#mac: it’s a state function

[art-by-micket]

what could go wrong

[counterspellthisyoucasual]

Will I do something if you ask me to? No. Will I spend over 3 hours trying to get the oldest Mac in existence to a functional level cause I like solving problem?? Absolutely

[sunmoon-starfactory]

Potions A Plenty - Potion Brewing Set

Pulling from most every other set of Sun&Moon for potion ingredients, this set gives the sims the ability to brew various potions that affect moods, skills, life states, aging, pregnancy, health, and a variety of other mostly harmless effects.

The Quick Feature Review/Set Breakdown below the cut.

Download - SFS

View Use/Instruction Manual

The Potion Crafting Bench - The heart of the set itself, the potion bench is where components are stored, prepared, and combined into batches of potions. At this station, sims can do the following.

Practice potion making and brew a total of 56 potions that have varying effects when drank by sims

Earn Logic Skill and Science Enthusiasm

Stock materials

Order Supply Bundles to facilitate quicker potion making

Obtain a Writ of Mastery in potion crafting

Keep a tidy workstation by keeping things clean

A set of “basic” potions, and their ingredients will be considered REQUIRED for function. Do not remove those files. Let the manual guide you.

This set is MAC-compatible and requires Smarter EP Check, Easy Inventory Check, Easy Lot Check and Money Globals. These are HARD requirements. The set will NOT FUNCTION without these files.

Access to these is dictated by logic skill level as well as a writ of mastery/Creature Life State/Traits.

This station has 28 decorative slots, as well as a decorative mode to enable/disable effects and an "in use" look at will.

Story Mode Enabled - Skip all the ingredients and steps, just enjoy the end products, or just run the animations on a station for the ease of taking pictures.

*New Feature* - Station Cleanliness. As the station is used, it will obtain dirty points. This dirty level affects the outcomes of potion crafting and increases failure chances. Make sure to keep the cauldron clean to ensure quality products!

*New Feature* - Supply Ordering. For a flat rate, sims can buy a bulk order of various materials needed for any potion. They will be added directly to the station's crafting counts.

All potions can be found in Hobbies/Logic. Complete Dutch and Portuguese translations. If you'd like to translate into your native language, please share your strings with us and we'll update the set proper!

Inventory Tools & New Items

Botanical Book - Pretty and useful. Inventory Tool.

Writ of Mastery - Apothecary Version. Inventory Tool.

Crate of Jars - 6 glass jars needed for potion making.

Cauldron Dregs - Waste produced from cleaning the station or failing in potion making.

Bonus Items

Reference Tome - In game recipe book for all potions

Counter Split OMSP - Give maxis counters a chance to hold more things!

Display Shelves - 9 decorative slots, two versions.

Apothecary Todd Cart and Pavilion - Previously released sets bundled into this set; they have been optimized and renamed, please remove the old versions.

Potion Specifics

Potions come in 5 types: Basic, Folk Remedy Potions, Arcane Potions, Creature/Lifestate Potions, and Poison Potions. The more fantastical the potion, the more complex it is to make.

Please be aware that depending on your playstyle you will have to add more files from other sources or you can delete certain files from this set without worry; For example, if you do not play your game with creature life states or custom creature life states, you may delete anything related to those potions, provided it is not used in another “basic” potion.

Potions are NOT recolorable and will not be made so in the future. If you wish to alter the bottle/potion colors yourself, this may be done in the properties/categorized properties tab of each subset txmt in SimPe, using the stdMatDiffCoef line.

Potions Vs. Teas: You will notice that many potions have the same effects as previously released teas from the Quali-Tea set. So what’s the difference? 

Teas are based on cooking and logic skills only. Potions function more on Logic skill level and a Writ of Mastery, OR Witch/Warlock state, and other traits.

Teas are single cup per crafting interactions (except basic hunger teas). Potions will always produce in a batch of 6.

In some cases, Teas require MORE ingredients to make, whereas Potions require LESS ingredients but higher Logic skill and rarer/less natural ingredients.

While potions can have the same effect as a similar tea, more risk is involved with taking them and sims can experience adverse/opposite of intended effects.

[elinorasims]

Build | Strangerville | Ziggy's Diner

Lot Info

Type | Restaurant Lot Size | 30x20 World | Strangerville Value | 94,857 Baths | 3 CC | No Packs | Unrestricted Ziggy's Diner is a classicly retro mashup of Googie and passenger train inspired styles situated in Strangerville Plaza.

Ziggy's is a compact restaurant and bar combo with a Strangerville twist: classic red booths and an elongated mid-century modern bar layout meets sci-fi inspired and 50's-kitsch inspired cluttered decor..

It's giving the diner from the movie 'Paul'. I hope. lol

Ziggy's has a fully customised menu featuring some Mountain States inspired comfort dishes and some American classics (full menu below the cut).

DOWNLOAD >>

Interior Tour

Bar

Staff Areas

Floor Plan

| hi my loves

hopefully you like this one- it was super fun to build and I'm finding my feet a bit more building for this save, i think!

it's been playtested (briefly lol) and should be fully functional and a smooth enough restaurant experience for your sims to enjoy.

i love Paul so much aha we watched it this past weekend and i was immediately like 'yup. gotta go do a strangerville build now.'

| dag dag fn. <3

Ziggy's Diner Menu

Drinks water ; lemonade ; milk ; orange juice ; coffee ; cream cola ; fizzy fruity drink ; pitch black ; root beer float ; soda ; tang and zing ; boiler room ; eapa ; juice on the rocks ; wrench ; galactic vita-water ; silent film ; sour punch ; sunset valley ; alien juice ; cupid juice ; space energy drink ; jet juice

Appetisers chips and salsa ; mac and cheese ; bowl of olives ; bread roll ; french fries ; whole wheat bread ; popcorn shrimp ; garden salad ; cheesy bread ; grilled plantains ; seafood chowder ; soft shell crab cake ; empanadas ; watermelon salad

Mains mac and cheese ; chicken nuggets ; popcorn shrimp ; baked potato ; hot dog ; lobster roll ; veggie burger ; chicken and waffles ; fried chicken sliders ; mushroom waffles ; sausage and peppers ; scrambled eggs with bacon ; seafood chowder ; tofu dog ; fish tacos ; hamburger ; fried fish ; pancakes ; aubergine Parmesan ; sweet corn pizza ; mushroom steak ; french toast ; vegetable chilli ; egg white omelette ; mushroom soup ; bbq ribs plate ; blackened bass ; gumbo ; steak

Dessert neapolitan ice cream ; rainbow sorbet ; vanilla ice cream ; alien fruit tart ; cream filled donut ; cream snack cake ; honey cake ; plain waffles ; rainbow brownies ; hamburger cake ; chocolate chip cookie ; apple pie ; banana cream pie ; pumpkin pie ; simcity cheesecake ; fruit cobbler

[heartthrobin]

cowboy kisses

charlie kelly x fem!reader

wc: 1.2k

warnings: cowboy charlie (s7e1), soft touch-starved charlie, (fake) blood, mention of vomiting, no use of y/n, mac is a jealous baby, fluff, lotsa kissin'

an: i know this is a very niche part of the market but i needed to get it out my system. it's a personal head cannon of mine that Charlie is ace but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve some kissy kissy and my need to love on him is literally making me a non-functional member of society: so enjoy! remember to reblog and comment to support your favourite writers :3

summary: Charlie makes a handsome cowboy, covered in fake blood or not.

the knock rumbling against your door is almost certainly loud enough to wake up the whole floor of your apartment building. you flinch back against your couch at the sound, flicking off the television that’s been only half entertaining you for the last hour.

