#looks like a friggin hobbit here

[taiblogcomics]

Werewolves? I Dunno, You Had ‘Em Last!

Hey there, cheese and rice. It's time to release the Christmas werewolves! Those are a thing now, and once you get bitten, I can't take it back either! I'm sure there's worse curses around the holidays. You could be watching Jingle All the Way, for example.

Anyway, here's the cover:

Last issue had one werewolf on the cover, so we gotta up the ante and put a lot of werewolves on the second issue's cover. Cara turned out to be useless, so we dropped her from the cover this time. Instead, our two remaining protag girls are gonna do the hobbit hide from all these werewolves. They don't need to hide that hard, clearly all these werewolves are friggin' blind. Like, look at those milky white peepers. It's nice to know Blake's prosthetic arm isn't the only disability in the story~

So, pro gamer Blake has moved to her aunt's in Fever Swamp for the summer. Not content to rot away playing Popular Fantasy MMO, she and fellow player Lily traipse into the woods late at night to investigate the rumours of monsters. Hey, guess what. And now they're being chased by werewolves. Yes, multiple werewolves, despite only one being clearly in view at the end of last issue. Blake and Lily tear off, and in the chase, Blake loses her carefully-packed backpack on a low-hanging tree branch. Oh no, that's where she keeps her deus ex machina!

Eventually, these two teen girls do outrun a pack of werewolves, which is probably more unbelieveable than the existence of werewolves to begin with. Either way, they're probably a bit lost now. They take stock of what they've got, which is Lily's own backpack, since Blake lost hers. Turns out this is the same sort of pack her dad always brings with him when he goes into the woods. The presence of silver weapons tips Blake off that these are probably werewolves they're dealing with. I would've thought the bipedalism would've done that, but I will grant it's probably hard to think logically when running for your life~

After ducking into a cave to evade the wolves again, Lily and Blake assess the situation. Blake just wants to go, but Lily starting to get into it. Now that she knows what she's fighting and has tools against it, now she just wants to hunt the werewolves. It's just like in her Popular Fantasy MMO! Blake is beginning to suspect Lily knew the truth all along, and they begin arguing.

Lily hands her something she calls a "net ball", but those are only good against Bug- and Water-types, so it probably won't help with werewolves. The arguing leads a werewolf right to them, and Lily sprays it in the mouth with an aerosol can before running off. The werewolf's just a whimpering, curled-up doggo now, and Blake has a choice to make...

Kind of a short one today, but yeah, most of the action is two girls being chased by werewolves, and then arguing about it. It’s ony issue 2 of 5, so we’ll see where this goes in the end. Heck, it’ll still be December when we get to issue 3! Anyways, may you have a werewolf-free Christmas yourself. Unless you’re into that, I won’t judge~

[ultralightpoe]

Makeup Artist Part 2 - Stephen Strange

Description: Steohen is learning 

Authors Note: Short and sweet, just how I like it. I AM HAVING A MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS EVENT FOR ITS RELEASE, SEND IN SOME REQUESTS FOR WANDA AND STEPHEN

Warnings: NONE

Word Count:726

MAIN Master List - - Marvel Master List

(PART ONE HERE)

“Do. Not. Move.” Stephen warns, voice low as he stares down at you, eyes hardened and cold. You do your best not to laugh at your husband, you really do, but you just can’t help the giggle that falls from your lips at his hard stare. “It’s not funny Y/n.”

“It kind of is, Stephen.” You laugh, head shaking at his antics. “I didn’t tell you to move when I did it!” “Yeah well you are a natural and I’m not, I also have a disadvantage with my hands-”

“Disadvantage my ass, you used to do surgery. Wing liner is no problem”

It was Friday night, which meant that you and your husband would be spending the night in ordering take out and watching a cheap rom com followed by some dumb action movie to make Stephen happy. It also meant you would do each others makeup. 

This habit might sound weird to some and or plain out wrong to others, but it was something you soon realized your husband loved. Learning this craft was becoming an obsession and you knew Stephen was desperate to perfect everything he does. 

Which led to today, you started by showing him the look you wanted on him and he would follow. The problem was the wing liner. 

Stephen hadn’t yet perfected the smooth movement of it. You had told him that most don’t and it was quite hard, he had told you that he was Stephen friggin strange and he would get it. 

“What did Tony say earlier when he found out about our Friday routine?” You smile. Stephen was very open about getting his makeup done, and you knew that some would tease him for it unrelentlessly.

“He thought it was absolutely ridiculous, then I told him how much sex I am having and he thought it was absolutely brilliant. “ He smirks, tracing the line on your eye as you sit still. Once he is done with the initial trace he leans back to look at his work. 

You take this second to watch him, watch how his face inspects each aspect of his work and he stares at you. 

“You’re staring at me.” He mumbles, grabbing your chin to kiss your forehead.

“You were staring at me actually.” You counter, pushing him off teasingly. 

“I was inspecting my work…… and admiring my precious is all.” 

“You’re precious? You been watching hobbit lately?”

“I read the book silly.” He laughs, “And the Lord of the Rings books. Speaking of, did you finish the book I got you the other day?”

“No. It was long.” You answer truthfully, moving to grab the eyeliner and fix what he had done. He watches from the mirror, inspecting what you were doing.

“You thought it was boring.”

“I did not.”

“You did. Which is fine, even I thought it was a bit boring.”

“Then why did you give it to me.”

“Because I like watching you pass out after reading. Like the dead, dearest.” He laughs, spinning you back around. “Okay. Lashes.”

He glues them carefully, letting them sit for a moment before placing them on you, face hardened in concentration once more. He’s almost finished when the bell goes off. “There is the food. I’ll be back.”

He disappears from sight as Wong comes around the corner. “Order any for me?”

“Of course.” You laugh, standing up to clean up the mess. “Stephen is going to wash his face before we eat though. So you can set up the table.”

“Okay mom.”

“Shut up Wong.” You snap, laughing a little while you try to be serious. “Speaking of mom…..any word of Wanda?”

“None. But she will turn up. You know it.” Wong sighs, Stephen coming around right after.

“Y/n stop asking about Wanda. We had a deal for fridays-”

“I know I know.” You sigh as he smiles. 

“Since you broke the rule you know that means I get tv privileges right?”

“That’s not fair!”

“Not fair? It’s your rule!”

“Whatever.”

You ended up watching legally blonde that night, much to his chagrin. But he stopped complaining when you cuddled into his side and passed out quite quickly, just as you had every friday. 

He, as per usual, waited until he knew you were out cold before switching the channel. What you didn’t know wouldn’t affect you right? 

[vibesandwonders]

“The what?”

“The Lord of the Rings,” Sam stops dead, and jogs back to him, “You serious? You said you read the Hobbit?”

“Yeah?”

“JRR Tolkien?”

“Yes.” Bucky runs a hand through his hair and sighs.

“But you don’t know The Lord of the Rings?”

“If you keep repeating it, maybe it’ll catch this time.”

Sam’s mouth falls open, “Mother of— they froze you before Lord of the friggin Rings?”

Bucky blows out a blast of annoyed air and moves to run, Sam grabs his forearm, “Stop that, we’re talkin—“

“—We are running.”

“Not anymore,” Sam leans his weight on Bucky and laughs, “Shit. I always forget that they popsicled you,” He shakes his head, “Tolkien, he wrote the Hobbit yeah, but like… ten years later he wrote a Trilogy, the Trilogy, like, the one to rule them all.”

“Are they any good?”

Sam practically squeals with laughter, his arm still looped inside Bucky’s, “Yes.” He says, emphatically, grinning so much that Bucky is tempted to smile back, almost, “The movies are good too.”

“Movies?”

“Moving pictures?” Sam grins wider, “Talkies?”

Bucky tilts his head, rolls his eyes, already ready to run again, Sam’s having none of it, he starts pulling Buck back the way they came,

“What about the run?”

“This,” Sam insists, “Is more important, we gotta head back,”

“It’s 7am.”

“Exactly, which means we’ve got time to hit the store on the way home,”

“Why?”

“Provisions, we’re gonna be busy all day, we need to have snacks and keep hydrated.”

“What?”

“Extended editions baby, this is a 12-hour Lord of the Rings lockdown,” He grins at Bucky, “Consider yourself absolutely blessed that I was nerdy as hell in high school. I gotta text Torres, tell him we are taking the day off.”

“You’re taking a day off, from being Captain America?”

“He’ll understand.”

~ Hours later~

“Bucky,” He sighs, and plants his palms on the kitchen countertop, “James Buchanan Barnes,” Nothing.

He takes his phone out and pauses the damn TV,

The man in question rotates very slightly, his eyes wide, red, in shock, also as pissed as Sam had quite possibly ever seen him, including the time he was kicked off a domestic flight home because of his ‘metal arm’.

“You good?” Sam asks,

“So they just left him? After he sacrificed himself to get them out and across the bridge of Khazad-dûm and away from the Balrog?”

Oh Jesus,

“The bridge of Khaza—" He stops himself, chuckles, can't help it, he shouldn't surprised by this and yet, "Yeah man, they couldn’t—“

“What? Walk out there and grab his hands? There were eight men,” He shakes his head incredulously, “Bilbo’s nephew, wouldn’t walk twenty feet to save Gandalf?”

“Wait wait, Are you crying man?” He smirks, teasing, “There are two and a half more movies to go Buck, and you’re already out here cryin’ your ass off, you gotta chill—“

Bucky regards him sourly, “Have you even read the Hobbit?”

“Not even gonna dignify that kinda hostility with an answer James.”

He unpauses the tv and digs through the fridge, a moment later, the TV pauses again,

“Sorry.” Bucky mutters, “I uh, I’m enjoying them.”

“I can tell.” Sam says, and again, a grown-ass man getting way too sucked in to a High Fantasy trilogy 60 years late shouldn’t be damn adorable, but it is, “You hungry, oh member of the fellowship?”

Bucky rolls his eyes, turns back around,

“Is there coffee?”

Sam grins, and starts filling the water kettle.

“We, are gonna take a break.”

Bucky spins, finger already on the remote to jump to the next movie, Sam shakes his head.

“You haven’t eaten yet, and this is our…shit, third pot of coffee.”

“But they’re taking the hobbits to Isengard.”

Sam cackles, “Yeah, you are indeed correct, that is happening, but, we got 8 more hours of cinematic masterpiece, and you— are gonna eat somethin’”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Would Aragorn not sustain himself while trying to rescue Merry and Pippin?” He asks dramatically,

Another eyeroll, but he stands and stretches, folding one of the new blankets that had somehow started appearing randomly inside his apartment.

“How do you feel about cookies?”

He watches the top of his head twist, but Bucky’s eyes don’t leave the screen, “Thought we were eating lunch?”

Sam laughs, “Thai?”

He texts Sarah, attaches a picture of Bucky swathed in a blanket, staring in fascination at the TV.

“He’s never seen Lord of the Rings.” And then a bunch of laughing emojis.

“So where’s Rohan in relation to Mordor?” Bucky asks over the top of the couch, “They keep talking about the Gap of Rohan, but then…”

“Google it.”

“You’ve got your phone.” Bucky argues, “Do library books still have the maps in the back nowadays?”

Sam’s already got his app open, Complete Works of JRR Tolkien, Hardback

He swipes and makes sure they have maps— New York freakin City, it’ll be delivered before they finish the second one.

“Sam needs to kill Gollum.”

He looks up at the mention of his name, grinning at the screen, then back at the microwave: he lost rock, paper, scissors, so popcorn’s on him.

“Smeagol?”

Bucky purses his lips, unimpressed, “He is clearly untrustworthy, “

“Sam’s also a little jealous of Frodo’s attention, they’ve been one-on-one for a while now,”

“I guess,”

“Frodo also sees a lot of himself in Smeagol, what he could have become…”

Bucky pauses the movie, “they’ve still got those elf-blades.” He mutters, “He’s talking to himself, and creeping off in the night, Sam should kill him, and tell Frodo he found him that way.”

“He was Aragorn’s best friend,” Bucky murmurs, his voice is a little choked up, “He came to defend the men of Rohan.”

“Mmmhmm.”

Sarah’s texted him back:

“Oh god, you found another geek.” She says, “Are ya’ll gonna like have a Star Trek themed wedding?”

Bucky’s got the second book open across his knees, his fingers holding it open so he can occasionally frown down at the maps.

“He died protecting him.”

“They had a bond.” Sam agrees, “Read the appendices, there’s loads more about the elves. Just wait until you get deep in the Silmarillion.”

