#the inbox is now empty clean slate

[anarchy-and-piglins]

I want to apologize to anybody who ever send me an ask that I didn’t answer, I am offering you a little kiss on the forehead

[sims4t2bb]

weekly update

Hello, and happy Sunday to all! We hope everyone had a great time celebrating the 20th anniversary of our favourite game, The Sims 2, around the community yesterday. We know we did! 😎

This week's update can be found, as always, under the cut. Happy Simming! 🌱

— Database

Announcements

All asks, questions and submissions have been answered and our inbox is now blissfully empty! 📭 If your ask/submission hasn't shown up on the database yet, feel free to submit it again!

It's come to our attention that over thirty pages of the database have broken images. We're working as hard as we can to fix all affected pages! 🧚🏻

Because the database was maintained by several awesome people before us, there was some inconsistency in username formatting and shortening. From now on, we will use only full + lowercase usernames to keep it simple! 📉

Fixes

All of the broken images on the affected Kits pages have been fixed.

— Base Game

Buy Mode

Amateur Hour Child's Violin conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Another Wall-Mounted Coat Rack With Shelf and Yet Another Wall-Mounted Coat Rack With Shelf conversions by @lordcrumps have been added.

Bullseye Dartboard, Compact Bar, Guerdon Goods Mini Fridge, and Guerdon Goods NanoCan 2.0 conversions by @platinumaspiration have been added.

Crystal Box Shower Stall, Double Delight, Post Modern Shower Stall, RAW Walk-In, Under the Sea Clawfoot Tub with Shower, and Unicorn Dream conversions by @platinumaspiration have been added.

Happy Camper Picnic Table and Urbanity Concrete Picnic Table conversions by @nuttydazesublime have been added (thanks @kayleigh-83!)

Wall o' Gym Lockers, Large and Wall o' Gym Lockers, Small conversions by @earlypleasantview, plus edits by @memento-sims, have been added (thanks @swishbishbosch!)

Residential/Venue Wall Speaker default replacement conversion by @morepopcorn has been added.

Decorative

Alphabetised all items.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Better As A Pair and Imagined Landscape conversions by @lordcrumps have been added.

Build Mode

Stonework Wall conversion by ePSYlord has been added.

Debug

The top menu has been updated to include links to the other base game subpages: build mode, buy mode, and decorative.

Crafted Violin conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

— Expansion Packs

City Living

Plink Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

In the Mood Fireplace conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Short Slate Tile conversions by @nelphaell and @suratan-zir have been added (thanks @swishbishbosch!)

Seasons

Vintage Subway Tile Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Get Famous

Designer’s Deluge and The Swan’s Ablution conversions by @platinumaspiration have been added.

Island Living

In or Out? - Outdoor Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Discover University

Almost InvisiShower 2.0 and EZPZ shower stall - by Umpa Loofa conversions by @platinumaspiration have been added.

Snowy Escape

Steamy Times Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Youthful Yummies Festival Food Stall poster conversion by @creesims has been added.

Growing Together

Generational, but Different Bath conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Lovestruck

Consultant Plaque Decoration, Cornery Feelings End Table, Deep Toned Wooden Table, Horizontal Love Wall Mirror, I Chair-ish You, Interal Wall Shower Head, Kiss of the Night Couch, Love's Little Book Collection, Smooth and Suave Toiletries, and Workout Gear Set conversions by ladysimplayer8 have been added.

— Game Packs

Outdoor Retreat

It’s a Shower Tarp! and Waterfall Shower conversions by @platinumaspiration have been added.

Spa Day

Tranquil Waters Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Vampires

Sheer Will Clawfoot Tub conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Parenthood

Xtreme Shower Tub with Customisable Curtain conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Jungle Adventure

Stereogram Tile Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Strangerville

Epic DIY Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Realm of Magic

Loudini’s Chamber of Sprinkles conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Werewolves

Woodsy Plank Fence conversion by ePSYlord has been added.

— Stuff Packs

Fitness

At One with Shower conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

— Kits

Bust the Dust

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Country Kitchen

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Courtyard Oasis

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Some items were recategorised.

Industrial Loft

All the images have been fixed and updated.

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Blooming Rooms

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Décor to the Max

All the images have been fixed and updated.

Alphabetised all items.

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Little Campers

All the images have been fixed and updated.

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Desert Luxe

All the images have been fixed and updated.

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Pastel Pop

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Some items were recategorised.

Everyday Clutter

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Some items were recategorised.

Bathroom Clutter

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Some items were recategorised.

Greenhouse Haven

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Basement Treasures

All the images have been fixed and updated.

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Book Nook

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Castle Estate

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Party Essentials

All the images have been fixed and updated.

Riviera Retreat

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

Cozy Bistro

The page menu has been updated.

The coding has been cleaned up and standardised.

[nexusvcrti]

Hi, hello, I tried desperately hard to keep Hope on my multi but then to my literal amazement, this URL was free and I had a brain blast for a new verse, so I considered it a sign to bring my girl back. For anyone new, my old blog can be found @cursedbcrn.

Couple of quick notes:

For those of you who know me from my old blog, please keep in mind that I've updated my alias, which is now Arrow. Would appreciate everyone taking a skim of my rules on my carrd. They're largely unchanged from the prior iteration but there have been a couple updates.

This blog will be low activity and I mean it when I say that. I won't be nearly as active as I was on my prior blog and the emphasis on plotting will be even heavier now. I will not be doing meaningless fluff threads with Hope which means two things: 1) replies may take me longer to get to and 2) plotting is required or you run the risk of me dropping our muses in literal random peril (which in turn will take even longer to reply to).

Just because I follow you on another blog / followed you before, does not guarantee a follow this time. I will be narrowing my focus to people who are actively writing and plotting with me and Hope.

I have a new verse specifically for TVD/TO-era threads. I know Legacies is not to everyone's taste, and part of what I struggled with on my last blog was figuring out how to write with the amazing TVD muses in the community, without completely shooting anyone's story in the foot, and I hope I have figured out a way to do just that. If anyone is interested in plotting in that verse, or sees any glaring holes, I'm more than happy to delve deeper and hammer out details.

I also added a write up for my post canon verse. On the super duper rare occasion I do anything unplotted, it'll likely go in the post canon verse. I added a handful of other AU verses as well that are mostly barebones but can be developed further if there's interest. You can find my verses page here.

Everything is a clean slate. I am bringing over a handful of recent threads from my multi but nothing from my old blog other than metas. Inbox is fully cleared out and empty as well and I'm going to try really really hard to keep things manageable, so again, heavy emphasis on plotting. If there's something in your court that you want to reply to, please feel free! If we talked something before, come chat with me again just to get us all on the same page. I'll probably put out a plotting call at some point but you can also come to me first.

[fairytalefragments]

Merry Christmas!!

And a happy holidays or happy sunday to anyone who doesn't celebrate! I'm very pleased to announce that I'm planning to start this blog back up again! I'm sorry for the unannounced (and unplanned) hiatus but I well and truly lost all motivation to edit and honestly was very overwhelmed by the blog in general. However I now feel ready to come back and start editing regularly again, and honestly I've missed running the blog!

I'll be opening the inbox back up in a few days, and I will only be accepting 10 requests at a time while i get back into the swing of things but I definitely plan to increase that number as time goes on. I have also completely emptied the inbox, so further apologies to people who had requests waiting, but I thought a clean slate would be best to start with, and also thank you to everyone who sent in nice asks during the break that I never got around to answering, they were very appreciated!!

Thanks to everyone who's stuck around and once again I'm very excited to start this blog back up! Wishing you all a wonderful day today, take care everyone!

