#venice in 2 days

[poirott]

Detective vs. psychic medium

A HAUNTING IN VENICE (2023), dir. Kenneth Branagh

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

i spent all morning looking for the cheapest ways to get to venice next monday and i feel like i've cracked the code or something i think i got it

[omg-ame-chan]

i'm convinced the entirety of venice in italy is some messed up social experiment made by satan himself to test how far humans will go to achieve the perfect vacation

[cressida-jayoungr]

Coeli's Picks: Pink, part 1

There was a particular wealth of fantastic pink dresses for March. I feel like I could easily do another month of pink! Here are some of the costumes suggested by @coeli1000 that I didn't manage to get to.'

(Multiple movies listed left to right.)

One Dress a Day Challenge

March: Pink Redux

White Christmas (1954) / Vera-Ellen as Judy Haynes

The Princess Bride (1987) / Robin Wright as Buttercup

The Princess and the Pirate (1944) / Virginia Mayo as Princess Margaret

Death in Venice (1971)/ Silvana Mangano as Tadzio's Mother

My Fair Lady (1964)/ Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle

A League of Their Own (1992) / Geena Davis as Dottie Hinson

Elite (s4e2 "5 segundos") / Carla Diaz as Ari Blanco Commerford

"I've never heard of this Spanish Netflix series, but when I stumbled across this feather (!!) dress I had to share!"

According to ShopYourTV, the dress is by Mihano Momosa.

Legally Blonde (2001) / Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods

I did feature a dress from this movie, but since pink is the main character's signature color, there were lots of options! Here are some of the others I could have used.

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003) / Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods

Dynasty (s3e20, "Pretty in Pink") / Maddison Brown as Kirby Anders

Killing Eve (s1e2) / Jodie Comer as Villanelle

[intertexts-moving]

hiiii !

[reploidbuddy]

Having issues with the one-shot so I’ll just be gradually posting Silver’s family because I’m too far into drawing them to not color and post.

So this is Venice the elder brother, he’s a bit more than a year older than Silver. He tends to be a bit more of a grump, which makes their little sister Gold love to mess around with him using her telepathy.

He’s a hedgehog, but some mink traits (he gets them from his grandpa) sneaked into him like a longer tail, softer quills, and bushier chest fur. It makes a lot of people mistake him for a mink and it annoys him to no end.

His psychokinesis powers are some kind of temporary object creation. Whatever he needs gets formed in red (like Silver’s powers are cyan) and stays for various amounts of times depending on how much he focused on solidly forming it. It can go from precise, borderline heavy, and lasting a few minutes to a blurry-around-the-edges second-long spur.

He’s also a bit of a history nerd and has history books hidden in a few secret compartments in his and Silver’s room. They go from easy to find for the more recent and can-be-doubted books (due to the slipping-into-dystopia setting these characters are in) to "I've been looking for his hiding place for five years and never found it" for the extremely old books that he’s certain are more accurate since some date from before the slip even started. His grandpa gave those to him, some even belonged to his great-grandmother! No one can touch those but him. He steals the recent history books from school (they’re not supposed to get them out of the class let alone the school) more out of curiosity of comparison (what was changed, what remains the same to the old books etc). That and spite.

His grandpa is extra proud of the spite part.

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

Fall Into Love 2023 Line Up

Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance

Fourth Down and Love

Notes of Autumn

Retreat to You

3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost

A Very Venice Romance

Field Day

[faaun]

you're dating coffee girl? im so invested

not coffee girl !! coffee girl is rly cool and we met up hung out etc and it was great !! she cut her hair short and wears long coats and is so much more free+happy now than she was before. she used to have a timetable of her life to the minute for the next 10 yrs and now she's spontaneous and happy and she told me about n+7 poetry and we ended up sitting next to each other in the dark for looking at generative art in this beautiful exhibition...anyway yh ! she's a cool human :) but we're not dating

but !! this is a different person (tagged as [chroma blue]). look @ tags for context.

[1800duckhotline]

Salice birds are actually government robots made to watch your every movement Feltracco (this is a joke im pretty sure thats not it (also this is me putting you on the spot to talk about her tell me NAUWR))

TO BE HONEST even if as of age 34 she wouldnt say that you can bet that her father aged nearky 70 would and she would probably end up the same way as an old lady.

its just funny to me i guess because salice is so Rational and logical (she studied law so go figure) yet at the same time shes so repsectfully scared of birds/spirits/superstition and she especially doesnt like seagulls because of sea legends and superstitions (as her dad was a fisherman) yet in my universe the creatures that keep the world in check and keep the supernatural/inhuman natures that can harm the general populace in check are ... 3m tall corvid biped bird people that will literally store your soul in a jar if you do a little too many missteps . and they DO follow her around in necrologio bc of how much she fucked up in there

which, also funny bc a friend made me notice that i coincidentally called the teenage zombie lad she has to take care of (plot reasons) during the story, Jay. Lol

