#retired designs 2013

[jellycatsdaily]

Jellycat of the Day | 6th February 2024

↳ Truffles Spot Dog | 2013 Retired Design

"Spots and splotches - what a perky patched pup!"

[artelarium]

class of 2013 by mitski

photo by bruno pessoa on flickr

[dontyoufeelitangel]

I found some old vivzie pop art, I deep scrolled her tumblr for this😭

+ my commentary on it.

She called this; archangel Gabriel, will we see them in hazbin? If so, will Gabriel’s design still look like this?

Based on the angels we have seen in the show I think this character design will be scrapped and re-done.

I’m not a furry but ugh I’m a sucker for all these werewolves, out of all vivzies characters, they’re definitely my favorite!!

Do you recognize them? These are Vivzies werewolf characters. They are most well known for their appearances in the Die Young animation.

So um, I’m obsessed, ANYWAYS here’s all their names:

Roxi (pink red yellow, left bottom corner)

Koko (purple sticking out tongue, left bottom corner) 

Garfield (black and white checkered, far right)

Mint (mint green, tongue out, bottom middle)

Jiji (light blue body, dark blue hair, main singer in DieYoung, red eyes, gold earrings, middle)

Niquie (small pink, yellow eyes, sitting on Jijis head, top middle)

Whitney (neon yellow, red checkered pattern, middle left)

Dixie (light yellow, red nose and eyes, middle right)

Dani (fluffy black with white long face, light yellow eyes and black freckles, bottom right)

Jaux (pure black fur, white eyes, top middle right)

Gina ( black fluff covering white face, tucked behind Dani and Garfield, right)

From 2013 these are early designs for “angels and demons” which would later be recycled into Hazbin Hotel. The line-up is: Niffty, Husk, (idk who she is someone help me out💀) & crymini.

I love this design of crymini SO MUCH MORE than the newer one.

AAAHAHANNANSNSH I LOVE THIS ONE!!

So this is also from Angels and Demons (which would later become Hazbin hotel)

so the lineup is; Mimzy(she’s stunning), Niffty, Husk, Angel Dust, (that one girl who I don’t know), arackniss, crymini, Baxter, and Alastor.

I love this because we really get a look at the older designs of the Hazbins and also the retired characters that didn’t make it into Hazbin hotel.

Angel dust having a blob fish and an angel fish will never not be funny.

ALSO his design has changed a lot, but sometimes change is good,

Not for me tho lol, I like this old design more than the new one💃

Omg old huskerdust??😍😍 Idk actually, the caption for this was “bros will be bros” 😭

Anyways huskerdust till I die🗣️🗣️

What I find funny about this is how complex Angel dusts design is, and how plain Husk is,

Now in the show it’s the other way around.

Angel dust is drinking orphan tears😞😞

This was the farthest/oldest piece of angel dust art I could find.

Some details: skull on chest, both black eyes, no gold tooth, the amount of eyes, and the colours(duh)

This one haunts me ⚡️⚡️

Back from when Alastor and Mimzy used to be a thing,

Like, hands off my bitch Alastor

Okay this isn’t hazbin or anything,

But honestly as problematic as Vivzie pop is, I really fuck with this ke$ha sketch.

Because as much as I dislike Vivzie, I still love Ke$ha with my whole heart.

So this is angel dust fucking with Mimzy(he’s got her caught up in his webs), there’s also Alastor, husk and some other chick I don’t know.

UGGGHH Mimzys eyes used to be so cute istg

(She’s also matching eyes with Alastor)

On the topic of eyes, Husk is a free soul in this drawing😋😋

[moirtre]

do the members have backstory’s ? if they do what are they ?

yes they do! here's a very very quick rundown, i'm not sure if i'll do a little drabble series on their family dynamics but here's their backstories so they're out there!

 ‎ ‎ ┉       *       ﹙ㅤʬ              ›             NAIRA LIESE CHRISTIANSEN.

naira is a norweigian singer and actress born to norweigian investment banker, jesper christiansen and his wife, former miss universe, dauenphen prempree on december 2, 1993. naira was raised alongside her older brother, lukas, between her parents' two native countries. though most of her schooling took place at the top private schools in oslo, naira has publicly acknowledged chiang mai, thailand as her true hometown.

hailing from a very well-off family, naira was forced to grow up quicker than most. notably, the others often voice their irritation with naira's composure as it is quite unclear what she thinks or feels at any given moment. this trait is attributed to her mother who suffered through years of racial abuse at the hands of the european media without the defense of her husband or his family.

naira's interest in music never truly took off until she was in high school. after coming across a video of apricus culture soloist allison nam in 2008, naira grew fond of the korean music industry, secretly convincing her older brother to take her to auditions while in chaing mai. after being accepted into several companies, naira decided to join gemini entertainment's trainee program in 2010, hoping later to be matched with apricus.

after training for three years, naira was the fifth member chosen for letalis' final lineup. despite being offered the leader position, naira turned it down claiming, "she wasn't ready to be tied to the group's reputation." currently, naira is a SUB VOCALIST and official VISUAL of the group, occasionally taking part in thai and norweigian-language melodramas and soap operas under her birth name.