[onceupon]

London Boy

summary: Y/n finds herself all the way across the pond, trying to escape OBX. But much to her surprise, a certain someone might get in the way.

pairing: Rafe x reader (just an intro in this part, we’ll get there dw)

warnings: swearing, drinking, some mentions of anxiety?

word count: 3.2k

a/n: if you’re a sucker for a slow burn like me, buckle up and enjoy the ride. I plan on this being multiple parts and this is also my first time posting so please be gentle with me lol :’-) (not canon Rafe)

You huffed as you dragged your extra large and definitely overweight luggage down to the pickup area at Heathrow airport. You had just landed in London where you’d be going to school until the holidays.  You had decided to apply for, and actually got accepted into, your high school’s British exchange program. Every year Kildare Academy gave the option for 15 seniors to study for half the school year at Westheath Academy in London, a private boarding school, while 15 kids from their school came to yours. Normally, you wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving your friends and family for that long, not to mention missing out on half of senior year at home. But ever since the drama that erupted during the summer after your junior year that ended with you being shunned by your “friend group” (where they really ever your friends to begin with?), you practically jumped at the opportunity to get as far away from the Outer Banks as possible, albeit for a little while.

You didn’t know at all what to expect at Westheath, you had skipped the predeparture orientation at Kildare a few weeks ago, but you didn’t care - didn’t care who was going or what Westheath was like, all that mattered was that for the next few months you could finally breath. It was the clean slate you desperately needed, a chance to finally be around people and places you hadn’t known since birth. Sure there were going to be 14 other kids from Kildare there as well, but you had zero intentions of sticking with your OBX peers over the next few months. You weren’t going to let your small town suffocate you for a second longer if you could help it.

You double checked the license plate on your phone screen as the Uber you ordered pulled up.

“Y/N?” the driver called out from the front-right window (god that was going to take some getting used to.)

“Yep!” you smiled, huffing as you tried to pick up your luggage and step off the curb. Thankfully the uber driver was quick to your rescue, effortlessly lifting your suitcase into the trunk of the car. Leave it to you to overpack without even thinking to leave room for all of the clothes and souvenirs you were certain to accumulate - oh well, an excuse for a new suitcase you supposed.

Not in the mood for small talk, you were relieved that the Uber driver silently read your mind, playing a pop station as you both respectfully ignored each other’s presence. You anxiously tapped your thumb on your phone, eyes flicking between the screen where you watched your route progress and the view out your window of townhomes, pubs, and countless strangers passing by.

You hadn’t felt anxious about leaving for London the entire first half of junior year, so why was your stomach and head simultaneously churning now? You were so excited to experience a version of life that was the opposite of everything you were trying to get away from - a version of life that involved British accents, buzzing city life, and endless possibilities. But it was all of a sudden dawning on you how unfamiliar it all was. As much as you hated to admit it to yourself, no matter how far you ran, you would never be able to fully separate yourself from OBX. That damned small beach-town would always be a part of you, an inextricable thread in the fabric of your life.

The Uber pulled up to a halt in front of your destination. You hesitantly glanced out your window as you double checked the silver number on the building. Yep, 25 Brampton Rd - you were here. The Uber driver graciously lifted your suitcase out of the trunk for you and as he pulled away you let out a long breath - your fresh start was waiting behind the doors in front of you.

You rang the doorbell to the lobby, the security here no joke. You were soon buzzed into the building and you shakily pulled your suitcase in behind you, desperately trying to calm your nerves to no avail.

“Hi,” you croaked out as you approached the man seated at the front desk. “I’m- uhh here to check in to my apartment- uh I mean flat… I think… I’m with the Kildare Academy exchange,” you rambled, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Despite your best efforts, your anxiety was taking over.

The man gave you a sympathetic smile. “Name please?”

“Y/n L/n,” you replied, pulling your lips into a sheepish straight-lined smile as you mindlessly tapped your fingers on the handle of your suit case.

“L/n, L/n, L/n,” the man quietly muttered under his breath as his pen traced over a list of names. “Ahh here you are. Alright Miss L/n, here is a fob, this lets you into the building, now this key lets you into your flat, you’ll be on the second floor - apartment 2C, and this key is for your individual room,” he began to fire off at you as he rounded the desk and came to grab your suitcase, beginning to walk as you hastily followed suit. “This packet will tell you everything you need to know about our building here - wifi, laundry, trash days,” he shoved some papers in your hand as you both entered the elevator, him pressing the button for the second floor.

You emerged on to your floor and a few steps later you two were at the door of your new home, which the man quickly unlocked gesturing for you to step inside. “And this, Miss L/n, is your flat for the next few months with us here at Westheath. Your room is the second right down the hall there and I believe you’re the first here. Two of your flatmates who are yet to check in are from Kildare, such as yourself, and the other two are students of our own here at Westheath. You know I’m surprised how early you are, classes don’t start until next week! But nevertheless I’ll let you get settled,” you stood staring blankly at your new surroundings, more or less registering the words this man was firing off at you.

“I’m Richard by the way, if you ever need anything you know where to find me,” the man extended his hand toward you.

“Thank you,” you smiled, accepting his handshake.

“Welcome to Westheath,” he smiled back and just as quickly was turning on his heel and back out the door before you could get in another word, leaving you in your new flat by yourself.

You slowly walked through the empty place, meandering through the kitchen and living area, down the hall, peaking into the bathroom, and then finding your way to your room. It certainly wasn’t the type of living arrangement you were used to back home - your family lived on Figure 8 in the Outer Banks meaning you had grown up surrounded by mansions and luxuries. This place was small, simple, and yet it was cozy and well… perfect. It was the exact opposite of your Figure 8 life and that alone was enough to make you love it. You smiled, content, as you sank on to your empty bed, taking in your new room. You had a nice sized desk, a decent shelf, and a wardrobe. Simple and sufficient. You could get used to this. The room was starkly barren, but since school wasn’t set to start for another week and no one was here yet you made a mental note to go on a little mission to find some plants and decorations to bring the white box that was your room a bit more to life.

——-

Three days had passed and still your other flat mates had yet to show. You were starting to wonder if they ever would or if you’d end up living in this flat all by yourself. Your room was now decorated, you had found some cute posters in a shop you had wandered into, some plants in another, and string lights in a third. You had acquainted yourself with the grocery store around the corner and the drug store down the street and you’d even gone on the tube all by yourself.

Being on your own these last few days had been decidedly therapeutic, leaving you unable to contain a cheesy grin every time it hit you that you were actually here, in London, far far away from OBX. But you couldn’t help feeling a little lonely, with a passing hello to Richard every time you left and returned to the building being your main source of human interaction these last few days.

You laid on your bed as you debated the decision you were about to make - you would’ve never dared to use Tinder back home. You knew virtually everyone on the island and would’ve been absolutely mortified to match with anybody there. But hey - you were in London baby! This was a fresh start and nothing was off limits. You sighed and gave in, downloading the app and quickly making a profile. You must’ve rearranged the order of your pictures at least a dozen times before you finally decided it was good enough. You started to swipe, an endless supply of British boys at your finger tips. You couldn’t suppress a chuckle at how funny the whole concept was, your inbox already flooding with cheesy pick up lines from your matches. You spent the next hour going back and forth with these boys, silly, meaningless, flirty conversations - god it was so much easier being a flirt through a screen, you would be positively flushed in the face in person, unless you were drunk of course (your drunk self was a dangerously confident flirt for sure).

Liam: are you free tonight? Down to grab a drink and chat?

Oh wow. Straight to the point wasn’t he. You knew the point of the app was to eventually get off it and meet up with someone, but now that you were met with the opportunity, your stomach was flipping upside down. Fuck it, what do you have to lose?

Y/n: yeah that sounds great, I’m in Hammersmith if you wanted to go somewhere there?

Liam: perfect so am I (: 8pm at The Ladle. See you there xx

Pure adrenaline coursed through your body as you started doing your hair and makeup, throwing clothes all around your small room to find the perfect outfit that was cute but simultaneously made it seem like you weren’t trying too hard. You threw your wallet and keys in your purse, chugged the glass of wine you had been casually sipping on by yourself, and quickly headed out the door before you could overthink it and change your mind.