[animusrox]

TOP 10

Past Lives

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Poor Things

Oppenheimer

Barbie

BlackBerry

The Holdovers

The Iron Claw

Killers of the Flower Moon

MY LETTERBOXD Grade A 11.    The Killer 12.    Beau Is Afraid 13.    Dream Scenario 14.    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 15.    Godzilla Minus One 16.    American Fiction 17.    They Cloned Tyrone 18.     Evil Dead Rise 19.    Eileen 20.    The Artifice Girl 21.   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 22.    Talk to Me 23.    Reality 24.    Leave the World Behind 25.    A Thousand and One 26.    Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 27.    Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. 28.    Theater Camp 29.   Carmen 30.    Merry Little Batman 31.    Priscilla 32.    Society of the Snow 33.    Infinity Pool 34.    Enys Men 35.    Sanctuary 36.    Rye Lane 37.    Skinamarink 38.    Monster 39.    Anatomy of a Fall 40.    Landscape with Invisible Hand 41.    Reptile 42.    Sisu 43.    Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game 44.    No One Will Save You 45.    Tetris 46.    May December 47.    The Zone of Interest 48.    V/H/S/85 49.    Dumb Money 50.    El Conde 51.    Arnold 52.    Maestro 53.    Napoleon 54.    20 Days in Mariupol 55.    Influencer 56.    The Creator 57.    Origin 58.    Thanksgiving 59.    Next Goal Wins 60.    The Boy and the Heron 61.    Bottoms 62.    Wonka

[Press Keep Reading For The Full Graded List]

Grade B

63.   God Is a Bullet 64.    No Hard Feelings 65.    Joy Ride 66.    Fair Play 67.     Cocaine Bear 68.    NYAD 69.    Asteroid City 70.    Nowhere 71.    The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster 72.    Divinity 73.    The Equalizer 3 74.    The Last Voyage of the Demeter 75.    Venus 76.    Butcher’s Crossing 77.    Somewhere in Queens 78.    The Persian Version 79.    Boston Strangler 80.    Polite Society 81.    Miguel Wants to Fight 82.    The Color Purple 83.    The Royal Hotel 84.    Saw X 85.    All of Us Strangers 86.    Fallen Leaves 87.    Ferrari 88.    Elemental 89.    Peter Pan & Wendy 90.    Renfield 91.    Cat Person 92.    Scream VI 93.    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 94.    BS High 95.    Blue Beetle 96.    Huesera: The Bone Woman 97.    When Evil Lurks 98.    Dark Harvest 99.    A Good Person 100.    Final Cut 101.    Knock at the Cabin 102.    Quiz Lady 103.    Leo 104.    Air 105.    The Super Mario Bros. Movie 106.    Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham 107.    John Wick: Chapter 4 108.    Beaten to Death 109.    The Wrath of Becky 110.    Passages 111.    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 112.    Gran Turismo 113.    65 114.    Sick 115.    Sister Death 116.    The Blackening 117.    Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain 118.    Flamin’ Hot 119.    Nimona 120.    Cobweb 121.    Totally Killer 122.    What’s Love Got to Do with It? 123.     Sharper 124.    Unseen 125.    Dunki 126.    Bird Box Barcelona 127.    The Marvels 128.    Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Grade C

129.   Wildflower 130.    Freelance 131.    M3GAN 132.    Strays 133.    Sympathy for the Devil 134.    Creed III 135.    Chevalier 136.    The Marsh King’s Daughter 137.    A Haunting in Venice 138.    The Little Mermaid 139.    Silent Night 140.    Master Gardener 141.    The Flash 142.    Fast X 143.    The Pope’s Exorcist 144.    Saltburn 145.    Kandahar 146.    Stand 147.    Plane 148.   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 149.    Fingernails 150.    Quicksand 151.    Fool’s Paradise 152.    Migration 153.    Rustin 154.    The Covenant 155.    Good Burger 2 156.    The Pod Generation 157.    Alice, Darling 158.    Insidious: The Red Door 159.    Missing 160.    Shotgun Wedding 161.    You Hurt My Feelings 162.    The Boogeyman 163.    Showing Up 164.    Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 165.    Champions 166.    Consecration 167.    The Nun II 168.    Biosphere 169.    House Party 170.    The Exorcist: Believer 171.    Big George Foreman 172.    Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 173.    Children of the Corn 174.    The Beanie Bubble 175.    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Grade F

176.    Anyone But You 177.    Marlowe 178.    Paint 179.    Extraction 2 180.    It Lives Inside 181.    Deliver Us 182.    Trolls Band Together 183.    Finestkind 184.    Corner Office 185.    Wish 186.    Prisoner’s Daughter 187.    Pain Hustlers 188.    Foe 189.    The Mother 190.    Old Dads 191.    Ghosted 192.    Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken 193.    Haunted Mansion 194.    Mafia Mamma 195.    Five Nights at Freddy’s 196.    The Machine 197.    Justice League: Warworld 198.    We Have a Ghost 199.    What Comes Around 200.    Legion of Super-Heroes 201.    The Boys in the Boat 202.    Attachment 203.    Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre 204.    About My Father 205.    You People 206.    Meg 2: The Trench 207.    Pathaan 208.    Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire 209.    Assassin 210.    Dalíland 211.    Vacation Friends 2