“Yeah.” Bucky says, only half-listening, “Starting to think his ‘heir of Gondor’ schtick is getting old, man can’t even protect his friends— and where is Gandalf?”

“Are you shitting on Aragorn? Son of Arathorn?”

Bucky shrugs, “Just seems like he’s avoiding his calling, what he’s good at, born to do… running from it, cause he’s scared.”

“It’s a lot of responsibility he didn’t ask for.” Sam replies mildly,

“Tough shit. Sometimes you just gotta use the cards you’re dealt.” Bucky stands, “I gotta pee.”

“You think I should grow my hair out?”

Sam hides his grin, making an effort not to stare at Aragorn on screen, who is currently smoldering with the best of them,

“I think you should do whatever makes you happy, Buck.” He takes a sip of his coffee (decaf this time) and stares fondly (not really) at the side of Bucky’s face. Sure, he’s distracted, but at least this time it’s not damn mission files.

Buck grunts, they’re sprawled next to each other on the couch, knees touching, blankets shared and spread between them. Between bathroom breaks and Sam occasionally poking Bucky to make sure he was still breathing, personal space had become even less of an issue than usual. Not that Sam was terribly bothered by it. They’re roommates, sorta? Partners?

A couple of guys.

“So, Arwen or Eowyn?” Bucky asks, still unblinking, Sam is pretty sure he unleashed a monster, cause this boy is a nerd. He’s already googled other trilogies, on Sam’s phone. Sam is pretty sure movie night might become a thing.

Buck’s still waiting on his answer, it’s a timeless question to be sure, Sam pretends to ponder it.

“Eomer actually.” He says, keeping his eyes on the screen, “Loyal, strong, and the man knows how to ride.”

actual fic here plus others, leave some love, say hi,

[jerakeenc]

many kidfics i’ve read and loved

look who’s reccing a million year old fics now. kidfics, very many. posted to dw for snowflake, thought I’d copy here as well. will be reading most, if not all. if you don’t hear from me again, this list is the culprit.

101 Ways To Get Lucky (In Love) by lenore

18,200 words | SGA, McKay/Sheppard

Rodney McKay is rich, gorgeous and at the top of his game—except someone just moved the goalposts! Now Rodney realizes he is sorely lacking the one status symbol that everybody seems to have…the perfect family. Rodney needs help, so he hires a relationship coach. Single-dad John Sheppard may be an expert, but not when it comes to his own relationships! And every day he spends with Rodney makes him wish that he could be the one to fill the vacancy in Rodney's life…

A Beautiful Lifetime Event by astolat

29,000 words | SGA, McKay/Sheppard

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

An Earlier Heaven by regann

67,400 words | X-Men, Erik/Charles

In the wake of Cuba, Charles and his students are ready to pick up the pieces and work toward achieving Charles's dream of a safe haven for young mutants. Those plans, however, take a surprising turn thanks to a very unexpected complication. As he slowly builds a future for his students and for his child, Charles struggles with the loss of Erik and the secrets he's willing to keep to protect his family, but those strides are shattered when Erik makes a startling reappearance into his life. [mpreg, kidfic, ensemble]

And everything nice by noelia_g

30,200 words | Social Network, Mark/Eduardo

The one where Mark somehow ends up with a child and of course needs a nanny for the amount of time he spends at the office. Only problem is a string of nannys keep trying to get into his pants for what he assumes is his money. Cue Mark's assistant hiring a male nanny, enter Eduardo.

asking to be born by longtime_lurker

26,500 words | Bandom, Pete/Patrick

"Don't worry, it's probably just his big gay freakout," Andy yells cheerfully and unhelpfully into Patrick's ear as they're hustling Pete over to the nearest private clinic.

Better with You by harriet_vane

38,100 words | 1D, Liam/Louis

Based on this prompt at the kinkmeme:

Single parent and solo artist Liam Payne hires Louis Tomlinson to be a full time nanny to his four year old son Sammy. Although the two men don't quite click from the start it's love at first sight between Sammy and Louis. Eventually Louis and Liam warm up to each other and get on like a house on fire, in fact the two become a little too fond of each other.

I refuse to apologize for how sweet this ended up, okay? It's kidfic, I am forever writing kidfic, and this one is even kid-fic-ier than usual.

Can't Get Enough of You (Baby) by eternalbreath

22,100 words | Inception, Arthur/Eames

Eames vanishes from dreamshare and Arthur goes a little crazy looking for him until he stumbles across him -- with a baby.

Chelsea, Chelsea, I Believe by empathapathique

300,800 words | Hockey, Kane/Toews

Patrick meets a girl his rookie year.

Don't You Shake Alone by dsudis

62,180 words | Generation Kill, Brad/Nate

Nate looked exactly like Brad always pictured him: exhausted in the full life-in-a-combat-zone sense of the word.

Dude, what's a bulwark? by kellifer_fic

12,150 words | Teen Wolf, Derek/Stiles

Beacon Hills is the kind of small town where everybody knows everybody, and what everybody knows is that surly diner owner Derek Hale and free spirited single dad Stiles Stilinski have been in love with each other for years. If only they knew it too.

Every Other Beautiful World by rhiannonhero

43,280 words | SGA, McKay/Sheppard

Some things are unexpected but still inevitable in every beautiful world.

Forever, Now by harriet_vane

227,100 words | Bandom, Frank/Gerard, Jon/Spencer, Brendon/Ryan, Brian/Greta

Brian rescues kid!Gerard and Mikey from life on the streets, and eventually everyone finds a family.

here comes the sun by oflights

56,600 words | Social Network, Mark/Eduardo

This is a story about growing up, sad 70's rock songs, too much hair gel, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", a baby with curly hair, a Geiger counter, a dog that isn't named Max, the Chicken Dance, Cheerios, pepper-spray, drugs, sex, and a stuffed chicken named Cluckerberg, nicknamed Cluck. or: Mark raises Sean's accidental baby, and I write the fluffiest thing ever.

I Got a Love (That Keeps Me Waiting) by svmadelyn

163,700 words | Hockey, Kane/Toews

There's a lot of different ways this summary could go, like:

Patrick Kane gets more than a gold medal in Sochi.

Or, the classic: It's too late to pull out now.

Or: Patrick Kane continues to thrive in high pressure situations.

Or: Patrick Kane gets knocked up, goes to White Castle, and finds love, not necessarily in that order.

But, ultimately, all that really matters is this: Patrick Kane is keeping his baby.

I Would Be by cathalin

20,290 words | American Idol, Kris/Adam

AU. Adam and Kris meet a few years down the road, when down-on-his-luck Kris and his young daughter Katherine show up to rent a room from Adam, who never made it to an Idol audition.

Ice Ice Baby by uraneia

51,340 words | Hockey, Claude/Danny

A gold medal isn't the only souvenir Claude brings home from Prague.

OR: The one where Claude gets drunk, gets pregnant, and gets convinced to move in with Danny, whom he's been secretly in love with for years. What could possibly go wrong?

my heart is bigger than the distance in between us by estrella30

15,000 words | 1D, Nick/Harry

Nick chuckles quietly but grabs the remote and follows Emma, Aimee coming up close behind him. It’s indeed Harry on the telly, singing along to his latest radio hit and smiling slowly into the camera far too seductively for half eight on a Friday morning, if you ask Nick. He presses the volume just in time to catch the crowd’s roaring applause and see the pink flush Harry’s cheeks. Nick watches him duck his head as he gives a small wave to the audience, and it hits Nick that Harry is still the most humble and appreciative billionaire Nick’s ever met.

Good job, popstar, Nick thinks to himself.

or, Nick is a single dad and Harry is his bff and it's a bunch of years into the future and they fall in love

Once Upon a Furry Octopus by skoosiepants

11,270 words | SGA, McKay/Sheppard

He was an intelligent, intuitive pet, but he wasn’t going to start sniffing out ZPMs or hidden Ancient weaponry or detailed instructions on how to kill a Wraith with a common household item. A pen, for instance.

Reconcilable Differences by astolat

40,000 words | Smallville, Clark/Lex

Luthor Family Values.

Shelter by harriet_vane

63,500 words | Social Network, Jesse/Andrew

From the kinkmeme prompt: Some sort of AU vaguely based on Shelter! For whatever reason, Jesse has to take care of Hallie and give up his dream of being an actor. He ends up working in a dead end job when former, now successful friend (Andrew) returns home. They fall in love, etc, only Jesse can't go away with him because he has a responsibility to his family. CUE ANGST.

Show Me The Way Back Home Baby by stilinskisparkles

15,000 words | Teen Wolf, Derek/Stiles

In which Lydia and Jackson produce the world's cutest baby, and the pack goes crazy-- the good kind of crazy. Except for Derek, who is afraid of tiny cute babies and Stiles who plans to be the best Uncle ever. Even if Danny called dibs on Godfather.

Skybird by windsweptfic

33,785 words | Inception/White Collar, Arthur/Eames

Arthur and Eames adopt a kid and raise that kid into Neal Caffrey.

Small Cells and Fibers by sevenfists

7,830 words | Bandom, Frank/Gerard

Tuesdays were finger-painting days. Frank made sure to wear his oldest pair of jeans, because even with his full-length apron and his constant reminders that paint belongs on paper and not on clothing, he always ended up with tiny, multi-colored handprints all over his clothes. There wasn't a thing he could do about it, so he just wore pants from 1995.

Small Primes and Square Roots by liviapenn

12,500 words | SGA, McKay/Sheppard

"I hope you picked someone really intelligent, otherwise it seems like it would be kind of a waste. Of incubation time, if nothing else."

So Wise We Grow by deastar

81,250 words | Star Trek Reboot, Kirk/Spock

"Commander Spock, we have located your son," the Vulcan lady on the screen says, which would be great, except Jim can tell by the look on Spock's face that he's never heard of this kid before in his life. "If it is expedient, the child will be sent to join you on the Enterprise within the week."

Something Better by lovelypoet

18,350 words | Bandom, Frank/Gerard

"We all have to take jobs we don't like sometimes, you know?"

The Next Time You Say Forever by Thistlerose

27,300 words | Star Trek Reboot, Kirk/McCoy

After his ex-wife's death, McCoy is forced to leave the Enterprise to look after his teenage daughter. Under normal circumstances, this would be the end of…whatever it is he has with Kirk that's more than friendship, but less than what he wants. But the universe has other intentions.

The Reeducation of Misters Kane and Toews by jezziejay

15,900 words | Hockey, Kane/Toews

In which Kaner sort of has a kid, and Mr. Toews doesn't know which of them is the bigger brat.

AU featuring teacher!Jon and hockey-player!Kaner. With bonus 'Hawks characters, love notes, pasta jewelry, Be Better Pizzas, pirouettes, a sprinke of angst and guest appearance by Derek Jeter.

The Road Delivered Us Home by keelywolfe

117,430 words | Hobbit, Thorin/Bilbo

In the years since Bilbo left Erebor, he has lost his respectability, gained a nephew, and gotten on with life at Bag End.

He'd left aside adventure for the comforts and peace of his little Hobbit hole, and for the love of a child who needed him. Though perhaps, adventures can yet find him.

This Story Was Brought to You by Our Sponsors by scaramouche

29,500 words | Supernatural, Dean/Castiel

Dean's post-apocalyptic life is a friggin' soap opera. Romance! Angst! Separations! Reunions! Pizza Dinners! A Child Dean Never Knew He Had! It's all very dramatic.

throw a little sparkle all over it by etben

26,000 words | Bandom, Frank/Gerard

"Hey, Ma," Mikey says. "No, everything's fine—well, I mean, Gerard accidentally adopted a baby—no, he's changing her now, he can't talk."

Tiny Houses by ohmyjetsabel

77,130 words | Teen Wolf, Derek/Stiles

"So this is what Stiles does. He lies in Scott’s bed and waits for Melissa to say she’s found someone to get it out of him, to cure him of the wrongness and the bad, and he dreams.

God, he dreams.

He dreams of fire and swollen bellies and that scene in Alien, of giving birth to jackals through his urethra, the whole horrific nine yards. His head is a terrible place to be, he can’t imagine his stomach is much better, why anyone would want to put a thing inside of it."

Tip, Slide, Tumble by j_s_cavalcante

42,900 words | due South, Fraser/Kowalski

Ray knew when he found the body in the alley it was going to change someone's life. He just didn't expect that life would be his.

Turn by saras_girl

306,000 words | Harry Potter, Harry/Draco

One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.