“babe! babe!”

even without his calls, you know it’s him. Charlie was the only person who could arrive so unprecedented at your apartment at nearly nine o’ clock at night and not expect a right hook to the jaw as soon as you swing the door open.

you’re halfway to a whisper-yelled “Charlie, keep it down!”, tugging the door open, when you take in the state of your boyfriend.

he’s lively, bouncing on the balls of his feet: hands fidgeting around the orbit of his head. “you won’t believe what happened.”

beyond that, his umber locks are hiding under the reach of a caramel cowboy hat. his chest tucked into a denim vest with a bowler tie flat against it.

most jarring of all is how his whole cowboy get-up and the better half of his face is covered in … is that blood?

“—so then Frank got on one knee and when he proposed, Roxy literally had a heart attack and—“

your boyfriend is still standing out between the hallway and the doorframe, halfway through another outrageous tale that the neighbors are no doubt privy to.

“baby …” your chest tightens and twists in concern. you reach for his face, the blood is caked in his beard but dry to the touch. “you’re covered in blood?”

he quietens at your touch. he usually does. whole body stutters like he’s never been met with a soft hold a day his whole life.

“oh— this? don’t worry, i ate some of these tablet things so i could go on this date with this lady from the internet—“

you’re guiding him gently by the wrist into your apartment, shutting the door behind him.

“you went on a date with a lady from the internet?”

he fumbles, fingers drifting to brush against your palm. “well, not for me. obviously not, i have you—“

nudging him through the apartment to lean against your kitchen sink, which he does without resistance, you laugh lightly. “well, don’t let me hold you back, Charlie.“

his forehead tightens in confusion. you love the look of it on your sweet, sweet boyfriend. the water is cool where you run a rag under it’s stream.

“you know what they say, don’t let your current girlfriend stop you from finding your future wife.” your voice curls at the edge, teasing him, and you’re horrible because you know Charlie is no good on picking up on stuff like that.

he shakes his head, hands nervously scrunching at his sides. your own rise to his head, gently bumping the cowboy hat so that it sits further up his crown and you can start working the wet cloth over the crimson marks on his creased forehead.

“why would— you’re my future wife. aren’t you?” it’s phrased like a fact more than a proposal. a clarification.

Charlie is sometimes the most romantic person on the planet, by no fault of his own. he says things like that with such honesty and quiet conviction that it curls a warm feeling between your organs: like maybe he was the other half every person sets out to find between the throes of fighting general existence. at least yours.

you smile at him. that i’m so fucking sickeningly in love with this doofus kind of smile that seems to set him a little more at ease. his fingers are tentative when they reach for your hips.

“i was just teasing, babe. i’m sorry.”

you’re gentle where you’re dragging the cloth over his skin, working from the top of his face to clean it of blood.

“oh.” he settles. “well anyways, so Roxy has this heart attack: Frank is still on one knee, Mac tries to call 911–!”

Charlie rambles and you listen. at least as well as you can with his less than comprehensible story-telling abilities and his talent for being involved in mostly unbelievable happenings.

the rag has made it’s way to his beard, you’re still trying to work softly: hand under his jaw while the fabric works between strands of wired hair, thumb pressing a bump into the hollow of his cheek.

“so after that we hung up. and i came straight here, cause i wanted to tell you.” he sighs, body slumping with the catharsis of imparting his tale upon you. “Mac said i’m a pussy because i’m always leaving them to come here. but i missed you, and i think he’s kinda jealous cause i have a girlfriend and he doesn’t.”

your hand stills, curling under his chin so your knuckle is steering his face up to yours. “Mac can go suck a dick. and i missed you too, Char.”

he’s the one who presses up for a kiss, eyes still wide and desperate as the day you met. you indulge him happily, squishing your nose against his when your lips meet sloppily and your hands wrap around his neck: pushing him further against the edge of the sink.

Charlie hums and it’s your favourite sound. his hands are lost, but excited where they’re chasing up your back and over your face.

your boyfriend tastes bitter and metallic, like the blood capsules he threw up, but also sweet like the melting packet of caramels he keeps in his jean pocket.

you pull back, brushing your nose against his. his face chases yours: eyes still closed.

“you look so handsome in this little get-up, baby.” sighing, hand twisting into his, you say. “you make a good cowboy.”

he perks up at that, “you should hear my accent! what i said to that lady, so, when she opened the door i said—“

there’s a grumble, like he’s clearing his throat, “—tarnation, you look pretty as a peach. yes you do!”

the accent is crumbly but charming in a way that only your Charlie can make it. he nods, grinning and proud, and you throw your head back to laugh.

you pat fondly over his shoulders, “you’re sure talking a lot about this lady you took on a date while i was sitting home missing you like crazy. was she pretty?”

he guffaws, huffs like you’ve asked him about the weather. “nah. i mean … like, not pretty like you.”

there’s a moment of quiet. he waits to see if he’s said the right thing.

“hmm.” you run a gentle thumb down the side of his face. “you know i don’t like to share.”

you press your chest against his and his breath buckles. his skin is sticky with sweat when you push a kiss into his neck.

“you’re kinda making me all jealous with your story.”

Charlie shakes his head. “you-you shouldn’t be.”

releasing his neck with a pop, briefly grinning at the hickey you’ve painted there, you bump your nose lovingly against his.

“i know.” he’s red with a blush now. “wanna put on a movie and not watch it while we make out on the couch?”

he beams. “hell yeah.”

-

remember to comment and repost if you enjoyed :)

taglist:

@gremlinb1ke @mydogtypedthis @luigisbroth @newluvcassette @karlmarxpizzaparty

[humorisstoredinthetits]

Heather Duke Headcannons

Requested by Anon

Sorry this took so long, some stuff came up and I've been kinda busy

I think I've said this one before but Duke does not like furry animals

She just think's they're kinda gross, the fur gets everywhere plus it can get super dirty and they literally lick themselves clean??

Yeah Duke gives them a hard pass

The only furry animals she likes are giraffes bc she wishes to ride one so she can experience being tall

One year for her birthday Chandler managed to bribe the local zoo into letting her meet some giraffes and it was one of the greatest days of Duke's life, even if they wouldn't let her ride them

Chandler has a picture of Duke hugging a giraffe's leg while sobbing over how happy she was

Overall she much prefers reptiles

She buys little hats for her pet snake and posts pics of it in them all over her social media

She half-jokingly said that she's gonna get an alligator and train it to bite homophobes

She's doesn't not like furry animals bc she's a neat freak, one look at her room would tell you otherwise, she's just a very sanitary and hygienic person

She has a bunch of those little sanitizer holders and keeps at least one on her person at all times, using it regularly

Chandler gets annoyed with her because she spends so long in the shower but she's just making sure to clean every little nook and cranny of her body

Although she doesn't want kids of her own she loves them

If she ever changed her mind she would be a wonderful parent, doing everything in her power to make sure that they had a fun and happy childhood and grew up to be a functioning member of society

She's just too fearful of turning out like her parents

Everyone has told her that she would be a wonderful mom, but some scars just run too deep and Duke just isn't willing to take that chance

Instead she settles on helping the kids at her job and being a pet parent

Its not the same, far from it, but its as close as Duke allows herself to get

She is by far the least mature of the four of them

At the ripe age of 20-something she still regularly makes deez nutz jokes and laughs uncontrollably while the others look on in exasperation

She has a shirt with a picture of Dat Boi with the words Dat Boi written in rainbow 3D italic on it that she wears unironically

Veronica got it for her as a gag gift one year for Christmas but Duke loved it

Whenever she wears it Chandler pretends that she's not with them

Duke loves old 2010s memes and will spam the group chat with them, hence why Veronica got her the shirt

