#I did also finally make progress on another auction fill!

[tj-crochets]

Okay did some reorganizing, grabbed some less-green light blues, and I think I’ve got the fabric for the progress pride flag!

I’m not totally sure about the darkest brown, lightest red, and the space print in the purple? But I think the rest is looking good! Now to decide on a pattern layout for the stripes

[sfivcs]

IC2019: The Failed Experiment of IDIC Con.

Before I launch into my tirade, I wanted to put some links together for you all with respect to the Periscope streams that I did for IC2019:

- IC2019 Opening Ceremonies: https://www.pscp.tv/SFIVCS/1djxXplDlMVxZ - IC2019 General Session: https://www.pscp.tv/SFIVCS/1OyKApVvYYNxb - IC2019 Meet the Candidates: https://www.pscp.tv/SFIVCS/1BdxYAygXpyxX - IC2019 Marine Muster: https://www.pscp.tv/SFIVCS/1LyxBAqwdjYJN - IC2019 Academy Panel: https://www.pscp.tv/SFIVCS/1OdKrvzgrVeKX - IC2019 Final Mission: https://www.pscp.tv/SFIVCS/1MnxnvpaOdLxO - IC2019 Closing Ceremonies: https://www.pscp.tv/SFIVCS/1BRJjvZvpggJw

I know it wasn’t as much coverage as IC2018 and for that I apologize.  I, along with Dan & Melissa Toole, Linda & David Kloempken, Lucy Franck, Theresa Bristow, Melissa Comeau, Jessie Single, Connie Franklin, Gru, David Goldsberry, and a few others (apologies to those I missed) were busy trying to ensure that the IC actually happened.  I streamed what I could for the members who couldn’t attend, and I chose the most relevant panels... but I could only be in one place and any given time.

Also, there were those who supported the IC from afar with logistical and technical support: Mary Kane, Tony Knopes, Linda Olson, Greg Mortensen. Btw, my profuse thanks to all those who attended or supported IC this year.  I only wish I had a few more weeks to market and get more people to come out.

Note that this will be the last time that I’ll be streaming IC from Periscope.  This, along with all the other social media accounts for the Office of the VCS will be turned over to either Theresa Bristow or Jim Herring, depending on who wins the election in November.  It is my sincere hope that they will both lean into social media at the same levels that I have.

Let’s dive into IC2019′s post-mortem, after the jump.

Positives out of IC2019 include:

- In times of crisis, STARFLEET really pulls together.  I’ve seen it time and time again in the past, but nothing quite reminds you strongly of the sense of family when the chips are down and you need help.  The most positive aspect of this year’s IC was that we inadvertently formed an all-star team of IC staff. - Within a few short weeks since taking over the event, we managed to sell 25 supporting memberships, 19 weekend memberships, and 6 Saturday memberships.  All told, the new website and registration system took in almost $3k to support IC2019. - The auction further raised another grand toward supporting the IC. - For the first time in IC history, STARFLEET was able to show licensed films with full studio permission (thanks to our friends at The Royal Manticoran Navy).  We showed Trek films, Babylon 5, and Avengers: Endgame! - Our Marketing & Branding Department kicked off the 45th Anniversary branding campaign (more on that in an upcoming post). - As with previous ICs, friends (old and new) discussed Star Trek fandom, plans for the next fiscal year within our organization, and came away filled with purpose.

So, in spite of it all... the fleet came together once more.

That’s great... but, what the hell happened?

Often times you’ll get a group of people together to try something new with the IC formula.  I think this comes from a sense of ego/pride; that they can try to do better than the previous... which isn’t a bad thing.  We should always look to improve on our concepts and adapt to the times.  STARFLEET is notoriously poor at embracing the new and recognizing obsolescence.

However, events like the International Conference are successful because attendees have a certain set of expectations.  We have core components of an IC that are now looked for every year:

- Workshops and Panels on topics of interest to members. - Meal-based events like the Marine Mess and the Admiralty Banquet - The Annual General Session, where we acknowledge our growth and listen to reports from the Executive Committee. - The meeting of the Admiralty Board and Executive Committee, to set the agenda for the coming year. - Opening & Closing Ceremonies.

In 2019, the formula seemed to be wrapping in the concept of a full-blown convention setting called IDIC Con.

Obviously, upon my early arrival, I set upon trying to find out what happened.  I spoke directly with members, hotel staff, and vendors.  The overall picture seems to be that the previous CS was sold on the idea of kick-starting a brand new “mini comic-con” on our dime.  Unfortunately, circumstances led to that being an outright failure and those involved stepped down, one by one, until the burden was too much for those remaining and the whole thing collapsed.

Roughly five weeks out from IC, Dan and I had no choice but to step up and take control of the rudderless ship and try to salvage what we could.  I personally feel that without Dan’s personal leadership, we would be in far worse shape than we were.  I can safely say that both of us lost a lot of sleep on this, in between working our full-time jobs and working phones and social media to turn things around.

In the course of setting this up, however, they booked nearly the entire ground floor of the hotel. Roughly 30k square feet of space was set aside for this event; far more space than was necessary.  At the actual IC, we did our best to utilize the space, but we gave up about 40% of the rooms.  And yes, that was money wasted as a result.

The measure of our success lays with those who attended.  So far, the positive feedback outweighed the negative.

Lessons Learned

And let’s be clear that what I’m about to say is common sense.  Hindsight being what it is, I’m sure that the adjustments we need to make are going to seem obvious.

- Improve Communication: IC teams/committees need to not be so passive with information.  IC2018 was a great example of a team that kept up their regular reports, gave us a sense of confidence that the event was progressing and coming together nicely.  I never once had a doubt about Minneapolis.  On the opposite end, the EC should be reaching out more often for information. - Update Bid Guidelines: We need to do a comprehensive review of the current bid guide.  This is already in progress, in discussion with some of the past successful IC chairs providing input on improvements. - Protect STARFLEET Financially: We’re looking into some legal and financial shields for STARFLEET, if this should ever happen again in spite of changes made.  Right now, some of those ideas are in the earliest stages of formation, so I’ll refrain from commenting too much.  But that leads me into the next point: - Improve Oversight: Many members came up to me and asked me about this, because it seems like this is a no-brainer.  We should use the above to refine and improve our oversight of the IC.  I feel that in updating the Bid Guidelines, we should cover this point as well.

Keep it Simple: Future administrations should be wary of any plans involving a brand new convention to be started alongside any IC.  As I said above, ICs have a particular core value to the membership in terms of it being an annual party to celebrate our organization and highlight all the positives STARFLEET has achieved in the previous twelve (or so) months.  Adding the stress of starting a new event on top of IC requires a lot more manpower than most IC committees have access to.  Thusly, you get encumbered by the demands of ambition and the result is something along the lines of the failed IDIC Con.  But, that failure is at the expense of the members’ dues.  In my opinion, that was an unacceptable risk.  The members are now paying for the pride and ego of IDIC Con’s concomm... and they all bailed out of the event with mere weeks to go before the first member touched down in St. Louis.

The final lesson is that we should also provide contingencies in case we have a full burnout of the IC team as we did this year.  Some kind of response team that has been keeping tabs and stands ready to step in and take over with little to no notice.  This response team should shadow their counterparts closely each step of the way, and perhaps also act as an alternate if/when it’s necessary to take on those duties when RL shifts attention away.

After having said all of the above, this begs an obvious question (that’s been asked already several times):

IC2020: But this is another convention, isn’t it?

Yes, it is.  But, I feel that BayCon has a longevity that IDIC Con never had.  Also, there’s a clear division of labor next year.  BayCon’s staff will be tending to the convention side, while the STARFLEET team shall be tending to the IC side of the programming and event schedule.  You won’t have to have the same group of people trying to manage an IC while at the same time trying to run a public convention.

Lastly, our buy-in will provide a salve to the hit being taken on by the General Fund this year.  We’re being provided facilities and programming at next-to-no cost to the organization.

Pick up your memberships now!  The $55 membership is only available until the end of August 2019: http://ic.sfi.org/2020reg

See you in San Francisco!

[nostalgicatsea]

This is my second go at filling out the year-end writing meme that @sineala​ and muccamukk did on Dreamwidth because my computer freaked out and shut down on me without warning while I was writing and my entire post was lost. I was almost done with it so you can imagine how upset I was.

So here’s my reflection on my writing in 2018! This is going to be long. You can read it in full here on Dreamwidth as well.

All of these stories are Steve/Tony unless stated otherwise.

April

Leaving Promises Against Your Skin (MCU) - Post-Civil War soulmate AU, 18,611 words

May

The Great Silence of Loss (MCU) - Post-Infinity War fic about grief and hope vs. despair, 1,075 words

Little Moments in Between: A Brief Interlude (MCU) - Tony thinks about his relationship with Steve while they wait for a train, 844 words

June

Signals Between Two Satellites (MCU) - Post-Infinity War angst and hurt/comfort fic about Steve and Tony seeing each other for the first time after the snap, 2,290 words

August

Hidden Declaration (Generation Kill, Brad/Ray) - Ray tries to convince Brad to get matching tattoos with him, 728 words

You and Nothing Else (MCU) - Steve doesn’t like seeing Tony stressed out and unhappy over their wedding plans, 785 words

Every Last One of My Demons (MCU) - Post-Infinity War emotional hurt/comfort fic about Steve and Tony talking after having nightmares, 1,705 words

Rushing Headlong in the Wrong (Right) Direction (Avengers Academy) - Steve bids on Tony in their school’s charity auction, wrongly assuming that he’s auctioning off a date, 2,727 words

December

A Long, Final Rest Among the Stars (MCU) - Endgame trailer fic about Tony reflecting on how he’s come full circle from Afghanistan in a way, 2,732 words

Last year I wrote and posted:

Nine stories and 33,333 words, including the 1,836 words I wrote on New Year’s Eve for a Cap-Iron Man comm gift fic but didn’t submit because I wasn’t happy with it.

Overall thoughts:

Last year was a productive writing year for me! My 2018 New Year’s resolution was “to build on my progress and write even longer pieces and more works that I’m proud of.” Suffice to say, that happened. In the past two years, I went from writing one or two fics a year that were at most 1-2.5k to writing my longest fic at the time I wrote that New Year’s post (Multitude of One (4,277 words)) to the number of words and fics above.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would last year, less, or about what you'd predicted?

I didn’t have a specific goal, but nine fics is more than half my fic count on AO3 and the other eight were posted over the course of four years so yeah, WAY more than I thought I’d write. I don’t know how that happened especially as I get stuck while writing all the time.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?

Brad/Ray and Gen Kill. I never thought I’d write a GK story because just the thought of doing so is intimidating. Ray Person is intimidating. I love him, but he’s so easy to get wrong and I’ve seen people get him totally wrong or get close but still fall short. I didn’t even want to bother trying until @luxover​ gave me a Brad/Ray prompt and I wrote Hidden Declaration. Just to make things both harder and easier, lux is a good friend so I hoped she would be gentle even if she hated it lol, but I wanted to make her happy because she’s my friend. She’s also the only person I know who writes Ray perfectly so, you know, no pressure. But I wrote a thing! In a fandom I didn’t ever expect to write in!

This year's theme and the story that demonstrates it most:

A toss up between “angst with catharsis/grief and healing” and “post-Infinity War.” Or maybe “I never thought I’d write this.” It’s funny because after Infinity War came out, Alanna (aslightstep​) and I talked about how it didn’t fill us with the desire to write any fics based on it, and three of my fics from last year are post-IW ones (four if you include the one based on the Endgame trailer).

Leaving Promises Against Your Skin hits all three things.

What's your own favorite story of the year?

Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?I’m not sure it makes me the happiest, but it’s definitely the fic I’m proudest of and it so happens to be my longest and most popular one: Leaving Promises Against Your Skin again. LPAYS was the sequel to Multitude of One which, until I posted LPAYS, was my longest fic. I knew it would blow MoO out of the water, word count-wise. That was one of the reasons I was too afraid to write it because I didn’t know how to write long fics nor do I know how I wrote this one now that so much time has passed since I finished it. I’m proud of it not because it’s perfect and I love everything about it (a few things bother me about it actually) but because writing it was agonizing. I wanted to give up so many times.

The only reason I kept going was that I didn’t have that much of an option to do so as it was a STH fill. I’m proud of sticking with it. Once everything snapped into place, the words kept flowing…and flowing and within days, I wrote several thousand words more than I had expected the fic to be. This is how I felt once I was done. For the first time ever in all my years of writing, I got choked up over my own writing lol. I understand how great it feels to finish a long fic, write the scenes you had in mind for so long, and get to the ending that you envisioned from the start (I had the ending of LPAYS in mind while writing MoO even though I kept mum about it when people asked me what happened after the ending of MoO). I got so happy that I made my first photoset! That’s another unexpected thing that happened last year.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

A lot!

- I mostly write angst and never thought I would ever write unadulterated fluff with zero angst and I did so twice in 2018 with my first Avengers Academy fic, which also has a dash of humor (“humor”? I’m not really funny), and this wedding preparation fic, which also is an established relationship fic about marriage. I never thought I’d write those things either especially because wedding fics tend to bore the hell out of me and I never seek them out.

- Both of those fics were prompt fills (I filled four in total). I never take prompts because I get stuck and stressed out that I have writer’s block, but it worked out fine which I’m happy about as the prompts for the two fics were out of my comfort zone. I had no idea what to write for the cheese one, but I was determined to fill it. I can’t recognize myself. Fluff? Humor? No angst? Established relationship? Wedding preparations? Prompt fills? ME? What?!

- Long fics! I wrote my first one because eh, 4k doesn’t count as long even though it was long for me at the time.

- MCU Tony POV. MCU Tony scares me from a writing standpoint, so I avoided writing from his POV until LPAYS and now I have two fics with his POV.

I learned that what may seem or be impossible to do doesn’t stay that way and that trying to get out of my comfort zone can be incredibly rewarding. It’s worth a shot even if I fail because I gain more experience, and it makes me feel hopeful about growing as a writer. It’s hard to think that you’ll ever improve or be able to write things you can’t write when you’re frustrated or not feeling great about your writing.

My best story of this year:

I don’t remember what I put the first time around.

My most popular story of this year:

Leaving Promises Against Your Skin

had the most bookmarks, comments, hits, and kudos. Not surprising because it’s a sequel to my most popular fic and it’s a soulmate AU which tends to draw people in.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:

Hidden Declaration has the fewest bookmarks, comments, hits, and kudos without contest, but considering the size and lack of activity in the fandom (which is why I don’t care that no one has read it, but I generally don’t obsess over those markers anyway especially if it’s a gift like this one was), I can’t exactly say it’s underappreciated by the universe.

You and Nothing Else had the lowest comments to hits ratio, but it performed well on Tumblr where I originally posted it, so I have to pick Every Last One of My Demons which had the lowest kudos to hits and bookmarks to hits ratios of ALL my fics from 2018 and went a bit under the radar on Tumblr too. I thought it would do better because hurt/comfort! Post-Infinity War! Oh well.

My least favorite story this year:

Rushing Headlong in the Wrong (Right) Direction. I’m not good with humor, and the words kept coming but kind of in a “oh no, I can’t stop word vomiting” way. But hey, I never write dialogue-heavy fic so there’s that. And it’s a silly and fun fic for a silly and fun prompt (“cheese wheel”...I almost ended up ignoring the prompt because cheese wheel?) and universe. RIP soon, AvAc. You’ll live on in our hearts and in fandom.

Most fun story to write:

Hidden Declaration! Ray was super fun, which is a big surprise as I said he’s scary to write. There are one or two lines in the story hat I want to tweak because I think they toe the line in being “too much” (as I said, he’s very easy to get wrong, and many people go overboard with him), but he’s really fun to write and I love him!

Story with the sweetest moment:

You and Nothing Else. The part where Steve tells Tony he doesn’t care about what their wedding is like and Tony not only gets what he means, but he meets him halfway because what he ultimately decides on reminds him of Steve.

Story with the single sexiest moment:

Haha I don’t have any sexy moments. The closest would be Hidden Declaration, where Brad imagines Ray beneath him with a tattoo that matches his (he totally learns how to tattoo so that he can ink Ray himself).

Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story:

None. I didn’t do anything that’s more horrible than what I usually do.

Most overdue:

LPAYS. It took a year for me to post although I only seriously thought of writing it and began writing it months after I posted MoO.

Most eye roll-worthy title:

A tie between Rushing Headlong in the Wrong (Right) Direction which is awful, but I got stuck on a title for that one, and Little Moments in Between: A Brief Interlude, which is so pretentious (that colon!) and long for such a short fic about nothing. I couldn’t decide between the two phrases separated by the colon, so I used both.

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:

LPAYS. It’s written in Tony’s POV, but it helped me explore Steve a bit and feel better about him. A lot of people, including me, were upset with Steve after CA:CW and hated his letter because it made little sense (I still think this way). I also kept thinking about the line “I can see now I was really sparing myself” and tried to figure out what he meant by that. For once, Steve was selfish and it led to disastrous consequences, but his selfishness came from losing so much in his life and not wanting to lose more and...I really do think he didn’t want to lose Tony and was afraid he’d lose him and that Bucky would fall out of his grasp again. He was a coward, but because he cared too much, not because he didn’t care at all.