Unless it's lies or it's love by sprat

25,300 words | American Idol, Kris/Adam

In which Adam (a rock star) meets Kris (a single dad) at an Emergency Room in Arkansas at the end of a particularly shitty night. Also features: San Francisco, fresh starts, baked goods, OCs, cameo appearances by Matt and Megan, pirates, monsters with garbage heads and a recording studio.

What Child Is This by lamardeuse

30,150 words | Merlin, Arthur/Merlin

A modern AU with Merlin, Arthur, mayhem, a baby and a jingly elf hat.

What to Expect by arsenic

29,200 words | Bandom, Bob/Mikey

Mikey has his band, and his little girl, and that's enough. Really, it is.

Winter's Children by neery

66,890 words | Marvel, Bucky/Steve

When their attempts to recreate the super soldier serum failed, Hydra started trying to breed Captain America clones from his genetic samples. Unfortunately, the serum's effects aren't passed down genetically, so instead of an army of tiny Captain Americas, they get a bunch of tow-headed, asthmatic, allergic, immuno-compromised little Steves.

And then the Winter Soldier stumbles across Hydra's failed experiment...

With Six You Get Eggroll by speranza

31,000 words | due South, Fraser/Kowalski

"Kick 'em In The Head: A Guide To Parenting."

ETA: Bonus! Because I apparently lost my bookmark for this one but have the memory of an elephant for kidfic, so it came to me eventually. :D

A Farm in Iowa 'Verse by sheafrotherdon

166,000 words | SGA, McKay/Sheppard

John inherits a farm, Rodney ends up entirely out of his element, and there is much ado about baseball.

[captain-of-the-historicfuture]

Heyheyhey! Sorry it took so long to ask I kept getting distracted lmao. ANyway, could you do #5, 10, 11, 14, 16, 18, and 19? You can just pick a few if you don't want to do all of them

Hello!! You’re so valid LOL. Heck yeah I wanna do all of them! I’m not going to answer #14 here because an anon asked it earlier (I just haven’t been able to think of an answer for one of the others they asked so the whole ask is sitting in my drafts for now). Sorry it took me so long to post these!

5. Coke or Pepsi?

Neither really. I try not to drink carbonated stuff too often, but also I just don’t much like the taste of Coke or Pepsi LOL. (Sorry for being a pleb. 😔)

However, if I had to choose I’d go with Coke because my father is 100% a Coke Over Pepsi guy so. Makes things easier. 😂

10. Ever been in love?

Ah, well, this is tricky.

Romantically? No. Although sometimes I’ll “fall in love” with a character just ’cause I’m vibing so well with them. Like, friggin’,,,, Elsa from Disney’s Frozen dkcnjsjf. I read Elsa x Reader fics for goodness’ sake KSJFJSJ.

Platonically or something? Maybe. There have been times I’ve gotten so comfortable with someone I couldn’t imagine life without them. There have been moments where I was taken aback by how soft a friend made me, how much I enjoyed having them around. There have been instances where I just froze and sorta smiled to myself, utterly content with doing a small thing with someone that made us both really happy. Do those count?

With a concept, a place, a dream? Heck yes. Many times. Over and over. Yes. Sometimes even with life.

11. Last time you cried?

In general? Like, fifteen minutes ago when I got some of the bubble bath stuff in my eyes fjcnskfjsk.

For an emotional reason? Not in a surprising while actually. It was not uncommon for me to cry myself to sleep, NoT gOnNa LiE. But my mental health’s been pretty manageable in recent months, given the ability to stay away from people, school, etc. I’d say the last time I cried due to pesky feelings wasss a li’l over a month ago? Was having One of Those Days, and then I read something super emotional that was exactly what I needed to hear and I dunno. The dam broke. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

16. Hair colour?

Dark brown! You have to be really close to see it as that though. Otherwise, it just looks black. Also, in the past people have spotted red hairs on my head so. Hair is whack I guess!

18. Obsession?

WELL. In terms of my special interests due to the Autistic LifeTM, I’ve got rabbits, space sciences, and pirates for long-term.

In general, I also tend to obsess over fandoms and whatever media I had most recently consumed and/or gotten attached to. My longest lasting fandom obsessions would be The Mentalist, The Hobbit, and TwoSetViolin. There are a lot though. 😇

If we’re talking about the mental health / psychological kind of obsession, then ha do I have plenty. Intrusive thoughts and compulsions are g r e a t. But yeah I won’t get into that.

For simplicity’s sake (I say, despite having already written three paragraphs for what could have been a two-word answer), I’ll just say my obsession is Star Trek. Because I post/reblog a heck ton of that on here.

19. If you had one wish, what would it be?

I think I’d like everyone who is alive right now and who would ever come to live to understand the Catholic Church. Like. Not necessarily to join and follow it because I don’t want to force anybody. But I’d like to have every misconception cleared up, every question answered, every doubt addressed. If that makes sense?

On a more selfish/personal note, I’d want to wish for an understanding of what my future (should) entail(s). Like… What the heck am I supposed to do after high school? What’s the best way to deal with some of the Personal Stuff happening in my life right now? How can I best support my younger siblings once I’m a legal adult? Just so I can feel less confused, less directionless, less adrift.

Send me numbers to ask me personal questions!

[evenastar-blog]

Archery in the Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit

To repeat: This post is from the viewpoint of someone who is an archer, certified archery coach, and literature nerd. 

About archery: Archery at its bare basic is about consistency. “Tubing an arrow,” aka shooting a “Robin Hood,” is the ultimate goal of a target archer and occurs when your second shot is the exact. same. as the first shot, and splits the first arrow down the center. Archery is also, as Kisik Lee (the National Head Coach of the USA Archery Team) once said, about confronting your demons: you can not lie to yourself when shooting, especially with a recurve or longbow. Your target will reflect your mental state. A real life archery club we have at my archery range is the 300 Club, where you score 300 points out of 300. Yes, this is a thing, yes there are people who can do it, yes I know several, more than several actually. Yes, some of them did it with recurves and longbows.

Book version: 

Smaug is in. the. air. He is HUNDREDS of yards AWAY. COMPLETELY OUT OF REACH. He is being shot at by a ton of archers whose arrows are not hurting him because his body is covered in protective scale. He has a weak point: a small hollow on his left breast. Presumably this is the weakness every hunter knows: the spot right over the heart. On a 3D target, this spot is about the size of a fist. SO Smaug is in the air hundreds of yards above them swooping around setting fire to everything and the weak point is the size of a fist. This is an amazingly difficult shot. My archery range/shop has tons of archers who compete nationally and internationally or who hunt. Maybe 20% of the archers I know can make this shot. 

The atmosphere around Bard is thus: “Already women were jumping in the water on every side. Women and children were being huddled into laden boats in the market-pool. Weapons were flung down. There was mourning and weeping [. . .] Now he shot with a great yew bow, till all his arrows but one were spent. The flames were near him. His companions were leaving him.” He’s alone and on the ground and near flames and oh!, he has one arrow left. Note how it’s a black arrow NOT a ballista-type arrow. Because he is shooting with a longbow. He has no ballista. There is no mention of him having a “Wind Lance” ballista in the book.

One arrow. He has one arrow left. The village he has lived in all his life is on fire. People are dead and dying. Trained warriors are panicking and abandoning their posts. HE HAS ONE GODDAMN ARROW. There are not enough words for how traumatic this is. Or how dramatic. There aren’t enough words to describe the immense willpower and composure an archer would have to have to even shoot this last arrow, let alone shoot it well. There are now a handful of archers I know who could make this shot, but there are exactly two I truly believe could have any chance at killing Smaug. This is not “ultimate” difficulty, this is so so so far beyond that.

And Bard does it. He fucking does it. Yes I’m swearing, swearing a lot, but this requires swearing because it is un-fucking-believable and maybe my swearing will in some small way help you who are not archers or archery coaches understand how completely goddamn unreal this shot is. 

Robin Hood shot his amazing shot in a competition, no fire-breathing dragons and people dying and sobbing around him. No one attacking him. 

Odysseus makes his amazing shot in a competition without anyone, certainly not a dragon, immediately attacking him. His home is not literally on fire when he shoots.

Bard’s shot here is THE shot of literary archers. THE. FUCKING. MOST. DRAMATIC. AMAZING. MOTHER OF ALL SHOTS. OK!?!?!?!?

Movie version: 

There is fire, ok. His is alone, ok. But he’s on a tower, he has a better angle from which to shoot. His son appears for more drama. Because THAT wouldn’t distract an archer. Not. At. All. I’m sorry but the chances of any archer making this shot are at least halved by their goddamn kid appearing. You need to be able to concentrate, you cannot make the shot if you’re worrying about your kid. THAT IS NOT HOW ARCHERY WORKS. OK. YOU NEED PERFECT CONCENTRATION. IF YOU HAVE A SINGLE FRACTION OF A SECOND OF THOUGHT YOUR SHOT IS DONE. LITERALLY. NO MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED YOU ARE. Also, can I just say, you are sending the message to your kids that it is ok for them to come back to help when their parent is being attacked. I don’t want any kid I know coming back. I want them to go be safe. 

Note also how there are no people screaming and weeping in his vicinity. In the book it was clearly a war zone. In real life in a war or bombing or terrorist zone, there are the sounds of crying and of moaning. JRR Tolkien knew this, he was on battlefields. Well, there is one moment of people screaming but as the focus leaves the people the screaming stops. How convenient and not at all like a real war zone. You want drama and tension? Leaving the screaming in the whole time would have worked. All you had to do was make it quieter than the music and dialogue. Then again, maybe they that’d be too realistic and cause problems for people. . . ? I know they were super careful with how the tower collapsed in Return of the King, they didn’t want it to remind anyone of the Twin Towers. 

OH LOOK. SMAUG LANDED RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. IN FACT HE LITERALLY LINED HIMSELF UP WITH YOUR FUCKING ANGLE. IT IS THE STRAIGHTEST SHOT EVER. ALSO IT IS WELL IN THE RANGE OF THAT BOW. THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS SHOT WENT FROM INFINITE POINTS TO MAYBE 100 POINTS. OH AND SMAUG’S EVEN GETTING CLOSER FOR YOU. HOW KIND OF HIM. THIS IS THE TYPE OF SHOT ALL HUNTERS DREAM OF: BECAUSE IT IS PERFECT AND EASY AS HECK.

Ok, we are just going to casually ignore the problematic physics here because I have no patience to deal with that. Not the physics of the arrow. Not the physics of the bow. Actually no. We do have to talk about this. I’m still ignoring that arrow because it is ridiculous, but I will talk about bows/slingshots briefly. (Anything I say about either of these also applies to the construction of the Wind Lance.) I did a quick google search and made some edits to the photos I found to help you understand this quick detail:

On both a slingshot and bow, you have this oh so important piece connecting your tips. A continuous piece made out of one material. 

Here’s a screenshot:

This. This would never work. The reason this doesn’t work is because the force of the shot would catch in the string and bow parts and break everything, BEFORE the arrow leaves. SO the shot would never land. The boy cannot successfully connect the points. It needs to be CONTINUOUS. Bard would just cause everything to break and collapse on top of them. In fact, the bow could very well explode because of the sheer amount of force that would be caught in the limbs instead of successfully leaving with the arrow.

How do I know this? Because I’m a friggin’ archer and guess what we do with broken bows for fun when we’re young foolish archers? Yeah. I have actually done something very much like this (sans setting the arrow on a person because that is so so so dangerous) and it’s SUCH A BAD IDEA. HOLY SHIT IS IT A BAD IDEA. Bad ideas might be ok when being attacked by a dragon if it, you know, worked. Does it work? NO. FUCK NO IT DOESN’T.

And now, let’s talk about the use of the son some more. I liked Bard in the books, I HATE the movie version of him (character, not actor, to clarify). Because this scene is never ever EVER appropriate. I give ZERO fucks about the fact that there is a dragon attacking. ZERO. THIS IS NOT OK. The consulting archers on this movie SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN. You know why? Because as a goddamn archery coach I can tell you: kids emulate what they see on movies. The guy who plays Hawkeye? Causes me real life problems because my kids try to emulate him, which usually means they don’t look at their target when shooting or look away from it as they make the shot because “but Hawkeye doesn’t.” You know what happened after this goddamn Hobbit movie came out? I had two students setting up to try this. I HAD REAL STUDENTS DO THIS SHIT AND THANK FUCKING GOD I CAUGHT THEM BEFORE THEY COULD CARRY THROUGH BECAUSE THIS IS DANGEROUS. ONE OF THEM LITERALLY WAS TRYING TO USE THE SHOULDER OF THE OTHER AS AN ARROW REST. I loved loved loved LOVED Peter Jackson for what he did for the Lord of the Rings. Now though? If I ever meet him in real life instead of asking for an autograph and just gushing about how amazing he is, I would have to ask him some questions. One of which would be who his consulting archers were and why they gave this the ok. Because it is not ok. It will never BE ok. Out of all sports, archery actually has the second least amount of injuries despite the fact that we are using real weapons (if I get shot by one of my students’ arrows it WILL puncture). The reason we’re able to accomplish this is because we take safety very, very seriously. And movies like this make it a lot harder to ensure the safety of both students and coaches. 

