#I’ll go to the craft store and get myself some yarn!!

[phantasieandmirare]

Hey! Hey world!

WHAT

THE

FUCK

[yarnreader]

The Start of My Handmade Year (1/6/15)

While I was checking out some new blogs before work yesterday, I stumbled across the blog Rebecca Bee Designs. And she is starting "Year of handmade: Craft blog prompts" and I decided to join her. She has it was there is 24 prompts so enough for 2 a month, and I'll be posting my responses at the beginning and end of each month. (So this week is going to a little post heavy if everything goes right.) So welcome to my handmade year!

1. In the beginning: how did you get into the craft?

Where to begin? I have many crafts so it's hard to decide on which one to start with. But here we go:

Cross-stitching-

I actually started this when I was a child, my mother is really into cross-stitching so my sister and I got into it too. I did a few small projects but I also had help starting something or I didn't finish something. But late summer/ early fall, I think, I bought a cross-stitching kit from Wal-mart and some small kits from Joann's.

Knitting-

My sister taught me how to knit when I was 12 or 13 years old. She had taught herself from one of those kits you would get from Wal-mart. But I had put it down for a few years because I got frustrated that none of my projects look remotely close to the pictures it was suppose to be. But my last year in high school or a year after I figured out what was wrong and picked up knitting and haven't stop since.

Crocheting-

Again this was something my sister taught me. When she was in college she went to a yarn store and learned how to crochet, then she came home and taught me when I was 16 years old. I had taught myself how to chain but could not for the life of me get past that part. That's pretty much what I was doing during the break period of my knitting, so my hands were still busy.

Painting-

I also liked to paint when I was a child but I was very serious about it until 2 years ago. My mother-in-law is really into painting and got start in going to a paint night at the local Visual Arts Center, so the day or two after Jordan and I moved down here, she took me to my first class. Then it just took off from there. Jordan and I did a few class together with her and just the two of us. I haven't been to a class and year, but I have a supply of canvases, brushes, and MIL's paint near me so I can paint whenever I get inspiration.

Spinning-

I taught myself how to spin on a drop spindle about a year ago. I would love to learn how to spin on a wheel, but in our situation I don't see a wheel in my future right now. I really love spinning it's really relaxing.

Drawing-

I've always drawn small pictures growing up, I just really got into improving that skill this past year.

How did you get into your crafts?Sam <3

[yikesola]

not sure if this would work but could a potential outlet be a ficlet where dnp are doing Exactly what you wish you could in that moment

These are rather kind especially as that complain-y posts was just exactly the kind of thing I’m supposed to be freezing aksnfk but it was non-specific enough that I let it slip through as like me ~expressing myself~

So that middle anon (if you’re different anons) has a good example of impulse buying which is not quite what my issues are but is usually one of my coping mechanisms, I’ll go to the dollar store for craft supplies or to joanns for yarn or to goodwill for vhs— it’s impulse spending on a budget 👍 another one is changing my hair, usually with an anxiety-fueled 3am kitchen scissor snip but last time it was breaking out the blue box dye 😬 but like ,, that’s my gay right ain’t it?!

Those aren’t really the kind of impulses my therapist is concerned about. Those are actions. She is much more worried about my impulsive reactions. I’m an overcorrector, childhood trauma blah blah blah— if I fear I have upset someone (whether the upsetting is real or imagined) I jump in to try to correct it and in fact make things uhh much much worse. In an attempt to explain myself clearly, I talk in circles. In an attempt to show sincerity, I make too big of promises. (I recently had my aunt talk me in to flying 1500miles to dogsit while she goes to the Bahamas for a wedding and had to call her back and tell her no actually, that’s crazy, there’s an ongoing pandemic and I haven’t been well enough to get out of my house more than two days a week in months🙃 that did. Not end well.) In an attempt to make up for external stressors that I worry are effecting people around me— traffic, long waits at the doctor office, bad weather— I convince myself it’s my fault the person is having to deal with these and internalize that impossible stress/guilt.

Basically ,, the 24hr hold is that I have to give myself time to sit with those reactions. I can’t let them be my immediate reaction, that’s an old coping mechanism that doesn’t serve me anymore and has damaged some of my most important relationships. I need to sit with my reaction and know that when I do give it, it’s not me overcorrecting or trying to clean up a mess. It’s just me genuinely reacting

As with most thing ,, it takes practice. I’m not yet great at it

First anon has a good idea, I couldn’t fic exactly what my impulse itches are but writing at all would probably help a bit with the like processing and distracting, and hell just the enjoyment of doing something I love lol

[currywaifu]

𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: that’s pretty knit 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: rurikawa yuki/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw 𝐰𝐜: 1.9k words, 1 image

𝐚𝐧: yuki birthday month, yuki fic. ahaha i am very direct with my titles again. what’s new? because of the research i did, i’m probably gonna go order some knitting materials online now

Perhaps you spent too much time at the nearest arts and crafts store. For a dozen or so minutes you stood in one spot, unmoving unless someone needed to pass by you, your eyes flitting up and down, left and right as you debated over the different assortments of yarn.

You already had an inkling the different colours would overwhelm you— with so many different colours and different shades each, how could you possibly limit yourself to just one? You didn’t expect to be this troubled with choosing among different yarn weights, too. Why did the store give you 7 different choices? How were you supposed to know if choosing light yarn was better than choosing bulky yarn?

… you seriously should have done more research, but the prospect of finally having free time to visit the shop overshadowed any semblance of rationality you previously possessed.

Look at you now.

Alright, Plan A— scope out the area for the friendliest looking employee and muster up the courage to ask for help, plain and simple.

Except things don’t always go as planned.

When you hear your name come from a voice behind you, it was impossible not to figure out who it was that caught you. You’re just a little bit upset and a little bit tense because of all people to come across at this moment, it had to be Yuki? It’s not that you dislike him, rather it’s because the opposite is true that you found yourself more pressed than you should be.

It was like buying a surprise gift for someone and that exact someone seeing you buy that gift… actually, that was pretty much the situation— the only differing variable being that the gift hasn’t even been created yet.

Seriously, you just had to come across the very person you were planning on making something for?

“Yuki-kun! What are you doing here?”

He gave you a blank stare, as if waiting for you to realise how dumb your question was. Rurikawa Yuki? In a crafts store? Unless you wanted something specific, the answer should have been plenty obvious.

“Hah? I want to buy materials to make clothes, obviously,” he replied, tilting his head to gesture towards his shopping basket filled with various beads, lace, and… were those feathers? Was he just replenishing stock and were those all for one outfit? Curiosity was getting the better of you, mouth already poised to ask a follow-up question before he interrupted you.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you?”

To any deities out there, grant you a smidge of acting prowess, or at the very least the ability to make some half-truths and get away with it.

You awkwardly let out a laugh, your eyes leaving Yuki as they dragged themselves back towards the shelves.

“I’m supposed to make a scarf for someone,” an omission of information, but technically the truth, “but I don’t know which yarn to pick?”

For a few seconds Yuki stared at you with narrowed eyes, ultimately letting out a sigh as he placed his own items on the tiled floor, facing the same direction as you.

“Any colour you want?”

Taking the opportunity to resolve one of your main problems, you quickly told him that he could choose any colour he wanted. Haha, you were so slick getting Yuki to choose the material he’d like the most. If you somehow screwed up the knitting process, at least he’d like the colour, right?

“Didn’t you do any research?” Yuki asked, sifting through the pale pink yarns to look for the appropriate weight.

“Not really,” you admitted sheepishly, “I mean, I just saw the steps were easy enough and decided to give it a try.”

“I-di-ot~” he said in a sing-song voice, but despite the nickname you knew there was underlying affection there somewhere, “one skein of super-bulky yarn would be the easiest to work with, then you probably need a crochet hook and 9 mm knitting needles too…”

You follow the green-haired boy as he moves to a different aisle, picking up the supplies you inevitably would have had trouble choosing between.

“Really, you could have just asked me, if you’re so clueless. I’d help you out.”

“No way!” you suddenly exclaimed, earning yourself front row tickets to Yuki’s look of confusion, “I can do it myself!”

You hoped your sudden outburst didn’t come off as rude, but he seemed to just push the matter away nonchalantly.

“Suddenly getting so loud, what’s with you…” he muttered, dropping the things he picked up for you atop your waiting hands, “but that’s fine. The scarf won’t be as cute as if I helped you, but maybe it’ll turn out decent at least.”

You clutched the materials to your chest, already anticipating being able to prove Yuki wrong. How would he react the moment he knew the person you were knitting something for was him?

“I’ll show it to you when I’m done!” you promised, “I need your seal of approval, after all!”

He’d probably point out any issues regardless, so you just had to make sure you did your absolute best!

Knitting took a lot more effort than you anticipated. First of all, you had to do something called a cast on around the needle? Apparently the wrap cast on was great for beginners, but you weren’t gonna lie— it did take you one whole article from some “The Queen of Yarn” blogspot and one 5 minute YouTube tutorial just to make sure you were on the right track.

One. Slip knot: loop the yarn around your fingers clockwise, the yarn attached to the ball going under the loop, slid off your fingers and slipped onto the needle.

It wasn’t that the steps were particularly difficult. Rather, it was constantly making sure you weren’t accidentally skipping any steps or areas due to not paying too much attention.

Two. Open the loop to make a stitch: hold the empty needle with your dominant hand, and the needle with the slip knot in the other. Slip the empty needle into the first loop— from front to back.

Still, it was difficult to stop your thoughts from wandering— perhaps you should have chosen to listen to some kind of tea spill or podcast or comedy routine or anything with words instead of the LoFi ChillHop live stream playing from your phone. You were going to give Yuki a scarf— then what?

Three. Wrap the yarn: go counter-clockwise, the working yarn sliding between both of the needles.

You had a crush on Yuki, plain and simple, but it’d be embarrassing to just admit it! The amount of courage you had still needed replenishing, what with the amount you used up to just go up to him and try befriending him a couple of months back. What if you confessed, and he decided not only was your scarf ugly, he wouldn’t be friends with you anymore as well?

Four. Turn the stitch: slide the dominant-hand needle from the back to the front of the other needle.

But would it be enough to just pass off the garment as a, “thank you for being my friend” gift? Especially when there was no real occasion, and the hours you put in into making him something— would he question it?

Five. Finish the stitch: slide the dominant-hand needle up so that the first loop on the other needle slides off. Move on to the next loop, do the same thing, repeating until you are out of stitches.

Well, even with all of Yuki’s bluntness, he was still kind so he’d probably still be your friend! It’d still really hurt if he rejected you though, so maybe you should put off implying anything more than platonic between you two for… a while. Maybe it was too soon?

Looking at the progress you made, you were unable to hold in a groan of defeat. The pale pink yarn against the bamboo needle looked pretty and neat; there was an issue though.

One row. You were only able to do one row so far.

Your phone clock said it was still pretty early into the afternoon. Well, a few more hours wouldn’t hurt anything except your hands, right?

A hand therapy site told you that pain brought by needlework was probably due to repetition of motion, bad posture, and or general fatigue. Not gonna lie, you probably fit into all three— the last one maybe more so than others.