Hardest story to write:

LPAYS again! I knew what would happen after the ending of MoO and had the ending of LPAYS in mind too while writing the ending of MoO, but I kept mum about it even though people wanted to know and asked me about it. I couldn’t figure out what scenes to write other than one BARF scene and the ending which I desperately wanted to get to. I couldn’t figure out how to deal with the idea of forgiveness, how Tony could ever heal, and how Steve could earn back Tony’s trust again. It was so, so hard and I was miserable until things clicked and then 8k became 10k...which became 12k. I thought I’d stop there, but then it became 18k. I couldn’t stop which felt so liberating, fun, and rewarding because it had been so difficult to write until that point.Thank you to everyone who listened to me, brainstormed with me, and held my hand through the process as I whined and suffered.<3 I couldn't have written it without you.

Biggest Disappointment:

I couldn’t write a comm gift fic that I was happy with in time, and I wanted this year to be the year that I finally wrote one. Hopefully I’ll be able to participate in another writing-related Cap-Iron Man event this year! Oh, and I didn't write that other soulmate fic that's been on my mind for years.

Biggest Surprise:

Everything under the “writing risks” part. Um...that LPAYS did so well. There’s a risk with long sequels; the longer a oneshot fic is, the less likely it is to get as much feedback as say, something that’s in the 5-7K range (I forgot the exact range, but someone put up stats about this), and if it’s a sequel? People back out because they think they won’t know what’s going on unless they read the first story. I was that “Troy from Community enters a room on fire with a pizza box, smiling and then alarmed” gif when MoO did incredibly well, and I sort of feel like that with LPAYS, even if MoO has double the bookmarks, comments, kudos, and hits.

Most Unintentionally Telling Story:

I don’t know.

Favorite opening line:

I’m not extremely fond of any particular opening line from last year. This is easier with opening paragraphs. If I had to pick, though, it’s “They were like bedtime stories, his nightmares” from Every Last One of My Demons.

Favorite closing line:

The one from LPAYS and the last four paragraphs of that are my favorite closing lines ever, but they’re spoilery so I’ll pick something different. My favorites have to be from Every Last One of My Demons, Signals Between Two Satellites, and A Long, Final Rest Among the Stars. I’ll pick two.

Favorite in terms of meaning: Hope, he thought as Tony turned to look at him, exhausted and afraid and beautiful from Signals.

Tony is the embodiment of hope for Steve!!!! I honestly think that Tony embodies that for the Avengers and especially Steve in so many ways, even in the MCU; it’s not as apparent as the other universes, but if you think about what Tony did for Steve in all their movies together and in Infinity War, which they aren’t in any scenes together, it makes sense.

Favorite in terms of writing/prettiness/mood: “Tony,” he heard the voice whisper again, and it was all their voices all at once, calling him to them from here and beyond, all with him as he drifted off, into the boundless darkness, into the stars and the lights he had loved and then feared and loved again from A Long, Final Rest.

In conclusion:

I’m proud of myself.

Fic-writing goals for 2019:

I’m not going to try to top what I did in 2018. I don’t think that’ll be possible. What I hope to do in 2019, other than write my MTH fill for @sabrecmc​, of course, is to finish the two fics that have been on my mind for years: the reconciliation/reunion fic and the one that everyone must have heard me complain about by now as I’ve been whining about it on and off for about 4.5 years. Yes, that one. That soulbond fic. The one that I tried to abandon, but even if I put it aside for a long time, I can never actually let go of. It haunts me. I WANT TO BE FREE. I WANT TO BE FREE. If you’re curious, the two fics are the second and third fic on this post. I have some other stories I want to write, but those two are my only priorities. PLEASE, I WANT TO WRITE AND POST THEM EVEN IF I DON’T KNOW HOW.

Anyway, happy 2019. One more year until 2020! What a scary thought. I wish you all a prosperous, joyous, creative, and prolific year.

[dmsilvisart]

Art To Do - June edition

As of now, I am free of my art association multi-job presidency and am only the treasurer....I get to enjoy the organization again.  The end of May is coming up, and I’m now updating my to do.  I’ve put my “already completed under a cut so you guys don’t have to read that, but it’s still there so that I can see my progress.

JUNE…June is my month. No IMMEDIATE bang deadlines, only one piece of birthday art, no Art Association duties. June is filled with celebrations, my wedding anniversary, the SPN Con, my sister’s birthday, Father’s Day, my birthday,  and my husband will be home 3 out of the 4 weeks in June. (Normally he’s away 2 weeks and home 1.) So June is going to be amazing.  So June will be spent with family time, vegging, working on my oubliette of forgotten works in progress and finally completing some long put off household projects.

PROJECTS WITH DEADLINES:

Non fandom commission (due asap)

Supernatural MASSIVE project, for SPN Pittcon in June, I’m maybe halfway done....*shrug* 2 weeks to go...10 days considering I have to leave time for printing.

trenchcoat mini bang…..? still waiting to hear from the author so this is in limbo.

JUNE:

Other fandom projects from my Oubilette these include Doctor Who, Star Trek, Henson works.

Speaking of Henson...Labyrinth in stipple

Since June is my month and I enjoyed @mansikkaomenabanaani series Getting Domestic so much, I might post one graphite sketch a day based on this series. Might as well relive that month of fluff during “my month” :)  However, this may extend into July depending on which day I actually post the first image.

Birthday art :)

@wetkitchenpaint won an illustration from me for being my 300th follower :)

fandomtrumpshate art auction 2 of my 3 auctions have decided what they would like for their winning artwork (November deadlines).

Dean/Cas mini bang, with @ravenscat-tumbler , @punk-is-notdead& @ladyblacklodge  Posts in late July, I have a good idea what I’m drawing for both of my stories, as far as the stories are written thus far.

Finish works for Verbalize by @mansikkaomenabanaani

                                  ~~ALL THE OTHER STUFF~~

Bingo cards:

@samwinchesterbingo one card and they say they don’t believe in due dates :)

There’s also an @spnpolybingo due August 1st,2018

@spnfluffbingo yep that too, due December 31st 2018

I completely didn’t do the spnAU bingo and that makes me sad, I’m keeping the card though....just incase i need inspiration.

Other bangs I’m signed up for but statuses are in limbo

Sabriel bang, art claims 4.25.18 with posting beginning in July (have not had team intros yet...so not sure)

Finished since the last list….

Sketchy music prompts: for several folks, as soon as I get my cursed scanner to work i’ll post those  :(

prompt art for @posingasme (see sastiel big bang)

CATS - no not the musical,I’m talking about  the household pet.  I have an art exhibit coming up focused on cats. 18 pieces that hang on February 3rd. I did a series of dogs about a year and a half ago, and it went over extremely well. I’m trying cats this time.

@spnholidayreverseminibang artwork due February 14th

@saileenbigbang I have 2 to 4 illustrations planned for this bang with @rosemoonweaver and it posts February 19th

@deancaspinefest one story with @paperannxo posting on March 12th  and another with @ladyofthursday posting on March 31st.

Finish up the last sketchy music prompt that was vexing me for a bit.

DeanCas Reverse bang 1 illustration

Commission for @tobythewise

Non fandom commission #1 (due May 1st)

Non fandom commission #2 (due asap)

@deancastropefest mid-winter 5k, with@mansikkaomenabanaani It’s seriously been awesome seeing this story come to life so quickly and it’s a 5k word maximum, so it’s a one illustration sort of deal. Posting for this challenge begins April 1st.

Two short stories to finish writing for the@spnholidayreverseminibang

Birthday art for my April lovelies

Birthday art for my May lovelies!!!!Apparently i have no May followers

@sastielbb artwork for a story with @posingasme Posting now on May 12th

Dean/Cas/Jimmy Big Bang, with @wetkitchenpaint  posts May 25th!

@spnaubingo one card with All prompts due: May 22, 2018 I did not do this :(

[thetourguidebarbie]

In a Morning Kiss

This is a present for @captndevil It’s a sequel to one of my recent drabbles Before He Cheats. It has smut. I hope you enjoy it (and feel better)! The prompt she chose was morning cuddling/Klaus trying to distract Caroline from her work. Sorry if formatting ends up being wonky. Posting from my phone. Title from “That’s Where it Is” by Carrie Underwood bc I figured I should stick with the theme.

She loved waking up in Klaus’s arms.

It had been two mostly-blissful years and she still had mornings where she woke convinced that it had all been a dream. Then she would stir against him and feel his heartbeat against her cheek, the comfort of his arms around her, his scent cloaking her, and remember that she was safe.

She liked to linger there, breathing him in and savoring his lean chest against her back and the tickle of his breath against her skin, the sunlight streaming through the curtains. She wouldn’t call herself a morning person by nature, but she wasn’t a grumpy asshole, could possibly be defined as “cheerful” once she got some coffee in her, something that Klaus definitely could not claim.

He preferred waking slowly and on his own time as opposed to quickly and painfully by way of alarm. Apparently he hadn’t had to consistently wake up before eight for years until she came along. His auctions usually ran from evenings until the early hours of the morning, and since he set his own hours, his normal workdays didn’t start until the afternoon. She unfortunately did not share that luxury. She had to be up practically as the sun came up to proofread that morning’s teleprompter script. Klaus endured it like a champ with minimal grumbling as long as she didn’t hit the snooze button more than once, but weekends were supposed to be alarm-free.

Sadly, not today.

One of the other editors had just gone on maternity leave and since she was the most junior and had paper editing experience, she ended up covering most of her extra work. It was even worse because Anna was the editor for the sports section, something that she was completely unfamiliar with other than football– and that was because she’d done cheerleading, so she’d absorbed the information unwillingly through osmosis. She couldn’t half-ass things if she tried–and she’d tried–so she’d spent an appalling amount of time reading official rule manuals so that she wouldn’t miss the easy stuff. In addition to all of her usual work that she could easily do in the evenings, which mostly consisted of looking over quick fluff pieces, she was also supposed to finish looking over the longer sports articles for the weekend, and she was not excited.

Still, it was hard to muffle her giggles as Klaus groaned softly, burrowing his face into her shoulder to try to drown out her phone blaring an upbeat pop song as her alarm. Deciding to be nice, she skipped her usual one snooze button use, reaching to turn it off and twisting in Klaus’s arms to face him. “Good morning,” she whispered, nosing his jaw and planting a soft kiss on the hollow below his earlobe.

“What time is it?” he asked, cracking an eye open to look at her, his voice low and rough from sleep.

“Too early,” she said, ignoring his grunt of annoyance when she disentangled herself from his arms. “But I have to get up, remember?”

He muttered something that sounded vaguely like, ‘No you don’t’ but she ignored him, pushing herself out of bed and stripping out of her clothes, grabbing clean pajamas from the dresser before she walked to the master bathroom to shower.

Just because she had to work to do didn’t mean she had to wear actual clothes.

He was draining coffee at the kitchen counter when she emerged, still pulling her wet hair into a messy bun as she took a moment to let her gaze roam appreciatively down his back. His sweatpants were sitting low on his hips, feet bare against the hardwood floor, and she moved behind him, resting her palm lightly on his back as she moved past him to get a mug from the cabinet.

“You didn’t have to get up with me,” she pointed out, putting the mug on the counter and wiping her eyes with her palms. “You still have at least a few hours to sleep before you have to get ready for the auction.”

“I did not,” he agreed, eyeing her over his coffee cup with barely concealed disgust as she emptied a few heaping teaspoons of hazelnut coffeemate into the mug before filling it. “I decided that it would be prudent to get some painting done myself so that I might be able to entice you into taking a break before we leave. A long break.”

She was seriously tempted to agree to a preemptive break (a good start to the day for motivation, right?), but knew that if she gave in now she’d be not working for the rest of the day, and enduring Kol’s endless less-than-subtle innuendos about why she didn’t finish her work wouldn’t be worth it. “I wish,” she grumbled, bringing the mug to her lips to drink.

He was watching her as she sipped, a small smile on his face, and his hand ghosted down her spine to rest just above the curve of her ass, thumb skating across her ribs. “Why not start the morning with something to wake you up a bit? I’ve been told that exercise in the morning can be beneficial.”

She gave him a look that was supposed to be a scowl but probably edged closer to a pout, the knowledge that she was denying herself a great Saturday morning in favor of reading about grown men chasing small objects less than palatable. He seemed to sense that his agenda was making progress, his fingertip darting just under the waistband of her soft cotton shorts to slide along her skin before pausing to stroke her hip. She felt goosebumps pebble on her skin, the pleasurable shiver up her spine and the tightening at the apex of her thighs tempting her almost beyond resistance.

“I can’t,” she said regretfully, stepping away so that his touches wouldn’t reel her in her any more than they already had and trying not to look at his frustratingly effective puppy eyes. “Seriously, I wish I could.”

Unfortunately for both of them, though she hated passing up an excuse for him to touch her, she hated the idea of her coworkers still viewing her as Kol’s sister-in-law rather than as an actual peer even more. She knew that slacking on her assigned work would only reinforce that image, and she’d worked really hard to build up the trust she already had so far.

Still, as she watched Klaus stretch, his muscles flexing in a way that made her want to refamiliarize herself with the feel of them under her fingertips, she was very much regretting her decision to fulfill her adult responsibilities.

She could tell he knew what was on her mind, since there was excessive flexing and a heated drag of his eyes up and down her form, lingering on the hem of her tank top, which revealed glimpses of creamy skin just above the polka-dotted waistband of her shorts. She resisted with a show of practically superhuman-level self-control, at least in her opinion, and cleared her throat before draining the rest of her coffee. She avoided his eyes as best she could while she washed out the mug in the sink, determined to not get sucked in. He knew all the right buttons to push to coax her into spending just another hour in bed with him, which could easily turn into two or five, and though her skin prickled in anticipation when she felt his eyes on her, she ruthlessly pushed her desire away.

“Later, then,” he said finally, his voice low and full of the kind of unspoken promises that made her toes curl, and her breath caught when she looked up, her lips parting at how he watched her. Klaus could still take her breath away with a single glance even after two years together, and it was incredibly irritating.

“Sure,” she managed, trying not to sound too eager. He was smug and smirky enough already.

“Let me get that for you, sweetheart,” he said, reaching to take the mug from her hand, the brush of their fingers making her skin heat. “Let me know when you’re hungry and we can have lunch, all right?”

She nodded and pecked him on the cheek, her hand lingering on his shoulder for a few seconds before she walked to her office, determined to avoid him and his knowing smiles and lickable abs.

Ugh.

She’d finally managed to get some headway around lunchtime, sighing when her stomach grumbled and managing to motivate herself to finish marking up Andi’s fluff piece about a dog that had rescued a kitten from a well on the edge of town (they were not above heartwarming clickbait) and decided she’d finish editing the teleprompter feed for the Monday morning celebrity gossip show after she had something to eat.

She’d expected to hear muffled rock music bleeding through the heavy wooden door of Klaus’s studio, but it was oddly silent. She debated whether she wanted to poke the dragon before deciding that if Klaus waited to eat he probably wouldn’t be hungry at the auction banquet later, and he had told her to find him. “Klaus?” she called, knocking before opening the door to peek inside, her cheeks flushing when she saw him.

They’d long gotten past her being embarrassed to talk to him about sex or what she wanted, Stefan’s lack of talent and excessive pearl clutching at her early tentative requests now a long-forgotten memory, but it was still a little weird to see him on the plush couch she usually occupied while he was painting absorbed in one of her repeatedly read paperbacks with a cover that showed a fanged and muscled hero clutching a clearly swooning heroine to his chest. He was still shirtless, his necklaces resting against his chest just begging to be tugged, but he’d put on jeans for reasons that she could not fathom. Not that she was complaining; she definitely did not mind the way they framed him. His sweatpants never quite did him justice.

He appeared to be halfway through and clearly hadn’t heard her come in. She leaned against the doorway fighting down her giggles as she watched him turn the page a few times before walking over and plucking the book out of his hands, grabbing a nearby receipt and sticking it in the book to save the page. He looked up as she bent over him, one of her hands splayed on his ribs, the other resting on the armrest by his head. “Good book?”

“Quite enlightening, actually. Inspirational, even.”

His smirk was wicked and almost baiting, and she bent to press her lips to his briefly.

“You hungry?” she asked.

He gave her a wicked grin and she huffed.

“For food,” she added, anticipatorily talking over him when she saw the flash of mischief in his eyes and the obvious innuendo about to spill out of his mouth. “Seriously.”

“You don’t want to explore the mature themes discussed in… ah…” he grabbed the book again, glancing at the cover, “…Bound by Passion?”

“Tempting, but bondage seems a little time consuming,” she said dryly, and he gave her a dimpled grin, sitting up.

“Fair,” he said. “Shall I order in, then? I can bring it to you. Perhaps we’ll even have a little time before we have to change.”

“Before you have to change. I have to do my hair and makeup too,” she reminded, the prospect of going back to work suddenly making the idea of a break before they went to his auction much more appealing. It seemed like Klaus had been able to read her well since the moment they’d met, and now was no different, the glint in his eye indicating that he could sense that she was starting to lean towards some stress relief. She couldn’t give in, though. “But sure. I’d take pizza.”

