#twin star + me in pink shirt + me in hoody = draw over photo

[honestlyhufflepuff]

Nesting and Resting

Jam Week Day 5: Home. Summary: Steven gets a little too into decorating Connie’s dorm. Word Count: 2203

Steven surveyed the dorm room, trying to figure out what it was missing. He was sitting on Connie’s loft bed, the highest vantage point of the space, trying to get a feel for the room’s flow. The first place his eyes were drawn to was the plush Papasan chair by the bay window- mostly because of who was in it. Connie lay curled up under a white faux fur throw, dust particles dancing around her in in the setting sun. The golden light illuminated the errant hairs of her thick ponytail to make a glowing crown. She looked like a small bird in a nest of wicker and cotton.

The chair took up far too much floor space in the modest room, but Steven insisted they could make it work by raising the bed to make room for her desk underneath it. He said he just wanted to be sure she felt comfortable.

Connie kicked out her legs, dangling them over the edge of the giant chair’s cushion, and looked up at Steven.

“It looks great,” she said with a tired smile, “We’ve done enough decorating for today. I don’t think it could feel any more like home.”

He sighed, tearing his gaze away from her to scan the room once more “I know, there’s just something I’m forgetting.”

She groaned and threw the blanket off her.

“I know you’re tired,” he cooed from his perch on her bed, “Take a nap. I’ll be quiet.”

“No, I’m hungry,” she popped out of the chair, “Let’s go check out the restaurants near campus! I saw a really good looking boba tea place on our way in.”

“I’m really not hungry yet, and I want to finish some stuff in here. Why don’t you grab some stuff from the kitchen, and we can go out to Boba afterwards?”

She sighed, looking like she wanted to say something about his decorating obsession, but thought better of bringing it up when she was getting hangry.

“Fine,” she said, “but we are getting boba afterwards. Promise?”

He nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand, “Promise.”

He sat still as she left, and he could hear the indistinct chatter she was having with one of her new suite mates.

The room was lush and bursting with stimuli that elicited comfort. Connie had kindly endured months of dorm inspo videos on TubeTube as Steven picked her brain for what she would like the most. A Pothos Ivy and a succulent of green pearls were cradled in macramé that hung from the ceiling by the window. The new plants looked so small and fragile in the pots at the nursery, but one kiss each from Steven sent streams of emerald growth almost down to the floor. He wished growth in humans was as easy as that.

The bay window was easily the best feature of the room and looked out on a courtyard filled with crisp fall leaves and bustling new freshman.  The sunlight filtering into the room was softened by gauzy white curtains, that faintly glowed with twinkle lights. Not many dorms were lucky to have so much natural light, but Gale was an old, uppity university with a certain standard of living expected by the students. Even with Connie’s mom being a doctor, they could not have afforded it easily had Connie not gotten a full ride scholarship. She was the Valedictorian of her high school, an ethnic minority, a classically trained violinist, and a woman going into STEM. Apparently, all those things meant she practically had colleges fighting over her, and she was a shrewd bargainer. Gale was her dream school, but she acted aloof until they offered her a single unit dorm, a bunch of sweet collegiate merch, and meal vouchers to try nearly every restaurant around campus at least twice.

No colleges were fighting over Steven. He sat on top of a blue and white striped comforter with the college’s regal crest emblazoned on it. Connie’s drawers and wardrobe were filled with blue, a way for Gale to mark her as theirs. Even Steven wore a blue hoodie from her with the school’s name stamped to his chest, but he was not theirs. He was hers. All this blue crowding him was from a new phase of her life, one that involved him being two states away.

Throughout the room, the blue warred with the pink- with remnants from the past. On top of the Gale comforter was a throw pillow made from one of Steven’s old pink t-shirts. The gold star in the middle was more faded than he remembered when contrasted next to all the vibrant, new, blue items around it, including the stuffed poodle that rested on top of it.

Steven thought a poodle was a stupid mascot, and carefully rearranged the pillows on the bed so that the star was more prominent.