How long one took to knit varied— some dedicating days, while others were able to crank out 5 scarves a day. A part of you was proud to be able to procure something presentable and wearable in one sitting.

…

You’re just choosing to omit the fact that that one sitting lasted until 3 am, but what Yuki doesn’t know? Won’t hurt him.

Thanking your singular brain cell right now that you decided to do this project over the weekend instead of during a school day— you’re unsure if you’d even be able to survive at all if you actually had to do maths and stuff the day after.

Deciding to just go with the flow, you found yourself folding the scarf as neatly as you could, gingerly placing it inside a paper bag. After all, you agreed to “have him judge” your creation today.

In all honesty, you thought you had built up the confidence to confess your crush to Yuki. If he reciprocated, good for you! If he didn’t, well, either you take it cooly or go ‘I said I liked you as a friend thing, silly!”

Standing in front of him though, his orange eyes scrutinising the pale pink scarf, made you lose your words, hesitation standing in its stead.

“Garter stitch…”

“What do you think, Yuki-kun?” you asked, peering at the green haired boy curiously as you impatiently awaited his verdict.

“I’m honestly surprised you made something nice,”

“Hey—“

“But for beginner, it’s pretty good,” he complimented, “actually, I can see myself wearing it when it gets colder—“

Even with such simple words, you felt your heart swell in happiness. Not only did he say he liked it, but he even went as far as to say he’d wear it? There were so many ways to get your gratitude across, to tell Yuki your true intentions in ‘asking for his approval’. With all of your options, you went with

“If you like it, it’s yours!”

“Hey, you…”

He looked like he didn’t know how to respond. Actually, you can relate to that because even you’re befuddled by your wording. Didn’t it make it seem like you gifted it to him as an afterthought?

“I mean, well that’s not what I meant,” you hurriedly followed up, “I wanted to give it to you from the start? I didn’t know if it’d be nice though so if you said it was ugly I would’ve hidden it from the world? You said you would wear it though so—“

“This won’t do…” Yuki replied, interrupting your impending rambling. Before you could ask him what he meant, he pulls your hand to lead you inside the dormitories.

Unbeknownst to you, pink the same shade of your... his scarf painted his cheeks. If only the weather was fit for the garment you gave, he’d be able to blame the sudden colour on the cold.

“Come on, I need to get your measurements.”

It was difficult to keep the silly grin off of your face afterwards.

want to order again?

[space-hair]

nothing makes you want to 180 out of ever selling your handmade items than your own mother insulting you passively over it my dudes. Actually that’s not true I never wanted to sell my shit but this just confirms to me that I cannot even enjoy my own hobbies without feeling like shit over it LOL. Tag got long but I don’t want to re-write it so screenshot and I’ll just throw thoughts out into the void cause that will help me feel better.

Anyways I feel like this has some depth that by me telling myself is not enough, but posting it feels like ‘complete’ haha. 

The never-ending sucking spiral of capitalisms ability to make you monetize everything in your life drains me more and more each day. I loooooove making dolls I don’t mind if they’re sold technically but not to even get money just cause they take up space LOL... but it’s easy to say ‘sell’ and not so easy to set up an etsy, take pics of everything, make listings for everything, add description for everything, research comparable prices for everything, figure out shipping and shipping prices, boxes, packaging, returns, unhappy customers? questions people may have, interacting with people with severe social anxiety in it of itself is scary, setting up a day every week that i have to go to the post office to sell, figuring out if i make enough that i have to do shit like taxes or whatever, ETC ETC ETC. that is not so easy as ‘just selling’ my shit. We aren’t even going to get into the normalization of not paying artists what they deserve and how even if I priced my items at minimum wage level I know that would still be tough for me to sell at that ‘high’ of a price etc. if it was so easy as to just sell, sure. but really, making stuffies and dolls and items is my hobby, selling my stuffies and dolls and items is not. I just want to make stuff. I don’t want this pressure of ‘you should totally sell that!’ I don’t want to make things thinking ‘I can’t keep that mistake in, I have to undo this, make sure to double knot this’ because I want to sell good items, I just want to have fun and if I make something ugly that’s not going to be some big deal. I don’t want to scroll down tumblr and see that shitty thrifting blog making fun of another ‘ugly’ handmade item again, knowing that my craft items will end up in the thrift store too. I want to make a doll because I want to make a doll, not because I need to put something up on the store to sell. I also don’t want to put all my shit up on the store and see it not selling at all.  Mommy says 'just put up what you have as you have it, if it sells it sells if it doesn't it doesn't' but can't understand that of course it hurts the heart to know something you made is not something people are interested in. And I have a weird thing where I really view items as 'people' in a way, and it hurts to think that this item is unwanted and would feel like damn, why I suck!! And if this type of item doesn't sell, if it's an item I really like making, suddenly now my hobby of making these items I like, I will have to take time away from that to maybe make more of the other item that does do better for sales? y'know... y'know....

Crocheting, knitting, making dolls and stuffies and items... that's my hobby that I enjoy, but I can never talk about it in it of itself. Whenever someone talks to me about it, family or stranger or whoever, the only topic is 'do you sell? you should sell!' as if I can't just do this to enjoy it. No one ever asks me how I got into making dolls? What's my favourite yarn? Have you ever thought about making this item??? It's always only about selling it. I want to have conversations about how I found this really cute pattern but it has so many mistakes in the pattern how annoying, or what this person thinks about this yarn being made into this pattern, this colour or that colour, etc... I never get that. I only get 'do you sell?' 'haha, no, maybe one day!' 'you should totally sell!' haha yea.... totally... :”)

Then mommy comes in and will always tell me how expensive this webkinz is to buy, or how I have so many stuffies or items in my room ... I mean really, don't tell your daughter 'you should sell your handmade stuff' and then turn around and be mean and rude about that exact thing. Seriously, if you think I'm ridiculous spending 30 dollars on a stuffie, how can you expect I'd be excited to sell my handmade dolls for 50? Some of my dolls are the same size as these stuffies I buy. Also how insulting is it, to me, for her to say I have so many stuffies just sitting there doing nothing .... and yet she has a shit ton of my stuffies that I made for her sitting above her desk and in a basket in her room.... sitting there, doing nothing. What, you're telling me the only reason you keep my dolls is out of obligation? That you think it clutters your room to have them just sitting there? Or is it that you enjoy seeing them there, which then makes you a hypocrite getting upset at me having stuffies in my room that just sit there. Like seriously, do you not think before you say such a thing to me when you have 100's of hours of work that I did just sitting there right in front of you as you insult me for buying such an 'expensive' doll and such a 'stuffed' room? If I was hesitant before to sell my stuff, this just assures me that I really never want to. I see many doll collectors, people who will buy little stuffies like mine from Etsy, you wanna know what their room looks like???? Like MINE!!! and what do they pay for the dolls???? more than fuckin' 30 bro!!! It's almost like , wow I don't want to sell knowing mommy thinks poorly not just of me for having a room like this and spending money on things like this, but she would think poorly of my customers surely as well huh! 

I'm not totally irresponsible with money or my room. Yea my room is a bit 'cramped' sure but it's not dirty, it's not a hazard, it's not dangerous, it's organized and I am not overflowing with stuff or anything. When my room gets to the point that I couldn't buy one single more stuffie it's not like I'm an addict and can't stop. I have built over 10 grand in savings so far, it's not like I'm so financially irresponsible that I would pay for a stuffie when I cannot afford rent or whatever. Of course as well if there was ever a time that I couldn't afford a doll or whatever, I would never buy one over more important purchases. I pay rent, I rent this room, I can do with this room as I please. If mommy wanted to be able to dictate what I can and can't do with my space that I pay for, she should be paying full rent and changing the dynamic of how we live here. Oh well. It's not that big of a deal, it's just like y'know, I do pay for this space it's not like I live in her house for free y'know?

  Weird rant on the tumblies for today but yea. I just... I wish that I could just be happy LOL. To do my hobby and spend money on my hobby without being guilted and made to feel bad about it. One day when I'm selling my shit, no one tell my customers about this post that'd be embarrassing. 

[nekokuto]

amigurumi is the japanese art of knitting or crocheting stuffed animals! so if yamaguchi learns amigurumi...does that make it yamagurumi? hahahahahaha i’ll see myself out

Tadashi Yamaguchi was proud of himself. For once, he was able to look at something he did and smile with satisfaction. Yes, I did that.

As he grew older and more experienced, namely in volleyball, his self esteem got stronger. However, there were still things he felt horrifically unprepared to handle. He supposed these things took time and practice and effort, and he was willing to take the time, to practice, and to put in the effort. 

But what he was able to do with a crochet hook and yarn… that was a different story.

Nervous energy flowed through Tadashi’s body nonstop. If he wasn’t shaking his leg, he was tapping his foot. Not tapping his foot? Then he was doodling in the margins of his paper. He was clicking a pen. He was drumming his fingers on the table. 

But these different movements distracted other people, and he knew that any kind of fidget toys could be just as distracting. His frustration mounted; he needed to find something to get rid of the anxious energy, to concentrate on. 

And on a whim, he found crochet. He found a video on youtube, and immediately found the hand movements soothing to his eyes. Quickly, he found more videos and soon was searching Instagram for crochet artists so he could see more appealing work. The colors and textures were fascinating. And oh, the cute things you could make! He was hooked. 

It wasn’t long after that he took a trip to the craft store (a nervous trip, because he wondered how odd this looked, a teenage boy looking at yarn). He had a slight idea of where to start. He picked a nice colored acrylic yarn- it was orange, like Nishinoya’s jersey- and read the label. This yarn was suggested to be used with a size I hook. He quickly found the corresponding hook further down the aisle, selecting a pink one because he liked the color. 

The walk to the counter seemed to take an eternity. Everyone was staring at him, he was sure. Nervously, he placed his hook and yarn on the counter, where an older, grandmotherly woman smiled at him. She could sense his unease, it seemed, and her smile certainly calmed him just a little. 

“Ooo,” she cooed appreciatively at the yarn as she scanned it. She held it up and admired it. “This is a very nice color. A good choice.”

Yamaguchi felt the knot in his chest loosen. He smiled at her, a little timid. “It reminds me of Kurasano’s volleyball jerseys,” he explained. “I go there.”

“Oh you do?” She said with a kind, warm smile. “This looks just like it. Very spirited.”

She scanned the crochet hook as well. She told him his total, and she paid her. As she gave his change and collected his receipt, she slid a few small papers into his bag. When Tadashi curiously tilted his head at her, she smiled again, that same comforting, warm smile. 

“Free patterns,” she explained with a wink. “Just in case.”

It didn’t take long. Soon, his first dishcloth was finished. It was a little bumpy, pretty lumpy, and not really that pretty. But it didn’t matter- Tadashi made it. He crocheted it. With a hook and some yarn and his own two hands. The second dishcloth he made came together much quicker. It was smoother… looked a little tighter, a little less lumpy. His next practice cloths improved as well, and soon, he made a scarf. And then he made hand-warmers (he crocheted a square, and then sewed two of the ends together, skipping a few stitches to leave room for the wearer’s thumb. They fit really nicely. 