“Mushrooms and peppers?”

“Yes, please,” she said, kissing him again. “I love you.”

“And I you, sweetheart,” he murmured, already reaching for his phone, which was on the side table.

She returned to her office and put her headphones back on, pulling over the second-to-last article. She preferred to mark them up by hand, and she was twirling the pen in her fingers as she contemplated whether Josh needed a transition sentence between two of his paragraphs when she nearly dropped it, flinching at the unexpected brush of stubble against her jaw before relaxing as she realized it was Klaus and tipping her head to give him better access to her neck. “I’m working,” she reprimanded half-heartedly when she removed her headphones, and Klaus chuckled, flicking his tongue against the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

“I know, sweetheart. Just bringing you food,” he said, pulling back and setting down a plate by her elbow.

She found herself a little disappointed that he didn’t push a little more, simply resting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing lightly before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Do you need anything else?”

She was faced with a split-second decision: Be a real life adult and get some actual work done, or have some great soulmate sex, probably some afterglow cuddling, and then get ready to go to Klaus’s art auction and drink too many cranberry vodkas.

The decision was clear.

She slowly spun around in her chair and reached to sling her arms over Klaus’s shoulders, kissing him lightly. “You.”

She was about to tease him about how smug he looked, but his hands were already sneaking under her tank top, his palms hot against her skin, and she melted against him. All thought fled from her mind as he bent to suck her lower lip and scrape it with his teeth, his hands squeezing her hips lightly. “Bed,” he murmured between kisses. “I want you in the bed.”

She hummed in agreement, pushing gently on his chest to get him to move back and standing up, leaning into him when he placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her down the hall to their bedroom. She felt his hand drifting lower as they walked, first to her hip, fiddling the waistband of her shorts before settling on her ass as he pushed open their bedroom door. “And how do you want me in the bed?”

She almost laughed at the brief torn expression that flashed across his face, his eyes sliding up and down her body as though he couldn’t quite decide. “I want you on top, I think. I want to watch you rock against me, your head thrown back as you ride my cock.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice a bit breathless as his hands moved down to unbuckle his belt.

“I want you to strip for me first,” he said, his voice low but firm. The underlying growl sent an anticipatory shiver down her spine, her eyes never leaving his as he sat on the bed, pulling the belt off and letting it drop to the floor.

She nodded, swallowing, keeping eye contact as she fingered the hem of her tank top. Whether they were alone or not, the way he looked at her never failed to make her feel sexy and desirable, and she pulled her tank top off in one smooth movement, letting it drop to the floor.

“Good girl,” he murmured, smirking as she let out a soft moan at his words, her face flushing. She let her gaze wander down to his hands, licking her lips as he pulled out his cock, stroking himself to the sight of her. “Shorts as well, sweetheart. I want to see you. Yes, slowly… just like that. Good girl. You’re so beautiful…”

She kicked her shorts away, her heart pounding, pussy already wet and aching. She could feel that her inner thighs were slick with her arousal as she sauntered over, her hips swaying in a movement that she knew he couldn’t tear his eyes away from.

“Lie down,” she said, gently pushing his chest so that he was on his back, a low groan rumbling in his throat as his hard cock brushed against her thigh, precome mixing with her wetness on her skin.

He wrapped his fingers around her wrists, guiding her palms to his shoulders before easily positioning himself at her entrance, his hands hot on her hips and the guided her down.

“Fuck,” she bit out through gritted teeth, rolling her hips. “That feels so good…”

“Roll your hips for me,” he said, his eyes dark, chords of his neck tight, muscles tense. “Good girl…”

He’d spent a great deal of time observing her when he talked to her during sex, noting her likes and dislikes, and a smirk still twisted on his lips whenever her breath caught or a moan escaped her from his praise. “You feel so perfect, Caroline. So wet and tight around my cock. Come forward just a bit more. Yes, sweetheart…fuck…”’

It felt amazing, but she knew neither of them could come without a bit more friction, their preferences always having leaned toward being rougher and faster. He was trying to tease her, to draw it out, and she found that she didn’t mind at all.

Still, her body naturally tried to chase her release, her body rocking against his as she tried to find the perfect angle, and she huffed when his hands squeezed her hips to slow them down. “Klaus…” she whined. “Come on.”

“What, sweetheart?”

“I need more,” she said breathlessly, giving him her best wide-eyed imploring look.

“More?” he asked, the word dragged out with an infuriatingly smug gleam in his eye.

“Yes,” she said, her nails curling against his shoulders in what she knew was probably a painful scrape (though judging by his groan when she did it he didn’t exactly mind). “More.”

“What do you want, sweetheart? Tell me.”

“I want hard and fast,” she said, relishing the way his eyes darkened, his lips parting slightly.

“Good girl,” he murmured, his hand tangling in her hair, tugging her head back and taking a nipple in his mouth, nipping it lightly. “Tell me more.”

“I want,” she gasped, struggling to retain coherent thought as she got lost in sensation. “I want your cock in me—” she began, interrupting herself with a moan as he thrust his hips just the way she liked it.

“You have it already.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” she scolded, the effect slightly ruined by how breathy her voice was and the soft moan as he pinched her ass. “I want you to fuck me harder.”

“Bit difficult from this position, sweetheart,” he said, his dimpled grin indicating that he was having entirely too much fun torturing her.

“Then we’ll switch,” she said, her nails scratching down his chest as she moaned when he tugged her against him as she started to sit up on her knees.

“No. I want you to tell me what you want.”

“I want you on top of me,” she said impatiently, letting her teeth sink into her lower lip to muffle a gasp as he rolled his hips and pinched her nipples at the same time, her head tipping back.

“Good girl.”

She panted out his name as he let his nails bite into her ass before rolling them over. His hands pushed her thighs back gently to let him go deeper, his hips snapping as he began to move faster, and she lifted her hips in rhythm, needing more.

“Klaus…”

He didn’t have to ask what she needed, knew her well enough to guess, and she moaned as his hands slid from her thighs to cup her ass, squeezing roughly before letting a nail drag across her back entrance, her back bowing at the sensation. He bent to give her long, drugging kisses, the languid motions a perfect contrast to the fast thrusts of his cock. His lips were soon traveling down her neck, and she moaned again as his lips and teeth made what she knew would be bright, lasting marks against her pale skin. She knew that she shouldn’t find it unbelievably hot that she’d have to be careful all night to make sure the red marks didn’t peek out from beneath the bustline of her dress, but she couldn’t help but moan at the thought of it.

“I’m close,” she gasped out, her high building quickly now that he was giving her a harder rhythm and the nip of sharp teeth against her skin.

“Come for me, sweetheart. I love the sounds you make, how your pretty eyes grow deliciously dark with lust for me. I want to see you let go. I love watching you.”

She bit out a stream of expletives as she came around him, her nails raking down his back.

“Good girl. Just like that,” he growled, his hips speeding up, his hand moving between their bodies to make tight circles around her clit to extend her high. “Moan for me, Caroline. Fuck…”

She felt herself begin to grow heavy, her skin oversensitive, and she lifted her head tonip his lower lip between her teeth. “Come in me,” she encouraged, tugging his necklaces lightly. “I want you to come in me.”

She knew it would be the push he needed, and a few moments later she felt the heat running down her thighs as he rolled off, pulling her on top of him, his fingertip lazily tracing patterns up and down her spine.

She buried her face in his shoulder, hitching her leg over his hip to press closer, her breathing still a bit heavy. “l don’t want to move,” she muttered, her voice muffled against his skin, and she heard him laugh quietly, his hand stopping its movement to

rest on the small of her back.

“Tired?”

She hummed, relaxing against him. “Early mornings suck.”

“They do indeed.”

“Taking a break was totally worth it, though. I’m glad you convinced me.”

“Me too, sweetheart,” he murmured, his thumb tracing the tattoo of his first words to her on her forearm. “Me too.”

[icanhasyarn]

Chainmail Octopus Dress

So I haven’t actually posted here before, although I’ve had this account for a while. I wanted to post in a little more detail about the project I just finished, but not on Facebook, since only a few of my friends there would probably care about the details of making it (I did post pictures there).

Back in early March, I went on my seventh JoCo Cruise. One of my local friends, Rachel, came to one of the on-board parties wearing a really awesome chainmail dress -- and she said that I was her original inspiration to learn to make chainmail, because she’d seen the chainmail Jayne hat that I’d worn on a couple of previous cruises.

Meanwhile, another local friend, Jon Riley, who had learned chainmail at about the same time as I had (and for the same reason -- we’d both been at a Can’t Stop the Serenity event where they auctioned off one of those Jayne hats; neither of us won the auction so we decided to teach ourselves to make them), had been making chainmail mosaics that I thought were really amazing, so putting the two together, an idea was born: how about a chainmail dress with a picture design on it?

I vacillated between an octopus (which is appropriate to the nautical setting of the JoCo cruises) and a dragon (just because they’re really cool); my husband Ray and I did Google image searches, and he found this image (sorry, no idea where it came from or I’d give credit!):

So, an octopus it would be. Rachel had told me about an application called Irregular Grid Painter which could convert images to chainmail inlay charts, so we downloaded that. Since it wouldn’t run on my Mac, Ray used it on his PC to convert the above image to a 3-color ring chart in European 4-in-1:

So then I ordered a couple of bags of rings from The Ring Lord -- I settled on 16ga 5/16″ anodized aluminum in blue since I wanted them to be big enough that it wouldn’t take years to complete the dress, but small enough that they didn’t look clunky. I made a swatch to see how it looked, and a longer one to approximate how many rows of rings I’d need for the skirt...and then I ordered WAY too many (I ended up having over 40 bags left over when it was finished).

Once the full ring order arrived (in mid-April 2017), I started at the waist of the dress and worked up. I didn’t use a pattern, but just winged it and tried it on frequently as I progressed.

I will note that, having knitted sweaters for more than a decade, I do have a reasonable understanding of garment structure, and even though the medium and technique here were totally different, that knowledge helped a lot. So what I did was more or less as follows: worked a rectangle wide enough to go around my body from the waist up to the bust; added some rings in the bust area to increase (I did this over 2 rows). Worked several rows even, then decreased the bust back to the original ring count across (also over 2 rows). When the bodice was completed to about half the bust, I divided for the armholes and continued working the front and back separately. At the point where I wanted the neckline to begin, I did another divide (which basically just means starting to leave out rings). I also decreased a few rings at the underarm, but most of the tapering was at the neckline, which I kept decreasing until it was as wide as I wanted the shoulder straps to be. I decreased at the back as well, though a bit higher up, and kept working even at both front and back until the straps were long enough to connect. (I used knitting stitch holders to temporarily connect them in order to try it on and see if it was long enough.)

Once the top was done, I returned to the waist. I increased by a total of about 10 rings over a couple of rows, then started on the octopus inlay. The printed chart was on six pages: three across and two down. So for each row, I’d take the current page of the chart, mark my current row, then open and lay out all the rings for that row in order and add them to the skirt. I’d spot-check every now and then to make sure the ring I was adding was going into the right colored rings from the previous row. Then I’d repeat for the next two pages across before going to the next row. (I did not try to speed-weave the inlay, though I did on the all-blue parts. Too much potential for mistakes.) I tended to average about two rows an evening (approximately 116 rings/row) and five or six on weekend days. The inlay chart had a total of 66 rows. A few rows into the chart, I started connecting all the rings so that it was a tube instead of a rectangle -- closing the skirt below the back opening.

Meanwhile, I bought a plain, light-gray slip dress to wear underneath. When the octopus was all done, I tried on the dress...and found that although it did fit, walking wasn’t all that easy and sitting was impossible: I’d made it a bit too tight. So I opened up a line of rings from the back bottom middle of the skirt up to the opening (so that the back opening extended all the way to the bottom, like a hospital gown), laid it flat, disconnected the skirt from the bodice by removing the row of rings above the octopus, added ten more rings to the last bodice row at the waist, connected it back with the skirt leaving the five rings on either side of the back opening unconnected, and filled in the unconnected section with blue -- so basically, I increased evenly around the waist, but added the new rings only at the back of the dress. (Increases do show in the finished dress, so I didn’t want to make any inside the octopus inlay, as it might have distorted it. This was the best way I could come up with to preserve the design.)

So once I filled in the new section and closed the skirt back up, walking and sitting became easier (though sitting in this thing will never be the height of comfort). I also filled in the neckline and under the arms a little, as my slip dress showed a bit in those spots. That’s one of the cool things about chainmail: you can add bits here and there and there’s no extra seams!

Anyway, here is the finished dress:

Closer view of the skirt:

For the back opening, I had originally tried regular jewelry clasps, but they were difficult to manage and kept popping out (didn’t help that the 16ga rings wouldn’t fit through them and I had to use 18ga, which are much weaker), so Ray suggested a leather lace-up tie instead, and I think that works much better (and as the person who will have to do it up for me, so does he!). The slip dress still shows at one side of the back a bit, so I may try to even that up...or I may just leave it, because it doesn’t seem like that big a deal. I also left a small slit at the back, to make walking and sitting easier.

And finally, when I did the surgery to increase the skirt size, I took the opportunity to lay it out flat for a full picture. (Yes, it’s reversed from the original image. But the dress itself is reversible, so I could easily just turn it inside out. I just haven’t bothered.)

In the end, the dress took roughly two-and-a-half months to complete (it was done on 7/3/2017), and used approximately 17,000 rings: 13,500 blue, 2000 red, and 1500 black. It weighs a little over five-and-a-half pounds.

Bonus 360-degree video of the skirt: https://flic.kr/p/VWXEjh

So now I wait for the Renaissance Faire to open, since that’s one of the two places I can wear such a thing (the other being the JoCo Cruise). We haven’t actually booked on JCC8 yet -- we’re still trying to decide whether to take a break after seven in a row. But I won’t lie: having something this cool to wear on the boat makes me REALLY tempted to go anyway.

Am I crazy to be considering adding short sleeves? I still have plenty of rings left over, so I could do it easily. But I want to give my hands a bit of a rest first; that much chainmailing in such a short time did cause some stiffness, pain, and calluses.

[foolsiwillshowthemall]

Farm Report:  A new year, and some new faces

27th day of Winter.  Nearly everything is ready, but I need more coal for some of the remaining crafting to do before the spring.  I'll be spending nearly all of the day in the mines.

Twenty little sprinklers, waiting for the spring.

A few minor chores to do first, such as clearing junk out of the crab pots.  This will be two more pieces of refined quartz I don't need to spend coal on.

As I head back from the shore, I smell something utterly delicious coming from George and Evelyn's cabin. I can't resist sticking my head in to see what it is.

I didn't even know she had famous cookies, but I'm happy to try some.  They're delicious.

As a thanks for all I've done for her and her husband, she shares the recipe with me.  I'll guard this secret with my life, Evelyn.

After a quick stop at home to clear my inventory, it's time for the mines.  After I filled all the bundles in the community center's boiler room, the weird little gumdrop spirits repaired the mine cart. I can use this to rapidly travel between the bus stop, mines, and town.  It'll save me a lot of time walking to and from the mine entrance.

Takes me right inside the mines.  Now I can stay out a bit later without having to worry about passing out in the middle of town on the way back.

Meeting very few enemies in the mines today.  While I would normally like that, I'm looking for coal today, and that means I need to kill soot sprites.  I'm getting lots of ore that I won't be able to refine for quite a while.

This is more like it.  Some annoying slimes and bats, but also the sprites I'm here for.

If I had to walk home, I might not even make it in time.  The cart takes me straight to the bus stop, which is only two map screens from my front door.

Last day of winter, and one last production run of crystal wine is ready.  This will go straight up for sale to raise a bit more money for seeds and stuff for the spring.

Another bit of crafting to do.  I need over 200 units of fertilizer.  This wipes out nearly all the sap I gathered last year, so I'm going to have to cut down a lot of trees if I want to be able to mass-fertilize my farm in summer as well.

After a few more errands - crab pots, geode processing, checking the traveling cart for anything good - it's time for one more day in the mines.  This time, I'm seeing more monsters, which makes me happy.

Ah, yes. Come to me, my little coal delivery monsters!

A year in Stardew Valley is over.  I have made many friends, and several lovers, and have become a part of this community.  I have made good progress on restoring my grandfather's farm, and have made a fair amount of money.  Tomorrow starts a new year, and I will have to do so much, but once the initial setup is completed the new farm should be much more automated and require less of my time each day.

First of spring.  First thing I see on coming outside is Leah's face.  I can think of far worse ways to start the morning.

Uh.  Free?  Leah, look at this farm.  Do you have any idea how much work I have to do today?  I'll be lucky if I get everything done by midnight.

Well, she's been busy over the winter.  I've hardly seen any of her, as she's been locked up in her cabin making art.  Tonight is her art show, and she wants me to be there.  I love Leah so much, I can't bear to disappoint her, so I make a mental note to force myself to take a break from farm chores in the afternoon to stop by.

Weeds, shrubs, logs and rocks have popped up everywhere.  The spring harvest fruit trees - cherries and apricots - are already bearing fruit, but the summer harvest ones won't grow properly if I don't keep the spaces around them clear.