Bottom 10

212.    Sound of Freedom 213.    Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 214.    When You Finish Saving The World 215.    Heart of Stone 216.    Family Switch 217.    Expend4bles 218.    Sweetwater 219.    Hypnotic 220.    80 for Brady 221.    Spinning Gold

[httpsdrewstarkey]

Missing You || Drew Starkey

authors note: leaving my gorgeous gorgeous girls some smut before i’m off to work. i didn’t want to end it so abruptly but i have to get ready, so im promising a part 2 when i get home 🥰 not proofread but will fix later. also i have no idea what to name this story, im rushing 😅

warnings: smut, hair pulling

The warmth of the bathwater and the soft bubbles cradled Y/N as she leaned back against Drew, her body instinctively molding to fit the curve of his chest. The flickering candlelight bathed the room in a golden glow, casting a soft shadow on the walls. It was a perfect kind of stillness, the kind that made the world outside feel miles away.

“How was Venice?” Y/N asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her fingers traced along Drew’s forearm, feeling the strength in his muscles, the reassuring steadiness of him. She didn’t need to see his face to know he was smiling; she could feel it in the way his breath tickled the back of her neck.

“It was beautiful,” Drew replied, his voice a low rumble that seemed to resonate through her entire body. “The city is amazing, it’s like stepping into a different world. But” he paused, his hand sliding gently up her arm, “no matter how incredible it was, I couldn’t stop thinking about being here. With you.”

Her heart swelled at his words, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She let her eyes drift shut, allowing herself to get lost in the comfort of his embrace. The mention of Venice reminding her of all the images she saw of him.

“I saw the pictures of you in Venice,” Y/N murmured after a moment, her fingers continuing their lazy circles on his arm. There was something more in her voice, a quiet appreciation she couldn’t quite mask. “You looked so handsome in those long yellow trousers and that white shirt. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Drew laughed, the sound vibrating against her back and sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. “You liked that outfit, huh?” A playful sound to his voice.

“I did,” she admitted softly. “It made me miss you even more.” She felt his arms tighten around her, pulling her closer, as if he could close the distance that had been between them, the miles and days that had felt so long.

Needing to see him, Y/N slowly turned in the tub, the water sloshing gently as she moved to face Drew. His hands immediately found her hips, his fingers pressing into her skin with a tenderness that made her heart flutter. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer, until she could feel his breath on her lips.

“I’m also loving the ‘stache you’ve got going on,” she teased, her tone light but with a hint of something more. Her eyes roamed over his face, taking in the way his hair had started to grow out, the mustache, the hint of a five o’clock shadow. The sight of him like this, relaxed and slightly rugged, sent a thrill through her that she could feel deep in her stomach.

Drew laughed softly, the sound rich and warm, “Thank you, baby,” he murmured, his voice filled with affection. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing gently over her cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her. It was a slow, lingering kiss, one that spoke of everything they’d missed while they were apart.

His hands drifted down her back, tracing her spine, mapping out every curve. Eventually, his hands settled on her butt, giving it a playful squeeze that made her smile against his lips. The warmth between them, both emotional and physical, made her feel safe, cherished, and completely his.

She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, her fingers weaving into the hair at the nape of his neck. “You’re making it really hard to stay mad at you for being gone so long,” she whispered, though there was no anger in her voice, only a playful one.

Drew’s grip on her hair tightened slightly, his eyes darkening “Maybe you should show me how much you missed me,” he murmured, his voice a rough whisper that sent a shiver down her spine.

Y/N felt a rush of heat, a wave of butterflies taking flight in her stomach. The weight of his words, the closeness of their bodies pressed together in the warm, soapy water, was almost too much to bear. She could feel his heartbeat against hers, the heat of his skin beneath the water.

Without hesitation, she leaned in, kissing him and it was anything but gentle. It was fierce, urgent, a desperate need to show him exactly how much she had missed him. Drew responded, his hands sliding down her back, gripping her firmly, pulling her so close that she could hardly tell where she ended, and he began.

The sensation of their wet skin sliding against each other, his tight grip on her hair, it all sent waves of excitement coursing through her. It was intoxicating, the way he made her feel as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist and there was only them, only this moment.

Drew’s lips traveled from her mouth to her jaw, each kiss deliberate and slow, as if he was savoring every inch of her skin. The warmth of his breath made her shiver, never wanting him to stop. When he reached her neck, she tilted her head to the side, offering more access for him, the anticipation building with each second. Her breathing hitched, a soft moan threatening to escape her lips, but she held it back, biting down on the inside of her cheek.

