#these are in order worth (in usd):

[hellafluff]

Need a süg3r d4ddy not for like financial stability reasons but so they can buy me one of Moonlight Jewel's custom base dolls that are up for preorder rn

[gemharvest]

Rahhhh I put some more money into my ZenMarket acct to buy something I've wanted for a little while now and I think it flagged my card or something because now it's not letting me pay from it for this other thing. ???

[wdapteo]

hi everyone <3 I'm from Brazil and decided to go to Amsterdam in order to finally meet Dan and Phil in February, 2025!

Brazilian currency (Real) is worth about 5x or 6x less than euros/dollars so it will be a heavy expense. it would be nice to have some help to pay for it, so I created a ko-fi where you can pay me USD 5,00 and get a custom header in return!

💙 my ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/wdapteo 💜

if this reaches people outside of the phandom, I can make headers in any themes :)

and if you want to help even more, sign the petition to get dip and pip to tour in more continents!

thank you <3

[felassan]

"Journal #3 Dragon Age: The Veilguard is coming October 31 Pre-orders Open Now Hello everyone, We’re excited to finally share the release date for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which is officially October 31, 2024 worldwide! Please note, this is a simultaneous release; we will announce exact timing at a later date. We want to extend a huge shout out to the Dragon Age community for your patience and enthusiasm; we can't wait for you to jump into the role of Rook and embark on your journey to save Thedas. We know the wait has been long, but the wait will be worth it. In the meantime, we want to give you a hint at what's in store for you in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. You're leading a desperate fight for the future of Thedas with your companions, the stakes are higher than ever. So grab a seat and click on the thumbnail below to watch this brand new trailer (includes some small story spoilers). “As someone who’s been working on Dragon Age for over 15 years, I know just how much our community has been looking forward to this day, and I’m equally excited to share and celebrate that the game will officially launch on October 31,” said John Epler, Creative Director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. “We wanted to give you the choice to really express yourself, and do that in a world full of adventure and danger. So whether you’re a Warrior, Rogue or a Mage, we can’t wait for you to gear up, gather your party, and set out for another thrilling adventure through Thedas this Halloween.” As a character-driven RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard offers you a crafted experience woven from the threads of rich storytelling and fantasy worldbuilding the franchise is known for. In this bold, heroic adventure, you will experience expansive and dynamic stories that navigate love, loss, and complex choices that affect relationships and the fate of each member of the Veilguard. In true Dragon Age fashion, these bonds of fellowship are the foundation upon which Rook’s journey is built, and it will be up to you to determine how their personal story unfolds. Pre-Orders Now Open Fans who pre-order* the Standard Edition of Dragon Age: The Veilguard for $69.99 USD‡ on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, or $59.99 USD‡ on PC via Steam, EA App and Epic Games Store will receive cosmetic Blood Dragon Armor sets for Warrior, Mage and Rogue classes. EA Play Pro† members on the EA App will enjoy unlimited access to the EA Play Pro Edition* starting October 31st. Check out the full breakdown of the different editions we have available here: Digital Editions"

"- Standard Edition  - Dragon Age: The Veilguard - PC: $59.99‡| Console: $69.99 USD‡"

"- Deluxe Edition - Dragon Age: The Veilguard - 3 Rook armor sets (cosmetic only) - 6 Rook weapons (cosmetic only) - 7 Companion armor sets (cosmetic only) - 7 Companion weapons (cosmetic only) - PC: $79.99 USD‡ | Console: $89.99 USD‡"

"- Pre-Order Bonus* - All Pre-Orders (Standard & Deluxe) will receive: - Blood Dragon Armor Set (Warrior, Mage, Rogue - cosmetic only)"

- “Rook’s Coffer” Edition (Does NOT include Game) - Lyrium Dagger - Thedas Map with Quiver Tube - Rook’s Deck - Potion Flask - Enchanted Die - $150 USD‡"

"- Vyrantium Pack by Scanavo (Does NOT include Game) - Exclusive SteelBook® Case (No Game) - ICONART™ Metal Print and magnet wall mount - Notebook - Collector’s rigid Outerbox Check in with your local retailer to find out about the availability of this edition in your region"

"The Art of Dragon Age: The Veilguard by Dark Horse (Does NOT include Game, Deluxe Edition shown above)  - Standard Edition - 256-page art book providing a behind-the-scenes look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard - $49.99 USD‡ - Deluxe Edition - Includes extra prints - Includes exclusive slipcase - Alternate cover - $99.99 USD‡ - BioWare Gear Edition - Only available while supplies last, sold exclusively on the BioWare Gear website - Includes an exclusive print - BioWare Gear Edition alternate cover - $55.00 USD‡ What’s Coming?"