She has declared that it was the peak of meme culture and that kids these days have no idea what true memes are like

Whenever she gets like that the others will just shake their heads and sigh

Mac is like a boomer when it comes to memes which makes Duke get frustrated with her

She's extremely ticklish, a fact which Chandler uses to her advantage

If Duke is annoying her too much she'll start tickling her until she stops doing whatever it is that pissed her off

And since Duke is so smol she can't get Chandler off of her and has to suffer until she gives in

She did not get implants as was rumored, they're just naturally that big

The rumor started because no one believed that they could be that size all on their own, and Chandler let it spread as it made them seem like they had access to all these exclusive things, further boosting their image as above it all

They happen to be one of her wives' favorite parts of her

Veronica believed the implant thing for a few years into the relationship and was astonished that they were completely real

At one point she had a diary like Veronica, but it became filled with nothing but self-deprecation and so she ended up burning it

Once her mental state improved she started it up again, and it helps her air her frustrations with her day-to-day life

Sometimes she writes poetry in them, which she never lets any of the others see

She writes about her past, stringing together memories of her pain into stanzas and rhyming schemes

She finds that it helps her cope and come to terms with the things she's been through

Although her diary is filled with somber entries, she never lets herself finish writing without talking about the good in her life

If she finds herself getting to a stopping point, she jots down what's going good in her life, what she's thankful for, something to remind her that her life isn't all doom and gloom

She finds that doing this lets her get her grievances out while not letting them weigh her down

This was a tactic that her therapist recommended to her and despite initially thinking it was kind of silly, over time she found it to be extremely helpful

Similar to Veronica she's interested in macabre things, such as serial killers and death cults

Unfortunately they also terrify the crap out of her and whenever she watches or reads something about these topics she ends up spending the night with the blanket pulled over her like a scared child

Chandler pokes fun at her over it which causes Duke to threaten to go get her snake, which makes Chandler shut up

[charmac]

curious - do you think rcg may have had any notion that they may seriously explore the possibility of mac being gay in s6 era? s5 functionally lays the majority of groundwork for the subtext that they evolved into canonical text and s6 opens with mac fights gay marriage and imo mac is pretty heavily gay coded throughout that season. however, s7 totally makes me believe they hadn’t really considered it, because mac’s gay subtext is almost completely nonexistent, bar the flashback from s6 in 7x10. he is overtly “straight” that season. clearly by s8 it’s fully canon and one of the most logical next steps they could’ve taken with his character in retrospect, but i have always wondered if many of the choices in s6 wrt mac’s sexuality becoming increasingly more ambiguous were deliberate and i’m curious about your perspective.

I do 100%! I've definitely spoken about this before... I'm not sure if it was here or a Discord or maybe even an in-person conversation, but I've always thought it was so insane how they tell you Mac and Dennis Break Up is romantic in some sense. They are realising that their codependency is more than some "bromance" and it spooks them (obviously, really more-so Dennis).

I think acknowledging it on TASP isn't a surprise, but the fact that it's stated in the DVD commentary, before they even filmed S6, makes it clear that this was intentional foundation they intended to work off of. When Dee shatters the glass closet by stating Dennis' codependency with Mac is viewed as an "old married couple" situation, it fucks Dennis up way more than Mac, because Mac is unable to recognise the queerness of their relationship while Dennis can.

Once they make up, they've established something in the writers room going forward for Mac & Dennis that they clearly want to keep a part of their dynamic (again, as reaffirmed on the MADBU TASP episode): they are gay for each other. But they're not going to (mutually) recognise or accept it, because that ruins the joke.

So, in my opinion, they go into Season 6 really digging into that dynamic and playing on the joke by pushing against it: Dennis recognises the issue of being into Mac internally so he needs a wife; Mac recognises the issue of being gay externally so he needs to fight the gays. No doubt in my mind that throughout S6 they were writing and acting with this idea - though probably with no firm idea of where they wanted it to end up.

So we get to Season 7, and your point is the reason why Season 7 is one of my least favourite Seasons as a coherent part of Sunny (keeping in mind the flashbacks in How Mac Got Fat are just a scrapped S6 episode, reworked) - it seems to ignore a lot of the build up in order to make funny stand-alone episodes of the show. Was it because of Fat Mac? (Only one identity at a time for Mac, pls!) Is it because they had a chunk of guest writers? Is it because they thought there was a large chance it was the final season of the show? (They've talked about how when they shot the final scene for S7 (HS Reunion) it was under the idea that they might not get renewed)

Probably only RCG truly know (and maybe they don't even remember). As for me, while I don't think it was necessarily deliberate, like they sat down and said "actually lets roll back the gay [Mac] stuff here..." my idea is that going into S7 they hadn't yet figured out (or couldn't agree) if/how they wanted to make Mac's homosexuality crystal clear.

Maybe they dropped it for a season before deciding... or maybe this downtime served a purpose, because the reveals on Sunny serve one main goal: Subvert expectations.

Going from S5/6 to 8 is very obvious. That is a closeted gay guy. BUT when you have S7 cut in there in the middle, this working-season where they kind of play hard into Mac's aggressive temper and his stupidity and the fact that he's a voyeur, it's a little less-so. You're hit with Season 8 and that attempted kiss kind of comes out of nowhere and then every episode following has some kind of Mac is GAY moment and it's just extremely funny... Like, oh holy shit he's gay and he can't even recognise it.

But that gap does kinda throw you off like, was this a decision once they got renewed going forward that they needed one of them to be obviously gay based on their history? I really don’t think so, the foundation seems too intentional and the evidence we have that RCG acknowledged the character’s queerness (of all them) back then is enough to have me firmly believe the S6 stuff was just further groundwork for Mac’s character and his and Dennis’ opposing relationship

[lycorisketch]

LMK SEASON 5 SPOILERS!

New AU

King of the Underworld Macaque

After the events of season 5, the Underworld is left without anyone to run it. Macaque, while content to avoid the place altogether, somehow ends up taking up rule as the sole King of the Underworld.

(Yes I need to come up with a reason for him to take charge but shhhh)

Macaque, given he was not quite alive for some time, is well versed in the Underworld and how it functions. Additionally he has noticed that his usual purple colored powers have started to turn a chaotic orange since his massive attack against the Nine-Headed Demon (Xiangliu). But the color of his power isn't the only thing changing, as the chaos is taking a toll on his physical appearance...and perhaps his mental state.

This AU will be fleshed out more I swear. I'm going to be taking ALOT of creative liberties and I cannot guarantee a full fledged plot, but I can promise doodles of this idiot.

Feel free to send me asks about this guy!

Design is subject to change.

Notes on his design:

Right eye - Blind, scarred (Not shown in design. I forgot it in this one)

Long hair - I just like Mac with long hair

Orange tint to his hair - Effects of his power

Blue claws - Why not

Robes - Matches the robes of the old kings (Except the designs on the sleeves, I thought those just looked cool. And the yellow is from his original design)

Colors in his ears - Purple and orange to match his powers

White in hair - Unfortunate after effects of LBD power, the white grows the longer he's in Diyu

Red waist wrap - Its his scarf

Note: In this AU I am taking creative liberties with how the Underworld works. I am using headcanons and what little knowledge we have from Lego Monlie Kid NOT the proper Chinese mythos version. Though if you want cool info on that please refer to this post by @/ryin-silverfish

[sims-fileshare-finder]

Fixing Broken CC - Step by Step

I've noticed that over the years, CC I loved in the past get left, well, in the past. Build essentials and item go-tos get destroyed by updates and the modders who made them never return. So I have compiled a guide to get your broken cc back up and running. Software to install: Sims 4 Studio (S4S) [windows] [mac] Believe it or not, but at least half of the issues I have ever faced could could be solved by s4s. Right up at the top bar is a menu item called "Content Management" > Batch Fixes. This is your best friend.