Drew paused as he pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting hers. His hands, which had been resting on her hips, slid up her body, fingers trailing along her sides until they reached her neck. With a slow motion, he wrapped his hand around her throat, applying just enough pressure to make her moan loudly, her eyes rolling back. 

“I want to hear you, baby,” Drew murmured, his voice low as his eyes watched her, every detail, every curve of her body by the soapy water that clung to her skin, giving her a radiant, almost ethereal glow. The sight of her like this, vulnerable and beautiful, made his cock throb with need, the aching desire to feel her. 

He cupped the side of her face, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip making her moan again, her eyes locking onto his with a mix of anticipation and longing.

Drew leaned in, his lips grazing her ear as he whispered, “You’ll be a good girl for me?”

His words almost made her cum right there, his commanding tone stirring something deep inside her. She nodded, unable to find her voice, her body already responding to him in ways she couldn’t control. The warmth of his breath against her skin, combined with the roughness of his thumb on her lip, made her pulse quicken.

Drew’s hand reached her lower abdomen, his fingers lingering there for a moment, tracing slow, deliberate circles into her clit. She let out a soft moan, her body pushing up against him, as her head dropped into his shoulder. Drew smiled against her ear, “That’s it,” he whispered, his fingers applying more pressure, sending a jolt of electricity through her. “Let me hear you, baby. I want to know how much you’ve missed me.”

Her hands gripping his shoulders for support as he added a finger, “Oh my god,” she moaned, her voice trembling as he slowly moved his finger in and out, keeping his thumb on her clit.

“I’m gonna come,” she whispered, her voice barely audible as her body began to tremble uncontrollably, moving her hips to feel more of him. The intensity of the moment consumed her, clinging to Drew’s neck for support, her fingers tangling in his hair as she held on tight. 

“That’s it, let go for me,” he urged softly, his voice in a low whisper against her ear. 

With one final push, the overwhelming wave of pleasure crashed over her, her body shuddering violently as she finally released, a soft cry leaving her lips. Every muscle in her body tensed up, burring her head back into his neck, the relief and sensation washing over her. 

“Stand up for me and go stand in front of the mirror,” Drew said, his voice low and commanding. Y/N, still breathing heavily from her release, slowly rose from the bath. The soapy water cascaded down her body, droplets catching the light and creating a glistening trail that highlighted every curve. Drew watched with a mix of awe and desire, his eyes tracing the path of water as it slid over her skin.

As she moved toward the mirror, Drew couldn't help but admire her. She was beautiful, every curve and dip of her body accentuated by the soft glow of the bathroom light. The sight of her, so vulnerable and radiant, made him grow harder. 

Drew followed closely behind, his breath hot against her neck as he approached. His hands slid down to her ass, squeezing roughly, “My good girl,” he whispered, his voice a deep rumble of satisfaction.

Drew’s grip tightened on her hips as he moved behind her, his hands making their way to her hair, pulling her hair into a makeshift pony, her head back, forcing her to look up at herself in the mirror. His breath was warm against her ear as he spoke, “I want you to watch yourself.”

The command in his voice made Y/N’s pulse race, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and vulnerability. She swallowed hard, her eyes meeting her own reflection as she felt his gaze on her. Y/N nodded, her throat dry with nervous excitement. 

Drew’s grip softened slightly as he whispered, “Relax, honey. I’ll always take care of you.”

[cuverale]

twin flame - t.c.

a/n: I wasn’t going to post this but I couldn’t resist it so here it is. I’ll probably make 2 or 3 more parts of this. Enjoy!

tchalamet

liked by robertdowneyjr, zendaya, florencepugh and 13,395,207 others

tchalamet 1095 days with you. thank you for making me the luckiest guy on earth. so ready for round four. let’s do it again, my twin flame.

view comments

yourusername let’s gooo 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

tchalamet 🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻

yourusername loveyouloveyouloveyou

tchalamet loveyoumoreloveyoumore

zendaya 🥹🥹🥹

robertdowneyjr happy anniversary you two, kiddos.

yourusername thank you 🥺

tomholland2013 so happy for you two mate!

tchalamet thank you so much brother!

ynmybaby AWWWW 💗💗

ynandtimmy did he just call her his twin flame??? 🥹🥹🥹🥹

timotheefan15 YES HE DID SIS 🤧🤧

timochalamtt time flies 🥹🤧

timmyfan i remember the day i learned they were dating 🥲

ynfan2 i’m so happy for them 💞

pauline.chalamet HAPPY 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY MY BABIES 💗🥹✨

tchalamet THANK YOU PAAAAAULINE!!! 💫🦄💗

timmytimmy EVERYONE, SAY THANK YOU ZENDAYA FOR INTRODUCING THESE TWO

ynmybaby Thank you Zendaya! ❤️❤️

ynandzendayafan Thank you sooo much queen!!

timofann thank you Zendaya!!!!

ynandtimmy Thank you queen!

tchalamet THANK YOU ZENDAYA!!!!

zendaya you’re welcome my babies!!