(No blame goes to the actor of Bard. As far as my movie knowledge goes the director and consultants were in charge of this decision.)

I’m assuming they made the choices they did to add drama. Because obviously the book version was boring. Apparently. And these days in movies audiences love big (the bigger the better) monsters walking directly at them while threatening them. But this is not dramatic. This is not NEAR as intense or dramatic as the book shot, because Smaug was untouchable and out of reach. 

They added the son for drama and to reinforce Bard AS A SHITTY FATHER. Sorry, probably they meant to show him as loving, kind father, which he is, in the books.

Instead of focusing on the FORCE of heat (because that much heat close to you? It’s like a physical force that pushes you back), instead of focusing on how it was his last arrow and he’s by himself . . . because they didn’t. Not enough. They focused on adding a bunch of other stuff going wrong like his son coming and the platform he was on falling, and his bow breaking. This all took away from the drama of him, alone, surrounded by fire, with one arrow left.

I don’t think we (generally speaking, like in general in Hollywood) really understand how to create tension and anxiety in films anymore. How to do drama. We’ve embraced the whole idea of “bigger is better” and a direct threat coming directly at you is scary and “the more going wrong the worse things are.” It’s really disappointing how many movie directors are going this route. I’m not going to do a huge analysis of psychology here, or explain the other strategies of creating drama and tension. But sometimes, smaller is more threatening because it is harder to see and hit; sometimes having a threat that ignores you because you’re not even worth its attention is more threatening because it reinforces the message that you don’t matter (whereas if they’re threatening you directly it’s reinforcing your importance as a threat to them, that they feel the need to deal with you); sometimes it’s just one thing that goes wrong that ruins or can ruin everything.

Conclusion: I will never stop being disappointed and frustrated about this scene in the Hobbit. They had such a beautiful moment and they dropped the ball. And it’s all the sadder because of how on point they were with the Lord of the Rings movies. I was so excited for this, because Bard to me as both literature nerd and as an archer and coach has always been a source of inspiration and awe. 

Peter Jackson was always so aware of his audience and how his movies would affect them for the Lord of the Rings (again, such as ensuring the collapse of the tower in RotK did not mirror the collapse of the Twin Towers). I’m very disappointed that he was not more conscientious when directing this scene. 

I will not apologize for my vehemence. Because setting aside my love of stories as a literature major, stories and entertainment influence reality, and the depiction of archery in movies directly affects me as a coach, and the other coaches I work with. As I have already made clear. Anything that has played a role in causing my students to be in an unsafe situation is something I have to be passionate about because it is my job as a coach to keep them safe. 

I hope this post showed you how amazing Bard is in the books and gave you greater appreciation for the Hobbit. But I also hope it has made you think about your art and how it might affect people. If you are going to share your writing and art with the public, you must be aware that you have a responsibility to think of how it will affect the real world. We can’t all be perfect, and we can’t think of everything. But we must be aware that it’s not “just art for art’s sake” or “just for fun.” It has real life consequences. I also do hope this post might have shown you a bit of how complicated movie making is, and help show how much skill and devotion Peter Jackson has sunk into not only the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but also the trilogy of the Hobbit. Even if I personally did not care for the Hobbit trilogy near so well. Peter Jackson and all the people involved in the films have to make a lot of decisions, and their decisions are much more important than just “what would be cooler.” So despite my issues with this specific scene, thank you, Peter Jackson and all who were involved in the making of this movie. All I ask, if any of you happen to see this, is that you remember that kids emulate their heroes (and with heroes as cool as the characters in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? how can they resist?)

[jzscott]

I’m (pretend) casting a (fictional) Legend of Dragoon Movie (That’ll never freakin’ happen)!

Remember The Legend of Dragoon RPG on the original Sony Playstation? Fantastic game, if you haven’t played it, do so! It’s available on the Playstation online store. Those of you who are familiar with the game, here are my picks for the cast for a Legend of Dragoon movie that’ll never friggin’ happen!

Heath Ledger as Dart Right off the bat, I know what you’re thinking. Heath Ledger tragically passed away in 2008 and I’m well aware of that. But hey, I can dream right? He would have been perfect for the main hero of the story. He was hansom, had shaggy blonde hair like Dart, and the 2001 film A Knight’s Tale proved he could do action, comedy, romance and drama all in the same role. I can see him rocking a headband, clad in red armor ready to fight off some baddies... aw yeah! That would have been soooo cool.

Scott Eastwood as Lavitz Slambert For the tough, serious, war veteran and Knight of Serdio, Scott Eastwood would be perfect. He’s the right age, and he’s got the rugged good looks one would expect the character to have. Dress him in knight’s armor and give him a spear to whoop ass with and boom! There would stand the Jade Dragoon. Karen Gillian as Shana Shana in the game was an archer and in her dragoon form, a healer. For the movie adaptation, I figure she’d need to be a little tougher and less of a “damsel in distress” to fit today’s growing trend of stronger women in media. Karen Gillian of Guardians of the Galaxy would be able to fulfill this perfectly, I think. She’s a beauty, as Shana was meant to be in the game, and I’m pretty sure she could take me in a fight, so I think she could bring a little spice to this roll.

Gal Gadot as Rose You might have to keep her out of the sun for a while to pale up, but Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot would be a great Rose! She could pull off the stoic, no non-sense attitude of the character pretty well, and she has the action movie chops to play a hardened warrior.

Leonardo DiCaprio as Lloyd The villainous Lloyd needs to be hansom, and someone that can play a smarmy dick. When I think hansom, smarmy dick, I think Leonardo DiCaprio. (Not irl, I’ve never met the man, I’m sure he’s a nice guy!) I haven’t seen DiCaprio in many villain roles, but I think he could pull it off. Give him long, silver hair and a big friggin’ sword and stand back.

Bruce Campbell as Haschel The wise old martial artist that may or may not have a secret connection with dart, needs to be played by someone who’s up there in years, but can still handle physical stuff pretty well. The Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead proves that the legendary king of awesome, Bruce Campbell is up to that task. You may have to age him up with make up, but I see no reason why Bruce can’t beat the snot out of some baddiies. Dwayne Johnson as Kongol Kongol is the last of a race known as the Gigantos, so this roll needs an actor larger than life, so why not Dwayne Johnson? At 6′5″, he’s tall, but some LOTR style camera tricks could make him even taller.

Domhnall Gleason as King Albert of Serdio Known to most as the villainous General Hux in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, we’d see him here as the young King of Serdio. He’s a versatile actor, and he can speak with an English accent, which I imagine him having in this roll. Albert didn’t in the game, but the voice acting wasn’t done well in the game. 

Samara Weaving as Meru The happy, cute, perky (and sometimes annoying) Meru would be played by Samara Weaving. Just dye her hair blue and give her some red contacts and there we have Meru! She could pull off the cheerful character, while being able to show some dramatic chops when needed. It also helps that she’s got a rockin’ midriff that she’d be showing for most of the film. If she needed some tips on how to play a fantasy character, she’d just have to ask her uncle Hugo Weaving, who played Lord Elrond in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Well, there’s the principal cast. Do you agree with my picks? Who would you pick for a Legend of Dragoon movie? Let me know!

[allitbb]

And here is part 2. You can read part one on here or on AO3 here. This one is shorter than part 1.

In the name of love part 2

Stacie had been chasing Bella around all day. The little munchkin was like a tornado on steroids some days, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Chasing a four year old may be exhausting, but figuring out Beca Mitchell? That was a damn nightmare. Beca had been pretty distant for the last week. Ever since the wedding. Stacie expected as much but with the producer's schedule, it's hard enough for her to be around as it is. 

 

She didn't want to push Beca, but they had been skirting around each other for years. Hell, they even started hooking up! Beca was busy with work and Stacie was busy with being a mom plus work, so it just made sense. They could help each other since they spent the most time with each other anyways.

 

It's not that Stacie needed her to be there, she just wanted to know where they stood. 

 

She finally got Bella to take her nap when the doorbell rang. "Shit." Stacie whispered. She ran to the door before they could ring it again. She swung the door open ready to curse the bastard when Chloe Beale came into sight. Shit. "Chloe? What are you doing here?"

 

Chloe jumped back a little due to the speed of the door opening. "Hey, Stace!"

 

"Beca's not here."

 

"Oh, no. I know." Chloe saw something similar to rage cross Stacie's features when she said that. "I actually came to talk to you."

 

Stacie sighed. I knew this would happen. She'd get married and then all of a sudden decide she wants to make the move on Beca. "Well. Bella is sleeping so we better talk on the porch." Stacie stepped out but left the front door cracked open so that she could hear Bella if she needed to.

 

"Cool. So. How ya been?" Chloe asked nervously. She wasn't sure how she was going to do this. It's one thing to think it, but it's a completely different thing to actually say what she needed to say. Suck it up, Chloe. Sack up, dude! Chloe chuckled to herself at thinking of Beca's 'speech' for lack of a better term.

 

"Cut to the chase, Chlo. I'm not trying to be rude but Bella was a little hurricane today and I finally have some time to clean up now that she's napping."

 

"Oh." That kind of stung. No she wasn't as close to Stacie as she was Beca, but they're still friends. Brush it off. You got this. "No worries. I actually wanted to talk to you about Beca."

 

"Of course you do." Stacie sighed. "Look. I get it, Chlo. You're in love with her. And now you're thinking you made a mistake marrying Chicago."

 

Chloe went to interrupt but was stopped by Stacie.

 

"I'm not finished. And I'm not stupid. I know she's in love with you too. Now I'm not entirely clear as to why she never made the move, but that's her choice. So if you want to try and get her, fine. But don't think I'm just going to step aside and let you have her willingly. I'm pretty sure I've fallen for that infuriating hobbit and I'll be damned if the only person I've ever seen a future with just slips through my fingers!" Stacie was breathing heavily trying to control herself by the end. That was the first time she admitted out loud how she felt and it was both thrilling and terrifying. Because this is Chloe Beale, Beca's first true love. Stacie wasn't sure if she could actually win this.

 

Chloe was smiling as tears rolled down her cheeks. 

 

"What? Why are you smiling? Did I break you?" Stacie asked with furrowed brows. 

 

Chloe shook her head and cleared her tears. "No. No sorry." She said sniffling. "You just made this so much easier."

 

"Made what easier?" Stacie was even more confused now.

 

"Giving Beca up." Chloe smiled sadly. Stacie went to say something but Chloe beat her to it. "I've been in love with Beca for so many years. So many, Stace. She has been my rock. My shoulder to cry on. My protector. She has been the most loyal person in my life. She is ridiculously beautiful and so much smarter than she gives herself credit for. She is kind and gentle even though she'll never admit it. But. I've finally come to realise that she's not mine to keep. She needs someone who can hold their own when she's not around, because no matter how far she's come she still needs to shut down sometimes. She needs someone who isn't scared of standing up to her when she's being a little shit. She needs someone who won't bug the piss out of her all day while she's working. And I know myself well enough to know that I would drag her down. I'd make her feel guilty for not putting me first. I'd make her hate herself for hurting me. She needs to be a part of someone's world, not the whole thing. She is music incarnate and I don't want to ruin that. She needs someone who will fight for her fiercely. And though she won't admit it, she needs someone that can protect her too. Protect her from herself. I came here to let you know that if you want her, fight for her. I wasn't strong enough to. That's just not who I am." Chloe's face was beat red due to trying to hold her tears in.

 

Stacie pulled Chloe into her arms and kissed her temple. Finally the dam broke and Chloe was sobbing into Stacie's chest. 

 

"I'm sorry, Stace. I really didn't mean to cry." Chloe said, trying to wrangle in her tears.

 

"No. Hey, don't apologize. I can't even imagine how hard that was for you." 

 

"I just want you to know, Stace, I'm not gonna try and take her from you. Ever. I know she hasn't said it, but that girl loves you. I would never hurt her like that and I'd never hurt you. You're family and I love you."