Clearing out the weeds and sticks in the main farm area doesn't take too much time.  The cauliflower pen is completely overgrown and will need a lot of cleaning out.

The chicken yard is also partially overgrown, but that's okay.  Chickens like grassy areas.  I can leave most of this, though I'll want to eventually remove the rocks and sticks.

Farm prepped for the next step, so I'm off to the general store.

Buying so many seeds again wipes out most of my remaining cash.  Don't look so smug, Pierre.

When I get back to my farmhouse, there's a man with familiar-looking yellow hair waiting for me.

Well hello sir, and welcome back home.  Your wife is a charming and wonderful woman who has helped make me feel welcome in this town, and your son is ... certainly someone who I have met.  Anything you need, just ask.

After spending a few hours tilling the fields - the upgraded hoe makes it faster, but it still takes a while - it's time for Leah's art show.  Everyone in town is there, but she seems most excited to see me show up.

I think you've succeeded.  Your sculptures are lovey.  (and so are you)

Ooh, fancy.

You got into the special mushrooms, didn't you?

That looks just like the one you gave me.  The one you said was inspired by your feelings for me.  How many sculptures did I inspire?

Apparently, I'm not far off in that, as she takes a moment to thank me for inspiring her and giving her the courage to go through with this.  It's very sweet, and I am touched.

And then the bidding starts, and the pieces start to sell.  The prices are surprisingly high.  If I had any talent, I'd forget this farming thing and go into art instead.  Leah, I'd say you've demonstrated your artistic merit and proven your ex wrong.

If I wasn't so caught up in the moment, the joy of the event and Leah's talent and beauty, I might have paid more attention to the surly figure standing off by themselves...

I'd love to hang out more with Leah, but the fields are calling.  I decided this year I wanted to fertilize every tile of the fields.  This takes some time.

Placing all the seeds also takes a while.  It's nearly midnight by the time I'm done.  The placement got a bit sloppy towards the end, but I was getting tired. I'm really looking forward to seeing my sprinkler array watering all these plants tomorrow.

... of course it will be.

On the rainy next day, I find several letters, including one from Leah thanking me again.  Apparently her art auction went very well.  I'll have to stop by later and catch up with her.

This was supposed to be a flower and beehive garden, but when I placed it I completely failed to realize that the ground there was made of grass which is impossible to remove, and therefore can't have anything planted on it.  I'll have to rip up and relocate the whole patch.

Relocated it to the space between the orchard and the mushroom cave.  Planted some Blue Jazz flowers as these give the most valuable honey during the spring.

Maru assures me that this arrangement of lightning rods is optimal for promoting growth and preservation of grass.  Something to do with the electrostatic gradients promoting cell growth, and definitely not a cheesy hack to make immortal grass by exploiting limitations in animal pathing.

My farm has very little else for me to do, even the manually watered patch doesn't need watering today, so I'm off to see Leah.  Grabbing one of my remaining bottles of crystal fruit wine to share with her.

"Another bouquet, Judith?  Who is this one for?"

"Shut your piehole, Pierre.  I bought eleven grand in seeds from you yesterday.  For that kind of money, you can respect my goals - or do you want me to buy these from Jojamart instead?'

Heading down to see Leah.  She's in a good mood after her successful art show yesterday.

She's very happy to get the bouquet, and we share a bottle of crystal wine together.

We spend a while talking.  I congratulate her on the show, she congratulates me on the successful farming I've done, there's more than a little flirting going on.

But, eventually, I must make my excuses and leave.  There are still things I need to do today.  Checking the crab pots on the beach, clearing more brush and rocks at the farm, chopping wood...

When I get to the beach, I'm surprised to see Haley out there.  She loves the beach, but hates the rain.  If she's out in this weather, it must be something urgent, and as I get closer I can see she's distraught.

She's lost a precious bracelet somewhere on the beach, and has been searching for it in the rain, without luck.  Now, I don't like Haley all that much, although I've warmed to her since she stopped insulting my clothes and smell.  And I do hate to see her crying.

It's not just any bracelet, but a family heirloom.  Not just precious to her, but the kind of thing that could lead to a vengeful ghost of an ancestor showing up to bother you.  I can sympathize with that.  Some days it feels like my dead grandpa is still watching me.

I offer to help look for it.  It can't have gone far.

After searching the entire beach, I finally find it behind Elliott's cabin.

She's really happy, happy enough for a hug and promise to not forget what I've done for her.

The crab pots have mostly caught junk, but I will get a refined quartz out of that CD, so it's not a complete failure.  But as I clear them out, I spot another figure standing alone out on the pier.

It's Sebastian.  Were you out here the entire time we were looking for that bracelet?

You kidding, Sebby?  Rainy days are the days I don't need to water my crops and get to run around and do all my town chores.  What are you doing out here?

It turns out that he loves rainy days like this, because everyone else stays inside and he can go outside and yet still be alone.

I think that maybe I should excuse myself and leave him to his solitude, but he assures me that he doesn't mind being around me.  From an introvert, this is a very warm compliment, one of the nicest things he can say to me.

And then he pulls out an umbrella and invites me to stand under it.  It's a nice gesture, although I have to wonder, if he had an umbrella all along, why didn't he pull it out until I got here?  Drama emo boy much?

My day isn't quite done.  There's a lot of wood to chop and brush to clear still back on the farm.  Getting into this back patch that I have never touched in all the time I've been here is slow going.

[bromfieldhall]

What Makes You Beautiful - A Mentalist Fanfiction

TIMELINE: Set some in the future after series four finale. Minor spoilers.

SYNOPSIS: “Yesterday I made a New Year’s resolution. I’m going to give myself one whole year to woo and win the love of California Bureau of Investigation’s Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon.”

PAIRING: Patrick Jane/Teresa Lisbon

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4

CHAPTER 5

"To prove I'm right, I put it in a song"

~ What Makes You Beautiful ~ 1D

May 10th – 8.09am

I'm finally taking Lisbon out to dinner tonight.

I've been half expecting a new case to come up and delay our plans again but so far it all seems to be going OK. I'm on my way to pick her up now and we're going to a restaurant I know on the other side of town.

Lisbon said that I could decide where to go. I'm pleased about that. It shows a certain amount of trust in my choice…and also that she isn't as adverse to the possibility that I might take her back to my place as she so obviously was to Carlton.

Tempting as that idea is though, I want to get this right. I would say that I want everything to be perfect but as perfection never happens I'll go for faultless instead.

Things have been…different between us since the night she kissed me. We haven't spoken about it, naturally, that just wouldn't be us. As far as Lisbon is concerned she simply paid part of her forfeit. I let her think that as it'd be pointless to try and convince her otherwise. She can be very stubborn at times.

Things have changed though. Subtle, inconsequential things that other people wouldn't even notice…but I do. The odd touch here, a small smile there, not being quite so frowny with me. She's even taken to making me a pot of tea every now and then. She doesn't tell me. Just gives me a look when she leaves the break room and I know.

It's the little things.

I arrive at her apartment block and quickly make my way to her door. I knock twice and wait impatiently for her to answer. The door opens and when I see her, she quite literally takes my breath away. The simple knee length jade dress does everything to compliment her figure and her eyes and I find myself grinning like an idiot.

"Hi. You look lovely, Teresa," I say, unable and, quite frankly, unwilling to look away. "Really. Stunning."

"Thanks," she replies as she blushes slightly and dips her head in that sweet way of hers before looking me up and down appreciatively. "You too. New suit?"

You see? Little things. Who else would notice that considering I wear one every day?

"Yes," I reply before leaning towards her conspiratorially and adding, "It's a special occasion."

The warm colour invades her cheeks once again and I begin to wonder how many more times I'll be able to elicit such a response this evening. I hold out the crook of my arm to her with a smile.

"Shall we?"

She locks her door then takes my arm and we head to my 'contraption' as she so enjoys calling it. Once we get in and are on our way, we partake in chitchat about the case we've just closed. I'm happy to talk about work for the moment but I hope to steer our conversation to a more personal level once we're having dinner.

We reach the restaurant and after I find a space to park, we go in. I've been here before but Lisbon hasn't so I'm hoping that she likes this place as much as I do.

"This looks great," she comments with a smile as she takes in the ambiance.

It's not a large restaurant. There's a small stage with a live band playing soothing music at one end with a small area for dancing in front of it. Some dining tables fill the rest of the space in the middle and around the outside, along the walls, are some cosy looking, high backed booths. I've asked for one of those tonight because they will give us the chance of some privacy without being too intimate.

I have to tread carefully. In my head this is a date. In hers I know she views this evening as just something she must do because of the auction. I'm sure she wouldn't be quite so relaxed if she thought it were anything more.

The waiter shows us to a booth in the corner and takes our drinks order then leaves us a menu and walks away. As I sit opposite her I let my gaze roam over her lovely face while she looks around the restaurant with interest.

"How did you find this place?" she asks, bringing her eyes back to mine.

"It was after a case a while back," I reveal with a shrug. "I saw a sign advertising the band and came in. I used to come here sometimes when things got a little…too much at work."

Her eyes cloud over slightly as I remind us both of a time we'd rather forget and I sigh as I realise I've been remiss about doing something I should have done a long time ago.

"You know, I don't think I ever apologised to you about Lorelei. About a lot of things I did, and said, back then," I say contritely.

I do my best to quash the guilt that comes with remembering my, at times, despicable behaviour towards the woman I love and once again find myself humbled at her vast capability for forgiveness. I don't know where she keeps it in that tiny body of hers but I know it's there somewhere because she's shaking her head before I've even finished speaking.

"You don't have to. It's done. It's over. He's gone. Let's just move on," she tells me sincerely.

"I'm trying to," I assure her with a small smile. Her hand is resting on the table and I reach across to lay mine gently over hers as I add, "But I know my actions hurt you, Teresa, and for that I'm truly sorry. It was the last thing I ever wanted to do."

I can feel her tense a little and wait for the denials to come or for her to remove her hand but, to my surprise and happiness, she doesn't do any of these. Instead, she slowly runs her thumb along mine and looks at me so intently I feel my heart skip a beat.

"It was hard for all of us back then. We both said and did things we regret but I'm just glad we made it out the other side relatively unscathed," she says seriously.

I know what she's referring to and I can't have her thinking like that over me.

"You shouldn't regret killing Red John," I tell her decisively.

"I don't," she says but then she looks down and pulls her hand away from beneath mine. "But I am sorry that he couldn't stand trial so that you'd perhaps get some closure."

I can almost see her building up the emotional walls and retreating behind them as our conversation takes a turn I hadn't been expecting. I do my best to hide my frustration and try to put her mind at rest a little.

"I got my closure the moment you shot him in the head, Lisbon," I say wryly.

She looks surprised.

"Really?" she queries hesitantly. "I thought you blamed me for taking your chance at avenging your family away from you."

I sigh again. I had suspected she felt like this. It's long past time we had this conversation and while I didn't really want to do it now, in reality it's probably not a bad thing to finally clear the air once and for all. There are some things I need to say and while they may hurt, I know that I have to be completely honest for my own sake as well as hers. It's yet another step in my progress of healing and moving on…and I hope in hers too.

"Oh, I did blame you. I think I even hated you at one point," I reply candidly. She looks shocked and upset but now I've started I need to tell her everything about that time. "But those feelings didn't last long. I'm not stupid, Teresa. Petulant and childish that I didn't get my own way, maybe, but deep down I knew that how it ended was the right way. I still got my revenge and I still had my life. It was like a huge weight had been lifted and I don't believe I ever even thanked you for it."

"There's no need…" she begins again but I won't let her finish.

"Yes! There is a need," I tell her firmly. She stops and looks at me and I smile back at her affectionately, trying to let her see just how much she means to me. "If it wasn't for you I'd have lost myself years ago, Teresa. So…thank you."

She doesn't get a chance to respond, which is probably a relief to her as she looks kind of speechless at my words, because the moment is broken by the return of the waiter with our bottle of wine. We continue to stare at each other as the man busily fills our glasses with a flourish and waits patiently for me to have a taste. I find the whole thing a little annoying as it means that I have to take my eyes off of the woman opposite me but I do as expected and give him a nod of assent.

He seems pleased and asks if we're ready to order. Since we haven't even glanced at the menu yet I tell him no. He looks a little chagrined at this and tells us rather pointedly that he'll be back to take it soon.

Lisbon looks at me in amusement when the man leaves and I grin back.

"I did say I came here for the band," I point out dryly as I pick up the menu and hand it to her.

She takes it from me and begins to read while I have some more of my wine and look casually around the room. I notice a young couple entering the restaurant then do a double take and almost choke on my drink when I suddenly realise that it's Rigsby and Van Pelt.

My stomach drops and I glance at Lisbon. She's still reading the menu and I hope she stays like that until the other couple are seated…preferably at another restaurant.

Unfortunately, this is all my fault. I told Rigsby about this place a couple of weeks ago. I just can't believe he's picked tonight of all nights to come. What rotten timing. For all of us.

I watch a waiter lead them our way and feel my insides sink further and further down. I'm not worried about them seeing us. I'm worried about Lisbon seeing them and realising that they've gotten back together as I'd suspected. They've been much more discreet about it this time though, I have to give them that.

They are almost at our booth when they finally see me and come to an abrupt halt. The smiles on their faces freeze then fade completely when their gazes slide across the table and spy Lisbon. The look of horror that replaces their once happy countenances would be mildly amusing if Lisbon didn't happen to look up and notice them at the exact same time.

"Rigsby? Van Pelt? What are you doing here?" she asks with some confusion.

As much as it pains me and will probably ruin my evening, as well as my chances with Lisbon, I know there's only one thing I can do in this situation.

"Oh, I invited them," I blurt out cheerfully as I stand up, drawing all their surprised looks. I request another couple of glasses and more wine then send the bemused waiter on his way before I turn back and continue, "We didn't get a chance for pizza after closing the Daniels case yesterday so it seemed a good idea to do it tonight, since we were here for dinner anyway."

Obviously, I play 'inconsiderate jackass' really well if the disappointment and annoyance I see flare briefly on Lisbon's face is anything to go by. She looks at the couple then back at me and produces, what I can tell is, a very forced smile to her lips.

"It is a good idea," she says suddenly glancing around before turning back to me to ask pointedly, "Where's Cho?"

"He said he couldn't make it," I reply dismissively.

I look at Rigsby and gesture for he and Van Pelt to take my side of the booth. As they settle themselves in, I gaze at Lisbon and point to the seat next to her. She frowns then tuts in irritation before moving up a little so that I can sit down.

I slide in next to her and relish the warm feel of her leg against mine as I sit just that little bit too close. I hear the smallest of catches in her breathing and, under the guise of making myself comfortable, I budge up just that tiny bit more so that we're touching almost from hip to knee. Maybe this turn of events isn't so bad after all.

"Well, this is cosy," I remark as I grin at everyone around the table.

Rigsby and Van Pelt look as if they want a large hole to swallow them up and Lisbon alternates between giving them suspicious little glances and trying not to look me in the eyes. I push the menu across the table and the younger couple gratefully become absorbed in deciding what to eat.

Our waiter returns, a slight rise of his eyebrows the only indication that he's surprised there's now four at our table and we order our food.

"You didn't even look at the menu," Lisbon observes, finally looking at me properly.

"I have the same thing every time I come here," I reply. "I'm a creature of habit, you know that."

"Creature of obsession, more like," she snorts wryly.

"That's true," I agree with a nod as I look at her keenly. "Once I decide I want something, I'll pursue it until I get it. Sometimes it takes a while, but I haven't failed yet."

I see a hint of uncertainty in her eyes as she gazes back at me. I can tell she's trying to decipher if there's more to my words than just face value. I smile at her softly and her uncertainty turns to perplexity, which makes me grin even more. I do so love confounding the woman.

A quiet clearing of the throat from across the table reminds me that we're not actually alone and I reluctantly break eye contact. Rigsby and Van Pelt are looking at us as if trying to work out what's going on so I do what I do best and cause mischief.

"So, Grace, I saw Harris from Fraud today. He asked me about you again. I think he's potential marriage material if you're interested," I state innocently.

It's not a lie. I did see Harris and he did ask about Grace. He also asked about Lisbon but I'm not telling her that. Besides, I effectively shut him down on having any salacious ideas about either woman. He's an obnoxious worm who tries to bat way above his average and I told him that, among other things.

I look at the younger couple but can't quite decide who looks most aghast at my comment. I take a sip of my wine to hide my smile. Just because I saved them from being found out, doesn't mean I can't play with them a little.

Rigsby shoots Van Pelt a faintly accusing glare.

"Harris, eh?" he comments trying, and failing, for nonchalance.

Van Pelt shakes her head and opens her mouth to defend herself, I'm guessing, but the waiter returns with their glasses and another bottle of wine. Once he leaves, Lisbon starts to talk about work and we pretty much stay on that topic throughout the rest of the dinner. It's a safe subject and I don't try to derail it.

After finishing our meal with a very decadent dessert, Lisbon excuses herself to go to the bathroom and Van Pelt goes with her while I ask for the check.

"Thanks, Jane," says Rigsby with quiet gratitude once we're alone. "It was a close call tonight. I owe you one."