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yourusername

liked by tchalamet, zendaya, kyliejenner and 14,395,175 others

yourusername 3 years, 1095 days. yet i still feel like we met yesterday. i can’t and probably never will get enough of you. let’s do it again, mon amour.

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tchalamet i love you so much it hurts.

yourusername good to know our feelings are mutual sir.

florencepugh crying rn 🥺💙

chanelofficial Happy Anniversary you two!

timofann Chanel celebrating their ambassadors anniversary. Wowza 🫨

zendaya seeing you two so happy makes me feel like crying i’m not even kidding

yourusername babyyyy 😭

zendaya i’m a proud mama

yourusername love ya mama

ynmybaby i love their friendship so much 🥺

zendayafann I adored them since their Disney times 😭

ynandzendayafan and look at them now. they found their soulmates and living their best life 🥹

ynsbabygirl they deserve it 🫶🏻

tomholland2013 love you guys!!!

yourusername love you too!!!

ynsbabygirl it’s supposed to be 4 years but- 😭

chalafann ugh I wish they never broke up but I’m grateful bc they’re happy now.

ynmybaby not Kylie liking the post 💀

timmytimmy i was laughing for hours

ynsbabygirl i’m so embarrassed for her

randomuser why? what did i miss? 🥲

timotea0 long story short, according to some “sources” kylie and timothee was dating since the new years. kris jenner and some pr team fueled the story by some pics but none of them actually worked. bc even though him and yn broke up at that time he was still so in love with her so he denied everything about the rumors and admitted that he was still in love with yn. then tom holland and zendaya made them get back together.

randomuser oh god, what a loser she is.

timotheefan15 ikr

kidcudi you guys are so cute

stephanebak my guy and my girl being the cutest couple

pauline.chalamet ok but when are you gonna be my sister officially????

*liked by tchalamet

ynandtimmy WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!

ynmybaby Y/n Chalamet era soon?????

timmychalamet9 omg omg omg omg

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voguemagazine

15,395,186 likes

voguemagazine Y/n L/n and Timothée Chalamet are recently seen at a dinner in Venice with Zendaya and Tom Holland, celebrating the couple’s anniversary.

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ynmybaby my fam 🥰🥰🥰

ynsbabygirl i think they’re on a well deserved vacation together 🤧

timotheefan1 they are! 🥹

ynandtimmy the way he looks at her 🥺

zendayafan i love their friendship so much

tomhollandfann seeing them together makes me even more excited for their upcoming movies and euphoria’s new season! I miss Zendaya and Y/n together!

ynsbabygirl same here! I still can’t decide which one should i go first. Y/n and Tom’s or Dune 2???

zendayafan0 ok but i need all of them in a movie together 😩

timotheefan15 same girl same 🤧

chalafann i love how he nuzzles his head on her neck awwwww

ynandzendayafan they’re having so much fun 🥹

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zendaya

liked by tchalamet, tomholland2013, yourusername and 13,495,184 others

zendaya sisters having fun. period.

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yourusername so you’re not gonna mention how you tried to sink me into the water huh??

zendaya i have no idea what you’re talking about miss

tomholland2013 should i be offended by the way you didn’t post at least one picture of us or..? You didn’t even mentioned that we took them :(

tchalamet you should get used to it bro🥲

tomhollandstan LMAOOO

ynsbabygirl aww poor boys lolll

ynmybaby POWER DUO 👑

zendayafan45 SLAYYY 💅🏻

timotea0 🥹🫶🏻

tommyfan1 you two are sooo cute

zendayafan9 love you guyss

florencepugh i missed you two 🥺

yourusername we missed you too bby 🤧

zendaya come over so we can ditch the boys and hang out together!!!

tchalamet ouch

tomholland2013 hey!

tayrussell cuties ❤️

yourusername 💋💋💋

zendaya love youuu

ynandzendayafan MOTHERS!! 🛐

ynsbabygirl i want what they have 😩

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tomholland2013’s story

[daman19942]

TSR CC Recommendations: TS2 Lot Builders

Nobody asked for this but I have a little time on my hands and I said I might do it, so here is a list of some TSR lot builders who I recommend checking out. A few notes under the cut before we get started (all details under the cut, as well, in case you aren't interested in my preamble):

This is not meant to be paid promotion for TSR. I believe TSR asking users to pay for their CC is ridiculous, especially for a 19 year old game they haven't supported in 7 years. But I spent many years uploading there during the peak-TS2 / pre-TS3 era and know there is great CC in their archives that newer players may not know about. And unlike TheSims2.com, which has sadly shuffled off this mortal coil, TSR's content is still available to freely download (assuming you can stomach the pop-ups and wait times)

This post will only be about lot builders because that was what I was primarily uploading and downloading in this era. I was friendly with some of the creators I am about to list, but none of them are still active members of the TS2 community.

