#Candle jar coating & printing

[glamour-decor]

Glass bottle Coating & Printing service provider for Perfume, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Candle & Liquor manufacturer for Packaging needs.

[desertdollranch]

Kirsten's bedroom renovation

It's a sunny spring day in Minnesota Territory, and Kirsten is stuck indoors, helping with the spring cleaning. Her first task is to sweep the upstairs bedrooms--she shares one with her three siblings, and so it gets messy very quickly. But Kirsten doesn't complain--she remembers her previous home, a one-room log cabin on her aunt and uncle's farm. That was easier to clean, but it was hard sharing such a small place with six people. After a fire burned that cabin down, the Larsons bought a much larger house, the beautiful home they dreamed they'd have when they left Sweden two years ago.

As for my part in this, I created a bedroom for my Kirsten doll a few years ago, but I recently renovated it to make it look more like the illustrations in Kirsten's sixth book, Changes for Kirsten.

The walls in this illustration look like they've been finished with plaster, which was common in houses at the time. The light color would have come from local sources of limestone.

So most of the changes I made were to the walls and windows. I used printed photographs for the windows, and added the twelve-pane window frames over the images before printing. For the walls, I took down the boring white wood paneling. I imitated that plastered look using tissue paper stuck to the first layer of pale yellow paint, and then I painted another layer over the tissue paper.

The furnishings are basically the same, except for the trunk on the right side of this photo. She used to store her clothes in the top half of Felicity's clothes press, which I mentioned in my recent post about moving the clothes press into the parlor for Caroline to use. After I did that, I knew Kirsten would need a place to store her clothes, and what better piece than a smaller version of her trunk?

Most of the things in the above picture are not from Kirsten's collection. The bed was made by my grandpa when I was eight and first got my Kirsten doll. My mom made the quilt on the bed and the one on the rocking chair, the pillow and mattress on the bed, and the two darker gray cats. The foot stove next to the bed is Pleasant Company, and so are the shoes (including snow shoes) lined up next to the trunk. The rocking chair came from an antique store. I made everything else: both rugs, the cradle, the nightstand, the candle and book and stuffed cat on the nightstand, the cross stitch hanging on the wall, the shelves and everything on them, the painted round boxes at the foot of the bed, baby Britta's dress, and Kirsten's quilt square in the embroidery hoop.

This is a little wooden trunk I found at a craft store. I painted it blue and then painted on the decorative designs using stencils.

That's Kirsten's straw hat hanging on the wall, from her collection. My mom made the two sunbonnets.

I gave it a weathered look by lightly brushing on white and red paint.

The trunk can hold all of Kirsten's clothes. It has room for a few more dresses too. I have almost all of Kirsten's clothes; I'm only missing her baking outfit, skating coat, and promise dress.

I also made the gingham curtains for the windows. There's a lot of blue and white going on in here, so I wanted them to match the color themes.

Next to Britta's cradle are the round boxes I made to hold Kirsten's socks and ribbons, which are all Pleasant Company things. Her lunch box and bucket are from craft stores.

I remade her honey crate and the jars of honey. They now contain clear glue dyed with food coloring. I made her little gnomes too.

The rocking chair was an antique store find. It's perfect for her to sit with her baby sister Britta.

I also painted a little flourish on the end of her bed.

This definitely isn't all of Kirsten's collection--I have a few pieces hidden away underneath her room that won't fit here. That includes her actual big trunk that my grandpa made, her Saint Lucia wreath and tray that I made, her dishes set from her official collection, and some other small things that she doesn't need in her room.

[witch--tips]

📝 WITCH TIP 📝

This is something to make when you’re bored/want to do something witchy, and also for whenever you are again in the future.

Make a list on a physical piece of paper (or print it out after). On that list—and feel free to make it LONG, and also know that you can add onto it again whenever—include everything witchy youve ever wanted to do, “chores” that are part of your craft, things you like to do that are even just vaguely related to witchcraft and your practice, types of magic youve never tried out or want to improve on, etc. Big, daunting things and small, minuscule, two-second things. Make a huge list.

Cut out every individual bullet point in that list. Fold them all up, put them in a jar (heres a good use for any of those old candle containers or spell jars), and whenever youre feeling bored or want to do something witchy, pull out one of those pieces of paper. Feel free to re-pull if you don’t like the one you got. Then, do it. You can throw the paper out when you’re done or put it back in the jar whenever you want.

You could also do the same thing online using one of those spin the wheel websites too. Since this is all left up to chance, you may also ask a deity or spirit or the universe or whatever beforehand to make sure you get the most relevant/helpful task.

Under the cut I’ll put some examples of things to put on your list, in case you want help!

Try bibliomancy

Find some nice rocks outside

Do a big cleansing

Make a return-to-sender ward

Water all your plants and have a conversation with them

Enchant your coat for extra warmth, comfort and protection

Paint your nails using color magic

Do a spell and somehow include your ceiling fan

Come up with an emoji spell

Ground yourself

Do a spell on your dishwasher so that everything that is cleaned in it is enchanted to make all the food it touches delicious

Jinx that pen Ronald is always annoyingly clicking

Enchant your pillows for good sleep and pleasant dreams

Leave an offering out for all nearby spirits. Just to be nice

Open a window

Close/ward your mirror

Clean your altar/room/sacred space

Do a giant ritual for someone. A deity, spirit, ancestors, Earth, or even yourself. A ritual about being grateful and happy, not even necessarily to accomplish anything aside from feeling good and/or saying “thanks”

Enchant your phone case for protection, both from breaking your phone and from thieves

Enchant your hairbrush for healthy and good looking hair

Enchant your glasses for clarity

Enchant your debit card for attracting money

Spin around, look up, and the first thing you see? Enchant it

Try cloud divination

Look up different types of knots and practice doing them for future knot magic

Make a decoy poppet for yourself (so unwanted/negative energies attack it instead of you) (remember to do wards so those energies can get in but can’t get out)

Shuffle your playlist and interpret the first song that comes up as a form of divination

Redo one of your wards more powerful than before

Clean out that old spell jar

Set out some water for SUN water

Watch a movie with a witch

Listen to the wind

Haphazardly fold a piece of paper many times, make random cuts into it, unfold it, and interpret the resulting form as a method of divination

Pet your pet

Do a self-confidence spell

Plan an outfit using color magic

Sew a sigil into a blanket

Get out a pendulum and talk to it

[bellarosethefangirl]

Bucci gang x Reader Headcanons

Baking Their S/o A Valentines Surprise

Taglist:

@syntheticseraton1n @danielle-marie @shxftxng @noaltbruh

If you'd like to be added to my taglist, info here

Giorno Giovanna

Giorno would do his best to impress you so he's baking you a four tier double chocolate cake with valentines sprinkle's

He would plan out the sweet treat a week ahead to make sure he bought the best ingredients on the market

He's really good at baking and decorating desserts

He spent two days creating this lovely cake for you

He'll wear a cute pink floral apron with ladybug oven mitts

He got you a gift bag full of items you've had your eyes on for months

Giorno would wear a nice suit since he'd take you to a garden date after you both enjoy the cake

When presenting the cake to you he has a smile on his face and he went above and beyond by growing a vase of red roses too

Your glowing smile made all the time and effort he put into this surprise for you worth it

If you comment how delicious the cake is his eyes gleam with joy as he gives you a charming smile and kiss to your forehead

Narancia Ghirga

Narancia isn't the best cook but he can bake cookies, cakes, and brownies easily. He'll decide to bake you some vanilla cupcakes decorated in pink frosting and topped with conversation heart candies

He'd be rapping while listening to loud rap on his stereo. He'd dance as he's waiting for the cupcakes to bake or cool down.

Since you're not home he'd grab his gift he bought you from a music store. He'll have it ready for you by the cupcakes.

As he is decorating he's hoping for a hug and kiss from you

Once you're home you're greeted by an eager Narancia with a tower of Valentines cupcakes. His lips are puckered up causing you to giggle and kiss him. He combed his hair and wore cologne for you! He's so cute.

He'll watch as you enjoy your cupcake opening his gift for you

Your appreciation means a lot to him so he's so happy when you give him a hug

He's taking you on a movie date so he hopes you're ready for junk food and a movie together

Bruno Bucciarati

Of course he'd be a good baker. He'd bake your favorite type of cake then decorate it in a lovely Valentines theme topping it with a heart shaped store bought cookie

The man may be a capo but he made time for you since its Valentines day

He'll wear a zipper themed apron and his hair is in a bun as he is working on your cake. Smooth jazz is playing on his record player as he thinks about you. He misses you so much.

His apron is pretty dirty since he made you dinner too. He was sure to make your favorite meal. This man will surprise you with a romantic candle lit dinner with wine glasses and rose petals.

As he waits for the cakes to cool down he gets ready for you. He'll wear a suit and put his best suit on. He wants to impress you so of course he is going above and beyond.

After he is done getting ready the zipper apron is back on and he decorates while his stand cleans up the kitchen

The moment you arrive home Bruno greets you in the sweetest tone with a pet name. As your eyes widen at such a surprise his smile radiates the room.

You're no match against his arms wrapping around you. You thank him for everything with kiss.

He pushes your chair in for you and starts serving you the food he made. He's sure to remind you to leave room for the cake he made you. Your eyes light up seeing your favorite food and such a marvelous cake.

Bruno is happy to see you enjoy his cooking and the slice of cake he served you. You thank him with lots of kisses

Guido Mista

This man is a foodie and sure loves to cook. He will take inspiration from circus animal cookies and recreate them into heart shaped cookies for you. He'll top them with Valentine's sprinkles.

He thought cookies would be best so the leftovers could be easily saved in a cookie jar for later

He's got a chef hat and red zebra print apron whistling as he listens to the radio.

It takes him time to coat the cookies in the melted chocolate but he knows they'll turn out fine

After he is done decorating he'll write you a note, "Happy Valentines, sweetheart I baked you cookies. I'll be in the living room shortly. I have snacks and a movie waiting for you. Be there in a bit. Your man Mista-"

He takes a shower making sure he chose an expensive body wash. He wants cuddles after all

You try some cookies once you arrive home. His note didn't go unnoticed so you head to the living room.

You soon see Mista standing in front of you in a new pair of striped pants. He's shirtless with his arms out wide open for you.

As you're in his arms be sure to compliment him or fondle him. He loves it. He'll hold you in his arms as you both watch movies together.

If you thank him for the cookies or praise his baking he kisses your forehead and sweetly tells you, "Happy Valentines, love you babe"

Fugo Pannacotta

Fugo will choose a difficult dessert such as macaroons but he planned it a week prior so he's prepared

He will want them to be perfect! The heart shapes must be perfect too. He'll even give you three different fillings for each! If the heart shaped macaroons aren't symmetrical then he will redo them as many times as it takes

He bakes in the cutest red strawberry print apron with a small low ponytail showing off his strawberry earrings in the process. He'll also have the cutest matching baking mittens too.

He will read a book as he waits for them to bake and cool down

He'll think of different imagines of you reacting to your surprise. Murmuring responses to himself. "Yes belleza all for you!", "Oh you like my macaroons? What's that? A kiss?"

His favorite are secretly the beige colored macaroons with the red roses and lettering filled with, "I love you". He loves his handwriting and gets bashful about telling you he loves you

He'll neatly place them on a strawberry plate beside a large vase of flowers for you. He'll make sure they're your favorite type of flowers

When you arrive home and see the surprise he has such a pleased expression. His smile is super humble upon hearing your compliments. He hopes you kiss him.

If you do he starts to get love drunk. Half lidded purple eyes with a visible small blush.

He's so happy seeing your reactions to the flowers and dessert he made you

You two will watch a movie together while enjoying the macaroons.

Leone Abbacchio

Abbacchio isn't much of a cook but he's decent when he wants to be. His baking skills are decent too. He desired to make the cookies because acts of service are his love language. He'll decide to make you sugar cookies

He'll make a small batch of the cookies decorating them in a nightmare before Christmas theme. He wants to be a little romantic and reference the couple from the movie. He hopes you understand the implication. He is a man of few words after all

His hair is in a ponytail as he bakes. He won't wear an apron but he will listen to music as he bakes and decorates the cookies

It took him quite a bit of time to decorate so he sure hopes you enjoy them.

