#shop local nc

[floristusa]

Flower Delivery Lexington North Carolina by Happy Bee Florist LLC Florist

Happy Bee Florist LLC offers you a diverse selection of the finest flowers to give to your loved ones for every moment on the same day. With same-day flower delivery in Lexington, you can express your affection for special people in your life with classic last-minute floral arrangements and one-of-a-kind bouquets from flower shop in Lexington.

[inclusiveinsight]

FUN SHOPPING STUDY IN-PERSON PAID $125

[hazelbutterflies]

the North Carolina government is trying to ban people from wearing mask even if you have a medical reason. if you live in NC please message your local legislators the bill is going back to the house because there were amendments by the senate. You can follow this prompt and there’s other resources at the link. and yes Covid is still killing and disabling people.

please if you live in NC message your reps!

[stonesbyhaille]

[miamigirlwalking]

Fearrington Village, NC

[itsdannycragg]

Hi Tumblr!

I logged da fuck off at some point and will continue to be very much so not on social media! Believe me when I tell you life is better on the other side.

I do want to pop in with a life update for the curious!

I'm out here in Durham, NC, and three years after moving here with Shelby and Brian, I can confidently say there isn't a place in the world I'd rather put my roots down.

I never knew what actual community looked or felt like until I came here. I'd made friends in town everywhere I'd lived, of course, and we would go out to eat or on a vacation, visit a gallery or something, but in Durham it's just different. Looking out the window during a car ride, chatting with a stranger in a grocery store, checking out a thrift shop or going to the library, I find myself declaring "I love living here..." the same compulsive way I tell my partners I love them. Durham isn't just a place I live, it's where I belong.

I've been calling myself an ex-cartoonist, and preaching the nightmare of trying to make art for infinite-profit focused megacorps. It's not that I didn't love making cartoons, it's that I did. It may not be that way for everyone, but for me, working a job I loved meant I was working every second of my life. Being an artist is a core part of my heart and soul, and near the end, I had become so burnt out I would spend hours just trying to start doing the work I used to fly out of bed excited to do.

So I did some of this and that, worked a retail job that fucked my hands up so bad that I had to have double carpal tunnel release surgery. 29 years as an artist and I get carpal tunnel from hefting around boxes in a warehouse!

Since then, I've pivoted into building a career as a graphic designer. (And I'm learning web dev too!) I'm getting involved in the local nonprofit scene, meeting so many incredible people and finding so many cool and exciting opportunities to focus my design work on community awareness, nonprofits, small businesses!! I didn't expect that to be so viable for a Graphic Designer. I had the misconception for a long time that I'd have to put my creative sensibilities aside for more dry, sensible corporate phooey. But there's so much more. Graphic design is truly a delight and a challenge! I have always enjoyed thinking critically about all forms of human creation. Why am I so drawn to this book cover? What makes that building so weird? Why do these casserole mix boxes piss me off? Why does that person's outfit look so fucking awesome?

Taking those thoughts and using them to inform how I approach design is an entirely different beast from animating and illustrating. I'm fighting for my life out there formatting text, morphing vectors and and scooting things around a comp until it works. A picture's worth a thousand words, but you don't have space for a thousand words in a graphic design. Condense! Condense! It's challenging, and a lot of fun.

Working as a cartoonist was my dream come true, and I am forever proud of and thankful for the part I have played in the history of animation and queer representation in entertainment. I had the privilege of having the life crisis I had at 21— "I never thought I'd get this far. What more could I want? What do I do now?"

Well, a decade later I confidently know what comes after having my dreams come true. I get older, and I experience new things, meet new people, struggle paying bills, endure all kinds of misfortunes and problems, and come out the other side astounded and proud to have survived it. Grow closer to my family friends and community as the years deepen our history together, and just be amazed and thankful that I made it this far, over and over.

