But Mick said you’d lose if you were there too.”

“Did he now?” Leonard raised an eyebrow. “If Lisa was there, she’d wipe the floor with him. I was the one who taught her to play, but she got better than I ever was. It’s been a long time since I was with other people for Hanukkah though. It was nice.”

“Good,” Sara reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m gonna head to bed. You coming?”

“Yeah, give me a moment.”

She went up the stairs as Leonard pulled out his phone. He might not have had Ray’s fancy weather apps, but the website he tended to look at for weather was also reporting snow for the early morning hours and most of tomorrow. Not to mention that the temperature would be taking a dive as well. He might have been Captain Cold, but he was also a regular human who had been a little more prone to cold since his resurrection a few years ago.

On his way up the stairs, he made sure to stop by the closet and pull out an extra blanket before coming to bed.

“You sure we’ll need that?” Sara asked.

He shrugged. “We can get rid of it if it’s too hot.”

“Fair enough. Night, Len.”

“Night, Sara.”

~~~

              Sara knew that when she’d fallen asleep, she hadn’t been too close to Leonard. When she awoke, she was pressed up right beside him. This wasn’t something any of them minded. They’d been together for about a year now. At least he didn’t snore.

              What she did notice when she woke up was that it was cold. Sure, they kept the thermostat down at night, but it was never this chilly. As her eyes slowly opened, the captain of the Waverider exhaled and a cloud of white formed in front of her briefly. Awareness of how cold it was in the bedroom seeped into her body more and more. Sara pulled the sheets and blankets closer to herself to warm up more. At least Leonard had gotten an extra blanket on them last night.

Rolling away from Leonard, Sara could see the window and the view of the outside weather. Her eyebrows lifted at the sight of it. Careful not to wake up Leonard, she crawled out of bed to get a better look. She gave a small gasp at the chill of the floor when she tiptoed to the edge of the room. Outside, snow was piling up in the yard and still falling fast.

“Wow,” she murmured.

“Guess Raymond was right about the snow.”

Sara turned around to see Leonard watching her from the bed. “Did you just wake up or have you been pretending to be asleep?”

“I only woke up a few minutes ago, but you’re right,” Leonard agreed while Sara crawled back under the covers. “I don’t know how long it’s been coming down for, but it doesn’t show any signs of letting up. Makes me glad we went shopping yesterday.”

“Well, we had to since Ray had us all bring over something for Hanukkah,” Sara scooted closer to him. “Saves us a trip now at least. We can just have a snow day here instead.”

“Another brilliant idea from the captain. I like it.”

Sara grinned. “I’m not one to mess with when it comes to snow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You do remember I go by Captain Cold, right?”

The grin turned more devilish. “Then this will get fun.”

~~~

              Within a few hours, the couple finally made their way out into the winter wonderland. Snow was still tumbling down from the sky. According to the forecast, this was supposed to be the whole day for Washington. Just in time for Christmas and Sara’s birthday.

“The last time it snowed this much in Central City, I think Lisa was still in middle school,” Leonard smiled as he thought back to that day.

“How’d that go?” Sara asked.

Leonard laughed as he remembered it. “She wanted to build the biggest snowman ever. Mick came over and helped us out. We got it to about seven feet before a snowball fight broke out with some neighborhood kids.”

“Did you win?”

“Pretty sure we did,” he shrugged. “You ever have snow days up in Star City?”

“They came around from time to time,” Sara told him. “Laurel and I always had fun because we could play all day instead of going to school. Sometimes we spent them at the station, other times it was just us at home. We usually walked over to this hill and went sledding with other kids from the neighborhood before the hill got bulldozed for new houses. But we always tried to make this ramp out of snow and see if we could catch some air.”

Leonard could easily see her doing that as a child. “We never went sledding a lot. It didn’t snow a lot, so there was no need to get a sled. When we did, I just repurposed an old trash can lid.”

“Clever,” Sara leaned down and gathered a handful of snow. Thankfully, it was wet and stuck together. There was nothing worse for a snow day than dry snow. “So... a snowman that was seven feet tall?”

“More or less by my estimate.”