"ICYMI, we released our August Roadmap this week! Next week, we’ll have a dive into our game’s combat and more information on our PC Specs. There’s a lot more to come in September and October, too; so keep your eyes peeled on our socials.  We're beyond excited to be on this adventure with you, and we can't wait for you to get your hands on the game. Chat soon. - The Dragon Age Community Team *Conditions & restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/dragon-age/dragon-age-the-veilguard/disclaimers for details. ‡Offers may vary or change. see retailer site for details. †Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details."

[source]

[ceasarslegion]

Now that I'm on a 5 hour train ride before my airport run I can outline a few thoughts about America I've had over the last week:

-everything is so big. Like canada far beats you guys in regards to raw land mass but there's like 12 of us up there. You guys really minmaxed how much you can fit into one place. Meanwhile you leave an urban center in canada and it's just nothing for the next half hour upon which you hit a gas station warning that the next ones not gonna be for another 2 hours so fill up now

-Ive seen more Amish people in my like 4 days in upstate NY than I have in my entire life before now

-ive also seen more confederate, trump, and general American flags in the last 4 days upstate than in my entire life before now. NYC was not that bad. Are you guys okay down here

-why do you have war vets advertised on street lamps

-why do you put your flag on EVERYTHING... im pretty sure there's a part of your constitution that says you're not supposed to do that lmao??

-i bought a big gulp with my last few USD bills yesterday. It gave me a nuclear level tummy ache but the hubris of having that much pop for 2 dollars made it worth it. I get the appeal of Big Drink now

-I was asked how I want my burger cooked when I went for a good ol' american cheeseburger. You guys are just raw dogging rare ground beef here like e coli can't touch you. There was a burger that had mozzarella sticks on it on the menu. Your frankensteinian approach to food captivates me

-i hate how you have 1 dollar bills here. That's wrong to me. 5 is the proper place for bills to start. To me. But the CAD to USD exchange rate is HEAVILY weighted in your favour so it's whatever I guess. Your grocery prices make me want to scream, cry, and throw up in that order. Canada's not much better but at least the prices have the same number on them in a comparatively worthless currency

-there is something so capitalist about this country. Every second of my day I am being blasted with ads from every flat surface. At least we don't have ad screens in our taxis???

-I bought an Arizona tea flavour we don't have in canada and upon glancing at the nutrition label it had 84% of my daily sugar intake in it. If that's what your convenience store iced tea is like I think whatever sweet tea is would just kill me

-I think the guns in Walmart are perhaps contributing to the way the tankies on this webbed site think guns are cool and not dangerous at all. My god I was uneasy seeing that shit

-i got a big box of american sugar cereal that we dont have in canada and they can pry it from my cold dead hands at the airport I'm qualified to work our TSA checkpoint and I know damn well it's allowed to go in the case of personal consumption this shit fucks so goddamn hard

[majimasleftasscheek]

alright since RGG seems bent on putting merch behind things like UFO catcher shit, here's my crappy how to use a proxy guide lol

gonna be using buyee as an example but most proxies are more or less the same so it's your choice on what to use. I look at fee prices and customer service reviews to decide on my proxies. sorry if it's wordy! but I think I cover the most important bits for general use.

so on the landing page you got all the goobly gook but what you'll mainly be looking at is the stuff in the red box. all the shops are listed there - the ones I mainly use are yahoo! japan auctions and mercari. the other shops are more like regular shopping sites. pretty much all proxies use the same sites as they're just a directory for wherever you wanna shop.

auctions are self explanatory - you bid on things till the time runs out or some auctions offer an immediate buyout price.

mercari is largely a secondhand seller marketplace but you can find companies on there as well.

when I search for stuff, I prefer putting in the actual terms for better accuracy over auto translating. so here I put in ryu ga gotoku (龍が如く). on buyee, I have rgg and dead souls as saved searches so I can just click on them to easily autofill the search bar which is handy.

items will populate and you'll see prices in yen and for me, usd. these are the *listing prices, not the *final price. since I'm using a proxy, there will be additional fees per item I get. also, the currency exchange rate occasionally changes so if something goes up or down in price, that be why.

💥 pls also note prohibited items that proxies cannot ship internationally such as items with flammable fluid which can include perfumes, lighters, etc. other things like alcohol, which may be okay for like 99% of countries is not okay, for example, in the US lol unless you go thru customs paperwork n shit. *ebay is usually where you want to go for prohibited items as those sellers *will go thru the process of filing the proper forms to send such items.