It's funny being called old by my younger friends, because I have never felt so young in my life! I JUST cracked 30. There are so many things I haven't done yet, and so many things I don't know that I don't know yet. And I have the power to take ALL of this and to create art about it. Hopy shit!

Speaking of making art and sharing it, one of the reasons I'm excited to be learning web dev is so I can carve out places online where I can share anything and everything I want to. Media Crit, comics, essays, comics, illos, however I want to present it. I'll share it when I get the site running. Or maybe I wont and you'll have to find it by chance.

And of course, I'm still actively writing Neokosmos with Shelby and Brian, and doing other little things here and there. :) See ya when I see ya, Danny

[shelbycragg]

Introducing the Daisy Meadow Bracelet!

Enjoy the whimsical simplicity of this flowery bracelet, inspired by the serenity of sitting in a sunlit field making a daisy chain in the 1970s. Delicate and subtle, this bracelet is perfectly stackable or worn alone as a statement piece.

⭐Handmade by Brian in Durham, NC⭐

Shop at your local Stellar Neighborhood on Etsy!

[iww-gnv]

“The Rise of the Video Game Union” is our all-in-one explainer on why game workers are unionizing. We’ve created a zine of the story that is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States license (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US), which permits distribution of the zine provided that it is not altered or modified, or used commercially. That means you’re free to print it and share copies in your community! There are a few ways you can create your own copies of “The Rise of the Video Game Union.” You can go to a local print shop, or some chains, to have them create the booklets completely; you can use a print shop or chain to make copies, and then bind/staple them yourself; or you can print and bind copies on your own. Here’s our guide to each option!

[shannonpurdyjones]

What's a long-lasting fabric that's also good for living in a hot, humid swamp? Like every day is 32 C, 100% humidity (90 F).

Linen!!!

Ok so I'm born and raised in NC in the south eastern US, also a hot humid swamp in the summers (85-95F and more often than not 80-100% humidity). Loose flowy linen clothing is my go-to. It breathes well (vital in humid climates) and good quality 100% linen lasts a long time. The only thing it doesn't do is the "instant wicking and then instant drying" (like workout clothes) but it does okay in that dept and dries quickly once hung up.

I'm always about supporting local small businesses, so check around your area for seamstresses or small shops first. In lieu of that I've had good luck on Etsy searching 100% linen [dress, pants, etc] and filtering for 'ships from [insert your home country]'.

Full disclosure, you will pay more for a handmade 100% linen garment than polyester spandex fast fashion. That said, I have 4 linen dresses and skirts I saved for over the past several years. Not only do I find myself wearing them way more than my other clothes, but they also look basically brand new after years of regular wear. It's an investment, but in my experience it's worth it.

(Obv everyone is not in a financial position to buy new. Places like poshmark etc are great for finding quality linen second hand at a much lower price, and you're reusing, which is always good!)

[floristusa]

Any Occasion Flower Delivery Jefferson NC - Lilylee's Florist

Send Any Occasion flowers from Jefferson, NC local florist. Lilylee's Florist has a large selection of gorgeous floral arrangements and bouquets. We offer same-day flower deliveries for Any Occasion flowers in Jefferson, NC.

[bodexjames]

INTRODUCING...Bode James.

STATS:

Nicknames: B, Bod, BJ.

Character Age:  41

Neighborhood: South Hills

Occupation: FBI Agent

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Birthday: February 28th, 1983

Faceclaim: Ricky Whittle

Hometown: Wilmington, NC.

Years of Residence: Born and raised until he joined the FBI at 32, just arrived back to town

Pinterest Board /

Character Inspiration: Angel (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Stefan Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries), Derek Morgan (Criminal Minds), Gil Grissom (CSI), Poe Dameron (Star Wars)

tldr;

Schizophrenia TW, Murder TW, Kidnapping mentions TW, gun injury TW.