Most any batch that broke CC can be quickly (do note that if you have a lot of cc, the word "quickly" should be changed to "slowly but automatically") fixed for you. Once the script has finished updating your CC, you will get to see what CC updated, what cc could not be updated, and what CC did not need to be fixed by the script. But what if it didn't help? What if you're like me, with an adorable music box CC item that still has the option "Listen to..." instead of "Play", rendering it useless? What then? Since you have downloaded (and hopefully ran) S4S at least once, you should have a sims4studio folder in your DOCUMENTS folder on your computer.

Inside of this folder, you're going to click on "Mods" and drag and drop the CC item that you want to edit

Now you are going to want to go to S4S and select Object Override. (click on the word "Object" to proceed).

In the drop downs section, find "Content" and select "Custom". If you do not see your custom content, close and reopen S4S.

Save the package file somewhere where you will be able to find it later. I choose my downloads folder. Give it a name (I choose the items original name then add "- Edited"). Once it is saved, you will be on an overwhelming screen. Ignore it. At the top, you will see two options: Studio and Warehouse. Select Warehouse then go a little higher to where it says "Tools". Select Extract Tuning...

What we are going to do from here is rip the working parts off of a base game EA item. In my case, I will be ripping the functionality off of an EA stereo. Almost any item you would be fixing would be under the naming convention "object/object_[item name]". in the top bar, type that.

Pick anything that will work. In my case, that would be the highlighted item. After you have selected the item from the list, click "Add to current Package". and close the window. Now towards the bottom of that Warehouse tab, you should see something called "Object Tuning". For me, it is the second to the bottom.

When you click on it, you get two tabs on the right-hand side: XML and Data.

--OPTIONAL SECTION--

In XML, you can change some interesting things. In my case, I want to change "Trigger_random_state" which controls what radio stations get selected when you click turn on > random in game.

Personally, I don't want my music box playing anything by Lullabies, Classical, and Baroque, even when randomly playing music. If you scroll down a bit to "client states, you can find a list of every radio station.

For my example of only letting a music box play Classical, Lullabies, and Baroque, I will delete everything from "client_states" except those options (keep stereochannel_off and stereochannel_randomPick).

Make sure to keep every <u> and </u> as well as the </L> at the end. Now you can copy the stations you kept and go up to the random section from before.

You might notice that the random section has n="state_value" where our added items all have n="key". We will want to fix that.

Delete our "off" and "randomPick" options then delete the preexisting options in the trigger_random_state.

--EXIT OPTIONAL SECTION-- Now that your item does what you want it to do and you have (optionally) deleted functionality that you don't want the item to have, you should be able to mess with the "Data" tab.

Change the "Name" section to [your name]:[object name]. Once you click off of that box (or hit enter), you will see that the TuningId becomes a lot longer.

Go to the "Object Definition" file from the right side of your screen.

In there you will see Tuning and Tuning ID. Copy the name you just wrote in Object Tuning > Data to the Tuning box and the TuningId from Object Tuning > Data to the other TuningId. (TuningId might autofill for you. Just copy and paste anyway to be sure).

Now you should be able to save this file and move it back into your Sims 4 mods folder. --RESULTS-- The white, unedited music box still has the old (and broken) "Listen to" function.

However, our edited music box now has the working "Turn on" function.

[AUTHORS NOTE: I accidentally deleted the 'Sims Data' file in S4S, so the 'Put in inventory' option did not show up in screenshots. If you follow my directions to a T and do not accidentally delete "pointless files", you should see all of the options.]

And even better, now the music box can only play the three stations that we wanted it to in the optional section.

--FINAL NOTES-- Let's say you're like me. You have a couple of music boxes that need to be fixed. Going through all of these steps all over again is more hassle than its word. That's where the "Import" and "Export buttons come into handy. On BOTH the Object Tuning and Sims Data XML files you have on the object you have JUST EDITED, click the "Export" button and save the xml files as somethings like "Music Box Object Tuning" and "Music Box Sim Data".

Once you have exported both files, begin the first steps two of this process (Object > Override then selecting the item you wish to override). At the bottom of the Workshop page. you will see an "Add" button. Click on it, then add an Object Tuning and a Sim Data file.

Once you have both, they will look like this and be completely empty.

Now go ahead and click the import button (right next to the export button we used earlier) and import the tuning xml and the data xml into their appropriate files in S4S. If you go to Object Tuning > Data, you will see that the name of the tuning stayed the same BUT THE TUNING ID DID NOT. Once these items have been added, go ahead and update the Object Definition and use the "save" button in the bottom right corner. Now all you have to do is click and drag this file into your mods folder! Happy Simming!

[alyss-erulisse]

Morph Madness!

Fixing Exploding Morphs

Marik's Egyptian Choker is currently in production. It is the first accessory I've made that involves assignment to more than one bone and morphs for fat, fit and thin states. So there is a learning curve, and it is during that learning curve that interesting and unexpected things can happen.

As with my other content, I'm making the choker fit sims of all ages and genders--that's 8 different bodies.

Adding fat, fit and thin morphs multiples this number to 27 different bodies.

I'm also making 3 levels of detail for each of these. The number comes to 81 different bodies, 81 different bodies for which I need to tightly fit a cylinder around the neck and avoid clipping.

That's a lot of work. I can see why most custom content creators stick with one age, gender and detail level. At least, they did in the past. Our tools are getting better day by day, and that may partly be because of creative, ambitious and somewhat obsessive people like me.

There are usually multiple ways to solve the same problem. Some ways are faster than others. This I've learned from working in Blender3D. You can navigate to a button with your mouse or hit the keyboard shortcut. You can use proportional editing to fiddle around with a mesh or you can use a combination of modifiers.

If I am going to be creating 81 chokers, I don't want to be fiddling around on each one of them for an hour. I need something automated, repeatable and non-destructive so I can make adjustments later without having to start over from the beginning. I need to work smart rather than just work hard.

This is where modifiers and geometry nodes come in. After you develop a stack to work with one body, the same process pretty much works for the others as well. That is how it became easier for me to model each of the 81 chokers from scratch rather than to use proportional editing to fit a copy from one body to the next.

But I was about to confront an explosive problem…

Anyone who has worked with morphs before probably knows where this story is headed. There is a good reason to copy the base mesh and then use proportional editing to refit it to the fat, fit and thin bodies. That reason has to do with vertex index numbers.

You see, every vertex in your mesh has a number assigned to it so that the computer can keep track of it. Normally, the order of these numbers doesn't really matter much. I had never even thought about them before I loaded my base mesh and morphs into TSRW, touched those sliders to drag between morph states, and watched my mesh disintegrate into a mess of jagged, black fangs.

A morph is made up of directions for each vertex in a mesh on where to go if the sim is fat or thin or fit. The vertex index number determines which vertex gets which set of directions. If the vertices of your base mesh are numbered differently than the vertices of your morph, the wrong directions are sent to the vertices, and they end up going everywhere but the right places.

It is morph madness!

When a base mesh is copied and then the vertices are just nudged around with proportional editing, the numbering remains the same. When you make each morph from scratch, the numbering varies widely.

How, then, could I get each one of those 81 meshes to be numbered in exactly the same way?

Their structures and UV maps were the same, but their size and proportions varied a lot from body to body. Furthermore, I'd used the Edge Split modifier to sharpen edges, which results in disconnected geometry and double vertices.

Sorting the elements with native functions did not yield uniform results because of the varying proportions.