“Want to try and beat that record today?”

~~~

              The snow kept on falling as the time travelers worked together to roll massive blocks of snow. As they rolled the snow up from the grass, it began to accumulate on the ground once again. It took a little longer than either of them thought. Neither of them had made a snowman for a while, so they forgot how heavy all that snow could be. In the end though, they did succeed in making the planned upon snowman.

“Looks pretty good to me,” Leonard grinned as they lifted the head up to sit on the rest of the body. “And definitely bigger than seven feet.”

Sara was frowning though. “It’s still missing something.”

              She bolted towards the house and up the steps. Leonard tilted his head and waited for her return. Within a minute, the door swung open and she came barreling down the steps with an armful of items. Once Leonard saw the carrot, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Even if they weren’t the most traditional of people, they needed a traditional snowman today.

“It needs to be a proper snowman,” Sara grinned as she showed him what she’d brought outside. “I grabbed the stuff that we weren’t using. Good thing we made stew the other day and put carrots in it.”

“Ah, but you’re missing some things too,” Leonard countered. “We ought to give him at least one arm. Maybe a broom for Frosty too.”

“Okay, so I don’t have everything. Want to get those things while I start decorating?”

              They worked a little longer on their snowman to make it look presentable. Leonard managed to find a pair of sturdy twigs sticking from the snow and unearthed them from the snow. Both were stuck into the snowman before he went to the garage. A rake ended up taking the place of a broom leaning up against the snowman. Some small stones pulled from the snow near the front of the house worked as buttons running down the snowman’s front.

In the meantime, Sara had climbed up on the bottom of the snowman to decorate his face. When Leonard looked up at her work, he had to laugh a little bit. The top of the snowman’s head was smoothed over and there were thick raisin eyebrows above two round carrot eyes (of course she’d had a knife up there). It even seemed like the snowman was scowling a little.

“Kinda reminds me of Mick when he’s grumpy,” he told her.

Sara simply raised her eyebrows, but a smile was twitching at her lips.

“Sara, you didn’t.”

“Inspiration struck,” explained Sara. “How could I ignore the call?”

He snorted. The two of them were used to being so used to being serious with the rest of the Legends.  Whenever they had time off, there was no need for that. They could let loose a little more like they had in the old days when they were just trying to stop Vandal Savage.

“We’ll have to send him a picture later,” Leonard smirked. “I didn’t bring my phone out here and the snow’s starting to pick up again.”

“Sounds good to me. A day like this calls for something warm.”

“I can always do cocoa.”

“We don’t have any whipped cream.”

Leonard shook his head. “That’s not funny.”

Now Sara laughed. “Just a little. I know you and your mini marshmallows. Now let’s go leave our snow-Mick out here and get warm.”

“Snow-Mick?”

Sara winked as they walked back inside and shut the door, embracing the warmth of the house. “I thought you’d like the pun.”

“I never said I didn’t,” he shook the snow off his cap. “Mick’s ego definitely will. Isn’t this the second monument that bears a resemblance to him?”

His partner sighed. “I’d forgotten about that. Maybe we should take a trip to see it soon? After all, we do have time to spare.”

“That we do,” Leonard agreed. “But right now, I’m happy spending that time with just you and not have to worry about any of the other barging in.”

“Or time alarms going off,” Sara added, kicking her boots off and standing up. “Aren’t I lucky to have you all to myself?”

Leonard shrugged off his coat. “Actually, I consider myself to be the lucky one.”

“How about this?” Sara kissed him. “We’re both lucky.”

Leonard smiled down at her. “Now that I can agree with.”

They stayed that way for a moment before Leonard cleared his throat. “So, hot cocoa?’

“Hot cocoa,” Sara agreed. “With mini marshmallows.”

[jorlaudanrino-bct]

Reflective Journaling: Low Fidelity Models of Data (Week 1)

Looking back at the past week, I saw just how difficult and challenging it was for me. Usually, I’d locate and research a particular data set before I’d go about making multiple models. The activity to create multiple low fidelity models was hard for me to do. I often found myself resorting to very linear and graph-like models because I didn’t have very many ideas. However, from what I did, I found that I wanted to focus more on statistics on domestic violence and abuse. I personally didn't feel any emotional investment in statistics about New Zealand’s trash and waste and feel like conversations start easier if the topic is something that puts people out of their comfort zones and makes them think and reflect. 

This week was incredibly frustrating for me as it seemed like I wasn’t going anywhere with both finding data sets or creating models. However, after a quick sort of catch up or debrief lecture with Ricardo, I was able to see that despite my frustrations, creating these models taught me a lot about what kind of data I wanted to present and how I wanted to model various datasets.

Initial Data Set

The data I have chosen to focus on for now is the statistics for New Zealand’s domestic violence “It’s not OK” campaign. The statistics that stuck out to me particularly are the following;

76% of all domestic violence incidents in New Zealand are unreported

24% of women and 6% of men report having to experience sexual abuse in their lifetimes

20% of girls and 9% of boys have reported unwanted sexual touching or being forced to carry out sexual acts

Alongside this topic, I also had an interest in possibly presenting data about New Zealand and it’s waste, a topic I had covered in previous projects and assignment Semester One. 

Popsicle sticks & pins around a centre point

This model was probably the most simple models that showed the statistics very obviously. However, this model didn’t really evoke any emotion which didn’t urge conversation. It seemed too simple and straightforward which meant nobody had to put thought into what it represented. The materials used (wooden popsicle sticks and a pin) also do not represent or have any relation to the subject of the statistics. What interested me about this model was its ability to move and the fact that while it was mostly linear, it also had a circular aspect to it. 

Popsicle sticks, pins & yarn in a triangle

This model presents the data of only 24% of domestic violence incidents being reported to the police while 76% isn’t. The number of times the string is wrapped around the pins represent the rough/rounded percentages of this statistic. It was inspired by some string art I had previously come across, as shown above.

I sort of liked the way the model turned out because the thickness of the yarn made it difficult to count the exact number of times it had been wrapped around the pin meaning that you had to analyse the sort of thickness of the mass on each side to see the statistics. However, like the previous model, the materials or actual shape and make of the model have no relevance to the actual topic the data is showing. It also doesn’t really spark any conversation or make people think.

Woven yarn bracelets

To show the statistic of 20% of girls and 9% of boys have reported unwanted sexual touching or being forced to carry out sexual acts, I cut pink and blue yarn to lengths that represented the respective percentages and proceeded to try to braid a bracelet out of it. I wanted to see how the final product would look with different lengths.

By the time I had finished with this model, I feel that the data set I had did not work with this type of model. It made it feel as if I was comparing which group/gender had it worse which was not the intended purpose of my model. I wanted it to show just how many kids reported unwanted sexual touching. However, I think that this model would be good to show some sort of inequality. Looking back, I can also see that the bracelet, the final product, can represent childhood and children as jewellery and wearable items are often popular amongst children (eg. Scoobies, Loom bands etc.). By the final model being a wearable item, an individual has to opportunity to start a conversation wherever they go. 

References

http://areyouok.org.nz/family-violence/statistics/

[heynells-blog1]

May Money Diaries // Recommitting to Low Waste Food Shopping

For the month of May, I’ll be recording my weekly expenses and sharing them as my “May Money Diaries”. Inspired by the “Money Diary” series on Refinery 29 and The Luxe Strategist, I thought it would be interesting to see how I hold up against my budget and long-term financial goals. I think I’m quite disciplined with my spending, but I ocassionally have slip-ups - these usually occur around food (eating out with friends) and coffee shops.

Photo 1 of many vegan low-waste | zero waste food hauls to come! 

Monday was my usual full day of babysitting, and I ended the day with a kickboxing class in Greenwich Village. 

During my lunch break, I bought 1 pack of vegan cheese and 1 pack of tempeh at Trader Joe’s - I amost bought a bar of 90% dark chocolate, but I returned it because I had 3/4 remaining from last week’s dark chocolate bar. 

Last week, I forgot to include the $20 online donation I made to my friend’s AIDS Walk New York fundraising page - so I added it to Monday’s expenses. 

I feel like a queen whenever I record a $0 day. I went about my usual babysitting and work from home schedule, and I made and ate meals at home. 

Since I meal prep at least 60% of my food during the weekend, I only spend 5-10 minutes prepping each meal and enjoying it within my alloted 30 minute meal time. I made vegan meals using groceries from last weekend. I tend to buy enough to last for 1.5 weeks because I want to get rid of any temptation to “eat out” just because I’m feeling “kind of tired”. 

It was a smooth morning going from baby sitting in Jersey City to my work meeting in Williamsburg. I was pleased at not paying for subway fare - kudos to my boss for providing me with prepaid student fare tickets. 

I wanted to have another $0 day. But after my work meeting, I needed a coffee shop for WiFi and to shelter me from the rain. I didn’t have a lot of options in finding a coffee shop near my afternoon babysitting gig that wasn’t crammed with people. I settled for the coffee shop closest to my kids’ pick-up location, though it had an expensive menu. In my opinion, $3.50 for an iced green tea is overpriced, but that day it was so humid and my throat was begging for a cold drink. I also didn’t want to take away time from working. 

$0 Day #2! Babysat in the morning, went back home to work and eat lunch, then left to head into NYC for a work meeting - subway paid for [again] with my student fare cards. 

My meeting ended early and I considered walking from Union Square to Chinatown; but I decided to use the 1 hour till babysitting to sit and work in the cafe. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do any work the next day, so I did as much as I could before my afternoon babysitting gig. 

I got hungry waiting for my kids and from using lots of brainpower during the meeting, so I helped myself to a few snacks from my kids’ pantry. I’m grateful that their mom is transitioning to being vegan, so the kitchen is well-stocked with vegan snacks. 

And because I was determined to have a $0 day, I made and ate dinner at home.

Hail Friday! I woke up a little anxious because I was going to meet my partner’s parents for the first time AND I also needed to stop by Whole Foods’ bulk bin section and Union Square Greenmarket before 1:30pm. I had a lot to do before and after my 9:30AM babysitting gig. 

In the past few weeks, I’ve been disgusted at the amount of plastic I’ve been using because I used to be committed to making less trash at least 70% of the time. I began losing track of my habits last winter, right after I finished my compost apprenticeship with Earth Matter NY. I got caught up in the stress of my dual work schedule that I started shopping out of convenience versus considering the long-term environmental consequences of my actions. I used and bought a ton of items that came in plastic. After realizing how far I’d fallen from my progress on making less trash and being plastic-free, I decided to recommit to baby steps on living a low-waste | zero-waste lifestyle. 

Whole Foods’ Bulk Bins

I rushed to get to Whole Foods by 8AM because I wanted to have enough time to peruse their bulk bins and determine my food choices - before babysitting at 9:30AM. After 5 minutes of careful deliberation, I got roasted and unsalted peanuts, roasted and unsalted almonds, and black beans; those are some of my common vegan food staples and those were also some of the cheaper options. 

I wish I knew how many pounds I got of each item, as I just filled my small cotton produce bags halfway or to the top. Since I was rushing, I didn’t look for a scale. I wasn’t worried about getting too much because I knew I would consume those items daily. In particular, I got A LOT of peanuts because I decided that I would no longer buy peanut butter from a jar since most store jars are made out of plastic. Instead, I’ll just add 1/4 or 1/3 cup of peanuts to my oatmeal every morning. I probably got enough peanuts to last me for 2-3 months. 

Because I love vegan cheese and I don’t have time to make it, I bought 1 packet of Daiya vegan cheddar. I don’t feel bad because I actually need it and it’s a manageabe food splurge. I died a little bit inside knowing that the bag was made of plastic, but I reminded myself that the point of being low waste | zero waste is doing what one can, within their money and time, to make sustainable choices. Also, it’s challenging to avoid plastic because it’s used almost everywhere. Instead of being hard on myself, I’d rather focus on taking this in as a learning experience and figure out a solution for future cheese cravings - this is how I’m practicing conscious decision-making. 