💥 pls be aware of scalpers! I tend to browse multiple pages and multiple listings of the same item to see what the prices typically fall around. if it looks too cheap, be aware of an item's description. if it looks too expensive, it probably is.

let's use this bad boy as an example. the main things you wanna look at on any item is the condition and the photos to be *sure* you are happy with what you're getting. if you see the same photos across listings, be a lil wary. you can see estimated shipping times and the seller's general ratings. always read item explanations if there is one in case the seller makes any notes of defects or other things.

you can add to shopping cart to keep browsing or you can go to the order page to immediately purchase.

so proxies typically have different plans you can choose when you buy items and that adds towards the fees. these can include inspections, insurance, etc of items when they arrive at the proxy warehouse (see your proxy's FAQ for plan descriptions). it's up to you what you deem worth choosing, if at all. for most things, I just go with whatever costs me 0 lol - especially if it's a cheaper item that I really don't feel needs to be inspected or insured, like a plushie or keychain. regardless of plan, you'll have to pay some proxy service fee (here the "buyee service fee"). in the top right, you'll see the total cost of everything. once you're happy, then you pick your form of payment. I usually go with paypal.

you can go to your page and see typical stuff like orders, settings, and the like. there's often specific tabs for certain sites like auctions so you can go there for anything you purchase in that way. the cart is anything you've added but haven't bought.

the orders tab is for anything bought and you may see the status of its shipping to the proxy warehouse which I'll get to in the next bit.

package information is everything that has arrived to the warehouse so here you can see I have 12 items currently waiting to be shipped to me.

user information, pretty basic but do MAKE SURE your addresses and things are 100% correct. it would really suck nuts if you pay out the ass for international shipping and it gets sent to the wrong place.

on the orders tab, you can see the status of the item. it contains important bits like date ordered and order # (I've blotted out mine). order received is *you* paying for the order. order completed is *buyee* paying for the order. shipped means the seller has shipped to buyee's warehouse address and arrived at warehouse is self explanatory.

*sometimes, a seller may cancel an order after you've paid for it and you will be refunded. this is often due to the seller unable to actually send the item for whatever reason or they don't sell to proxies. nothing you can really do about it but I've only had it happen a couple of times in dozens of purchases.

back to the package information tab, here you can see all the packages that have arrived at the warehouse waiting for shipment. proxies will store packages for free for a certain number of days - buyee being 30 while I've seen other go to 45 days, etc. after that time is up, you will be charged for storage per day so be aware of that!

here you can consolidate packages which means putting everything into one shipment instead of going individually. you can see estimated costs of shipping per item which, if you did each item individually, that would be mad expensive. when you consolidate, things can still be pretty pricey but imo better to pay idk 150 bucks in shipping for 10 items instead of 300 bucks for all 10 individually.

💥 shipping is calculated by weight so be aware of that when you buy items - however baseline costs will be the same for lighter items regardless of how much they weigh. baseline costs for me is around 15-30 bucks regardless of what I get. for example, I have a teeny tiny keychain in storage and several figures. the shipping for that keychain is the same cost as the figures so it's only sensible to lump them into one package cuz I ain't paying out the ass to ship 1 keychain lol.

you are free to consolidate what you want and how. if you wanna consolidate some packages to ship now and you wanna do others later, you are free to. just keep in mind your budget and storage time!

proxies also offer services to protectively wrap your packages. if you're concerned about damage, then choose that option when you consolidate. I don't often do it unless what I'm buying can break otherwise all my packages have arrived relatively unharmed.

💥 proxies will consolidate things AS IS so if you have a buncha figures that don't have their boxes, the proxy will put them in a shipping box just as they are, however they received them from the seller. so if the seller only bubble wrapped the figure, it will be sent to you just like that, no additional protection unless you pay for that option.

*consolidation can take some days and you'll be informed when items are ready to ship. at that point, you pay the shipping and that's it! you can choose what type of shipping you wanna go with (such as DHL, EMS, sea mail (if it's available), etc at differing prices and arrival times. pick what's best for you. *note, sea mail is often the cheapest but the slowest (like several months arrival time) and not available to every country (plus you'd want protective packaging for this just in case cuz boat rides be bumpy)

here are some examples of shipping costs for a single one of my items. some of these options will disappear when I consolidate cuz shipping a lil figure is very different from shipping a larger box full of multiple things.