 ‎ ‎ ┉       *       ﹙ㅤʬ              ›             MELANIE BAE.

melanie is an australian singer-songwriter born in brisbane on june 12, 1994. her parents, jason and marissa, are working-class korean-australians who raised melanie and her older sister, madison, quite comfortably along the australian west coast. melanie is very close to her family who all frequently appear on her social media and are always acknowledged in her album dedications.

the two bae sisters found a love for performing quite early on with melanie following in her sister's footsteps participating in dance competitions across the country. though madison would give up dance to pursue a fashion design degree in europe after graduating from high school in 2008, melanie would continue to work towards what she planned to be a professional career in dance.

while at a mall with friends, melanie would be approached by an apricus culture talent scout who persuaded her to audition for the company in july of 2010. during her time as a trainee, melanie would be given several opportunities to stir up attention for the company's planned girl group. after being featured on a title track for soloist, lastdraw, in 2013, apricus would announce melanie as the central member of their upcoming girl group, letalis.

as the MAIN VOCALIST, LEAD DANCER, CENTER, and FACE of letalis, melanie is without a doubt the group's most popular member. finding success as a global ambassador for vivienne westwood in addition to popular appearances on korean variety shows and a stellar solo career, melanie is easily the modern face of apricus culture following allison nam's retirement in 2018.

 ‎ ‎ ┉       *       ﹙ㅤʬ              ›             YANG YEEUN.

better known by her stage name, juniper, yang yeeun is a south korean singer born in suwon on december 11, 1994 to yang dae and eom youngmi. raised alongside her brothers, hyunwoo and sanghun, the three yang siblings were encouraged to engage in creative pursuits from a young age. their mother, youngmi, specifically made sure to throw her full support behind her childrens' dreams, regardless of the strain it would often place on the family's finances.

ultimately, those financial strains would eventually lead to an episode of psychosis in juniper's father who was institutionalized in 2007. being unable to work for an extended period of time forced the family to move in with juniper's grandparents who lived just outside of seoul that same year.

the move proved to be especially tough on juniper's younger brother, sanghun, who experienced extensive bullying at his new school. despite this, sanghun would go on to audition for gemini entertainment in 2007 before being matched to apricus culture. seeing sanghun's success as a trainee prompted juniper to try her luck and audition for the company in late 2008. during the audition however, juniper proved too shy to sing and was instead chosen to debut as a model under apricus in 2011.

while she earned money modeling to help support her family, juniper would continue to receive vocal and dance lessons. following sanghun's debut as a soloist under the stage name ophion in 2011, juniper would make her way through the trainee ranks to be the final member picked for letalis' final lineup. famously, juniper claims she was chosen to join letalis on the condition that she accept the role of leader.

 ‎ ‎ ┉       *       ﹙ㅤʬ              ›             EMIYA UENO.

better known by her stage name, emmy, emiya ueno is a japanese singer born in okayama on may 25, 1995 to kisho ueno and himeko chiura. raised as an only child, the marital strife between kisho and himeko would eventually force the parents to send emmy off to a prep boarding school in bristol, england while they endured a toxic divorce in japan. kisho would later be granted custody of a six-year-old emmy in 2001 after himeko failed to appear in court and forfeited her maternal rights.

after kisho arrived in england, he would go on to raise emmy as a single parent while working as an archeologist. emmy had an extremely happy childhood, made possible by her incredibly supportive father who made it a point to encourage emmy to dream as big as possible. kisho would go on to marry emmy's stepfather, otis matthews, in 2015. together, kisho and otis would adopt emmy's stepsiblings, sasha and travis.

emmy quickly found comfort in the spotlight after being scouted by a talent agent who managed to secure emmy a role in several west end productions as an ensemble member during her teenage years. her big break finally arrived in 2011 after being invited to debut in a short-lived j-pop girl group, x-sys. the group was active for less than a year before their company would go bankrupt. after their contracts were bought out by apricus culture, emmy would be chosen as the second member to debut in letalis.

currently, emmy is the MAIN RAPPER, MAIN DANCER, and SUB VOCALIST of the girl group. in addition to her roles in the group, emmy is an acclaimed solo rapper in japan, occasionally taking on dramatic stage roles in both japan and england.