Finally, he had an outlet for those nervous jitters and he was making some pretty nice things, too. He was excited to show Tsukishima, his boyfriend, but he was equally nervous about it, too. He was worried the blond would think crochet was uncool… but he decided, after a lot of thinking and worrying about it, that he, Tadashi, was proud of what he was making and he thought it was really damn cool. Anyone else’s opinion didn’t hold as much weight…

But he still hoped Tsukki thought it was cool. 

One of the good things about Tsukki was that walking to school was often done in comfortable silence. There was no need for forced chit-chat, and they both knew that. However, on that one bright, chilly, early-spring morning, Tadashi found the silence a bit unnerving. 

“I took up a new hobby,” he blurted, abrupt. 

Tsukki, who had been thinking about a podcast he’d been listening to last night, blinked, taking a moment to absorb the other’s words. 

“Oh?” he said, quirking his brow and glancing at the other. 

“Yeah,” Tadashii replied, swallowing hard. He knew by Tsukki’s reaction that he was definitely interested in what it was. “Crochet.” 

Silence for a moment. 

“Is that the one with yarn and the little...hooked needles?” Tsukki asked, and upon seeing his boyfriend’s nod, he followed up, “Have you made anything yet?” 

Tadashii knew he’d ask that. That’s why he had his very best dishcloth in his pocket. It wasn’t in that original orange color- that skein of yarn was mostly gone. This cloth was done in a pretty, variegated blue yarn. Tadashi thought it was soothing, which is why he bought it. 

“Yeah,” he said, pulling the dishcloth out to show him. 

Tsukki looked at the cloth and held it in his hands. He examined it, gently pulled on it, seeing the stitches stretch just the slightest. It looked...really intricate, he thought. Something that clearly took practice… Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other watching him with rapt attention. 

A small smile tugged on Tsukki’s lips. If Tadashi hadn’t been on the receiving end of many of those sweet, little, private smiles… he would have missed it. 

“This looks really good,” he said, turning to Tadashii. “You did well. It’s cool.” 

Tadashii didn’t stop blushing until lunchtime. 

Much like his initial interest in crochet, a new idea sprouted in his brain. It grew and grew and grew until it was something he couldn’t stop thinking about. When it became too much to bear, he searched youtube and found plenty of helpful tutorials. It took him the span of a weekend, and three practice runs of different patterns, before he settled on one that worked; before he finally finished Tsukki’s gift. 

Another quiet morning, another comfortable walk to school. Tadashi’s clammy hand held the tiny stuffed animal in his pocket. He could feel his pulse thrum through his fingers. 

“Hey...uh-- Tsukki?” He said, his voice sounding trembly and nervous. 

Tsukishima, who was yet again, thinking about a podcast, glanced at the other, expectant. 

“Yeah?” He said after a moment, upon realizing that Tadashi was staring at the sidewalk. 

Without doing much thinking, Tadashi grabbed Tsukki’s hand and deposited the stuffed animal into it. 

A little squished but otherwise unscathed, a cartoonish green t-rex sat in Tsukki’s palm. 

Tadashi’s lips were wiggly as he stared at the ground. His heart pounded in his chest. He didn’t see how Tsukki softened so immensely… how he relaxed… how he smiled. 

But he did see his eyes- he saw them when Tsukki hooked a gentle thumb underneath his chin and gazed down at him. He saw how warm they were...how touched. But he didn’t see them for very long, because Tsukki leaned down and kissed him, and Tadashi closed his eyes and felt like he was flying.

[the-stitchin-vixen]

March 15, 2020

I received an unexpected Christmas present this year and I spent December as January working on something to give him in return.  I went on the great hunt on Etsy looking for a pattern that looked like something that would suit him.  I settled on a scarf because I know he hates the cold and I wanted to make something to keep him warm.  

I went to Michaels to buy the exact same yarn that the pattern mentioned because I wanted it to look as close to that as possible, and you know what?  Big mistake.  Huge.  I spent an entire day working on it and got NOWHERE.  That miserable bloody stuff kept weaving into itself so every time I needed to pull stitches back out, I freaking couldn’t.  It was so incredibly frustrating.  No more craft store yarn for me, boy.  I’ve had nothing but problems with it.  So I went to one of my favourite yarn stores to get the same kind of stuff as what I’m using for my afghan.  Quality shit.  Soft.  Preferably washable if possible.  I wanted a striping yarn, and preferably in blue tones.  He has gorgeous blue eyes, made all the more striking when he wears blue.  Little bit selfish?  Maybe.  Sue me.  ;)

Unfortunately, the only variegated blue I found that I was happy with wasn’t a thick enough yarn, so I talked to one of the staff (helpful gal, love that place) and she led me straight to the Katia Azteca.  I wasn’t sure that he would go for the blue yarn they had in stock for that brand, but they had another in shades of white, silver and charcoal.   He frequently wears a baja hoodie in those same tones and I thought they’d blend nicely.  I’m making it just long enough to keep him warm, but not long enough that it should hang below the hoodie.  I hate it when my scarf is longer than my jacket.  It looks daft.

It took longer than it normally would have, but I upped my game for this one.  Every time I noticed that my stitches got tighter when I was distracted by the tv, back out they came.  On top of that, I had a lightbulb moment and figured out how to weave in the ends so that they are ABSOLUTELY INVISIBLE.  I’m so bloody proud of myself for that.  Every time I googled ‘how to invisibly weave in ends’ I just got instructions that told me how to crochet something and then simply said ‘then weave in the ends!’  Like, gee, thanks.  Super helpful.  I’ll just keep muddling through, then.

In other news, I've gotten some done on Crystal Symphony and the Stallion.  I also had another HAED page finish.  I started on it on March 6 - I managed a page finish in a week!

[misidentifiedknitter]

Stories From a Knitter

So wow...just wow. Soooooo much has happened in just the short span of the past few months. Currently we are lock down......I believe it is lock down. I haven’t been to work in over a month now. Thankfully my job is providing pay at the moment while we are out of work. However this is a huge adjustment. I am now home all the time, I have to keep myself busy.

 I’ve been spending much more time with the bunnies and guinea pig.

 I have been cleaning till there is nothing left to do. Sewing masks has taken a lot of my time. 

They are not the recommended masks you by but at this point it is better than nothing. 

Going to the stores is so different now. There is a eerie feeling in the air, and of course no toilet paper on the shelves. We always bulk bought but now we buy for longer period of time. We stocked up on things we need long term so that when we have to go back out to the markets, if for just a few items and its quick. 

For the bunnies and guinea pig, I have hay, treats and dry food delivered. And I now have it down to a science on how to make the veg last two weeks. Kale keep really well in our fridge that we now keep super cold to preserve our food.

Knitting. Well I finished the Lionberry Shawl  by Narniel of Endor on Ravlery. I made it in some yellow yarn I got back in high school. Its funny how I started that shawl almost 10 years ago and I’m just now taking the time to finish it. 

Now I am knitting the Leggings Sweater by Mollie Conrad. I test knit this sweater when it first came out but never finished it for I fell ill during that time. Mollie was great though and I love her patterns. I have barely enough yarn and with the craft stores here all closed, it looks like I will have to order more yarn. That’s not such a bad thing though right?

I am trying to remain positive. With my depression it is hard, especially when I am cooped up in the house. Walks are a savior for me. Maybe I’ll start taking pictures and posting them here. It’ll help I am sure and maybe bring a smile to someone else’s day. I am sure that I’ll be on here more often than not now. So I hope to get to know more of you better soon. Till then, stay safe my loves.

xoxo

[amazable01]

Mr. Sanders Neighborhood

AO3 link here

Collab with the amazing @theobsessor1!

Chapter 3

“We could try Dr. Terrence’s office? He is the nicest veterinarian in town, and I’m sure he would be willing to take you on as an assistant.”

Patton tilts his head in thought at the suggestion. “Possibly…”

This has been the back and forth for the past half hour, and Logan has slowly been losing his mind. The two of them, with Roman as a witness, have been walking around the town in an attempt to help Patton find a job, while continuing his nurse training.Logan takes a deep breath, calming himself.

“Patton, you have to decide on a place to work soon. I understand you have savings set aside, but that will not last very long. You will have to choose one of the offices we visited today.”

“You can’t blame me for not liking the last one!” Patton pouts. “That doctor wasn’t very nice...”

“I will admit he did have rather… different methods to handling animals, and I don’t blame you for not wanting to sta-”

“Specs, you really should have let me fight him! A miscreant like him should not be talking to ANYONE, much LESS caring for animals!” Roman piped up, dramatizing the situation, as always. “Every word he spoke was like spitting toads from a witch’s cauldron! Like snake venom dripping from fangs! Like-”

Logan interrupts, knowing Roman could keep going. “I think we get it, Roman.” 

Silence fills the air for an endless moment, the tension growing as the two stubborn men stare at one another.

That is, until Patton’s giggling breaks the tension. “Maybe we should take a little break from job hunting? I think I spotted a cute cafe a few blocks back-” 

An audible gasp escapes Roman’s mouth, before practically drags the two confused friends over to a clothing store. “We HAVE to go in here!”

“What!?! Why!?!”

“Because the clothes look AMAZING, and I MUST try some on! I shall perish if I do not!”

Despite Logan’s disinterest, Patton agrees, and Roman drags them in.

The clothing store’s variety is unparalleled, ranging from simple graphic tees to colorful formal wear for both males and females. Roman and Patton seem to drift off toward the dresses and skirts, insisting that Logan look too. The rational man would be happy simply sifting through the button ups, as he could do with a few long sleeves. Perhaps even another tie or two.

However, Patton’s pleading puppy eyes had other ideas. A guilting and pouty gaze is all it takes before Logan begrudgingly finds himself going with the others.

Roman and Patton can only be described as a chorus of giggles as they search through the clothing, bringing each other things to try on and over all having a blast. They hop out of the dressing room each time, a new outfit and silly pose in tow, both acting like models walking down the runway. And, of course, Logan is the audience.

He can’t help the small smile gracing his lips, the man surprisingly enjoying himself. Well, that is until he sees Roman stalking up to him with a pastel sundress.

“Oh no! I'm fine! I assure you that I am perfectly alright with just watching.”

Roman whines. “Aww, but what's the fun in that, calculator watch?!? The fun is actually trying them on!”

“Yeah!” Patton agrees, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet. “If it makes you more comfortable, you could try something else? Just try it once, and, if you don't like it, we won't make you do any more.” His eyes widen, the adorable puppy eyes come out once more. “Please? Once? For me?”

Curse this cute man with his cute face, and his cute eyes.

“... Alright, fine.” Logan promptly snatches the pastel dress from Roman's hands, before stomping off into the dressing room.

“Yes!!” Exclaim the two, happy to get their friend to join in on their fun.

A couple of moments go by, and then Logan sheepishly steps out of the changing room, blushing red with embarrassment. It’s almost unbelievable that he’s doing such a frivolous thing.

There's a beat of silence, before Roman and Patton’s excited twittering surrounds him. and showers the startled man in compliments.