💥 be sure to read EVERYTHING and make sure you know what options you're choosing to make sure it fits your budget and expectations of arrival time.

one more thing proxies can do is order from a number of sites that aren't on the main page. for buyee, you want to go to the other sites information tab and then click "purchase request for other sites."

here you can input the information of whatever site you want to see if the proxy can purchase it for you. this is how I buy things on ebten like the jpn only preorders. if the proxy cannot buy the requested item, they'll let you know.

if they can go thru with the order, they will confirm your payment and it goes thru the same process as any other order.

[laurenwalshart]

It’s happening!!

Pre-Sample Pre-orders for Hoodies and Zip Ups are going LIVE this FRIDAY at NOON EST!! Set alarms and note your Calendars!!

I’m proud to announce that these hoodies will all be made local to me in my home city of Philadelphia, PA!! Plus all of the details on the chest, back, arms, and hood will be sublimation as well so the details will be durable and long lasting.

What is sublimation?

Sublimation is a heat based dying process that embeds the ink into the fabric fibers, making it permanent. This ensures that the design lasts a lifetime with out any cracking or peeling.

This process is more expensive but I think the durability and quality is worth it. I really want these hoodies to last y’all years and not be some fast fashion print on demand. I can’t imagine something worse than woubble’s face peeling off. 👎🏻

====

Pricing:

If you order at this stage all of the hoodies are 10% off!!

XS-2XL full price will be $95 usd, but for the Pre-Order they will be $85

3XL-5XL full price will be $100 usd, but for the Pre-Order they will be $90

Turnaround Time:

I expect all orders should be shipped 6-10 weeks after preorders close on September 27th (hopefully sooner!) There may also be some other drops coming after preorders close that you can add on to your orders so stay tuned!

[dunmeshistash]

HeyHey! I'm 80% sure this info hasn't been shared with you yet, but if it's already on the blog then oops. I scrolled pretty far down and didn't see it!

Anyway! We have official prices and store info for the box set now.

All of the prices I'm about to share will be in USD, sorry. I'd convert it if I had more time to.

YenPress List Price: $225

Pre-Order Available with:

- Amazon - $225 [might get 10% off with Prime]

- Barnes and Noble - $225 [premium members get 10% off]

- Books a Million - $225 [at the time of posting, it says it's 15% off to pre-order]

- Indigo - $310? But free shipping.

- CrunchyRoll - $179.99 [that's without an account; free shipping and Mega Fans get 10% off and Ultimate Fans get 15% off added]

Release Date: 12/10/24 [dec. 10th 2024]

Seems like CR has the best price from what I've found. They've recently opened an online store in the UK too; heard it's pricey though.

I've gotta go! TTYL!

Hey thank you for the links!! I hadn't seen the info yet!

Edit: Real is worth basically nothing so those are pretty expensive LOL $225 is R$1.272,94

[oliversaurus-ink]

Hello dragon fam!

For awhile I’ve wanted to dip my toes into making fanmerch, and have decided to make some acrylic charms of our favourite little redhead and trouble-making fang-free dragon! Before having these manufactured however, I would like to have a rough idea of how many I should order. The charms will be acrylic, 2.5” tall, and attached to a green u-shaped clasp as depicted in the illustration above.

To gauge how many I should order from the manufacturer, please leave a comment expressing your interest, and let me know how much you’d be willing to pay in the poll below

Once I have these made they will be available from my Etsy (which is still under construction)

Be sure to follow my blog for more updates on production!

[dontbesoweirdkira]

Where to buy lingerie?🥀 Girlhood Tips #1 🥀

Whatever happened to wearing beautiful undergarments while prancing around our rooms? One of the staples of being youthful is now seemingly dead and gone. I love to whine down in my fabulous undies and sway to my favorite songs.

Hopefully we can bring this tradition back! To help kick start this, I’ve compiled a list of size inclusive lingerie brands from cheapest to more pricier items.

(If you guys want more options or help please let me know! I'm a chronic online shopper😭)

$

(1-20 USD per set/item)

AliExpress

Ali express stores is the absolute cheapest option for both price and size…yall already know it's fast fashion most times but some reputable brands from them are (IEUHIA, Wriufred, ChenFa Store, and Aiangelaquin official store)

Not much to elaborate here but they usually have a XXS-XXL

Cannot link the stores but just search up by the shop name.

FreetheFrillies

Handmade undergarments shop based out of the United Kingdom, features both religious and Victorian imagery on their clothing.

Sustainably at a reasonable price is one of their main concerns and they take pride in hand sewing each and every one of their items before they are shipped to you!

Material includes cotton, satin and elastics.

Sizes ranges from UK8/10 to UK16/18

ShopCryBunni

Small indie early brand ran by a student in Salt Lake, Utah! Very simple designs usually solid color or floral garments with a small bow or a flower on top. Very affordable.