 ‎ ‎ ┉       *       ﹙ㅤʬ              ›             SOHN NARYUN.

naryun is a south korean singer-songwriter and producer born in daegu on september 1, 1995 to famed prima ballerina min kyunghee and her husband, professional soccer player sohn namkyu. alongside her older sister, narim, and twin sister, narae, the sohn sisters were expected to follow in their mother's poised footsteps. being placed in prestigious ballet conservatories from young ages, the girls quickly proved themselves to be worthy of their mother's reputation.

despite their immense talent, naryun and narae were often subjected to demeaning comparisons where naryun was often left trailing behind her twin sister. early on, it became evident that despite naryun obvious greater affinity for the art, narae would be shown favoritism by the instructors at their conservatory and later at their company.

naryun's distaste for the favoritism shown for her sister over her and narae's general distaste for ballet in general led to a divide between the twins that would last until narae announced her decision to forefeit her position as principal dancer at the korean national ballet. following her twin sister's lead, naryun would give up her position as well in 2012 out of solidarity.

finding herself lost without direction, naryun was approached by apricus culture ceo at the time jeong karin in a bid to bring legitimacy to apricus' trainee program. naryun agreed to train, initially believing it to be a short break to allow her to gain perspective. she soon fell in love with the prospect of becoming an idol and was the third member to be announced for letalis' final lineup in 2013.

currently, naryun is the group's MAIN DANCER and LEAD VOCALIST. despite efforts to separate herself from her time as a principal dancer for the korean national ballet, naryun cannot escape the shadow of disappointment that industry snobs continue to cast upon her. regardless, she has found immense success as a producer and solo artist as well as the opening of her own pilates studio in collaboration with former apricus ceo, jeong karin in 2022.

 ‎ ‎ ┉       *       ﹙ㅤʬ              ›             JADEN KIM.

better known by her stage name, jiseo, jaden kim is an american idol born in san diego on january 14, 1996 to siwoo kim and andrea jeong. raised as an only child, jiseo was notably incredibly shy growing up. her parents, worrying their daughter would be socially stunted by her bashfulness, would take initiative to enroll her in choir lessons hoping it would draw her out of her shell.

falling in love with being on stage, jiseo would go on to beg her parents for violin lessons, landing her a firm position on a children's orchestra by age 12. as she continued to grow out of her shell, jiseo would begin to seek the approval of older, more reckless upperclassmen. after being escorted home in a cop car after her 15th birthday, jiseo's parents decided to send her to live with her grandparents in gwangju for the summer.

while in gwangju, jiseo was exposed to k-pop by her cousins who found a way to persuade her to join them in auditioning for apricus culture in 2011. though her parents were unsure if they were ready to part with their only child, they would support the structure provided by the trainee atmosphere, hoping it would settle their daughter's learned tendencies. though it did nothing but increase her reckless decisions after finding a solid friend group through avos' ian, jiseo would be a successful trainee.

after being chosen to debut in letalis, jiseo would assume the LEAD RAPPER and SUB VOCALIST positions upon the group's debut in 2013. currently, jiseo also promotes as a solo artist under the stage name, oisa.

 ‎ ‎ ┉       *       ﹙ㅤʬ              ›             MIN HERI.

heri is a south korean singer, songwriter, and producer born in seoul, south korea on november 19, 1996 to choi haeun and min kyungjae. raised alongside her younger brother, junyoung, heri was always a positive, bright child.

often the smartest child in the room, heri's parents would eventually realize that her brilliant mind needed more stimulation than the books they stocked in her room. through the recommendation of a teacher, they would decide to enroll heri in acting and piano lesson, hoping she'd grow attached to one of the two to keep her busy.

landing lead roles in school plays soon proved to be too easy to 10-year-old heri who craved another challenge. after being encouraged by her drama teacher, heri found entertainment in poem writing, submitting her work to local contests anonymously. her writing soon caught the attention of hayden beom, a member of apricus culture boy group, nyx in 2009. the company later tracked down the young 13-year-old who was later invited to join the company as trainee in hopes of developing her as a singer-songwriter.

although heri was initially planned to debut as a soloist, the company decided to she would be better suited for a group environment, allowing her time to gain better confidence in the industry. as the sixth member chosen for letalis, heri is the group's LEAD VOCALIST and second VISUAL. though heri has decided to take a more understated role as a producer and songwriter under the name CARRÉ, she is the most credited member of the groups and has been acknowledged for her work outside of the group by the recording academy.

[valtionrautatiet-official]

An introduction to VR multiple units, part 3: Sm4

Sm4, aka the Bunny (Pupu), the trusted working girls on our commuter train network in southern Finland. I really like these girls.

An Sm4 unit in the original livery departing Kannelmäki station, 2010. My photo.

The Sm4 units were conceived in the late 1990s to provide additional capacity for the Helsinki commuter train system. Alstom in France provided a bespoke design for us, with step-free access from platform to the train, space for wheelchairs and a disabled-friendly toilet. As with the older Sm1 and Sm2, bicycle racks are also provided. The first batch of 10 two-carriage units were built by CAF is Spain rather than Alstom themselves, delivered in 1999.