He looked for other pink things in the room. Connie’s sword was mounted above her bed, ready to grab at a moment’s notice, although she would probably never need to. He ran his hand along the artfully crafted hilt, a surge of confusing nostalgia settling in his chest, and felt pained when his fingers came away with dust on them. Was it normal to miss a time of war when people were constantly trying to abduct or kill you?

A massive pink shag rug covered most of the hard wood floor. Connie loved it the moment she saw it in the store because it reminded her of Lion’s mane.

Steven climbed down the ladder at the foot of the bed and wiggled his toes in the rug’s fibers. He wandered around, brushing the tops of the items that composed Connie’s small, new home with his fingertips. There was the noisemaker he got her for when the old pipes and creaky floors in the colonial dorm building were too creepy at night. He turned it on and found the sound of the ocean, hoping that one was her favorite.

There was the bar cart in the corner stashed with tea, mugs, and snacks. There were the tiny potted succulents and air plants in corners where more energy flow was needed. There was a hanging stack of organization cubes filled with linens, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Then there was her desk, under the bed. That was the part of the room she wouldn’t let Steven touch, as she was more particular about her study area than anywhere else. The entire upper half of the wall under the bed was covered in cork board, which was scattered with pictures from their childhood pressed in by little star thumb-tacs, and interspersed by Connie’s fanart drawings, photos with her family, and with friends from school. Next to the picture board was a dry erase calendar, blank and crisp before being filled with responsibilities. By her desk there was a short bookshelf filled with all the fantasy novels she gushed over with him as a child, as well as new titles that were too technical for him to understand.

He was looking at some old, silly pictures of them when his eyes were drawn to the desk. Amongst the lamp, the laptop, and the new textbooks already tabbed and highlighted before the semester started, there was a mug of writing utensils with a familiar bracelet looped around a portion of them.

He lifted the small loop of pink plastic, held it under the lamp, and cupped it to his face, shielding out the light to try and make it glow once again. He knew the glowing properties had left it long ago, but for some reason he felt compelled to try, just as Connie had felt compelled to keep it even when its designed purpose was over with.

Steven had been doing a lot of work on himself the past few years, trying to not constantly feel aimless or abandoned, but as tears began to well up in his eyes, he couldn’t help but think he was backsliding. It was normal, his therapist had said, to feel sad about his best friend leaving for college. Was crying over an old glow bracelet normal, though? Was it one step away from spiraling out of control again like what happened back when he would glow pink at the slightest exacerbation of his insecurities?

Just the thought of going back to that stage of his life sent a jolt of anxiety through him, and he clutched the bracelet to his chest as he plopped in Connie’s desk chair with his knees pulled up under his chin.

“Steven?” Connie stood in the doorway, two bowls of steaming ramen noodles in her hands and worry on her face.

He must have been quite a sight, he thought to himself, tearing up and huddled in the corner over an old glow bracelet with calming ocean noises playing.

“Hey, Connie!” He wiped his face quickly before he looked up at her, “You didn’t have to make me anything!”

“It’s the least I could do for you making my room look like it belongs on a Mumblr aesthetic blog or whatever.”

She placed the bowls on her bar cart and trailed her hand down Steven’s arm until she was grasping the hand that held the bracelet. He was sure she’d noticed the red and the wetness in his eyes, but she didn’t mention it.

“You said you wanted to finish stuff in here. What were you working on?”

“Nothing,” he sighed, “It’s perfect. I guess I was just looking for something wrong with it so I could have something to fix. Sorry- you know that’s a thing I do.”

“I know,” she said, and booped his nose, “but at least you’re aware you were doing it. Now eat your ramen.”

Steven obediently took his bowl and slurped up the warm, wavy noodles. “You sure you can feel like this place is home?”

“You mean a place away from you?”

He nodded.

“Well, I know the twin bed is a little small, but you could always sleep in the Papasan. Just live here and we won’t tell anyone.”

“What if your dorm police find out?”