He plans to take you to a restaurant when you arrive home

When you arrive and compliment or thank him he's eating up the attention. He will smile if he receives affection from you.

He got you a black rose and compliments you

If he see's you enjoy one he'll be happy. He isn't as into sweets so he won't try one

He'll undo his ponytail and ask you to get ready to go out. He's surprising you with your favorite restaurant

Trish Una

She decides to bake you some pink sugar cookies bars with cream cheese frosting and valentine's sprinkle's.

She has a very girly pink apron with her stereo playing her favorite CD. She sing's along as she bakes. Her sweet voice is so beautiful as she sings.

She'll have a big smile on her face as she thinks about you. She'll ever so often look over to the gift bag she has ready for you. It will have two expensive presents inside

She decides to bake you some pink sugar cookies bars with cream cheese frosting and valentine's sprinkle's.

She has a very girly pink apron with her stereo playing her favorite CD. She sing's along as she bakes. Her sweet voice is so beautiful as she sings.

She'll have a big smile on her face as she thinks about you. She'll ever so often look over to the gift bag she has ready for you. It will have two expensive presents inside

Trish will start singing about romance as she is frosting the cookie bars. She touches up her makeup and changes into a sexy dress.

Her lovely green eyes light up upon hearing you arrive at the door. She greets you by serenading you. She's feeling flirty if you get bashful or in a romantic mood. She will give you a kiss and direct you to her surprise.

Any response from you gives her joy. If you compliment her look she'll want affection. She'll love to see your reaction to the presents she bought you. If you greet her with a bouquet or gift she'll kiss and hug you as thanks

Afterwards you two are going to a high end restaurant in her limo

[vnnmr]

Ocean Vuong, "Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker" [POEM]

Mar.

Advil (ibuprofen), 4 pack

Sally Hansen Pink Nail Polish, 6 pack

Clorox Bleach, industrial size

Diane hair pins, 4 pack

Seafoam handheld mirror

“I Love New York” T-shirt, white, small

Apr.

Nongshim Ramen Noodle Bowl, 24 pack

Cotton Balls, 100 count

“Thank You For Your Loyalty” cards, 30 count

Toluene POR-15 40404 Solvent, 1 quart

UV LED Nail Lamp

Cuticle Oil, value pack

Clear Acrylic Nail Tips, 500 count

May

Advil (ibuprofen), 4 pack

Vicks VapoRub, twin pack

Portable Electric Nail Drill

Salonpas Heat-Activated muscle patch, 40 count

Lipstick, “Night Out Red”

Little Debbie Chocolate Zebra Cakes, 4 boxes

Jun.

Large faux-clay planter pots, value set

Carnation Condensed Milk, 6 pack

Clear Nail Art Acrylic Liquid Powder Dish Bowl, 2 pcs

Birthday Card—Son—Pop-up Mother and Son effect

Nike Elite Basketball Shorts, men’s small

Jul.

Saviland Holographic Gold Nail Powder, 6 colors

Nescafé Taster’s Choice Instant Coffee

Advil (ibuprofen), 4 pack

PIXNOR Pedicure Double-Sided Callus Remover

Bengay Medicated Cream, 3 pack

Aug.

Newchic Ochre Summer Dress Floral Print, sz 6

Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum, 8 pack

Plastic Adirondack Lawn Chair, colonial blue

Sep.

Nail buffers and files, 10 pcs

Coppertone Sunblock, 6 oz

Oct.

CozyNites Fleece Blanket, pink

Sleep-Ease Melatonin caps, 90 count

Icy Hot Maximum Strength pain relief pads

Nov.

Tampax, 24 count

Faux-Resin Hair clips, 3 pack

Dec.

Advil (ibuprofen) Maximum Strength, 4 pack

True-Gro Tulip Bulbs, 24 pcs

Jan.

Feb.

Healthline Compact Trigger Release Folding Walker

Yankee Candle, Midsummer’s Night, large jar

Mar.

Chemo-Glam cotton head scarf, sunrise pink

White Socks, women’s small, 12 pack

Apr.

Chemo-Glam cotton scarf, flower garden print

“Warrior Mom” Breast Cancer awareness T-shirt, pink and white

May

Mueller 255 Lumbar Support Back Brace

Jun.

Birthday Card—“Son, We Will Always Be Together,” Snoopy design

Jul.

Eternity Aluminum Urn, Dove and Rose engraved, small

Perfect Memories picture frame, 8 x 11 in, black

Burt’s Bees lip balm, Honey, 1 pc

Aug.

Sep.

Easy-Grow Windowsill herb garden

Oct.

YourStory Customized Memorial Plaque, 10 x 8 x 4 in

Winter coat, navy blue, x-small

Nov.

Wool socks, grey, 1 pair

- From the collection Time is a Mother

[creativeboxesblog]

Premium Candle Packaging

Introduction

In the world of candles, presentation is almost as important as the scent. Imagine this: you've crafted a beautiful, aromatic candle, but it arrives in a plain, uninspired box. That contrast can diminish the perceived value of your product.

Why Premium Packaging Matters

Enhances Brand Perception

Luxury Candle Packaging is more than just a visual treat. It plays a crucial role in shaping customer perceptions. A well-designed, high-quality package makes your candle look more luxurious and valuable. It tells your customers that you care about the finer details, which can significantly enhance your brand's reputation.

Provides Better Protection

Besides aesthetics, premium packaging provides superior protection for your candles. High-quality materials ensure that your candles remain intact and unscathed during transit. This protection extends the life of your product and maintains its pristine condition, which is crucial for customer satisfaction.

Types of Premium Candle Packaging

Custom Boxes

Custom boxes are a popular choice for premium candle packaging. They can be tailored to fit your candle perfectly, ensuring a snug and secure fit. With customisation options ranging from size and shape to colour and design, you can create a box that reflects your brand's identity.

Luxury Tins and Jars

For a more sophisticated touch, consider luxury tins or glass jars. These not only add a touch of elegance but also enhance the usability of your product. Tins can be reused, adding value to your product beyond just the initial purchase.

Decorative Wraps

If you’re aiming for something a bit different, decorative wraps can make your packaging stand out. They come in various styles, from sleek, minimalist designs to elaborate, ornate patterns. Wraps can be a great way to add a unique flair to your packaging.

Design Elements of Premium Packaging

Material Choices

The choice of material can make a big difference in how your packaging is perceived. Options range from eco-friendly kraft paper to luxurious velvet and embossed card. Each material offers a different tactile experience and visual appeal.

Printing Techniques

Advanced printing techniques can elevate the look of your packaging. Consider options like foil stamping, spot UV coating, or embossing. These techniques can add a touch of elegance and make your packaging more memorable.

Finishing Touches

The finishing touches, such as ribbons, wax seals, or custom labels, can add an extra layer of sophistication. These small details can make a big impact on how your customers perceive your product.

Benefits of Premium Packaging for Candles

Increased Shelf Appeal

Premium packaging can make your candles stand out on the shelf, attracting more attention from potential buyers. The visual appeal of well-designed packaging can lead to increased sales and a stronger brand presence.

Improved Customer Experience

When customers receive a beautifully packaged candle, it enhances their overall experience. Premium packaging can create a sense of occasion, making the unboxing process feel special and memorable.

Brand Differentiation

In a crowded market, differentiating your brand is crucial. Premium packaging can set your candles apart from the competition, making them more recognizable and appealing to consumers.

How to Choose the Right Premium Packaging

Consider Your Brand Identity

Your packaging should reflect your brand’s identity and values. Think about your brand’s story, target audience, and overall aesthetic when choosing your packaging.

Match Packaging to Candle Type

Different types of candles might require different types of packaging. For instance, a luxury scented candle might benefit from a high-end glass jar, while a seasonal candle could be perfectly suited to a festive custom box.

Budget Considerations

While premium packaging offers many benefits, it's important to consider your budget. Choose packaging solutions that offer the best balance between cost and quality, ensuring that you get the most value for your investment.

Conclusion

Premium packaging is more than just a luxury—it’s a crucial element in presenting your candles in the best possible light. By investing in high-quality, customised packaging, you enhance your brand’s image, provide better protection for your product, and create a memorable experience for your customers.

In the competitive world of candles, premium packaging can be the key to standing out and achieving success.

[fashionitforward]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: New Ladies Spring Special Accessories Bundle of 12 Items Gift Idea.

[funkyflowers12]

5 Funky Vases For Your Home

A funky vases is an essential part of any floral arrangement, and a simple, pretty one can make all the difference in your decor. Whether you're looking to fill your home with fresh blooms or you want to add a decorative touch, there are plenty of funky vases available to help you achieve the look you've been dreaming about.

The rustic vase trend is a classic and timeless style that works well for many decorating styles and flower types, so it's an easy pick for most homes. As Gabrielle Union shows, it can look best with a few natural elements like moss, branches, and twigs to complement the rustic vibe.

There are a few ways to make this design your own, including painting it and adding some sand or a marble finish for a more rustic look. You can also add a decorative piece to the front of it, such as a ruffle, a ribbon, or a floral print to really make it pop.

DIY Paper Mosaic Vases

This DIY project is a great way to spruce up a plain glass jar and give it a beautiful paper mosaic pattern without spending too much money on supplies. All you need are some squares of paper (the same kind you use for scrap-booking, art or papercraft projects) and a good quality glue.

Once the whole surface is covered, let it dry for at least twenty minutes and then varnish carefully, ensuring that all parts are firmly glued down. A second or third coat of varnish can be applied if you'd like a high gloss finish.

These are great for displaying flowers, stationary or trinkets and make lovely, home-made gifts. They're also a great addition to any child's bedroom or playroom.

Fruits and greenery are another easy, inexpensive way to fill your vases open florist near me. They're a nice change from traditional florals and will add a touch of color and flavor to any space. You can find these types of flowers at most grocery stores and even your local farmers' market, so it's an easy and frugal way to add some life to your decor.

Split peas are a perfect floral choice for spring and summer. They add a bright pop of color to any room and look particularly great in a white or yellow vase with a splash of greenery to make the whole thing pop!

Rock salt terrariums are another great idea for vase decoration. They're an inexpensive and easy way to create a natural-looking garden, especially for a Fourth of July party or patriotic theme!

Dyeing cheap rock salt can make it look like gemstones around your candles, which is a gorgeous way to decorate any home! They're also a fun project for kids to do with their friends.

Wood half spheres are another great way to decorate a glass jar! They're easy to cut and paint to a color of your choosing, but they can be stained or painted to match the rest of your décor as well. To know more information visit at www.funkyflowers.com.au.