Interior of an Sm4 with original violet upholstery of the seats and curtains for the windows. Photo Scorpion87, Wikimedia commons

The bunnies were designed for use on the longer commuter routes with fewer stops, Helsinki to Riihimäki and Kirkkonummi, with a service speed of 160 km/h. However, as they were our only commuter train units with step-free access, they were also used on the shorter routes around Helsinki to provide at least occasional low-floor service. Passenger experience with the bunnies was hugely positive; I remember one relative speaking enviously of lines with more Sm4's on them than their home route (or so they perceived anyway - bear in mind there were only 10 bunnies and a total of 100 units of the older types).

With the upcoming opening of the Kerava-Lahti rail line (in 2006) and the corresponding expansion of the Helsinki commuter system, we ordered 20 additional Sm4 units in 2002. This second batch of bunnies was built by Alstom themselves and delivered in 2004-2005.

An Sm4 in the current livery passes an Sm3 Pendolino shortly after leaving Helsinki central station, 2012. My photo.

With the arrival of the new Sm5 units (owned by the municipal Pääkaupunkiseudun Junakalusto Oy but operated by us) for the Helsinki commuter rail network starting 2008, we could finally start moving the bunnies to the long commuter services they were designed for. Today, the Helsinki-Riihimäki-Tampere and Helsinki-Lahti(-Kouvola) routes are operated almost exclusively by the Sm4s, and you can also spot them on the Riihimäki-Lahti-Kouvola-Kotka routes and on the commuter service around Tampere.

The bunnies lost their original bespoke livery with the introduction of our current green image from 2010 onwards - luckily the cuties look good in both liveries! Starting 2013, they also received a thorough technical upgrade, as well as a freshing up of the passenger spaces.

Sm4 interior in current form, with seats upholstered in green to match the new corporate identity, and no more curtains on the windows. Photo Mico Hautaluoma, Wikimedia Commons.

The Sm4 will lose its status as the flagship of our local services with the delivery of the new Sm7 electric multiple units starting 2026. They will likely replace the bunnies on their current primary routes, which will mean the bunnies will migrate to different services - there are no plans to retire the well-liked and reliable cuties.

[girlsdressingrooms]

Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (18 February 1934 – 3 February 2023),

More commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne, the Spanish-born designer who was renowned for his iconic metallic dresses, has passed away today at the age of 88 in Portsall, Brittany.

The designer revolutionised fashion by twisting unconventional materials into new and previously unexplored forms. His brand – synonymous with the optimism of the 60s – was built on sculptural microminis, crafted from bolshy paillettes of aluminium, which mined medieval armour for its space-age potential. 

His origins are equally as fateful and as intriguing as his designs, born in the Basque town of Pasajes, Gipuzkoa. His father was a Republican Colonel and was executed by Francoist troops during the Spanish Civil War.

Though Paco’s avant-garde sensibilities were perhaps a matter of inheritance, his Mother was the chief seamstress at Cristóbal Balenciaga's first couture house in Donostia, Basque Country, and subsequently Balenciaga moved Rabanne's entire family when he opened Balenciaga in Paris in 1937.

In the mid-1950s Paris, while he was studying architecture at l'École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Rabanne earned money on the side by making fashion sketches for the likes of Dior and Givenchy, as well as shoe sketches for Charles Jourdan. Despite his early foray into the fashion industry, he stuck to his original plan getting a job at the company of esteemed French architect Auguste Perret. After 10 years at the company, he reinvented himself as a jewellery designer creating pieces for Givenchy, Dior, and Balenciaga. He then went on to found his own eponymous fashion house in 1966.

Dogged in his desire to break with convention, Paco was one of the first designers to cast models of colour and soundtrack his fashion shows to music. He debuted his first collection (Twelve Experimental Dresses) in 1964, followed by his breakout collection (Twelve Unwearable Dresses) in 1966 – both of which made full use of the postwar, industrial materials at his disposal, with pieces crafted from wire and glue. 

He’d say that “sewing is a bondage” and sell DIY kits to his clients – among them Peggy Guggenheim, Brigitte Bardot, and Françoise Hardy – so they could fashion their own chainmail from discs, rings, and pliers. Those designs, worn by Jane Fonda in Barbarella, have proven a well of inspiration for Julien Dossena, who took over the Paco Rabanne label in 2013.

Though Paco treated fashion as a reaction against the polemics of his day – dressing women in armour needs no explanation – he was a futurist, untethered to the everyday. He retired from fashion in 1999 and while his fragrance imprint continued to be a commercial success, it wasn’t until 2011 that Paco Rabanne (the brand) staged a comeback. Since then, the house has cycled through creative directors Manish Arora, Lydia Maurer, and Dossena, who is compounding Paco’s experimental outlook and chain-link innovations – albeit with a less outré bent.