The total amount I spent at Whole Foods was $26.87. It’s a lot for 4 items, but I predict the amount of peanuts, almonds, and black beans will last me for at least 2-3 months and will save me some time for grocery shopping (since I won’t have to go back weekly to refill my cloth bags). The vegan cheese will probably be consumed within 1 month. 

Union Square Greenmarket 

After babysitting my Upper West Side child, I took the subway down to Union Square Greenmarket to buy fresh produce for me and homemade vegan dessert for my partner’s parents. 

For $11.75 I bought 5 apples, portobello mushrooms, spinach, and parsley to last me for 1 week. I didn’t buy a lot of fresh produce because I still have leftovers from last week’s food haul, and I didn’t want any produce to go to waste.  

I spent $16.50 on a vegan apple pie, vegan sweet potato and pumpkin pie, and a vegan sunflower double chocolate cookie from Body & Soul Bakeshop. I love Body & Soul because they make everything by hand and use local ingredients, and I think the prices for all their baked goods are fair and reasonable. The two vegan pies were for my partner’s parents, while the [huge] cookie was for me and my partner to share. I felt good after paying for everything because I spent less than my $20 budget and the cookie was so chewy, delicious, and moist with dark chocolate. 

For the Rest of Friday ...

I spent the afternoon with my partner’s parents. After eating with them, my partner and me went to the movies to watch Deadpool 2. My partner paid for my ticket because he had an offer that only required him to pay $4 for the ticket. Since the movie ended late and we got stuck in traffic heading back to Jersey City, we didn’t have time to get dinner together. 

It was a $0 day because I ate 2 meals at home (using food from last week’s food haul), and my parents paid for lunch at one of my favourite restaurants in Jersey City. My parents always pay for meals on the weekend because it’s the only time they get to see and actually talk to me. 

On Sundays, I rarely spend any money because I either eat my meals at home or I cook food / eat out with my partner. I’m not spending ay money today because I’m eating whatever food I have in the fridge and in my pantry. 

Considering that I spent more this week compared to last week, I’m relatively calm because I know $26.87 of that was on food expected to last me for 2-3 months. 

My mom surprised me with unexpected food purchases for this week - 1 pack of vegan Italian sausage, 1 pack of vegan burgers, avocados, raspberries, and strawberries. I felt a little bad that she bought the vegan saursages and burgers because I wonder if she did that because she knows I’m getting tired of eating beans and chickpeas. With my mom’s purchases, I know I have enough sources of protein and oatmeal toppings. I predict that next week’s farmers market haul will consist mainly of vegetables. 

[luxthecrownguard]

Life: Trying to be Together

((This was inspired by a pic I reblogged recently on here of where Lux fell asleep on a couch and Ez’s jacket was placed over her I thought it was so adorable.  So, I collaborated on a drabble with @dysentery-ezreal who helped put in the Ezreal parts and I absolutely adored this. Enjoy this drabble and follow that fluff, that fluff is so sweet))

Thankfully the weather outside was fairly cooperative, the sun still beating its warm rays on the land beneath its reign and a gentle breeze sweeping wherever it's nimble fingers could inch their way into. 'One … two... one... two...' A huff left her lips as she counted in pairs the steps she took to his home, it was a trip she'd made a few times before but it didn't change how nervous it made her; Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, her cheeks flushed at just the thought and her heart felt like it was going to rip free from her chest with a leap of faith to the ground. Swallowing hard and tucking a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear, the streets of Piltover still as busy as the last time. Between them she was more likely out of the two to get lost, he insisted a few times that she carry his address with her but there was no need. Just once and she knew exactly where it was as if it was burned into her memory, and thankfully he lived on the bottom floor because stairs did not sound pleasing at this time. She'd spent the last week running around like an idiot, no time to breathe in-between and with some luck had somehow acquired the time off... take what you can get. Letting the bag gracefully drop to the ground, her knuckles rapping against the door to announce her arrival as she viewed the area around her. One minute. ‘ I bet he’s not even home….’ 

Ezreal wasn't known for being punctual or focused, it was a miracle his boss hadn't fired him. More often than not he was prone to being easily distracted by external things, and on occasion musings or flights of fancy would carry his attention elsewhere. Ezreal had discovered quite a few things in this way, and lead his team through previously unremarkable places. So, despite his meandering nature, his fellow scientists reaped the rewards of his bizarre findings and therefore secured his job. Provided he submitted his reports on time, which he did for the most part. The image of his boss' finger wagging threateningly in front of his face was soon transformed after a glimpse of the picture he had of Lux on his phone. He dug the phone out of his back pocket, her perpetually smiling face stared back at him, held in stasis for that one moment in their history together. He felt immeasurable happiness knowing she was a part of his life, a smile tugging at his lips. Then his phone rang, disturbing these thoughts and feelings as he spoke to his boss once more. Ezreal hung up, a pang of guilt twisting his gut knowing he would be late because of this last minute emergency, but there was no time to lose. Perhaps she would take some time to herself? She had not messaged him since yesterday, and he wasn't sure if she was busy with some last minute work today or not. His phone buzzed again, another message from his boss, and all thought and worry was temporarily gone, for now, focused on his task at hand. Two Minutes. Another series of knocks plagued his door, this time it had a more fervent approach and a rather impatient note tagging at the end. She didn't really think about what she was doing but nervous ticks began to take over; First, her hand glided over the skin of her rubbing up and down as she peered around, a feeling that she already knew he wasn't home but that hope he would just come prancing up still remained. She paced out a few steps glancing in the streets then back to the door where she crossed her arms tightly across her chest and began rocking her foot onto its side, snapping it back quickly in her building anxiety but yet, there was still no reply from his home. Chewing on her lip, it didn't take much to remove her phone from her pocket and typing furiously at the screen. Lux 6:48pm: Ez, I'm here..... I thought you said you were going to be home? :( Lux 6:49pm: I've knocked twice. U aren't sleeping r u? If u r I didn't mean to wake you..... Clicking the phone back into it's oblivion and tapping her thumb against the darkened screen, 'I could've just called....' Shaking her head turning down that idea because if she'd interrupted him in the middle of something, or if he'd gotten hurt trying to answer her call.... she nearly jumped out of her skin when it lit up from his reply: His leg bounced to some sort of rapid, internal rhythm while he listened to the technical aspect of what went wrong in the lab. Some sort of time bomb involving a pressure cooker, that was new. Ezreal wondered who could have thought leaving one of those alone was a good idea? Certainly not himself, he was only there because it was part of his wing. The steam had set off the fire alarms, and he could see out of the second story window as the firemen and scientists hashed it out in the parking lot. The police had arrived, too. 'Man, what a mess.' As he turned back to regard their boss who was now talking damage reports and possible budget cuts, Ezreal noticed his phone was blinking. As surreptitiously as he could, he drew his phone across the table and into his lap to check. His stomach lurched as he saw the messages from Lux. 'Oh, shit...' he tried a few times to type a message to her that didn't sound too rushed or too dismissive. He didn't want to worry her after all. Eventually, he settled on a good one. At least he thought it was succinct but welcoming enough. 

Ezreal<3  6:51pm: Sry, got stuck in meeting. Look 4 key in planter under right window. Back Soon <3 A sigh of relief left her lips, announcing that the panic had fled from her thin frame but it was certainly laced with another emotion... disappointment, not that she wasn't excited to be here they both just stayed so busy that whatever time they got together was rather precious. A weak smile forced itself onto her face as she slowly slid her finger across the screen to reply: 

 Lux 6:54pm: Thx. Can't wait 2 see u. :)) <3 Miss u. The blinking of his phone caught his attention once more a few minutes later. He was so relieved he had to repress an audible sigh as she was able to find the key and get herself in alright. He had been gnawing his cheek and tongue the past few minutes of the meeting and worriedly checking his phone. He felt he could finally breathe again, his leg even stopped its perpetual bouncing. Again, with great care not to be obnoxiously ignoring his boss, Ezreal typed her a quick little message in response and was focused for the rest of the meeting. Thankfully, it was all text and she couldn't give everything away like an open book, every look she gave a new sentence describing whatever she felt. Tucking the device securely back into her pocket she looked for the planter, picking it up and sliding the bronze key from its hiding spot. The carved metal slid securely into it's dictated position and clicked the door into the open position letting it swing open with the small push of her foot. Pulling the key from the door, slinging the bag back onto her shoulder after returning the item to it's hiding position she noted the bits of mud missed just at the door, showing it had welcomed him home several times. That forced grin quickly pushed into a true smile, even if it was small just the thought of the times he'd come back covered in mud … not always restricted to his boots brightened the mood. Closing the door behind her, sliding it back into the locked position and walking down to his room where she sat her bag in the chair. A huff left her lips,' What am I to do … when you're not here....' Blue orbs searching the area she dug into the traveling package she'd carried her things in and tugged some clothes, a few bath needs and decided to clean up.  Preferring a shower over the bath she let the warm water fall over her frame, the steam rising much quicker than most let... she liked it hot, and her muscles adored it. Her chest rose and fell heavily with each exhausted breath she let out, the aching of her feet becoming numb from the heat. She'd brush through the checklist in her mind, and would be out as soon as it was done using her bare hand to wipe the mirror clean, staring at the image briefly. The steam quickly overtook the spot she'd cleared for viewing, hiding her face once more as she dried her hair and replaced the towels neatly in their spots. Once she was dressed Lux trudged out in her socks across the floor, he was his own open book and it was clear where he spent his most time; The kitchens counters, stove were spotless and almost sparkled like her magic it was so clean but the moment she opened the fridge Lux couldn't help but laugh a little. Tugging old take out boxes she began to toss them in the trash along with a few other things and even took a moment to rearrange an item or two that he actually had in his fridge.  Though, it didn't catch her eye till last second that the light in the microwave was lit and the door just barely propped open, tucking her fingers in the handle and prying it open her eyes went wide, “ Oh Ez...” A shudder at the sight ran through her frame, “ how can you even....”  Ezreal's mind was far from home as he spoke to his colleagues, they were all worried but grateful in the end that their budget hadn't been cut. The culprit had been discovered and was being dealt with personally. 'Poor guy, just had his first kid, no wonder he was so distracted...' Ezreal shook his head as the man shuffled into the office, looking like he hadn't slept in days. He noticed how dark it had gotten out as the group left the building, now discussing happier things like their favorite sports teams, or what their families were up to. A few fellows even invited him to go to the bar down the street. Ezreal waved them off with a big grin, saying he had plans with his girlfriend and they all cooed or cat called him, leaving with laughter. Disaster avoided, everyone was in high spirits, and it showed. The car ride home was made even sweeter as he imagined Lux and that bright smile of hers being there to greet him. A sigh left her lips, a shake of her head at how cute it actually was that she could read such small things even without him there. First, she'd put on the coffee to brew and setting it to go off while she attended to other things. Grabbing the supplies he did have, the microwave got it's much-needed cleansing from the hellish attire it had taken onto its walls. Not too much time either, it was just enough that by the time she finished the coffee pot blared its siren telling her it's tasty treat was finished. Lux loaded her cup of coffee with sugar and walked it over to the table next to his couch before grabbing the reports she'd brought with her; A groan left her lips at the aching muscles as she pulled her phone out, sitting on the piece of furniture the little light in the corner blinked and on the front of her screen just beneath the clock ( 9:02pm ) : Ezreal<3 (6:57pm): Same, Love cakes :) A chuckle left her lips as she lounged back setting the device on the table and tugging her shorts littered with rainbows on them down a little so it remained comfortable. Laying like that for a little while it didn't take much for her to nod off, leaving the cup of caffeine barely touched, just a single lipstick mark on it's porcelain skin. A little too soon, for he was on his on his way home.  As he pulled up to his apartment, he frowned slightly and turned off the radio. Ezreal wasn't always the first to notice these things, but his mind was on Lux and she should be in his apartment. The lights were off, and he had to resist the urge to leap out of the car. Calm as he could manage he grabbed his briefcase, locked the car, walked up to the front door and tried the handle. The door slipped open and he was both relieved and curious, flipping on the kitchen light as he walked in and disposed of his mail that piled on the dining table.

