#marble brewery

[theostrophywife]

kiss with a fist | chapter one.

masterlist 💋 chapters 💋 playlist

pairing: theodore nott x reader.

song inspiration: kiss with a fist - florence and the machine.

author's note: i'm so excited to share this series with everyone. this was literally meant to be a one shot fic but i have no self control therefore it spiraled into a whole series. without further ado, please enjoy the first chapter and let me know what you think 🤎

Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure. 

Intelligence, knowledge, wisdom. These were the traits that Ravenclaws valued most, but if the founder of your house could see you now, Rowena Ravenclaw would probably roll over in her grave. 

Because there was nothing smart about falling in love with Theodore Nott. 

In fact, it might be the most idiotic thing you’ve ever done in your entire life. 

So why did it feel so bloody exhilarating? 

To understand your descent into madness, it was prudent to trace the events back to point zero. 

It was a rainy September afternoon, unusually dreary even for the Scottish Highlands. The first week of your return to Hogwarts had been chaotic to say the least. Between performing your prefect duties by showing the first years around the castle and dealing with the clueless third year that accidentally set off Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs in the Great Hall, you were absolutely knackered by the time Friday rolled around. 

Unfortunately, you had no time to rest. Even though the term just started, you were already spending much of your nights studying until your eyes felt like they were going to fall out of your skull. Tonight, you were in the potions laboratory tackling a particularly stubborn advanced draught. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t figure it out. 

You dropped a sprig of wormwood into the cauldron and stirred counterclockwise then clockwise, just like the recipe instructed. The concoction bubbled to the surface. Holding your breath, you peered into the mixture with hope that this try would finally turn out successful. The potion turned a vibrant magenta color before exploding all over the front of your uniform. 

Sadly, this was the closest you’d come to brewing the Angel’s Trumpet Draught. You sighed, wiping down your tie with a washcloth. It did nothing except make the mess worse. What you needed was a good old fashioned soak.

Luckily, you had access to the prefect’s bathroom on the fifth floor. During this time of night, it would be gloriously empty. Giving you the perfect opportunity to wallow in bubbles and self pity. 

The trek from the dungeons to the fifth floor was fortunately uneventful. The hallways were dark and quiet, allowing you to slink off to the bathroom in peace. With a whisper of pine fresh, the pearly gates opened.

You turned on the faucets, setting the temperature just below boiling and dispensing herbs and fragrances into the tub. When you were finally satisfied, you quickly discarded your soiled clothes and eagerly stepped into the warm bath. The scent of rosewater and pink himalayan salt instantly relaxed you. 

You sighed deeply, leaning against the marble tile and closing your eyes. This was definitely not the way you thought seventh year would go. Your last year at Hogwarts was supposed to be the highlight of your academic career. While your housemates fretted and fussed over quidditch games and blood moon balls, you refused to take your eyes off the prize.

Ever the diligent student, you had no interest in extracurriculars unless it brought you closer to your dream of becoming an accomplished potions master, which would hopefully catch the eye of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. Joining the prestigious group was a dream that you had been working towards since first year. Blood, sweat, and tears had gone towards achieving this goal, especially during your most recent break. 

You spent the entire holiday interning at the Brewery, attending lectures at the Magical Division of the University of Oxford, and you had not only completed the assigned reading for your Advanced Potions class, but Professor Slughorn’s personal recommendations as well. All of that hard work should have placed you ahead of the curve, but your class rank remained the same as always. 

Second. 

Not first.

Never first.

No, that spot belonged to that rich infuriating smartass pureblooded motherfu—

“Theodore Nott,” you said, lacing your voice with as much venom as you could muster. 

Between the pale moonstone pillars stood the source of your academic anguish. Theodore was dripping sweat, his green and silver quidditch jersey covered in mud and grime. The prefect badge pinned to his robe was barely visible, more brown than silver. His curly brown hair fell erratically across his cheekbones as he brushed a stray strand away to squint in the faint light. 

The side of his mouth quirked up into a smirk when he recognized you. “You know, most people just call me Theo.” His gaze lingered on your form, which was barely covered by pink suds. “Especially those who know me rather intimately.”

You flushed in response. Amusement danced in his watercolor eyes, which seemed brighter now thanks to his sun kissed complexion. Knowing Nott, he probably spent his summer laying out in the Italian sun while attractive witches fed him grapes by hand. You didn’t get a tan like that from holing up in the English countryside with nothing but a boiling cauldron and a dusty textbook for company. He didn’t even have the audacity to pretend like he was worried about his class ranking. The bastard. 

“Every rule has its exception, Theodore,” you gritted out. “Now get the fuck out.” 

He cocked his head, sending a mass of wavy brown locks to spill to one side. “You’re right. Most people don’t usually say my name like it’s an unforgivable, but I guess you’re special in that way, diavolina mia.”

Little devil, Nott's idea of a fond nickname, irritated you to no end. Your annoyance only made him use it more. Gods, what a wanker. 

“Are you deaf or just thick? This bathroom is occupied,” you huffed, sinking lower into the bubbles. “Leave before I scream bloody murder.” 

Theo smirked. “Oh, I guarantee you’ll be screaming.” He kicked his shoes off, leaving them in a messy pile beside your own neatly arranged boots. “Though the only thing I’ll be murdering is that pu—”

The glare you sent his way would have sent lesser men running for the Forbidden Forest. “I’m serious, Nott. I’ve had a terrible fucking day and I am not giving up the bath.” 

“Neither am I,” he countered. “Practice was brutal. I ate shit on the pitch and all I want to do is to reap my prefect benefits via bubble bath. I’m afraid you’re just going to have to learn how to share, sweetheart.”

You watched in stunned silence as he peeled off his jersey. The moonlight streamed through the glass stained windows, painting him in a surreal sort of light. There was no ounce of shame to be found in Theodore Nott as he stripped off his trousers and stood stark naked in the middle of the bathroom. 

Look away, you thought. Look the fuck away now.  

But like a moth to a flame, you found yourself horribly drawn to the cocky, arrogant, son of a bludger. His tall frame cut an imposing figure in the dark as slivers of moonlight danced across his ridiculously toned chest and well-defined abs. He was neither brawny nor scrawny, but somewhere in the middle, which unfortunately happened to be your sweet spot. 

To make matters worse, the smug prick seemed perfectly aware of your ogling. You could’ve sworn Theo flexed as he stalked towards you. Unlike most boys his age, he wasn’t awkward or bumbling. Theo was confident in his body. Too confident. 

You sighed. “Can you at least attempt to be decent?” 

“Why? It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before.”

As if you needed a reminder of this ongoing tryst between you. Theo waded to your side, leaning his head back as the warm water sloshed around him. His eyes fluttered close, those thick lashes of his kissing the top of his cheekbones. Water trickled down his collarbone and you had to fight the urge to lean over and lick it off. 

“I told you, last time was—“ 

“The last time,” Theo finished. “I’m perfectly aware, principessa. You say it every time.” 

“I mean it this time.” 

He cocked his head, flashing those hypnotizing eyes at you. “Oh?” Theo drawled slowly, reaching out to brush a wayward lock of hair that had escaped from your braid. “Did my poor little Ravenclaw finally find the courage to say no to the big bad Slytherin?” 

Your breath hitched as he pressed his lips against your throat. “Fuck,” you whispered. 

“Go on then, love,” Theo hummed against your skin. He kissed the sensitive spot beneath your earlobe, making you involuntarily arch into him. Slender fingers wrapped around the base of your throat, holding you in place. “Tell me what you want, diavolina.” 

You sighed in defeat. “Stop being an asshole and kiss me, Nott.” 

Theo grabbed the back of your head and crashed his lips against yours like a man starved. After months of going without, you came to the horrid realization that you craved this as much as he did. You crawled into his lap, straddling him as he gripped your hips hard enough to leave bruises. 

I am a stupid girl, you thought. A stupid, horny girl who had no business snogging Theodore Nott. 