Shipping is quick and punctual usually taking 2-3 days on average inside of the US. Internal customers can take up to 2-3weeks.

Sizes range from xxs-L US standard and does not make custom sizing outside of that at the moment.

$$

(30-70 USD per set/item)

AKAMYDINH

Small fashion label based in Saigon, Vietnam. They repurpose factory scraps and excess to make their brand as sustainable and ethical as possible! Their lingerie is simple solid colored bikini style sets with a frill finish. Occasionally with a cherry, bow, or floral embellishment.

XXS-XXL is the sizes offered with a additional custom sizing upon request!

70% of their items are made to order while the other 30% is made by fairly paid seamstresses.

Quick and helpful customer service with an outstanding 4.8 stars. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for simple yet ethical clothing.

Besos Biquinis

Famous tik tok brand that is known for their super cute vintage day of the week panties packs!

Their other items are more expensive like the 100+ range but most of their undies are $40-70 USD

Sizining is XS to XL usually. However, only going up to L in bottoms. Biggest cup size is C-DD cup without band specifics.

Unsure about custom sizing but I’d assume not? It’s always worth it to email! :)

Cute packaging and great customers service from what I’ve hear they also send out PRs soooo….if you have a big following definitely worth checking them out

ShesArMermaidCat

An absolute classic in the coquette community! She makes Dolores haze inspired garments with bloomers and cupcake style tops. The sets are usually solid colored or gingham! Perfect for the more modest Americana girlies.

She’s a gem and has amazing communication. You can also request a custom piece or size.

Each and every set is made to order and is handmade right out of California. 10/10 definitely recommend this shop for every Lolita!

FeelingVaugeVintage

Exotic dancer style lingerie brand. This is for the girls who are secy workers or love that style of lingerie. Much more form fitting, skimpy and trashy which I love and I know there's girls who love it too!

Handmade brand based off of esty who is always running sales. Currently offer 20% off when you buy two and 30% off when you buy three! Great deal an already cheap brand.

Sizing is a standard S-L but with any handmade brand just message the seller and ask if they can make a custom size just for you ;) they are a very sweet and punctual seller and they have well over 16,000 sales and a 4.8 star! Definitely recommend!

PurrfectPineapples

Cruelty free lingerie brand based out of Chicago, Illinois. The underwear is all pinup, vintage rockefeller style. Using vintage prints and designs. The embellishments are simple and usually lace or bows. Most sets include bra, panties, and a garter belt for about 60ish USD which is amazing tbh!

This brand is handmade to order and does take custom orders/sizing. The wait time is anywhere from 2 weeks to a month at most for an order.

Great customer services and many ways to pay including klarna payment plans.

(80-100+ per set/item)

$$$

Malicious designs

Handmade sustainable brand that sells tons of babydoll and lolita style clothes. This business is ran by Sheana Hinesley and is a fairly popular place to shop both on Depop and Etsy! They use standard sizing US S - L and is open to doing custom sizing

I do own an outfit for them and well made and I do think it’s worth the price! Fair warning is that shipping takes. 3 months to a year….. And at times their communication is less than the standard.

Would mainly suggest either buying second hand or through their Etsy for the best experience possible!

International shipping plus esty allows payment plans soooooo

Buttress and snatch.

A handmade and sustainable brand that sells 60's american style lingerie with beautiful craftsmanship. Most of their items have bows, rose, or lace embellishments which are a must for any lolita! They are based in the UK with international shipping. The cup sizes goes all away up to a. 36E/40DD and the bottoms up to a size UK18!

For the more adultish sexy girls they do have see through and fully lace garments. For the girls love the environment they have a line of items that are all made out of 100% recycled cotton shirts! How cool.

The brand also has great customer services and can do custom sizing if needed. If you’re ever worried about size conversion please shoot them an email.

They also have a one cup bra for support for anyone that needs that which I think is absolutely amazing. Definitely worth a look.

Love for lemons 🍋

Extremely well known sister brand of Victoria’s Secret that has absolute gorgeous pieces. Their pieces are packed with laces, frills, and florals! Perfect for a more mature, classy coquette.

Unfortunately not as size or comfort inclusive as our last pick but they do have sizes ranging from. XXS-2X and the cups can go up to a big as 38DDD but unfortunately that’s usually for select items such as teddies :/

One the bright side items such as garters, shoes, skirts, and swimwear is available compared to other brands. International shipping is available as well as sales and discounts. P.s. there’s a sale going on for $30 USD on select items.

Good customer services with no custom sizing however you should always mail before buying if unsure! I’d still pick lemons over Victoria’s any day! Tea.