The Blender Add-On by bartoszstyperek called Copy Verts Ids presented a possible solution, but it was bewildered by the disconnected geometry and gave unpredictable results.

Fix your SHAPE KEYS! - Blender 2.8 tutorial by Danny Mac 3D

I had an idea of how I wanted the vertices to be numbered, ascending along one edge ring at a time, but short of selecting one vertex at a time and sending it to the end of the stack with the native Sort Elements > Selected function, there was no way to do this.

Of course, selecting 27,216 vertices one-at-a-time was even more unacceptable to me than the idea of fiddling with 81 meshes in proportional editing mode.

So… I decided to learn how to script an Add-On for Blender and create the tool I needed myself.

A week and 447 polished lines of code later, I had this satisfying button to press that would fix my problem.

Here are the index numbers before and after pressing that wonderful button.

My morphs are not exploding anymore, and I am so happy I didn't give up on this project or give myself carpal tunnel syndrome with hours of fiddling.

Marik's Egyptian Choker is coming along nicely now. I haven't avoided fiddling entirely, but now it only involves resizing to fix clipping issues during animation.

Unfortunately, I'll have to push the release date to next month, but now, I have developed my first Blender Add-On and maybe, after a bit more testing, it could be as useful to other creators in the community as its been to me.

Looking for more info about morphing problems? See this post.

See more of my work: Check out my archive.

Join me on my journey: Follow me on tumblr.

Support my creative life: Buy me a coffee on KoFi.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #440

Ohh. Sephiroth. I am spiraling today. Despite the best efforts of a friend in this space trying to encourage me, I'm still spiraling.

...I assume there's too much adrenaline in my system to think clearly. And perhaps a few too many shots of R's chocolate-cherry moonshine, too. And given that the shot glasses in my house (inherited, and almost never used) contain twice as much volume as the shot glasses at R's house, and given that it only took two shots at his house to get my brain all wiggly, I'm sure you can imagine the state I'm in right now.

...It was not my best decision. To be sure, the goal was not to get into an altered state, but rather, to distract myself from the fact that my brain is on fire by flooding my senses with a strongly-flavored thing, and that was the most strongly-flavored thing in the refrigerator. Which, I suppose, isn't much better as an explanation; I'm still running away via sensory stimulation instead of facing the emotions swirling around in my skull, which... isn't ideal.

I have pinky-promised never again to consume anything containing alcohol while under the influence of adrenaline. I believe firmly that a person is only as good as the integrity of their word, and so, if I make a promise, I treat it like a contract or... maybe more like a geas (geis...?) – a terrible, unacceptable thing to break, punishable by immediate termination of the relationship by the person I made the promise to.

I didn't do anything stupid, so don't worry; I mostly just played Hades. Though admittedly, at the moment, I am still wanting to shove my face full of the Belgian chocolate cake from the nearby dessert place, and also far too much cheese, and also all the garlic, and also, oddly specifically, crunchy baked chicken skin, strongly spiced. Though I'm not gonna do that right now, because my stomach is already full.

Overall, I think it's a combination of factors that has led to my current state. My sleep schedule has been all over the place. I've not been keeping up with my hydration. My mother texted me last week (in which she, once again, insisted that nothing that happened was her fault because she was poor and stressed and etc.; this is my surprised face: 😐). I had two interviews (Friday and today). My shoulder was stabbed full of holes. The thing with J's sister happened. And, given that some muscles that were trying to protect my ribs have relaxed (due to the “stabbing full of holes”), I left work on Saturday in more pain than usual after lifting trays and boxes. And for the last several days, I've had mild intestinal distress (which means what little water I have been getting hasn't been absorbed well...). It is only Monday.

The last 6 days have been messy, and despite my best efforts to remain chipper and upbeat... I think I must be pretty tired.

Nonetheless, I functioned today. I went to a job interview for a position that I don't think I would fit very well in. It would, essentially, involve being part of a call center team who works with people claiming unemployment benefits. Or... essentially... working with people who are scared because they don't have a steady source of income and then call with problems that they likely wanna yell at the nearest human about in order to feel powerful and in control of their lives.

I think that even if I do get this one, I won't take it; I don't do very well with phone conversation thanks to audio processing delay. And I don't do very well with being someone else's personal verbal punching bag, either. The whole arrangement really doesn't sound like a fun time. And... judging from the interview questions, I don't think I have the qualities they're looking for, anyhow.

J and I stopped for Eggcellent on the way home.

Then when I got home, I made baked chicken leg quarters with the usual asparagus and mac-n-chz. This time, though, I put that black garlic seasoning on the chicken.

...I'm a little sad to report that, after baking, the black garlic seasoning tastes more like vegetable bouillon than like black garlic. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad at all, but... I'll have to put on some actual garlic powder with it next time.

J's sister called J sometime after that, supposedly by accident. They had a conversation about the vile things she wrote to J via text. Apparently, she had a hard time understanding why J would feel upset about the fact that she called him a piece of shit, among other similarly ugly things. They spoke for a long time. J essentially was only asking her to be forthcoming about her discomfort (i.e. “When you said abc, I interpreted xyz; is that accurate? If not, what did you mean? And if so, don't say abc ever again, please.”) so they can have a rational discussion when a conflict arises. But it seems like none of his words were getting through; his tone became increasingly exasperated as she, seemingly, tried to poke holes in the validity of his very simple request.

...It's not unexpected. M, J, and I all come from abusive families. We all have been abused differently and with different details, but... we all have C-PTSD. We make our relationship work by being very forthcoming about our feelings, and by holding ourselves accountable when we inevitably make mistakes; we work to correct our destructive behaviors and communication methods. We put effort every day into managing the scars and the conditioning that our respective upbringings left us with.

...J's sister does not do the same. And that's probably largely due to the fact that she still lives with her abusers. You can't learn new habits or defy your conditioning very well if your body is pumped full of adrenaline all the time. All the same, she seems committed to her narrative that J and I are both malicious, horrible people, so... I don't really know what else to do for it but keep my distance.

Notably... I noticed today that when I got “in trouble” (I didn't really get in trouble; M and J just thought my course of action was unwise and asked me not to repeat it, which is reasonable and fair) for drinking R's moonshine while upset, I noticed a significant reduction in my anxiety related to the presence of adrenaline in my system.

...I can't help but wonder if, at this point, my body is so accustomed to receiving to punishment in response to being misunderstood that it can't quite stop producing adrenaline until the "punishment" occurs. I wonder if, in the space between my perceived mistake and some kind of reprisal, my body remains in tension, on the lookout for said reprisal, so that I'm not taken by surprise by it when it comes, as what used to occur in days past. Hm.

...I wonder if there's a way to fix that. I'll ask my therapist when I see them tomorrow. Or... I'll try to anyway. But I've already got so much to talk to them about, between my mother's text and this thing with J's sister, that I'm not really sure I'll be able to get through it all in the hour that's allotted to me. They're one of the few people who interacts with me in good faith that I am a non-malicious person, and their wisdom gives me lots and lots of perspectives and interpretations to consider besides my own; having only monthly visits with them has been hard.

Nonetheless, I have to figure out a way to not get bent out of shape whenever I am misunderstood by emotionally available people. I have to figure out why I get so bent out of shape in response to that in the first place. I... this... it can't continue.

…

...But even as I am writing this, interacting with other people at all still seems like a treacherous thing that only ever leads to me getting misunderstood and hurt. Maybe I'll feel differently once the adrenaline clears from my system. I'll hope for that outcome.

Suppose I should go to bed. And drink water, too. Though not necessarily in that order.