“Oh my goodness Lo, you look so kawaii! And it fits your figure so well! And-” Patton slips into his mother tongue as he energetically rambles on.

“By Osiris’ knee caps! We should have done this ages ago, you look stunning!” Roman can’t help but clap his hands excitedly. “I think I know some shoes that match that very well!”

“...I don't know” Logan’s unsure tone brings Roman’s squeeing to a slow.

“Oh! You like the more professional style right? Stay right there!” He’s off before Logan can protest, leaving him to a still rambling Patton.

Accepting he won’t be getting out of this anytime soon, Logan makes an attempt at calming his emotional companion. “Patton, I must ask you to take a moment to breath. I can’t understand a single word you’re saying.”

Patton giggles before nodding, taking a couple deep breaths to calm himself. “Sorry, sorry. Just…” He coos. “You look so pretty in that dress, Logan-kun!”

Logan will never admit the embarrassing sound he uttered from that sincere compliment.

Luckily, Roman is back just in time to save him from that embarrassment. “Alright, so a lot of business women wear these. I think you’ll like it.” He happily claims while holding up a black pencil skirt. “You can even wear it with your button up and tie!”

Patton quickly holds up some shoes from one of the scattered boxes about them. “Oh! These flats I found earlier might fit you Logan! They would match with the outfit, too!”

Hesitantly taking the two items, Logan quickly changes again and is able to step out of the changing room a bit more confident than the first time.

“This is... satisfactory.”

“I knew you would like it! Here, I’ll buy it for you. My treat.” Roman boasts, already going to the cashier despite the other’s complaints.

“What?! No, I can’t have you do that!” undeterred by Logan’s protesting, Roman demands the cashier ring up the price of the skirt

“Patton, bring your things too! We treat ourselves today!”

After several failed attempts to convince Roman to change his mind, Logan ends up leaving with a bag containing the pencil skirt and flats. Roman and Patton both carried several bags of their own, seeming to be quite happy with themselves.

Logan can’t help but shake his head. “If we are going to continue to mindlessly shop, can we make a quick stop to a craft store? I require new pens.”

Patton quickly nods in agreement. “Yes, of course! I could use more yarn myself. My sweet, little Yoko needs a new blanket!” He giggles.

“Then onward! To the craft store!” Roman exclaimed taking the lead of the small group, humming an unfamiliar, and somewhat merry tune.

Patton and Logan quickly follow behind him, varying amounts of enthusiasm for both as they head to the store a couple blocks down. A simple craft store, one that will do well to serve their needs.

Logan sees Roman stop, holding the door open for another young man. However, Logan can’t help but be perplexed when Roman seems to freeze up afterwards.

Quickly letting go of the door, Roman turns back to his fellow compatriots. He seems a bit nervous, oddly. “We should go to a different store!” He exclaims “This one, um... doesn’t look like they have what we need! We should really get going...” Roman gently pushes both of the others in the opposite direction.

Logan stands his ground, having heard enough. He had tried on skirts and shoes, and now he isn’t allowed to go to one of his favorite shops? Preposterous! “Roman, I do not understand your sudden change of attitude towards this store, but we are going in there and I am not leaving without my pens.” He swiftly side steps Roman, and once more walks towards the doors.

“B-but we can’t go in there!” Roman stutters.

“Why?” Patton asks, tilting his head in that infuriatingly adorable way.  

Roman makes a few exasperated and frantic noises before he can get actual words out. “Be-because... we just CAN’T, Patton!!”

Logan can’t help being even more confused by this behavior, as well as become somewhat startled by the sudden gasp from Patton who nearly drives himself into a coughing fit.

“Oh. My. Goodness. Is this because of that kiddo you held the door open for?! Are you scared to go in cause they’re cute!?”

A bright pink blush covers Roman’s features as he looks horrifiedly at Patton. “NO!” He shrieks.

Rolling his eyes, Logan grabs ahold of Roman’s arm. Gesturing with his head to the open door, Logan shows the giggling Patton where to go. “You’re being ridiculous. Whether they are attractive or not, we are going in to get our supplies.” He quickly shoves a now fighting Roman into the store after Patton.

If Logan didn’t know any better, he would most certainly say dealing with Roman feels like taking care of an unruly child. Who’s hyped up on sugar. And has been given glitter and spray paint to play with. Roman immediately dashes off to hide in one of the small shop isles, most likely to avoid the proclaimed “cute” stranger.

With a sigh, Logan trails after Roman, who is apparently trying to appear busy by looking through the shelves, all the while glancing around.

Finding several good black pens, Logan plucks them up before cooly addressing the crazy, pining man. “If you keep this up, you just might be able to scare them off.”

Logan muses that if Roman had whipped his head around any faster, his neck would most likely have snapped. “Tell me. How does one go up to such an exquisite being, and explain to them that you want nothing more than to bask in their mystical glory for the rest of your worthless existence, Logan?”

“I-... I am... not sure?” Logan sputters finding himself speechless at the passionate question thrown his way. How DOES one go about answering that in a rational manner?

“Patton?!” Logan calls out worriedly. “I need assistance with the prince, as he appears to have lost his mind!”

“There! Logan look!!” Roman whispers furiously, nearly bouncing in place in partially contained joy as he grabs Logan’s head, and forces him to look a couple aisles over.

In the aisle is a young man possibly around their age, fair skinned with dark eyes. However, half his face is practically shrouded by his purple hair. His ears were pierced with two rings on the top, and small, round gauges.

They are dressed in darker clothing, ripped skinny jeans and a loose black shirt. The shirt slips from a loose sleeve, revealing a pale, bare shoulder. His shoulder is in strange contrast to his paint splattered arms, a couple of intricate tattoo sleeves adorning the skin as well. A black jacket lay tied around his waist, with purple plaid patch work adorning the incredibly worn out places.

Seemingly having found what he wanted, the young man dashes off towards the register.

Roman releases Logan’s head at the stranger’s swift departure. “Logan, I think I’m in love...” He swoons.

“Falsehood. You don’t even know this person.”

“It’s truly love at first sight…” If Roman currently had an aura around him, he’d be glowing pink with glittery hearts floating about him.

Logan squeezes the bridge of his nose. Of course the fool believes he’s so much of a prince, that he would believe this kind of nonsense. “...That isn’t a real thing. It doesn’t work that way.”

“What doesn’t work that way?” Patton by now has popped up behind Logan, curiously tilting his head with his arms full of yarn.

“I was just about to-”

”Patton! I’m in love!” Logan huffs in annoyance as Roman interrupts him, the two ignoring him at the thrilling prospect of romance.

“Really?!” The excitable man jumps a bit. “That’s amazing!”

“What?! No, Patton, please, do not encourage him.” With a shake of his head, Logan hopes he can bring some sense to Roman, before someone gets hurt. “You can’t just see someone, and declare love. It’s more complicated than that.”

Roman and Patton turn to look at him, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well... Um... Normally, people get to know each other before they can determine if they are, in fact, in love.”

“Well of course. We will have a grand adventure where I, and the dashing stranger of course, are stuck working together to save our loved ones! And during that time, we share our tragic pasts and fall madly in love. Possibly have our wedding shortly after, if they are comfortable with that.” Roman declares, matter of factly.

Patton scrunches up his eyebrows in thought. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen, Ro-Kun. After all, there is no evil to capture your loved ones.”

“You are right, that is a problem. Most people I know fell in love that way, so I don’t really have any other ideas.”

Logan takes a deep breath, praying for the patience to not lose it on these two. “How about the next time you talk to the person of your infatuation, you treat them like an average human being?”

What Logan can only define as Offended Princey Noises occurs. “To treat someone of your desires as just... AVERAGE, is an insult! If you love them, you should treat them as a royal, as the nobleman that they deserve to be!” Roman lays a hand to his chest. “The one that is to be your other half, to be your soulmate, is more than anything else the world could POSSIBLY give you.” Logan can’t help but be slightly taken aback at Roman’s ever-increasingly intense gaze. “Trust me. I know love, Logan.”

“Well... On that note, maybe we should pay for our things?” Patton pipes up, looking worriedly over the two.

Logan nervously clears his throat before nodding. “Right, yes, we should do that, Patton.” He cautiously turns away from Roman, and follows Patton to the registers. He’s honestly a little perturbed by the little out of character moment the prince displayed.

Roman is generally an overly passionate man, as far as Logan is able to see, but that was… something else.

I hope he’s alright...

Taglist:

@pikachutali @0callmevirge0 @wolfishhel @anachronistic-cat @chemically-imbalanced-romance @nightmarejasmine @thepoolofthedead @broadwaytheanimatedseries @hanramz-the-fander @silversunshine2012 @tree4life25 @changeling-ash @thespiritsquid @crankthatyee @anangelridingintheimpala @alyssadashrub @nottodaylogic @corerianna @the-gayest-one-of-them-all @skelekitty42 @scorching-scotch @ab-artist @cloudchaser7

[ahgastae]

Fashion Don’t

Minho x Reader

Crack/Fluff

Word Count - 1.6k

“You are my only competition for this ugly sweater party, but I’ve won the past two years and you will not end my streak.”

“Han Jisung, when I find you, you are dead.” I receive a few concerned looks as I dodge and weave through the sea of party goers, mumbling threats to my best friend under my breath. When he said he didn’t want to be seen with me at the party, I didn’t think he was going to disappear within two seconds of us setting foot in the door. Besides, my sweater’s not even that bad this year. 

Speaking of...

I glance down at what Jisung refers to as, “the bane of his existence”, adjusting the knitted sweater on my body. I’m quite proud of it this year. Not that I’m not every year, but this year, I think I finally managed to outdo myself. It wasn’t easy finding yarn in this specific shade of snot green, and the cashier at the crafts store looked at me like I was crazy when I bought up their entire stock of tinsel. Clearly, I am the only one who appreciates my craftsmanship.

Finally, I spot Jisung through the crowd, nestled away in the corner of the room with Felix and Hyunjin. I should’ve known he’d be with those two. I don’t even try to hide my approach, marching up to them with the bells on my sweater jingling loudly with each step. The boys look up in surprise, and I see Hyunjin’s eyes widen as Felix immediately bursts into laughter.

“Oh my God!” He chokes out. “Y/N, that’s-”

“Absolutely disgusting,” Hyunjin’s lip curls up in distaste. He squints his eyes, holding a hand in front of his face. “God, you could decorate an entire house with all the lights you’ve got on that...thing.”

“Yeah, I know,” I smirk, pointing to the letters sewn across my chest. “That’s why I’m...”

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Too lit to quit!” Felix descends into another fit of giggles, while Jisung rolls his eyes and Hyunjin visibly cringes.

“See?” Jisung sighs. “This is why I ran away from her.”

“Ah, you guys are just jealous,” Felix wipes a tear from his eye, shooting me a thumbs up with his other hand. “Y/N, I’d say you got first place in the bag again.”

Hyunjin shakes his head, taking a quick sip of his hot chocolate, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I think you’ve got some real competition this year, Y/N.”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you saying there’s someone dressed worse than her at this freaking party?” Jisung’s voice is laced with disbelief.