——

You nervously approached the bar that Google Maps had directed to you, not sure what you were getting yourself into, but you had already walked all the way here so you’d be damned if you didn’t see it through.

“Y/n?” a voice called out to you. God, hearing your name in that accent sent shivers down your spine.

“Yeah that’s me, Liam?” you questioned back, staring up at the fluffy browned-hair boy approaching you.

“That’s me,” he winked, extending his arm out to you which you nervously grabbed, as he led you into The Ladle, spotting an empty table for the two of you.

“So Y/n, what are you doing here in London. Something tells me you’re not from here?”the boy across from you smiled as you two got settled in your seats.

“Hmmm I wonder what could’ve ever given it away,” you replied with a sarcastic smile, American accent in full force. “But I’m here for school, on an exchange at Westheath Academy.”

“Oh shit, that means we’ll see each other around. I’m finishing up my last year actually. And somehow you’re the first American I’ve had the pleasure of being on a date with,” he smiled with a devilish grin that felt like it was burning into you, you hoping the flush on your cheeks wasn’t too obvious with the dim lighting.

“Lucky me,” you smiled back, faking a sly confidence as best you could despite the fact that you were all nerves on the inside. Dating was not something you were familiar with, having maybe gone on two back home, if those even counted.

“First round on me, what are you drinking tonight Y/n?”

“Umm a vodka cran is fine,” you replied to which you were immediately met with a scoff.

“No way babe, you’re in a pub in England now. Should’ve figured as much coming from an American like you,” he chuckled with a shake of his head, his fluffy hair bouncing with it. “I’m getting you a pint,” he asserted, walking over to the bar and giving you a moment to breath and collect yourself. You hated beer but weren’t about to put up a fight, at this point you would down just about any alcohol in order to get some more liquid courage in your system.

He quickly returned, placing the tall glass of golden-colored liquid in front of you.

“Cheers, to new school mates,” he winked extending his glass up to yours.

“To new school mates,” you smiled back, bringing your glass to clink with his, taking a long swig and trying not to grimace at the taste of the liquid going down your throat.

——

The night passed by quickly, you and Liam going through three rounds of drinks as you both laughed and bantered with one another, your nerves all but dissipated by the alcohol now coursing through your bloodstream. Heck, the beer was even starting to taste… good? God you barely recognized yourself anymore, but in the best possible way. One by one you were letting the closely guarded walls you had built up over the years in OBX fall, and you were feeling better than ever before - you felt free.

You and Liam stumbled back arms linked to the building you found out you were both living in, Liam on the fourth floor. You rummaged for the fob in your purse and you both got on the elevator, Liam instinctively pressing both your floor numbers. The elevator dinged opening to your floor, Liam turning to you with a cheeky smile.

“See you around, Y/n,” he winked. Why did you find that so attractive, or maybe it’s just because you were slightly drunk.

“Goodnight Liam,” you smirked back, blowing him a kiss as you walked out the elevator, the doors closing behind you.

You couldn’t help but smile like an idiot as you unlocked your flat and stumbled into your room, immediately collapsing on your bed. London. It was definitely going to be an adventure.

——

You were woken up the next day by the sun peaking through your window. You yawned and let out a big stretch, still giddy from last night’s date. It’s not like you thought you had just met your soulmate or something, you both kept the evening light, mainly joking and flirting as you downed drinks. But god you couldn’t remember the last time you had that much fun or ended a night feeling so confident and carefree. You were embracing every ounce of the euphoria you were getting from your new life.

You slipped out of bed and made your way to the kitchen, still rubbing the morning crust out of your eyes. Just as you got a pot of coffee going, you heard the distinct sound of a key turning, startling you as you realized it was coming from outside of your flat’s door. You cursed at the fact that you were about to meet a new flatmate while in your flannel pajamas and messy bun hanging halfway off your head, but mainly you were excited to finally have some company.

“Dude it’s no Figure 8 living but fuck it I’ll live anywhere to not have my parents breathing down my neck these next few months,” you heard a voice say, now in the hallway of your flat.

You immediately freeze. That was a male voice, definitely a male. Of course it makes sense now that you think of it, everyone in the flat gets their own room so what does it matter if the flat is co-ed. The thought just hadn’t crossed your mind, you automatically assumed you’d be living with all girls.

“Yeah man, anywhere that’s 1,000 miles away from Ward sounds like the perfect place to me,” another male voice laughed in return. Ward? Ward Cameron? That couldn’t possibly be who the voice was referring to because that would mean you were living with- and before you could even finish your thought you were standing jaw slightly parted staring at Rafe Cameron and Topper Thornton  in front of you. Two of the most popular guys at school.

You weren’t really friends but your families knew each other so you inevitably saw one another at kook events every now and then. You couldn’t help but feel intimidated by them. You always told yourself you didn’t care about boys like Rafe and Topper or about fitting in with their crowd, yet you always became nervous in their presence.  They were cool. They partied a lot, were athletes, and had girls tripping over them, which you couldn’t fault considering anyone with eyes could tell they were attractive, but you’d never have the confidence to be so bold with guys like that. Unless you were drunk of course. And unless you were the new confident and carefree version of yourself that you had been on your date last night with Liam.

“Yo Y/n, no fucking way, I didn’t know we’d get to live with girl,” Topper smiled at you with a teasing grin.

You were suddenly acutely aware of how disheveled you look and how you weren’t wearing a bra under your thin pajama top.

“Uh hey w-what are you guys doing here,” you managed to choke out. That confident girl from last night had disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving you now feeling winded in front of the two boys from your hometown. Why were you getting so flustered?

“Just on a little exchange program from Kildare, maybe you’ve heard of it,” teased Rafe sarcastically, a smile tugging at his lips, holding back a laugh at how caught off guard you looked.

“Yeah no yeah of course,” you stuttered, “I guess I just wasn’t expecting you two to want to sign up for it.”

That’s when you realized the obvious. Every year there was always a number of spots reserved on the exchange for athletes, and Rafe and Topper were two of Kildare’s star soccer players.

“What and get to miss an opportunity to play at Westheath and go to Premier League games all semester? No shot,” laughed Topper.

“Maybe you should’ve gone to orientation after all, roomie,” joked Rafe as he picked up his bag following Topper down the hall to their rooms. Rafe Cameron noticed I didn’t go to orientation?

You let your face fall in your hands with a groan only audible to you. You quickly picked up your head and shook yourself off, pouring yourself a cup of coffee as you tried to ground yourself from your frazzled state. Looks like escaping OBX was going to be harder than you thought.

---

Part 2

[firesongbard]

Our Better Angels

Read the rest on AO3

S H E P A R D

Shepard had flagged the email without even reading it as “to review”. With the number of messages appearing in her inbox, she suspected Anderson had notified the whole galaxy that she was on shore leave when he gave her the apartment.

In the last few days, the oversized space had been many things. A theater, a gym, a sports bar, a spa…

All of that was better than what it was now. Empty. Quiet.

It was her own fault. She’d wanted the time to catch up, sneak a look at the troop movements her crew kept deliberately hiding from her. The last time she’d gotten some honest work time in was when Liara visited. Two whole hours of quiet, uninterrupted work before Kaidan came in with beer and groceries and the idea in his head that no one should be thinking about war on shore leave.

She and Liara had shared precisely the same thoughts on that.

If you stop, they win. There’s no time for rest.

She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. There was more to being prepared than troop movements and an endless scrolling of death tolls. She tapped on the message marked simply as “Memorial Service” and let it display on the terminal.

Publicity stunt. Of course.

She quickly composed a reply before she could think too long on who the memorial was for, or who the request had come from. Anderson’s—Her apartment was perfect for the event, and would encourage an intimate setting. Nothing heavily publicized, room for loved ones and the Council. She’d have control to leverage against any ridiculous posthumous medals of honor, if hanar were even prone to such things.