“Paco” was a daring, revolutionary and provocative vision, conveyed through a unique aesthetic. He will remain an important source of inspiration...

Rest in Power!

Jean Clemmer / Hélène Clemmer-Heidsieck, courtesy of Paco Rabanne, 

“unwearable” show pieces from early Paco Rabanne collections, Photo: Courtesy of Paco Rabanne, 

Paco Rabanne by Lucille Khornak

Jane Fonda in the 1968 cult-classic science-fiction film Barbarella, 

Li Sellgren by Jean-Daniel Lorieux, fashion by Paco Rabanne, L'Officiel, 1970, 

Asap Rocky wearing Paco Rabanne in GQ, May 20, 2021,

French singer Francoise Hardy wears Paco Rabanne in 1968,

Brigitte Bardot wearing Paco Rabanne dress, 1968,

Iconic 1969 Chain Shoulder Bag

[vocalsynthbdays]

appy birthday to Anri Rune(vocaloid 3) and Shione Lt(utau) !!!!!!!!! [aug 6]

rune

Lt

Anri Rune is a japanese synth developed by yamaha, and unveiled on 27 jul 2013. her character birthday is 6 aug 1990 though. she was a private vocaloid and never sold commercially. her vp was never revealed. she was designed by Tatsuya Egawa, illustrated by kokudou 12-gou/ juunigou, and her 3d model was made by Piron. rune was originally a virtual announcer for Fuji TV, on which she was introduced on 1 oct 2012. she hosted 2 programs but they flopped so she was retired. on 28 apr 2013 it was announced she will become a vocaloid. on 27 jul 2013 at voca nico night she was unrevealed with kikuos demo song for her "hallelujah super idol".

Lt Shione is a japanese synth released in 2010. shes voiced and illustrated by Salinity. Lt is 18yo and 160cm tall. she forms a duet with Shione Sal; together their names spell "salt". she likes to read books in quiet places and cries upon seeing big bugs

refs

rune as she appeared on fuji tv

runes first appearance on fuji tv

main pose 2, 3, and 4

[kinzvestigation]

idk if you've covered this already or not, but today i found out that iceberg escapades was originally titled "icecap adventure" and the title screen looked like this:

i have a soft spot for games in webkinz that feature animals that didn't have plush versions before they were released, and i'm pretty sure this was the case with bananza before it was redesigned to feature the webkinz monkey we all know and love. i noticed on your post about the old design for the webkinz arcade that the banner for bananza had a jaguar and a toucan on it, to fit the jungle theme, which i also find cool because they hadn't been released as pets yet either. it makes me curious as to what the original bananza might've looked like

Ah, yes!! Icecap Adventure was a game from day one of Webkinz. It was retired for a while, and brought back in 2013 with its updated title screen. There's a lot of conjecture to this, I'm not sure if Waddel's Icecap Adventure came out while it was retired but if it did that could explain the title change. The graphical update is odd, because Webkinz certainly doesn't mind their other launch day games that still look like this! This one sure fared a lot better than pumpkin patch protector... (shudders)

I don't think bananza (in-game) ever looked any different, but if we find an early version you'll be the first to know!

[capersacer]

Another shirt design I initially came up with in 2013 and reworked in 2015 or 16 (can't remember at the moment, haha). I loved the concept and design of Baphomet and also goats are cute. I've gotten some flak for not drawing a penis on them, but I was already nervous about having a naked female presenting body on a shirt, much less a penis as well. If I could go back I would change it to be more representative of the actual concept of representing both male and female. I'll be retiring the design by the end of the year and when the shirts are all sold out.

Baphomet Shirt Design by CanisOvis

Source: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/28757484/

[wanderingmind867]

I started writing a sequel to my SCTV mockumentary idea earlier. It's not yet finished, but here's what I've got (Warning: I wrote a lot):

An idea I have had. If SCTV ever gets a reunion special, I'd pull a Christopher Guest and do a mockumentary. Especially since I think it just makes sense as the natural continuation of the SCTV story.

SCTV got cancelled and the station went broke in 1984, but we never actually saw what happened to SCTV's many personalities after sctv went belly-up. We can use this mockumentary to explore that. It's at least 20+ years later, and some dedicated fan has set out to make a mockumentary. That could be the running premise of the movie/special. And you could still throw in references to characters done by John Candy, Harold Ramis and Tony Rosato. They can't be seen on screen, but we can still reference them. For example:

• The organiser of the Documentary tried to find Johnny LaRue to interview him, but he's dead. He died in a way truly befitting the lavish, egotistical yet pitiful man he was. He probably died like David Carradine. He went out doing what he loved (engaging in hedonistic acts). I feel like this is a pretty realistic end for Johnny, but I could be wrong.