“I didn’t say he was going to beat her,” Hyunjin shrugs. “Just that it might not be an easy win like it was last year.”

“And the year before that,” Felix chimes in. “C’mon, guys, Y/N’s the ugly sweater champ at Woojin hyung’s Christmas parties, she’s not going to lose to some newbie.”

“I’m not going to lose, period,” I cross my arms, staring Hyunjin right in the eyes. “You know who it is, don’t you?” He audibly gulps, glancing between the other two boys helplessly. I narrow my eyes, reaching to turn on the speaker in my sweater when he caves.

“Okay, fine! I do!” Hyunjin exclaims. “It’s Lee Minho!”

“Isn’t he Chan hyung’s friend?”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin sighs. “This is the first year hyung’s actually been able to convince him to come.” I nod my head pensively, stroking the imaginary beard on my face. So this ‘Minho’ is Chan’s doing...

“Mayhaps, I should have a talk with Mr. Bang...”

Jisung rolls his eyes, but waves me off nonetheless, “Just don’t go too crazy, okay? I don’t wanna have to bail you out for holiday vandalism.”

“No promises!”

I wink at the boys, and turn to skip off back into the crowd I came from. My eyes scan the room in search of the black hoodie I know Chan is wearing (because it’s what he always wears, despite Woojin’s requests and complaints), but something else catches my attention. Or should I say, someone.

Standing over by the refreshments table, I spot a boy wearing the most atrocious sweater I’ve ever seen in my life. The base of the sweater is a bright purple, and the neon yellow ruffles going down his sleeves are a total eyesore. He’s facing away from me, but the black felt cat butt sewn onto his back tells me I’m dealing with no mere novice. This is definitely the boy I’m looking for.

I steel myself, ready to walk over and show him that my ugly sweater crown is not to be trifled with when he suddenly turns around.

And he’s absolutely beautiful.

My eyes lock with his, and I stumble, tripping over my own feet and almost sending myself sprawling onto the floor. Almost because two arms wrap around my middle, and adjust me back upright before I can even blink.

“Woah, there,” Sweater boy smiles, and I have to remind myself that his cute face does not negate the fact that he is the enemy. “Are you okay? I’m Minho.”

“You!” I narrow my eyes, pointing a finger in his face. “What business do you have showing up dressed like that, Lee Minho?”

Minho raises a brow, looking around my finger to meet my glare, “It’s an ugly sweater party? And I wanted to participate?” His eyes glance down at my own sweater, and he smirks. “Apparently just like you did. How did you get those ornaments to stay like that?” I falter, hand falling lamely back down to my side as I gape at him.

“I...What?”

“I wanted to put more glitter on mine, but Chan hyung told me he’d make me ride in the trunk if I did, so,” Minho rolls his eyes at Chan’s obvious irrationality. “I’m blaming him if I lose the competition because of it.” My ears perk up, and I suddenly remember why I’m talking to him in the first place.

“You’re trying to win the competition?” I cross my arms, trying to appear nonchalant in my curiosity.

“Yeah!” He nods, and the cocky smile returns to his face. “People have been telling me I have a good shot, but to keep an eye out for the reigning champ. Apparently, she’s known for going like, all out.”

“Is she now?”

“That’s just what people have said,” Minho shakes his head confidently. “I’m sure I can beat her, though. I mean, the only person I’ve seen with a sweater that’s not totally boring or unoriginal is...” He trails off, eyes flicking down to my sweater as his lips curl into a catlike smirk once more. “You.”

“I would take that as a compliment,” I try not to blush when his gaze returns to mine, “but I think that’ll just make it all the more painful when I crush you into second place.”

“Damn,” Minho laughs. “They weren’t kidding when they said you don’t play.” He leans in closer, grinning when I instinctively take a step back. “Well, neither do I, sweetheart. So how about we skip the trash talk and make this a little more interesting?”

I cross my arms, eyeing him warily, “What do you mean?”

“Simple,” He says. “We make a bet. If you, somehow, manage to win first place, I’ll back out of the competition forever, and you can keep your crown as queen for years to come.”

“And if you win?”

“You’ll see.” Something twinkles in Minho’s eyes, but between the arrogant look on his face and my stubborn competitiveness, I don’t think twice before holding my hand out for him to shake.

“Deal.”

“Hey, Y/N, don’t be sad,” Felix coos, patting my back in . “At least you got that sweet gift card out of it.”

“Gift cards aren’t first place, Felix,” I grumble, crossing my arms and sinking further into the couch. I toss my stupid consolation prize on the coffee table, “Besides, I don’t even like Starbucks that much...”

“Oooh, does that mean I can have it?” I wave my hand dismissively, and Felix gleefully scoops up the gift card for himself. “Awesome, thanks, Y/N! But, uh, sorry that you lost and everything.”

I sigh, running a hand over my face, “It’s fine. Second place isn’t completely losing, I guess...” The memory of the announcement of the winner flashes in my mind, and I throw my arms up in exasperation. “But how the hell did he make the choir of cats on his sweater sing the entirety of All I Want for Christmas?!”

“The same way you managed to be brighter than a Christmas tree,” A familiar voice trills. “With skill.” I look up to find Minho standing in front of us, signature smirk on his face and first place trophy under his arm.

“I, uh...I’m gonna go.” Felix, the coward, scurries off before I can stop him, leaving me alone with my new public enemy #1.

“Mind if I sit?” He doesn’t wait for me to respond, plopping down in Felix’s old seat, and setting his prize on the table. “You know what that means, right?”

I roll my eyes, “That you won the competition?”

“Yes, it does, but what else does it mean?”

“That I lost the bet.” I force the words out through gritted teeth, and Minho grins beside me. “What do you want me to do, Lee?” Minho smirks, biting his lip as he leans closer.

“Go on a date with me.”

I blink, definitely not expecting that to come out of his mouth, “What?”

“Go on a date with me,” He repeats with a shrug. “I want to know more about the queen of ugly sweaters, even if she’s been decrowned.”

“Fine, Minho, you’ve got a date,” I can’t help but smile at the excited look in his eyes. “But don’t think I’m not kicking your ass next year.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” Minho laughs, throwing an arm over my shoulder. “Unless, of course, our sweaters are matching.”

[pisati]

doc told me to watch out for mood swings and I was watching for the dips for sure, but... didn’t think I’d hit manic

but I don’t think I am?? 

I mean. I am currently in the middle of planning/tackling 4 different crochet projects at once, plus I bought entirely too much yarn for some random other ones, plus I’ve got other miscellaneous craft ideas that I’m planning on implementing soon

that and I’ve been giving in a lot more easily to impulse-buys (but a lot of the things I’m buying are actually useful; like I DID need a new hairdryer and I found a brand new one for $13?? that’s a fuckin steal)

I think what’s making me suspicious right now is the attitude shift. I do feel a lot better because of this job and generally where things are going right now, and I don’t think I feel quite how manic is supposed to feel. I don’t feel on top of the world, I do still get stressed out and tired, I do still get into moods, but not serious mood dips like someone with bipolar would have. but I’ve been feeling... I don’t know, positively impulsive? my impulsive feelings in the past involved self-destruction in one way or another; this is like.. chasing more good feelings. not quite highs, just. things that I think are good for me.  I’m getting the travel bug again. I want to go places and see things. I want to be in places and let them affect me positively, rather than just being sad somewhere else. I think I’m getting close to being ready for some kind of relationship with another person again, like I used to be. I impulse-bought a few toys for my rats and I’m getting really excited planning the playroom they’re going to have soon. I’m excited thinking about the gifts I’ve been planning out and how happy they’ll make people, I hope. I’ve been doing a lot of impulse-buying, like I said, but it’s for things I like, things that make me feel good, and I haven’t been experiencing too much buyer’s remorse. it doesn’t feel like going through the motions anymore-- I remember when I went to target for the first time after my dad passed and I don’t think I even saw one single thing in that store. I was looking at everything and seeing nothing. I bought myself a necklace with a gift card he’d gotten me for my birthday-- one with a message I felt was something he might relay to me. you know, those jewelry pieces that have those cards on them that say the jewelry symbolizes something. 

gratitude. everything comes to you in the right moment. be patient. be grateful. 

I wear that necklace whenever I feel like I need my dad’s support. I wore it to interviews. I wore it to a concert or two. I wore it on my birthday. I’m glad I picked that one. I’ve been trying to keep that message close to my heart since I saw it. I really am grateful. and I’m finding myself much more patient, too. I’m learning that things really are going to work out, and “the right moment” isn’t always when you think it’ll be. but when it’s right, you know it. I’m trying to focus on right now; firstly I haven’t had the energy lately to be too worried about my future, but also I’m trying to feel better, and feeling better means getting my head out of my past and allowing myself to carve out my future without having too many expectations of it. 

this doesn’t read like mania to me. is this what it’s like not being depressed? or at least having much milder depression?  

whatever it is... I still want to cry when I think about how I feel now. I don’t think I could burn my past; I could delete all my old blog posts, I could burn my diaries and journals, I could forget everything about it if I really wanted to. but it was a part of me whether I liked it or not. I felt a lot of things, and I was so fucking deep in it. no wonder I felt like I was drowning all the time. I was hurting so bad. and I still have that in me-- I’ve always felt everything so deeply. but I want to remember it. maybe it’ll serve as a reminder. if I start sounding like that again, it’s getting bad again. I hope I never have to look back, but I want to have it just in case. 

while I don’t want to be suspicious (can’t I just enjoy a good thing?) I think it’s a reasonable feeling to have. I am on medication, I do need to watch myself. I’m trying to allow myself to feel the good, but be cautious at the same time. I’ve learned far too many times that not everything good stays. but I don’t feel focused on that. I’m not preempting this positivity with fear, I’m not sabotaging myself before I can even feel anything good. 

I can’t be anything but grateful. I don’t want to push it, but I feel like it can get better still. maybe it really did just take... how many months on this dose of wellbutrin? doc wanted to give me 2-3 I think; it’s probably been 5 or so now. I’ll have to see what my new doctor says about it in a few weeks. I just. I like this trajectory. this almost feels like nearing the top of a hill I’ve been climbing for years. I just know I’m getting close, and I can’t even believe it. I never thought I’d see over the top.

I think having a fucked-up sleep schedule is still holding me back a bit. I hope this sleep study has some answers, or that this new rheumatologist I’m seeing next month might too. 

I guess we’ll see.

[escapingreality1992]

Secret Pen Pals ch. 2

Keira's POV

My alarm went off at 8 a.m. sharp and I groaned as I scrunched up my face annoyed at the early hour. My hair fell in my face as I pushed myself up from lying on my stomach. Unfortunately, I couldn't go back to sleep because a client of mine was coming by to drop off her two golden retrievers to be watched for a week; She'd be here at 10 a.m. and I'd go over a couple things before having to leave the pups in the apartment two hours later in order to meet my friends for lunch.

An outward groan left my throat again, dreading the conversation I would have with them. If they had seen the advertisement for the pen pal event, I was sure that they'd have their own opinions about it. If they hadn't...well either way I planned to keep it a secret from them. I considered myself to be a romantic; to them, I'd be nothing more than a hopeless romantic, the idea that two people might fall in love through letters ridiculous in their minds.