I like that he doesn't try to make some ridiculous excuse for his being out with Van Pelt this evening.

"Forget it. If you want to be with Grace then you should be. Life's too short," I reply with a shrug. "What's that old saying? Listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do."

Rigsby stares at me like I'm mad for a moment then shakes his head.

"Dude, that's from a song," he says bluntly.

Huh. I thought I knew it from somewhere. Oh, well, potato, potahto.

"Meh, it's the sentiment that counts," I dismiss with a wave of my hand.

Rigsby chuckles and the waiter returns with the check. I pay for dinner, leave a healthy tip then we get up and go to wait for our women. They join us moments later and we all leave the restaurant together. Everything considered, it's actually been an enjoyable evening, albeit not the one I initially had planned.

Once outside we bid each other good night then go our separate ways. I automatically place my hand on Lisbon's back as I guide her towards my car. We get in and I drive her back to her apartment. She's quiet for most of the journey, but it's a comfortable silence and not an awkward one as I had been fearing.

We reach her apartment block and I escort her to her door. She digs around in her purse and pulls out her key then turns to me with a slight frown.

"Rigsby and Van Pelt are back together again, aren't they?" she queries wryly. I must look as though I'm about to lie because she adds quickly, "And don't bother trying to deny it, Jane, I'm not stupid."

She's not and I won't. Instead, I give her a brief nod of assent and look down. I don't want to see them split up again and I think if it came to it, one of them would definitely leave the team to ensure that wouldn't happen this time. Either option doesn't appeal to me as I've come to view them almost as family now.

"What are you going to do?" I ask soberly, raising my gaze to hers.

"Me? Nothing," she replies to my surprise. "As far as I'm concerned I just had dinner with my team because we closed a case."

That's my girl.

"Why, Lisbon, I do believe I'm rubbing off on you," I say with a grin of delight.

"You don't have to say it as if it were a good thing," she grumbles good-naturedly.

I laugh then, impulsively, I lean forward and give her a kiss on the cheek. When I draw back, she looks disconcerted and a little embarrassed at my unexpected display of affection.

"Don't look so worried, Lisbon, that's how all dates are supposed to end," I tell her lightly.

I reach out and take her key from her hand, making sure I let my fingers linger on hers just a bit longer than necessary. Her answering smile fades and a different kind of tension begins to crackle in the air surrounding us. I lean forward and open her door then give her back her key and step aside so that she can go in.

Instead of entering, she suddenly looks at me with something close to determination in her eyes, as though she'd just reached some important decision, and I brace myself for whatever she says next. To say I'm surprised in an understatement when she doesn't speak, but moves closer to me and places her hand on my shoulder instead. Before I have time to realise her intention, she reaches up and presses a soft, sweet kiss to my mouth. My eyes close as our lips move languidly against each other and I savour every second of the all too brief meeting.

"No, Jane, that's how a date is supposed to end," she refutes softly as she breaks away long before I'm ready for her to stop.

I draw in a shaky breath and open my eyes to see that she's moved to her doorway, ready to go in. There's a look on her face that's a mixture of triumph and trepidation and I realise she's not quite sure how I'll react.

"I'll make sure I remember that next time," I promise with a sudden grin as I try to slow down my thundering heart. Really, the woman should come with a warning. She all but kills me every time I sample those delectable lips of hers. I'm certain she'll finish me off for good if we ever do anything more.

She gives me one of those precious smiles of hers that does nothing to slow my pulse and everything to make me want her more then goes into her apartment. Holding the door, she turns to look at me.

"Goodnight, Patrick, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Teresa," I reply and watch her close the door.

Once I hear the lock click into place, I go back to my car with a huge smile on my face and a heart that's feeling lighter than it has in years. Although the evening wasn't what I expected, it's ended up being even better than I hoped. I'm not saying we're a couple or that she loves me…yet. I know I still have to take it slowly, even though she did make more of a move than I did tonight…

The realisation pulls me up short.

Huh.

I get into my car and pause as an odd thought suddenly pops into my head.

After that kiss and the way she acted…I'm beginning to wonder just who is wooing whom.

END CHAPTER 5

[u-wll-rmmbr-me-fr-centuries]

At last-minute I decided I was going to take part in Booktube-a-thon, and so I went into making my TBR list with no idea really of what I was going to read. I wasn’t prepared. And to top it all off, I kept switching around books as I felt it didn’t quite work. But now I am happy to announce my final book TBR for the readathon!

Before;

Before we go into this I do need to say that I’ve already started two of these books from the 24in48 Readathon. But I don’t like reading a million books all at once, and they do fit into these categories, so it doesn’t really hurt anyone.

Read a book with a person on the cover

For this I chose The Last of Us by Rob Ewing. There’s two people on the cover and I’ve been intrigued by this for a while now but haven’t got round to reading it yet.

When a pandemic wipes out the entire population of a remote Scottish island, only a small group of children survive. How will they fend for themselves?

Since the last adult died, sensible Elizabeth has been the group leader, testing for a radio signal, playing teacher and keeping an eye on Alex, the littlest, whose insulin can only last so long.

There is ‘shopping’ to do in the houses they haven’t yet searched and wrong smells to avoid. For eight-year-old Rona each day brings fresh hope that someone will come back for them, tempered by the reality of their dwindling supplies.

With no adults to rebel against, squabbles threaten the fragile family they have formed. And when brothers Calum Ian and Duncan attempt to thwart Elizabeth’s leadership, it prompts a chain of events that will endanger Alex’s life and test them all in unimaginable ways.

Read a hyped book

I chose The Hobbit as I had already started reading it for 24in48 Readathon and I would prefer to finish it before starting more books. That’s just not my style. So as it is one of the biggest hyped books to ever exist, I decided to include it as this challenge.

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

Finish a book in one day

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (The original screenplay). As I was able to read The Cursed Child in one day, I figured this would also be another quick and easy read due to it being a screenplay.

J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition to any reader’s bookshelf.

Read about a character that’s very different to you

I thought Memoirs of a Geisha fit perfectly into this slot. It’s set in Japan and follows the life of a Geisha, from when she was a little girl to when she’s much older. It’s fictional but at the beginning there’s a fake translators note which gives it more character. I also started this book for 24in48 Readathon. 

A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan’s most celebrated geisha.

In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl’s virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction – at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful – and completely unforgettable.

Read a whole book outdoors

Lets be honest – the outdoors isn’t always our best friend. And as I dwell in this place called England, the outside can be wet, cold and plain miserable. So, I decided to go with another short and sweet book, Alice Through The Looking Glass. The copy I have, has both Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass in one, but I’ve already read the first.

In 1865, English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), aka Lewis Carroll, wrote a fantastical adventure story for the young daughters of a friend. The adventures of Alice—named for one of the little girls to whom the book was dedicated—who journeys down a rabbit hole and into a whimsical underworld realm instantly struck a chord with the British public, and then with readers around the world. In 1872, in reaction to the universal acclaim *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland* received, Dodgson published this sequel. Nothing is quite what it seems once Alice journeys through the looking-glass, and Dodgson’s wit is infectious as he explores concepts of mirror imagery, time running backward, and strategies of chess-all wrapped up in the exploits of a spirited young girl who parries with the Red Queen, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and other unlikely characters. In many ways, this sequel has had an even greater impact on today’s pop culture than the first book.

Read a book you bought because of the cover

The Diabolic. Yes. A million times yes. Technically though, I didn’t buy it as I actually won it. But I was thinking about buying it anyway, so it counts in my eyes.

Nemesis is a Diabolic. Created to protect a galactic Senator’s daughter, Sidonia. There’s no one Nemesis wouldn’t kill to keep her safe. But when the power-mad Emperor summons Sidonia to the galactic court as a hostage, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia.

She must become her.

Now one of the galaxy’s most dangerous weapons is masquerading in a world of corruption and Nemesis has to hide her true abilities or risk everything. As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns that there is something stronger than her deadly force: the one thing she’s been told she doesn’t have – humanity. And, amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity might be the only thing that can save her, Sidonia and the entire Empire…

Read seven books

What’s the one thing this list is missing? That’s right – zombies! World War Z would make another perfect book as I anticipate it will be fast paced and full of suspense. I originally watched the film for Film Studies in my first year of college (and I loved it, sue me), when I saw it on the bookshelves in a charity store I had to have it.

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. “World War Z” is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”

Weekly post

I’m going to write a long post (like I did with 24in48 Readathon) where I will have each day’s update and progress. Hopefully it will be posted on the Sunday night if everything goes to plan and we’ll see at how many of these reading challenges I have completed.

Booktube-a-thon 2017 TBR At last-minute I decided I was going to take part in Booktube-a-thon, and so I went into making my TBR list with no idea really of what I was going to read.

[lilyabsinthe]

When it comes to 1890s fashion, images of dresses with leg-of-mutton sleeves and wasp-waists instantly come to mind. With the exception of the occasional vestigial pad, the bustle had disappeared and fashion was once again redefining itself, shifting focus away from the rear to the waist. While in many respects traditional Victorian standards of feminine aesthetics remained in force (especially when it came to evening wear and ball gowns), new social forces were at work undermining this established aesthetic. The role of women in society was beginning to change and with it, fashion. Even more remarkable, the 1890s saw the introduction of practical clothing styles intended for women working outside of the home and participating in sporting activities; it was an acknowledgement that women were becoming increasingly involved in public life outside of the traditional women’s roles. In the next several posts, we’re going to be taking a closer look at 1890s style and we hope you will join us. 🙂

The most prominent trend of the 1890s was the move away from bustled/trained silhouette which had dominated the fashion world since the late 1860s. During the mid to late 1880s, the bustle silhouette reach its most extreme form but by 1889,styles were shifting to a more upright, cylindrical silhouette and this was especially the case with day wear (although one can occasionally vestigial bustle pads). Naturally, this shift did not take place overnight but its progression can definitely be seen during from years from 1890 through 1893.

Fashion Plate, La Mode Practique, c. 1891-1892; Metropolitan Museum of Art (b17520939)

Broadly speaking, 1890s styles for daywear can be broken into three periods:

1890 – 1894: Dresses are cylindrical and relatively plain (as compared to the 1880s), bodice sleeves have a slight pouf or “kickout” at the top. In some instances, there was a vestigial bustle in the form of a pad.

1894 – 1897: Sleeves begin increasing in size developing into the distinct “leg-of-mutton” style that comes to characterize 1890s style.

1898 – 1900: Sleeve size begins to reduce although there is often some pouf at the top as with the early 1890s.

In this post, we will be focusing on the early 1890s with an occasional nod to 1888 – 1889 where the first signs of the transition to the new silhouette can be seen. First, let’s take a look at a few of the many extant fashion plates documenting the transition:

Le Mode Illustree, 1889

Peterson’s Magazine, April 1889

Peterson’s Magazine, June 1889

Peterson’s Magazine, August 1889

In the above plates, one can see that the models (or croquis) have been created so as to emphasize a more slender, upright silhouette (aided by some tall hats) while minimizing the bustle (although there are still some examples of a pronounced bustle mixed in). Here is another good example from Godey’s Lady’s Book:

Godey’s Fashions, September 1890

 So are we simply going on the basis of idealized fashion plates? No, further evidence can be found in the pages of the fashion press itself. The following is a passage from the March 1889 issue of Peterson’s Magazine in regard to fashions:

Of course, the straight falling lines, so suitable for heavy clothes, the cashmere and other woolens, are not appropriate for the thinner summer gowns, so a little more drapery will be used for softer materials, yet the straight effects will be retained as far as possible, skirts will be narrower, and the tournure or bustle will be very small indeed.

To further follow up, we see the following comments from the June 1889 issue of Peterson’s Magazine:

Skirt-draperies will retain the straight narrow look. For stuff dresses, the coat appearance , opening in front over a plaited [pleated], gathered, or fancy front, is popular; while at the back of the skirt falls in long lines without looping…Bustles, cushions, and dress-stiffeners are very much reduced in size, some women dispensing with them altogether.

Finally there’s this interesting comments in regard to modifying dresses from the October 1889 issue of Peterson’s Magazine:

Some persons dispense altogether with a bustle; but most persons look better with a small one. An excellent idea in making thick dresses is to fasten a small pad right at the waist; you can either buy it or make it out of hair and muslin. You will like it much better than wearing a separate bustle…this year, on account of the dispensing with reeds and large bustles, many of last season’s dresses are too long and can be shortened without taking them out the bands.

Continuing on, for 1890 we see much of the same thing going on:

Peterson’s Magazine, March 1890

Peterson’s Magazine, April 1890

The styles in the above two plates continue to emphasize the cylindrical silhouette and especially with the dresses on the far left and right of the April 1890 plate. What is especially striking is that the reception dress on the far left is very similar to styles found in the 1900 – 1905 time frame, all that’s needed is the s-bend corset. 🙂

And finally, just to round out things, here’s September and October, 1890:

Peterson’s Magazine, September 1890

Peterson’s Magazine, October 1890

Besides, the silhouette, some other interesting style details are beginning to emerge to include semi-open bodices simulating a jacket and underlying waistcoat or waist. Also, many of the sleeve tops have small poufs or “kick-outs.” Finally, one can also see that the skirts themselves are becoming smooth with few or no pleats, draping, or trim. These changes were noted in regard to Paris fashions by Lucy H. Hooper’s “Paris Letter” column in the October 1890 issue of Peterson’s Magazine:

I do not remember a season marked by such a pronounced change of the fashions since the year that witnessed the final disappearance of hoops, than has been that which we have just traversed. The last vestiges of loopings and puffings and plaitings have disappeared, and a lady’s streetgown, to be in the height of the style, must resemble an umbrella-cover as nearly as possible…

Sleeves are worn much less elevated on the shoulders than tiny were last season, and are now only sufficiently puffed to do away with the look of an actual coat-sleeve…

And now for some extant examples:

Day Dress, c. 1890 with label: “Mme. Chamas, 66 rue des Petits Champs, Paris, France,”; Kent State University Museum (1983.1.178 ab)

The above dress definitely embodies much of the style shifts that were going on. The bodice-jacket style combined with a smooth skirt gives a large “canvas” for the asymmetrical floral embroidery design.

Walking Dress, John Redfern, c. 1889; Kerry Taylor Auctions

Side Profile

Rear View

This walking dress by John Redfern is representative of this shift towards a simplified cylindrical silhouette. The lines of the dress are clean and well-sculpted with little in the way of draping and pleating. Although the staging of dresses by museums and  auction houses is often suspect, we believe that it’s safe to say that there is a minimal train and not much room for an extensive bustle. Below are some more views:

Back Shoulders

Accompanying Bonnet

Label

CLose-Up, Front Bodice

Close-Up, Side Profile

Our survey is admittedly brief, limited by the available pictures of extant garments- there’s simply not a lot out there and of what there is, a high percentage is misidentified. However, we believe that fashion plates and the writings in the fashion press go a long way to filling in the gaps. In our next post, we’ll continue the story forward a bit into the mid-1890s where we see the “90s” style come into its own.

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1890s Day Wear, Part 1 When it comes to 1890s fashion, images of dresses with leg-of-mutton sleeves and wasp-waists instantly come to mind.

[colorfulsuitdestiny-blog]

Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

"Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

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Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

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I have a license but no insurance. I drive my dad's car which is insured in his name. If he is aware that i am driving the car and i get into an accident, does that mean I am insured?""

How much is insurance for a crotch rocket (600cc)?

I'm a teenager looking to purchase a crotch rocket (by definition) in the next 6 months, and after googling it and coming up with incredibly high prices, I thought there had to be cheaper insurance. Can anybody provide me with information on how much liability insurance would be for a teenager for a crotch rocket 600cc (not a new one; probably anywhere from '95 - '05). I have no tickets, or wrecks, etc, etc. I would be willing to take a drivers school, etc, etc, whatever I had to do, to lower the insurance. Thanks.""

About how much will basic insurance cost for a 30 year old male once the new Insurance system is in place?

right now I can't afford insurance but will be required to buy it anyway starting in 2014, I am curious as to how much it will be. As I understand it, it will be basically figured at three different levels of service and three different rates depending on your age and the coverage you want. so for a 30 year old male who wants basic coverage how much would I expect to pay? just ball park. like $200 to $300 per month? more then that less then that? this question has been deleted over and over again I don't understand why.""

""Car stolen, will insurance pay?

my car was stolen out of our driveway . i wanted to go to work and had everything in the car . i left to get my sleeping child andwhen i went out the car was gone . not even 3 minutes later. they recoverd the car . damaged but not the person yet . my husband is affraid that the insurance will not pay since the keys were in the car along with all my creditcards and house keys .the car was on our property next to the house . i have nightmares about it . please help

Who in california needs auto insurance?

Does an 18 year old driving a car under his parents name need auto insurance? Or is it only have your own registered car?

Getting free insurance when buying a van new?

I'm Ste & I'm 21. I've just passed my license a month a go and I'm struggling to get a decent quote from any insurance company. That's made me think about buying one new as I know some car showrooms do free insurance policies for young drivers (Mainly over 21) which is lucky as i've recently celebrated my 21st. So, are there any van company's with free insurance? I've got no no claims and I've had my license a month. Any help would be brill! Cheers, Ste.""