-- BODE JAMES was born and raised in Wilmington. With a father that was a truck driver and a mother who struggled with her mental condition, Bode helped raised his younger brother, LT when his mother was institutionalized when Bode was fifteen. As someone who loves responsibility, Bode thrived in UNCW, where he studied Criminal Justice and Sociology and eventually became a professor. While there, he began investigating the case of a missing persons by himself and somehow ended up consulting in the actual case with the FBI. They couldn't find the missing person until it was too late but that got him an offer to join the team at Quantico, VA. Three years ago, Bode got shot on the arm while on the job and was forced to take a sabbatical, he spent it at Wilmington, but returned back to work as soon as he could. Now he's back in town because his dather is very sick, but we'll be helping the local police with multiple cases, including the recent disappearances.

READ BELOW for fun facts, biography, possible connections.

random facts

is a car aficionado, and owns one too many

cannot start his day without going on a run

despite the badge, bode is more of an scholar than he's a cop

doesn't drink any type of alcohol, but smokes socially

would do anything for his loved ones

his philosophy is saving people before getting justice

has been injured at work a handful of times, the last time made him consider leaving his job

will probably be overdressed for most occasions

doesn't know how to sleep more than four hours a night

is so clumsy that he sucks at any sport that isn't running

biography

Born and raised in Wilmington as the older son of his parents, and LT’s brother. 

Their dad was a truck driver and their mother the owner of a paranormal shop in town.

Bode was unlucky enough to be older when his mother’s mental condition began deteriorating and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, which meant that he had to see it all; how much it changed their lives, how a shop that used to make him so happy became a place that he dreaded. 

With his father never around, it was fourteen-year old Bode who made sure his mother took her pills, who made pancakes for LT before school and walked him to daycare. He found refuge in books and comfort in knowing that, at least, LT wasn’t dealing with this alone.

But one day, Bode arrived home from school and found his mother trying to drown his younger brother, LT. At fifteen and four years old, the brothers hid and locked themselves in a room until help finally arrived.

It wasn’t like much changed after their mother was institutionalized since Bode had been taking care of everything while his father worked. But that event was still a turning point for him, because now he knew that it would have to be the three of them making things work, all while missing his mother. 

His teenage years were easy enough, he helped his father, he helped LT, he went to school and had a solid group of friends who made everything worth it, and also worked at Rizzo’s Diner for several years, even after he started his college classes. 

Although he’d once related to his mother with her curiosity for the paranormal and occult, after her diagnosis, Bode started to believe that he could have helped her, had he had the right tools. He enrolled in UNCW, getting a full-ride scholarship and with the intentions to study Psychology. It was at this age that he developed an interest in true crime instead.

A year after starting college, Bode changed his major to Criminal Justice and his minor to Sociology. In a lot of ways, this made him feel closer to his mother, almost as if understanding her condition could help him figure her out.

It was after he graduated and then finished his Master’s degree in Psychology that he found himself teaching in his alma mater. Bode actually loved his job, adored being able to not only provide students with the knowledge he possessed, but also to give them advice in general. It felt like teaching ticked off several of the boxes for a job that made him happy.

When he was thirty-two, a local missing’s person case was what made him reconsider his calling. A teenage girl went missing and local authorities hadn’t been able to find her. Bode had already been doing some sleuthing himself, providing tips to the local PD. But the FBI took over the investigation and somehow, after talking to one of the agents in charge, Bode became a consultant for the case. They fought tooth and nail for weeks, but when they found her, there was no saving her. 

Bode didn’t know what to do with himself, after everything they’d done, it wasn’t enough. He was destroyed, inconsolable. A month later, the FBI sent him a letter, offering him a position in their Behavioral Analysis Unit. 

Walking away from home, more specifically, from his brother was the hardest thing that he could have done, but something that Bode knew that he had to do for himself. He knew he would find his way back home eventually, but for now, he thought it was important to help where he really could help.

Bode has lived in VA for the past nine years, covering multiple cases and suspects. He loves his job, despite how hard it can be and the things that he sees and despite how haunting some of the cases can be, he thinks it’s all worth it. 