[thatskynews]

Sky Patched Calendar Ver. 0.24.0: A Guide for Sky Events

Based on Patch Notes Ver. 0.24.0

- Season of the Nine-Colored Deer

- Days of Fortune

- Days of Love

Season of the Nine-Colored Deer 🦌: January 15th - March 31st

IAPs:

Seasonal Pass: 9.99 USD / 3 Pass Bundle: 19.99 USD

Gift of the Nine-Colored Deer (Horns and Mask): 14.99 USD

Radiance of the Nine-Colored Deer (Cape): 19.99 USD

IGCs:

Deer Mask: 120 Candles (Only available during the season)

Flower Accessory: 50 Candles (Permanent)

Days of Fortune 🎆: January 29th - February 11th (14 days/2 weeks)

New IGCs:

Fortune Dragon Mask: 14 Tickets

Fortune Drum: 34 Tickets

(In order to get both items, with 5 tickets is available to earn each day, you need 10 days worth of event tickets)

Fortune Gift Envelope (available with friends with unlocked piggyback interaction): 14 candles = 5 hearts

New IAPs:

Fortune Bangles Earrings: 1.99 USD'

Fortune Dragon Vestment Outfit: 9.99 USD

Fortune Dragon Stole Cape: 14.99 USD

Old IGCs:

Fortune Bull Mask: 56 Candles

Tiger Mask: 58 Candles

Rabbit Mask: 62 Candles

Lion Headdress: 66 Candles

Old IAPs:

Fortune Orange: 0.99 USD

Fortune Fish Accessory: 1.99 USD

Muralist's Smock: 9.99 USD

Fortune Umbrella: 14.99 USD

Fortune Fish Pack (Cape + Hat): 19.99 USD

Fortune Pack (Cape + Hairstyle + Mask): 24.99 USD

Days of Love ❤️: February 12 - February 25 (14 Days/2 weeks)

Double Hearts Days: During this event, heart gifts and partial heart gits sent during Days of Love will be doubled.

New IGCs:

Music Sheet: 7 tickets

Heart Plushie: 14 tickets

Heart Beret: 27 tickets

(In order to get all items, with 5 tickets is available to earn each day, you need 10 days worth of event tickets)

New IGCs:

Meteor Mantle (Cape): 17.99 USD

Old IGCs:

Archway: 100 Candles

Flower Crown: 15 Hearts

Love Mask: 15 Hearts

Old IAPs:

Cravat: 4.99 USD

Scepter: 14.99 USD

Gondola Pack (+35 Seasonal Candles): 19.99 USD

Seesaw Pack (+35 Seasonal Candles): 19.99 USD

Swing Pack (+35 Seasonal Candles): 19.99 USD

[kurofai-olympics]

KuroFai Olympics 2023 - Fate Vs Choice Fic Book and Art Zine are now available

The Fic Book and Art Zine for the KuroFai Olympics 2023 - Fate Vs Choice are now available for purchase!

Art 2023

Choice

Fate

Free PDF

These are being sold via Blurb as they are international and have decent print qualities. I am making no money off these and the total price is for the cost of production.

Blurb often has discount codes (though most are only for photo books). At the moment they have Save 20% on all books* thru April 5, 2024. CODE: APRIL20

The art book is a different paper quality then the fic books and unfortunately this means Blurb will not let you combine them in one order with the fic books.

For some reason the AUD price is cheaper than the USD price after conversion so it is worth double checking the various currencies to ensure you are paying the cheapest price.

To compensate our lovely cover artist Nadirising I have purchased them a complete set. If you would like to donate to help cover this cost or just to tip for the work of putting these together I do have a Kofi

The 2022 books are still a work in progress but should be available by June 2024.

[devsgames]

Pricing Your Game For Sales

Pricing Centauri Dark today, and one of the best pieces of wisdom I come back to when pricing a game for Steam is "Price your game so that it sells at a price you're happy with when it's on sale". The mantra I repeat in my head is just "Price for Sales".

I know when deciding a price on my game, my gut instinct is that if I make it cheaper, more people will buy it, and more people buying it is good. While that's technically true it's also worth keeping in mind that most Steam users tend to buy when games are on discount, and very infrequently do they buy fully priced games. It's sad but it's also the truth - I do it too!

This means means most of your income as a dev is going to be coming from your game when it's not selling for 100% of your price, and more likely going to be selling for ~50-90% of the price, depending how often and how steep you price your sales at. This is also bad when you remember Steam takes 30% off the top, and video games being an art form already suffer from a massive "race to the bottom" in terms of pricing in the first place.