One, you were bitter rivals. Two, Theo awakened a dangerous side of you that defied all logic. This whole fucked up situation started because of your lapse of judgment last winter. As always, Theo had said or done something to annoy you during class and in return you hexed his drink to taste like dragon dung. He retched for a week straight. Somehow Snape found out that you were to blame and placed both of you in detention.

One thing led to another in the potions classroom and you ended up with your skirt around your waist and Theo’s head between your legs. You quickly resolved that the only way to shut him up was to keep him occupied and occupied he was. Ever since then, the two of you had been at it like rabbits. 

You thought that you would leave all of it behind in sixth year, but barely a week into this term and you were already repeating the pattern. 

“I’ve been thinking about this all summer,” Theo groaned into your mouth. 

“That’s cute, Nott,” you responded sarcastically. “Miss me over the holidays, did you?”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. Don’t act like you haven’t been thinking about this too. You’ve been testier than a Hungarian Horntail since the minute you got off the platform. I could tell that you haven’t been properly fucked since our little impromptu goodbye in the broom closet last spring.” 

“You’re absolutely repulsing.” 

He smirked. “Then why are you pulling me closer?” 

You rolled your eyes. “Shut up and fuck me before I change my mind.” 

“You could say please.” 

“I could,” you said with a shrug before gripping his cock and lining him up at your entrance. Theo groaned as you sank down into him with a satisfied little smirk. “But I won’t.” 

The moan that came out of his mouth barely sounded human. “Fuck,” he said, burying his head in the crook of your neck. “How do you always feel so fucking good?” 

You knew what he meant. As much as you hated to admit it, Theo was right. You hadn’t gotten properly laid since your last tryst. There had been other boys this summer, but none of them made you feel like this. Because sex with Theo wasn’t just sex. It was warfare. You fucked like you both had something to prove. 

Even now, as you grinded your hips against him, Theo thrusted upwards with equal force like you were competing for the bloody house cup. You ran your fingers through his hair, frowning a little. 

“What?” Theo asked. 

“Did you cut your hair?” 

He grinned as he trailed kisses along your jaw. “You don’t like it?”

“Less to hold onto.”

“Don’t worry dolcezza,” Theo chuckled darkly. He squeezed your thighs and pressed you against him roughly. “I’ll make sure to hold on tight for the both of us.”

You hummed in agreement before sinking down again, setting a steady rhythm as you rode him with reckless abandon. For someone who valued logic, every ounce of common sense you possessed went out the window when it came to this infuriating boy. 

Maybe you were a masochist. But as Theo thrust sharply into you, the stupid little voice in your head said that you didn’t really mind the pain. 

You moaned as Theo tilted your chin, capturing your lips with his. It was a clash of tongue and teeth as you fought for dominance, putting your bodies to the test. He knew exactly what buttons to press, which sensitive spots to hit, how to challenge you physically and mentally. 

“Gods, right there.” You whimpered, digging your fingernails into his back. Theo’s hypnotizing eyes snapped to yours, piercing through every layer until you felt even more bare than you already were. “Don’t fucking stop, please.”

He smirked. “So you do have bedside manner after all.” 

“Not for you,” you said as you grinded down hard, making Theo bite into your shoulder. 

“Salazar fucking save me,” he grunted. 

“Your founder can’t save you now, Nott.” 

“Cruel, ruthless woman.” Theo looked up at you like he was praying to the stars. His movements stilled as your gazes collided. “Tell me you missed this. Tell me that no one else makes you feel like this.” 

You whined at the loss of friction. “You’ve picked a shit time to get all sentimental on me, Nott.”

“It’s not sentiment, it’s the truth,” Theo declared, thrusting lazily. “And I want to hear you say it.” 

“Why?”

“Call it curiosity,” he said casually. “I want to know if I measure up to the boys back in Oxford.”

Not even close, you thought. But you were not about to admit that out loud. 

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know.” 

Theo chuckled before sinking his teeth into your neck. “But I’m not a cat, little bird. I’m a snake and I’m coiled around you ready to strike if you say the word.” 

You shivered slightly. This constant back and forth, all the bickering and banter, was just you and Theo’s sick and twisted version of foreplay. Gods, you fucking missed it. 

“Fine,” you grumbled. “Theodore Nott, you are an infuriating little shit but you fuck like an absolute demon. I missed sneaking around with you in the broom closet, the charms classroom, the astronomy tower, and wherever else we managed to defile in this bloody castle. Is that what you wanted to hear?” 

The shiteating grin on his face almost made you want to take it all back, but then he flipped you over, laying you down on the cold marble tile and staring at you with so much lust in his eyes that you felt the depths of his desire in your core. He crawled over you, water trickling down his tanned skin. 

“Close enough,” he remarked before hiking your leg over his shoulder and burying himself so deep that you clawed the edge of the tub to keep yourself from slipping. 

The rest of it was a blur of skin on skin as Theo unleashed himself on you. His mouth, his fingers, his cock were all just tools of seduction that he wielded with lethal precision. 

The pleasure washed over you in waves, crashing again and again as he made you cum not once, not twice, but a total of three times. By the time he reached his peak, you were so exhausted that the two of you collapsed in the dark. 

You laid side by side, staring up at the domed glass ceiling in stunned silence. After a moment, Theo turned over to face you.

“So?” 

“So what?”

“Did I manage to knock that stick out of your arse?”

You rolled your eyes, pushing off the tile. “And that’s my cue to leave.”

“I’m kidding. I’m good, but I’m not that good,” Theo teased, following closely behind as you put your clothes back on. He eyed the bright magenta stain on the front of your uniform. “What happened there? Did you murder some poor unsuspecting pygmy puff?” 

“No, but I did a number on the potions lab,” you lamented with a sigh. “That stupid Angel’s Trumpet Draught is bloody impossible to brew.” 

“That old thing?” Theo asked, pulling out a fresh set of clothes from his quidditch bag. “I finished it ages ago.” 

You gaped, nearly tumbling over your own skirt. “How? I followed the recipe word for word and this disastrous stain was all I managed to achieve.”

“Sometimes you have to go off the book,” he replied. “Experiment a little.” 

“No thanks, I’d rather keep all my limbs intact.”

“I think you’re doing a rather splendid job of endangering yourself all on your own,” Theo said sarcastically. He cocked his head as you slipped on your boots. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll show you how to brew the draught in exchange for a favor.” 

You narrowed your eyes in suspicion. “What kind of favor?” 

“That’s for me to decide and for you to accept.” 

“I’d rather not give an egomaniac a nuclear advantage.” 

Theo rolled his eyes. “Do you want my help or not, diavolina?” 

“Fine,” you said with a sigh. “But only because I’m desperate.” 

“Words every bloke is dying to hear.” 

Without a word, he tossed a mass of balled up fabric in your direction. “What’s this?” 

“A jumper, an article of clothing generally worn to retain warmth in colder climates,” Theo deadpanned.

“I know what a jumper is, you tosser. Why are you giving it to me?” 

“Because, you’ll get a cold walking around like that,” Theo explained with a longsuffering sigh as though you were a clueless first year. The corners of his mouth quirked up. “Plus, I can see your nipples through your blouse and as much as I enjoy the view, I doubt that flashing Filch is at the top of your bucket list.” 

“You truly are appalling,” you replied, shrugging the slightly faded jumper on. The thing was so worn that you couldn’t even make out the inscription on the front. The fabric swallowed you whole, skimming the top of your thighs. It also smelled like sea salt and smoke and boy. One boy in particular. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He grinned, showing off those stupid little dimples of his. “Meet me in the potions lab tomorrow. Eight o’clock sharp, just like old times. And bring a muffin.” 

“For the draught?’ 

“No, for me.” Theo said, holding the door open. “I’ll need motivation if I’m spending my Saturday morning with you.” 

You slipped into the hallway and flipped him the bird. His laughter followed you in the dark like an annoying shadow.

“See you tomorrow, my little pygmy puff!”