The Council was also interested in it being a small affair, it seemed. Same-day scheduling was uncommon.

Councilor Valern was more than happy to handle the ‘arrangements’. Probably flowers, some overblown portrait on an easel. All for the best. For all the death she’d witnessed, Shepard didn’t actually have that much experience with funerals.

No time to grieve. Too many millions dying.

She rooted around in one of Anderson’s drawers, clinically judging each item before setting it aside. Old data drives, collapsed datapads, expensive stationery, and a real pen—she’d bought that for him. Old fashioned as he was, it was the only thing she could think of to get him. And the old sap kept it.

Must have been ten years ago, now.

She finally laid hands on the much more practical stylus he’d taken to using on away missions. Maybe she shared a few old-fashioned tendencies herself.

——

Though his life took him to very dark places, Thane cared for the better angels of our nature. Even when he was terminally ill, Thane ran through war-torn streets to reach me because he knew I needed help. An Assassin A professionally trained killer He gave his life for the galaxy And now, he can rest.

Shepard swiped the datapad to a clean slate, before dropping the pad and pen, and resting her head in her hands.

Guide this one to where the traveler never tires, the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve.

“Prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken, huh?” The ceiling was far too high above her, arced in some Asari-centric principle of architecture to the wall of windows looking out upon the Silversun Strip. Shaking the ghost of a memory from her mind, she picked up the stylus and pad, and tried again.

This was about a man. Not some propaganda hero.

He once said that he first felt love for his wife when she stepped in front of an assassin to save someone she didn’t even know. Sunset colored eyes defiant in the scope And when he knew his death was close, he chose to die doing nearly the same thing. Just as he loved his wife for it, I still The measure of an individual can be difficult to determine by actions alone. He understood the universe was a dark place, and loved the light all the more for it. We cannot thank Thane We can remember how he lived

She swiped the datapad clean again. Something tinked against the window and she looked up to see the stylus had flown out of her grasp with the gesture.

“Hey Shepard, I got your message. Do you need help—” Garrus paused at the doorway, giving her a brief appraisal before sweeping his gaze around the apartment.

She set down the datapad and stood, only now realizing how stiff her muscles had gotten from staying curled up in the chair for so long.

“No, Councilor Valern is supposed to handle all the setup. I think I’ve got time to take a shower and change before anyone else shows up.”

“Ah yes, because you wouldn’t want the Council to see you in your bridge uniform. You need your combat uniform for that.”

She tossed him a careless smile before crouching to grab the flight-prone stylus. “At least I have more than one uniform. You won’t have time to buff out the scratches from your favorite armor before the service. Might have to pull your Archangel gear out of—”

Her breath hitched when she felt hands settle on her hips from behind, gently lifting her out of her half-squat by the window. She hadn’t noticed when Garrus closed the distance.

“You’re going to go up there, take a shower, and put on that dress uniform with all the damn buttons.” He spoke low and quiet in her ear, bending down until his mandible fluttered against her cheek. “Then you’re going to come down here and give us all a rousing speech, like you always do.”

She turned to face him, carefully setting the distance so she wouldn’t be tempted to bury her face in his neck. “I don’t know how to talk about him without making him sound like… like some shadowy, brooding action hero knockoff, or a torrid love affair.”

“Hey now, I thought I cornered the market on brooding action heroes. And I’m not sure that second part translated properly, because I definitely cornered the market on passionate love. Learned to dance and everything.”

Shepard let out a bitter huff of a laugh, and squeezed her eyes shut. “ I—I’m no good at funerals, Garrus.”

Garrus lifted one hand off her hip and brushed a thumb across her cheek. His scarred mandible flared away from his face and twitched in concern, but he did not draw attention to the tears.

“Then, as the resident expert on Spirits, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Funerals aren’t for the dead. They’re for those left behind.” He let his fingers hang on Shepard’s hip even as he pulled away, giving her an unspoken choice to leave or call him back. “You don’t have to try to preserve a whole person in a 3-minute speech. Just talk about what he left you with.”

She thought of Irikah—sunset-colored eyes defiant in the scope. Such a vivid person, the memories welled to the surface unbidden. A warrior angel, fierce in wrath. A tenacious protector…

Shepard had also found something while staring down a sniper.

When the soul is weakened by despair or fear, when the body is ill or injured, the individual is disconnected—no longer whole.

“He gave me You.”

She hadn’t meant to say it.

Garrus hovered his hand by her, his eyes flicking side to side as he looked into each of hers, taking in her whole face and expression as she desperately tried to hold it stoic.

“…I guess he did, didn’t he?”

Shepard broke eye contact and made her way up the stairs.

“If someone shows up with flowers, just have them set up by the piano. I’ll be down in 10.”

[wrassleslashlibrary]

The library is open! 😊📚

As you can see, things look a bit empty round here for now. That’s because we’ve cleared the shelves for a fresh start...don’t worry though, you’ll still see all your past faves available on the old wsl which is has been transformed into an archive - @wrassleslashlibraryarchive

In a change from last time, this branch will be accepting m/m recs only...to prevent the ladies getting lost in the mix, they will now have their own home - @wrasslefemslashlibrary, but just like always on these and our other branches @wrasslehetlibrary​ & @wrassleficlibrary all promotions, all kinks & all tropes are welcomed. Ships can be couples or OT3+ and OCs are fine as long as they form part of a wrestler/OC ship.

Since the creative output of our fandom is expanding, we’re bringing back the promotion tags too so we can all find our way around the recs a little more easily. This will apply to all new fic recs received on any branch going forward.

So now it’s over to you, our lovely members to help fill the place up with wonderful fic & art recs - our inboxes are open with anon enabled as always. And don’t be holding back because you think the work you’d like to rec has already been shared - this is a clean slate, send it in anyway & don’t forget to follow this branch!

[iwouldfuckdarkiplier]

! NOTICE !

I’m working on emptying the inboxes right now (everything will be queued). Once I get each one empty, I will be closing the inboxes for the blogs until TOMORROW. I want to start off the new year on a fully-clean slate. That’s all. No hiatus, no big thing. Just starting fresh :)

Happy New Year, guys <3

-Mod L

[literaticat]

Clean Slate starting... NOW!

I spent a long time today answering outstanding questions in the inbox, and then realized that there were still like 100 questions, and lots of them were SUPER old, and many of them were either literal repeats or the same type of question phrased in a slightly different way. So... in the interest of my sanity, I emptied the inbox. Woohoo! 

Please, if you are concerned because I didn’t answer your question - ask yourself, did I answer a question JUST LIKE your question? Because chances are, I did! See the pinned post on this blog for ways to search the archives. 

If you have a fresh question, by all means submit it. Please confine your ask to ONE ask box - it is a fresh hell trying to detangle asks that occur over multiple boxes. I don’t think people are thinking this through: If you are asking anonymously, and dozens of questions come in per day, and they are ALL ANONYMOUS, I cannot tell them apart, and there may be questions in between your first part and your second (or third) part ... it’s maddening! Please! Edit yourself! Thank you in advance! xoxo JL

[luniellar]

It’s You: 01 (Eternal Sunshine)

A/N: Meep. Constructive criticism is always welcomed in my inbox.

Summary: Chris, Sebastian, and Julie (Fictional Character) have been friends for a long time… even before Chris and Seb started their acting careers and landed a role in the Marvel Universe. Friendship opened a new path to love and it’s starting to look… complicated.

Pairing: Chris Evans X Julie (Fictional Character), Sebastian Stan X Julie (FC)

Genre: Romance | Drama

Audience: PG-13…? (Jk there are some F-bombs and inappropriate language that might be suitable for the young)

Navigation: Masterlist

Two years ago.

Buzz.

The phone buzzed on my lap and the incoming message lit up my phone.

I’m sorry. Still filming.

I stared back at the steak that had gone cold two hours ago and the sauce that looked like someone had poured glossy nail paint on. The candle had completely gone out and in the darkness, I could still make up the empty seat across from me. When I started to reply, the phone buzzed again.