• They also try to find Moe Green, but he's just missing. They go to Leutonia to find him, and it turns out he's now some sort of folk hero in Leutonia. The American who fought for Leutonian Liberation. Although we make it pretty clear Moe Green is the folk hero mentioned in Leutonia (there's descriptions and statues of him), our film crew can remain hopelessly oblivious for comedic effect. It's even funnier because Moe was usually seen as being cowardly, so it can work on two levels.

• The Shmenge Brothers went into retirement in 1984. In 2009 or so, Yosh died. A few years later (say, 2017) Stan comes out of retirement and begins touring again. He's now performing with Yosh's Daughter. They're planning a grand comeback soon. They hope to hit the Leutonian embassy with a grand concert. Look out for their second album as a new duo. It's Coming soon!

Now, let's discuss the members of SCTV who aren't dead. Here's some of my ideas on what could have happened to them after SCTV went broke:

Guy Caballero: Once SCTV went broke, Guy Caballero was at a loss. His darling station was now gone. Trying to persevere anyway, Guy decided to try every different buisness enterprise he could get his hands on. From Book Publishing to Product Design, Mr. Caballero tried everything. But nothing worked as well as SCTV. In 2013-2014, he tried to make his own rip-off of Amazon. That's been his most successful venture since SCTV, although he still longs for a chance to get back on the airwaves. Now, this film crew has presented him with his chance, and he's jumping at the bit to make use of it! With all luck, he can make the Caballero name famous again!

[skippyv20]

Nottingham Cottage…we get it! She had to live there because she was a WoC. They did not want her living in the palace. She was put in her place…blah, blah, blah!

Nottingham Cottage has previously been home to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.[8] Upon her retirement in 1948, the house was given for life to Marion Crawford, the former governess of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. In gratitude for Crawford's service, Queen Mary, the princesses' grandmother, decorated the house with Victorian furniture and prints of flowers for her. Crawford left the cottage in 1950 in the aftermath of her selling stories about the royal family to newspapers, which was revealed publicly by The Sunday Express editor John Gordon in an attempt to pressure her to provide more stories and articles to him.[4]

The home was subsequently lent to Miles Hunt-Davis, private secretary of the Duke of Edinburgh and his wife Anita.[9] Robert Fellowes, private secretary to Elizabeth II, and his wife Lady Jane Fellowes, the sister of Diana, Princess of Wales, also occupied the cottage.[3]

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge used Nottingham Cottage as their London residence after their marriage from 2011 to 2013, splitting their time between the cottage and their home on the Bodorgan Estate in Wales.[10] The cottage was redecorated for the couple by interior designer Kelly Hoppen.[10] The Duke and Duchess lived there with their infant son Prince George after his birth, before moving in October 2013 to Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace.[3]

Prince Harry moved into Nottingham Cottage from Clarence House following his brother's departure, with the house referred to as his "bachelor pad" after leaving the army.[3][11][12][13] Harry proposed to Meghan Markle whilst roasting a chicken in the home; they subsequently resided together in the cottage following their engagement.[3][14] In April 2019, the couple moved to Frogmore Cottage before the birth of their first child.[15][16]

Following their wedding, it was reported that Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, were to move into the cottage.[17][18]

When there are people that have no home, or losing their home…these two fools are screaming about Nottingham Cottage. They paid no rent….they lived for free. All needs met by the British Taxpayers….and still…not…..good…..enough!

Nottingham Cottage was good enough for the future King and Queen….

[jellycatsdaily]

Jellycat of the Day | 7th April 2024

↳ Bebe Blue Bear | 2013 Retired Design

"Super soft and hug snuggably-cuddly!"

[marshallpupfan]

What’s your opinion on the new animation style do you like it if so what do you like about it I personally like it it’s been long overdue but I will still miss the old style

I think either you or someone else already asked me something like this a few weeks ago, but either way, I like it so far! It's a fine upgrade that's introducing some design elements of the theatrical films while still staying true to the originals. It's good, but of course, I want to wait and reserve my final judgment until I've seen this new style in action.

Admittedly, I typed up a post about the old style, which is sitting in my drafts right now. Either way, I'm sure it's unsurprising that I'll also miss the old style, too. I really came to love Marshall's original 2013 design, and it's often what I always think of whenever I imagine the character... and it's weird, knowing it'll be retired within a year or two. I hate to say goodbye to it, but hopefully this new look will do him, and the other pups, justice.

[100gayicons]

GAY ICONS: ROBBIE ROGERS

During his first year playing college soccer, Robbie Rogers was spotted by a scout for Sportclub Heerenveen, of the Dutch Premiere League. The team invited Rogers to attend a three-week trial, and afterwards they signed him to a two-year international contract.