Got a speeding ticket in friends newly bought car and he didnt have proof of insurance?

so my friend recently bought a car from someone and i drove it and got a speeding ticket in it. do i have to show HIS insurance for the car or that I am insured? and if i do have to show his, then how do i get proof the insurance on the car was being transfered over to his? he already had insurance on his other cars that are his parents.""

16 year old male car insurance?

Im going to be 16 soon, and my uncle said that I could use his 1968 Corvette. However, I found out about the insurance. My friend said it would be several thousand dollars a month, and I don't believe him. So, what would be the cost of my car insurance(an estimate)? Thank you for your time!""

Im 19 how much does the average 19 year old pay for car insurance?

I live in new york city

Whats the rule for taxing life insurance in California in 2011?

I think before it was anything after half a million is taxable and no tax in 2010...but would it be now?

What would the insurance be like on a Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart?

I'm nineteen and looking to buy a lancer. From what I've been told the Evo's insurance would destroy me. I've had people tell me that the Ralliart would be cheaper but I was hoping for clarification. I have a clean record and a good student discount. Driving a Mustang at the moment and it's pretty much a killer lol

Car insurance for young drivers?

hi, im turning seventeen this year and im thinking of getting a car so i can get a job to support my family and my girlfriend i was wondering how much it would cost me to insure a 1999 ford fiesta as my first car, i just need a rough idea so i know how much im looking at thanks in advance""

Can my parents add me to their car insurance for a shot period of time?

I'm planning to go on a road trip and I was wondering if it's possible for my parents to add me to their insurance so I can use their car for a week, and whether it will be cheaper that way than to rent a car (I'm 24). They have American Family Insurance.""

Difference between a deductible and co-insurance?

I am shopping for individual health insurance and I do not understand the difference between these terms. Also, if a plan has a $1000 deductible does that apply to the entire 12 month term of the plan or every single time I receive health care services? And what about co-insurance?""

Good used sports car that won't jack up my insurance?

I am 17 and getting my license in november and I want to buy sports car (ex:mustang) that won't jack up my insurance, and won't break down all the time, my budget is about 12,000. Any recommendations?""

Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

Pregnant and need insurance

where in pinellas county can i get insurance help for pregnancy as far as free insurance?

Neighbors tree fell on my house and 3 of my cars whos insurance has 2 pay?

during a bad storm my neigbors tree fell over and landed on 3 of my cars and my house i was wonderin whos insurance has 2 pay? mine or the neighbors?

How much do you pay for Insurance in your state?

I live in New Jersey and the Insurance for an auto is so high here. I pay $168 a month for a 2003 ford explorer that is loaded. I have no tickets, my record is clean. I also have lived in Utah and my Insurance was only $50 a month. Just wondering what everyone pays in different states?""

How much do you pay for health insurance?

How are you covered? Through your employer, self-employed, Medicare or Medicaid?""

Is AETNA a good health insurance to get?

my benefits package came from work, it offers medical from Aetna is that a good health insurance provider? What about Guardian Plan ppo for Dental??""

""If i become knighted, will my car insurance costs be lower?""

If i become knighted, will my car insurance costs be lower?""

Car Insurance Question?

If i have a fully comp insurance policy in my name, can i drive any car on the road, with no limitations ie. engine size, make, model, and does the car which im hoping to drive need to be insured by someone else, or not, thanks in advance""

I need to get some car insurance quotes!?

What are the best sites to get a free quote? Also what is the basic insurance you should get?

How does insurance affect our economy?

What would happen if we couldn't insure things? Can anyone tell me where I can read about insurance and how it works?

Can you get your own car insurance at 16 years old?

i was just wondering. i am 16, and my parents said that i have to get and pay for my own car insurance if i plan to get a car right now. is it even possible to get car insurance in you own name at 16? thank you very much""

I am wondering if anyone knows what insurance would cost on a Mustang V6 for a 16 year-old female in Tennessee?

If anyone has a idea of the price range I would appreciate some input. Please don't say alot . I have had no tickets and I have not been involved in any wrecks. Thank you!

Cheap auto insurance in miami?

Does anyone know of a cheap auto insurance company in miami? i am 20 years old and i have gotten quotes from Esurance, geico, and progressive. the cheapest was Geico and it was $278 a month for the Basic coverage. I own my car and it is a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon""

What is the best car insurance for teenagers who got their first car?

It's an older model car and I'm 19. One of my friends pay I have a friend who has state farm and pays 100 a month. Also believe it or not I have another friend who got insurance under her parents insurance company and she got a discount for it.. She is under Progressive and pay 50 dollars a month. I'm a male and I can only dream of my insurance being $50. That isn't going to happen.

Wrecked my moms car and another car with no insurance?

I got in an accident eariler this week. I went to turn a corner and hit the brakes too hard and hit a Prius coming up to a 3 way stop. I admitted it was completely my fault but the thing is I dont have my lisence or insurance so I was fined a total of $1224 plus the damages to my moms car and the car I hit and aparently medical bills now too? I asked the lady after I hit her if she was okay and EMS was on scene and asked her if she was okay and she said she was fine but now Im getting a call from her insurance company stating I have to cover medical and vehical damages and I really have no idea what to do. I dont understand how this lady thinks she can possibly get any money out of me. My moms disabled and not working. She makes $400 a month and myself I can barely scrounge up enough money for gas to get to work. Its gonna be hell just to pay off the ticket let alone everything else so my question is what would you do in this situation? Take it to court? Get a lawyer? (which I cant afford either)

If i was to buy a car 300 miles away from where i live what would i do about insurance and driving back?

Hi Question pretty much says it all, , I cancelled my insurance few months ago when i sold my car, so it wouldnt be a matter of ringing them up and transferring over. I dont know how it works could i just drive it back and say i have just bought it if for whatever reason if i get pulled??""

Car insurance for 16/17 year old and 21 year old?

We only need car insurance until January because we're moving, so we were going to get it in July. Can I get insurance with my sister, so joint insurance, she's 21, and I'll be 17 in July. I'm a new driver, and she got her license just last August. How much would that be, my mom said around 800? I think we have State Farm.""

Does bike insurance go up?

Was just wondering if motorcycle insurance Companies put their prices up In summer/at beginning of summer. I got a quote about a month ago for 400 on a bike, just got another qoute on the same bike for over 1000!! Is this because it's basically summer and more bikers will be out? So they whacked there prices up?""

What is a cheap car insurance for a 19 year old?

What is a cheap car insurance for a 19 year old?

""On average, how much is motorcycle insurance?""

Let's say for instance I owned a road bike with 750 cc's, how much would insurance be? Or at least AROUND how much?""

Insurance on a Hummer H1?

how much would that cost?

UK Car Insurance for young drivers?

Hi, well i have been driving for almost a year now and i was paying 4500(Extremely Expensive i know) for insurance with Hughes. I am just wondering how to get the bare minimum cheapest insurance possible for an 18 year old with 1 year no claims. I recently got quoted again for 1500. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could tell me how to make the insurance as cheap as possible (In my own name) Thanks!""

Baby not covered on partner's insurance policy?

Alright, here's my situation. I am on my partner's insurance through her job. Well, we are getting ready to start a family and our insurance will cover everything up until right after delivery. Since I am considered a dependent, and I am the one giving birth, the baby will not be covered. So, what I want to know is has anyone else been in this situation and how did you handle it? What is the best way to find individual, affordable, insurance for the baby? And in your experience, what is the average cost you pay? Any suggestions/help is greatly appreciated.""

How much does a Yamaha YZF R125 cost? And how much is insurance/tax per year?

Cheers :)

How can immigrants over 65 afford health insurance in the United States?

Federal employee looking to rotate back to the States and take my in-laws who are 73 and 75. Cannot get Medicare until they have been in the U.S. for five years Any suggestions?

Help with insurance for 17 year old first fresh driver?

my quote was 4,200 :( that's too much it more then a car LOL but like i heard something about this policy between two drivers can anyone explain how it works and if i crash on this policy will the other drivers no claim bonus be effected?""

Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

Bonita Springs Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 34134

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aig-direct-car-insurance-quote-sean-james/"

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Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

"Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeautoinsurance.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

RELATED QUESTIONS: 

Question with progressive insurance?

Ok heres the deal. Last September we were backing out of our driveway and bumped into our neighbors drivers door on his late 80's mazda mx3. It caused a little dent in his car and just a tiny scratch on our car. We agreed that we will just handle it outside of insurance once spring came. Now that the snow finally melted here, he left a note on our door saying he wants payment in full in 7 days or he will report to our insurance. My question is, progressive told us they put it under property damage so there is no deductible but what will this do to our rates if anything? Thank You""

What's the cheapest insurance company for a 21-year old with a 2000 ford mustang?

My driving record new and unblemished.

What is the fastest and best looking insurance group 4 or 5 car i can get?

looking for a newer car to buy that is not just quick but looks good.

Whats a cheap auto insurance for teens?

I just got a new car, and i want to take resposibitly to pay for the insurance. Whats a cheap insurance? Im 17 and still a student in school Helppp! please :]""

Why don't health insurance companies compete on price like car insurance companies?

I was watching TV (something I rarely do) this weekend, and I noticed a fair number of car insurance commercials from various companies. They were touting their high level of service and low prices, and urging consumers to investigate and switch to their company. How come this doesn't appear to happen with health insurance? Is it because employers, rather than the actual people insured, shop for insurance in many cases? Is it because auto insurers are allowed to compete more freely across state borders? Are the basic expectations different when it comes to health insurance? Or, does competition already exist in the health insurance industry but the product is so much more expensive no matter what? Serious answers appreciated. Thanks.""

Cheap car insurance!!?

I am paying to much money on my car insurance i really need help to get a really good cheap car insurance!! I live over highstown nj usa if anyone can help tellin me a good insure!!! Thanks for u help!!!

Did you get Affordable Health Care?

My husband & I have insurance & it didn't change but my daughter & family got Affordable HC. Their previous insurance was $1,200 a month. They are now paying $325 so there's was a very positive experience. We're in California. They had a really hard time getting into the wed site but persevered & are happy with the plan. It covers their eldest son who is in college & has Type I diabetes & their youngest son who suffers from asthma. Does anyone else on YA have a positive experience to share? What State are you from.""

Wtever happened to insurance rates going down when you turn 25.?

My record has 1 ticket in the last 5 years and I'm still taking it in the pooper.

Is GEICO auto insurance tougher (more expensive) than Progressive if you have an at fault accident?

I have one at fault accident on my record. It was a rear-end collision and it is a 2 pt. accident in California. I was shopping for new insurance. I made this statement about the at fault accident when filling out the forms for a quote online. At first GEICO the GEICO rates were looking way better than Progressive or other insurance companies so I thought I'd go with them. But when I went to go pay online, they did one last DMV record check, and came back with a higher rate. Even though I had stated the accident in the form previously. They waited to verify this at the very end and not earlier which I found annoying--they had my driver's licence earlier in the application process, so why wait till the very end! When filling out the Progressive quote forms, I also stated the info about my accident where asked. At the end, the form still considered me a Good Driver and the quote was much cheaper than Progressive. I went to pay and it did not recalculate my quote after a DMV check like GEICO did. I paid and am wondering if I am going to hear back from them saying I need to pay more. But I gave them all the info and I do now have a policy. So it appears that GEICO is tougher when it comes to having an accident, and Progressive doesn't let one at fault accident ruin a good driver discount? Does anyone have experience with this?""

What car would be cheaper for insurance?

I am about to be 16 and I live in nebraska in a small town I was thinking of getting a 2005 camaro or a 2000 or 2003 corvette what car would be cheaper for car insurance and if I get a truck would you recomand a ford f250 or ford f350 and how much would insurance be monthly for the ford trucks and if you have any sports cars you would recomand to get then tell me it and insurance on it monthly

How much would the insurance on my car be?

I'm 18. I just got my car. and I just got my license. and I have a 2001 Hyndai. I live if Fort Myers FL... How much would it be on my own? and How much could it be under my brother in laws name that has had his license for 5 years?

Best option for buying insurance for my 8 yr old child?

I am wanting to buy insurance for my child. He is no longer covered by his old plan and I want to get it ASAP. Without having company/ group coverage as an option I have been looking at EHealth online services. It can be a little confusing on just exactly which is the right deal. My child is never sick and has no existing issues, but with all the sport; I just don't want to be facing a broken leg and no insurance. I could some advise here. I have all but pulled the trigger on a package I found through Humana (I think) on the E health site but I just would like an nonbias opinion first. Thanks""

TEENS: Car insurance question!?

Kinda random but here we go. 1 How much do you pay a month for insurance? 2 How old are you? Male or Female? 3 Do you pay for it or do your rents help? thanks!

Where can I get 1-day motorcycle insurance?

I'm looking for motorcycle insurance for just 1 day to borrow my brothers bike but can't seem to find any online I also don't have the time to phone around asking Insurance companies if they do. Are there any companies that do this?

""NJ auto insurance (NJCURE), anyone ever have any problems with them?""

The new insurance offered to NJ (because our rates are the highest in the nation), anyone ever use them or have any problems with them? Any advice I would appreciate.""

How much will insurance cost after getting a DUI?

Does someone know how much roughly insurance will probably cost after a DUI? Perhaps someone who has had one in the past could tell me.

Do you need the VIN to purchase insurance?

my husband bought a car at an auction today with his friend, we will have the car tomorrow by 1pm but were hoping to get insurance bought in the morning, do we need the VIN to purchase insurance so he can drive it tomorrow?""

How much are geckos i found one for 7.00. at petco i thought they were a lot more money.?

a while back i went to petco and seen it. It was a bright green gecko. it looked like the one from the car insurance place and it was like 3-4 inches but it was 7.00 so i was just wondering.

Trying to find cheap car insurance for myself and daughter (she has a provisional licence) any recommendation?

small Matiz. 7years Ncd

Motorcycle insurance?

what would be a reasonable monthly rate for motorcycle insurance? For an 18 year old male, with a 125cc honda CL125S two-seater. In Pittsburg, PA. Looking for low-end prices.""

What are some good insurance companies?

I am 20 years old, working part-time, living on Connecticut and making around 800 a month. I was wondering if any one has some ideas of good but affordable health insurance I would be able to buy on my own?""

What car insurance coverage do you really need?

I have an 2002 honda civic that is worth about $7,000 with 112,000 miles on it. I have collision, death and dismemberment, uninsured motorist. I have a 1,000 deductable, but I am paying $110.00/ mo and want to reduce my payment. Is it a bad idea to drop uninsured motorist or death and dismemberment? Can someone explain what all the car insurance options are? I don't have dependents, but a already have free life, health insurance, and disablility insurance through my employer if that makes a difference. I would call my agent, but I think he must be have busy or smoking a joint out back for the last couple of weeks because he doesn't call me back.""

How much is car insurance for a 16 year old in CA?

anybody know?

Should I drop my comprehensive insurance to liability only on my car?

My van is from 1999 and it is paid off. The only thing is I am not confident in my driving skills. I have enough money to buy another car though. I have 130,000 miles on the van. I was going to drive it until it falls apart or starts costing me too much money in repairs.""

Car insurance switch?

i do have a problem with my current car insurance company processing a cal accident claim , and it wasnt my fault and i did choose to file the claim on the insurance of the person hit my car specially that we both have same insurance company so can i switch my car insurance to another company , and still get my claim or my car fixed with my current insurance company im having problem with ? or i have to stick with this car insurance untill my car fixed , and then switch to another car insurance ?""

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

Auto insurance info Help!?

Im 18.yrs old and am planning to get a RED 96 mitsubichi eclipse rs ...i dont know how much the insurance is going to b and am wondering if itll be too much?? also wondering wat is the cheapest auto insurance in michigan?

How do you get someone's car insurance provider?

The accident happened at a house i dont know if that counts as privite property or not but I've contact my own insurance filing it under my own policy. I gave them the opposite partys number and tag and they did tell me he did give a recorded statement. The insurance does hold him responsible but he refuses to give up any insurance at all. Is there anyway you can get insurance company through a tag number?

Teen car insurance question?

Everyone knows that if you get good grades your insurance costs are lowered. i live california just so you know i dont know if it matters. but if i got about a D average my first semester and B+ or an A average second semester will they look at that or average them together. also any other tips to lower insurance costs... thanks ahead of time.

Car insurance question?

Ive got a younger brother who's 16 years old, newly licensed, had his drivers license for about 4-6 months... he's buying a car soon but he's paranoid of what the insurance will be! Its going to be a used car with a lot of miles (90-130K) and he'll spend no more than $4,000 on the vehicle. I know there are discounts for good grades, he has a GPA of 4.2 Advice? How much will it be per month, AND what provider is best? Thanks!""

What are some affordable cars for an 18 year old to own that is 5 years old or newer?

When I say own, I mean that the individual is paying for gas, maintenance, and insurance.""

Where can I find cheap car insurance in Philadelphia?

I know the auto insurance rates in Philly are expensive. Why is this and where do I go to find the best price?

Motorcycle Insurance?