[porcelainballerinas]

mar.

advil (ibuprofen), 4 pack

sally hansen pink nail polish, 6 pack

clorox bleach, industrial size

diane hair pins, 4 pack

seafoam handheld mirror

"i love new york" t-shirt, white, small

apr.

nongshim ramen noodle bowl, 24 pack

cotton balls, 100 count

"thank you for your loyalty" cards, 30 count

toluene por-15 40404 solvent, 1 quart

uv led nail lamp

cuticle oil, value pack

clear acrylic nail tips, 500 count

may

advil (ibuprofen), 4 pack

vicks vapor rub, twin pack

portable electronic nail drill

salonpas heat-activated muscle patch, 40 count

lipstick, "night out red"

little debbie chocolate zebra cakes, 4 boxes

jun.

large faux-clay planter pots, value set

carnation condensed milk, 6 pack

clear nail art acrylic liquid powder dish bowl, 2 pcs

birthday card - son - pop up mother and son effect

nike elite basketball shorts, men's small

jul.

saviland holographic gold nail powder, 6 colors

nescafe taster's choice instant coffee

advil (ibuprofen), 4 pack

pixnor pedicure double-sided callus remover

bengay medicated cream, 3 pack

aug.

newchic ochre summer dress floral print, sz 6

wrigley's doublemint gum, 8 pack

plastic adirondack lawn chair, colonial blue

sep.

nail buffers and files, 10 pcs

coppertone sunblock, 6 oz

oct.

cozynites fleece blanket, pink

sleep-ease melatonin caps, 90 count

icy hot maximum strength pain relief pads

nov.

tampax, 24 count

faux-resin hair clips, 3 pack

dec.

advil (ibuprofen) maximum strength, 4 pack

true-gro tulip bulbs, 24 pcs

jan.

feb.

healthline compact trigger release folding walker

yankee candle, midsummer's night, large jar

mar.

chemo-glam cotton head scarf, flower garden print

"warrior mom" breast cancer awareness t-shirt, pink and white

may

mueller 255 lumbar support back brace

jun.

birthday card - "son, we will always be together," snoopy design

jul.

eternity aluminum urn, dove and rose engraved, small

perfect memories picture frame. 8 x 11 in, black

burt's bees lip balm, honey, 1 pc

aug.

sep.

easy-grow windowsill herb garden

oct.

yourstory customized memorial plaque, 10 x 8 x 4 in

winter coat, navy blue, x-small

nov.

wool socks, grey, 1 pair

-- ocean vuong, amazon history of a former nail salon worker

[sensei-aishitemasu]

2020 Black-Owned Gift Guide!

2020 Black-Owned Gift Guide!

It’s that time again! Our SIXTH ANNUAL BLACK-OWNED GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!!!! This Black Friday, try and support a Black-owned business for all your gift-giving needs. For last years gift guide, click here. For the 2018 gift guide, click here. For the 2017 gift guide, click here. For the 2016 gift guide, click here. For the 2015 gift guide, click here.

Similar to previous lists, I kept every individual item listed under $100! Click on the links to be taken to the websites in order to peruse more yourselves: all businesses listed are Black-owned, and many are run by Black women, Black Americans specifically, manufactured here in the United States, and/or sustainably and ethically sourced with philanthropic causes attached to sales! Check them out. 

In addition, this year there are THREE NEW CATEGORIES! Check out items for the ‘Goth/Kawaii,’ for your ‘Activist Bae,’ and for the ‘Esoteric’ down below.

[As always, this guide has been split into categories to make it easier to get through, but feel free to mix and match for the person in your life that fits all of (or none of!) these categories!]

For the Homebody:

Lettie Gooch Small Safety Matches, $18 Lettie Gooch Amber & Moss Soy Candle, $20 Lettie Gooch White Concrete White Tea & Ginger Candle, $28 Lettie Gooch Planetarium Throw Blanket, $68 Lettie Gooch Soleil Throw Blanket, $68

Debra Cartwright ‘Bike’ Watercolor Print, $38 Debra Cartwright ‘Aura’ Watercolor Print, $87 Debra Cartwright ‘Astro Millennial Ladies in Quarantine’ Coloring Book, $5

Harlem Candle Company ‘Brownstone’ Luxury Candle, $45 Harlem Candle Company ‘Lenox’ Luxury Room Spray, $30 Harlem Candle Company ‘Langston’ Luxury Room Spray, $30

Jungalow Genie Vase, $89 Jungalow Handwoven Peach Planter, $49 Jungalow Azul Face Pillow by Justina Blakeney X Loloi, $89 Jungalow Soft Mint Pillow, $89 Jungalow Aja Wallpaper in Green by Justina Blakeney, $5 (per sheet) Jungalow Tigris Wallpaper in Onyx by Justina Blakeney, $5 (per sheet) Jungalow Cream Looped Wool Rug, $99.00 Jungalow Silvia Teal & Berry Rug by Justina Blakeney X Loloi, $69.00 Jungalow Striped Orange Outdoor Rug, $59.00 Jungalow Reindeer Games Hook Pillow by Justina Blakeney, $60.00 Jungalow Peace Vase by Justina Blakeney, $68.00 

Kashmir Viii ‘S is for Soul’ Print, $35-$45 

Galerie LA Rooted Incense Holder, $45

Duchess365 358 Art Print, $23.99 

Jeff Manning Art ‘Aplomb’ Art Print, $45 Jeff Manning Art ‘Pacific’ Art Print, $30

Kicky Mats ‘Get Naked’ Bath Mat, $30 Kicky Mats ‘Did You Wash Your Hands?’ Doormat, $50 Kicky Mats ‘Go Away, Come Back With Wine’ Doormat, $50 Kicky Mats ‘Did You Call First?’ Doormat, $50

228 Grant Street Candle Co. Tobacco + Patchouli Gold Travel Tin, $11 228 Grant Street Candle Co. Wild Blackberry + Absinthe Amber Jar, $21 228 Grant Street Candle Co. Oakmoss + Amber Apothecary Jar, $32

Shea Makery Strawberry Cheesecake Signature Candle, $40 Shea Makery Cinna-Bowl Signature Candle, $40

The Silver Room Cider and Cedar Leaf Candle, $34 The Silver Room Rose Water & Tea Leaves Diffuser, $28 The Silver Room Minnie Ripperton - Les Fleur Vinyl, $26

Rituals + Ceremony Anonomy Sculptures, $79 Rituals + Ceremony USB Travel Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser, $25

Handcrafted Ceramic Watering Cans, $64

Fill More Waste Less Natural Loofah Sponge, $2.50 Fill More Waste Less Food Huggers, $12. 99 

Ment Nelson Backwoods Baptism Print, $50 Ment Nelson Old Sheldon Print, $40

Quarantine Games!

Trading Races, $19.99

Winsults, $25

Cards For All People - Black Card Revoked (First Edition), $17.99

Trap Wars - The Urban Game Night Experience, $22.99

Lyrically Correct 90's & 2000's Hip Hop/R&B Edition, $24.99

Black Wall Street - The Black History Board Game, $49.99

Pull Your Card Music Trivia: Hip Hop Edition, $14.99

Spill It Card Game, $23

'Verified' A Party Game for Social Media Lovers (Original Edition), $19.99

For the Foodie:

Kashmir Viii ‘The Black Power’ Mixtape Coasters, $40 Kashmir Viii ‘Reclaim It’ Mug, $16 Kashmir Viii ‘I Slay.’ Clutch, $45 

Galerie LA Peak and Valley Balance Blend, $30 

‘The Cooking Gene,’ by Michael W. Twitty, $28.99 

‘From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes From the Boss Dog’s Kitchen’ by Snoop Dogg, $24.95 

Essie Spice Signature Sauce Collection, $42 

‘Your Guide to Tasteful Manners’ with Love Cork Screw, $19.95 

‘Deliciously Vegan’ Cookbook by The Chic Natural, $28.95 

EAT Apron, $30

Midnight Reflections Crowned White Ceramic Mug, $19.99

The Spice Suite Utensils + Oven Mitts, $50 The Spice Suite ‘The Little Black Spice Book’ (E-book), $30

Rituals + Ceremony Circle Mug, $40 Rituals + Ceremony Agate 6pc Plate Set, $24

Blk + Grn Stainless Steel Tea Ball Infuser, $4

Fill More Waste Less Reusable Tea Strainer, $14.99

Good Thoughts Tea Co. Tea Spoon Set, $12

KazvareMadeIt Personalised Alphabet Mug Tile Print, $20.99 KazvareMadeIt Banananana Cushion, $55.80

Addie Rawr ‘Addie's Cocktail Collection’ (Cards & Prints), $3.75

For the Beauty Guru:

Lettie Gooch Blends Perfume: Earth, $30 Lettie Gooch Bloom Perfume Blend No. 586, $48 

Galerie LA Hand Sanitizer, $10 Galerie LA Cream Cleanser, $16 Galerie LA Citrine Sea Tropical Exfoliator, $18 Galerie LA Botanica Rose Roller, $14 Galerie LA Botanica Lavender Roller, $14 Galerie LA Aurora Superfood Elixer (Face Serum), $27 Galerie LA Jade Eye Mask, $44 Galerie LA Rose Quartz Facial Roller, $28.00 

Shea Makery Scar Healing Serum, $23 Shea Makery Cinnamon Bun Body Butter, $25 Shea Makery Glazed Donut Body Butter, $25 Shea Makery Milk + Honey + Syrup Bubble Bath, $22 Shea Makery Honeycomb Bath Set, $16

The Lip Bar Cheek and Eye Palette, $15  The Lip Bar ‘Goddess’ Lipgloss, $14 The Lip Bar ‘Bawse Lady’ Liquid Matte Lipstick, $13  The Lip Bar ‘4:00 Stuntin' Fast Face Kit,’ $99 The Lip Bar Limited Edition Easy Holiday Glam Collection, $25  The Lip Bar ‘Lip Bar Littles,’ $18.99 The Lip Bar Minimalist Lovers Bundle, $36

Auda B. Beauty Soy Polish Remover, $26 

Breukelen Polished ‘Paid and Full,’ $11 Breukelen Polished ‘Get Me Right’ Treatment Set, $25

Beauty Bakerie ‘Milk & Honey’ Highlighting Brush, $18 Beauty Bakerie ‘Coffee and Cocoa’ Bronzer Palette, $38 Beauty Bakerie ‘Black Egg-cellence’ Beauty Sponges, $18  Beauty Bakerie ‘Sugar Cookies’ Palette, $28 Beauty Bakerie ‘The Butter’ Hydrasilk Primer, $24

Mented Mini Brush Trio, $10 Mented Everyday Eyeshadow Palette, $28 Mented Brush Collection, $45 Mented Holiday Faves Trio, $50

Blac Minerals Highlight Bundle, $32 

Danessa Myricks Beauty Oil, $30  Danessa Myricks Waterproof Cream Palettes, $36 Danessa Myricks Luxe Cream Palettes ‘The Nudist,’ $44

Pear Nova ‘Holiday Essentials’ Nail Set, $90 

Habit Cosmetics Nail Polish in Voodoo, $18  Habit Cosmetics Nail Polish in Midnight Cowboy, $18 Habit Cosmetics Nail Polish in Black Orpheus, $18 Habit Cosmetics Nail Polish in Scarab, $18

Hunny Bunny Cuticle Cream, $4.50 Hunny Bunny Grapefruit Sugar Scrub, $20

Taupe Coat in Good Fortune, $11

More Brands To Try:

People of Color Beauty

Mischo Beauty

Suite Eleven

Brown Butter Beauty

Beija Flor Naturals

Plain Jane Beauty

Ancient Cosmetics

Hue Noir

Lotus Moon Skincare

For the Fashion Conscious:

Merit ‘Fate’ Bucket Hat, $20

Chris Cardi Signature TwistDYE Tee, $33

Lettie Gooch Black Mineral Washed Jacquard Leggings, $68 Lettie Gooch ‘Smiling On The Inside’ Mask, $28

Kashmir Viii Face Masks, $16 Kashmir Viii ‘Around The Way Girl’ Clutch, $45-$60

Galerie LA Hemp Tie Button Down Sage, $90 Galerie LA Gratia Jumpsuit Tumeric, $100 Galerie LA Red Zipper Wallet, $45 Galerie LA Dopp Kitt (Makeup Bag) in Navy, $40 Galerie LA Lunar Star Earrings, $100 Galerie LA Meria Sunglasses Coral Pink, $75 Galerie LA Oda Ring, $45 Galerie LA Sabbath Cocoon Tunic, $85

Tree Fairfax Keychain, $22.50 Tree Fairfax Lois Belt, $45

LoveCortnie Polka Dot Leather Key Chain Clasps, $15 LoveCortnie Small Leather Tassel, $17 LoveCortnie ‘Color Me’ Coin Purse, $30 LoveCortnie Envelope Card Holder (Black & White), $32

Rue 107 ‘Toni’ Bikini in XOXO Print, $98 Rue 107 Signature Pencil Skirt in XOXO Print, $68 Rue 107 Tied Cropped Tank in XOXO Print, $48 Rue 107 Tied Cropped Tank in Vintage Rose Print, $48 Rue 107 Signature Pencil Skirt in Vintage Rose Print, $68