The preview pics might be a little rough and the architecture styles will likely feel very dated compared to the most popular styles these days, which are more colorful, cluttered, and use 3t2 and 4t2 conversions. Re: the previews: too many of us were using free trials of PaintShopPro back then, and TSR limited us to 2 previews, so we did our best. Re: the styles: unlike pre-2010's CAS CC, which was full of hand painted and "realistic" textures (LOL), these are the same objects you can find in the game today, just being used in different ways! Sometimes for the first time! And, yes, while some of these creators used CC, it was mostly Homecrafter walls and floors, as you'll see below.

This was also the hey-day of CFE lot building, which has certainly fallen out of favor to more traditional builds (in part because graphics cards have improved and these types of builds don't look as good in 2024, and also because the great CFE experimenters, builders, and tutorial writers are no longer part of the community and their original discoveries are gone as well - I am happy to go down a massive rabbit hole on this piece of TS2 history if anyone else cares, but trust me, you don't have to care).

Alright that is enough caveating, here are some recs! (Links are in the creator's names and they take you to their Lots, though many of them have other creations, too).

Lord Tiko Speaking of great CFE builders! Lord Tiko built spaceships, boats, pagodas, domes, windmills and bridges, oh so many bridges before retiring mid-TS2 because of health issues. He was one of the first builders to take Daihtnaoz7's single and double bridge tutorials and apply them to really big lots. I'm still not sure how he built the Venice Rialto Bridge, or his other European water lots. Overall, a massive inspiration to me when I was prioritizing CFE builds.

Hatshepsut My favorite "traditional" home builder, and someone I considered a friend. She specialized in English and American builds, and I had many of Hat's houses in my old saves and was impressed by her range and decorating style which was (for the time) more varied than many of her peers. Knew how to take great preview pics of her houses, too.

Tigerblue Another builder I corresponded with, Tigerblue was probably the least prolific uploader on this list for sheer number of uploads, but she also crossed a range of styles. Her builds leaned way into specific styles (see the previews, these were all part of consistent sets of 3,4, or even 10 lots), but this was also what happened when a new EP dropped and everyone raced to uploaded builds using as many of the new objects and styles as possible. Tigerblue just happened to be better at it than most of us.

Cyclonesue Do current TS2 players know Cyclonesue? Because it's hard to think of someone who had a bigger impact on building and decorating of the era, first with her English and Tudor builds and later with her extremely distinct grunge creations. Seriously, check out her Urban Renewal series and the corresponding objects. Iconic stuff that surely now feels frozen in time. I probably only played 20% of her lots that I downloaded, but they still make for great hood decor. Like Tiko, someone who happily experimented with CFE.

Illiana The creator who inspired me to make this list is, ironically, the one on it who I know the least about (she is a Featured Artist but not in the Hall of Fame, whatever that means). I just started playing her Tri-Annyas fraternity house and have a few other lots floating around my game. She built in a range of styles, from classical to modern to Twikki Island to grunge. Revisiting some of them in-game, the TSR previews do not do them justice.

*EXHALES* If you made it to this point, kudos to you. I'm sure there are creators I've forgotten, and houses I haven't linked to, but this is a good starting point for digging into some of the eclectic builds the TSR(chives) have to offer (I just coined that, is it clever? It is not). Maybe I'll do a Part 2 if people like this.

If you have any favorites of your own, let me know what I missed! And as I do with my old Exchange re-uploads, I am tagging @sims2packrat and @oldasscustomcontent for general TS2 history awareness!

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

María Félix (Doña Barbara, La Mujer sin Alma, Rio Escondido, La Cucaracha)—Maria Felix is still possibly the most well-known Mexican film actress. She turned down multiple-roles in Hollywood and a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer in order to take roles in Mexico, France, and Argentine throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s. She was so famous and so respected as a dramatic actress that she inspired painters, novelists and poets in their own art--she was painted by Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, Bridget Tichenor. The novelist Carlos Fuentes used her as inspiration for his protagonist in Zona Sagrada. She inspired an entire collection by Hermes. In the late 1960s Cartier made her a custom collection of reptile themed jewels. She considered herself to be powerful challenger of morality and femininity in Mexico & worldwide--she routinely played powerful women in roles with challenging moral choices and free sexuality. But even still, years after he death, she is celebrated with Google Doodles, and appearances in the movie Coco, and holidays for the anniversary of her death.