Taglist: @annaisabookworm@marina468@yaraasthings @the0doreslover@bubybubsters@moony-artemis @natasha887@lucyysthings@criesinlies @bunnymallowo@niktwazny303@letmedownslows @siriuslyalovergirl@wordsarelife@clairesjointshurt @daydreamingabthar @mishtay @cherry-hoe  @littlebookbengal @maybefoxysouls @nomup  @aliensknowmyillusions

[trivialbob]

Today the dogs each got an ice cream cup. It's hot outside! When they were done eating I am certain there wasn't a single molecule of ice cream in, on or around the plastic containers.

We have an ash tree in our front yard that has to be cut down. It's diseased and dying. I don't mind playing with my chainsaw when some small to medium sized limbs fall. But one of these days it will take out the garage.

Our neighbors had the same problem. Fortunately for them their tree was on the city's right-of-way so the city cut it down at no extra cost to the homeowners.

Our tree is several feet behind the right-of-way, so we are on the hook for removal. I've received one estimate so far. It will cost a pretty penny but not as much as it was to have an even larger tree removed from the back yard a few years ago.

Last night my brother Jim and his girlfriend Nicole met Sheila and me at the brewery. Our favorite food truck (Philly cheese steak sandwiches) was there. The sandwiches are $15, tax included. That's a decent price from a food truck. Even better, the sandwiches are so big Sheila and I split one and still get full. So really, it was $7.50 for an excellent sandwich.

After we ate we showed Jim and Nicole our new game. It's called Uff Da or Carbles (Cards & Marbles). Someone else at the brewery had introduced us to the game. Sheila later bought a very nicely finished, hand-made solid walnut board off Etsy. $$$

We played the game for a while. Sheila sent the Etsy link to Nicole who looked at her phone and remarked, "Oh look, it was only $10 extra to get your last name engraved on the board."

I gave Sheila a big "Whaaaaat?"

Nicole quickly lied to my face. "Oh Bob, but it's FREE on the first game you order from that guy."

Sheila said, "Sure, right. That's not even the first game I've purchased from him."

[jenthebug]

I’m drinking THE BEST BEER. The last time I had this was in New Mexico a few years ago. I had it on tap and it was so good I got a case to bring back to Colorado.

I actually emailed the brewery and asked if the beer was available in Denver. They said no; Ska Brewing handles their distribution in southern Colorado but they hadn’t expanded to Denver.

Today, years later, I went to Total Wine. One of the things that I was tasked to get was “a beer that we can split,” which essentially means “a beer that I like that isn’t too dark.”

The craft beers are arranged alphabetically, so just for shits and giggles, I looked near the Lagunitas. Holy shit, there it was. And just this one: Marble Double White.

🥹

Somehow, amid the sea of IPAs and lagers, they managed to stock THE BEST BEER.

So yeah. I’m a little tipsy and a lot happy. 🍻

[brewyork]

TALEA opens new West Village taproom

The growing empire of TALEA Beer Co. has expanded back across the East River, with a new location on Christopher Street between Bleecker and Bedford in the West Village. It’s their first permanent location in Manhattan after operating a pop-up location near Grand Central in the summer of 2022.

The West Village taproom, their third, offers all the comforts of their brewery location in Williamsburg and taproom in Cobble Hill: a pastel aesthetic and marble slab bar, set flights and pours of their beers along with wines, cider and cocktails, light snacks and cheese and charcuterie boards, and a friendly, welcoming staff. On first glance, the space itself feels a lot smaller than their other locations, but it winds into a cozy back room with lounge-like seating, and there are a few seats on the sidewalk as well.

This is the first of two upcoming locations in Manhattan for TALEA. A second outpost, on West 40th Street across from Bryant Park and the New York Public Library, is currently under construction.

[2af-afterdark]

Its Morax’s turn on the Paradise Lost Tea Brewery

Oh Morax, this one was a bit tricky to craft but he also seems to be on the more “Sane” side

Since Morax has the ability to heal and receive the pain, maybe he has a pain kink? Or he’s just lost a few marbles, both are valid tbh

He’ll start of gentle, and slowly get rougher, increasing his holding grip, while you feel the pleasure, he’ll be feeling the pain

The room is already ready for aftercare tho, permanent hot tea and snacks, as well as some healing stuff since the healer is out of it

Hehehehehe only Lucifer remains and his will probably be the longest since not much is known about him, which leaves room for interpretation :)

🦩

Morax is anything but sane. The man is willing to heal others to the point that it may actually kill him. Plus, his fetish translates as a sexual attraction to scars, so... he definitely is enjoying himself with all that pain. MC feeling endless pleasure while he gets to feel all of their pain? Brilliant! MC will only ever know joy when they are with him! What a cheeky little man~

[all-thicc]

5.11.24 Marble Brewery

[foodblogs-things]

The Art of Pairing: Finding the Perfect Local Craft Beer for Your Steak

In the quest for the ultimate dining experience, pairing the right beer with your steak can elevate a meal from good to unforgettable. If you've ever searched for steak restaurants close to me in Suffolk, you're likely to find a wealth of establishments offering expertly prepared steaks. But how many of them highlight the art of pairing these delectable cuts with locally crafted beers? This blog will guide you through the basics of pairing craft beers with different cuts and preparations of steak, ensuring that your next meal is a culinary masterpiece.

First, let's break down the flavor profiles. When it comes to steak, you have a range of cuts, each with its own unique taste and texture. A well-marbled ribeye, for instance, pairs beautifully with a rich, malty beer like a porter or stout. The robust flavors of the steak are complemented by the deep, roasted notes of the beer. On the other hand, a leaner cut like a filet mignon benefits from a lighter beer, such as a pilsner or pale ale, which won’t overpower its delicate flavor.

Suffolk is home to some exceptional breweries, each offering beers that can make your steak dinner something special. For instance, try a hoppy IPA with a New York strip. The bitterness of the hops can cut through the steak's fattiness, creating a balanced and refreshing bite. Or, if you're enjoying a smoky, grilled steak, a dark beer with caramel and chocolate undertones can add a delightful layer of complexity.

By understanding the fundamentals of beer and steak pairings, you can create dining experiences that are not just meals, but memorable events. So next time you're at one of Suffolk's fine steak restaurants, consider how the local craft beers can enhance your steak, and savor the perfect pairing.

[i-was-bored-so-this-happened]

Second Star Chapter Fourteen: The Novice

Fandom: The Mandalorian Wordcount: 3.6k Warnings: Canon-typical violence, child endangerment

Okan and Peli return triumphant from their business and wait for the bounty hunters to come back. Toro Calican returns, but Mando is nowhere to be seen

Read on AO3 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter Writing Masterpost

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You did pretty good back there, Little Miss Unknown,” Peli bites into a sandit as she says it. The sugar sprinkled on the top of the bun is as coarse as the sand of the dunes and crunches with Peli’s consonants, “Does your family name not translate or do you not have one?” Signature Tatooine bluntness.

“I don’t have one.” Okan lies. She tears the sandit she’s holding in half and licks the sugar off before pushing it into the baby’s waiting hands. He plays with it more than eats it, ripping it to make fist-sized doughballs and rub odd lumps into the fabric of Okan’s cloak before deigning to put it in his mouth. She uses a corner of the cloak to wipe his mouth at any intervals he allows. Like any baby, he’s very much against being kept clean and tidy.

“Not unusual,” Peli shrugs and rests a comforting hand on Okan’s upper arm. Okan tenses at the contact and side steps. Peli doesn’t react, just goes on, “But hey, fresh, new, regular commission, I appreciate it. I can knock a couple hundred credits off your bill…grab some spotchka?”

“Are the breweries still putting that algae dust in it?”

“The spirius? Yeah, believe so. Even last drought couldn’t kill that stuff.”