Grant Blvd ‘Sustainable Shit Only’ Fanny Pack, $26

Ebony and Green Mindfulness Earrings, $10

For the Bookworm:

‘Daymares’ by Kenya Moss-Dyme, $12.99

‘Hood Feminism’ by Mikki Kendall, $26

‘The Source of Self-Regard’ by Toni Morrison, $28.95

‘Tar Baby’ by Toni Morrison, $15

‘The Beautiful Ones’ by Prince, $30

‘In Her Hands: The Story of Sculptor Augusta Savage’ by Alan Schroeder, $12.95

‘The Street: A Novel’ by Ann Petry, $15.99

‘Chasing Down a Dream: A Blessings Novel’ by Beverly Jenkins, $14.99

‘Rebel (Women Who Dare)’ by Beverly Jenkins, $5.98

‘Night Song’ by Beverly Jenkins, $8.99

‘Tempest’ by Beverly Jenkins, $5.98

‘Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy’ by Maggie Anderson, $17

Rayo and Honey ‘Books Change Your Mind’ Pennant, $75

Jungalow Face Bookend Vase by Justina Blakeney, $98

Midnight Reflections Black Nerd Tote Bag, $18.99

Addie Rawr Book Club Dolls Stickers (Die Cut Stickers), $9.50

For the Kids:

Jungalow Leela Terracotta Rug by Justina Blakeney X Loloi, $89.00 Jungalow Pink Looped Wool Rug, $99.00

Galerie LA Kids Face Mask, $25

Duchess365 237 Canvas Print, $98.99 Duchess365 231 Tote Bag, $24.99 Duchess365 279 Art Print, $23.99 Duchess365 241 Framed Art Print, $47.99

Shea Makery PB & J Soap, $10 Shea Makery ‘Save A Life’ Mini Assorted Hand Soaps (Set of 12), $5

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, $16.99

‘Clean Getaway’ by Nic Stone, $16.99

‘Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid’ by Mikaela Ulmer, $16.19

ABC Me Flashcards, $20

IkdKids Rag Doll, $40

KaAn’s ‘Living The Dream’ Denim Jacket, $40

Yinibini Baby Badminton Playing Octopus Tee, $23 Yinibini Baby Fox Pullover Sweatshirt Jogger Set, $41 Yinibini Baby ROAR Lion Hooded Pullover, $45 Yinibini Narwhal Toy, $28

For the Masculine:

ALWD Signature DC PROPER Sweatshirt, $40

Chris Cardi ‘Bastards’ Tee, $30.03

Merit Flannel Shirt (Green), $65

Kashmir Viii ‘Everybody Eats, B,’ Tee, $45 Kashmir Viii ‘The Knockout’ Tee, $45

Galerie LA ‘Mister’ T-Shirt, $45

Jeff Manning Art ‘Overflow’ Art Print, $30 Jeff Manning Art ‘The Golden Age’ Art Print, $45 Jeff Manning Art ‘Overflowed Emotions’ Art Print, $50

Levi Fisher Beard Bundle, $39.99

Scotch Porter Face Care Collection, $28.99 Scotch Porter Journal, $9.99

Shea Makery Beard Oil, $15

Enbois Matte Lava Rock Bracelet, $40 Enbois Benji Matte Sunglasses, $45 Enbois Bracelets Collection - Cocoa, $50

The Silver Room Tourer Backpack, $95

Urban Profile Black Panther Shirt, $24.99

Solo Noir Starter Kit, $28.99

Bevel Shave Starter Bundle, $89.95 Bevel Skin Starter Set, $61.95

For the Tech Savvy:

Enbois iPhone Case, $12 Enbois Power Bank, $15 Enbois Grip Socket, $4

Chic Geeks Brown Faux Crocodile iPad Case, $75 Chic Geeks Brown Snakeskin iPad Case, $75 Chic Geeks Emerald Faux Crocodile iPhone Case, $50 Chic Geeks Grey Marble MacBook Case, $80 Chic Geeks Black Faux Crocodile iPad Case, $75

Khristian A. Howell Cava Melon Sleek and Chic Phone Case, $39.99 Khristian A. Howell Cava Black Sleek and Chic Phone Case, $39.99

NSPRE ‘Inferno’ Bluetooth Sunglasses, $71.99 NSPRE Micro SD Card (128GB), $21.98 NSPRE ‘The Ombres’ Bluetooth Audio Sunglasses, $59.99  NSPRE ‘The Solars’ Bluetooth BlueTech Glasses, $59.99

For the Goth/Kawaii:

VickiBeWicked Vinyl Sticker Heart Drippy Mushroom, Laptop Decal, $4 VickiBeWicked Rainbow Unicorn, Black Girl Magic Laptop Sleeve, $30.99 VickiBeWicked AfroGirls Masked Up Laptop Sleeve, $30.99 VickiBeWicked Pastel Horn Face Resin Keychain, $12.99 VickiBeWicked Red and White Splatter Skull Dangle Earrings, $7.50

Kashmir Viii ‘The KeKe’ Print, $35-$60

Adorned by Chi ‘Goth Club Presidenct’ Unisex Raglan T-Shirt, $34.99 Adorned by Chi ‘Pro Black’ Unisex Raglan T-Shirt, $34.99 Adorned by Chi ‘Pretty Girls Like Anime’ T-Shirt, $32.99 Adorned by Chi ‘Awkward’ Iron-On Patch, $11.99 Adorned by Chi ‘I Need My Space’ Hard Enamel Pin, $12.99

The Colour Polka Dot iPhone XS ‘Creepy Cute’ Rainbow Phone Case, $40 The Colour Polka Dot ‘Creepy Cute’ Spoopy Ornaments, $12 The Colour Polka Dot ‘Kawaii Cute’ Face Mask Case, $16

Embrii Shop Blush Pink Laptop Sleeve, $36

Gothic Lamb Anti Social Goth Club Tee, $28 Gothic Lamb ‘FedUp’ Tee, $24 Gothic Lamb ‘Make America Goth Again’ Tee, $28 Gothic Lamb ‘Melanin Manson’ Tee, $24

For the Esoteric:

Behati Life Third Eye Vision And Prophetic Dreams Intention Oil, $22 Behati Life New Moon Bath Soak Herbal Mix, $22 Behati Life Lunar Goddess Moon Magick Intention Oil, $22

Lettie Gooch Ecuadorian Palo Santo Quartz Crystal Bundle, $18

Jungalow Chaya Wallpaper in Amethyst by Justina Blakeney, $5

The Silver Room White Sage Bundle, $6

Grandma Baby's Black Gold Lenormand Tarot Deck, $44

Pretty Spirits ‘The Truth’ Decks, $50

The Afro Tarot, $88

The Hoodoo Tarot: 78-Card Deck and Book for Rootworkers by Tayannah Lee McQuillar, $18.66

‘Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America for Love, Money and Success’ by Tayannah Lee McQuillar, $11.99

Rituals + Ceremony Palo Santo Pack, $7 Rituals + Ceremony Empowered Vibes Ceramic Incense Holder, $10 Rituals + Ceremony Adinkra Intention Candles, $23 Rituals + Ceremony Cleanse and Protect Ritual Kit, $34 Rituals + Ceremony Crystal Candles, $22 Rituals + Ceremony Crystal Bliss: Attract Love, Feed Your Spirit, Manifest Your Dreams Book, $14.99

Ebony and Green Raw Clear Quartz Earrings, $15

For Your Activist Bae:

Kashmir Viii ‘Kash’s Bacon Shack’ Clutch, $45 Kashmir Viii ‘Copy and Paste’ Tee, $45 Kasmir Viii ‘We Did It First’ Stickers, $5.25-$20 Kashmir Viii ‘Reclaim It’ Clock, $45 Kashmir Viii ‘The Black Family’ Tee, $45

Jeff Manning Art ‘MLK’ Art Print, $35 Jeff Manning Art ‘We Shall Prevail’ Art Print, $45

‘The Spook Who Sat By The Door’ by Sam Greenlee, $21.99 ‘The Black Panthers Speak,’ $20 The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975, $22.95 A Beautiful Ghetto by Devin Allen, $26.95 ‘Are Prisons Obsolete?’ by Angela Davis, $15.95

Angela Davis T-Shirt, $25

Legendary Rootz ‘Black Girls Are The Purest Form of Art’ Tee, $25

Alex Carter ‘BLACK BUSINESS OWNERSHIP’ Tee, $50

Rayo and Honey ‘Much To Be Done & Undone’ Pennant, $75 Rayo and Honey ‘Black Lives Matter’ Pennant, $75 Rayo and Honey ‘Joy Is An Act Of Resistance’ Tote Bag, $65

‘They Carried Us: The Social Impact of Philadelphia’s Black Women Leaders’ by Allener M. Baker-Rogers & Fasaha M. Traylor, $ 28.99

Midnight Reflections Black Radical Woman Tank, $25.00

The Colour Polka Dot ‘Fuck Racism’ Resin Heart Keychain, $8

Rituals + Ceremony Be The Change Scented Candle, $24

Grant Blvd ‘Disrupter’ Tee, $30 Grant Blvd ‘End Cash Bail’ Hoodie, $54 

Cards, Notebooks and Wrapping Paper + Holiday Ornaments:

VickiBeWicked ‘Skull Santa’ and Candy Cane Greeting Cards, $2

Harlem Candle Company Set of 10 Vintage Nightclub Greeting Cards, $30

Kashmir Viii ‘Nina En Printemps’ (Nina Simone) Notebook, $14 Kashmir Viii ‘Boo Yow!’ Notebook, $14

Midnight Reflections Wrapping Paper 3-pack, $26.97

Midnight Reflections Claus Ceramic Ornaments, $15.99

Midnight Reflections Emoji Black Santa Christmas Stockings, $24.99

Bylianarae Note Cards, $15

KazvareMadeIt Rap Lines Inspirational Coloring Book, $18.20 KazvareMadeIt Lemonade Notebook, $18.20 KazvareMadeIt Fried Egg Wallpaper, $4.88 KazvareMadeIt Diamond Retro Wrapping Paper, $4.88

Khristian A. Howell ‘Speak To Me’ Wallpaper, $12 (sample pack) Khristian A. Howell ‘Palm Springs’ Gift Wrap, $8.99 Khristian A. Howell ‘Sonar’ Gift Wrap, $8.99 Khristian A. Howell ‘Twinkle’ Gift Wrap, $8.99 Khristian A. Howell ‘Ansley Park’ Gift Wrap, $8.99 Khristian A. Howell ‘Rosy’ Holiday Gift Wrap, $8.99 Khristian A. Howell ‘Long Weekend’ Gift Wrap, $8.99 Khristian A. Howell ‘Bonjour’ Card Set (10 pk), $18

GreenTop Gifts ‘Clarence Claus’ HOHOHO Gift Wrap, $7.50 GreenTop Gifts ‘Clarence Claus’ Do Not Open Gift Wrap, $7.50 GreenTop Gifts ‘Clarence Claus’ Candy Canes and Trees Gift Wrap, $7.50

Addie Rawr 2021 Planners (Preorder), $30 Addie Rawr The Great Gratitude Journal, $20 Addie Rawr The Great Gratitude Journal, $20

[master-sass-blast]

Baby, It’s Cold Outside.

Welcome to Spoopy Season, have some smut-adjacent winter fic.

Summary: A winter squall sweeps across New York and knocks out the power at yours and Piotr's home. The two of you make camp next to the fireplace to stay warm until the power comes back on --and find other ways to stay warm, too.

Pairing(s): Piotr Rasputin/Reader.

Rating: T for Making Out, Partial Nudity, and Implied Sex.

Word Count: 1.1k.

Set after “The Christmas Decorating Fic.”

This is part of a weekly October series that will ramp up in smutiness as each week passes. This one's more smut adjacent than outright filth, hence the 'T' rating.

Taglist: @marvel-is-perfection, @chromecutie, @girl-obsessed-with-things, @super-darkcloudstudent, @leo-writer, @dandyqueen

The lights flicker once, then twice.