 Looking around, he found traces of her, his fridge had been cleaned out according to all the take-out boxes in his trash can, along with the spartan clean microwave. Bless her, Ezreal smiled to himself, feeling a tad bit guilty. Moving to the bedroom he found most of her stuff that she'd brought to stay, and it smelled wonderfully of her. But still no sign of her actually being present worried him a little and he checked his phone again. No response, or update that she'd left. He checked the bathroom, noting the facilities had indeed been used, still wet from her notoriously steaming hot showers. 

"Hey, Lux? You in here or what?" He called from the bedroom, having checked everywhere but the living room. Hearing no answer he dropped his briefcase on the dinning table as he passed, seeing the door open to the living room. Hopeful blue eyes peered over the couch to find her there, sleeping like a log. Relief washed over him and he smiled, walking around the couch as quietly as he could. Her coffee was long cold, only sipped out of once by the looks of the single lipstick print on the mug. For a moment he was torn between watching her sleep or waking her. 

 Instead, he decided to let her sleep, brushing his hand gently over her head and leaving a soft kiss on her forehead. His stomach grumbled in protest and he realized he didn't have a lick of food in the house. Ezreal stood up carefully and thought of what to do when an idea struck him. He hopped out of the living room and looked for a piece of paper, eventually using a bit of torn mail and a pen that had been crushed in his pants pocket. He grabbed the key from the planter, note in one hand and shuffled back into the living room. Making a face he realized she didn't have a blanket and remembered all his spares were dirty. Another idea later and she had his warm jacket over her torso, note and key secure in the pocket.

 Ezreal left the house and locked it, knowing she was safe and made his way to the grocery store. He wasn't the best cook, but he did make a mean spaghetti and meat balls when he could manage the time. Knowing the stores would close soon, he hoped he would make it, just barely speeding. Hopeful that he would get home before she woke up, but at least she had the note and key in case he didn't.

 "Lux! Sorry I ended up staying so late, you won't believe it but part of the building almost blew up! Kidding, but someone did leave a pressure cooker on for some reason. Anyway, I'm glad you're safe and I was happy to see you when I got home. I'm going to get the ingredients for my famous, like gramma always used to make, Spaghetti and Meat Balls! Be back soon, love you- Ezreal 

P.S. Keep the key, and thanks for cleaning up a little, sorry for the mess XOXO"

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

13 people who just need to log off for a minute

Sometimes your mind wants to leave but your scroller finger won't let you. 

There are a gazillion reasons to close an app, exit out of your browser, or simply kill the power. Perhaps you matched with a jerk on a dating app, maybe the sun has set while you watched one too many YouTube videos of random items being squished by large pistons. 

At a point, there's little left to do but vacate the feeds and interact with the physical realm for a bit. I know, I know. Sounds scary. 

If you've been clicking around for so long that your eyes are dry and watery at the same time, here are some inspiring reasons to slow your scroll.

1. When the stans get political, it's time to go.

Me: *opens twitter app* Swifties: *fighting about communism and capitalism* Me: *closes app*

— 🦋Basma🇬🇧Never met Tay🌴 (@swift_legendary) April 11, 2019

2. Let's wait until the third date to discuss which House we're in, shall we?

“I’m a Hufflepuff,” he said excitedly. “What are you?” “I’m a grown-up,” she replied, deleting her Tinder app.

— 50 Nerds of Grey (@50NerdsofGrey) March 24, 2019

3. Not to quote American Beauty, but "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it..."

 (Granted, they we're talking about a plastic bag and I'm talking about Twitter) 

View this post on Instagram

too many brands too many possibilities too many personalities too many pop-ups too many aesthetic shots too many bikinis too many memes and everything is archived or saved somewhere. images just floating around with no credit like a random oasis discovered on this dimension with too many plains !!! you can do anything you can take all the pictures , you can be the vibe and then some, I’m so excited for everything but also please put me to rest because it moves too fast, give me a focus point and the strength to not stray aaaaaaaaaa the life of a high speed internet cyborg in 2018 painting is MAGRITTE

A post shared by GABI + MEMES (@sighswoon) on Nov 11, 2018 at 6:02pm PST

4. Too much human interaction. 

bouta quit music, adopt 8 kids, and raise em on a beach somewhere. shave my head (again) like it’s nobody’s business and then write a couple novels. I’m @ human interaction overload.

— h (@halsey) March 25, 2019

5. Sometimes even a little change of scenery is all you need! 

*opens Instagram* yep, everyone’s life is still better than mine *closes Instagram* *opens Twitter* ah yes. My fellow trash brethren

— Swaggy P 🏀 (@SBoy1102) April 7, 2019

6. Ah, yes. The sweet state of delusion.

*closes twitter* *immediately re-opens twitter, as if there might be a different internet*

— zoe kazan (@zoeinthecities) April 7, 2019

7. Maybe just don't Tweet.

View this post on Instagram

Umm thanks for believing in my stupidity but your twitter forecasting seriously sucks...like, I’m pretty sure a tumbleweed just blew by

A post shared by Harry Hill (@veryharryhill) on Nov 10, 2018 at 11:33am PST

8. "It's been 84 years."

me waiting for my doctor to respond to any form of communication pic.twitter.com/AV0AI1lF9Q

— gurren log off (@fivegoldeens) April 5, 2019

9. This opening Tinder line deserves it's own t-shirt. And a restraining order. 

okay deleting tinder pic.twitter.com/oTg3I0tsF3

— shannon (@shannontiffny) February 17, 2019

10. Just pretend you're online. 

View this post on Instagram

... if u need immediate assistance, please do NOT contact me💘 #financeiscool

A post shared by Haley Sacks (@mrsdowjones) on Dec 26, 2018 at 10:29am PST

11. A doomed cycle. 

Stuck in a vicious circle of closing out Twitter and then immediately opening a new tab and typing in Twitter

— Nicole Gallucci (@nicolemichele5) July 27, 2018

12. Aaaaand it's time to get off the 'Tube. 

Oh no, I’m binge watching YouTube videos about otters again!

— Willliam T Harris IV (@Literary_Manic) April 12, 2019

13. Even the universe is urging you to leave Twitter for a sec. 

sorry guys I need to log off twitter today pic.twitter.com/HeXYPwbib0

— Hannah Church (@hchurch69) April 11, 2019

Now, go! Be free! Enjoy the...sun? Is that what it's called? That big thing that emits light? No, not an iPad, the thing in the sky. Anyway, let's reconvene in 17 seconds when you open this browser again. GO TEAM! 

WATCH: Amazon to launch thousands of satellites into orbit to provide global internet access

[skuds-blog]

Is This What's Next in Furniture and Decor? (If So, We're Very, Very Into It)

image source | design by athena calderone

***Written by Arlyn Hernandez

I have a love-slash-kinda-hate relationship with the word “trend” and something tells me a lot of you do, as well. The idea that something is “trendy” has almost turned into a bad word in the design-o-sphere, and while I do get it and have often found myself wishing that something would stop being trendy so I could go about my business using it in my home without feeling “basic,” trends are a very real part of this industry, like it or not, and frankly, pretty fun to talk about regardless. We vow to never publish an article that says “throw out everything you own because it's now considered gross and buy all these new things” for several reasons (one being that that's pretty obnoxious and just not real life), so don't fret, but we absolutely will continue to talk about design ideas framed as trends because, well…that's what they are. You do you in your home but then come back here and have fun looking at new concepts that may or may not become a “thing” eventually.

Okay, now that I'm done with that diatribe, it's time to talk, ahem, trends. Currently, we've already touched on bathroom and kitchen trends for 2019 (we'll give you a second to catch up…)

…ready to roll? Good! We're excited. We all put our heads together and came up with a list of furniture and decor ideas we're actually loving, not just talking about so this is less of a straight-forward “report” and more a love list of trends we could actually see ourselves implementing in upcoming projects. It's a combo of what we've seen in published professional projects, things that have caught our both (both in editorial and design terms) on Instagram/Pinterest, and what we've seen pop up in the retail market from researching for future projects. And because we couldn't stop there, we also had our market team add lots of shoppable pieces to the “New Favorites” section of the Shop page so if you love something we bring up today, you can get the instant gratification of bringing it home. 

Alright, let's do this…

FURNITURE

Rust-Colored Velvet

image source | design by tiffany howell

The velvet sofa hit the mass-market design scene HARD about three years ago (a resurgence from previous decades) with a Crayola box of colors as options, and while jewel-toned blues and greens stuck from the get-go, there's a new cool kid in town. Rich rusts and terra-cotta shades have been trending since last year when the desert palette was all the rage for a bit there, but we're confident that this one is going to stick around for a bit. After all, you wouldn't want to drop $1,000+ on a piece of furniture only to turn around a few months later and feel like it feels dated and passé already.

image source

The range of rust extends from deep, nearly red tones to much less intense versions like this one here. On a simple, streamlined silhouette, it's less POW in your face (unless, of course, you want that) and more liveable. As for what colors to pair this with, we like it with a mix of creamy neutrals and hints of blue, black and burgundy.

Why we love it: It feels new and like something that could transition easily into the years to come.

Biscuit Tufting

image source | design by studio guild

Speaking of sofas…and velvet…the biscuit tufted cushion is happening people and oh man is it fun. Tufting tends to take on a more traditional or mid-century vibe, but this overscale “puffy” biscuit tufting feels much fresher and “now” while adding really nice texture and dimension to a living room or den. It also works particularly well in a fabric with a high sheen like velvet because of how the light plays with all the nooks and crannies. I'm not entirely sure how comfortable this actually is for long-term lounging as I've only ever really sat on a handful of seating with this type of upholstery, but something I can report is they usually have a much “tighter” feel. Not firm, per se, just a little…clenched.

Why we love it: It can take a straightforward silhouette and turn it into something special-a conversation piece.

Thin Bench Cushions

image source | design by hecker guthrie

Clearly, the seating category has a lot to talk about this year. This one comes straight out of Emily's mouth as something she's really jazzed about. In fact, we were standing around her kitchen, souping (because, what else?) while talking through things we wanted to include in this post, and she specifically mentioned all the thin cushions she's been seeing and loving and Pinning for mountain house inspiration. All of a sudden, a bowl-full of memories of beautiful room images featuring flat(ish) seat cushions came flooding into my mind and I knew she was right.

image source | styled by genevieve jorn

This definitely speaks more to a minimal aesthetic, but it also works in a cozy, welcoming room like the one above with a more Scandi vibe. Another talking point here is the French seam on thin cushions, which takes it from feeling maybe “low market” (because let's get real, cheaper pieces of furniture tend to have thinner cushions) to cool, casual and lived in. I do wonder how less filling will hold up over time, though.

Why we love it: Look, we'll never turn a blind eye to a super plush sectional or other seating, but we're on board with the informal and simple feel the thin cushion gives a room.

The “It” Chair of 2019

image source | design by rose tarlow

Sometimes, the trend is a design idea, color or silhouette, but other times, there's a specific item that comes up again and again and again, but in a way that excites you every time you see it. That's this armchair, originally designed by Pierre Jeanneret.

image source | design by athena calderone

First released in the 1950s and produced in mass quantities for Chandigarh, India (a “utopian” city that his cousin Le Corbusier designed), the V-leg chair only recently saw a resurgence thanks to antique dealers that dug them up from (basically) trash heaps and designers like Axel Vorvoordt using them in sky-high-end projects. It's funny to think that a for-anywhere-and-everyone chair made of teak and caning is now worth a fortune (good vintage authentic options run upwards of $10k+, but there are plenty of lower priced reproductions now).

Why we love it: The Jeanneret V-leg chair adds so much sculpture and angularity to a room. It's like art and furniture had a pageant-worthy child, and that's a baby shower we absolutely will RSVP Yes to (okay, that analogy is a bit of a stretch, but we're giddy with feelings over here about this chair).

The Other “It” Chair

image source | design by laurence and patrick seguin