I don’t think I can make it back tonight. Don’t stay up too late. Lock your doors.

My head dropped in disappointment. And this is why you don’t do anything nice for people, Julie. Also, “lock your doors?” How can I even hate him?

I was starting to get up from my seat when I heard the doorbell. My heart skipped in excitement as my mind raced at the thought of Chris surprising me with a bouquet of flowers. He already knew my favorite. White Gardenias. I still remember when he first bought them for me when we took each other on pity dates to homecoming. Later, we found out that the meaning behind the flowers was secret love and it stuck with us forever.

I tossed my waves for the sexy, volume look and opened the door with a huge grin on my face waiting for his bright blue eyes to greet me. To my surprise, I was captivated by a familiar pair of slate blue eyes.

“Seb?!” I blurted as he made his way through the door with a large duffel bag hung on his shoulder. I followed him in like I was the guest of the house as he threw the bag down on the living room floor and jump on the couch.

“Can you get me a drink? Something strong please darling,” he muttered with his adorable accent he made up. His lean body stretched across my solo small loveseat.

I rolled my eyes at him as I plopped down on the floor facing him. “I’m sorry your highness, but it’s a self-service around here.”

He turned and smirked at me. “Rebellious one, I see.”

I smiled back at him. “What brings you here, Sebby?”

Now, he rolled his eyes at me and I giggled. He always expressed to me how he hates it when I would call him by that in public. In private, he had no excuse to be upset. Well, no valid point to argue why I shouldn't call him Sebby.  “A best friend can’t swing by to visit another best friend?”

“He could, but this best friend knows that her best friend should be across the world filming,” I said back matter-of-factly and he smiled his usual, you-got-me kind of smile.

“We finished up early.”

“Really? How? I thought you were going to be over there at least for another month? How did it go?”

“You know, I literally got off the plane an hour ago and raced here. You should be jumping with joy, not harassing me with 21 questions.”

“No one asked you to race here, you know.”

“But,” he started to say and after what felt like a long minute pause, he finished his sentence. “I was hungry.” I watched as his tense face relax.

“Hold on,” I exhaled loudly as I got up and made my way to the dining room. Well, calling it a dining room was giving it too much credit. It was the random space next to the kitchen that people put their dining table in. I turned on the small light on in the room that shed the light to the failed dinner date I was planning for Chris. I completely forgot that this was here and I didn’t realize Seb also followed me until I heard his voice behind me causing me to jump.

“Huh,” he muttered glancing around. “Did you get stood up?”

Feeling my face heating up, I quickly rushed over and started grabbing the plates to clear them. It wasn’t entirely false. He was already a step ahead taking the plate from my hands.

“Who’s the guy?” he asked and I grabbed the plate from his hands. “Are you using that app kids are using nowadays? Pinder? Was that what they called it?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said back as I attempted to head into the kitchen. The keyword was attempted. Sebastian was already in front of me.

“Who’s the guy?” he pressed again.

“Why do you need to know?”

“So I can beat his ass. Did he stood you up?”

“No,” I said back as I basically pushed him out of the way. I dropped the plates on the countertop and turned around to grab the rest when he stood in front of me again.

“Julie,” his velvety voice whispered. He never called me Julie unless it was serious. “Are you okay?”

I looked up at him, met his clear slate eyes and smiled. “I’m fine. You don’t need to make a deal out of Seb. It was just a small thing.”

“You cooked. You never cook.”

That was also true. There was a reason why I moved to the city. The takeout options were endless. My father left my mom when I was two and mother passed away when I was young and I was raised by my grandparents. I didn’t have a family recipe to pass down, we were all busy trying to get food on the table.

Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to tell him. I hated keeping secrets from him. Chris and I had been seeing each other for about six months and it was his idea to keep it away from Seb for now. We were still figuring things out in our relationship and Seb had a new project he was taking a lead on. I wasn’t sure how he was going to take it and the last thing I needed to bother him and his work.

To be honest, I just thought I was going to be some booty call for about two months, but I couldn’t believe that it had already been six months since we started… dating.

Seb grabbed the plates from my hands and placed them on the countertop for me. “Fine, you don’t have to tell me. But, I’m eating this.”

“No, let me order you something.”

He shook his head and made his way back to the table. I watched as he grabbed the box of matches next to the misshapen candle. With a small flame on his match, he lit the dying candle. “Bring me your best creation, Jules Ramsey.”

I sighed in defeat as went back to reheat the steak and glossy sauce.

To my surprise, he finished everything on the plate I prepared for him. But, he also didn’t say a word during the whole meal so I couldn’t tell if he was eating because he was hungry or because he felt bad. After his last bite, he placed his utensils down and wiped his mouth with the napkin.

“So?” I urgently asked.

“Good,” he said back.

“Good?”

He nodded.

“Nothing else to add?” I asked.

He leaned back on the chair. “Well, you said it was supposed to be medium rare, it definitely tasted borderline overcooked.”

Of course, that’s the Seb I knew. “Thanks,” I sarcastically muttered as I grabbed the plate from him. But, at the same time, he grabbed the plate as well and his hand was over mine.

“I’m just kidding. It was surprisingly good,” he said with his eyes glittering in the candlelight. Seb was born to be on the screen. His solid jawline and sculpted features did everything. His acting skill only confirmed his birthright.

“Uh huh, surprisingly,” I repeated back and he sighed.

“I give you a compliment and you’re still sulking.”

“Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “It was the best meal I had. And that’s saying a lot. You should really cook more because I think you have a talent for it.”

I immediately felt my face heating up and coughed to clear my throat. I could see why candlelight dinners were popular date ideas. I had weird butterflies in my stomach that didn’t exist there before.

“Thank you,” I managed to say out. “I’m glad that you were the first to try my masterpiece.”

There was a long period of silence as we sat there with his hand over mine both clutching to the plate.

“Go relax Seb, I should start cleaning up,” I said as I grabbed the plate and maneuvered my hand from his.

I should have run away when I had the chance because his next words had me glued to my seat for what felt like an eternity.

“I like you, Jules. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

The only thing that broke the silence was the clear clicking sound followed by a loud thud. That was the door. Seconds later, I heard his voice.

“Jules!”

Chris. Shit, I completely forgot to text him that Seb was over. Frantically I got up, but it was too late. He was already in the living room and looking at us both.

“Seb?” Chris asked looking at Seb.

“Chris?” Seb looked at Chris and then back at me. Those brilliant blue I craved so many hours ago was here,, but I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. I just wanted to hide.

- - - - - - - - - - { Sebastian’s POV }

Shit. I couldn’t believe I said it.

My last words echoed over and over in head. “I like you, Jules. I can’t stop thinking about you.” Fuck.

Her warm brown eyes locked with mine. But, I couldn’t read her expression. Her full lips pressed shut and she looked down at the table. Her waves fell across her face as she looked concerned… no, confused. The silence carried on and a wave of regret washed over me. This wasn’t how I wanted to say it. No, not like this.

As I opened my mouth to say something to fill the space, there was a loud thud followed by a familiar voice.

“Jules!”

There was only one other person who called her by Jules. Before he turned the corner, I knew that Chris was here too. I glanced over at Jules who looked pale and sick to her stomach.

“Seb?” Chris asked and we made eye contact. He was wearing a plain black baseball cap that covered his messy head. His beard was at full force from his role as Captain America on the run. He had a bouquet of white flowers in his right hand.

“Chris?” I asked back as I looked over at her drained face. Something was going on.

Chris walked over to the table and casually placed the flowers down in front of Julie. “What are you doing here man? Aren’t you supposed to be filming?”

I smiled. “I didn’t know that you guys were that interested in me. Funny thing too, because that’s exactly what she said to me when I barged in.”

I watched as Chris and Jules looked at each other. When they made eye contact, I felt like I was the guest walking in the room. This was new.