“Then I guess we can have some spotchka.” Okan concedes, lifting her bun out of the child’s reach. Peli is taking them back along the path they’d taken to get to the starport, and while they walk the market goes from the day shift to the night as the suns start to show signs of vaguely considering setting. No one stays out long once it gets dark.  Hells, any solo movement in the cities past five was risky the last time Okan was on Tatooine. The stalls are changing hands between associates or being replaced by those belonging to fresh vendors. Stock is switched from dehydrated carbohydrates and quick-fix kits to gallons of treated water and piles of coloured powder under bell jars. The latter leaves Okan twitchy, whole hand flexing. 

Peli stops at several of the stalls. She seems to be one of those people that knows everyone, and knows how to talk strangers into being allies. 

“Guess y’all gotta eat, huh,” she says at one point, turning blush pink fruits over in her hands. Fresh produce can’t be sold during the day unless you’ve got a way of keeping it cold, “What’ve you got in that galley of yours?”

“Not much fresh,” Okan admits. She takes the fruit from Peli’s hand when it’s offered. It’s surprisingly soft, covered in fine hair like her arms. She almost has to restrain herself from leaving marks in its flesh where her nails sit. It is in fact not fully pink, but marbled orange and yellow to create the blush tone, “What is this?”

“A peach. That’s what they call the colour, too. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one, before the war we used to get ‘em from Naboo. You don’t gotta skin ‘em, either.” While Peli speaks, she hands over a fistful of credits, far more than she’d given for the orangey pulp the group had bought that morning. Gently, she takes the fruit from Okan’s hand and pushes it into the string bag she’s paid for. Tying the bag securely to her belt, she moves on.

Okan next drifts to a stop at a stall that holds ration packs. She doesn’t really need any of them, Mando’s got enough of the freeze-dried mid-rim stuff to last him another war, but this is Tatooine food. Their food can’t rely on rehydration so it’s thick and stodgy and makes the human eye sting without exception. Okan hasn’t known flavour like it since she left, despite her best experimental efforts. She’s willing to sacrifice the credits for a few packets of seasoning, some of vegetables, cans of lamta juice. Any simmering excitement bubbles away as they pass another stall surrounded by bloodshot eyes.

“Are they seriously selling spice at the night markets?” Peli coughs loudly to detract from the question. A pit droid whines nervously.

“Well. Well, yeah, yeah, they are,” Peli answers, “I dunno what the situation was like last time you were here but the Pykes are running the show now. They’re not particularly afraid, either.”

“What happens if one of their vendors gets caught?”

“They don’t. Or they don’t stay in custody very long,” Peli turns onto the path that will lead them back amidst the grid of hangars, “Hey, sunshine, the Empire couldn’t wrangle Tatooine even when they had the Hutts. Republic’s got no chance out here,” Okan’s brow furrows and she opens her mouth, but Peli’s elbow digs into her side, “I agree with you, but it’s not smart to say it,” finding her hangar, she inputs the code that will let her back in, “Now, who's hungry?” The baby squeaks like a womp rat’s nest in reply.

“He’s always hungry,” Okan translates, “I’m not sure he isn’t hollow,” she finds the lump of her homemade harness that covers one of the child’s feet and wiggles it to make him shriek with giggles. The door to the hangar slides open, and Peli holds an arm out to keep it from closing again so Okan can get through. The mechanic’s rattly old R5 droid is sitting on the other side of the door waiting for them. Okan can finally release the baby, lifting the helmet and untying the scarves. He totters off as soon as physically possible, trailing the pit droids. “If he gets hurt, Mando’ll make you scrap!” Okan calls out to them. The nervous one turtles.

“What’s his deal with droids, anyway?” Peli asks, having secured the hangar. Okan shrugs. She could speculate, but she doesn’t know for sure and it’s not her place. “Any idea when he’ll be back?”

“He tries to get back to us before dark,” Okan looks directly into the eyes of the suns, lifting a hand to measure the distance between them and the horizon, “But it depends how far into the Sea they had to go.”

***

“You don’t seem to be too worried about the mando.” Late into the next afternoon, Peli has found she makes more progress in her repairs without Okan’s help. Her droids have been playing crown-cards all day. They’d taken Okan’s lunch hour to teach her how to play. She wasn’t great, not brilliant with Basic numbers, and so she’s asked them to employ her dinnertime as well.

“I’m not,” Okan glances towards the ship, now dusted with sand. The hull door has sunk somewhat into the grit, and there are still globs of fuel dirtying the ground that the pit-droids have to chase the child away from, “I have insurance.” Finding herself within arm’s reach of a broom she advances towards the Razor Crest with the intent to clean, “He won’t leave this ship behind.” Mando won’t thank her for letting the hydraulics get gummed up with sand. Peli laughs, loud and just a little gravelly,

“He’s the sentimental type, huh?” she asks without a trace of seriousness, “The ship, not you and the kid?”

“Oh, we’re more trouble than we’re worth.” Okan finds herself in a familiar stance reminiscent of being at the farm. Of sweeping up sand and rust-coloured earth she’d tracked in. Cleaning up broken shards of glass and collecting the rocks that had broken the windows. More trouble than she’s worth indeed. 

“Forgive me if I find that hard to believe.” Peli chuckles to herself. She has good reason to laugh. Okan, though taller than the average human woman and visibly strong if one takes the time to look, doesn’t present as particularly threatening. And the baby is very clearly a baby who doesn’t even reach her knees and struggles to walk unaided for longer than fifteen minutes.

“I forgive you.” Okan tells the mechanic, with a neat little flourish of the broom. Seeing the child watching her she tosses the broom into the air, spins on the ball of her foot to encourage her cloak to kick out, and catches it again in her opposite hand while keeping it spinning. She continues her turn, repeating the toss. The third toss she throws higher, high enough to give her time to leap off the hull door and entirely flip herself over in the air. She completes the aerial, her arms held out in a horizontal line to complete the star shape her body makes, before landing with a thud and catching the broom again, instinctively bending her knees to absorb the impact of the landing.  The cloak snaps behind her with the quick movement, and she’s familiar enough with the move that it doesn’t trip her. That precious millisecond in the air of feeling weightless, the surety of knowing she can and will catch herself. Spontaneity. It’s wonderful. The child’s wet, gurgly laugh may well be the tinkling of a high bell, the suns spotlights.

“Y’all sure are interesting characters.” Peli gives her head a little shake, the cloud of curls following and giving off a spray of sand. The child, sitting by her foot, is showered in the stuff and seems to enjoy the sensation, squeezing his eyes shut to avoid getting the grains in them. 

A slow, deliberate clap brings their attention to the hangar doors. A humanoid figure has entered. Shorter than Okan, wrapped in leather. Peli shields her eyes to see better while Okan just squints, trying to figure out if anyone else is nearby.

“Impressive.”

“Toro?” Okan calls. It’s the young, inexperienced bounty hunter who had hired Mando. Strangely, he’s here with no bounty. And no Mando. Alone and nonchalant. 

“Okan! Peli,” he waves to them, striding confidently through the sand towards the ship, “And,” he tilts until he sees the child, and a smile splits his face, “The baby.”

“Toro?” Okan moves forward, confused. Warmth tingles in her fingers, as though she has slept on her hands and the weight has reduced them to nought but sensation “Where’s Mando?” Toro Calican hums questioningly, as though he hasn’t heard her. When Okan passes Peli she says her name, and the mechanic squats and lifts the child into her arms. A quiet click in the back of her throat prompts a pit-droid to roll towards her. R5 rattles nervously in his corner. “Where’s Mando?” Okan repeats, her voice low in pitch but still loud enough that she knows she was audible the first time. 

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll catch up eventually.” Toro and Okan are still moving, slowly closing in on one another. Okan steps towards Peli and the child, encouraging Toro to circle in the other direction, and she keeps her hands out and open. Her feet warm in the sand. All she has is the broom. His eyes hold ambition. Greed.

“What happened?”

“You didn’t tell me the truth. About who you are, none of you did.” Shit. Shit. Heat rushes to her fingers, fear penetrating deep into the bones. Mando’s gone. Not dead, he’ll catch up, suggests an injured state. Or a delay. Had Toro taken both speeders and abandoned him in the Sea? He’ll never make it out of there alone. Okan moves to bring her hands together as though to clap, but her gloves have hardly touched before Toro draws a blaster. He doesn’t even aim it at her. If it were to be fired it would hit Peli square in the chest.