While the Jeanneret chair is like the more showy head cheerleader at the popular table, Jean Prouvé's Standard chair is the less obvious cool girl that people are less afraid of and tend to gravitate more toward (who eventually goes on to become a badass CEO or a very important scientist making breakthroughs in quantum physics). Truly and honestly, I was saving pictures that “spoke” to me for months as I was looking for inspirations for my Makeover Takeover, and when I went back recently to see all my bookmarked picks, I was like “whoa…wait a minute.” I had ended up with 11 dogeared images with this chair in all kinds of applications: desk chair, side chair, dining chair, so I'm calling it…I declare the Standard chair “trending.”

Why we love it: It's one of those furnishings that seems kind of unassuming, humble yet playful. Like the “nerdy” girl in a '90s teen rom-com that just needs to take off her glasses and pull her hair out of a messy bun and BAM she's “pretty”. Obviously, this chair isn't going through any makeover montages…it doesn't need it (but it does come in a handful of really fun colors that would transform a room).

Chunky Wood-Framed Furniture

image source | styled by pernille vest

Any excuse to bring more wood into a room, we'll give the thumbs up to. Wood adds soul and warmth, and we've been noticing more furniture pieces with super chunk and oversized wood bases and frames (like this chair up top that's total heart eyes, right?). Frankly, we haven't seen a ton of this on the big-box market (i.e. budget-friendly), but hopefully if we write about it enough, more people will start incorporating it into their homes, hence the retail sector will take notice and start making more pieces in line with this look. That's how it works…right?!?

Why we love it: Delicate frames have had their time, bring on the chunk. Plus, it makes a quiet statement without all the bells and whistles of a bold paint or wallpaper or rug and sometimes, that's just nice.

Mixed Modern Dining Chairs

image source | design by muxin design studio

This is not a new idea by any means, but it's typically done with an eclectic mix of vintage chairs. This new twist is much more contemporary because it uses a mix of mostly modern silhouettes, like in this dining room full of mid-century favorites.

image source

Here's another take that's far artsier but just as cool. In studying it (and the previous shot), I think it's worth talking about some “rules” for making this look work for you. Some takeaways: use similar wood tones and materials (here you'll see two chairs are rattan) across a few different pieces, keep heights mostly consistent (but don't be afraid to break the rules a little…this is just a jumping off point) and finally, repeat forms where you can, for instance some of these chairs have more rounded silhouettes while others are very angular and sculptural.

Why we love it: We're big fans of the eclectic over here, but more and more our collective style is being tailored and tightened, so this just feels like a natural step for us. Jess basically wants to move into the above photo, and Emily's temporary dining room situation in the mountain house is looking a lot like that first photo.

Burlwood

image source | design by sarah gibson

So burlwood was a little bit of a hard sell to some of the team but I'm not backing down here. I know burlwood (which was originally super popular in the '70s) came back in vogue like…maybe two years ago? but I promise I've seen it making the rounds again. It went into hibernation, but it woke up from its winter nap and everywhere I look, there's a nightstand or credenza or even a smaller decorative box being used in a fresh way (mostly with how it's styled). Also, not that what I'm about to say automatically makes something trendy or cool, but over Christmas, I went into CB2 to buy a gift for someone and they had a gift wrapping station that had burlwood wrapping paper and it was so surprisingly chic. That's all I have to say about that.

Why we love it: Well, honestly it's kind of hard to tell. It's one of those things I honestly used to hate because it reminded me of horrible glossy casegoods from homes in the '80s but then all of a sudden, I'm finding myself wanting in my home. These things aren't always explained in words…it might be a cop-out but this is an “I like it because I just do, okay?” situation.

ART & DECOR

“Shapes” Pillows

image source 1 | image source 2

Globally-inspired throw pillows have had their 15 minutes (in fact, it's been more like…1,827,524 minutes), and while we still very much love them over here, Jess was quick to point out that she's been noticing more “shapes” pop up. Pyramids, circles, triangles, shells…mostly seen right now in single-hued velvets, it's pretty fun and we'd love to see more people trying this out to see the breadth of styles it can handle. What do you think? Are you into this or is it a hard sell?

Why we love it: Plain and simple, it's just fun. So…why not?

Mixing Framed and Unframed Art

image source

We'll gladly take any chance to talk about a “shake up” to a beloved design feature like a gallery wall. Gallery walls are here to stay, but we've seen them done every which way it feels like, but something we're noticing as of late is a mix of framed and unframed pieces. They can be propped against a wall, set atop other artworks if that works, heck, even taped if you're not afraid it'll ruin the piece. I think it works particularly well in a more modern set up with things like abstracts and line drawings…there's something about the simple and monotone vibe above that feels like the whole unframed thing adds to the art setup…it's part of the art, instead of looking like one of the many unfinished DIY projects you probably currently have waiting for you at home collecting dust (just me?).

Why we love it: It's a new look at an old favorite that feels really unique and updated, plus…this one saves $$$ (no frame = more favorite friendly).

Pleated Lampshades

image source 1 | image source 2

Let me give you a little insight into how this conversation about pleated lampshades went:

Arlyn: Jess…what have you seen that's exciting right now?

Jess: Pleated lampshades!

Arlyn: …………………………..

Jess: No really! Call me crazy, but I think they're coming back.

Arlyn: …………………………………….

Jess: ::deadpan stare off with Arlyn::

Arlyn: ::stares back::

And well….here we are, so we know who won this one. Emily was on board because that woman loves herself a little “weird” and okay fine. In a fun little print like the top left shot, it's pretty cute. Not everything has to be stiff and perfect with a linen drum shade, so sure…pleated lampshades for 2019.

Why Jess we love it: Like the pyramid pillows, it's a take on design that's a little less stiff and serious. In the spirit of OG Emily…perfection is boring, let's get weird.

Rocks As Decor

image source 1 | image source 2

You want weird? We'll give you weird…ROCKS. It's all about rocks. Okay, so I don't necessarily think that rocks as decor will become this big mainstream thing, but no kidding, everytime we walk into a posh decor boutique, there's a rock somewhere recently. Both Jess and I bought the same rock match holder/strike at Shoppe by Amber Interiors this fall during our work trip out to the Pacific Palisades, Michael is basically on the marketing team for rocks wrapped in leather, and this whole “rock meets brush” thing would be such a fun doodad to style with. Useless? Mostly, yes, but cool nonetheless.

Why we love it: Like wood, stone has a way of adding a little soul to a room, so…bring on the rocks.

Again, make sure to cruise through the “New Favorites” section of Shop to see some shop-right-now picks from us, and PLEASE chime in in the comments about what you think of these. We love to share things we're buzzing about, but love even more to hear from you guys about whether you're just as swoony as we are or are like “are these people off their rockers?”

The post Is This What's Next in Furniture and Decor? (If So, We're Very, Very Into It) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

[elinordserna-blog]

Is This What's Next in Furniture and Decor? (If So, We're Very, Very Into It)

image source | design by athena calderone

***Written by Arlyn Hernandez

I have a love-slash-kinda-hate relationship with the word “trend” and something tells me a lot of you do, as well. The idea that something is “trendy” has almost turned into a bad word in the design-o-sphere, and while I do get it and have often found myself wishing that something would stop being trendy so I could go about my business using it in my home without feeling “basic,” trends are a very real part of this industry, like it or not, and frankly, pretty fun to talk about regardless. We vow to never publish an article that says “throw out everything you own because it's now considered gross and buy all these new things” for several reasons (one being that that's pretty obnoxious and just not real life), so don't fret, but we absolutely will continue to talk about design ideas framed as trends because, well…that's what they are. You do you in your home but then come back here and have fun looking at new concepts that may or may not become a “thing” eventually.

Okay, now that I'm done with that diatribe, it's time to talk, ahem, trends. Currently, we've already touched on bathroom and kitchen trends for 2019 (we'll give you a second to catch up…)

…ready to roll? Good! We're excited. We all put our heads together and came up with a list of furniture and decor ideas we're actually loving, not just talking about so this is less of a straight-forward “report” and more a love list of trends we could actually see ourselves implementing in upcoming projects. It's a combo of what we've seen in published professional projects, things that have caught our both (both in editorial and design terms) on Instagram/Pinterest, and what we've seen pop up in the retail market from researching for future projects. And because we couldn't stop there, we also had our market team add lots of shoppable pieces to the “New Favorites” section of the Shop page so if you love something we bring up today, you can get the instant gratification of bringing it home. 

Alright, let's do this…

FURNITURE

Rust-Colored Velvet

image source | design by tiffany howell

The velvet sofa hit the mass-market design scene HARD about three years ago (a resurgence from previous decades) with a Crayola box of colors as options, and while jewel-toned blues and greens stuck from the get-go, there's a new cool kid in town. Rich rusts and terra-cotta shades have been trending since last year when the desert palette was all the rage for a bit there, but we're confident that this one is going to stick around for a bit. After all, you wouldn't want to drop $1,000+ on a piece of furniture only to turn around a few months later and feel like it feels dated and passé already.

image source

The range of rust extends from deep, nearly red tones to much less intense versions like this one here. On a simple, streamlined silhouette, it's less POW in your face (unless, of course, you want that) and more liveable. As for what colors to pair this with, we like it with a mix of creamy neutrals and hints of blue, black and burgundy.

Why we love it: It feels new and like something that could transition easily into the years to come.

Biscuit Tufting

image source | design by studio guild

Speaking of sofas…and velvet…the biscuit tufted cushion is happening people and oh man is it fun. Tufting tends to take on a more traditional or mid-century vibe, but this overscale “puffy” biscuit tufting feels much fresher and “now” while adding really nice texture and dimension to a living room or den. It also works particularly well in a fabric with a high sheen like velvet because of how the light plays with all the nooks and crannies. I'm not entirely sure how comfortable this actually is for long-term lounging as I've only ever really sat on a handful of seating with this type of upholstery, but something I can report is they usually have a much “tighter” feel. Not firm, per se, just a little…clenched.

Why we love it: It can take a straightforward silhouette and turn it into something special-a conversation piece.

Thin Bench Cushions

image source | design by hecker guthrie

Clearly, the seating category has a lot to talk about this year. This one comes straight out of Emily's mouth as something she's really jazzed about. In fact, we were standing around her kitchen, souping (because, what else?) while talking through things we wanted to include in this post, and she specifically mentioned all the thin cushions she's been seeing and loving and Pinning for mountain house inspiration. All of a sudden, a bowl-full of memories of beautiful room images featuring flat(ish) seat cushions came flooding into my mind and I knew she was right.

image source | styled by genevieve jorn

This definitely speaks more to a minimal aesthetic, but it also works in a cozy, welcoming room like the one above with a more Scandi vibe. Another talking point here is the French seam on thin cushions, which takes it from feeling maybe “low market” (because let's get real, cheaper pieces of furniture tend to have thinner cushions) to cool, casual and lived in. I do wonder how less filling will hold up over time, though.

Why we love it: Look, we'll never turn a blind eye to a super plush sectional or other seating, but we're on board with the informal and simple feel the thin cushion gives a room.

The “It” Chair of 2019

image source | design by rose tarlow

Sometimes, the trend is a design idea, color or silhouette, but other times, there's a specific item that comes up again and again and again, but in a way that excites you every time you see it. That's this armchair, originally designed by Pierre Jeanneret.

image source | design by athena calderone

First released in the 1950s and produced in mass quantities for Chandigarh, India (a “utopian” city that his cousin Le Corbusier designed), the V-leg chair only recently saw a resurgence thanks to antique dealers that dug them up from (basically) trash heaps and designers like Axel Vorvoordt using them in sky-high-end projects. It's funny to think that a for-anywhere-and-everyone chair made of teak and caning is now worth a fortune (good vintage authentic options run upwards of $10k+, but there are plenty of lower priced reproductions now).

Why we love it: The Jeanneret V-leg chair adds so much sculpture and angularity to a room. It's like art and furniture had a pageant-worthy child, and that's a baby shower we absolutely will RSVP Yes to (okay, that analogy is a bit of a stretch, but we're giddy with feelings over here about this chair).