Rogers later said that walking away from college was "the toughest (decision) of his life… (but it was) an opportunity I could not pass up".

After a year in Holland, Rogers returned to the US, where is signed with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. During his five seasons at Crew, he made 138 appearances and scored 17 times. Then after a stint playing for Leeds United in England, he decided to retire from soccer (March, 2013). Rogers, then 25, used the occasion to publicly announce that he was gay. He wrote:

"I'm a soccer player… and I'm gay. Those are things that people might say wouldn't go well together. But my family raised me to be an individual and to stand up for what I believe in."

A short time later, Rogers attended an LGBT Youth Event where he spoke to a crowd of 500. Afterwards he said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports:

“I seriously felt like a coward. These kids are standing up for themselves and changing the world, and I'm 25, I have a platform and a voice to be a role model. How much of a coward was I to not step up to the plate?"

This motivated him to contact Bruce Arena, Coach of the LA Galaxy. Arena offered Rogers the opportunity to train his his team. By May 2013, the Galaxy signed him. Rogers played his first match only 2 months after he retired. This made Rogers the first openly gay man to play in a top North American professional sports league.

Fashion is another of Rogers’ passions. Rogers studied at the London College of Fashion and is a co-owner of Halsey44 with William Halsey Johnson. He has designed, and modeled for the company.

Rogers began dating TV writer producer Greg Berlanti in 2013. They were married on December 2, 2017, in Malibu. The couple have two children via surrogacy.

[trinketprince]

Let's talk Microsoft Mascots!

You might actually know a few of them! Microsoft first started having mascots for their products starting with Internet Explorer mascot,

Aizawa Inori (相沢いのり)!

Aizawa Inori is a "fan-design"-turned official design made as a response to other OStan designs around 2013! Her name is actually a pun (a trend you'll find a lot) to the software she reperesents! If you take the first syllables of family and given name, it forms the acronym for Internet Explorer! (Ai + I = IE)! She has a full wikipedia article where you can read up on her conception as well as her basic profile! She's also the mascot for Microsoft Edge after Internet Explorer's service ended.

Aizawa Hikaru (藍澤光)!

Microsoft Taiwan's mascot for Microsoft Silverlight, a programming software, created around 2010! Her family name Ai "藍" meaning blue, which is the signature color of Microsoft! The second character Zawa "澤" means "shine" or "luster" which is the "Silver" part while Hikaru's given name means "Light" from Silverlight! Together her name is a direct callback to "Microsoft Silverlight". While she initially was the mascot for the software, she became the defacto mascot for Microsoft Taiwan's branch. She has her own wikipedia article!

Hikaru and Inori aren't related, despite both of them being "Aizawa"s (albeit different characters), but Hikaru has some family herself! Aizawa Lei, Yuu and Aoi

Who join Hikaru as mascots for Microsoft Taiwan!

The Aizawa's aren't the only Microsoft mascots to have a family! Introducting the Madobes!

Madobe Nanami (窓辺ななみ)

She is the mascot for Windows 7 who first appeared around 2009! She is voiced by Mizuki Nana. Her name is a pun! Mado (窓) meaning window and her given name containing the word for 7, Nana (なな).

She actually wasn't created by Microsoft themselves but designed by Wakaba and Windows 7 Mania. She was used to promote Windows 7 and has been Window's main mascot (as seen on their twitter) until Ai and Yu's reveal and her retirement after support for Windows 7 ended in 2020 and she passed the torch of main mascot to Touko!

Before I continue with Windows 8 let me introduce a few mascots revealed after Nanami.

Claudia Madobe (クラウディア・窓辺)

Claudia is the mascot for Windows Azure, Microsoft's Cloud service. She's actually one of the more utilized mascots, created by Microsoft themselves to promote the service! She is voiced by Kitamura Eri. She actually has a duet with Nanami!

Madobe Mutsumi (窓辺むつみ)

Mutsumi is Nanami's bigger sister who takes over the Nanami twitter account sometimes! She often jokes about not being forgotten and being left behind. If it isn't immediately apparent, Mutsumi is the "mascot" for Windows Vista, aka the 6th Major Windows OS. (Mascot in parenthesis since she didn't debut with the OS and in fact, debuted AFTER 7's release)

She was designed by Shimoogawa and takes inspiration from Nanami as seen by her appearance which takes notes from Nanami's own clothes like the skirt and waistcoat. Her name is also a pun, Mutsu (むつ) meaning 6. As such ends her tweets with #6me (mutsumi), she stopped tweeting when support for Windows Vista ended in 2017. Nanami also used to end her tweets with #7me but since she tweets more than Mutsumi she tweets without it.