“What do you want?” Okan puts distance between her hands again, recognising that any move towards aggression would get Peli killed and put the child at risk. “You have no reason to hurt us, and we’ve no reason to hurt you.”

“I thought your people valued honesty. Is lying to me not reason enough?”

“Since when did humans value honesty?” Peli asks, trying to inject some light-heartedness into the stand-off. 

“They don’t. But she,” he gestures at Okan with the blaster, “Isn’t human. She’s worth at least seven million credits if I get her to a Guild base, and the child? Who knows?” Toro strolls forward, comfortable in his position as the one who has taken hostages. He watches as Okan’s eyes take in a full rotation of the hangar, trying to think of something, anything, to do, “I think,” he’s within six feet of her now, “We’ll wait for the Mandalorian to come back. Complete the collection.” Arrogance, that’s what else sits on his face, and arrogance can disguise stupidity. Sometimes. Gods, she hopes so.

***

If Toro has deeper levels of stupidity, he hasn’t shown them yet. Thus far, he’s made annoyingly smart decisions. Peli’s wrists are bound in front of her so she still has some mobility and can be ordered about, while Okan’s hands are tight against her back and she can’t do shit with her gloves on. More than that, it’s getting dark outside. It’s getting cold. Okan’s no use in the cold, and Mando…Mando’s out in the Dune Sea. Dehydrated, hungry, tired, likely injured. She’s given him as much time to get back to them on his own as she dares, but if she manages to get rid of Toro she has no way of finding him. No idea where he had gone, and no idea if her old contacts in the Sea are still around. She needs to install a tracker on that man. If she can find him. If.

“What’s your name? Your real name?” Toro Calican is leaning against the ship, watching Okan while she processes. She stares back at him without a reply, “I know you speak Basic now, you can quit the stupid off-worlder thing. What are you, anyway?” He doesn’t know? He’s taken her hostage and he doesn’t know, “I mean, obviously I have some idea. I’ve heard the stories.”

“Oh, good, then you know all about the sky-dragons.” Okan rolls her eyes. 

“Don’t treat me like a child.”

“How old are you, exactly? Have you even seen your third decade?” Peli calls. Toro rounds on her with a protest at the ready, but she just laughs at him, “Y’ain’t gonna shoot me. You shoot us, you lose your bounty.” This isn’t her first rodeo. She jostles the child awkwardly to try and keep him calm.

“You think that’s all I care about? The money? I shot the last bounty. She’s dead. Because she’s small potatoes compared to these two.”

“Then what are we, topatos?” Okan asks. She waits until Toro turns to her to reprimand her before she powers forward and slams her forehead into his face. He reels backwards, then doubles over. He won’t shoot her, she’s sure of that. He’d shot the last bounty, yes, but only once he realised she wasn’t the most valuable piece on the board. He won’t shoot her. When he doubles over Okan introduces his jaw to her knee. The child is warbling but whether he’s scared, concerned or amused isn’t clear. Peli’s laughing and the sound of sliding sand tells Okan that the mechanic is running for the door. Peli is the bargaining chip and she’s running away with the boy’s prize. A pit droid is squealing and whirring, waving his gangly arms at Okan until she makes to follow the others but Toro…Toro has recovered enough. His hand catches the edge of Okan’s cloak and multi-coloured stars burst in her peripheral vision as the fabric snatches away any breaths she’d intended on taking. With her hands bound behind her back she can’t balance herself and seems destined to faceplant in the sand, but Toro’s up and winding the fabric of her cloak around his arm.

“Come back here or the spark dies!” his voice is young but with that youth comes strength, as though he’s slammed a brick wall down between Peli and the exit. She skids and for a moment seems to consider running anyway, which Okan can’t entirely blame her for.

“You won’t. You won’t get such high praise if you kill me.” Okan tells the boy. Blood oozes from his nose and between his lips, crystallised with sand. He must have bitten his tongue when she’d hit his jaw, his s sounds are a little thick. 

“I dunno. I hear they want you for parts. Doesn’t much matter if you’re cold,” Toro informs her. He shouts louder to address Peli again, who hasn’t quite turned around yet, “Give me the kid.” He repeats this even louder and blood sprays from his mouth. Had she broken some of his teeth? Peli turns. She comes back. She’s watching Okan, direct eye contact as though she’s trying to convey a message. Okan doesn’t get it. Toro releases Okan, takes the baby and pushes all three of them up onto the hull door of the Razor Crest.

Mando walks into the hangar hardly a minute later. Oh. That was what Peli was trying to tell her. Okan catches her relieved breath before it leaves her. He isn’t limping, there’s no blood trickling down into the sand. Those were the worst-case scenarios. The very worst was that he wouldn’t turn up at all but he had. 

“Took you long enough, Mando,” Toro calls. His letters are even less clear now, he’s making up for it by talking loudly, “Looks like I’m calling the shots now, partner. Drop your blaster and raise ‘em.” Once Mando complies, he gives Peli a set of binders, shoves her in Mando’s direction and presses his blaster into Okan’s side. Peli ambles towards Mando, taking her own sweet damn time. She has not enjoyed being ordered around by this spitfire of a wannabe bounty hunter and she’s going to make sure he knows about it. Okan stands remarkably uninjured, but remarkably still lest that condition change. “You’re a Guild traitor, Mando. And I’m willing to bet that these are the targets you helped escape. Fennec was right. Bringing you in won’t just make me a member of the Guild. It’ll make me legendary.”

“Telling us your plan isn’t the brightest idea, kid.” Mando says. Is he…stalling? Is he hoping to take most of the fire? What-

Brightest. Idea. Code. That’s code. Code he taught her months ago for events just such as these. Hostage situations, that is. If you ever, ever, hear me say something is a bright idea, it means I’m about to use a flash charge and you should cover your eyes. Okan had tossed about the idea of her carrying some flash charges and was quite quickly shot down, but maybe after today he’ll rethink. They haven’t been able to translate this into baby terms but with hope the loud noise will scare him into closing his eyes before the flash temporarily blinds him. Without further hesitation, Okan squeezes her eyes shut. The high sound of the flash charge going off, like a firework, spears through her ears. A secondary sound is that of blaster fire, at least until Okan elbows him hard enough to make him fall down. It’s all very confusing for several seconds until footsteps patter up the hull door and hands pat their way down Okan’s arms.

“It’s me, you maniac,” Peli swats at Okan’s shoulder when Okan tries to wriggle away thinking it’s Toro, “It’s me, you can open your eyes.” Okan does so while Peli scrambles around under her cloak to find the binders. Okan does her level best to keep her emotions tamped down lest Peli brush against any exposed skin. 

“Mando! The baby?” Okan calls, trying to stay still while Peli curses at the binders.

“Got him.” Mando calls back. 

“Got it!” Peli shouts triumphantly, ripping the binders off of Okan’s wrists and tossing them aside. The smoke from the flash charge has cleared by the time Peli and Okan have reached Mando. He stands over Toro’s dead body with the child in his arms.

***

They leave Tatooine as soon as they can. Okan will miss it, if she’s honest, but she had used her share of Toro’s money to buy more Tatooine rations so she can have the taste of the planet with her a little longer. She’ll mourn the loss of the warmth of course, it had given her a wonderful boost of energy, but she knows how to travel now. In silence, for once, in her chair in the cockpit. She’s done all her talking for today. Mando’s uninjured, he’s eaten, and every time he sticks the straw of a water bottle up his helmet he shakes the bottle at Okan first so she knows. Hey. It’s Tatooine. We’re lucky we got out with all of our limbs, Okan had said, Dehydration I can handle.

“Where are we going?” Okan asks as she shifts from one side of her chair to another. She can’t help asking.

“Don’t know. We might be in space a while,” the helmet tilts up and she’s learned that at that angle he can see her in the reflection on the window. She gives a little wave, “Get comfortable.”