...I'm gonna be okay, all right? Just. The week has been exceptionally weird, and I've fallen down just a little. But I'm not gonna stay here. Despite the fact that other humans seem terrifying to me right now, I know I've got some good people in my corner, with hands ready and waiting to lift me up. I just gotta get my head back on straight, that's all. And I will. And then I'll be back to normal.

I love you. Stay safe out there. I'll write again soon.

Your friend, Lumine

[heathensimmer]

hello! beines here to send the error:

Build: 1.17.0.66 at Oct 11 2008,15:12:07

Object id: 482 name: F001_User00265 - Lauren Stack size: 12 Error: Invalid constant. Iterations: 1 Frame 11: Stack Object id: 1098 Stack Object name: Food - Mac & Cheese Node: 8 Tree: id 8248 name 'CT - Prep - Start' version -32753 from Food_Globals Prim state: 0 Params: 399 100 100 Locals: 250 0 0 Frame 10: Stack Object id: 1098 Stack Object name: Food - Mac & Cheese Node: 2 Tree: id 8198 name 'Sub - Prep Start' version -32762 from CounterGlobals Prim state: 1 Params: 1098 Locals: 399 Frame 9: Stack Object id: 399 Stack Object name: Counter - Designer Node: 41 Tree: id 8288 name 'Prep - _Type - Mix' version -32745 from CounterGlobals Prim state: 0 Params: 1098 0 Locals: 399 Frame 8: Stack Object id: 399 Stack Object name: Counter - Designer Node: 14 Tree: id 8212 name 'Prep - _Core' version -32746 from CounterGlobals Prim state: 0 Params: 4 1098 Locals: 399 Frame 7: Stack Object id: 399 Stack Object name: Counter - Designer Node: 12 Tree: id 8204 name 'Function - Prep' version -32749 from CounterGlobals Prim state: 0 Params: 4 1098 Locals: 399 Frame 6: Stack Object id: 399 Stack Object name: Counter - Designer Node: 14 Tree: id 8200 name 'Food - Eat - Prepare' version -32744 from Food_Globals Prim state: 0 Params: Locals: 1098 4 0 0 Frame 5: Stack Object id: 1098 Stack Object name: Food - Mac & Cheese Node: 2 Tree: id 8201 name 'Food - Eat - _Core' version -32729 from Food_Globals Prim state: 0 Params: Locals: 1098 Frame 4: Stack Object id: 1098 Stack Object name: Food - Mac & Cheese Node: 1 Tree: id 8194 name 'Interaction - Eat' version -32748 from Food_Globals Prim state: 0 Params: Locals: 1098 Frame 3: Stack Object id: 482 Stack Object name: F001_User00265 - Lauren Node: 5 Tree: id 281 name 'Wait For Notify' version 8 from global Prim state: 1 Params: 0 1 Locals: Frame 2: Stack Object id: 482 Stack Object name: F001_User00265 - Lauren Node: 1 Tree: id 8282 name 'Function - Main - Check Queue' version 50 from PersonGlobals Prim state: 0 Params: Locals: 1098 Frame 1: Stack Object id: 482 Stack Object name: F001_User00265 - Lauren Node: 18 Tree: id 8193 name 'Function - Main' version 118 from PersonGlobals Prim state: 0 Params: Locals: 5 20 0 Frame 0: Stack Object id: 482 Stack Object name: F001_User00265 - Lauren Node: 1 Tree: id 4096 name 'Function - Main' version 2 from TemplatePerson Prim state: 0 Params: Locals:

Has been updated!!

THIS IS AN UPDATE OF MY COOKING IS FUN MOD - NON TRAITS VERSION. FIXED A RANDOM LINE OF CODE THAT I DONT REMEMBER ADDING LOLLLL

[blankvort]

tangentially animal-related hcs 4 the mean girls crew bc i am now responsible for giving a goldfish daddy issues

cady

inexplicably allergic to dogs and always in the first four stages of grief about it. don’t @ me about the medical semantics i just want her to suffer a little

tried to get a job at petco the second she turned eighteen but learned of the above information in the most destructive job interview since janis’s application to be the local coffee shop’s cool gay barista (they were worried that she’d swear at fighter-jet-takeoff volumes if she touched hot coffee) (she did, but only because they started playing a shitty pop cover of one of damian’s fave show tunes) and came out of the building a puddle of mucous and tears

grossly fascinated by the grossest of primitive functions. her insta page is all dope and authentic until you find a selfie taken using the back camera 0.5x with the corpse of an effervescent snail and a bunch of reels telling you how to narrow down what bird species are destroying your garden by the splay of their shit

has a miniature aneurysm whenever movies get stuff wrong about animals. artistic liberties are granted to janis alone. like sure if she’s in the theater she’ll sit through the movie fisting popcorn down her throat but as soon as she gets out of there the entire mall becomes a soapbox for dissecting the bullshit sexual dimorphism of giving female animals eyeliner

thus while i know the headcanon of her loving the lion king is basically canon i think she’s absurdly secretive about it. like she’s burying her merchandise and blu-ray copies under her bed in the dead of night while secreting more sweat than should be possible. she could come out to her parents and elope to antarctica no problem but liking the lion king which implies that lighter manes = stronger lions is a death sentence

probably got banned from a bunch of zoos for interrupting field trips 

janis

had one of those angel/wolf/dragon/whatever hybrid phases as a kid like all good artists. did those like. not quite furry but not quite human animal art commissions on twitter for a while for the funnies but discovered a lucrative market and never turned back

does not know how to hold human or animal babies. like she’s good at taking care of them in terms of general physical and intellectual nourishment but that limp wrist is not supporting any necks properly

mercilessly makes fun of the whole “would you love me if i was a worm” trend. she doesn’t even love most humans what makes you think she has any answer for you regarding that other than that she’d turn you into a super deep art piece museums would purchase for exorbitant amounts

that being said she feels like a vivarium girlie to me. she’s nocturnal like a pillbug and post-canon constantly tries to convince the plastics that her pacman frog is poisonous

feeds her meticulously decorated ant farm gourmet meals every day. anyone else gets microwavable mac and cheese at best

this one probably won’t make sense unless you’re a jenny nicholson fan but she has a fake id for buying wine and turning the corks into those hallmark craft animal sculptures (and selling the open wine bottle to mrs george in back alleys)

damian

his grandma owns the most omnicidal chihuahua in the state of chicago. it’s how he learned to dance with such mental and physical dexterity. how else would he have survived visits to the nursing home

^ attempted to adopt the chihuahua’s children to have his own bruiser woods moment. turns out, even with his classically trained tenor voice, puppies and janis respond to the “drop it” command much the same way. that is to say they do not drop it and the puppies ran away with ninety nine per cent of his anastasia-inspired music box memorabilia

has a love-hate relationship with cats the musical. like memory is one of his top ten karaoke songs but he’s not going to admit it until he’s several fruity seltzers into the night. wishes all the actors in the movie had been replaced with real cats picked off the street before anything else was approved

played milky white in a scammy local production of into the woods and so so so embarrassed about it. he had to be on stilts the whole show

stuck a fish in regina’s backpack sometime in sophomore year but found karen feeding it and talking to it about her worst fears and greatest dreams felt too guilty to continue with the next phase of his plan (sticking a very hot picture of janis in regina’s backpack) (karen probably would’ve tried to talk to the photo too)

regina

musical specific but i think she didn’t Exactly do a matching animal costume with gretch and karen because 1) what can you dress up as when your friends are going as a cat and a mouse. cheese? 2) had cady not moved into the neighborhood, she’d have gone as a sexy lion to ease into the prospect of. you know. with shane oman but going as a sexy lion when your shiny new homoerotic frenemy has a lion pin on half her clothing isn’t quite a non-questionable choice