“Again, Steven, they’re called Resident Assistants. And if they come by you could just shapeshift into a cute emotional support cat or something.”

“Nope!”

“What?”

“I don’t do cat shapeshifting. No way.”

Connie laughed and slurped up another noodle so fast it splashed broth in between her eyes. It was second nature for Steven to wipe it off with his thumb without either of them missing a beat in the conversation.

“Ok, so the place is a little cramped for you to live in my dorm, but you could always live here in Blue Haven. If you wanted to.”

“What? And just leave everything back in Beach City?”

“I understand if you don’t want to, but all the coolest things you’re doing in Beach City you could also do here.”

She hid her face in her bowl and came back up with her cheeks red as she looked at him again.

Steven did have a lot going for him, even if college might not be his thing. He had a successful vlogging TubeTube channel. It was an eclectic mix of space adventures with Lars, pranks with Amethyst, original music and covers from animes, reaction videos, cooking tutorials, and music tutorials. He had no idea how he got almost 9 million subscribers, but it was enough to support himself easily without his dad’s help.

He was giving music lessons, which was a rewarding way to help people.

He even made emergency calls to the hospital when Dr. Maheswaran needed a spit healing, but they’d found out the hard way he couldn’t overdo that, and it wasn’t exactly a board-approved practice.

He couldn’t think of any reason he couldn’t do those things in the same town as Connie. Being in such a culturally vibrant college town could be good for connecting with other content creators.

“Also,” piped up Connie again, “you’re a space prince with a magic Lion who could easily warp you back for a visit once a week- or more if you got the right treats for him.”

“That’s true,” Steven said, “Lion only shows up when he wants to, though.”

“Well, I guess if you really need to you can just take your car like the rest of us lowly humans.” She winked at him.

“Heh, yeah. So, do you want me to move here?”

“I want you-” she stood up with her empty bowl and bent down to kiss his forehead, “-to do what you want to do. We’ll make it work either way. I’m sure this place will feel like home after a while, when I make some friends and get to know the campus.”

“Maybe,” he smiled at the idea, and plopped the rest of his ramen into his mouth, savoring the salty flavor.

“There’s no time to decide now about moving now,” said Connie, “because there’s something more important we have to do.”

“Hmm?”

“Boba?” She raised one eyebrow at him.

“Boba,” he agreed.

They strode out of the dorm, leaving Connie’s sword, instead ready to take on the world armed with bubble tea.

[outoftheassparlor]

Eight Black Artists Worth Following (and Supporting) On Etsy

by

Jenni Moore

• Feb 28, 2019 at 2:22 pm

Self portrait JAMILA CLARKEWelp, Black History Month is nearly over. Not only is it the shortest month of the year, but since it’s also awards show season and when the NBA All Star Game happens, it flies by extra quickly. But the fact of the matter is: We should all be honoring Black history and supporting Black people year-round. One of the easiest ways to support Black people is by patronizing Black-owned businesses. And with websites like Etsy, the internet makes it that much easier to do so. Shopping for nerdy merchandise, art prints and other items on Etsy has actually become a problem for me. Since Etsy has memorized all my billing info, I can literally find, contemplate and purchase a cool illustrated photo of the Fresh Prince in under 90 seconds. Here are some locally based Black artists you could be supporting on Etsy, as well as some other favorites from various parts of the US.

Lightplusink

Portland-based photographer Jamila Clarke is an artist I’ve just discovered recently, but I will definitely be buying from her Etsy account soon. Her conceptual photography often incorporates surreal elements, like one

stunning image

of an airplane flying out of a woman’s stormy-white afro. I could also see myself buying a highly relatable photo called

“She Wrote Nothing At All,”

which depicts a Black woman asleep on her typewriter. While there are quite a few select prints available on her Etsy page, you can see her full portfolio on

her website

.