During the past nine years, Bode visits home on any holiday that he can and takes all his vacation days off to visit his family and his friends. Most of his life is in Quantico, but his heart remains in Wilmington somehow.

Three years ago, Bode took a sabbatical year after a particularly hard case that earned him a bullet in his arm and with a few months of recovery. But really what hurt most was how much it affected him emotionally. He eventually was able to return back to work in VA, but is now returning home after finding out that his father is very sick and plans to stay for long enough to help his family.

He will be covering a few local cases during his stay, including helping out local police and authorities with the situation regarding the Mayor’s and all the disappearances surrounding the previous people in that position.  

possible connections

friends, childhood friends, fwb, hook ups, one night stands, enemies, rivals, drinking buddies, partners in crime, love interests, anything you can think of that your character can fit into his life!

[kimberly40]

Here are some Appalachian words and phrases that you or your family uses if you’re a longtime local, or that surprised you most when you arrived here:

•A might spell – a little while

•A scosh – a little

•Acting ugly – acting mean

•All tore up – broken down or bereft; “as in the car is broke down or someone is all to pieces upset about somethin’”

•All y’all – you and your extended group or family; a way to add emphasis to “y’all.” “Used interchangeably with, ‘you’ins.’”

•Airish – breezy

•Booger – a boogeyman or Bigfoot-type creature; also a Boojum

•Bowed up – to stop suddenly. “He bowed up in front of me.”

•Branch – creek

•Britches – pants

•Buggy – shopping cart

•Busier than a one-eyed cat watchin’ two mouse holes

•By and by – eventually

•Come down to the house – Come over and visit

•Cove – “Here, a cove is a small valley – like a holler, just from a different county.

•Cuss – use curse words

•Cut on/off – turn on/off. “Cut on the hose pipe.”

•Cypookus (sypookus) – “a really bad thunderstorm”

•Dad dern it – “Kinda like Dad Gum it, sorta cussing but not really”

•Dark thirty; dusty dark – just after sunset

•The Devil’s beating his wife – “This means it’s raining but the sun is shining. Quite un-PC, but very colorful!”

•Dinner – used for “lunch”

•Dreckly (Directly) – an indeterminate period of time; soon. “Heard it all my young life. Then much to my surprise I saw in a shop window in Penzance, Cornwall, a sign ‘back dreckly.’ – Martha L.; used by my grandmother…“‘He will be here dreckly.’” Meaning soon.

•Fixin’ to – about to. “The phrase I like best, that enchanted me, is ‘It’s fixin’ to rain.’ You can say it’s fixin’ to do anything.

•Fixins – condiments

•Gap – “A gap is a low spot in a mountain ridge. National Geographic Society says gaps are similar to passes, but more rugged and difficult to navigate.”

•Guam (or gom) – gummed up; a mess. “2020 has been a gom.”

•Gully washer – “heavy downpour of rain”

•Hanging in there like a hair in a biscuit

•Hide nor hair – to describe when you haven’t seen someone or something in a while; “if you haven’t seen someone in a while you haven’t heard ‘hide nor hair of ‘em’”.

•Hit’s – “As in ‘what’s hit’s name;’ non-gender specific reference to a live thing, like a child, cat, or dog, who you don’t know the gender of.”

•Holler – a small valley

•Honchu – I want you. “Honchu look at that.”

•I don’t care to – I don’t mind.

•I reckon – I guess

•I swanee – A mild oath or swear

•I’ll get to it directly – I’ll do it eventually

•I’m all covered up – I’m busy

•Jeet – “Did you eat? or Have you eaten yet?”

•Just a tidgh – A little bit

•Kindly, kindly like – kind of; sort of

•Might could – to suppose one could, “I might could do that.”

•Momanem (mom an’ ‘em) – one’s family or someone else’s family. “How’re your momanem?”