The Other “It” Chair

image source | design by laurence and patrick seguin

While the Jeanneret chair is like the more showy head cheerleader at the popular table, Jean Prouvé's Standard chair is the less obvious cool girl that people are less afraid of and tend to gravitate more toward (who eventually goes on to become a badass CEO or a very important scientist making breakthroughs in quantum physics). Truly and honestly, I was saving pictures that “spoke” to me for months as I was looking for inspirations for my Makeover Takeover, and when I went back recently to see all my bookmarked picks, I was like “whoa…wait a minute.” I had ended up with 11 dogeared images with this chair in all kinds of applications: desk chair, side chair, dining chair, so I'm calling it…I declare the Standard chair “trending.”

Why we love it: It's one of those furnishings that seems kind of unassuming, humble yet playful. Like the “nerdy” girl in a '90s teen rom-com that just needs to take off her glasses and pull her hair out of a messy bun and BAM she's “pretty”. Obviously, this chair isn't going through any makeover montages…it doesn't need it (but it does come in a handful of really fun colors that would transform a room).

Chunky Wood-Framed Furniture

image source | styled by pernille vest

Any excuse to bring more wood into a wood, we'll give the thumbs up to. Wood adds soul and warmth, and we've been noticing more furniture pieces with super chunk and oversized wood bases and frames (like this chair up top that's total heart eyes, right?). Frankly, we haven't seen a ton of this on the big-box market (i.e. budget-friendly), but hopefully if we write about it enough, more people will start incorporating it into their homes, hence the retail sector will take notice and start making more pieces in line with this look. That's how it works…right?!?

Why we love it: Delicate frames have had their time, bring on the chunk. Plus, it makes a quiet statement without all the bells and whistles of a bold paint or wallpaper or rug and sometimes, that's just nice.

Mixed Modern Dining Chairs

image source | design by muxin design studio

This is not a new idea by any means, but it's typically done with an eclectic mix of vintage chairs. This new twist is much more contemporary because it uses a mix of mostly modern silhouettes, like in this dining room full of mid-century favorites.

image source

Here's another take that's far artsier but just as cool. In studying it (and the previous shot), I think it's worth talking about some “rules” for making this look work for you. Some takeaways: use similar wood tones and materials (here you'll see two chairs are rattan) across a few different pieces, keep heights mostly consistent (but don't be afraid to break the rules a little…this is just a jumping off point) and finally, repeat forms where you can, for instance some of these chairs have more rounded silhouettes while others are very angular and sculptural.

Why we love it: We're big fans of the eclectic over here, but more and more our collective style is being tailored and tightened, so this just feels like a natural step for us. Jess basically wants to move into the above photo, and Emily's temporary dining room situation in the mountain house is looking a lot like that first photo.

Burlwood

image source | design by sarah gibson

So burlwood was a little bit of a hard sell to some of the team but I'm not backing down here. I know burlwood (which was originally super popular in the '70s) came back in vogue like…maybe two years ago? but I promise I've seen it making the rounds again. It went into hibernation, but it woke up from its winter nap and everywhere I look, there's a nightstand or credenza or even a smaller decorative box being used in a fresh way (mostly with how it's styled). Also, not that what I'm about to say automatically makes something trendy or cool, but over Christmas, I went into CB2 to buy a gift for someone and they had a gift wrapping station that had burlwood wrapping paper and it was so surprisingly chic. That's all I have to say about that.

Why we love it: Well, honestly it's kind of hard to tell. It's one of those things I honestly used to hate because it reminded me of horrible glossy casegoods from homes in the '80s but then all of a sudden, I'm finding myself wanting in my home. These things aren't always explained in words…it might be a cop-out but this is an “I like it because I just do, okay?” situation.

ART & DECOR

“Shapes” Pillows

image source 1 | image source 2

Globally-inspired throw pillows have had their 15 minutes (in fact, it's been more like…1,827,524 minutes), and while we still very much love them over here, Jess was quick to point out that she's been noticing more “shapes” pop up. Pyramids, circles, triangles, shells…mostly seen right now in single-hued velvets, it's pretty fun and we'd love to see more people trying this out to see the breadth of styles it can handle. What do you think? Are you into this or is it a hard sell?

Why we love it: Plain and simple, it's just fun. So…why not?

Mixing Framed and Unframed Art

image source

We'll gladly take any chance to talk about a “shake up” to a beloved design feature like a gallery wall. Gallery walls are here to stay, but we've seen them done every which way it feels like, but something we're noticing as of late is a mix of framed and unframed pieces. They can be propped against a wall, set atop other artworks if that works, heck, even taped if you're not afraid it'll ruin the piece. I think it works particularly well in a more modern set up with things like abstracts and line drawings…there's something about the simple and monotone vibe above that feels like the whole unframed thing adds to the art setup…it's part of the art, instead of looking like one of the many unfinished DIY projects you probably currently have waiting for you at home collecting dust (just me?).

Why we love it: It's a new look at an old favorite that feels really unique and updated, plus…this one saves $$$ (no frame = more favorite friendly).

Pleated Lampshades

image source 1 | image source 2

Let me give you a little insight into how this conversation about pleated lampshades went:

Arlyn: Jess…what have you seen that's exciting right now?

Jess: Pleated lampshades!

Arlyn: …………………………..

Jess: No really! Call me crazy, but I think they're coming back.

Arlyn: …………………………………….

Jess: ::deadpan stare off with Arlyn::

Arlyn: ::stares back::

And well….here we are, so we know who won this one. Emily was on board because that woman loves herself a little “weird” and okay fine. In a fun little print like the top left shot, it's pretty cute. Not everything has to be stiff and perfect with a linen drum shade, so sure…pleated lampshades for 2019.

Why Jess we love it: Like the pyramid pillows, it's a take on design that's a little less stiff and serious. In the spirit of OG Emily…perfection is boring, let's get weird.

Rocks As Decor

image source 1 | image source 2

You want weird? We'll give you weird…ROCKS. It's all about rocks. Okay, so I don't necessarily think that rocks as decor will become this big mainstream thing, but no kidding, everytime we walk into a posh decor boutique, there's a rock somewhere recently. Both Jess and I bought the same rock match holder/strike at Shoppe by Amber Interiors this fall during our work trip out to the Pacific Palisades, Michael is basically on the marketing team for rocks wrapped in leather, and this whole “rock meets brush” thing would be such a fun doodad to style with. Useless? Mostly, yes, but cool nonetheless.

Why we love it: Like wood, stone has a way of adding a little soul to a room, so…bring on the rocks.

Again, make sure to cruise through the “New Favorites” section of Shop to see some shop-right-now picks from us, and PLEASE chime in in the comments about what you think of these. We love to share things we're buzzing about, but love even more to hear from you guys about whether you're just as swoony as we are or are like “are these people off their rockers?”

The post Is This What's Next in Furniture and Decor? (If So, We're Very, Very Into It) appeared first on Emily Henderson.

[thebootybitchdragon]

Episodes Of (or Things In) Dude! That's My Ghost! I Want But Will Never Have (in no particular order)

Billy getting captured at the end of an episode by Madame X and the next episode, Spencer goes to rescue him all by himself, evading and outsmarting crazy cartoon boobytraps like a boss.

Spencer getting hurt and Billy absolutely loosing his shit bc no one hurts his brotato aight? No. One.

Spencer and Billy needing to go to Madame X for help and her requesting something from Billy as payment like a creeper creep.

Billy actually figuring out how to ghost good.

Billy temporarily being brought back to life and trying to resume his old life, but slowly realizing its not the same and he likes being a ghost better.

Madame X Character Builder Episode.

Time travel episode or Alternate Universe episode where Billy and Spencer need to deal with an Alive!Billy who's somehow even more dramatic than his ghost self. Bonus: Both Billy's can't stand one another bc they both think the other is too egotistical.

PREQUEL EPISODE GODDAMMIT SHOW ME HOW BILLY AND SPENCE MET

Danny Phantom Crossover episode. ir two. or twenty.

Camping episode where they come across something that goes bump in the night and it turns out to be another supernatural, ideally another ghost. Preferably a "wild" one who's been dead and alone for so long they don't remember how to behave in social situations. Bonus: They're better at being a ghost than Billy and that irritates him.

Spencer getting involved with a singing contest and singing one of Billy's songs to win. Perhaps introduces a formal rival of Billy's as a new antagonist who wants to take everything away from Spencer and slander Billy's reputation.

Spencer going on a class trip to somewhere and disaster striking. The main school cast needs to work together to get back home, with Spencer spearheading everything due to his knowledge of stuff and Billy's help. A lot of arguing with Ponzi until Spencer eventually proves hes better suited to lead. Optional: they get stuck in knockoff Ghost Zone.

Alternative: Spencer (and Billy) “winning” a trip to another country and getting into an accident, leading to them being stranded in the middle of nowhere bc the trip was actually a plot by the Rival. Spencer takes this opportunity to film a horror music video, Blare Witch-style, which he then makes an original song for with Billy’s help to get back at the rival.

Billy learns how to become visible to everyone, but can't figure out how to turn back invisible and everyone freaks out about seeing a ghost. Spencer (and friends) has to help him hide the entire Episode.

Billy possessing Spencer, and being unable to figure how to get back out. The two have to exist in the same body for an entire day.

Alternative: Billy and Spence somehow switch places, with Spencer being trapped in Billy's body and and Billy being trapped in Spencer’s.

Collection quest series of episodes, preferably a ghostly artifact or important item(s) of Billy’s that was stolen.

Typical "honey i shrunk the kids" episode where Billy/Spence gets shrunk and The Other needs to figure out how to restore him to his proper size. Bonus: Spence traps MiniBilly in a cup when Billy starts throwing a diva fit.

More episodes focusing on Wild Ghost and Pissy Rival, the specifics of which i can't think of rn. Lolo would prolly have a crush on Rival.

Billy stumbling into a section of the Ghost Zone (or a knockoff version, preferably purple and black) thru a natural portal and being scared by the amount of ghosts. He needs to find his way back home.

With the addition of Knockoff Ghost Zone, Billy and Spence going exploring. Billy finds a ghost guitar that amplifies his abilities and functions similar to Ember's. Optional: the addition of a ghostly antagonist who will stop at nothing to steal Spencer’s living body.

The revelation of another relative of Billy who's involved with things. Preferably Billy's newly discovered father.

An episode focusing on Rajeev and Shanilla, another one focusing on Lolo.

Bobby returning, either as an antagonist or hesitant ally. Confirmation that he’s a mimicking ghost bc honestly that’s just cool.

Billy's body is stolen, and Spencer initially blame's Madame X but it turns out she's equally pissed off at the thief bc how dare someone disrupt her idol's corpse who does that.

Three words: Board Game Ghost. Preferably with inspiration from Board James.

Billy's father learning about his ghost and the two being forced to collaborate. Billy is Not At All Happy about it. Preferably leads to an emotional outburst from Billy about him hating his father bc he wasn't there. Bonus: a conversation with Spencer in a later episode that hints at the fact that the father blames himself for Billy’s death.

Billy getting stuck in a video game, and Spencer needs to help him cheat in order to get back out.

Billy's ectoplasm turning the fallowing into monsters with the typical shenanigans occurring: Wendy, an intelligent bird, a cat, a spider, a dinosaur skeleton, a doll, and Jessica.

An Episode where Billy and Wild Ghost's ectoplasm get accidentally merged and creates a new ghost bc honestly, that just sounds logical. Billy makes it a point to assure Spencer, Rajeeve and Shanilla that the new entity is NOT his kid, despite it absolutely being basically his kid. No one’s fooled.

Another episode where Spencer and others need to become ghosts for some reason. Preferably includes Lolo bc that would be hilarious.

Billy learning how to use songs to do ghost stuff.

A GDAMN MUSICAL EPISODE I MEAN C'MON BILLY'S A MUSICIAN I FEEL CHEATED, SHOW

A Hanukkah episode bc Billy's prolly Jewish and also there's too many Christmas episodes from other cartoons.

Billy organizing a party for Spencer's birthday and shenanigans happening to keep it a secret from him.

Literal vampire and werewolf episodes pls.

Maybe a real zombie? Spencer would flip his lid. Bonus: He’s the smartest, most well spoken and obsessively clean character bc that’s just funny to me.

Evil Overgrown Plant due to Billy's ectoplasm episode. Title is required to be a pun of Little Shop of Horrors. Must have no less than five plant puns.