 

Stacie nodded as her own tears fell. "Thanks, Chlo."

 

"Anyways!" Chloe said stepping back out of Stacie's reach. "I'm gonna get out of here. We literally got back to the states yesterday and then I flew over here. And you, mommy, apparently have a house to pick up."

 

Stacie giggled as she dried her eyes. "Yeah. I really do. I'll see you later, Chlo." Stacie watched as Chloe walked to her rental car. As soon as Chloe open the door Stacie yelled. "Hey, Chlo!"

 

"Yeah!"

 

"I love you too!"

 

Chloe gave her a beaming smile and left.

 

Stacie walked inside and made up her mind. Time to get my girl. She pulled out her phone and hit call on her number one contact. The phone rang five times before there was an answer.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Beca friggin Mitchell. Where the hell are you?" Stacie tried to put as much anger into her voice as she could.

 

"Uhhh. At home?"

 

"Is that a question?" Stacie arched her eyebrow even though Beca couldn't see it.

 

"Uhhh. No?"

 

"I haven't seen you in a week and I've barely heard from you. I know you're not in the middle of a project. So you better get your ass over here."

 

"Ummm. Yeah. Yeah, ok. Give me fifteen?"

 

"I'll give you twelve. Move it." Stacie hung up before Beca could reply again.

 

Xxxx

 

Beca shook out her hands nervously before she rang the doorbell. She had a key but wasn't sure if she should use it since Stacie had sounded so mad. Before she could press the button the door swung open. 

 

"I know you were not about to ring that bell. The tyrant is sleeping."

 

"Uhh." Beca wasn't really sure how to form words at that moment. Ever since her and Stacie started sleeping together, it was super easy for Stacie to fluster her. She really didn't have to try. Apparently all it took was opening her door in a sports bra and booty shorts. Even though Beca had seen her in far less, her brain was fried nonetheless.

 

"Is that all you have to say today?" Stacie cocked her hip out. "Get in here, Mitchell." Stacie grabbed her forearm and pulled her in. 

 

As soon as the door was shut Beca was slammed against the door with Stacie's mouth latched onto her own. Beca kissed back of course. What else do you do when a succubus has you cornered? Beca felt Stacie's tongue slide across her lips and let her in easily. Stacie moaned into the kiss and Beca had to hold back a whimper of her own.

 

Before it got too heated, Stacie pulled away and rested her forehead against Beca's. "I've missed you." Stacie whispered. 

 

Beca melted into a puddle without even realizing it. "I missed you too."

 

"Where did you go?" Stacie asked as she pulled back and stared into those midnight blue eyes. 

 

"Just. Uh. Needed to clear my head, ya know" 

 

Stacie smiled and nodded her head. "I know. Just giving you shit. You wouldn't have come if you didn't think I was mad. And I really needed to talk to you."

 

Beca let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Jesus, Stace! Don't scare me like that!"

 

Stacie chuckled. "No, but seriously. I need to talk to you. But I'm going to do it while I'm here keeping you against this door, barely dressed, so you can know what you're missing out on if you say no. And also, so you can get your prize quicker if you say yes."

 

Beca tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brows in question.

 

"I want you to be mine." Stacie said. Her voice finally showing her nerves. "And not just when we sleep together. I want to be able to call you mine and claim you before someone else can. I want you to come back from tour and not be scared to claim me, too. I want you to kiss me whenever you want. I want you to put people in their place when they hit on me. I want your bites on my neck and your arms around my waist. I want it all and I want it with you. And if you give that to me. If you let me have you. I'll do all those things for you."

 

"Stace, I-"

 

"No, let me finish." Stacie rushed out. "I know you need your space. I'm not asking you to sit on the couch and cuddle me whenever you have any free time. I'm not asking you to drop everything just to spend one more night with me. I just. When. Ugh." Stacie backed away and started pacing. "I'm just saying, that when you do want that. When you do need the connection and intimacy, I want to be that person for you.  I don't need you to follow me around like a puppy. I have my own life and all I'm asking is for you to be a part of that. Permanently."

 

Beca smiled and watched as Stacie kept rambling. She honestly tuned her out after she said 'I want to be that person for you.' Finally she saw that Stacie was about to cry, so she snapped herself out of it and grabbed Stacie's waist. She spun her around and pulled her down for a searing kiss. "Shut up, you dork. I'm yours already."

 

Stacie smiled the most blinding smile. "Yeah?"

 

"Yeah." Beca chuckled. 

 

"So. You're my girlfriend?" Stacie asked nervously.

 

"Not for long if you keep up with the frivolous questions!" Beca joked.

 

Stacie slapped her arm. "God. You're the worst."

 

Beca pulled her in tight and pulled her head down to where their lips were almost touching. "I told you." Beca whispered. "I haven't gone by God in a long time." Beca cackled loudly again as Stacie pulled away and rolled her eyes.

 

"Momma!" They both heard coming from down the hall.

 

Stacie looked Beca dead in the eye. "It's your fault that we don't get to have celebratory sex!"

[geekrenaissance]

#marchmeetthemaker day 10: Authentic Space 😏 ok... Here it is! My studio space/hobbit hole. It's about as cluttered as the inside of my head, but I love my geeky mess. Tiny tour time. Don't be scared. 💛 The first slide is my desk with all my #wip stuff on it 🔨 slide 2 is my army of #HarryPotter #funkopops (perfect view while I'm working). Slides 3 & 4 are of my tall rolling organizer...so awesome for craft supply storage (& peep my handmade weirwood tree lamp 😍 #HouseStark for life!) 💛 Slide 5 is the top of my desk 😅 #fangirl books for inspiration, a few big #funkos (#RiverSong is my fave) & a busted printer/bookend 😜 slide 6 is from my 2nd bedroom (yes, just like Dudley Dursley. 😂) my much cleaner desk, & new fancy printer...friggin love that thing! 💛 Second bedroom also has a second bathroom...that's slide 7...& it's the ONLY place in my hideout with natural light, so it's become my greenhouse & photo booth. & that brings us back out to the 2nd bedroom for slide 8: the the lil playroom area for any visiting kiddos (check out the marshmallow handprints on my dresser) 💘 I love my space. So lucky to have a place to perform all my experiments like a proper mad scientist...thanks for comin for a look! 🏰 . 🏰 . 🏰 #artchallenge #artistsoninstagram #art #crafts #craft #diaries #crafters #workspace #workshop #WorkInProgress #resincraft #marchmeetthemaker2020 #makersgonnamake #FangirlLife #geekery #myroom #dontjudge #shopsmall https://www.instagram.com/p/B9jqH-Ognsi/?igshid=en9u2i747uvj

[singiluu]

Btw i'm in Amsterdam for the weekend eyyyy. It's been like eight years since I last came here. Our bed and breakfast is super lovely. The guy who runs it is like 2 meters tall and makes me and my dad look like friggin hobbits but idc bc I LOVE TALL PEOPLE. But okay so the owner is an editor and our rooms are filled with books so I just took about half an hour just to check all the books and now I picked two to read. It's such a calming place. Heck, I needed this after having some bad days.

[garden-ghoul]

fellowship of the bloggening, part 7

“I actually checked this time and it’s totally part 7″

THE BRIDGE OF KHAZAD-DUM

Gandalf finds a bloodstained book by Balin’s tomb, and Tolkien makes it his mission to recreate as accurately as possible the experience of reading a partial text that needs Deciphering. Because he’s a nerd. The book is basically a family diary that recounts how things went for Balin & co since they came to Moria 30 years ago.

'I fear their end was cruel. Listen! We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and second hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there. Then there are four lines smeared so that I can only read went 5 days ago. The last lines run The pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin. We cannot get out. The end comes, and then drums, drums in the deep. The last thing written is in a trailing scrawl of elf-letters: they are coming. There is nothing more.'

I’m endeared, because this is exactly the kind of thing I wrote in my journals when I was 12 because I thought it sounded impressive--that semi-poetic repetition of we cannot get out and the “trailing scrawl” at the end where you can see someone was trying to run away while writing. I really want dwarven record-keeping to be a specific poetic form, I want every kind of writing to have a specific poetic form, up to and including sales receipts.

As the company is leaving the records chamber they hear the doom, doom of enormous drums (have always loved that as an onomatopoeia). Legolas and Gimli, the nerds, immediately quote from the ominous text they just read, to express their fear, and at the same time the hypothesis that whatever killed Balin’s guys is coming for them. Very elegant use of echolalia! But it does make them sound, like nerds.

They are attacked by orcs, bla bla, the hobbits are surprisingly courageous and good at fighting! Well, Frodo and Sam are. We hear nothing of valiant deeds performed by Merry and Pippin. They flee out the other door of the records chamber; Gandalf stays behind to do something--I thought he was sealing the door with magic, but he says he was nearly defeated by something up there? It did a magic battle with Gandalf over the lock of the door, which is terribly exciting but left our wizard exhausted. When the door exploded, something “dark as a cloud” was obscuring the room. One point for my firesmoke balrogs. Anyway, we reach another hall, one level below the west gate (I love how Gandalf is carefully narrating exactly where they are). This hall has familiar pillars carved into the shapes of enormous trees. I assume it’s one of Tolkien’s imagery obsessions, but still I’m adding it to the Menegroth-Angband-Mandos trifecta of places to face one’s doom. Doom, doom, say the drums in the deep. The company moves on to the narrow bridge over a Hella Pit, designed to be difficult and unsafe for enemies to cross.

Also there’s this really neat balrog description:

What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater. It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had bent over it. Then with a rush it leaped across the fissure. The flames roared up to greet it, and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it.

So basically balrogs look like a cloud of black smoke concealing an enormous humanoid form, but their dash attack is rocket powered. Also later it says that it has wings that span the entire hall. Very cool, but not as cool as walking tripod jellyfish things that whip out tendrils of fire to sting people.

Gandalf faces the balrog on the bridge, cuts its flaming sword to pieces (hell yeah). And he makes a stopping-spell so powerful that his staff shatters as the spell takes effect, cutting the bridge in two. But as we know he gets dragged into the pit. The company flees into daylight, scattering terrified orcs before them, and then once they’re out of bowshot of the walls they all stand there weeping.

Will our heroes make it to

LOTHLORIEN?

Tune in right now to find out! Or, in a little while. Aragorn says, enough crying we have lots to do. Gimli takes a brief detour to see Dimrill Dale’s biggest tourist spot, the location where Durin first looked into the Mirrormere and saw a prophetic vision of himself becoming an eternal king. You can actually see the jewels in his crown down there “till he wakes.” Um. What? What are those? Ah also Gimli really really wants Frodo, specifically, to see this with him. He knows Frodo is a history nerd. I love him.

Anyway they hike until they get to Lorien; it being winter, the leaves on the trees are gold. Thanks Galadriel for acknowledging that seasons exist, kinda. Legolas notes that a “secret power” protects the wood, although apparently nobody knows what it is (Nenya). Boromir is less happy to be here, because in Gondor the rumor is that nobody who walks into the Golden Wood ever walks out. Probably because y’all aren’t exactly elf-friends.

'Perilous indeed,' said Aragorn, 'fair and perilous; but only evil need fear it, or those who bring some evil with them.’

Stares at Aragorn. Stares at the Ring, the most evil artifact left in the world. Stares at Aragorn again. Anyway they walk until they find the river Nimrodel, which Legolas says brings healing to the weary. So he paddles in it for a bit. When they make camp he sings about Nimrodel and her beau, but breaks off, saying that he forgot the rest. When did elves become able to forget things? This new?

Then there’s a long passage that I forgot to blog because it was really engagingly written, but basically our heroes meet some Lorien elves and hang out in treehouses for a while, Legolas and Gimli argue about why the Lorien elves distrust dwarves so much, and the party takes a stroll. Everyone gets un-blindfolded and Frodo and Sam talk a bunch about how dreamlike and unchanging Lorien is. Sounds like a terrifying place. There’s also an element of “echoes of the past” here; Frodo hears the sea and calls of extinct seabirds from on top of Amroth’s Hill. The implication is that Lorien has been unchanged for thousands of years, and Frodo feels it will remain that way forever.