My job was already a joke to them, a disappointing career to anyone close to me. The thing is I enjoyed what I did for a living. Dogs brought me joy to my life and today I planned on taking them for a swim at a local pool strictly for dogs. I released a content sigh thinking about it. In addition, I also wanted to stop by one of those unique specialty stores which sold anything from antiques to dolls, but more importantly the one I wanted to shop in had those instant Polaroid cameras. The reason behind this being that I had wrote Steve about sending him a picture of the coziness of my room, capturing the many blankets thrown across my bed.

Making a mental note to clean my room, I strode to the bathroom to take a shower in preparation for the day ahead of me. I let the hot water pour over my body, taking my time to cleanse it of the sweat that clung to it from the heat of the apartment. Fall came quick this year, meaning cooler nights and I had yet to make a thicker blanket to envelop me in warmth. Once finished with my usual routing in the shower, I stepped out into the coldness of the bathroom; I constantly let the fan run to avoid paint peeling off the walls from the steam that encased the entire room from the hot water. I wrapped a fluffy, light blue towel around my body - my arms and lower legs still exposed to the cool air - and ventured to the warm air of my bedroom.

Making my way to my closet, I chose an outfit consisting of a violet t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers laying it across my unmade bed before grabbing undergarments from my dresser. Slipping those on, I dried my hair, leaving it slightly wet and pulling on the t-shirt and jeans before continuing the drying process. Since I had longer hair, it took a little while for it to get fully dry; I pulled it up in my usual ponytail and grabbed my current read and phone to sit on the couch while I waited for my client to arrive. At 10, a knock sounded at the my door, prompting me to put my bookmark in my book and set it aside to greet Andrea and Mark Peterson, the owners of the two golden retrievers; Jamie age 4 and Sherlock age 6.

"Good morning Keira. Thanks again for watching them. This trip to Paris is very important," Andrea greeted me. They were business partners who were trying to get word out for the wedding cakes they crafted from scratch. Andrea was a petite, 5'2" woman with honey blonde hair and brown eyes, while her husband stood at 6'3" with broad shoulders, dark hair and hazel eyes. They had no children apart from the dogs whom they sort of treated as such. They were humble and our first meeting involved picking out a cake for a friend's - well former friend's - wedding five years ago. They were a sweet couple and had seen my ad three weeks before that wedding, never needing to use my services until a month after; they went to travel to England for supplies for more extravagant decorations for their many delicious cakes. Now in the present, they became a regular client as their business continued to propel forward. They paid well, but it wasn't about the money for me. I loved taking care of each and every dog I watched.

"No problem. I enjoy having Jamie and Sherlock around. You said you were picking them up Saturday?" I told them, taking the leashes and walking the dogs to the couch, setting them loose once my apartment door was shut by Mark, who set down their dog bags.

"Can we pick up Sunday actually? Sunday night if possible. We'll be getting in pretty late Saturday and I have a feeling the jet lag is going to be horrendous," Andrea replied, pulling out her checkbook.

"Sunday is perfectly fine. Are you okay if I take them swimming? I'd be taking them to an indoor dog pool a few blocks from here,"

"Yes that sounds like a wonderful idea. I imagine they might enjoy that very much. If they stay until Sunday, how much more will that be?" Mark stated.

"Only 30 dollars more. Anything else I need to know about this week? Any questions about anything else?" I responded.

"30 dollars? Really? You know what, I'll give you a little more. I think 4000 should suffice," Andrea commented.

"Oh, but I only charge 2000 in most cases," I stated.

"We don't mind. You take care of them so often and so excellent that you deserve a big tip," Mark commented, smiling politely. I returned the smile and rubbed the head of Sherlock who had padded over to me and nudged the fingers of my right hand. Andrea ripped out the check and handed it to me, both owners waving goodbye to both goldens. My apartment door closed again and I turned to the pups.

"What do you say? Want to go for a walk before lunchtime?" I asked them. At this both dogs circled me jumping up to place their paws against my body.

"Okay, okay. First you two have to sit and wait so I can hook up your leashes," I told them, slipping on my sneakers. I grabbed a few poop bags, leashes and keys in the other hand before going outside for a walk. While walking, I couldn't help but wonder what Steve was up to at this very moment.

Steve's POV

Another 5 a.m. run, another training session, and another debriefing on the latest threat. That's how my day began. Not at all exciting, especially with debriefing, which wasn't even about a threat at all. It ended up being a report about the last enemy we defeated, a couple of paranormal entities, which we had to enlist Stephen Strange's help with. What followed the report was Tony discussing plans for an upcoming benefit we had to attend. As he droned on, I found myself aimlessly drawing on a piece of printer paper to stave off my boredom. Well, at least, I'll have something to send to Keira, I thought, focusing on the curvature of a ball of yarn I drew. Funny, I'm letting details of her first letter influence my sketches. Weird how it happened, I thought, a small smile creeping on my lips.

"What do you think Cap?" Tony's voice cut into my concentration.

"About what?" I answered, not even looking up, too involved in sketching out a dog's paw.

"I thought about showing up in my birthday suit and dancing all night," he stated. My pencil froze and I glanced up to see Tony grinning in pure amusement.

"I'm only joking. The theme, Steve, would be dark tones. Not necessarily black tie but shades of gray, black, maybe even white," he stated.

"No white. If you served red wine or colorful cocktails, there would be obvious stains should you spill anything on yourself. Shades of gray? Like the movies? Isn't that a little inappropriate?" I told him, my hand itching to get back to my drawing. Snorts of laughter went around the room as my friends glanced at each other.

"No, not the movies. The benefit is supposed to be formal. I didn't want it to be black tie again," Tony answered.

"Oh, alright. What is this for? Remind me,"

"Saving the world from total destruction and as it turns out paranormal beings. We're giving back to the community as well," Tony explained.

"Of course with a huge donation on your end," Natasha commented.

"We work hard and Stark Industries is doing pretty well in the technology department,"

"Maybe Strange is right. I don't see how that ego fits in..."

I barely registered Nat's entire quip at Tony, resuming my drawing as they bickered back and forth.

"You know Nat and Wanda could be having sex on the table right in front of us and you wouldn't notice. What's got you all distracted?" Bucky asked me, getting my attention by waving a hand in front of my face.

"Nothing. I hate these kind of debriefings. They're important but I find them dull and boring. At least the ones with missions have more excitement," I responded, flipping the pencil to use the eraser, correcting a mistake I made with the dog's body.

"Nothing? Seems like it's something since you've become super quiet. You must be really bored if you're drawing. What is it this time? More monkeys?" Bucky stated. He leaned over to see and I immediately moved another sheet over it to block his view.

"No. It's not finished. I'd rather not let anyone see it right now," I said, causing him to furrow his brows.

"What is it for anyway?"

"No one...I mean, it's not for anything. You know how I get when I'm bored. I doodle things instead of letting sleep take over. Especially in this meeting," I stated, a slight panic coming over me at revealing my pen pal. It's not like I didn't want to tell him but I didn't want anyone to poke fun at the idea. My friends wouldn't judge but I couldn't have them deter me from the exchange anyway. Plus, I wanted someone to talk to - write in this case - about anything I felt like. I wanted to have someone to interact with that wasn't involved in my world. Although I still had a recurring though of Keira already knowing who I am, though re-reading the letter it seemed like she didn't. If she did...maybe she hadn't revealed that fact yet, afraid to drive me away when she could have me to herself. Shaking my head, I tried to shove it away from my mind. Relax, Steve. Have some faith in this girl, I thought. Turning my attention to my best friend, I managed a small smile.

"Honestly it's a silly drawing. I wouldn't worry about it. I don't mean to be secretive about the beginnings of the sketch but I want to make sure it's perfect before I show anyone," I told him.

"That's understandable. That being said, are you sure nothing else is on your mind?"

"I'm sure, Buck. Thanks for your concern," I stated.

"That's a wrap everyone. On your way out of the room, grab a packet so you can review details of the benefit later this week," Tony informed us.

"This week? I thought it was next week," I commented, inwardly groaning.

"If you had been paying attention, you would have already known it's happening this week. Why the long face Cap? Afraid you can't get a date?" Tony mocked me. I frowned, standing up to approach the table where our packets lay.

"I'm not going with anyone. I forgot to purchase a suit to match the colors of this benefit. If you'll excuse me, I must go out and do so. Especially if I'm to be presentable for your taste," I remarked, almost hissing the last part. Tony and I had a different relationship, agreeing on some things, disagreeing on most. Today happened to be a day where the littlest of things could set me off. I could admit stress definitely was a factor, the only thing calming my mood being my pen pal and the eagerness of sending another letter growing in my heart. I picked up the packet, walking out in as much a calm manner as possible. I retreated to my room to place the packet on my desk before venturing out to a department store in order to pick up a suit for the benefit a few days later. After trying on a few suits and deciding on a charcoal gray suit with a tie that matched it, I chose to stop by a small jewelry store and purchased a birthday gift worthy for Keira. Unaware to me, Keira happened to be in the same area eating lunch; our paths wouldn't cross with each other on this day. I returned home to finish the small drawing of a dog playing with a ball of yarn and began constructing another letter for her.

Keira's POV

The golden retrievers and I returned from the walk tired and hungry; I also had sweat that accumulated on various parts of my body, deciding that I needed to take a final shower before meeting my friends. I set out bowls of dog food for Jamie and Sherlock before taking said shower, quickly going through the routine and drying off. I changed into a dark green, long sleeve blouse and black trousers remembering the restaurant we were going to was really nice. Not an overly expensive one you could see the elite dining in but one in which the prices were in a medium range. Pulling on a pair of heels that matched my blouse, I made sure my furry companions had water, giving them both a treat before heading out for lunch with my friends. Since the restaurant wasn't too far from my apartment, I decided to walk to it instead of taking a cab, the subway station out of the question being on the opposite side of where I needed to go. As usual, I ended up being 15 minutes early having to wait on the other three women to arrive. Thankfully, I always carried a book everywhere I went; the current read being about magic and wizards, the genre of fantasy drawing me into its fascinating world.

"Why is it whenever we meet up, you manage to have your nose in a book?" a voice interrupted my reading. The next to arrive was Charlotte Mathers with her red pixie cut, long legs, and green eyes. She enjoyed her job, which happened to be a general manager at a high end retail store. She got paid well, enough to live near Central Park in an amazing, huge, studio apartment, plus she had been born into a family that had a little more money than the average middle class. I smiled, trying not to be annoyed with her comment.

"Well Charlotte, I enjoy reading instead of having my face rooted to my phone," I answered her. Like she even heard me, her face locked onto her phone...this being a normal habit of hers.

"She never escapes from her fantastical world. How have you been Keira?" another voice stated. Oh good. Of course, Lena would be the next to get here, I thought. A woman with long blonde hair, a petite figure that mirrored mine and blue eyes was an accurate description of Lena Morrow. Lena had a job as a receptionist to a law firm. It was rare that she could out to lunch and we enjoyed her company whenever possible. She stayed busy exactly like Jana Elliot, who was the last to arrive. Jana was a nurse which is her schedule almost never matched Charlotte's and mine.