Madobe Yu and Madobe Ai (窓辺ゆう&窓辺あい)

Ai and Yu are Mascots for Windows 8! (Ai on the left, Yu on the right), Not much to say about them! They're Microsoft's first Windows mascot they created themselves. Yu is voiced by Nishi Asuka while Ai is voiced by Tamura Nao. Ever since they're release Microsoft releases a few albums where the mascots sing together, they have a few songs out. The origin of their names aren't known but it is assumed that their taken from one of the Windows 8 slogans "You and I"

They didn't take over the Madobe Nanami twitter and were promoted alongside her and Claudia instead. Presumably, until their graduation when support for Windows 8 and 8.1 ends, they will continue promoting Windows with Touko.

Madobe Touko (窓辺 とうこ)

Microsoft's latest mascot for Windows 10! Touko's name comes from the an alternate reading of the word 10! She currently takes the mantle for promoting Windows. She is voiced by Nonaka Ai!

[elderemorune]

Dad of Light/My Dad

So I just found out about Dad of Light.

For those unfamiliar, let me set a baseline for you. I'm a big fan of Final Fantasy 14, as mentioned previously. I get really into being a part of a community, and love playing the role of tank. Carrying my party through a dungeon and taking the hits as we fight back the forces of darkness suits me perfectly.

The game's been around a long time. The first version came out in 2010 with A Realm Reborn relaunching the game in 2013.

You may have heard some stories, about how fans of Kentaro Miura all dressed up as Dark Knights and formed a line in the major cities in the game to mourn his tragic passing.

And that's but a single facet of this lovely game.

Dad of Light is a Netflix project that came out in 2017, following the tale of a young man (Akio) who bonded with his dad (Hirotaro) over Final Fantasy when he was a kid.

Years down the line, Hirotaro suddenly quits his job without telling his family. Akio is concerned and decides to try to reconnect with his father by purchasing a PlayStation 4 and Final Fantasy XIV for him. With the help of his Free Company and friends, Aru and Kirin, Akio plans to use his character Maidy to befriend his father and discover why he quit his job.

Now, I haven't watched this yet. I literally just started, and it got me thinking about how much I love Eorzea, and how much I love MY dad.

See, stories about fathers and sons ALWAYS fuck me up. For a lot of reasons, but I think chiefly because I wish my dad was like any of these dramatized men. That he could apologize, mean it, and change his behaviour.

He's done part of the work. He apologized for being a rage monster when I was a child. For holding me to impossible standards that even he would have struggled to meet. He meant it when he took me aside in June of 2021 and told me he was sorry.

And the behaviour DID change, for awhile. We worked together at his tech startup (which is still just he and I), and we were doing amazing work. I was learning web design and constantly improving my own skills, because I wanted to be able to help him more.

Then his therapist retired, and he stopped doing the work to be better.

Then he put my wife and I in an incredibly uncomfortable living situation with my sister and her husband that mostly entailed her being entitled to everything, and when we'd put boundaries in place she'd just lose her shit. Then dad would step in, say something like "Don't make me choose between my kids" and fuck off like that would fix a damn thing when she was breaking the lease, up to and including bringing her then boyfriend in without even asking us if he could move in.

Then when we left that situation, he said he couldn't afford to pay Seattle wages.

So I left the company (under the impression that I had been let go), and I lived off savings for a few months after we got here. I scrounged for work, and had recruiters telling me I was worth way more than I was looking for, but that they couldn't find me work that paid the figures they were telling me I deserved.

It took awhile for us to even get things sorted here. We'd moved across the state to escape from my sister, and so that my wife could finally go to college. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find a job that fit me. I worked for a temp agency for a bit, did a job for a big company answering emails. I figured it'd be fine, it's just emails. Turns out the customer service culture at the company was something along the lines of "All of our customers are literally the worst, we wish they'd just go away, but also we have to pay attention to super fine details when doing our emails so..."

I lasted ten days. Then I asked for my job back with Dad. Things have been better between us since he no longer owns our home or our car. But the condescension is still there. The frustration when I don't get topics he sees as simple.

He may have meant the apology, but a lot of the behaviour didn't change.

It makes me wonder what it would be like, if it started snowing in hell and I convinced the man to take up the mantle of Warrior of Light with me. Would he even let me tank for him? Or would he just run ahead and get mad when he died? Would he make fun of me for playing cross-gender? (Slicks M'Harbeck is the coolest, fucking fight me.) Or would he let me take the center stage and just let me help him for once?

I dunno.

I often say I love my dad, but I wouldn't wish him on anyone. None of my friends like him. My wife doesn't like him. But I love him. I know who he is, how he can be. He raised me, after all. It's hard to care for him because of his judgmental perspective, the way he was raised, all of it. I know some of his trauma, and it's not like I blame him for it.

But if I can be better, why can't he?

And stay that way?

I miss my dad.

Update: Just finished the first episode. I spent the entire time crying. I'm so incredibly jealous of the relationship that Akio and Hirotaro had. And so happy they could have it.