“I think I can manage that.”

“Maybe sleep in your bed.” Mando suggests.

“Rather be around people,” Okan answers, tucking her knees up into her chest. She sits like that for several minutes with her eyes closed, just listening to the sounds of the ship. An image of Toro trying to say the word people splutters behind her eyelids. “I broke his face, didn’t I.”

“You really did,” Is he smiling? Is that what a smile sounds like? “Good work.” He adds. Okan smiles back.

[aritchi]

JOURNALING: PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

Unit and Variety: A Yin and Yang type of concept in art, Unit is a consistent art with few different elements attached or embedded into it. Think of a white marble countertop; that is unity. Variety is the opposite, meaning there are more elements involved in the making of the art piece. The picture below is a great example of Variety as the medium used is a bunch of magazine clippings glued together as a collage, made by Vik Muniz:

Balance: Balance is the use of different elements in an equal way for a piece. Think of a cabinet in your kitchen, as both cabinet doors are symmetrical with each other as well as their matching handles to open them.

Emphasis and Subordination: Another Yin and Yang type concept in Art, Emphasis places the emphasis on a specific focal point of an artistic piece while Subordination makes certain areas in a painting or sculpture less noticeable to place more attention on the Emphasis. In every day life, we see this being done when people wear makeup. Foundation and Concealer are used as subordination while highlighter and eyeliner are used to emphasize certain facial features.

Directional Forces: This concept is used by lines, or implied lines, to draw the viewer to a part of the art piece that the artist wants us to see. I work at a Brewery, and the developers purposefully designed the pipes from the beer kegs to go out into the public space and into the bar for the customers to see and question, rather than hiding the pipes in the walls or ceiling.

Repetition and Rhythm: Repetition is when we see elements being used more than once in an art piece while Rhythm is similar but set in a purposeful sequence. We hear Rhythm being used in music every day while Repetition can be seen in house plants around the house; not in any particular order, but plants set around the house to create a sense of consistency and unity.

Scale and Proportion: Scale is the difference and relationship of size from one thing to another while proportion is the analysis of the difference of sizes to an overall product. Let's say you take a picture of you and your dog next to each other. Your dog is much smaller than you are, and that's a scale. However, you are a real human with realistic human proportions as well as that dog within the same dog breed. That is proportion.

[rasmasandra]

Traveling in Asia Japan

Kobe on Osaka Bay A city in central Japan Kobe is located in central Japan on Osaka Bay. The city is known for its signature marbled beef and scenic mountain setting framing the harbor. A great way to see the city is from top of Mount Rokko, offering panoramic views. Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum is found at Hakutsuru which is the dominant sake brewer Kobe’s Nada-ku, one of Japan’s major…

[heydaytravelcompany]

Foodie Guide to EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Presented by AdventHealth 2023