You look up from your laptop. You stare at the nearest lamp, then over at your husband. “I’d say ghosts, but it’s the wrong season for them.”

Piotr chuckles, holding a pastel between his index finger and thumb as he works on a picture of a waterfall. “Probably just storm.”

To punctuate his point, the wind howls outside. The house and nearby trees creak under the force of the wind and snow.

The lights flicker again. The furnace bounces with them, shutting off before the quiet hum kicks back in.

Piotr frowns. “I am going to call mansion, see if they are having problems as well—”

The lights flicker again –then go out, plunging your home into darkness.

“Well,” you say after a moment of sitting in the darkness. “That’s a problem.”

 ***

 It’s not just your home –or the school, for that matter. The squall has knocked out a good section of New York City by hitting several transformers. The electrical crews are doing what they can, but given the conditions, it’s going to be a while before the power comes back on.

You, for one, are not bothered. You’re wrapped in a blanket, curled up in a chair while you stare outside at the pristine blankets of snow. “It’s so crazy how much light the snow reflects, huh?”

“Da,” Piotr agrees as he hauls in a gargantuan armload of firewood. He closes the door behind him, stomps off his boots, then places the firewood in a neat pile on the mat by the door. “It is very beautiful.”

“Yeah,” you agree, voice almost wistful as you gaze out at the snow. “It really is.”

Piotr smiles fondly as he watches you. He shucks out of his winter gear, hangs them up on the coat rack mounted next to the door, then crosses the distance between the two of you and kisses your cheek. “It is not only beautiful thing.”

You shriek and try to squirm away. “Your nose is so cold!”

Piotr laughs and presses his ice-cold nose into the crook of your neck. “You are very warm, myshka.”

“No! You sadist!”

He laughs again, then relents in his torture of you. “Temperatures will be under freezing tonight. Should we set up ‘camp’ down here, next to fireplace, so we stay warm?”

“Hey, I’ve got the world’s biggest Russian heater at a bedmate,” you tease, nestling up against his brawny chest to reinforce your point. “I’m gonna be just fine.”

Piotr chuckles and draws his arm around you. He kisses the top of your head. “Would you grab camping stove and lamps from basement? I can bring down bed and blankets.”

“Ooh, are we going to have a sleepover? Can we tell ghost stories?” you joke.

“If you like,” Piotr says, voice fond beyond measure. “If you like.”

 ***

 The two of you set up shop in the family room, next to the fireplace. Piotr sets the bed down between the fireplace and the couch –though not too close, so as not to risk an incident—then sets about building a fire while you get the lamps and camp stove set up.

“I brought up some extra quilts and stuff, too,” you say as Piotr blows on the lit kindling to help the logs catch. “I thought we could hang them up to help block the heat in here?”

“Good thinking, myshka,” Piotr says as he stuffs some extra dryer lint between the logs.

***

 Once the fire’s going, the two of you set about hanging blankets across the doorways and the stairwell to help trap the warm air (with the help of a few picture hanging nails). After that’s done, Piotr makes the bed while you light a few candles for ambience.

“Is this a ‘buttercream frosting’ kind of night or a ‘frosted holly’ kind of night?” you ask as you peer at the labels printed on the jars.

“Do we not have more ‘Gingerbread Dreams’” Piotr asks as he smooths out the flannel blanket the two of you keep under the comforter during the colder months.

“I burned through the last of that on Friday.”

He ‘tsks’ and places the pillows at the head of the bed. “Holly, then. Buttercream is too sweet.”

“Suit yourself.” You light the maroon colored candle, then set on a shelf where it’ll be clear of the bed. “How’re we looking?”

“Very cozy.” Piotr sits on the bed, then holds a hand out to you. He draws you in against his chest, encircling his burly arms around you. “Privet.”

“Hey, yourself.” You smile up at him as you settle in his lap. “Come here often?”

He runs the pad of his thumb along your jaw. “Not nearly often enough.”

A shiver runs down your spine when his lips meet yours. You wind your arms around his neck, eyelids sliding shut as Piotr holds you closer still. You hum, contentment and pleasure singing through your veins.

Piotr moans softly as his lips move against yours. His hands rub up and down your back, caressing you through your sweater –and then he slowly, gently lays you down against the bed.

Your legs part on instinct, making room for his hips to settle between your thighs. You clutch at his broad, powerful shoulders, breath catching in your throat when he nips at your lower lip. A whine tugs at the back of your throat when his lips lower to your neck; you tip your head back to give him better access.

He tugs down your collar for better access. He slides his tongue along the column of your neck. His hips shift against yours when you moan, moving in soft, steady rocking motions.

You whimper when he rolls his tongue at the spot on the side of your neck, just under your jaw. “Piotr…”

The fire crackles a few feet away, bathing the room in a warm, golden glow.

He slides his hands under your sweater and shirt; they skim up your sides, easily spanning your ribcage before coming to a stop just below the band of your bra. He brushes his thumbs against the bottom of the cups, kissing you passionately as he does.

Fuck it. You quickly shuck out of your sweater and shirt, then divest Piotr of his Henley.

He sits back on his haunches, pulling you to his chest. His tongue licks into your mouth, swirling against your tongue briefly before he pulls back to kiss your neck again.

Your fingers slide into his hair. You clutch at his thick, dark tresses, dragging a low groan out of him. “This might be easier,” you manage, already breathless, “if we weren’t wearing pants.”

He chuckles against your throat. “You make excellent point, myshka.”

The pants come off. As does everything else. The room falls silent, save for the hissing and popping of the fire, the distant howl of the winter winds, and the sounds of your two’s bliss.

The world could end, and you wouldn’t need anything other than him.

[mattzerella-sticks]

Memento (1.1k, Dean/Cas, 15x15 ‘Gimme Shelter’ coda)

read on ao3

Why did Castiel have a photo of himself in a cowboy hat? Where did he get it? Who took it, and more importantly who gave it to him?

           Cas finds it, oddly enough, on Dean’s nightstand. Wedged between the pages of an old tome left abandoned, hidden. With only its edge poking out. He pinched the visible end, pulling carefully. Slowly. As if taking it won’t interfere with Dean’s research. Cas doubts, though. A layer of dust blankets most of the cover, and treatises on variations of hex bags doesn’t seem like a book Dean reads during his spare time. Besides these obvious clues, there’s also the powerful tug of curiosity calling him forward. Siren song too tempting for such a simple bookmark.

           He frees it.

           It’s not a bookmark. It’s him.

           Tracing the edges of his profile, Cas studies the candid shot taken one, maybe two years ago. Hastily bought cowboy hat looking ridiculous paired with his everyday outfit of a suit and trench coat. Still, he kept it on. Brought this accessory home, baited into doing so, and hung it over a hook in his room. Worn only when requested.

           Not tonight. They’re watching a different movie. A murder mystery Dean found from the seventies, rented through Amazon. He promised Cas would like it. Swore there were no cowboys in this picture.

           But he hadn’t meant what Cas held in his hand, did he?

           Dean returns, Cas hearing the slight hiccup of breath he makes. Cas glances from his face, seeing how pale Dean’s become. Towel slung around his shoulders; wet hair plastered to his forehead. Sleepwear damp from him dressing while not fully dry. His lips flatten, dimples popping as lines around his eyes crinkle. “Hey.”

           “Hey,” Cas says, flicking the photo, “where’d you get this?”

           He shrugs, “Took it on my phone.”

           “When?”

           More shrugging. Dean shuffles forward, dumping his towel on a nearby pile. Waits until he’s on the other side of his bed, sitting across from Cas. Bodies turned towards each other. “Back in Tombstone,” Dean explains, “when we were filling Baby’s tank after chatting with the sheriff. You were watching that busker by the bus stop.”

           “He was really good,” Cas adds, remembering. A guitar melody echoing in his mind, haunting but beautiful. It reminded him of someone, and that’s why he stared in the busker’s direction. At least then there’d be less questions.

           Dean nods. “Anyway, I’d just paid the attendant and we could’ve left but… the sun was going down at the right time, and you looked…” His hand waves, parsing through the air for help. He gets none. “Figured I should take a picture,” he says, lamely, “I never seem to have enough of you, Cas.”

           Cas thinks about his reasoning. About how many pictures of Dean he has. On his phone, sure. In person, like what he holds? There’s barely any. Dean’s fondness for visible copies of memories warms his heart, and his thumb brushes his own cheek. “You took a great photo of me.”

           “Helps when I’ve got a good model.”

           “You had this printed, correct?” he asks, switching course. Driving off the highway before they could continue on dangerous terrain. “How?”

           “Took it to a pharmacy in town,” Dean tells him, “They got the tech, even though a lot of people don’t need it anymore. Probably the only guy who uses it, actually. The kid behind the counter knows me by name.” He chuckles, rubbing at his knee. “Were you thinking of getting some photos of your own printed?”

           “I think so, yes…” Cas smiles, “Hanging some pictures in my room might be nice, or I can always keep them in books.” An arched, pointed brow that draws further awkward laughter from Dean.

           “Yeah, I – you caught me,” he says. Dean swipes at his nose, head bowed, “I… I was going through my photos but – uh… time got away from me. Knew you’d be swinging by soon for our – our movie, hang… thing. I slid them in there to put away later, after my shower or after the – the movie.”

           “So, if I were to open this book… there’d be more pictures?” Dean won’t answer. That’s all Cas needs. He places the photo on top of its former resting place. “I think it’s about time we start that movie, don’t you?”

           “I’ll boot my laptop,” Dean says, standing. Obvious relief entwined with his tone. “You get cozy, Cas.”

           “As you wish.” The other man stills by his desk, shoulders tensing. Cas softly huffs under breath, discarding his outer layers. Princess Bride was months ago. He liked quoting it, still, whenever the occasion arose. By the time Cas slips his shoes off, Dean lay in bed. Propped by pillows, laptop on his lap. Cas climbs in next to him, legs pressed together. Socked foot against bare. “Dean?”

           “Yeah, Cas?” He worries his lip, distracted while setting up the movie. “What is it?”

           “Do you have a second copy of that picture of me?”

           Dean’s finger stills over the spacebar. His gaze darts over, peeking at Cas out the corner of his eye. “Didn’t know you were that self-absorbed Cas.”

           He elbows Dean, feigning a scowl that blossoms into a tiny grin when Dean fully faces him. Their noses inches apart, where he can feel each breath that leaves him. “It’s not that,” Cas says, “I… it’s a great picture that you took. To me, it wouldn’t be a reminder of the subject… but of the artist.”

           His skin radiates heat, temperature rising each second after Cas spoke. Dean glances at his lips, then meets Cas’s eyes again. “I don’t have to print another one out,” he says, voice a hoarse whisper, “you can keep that one.”

           “Really?”

           “Yeah,” Dean coughs, breaking their contest. Turning back towards the screen, “As you wish or… whatever.”

           Cas feels his body tip over the edge, bursting with an enormous light. Going full supernova. In the next blink, all that fire collapses in on itself and rests nicely in his stomach. A flickering candle that won’t ever fade.

           He scoots closer, throwing his leg across Dean’s. Their ankles crossed. “So,” Cas purrs, “this movie we’re watching? What’s it about?”

           “Like I told you Cas, it’s a murder mystery,” he grouses, “I’m not gonna spoil anything?”

           “Not even the setting? The characters? The name?”

           Dean relents, hissing out a few curses before revealing bits of the story. “It’s called the Last Sheila, and it…” His mind wanders, Dean’s voice lulling him safely into a comfortable state. A half-awareness. Being both in the moment and outside it. Cas looks at the scene as if he were a voyeur. Considers their positions, history, and everything else. Wonders how it would look captured through the lens of a camera.

           It’d make for an amazing photo. However, Cas is perfectly content letting the opportunity pass. Being present with Dean more important than that. They don’t have to pin every butterfly to the corkboard or trap every firefly in a glass jar. Life moves forward. Cas will have plenty of chances, enough he can fill a scrapbook.

           Right now, he and Dean are watching a movie.

           That’s all.