•Off kilter – not right

•Oh my ‘lanta – “OMG.”

•Onced or twiced – “It happened onced or twiced.”

•Pipe down – be quiet

•Ratpurddy – “Lovely; pleasing to the eye.”

•Right quick – next; sooner than later

•Spittin’ snow – just starting to snow; snowing lightly but getting heavier

•Spell – period of time. “She’s been a might ill for quite a spell now”

•This un – this one

•Toboggan – a winter hat

•T’ords – “In the direction of.”

•Whole ‘nother – Another

•Winder – window

•You uns – you all

•Young’un – young person; child

(From https://avltoday.6amcity.com/southern-appalachian-dialect-nc/)

[eastcoastboyos]

Pivot

Unable to sleep, Joel and I get out of the warm tent and decide to wander the darkness. On our way down the creepy boardwalk, we tepidly dodge blades of grass, having been traumatized from the earlier tick running up my leg. We make our way to the beach and it is empty, dark, and ominous but lit by a full starry sky. We chat and stargaze.

Poor Dylan is fully sick now and can't be getting the best sleep. He borrows one of Joel's eye masks. Allen is also not 100% and craves the AC of the van and hotel. The day's low is 28C. The tent is warm and uncomfortable.

In the morning, Joel and I awaken by the light and sneak out of the tent again, letting the others continue sleeping. We walk to the ocean more and wade into the water. After some convincing, Joel joins me in jumping into the ocean and we enjoy the renvigoration of the waves that remind us of West Edmonton Mall Water Park. The beach is beautiful and empty of the off road trucks that saturated it the day prior.

Assembling ourselves, we mosie to the ferry terminal to Ocracoke Island. We scrounge for coffee, which Joel finds via a vending machine, and meander the nearby shops. We talk relationships on the ferry while dodging sea spit and watch the seagulls ride the air flow above the ferry. Allen zonks out and snoozes in the van. The group decides they don't really want to camp another day in the incessant heat, and Joel books a spur of the moment hotel in Jacksonville, NC.

Orcacoke is an interesting island. All the locals drive golf carts around which we evny in the hot sun. Most buildings are on stilts or owned by rental companies. Seeking food, we stop at Smacnallys for fish sandwiches and plates of shrimp. We do a bit of shopping in the sunny heat and Joel is unfortunately scammed a tip at a local ice cream shop. Joel gives them a calm but firm piece of his mind, and after 15 minutrs of walking, we see a $1.30 reimbursement show up on his email.

After checking out the local lghthouse, we retreat into the van. Dylan, Joel, and I are sunburnt. The group starts to slow down. Waiting around the next ferry terminal, we explore the local fauna and restrooms. Joel entertains me with facts on the meaning of the word "Horizontal and puns like "Imma lichen this bench". Dylan becomes addicted to trader Joe's Licorice.

Arriving back at the mainland, the sun is setting. Our GPS starts going wonky so we have to disconnect and Joel navigates verbally. The surfboard on top of the Jeep in front of us almost flies off and someone is lighting off fireworks near the glass station. We are eager to get to our hotel, but still are over an hour away.

Picking up aloe vera at a massive Walmart, Dylan and Allen are pretty much spent. The mood is low but functional, and we are forced to the drive through of a Wendy's once we realize their doors are not open. Watching cockroaches outside, the staff inform us they are out of chicken and we pivot to beef. Allen is zonked and sleeping again (Sleepytime Tylenol coming in clutch) and the rest of us swap work stories having perked up with food.

The hotel is cheap but cool ❄️. Joel, Blake, and I inspect what appears to be pubes on a bedroom door. I discover that I have left my stinky shoes in my suitcase the entire day seasoning in the hot van, and my clothes smell like ass. Blake and Joel sip beers. Time for bed.

Derek

[punk-shroom-art]

Cicada Shell Terrarium Earrings!

With dried mushrooms and lichen, handmade and locally foraged.