Can anyone give me a rough estimate of what motorcycle insurance would cost me for a newer model sports bike 2007-2011 smaller size like a 250 maybe a little bigger. I am almost 19 I am enrolled in college I have had no accidents and no tickets average grades. I know nobody can give me a dead on quote just looking for an estimate in the ball park. I would only need insurance for six months out of the year.

Good home owners insurance rate?

I am purchasing a new home. It is 2400sq feet, plus a finished basement and a finished attic. Also, there is an additional detached garage. The replacement value was placed at $230,000. I was quoted $800/year for 100% replacement value and $1000 deductible. OR $600/year with 80% replacement value and $2500 deductible. This is through State Farm, and I am purchasing the home in Pennsylvania. Are these good quotes for home owners insurance?""

Quick question about car insurance?

I've been with a car insurance company for 3 years now and have been lucky enough to not have to file any claims with them, I just had my policy renewed and the premium went up about $100 from the previous year. Prior to this it had always gone down and when I called to ask why it went up they said because of an increase in claims in my area, now I know insurance has many factors such as the area you live in, and even if that is true I feel as if I should call and mention that I've had no claims in my three years with them, no tickets on my record and always pay my 6 month premium at once, would this be a useless attempt at getting them to lower my premium or could this possibly help me? I just don't want to seem like a fool on the phone.""

How much does it cost to replace an in-dash navigation system and does insurance cover it?

So here's the story. I was driving in my 2012 Honda Civic today and got angry and punched my navigation system (I know. It was unbelievably stupid. I know.) Anyway, the screen is shattered now, but the system still works. I called up a Honda dealer who said it would cost $3600 not including parts and labor. When I search online, the navigation systems seems to cost between $250 and $700. So what I want to know is, how much should I expect to pay to get this fixed. How long does it take? Will my insurance cover it? If my insurance covers it, will my rates change? Is the dealer the best way to get it fixed? I'm also under my warranty still, is there any way this is covered in my warranty?""

""What is the average cost of car insurance for a 25 y/o female, no accidents, no tickets, 2008 car.?""

Please help give me an idea of the cost for car insurance. Comprehensive vs. Collision? I'll be buying a 2007 or 2008 mid-range sedan (VW Jetta, Toyota Corrolla, etc.). I've never gotten in an accident or gotten a ticket. And of course, I'm a female :) Any help is appreciated! Thanks.""

When buying life insurance what is the best affordable option?

I am 37 with 2 kids I currently have term life on me for 250,000.00 and 100,000.00 on each of the kids. Now there are tons of different life insurances out here is one really better than the other? I currently have it thru met life does it really matter?""

I got into a car accident like 2 weeks ago and i havent recieved a rent a car from the insurance company??????

I havent recieved a rentacar from the insurance company i didnt have insurance since the car was no more that 3 hours new to me i had just bought it. It was cansidered a total lose from the insurance what should i do.

""Got in a car wreck w/ no insurance, and was at fault.?""

I don't work, and don't plan on working. I don't own a house or car that's in my name, and don't plan to. Everything will always be in my boyfriends name. How will the insurance company ever get money from me. Even if they sue me.""

I was driving my firends car and had an accident. Whos insurance covers the wreck? My friends or me?

I was driving my friends car and wrecked it. My insurance says that insurance covers the vehicle not the driver. Is this the opinion of all insurance companies?

Why are my insurance quotes so high?

I live in New Jersey, Plan on buying a 2012 mazdaspeed3. I am 18, which of course will make my policy higher. Currently, my car insurance runs around 300/mo on my parents policy. I cannot join their policy with the new car as it will be registered to me. The following are the rates ive been quoted Progressive - 6 month policy, $5,000 + $1,200 due at start-up Cure - 6 month policy, 6,200 + 1100 due at start-up Liberty Mutural - 6 month - 5200 + 1500 start plymouth rock - 6 month - 2,2009 + 679 start Why are these all so expensive? and why do they only offer me 6 month policies? thanks in advance!""

I need health insurance for my daughter?

I am a 70 % disabled military veteran looking for affordable health insurance for my daughter. Any suggestions?

Best insurance companies for 17 year old passed my test?

ok ive pased my test and i gettin a car this week and i need some insurance on the car obviiously lol, well basically whats the cheapest car insurance all you 17 year old have and who is it with, please :)""

Looks Like my Insurance wont want to pay out for my damaged car?

I got hit by a car recently and my car was taken away for repairs. I have just been told by my insurance that my car should not have been on the road reason being that its half and half . I did my due diligence before buying this car in 2011, HPI checks and all and it came out clean. The insurance company also confirmed this as well to me. Now it looks like my insurance company does not want to pay out for my car and they want to cancel my insurance and leave me without a car. WHAT DO I DO. PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME. I AM A SINGLE MUM WITH 3 KIDS.""

Do I need renters insurance?

I've had renters insurance for the past 2 years. The new place I'm at now is not under my name. But I do pay some of the rent to the the person I'm living with (whose name is on lease). Someone told me today that renters insurance is no good and doesn't cover anything if my name is not on the lease. Is this true?

""Insurance on rx7 fd , sti , and evo 9 ?""

I'm currently 16 and I got the money to buy rather a rx7 fd, sti, or a evo 9. I'm getting the car one I turn 17 and I would like to know the cost of insurance ! I wanna know both full and basic insurance. I am studying to be a mechanic and I was wondering if will give me a discount of I'm a mechanic ?""

Have you lied to get car insurance?

There was an item on the news today saying that at least 1 in 10 people have lied to get car insurance. Usually the lies are about motoring convictions and where the car is being kept overnight. Have you ever lied to get cover and what lie did you tell?

""Car insurance...Extending coverage, no matter who you let drive your car?

I heard there are car insurance companies that will extend your coverage to other people who drive your car. What companies do this? And is there a catch ? Thanks.

Health Insurance should be illegal?

Why not? Hospital fees would fall drastically! Funny how no body really knows what the hospitals charge... And funny how socialist countries are ranked above U.S. Oh yeah and I love how doctors in U.S. are pill salesmen.... Pathetic. Eliminate Health Insurance and guess what!!! Healthcare will be affordable! what you think?!

How much will motorcycle insurance cost me?

I am 18, live in Wisconsin. My license was suspended for a year, I get it back this October. When I get my license reinstated, complete the MSF course how much should I expect the insurance to cost annually. My driving record is below, -December 2011> Driving 1 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit (3 POINTS) -April 2012> Imprudent speed (8 POINTS) -June 2012> Driving 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit (12 POINTS) -August 2012> Imprudent Speed (8 POINTS) -No accidents whatsoever. I plan on getting a Yamaha R6 or similar motorcycle after taking a MSF course. Thanks guys, love ya ;)""

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

""I have just bought a Moped - JMSTAR 50cc, where can I get insurance from? apart from rampdale? x x x Thanks?""

I have just bought a 50cc Jm Star Madness 50QT moped and im looking for insurance, the cheapest ive found is 290 with Rampdale and the most expensive was 490, Its a chinese import so not alot of companies insure them Can anyone help? and recommend a cheap insurance company which will insure chinese imports? THanks x x""

What is good health insurance for me?

I'm 31, non smoker and in very good health. The only thing I worry about is paying a ton for an emergency visit or doctors visit. catastrophic insurance doesn't cover that stuff, does it? Is there an insurance policy that will cover both major hospital bills and the emergency room/doctor?""

How can my car insurance go up from 128$ to 178$?

My car is all paid off and has been since I bought it. But I don't know why it went up. I looked up other car quotes and there much higheer then what im paying now.

How much would car insurance cost for a 17 year old from allstate in california?

does it also matter what kind of a car it is? I have a 1999 chevy malibu

Why is it hard to find medical Insurances?

i have a heart condition, why is it hard to find medical insurances?""

Title insurance on grant deed in California?

For California, if a Grant Deed was signed and notarized more than 1 year ago, and it was not recorded until today, will the Title Company provide title insurance for it when the house is sold later on? Is the rule on this the same for all title companies or is it up to each title company, in terms of the gap for when it was signed and when it was recorded?""

What car is the lowest cost for insurance for a 18 year old male driver (2 years Driving)?

Just curious what is the least expensive to cover for those of you in the insurance industry

Fun first car from the 90's/cheap insurance?

I'm at the age of buying a first car, and was just wondering what would suit me... Currently, I drive an automatic Kia Sedona(Automatic) along with a Toyota Tacoma (Manual). I'm alright with cars and mechanics in general, and I'd like to modify my first car a bit. (Ex. Turbo, engine swap?, etc). Not a lot but just to a point of understanding cars more. Here are a list of must haves: -Price!! 2-5k please! -0-60 in under 7( preferably stock ) -More than 20 mpg -Cheap insurance ( Old car? Maybe 90's?) -Manual transmission -Aftermarket parts!!! Must have a wide range that are plentiful! And pllllleeeeeaaaseee don't say anything with a 4-cyclinder unless it's truly the best option! I prefer some muscle ;) but not to the point were I'm spending all of my money on gas -.- Other than that, 'nuf said :) Thanks!""

UK Car Insurance for young drivers?

Hi, well i have been driving for almost a year now and i was paying 4500(Extremely Expensive i know) for insurance with Hughes. I am just wondering how to get the bare minimum cheapest insurance possible for an 18 year old with 1 year no claims. I recently got quoted again for 1500. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could tell me how to make the insurance as cheap as possible (In my own name) Thanks!""

Whats the cheapest non-owners...?

Car insurance?

Health insurance and ma.health?

If you are 19 and have coverage under your fathers insurance . You have no job or income and Living with grandparent because of health issues Can you still have Ma. Health to help cover medication and co-payments for doctors? Applied once and told no because they have coverage under the fathers insurance. Has applied for disability because of the medical illness. Do not know of any other insurance to help with costs.

Who has the lowest price on car insurance? Please tell me how much you pay and your coverage limits?

Who has the lowest price on car insurance? Please tell me how much you pay and your coverage limits?

""Regarding NJ Law. If I suspend Auto Insurance on my car, do I have to surrender the plates to the MVC?""

I have a car that I seldom use now, can I keep the plates on the car with no insurance policy. And if I need to use this car, reactivate my auto policy for those specific days. Is this legal? I know in some states it is and in some not. If I do suspend insurance and I do have to surrender the plates, how long do I have till the MVC penalizes me?""

How much is equine medical insurance?

I know equine medical insurance differs form breed, age, and value of the horse but what would you think a 9 year old $13,000 TB's life insurance would be?""

I was wondering how much insurance would be for camaro?

I am a 17 year old male (I know :( ) it would be a z28 I would only want insurance for like 3 months( is that possible) Only liability insurance too or the cheapest one and still be legal.

Volkswagen beetle (2004) insurance?

I'm 17, starting to drive... All the quotes I have been getting for small cars like yaris's, cluo's, ka's etc, have ranged from 5 to 9 grand. I checked Tue insurance for a 2004 vw beetle, that ranged from 2 to 4 grand. Why are they cheaper than smaller cars?""

Pregnant: no insurance?

i just found out that i'm pregnant. it was a surprise. i don't have insurance. what can i do? i am over qualified for medicaid, barely. my husband is a police officer. to give birth at the hospital it will cost $7180. i called maternity card but they are very expensive and my doctor already said he doesn't deal with them. does anyone have any solutions? i really need an answer. thanks!""

""Help! If my car insurance deductible is $750 and repairs cost $489, How much will the insurance company pay?""

My car was vandalized. The adjuster sent me an estimate for $489. This is lower than my deductible. Does this mean that the insurance company does not have to pay anything? If so, i'm going to find some better insurance.""

Insurance help please?

hi, does anyone recommend an insurance company for 18 year olds? the quotes i keep getting are around 2000 quid. my mate has a 1.4 corsa and his is 1400 - am i missing something? thanks in advance. additional: i have a 1.4 golf, it has the same bhp as a corsa.""

Who has the cheapest auto insurance?

I'm about to come back from active duty overseas and I just bought a 2004 Ford F150 4x4. I'm 28 and havent had any accidents or driving infractions in the past 5 years. Which provider is generally the best to use? Thanks.

How much to go on my parents car insurance?

How much would it cost to add an 18 year old girl onto her parents cad insurance? I've never had a crash but only passed last week. Its a 3 or 4 year old Renault scenic

Autoplan insurance in Vancouver?

Hi everyone, i am new to British Columbia and i will be living in canada for a very long time. I wanna ask you guys a question that suppose i have a driving license here ( N ) and i own a car under 20,000 dollars ( not included tax ). Then, how much do you think i have to pay for just the basic car insurance and the tax ? Thank you very much Best wishes to you guys and your family""

Any good/bad experiences with Farmers Insurance?

I'm considering becoming an agent of farmers.

Does pass plus help new older drivers with cheap insurance?

Does pass plus help new older drivers with cheap insurance?

Why is the Affordable Care Act proving to be so Unaffordable ..........?

Why is the Affordable Care Act proving to be so Unaffordable for almost all concerned ? The Affordable Care Act has already caused over 4 Million People to lose their Health Insurance Plans because the Plan did not meet the mandates of the accepted Affordable care Act Insurance Plans The Affordable Care Act has already caused and is continuing to cause many thousands of employees to lose their Jobs through layoffs that Businesses/Companies are making in order to reduce the number of Business/Company Employees to below 50 in order that the Business/Company is exempted from having to purchase the More Expensive Insurance Plans that are mandated by Obamacare The Affordable Care Act has already mandated that everyone be enrolled in a Health Insurance Plan with medical benefits that many people don't want and/or don't need and these additional unwanted/unneeded medical benefits have caused many Insurance Plans to raise their Premiums for these additional benefits thereby raising the cost of premiums that Most Health Insurance that Most Subscribers will have to pay more for The Bottom Line is that thousands have lost their Jobs because of the Affordable Care Act + Millions have lost their Health Insurance Plans because of the Affordable Care Act + Millions More have had their Health Insurance Premiums raised in order to pay for the unwanted & unneeded medical benefits mandated because of the Affordable Care Act so.......................Why si the Affordable Care Act proving to be anything but Affordable ?

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

What does 0% Coinsurance after deductible mean in health insurance?

Trying to purchase health Insurance and trying to understand what I'm dealing with.

Claiming Back car insurance?

Is it possible, i have been paying car insurance on my car for three months, while it has been out of use at the garage i purchased it from, due to the engine blowing! The garage have taken over 3 months to sort it under warranty, and the car is covered under there insurance, i didnt cancel the insurance due to thinking it wouldnt take this long! as i pay 140 a month it tolals up to alot and i was wondering if can claim any of the insurance premium back?? They still have the car useless Evans Halshaw be warned, only had the car 8 weeks..""

What are non-required auto insurances?I need information?

I need information about 4 non-mandatory vehicle insurances. 10 Points for the Best answer!

Can my car insurance company drop me for having not at fault accidents?

I had Go Auto insurance on my 2 cars. Well over the courseof about 1-1 1/2 years (a year to a year and a half). I had about 3 wrecks. All not my fault. The other drivers were 100% at fault. After the third wreck, which was not to long ago. My insurance company (Go Auto) sent me a letter saying they weren't gonna let me renew my insurance with them because i was considered poor risk . Can they do this or should i contact insurance commissioner. No rude comments.""

MAZDA3 with insurance questions?

u think i'll be charge high cost of car insurance by getting mazda3 sedan..im 18 first time driver and a female i live in san francisco. and how much is mazda3? like with the taxes and everything?? serious answers are greatly appreciated. i want to stay under $20k

Switching to liability only car insurance?

Hi. I just moved to a new state with ridiculously high car insurance rates. My new rates are nearly double what I paid in my old residency. If I switch my coverage from full coverage, to liability only, how much would I save (approximately?) I currently pay nearly $230 a month on car insurance for full coverage. About how much would liability only be?""

Does a speeding ticket raise insurance rates for new drivers?

I just got a speeding ticket for going 15 over. It's my first one and i have never gotten in trouble with the police before. But, I am only 17 and got my license only 9 months ago. If I just pay the ticket and dont go to court, how much more money will my insurance company charge me?""

Individual insurance for person with no income and 69 year old?

69 year old, no income, not eligible for medicaid (5 year permanent residency rule). Lives with daughter. She needs to have insurance. Can she have the insurance individually (remember, she has no official income) or she can have insurance at marketplace through her daughter as a family member? Though daughter has her own insurance through her employer. what is the best way and minimum charge here? Thanks in advance!""

Insurance on a 95 camaro?

Im considering buying a pre-owned 1995 camaro for my first car. How do I find out how much the yearly insurance would be? Its not a convertible, and also its through allstate in new york. Would it be more than a 1998 maxima?""

I have a question about auto insurance in Arizona.?

I am 18 years old and just obtained my drivers license. I do not own a car but I would like to use my grandparents jeep in times when I need to get to school. It wont be a routine thing just a back up plan in case I cannot find a ride. Do I need to get a non owner insurance policy to able to legally drive in Arizona or am I legal to drive without insurance as long as my grandparents have the car insured?

Car insurance in my name?

My mom gave me a car afew yrs back and it is still in her name. She's had insurance in her name but wasn't able to make the payment this month. Can I get insurance on the car in my name even with car still in her name?

How much of a price diference is their between a libaility and full coverage on average?