[clownmeat242]

the big, brown beaded rosary above my grandparents’ bed

a big, bulky backpack full of my dads things

a stick used to pry mud

an apple that stayed very good after a long time

pink, purple, and blue lava lamps

a special yellow lava lamp

an angel baby statuette, lying down holding a moon

2 special, blue coral dolphin figurines, 4 dolphins, 2 dolphins each

a mood bracelet

blue bangles with colorful gemstones

a card id that was my dad’s death identification

a big, interconnected dmv online system with games

a nun’s headdress

various gummy candy

christmas light lawn deer decorations

photographs of my dad

a photograph of my grandpa with my two young cousins

a plastic bag full of yellow rice and shrimp

my dad’s eggs

the string across sierra’s window with our things hanging from it

american flag sunglasses

a brown cigar box

a silver elk creature with silver chains hanging from it

black swirls of death

these goggle-like glasses that would have parts that would pop off when trying to be fixed

a clear, dry glue stick

a bitten off, red ring pop that resembled a pacifier

a peppa pig baby phone toy

a baby book with blue writing and bees all around it, saying “the cross dressing” something

the blue can of axe spray from 2016

my grandpa’s computer

clear, star shaped boxes of blue slime with pink beads

carrot cake

the red ball toy with the cat in the hat on it, from my childhood

a bulky, purple, show poodle toy

an oval shaped virgin mary necklace with a golden crown

a bigger, heavier, circular, holographic necklace of mary, joseph and jesus, with a message about love

a halloween wall decoration of a group of people wearing pink with blank faces

little sims 4 ghost light decorations

fancy bathtubs with buckets to collect water from them

chocolate straws and wafers

a big hole in the sand that resembled one my dad used to dig

the aloe vera plant on grandma’s balcony

the beaded necklace i made with cheap walmart beads, with a part of the ohio bead necklace attached to it

a deep blue, circular pendant of mary and jesus

this virgin mary, religious box and a mary/joseph/jesus figurine

a note written to a teacher about “what my grandpa did to me”

the rose lamp in my room

my puppy angel container

my backpack, stolen by my grandpa

sierra and i’s black notebook

a big toy bear that was actually a real bear

buttered toast

incomplete clown outfits

contradicting black/white couches

metal rods shoved through little mind people holding them in place, dead together

gratuitous cupcakes with baby blue icing

a mix of games i created with a crash code, crashing into itself like a death game black hole

orange juice

my jar of piercings, while my earrings were all missing from my ears

a big grey fountain with a statue virgin mary in the middle of it

mary made of the same opaque glass as the light angel

a documentary about the women who lived in the pink virgin mary house, as well as a youth group

a map of a beach area where mary was born

a metal helmet with little wings

dark black scribble drawings in my old puppy notebook

a drawing about something having to do with protecting the precious innocence of a child

a meth pipe with meth in it

a magnifying glass

a green backpack that belonged to my different dream parents, full of old photographs

golden tooth/gums dog implants

silver paw print dog tag

yellow greyhound bus tickets from savannah, georgia to west virginia

dried chunk of ramen noodles

a handful of clear dog teeth

a bag of blood to drink

my red axe, that i bestowed upon an ally

the blue manatee towel from my childhood

a thing that looked like a bowling pin but it was a “clown drink” and spawned in random places

holographic religious picture in my wallet

alcohol bottles at the store to smash

my clover ring (it’s “lost”)

blue toy unicorns, severed doll heads, naked barbies

a big heart collage figurine thing that my aunt created for me, with a bible verse, a glued picture of me when i was a child on green sea glass, a framed heart photo of my little cousin, a crying fairy angel figurine on top, a candle, and a figurine of st. francis crying, kneeling. it was stuck together with this movable white glue so it would come apart, but it was together.

these book pages that could have paint extracted from them

drawers that could only be opened with passcode

chicken patties that were cooked over and over, dropped in the same places, and eaten

blue ice pops that appeared frozen but were liquid

lemon flavored chips

a letter with evil energy written to me, with thick, scribbly distressed black writing, that said “GET SOME HELP” with a $500 bill, and on the back more unintelligible crayon writing, with 2 names, zesh & halla, and a pumpkin drawing

a shining blue orb in the sky with a mermaid inside, floating down to my grandma’s balcony and created energy

my mom’s teenage ring

a big box of tools

reflective mirror glasses

a screen that “needed repairing”

a dress up game where you could turn a man’s head into the head of a gorilla

2 stacks of childhood photos that i gave to an undeserving person, to look through

an alternate instagram account of someone i knew in middle school where he was dead and it was his memory page

a candid photo of 3 people i knew in middle school

donny’s white truck that i messed up somehow by turning the wheels on gravel

a huge container full of yellow pacifiers

a piece of paper that someone wrote “angel” on

a pink key and a red key

a huge stack of hay that could kill people by rolling over them

the window of a pool supply store with blue art of angels ascending

money that looked like superman cards

a purple vape with a synthetic marijuana substance (paranoia, hallucinations) called axlaxl

a pink box with feminine personal effects

huge cardboard boxes of fruit, stacked on top of small beer boxes stacked on top of each other

a red toy soldier holding a bazooka (counterpart)

a rainbow jumprope stuck in the dirt attached to roots

a huge yellow goodyear semi truck

a small amount of weed in an old altoids can

my dad’s red box of drill bits

my old purple bike

classic bubble gum

my green converse that had something written on them like “cage the lamb”

my tragic clown statue that and had its porcelain coat turned inside out to be a rodeo vest

a white pair of boxers with burgers, fries and soda pops, and another pair over them, cut and snipped

a golden outdoor christmas display of the virgin mary, joseph and jesus

a gargantuan statue of the virgin mary looking down at the ground, wearing a light blue veil, towering over the church

a mermaid drawing on a whiteboard

a white sheet tied up with a black and pink easter egg inside that could put a fully grown human inside of it

pink, rose shaped bouncy ball that lit up, and once lit it wouldn’t ever stop lighting up, a pumpkin one too

food tickets that could get you rice drowned in vegetable water

orange frog displays in dirt

a designated frog hat that lets the people know who the leader is

“angel water” in green vials

aztec heads in the pool bathroom

huge dead roaches

a box of ham

a cat angel statue

2 cherubs made of clay, had water dumped on them and they melted

tall blue flip flops

a white friday the 13th lighter

a white “the shining” lighter that had “jack” written in blood on a hotel wall

an airline called “popair”

silver hanging nipple rings, a silver chain and half blue, half red pants

severed amusement park parts being taken away in a white van

a box of nails/screws, a big black box

bamboo trees

a big ball of chocolate

my skyrim dragon keychain

a drawing pad with 2 girls kissing

a faucet that soaked everything

a disgusting poem written by my grandpa “lathered in water, a son and a daughter, how exquisite”

a red squishy bear toy

[imagineitup]

Constellations and Tea Leaves : Theseus Scamander x Reader

request : Sunrise, Sunset and Dreamlike Candlelight broke me while Gentle Flurry and Lights remind me of xmas and winter even if it’s scorchingly hot here. I’d run out of space if I mention all your fics so I’ll just say that I have them bookmarked to re-read a 100x over. Anyway, can I request a Theseus oneshot where the reader usually spends birthdays having dinner out (trying out a new restaurant) with her family but this year it's not possible because they're in different continents? Thanks!

a/n : thank you for requesting love! xx

masterlist

- - 

It’s a mid-afternoon Sunday when you first tell Theseus, rambling absent-mindedly as the tea-kettle whistles on the stove, copper handles refracting the sunlight streaming through the washed windows.

“I’m just staying home this week,” you say, reaching up on your tip-toes to swing open the cabinet on the top shelf, gathering two chipped mugs, the porcelain a washy sort of blue.  “I usually go out to dinner with my family, but you know, they’re too far away, and all that.”

Theseus looks at you, leaning a hand above his head to lean against the fridge.  “You mean to tell me you aren’t doing anything?  Nothing at all?”

You shrug, placing the mugs on the countertop with a clatter.  “I had dinner with them last week.  It’s not the same, but it’s better than nothing.” Theseus raises an eyebrow.  “You’re not meeting with friends?”

Steam rises from the kettle, a shrill screech echoing through the kitchen.  You hurry to lift the handle, carefully pouring the water into the teapot resting opposite the stove.

“Pass me the tea-leaves, will you?”

Theseus straightens, reaching towards the pantry to grab the glass bottle of loose-leaf Earl Grey, then one silver spoon from the wooden drawer next to the potted succulents.

“I’m not meeting with friends because none of them know it’s my birthday.”

Theseus pauses putting tea leaves in the teapot, fixing you with a blank, exasperated look.  “You haven’t told them?  (Y/N), if they knew I’m sure they’d want to do something for you.”

“Doesn’t matter,” you say, closing the cover of the teapot.  “It’s not that important, it’s just a day.”  You lean against the table, fixing Theseus with a look.  “I stopped telling my friends when I was little, so I’ve gotten used to it.  Really.”

Theseus sighs, sticking his hands in his pockets.  “Well, what about your boyfriend?”

You shake your head.  “I don't have one.”

”Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume.  Your girlfriend, then.”

You smile, busying yourself with the mugs and setting them down next to the teapot.  “I’m not dating anyone, Theseus.”

Theseus stumbles, and he turns to face you.  “That’s a lie.”

You shrug. “I’m afraid not.  I don’t think anyone fancies me at the moment.”

Theseus looks entirely confused.  He looks at you strangely, scrutinizing you under his gaze.  “No?”  He runs a hand across his jaw, puzzled. “(Y/N), there are hundreds of people who would be lucky to take you out to dinner.”

You sigh, throwing your hands in the air, exasperated.  “Well, no one does.”  You reach for the teapot, pouring Earl Gray into the two identical mugs, pushing one across the table towards Theseus.  “Look, you’re you, and that’s great, but not everyone’s going to have people throwing themselves at them left and right.”

Theseus sputters.  “Yes, but not the person I want.”

You roll your eyes, smiling.  “Oh, he knows he’s attractive!  And he’s selective.  Nice.”

Theseus laughs, leaning back in his chair.  “The person I fancy could care less about my dating life, I think.”

You prop your head up as you rest your elbows on the table.  “Well, I wish you luck with your person.”

Theseus smile grows into a smirk, and he stands to grab the scones and jars of mulberry jam from the fridge.  “Thanks.  I’m going to need it.”

- - 

The night of your birthday, you sit in the kitchen, a mug of tea held in your hands.  You’re rereading the card your family wrote to you, smiling as you see the picture they’ve enclosed.

There’s a knock at the door, and you stand up, padding over to the door in pajama bottoms and fuzzy socks.

Theseus is standing outside, hands in coat-pockets, his figure blurry and distorted through the glass peep-hole.

You sigh, opening the door.

“What.”

Theseus smiles at you, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.  At this time you notice the two parcels he’s carrying under his arm, flowers wrapped in newspaper by his feet.  “Sorry I’m late, we had a mandatory meeting.  You know, Ministry stuff.”

Your eyes are widening, you’re suddenly stepping aside.  “What are you, why?”

Theseus shrugs, smirking.  “You didn’t really think I was just going to let you spend your birthday doing nothing, did you?  That’s just sad.”

You put your hands in your face, your voice muffled.  “You didn’t have to get me flowers —“

“I know.”  Theseus steps further inside, flipping on the light switches.  “But there was a florist on the side of the Ministry, and no one was buying anything from him, so I thought, might as well.”

You can’t help the smile that stretches up your face, and you shake your head.

Theseus calls from the kitchen, slight uncertainty entering his voice, “You do like them, right?”

You follow him to the kitchen, lightly shoving him on the shoulder.  “Of course I do.  They’re lovely.”

Theseus smiles, an actual smile, and he places the two parcels on the table.  One’s wrapped with parchment paper and tied with string, a sprig of olive tucked underneath the ribbon, and the second a small take-out box.

You raise an eyebrow, sitting down. “What’s that?”

“Open it.”

You pull the box towards you, carefully propping the lid, then shutting it, fixing Theseus with a look.  “You shouldn’t have.”

Theseus shrugs.  “But I did, so there.”