“Huh, I didn’t know Jules would be the one to say something like that,” he laughed trying to lighten the tense mood in the room.

“My schedule finished up early and I came by to surprise her, but it looks like I surprised you too.”

“It’s my lucky day,” he smiled. “We missed you.”

We? When did he start speaking for her? “What about you?”

Chris looked around the room. “Oh you know, I just finished up filming and I was hoping to kick in the guest bed before the next shoot.”

“Your 5-star trailer wasn’t good enough,” I joked sarcastically and he laughed. “Well, it looks like it’s you and me on that twin bed tonight unless Jules wants to give up hers for us.”

Jules looked at me with determination in her eyes that was completely 180 from a few minutes ago.

“Seb,” she paused. “Chris and I are dating.”

[adorealeclightwood]

Calling All My Lovelies.

Hey there demons, remember me? 

I HAVE RISEN. 

I’m back and stormier than ever. 

First of all, I’d like to start by apologizing for being from you guys for so long. I’ve been caught up in the whirlwind of a new job, a different educational path, and a new relationship. In addition to all of that, I’m dealing with some serious family/mental health issues. I wanted to hop on here and get right back in the swing of things, but unfortunately, Tumblr had to be put on a back burner, along with 99% of the other things I enjoy. Long story short, I didn’t feel comfortable coming back until I got my shit together.

(News flash: it still isn’t together, but I’m working on it.) 

With all the shit I had going on, I completely forgot when the show was coming on again, and as you can imagine, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! Luckily, I’ll be celebrating my return by spoiling the hell out of you guys. 

Since I’ll be binge watching for the rest of the week until I’m caught up, I’ll be binge reviewing as well. The live reviews are all queued up and ready to go, so by the time you finish reading this, the review for 3x11 should be hitting your dashboard. Character analysis’ will take a bit longer (as usual), but don’t fret. They’re coming. 

Before we return to our regularly scheduled programming, I’d like to say a few things.

I read your messages. I wish I could’ve read and responded to all of them, but you guys killed my inbox. The first couple times I tried opening the app, my phone froze and almost overheated. I had to get a friend to help me sort it out. That being said, we’re starting from ground zero. At this moment, my inbox and asks are completely empty. I promise I’ll get better at responding in a timely manner. 

We’re starting with a clean slate. I’ve been through a lot guys. I’m fucking tired. For the sake of your sanity as well as mine, let’s keep things friendly. I’m totally down for in-depth discussions and compelling arguments, but if we can’t be nice to one another and enjoy things, I will gladly shut this shit down for good and continue sipping champagne on the beach. Be loud, be passionate, be engaging, but if you can’t be an adult, we’re going to have major problems. 

The playlists are back! (You know, the ones I made for Alec, Magnus, and Malec.) I don’t even remember taking them down, but they’re back now. Song suggestions are welcome. I may be bringing lyric posts back as well, but I haven’t decided yet. 

Thank you. The fact that I dropped off the face of the earth and came back to a little over 8,000 followers is insane. You guys are amazing. 

Oh yeah, almost forgot. 

I LOVE YOU.

- Erykah.

[itslikethatfrenchthing]

14 LIFE-CHANGING DECLUTTERING TIPS FOR YOUR WORKSPACE

  Are you looking for some decluttering tips for how to organize your desk and office space?

You’re in the right place. This video marks the start of our 31 Weeks of Productivity Challenge! In this video, we dive into some of the most life-changing tips for decluttering your desk and improving your desk organization. If you love minimalism and want to improve your organization and productivity, you’ll love the decluttering tips in this video! Remember to subscribe if you want more tips on decluttering!

HIT PLAY OR READ THE POST BELOW:

subscribe to my youtube channel

There are endless decluttering tips for your workspace and I have a few of those ideas myself.

Before we get into today's video, I just want to welcome you to my 31 weeks of productivity challenge here on YouTube.

These next few weeks are going to be challenging. They are going to be motivating and they are going to be very, very productive. The purpose of this challenge is to give you one action step that you can do every single week, that’s not going to take up too much of your time that you can do to help increase your productivity and create more balance in your daily schedule as a business owner.

We are going to be covering organizational tips like the topic that we're kicking things off with today along with mindset shifts and productivity hacks to really just make sure that we're covering all bases.

And the best thing about each of these challenges is that you can come back to them again and again and again.

You don't need anything for this challenge, you just need you and a little bit of motivation. I'll be here every single week with your action step for that week and you have seven days to complete it and I'll be doing these with you as well.

So if you want to take part and follow along and make sure you tag me on your Instagram story so I can see your progress and see how you're getting on.

And then also make sure that wherever you talk about the challenge, make sure to use #ProductivityBoss because you know we are all about that boss life.

So today we are getting started with week number one snd your first challenge is to declutter your workspace.

14 LIFE-CHANGING DECLUTTERING TIPS FOR YOUR WORKSPACE

Now, unless I'm having a little bit of an off day, you can usually find working at my desk in my home office pretty 24/7.

Now, everyone's workspace is going to look slightly different, but it's really important that you have a designated place to work so you can associate that place with you being your most productive self, that version of yourself that gets things done.

But what I do know is that if your desk is a mess and you've got stuff all over the place and you can't even see the surface of your desk because there's so much on it, then we've got a problem. Because that is definitely going to affect your productivity and not in a good way.

So if it is the case that you have got a messy desk or a messy workspace and you need to sort it out, then I have 14 quick decluttering tips to share with you today that are life changing in their own way for many different reasons. These tips for decluttering your life can make a massive difference to your life in general and none of them require spending any money.

Plus they can work for you whether you've got a whole room dedicated to your home office or you've got a desk in the corner of a room at home or it's at your kitchen table, it really doesn't matter. Enjoy these tips for decluttering!

P.S. If you want to know how to make decluttering a part of your daily schedule, download your free guide below!

download the fab four!

#1 | Have A Simple System For Decluttering

I don't know about you, but when I've got a mammoth task ahead of me and I haven't got a plan for getting started, I find it so difficult to actually get started in the first place.

So when you start decluttering, you want to actually create a system that's going to allow you to get started and that's going to make the whole process so much easier. Plus your system will be filled with tidying up tips!

For example, you could have separate piles or you could grab a couple of bin bags or some boxes, grab some sticky labels and then I like to separate things into these different piles:

Trash

Recycling

Shredding

Anything that can be given away

Anything that belongs in another room

Anything you actually need to keep that lives in your office.

Then you can start collecting everything from your office, everything from the top of your desk, everything from your drawers and start putting them into these different piles.

And every time you’re looking for tips on decluttering your home, this is the system that you've got to follow.

#2 | Just Start

I know decluttering is overwhelming. There is no way around that. But I can promise you that it won't get any less overwhelming the longer that you put it off. That’s why I’m sharing these easy decluttering tips with you!

So if you're not one of those people that wants to get it done all in one day, then take a few minutes today to just get started. Clear one piece of clutter or two or 12. It really doesn't matter as long as you just get started.

Or you can set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes clear some clutter, and then when that timer goes off, you go back to your regularly scheduled day.

Bonus points if you block this out on your calendar!

If you do this every day, you will be amazed at how quickly you hack your way through your workspace clutter.

#3 | Have a Quick Win With A Dump Bin

One of my favourite hacks for decluttering your home is to have a dump bin and that gives you such a quick fun organizing win.

All you do is grab an empty box or a basket, whatever you've got in your house, and fill it with every single item that continues to keep cluttering up your desk. Then spend five to 10 minutes each day sorting through the items in the dump bin until it's empty.

If you start clearing off the top of your desk, you'll feel immediate relief from the overwhelm that the clutter causes, and you'll also know exactly where you need to find something if you end up needing it.

The only thing with this hack is that you've got to take that time to actually go through the items in your dump bin and organize them or else you've essentially just relocated your clutter and that's cheating!