It's also generally way more difficult to have users view a price increase as charitably as they would a price decrease, so starting high and then going low is much better practice than underpricing yourself and then trying to adjust later.

All this typically culminates in my games being roughly ~10-30% higher in price than I think they should be in order to counteract the loss from Steam's overhead and sale discounts.

In my experience Pricing For Sale is totally worth it!

Bombing!! 2: A Graffiti Paradise has only sold ~300 units at ~$20 USD, but has made almost as much as Bombing!!: A Graffiti Sandbox which has sold ~2000 copeis at ~$2-5 USD, largely because the latter sold at 1/4th the price and was so frequently on sale that it hardly made any profit at all. Bombing!! 2 I aimed to price for sale and while it isn't selling as much in volume, there's far less being cut off the top which makes it more balanced on the whole.

Anyway, you really want to consider sales on Steam because for better and for worse it's a huge part of Steam's consumer culture. Ignore that nasty voice inside your head telling you your art isn't worth the price of a single meal.

Price for Sales!

[sreegs]

Knives!

if you're new to cooking you may be confused or even intimidated by cooking knives. the truth is, you don't need many. In fact, most people only really need two.

first, i wanna address a common concern with newbies (or some seasoned home chefs):

"Big knives feel dangerous"

they might look dangerous, and you should study up on proper knife safety in order to use them, but the thing is: when cutting on a cutting board, you need to use a knife larger than the object you're cutting. Two reasons

The knife has to be able to make a complete cut across the thing, so it needs to be larger

Larger knives are more stable than smaller knives

When your knife is smaller than the thing you're cutting, it requires more force to do its job. Applying more force while cutting increases the risk of your knife slipping while cutting, which causes it to go somewhere unexpected. That could be somewhere like your other hand.

Big knife = less force = more control.

back to the original topic:

What knives do I need?

Like I said, you only really need two. You may need more if and only if you do specific things more frequently than most other people. For example, there are these long thin knives called carving knives that are used for cutting very big pieces of meat into small pieces. If you buy large pieces of meat in bulk and cut them up yourself, then you'd want a carving knife to make that job easier. If you don't do that, then you don't need one.

First i'm going to go over the two most-used knives. Then I'm going to talk about cost and what to look for.

Chef's knife

A chef's knife is a large, heavy knife that has a curved blade of around 8 inches in length. the shape of this knife makes it a generalist, and can do all kinds of things from slicing to chopping to scoring and even paring, in a pinch.

If you cook, you will use your chef's knife in pretty much everything you make. No exaggeration. If the recipe requires you to cut a thing into smaller pieces, you'll use it.

Paring knife

A paring knife is suited to paring and peeling. Its blade is around 3 inches in length. You use this for small, hand-held jobs off the cutting board. Like this:

Paring is a different motion than what you use on a cutting board, where the knife stays in one place and the food moves into it. It's certainly a less frequent action than what you do with a chef's knife, but since you can also use a paring knife on the cutting board for really fine cutting of small things, it's worth having around.

So, that's it. I've been cooking for 20+ years and those are the two knives I use for easily 90+% of my cooking. I have a few special knives I rarely reach for but still use, but those two are my workhorses.

What kind of knives should I buy?

When buying knives you run into the common conundrum of capitalism: you can buy ten cheap knives over ten years that break or dull without being able to sharpen, or one expensive knife that will last ten years or more.

You should buy whatever you're comfortable with spending, as in the long run it's cheaper to cook for yourself than to buy prepared food. However, I would recommend spending more on knives since they're so important and frequently used.

Brand new: A good chef's knife will be in the $100-200 USD range. A good paring knife will be about $50 USD.

However, you can always look for these at thrift stores, garage sales, hand me-downs, and dont forget about sales and factory discounts.

A good knife will be forged, not stamped, and made of stainless steel. Not ceramic. Forged means the knife was created by pounding a piece of steel into a knife shape. Stamped means they had a big sheet of already flattened steel and they cut a knife shape out of it. Forged tends to be higher quality and more solid construction. Stamped is fast and cheap.

The measurement of grade of stainless steel is so fucking complicated I don't want to get into it in this post. But what you should avoid is knives that tout how long they stay sharp. That's a bad sign. Hard steel stays sharper longer, but takes way more effort to sharpen once it needs it. To the point where it's relatively impossible to re-sharpen at home in some cases. Soft steel dulls faster, but is very easy to maintain. Read reviews and keep an eye out for people mentioning the ease of sharpening.