You reopen the box, not being able to stifle your smile.  “Is this from that little patisserie with the frosted macarons and the cakes and the cocoa?”

Theseus nods, lighting the candles with a simple nonverbal spell.  He proceeds to sing a very tuneless “Happy Birthday,” and you laugh, kicking him underneath the table and covering your ears.

“You’re the worst.”

Theseus smirks.  “The best.”

You blow the candles out, the light illuminating your face, and you look up again to see Theseus sputtering as smoke spews into his face.  

“You’re the worst,” he says, in between breaths.  “Thanks a lot.”

You smile and stand to grab two white plates and forks, carefully splitting the Victoria sponge and pushing the plate without the strawberry towards Theseus, who takes it without comment.

The wrapped present still sits on the table, and you reach for it, pulling on the pieces of string, and ripping apart the parchment.  There’s a book inside, dark blue with specks of silver on the cover.

“I saw it at a bookstore I walked past and thought it looked interesting.”

You sputter, turning the book to the side.  “Theseus, this is an astronomy book. I never told anyone I liked astronomy.”

Theseus looks down at his shoes, running a hand across his jaw, “well, like I said, I just happened to see it as I was walking past —“

“Theseus.”

“— and you have a constellation necklace, and an art print in your kitchen, and unrelated, but you also always save the astrology horoscope part of the newspaper every week,” he trails off, sheepishly.  “Look, I know it’s not the same as going to dinner with your family, but I —“

Your hand flies up to your necklace, your voice softens.  “Theseus, this is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Theseus looks up, eyes wide.  

“I,” you look around at the flowers, the book, the cake, “I was planning on drinking tea and wallowing and you did all this … I can’t believe, I mean, this is amazing!”  You can feel your smile stretching and glowing, and you stand up, reaching to hug Theseus.  “I’m so happy I could kiss you —“

“Please do.”

You pause, startled.  “Huh?”

“Well, look at the time,” Theseus stands, flustered.

You smirk, reaching to tug on his sleeve.  “I’m going to kiss you.”

It’s Theseus’ turn to look surprised, and you stand on your tip-toes, pressing your lips to his.

[cedarmoons]

written for my fic trade with @4biddenleeches,​ featuring Julian and her apprentice Aredhel! references events from her awesome one foot in the grave fic, but you don’t have to read that to enjoy this! vaguely nsfw esp at the end.

*

Once, Julian had not thought himself a particularly lucky man. He still remembers that night he’d broken into her shop, and she had presented him with Death’s sickle-shaped grin. But in the year that she has been with him—him! of all the people she could have chosen to love, she chose him, not once but twice, even knowing what he has done, to other nameless innocents, to her—he knows one truth:

Not even Fortuna herself could find another man luckier on the whole of the wide, wide earth.

Their visit to Vesuvia will be short—a break from their constant travels, to reacquaint with old friends and family, to allow themselves a plan for where they wish to travel next. They have sailed to the archipelago of Aransia; crossed to the wooded fjords of Hjallnir and its shining city built in the center of a mountain lake; traversed the desert of Nopal to Drakr, that verdant paradise where she had whispered of perhaps, one day, making a home.

(And oh, how badly he wants that—a home, nestled in the mountains, perhaps, with a well he could draw fresh water from while she leaned out the window of their bedroom and called out to him—)

But as Julian stands on the deck of the ship that is taking them into Vesuvia, his eyes on the horizon—red, he sees, and his mouth curls into a smile. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Surely, a sign, an omen of good fortune: the second time in two years he has returned to Vesuvia, yet this feels like a welcome home. He is not a hunted fugitive convinced of his own inevitable death, but a man in love, a man with a future.

(A future with her: he should have known, he thinks, even with his missing memories, that his twisting paths would have only led him back to her.)

A true year they will have been together, in one week’s time. A year since he had broken into her apothecary a second time, seeking Asra for answers yet again. Asra had not been there—but she had. She had, and that night his life had changed and his luck had turned.

He doesn’t want the day to pass without... some sort of celebration. Some way to mark this milestone, this anniversary (and how short, how inconsequential this one year would be, compared to the years, decades, he hopes to spend with her—a lifetime!).

He thinks of the apothecary’s rooftop garden. He had held her there, with Asra, watching the dawn until she’d been lulled to sleep in their embrace. There are other places, but it... it could be poetic, he thinks. To celebrate the year they’ve shared in the same place they spent what they thought would be her last night. Underneath the hawthorne tree, maybe. A warm blanket underneath her, to block the chill of the rooftop; candles to light the darkness, and rose petals—ah, were rose petals too much?

It matters not, a voice whispers. She will love it anyway, because it comes from me.

Once that thought would not have come with such surety. Now, the certainty brings him comfort, and curves the corners of his mouth into a wistful smile as Vesuvia breaks the horizon, a skyline against the sea.

He would plan the rest of the day, of course. But it would end with a dinner under the hawthorne tree, and he would lay her down and love her, an amendment to the promise he’d made all those years ago (I will lay you down in golden fields; we will rumple the grain as I make love to you); the sky will not be blue, but indigo, and sprinkled through with diamond-glittering stars. Their tapestry is barely woven, barely begun—he wants to add another memory to what is theirs (a thousand memories; a hundred thousand), like a weaver introduces another color and make the design all the more brilliant for it.

Vesuvia approaches; smiling (for there is a red sky at morning, and Fortuna is always smiling upon him these days), he turns and goes belowdeck, returning to her side.

*

They catch Asra the day before he’s to leave for a journey north. He’s glad to see them—dines with them and Nadia in the palace—and freely hands Julian a key to the apothecary, after Julian has pulled him aside and asked for permission to stay there.

“And where are you off to, then?” Julian asks with a sly smile, pocketing the key. “Scaling the Blood Mountain? Pub crawl from here to Prakra? You know, if you do want recommendations, my favorite one is right between Drakr and Hjallnir, it’s—”

Asra shakes his head, cutting Julian off. “Ah, no. I’m spending a week with someone in Nopal.” He half-smiles, and oh, Julian knows that look.

“Oh-ho, someone, he says,” Julian says, waggling his eyebrows dramatically. Though Asra rolls his eyes, he laughs, color rising in his cheeks.

“You don’t know her,” he replies, clasping Julian on the shoulder. “Let’s get back to dinner?”

Julian nods, letting it go, though his curiosity still has its tenterhooks buried in his chest. He would hold his tongue, for now, but the day Asra departs for Nopal Julian knows he will be on Portia’s doorstep—ah, no, Nadia would be more likely to know the truth—he will be at the palace doorstep, asking Nadia if she knows anything.

*

(It turns out Nadia keeps Asra’s secrets as well as Asra himself does—Julian gets nothing from her, other than a slight, warm smile.)

*

He is meticulous in his preparations when that joyous day comes; Aredhel spends the morning with Portia and Mazelinka, both claiming her on pretense (or convenient excuse) of completing errands that absolutely require her assistance. He uses that time to check the rooftop garden, just to make sure it isn’t dead—it isn’t—to buy fresh bread and fruit, and roses and rose petals from the florist. He also buys the ingredients for a meal Mazelinka has made for them countless times. Can’t quite remember the name of it, but Aredhel had always enjoyed it immensely.

Mazelinka is the one who comes by the shop that afternoon, to find Julian standing in Asra’s kitchen, staring helplessly at the counter, where the ingredients are arranged in a semi-circle without rhyme or reason. 

“I don’t know what her favorite meal is,” he says, staring at the ingredients. “We’ve known each other for years. She’s the love of my life. But I don’t—oh, God, I don’t know what her favorite meal is! She knows mine, why haven’t I asked—” His eyes widen and he spins around, gaping at Mazelinka. “I don’t even know her favorite color!”

“Ilya,” Mazelinka says, arching an eyebrow as she perches her hands on her hips. Ilya steps aside, sheepish, as she walks up to the counter, eyeing the ingredients with a critical eye. He watches her take a pinch of the basil he’d put in a small wooden bowl and lick it, grimacing soon afterwards. “Pah. Expired.”

She tsks, slipping a wooden spoon from an earthenware jar holding utensils as well as tithonia blooms. “Aredhel is on her way here,” she says. “You will take her out to that play you bought seats to see, and I will handle the dinner.”

Ilya’s shoulders slump. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”

“Of course I know that,” Mazelinka scoffs. “But you are hopeless at cooking, and you have not spent one minute with Aredhel. I haven’t seen you since that whole business with Lucio ended—and thank Hashem you took care of that nasty Count. We’re all better off without him. This will be my treat, if you come to Shabbos dinner with me and Portia on Saturday. It’s been too long, my boy.”

“Of course,” Julian says, bending down to kiss the top of her head. “Aredhel can come?”

“Da konesho, what kind of question is that? How many Shabbos dinners has she been to? Bah. Too many to count.”

Julian grins, despite himself. “Just making sure.”

He hears the door open downstairs, and Portia and Aredhel’s voices, lost in the blur of conversation. He hurries down the stairs, nearly skipping, and looks up just long enough to see Portia is carrying a basket, and Aredhel’s hands are free —and then the space is crossed, and his hands are on her hips, lifting her up and spinning her in a circle. 

Aredhel smiles at him when he sets her down, steadying herself with a laugh.

Once he had, only half in jest, called the two of them the Hanged Man and his undead bride. Yet here, having spent the morning in the warmth of the day, she is life incarnate, cheeks tinged red (not with fever, no, only exertion from the day!) and sunlight caught in her hair. Her green dress and her flaxen hair—she is spring, summer, Flora and Pomona, and he is but a (newly) mortal man in love.

He tucks her hand into his arm. “And what angel have you brought into this home, Pasha?” he asks, grinning. He tears his gaze from Aredhel to Portia, who is carrying a basket, and springs forward, gently taking the basket into his own arms. “One moment, I’ll be back!”

He deposits the basket on Asra’s dining table. Mazelinka, already rifling through the cabinets, does naught but raise her wooden spoon in acknowledgement—and then Julian is back downstairs, tucking Aredhel’s hand into his arm once again. Portia clasps her hands together and gives him a fond, long-suffering look. He shrugs, unapologetic.

Let him shout his love from the rooftops. Let the whole world know how much he loves Aredhel Mooney.

“Ilya,” Aredhel says, laughing, “what’s the rush?”

“What’s the rush?” Julian asks, arching an eyebrow and smiling as he reaches into his coat pocket, withdrawing two tickets printed on orange paper. “Why, we have a show in half an hour, and the Countess herself has been gracious enough to loan us her box. The production was a personal recommendation of hers.”

“Oh? What’s it about?” Aredhel says. Portia, smiling, goes upstairs. Aredhel looks after her, but doesn’t move to follow her. Instead she refocuses on Ilya, and he grins at her.

“A tragedy about two lovers in fair Verona,” Julian tells her. “Sounds right up our alley.” He pauses, that old anxiety rearing its ugly, ugly head. “If you’re interested, of course. If not, why, there’s a thousand other things to do in this city, did you hear Nadia tore down the Coliseum—”

“Ilya,” Aredhel interrupts, kindly, and Julian closes his mouth, offering a sheepish smile. Aredhel smiles back and lifts herself up, kissing him hungrily enough that he ends up gripping her hips and holding her flush against him, until he remembers that Mazelinka and Pasha are upstairs and he abruptly breaks the kiss.

“Right,” he says, clearing his throat, averting his eyes and ignoring the blush suffusing his cheeks. Aredhel’s laugh is husky and rasping, and he squeezes her hand. “To the theater, then! Allons-y, chérie!”

*

It’s dark by the time they exit the theater, hand-in-hand. Julian knows he should be talking about the play, asking her what she’d thought, but all he can think of is the heat of her hand.

Which she had rested on his upper thigh for the entirety of the play.

She had done no more than that—no, no more than an occasional coy smile in his direction whenever he’d shifted, or cleared his throat, or tried to distract himself from her hand’s proximity—but it had been enough to... divert his attention from the play. He wants to hurry back to the shop, get her onto the roof where they could be alone and he could do his part to rid the rooftop of its negative memories—he could reach under her skirt, and his hands would find naught but bare skin and the promise of pleasure.