Episode where Billy and his kid need to deal with each other and the kid tries his best to impress Billy to no avail. his attempts result in imminent disaster, from which Billy saves him then later denies he did it out of worry.

Crossover episode where Danny and Billy get displaced to each other's worlds. Spencer needs to deal with Danny and Billy needs to protect Amity Park. Optional: Vlad tries to pull one of his plots but Billy annoys him too much. Bonus: Billy just keeps swiping Vlad’s football stuff and untying his hair.

Wild Ghost accidentally makes Spencer a demonic being with her ectoplasm (It’s more volatile than Billy’s which is why it would affect humans like that?) and Rajeeve and Shanilla need to work with her to return him to normal before he trashes the Cobra Mansion completely.

Crossover episode where Ponzi (or another antagonist) calls the Fenton's to Beverly Beverly High bc he figures out Billy's a ghost and wants to get rid of him. Danny can see Billy without a personal item due to being half ghost.

Family Vacation episode including Billy's dad, Wild Ghost, and Kid.

Billy and his antagonist rival need to team up for some reason.

A lot of scenes of Wild Ghost just....floating upside down. Running gag with Spencer turning her right back up, occasionally only for her to flop right back upside down again after he leaves.

Spencer being put into a stereotypical insane asylum bc Ponzi thinks he’s crazy for talking to himself (and it also gets Spencer out of the school) and all three of the ghosts have to help break him out.

Billy breaking a wall down with his guitar bc they’re trapped somewhere despite the fact that Spencer just lockpicked the lock door open.

[gethealthy18-blog]

10 Easy Activities to Keep Toddlers Busy

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/10-easy-activities-to-keep-toddlers-busy/

10 Easy Activities to Keep Toddlers Busy

I’ve had to get creative finding ways to keep my older kids active indoors and engaged instead of bored. But toddlers are a whole other ball game!

Toddlers are at an interesting place developmentally. They are big enough to no longer be happy in a gated area or playpen but they’re not big enough to be able to roam free either…

Whether you’re homeschooling, making dinner, or just need a few minutes to yourself, finding safe activities that will keep your toddler engaged is a must. These easy activities will (hopefully!) help you keep your toddler busy without resorting to a screen.

How to Keep Toddlers Busy

A few minutes to ourselves is nice, but directing a toddler’s limitless energy has benefits for them as well. These tips will help you encourage your toddler to be a little more independent which can help you have a few minutes for older children or activities you need to do on your own:

Encourage them to be self-directed – The more we trust our kids to be able to play on their own the more they will be able to. Try to avoid turning on the TV and instead remind your child that you’re working on something and you will be with them in a few minutes.

Include them in what you’re doing when possible – If you’re making dinner, find something your toddler can help you with like rinsing fruit. They will feel included and you’re also building skills for the future (and they might eat some veggies too!).

Show them what they can have – Dedicate one drawer, cupboard, or cubby just for them. Fill various (safe) objects you already have around the house. Change out the contents once a week to keep things interesting. This post on setting up a Montessori-inspired area at home also has some (simple) ideas.

Easy Toddler Activities

Here are some of my favorite activities for busy toddlers that don’t involve screens or a lot of extra toys (although a few well-chosen toys are worth their weight in gold!). Many of these activities don’t require many supplies, so they’re perfect last-minute and use materials you probably already have.

Splash Bucket

This activity is incredibly simple but I’m always surprised how long a toddler can be occupied with it. Get a bucket, dishpan, or any vessel that you can fill with water. Place a towel on the floor and the bucket filled with water on top. Add some natural bubble bath, small toys, water toys, or whatever you have available. You could even add measuring cups or scoops (if you don’t think your toddler will dump it on the floor)! If you are worried about water getting on the floor, put down a tarp first. You could also do this activity outside if the weather is nice.

Hole Punchers, Safety Scissors, and Other “Tools”

Kids love being able to use tools that they see adults using. Depending on your toddler’s age and ability, some of these tools could be a fun way to spend 20 minutes. Grab a stack of construction paper and a hole punch or safety scissors and let your toddler make you some confetti.

Tweezers and tongs are other tools that are fun for toddlers. Standard medical tweezers aren’t going to be easy enough for your toddler to use so I recommend toddler tweezers. Gather some small toys or items for your child to pick up with the tongs or tweezers. Some ideas include beads, small stones, pieces of plastic drinking straws, and dried beans.

Discovery Bowl

Kids of all ages love digging. For toddlers, you can fill a bowl or shallow pan with rice, dried beans, or even play sand. Rice or play sand may be best for toddlers who love to put things in their mouth.

Bury a few toys in the bowl for your toddler to discover. Give your child a paintbrush and a plastic spoon to use to “excavate” the toys they find. Here are some ideas for fun things to bury in your discovery bowl:

Small wooden toys or blocks

Cotton balls

Dinosaur bones (made from baked playdough)

Matchbox cars

For slightly older children you can bury puzzle pieces. Then your child can find all the puzzle pieces and put them together.

Tip: Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to make this activity a soothing and relaxing one!

I Spy Bottles

Fill an empty plastic bottle about half full with rice. Add fun extras like glitter, sequins, beads, shiny objects, and small toys. Hot glue the top on and let your toddler explore. The best part of this toy is that your toddler can’t spill it!

Build a Balance Beam

Anything that’s more than a half inch off the ground can be a balance beam to a toddler. A 2 x 4 wood board works really well, but be creative and use what you have available.

This is best as an outside activity but can be used inside as well. If you do this activity inside, your balance beam may need to be shorter than what you can use outside. It should work fine though and your child will love it. Your toddler can spend time learning to balance moving from one end of the balance beam to the other.

Homemade Playdough

Homemade playdough is so easy to make and kids love it. Use this recipe for regular playdough dyed with natural food-based dyes. Or use this recipe if your kids can’t come in contact with gluten. This playdough will last a long time if you make it ahead as well.

When you’re ready to set up the activity, put the playdough on the table and give your toddler some of your cookie cutters and other safe kitchen tools to use.

Bubble Wrap

Bubble wrap has saved us many times when a toddler was not happy with mom needing to work/clean/help the older kids with school work. Instead of throwing out bubble wrap that comes in the mail, bring it out only at times when you need your toddler to be occupied without your help. That way it’s a fun surprise. You can even tape it to the floor and have her walk over it to pop the bubbles.

Party Balloon Volleyball

I’m always surprised by how enthralling a mylar balloon can be for a toddler. When it’s filled with helium toddlers love to pull the string and dance the balloon around in the air. Even balloons that are not filled with helium can be a lot of fun for toddlers (as long as they don’t start biting them!). (Obviously, please use this and all of these activities with parental supervision!)

Obstacle Course

Create an obstacle course outside with outdoor toys and anything else that you have (old tires work well). Show your toddler how to go through the obstacle course (or let him do it his own way!). If you can’t get outside for whatever reason, gather soft things like pillows, blankets, cushions, etc. inside on the floor. Build an obstacle course with these soft objects for your toddler to explore inside.

Newspaper Basketball

When you’re stuck inside and your toddler (or older kids) are getting antsy, put together this easy indoor basketball game. The best part is it won’t make (much) of a mess and won’t break anything. Crumple up newspaper into balls and have your toddler try to get the balls into a bucket or trash can. Have your child count how many got into the basket and how many landed on the floor. (Older siblings tend to want to get in on the action too!)

Toddler Activities to Inspire Exploration

These toddler activities are not just for getting a few minutes to focus on something else (though that’s important too!). The hope is that they set the the foundation for an active childhood as they get older, too (preferably with lots of time outside!). Here’s to happy exploring for our toddlers as they grow, and a few minutes of peace and quiet for mom!

Please help me add to this list of ideas! What sanity-savers do you have to share? Let me know in the comments!

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/400726/toddler-activities/

[sfbenson]

Mason Cooley said, “Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.”

A Center Stage Moment shines a spotlight on writers who give us great places to visit with the characters we love and want to call friends.

Today, I have the pleasure of introducing to you—Shawn McGuire!

Mystery and fantasy author Shawn McGuire started writing after seeing the first Star Wars movie (that’s episode IV) as a kid. She couldn’t wait for the next installment to come out so wrote her own. Sadly, those notebooks are long lost, but her desire to tell a tale is as strong now as it was then. She lives in Colorado with her family where she is a total homebody. She loves to read, cook and bake, and spend time in the spectacular Rocky Mountains.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? 

I’ve always written and always loved to write, but I never thought of it as a career possibility until after my youngest was born. I even majored in English in college and a writing career never occurred to me. I’m not sure how I thought all those books got on the shelves in the stores and libraries. Duh, someone wrote them and got paid for them!

Why did you choose to write your genre? 

Mystery is a new genre for me. I’ve already released a young adult fantasy series – The Wish Makers. Once that series was done, I decided to challenge myself by writing something different. After only one mystery novella, I was hooked on the genre. As much as I love my Wish Makers, mystery feels like a perfect fit and where I’m meant to be as a writer. Always test and challenge yourself, you never know where it will lead. [My new favorite quote!]

#gallery-0-7 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-7 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-7 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-7 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Currently, what are you working on?

The second book in my Whispering Pines series, KEPT SECRETS, is set to release in mid-October, so my days are filled with preparing for that release. I’ll start on the third, ORIGINAL SECRETS, after that. I have an idea for a humorous cozy mystery series that I’ll start playing around with soon.

Tucked next to a pristine lake, the part-Medieval Europe, part-Renaissance Faire hamlet of Whispering Pines, Wisconsin is a utopia . . . except for the recent murders. One month after arriving in the Northwoods, former detective Jayne O’Shea has settled comfortably into small town life and is making good progress with her task of getting her grandparents’ house ready for sale. Then the shocking death of one of the carnies rocks the community, and the villagers look to Jayne for help, placing her in an impossible middle ground of not wanting to get involved and needing to ensure justice is served. When a second carney turns up dead, and the newly hired sheriff—more concerned with ticketing tourists than catching the killer—dismisses the death as an accident, Jayne has no choice but to step in. Can she uncover the truth before the murderer strikes again? KEPT SECRETS is releasing in mid-October. The pre-order will go live soon: http://smarturl.it/KeptSecrets

Let’s talk about your latest book for a moment. What motivated the plot?

FAMILY SECRETS, the first in the Whispering Pines series, started out as a young adult novel and many years later became an adult mystery. The bits that carried through are Jayne the main character, Meeka her West Highland White Terrier, and the fact that she goes to her grandmother’s house in northern Wisconsin. The rest of the story developed because a) I wanted to write a mystery, b) I had heard about a place called Lily Dale, New York which is a community of psychics, c) I wanted to learn more about the Wiccan religion.

Welcome to Whispering Pines, Wisconsin. A place for those who don’t belong. Sixteen years after a family feud drove her from the cozy Northwoods village of Whispering Pines, Wisconsin, former detective Jayne O’Shea returns to prepare her grandparents’ lake house for sale. Once there, not only does she find that the house has been trashed, her dog discovers a dead body in the backyard. Jayne intends to stay out of it, but when it becomes obvious the sheriff isn’t interested in investigating the death, Jayne can’t stop herself. Her list of suspects grows faster than the plants in the commons’ pentacle garden. Could it be the local Wiccan green witch with her stash of deadly plants? The shopkeeper who slips into trances and foretells death? The visitor determined to practice black magic? What Jayne knows for sure is that the closer she gets to solving this crime, the more the sheriff wants her to back off. And when a local fortune teller provides a crucial clue, Jayne knows it’s up to her to solve this murder. FAMILY SECRETS is FREE until September 29 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711FGPJM

What is the strangest subject or topic you’ve ever written? 