had a warrior cats phase she keeps under lock and key in the very depths of her closet. her closet is an iceberg of issues that goes shein -> homosexuality -> warrior cats and climate change is doing a number on it

fried a couple of janis’s ants alive with a magnifying glass sometime before middle school. she’s never flirted normally in her life

the bulk of janis’s furry commission clientele. she has so many emails for alternate accounts that she could get every american president ever suspended from twitter if national security let her. that’s including the dead ones

remember the nigh-rabid chihuahuas damian had. yeah she’s been raising those in secret for a few years now. mrs george doesn’t notice because regina hides them in her hair and extensions are, like, totally in or whatever

had a horse girl phase. all her drawings of horses came out like this meme tho. the art freaks nickname was born out of jealousy

gretchen

chose to be a sexy cat for halloween to match with karen because she has no sense of identity. also because she remembers regina’s warrior cats phase

actually a guinea pig person. i’ve never met a guinea pig person but she feels like one. they’re both in dire need of daily interaction and likely polyamorous

but also peri-canon gretchen could not keep a pet alive she’d spend every cent of the wieners fortune on buying the animal’s love

speaking of. her family bought a stable to fuel “her” horse girl phase. she just wanted to make regina happy and couldn’t stay on a saddle if there was an escalator that plopped her right on the horse

cares about the puppy bowl more than she cares about the superbowl

instinctively pets cute animals. if they bite her then she deserved it

karen

chose to be a sexy mouse for halloween because tom and jerry was having a media marathon and she’s into that sort of power dynamic

believes in unicorns more than she believes in horses. this is because she had a horse girl phase for the hottest of seconds before realizing that none of the ponies at the apache trail sale had horns and thought they had their horns cut off for aesthetic reasons

animals love her so much. survived a jellyfish attack because the jellyfish sensed she just wanted to pet something shiny and absolutely respected that. pests of all shapes and sizes evict themselves stat when karen says her mom doesn’t appreciate her hundred thousand dollar lotions being invaded by peril-bringing insects. strays follow her 24/7. gretchen is jealous (of the animals)

thinks tigers are very sick zebras

thinks blobfish are cuter when they’re all flesh putty out of their natural habitats but would also break into a zoo if she thought the animals were being mistreated

was banned from australia at the age of eight because she tried to have a sleepover in a kangaroo’s pouch

aaron

mean girls insta described him as a golden retriever so i’m also hcing him as being allergic to dogs <3 equality

becomes deeply fearful of all fauna after falling into a research rabbit hole for the sake of connecting with cady. what do you mean buffalo are some of the deadliest beasts on the planet and not just a type of chicken wing

kevin g

a preteen vsco girl in her granola advocacy era stuck in a teenage boy’s body. he has saved more turtles than any natucate volunteer by repurposing his rejected business cards to make a selfie stick long enough to stick him in the same selfie as gretchen wieners. the selfie stick has been in progress since daycare. he has also gone to the hospital more than any natucate volunteer do not trust this man with shop class equipment

[sunmoon-starfactory]

Making a separate post for this because this is actually a very good question! (and quite relevant to mac users):

In general: we do our best to make sure that our sets are usable by mac users (who do not have access to FT and AL). If a set is not mac-compatible, we will state this explicitly.

Potions-specific answer: Potions a Plenty doesn't require Apartment Life. The cauldron animation may look like they are from AL, but they're actually completely stand-alone. Furthermore, you reminded me about the fire effects! We originally used AL effects (as shown in the previews), but at this moment, the fx used for everyone is basegame-compatible. However, the function to (optionally) enable the AL fx was accidentally left out of the release. We will restore this (while, of course, retaining mac-compatibility).

Last, for some potions that require specific expansions, they have been locked behind EP checks. Simply said: you will never get a Witch potion as pie menu option if you don't have AL.

I hope this answers your question :)

-Fire

[darling-chris]

International

Women‘s Day 2024

— To my favorite girls in rock —

This international women’s day is for these two incredible ladies. Immensely talented, candidly beautiful, tremendously underrated. They were trailblazers in their profession. At a time where the rock & pop music scene was dominated by male only bands, such as The Beach Boys or The Beatles, and crowds were bowing to rock-gods such as, Jimmy Page or Roger Daltrey, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks were right up there with them. Women, as anything else than pretty faces and background singers were scarce in 1970s leading bands. Among Grace Slick, Joan Jett, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart and of course ABBA‘s leading gals Agnetha and Frida, they were in good company but still leading ladies in rock bands were a rare breed.

Christine Anne Perfect had been in a band called Chicken Shack over in the old country when she married the bassist of Fleetwood Mac and finally joined his band in 1970. After their founding member and frontman had left the band (and in some ways also this universe), the rest of them, consisting of a rhythm section and two guitar players found themselves somewhat lost and in need of a fresh spark. The spark came in the shape of Christine (now McVie) a very talented keyboard player with a soulful, mellow voice who conveniently, had already been living with them, having spattered her talent all over the last album they’d made as an all male blues band. After a while the music scene in Great Britain had developed in a different direction as the Mac, so they decided to try their luck in the land of dreams — the United States. After initially being promised to be back home by christmas, Christine would stay with the band — abroad — for the next 28 years. She would be a driving force and function as the fierce and headstrong but at the same time caring and peacekeeping den mother of the group, captivating countless souls with her love drunken songs.

In 1975 the somewhat unlucky band that was Fleetwood Mac found themselves in need of personell once again. After all of their lead guitarists had either gone insane, joined a cult, were fired for infidelity or left to do their own thing, in particularly that order, the band anew, was missing a crucial part of their lineup leaving them with an uncertain future. Their luck seemed to have turned as a new guitarist was quickly found, only to discover that he came as a package — with a girl.

Stephanie Lynn Nicks was the grand daughter of an understated country singer who took little Stevie on stage when she was only five years old. Having grown up around music, writing songs since she was a teenager, she was trying to make it big with her boyfriend in the city of angels. Her dreamy lyrics and hoarse, rusty voice was a welcome contrast to Christine‘s neat and upbeat love songs and it was soon clear she would fit right in. Even after splitting with the very boyfriend that brought her into the band, she would stay on as the main focalizer and diligent contributor for decades to come.

Both of those women were in their own way unique and oh so contraire but still stuck together, having each others backs. Neither jealousy nor competition seemed to be able to break them apart. They were co-existing in the sometimes toxic but oh so vital eco-system that was Fleetwood Mac forming a symbioses, as friends, keeping each other sane and most importantly alive and kicking — kicking in the glass ceiling that was the male dominated scene of 70s music and thus paving the way for so many talented young girl-singers, songwriters and musicians to come.

Christine once casually stated in an interview upon being asked if she ever felt the got enough credit, that nobody ever really said, ‘thanks for groundbreaking‘, so here it is: Thank you, ladies. Thank you, Christine McVie, queen of the keys and Stevie Nicks, goddess of the stage, for groundbreaking, for being role models in many more ways than just your talent in music. Thanks for sticking up for each other, for lifting each other up instead of taking each other down, for showing us what true and honest sisterhood is all about. Thank you from the bottom of the heart of just another girl out there trying to make it.

[allaboutmichigan]

Exploring Mackinac Bridge and Gateway to the Upper Peninsula

Connecting Michigan’s two peninsulas is more than just a feat of engineering—it's a symbol of unity, heritage, and adventure. The Mackinac Bridge, affectionately called "Mighty Mac," is not only one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, but it also serves as a breathtaking passageway to the wonders of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

For travelers seeking to uncover the best the Great Lakes State has to offer, this journey is an essential experience. Welcome to a scenic exploration where engineering marvel meets natural beauty, where history merges with the present, and where every mile leads to a story. This is boldly and brilliantly All About Michigan.