It’s beginning to taste a lot like holidays! Get ready to experience traditions and cuisines from across the globe because the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth is almost here. From Nov. 24 through Dec. 30, this classic and beloved festival will be serving up delights and excitement to get guests in the spirit. This year, there are over 15 holiday kitchens filled with delicious bites and sips inspired by holiday traditions from around the world. With returning favorites like the Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl from Bavaria Holiday Kitchen and Slow Roasted Turkey from American Holiday Table, and even some new treats, like the Rugalach from L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen, guests will be gifted flavor with each and every bite. If guests are looking to indulge their sweet tooth, they simply must do the Holiday Cookie Stroll, a food stroll featuring decadent and delightful cookies from the Holiday Kitchens. As they treat their elf, they collect stamps in the Festival Passport by purchasing five of these items to redeem a special treat from Holiday Sweets & Treats. In addition to the food, a staple of the festival is the entertainment. As guests travel throughout the World Showcase, they can take the time to enjoy the holiday storytellers sharing each country’s holiday traditions. Listen to the joy of Christmas and Kwanzaa with a lively performance of JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season or grab the whole family for some more holiday fun with Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt. As the sun goes down, don't miss Candlelight Processional – a moving retelling of the story of Christmas featuring a celebrity narrator and stirring songs performed by an orchestra and choir. Bavaria Holiday Kitchen Food Items: - Pork Schnitzel with mushroom sauce, spätzle, and braised red cabbage - Cheese Fondue in a bread bowl with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes - Linzer Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item) Beverages: - Possmann Pure Hard Apple Cider - The Tank Brewing Co. Prost! Festbier - Köstritzer Schwarzbier Bitburger (New) - Regional Riesling - Glühwein: House-made hot spiced wine - Beer Flight American Holiday Table Food Items: - Slow-roasted Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce - Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and comeback sauce - Gingerbread Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item) Beverages:  - Crooked Can Brewing Company Bah HOPbug IPA (New) - 3 Daughters Brewing Eggnog White Porter - Playalinda Brewing Co. Peppermint Chocolate Stout - Beer Flight Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina  Food Items: - Grilled Kebabs with carrot-chickpea salad and garlic aïoli - Lamb Kefta - Chermoula Chicken - Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with hummus, chermoula, and zhoug dips (Plant-based) Beverages:  - Bold Rock Orchard Frost Hard Cider (New) - Gulf Stream Brewing Company Holiday Snakebite (New) - Woodchuck Winter Chill Hard Cider - Fig Cocktail with fig vodka and white cranberry juice - Hard Cider Flight L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen Food Items:  - Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard - Smoked Salmon Potato Latke - Potato Latkes (Plant-based) - Rugalach: Pastry filled with raspberry jam, walnuts, and cinnamon (New) - Black and White Cookie (Plant-based) (Cookie Stroll Item) Beverages:  - Brooklyn Brewery Winter IPA - Frozen New York Whiskey Sour featuring Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine Yukon Holiday Kitchen Food Items: - Seared Salmon with butternut squash purée, maple-bourbon glaze, and fennel-arugula salad (New) - Beef Bourguignon with crushed potatoes - Snickerdoodle Cookie made with SNICKERS bar pieces (Cookie Stroll Item) Beverages: - Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - 81Bay Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Banana Porter - Playalinda Brewing Co. Maple Cookie Blonde Ale - Collective Arts Coffee Maple Porter - Regional Icewine - Regional Red Wine - Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee with Tap 357 Whisky - Beer Flight Holiday Sweets & Treats Food Items:  - Peppermint Sundae: Chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and peppermint candy Beverages: - Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - Breckenridge Brewery Christmas Ale - Brew Hub Sugar Plum Red Ale (New) - Left Hand Brewing Co. Chai Milk Stout (New) - Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee with assorted liqueurs (Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream Liqueur, or Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey) - Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea and whipped cream vodka - Beer Flight Refreshment Port Food Item: - Turkey Poutine: Sweet potato fries with turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions Beverages: - Gingerbread Milk Shake (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - Eggnog (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - Keel Farms Hard Pumpkin Cider (New) - Pasek Cellars Cranberry Wine - Gingerbread Milk Shake with Whipped Cream Vodka - Firenog: Eggnog with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky NEW! Swirled Showcase Food Items: - Mickey-shaped Liquid Nitro Cake - Soft-serve in a Waffle Cone: Vanilla, apple-cinnamon, and salted caramel - Cream Soda Float with vanilla soft-serve - Fanta Grape Float with vanilla soft-serve Beverages: - Frozen Apple Pie (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - Cinnamon Apple Cider (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - 3 Daughters Brewing Toasted Coconut Porter - 3 Daughters Brewing Toasted Coconut Porter Float with salted caramel soft-serve - Berry Fizz Fragolino Red Sparkling Wine Float with vanilla soft-serve NEW! Bubbles & Brine   Food Items: - Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with prosecco cocktail sauce and grilled lemon - Jonah Crab Claw Cocktail with stone-ground mustard sauce Beverages:   - Moët & Chandon Impérial - Veuve Clicquot Rosé - Dom Pérignon NEW! Wine & Wedge Food Items: - Assorted Artisanal Cheeses and Accompaniments - Boursin Fig & Balsamic Soufflé with fig tapenade - Southern Pimento Cheese with bread-and-butter pickled vegetables and grilled bread - Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese: Assorted artisanal cheeses and accompaniments paired with Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Hartley Apple Brandy, and Florida Orange Groves Winery Black and Blue Port Beverages:   - Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Hartley Apple Brandy - Florida Orange Groves Winery Black and Blue Port - Flight NEW! Char & Chop Food Items: - Roasted Porchetta with lemon-parsley salsa verde and shaved fennel salad - Grilled IMPOSSIBLE Spicy Sausage with herbed polenta, puttanesca sauce, and ricotta - Meat Assorti: Trio of shaved meats with baby arugula, pickled mustard seeds, truffle oil, and grilled ciabatta Beverages:  - Krombacher Pilsner - North Coast Laguna Baja Vienna Lager - Motorworks Brewing Midnight Espresso Coffee Porter - GoGi ‘Birdie’ Pinot Noir - Bloody Mary with Seaside Grown Bloody Mary Mix and Kurvball Barbecue Whiskey - Beer Flight Refreshment Outpost Food Items: - Peanut stew with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts (Plant-based) - DOLE Whip Raspberry Beverages:  - Ciderboys Caramel Apple Hard Cider (New) - 81Bay Brewing Co. Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Ale (New) - Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. Gingerbread White Stout (New) - Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cocktail featuring Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka (New) Nochebuena Cocina Food Items: - Tamale with chorizo, plant-based cotija cheese and spicy red chile sauce (Plant-based) - Pernil: Mojo pork with tostones and ketchup-mayonnaise - Spiced Chocolate Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item) Beverage: - Ponche Navideño: Mexican Christmas punch with apples, pears, guava, oranges, dried hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, and clove (Non-alcoholic beverage) (New) - 81Bay Brewing Co. Horchata Beer Holiday Hearth Desserts Food Items:  - Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath (New) - Apple Caramel Crumb Cake (New) - Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle (New) - Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing - Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie - Mouse Crunch made with M&M’S chocolate candies - Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item) Beverages: - Hot Cocoa by Joffrey's Coffee (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate with TWIX cookie bar pieces and whipped cream (Non-alcoholic Beverage) (New) - Wicked Weed Brewing Jack Frost IPA (New) - BrewDog It’s a Beaut Stout (New) - Wicked Weed Brewing Milk & Cookies Imperial Milk Stout - Peppermint Cocoa: Hot cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee with peppermint schnapps - Beer Flight Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen Food Items: - Crème de Saumon Fumé en Brioche à l’Aneth, Concombre: Cream of smoked salmon in house-made dill brioche bread with cucumber (New) - Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’Ancienne, Patate Douce Rôties: Roasted ham with mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon, mustard sauce, and roasted sweet potatoes - Bûche de Noël au Pain D’Épices, Ganache Chocolat au Lait et Noisettes: Gingerbread Christmas log with milk chocolate and hazelnut ganache (New) Beverages: - Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini: Grey Goose La Vanille Vodka, vodka, chocolate milk, and whipped cream - Le Joyeux de Noël: Vodka, Grey Goose Vodka, cold brew coffee, sea salt caramel toffee, and peppermint (New) - Blood Orange Mimosa: Pol Remy Sparkling Wine, orange juice, and blood orange (New) Tuscany Holiday Kitchen Food Items: - Montanara: Fried house-made pizza dough with pomodoro sauce, parmesan, and fresh basil (New) - Farfalle Salmone Affumicato: Farfalle pasta with smoked salmon and cream sauce (New) - Torta Caprese: Flourless chocolate torta with chocolate sauce and vanilla cream (New) - Dolce Pizza: Fried house-made pizza dough with sugar and cinnamon (New) Beverages:   - Prosecco - Moscato - Chianti - Italian Sangria (Red or White) - Italian Margarita with tequila and limoncello - Peroni Pilsner Shanghai Holiday Kitchen Food Items: - Chicken Skewer with creamy peanut sauce - Beef and Noodle Soup Bowl with slow-braised beef shank, green onion, and house-made chili oil - Vegetable Spring Rolls with citrus sauce Beverages:  - Bubble Tea: Classic milk tea with black and white boba pearls - Brew Hub Year of the Dragon - Dragon Fruit Lager - Butterfly Lantern with butterfly pea blossom gin, vodka, prickly pear, lychee, soda water, and boba (New) - Kung Fu Master with vodka, triple sec, mango, orange juice, and soda water - The Lucky Mo with citrus vodka, peach schnapps, piña colada mix, orange juice, and soda water Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen Food Items: - Sushi Tree: Sushi roll with krab meat and cream cheese topped with Aonori seaweed, Ikura salmon roe, and spicy mayonnaise - New Year Celebration Soba: Buckwheat soba noodles in a hot dashi soup with yuzu, shrimp tempura, and chopped green onion - Sweet Potato Mochi Cake: Gooey sweet potato mochi cake with purple sweet potato cream, strawberry, black sugary syrup, and sesame seeds (New) Beverages: - Ichigo Milk Boba: Cranberry and yuzu cream drink featuring Japanese calpico soft drink and popping strawberry boba pearls (Non-alcoholic Beverage) - Japanese Christmas Punch: Shōchū, plum wine, cranberry, and lemon - Choya Sparkling Plum Wine (New) - Sapporo Premium Beer Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen Food Items: - Giant Tostada de Chorizo: Giant tostada with chipotle black bean purée, ground chorizo, salsa verde, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onions (New) - Tamale de Barbacoa: Shredded barbacoa beef in a corn masa topped with mole negro, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onions (New) - Dulce de Leche Churro sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar Beverages: - Apple Margarita: Centinela Blanco Tequila, apple purée, black tea-cinnamon cordial, and Nixta Corn Liqueur topped with whipped cream and holiday salt (New) - Horchata Margarita: Cinnamon-infused Ilegal Mezcal, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, Agua de Horchata, and cinnamon-horchata rum - Holiday Cerveza: Mexican Artisanal Craft Lager with black curran liqueur (New) Funnel Cake - Holiday Cinnamon Celebration Funnel Cake topped with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon cookie crunch, cream cheese whipped cream, and gold dust inspired by the culinary treasures of the Kingdom of Rosas in Disney’s all-new animated musical film, “Wish” Connections Café Food Item: - Holiday Sugar Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item) Connections Eatery Beverages:  - So Many Wishes: Pomegranate-green tea, hibiscus, lemon, and a dash of star dust (Non-alcoholic beverage) - Coquito Milk Shake (Non-alcoholic beverage) - Coquito Milk Shake with Bacardí Superior Rum Sunshine Seasons Food Item:  - Jingle Sugar Cookie made with M&M’S chocolate candies (Cookie Stroll Item) Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company - Horchata Cold Brew: A holly jolly blend of Joffrey’s Shakin’ Jamaican Cold Brew and horchata topped with whipped cream and cinnamon (Non-alcoholic Beverage) (Spirited version available with Creamy Spiced Rum) What a delicious holiday season we have ahead of us! (Note: All offerings are subject to change and availability.) Read the full article

[lowryinbohemia]

Bucharest, Romania 🇷🇴

We’ve now spent two days in Bucharest, and so far Romania has been lovely. Yesterday was mainly a day for rest and hanging out at the hotel, because the three of us needed just a bit of downtime to just reset. Plus we got into Bucharest so late at night we needed a bit more sleep.

Last night we got to meet with our new travel companions for the Atlas Obscura adventure. There are 11 of us in total and its a group completely of women, which is a nice change. Plus, half the group is around my age (in their 30s) so I have some travel companions in my age range which will be nice as well. Same variety of hometowns and occupations, though all of us 30-something’s tend to either work in IT or public service of some kind, so there is some nice overlap. We had dinner last night at the hotel restaurant which was delicious, and we all introduced ourselves.