“—Ilya?”

“Ah, apologies, my dear,” Julian says, offering her a shameless smile. “I found myself too taken with your beauty—what did you say?”

Aredhel rolls her eyes, but smiles nonetheless, lifting their intertwined hands to kiss the back of his hand. His breath catches and his grin deepens. “Why, ’Red, you’re a romantic!”

“You knew that already,” she accuses, playfully.

“Ah, but the play, the play has dragged that particular secret from its hiding place,” Julian says, gesturing dramatically toward the night sky, sprinkled through with stars. Strings of lanterns between the street hang over their heads. Not a single house is marked with indigo and black drapings. Not a single one of these families—not a one!—have lost someone to the plague.

What’s a plague doctor with no plague? he’d once asked. He’d thought himself purposeless, drifting, a wreck and a lost cause of a man. How blessedly wrong he’d been—how thankful he is now to see it.

The moon is heavy and full in the sky, and Julian is invigorated, heartened, joyous. It makes him throw his head back, beaming at the night sky and the lanterns that block off globe-shaped spaces of it. “Look! The moon knows the truth! Only she, and me.”

“And will you keep this secret?” Aredhel asks, eyes glittering. She’s playing along, and that only encourages him. “Will the moon?”

“Why, the moon has her own secrets,” Julian says, “it’s why she disappears each month. She can be trusted. As for me... well.” His smile softens, and he looks down at her, pressing a hand over his heart. “I will keep your secrets. This I do swear...” he arches an eyebrow, grinning, “’til my second dying breath.”

They reach the shop, after devolving into a conversation about the play itself; Aredhel unlocks it with a fluid gesture and pulls him inside, snickering at Julian’s dramatic renditions of Mercutio’s death scene. A plague o’ both your houses!

“You did community theater, didn’t you?” she asks, closing the door behind him.

Julian smirks. “What gave it—mm—”

She kisses him, pressed hard against the door, hands already working at the buttons of his coat. He hears his breath hitch and his head thuds against the wood as he helps her rid him of his coat, leaving it to puddle on the floor around his boots. His hands roam her body, and he can’t help but picture—

Aredhel laid out on the blanket on the roof, underneath the stars. His bare hand on her bare thigh. Her face, twisted in pleasure.

His cock twitches in interest, and he groans, pulling her closer, seeking out her mouth hungrily. Aredhel is in the middle of sucking a bruise into his neck, right where he likes it (where she knows he likes it), when her stomach growls and they both stop.

“Erm,” Julian says, blushing, “right. I had something for that.”

“I hadn’t even noticed, really.” To her credit, she doesn’t look embarrassed—and truly, it is he who should be embarrassed; he had planned everything except the meal. And he had told Portia about his plan for a rooftop dinner, but had she told Mazelinka—wait, had he really told Portia, he wasn’t sure, had the dinner been waiting in the kitchen all this time?—stop.

“Well, let’s get that taken care of, anyway,” Julian says.

He leads her upstairs, and there, the hatch already open—the ladder up which he had carried her, with Asra’s help. 

Aredhel stops. When he looks back at her still, unreadable expression, he suddenly remembers what had been a vague thought at the back of his mind, utterly banished when she had placed her hand upon his thigh.

“You sit there,” he says, gesturing to a seat at the kitchen table. “I have to—I’d planned to—I wanted a dinner on the roof. Is that all right, love?”

He doesn’t like the look on her face. He doesn’t know if she’s been up on the roof since that night he’d carried her up to watch the dawn, but if she hasn’t... he can’t blame her, if she now thought of that night as a bad memory. (Though he doesn’t, not quite: this is such happiness, she’d sighed, between the two of you.

Fortuna had been kind, not stealing her away from him that night.)

But the stillness eases, and Aredhel nods, sitting in the kitchen chair and watching him with a faint, amused smile. “Go on, then,” she teases, flicking her fingertips at him. Julian kisses the top of her head and clambers upstairs.

The food—still warm, oddly enough—is set on the blanket he’d draped over the platform under the tree, which has a hole in it that he doesn’t remember from four years ago. Anchoring the blanket is a clear vase full of fresh roses, a bottle of wine, votive candles, and the bag of rose petals he’d bought specially. 

The food is still warm; he spends time carefully dishing it out, placing a plate at each side of the blanket, giving them a not-too-bad view of the rest of the city. He lights the candles and uncorks the wine, but leaves it unpoured. He sprinkles the rose petals over the blanket, feeling foolish and also giddy for indulging this whim (why, Ilya, you’re a romantic!).

When he returns to Aredhel, he has only one request for her: that she close her eyes.

This she does willingly enough, though she wobbles on the ladder. He steadies her, of course, and once she is on the rooftop and led by the hand to the platform, he tells her to open her eyes. She does, and her breath catches. 

“One year ago today,” Julian says, “I broke into your shop and you threw a bottle of petrified leeches at me, which, strangely enough, was probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” His debonair grin fades and he looks down, swallowing as he feels his cheeks heat. “I wanted... I wanted to show you, erm, how. How important you are to me. How grateful I am that we got a second chance.”

Aredhel’s eyes are wet. Julian sits, reaching out for her, and instead of sitting beside him she straddles him. “In more ways than one,” she says, thumb brushing the apple of his throat. Julian swallows, and he feels her thumb press against his skin.

“In more ways than one,” he agrees.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she says, fiercely, eyes bright in the darkness. The hand on his throat curves around, fingers tangling in his hair, and before he can stutter out a reply she’s kissing him, somehow hungrier than before. Her weight rocks forward, and he leans back on his elbow, one hand curving around her waist to cup the swell of her ass, helping her rock slowly against him as he moans into her mouth.

“Ah,” he rasps, when they break apart, “’Red, don’t you want—”

“You,” she interrupts, and oh, his mouth dries at that gleam in her eyes. He nods, glancing behind him once to look at the blanket behind him. He pushes the plate of food away and sweeps his hand out, at the same time the wind turns the flame toward his sleeve—

“Oh, fuck—”

He panics, slightly, flapping his arm in an effort to put out the flame that’s caught on his shirt. Behind him, Aredhel is laughing, and the flame jumps from his shirtsleeve to the blanket. Julian manages to put out the fire, but not before it eats the laced cuff of his shirt and a few holes in the blanket, as well as a single rose petal.

“Well,” Julian says, “that could’ve gone better.”

Aredhel’s still laughing.

His nostrils sting with smoke from a recently extinguished flame, and Julian blows out the nearest votive candle, setting it aside before looking at Aredhel. She takes his arm, exposing the pink burn on his skin, the pain of which hasn’t quite sunken in yet for all that he can smell his singed hairs. 

With her kiss, she heals him.

(Quite fitting, really.)

“You don’t have your mark anymore,” she says, gently scolding though her eyes glitter with mirth. “You have to be more careful, Ilya.”

Ilya grins, arching an eyebrow. “Do I? Whyever would I do that when I have you to take care of me, my dear?”

Her eyes narrow, playfully. Shaking her head, she kisses him again and lays him down, and there is no one to witness their lovemaking under the stars—none except themselves, and the moon.

[tableandteaspoon]

Monday Merriment

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week.

1.  Yesterday was the laziest kind of Sunday. One where you think you’re going to a friend’s for brunch, but don’t find yourself in a Lyft home until twelve hours later... A girlfriend from high school moved back to the city after a stint in the peninsula over the summer, and has been giving me a run for my hostess money ever since. Hosting several of our friends at least once per week, Rachel has quickly become an expert in creating beautiful environments in her Pacific Heights home. She outdid herself this weekend, when she planned both a casual brunch and an Oscars dinner party. I opted to attend only the brunch portion, but became consumed by our vision for the ultimate Oscar-watch cheese board, and decided to stay for the show. 

Post-eggs and mimosas, Rachel and I ventured to Mollie Stone’s, where we curated enough items to render the Rich Table chicken she ordered obsolete. Here’s how to recreate: four cheeses (we did one hard sheep with truffle, one soft honey-infused goat, a triple creme from Cowgirl Creamery, and a classic aged white cheddar). Four fruits (grapes, blackberries, pomegranate seeds, and sliced kumquats). Four spreads (red pepper jelly, honey, quince, and fig jam). Four nuts (pistachio, spiced pecans, regular almonds and the marcona version). Three vehicles (Acme sourdough, fig olive crisps, and Rustic Bakery olive oil + sel gris flatbread crackers). Two cured meats (salami and prosciutto). Two olives (nicoise and castelvetrano). And one ramekin of cornichons (adorable baby French pickles). 

2.  I similarly spent my Valentine’s evening at Rachel’s, but in a slightly less collaborative fashion. Rachel made dinner, while I spent the afternoon preparing dessert at my apartment. I hadn’t made a cake in a while, so decided to riff on Violet Bakery’s lemon elderflower masterpiece for Harry and Meghan’s wedding. I did an almond fromage blanc (like creme fraiche but made with milk rather than cream for a more tart base) cake, with lemon curd filling and an elderflower meringue buttercream (more stiff and less sweet than a traditional buttercream). The result was to die for. I’m still kicking myself for not taking a piece home for breakfast the next day. 

Here’s the recipe: Cake Ingredients - two boxes white cake mix, one cup St. Germain elderflower liqueur, one cup fromage blanc (or sour cream), six egg whites, 1.5 cups vegetable oil, one tablespoon almond extract. Cake Instructions - combine all ingredients with electric beaters or Kitchenaid mixer, then divide between four greased 9-inch round pans and bake for twenty-five minutes at 350 degrees. Lemon curd filling (or substitute two jars of store-bought curd). Buttercream (follow this recipe, but add three tablespoons of  St. Germain elderflower liqueur and one teaspoon of almond extract at the very end before you’re finished combining). Assembly instructions here.

3.  While perusing what’s new for fall on the couture runways, one item was so reminiscent of a 2019 Margot Tenenbaum, I was surprised they didn't hire the Goop queen herself to debut the look. The enigmatic character was rarely seen in the film sans oversized sable fur coat, and this Oscar de la Renta crystal embellished mink would surely be coveted by the character if she were sitting front row last week. The fur also reminded me of the iconic Scalamandre wallpaper line featured in the Royal Tenenbaums. With an unfriendly price-point, the zebra and tiger prints are inaccessible for most. Luckily, Christiane Lemieux’s affordable design company The Inside partnered with Scalamndre to offer furniture and throw pillows in the epochal prints. I’m currently vacillating between the yellow skirted zebra ottoman and coral screen for my apartment...

4.  Speaking of aspirational prints, none hold a candle to the ultimate in print-chic de Gournay. The intricate hand-painted vignettes can be found everywhere from the designer’s wallpaper, textiles, and dishware to their partnership with Aquazzura for luxe footwear. Though, I never imagined using the brand’s designs as wedding decor, which is exactly what Chloe Richards and Lee Rubinstein did for their summer wedding in the Hamptons. Every part of the celebration was touched by de Gournay - from the invitations to the bride’s custom Giambattista Valli gown. The most impressive bit came in the form of a solution to traditionally dowdy reception tents. Impressively, de Gournay wallpaper served as inspiration for the hand-painted tent walls, to stunning effect. Given that I have neither a fiance nor a de Gournay budget, the aesthetic may be out of reach for me - but that won’t stop me from daydreaming about it the rest of the week...

5.  Curator George T. M. Shackelford, of the Kimball Art Museum in Texas, is an expert in late 19th Century French art due to his Yale PhD and nearly four decades of museum work. Recently, he put together an intriguing look at the last decade of Monet’s life, on exhibition at the de Young Museum until May 27th. During the period, Monet painted portions of his five-acre estate in a small village outside of Paris called Giverny. The collection focuses on Monet’s interpretation of natural phenomena, ranging from the widely-known watery lily pads to more vivid pieces depicting the bright florals directly next to his home. Save the date for the ArtPoint gala celebrating the exhibition on April 27th (tickets go on sale next week)!

Have a wonderful week! xx tt