#4 | Only Keep Out What You Use Frequently

I like to think that there's an everything hidden away / everything in view spectrum and it's going to vary where each of us fall in that spectrum.

I only prefer to have the necessities out on my desk:

Office lamp

Laptop

Water bottle

Calendar

Pen pot

Daily planner

A few other trinkets and inspirational quote cards that I have on my window sill.

Everything else is tucked away out of sight.

You need to decide where you fall on that spectrum. You might prefer to have all of your office supplies out with your notepad and pens and other tools, or you might fall somewhere in the middle. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, for your desk in particular, only keep out the items that you use most frequently, AKA the items that you use multiple times throughout the day. This is a good rule of thumb when it comes to tips for decluttering your home too.

#5 | Assign Every Item A Home

When it comes to top tips for decluttering this is a great one and it works wonders for your workspace as well.

When every item has a home, it makes tiding up after yourself a breeze. It's so easy to put items away and clear your desk in preparation for another productive day at work.

Assigning a home for something could be as simple as putting your pen back in a pen pot or it could be a little bit complex in terms of things like filing paper.

The point is that you know exactly what items belong and you know exactly where you need to find them when you need them.

#6 | Use A Desk Tray To Catch Paper Clutter

It's highly likely that your workspace is doing double or even triple duty. So it's important to have a catch-all filter for incoming items. An office inbox or in other words, a desk tray allows you to control the flow of information and papers that are coming into your office on a daily basis.

It means you can avoid having stacks of papers on your desk and also means that you can review all of the information that's coming in.

I especially like the clear acrylic trays. These are perfect if you want to avoid those bookie looking trays and also if you want easy access to papers and notebooks as well.

#7 | Clear Your Desk At The End Of Each Day

Now I get it. It might seem like a lot of work to clear your desk at the end of each day, but it's going to be so refreshing for you to end the day and start the next day on a clear, clean slate.

I highly suggest clearing your workspace at the end of each day so you are greeted each new morning with a decluttered workspace. This is my favourite piece of decluttering advice.

It's going to help you feel so much more creative and productive when you sit down at your desk each morning.

And this is even more important if your desk space and your office space is where you do your morning routine, which for me it is.

Honestly, this is probably the most life changing habit on this list because not only has it increased my organization, but it's also allowed me to increase the energy that it takes in order to maintain that organization.

All you need to do is put all of your items away, which should be super easy now, especially if you followed the tips that we've just outlined because every item should now have a home!

File your papers and again, they should be super, super quick, especially if your filing system is within an arm's reach of your desk space. Then put anything else on your desk away and make sure it is nice and tidy and exactly as you left it first thing this morning.

By taking the time to do this each and every day when you clock off means you will never sit down to a cluttered workspace again.

Your productivity will improve and your whole office and workspace will stay way more organized.

If you want to know how to turn this into a daily habit, download your free to-do list detox exercise below!

send me the exercise!

#8 | Get A Daily Planner

If you've watched the videos on this channel for any length of time or you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I love my Google Calendar. I live my life by it. It truly is wonderful and I will admit that now it's almost impossible to function without them. I mean, where is your phone right now is probably right by you or you're even watching this video on it.

But I also think it is so important to have a daily paper planner.

Having a visual physical planner helps our mind process the tasks that we need to complete.

A daily planner is also a great way to have your notes and to do lists all in one place, which means you can throw away all those random post it notes and just have everything in your daily planner.

It also works as a great documentation system for things that have already happened. So if your memory is not 100% spot on, then your daily planner could end up being your best friend.

#9 | Eliminate Distractions In Your Environment

Our mind is constantly being bombarded with information, so it's really important that we have a system to weed out everything apart from the essentials. And the first step with this is to eliminate any auditory or visual distractions in our environment.

If your mind is full of off-target things, that is a massive productivity killer because it's essentially just mind clutter. So here are a few things I find helpful to make your environment more conducive to a more productive day.

First of all, reduce background noise

Turn off all those notifications on your phone, or at least put it on silent when you're working. And definitely listen to lyric free music as this will really, really help with your concentration.

If you are in an environment with people who are making a lot of noise, you could even get some noise canceling headphones. They might not eliminate background noise all together, but they can be a game changer when it comes to keeping you focused.

Reduce the visual distractions

So we've already talked about how to reduce distractions on your desk, but there's also some other visual elements that could be distractions as well.

Are you sitting by a window that has a lot of activity? Do a lot of different people walk by? Are you working with the TV on?

If you can take care of little factors like this, I promise you, you will feel so much more productive.

Sometimes even just shutting a door or changing the direction of your chair can solve a massive problem. This is one of the best decluttering tips out there!

#10 | Stay Off Social Media

This area doesn't really require that much explanation, does it? It is what it says on the tin!

I won’t spend too much time on this because I know that you know that spending way too much time on social media is a massive time suck.

So if you feel inclined to look at your social media accounts throughout the day, especially when you're working, then maybe save it for when you're on your lunch break or even as an afternoon treat.

There are lots of different things you can do, but the point is when you're in focused work time, unless you are using it for work, stay off it.

#11 | File Your Emails Or Delete Them After You’e Addressed Them

If you have your inbox open all the time, that is not the best relationship to have with your emails.

Address your emails only a few times a day and take action on items immediately. Block that time out throughout your day.

Turn off your email notifications, that ping constantly telling you that you've got a new email coming through.

If you don't do that, then you'll end up going off task and it will be a massive time waster because as soon as you see that notification pop up, you won’t be able to concentrate on anything else until you see what it is.

Now I realize that not every job will allow for this for even just setting certain times of the day aside to look at emails. That is definitely doable.

#12 | Keep Plants In Your Office

There has been so much research around plants and productivity.

Having plants in your workspace has been proven to make your workspace feel more calm and relaxed and anything that is going to help reduce anxiety is going to lead to better productivity.

So get a plant or five…depending on how big they are, you don't want it to be a jungle!

#13 | Use Draw Dividers

I know what one of your draws looks like in your workspace. You can't fool me. And the reason why I know this is because I have one that is exactly the same.

Drawer dividers are perfect if you have messy drawers and want to get everything in order. It means you'll be able to keep everything organized and you'll also be able to separate things by categories and everything.

Plus, it'll save you so much time when you go start looking for an item in your drawers because as soon as you open one of your drawers, you'll be able to see at a glance where everything is because of these dividers.

#14 | Make It Your Own

The most important thing to remember is that this is your workspace. It's where you work and you need to make it work for you.

It can turn into your haven, that safe space where you can go, that's just yours, your personal space. There is so much power in that, so look after it as you would yourself and even just committing to it. Just saying, I will look after my workspace. I will show the same care for my workspace that I show myself and knowing that sign that when you declutter through your desk at the end of the work day, that is when you are clocking off and you can go and enjoy the rest of your evening.

Your workspace will never work for you unless it's based on what you want it to be. Don't copy someone else's, base it on what makes you the most happy.

Have you grabbed your copy of my latest free guide, The Fab Four? This is your guide for learning the four daily non-negotiables I prioritize in order to help me create balance in my daily schedule. So This is the manual for which tasks you should be prioritizing on a daily basis and what that looks like for you. Plus there's an exercise called The To-Do List Detox which is going to give you some options for how you can add these things into your daily routine so you can have a well rounded, balanced day every day and live that boss lifestyle.

DOWNLOAD THE FAB FOUR!   from Blog https://ift.tt/2QHYHXU via IFTTT

[celenatriestowriteagain]

October plans

The new year is starting in 3 months, and I just wanna make sure I've done a reset and given myself a blank slate. This preparation is important because it gives me a (false) sense of control over my life.

1. Reduce the mess

Spring clean and sell stuff on carousell. What to clean? My make-up stash, facial/body stuff (e.g. the very big moisturizer, the empty lotions, the old conditioners, my old laptop bag), stuff on top of my desk (e.g. the bigass mirror), food stuff I won't eat. Then finally organize my Nihongo notes. What to sell? The clothes I put away, the sofa bed, books I've already read.