The Birth of an Icon: History of the Mackinac Bridge

Long before the Mackinac Bridge was completed in 1957, crossing the Straits of Mackinac was an unpredictable ordeal. Ferries were once the only option for traversing the turbulent waters that separate Michigan’s Lower Peninsula from the Upper Peninsula. Winter ice and summer storms often delayed or disrupted travel. The idea of a permanent bridge was proposed as early as the late 19th century, but the sheer size and complexity of the endeavor postponed it for decades.

Finally, with public support and technological advancements, construction began in the 1950s. Designed by engineer David B. Steinman, the Mackinac Bridge stretches five miles from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace. It cost around $100 million to build and took over three years to complete. When it opened on November 1, 1957, it instantly became a source of state pride and a cornerstone of Michigan’s identity.

Engineering Brilliance and Design:

Standing as one of the longest suspension bridges in the Western Hemisphere, the Mackinac Bridge is a marvel of design. Its total length is 26,372 feet, and its central suspension span is an astonishing 3,800 feet—only surpassed globally by a few bridges. The towers rise 552 feet above the water, and the bridge is designed to flex with the wind, giving it the resilience to withstand the often-harsh weather of the Straits.

It’s more than just a functional structure; it’s a visual masterpiece. Whether shrouded in morning mist or lit up at night, the bridge exudes a majestic presence. Every September, thousands of people join the Mackinac Bridge Walk to experience it on foot—a tradition that celebrates not only the structure but also the sense of connection it represents. The bridge is a central chapter in any story that is All About Michigan.

Scenic Gateway to the Upper Peninsula:

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge is not just about reaching the other side—it's about transitioning into a different kind of Michigan. The Upper Peninsula (commonly called the U.P.) is a region defined by dense forests, roaring waterfalls, rugged coastlines, and a deep-rooted sense of independence. For many travelers, the moment they cross the bridge, they feel an immediate shift in atmosphere.

The drive across the bridge itself offers stunning views of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converging below. On clear days, travelers can see Mackinac Island in the distance, a car-free island known for its horse-drawn carriages and Victorian charm. As one moves northward into the U.P., the landscape becomes more wild and untamed, inviting explorers to slow down and embrace nature's rhythm.

This gateway isn't merely symbolic—it defines the spirit of what it means to learn All About Michigan, especially the lesser-known wonders of the Upper Peninsula.

St. Ignace: The Bridge’s Northern Anchor

Once across the Mackinac Bridge, the first town you'll encounter is St. Ignace. Rich in Native American and French colonial history, St. Ignace is more than just a stopover—it's a destination in itself. It was one of the earliest European settlements in Michigan and still holds onto much of its cultural heritage.

Visitors can explore the Museum of Ojibwa Culture, stroll along the Huron Boardwalk, and enjoy local whitefish fresh from Lake Huron. Ferries to Mackinac Island also leave from this quaint harbor town. St. Ignace captures the charm and simplicity that define many U.P. communities. It serves as a perfect launchpad for venturing deeper into Michigan’s north, a land filled with untamed beauty and historical echoes.

Spending time here is like opening a portal into a slower, more intentional way of life—one that teaches a person all the reasons people fall in love with the parts of the state that make up All About Michigan.

Wilderness and Waterfalls Beyond the Bridge:

As travelers move beyond St. Ignace and further into the Upper Peninsula, they are greeted by an explosion of natural beauty. The U.P. is home to hundreds of waterfalls, miles of hiking trails, and countless lakes and rivers. One of the most famous nearby destinations is Tahquamenon Falls State Park, about an hour’s drive from the bridge. The park features two major waterfalls, the Upper and Lower Falls, surrounded by cedar forests and wildlife-rich wetlands.

Not far from there is the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, where sandstone cliffs painted by mineral deposits tower above the turquoise waters of Lake Superior. This protected area is a treasure trove of kayaking routes, hiking paths, and vistas that steal your breath away. These are the types of landscapes that make photographers, campers, and adventurers alike fall in love with everything that’s All About Michigan.

Whether you're birdwatching along the Lake Superior shore, discovering hidden beaches, or losing track of time under a canopy of trees, every path in the Upper Peninsula reinforces just how richly diverse the state really is.

The Bridge’s Cultural Significance:

More than an architectural triumph, the Mackinac Bridge holds immense cultural value. It symbolizes the coming together of Michigan's two distinct regions—the populous, urbanized Lower Peninsula and the rural, often overlooked Upper Peninsula. To many Yoopers (U.P. residents), the bridge is both a connection and a reminder of their unique identity.

It also features prominently in local art, music, and storytelling. Numerous songs, poems, and paintings feature the bridge as a motif of strength, resilience, and nostalgia. In this way, the Mackinac Bridge transcends its practical purpose and becomes a cultural landmark, one that tells you All About Michigan with every cable and span.

Year-Round Adventures Across the Bridge:

The Mackinac Bridge is open all year round, and each season offers a different experience for travelers. In spring, the area comes alive with blooming wildflowers and a surge of migratory birds. Summer invites beachgoers and bicyclists to explore coastal trails and nearby towns. Fall turns the bridge into a corridor of color as foliage erupts into shades of red, orange, and gold. Winter blankets the region in snow, creating a peaceful, pristine landscape perfect for snowmobiling, ice fishing, and quiet retreats.

No matter the season, the Mackinac Bridge remains a reliable guidepost, directing adventurers toward new experiences and cherished memories. It acts as a compass, pointing not just northward, but inward—toward discovery, introspection, and a deeper understanding of what makes this state special. To live and explore here is to know what’s All About Michigan.

Exploring Beyond the Bridge: More Hidden Gems

Beyond the better-known parks and towns lie dozens of smaller, lesser-known gems. Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan’s oldest city, lies east of the bridge and is home to the famous Soo Locks—a crucial shipping passage between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. Westward, the Keweenaw Peninsula juts into Lake Superior, offering ghost towns, ancient copper mines, and untouched forests.

The U.P. is also known for its dark skies and stargazing opportunities. Places like the Headlands International Dark Sky Park near Mackinaw City allow for awe-inspiring views of the Milky Way, northern lights, and meteor showers. These quiet corners of the state are perfect for anyone wanting to go deeper into the experience of learning All About Michigan.

Local Flavor and Community Spirit:

No journey across the Mackinac Bridge is complete without indulging in the local flavors. From smoked fish and pasties to homemade jams and maple syrup, the region’s cuisine reflects its rugged and resourceful heritage. Every small-town diner or roadside stand has a story, and the people you meet often become the most memorable part of your trip.

Residents of the U.P. are known for their friendliness and hospitality, always ready to share tips about hiking trails, fishing spots, or the best places for homemade pie. It’s this community spirit that leaves a lasting impression and makes a trip through the area unforgettable.

The U.P. isn’t just a place—it’s a way of life. To cross the bridge is to enter a region where people care deeply about tradition, conservation, and each other. This sense of connection is a key part of what is truly All About Michigan.

Conclusion:

The Mackinac Bridge is more than steel and suspension—it’s a symbol of Michigan’s unity and diversity. As it spans the turbulent waters between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, it also spans the hearts of the people who travel it, linking cultures, landscapes, and memories. Each trip across the Mighty Mac offers a new experience, a new story, and a fresh appreciation for the richness that is Michigan.

Whether you're drawn to the bridge's architectural beauty, the natural wonders of the Upper Peninsula, or the historic towns that greet you at each end, one thing becomes clear: the journey is as rewarding as the destination. The Mackinac Bridge is not just a route—it's a rite of passage into the heart of everything that is truly All About Michigan.