I have some acidents on my record any my insurance is through the roof.

Is there a motorcycle insurance company that lets you have full coverage during the summer months?

and limited coverage during the winter months? I live in NY so naturally, I wouldn't be driving during the winter months, so why pay full? Thanks""

Car insurances when ur under 18?

i dont get insuraces... if the car is insured (my parent car) can i drive it? or when do i need to be insured? i live in california and i have a permit right now

What are the associated costs of adding different types of coverage to auto insurance?

What are the associated costs of adding different types of coverage to auto insurance?

Which is the best insurance web site?

I just wanna which is the best insurance quotes website?

Car Insurance And 18?

I have a question, i'm 18 and I need car insurance. dont tell me to google it, cuz ive tried and tried, but no results. i live in indiana. any help. wood be great, doesnt have to be the cheapest car insurance, but the best for my age. thanks. 2 am in the morning, sorry 4 the terrible writing""

Whats the different between Car Insurance and Breakdown Cover?

Thought It should be normally include in the Car Insurance.

What kind of document do I need do register a motorcycle in my name in California?

What kind of document do I need do register a motorcicle in my name in California, and get the plates, How long does it takes? It's possible for a non US resident?""

Health Insurance ????????????

I'm going to live in china for a year and would like to have insurance. I'm just living over there and wont have a job so i wont have health insurance. When i quit my job to move to china I wont have insurance so i need to get some for a whole year. Can someone point me in the right direction to get health insurance. Does anybody know what a basic health insurance plan for a year would cost. Any help would be appreciated. thanks

Do we qualify for medicaid?

Medicare for me & my boyfriend.? My boyfriend and I have an apartment of our own. I'm 19(next week), and he's 20(in August). I'm working at an insurance company, and I make about $1500/monthly. He's currently unemployed (he's looking for a job). I pay rent, all the bills, car insurance, and all the other little things. So i'm broke at the end of the month. He has a cyst in his chest (we're assuming). He went for a check up about a year ago, and the doc said it was a cyst. It's been getting bigger and worse, so we want to get it fixed. Since he lives with me, and I make enough for the both of us, will he qualify for medicaid? I WILL NOT be able to afford all the medical bills! Will both of us qualify? How will this be done? They will ask for paycheck stubs and rent papers and everything...right? We are also both in college, we applied for a Pell Grant this semester. If that helps any. And where do I go to apply for medicaid? Can i do it on the phone or something and avoid the 5 hr wait? Please answer ALL of my questions! Thanks!""

Is Gerber Life Insurance any good for my daughter?

Is Gerber Life Insurance any good for my daughter?

Insurance on a Audi tt?

I passed my test September 2013, I am 18 and for the car I currently have my car insurance is 1,250 or so. If I got an Audi tt that was a 2000 plate would the insurance be sky high?""

How do obese/fat people get health insurance?

I am self employed and live in missouri and am having trouble finding health insurance.

Which car insurance company fit what I want?

Hi, I recently cancelled my car insurance from State Farm because they were over-charging on my bill. I am 19 years old, and have a new car (Honda Accord Coupe) which is a 2 door which is considered a sport's car. Because I'm a young driver, and it's a new car, and it's a sports car my insurance was off the roof. I want to find another car insurance that will have fair coverage and is affordable for me. I live in PA if that helps as well...""

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

Chicago Illinois Cheap car insurance quotes zip 60601

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/speeding-ticketno-insurance-alexander-moses/"

[usnewsaggregator-blog]

A Rodin Hiding in Plain Sight in a New Jersey Suburb

New Post has been published on http://usnewsaggregator.com/a-rodin-hiding-in-plain-sight-in-a-new-jersey-suburb/

A Rodin Hiding in Plain Sight in a New Jersey Suburb

“There’s no how-to-navigate-this book,” she said. “‘You Think You Found a Rodin. What Now?’”

Madison is a New Jersey borough of 16,000 people about 30 miles west of New York City with a row of bistros and boutiques on a main thoroughfare and road after tree-covered road of colonial homes on spacious lawns peppered with autumn leaves.

Yet its local government has headquarters, with its towering marble columns and polished bronze doors, that could rival state capitols (certainly the one in Trenton).

The borough hall, named the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building, was built by the heiress Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge as a tribute to her son, Marcellus Hartley Dodge Jr., who died in a car accident in 1930.

Photo

Mallory Mortillaro discovered the Rodin after she was hired as a part-time archivist to inventory the art in the municipal building. Credit Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

She filled the building with art from her own collection. A desk that had belonged to her father, William Rockefeller Jr., is now the mayor’s desk. A large portrait of her hangs in the council chamber, presiding over every meeting. She also left an endowment, funding a foundation that owns and maintains the art as well as the building.

“When you pull up to the building, it’s a quite imposing, stunning building,” said Jennifer Thompson, a curator for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. “When you walk in, it suddenly makes sense that there might be a great Rodin marble in this place.”

Still, Ms. Mortillaro initially had her doubts. She found it difficult to believe that the foundation, which had hired her, did not already know the piece was a Rodin. She was reluctant to ask. At one meeting where she updated the foundation’s board on her work, she waited until the end to bring it up.

Continue reading the main story

There had been rumors over the years that the sculpture might be the work of Rodin or his protégés, but there were no records to support it, said Nicolas W. Platt, the president of the Hartley Dodge Foundation.

The bust had certainly not been handled as though it were a genuine Rodin. The marble was coated with fingerprints. The pedestal had become a handy leaning post at crowded meetings. During a building renovation, the board opted to simply cover the bust with a plywood box instead of removing it from harm’s way.

“It was treated like your aunt’s coffee table,” Mr. Platt said.

As Ms. Mortillaro kept digging, progress proved difficult. “Dead end after dead end,” Mr. Platt said.

But over time, she was able to stitch together the bust’s journey to Madison, working her way back to Rodin’s studio outside Paris. The piece had been commissioned in 1904 by a collector from New York City, but it went unfinished until the American financier Thomas Fortune Ryan bought the bust after seeing it in the sculptor’s studio several years later.

Mr. Ryan kept it in his home before loaning it the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where, Ms. Mortillaro found, the bust had been displayed for more than a decade. After Mr. Ryan died, Ms. Dodge bought it at auction.

Finally, another break came when Ms. Mortillaro was directed to the Comité Auguste Rodin in Paris, a group that could determine its authenticity.

Photo

Rodin and his bust of Napoleon. Credit The Hartley Dodge Foundation

Jerome Le Blay, the head of the committee and a leading Rodin expert, said hundreds of applications come in every year — plaster, marble and bronze sculptures submitted for review. Most are not authentic. But he recognized the Napoleon bust. He knew the piece existed, he said, but its whereabouts had been unknown for decades.

Mr. Le Blay traveled to Madison in 2015 to examine the bust. The authentication process was thorough, requiring more research in France. But almost as soon as he saw it, he believed it was genuine. “I had no doubt,” he said.

He was taken by Rodin’s sympathetic portrayal of Napoleon, an emperor and conqueror. “This portrait of Napoleon is a very human portrait,” Mr. Le Blay said. “It’s a man who’s wondering what he should do and how far he should go. It’s very interrogative about his future. It matches perfectly with the spirit of Rodin.”

Continue reading the main story

The bust was authenticated nearly two years ago, but the Hartley Dodge Foundation did not start sharing what had been a tightly held secret until recently. The foundation has announced that the bust, which Mr. Platt said could be worth $4 million to $12 million, would be lent to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Ms. Mortillaro is now 26 and a sixth-grade language arts teacher. She has heard from friends and acquaintances surprised by her side job. “I feel like my secret identity has been exposed,” she said.

The bust has become a topic of conversation around Madison and has generated attention in newspapers around New Jersey. The mayor said he has heard from some who mistakenly believed the borough owned the piece and suggested selling it for tax relief.

“It has been fun,” said the mayor, Robert H. Conley. “It’s not too often a mayor’s on the front page of The Star-Ledger and I don’t have to worry about hiring an attorney.”

The borough hall will be open this weekend, giving the public one last chance to see the bust in the room where it sat since the 1940s. Then, next week, it will be sent to Philadelphia.

Ms. Mortillaro will return to work at the municipal building. She had been hired initially for a temporary assignment, but the work has not been finished. There is still plenty of art scattered throughout the building for her to photograph, measure and investigate. There are more stories to tell.

“I love the history of the pieces,” she said, “how they were displayed and thinking of who saw it and where it was hanging and what was going on in the world when people were walking by those galleries.”

Continue reading the main story

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[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 54, May 2017

On Monday morning, I had my Healthy Cooking on a Budget class at Balla Balla Community Centre in Cranbourne East. Today we made fresh pasta from scratch which meant it was time to get messy! We started by cracking four eggs into a mound of 00 plain flour and then slowly kneading the mixture until it forms a ball. Next, we rolled out the dough and cut it into four sections before starting to feed it through the pasta machine.

I was actually quite intimidated using this device at first mainly because I didn’t really know what I was doing. But you slowly feed the dough through the rollers and repeat the process several times on each setting. This is called the lamination process where the pasta dough becomes longer and thinner. After it gets to a near transparent state, you then feed it through the cutters to make spaghetti, ravioli and fettuccine.

Finally we cooked the pasta in a large pot of boiling water. I made the mistake of mixing the two different types in the one pot and it started clumping together. Our teacher Jodie was fine about it though. I do get rather sensitive when I make a mistake but this was a new learning experience for me so I made the decision to be gentle with myself and just make note of it for next time. We also made a pasta sauce and some ravioli with a burnt butter sauce. http://www.ballaballa.com.au/progra...

On Monday afternoon, I started working through Lesson 5 of my online Wellbeing course through the MindSpot Clinic. This week’s focus is on dealing with relapses, ways to manage your symptoms, coming up with a relapse prevention plan and the importance of goal setting. I’ve found the course helpful in seeing depression, anxiety and stress from a different perspective and discovering additional ways to cope with the symptoms of these issues. https://mindspot.org.au/wellbeing-c...

On Monday night, I had my Strength Training session with Luke Davey at Breakaway Fitness. I was feeling much more relaxed and mentally prepared than last Monday. I was determined to keep myself in a positive headspace tonight. I’m still learning to love and accept myself more but it is getting easier. I’m also slowly adapting to the UFT PLAYgrounds environment. They’ve had a few recent interior changes including some separate spaces for the personal trainers to work in, which instantly put my mind at ease.

I decided to put all my cards on the table and let Luke know how I’m really feeling inside. There’s no point bottling this shit up inside anymore and plus I’ve grown to like and trust Luke over the past few months. I was still recovering from the DOMs (Delayed onset muscle soreness) in my arms and I also felt physically worn out from the weekend but I didn’t let these factors hold me back tonight. https://www.facebook.com/breakawayf...

WARM-UP...I started the session by doing several stretches into the hamstrings, quads and hips including 90 second squat holds and a 3 minute butterfly pose. As usual, I was feeling pretty tight in these areas but I was actually surprised at how flexible I’ve become. I’m holding these stretches for longer which is a clear sign of progression.

DEVELOPMENT...Easily the hardest part of my session tonight. I had to do 15 rounds of 8 weighted back squats EMOTM (Every Minute on the Minute). Honestly, I felt no shame in having to take a break or rack up before my round was done but I stuck it out for as long as I could. My form and technique was pretty good but of course fatigue and muscle burn were making my life hard. To be honest, I didn’t actually complete all 15 rounds as I used a couple of them to rest. But I made the decision not to be too hard on myself tonight. I should be proud of myself no matter how many reps I do or don’t do.

WORK-OUT...And just went I thought it was over. Luke played a track called “Bring Sally Up” and I had to basically do squat holds in time with the music. My brain wanted to stick “Sally” where the sun don’t shine especially when my knees started to burn and give way but I did what I could. It was a really tough session tonight and yet I didn’t give up even though I struggled a lot through it.

On Wednesday morning, I had another Strength Training session with Luke Davey at Breakaway Fitness in Berwick. I was still feeling sore in my thighs and glutes from all the weighted back squats I did on Monday night but otherwise I was doing okay. I’ve been starting to recognise the importance of using positive affirmations or mantras before my sessions as they help me to get into a more positive mindset and to let go of any worries or anxieties I might be carrying around with me. Some people might laugh at me or think I’m weird for doing this but it’s what works for me.

WARM-UP...I started the session by using a soft plastic ball to release tension from my hips and upper back muscles. Honestly it’s poses like this where I’m truly in my zen moment. I just close my eyes, take in the sounds happening around me and breathe. Next I did some back extensions on the machine (3 rounds of 10 reps) and some kettle bell dead lifts (3 rounds of 12 reps).

DEVELOPMENT...Today I really made a massive achievement...lifting more than my body weight. I did 5 single reps of 100kg. It’s a personal best for me and something to be truly proud of. But I’m not the kind of person to brag about it and blow my trumpet. Still I should be really happy with that effort. The most challenging thing about dead lifts for me is overthinking (Am I doing this right? Have I got my body in the right positions? Is my form okay?).

But thankfully Luke was there to make sure I was doing them correctly. The last thing I want to do is injure myself. My technique was pretty good for the most part. The initial lift from the ground up was probably the toughest part and then having to squeeze my glutes in as I’m raising the bar. But besides that, I made sure I was keeping my shoulders back, my butt raised, eyes forward and my back straight before lifting. Just gotta keep practicing and I’ll get there.

I was also trying hard to work on my mental health during the session. I reminded myself that it’s okay to be introverted, to not have a lot to say, to be silent and not have every single trainer and client talk to me. Grounding myself in the present moment is so important. People at UFT PLAYgrounds do care about me otherwise nobody would be acknowledging my existence or saying hi to me. I just have to believe that in myself and say yes I do belong here.

Sara: Can’t you see I’m not like the others?                                                                              Freddie: I know you’re not like the others. You know you’re not like the others...Being scared is good. Fear is good. Fear motivates. Fear gives you the feeling of being alive.                   Quote taken from the film Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

On Thursday morning, Mum and I attended the Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea charity event held at Balla Balla Community Centre in Cranbourne East. The large hall contained several round tables in which we all sat around. There were guest speakers, door prizes, raffles, a silent auction and games, all to raise money towards the Cancer Council Victoria. When it comes to supporting important causes, I will always be there to participate and give generously. This is what truly defines me as a person. Giving to other people.

Everyone received a small plate filled with miniature cupcakes, slices and sandwiches and had access to a variety of different teas, coffees and hot chocolates. It was a great event to be apart of and my mum actually won a prize in the Guess Which Cup? game. The topics of improving mental health and wellbeing were also raised as these can help to reduce the likelihood of getting cancer. Awareness and prevention are both very important things to consider.  http://www.ballaballa.com.au/event/...

On Thursday night, I attended my Water Workout class at YMCA Casey RACE. It’s been a few weeks since I last did this class but I felt like this would be a good way of promoting muscle recovery after my sessions with Luke this week. Our instructor Mary guided us through a variety of different movements including jogging, ski poles, digging and scooping, rock n’ roll, front and side kicks and rolly polly. I still found it difficult using the underwater dumb bells to keep me afloat but I still gave it a go. http://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/...

On Friday morning, Mum and I went to the Morning Melodies social function at the Waltzing Matilda Hotel in Springvale. Today’s performer was Chris Griffith, doing a tribute show to British artists who were popular back in the 60’s. Chris entertained the crowd by telling us about his childhood, growing up in Cardiff, Wales and making plenty of jokes. The songs he played were from a variety of artists including Herman’s Hermits (I’m Into Something Good), Cliff Richard (Summer Holiday, Living Doll), Gerry and The Pacemakers (I Like It), The Beatles (With Love From Me to You), Tom Jones (Delilah, It’s Not Unusual), The Bee Gees (To Love Somebody). https://www.waltzingmatildahotel.com.au/...

On Friday night, I attended a Yoga class at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. Unfortunately the yoga instructor was involved in a car accident whilst driving down to Casey Arc but thankfully she wasn’t hurt and was able to still run the class tonight. We started the class by doing a couple of different breathing practices including Sun Moon Breathing which involves leaning over your knees from a kneeling position and touching the mat with your forehead.

Next we did several variations of the Lotus Pose which involves laying down on your stomach and lifting your legs and arms simultaneously. We also did Eagle Pose, Warrior I sequence, Warrior III, Seated Spinal Twists, Downward Facing Dog, Low Lunge, Shoulder Stand, Bridge Pose and Extended Child’s Pose. I decided to pull back on my shoulder stand tonight as last time I actually injured myself and I’ve never really been comfortable doing inversions. http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/lo...

“So you say you’re alone? Well I don’t think so and I take this moment now. No I don’t. So you say you’re alone? Every time, this might as well just burn.”                                                      Closure in Moscow - Jewels For Eyes (2008)

“We have never lived, we have never even tried. Come on now give that burden to me...It never ends, carry on the sin. It never ends, it never ends, we can never rest. It’s like kissing cousins. It’s like breaking bread.” Closure in Moscow - Kissing Cousins (2009)

“You’re chasing happy days, tell me are you closer now? Praising yesterday, dreaming of them better times. I won’t let anyone have mercy until you bring ‘em down.”                Closure in Moscow - Happy Days (2014)