Printsby5thSeason

Austin-based Cindy Elizabeth is a self-described Afro-futurist, Black nerd, photographer, and mixed-media artist. I initially fell in love with (and bought) a sparkling print called “I Am Made of Love,” which features a silhouette of Garnet from Steven Universe standing in the superhero pose. I couldn’t help myself from buying a 5x7 “Black Lives Matter” print that centers a Black Power and fist afro pick. In addition to prints depicting legends like Pam Grier and Whitney Houston in space, she also makes cute buttons with Black Panther characters on them, and others that feature Mr. Rogers, Selena, Colin Kaepernick, Star Trek’s Lt. Geordi La Forge, and more.

Assorted works by Alleanna Harris COURTESY ALLEANNA HARRIS

AlleannaHarrisArt

New Jersey artist Alleanna Harris has so many things I’d like to buy; it’s overwhelming, but I’ve decided I’m just gonna spread out my purchases over the next few paychecks. For my first Alleanna Harris piece, I bought a black-and-white

“Saturday Morning Illustration/Carefree Black Girl Art Print”

that will go perfectly in my bedroom since it reflects my own routine of doing my natural haircare regimen next to a sleeping pup and a snake plant. Her account also has lots of cute illustrations of characters from Living Single, Marvin Gaye, James Baldwin, and many other Black legends. She also has a food series depicting cartoon Philly cheesesteaks, pretzels, and Italian ice.

Nadira Simone COURTESY NADIRA SIMONE

GNODpop

Nadira Simone runs a pretty popular account on Etsy, and it’s no wonder: Her page is like a Black-culture art-print wonderland. She sells valentines and other greeting cards with characters and phrases from classics like Martin, Good Times, Juice, and Fresh Prince. In fact, I just purchased a li’l Fresh Prince print in green, as well as an illustrated 8x10 of that iconic bathroom karaoke scene from Living Single. With 250 illustrated items celebrating pop culture—including some coffee mugs, and even some apparel—the possibilities (for spending) are endless. You can also check out some of her stuff on

Instagram

.

KubiteesClothing

Based out of Riverside, California, Kubrat Salaam specializes in apparel, accessories and decor. Her designs tend to focus on celebrating Blackness, with items that read “melanin,” “I’m Black and I’m Proud,” and “You Poppin’ Sis.” Naturally, I am also admiring a

t-shirt featuring a drawing of Beyoncé

, from when she performed at the Grammy’s while pregnant with twins.

NkossiBoutique

Jean Pierre of Nkossi Boutique has been selling fine West African fashion, fabrics, wearable art, and décor from his location at 130 SW Harvey Milk since 2015. It’s one of the only shops in town specializing in traditional African clothing, so if you’ve got any Wakanda-themed parties coming up, N’kossi boutique is probably your best bet for finding authentic designs locally. Specializing in custom clothing and alterations, Pierre’s gorgeous collection can be made-to-order. And luckily, last year the shop made some of its product available on Etsy, where you can now shop a slew of vibrant hoodies and jackets, matching couple’s fits, coats, maxi skirts, dresses, and traditional African necklaces.

SirensSongStitchery

Clackamas-based artist Stephanie Griffin makes “modern embroidery art from a unique point of view.” Her Etsy account features nearly 100 handmade designs that incorporate words and pictures depicting themes relating to nature, travel, music lyrics, sassy words, illustrated pin-up womxn, the resistance, and positive messages for self-love. Prices for her adorable embroidered hoops range from $15 to $49.50. I’m particularly jazzed about a

“Make Your Own Path” piece

depicting a PNW mountainside, and a vibrant deep indigo number that reads

“Know Your Worth”

in hot pink.

SoapboxTheory

Portland-based designer and engineer Kayin Talton Davis creates art prints and other household items for children and adults. There are lots of cute lunchboxes depicting Black children as cowboys, ninjas, astronauts, and more. As someone who grew up receiving gifts with pictures of little white girls on them, Soapbox Theory is a breath of fresh air. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so pressured to relax my natural hair if I would have grown up seeing more self-reflective images like

“Girl in yellow with afro puffs”

on my stuff.

https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2019/02/28/26056242/eight-black-artists-worth-following-and-supporting-on-etsy