"I'm good Lena. I've got two dogs to watch this week which is pretty cool," I responded to the question, catching Jana's eyes as she walked in.

"Didn't you have one last week? What is it with you and babysitting dogs? It can't pay all that well," Jana greeted us.

"It pays pretty well actually. I keep getting requests from a lot of people who don't mind paying a lot. Plus, I charge 2000 for an entire week. Though for a few days it's only about 1500," I explained.

"Yeah, but you must not have enough to live anywhere nice," Lena commented.

"I live in Brooklyn. It's nice enough and save most of what I earn. Not to mention people give me tips after I watch their dogs. I even charge a little extra for training them if they need it. Sometimes I have the same dog or dogs for two weeks which gets me a lot of money," I stated.

"You're still earning money from doing book reviews right? What do they pay? 1300 per review?" Charlotte asked, looking up from her phone for the first time since she got here.

"Yes. It's more like 1500. Enough talk about my income. I'm hungry," I stated, feeling all the judgment from my friends. I loved them but there time I wondered why they bothered hanging out with me. Their comments seemed to get worse every time we met up, but I didn't want to seem like a hermit staying in my apartment, so I put up with it. They didn't bother me too much; occasionally someone would say something that rooted in me and stung a little but I never showed it until I got back to my apartment. We were seated and ordered spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer until we figured out what to have as a main course. Looking over the menu, I decided to go with a tuna poke, Lena, went with steak, Charlotte chose a salad and Jana went with a club sandwich.

"Did anyone see that advert in the bookstore downtown? An event for pen pals. Sounds ridiculous if you ask me," Charlotte said. My blood froze as Jana and Lena both nodded.

"Who would e-mail a complete stranger? What do they expect will happen? Someone falls in love with another person. Not likely," Lena replied.

"I heard it's supposed to be handwritten letters instead of e-mailing one another," I commented, nervously wringing my hands under the table.

"Oh good. Nothing like going back in time. I wonder if they had anyone sign up. Or maybe if they had any of the Avengers sign up," Lena continued, a scowl on her face.

"Maybe some might say it sounds kind of romantic. Having a connection with someone through letters of course. It doesn't have to be romance though. Some people could meet new friends," I stated. The three of them turned to glance at me; if I hadn't been judged before, then their expression certainly had judgment clearly etched out on their features.

"Did you sign up? You've always been a hopeless romantic. Sweetie, you should go out and meet someone real, not write to someone you can't even see," Jana suggested.

"No. I missed the deadline. As for meeting someone while I go out, it hasn't really worked for me," I snapped. Their eyebrows raised at the anger in my tone and decided to drop the subject. It was a quiet lunch, not much to say; I suppose my annoyance at them prevented anyone from speaking and for the first time I was happy to leave one of our outings.

Returning to my apartment, the retrievers greeted me by letting me scratch their heads, following me around while I prepared for our appointment at the dog pool. I changed into a black one piece, throwing on athletic shorts and a tank top with flip flops and leashed the dogs before exiting my home. This time, I loaded them in car and drove to midtown Manhattan, parking in the garage of the pool building, taking the elevator down to the pool. We would be the only ones there and I could eliminate the lunch from my mind as I swam around with Jamie and Sherlock. I had unleashed them and let them jump in while I pulled off my shorts and tank top, joining them immediately. We stayed there for two hours, swimming and playing, the tension I had melting away.

Packing up at the end of our session, I remembered to stop by the specialty shop that sold the Polaroid cameras for the purpose of keeping an old-fashioned theme to my letters. The shop in particular, accurately named Unique Peculiarities, allowed pets so I toted Jamie and Sherlock inside, browsing the various colors of the cameras, selecting a royal blue one and grabbing some film to prepare for my idea. I returned home and let the pups do their business before letting them loose in my apartment. I set to cleaning up and arranged my blankets in such a way to capture the coziness. I decided at the last minute to snap a picture of my bookshelves and added one of favorite books, Pride and Prejudice, for another picture. Once I got the pictures out the way, I sat down to construct another letter to Steve.

Four Days Later

Steve's POV

I spent most of the week preparing for the benefit and when it came, I still felt like something was missing, or rather someone. Maybe I was lonely and desired a companionship. Even now as I looked around at my friends, I wanted someone to hold, to kiss, to love. Most of my friends had someone; Natasha had Wanda - a surprise to all of us but we supported it - Tony had Pepper, Thor had Jane. The rest of us remained single but I couldn't help but to dream of having someone to care for. I didn't know if Keira would be the one for me. I hadn't even met the woman but still imagined what it'd be like with her.

"Can I get a beer please?" I asked the bartender, sitting down on the stools contemplating my decisions in life. I spent most days avenging the world and missed out on several opportunities to be fixed up on a date. Natasha had tried many times a few years ago but I rejected them all, set on working on missions. There was a brief relationship with Sharon Carter but it fell through pretty quickly and now I regretted not taking more chances with dating someone.

"Everything all right? You seem a bit down," Natasha's voice interrupted my thoughts as I sipped on my beer. I turned, managing a small grin.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking about some things,"

"Relationships you mean. What? I know you too well. Besides, I've been watching you tonight. You look at the couples and there's a hint of sadness in your eyes. Why don't you ask someone out?" she commented.

"I don't know. Sure, I'd like to date but the people I'm around are caught up in this world, avenging it and I don't want someone in the same line of work. I'd like to come home to some who can take my mind off this job. Other people see me as Captain America, not Steve Rogers. It's hard most days, seeing happiness of those around me when I can't provide it for myself,"

"Who knows? Maybe it'll happen to you one day. Don't give up hope,"

"Thanks Natasha," I told her. As the night died down, I wandered outside to get a breath of fresh air, hands in my pockets, the cool breeze of Autumn ruffling my hair. I reached the end of the drive and stopped by the mailbox. Mailbox. We haven't checked it in the last few days, I thought. Keira's name flashed across my mind as I opened the metal box and pulled out a stack of mail. I rifled through it on the way back to the compound. I was back inside the building when I saw it, the letter addressed to me. I set down the other mail on the coffee table and disappeared into my room, my fingers quickly opening the thick packaging of the envelope. I sat down on my bed, unfolding the letter, three Polaroid pictures facing me. One featured a bed with a multitude of colorful knitted blankets, the thickness of the material making me want to bury my body among them. The second picture had a view of three large bookshelves filled to the brim with all sorts of books ranging from fiction to nonfiction to young adult books. At the bottom of the Polaroid she had written - in Sharpie - 'Can you tell I'm a book collector?' followed by a winking face next to the question. A smile crept onto my lips as I picked up the final picture featuring Pride and Prejudice. The the end she had written 'My all time favorite.' Putting the pictures to the side, I began reading, kicking off my shoes and lying back on the sheets.

Steve,

As promised, I've sent you a picture of my cozy blankets. Don't they make you want to climb under them? They're ones for fall but there are more that I'm creating for winter. Definitely needing to stay warm, especially in this city. As a bonus, I've sent you a picture of bookshelves and one of my all time favorite book. I know, these are Polaroids but I thought it'd be kind of interesting to keep an nostalgic theme going here.

Pride and Prejudice is one story I've falling in love with ever since the eighth grade. I love the dynamic between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy and the love that happened to always be there. I read it every Christmas curled up in bed or on the couch, a cup of hot chocolate, or tea, in my hand. The blankets surrounding me of course. You'd think after a few years of living here, I'd be used to the cold, but I'm still a southern girl at heart and desire warmth.

In my last letter, I realized I forgot to tell you I'm originally from North Carolina. Greensboro to be exact. When I used to live there, we had crazy weather too, one day it'd be hot as blazes, the next cool and comfortable. During the winter, we'd freeze, not used to it. My parents still live there of course, but we don't get to visit each other much. I miss them and I'll be visiting the some time next month and for Christmas, so if you get a letter from North Carolina, that'll be why.

Currently, I'm watching two golden retrievers named Jamie and Sherlock. We went swimming earlier and as I'm write this, my hair is still a tangled, wet mess. I hope wherever you are, you're having a good day. I was until I met up with a couple friends of mine. I think I've mentioned I'm a total romantic. If not, then now you know.

Well that makes two of us, I thought. She already had me wanting to cozy up in that bed as well since I already viewed the picture. The only difference being I wanted to be under there with her. It's only the second letter. Am I starting to crush on her already?  Another thought popped up in my head as I continued reading.

Anyway, they saw the advertisement for this event and seemed to think it ridiculous. I rather think this is unique, a great opportunity to connect. Maybe all this could be is a friendship but maybe somewhere out there it could give someone to love. Is it silly? Maybe not ideal? Perhaps, but you never know. Things could miraculously happen.

No, it's not silly. I love the way your mind works,  I thought. I sat up to remove my jacket and tie picking up the letter again, settling back on the pillows.

If that wasn't bad enough, they sought out to judge me on my job. They don't think it pays well but you'd be surprised at the amount of people who request me to watch their dogs. Sometimes they also pay to have me train them. Not to mention a side job (which I forgot to mention last time) as a book reviewer. Apparently in this city, it pays well and it's a lot of fun.

The only things that calmed me today was the pool time with the pups and knowing I could come back write to you. I wish that we have met already; I desperately need a hug at the moment. For the time being, I'll just hold the goldens close and pet them. Maybe next week will be better. It'll be my birthday after all. Nothing can go wrong on your birthday.

Sorry for the complaining but I needed to get it off my chest and my mind. Writing and talking is the best way I know how to do just that and since I can't talk to anyone about this, writing to you seems to be my only option. It's the best option, trust me.

Looking forward to your letter,

Keira

I ran my fingers over her name, a longing in my heart starting to grow. I would've wrapped her in a hug so warm she'd never feel sad again. I sighed, getting up and placing the letter and the Polaroids in a box I set aside for this very purpose. I stripped out the rest of the suit, except for my boxers and turned off the lights in my room. I slipped into the warmth of my bed and fell into dreams of one day meeting Keira.

Keira's POV

My week with Jamie and Sherlock wasn't over yet. I spent more time sitting on the couch reading, taking them out on walks or just to their business when they needed it. We went swimming two more days and I collected the mail, letting it pile up, not checking it because I got busy training the pups a few times during the week. Today my phone rang while I sat on the couch, Sherlock in my lap, Jamie on the other end sleeping.

"Hello?" I answered, not checking the ID.

"Keira, it's Andrea. We need to stay another three days in Europe. We've been requested to head to London to check on the shop there. Are you okay to watch Jamie and Sherlock for a little longer?" Mrs. Peterson greeted me.

"Yeah, no problem. I don't have any other dogs coming until next Saturday," I told her her pushing my stack of mail over to get to my calendar. I marked down Jamie and Sherlock until the Wednesday coming up. The pile tipped over, spilling to the floor and I sighed, bending down to pick up the envelopes that fell; my hands paused when I saw the new letter from Steve.

"Great. We'll pay you when we get back. is an extra 3000 okay with you?" she commented.