Maureen O’Hara (The Parent Trap, The Quiet Man)—They called her the Queen of Technicolor. That right there should help introduce people to the fiery, wonderful, stunning Maureen O’Hara. She was from Ireland, born in 1920, and started in theater at the age of ten. At 15, she was winning drama awards, including one for her performance as Portia in the Merchant of Venice. At 16, she was the youngest pupil to graduate from the Guildhall School of Music. By 18, she transitioned to film, starting off with a bang alongside Charles Laughton in Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn, and proceeded to work steadily up through the early 1970s. She was in adventures and comedies and romances, spent a lot of time in westerns giving merry hell to John Wayne (and less merry hell to the indomitable John Ford — she held her own even when he was verbally abusive and demeaning to her). She was in The Quiet Man, which was the first American-made film entirely filmed in a foreign country. She helped make American Christmas what it is with Miracle on 34th Street. She played a lineup of headstrong, forthright women second only, perhaps, to Katharine Hepburn. She was married three times, lived for a while with a boyfriend in Mexico, sued for custody of her daughter in the 1950s, AND sued a magazine for libel in the same era. After mostly retiring from acting, she edited a magazine. She eventually sold the magazine to spend more time with her grandson, but even then ran a ladies fashion store. She was an outspoken, brilliant, passionate lady, with amazing red hair, a career to envy, and — well — that face!

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

María Félix:

She's Thee Hot Vintage Movie Woman of México. She's absolutely gorgeous and always looks like she's about to step on you. you WILL be thankful if she does.

"María Félix is a woman -- such a woman -- with the audacity to defy the ideas machos have constructed of what a woman should be. She's free like the wind, she disperses the clouds, or illuminates them with the lightning flash of her gaze." - Octavio Paz

María Félix is one of the most iconic actresses of the Golden Era of Mexican Cinema. La Doña, as she was lovingly nicknamed, only had one son, and when her first marriage ended in divorce her ex-husband stole her only child, so she vowed that one day she’d be more influential than her ex and she’d get her son back. AND SHE DID! María Félix rejected a Hollywood acting role to start her acting career in Mexico on her own terms with El Peñón de las Ánimas (The Rock of Souls) starring alongside actor, and future third husband, Jorge Negrete. She quickly rose to incredible heights both in Mexico and abroad, later on rejecting a Hollywood starring role (Duel in the Sun) as she was already committed to the movie Enamorada at the planned filming time. Of this snubbing she said, quote: “I will never regret saying no to Hollywood, because my career in Europe was focused in [high] quality cinema. [My] india* roles are made in my country, and [my] queen roles are abroad.” (Translator notes: here the “india” role means interpreting a lower-class Mexican woman, usually thought of indigenous/native/mixed descent —which she had interpreted and reinvented throughout her acting career in Mexico— and what abroad was typically considered the Mexican woman stereotype, with the braids, long simple skirts, and sandals. This also references the expectation of her possibly helping Hollywood in perpetuating this stereotype for American audiences that lack the cultural and historical contexts of this type of role which would undermine her own efforts against this type of Mexican stereotypes while working in Europe) She was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world of her time by international magazines like Life, París Match, and Esquire, and was a muse to a vast number of songwriters (including her second husband Agustin Lara,), artists, designers, and writers. Muralist Diego Rivera described her as “a monstrously perfect being. She’s an exemplary being that drives all other human beings to put as much effort as possible to be like her”. Playwriter Jean Cocteau, who worked with her in the Spanish film La Corona Negra (The Black Crown) said the following about her, “María, that woman is so beautiful it hurts”. Haute Couture houses like Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Hérmes, among others, designed and dressed her throughout her life. She died on her birthday, April 8, 2002, at 88 years old, in Mexico City. She was celebrated by a parade from her home to the Fine Arts Palace in the the city’s Historic Downtown, where a multitude of people paid tribute to her. Her filmography includes 47 movies from 1942 until 1970, and only two television acting roles in 1970. She has 2 music albums, one recorded with her second husband, Agustín Lara, in 1964 titled La Voz de María y la inspiración de Agustín «The voice of María and the inspiration of Augustín», and her solo album Enamorada «In Love» in 1998. Her bespoke Cartier jewelry is exhibited alongside Elizabeth Taylor’s, Grace Kelly’s and Gloria Swanson’s. In 2018, Film Director Martin Scorsese presented a restored and remastered version of her film Enamorada in the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Festival and Google dedicated a doodle for her 104th birthday. On august 2023 Barbie added her doll to the Tribute Collection.

Maureen O'Hara:

I thought she was one of the most beautiful women in the world when I was a kid and I have yet to really change my mind. Always loved her temper and her red hair. Plus she was kind of a MILF in The Parent Trap

Haughty, red hair, hot.

I would have to give up my passport if I didn't submit Maureen O'Hara but also have you seen her? Not only did she look like that (she was called the Queen of Technicolor, though she wasn't a big fan of that sobriquet), she was also very funny and tough as nails. She faced off against Walt Disney in a contract dispute and the legend goes that when someone mentioned her at his deathbed, he sat up and said 'That bitch!'. Her comment on that story is "At least he didn't think of me and say, 'That wimp'." She struggled to get serious roles for a time, saying ""Hollywood would never allow my talent to triumph over my face," so she plays the sexy princess/pirate/harem girl in a LOT of early movies that she referred to as "Tits and Sand" films, she being the tits in question. She also turned down so many leading men and studio bosses (Errol Flynn and Howard Hughes are among her rejects) that there were rumours spread that she was a lesbian. Many egos were battered it seems. I'm including the infamous Lady Godiva scene in the photo propaganda for the sheer Moment of it [link] . It was a bit of a flop critically, but it was one of Clint Eastwood's first film appearances and she said he told her later that he was very glad of the money at the time.