THE MIRROR OF GALADRIEL

We enter the one and only city in Lothlorien, Caras Galadhon. This city is unique not only in that all the buildings are trees, but also in the fact that our heroes can’t see anyone there. They hear people moving around, talking, and singing, but they don’t see anyone. This implies some kind of very interesting culture, I’m sure. Well, when they get to the throne room or whatever, Celeborn greets each of the travellers by name, as if to impress upon them that he already knows everrrrythingggg. Galadriel is silent and scary until it’s time to correct her husband on the reason Gandalf isn’t here. The tale of Gandalf’s fall is told; Celeborn is so ready to blame dwarves for this, because he is as racist as ever, but Galadriel chides him for it like she always does. She speaks of Khazad-dum and environs in dwarvish, possibly for the purpose of flirting with Gimli, and they smile at each other.

He rose clumsily and bowed in dwarf-fashion, saying: 'Yet more fair is the living land of Lórien, and the Lady Galadriel is above all the jewels that lie beneath the earth!’ 

Did you have to put in ‘clumsily.’ We get it, he’s not an elf. Whatever. Gimli and Galadriel are cute, she’s trying very hard to show everyone that she’s less racist than her husband. I also want to appreciate how people keep using “before the fall of Gondolin and Nargothrond” as a very specific time measure. I’m guessing that that’s what people say when they mean “in the First Age” but don’t want to, uh, ruin immersion by being specific.

Our heroes get some much-needed rest. They sleep a lot and go for constitutionals among the trees. Legolas goes out to a lot of elf-ragers or something, and gradually starts bringing Gimli with him. Oh, you finally noticed he’s a real stand-up guy, huh? Well, it’s nice that they’re both making friends.

Later Galadriel fetches Frodo and Sam to look into her magic mirror. They see various things. Frodo last sees the Eye of Sauron, and Galadriel does a little speech about how she uses Nenya to defend Lothlorian from his eye and his mind.

‘Do you not see now wherefore your coming is to us as the footstep of Doom? For if you fail, then we are laid bare to the Enemy. Yet if you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlórien will fade, and the tides of Time will sweep it away.’

Oho! So the Three do draw a good portion of their power from the One, even though Celebrimbor tried his best to make them independent. That must have taken some doing, forging a magic that would subjugate all free rings. I like to think that he had to put a constraint of rings only on it, in order for it to be strong enough to stand against Celebrimbor’s work. Also:

‘We must depart into the West, or dwindle to a rustic folk of dell and cave, slowly to forget and to be forgotten.'

Mmm perfect memory as maybe a First Age thing specifically; perfect memory that depends on the state of the world and maybe even the blessing of the Valar and their presence on the same planet. I friggin dig it. Frodo also offers Galadriel the Ring--one passing that I have to assume the Ring is actually encouraging, rather than its normal unwillingness to leave any one owner. Galadriel does her speech about what will happen if she gets the Ring. I read it as kind of a warning/intimidation tactic honestly. In the movie they portrayed it as a power trip and her being tempted, but I think she already finished tempting herself long ago and decided not to take it. The test she speaks of here isn’t a test of wisdom, it’s a test of willpower in sticking to the decision she already made.

[endlessarchite]

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING)

When we were visiting the Bowers this weekend, we shared some fleeting photos of a super adorable kids bookstore on Instagram stories. Then we got a barrage of messages and comments to the tune of: PLEASE DO A POST ABOUT THIS STORE SO IT WON’T BE GONE IN 24 HOURS! So here we are, with those photos (and some more we didn’t share on IG) for anyone who’s looking for some fun kids room ideas. Or adult room ideas. We all LOVED this place so much. It’s in Monroe, Georgia and it’s called The Story Shop – and it’s the cutest bookstore we’ve ever seen. You think I’m exaggerating with that description but in the words of Hamilton: just you wait.

See that grand bookcase, library ladder, and globe collection? It’s like all of the elements of a cool old library executed in a fresh and playful way. And we loved that happy aqua accent wall (try Benjamin Moore’s Misty Teal for a similar look – just on one wall, a door, or a piece of furniture to avoid overwhelming a room). But my favorite part of this store’s entry was that little old TV under the pink side table. Written on it in white were the words “read instead.”

The other thing that caught my eye right away was this wallpaper which is Wild by Chasing Paper (yes, I asked a million questions while walking around with my mouth open). It’s peel & stick, so it’s removable and they said it was really easy to hang. It’d be so cute in a kids room on the wall behind the bed. I also loved those colorful animal heads (this one and this one) that they painted in bright colors and then added funny things (glasses! a crown! a mustache!). And of course the handmade sign with literary locales was just one of many clever book references throughout the store.

Speaking of magical book references, look at this armoire, er, wardrobe that LEADS TO A HIDDEN ROOM! Kids could climb right through it and it was SUCH A HIT. Let the record state that grown ups were doing it too. Fun for the whole family. Also – we’ve actually seen an armoire like this in a grown up bedroom space that led to a secret closet and it was equally mesmerizing. Just a really fun and unexpected idea for a home or a shop.

I realize this begs the question: what’s behind the wardrobe? It wasn’t lions or witches, but there was a whale involved. It led to their storytelling room, which was ridiculously fun. And it was really smart of them to fill the big space with two identical rugs (I tracked down the exact rugs they used) rather than to have to splurge on (or maneuver) one giant rug for the room.

Speaking of secret spaces, there was also a little round Hobbit hole door that led to a tiny play space for kids to hang out in. I remember a children’s clothing store growing up that had a little hole for kids to enter through instead of the main door and I LOVED GOING (and I hated every other clothing store by comparison). We actually featured a home in our second book with a secret “mousehole” passageway between two kids’ rooms that I’m still thinking about three years after we shot it (it’s on page 302, btw).

Here’s another shot of that hobbit hole in use, and you can also see some other fun touches, like that awesome brick wall they swarmed with butterflies (something we also did in our playroom!) and the felt garland they strung from a piece of driftwood (I think this is the garland they used, but Etsy has tons of other options). Oh and see Peter Pan’s shadow? They didn’t miss a single opportunity to add in little storybook nods wherever they could.

Our kids (there were 6 of ’em between us and the Bowers!) immediately found their way to the swing that the store (bravely) hung in one corner. Everyone managed to take turns, mostly peacefully, and no one knocked over the incredible peaked bookcase village that displayed stories from all over the world – so I’d call that a win. You could easily DIY a little “cityscape” of bookcases like this, or purchase pre-made ones like this and this to recreate it on a smaller scale.

Also… hanging books. Do you see them suspended from the ceiling by strings? They had bent their pages like origami so they stayed fanned open, kind of like these. They were so much fun to look at from below (and they gave me flashbacks to the most recent season of Orange Is The New Black, which was so good you guys). Also those books in the foreground stole my heart. Especially this one about Frida Kahlo and this one about Maya Angelou.

They sold a few little toys, costumes, and t-shirts, so you’d figure they’d have hanging racks or rods or something for the clothing. NOPE. Colorful chairs hung from the wall. With Humpty Dumpty balancing on one of them. Because that’s how they roll.

Also, back to the big bookcase from the first picture. All of the art in the store had some sort of literary reference in it (including these Baby Lit prints they sold) which added to the whole “reading is fun” vibe of the place. And who noticed the rose in the cloche on the bookcase with the ladder? BELLE, right?! I’m telling you, there were so many cute hidden gems like that in here. Also, see the Cheshire Cat disappearing into that chair in the corner? They just ironed a mouth right onto the chair. These people could not have put more thought into this space. I know I’m gushing, but they deserve every last gush.

Here’s a close up of the rainbow books on the shelf. This little lineup of hardcover classic books by Puffin made my heart ache for a collection of my very own. Also, the Penguin ones below them. I might even let the kids read them too ;)

THEY EVEN FRIGGIN’ MADE GIANT PAPER FLOWERS like the queen’s roses that were painted in Alice In Wonderland. I mean. At this point I might have been hyperventilating.

Oh and see that room off to the right in the photo above? That’s the party room. Kids (and grown ups!) can have parties here and let me tell you, THEY DO NOT PHONE IT IN. The one they were prepping for was Peter Pan themed, and the table was full of sweet references, like thimbles in a bowl labeled “Kisses From Wendy” and a ticking clock like the one a certain crocodile swallowed. They also do Alice In Wonderland and other themes. I’m a 35-year-old woman and I want a party there now. “I want a feast! I want a bean feast!” (name that movie… based on a book, of course).

I also loved all of the twinkle lights they hung overhead (who says you can’t do that in a kids room – or your own room?!). Those plus the “grass” on the wall and the string lights made this whole room feel like an outdoor courtyard. Or perhaps a tea party with a certain mad host.

Also, THIS CHAIR. I can’t. I just can’t.

No wait, THIS CHAIR. Nothing makes my heart go pitter patter like a hand-carved bunny (let the record state that ten minutes before seeing this chair I never knew that was my thing).

Even the back of the store was witty and charming. Have you ever seen a more clever way to keep customers out of the employees-only area?

Bonus footage: I did my best Belle impression while Katie stole a chance to rest her feet. I know how to act in public, I swear. “No denying she’s a funny girl that Bellllllle.”

So if you’re ever passing through Monroe, Georgia or if you live nearby I hope you have a chance to see The Story Shop for yourself. Even if you don’t live very close, this place is totally road-trip worthy! And when we shared some pics on Instagram we actually heard from the designer, whose name is Stephanie Cannon, and get this – she reads our blog and listens to our podcast (!!!!!). She was so sweet and actually saw us when we were in Monroe, so it was really funny because she thought she was fangirling us, but you guys, I AM TOTALLY FANGIRLING HER.

PS: John here, and now for a minor public service announcement to end this bookish post – please support your local independent bookstores. They may not be as cheap or easy to shop at as Amazon or B&N, but we’ve all seen a certain documentary called You’ve Got Mail, right? All kidding aside, we try to make it a habit of purchasing from great stores like these so that there can continue to be great stores like these. Okay, off my soapbox!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) appeared first on Young House Love.

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) published first on http://ift.tt/2qxZz2j

[amplepower]

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING)

When we were visiting the Bowers this weekend, we shared some fleeting photos of a super adorable kids bookstore on Instagram stories. Then we got a barrage of messages and comments to the tune of: PLEASE DO A POST ABOUT THIS STORE SO IT WON’T BE GONE IN 24 HOURS! So here we are, with those photos (and some more we didn’t share on IG) for anyone who’s looking for some fun kids room ideas. Or adult room ideas. We all LOVED this place so much. It’s in Monroe, Georgia and it’s called The Story Shop – and it’s the cutest bookstore we’ve ever seen. You think I’m exaggerating with that description but in the words of Hamilton: just you wait.

See that grand bookcase, library ladder, and globe collection? It’s like all of the elements of a cool old library executed in a fresh and playful way. And we loved that happy aqua accent wall (try Benjamin Moore’s Misty Teal for a similar look – just on one wall, a door, or a piece of furniture to avoid overwhelming a room). But my favorite part of this store’s entry was that little old TV under the pink side table. Written on it in white were the words “read instead.”

The other thing that caught my eye right away was this wallpaper which is Wild by Chasing Paper (yes, I asked a million questions while walking around with my mouth open). It’s peel & stick, so it’s removable and they said it was really easy to hang. It’d be so cute in a kids room on the wall behind the bed. I also loved those colorful animal heads (this one and this one) that they painted in bright colors and then added funny things (glasses! a crown! a mustache!). And of course the handmade sign with literary locales was just one of many clever book references throughout the store.

Speaking of magical book references, look at this armoire, er, wardrobe that LEADS TO A HIDDEN ROOM! Kids could climb right through it and it was SUCH A HIT. Let the record state that grown ups were doing it too. Fun for the whole family. Also – we’ve actually seen an armoire like this in a grown up bedroom space that led to a secret closet and it was equally mesmerizing. Just a really fun and unexpected idea for a home or a shop.

I realize this begs the question: what’s behind the wardrobe? It wasn’t lions or witches, but there was a whale involved. It led to their storytelling room, which was ridiculously fun. And it was really smart of them to fill the big space with two identical rugs (I tracked down the exact rugs they used) rather than to have to splurge on (or maneuver) one giant rug for the room.

Speaking of secret spaces, there was also a little round Hobbit hole door that led to a tiny play space for kids to hang out in. I remember a children’s clothing store growing up that had a little hole for kids to enter through instead of the main door and I LOVED GOING (and I hated every other clothing store by comparison). We actually featured a home in our second book with a secret “mousehole” passageway between two kids’ rooms that I’m still thinking about three years after we shot it (it’s on page 302, btw).

Here’s another shot of that hobbit hole in use, and you can also see some other fun touches, like that awesome brick wall they swarmed with butterflies (something we also did in our playroom!) and the felt garland they strung from a piece of driftwood (I think this is the garland they used, but Etsy has tons of other options). Oh and see Peter Pan’s shadow? They didn’t miss a single opportunity to add in little storybook nods wherever they could.