If you're going to sharpen at home, it doesn't take much time, sharpening blocks are cheap, and you only do it about once every 1-3 months depending on how frequently you use your knives. I suggest using the sharpening stone method. If you don't want to sharpen at home, you can bring your knives to a sharpening service, which some kitchen supply stores will have. You're gonna have to research where it can be done for your area.

I know sharpening and knife safety are big topics, which is why I linked those videos above. You need visuals for that. It takes time to hone (ha) these skills so start slow when you're new. Feel free to shoot me an ask about kitchen knives if you have any questions!

[secret-sturniolo]

SPACE CAMP REVIEW!!

(honest, in-depth)

Shipping took about a week and a half but it arrived in perfect condition and undamaged

-packaging is super cute! not super complicated/over the top, but also not overly simple. my order came with a valentines day postcard and a silver "space camp" logo sticker.

-right off the bat, i can tell these are definitely bigger than any other lip balm i have ever used. they also have a higher quality feel to them.

-i think the "pocket safe" turn wheel is super unique, not something i've ever heard of before! it definitely does help protect the lip balm from damage when not in use.

-the jumbo size tubes allow for more surface area coverage when applying to the lips, making application quicker and easier

-all lip balms apply super smoothly, and feel soft and moisturizing on the lips. there is no "waxy" feeling left behind on the lips as with other brands.

Wild Cherry

-smells exactly like a cherry lollipop i would have eaten when i was younger. its not sickly sweet or overpowering, but you can definitely tell what it is.

-the cherry taste is very mild. i can almost taste the beeswax/sunflower oil a bit more than the cherry, but by no means is the taste bad!

-other cherry flavored lip balms (chapstick, burts bees) tend to make me feel a little nauseous for some reason? but this flavoring did not give me that effect.

-overall really good, but i would've liked to be able to taste a little more of the cherry flavoring!

Frosted Mint

-smells exactly like mint ice cream, just as advertised. im not always a big mint person, especially if it is a stronger scent. this scent, however, is just enough without becoming overwhelming.

-the taste is also exactly like what mint ice cream tastes like. i really enjoyed this flavor, its not one that i see super often as a lip balm flavor so it was very interesting to try!

-it leaves a slight cooling feeling as well as a mild tingle on the lips, which is not my favorite. its nothing like if you were to use a lip plumping gloss or anything like that, but i know a lot of people could dislike this, especially if you tend to be sensitive to certain sensations.

-i think this is a really great flavor! i was happy to discover that it does really taste and smell exactly as it was promoted. once again, i would not recommend this flavor if you are sensitive to cool or tingly feelings on your lips.

Juicy Watermelon

-i am not exaggerating when i say that this smells HEAVENLY. i had a feeling going into this that it was going to be my favorite flavor, and it did not disappoint. if i could hold it under my nose and smell it all day, i would. its the perfect amount of sweetness, almost like candy. i wish i had better words to describe it, i feel like my explanation wouldn't give it justice.

-if you can imagine biting into the most perfect, red, juicy, sweet slice of watermelon, that's how this flavor tastes. i have tried other watermelon flavored lip balms in the past, and this one is by far my favorite.

-i honestly have no complaints about this flavor. literal perfection

Do I recommend?

currently, they are only available to purchase all three as the Launch Pack, set at $36 + shipping (USD). my shipping was only $6, which is significantly lower than some of the other shipping costs i have seen. so in total, i paid $42 for the three lip balms (about $12 per tube).

taking into account that they are USDA organic and significantly larger than most retail lip balms, i do still feel like the price is a little steep. if there was an option to purchase individually, i feel like this would help that issue. to be fair, Nick did say this option will be available in the future.

if you are willing to pay for it, i would say its worth it. the quality of the lip balms definitely reflects the price, so its not like you are paying for low quality product. however, if you are somebody who does not want to pay at least $36, or if you already know you wouldn't enjoy one or more of the flavors, you are better off passing on this, or waiting for a future launch with different flavors and the ability to purchase individually.

i am personally very happy with my purchase, and i don't regret it at all. there are obviously things that can be improved on, but you have to take into account that this is a new brand that is still working out the kinks.

im super proud of Nick, and im excited to see what the future holds for Space Camp Wellness!

[woolblossom]

It’s sprouts canonical birthday!! to celebrate from NOW until tomorrow afternoon (4/19 at 12:00PM EST:

✨ 12% off any orders

✨the free shipping threshold has been lowered to 10$ US / 30$ Canada + Mexico / 45$ Everywhere else (all USD) - be sure that option is actually selected at check out though!

(This is also partially a test run to see if eating the shipping cost with these thresholds is worth it for me to implement full time! It may not work out, but I know things are so expensive right now that I want to be as affordable for you guys as a can be 💕)