My Wish Makers series dealt with tough topics – death of sibling, divorce, dating violence, homelessness, mental illness, bullying, teen suicide, and kidnapping. In my short story, THE DOOR, the main character’s art project comes to life. My Whispering Pines series is populated with Wiccan witches, fortune tellers, and circus rejects. Is any of that strange?

What was the hardest story for you to write? 

The first draft! If I don’t blast through that first draft as fast as I possibly can, it will drag on forever and be a hot mess in the end. I love the revision process. That’s when my characters and setting really come to life.

What process do you use to plan your novels? 

After I’ve got the bones of an idea – see #5 above – I start with research. I’m a very visual writer so Pinterest is a big source of ideas for me. [I love Pinterest and have boards for every story.] You can see my FAMILY SECRETS page here https://www.pinterest.com/shawnmcguire1/family-secrets-a-whispering-pines-mystery/

and my KEPT SECRETS page here https://www.pinterest.com/shawnmcguire1/whispering-pines-2/

Then I come up with an outline which for me means knowing the major plot points for the entire book and a loose idea of what will happen from plot point A to B and B to C, etc. The outline tends to change as I write and that’s fine. I just like to have a direction to start in and let the story and characters take over from there.

Do any of your characters reflect facets of your personality? 

Absolutely, many of them. I strive to be courageous like Desiree. I love to cook like Mandy, the main character in STICKS AND STONES. I have a strong desire to always do the right thing like Jayne in the Whispering Pines series. I have a love for nature like Morgan, my Wiccan green witch in Whispering Pines. I don’t think it’s possible for an author to not put a little of herself in her characters.

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it? 

I have enough story ideas to keep me writing for years. If I ever become “blocked,” in that I’m stuck and can’t move forward with a story, it’s because something is wrong with the plot. When that happens, I go out for a walk and talk it through. Literally. People in my neighborhood wonder who the crazy lady is talking to herself. Seriously, though, the tactic works for me every time. Sometimes the solution I come up with still isn’t right, but it gets me writing again and eventually everything works itself through.

If you were to choose another genre to write in, what would it be? 

Hmm. I kind of answered that in #2 but if I could add another genre it might be women’s fiction. All of my books, even if I don’t initially intend them to, end up having a relationship theme of some kind or other – romantic, friendship, family, etc. Relationships are very important in women’s fiction so that intrigues me.

Which authors inspire you? 

So many. Too many to list. I especially admire authors who write what they want and are successful doing so regardless of genre.

What novel would you read multiple times? 

Tough question. It’s rare that I read a book more than once. There are just too many out there I want to read! I do want to read the Harry Potter series again, so I can be truly amazed by Rowling’s plotting genius and find all the nuggets she hid along the way. I read the last one so fast, fearful that someone would ruin the ending for me, that I know I missed things. She is an author who inspires and amazes me.

If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or deceased, who would it be and why? (Person could be a fictional character) 

I’d want to meet my characters. I’d love to have Desiree, Mandy, and Crissy over for dinner. It would be fun to follow Jayne around while she’s investigating a case. I’d love to watch Morgan performing one of her Wiccan rituals. I don’t think there’s any real person I’d want to meet. I’ve said I’d love to meet Celine Dion, Oprah, and JK Rowling—because they are strong, successful women who did things their own way—but I’ve got an idea in my head of what they’re like and I don’t want real life to mess with that!

What is your favorite quote? 

What is your favorite animal, real or imaginary? 

Not sure anyone’s ever asked me that before! The first creature to pop into my head is a wolf. I had a Siberian Husky, Nikki, when I was a kid. He was a great dog and very wolf-like. [Ah, Huskies. We had Samoyeds.]

What is your favorite color? 

This tends to change. Purple is at the top of the list right now.

When you’re not writing… 

I’m very fortunate to say full-time. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom since my youngest was born . . . So maybe that means writing is part-time because being a mom is definitely a full-time gig! My youngest is 16, though, and doesn’t need me as much anymore. I’m happy for more time to pursue my dreams, but I’m not ready for him to leave the house yet!

Don’t forget you can pick up the first book in the Whispering Pines series, Family Secrets, for FREE until 9/29! While you’re on Amazon, go ahead and pre-order, Kept Secrets. It will be available soon.

  You can find Shawn online at…

Website   Twitter     Facebook     Instagram     Goodreads

Thank you, my friend, for hanging out with me today.

Join me next week when Jaci Wheeler will be dropping by!

A CENTER STAGE MOMENT: Shawn McGuire Mason Cooley said, “Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.”

[great-gramps]

Excessive Expectations

When I was a teenager I became aware that people in our little farming community, and the school I attended, had a dangerous and contagious condition. It was most obvious in the sports teams, and in the music department. We seldom won a basketball or football game. When it came time for district choir or band, we had two or three participants, only because the state allowed at least two from each school system, qualified or not. Most kids did not know that, and I only learned about it after I graduated from college and started teaching music. But there it was, year in and year out. No matter what teachers expected, the children had an attitude that we called “I can’t,” and it stuck.

I don’t remember how often it came up, but when I realized that I was hearing it over and over, I gradually came to understand it was a dangerous and contagious attitude to have. Another one that means essentially the same thing happens when “I don’t care” precedes whatever you hear next. The fact is, you don’t hear what’s next after those statements. The speaker may as well not say any more, but they usually do. Whatever they say, we understand the first part is truth, the rest is BS.

It has been said that there is nothing new under the sun. But there is. Creative things happen every day, by people who do not have that “can’t” or “don’t care” attitude about life. Recently there has been a creative wave of energy we can all observe. It does not depend on lethargy and apathy, but on visionary energy, inspiration from the Creator of all energy. It is a positive outlook, an optimistic view of life that says, “every challenge is an opportunity.”

Great inventors and great leaders are built with such energy. People who think they are victims, who believe whatever someone else has really belongs to them, or who envy and oppose those who are successful cost society an excessive amount of resources. From cradle to grave, we learn which of these two extremes we will follow. Will we contribute to society--create, invent or improve it--or drag it into a vicious whirlpool of apathy, games of pretend, wasted time and wasted minds. Where are you in this pool? An overcomer (survivor) struggling to escape the drag, or a victim getting sucked under?

Today we in the United States are experiencing a revolution in thought and energy brought about by one person, Donald Trump. We are mired by another “old school” condition with a pretend leader named “Mitch McConnell.”

What Trump proposes Mitch calls “excessive expectations.” Tell me, how is that different from “I can’t” or “I don’t care...” attitudes? The speech is different, but the meaning is the same.

It is true that President Donald Trump has great expectations of us. I learned as a graduate student at Ithaca College that you don’t get quality if you don’t expect it. I learned it as a high school band director as well.

The basketball teams at Montrose high school in Pennsylvania consistently earned playoff spots and a state championship the year before I arrived. I can’t take credit for their music success, but I was fortunate to participate in it, because the first year I taught there I supplied a woodwind quintet (the most challenging instruments) and a tympanist to the Binghamton, NY school district when their community orchestra tour included New York City. Traditionally, you don’t go outside your state for talent. These children were from a high school that started their music program is grade seven, not grade 4 like the rest of the country.

In Ithaca, it was not the college band that impressed me, though it remains the single best ensemble I ever played in, nor because it produced professional musicians like Gen. Arnold Gabriel, former director of the Air Force band in DC. No, it was the Ithaca High School band and orchestra programs. Both sounded like professional groups, partly because their students were encouraged to study privately with Cornell and Ithaca teachers, partly because they had great community support. They were able to commission famous contemporary composers to write music for them and hire famous musicians to feature at their performances.

That’s a lot to say about three communities that I have lived in. I’m sure you know others equally diverse, equally productive. The Ithaca, NY and Montrose, PA schools represented communities what shared a “can do” attitude with their children and encouraged them to struggle for success at whatever they chose to do.

Now return with me to the case in point.

From the onset, President Trump has had an uphill battle. First it was with his challengers and the media flood of false information. Then it was from opponents from the Clinton/Obama political machine and those in his own political party. When he was elected, the disbelief was rampant, only because people were blinded to the true nature of the contest. It was about the difference between apathy (read “status quo”) and energy (read “crisis and challenge”). And this 70-year-old “outsider” with no “experience” in DC took on the establishment like a tornado, with results you expect from such storms.

As always, people tend to gravitate toward energy; that is how great leaders become great leaders, they exude energy. That is what Donald Trump brings to the table.

The energy of Obama was misleading. His message was pretty rhetoric, and nothing but lies. He said “If you like your doctor you can keep him.” “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” Did that happen? Not even the first year. He said, “Your premiums will save you $2,500.00.” Instead, they doubled. Now if you voted for Obama, you probably will stop reading this. Go back to your bed and watch football, that’s where you’ll be in eight or ten years, still stagnant and going town for the third time. You will have learned nothing here.

By contrast, we learned just this morning (August 11, 2017) the results of President Trump’s agenda regarding regulations. In the first six months of the Obama administration, his regulations cost the American taxpayer $1.4 billion dollars. By contrast, President Trump promised to do away with two regulations for every new one he wrote. Has he done that? In truth, he has trashed 19 regulations for every new one he has written. And his action is saving the economy massive administrative costs associated with those regs. This savings is one reason why our businesses have hired more workers, the stock market has soared to new heights, GDP is above 2% for the first time in years, and one million jobs have been created. Democrats are flipping parties, world leaders are following his lead, ISIS is going down with help from former adversaries. This is happening IN SPITE of the failure to repeal Obamacare, in spite of the fact that no changes have been made to our tax system yet. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the opposition from the few remaining Democrats, most of the media, and a few RINOs (Republicans In Name Only).

In short, the Trump Effect is happening because one person chooses to look at every challenge as an opportunity to overcome.

Then there is Mitch McConnell. He says Trump’s expectations are excessive. Is that true? Of course not. Mitch McConnell has simply voiced the same “I can’t” attitude I remember from childhood. For the past seven years the Republican party has complained about Obamacare and promised to repeal and replace it. Now that they have their opportunity, their vacation is more important than their commitment. ANY EXCUSE WILL DO is an old mantra, but it is the one they currently live under. Their attempt at stress relief will be futile as they go home to face a flood of response to their apathy, along with the threat of a Convention Of States (COS) that will give states back their right to rein in a runaway government that will remove them from office.

You haven’t heard much about the COS, have you? Keep listening to that same news source and be surprised. Or stay tuned. Two of the items on its agenda are term limits for Congress and a requirement for all legislators to abide by the same laws as the people they represent, or be prosecuted for violating them. If they have been there 12 years or more, they will be retired. They have this one chance to do the right thing. The message they should take home: “REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE. THEN IF YOU LIKE YOUR JOB, YOU CAN KEEP IT.”

There are two things emerging expect–and I use that word in its fullest optimism–greater things to happen in the near future. The first is a simple point you will come to understand if this doesn’t convince you: YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU EXPECT. You cannot rise above what you perceive as your limit. Put another way, the biblical way: “without a vision the people perish.” Trump expects great things ahead; he will achieve them because that is what great leaders do.

Mitch McConnell fails as a leader because he responds to every challenge with the same excuse, like it is a legitimate and productive thought process. But the simple truth is:

“EXCESSIVE EXPECTATIONS” = “I CAN’T”

Period.