Our kids (there were 6 of ’em between us and the Bowers!) immediately found their way to the swing that the store (bravely) hung in one corner. Everyone managed to take turns, mostly peacefully, and no one knocked over the incredible peaked bookcase village that displayed stories from all over the world – so I’d call that a win. You could easily DIY a little “cityscape” of bookcases like this, or purchase pre-made ones like this and this to recreate it on a smaller scale.

Also… hanging books. Do you see them suspended from the ceiling by strings? They had bent their pages like origami so they stayed fanned open, kind of like these. They were so much fun to look at from below (and they gave me flashbacks to the most recent season of Orange Is The New Black, which was so good you guys). Also those books in the foreground stole my heart. Especially this one about Frida Kahlo and this one about Maya Angelou.

They sold a few little toys, costumes, and t-shirts, so you’d figure they’d have hanging racks or rods or something for the clothing. NOPE. Colorful chairs hung from the wall. With Humpty Dumpty balancing on one of them. Because that’s how they roll.

Also, back to the big bookcase from the first picture. All of the art in the store had some sort of literary reference in it (including these Baby Lit prints they sold) which added to the whole “reading is fun” vibe of the place. And who noticed the rose in the cloche on the bookcase with the ladder? BELLE, right?! I’m telling you, there were so many cute hidden gems like that in here. Also, see the Cheshire Cat disappearing into that chair in the corner? They just ironed a mouth right onto the chair. These people could not have put more thought into this space. I know I’m gushing, but they deserve every last gush.

Here’s a close up of the rainbow books on the shelf. This little lineup of hardcover classic books by Puffin made my heart ache for a collection of my very own. Also, the Penguin ones below them. I might even let the kids read them too ;)

THEY EVEN FRIGGIN’ MADE GIANT PAPER FLOWERS like the queen’s roses that were painted in Alice In Wonderland. I mean. At this point I might have been hyperventilating.

Oh and see that room off to the right in the photo above? That’s the party room. Kids (and grown ups!) can have parties here and let me tell you, THEY DO NOT PHONE IT IN. The one they were prepping for was Peter Pan themed, and the table was full of sweet references, like thimbles in a bowl labeled “Kisses From Wendy” and a ticking clock like the one a certain crocodile swallowed. They also do Alice In Wonderland and other themes. I’m a 35-year-old woman and I want a party there now. “I want a feast! I want a bean feast!” (name that movie… based on a book, of course).

I also loved all of the twinkle lights they hung overhead (who says you can’t do that in a kids room – or your own room?!). Those plus the “grass” on the wall and the string lights made this whole room feel like an outdoor courtyard. Or perhaps a tea party with a certain mad host.

Also, THIS CHAIR. I can’t. I just can’t.

No wait, THIS CHAIR. Nothing makes my heart go pitter patter like a hand-carved bunny (let the record state that ten minutes before seeing this chair I never knew that was my thing).

Even the back of the store was witty and charming. Have you ever seen a more clever way to keep customers out of the employees-only area?

Bonus footage: I did my best Belle impression while Katie stole a chance to rest her feet. I know how to act in public, I swear. “No denying she’s a funny girl that Bellllllle.”

So if you’re ever passing through Monroe, Georgia or if you live nearby I hope you have a chance to see The Story Shop for yourself. Even if you don’t live very close, this place is totally road-trip worthy! And when we shared some pics on Instagram we actually heard from the designer, whose name is Stephanie Cannon, and get this – she reads our blog and listens to our podcast (!!!!!). She was so sweet and actually saw us when we were in Monroe, so it was really funny because she thought she was fangirling us, but you guys, I AM TOTALLY FANGIRLING HER.

PS: John here, and now for a minor public service announcement to end this bookish post – please support your local independent bookstores. They may not be as cheap or easy to shop at as Amazon or B&N, but we’ve all seen a certain documentary called You’ve Got Mail, right? All kidding aside, we try to make it a habit of purchasing from great stores like these so that there can continue to be great stores like these. Okay, off my soapbox!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) appeared first on Young House Love.

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) posted first on findqueenslandelectricians.blogspot.com

[truereviewpage]

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING)

When we were visiting the Bowers this weekend, we shared some fleeting photos of a super adorable kids bookstore on Instagram stories. Then we got a barrage of messages and comments to the tune of: PLEASE DO A POST ABOUT THIS STORE SO IT WON’T BE GONE IN 24 HOURS! So here we are, with those photos (and some more we didn’t share on IG) for anyone who’s looking for some fun kids room ideas. Or adult room ideas. We all LOVED this place so much. It’s in Monroe, Georgia and it’s called The Story Shop – and it’s the cutest bookstore we’ve ever seen. You think I’m exaggerating with that description but in the words of Hamilton: just you wait.

See that grand bookcase, library ladder, and globe collection? It’s like all of the elements of a cool old library executed in a fresh and playful way. And we loved that happy aqua accent wall (try Benjamin Moore’s Misty Teal for a similar look – just on one wall, a door, or a piece of furniture to avoid overwhelming a room). But my favorite part of this store’s entry was that little old TV under the pink side table. Written on it in white were the words “read instead.”

The other thing that caught my eye right away was this wallpaper which is Wild by Chasing Paper (yes, I asked a million questions while walking around with my mouth open). It’s peel & stick, so it’s removable and they said it was really easy to hang. It’d be so cute in a kids room on the wall behind the bed. I also loved those colorful animal heads (this one and this one) that they painted in bright colors and then added funny things (glasses! a crown! a mustache!). And of course the handmade sign with literary locales was just one of many clever book references throughout the store.

Speaking of magical book references, look at this armoire, er, wardrobe that LEADS TO A HIDDEN ROOM! Kids could climb right through it and it was SUCH A HIT. Let the record state that grown ups were doing it too. Fun for the whole family. Also – we’ve actually seen an armoire like this in a grown up bedroom space that led to a secret closet and it was equally mesmerizing. Just a really fun and unexpected idea for a home or a shop.

I realize this begs the question: what’s behind the wardrobe? It wasn’t lions or witches, but there was a whale involved. It led to their storytelling room, which was ridiculously fun. And it was really smart of them to fill the big space with two identical rugs (I tracked down the exact rugs they used) rather than to have to splurge on (or maneuver) one giant rug for the room.

Speaking of secret spaces, there was also a little round Hobbit hole door that led to a tiny play space for kids to hang out in. I remember a children’s clothing store growing up that had a little hole for kids to enter through instead of the main door and I LOVED GOING (and I hated every other clothing store by comparison). We actually featured a home in our second book with a secret “mousehole” passageway between two kids’ rooms that I’m still thinking about three years after we shot it (it’s on page 302, btw).

Here’s another shot of that hobbit hole in use, and you can also see some other fun touches, like that awesome brick wall they swarmed with butterflies (something we also did in our playroom!) and the felt garland they strung from a piece of driftwood (I think this is the garland they used, but Etsy has tons of other options). Oh and see Peter Pan’s shadow? They didn’t miss a single opportunity to add in little storybook nods wherever they could.

Our kids (there were 6 of ’em between us and the Bowers!) immediately found their way to the swing that the store (bravely) hung in one corner. Everyone managed to take turns, mostly peacefully, and no one knocked over the incredible peaked bookcase village that displayed stories from all over the world – so I’d call that a win. You could easily DIY a little “cityscape” of bookcases like this, or purchase pre-made ones like this and this to recreate it on a smaller scale.

Also… hanging books. Do you see them suspended from the ceiling by strings? They had bent their pages like origami so they stayed fanned open, kind of like these. They were so much fun to look at from below (and they gave me flashbacks to the most recent season of Orange Is The New Black, which was so good you guys). Also those books in the foreground stole my heart. Especially this one about Frida Kahlo and this one about Maya Angelou.

They sold a few little toys, costumes, and t-shirts, so you’d figure they’d have hanging racks or rods or something for the clothing. NOPE. Colorful chairs hung from the wall. With Humpty Dumpty balancing on one of them. Because that’s how they roll.

Also, back to the big bookcase from the first picture. All of the art in the store had some sort of literary reference in it (including these Baby Lit prints they sold) which added to the whole “reading is fun” vibe of the place. And who noticed the rose in the cloche on the bookcase with the ladder? BELLE, right?! I’m telling you, there were so many cute hidden gems like that in here. Also, see the Cheshire Cat disappearing into that chair in the corner? They just ironed a mouth right onto the chair. These people could not have put more thought into this space. I know I’m gushing, but they deserve every last gush.

Here’s a close up of the rainbow books on the shelf. This little lineup of hardcover classic books by Puffin made my heart ache for a collection of my very own. Also, the Penguin ones below them. I might even let the kids read them too ;)

THEY EVEN FRIGGIN’ MADE GIANT PAPER FLOWERS like the queen’s roses that were painted in Alice In Wonderland. I mean. At this point I might have been hyperventilating.

Oh and see that room off to the right in the photo above? That’s the party room. Kids (and grown ups!) can have parties here and let me tell you, THEY DO NOT PHONE IT IN. The one they were prepping for was Peter Pan themed, and the table was full of sweet references, like thimbles in a bowl labeled “Kisses From Wendy” and a ticking clock like the one a certain crocodile swallowed. They also do Alice In Wonderland and other themes. I’m a 35-year-old woman and I want a party there now. “I want a feast! I want a bean feast!” (name that movie… based on a book, of course).

I also loved all of the twinkle lights they hung overhead (who says you can’t do that in a kids room – or your own room?!). Those plus the “grass” on the wall and the string lights made this whole room feel like an outdoor courtyard. Or perhaps a tea party with a certain mad host.

Also, THIS CHAIR. I can’t. I just can’t.

No wait, THIS CHAIR. Nothing makes my heart go pitter patter like a hand-carved bunny (let the record state that ten minutes before seeing this chair I never knew that was my thing).

Even the back of the store was witty and charming. Have you ever seen a more clever way to keep customers out of the employees-only area?

Bonus footage: I did my best Belle impression while Katie stole a chance to rest her feet. I know how to act in public, I swear. “No denying she’s a funny girl that Bellllllle.”

So if you’re ever passing through Monroe, Georgia or if you live nearby I hope you have a chance to see The Story Shop for yourself. Even if you don’t live very close, this place is totally road-trip worthy! And when we shared some pics on Instagram we actually heard from the designer, whose name is Stephanie Cannon, and get this – she reads our blog and listens to our podcast (!!!!!). She was so sweet and actually saw us when we were in Monroe, so it was really funny because she thought she was fangirling us, but you guys, I AM TOTALLY FANGIRLING HER.

PS: John here, and now for a minor public service announcement to end this bookish post – please support your local independent bookstores. They may not be as cheap or easy to shop at as Amazon or B&N, but we’ve all seen a certain documentary called You’ve Got Mail, right? All kidding aside, we try to make it a habit of purchasing from great stores like these so that there can continue to be great stores like these. Okay, off my soapbox!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) appeared first on Young House Love.

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) published first on http://ift.tt/2qCHnUt

[interiorstarweb]

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING)

When we were visiting the Bowers this weekend, we shared some fleeting photos of a super adorable kids bookstore on Instagram stories. Then we got a barrage of messages and comments to the tune of: PLEASE DO A POST ABOUT THIS STORE SO IT WON’T BE GONE IN 24 HOURS! So here we are, with those photos (and some more we didn’t share on IG) for anyone who’s looking for some fun kids room ideas. Or adult room ideas. We all LOVED this place so much. It’s in Monroe, Georgia and it’s called The Story Shop – and it’s the cutest bookstore we’ve ever seen. You think I’m exaggerating with that description but in the words of Hamilton: just you wait.

See that grand bookcase, library ladder, and globe collection? It’s like all of the elements of a cool old library executed in a fresh and playful way. And we loved that happy aqua accent wall (try Benjamin Moore’s Misty Teal for a similar look – just on one wall, a door, or a piece of furniture to avoid overwhelming a room). But my favorite part of this store’s entry was that little old TV under the pink side table. Written on it in white were the words “read instead.”

The other thing that caught my eye right away was this wallpaper which is Wild by Chasing Paper (yes, I asked a million questions while walking around with my mouth open). It’s peel & stick, so it’s removable and they said it was really easy to hang. It’d be so cute in a kids room on the wall behind the bed. I also loved those colorful animal heads (this one and this one) that they painted in bright colors and then added funny things (glasses! a crown! a mustache!). And of course the handmade sign with literary locales was just one of many clever book references throughout the store.