This morning we took a tour of the city of Bucharest, & we started our day out in the Romanian Athenaeum, which was right next door to our hotel. The Athenaeum is where the Romanian Philharmonic Orchestra Festival happens every year, which sadly we missed by five days. This is also where the few opera performances occur due to the incredible acoustics of the building. The main concert hall has a gorgeous wrap-around mosaic which shows the various leaders or invaders of the area from the start of history, showing the progression of governance.

Afterwards we saw the Romanian Military Academy building and then spent a some time at a local farmers market next door, getting to see firsthand the types of produce and products local to the area. But then came the next major highlight: getting to see the inside of the Parliament Building. The Parliament Building is the 2nd largest administrative building in the world (with The Pentagon being #1). The building was finished completion in 1989 even after the fall of the communist party, and the architecture includes an eclectic mixture of different styles from all over the world. The rooms were MASSIVE with these huge ornate ceilings, it felt like I was walking through a castle not a place of political business. Mom & I got a picture on the marble steps in the main entrance hall that kings, dignitaries and even Michael Jackson have entered through.

We continued some more of our walk through the Old Town part of the city and ended up a restaurant/brewery, where we had some hearty stew & sausages with potatoes, as well as a lovely blonde ale & some chocolate marble cake with berry compote. The sun was getting a bit hot so as we made our way back to the hotel, Mom & Pat went to take a bit of rest while I walked a bit more around the city just to take it all in. Mom & Pat later headed out for a little exploration and shopping of their own, so I am sitting here enjoying a cocktail at the hotel bar, just enjoying the experience of being on holiday.

Tomorrow we leave the city and visit some brilliant locales outside Bucharest, including the famous home of a certain man with an “impaling” personality & legendary heritage…..🧛‍♂️

Until then my friends, I say good evening & I will share more of my adventures tomorrow.

Lowry💜

[abhigmi]

Decorative Concrete Market Research Observes Strong CAGR Demand and Development by 2028

The decorative concrete market is estimated to grow exponentially through 2028 driven by surging demand for aesthetic, modern, and durable architectural designs in the product. In addition, rising disposable income, coupled with growing focus on environmentally friendly construction and building materials to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, is projected to further augment industry outlook over the forecast period.

Recently, key players in the sector have been investing in including more sustainable products in their offerings to cater to rising climate consciousness among consumers, thereby enhancing overall market dynamics. For instance, in January 2022, HeidelbergCement unveiled a suite of sustainable concrete portfolio under its sustainable concrete brand, EcoCrete. The sustainable decorative concretes offer CO2 reduction within a range of 30-66%. In March 2022, the company also launched a LEILAC 2 (Low Emissions Intensity Lime & Cement) carbon capture initiative with the aim of capturing 20% of carbon emissions, nearly 100,000 tons, annually by 2025.

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The global decorative concrete market has been classified into product, application, end-user, and region. Based on product, the market has been further fragmented into stamped, exposed, engraved, stained, polished, and others.

The stamped segment is expected to grow at approximately 6.4% CAGR between 2022 and 2028. Stamped concrete is available in a variety of design patterns and offers customization options for enhanced visual appeal with conventional as well as personalized designs, which is set to augment product growth through the review timeline.

The decorative concrete market share from the stained segment is anticipated to exhibit around 5.3% CAGR with respect to volume over the study timeframe. Over the forecast period, stained concrete consumption is estimated to increase due to surging demand for patios, commercial roads, parking lots, driveways, and other commercial spaces, such as offices, restaurants, breweries, retail stores, schools and so forth.

Stained concrete floors are widely used in indoor settings for their various benefits like durability, higher flexibility and eco-friendliness. Moreover, the process allows layering colors for a dramatic effect with variegated or marbled effects in light of the current home decor and architectural trends backed by increasing expenditure on renovation activities by consumers. Surging consumer interest in stained concrete floors is foreseen to positively influence segment development.

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In terms of region, the Middle East & Africa decorative concrete industry is slated to witness substantial growth at about 5% CAGR in terms of revenue from 2022 to 2028. Rapidly escalating project development initiatives focused on long-term advancements in the transportation and tourism infrastructures are primed to promote product adoption in the MEA region.

Moreover, the Middle East & Africa (MENA) region is observing a massive shift towards public transport services with mounting investments to boost public transport and infrastructure projects. The region has also emerged as a lucrative landscape for sustainability-focused mobility services, which is speculated to boost regional decorative concrete market development in the future.

Table of Contents (ToC) of the report:

Chapter 1   Methodology & Scope

1.1    Scope & definitions

1.2    Methodology & forecast parameters

1.3    Region-wise COVID-19 impact analysis

1.3.1    North America

1.3.2    Europe

1.3.3    Asia Pacific

1.3.4    Latin America

1.3.5    Middle East & Africa

1.4    Regional Trends

1.5    Data Sources

1.5.1    Secondary

1.5.2    Primary

Chapter 2   Executive Summary

2.1    Global Decorative Concrete industry 360° synopsis, 2018 – 2028

2.2    Business trends

2.3    Product trends

2.4    Application trends

2.5    End-user trends

2.6    Regional trends

Browse complete Table of Contents (ToC) of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/decorative-concrete-market

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[johnnys-place]

LaSpina del Johnny's Podere La Berta "Vécc" Saison Vol 6,3 % IBU: 20 EBC: 15 Alla vista 👀 (Vedi foto 2) Color oro leggermente opalescente, schiuma abbondante e perlage molto vivace. Al naso 👃 Il mix di due lieviti le dona un bouquet aromatico di frutta bianca e pepe bianco, seguito da sentori di fieno bagnato e con una leggera nota floreale e citrica aggiunta dal luppolo. Al palato 👅 Orzo, frumento, farro e avena ne ammorbidiscono il finale, comunque secco. Complessa nella sua semplicità, fragrante e appagante per il palato. Conclusioni 🤔 Complessa, ma beverina, soprattutto nelle ottobrate romane. Il birrificio é sempre una sicurezza. La birra rispetta la ricetta e la esalta, pur rimanendo equilibrata. Il Birrificio 🍺 The Marble Brewery è un microbirrificio a Manchester, in Inghilterra, che produce botte di birra da ingredienti biologici e vegetariani. Il birrificio originale consiste in un impianto a cinque barili, ora ne ha 12. Cenni storici ✍️ "Birra dell'Anno - Unionbirrai 2021 Medaglia d’argento nella categoria 26 – Saison, Farmhouse e Biere de Garde." ________________________________ Johnny's. Il Pub di Portaportese. - Birreria - Vineria - Coffee Bar Birra alla spina e beershop, vino in bottiglia ed al calice. 🕓 Aperto tutti i giorni dalle 17 all' 01. Lunedì chiusura. 🗺️ Via Bernardino Passeri, 14 - 16 Roma - Portaportese 00153 Vi aspettiamo all'esterno o all'interno con vini, birre, sidri, cocktails, amari, distillati e molto altro.. Nel weekend facciamo anche food!!! Be drinkferent. 🍺 ___________________________________ Tag zone 🚨 #poderelaberta #saison #beer #birra #johnnysplace #johnnys #ilpubdiportaportese #birrartigianale #birrallaspina #birrartigianaleitaliana #craftbeerlover #craftbeer #wine #viniitaliani #pub #vineria #beerporn #portaportese #laspina #craftbeerporn #craftbeerstagram #beerstagram #instabeer #beerdrinkferent #bedrinkferent #roma #drinks #beershop #coffee #bar (presso Johnny's Place Pub) https://www.instagram.com/p/CklyIFYtOOT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[wineninja]

【ブログ更新しました！】ビール　マーブル ブルワリー/クロス カラー https://ift.tt/3iyPNYP

[rasmasandra]

Kobe on Osaka Bay

Kobe is located in central Japan on Osaka Bay. The city is known for its signature marbled beef and scenic mountain setting framing the harbor. A great way to see the city is from the top of Mount Rokko, offering panoramic views. Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum is located in Hakutsuru which is the dominant sake brewer in Kobe’s Nada-ku, one of Japan’s major sake-brewing centers. Visitors take a…