Back up my phone. I need to do this because it keeps bugging me and I hate it. I'm just gonna plug it into my laptop, move the stuff to my hard drive, and call it a day.

Return to inbox 0. Just 'cause.

2. Do something

Complete Inktober. Look, I already know this is gonna be hard. But by December, I'm gonna have a long-ass vacation, I hope I can make it so I deserve it. That I'm taking a break from doing real hard work.

Do TechLadies Bootcamp. This is another hard thing(TM) that I want to be able to do this year. As of now it's still uncertain, but let's hope I get in and I don't end up feeling lazy and actually perform well in it.

Probably, finish the macrame wall hanging thing. That's another something that's bugging my head.

3. Actually study Nihongo.

Finish transferring my notes.

Keep a notebook of kanjis. Memorize 2,000 kanjis by December?

Read the N5 book.

I'm not sure how much time I can dedicate to this but I hope it's more than the 4-5hrs per week that I do.

Ok those are my top 3 priorities. Obviously I have to exercise, cook my meals, finish 3 more books, watch my shows, follow tutorials on Skillshare, so I'm not sure how I'm gonna fit them all together in my free time outside work.

If I get home at around 7pm and I need to stop working on anything around 11pm so I can go to sleep at 12, I have 4 hrs of free time on weekdays.

Per week that's 20hrs of free time. 15 of that I'm already gonna dedicate to TechLadies and learning frontend dev. The other 5 I guess goes to Inktober. Others, like Nihongo and working out I will have to fit between my work.

[smol-volleyboll-baes]

hiatus is officially over

I’ve finally conquered my writer’s block and I’m rewatching Haikyuu!! all over again. I’ve also emptied the inbox, so I could start with a clean slate. 

Requests for everything are open now, please feel free to leave me something.

I’m super happy to finally be writing about Haikyuu!! again, I hope we can enjoy these boys and wait for season 4 together :3

Ps. If you could reblog this post, it’d help me out a lot, thank you!!  (´• ω •`)

~Admin Anna

[brxkcnengineer]

out of the lab ;

in the coming week leading up to new year’s, i plan on emptying out my drafts and inbox as much as i possibly can so i can start the new year off with a clean slate. some stuff will stay in the drafts, just as threads placed on the back burner for now, but if there’s something you’re waiting for me to reply to, please let me know and i will get to it!

[williamcsanchez]

An Admin’s Guide to Inbox Zero

How many emails do you have in your inbox right now? 20? 50? More than 100? If your number is anything more than zero, I have some tips for you!

For most admins, email is a major pain point. In the time it takes you to read one email, three more pop up. Add that to all your other administrative duties, and the thought of a clean inbox seems almost laughable. But these simple strategies can make inbox zero a reality!

Change Your Mindset

Think of your inbox as a processing facility rather than a warehouse. The “package” (the email, in this case) is sent to the “facility” (your inbox) to be dealt with, not stored indefinitely.

If it’s possible to act on an email immediately, do it. Do you have a calendar invite for a meeting? Click “accept” to automatically move it to your calendar. You’ll still be able to view the email in its entirety on your calendar, but it’ll no longer waste precious space in your inbox.

Did the invitation come in message format? No problem! Utilize the “move” feature to convert it to an appointment.

Tasks work the same way. Did you just get an email from your executive asking you to submit the budget report next Tuesday? Move it to a task. This gets the email out of your inbox, while attaching the message to your master to-do list.

Pro Tip: When you drag (instead of move) a task in Microsoft Outlook, the original message is copied to your task list, but not included as an attachment. If you need to follow up on a task via email, it’s better to move rather than drag.

Move Emails to a Shared Network Folder

At most companies, storage space is a precious commodity. Some cap the amount of messages you can have in your inbox; others ask you to police yourself, which can work to your own detriment when you’re facing an overflowing inbox and the frustration that comes along with it.

Instead of leaving those messages in your inbox, save space (and sanity) by moving them to a shared network folder with the rest of your project files. Outlook uses an .msg extension to convert emails to documents that you can open just like you would any other file. The information in the message is saved — and so is the email storage space!

Set the “Rules” as You Go

You likely get email each day that’s important to you, but not critical to your job — newsletters, advertising circulars, LinkedIn updates, etc. Rules allow you to automate the sorting process, regulating this type of communication to a separate folder that you specify. It’s still there when you want it, but it’s not popping up in your inbox, hogging space, and distracting you from other tasks.

Start Fresh

Knowing how to process the email as you go is all well and good, but what should you do with the messages that are already in your inbox? Just the thought of sorting through that mess can sap your energy. How will you ever get it all sorted?

The answer? Start with a clean slate!

Move all the email in your inbox to a new folder named “old inbox.” Take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief — doesn’t a clean inbox feel great? Just emptying your inbox can give you a new perspective, and help you feel more motivated to keep it empty moving forward.

Unfortunately, your work isn’t done yet. Those old emails may be out of your inbox, but you still need to deal with them.

Sort your emails by name and start deleting chunks of non-important clutter. Clearing entire blocks of email with one click can be cathartic!

Now, sort your archived messages by date. Is there anything important in there that you need to deal with immediately? Convert it to a task or a calendar appointment. Go back about a month — more if you have time, but 30 days is usually all that’s needed to weed out the crucial missives. And since you didn’t delete anything, you can refer back to the folder if need be.

Focus on the Future

Once you achieve inbox zero, you need to have a plan to keep it that way! It’s all too easy to slip back into bad habits — I know this from personal experience!

Vow to never end the day with an email in your inbox. This doesn’t mean that you’ve dealt with each and every email — for an admin, that’s a nearly impossible feat. Instead, it means that you have efficiently and effectively processed the messages and staged them in your task list for what needs to happen next.

Create good habits for the future. Unsubscribe from (or create rules for) all those newsletters, advertisements, and promotional emails. Shut off all unnecessary social media notifications. Do everything you can to avoid more junk piling up in your newly emptied inbox.

When you slip up — and you will probably slip up a time or two before your new email management strategy becomes habit — be kind to yourself. It’s just as easy to get back on track as it was to get off, and feeling defeated won’t help the situation. Instead, try to identify your triggers. What happened and why? Were you dealing with a nearly impossible workload? Were you overwhelmed with email after returning from vacation? Did your personal life interfere with your ability to keep up with your inbox?

When you identify the triggers that cause email disorganization, it’s easier for you to plan for them in the future.

Creating a successful email management system puts you in control of your inbox, rather than the other way around. It makes you more productive and effective as an admin.

Action items and calendar appointments no longer slip through the cracks. And you feel the relief every time you see your empty inbox. The habit of inbox zero may not happen overnight, but the time and discipline you put in to developing this habit is more than worth it!

How do you manage your email? Share your story with us at AdminSuccess@AllThingsAdmin.com!

Want step-by-step, guided instructions on how to implement these tips? This training on demand webinar will show you how: Maximize Your Productivity by Mastering Workflow with Microsoft Outlook.

© 2019 Julie Perrine International, LLC

Want to use this article in your newsletter, ezine or website? You can — just as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Julie Perrine, CAP-OM, is the founder and CEO of All Things Admin, providing training, mentoring and resources for administrative professionals worldwide. Julie applies her administrative expertise and passion for lifelong learning to serving as an enthusiastic mentor, speaker and author who educates admins around the world on how to be more effective every day. Learn more about Julie’s books — The Innovative Admin: Unleash the Power of Innovation in Your Administrative Career and The Organized Admin: Leverage Your Unique Organizing Style to Create Systems, Reduce Overwhelm, and Increase Productivity, and Become a Procedures Pro: The Admin’s Guide to Developing Effective Office Systems and Procedures. And request your free copy of our special report “From Reactive to Proactive: Creating Your Strategic Administrative Career Plan” at www.AllThingsAdmin.com.

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