She was a very proud Irish woman and when she went for her American citizenship they insisted on referring to her as British (the timeline of Irish independence is a bit wibbly wobbly, we won't get into it here). She refused to accept American citizenship under that condition and argued her way through every level of US immigration she could find, supposedly saying "I'm not responsible for your antiquated records here in Washington", until a judge finally gave up and said "Give her what she wants, just get her out of here". This made her the first ever person seeking US citizenship to be proclaimed Irish on the record!

The hair. The accent. The figure. The acting chops. The perfection.

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Sunday 2 June 2024

Thriving in the bright but not direct sun on my kitchen table is Tradescantia albiflora 'Nanouk' (fantasy Venice, Moses in the cradle, pink spiderwort plant, wandering dude). The purple underside of the foliage is dramatic when backlit. Been busy taking cutting for friends so the stems are not as long now!

Jill Raggett

[hollowbutcanlove]

The language of the flowers Pt. 2

warning: the hard moment with the Cypher.

Sova - rose red (bud) - confusion; "I think I've fallen in love with you," "I'm glad we met," "Every day my feelings for you grow stronger."

On the spacious streets of St. Petersburg, you and Sova decided to spend your little vacation. After visiting many memorable places, you decided that it was time for a little rest on one of the shores of the Gulf of Finland. He left you alone for a while, saying he needed to get something to eat.

The cool breeze ruffled your hair, making you wrap yourself tighter in your sweater. Growing up in a warm climate, you weren't used to the fickle weather of Sova's homeland. Suddenly, something that isn't a human hand touches your head, causing you to throw it back. You see a bunch of red buds that cover almost everything above you. The bouquet moves back a little and you see Sova's satisfied face.

"These are for you. In Russia, it's considered that giving fancy bouquets to your beloved is the basis of a strong relationship." He chuckles. "In fact, some men give a single rose in cellophane, which our women consider an insult."

"Then it could be considered a very very big compliment." You run your finger over the scarlet petals. "How many are there, anyway?"

"One hundred and one roses."

"One hundred and one?" - you take the bouquet into your hands admiringly, then give a light kiss on Sova's cheek. He sits down next to you.

"You deserve all the flowers in the world, but it remains to be seen - which ones specifically should you give? Peonies, perhaps? Or lilies?"

"Any flowers from you would be my favorite."

Cypher - yellow carnation - rejection; "You're avoiding me"; "You've disappointed me"

It was hard to tell when your communication with Cypher had gotten to the point where it was hard to tell if you were friends or lovers. It was even harder for you to understand why he was pulling away and running away, like a kitten who'd tried to confide in people but had gotten scared again and fled into the darkness of the street. He was either not in his office or the door was locked. He didn't answer messages or calls. But you knew he was watching you. Every move you made. But what was he feeling in that moment, doing all those things? You didn't know.

"Cypher, why don't you open up finally? I know you're in there." - You've been trying for the second week to get through to the masked man who's been so diligently avoiding you. "Please, we need to talk."

There was only silence in response.

"Shit... "You slump down next to the door, hugging your knees. "You should know how disappointing you're making me feel right now. I thought there was something between us...Or at least there was. And you're doing this..."

"You didn't know he had a wife and child?" the sudden voice of Viper shakes you out of your trance.

"A wife and child...?" you look at the woman, who at that moment was looking at you with a kind of sympathy, with incomprehension.

"Don't kid yourself, girl. He's still pining for them, and you...you just got caught up in the moment. Forget it and move on." She wanted to support you in some way, but it didn't come out well.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, tears starting to well up in your eyes. Just a substitute? An attempt to dull the pain of longing?

"Argh... Come on, I'll give you a job to distract you."

Gekko - anemone - sincerity, hope, joy, emotionality; parting, fragility; "Why not?", "I feel really good with you", "Let's have a party?"

The beautiful scenery opens up from the Venice rising in the air, where one of the training grounds is located. You and Gekko watch the sunset while the other agents finish their training. The green-haired guy's creatures were snoring somewhere nearby, exhausted from the training.

"Hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"What if I offer you to be my girlfriend? Would you say yes?"

"Why not?"

"So you'd say yes?"

"Yes."

"Say it again."

"Yes, I agree, Gekko."

A bright smile appeared on the guy's face before he gently took your hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. You giggled and tilted your head to the side. Such small and happy moments were rare in the hard life of a protocol agent, but nevertheless you tried to cherish them and live them as long as possible.