Go check out the Etsy shop if you're into oddities n such 🖤

[nathan-caruso]

Basics

Full Name: Nathan Vincent Caruso

FC: Noah Centineo

Age/DOB: 28 / April 18th, 1996

Zodiac: Aries

Occupation: Barista @ The Cozy Cup

Living Arrangements: Small studio apartment in South Hills

Sexuality: Bisexual

Secret: Smokes weed

Biography in the read more! TW: Mentions of drugs, death, alcohol addiction.

Born and raised in the South Hills of Wilmington, NC, Nathan was the oldest out of five children to a single Italian-American mother. Despite being a step-sibling to the younger kids, Nathan was basically like another parent to them. His mother worked two jobs: by morning, she worked as a receptionist at the vet’s office and by night, she did housekeeping at a local motel. Even working the two jobs, Nathan saw the struggle his mother had and decided at a young age to help her in every way he could. He made sure the other kids were fed, cleaned, taken care of, and even tried his best to keep the house looking clean and orderly. At least his mom never had to worry about the 3 bedroom trailer they called home being a disaster if nothing else. When Nathan was 8 months old, his biological father was killed in a car crash. That was how his mother ended up in North Carolina all the way from Northern Italy: to escape the memories of her great love after his death and to be with her grandmother again. His mother met Todd Andrews through the vet’s office and found out love gives second chances. They got married quickly after meeting and thought life was going to be picture perfect. Unfortunately though… Nathan’s step-father, Todd, was a rotating part of his life. He would be with the family, be a semi-decent dad for a few months, disappear for weeks, then repeat. It wasn’t until Nathan was around age 14 that he finally figured out that his step-father was an alcoholic and drug-addict. Nathan’s mother tried to make it work for years until Todd missed the birth of the youngest Andrews kid. His mom called it quits then and filed for divorce. Nathan stepped up and started working odd jobs for cash, giving the money to his mother for bills. Or sometimes he even just went ahead and purchased groceries with the money. Nathan somehow managed to barely make it through school and earned his high school diploma. Throughout high school, he worked as a bag boy part time at the local supermarket. It was once he graduated that Nathan found a full time job at the local coffee shop in Midtown Wilmington. He found using his good looks, sense of humor, and charming personality led to some good tips on the busy days. As his younger siblings got older, Nathan started saving some of his money for himself instead and finally purchased himself a car at age 21 to get him from point A to point B. Next, the young adult secured a small studio apartment in South Hills, nearby if his mother or siblings needed him. After moving out, Nathan discovered his love for weed. Despite the plant being a drug and illegal still in North Carolina, Nathan loved getting high. However, the male kept the smoking a secret from his mother for fear of being labeled a drug addict or something in that sense. The male just lived his life: working at the coffee shop, trying his best to be a good son and brother, and loving all those that crossed his path.

[adrawer4ever]

Hi I’m Eli, I busted my two front teeth by cartoon face-planting asphalt pavement skating dropping in a 3ft vert with 1ft transition at my local diy skate park (yes, I was wearing full gear+helmet).

——

$4,068 - 9/27 root canal, temporary crown, filling (reattached tooth)

$2,044 (est.) - 10/5 second root canal

Current total: $6,112 (+growing, I'm only halfway thru treatment!)

——

I’m a disabled trans fulltime working artist in raleigh, NC selling in artist alley by day, studying storyboards for animation nights and weekends. I have no dental coverage, no support system. The dental bills are really just the straw that broke the bank after 2023 brought string of string medical issues that have impacted my work and income.

Up until now, I’ve managed each new wave of challenges on my own, but my resources are tapped, work will be slowing down with 2024 con invoices coming due, and these dental bills continue to rack up so I’m seeking support. I have a shop where you can support my silly lil cartoons linktree with cashapp/venmo and a gfm campaign for donations Shares appreciated, donate if u have an extra $5, but no pressure. Thanks!