Speaking of magical book references, look at this armoire, er, wardrobe that LEADS TO A HIDDEN ROOM! Kids could climb right through it and it was SUCH A HIT. Let the record state that grown ups were doing it too. Fun for the whole family. Also – we’ve actually seen an armoire like this in a grown up bedroom space that led to a secret closet and it was equally mesmerizing. Just a really fun and unexpected idea for a home or a shop.

I realize this begs the question: what’s behind the wardrobe? It wasn’t lions or witches, but there was a whale involved. It led to their storytelling room, which was ridiculously fun. And it was really smart of them to fill the big space with two identical rugs (I tracked down the exact rugs they used) rather than to have to splurge on (or maneuver) one giant rug for the room.

Speaking of secret spaces, there was also a little round Hobbit hole door that led to a tiny play space for kids to hang out in. I remember a children’s clothing store growing up that had a little hole for kids to enter through instead of the main door and I LOVED GOING (and I hated every other clothing store by comparison). We actually featured a home in our second book with a secret “mousehole” passageway between two kids’ rooms that I’m still thinking about three years after we shot it (it’s on page 302, btw).

Here’s another shot of that hobbit hole in use, and you can also see some other fun touches, like that awesome brick wall they swarmed with butterflies (something we also did in our playroom!) and the felt garland they strung from a piece of driftwood (I think this is the garland they used, but Etsy has tons of other options). Oh and see Peter Pan’s shadow? They didn’t miss a single opportunity to add in little storybook nods wherever they could.

Our kids (there were 6 of ’em between us and the Bowers!) immediately found their way to the swing that the store (bravely) hung in one corner. Everyone managed to take turns, mostly peacefully, and no one knocked over the incredible peaked bookcase village that displayed stories from all over the world – so I’d call that a win. You could easily DIY a little “cityscape” of bookcases like this, or purchase pre-made ones like this and this to recreate it on a smaller scale.

Also… hanging books. Do you see them suspended from the ceiling by strings? They had bent their pages like origami so they stayed fanned open, kind of like these. They were so much fun to look at from below (and they gave me flashbacks to the most recent season of Orange Is The New Black, which was so good you guys). Also those books in the foreground stole my heart. Especially this one about Frida Kahlo and this one about Maya Angelou.

They sold a few little toys, costumes, and t-shirts, so you’d figure they’d have hanging racks or rods or something for the clothing. NOPE. Colorful chairs hung from the wall. With Humpty Dumpty balancing on one of them. Because that’s how they roll.

Also, back to the big bookcase from the first picture. All of the art in the store had some sort of literary reference in it (including these Baby Lit prints they sold) which added to the whole “reading is fun” vibe of the place. And who noticed the rose in the cloche on the bookcase with the ladder? BELLE, right?! I’m telling you, there were so many cute hidden gems like that in here. Also, see the Cheshire Cat disappearing into that chair in the corner? They just ironed a mouth right onto the chair. These people could not have put more thought into this space. I know I’m gushing, but they deserve every last gush.

Here’s a close up of the rainbow books on the shelf. This little lineup of hardcover classic books by Puffin made my heart ache for a collection of my very own. Also, the Penguin ones below them. I might even let the kids read them too ;)

THEY EVEN FRIGGIN’ MADE GIANT PAPER FLOWERS like the queen’s roses that were painted in Alice In Wonderland. I mean. At this point I might have been hyperventilating.

Oh and see that room off to the right in the photo above? That’s the party room. Kids (and grown ups!) can have parties here and let me tell you, THEY DO NOT PHONE IT IN. The one they were prepping for was Peter Pan themed, and the table was full of sweet references, like thimbles in a bowl labeled “Kisses From Wendy” and a ticking clock like the one a certain crocodile swallowed. They also do Alice In Wonderland and other themes. I’m a 35-year-old woman and I want a party there now. “I want a feast! I want a bean feast!” (name that movie… based on a book, of course).

I also loved all of the twinkle lights they hung overhead (who says you can’t do that in a kids room – or your own room?!). Those plus the “grass” on the wall and the string lights made this whole room feel like an outdoor courtyard. Or perhaps a tea party with a certain mad host.

Also, THIS CHAIR. I can’t. I just can’t.

No wait, THIS CHAIR. Nothing makes my heart go pitter patter like a hand-carved bunny (let the record state that ten minutes before seeing this chair I never knew that was my thing).

Even the back of the store was witty and charming. Have you ever seen a more clever way to keep customers out of the employees-only area?

Bonus footage: I did my best Belle impression while Katie stole a chance to rest her feet. I know how to act in public, I swear. “No denying she’s a funny girl that Bellllllle.”

So if you’re ever passing through Monroe, Georgia or if you live nearby I hope you have a chance to see The Story Shop for yourself. Even if you don’t live very close, this place is totally road-trip worthy! And when we shared some pics on Instagram we actually heard from the designer, whose name is Stephanie Cannon, and get this – she reads our blog and listens to our podcast (!!!!!). She was so sweet and actually saw us when we were in Monroe, so it was really funny because she thought she was fangirling us, but you guys, I AM TOTALLY FANGIRLING HER.

PS: John here, and now for a minor public service announcement to end this bookish post – please support your local independent bookstores. They may not be as cheap or easy to shop at as Amazon or B&N, but we’ve all seen a certain documentary called You’ve Got Mail, right? All kidding aside, we try to make it a habit of purchasing from great stores like these so that there can continue to be great stores like these. Okay, off my soapbox!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) appeared first on Young House Love.

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) published first on http://ift.tt/2uiWrIt

[lukerhill]

Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING)

When we were visiting the Bowers this weekend, we shared some fleeting photos of a super adorable kids bookstore on Instagram stories. Then we got a barrage of messages and comments to the tune of: PLEASE DO A POST ABOUT THIS STORE SO IT WON’T BE GONE IN 24 HOURS! So here we are, with those photos (and some more we didn’t share on IG) for anyone who’s looking for some fun kids room ideas. Or adult room ideas. We all LOVED this place so much. It’s in Monroe, Georgia and it’s called The Story Shop – and it’s the cutest bookstore we’ve ever seen. You think I’m exaggerating with that description but in the words of Hamilton: just you wait.

See that grand bookcase, library ladder, and globe collection? It’s like all of the elements of a cool old library executed in a fresh and playful way. And we loved that happy aqua accent wall (try Benjamin Moore’s Misty Teal for a similar look – just on one wall, a door, or a piece of furniture to avoid overwhelming a room). But my favorite part of this store’s entry was that little old TV under the pink side table. Written on it in white were the words “read instead.”

The other thing that caught my eye right away was this wallpaper which is Wild by Chasing Paper (yes, I asked a million questions while walking around with my mouth open). It’s peel & stick, so it’s removable and they said it was really easy to hang. It’d be so cute in a kids room on the wall behind the bed. I also loved those colorful animal heads (this one and this one) that they painted in bright colors and then added funny things (glasses! a crown! a mustache!). And of course the handmade sign with literary locales was just one of many clever book references throughout the store.

Speaking of magical book references, look at this armoire, er, wardrobe that LEADS TO A HIDDEN ROOM! Kids could climb right through it and it was SUCH A HIT. Let the record state that grown ups were doing it too. Fun for the whole family. Also – we’ve actually seen an armoire like this in a grown up bedroom space that led to a secret closet and it was equally mesmerizing. Just a really fun and unexpected idea for a home or a shop.

I realize this begs the question: what’s behind the wardrobe? It wasn’t lions or witches, but there was a whale involved. It led to their storytelling room, which was ridiculously fun. And it was really smart of them to fill the big space with two identical rugs (I tracked down the exact rugs they used) rather than to have to splurge on (or maneuver) one giant rug for the room.

Speaking of secret spaces, there was also a little round Hobbit hole door that led to a tiny play space for kids to hang out in. I remember a children’s clothing store growing up that had a little hole for kids to enter through instead of the main door and I LOVED GOING (and I hated every other clothing store by comparison). We actually featured a home in our second book with a secret “mousehole” passageway between two kids’ rooms that I’m still thinking about three years after we shot it (it’s on page 302, btw).

Here’s another shot of that hobbit hole in use, and you can also see some other fun touches, like that awesome brick wall they swarmed with butterflies (something we also did in our playroom!) and the felt garland they strung from a piece of driftwood (I think this is the garland they used, but Etsy has tons of other options). Oh and see Peter Pan’s shadow? They didn’t miss a single opportunity to add in little storybook nods wherever they could.

Our kids (there were 6 of ’em between us and the Bowers!) immediately found their way to the swing that the store (bravely) hung in one corner. Everyone managed to take turns, mostly peacefully, and no one knocked over the incredible peaked bookcase village that displayed stories from all over the world – so I’d call that a win. You could easily DIY a little “cityscape” of bookcases like this, or purchase pre-made ones like this and this to recreate it on a smaller scale.

Also… hanging books. Do you see them suspended from the ceiling by strings? They had bent their pages like origami so they stayed fanned open, kind of like these. They were so much fun to look at from below (and they gave me flashbacks to the most recent season of Orange Is The New Black, which was so good you guys). Also those books in the foreground stole my heart. Especially this one about Frida Kahlo and this one about Maya Angelou.

They sold a few little toys, costumes, and t-shirts, so you’d figure they’d have hanging racks or rods or something for the clothing. NOPE. Colorful chairs hung from the wall. With Humpty Dumpty balancing on one of them. Because that’s how they roll.

Also, back to the big bookcase from the first picture. All of the art in the store had some sort of literary reference in it (including these Baby Lit prints they sold) which added to the whole “reading is fun” vibe of the place. And who noticed the rose in the cloche on the bookcase with the ladder? BELLE, right?! I’m telling you, there were so many cute hidden gems like that in here. Also, see the Cheshire Cat disappearing into that chair in the corner? They just ironed a mouth right onto the chair. These people could not have put more thought into this space. I know I’m gushing, but they deserve every last gush.

Here’s a close up of the rainbow books on the shelf. This little lineup of hardcover classic books by Puffin made my heart ache for a collection of my very own. Also, the Penguin ones below them. I might even let the kids read them too ;)

THEY EVEN FRIGGIN’ MADE GIANT PAPER FLOWERS like the queen’s roses that were painted in Alice In Wonderland. I mean. At this point I might have been hyperventilating.

Oh and see that room off to the right in the photo above? That’s the party room. Kids (and grown ups!) can have parties here and let me tell you, THEY DO NOT PHONE IT IN. The one they were prepping for was Peter Pan themed, and the table was full of sweet references, like thimbles in a bowl labeled “Kisses From Wendy” and a ticking clock like the one a certain crocodile swallowed. They also do Alice In Wonderland and other themes. I’m a 35-year-old woman and I want a party there now. “I want a feast! I want a bean feast!” (name that movie… based on a book, of course).

I also loved all of the twinkle lights they hung overhead (who says you can’t do that in a kids room – or your own room?!). Those plus the “grass” on the wall and the string lights made this whole room feel like an outdoor courtyard. Or perhaps a tea party with a certain mad host.

Also, THIS CHAIR. I can’t. I just can’t.

No wait, THIS CHAIR. Nothing makes my heart go pitter patter like a hand-carved bunny (let the record state that ten minutes before seeing this chair I never knew that was my thing).

Even the back of the store was witty and charming. Have you ever seen a more clever way to keep customers out of the employees-only area?

Bonus footage: I did my best Belle impression while Katie stole a chance to rest her feet. I know how to act in public, I swear. “No denying she’s a funny girl that Bellllllle.”

So if you’re ever passing through Monroe, Georgia or if you live nearby I hope you have a chance to see The Story Shop for yourself. Even if you don’t live very close, this place is totally road-trip worthy! And when we shared some pics on Instagram we actually heard from the designer, whose name is Stephanie Cannon, and get this – she reads our blog and listens to our podcast (!!!!!). She was so sweet and actually saw us when we were in Monroe, so it was really funny because she thought she was fangirling us, but you guys, I AM TOTALLY FANGIRLING HER.

PS: John here, and now for a minor public service announcement to end this bookish post – please support your local independent bookstores. They may not be as cheap or easy to shop at as Amazon or B&N, but we’ve all seen a certain documentary called You’ve Got Mail, right? All kidding aside, we try to make it a habit of purchasing from great stores like these so that there can continue to be great stores like these. Okay, off my soapbox!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever (Really, It’s AMAZING) appeared first on Young House Love.