"Uh huh. Sounds good. Have a safe trip," I said, ending the call and standing up. I hastily threw the other envelopes I picked up back on the kitchen counter, returning to the couch. I ripped open the envelope pulling out a sheet of notebook paper, unfolding it and started reading.

Keira,

I just finished up picking out a suit for a benefit I have to attend later this week. I forgot all about it until one of my friends told me about it during a meeting today. This meeting was dull and boring, not exciting like others. In the other letter you sent, you wanted to know a favorite memory of mine. I don't have many but I always remember the one when my best friend made me ride on a roller coaster at Coney Island which made me throw up. Gross, I know, but it's the one that comes to mind first. That and the engagement of another friend of mine. He had never been happier than in that moment. Another thing about me is something we both have in common. Reading is a favorite thing I love to do. Other than drawing. Speaking of, I sent you a drawing this time. I mentioned I doodle when I'm bored. So, this took place during the meeting.

I stopped briefly to pull out the piece of paper that got stuck in the envelope. I unfolded it and smiled at the pictured of a realistic looking dog pawing around a ball of yarn. He was definitely talented, the details standing out and catching the eye. I looked back to the letter and continued to read.

It's not much but it made me think of you. Your job sounds interesting and I'm pleased you're following your passion. Now, things I like to do for fun besides reading and drawing are going out with my friends to a bar. We tend to have a good time. I like running and going to the movies, even though I'm behind on a lot of them. I love the smell of coffee in the morning and the smell of rain whenever I go out in it. The rain is almost tranquil and I feel I can escape among those tiny droplets. You should see my mood during a thunderstorm. I'm very calm throughout it. I love watching the lightning in the dark with the curtains drawn.

Oh, we'd definitely get along then, I thought, touching my free fingers to my lips.

The description of your blankets makes me want a creation of yours. No pressure though. We're still strangers after all. Your description of yourself, however, makes me want to see that lovely face. You're beautiful, though I haven't seen you yet. If we ever get to the point where we'd want to see each other in person, I know I'd have my breath taken away. That's only my opinion though. I hope this benefit goes well. I'm not going with anyone but sometimes I get this lonely feeling. I want someone to hold and to love but I haven't found the right person yet and the people I'm around are in my line of work. I;d love to come home to someone who doesn't deal with the same things I do. I would love someone who could pull me from it, to distract me from it, if only for a few hours.

I don't mean to sound sad but I feel as though I can tell you anything and not get judged for it or at least not pushed into anything. This a good way to open up indeed. To tell someone about things you wouldn't normally share with even your closest friends. I want to hear more from you. Your favorite movie? Your ideal date? Your ideal day? Maybe your favorite memory? Anything. Everything. I hope the drawing brought you joy today.

Write to you soon,

Steve

My smile spread wider at the words on the paper. A thought popped in my mind that very instant. The thought being that I might start to like him only not in a friendship way. Though the friendship was off to a good start, other feelings began to dance around in my heart. Try not to fall in love with him yet. It's too early for that, I thought to myself. I folded up the letter and the drawing, sliding them into the envelope carefully and set it aside, continuing my book well into the late night, Steve on my mind. I made a mental note to get a frame for the drawing as I got up from the couch, allowing both dogs to join me in my bedroom. I changed into pajamas and slid under the coziness of my sheets, drifting off into dreamland.

[wildxwitch]

Cheap Witches: Thrift Stores!

I have always loved thrift stores. When my family was poor-ish back in the day, I would often get one shopping trip a year for clothes at the thrift store and I would get all my halloween costume pieces there. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, maybe it’s that I myself am now poor-ish but either way I think we can all appreciate a good deal regardless. Especially on staple pieces that can be used for your practice. Now ON TO THE FINDS!

Books

Sometimes it takes a little luck but I’ve found a couple great useful books for 3$ or less each along the shelves of books in my local Value Village. The crystal healing ones I found were a huge deal to me back in the day when I was but a baby witch and they were dirt cheap.

Candle supplies

Every witch needs something to burn candles on/in. Now I’m not saying it needs to be fancy, for a long time I used a dollar store plate (psa, do not burn candles on surfaces you care about because scraping wax off things is not a delicate process) but picking up some candle holders for less than 2$ is going to help keep candles from falling over and lighting your house on fire. You can also find some wicked pretty ones.

Curtains/Tablecloths/Pillowcases

Yes, I buy thrift store curtains. As I mentioned in my previous post in this series, many things may require scrap fabric and although you can get the dollar store scarves I prefer using old curtains or tablecloths from the thrift store. Not only will you be getting WAY more fabric but it doesn’t cost too much more than the dollar store.

String and/or Ribbon

Some of my spells and my favorite hex require some kind of yarn/string/thread. If your local thrift establishment of choice has any kind of craft section, no matter how big, you are in business. Bags of embroidery thread, spools of twine or other string and skeins of yarn are all SUPER cheap and often great quality. (Note: I mean the yarn, the other two options are pretty standard) Sometimes I can even find ribbon spools but those are interchangeable with plain old coloured string.

Picture Frames

Are you setting up your altar? Do you wish you had something nice to put the picture of your deity(ies) in? Look no further than the thrift store for GORGEOUS frames of literally every size imaginable. 

Vases

You actually can not find nicer vases for cheaper than a thrift store. I don’t know what else you’d use them for, crystals maybe? Dried flowers waiting to be used? Candles? Either way, if you need one, there are virtually none cheaper or easier to find. Same goes for crystal or glass bowls. Besides, if you kill plants like yours truly, having flowers that are guaranteed to die is a nice way to enjoy plants without having to remember to water them.

JARS

That alone should be enough but I do want to chuck in one piece of advice. Do not forget about the cup aisle! I got a sweet glass skull that screws closed with your standard mason jar lid because it was donated with one of those lids with a hole and a straw. Hence it was a “cup” but NOT ANYMORE! It holds my dead flowers. I named him Herman.

As always, feel free to send me a message if you’d like/have more questions. Hopefully soon I’ll make a trip to IKEA for the next post in this series! If there’s something you’d like me to cover, let me know.

Much love ~ ♥

[littlewalken]

May 9

Isn’t Pr0n H*b the same place that has that guy who posted nice anti trope videos and got a lot of likes? And are the memes about them giving sex ed and sponsoring snow plows real? (I’m not going to search because it isn’t my thing) So they might be a good buyer for this emotional support hell site. They might do something about the bots, hate, and child harming.

When the adult purge came didn’t someone throw out the idea of an adult side to Tumblr to try and keep the young fandom kids away from the stuff they aren’t old enough for? 

I’d be all for an adult Tumblr that you’d have to option in to. In my general Tumblring I don’t want to deal with adult activities. I want to see memes and silly pets and what ever hyperfixation my brain is on at the moment. 

And it seems like the naughty site people know how to run big complicated media filled websites.

Okay, got to regain some sanity yesterday by removing myself from the dwelling and having tacos. Found a couple of those crochet kit and book things that pop up in the gift section at the book store. Always wanted to try one but the price and not quite having characters I wanted kept me from it. 

I picked up the Peanuts one first, they’re a safe place but I’m not that much in to them, then saw the Princesses and thought for the price it wouldn’t hurt. I might not even use their yarn and go with colors i have, can’t tell if some Princess ones are missing any way. If the hooks are steel I’ll use my Clover ones with their flat handles. 

Yeah so it’s really the instructions I want because although I can crochet I’ve never made these kind of critters and it’ll be good lessons in shaping and stuff. And once I figure out that part I don’t see it being too hard to hack them in to other critters. 

Was also a good day for picking up tatting supplies as it looks like the Hobby Lobby is cutting down. What ever, got berry colored bobbins for the berry shuttle and silver ones for the silver shuttle along with the needle tatting DVD. It gives clear instructions and the working off the ball method for rings and chains can be applied to two shuttles. Also the ladies that host it are unintentionally hilarious in the older crafting lady way. 

At first I was worried I’d need a new container for my shuttles but as it worked out there is just enough room for them. And the DVD came with a nice plastic envelope to put the needles in since the tube they came in broke. 

What I still want is something else to keep my threads and supplies in. The container I have is okay but it’s also one of those that stacking ones that spontaneously falls apart. 

Gonna have to whatever when I get the energy and I don’t know. I need a second room and a couple of weeks to be able to take stuff out of my room, do a good vacuuming and cleaning, and then put stuff back in a more organized way. 

Still dealing with the general _____ that is ruling over my current situation that I have to take al the Repressitall and Ignoritall for because there’s no time to process one trauma before the next one occurs.

More reading and note taking today while I ponder what string thing or arting I want to do next.

[sockdreams]

DIY: Spray Dye!

We've posted bunches of DIYs on dyeing your socks before, it's one of the most fun and easy ways to customize your sock drawer. But, we recently encountered a different way to dye, one that reminds us more of bleach stamping, thanks to it's stencil-ability: spray dye! It's way easier than vat or pot dyeing and super fun, so let's learn how to spray that dye!

Because we wanted to show the full range of possibility, I tried several different techniques: spraying on dry, spraying on damp, spraying on wet, and using smoothly textured stockings. What I learned is that there's a world of ways to mix and match techniques, so if you're interested in using spray dye, get ready to experiment! It's very fun but you'll want to test things out before working on that dream project. Luckily, I've tested some things for you, so you can go into your spray dye session with confidence!

First, here's what you'll need:

A work surface covered with newspaper (and I recommend laying down a plastic trash bag or something, THEN newspaper, for minimum mess). Be sure to really cover everything, you don't want any stray spray spattering things unwanted!

Simple designs to use as stencils. I used some printed-out clip art shapes—here's the sheet I used.

If your designs are on regular printer paper, you'll also want a sturdier piece of card, because it's gonna get soggy quick.

A craft blade to cut out your shapes and something safe to cut on.

Your spray dye, I'm using SEI Tumble Dye, picked up at a local craft store. Other dyes can be diluted and put into spray bottles as well, you'll want to read instructions on the dyes you use for best water-to-dye ratios.

Socks to dye! For science, I'm using a wide range: Extraordinary Thigh Highs, O Basics, Midcalf Woolies and the Opaque Nylon Stockings

Not shown: a place to lay out the socks to dry

Optional: a spray bottle of water

Optional: cardboard to put in the socks for less bleed-through

These spray dyes are pretty neat. I picked up a range of options, they were all under $5 each: two plain colours (Mint and Turquoise), two glitters (Silver and Gold) and a glow in the dark. The instructions are very clear on the packaging, you basically shake before using, spray and dye. They do also say "no gloves needed" but my fingertips ended up getting a bit dyed, so unless you're incredibly neat and way better at spritzing than I am, you may want gloves.

Spray dye on dry socks

I'll start with some Extraordinary Thigh Highs. To prevent excess bleed-through, I cut up an old shipping box into one long strip and slid the sock I was working on over it. It's a little tricky, but if you gather the sock up like you're putting it on a leg, you'll be good.

I cut out my stencil shapes, saving the cut out part to use as a reverse stencil. Simple shapes are good, both in making them easier to cut out and so the edges of the shape aren't lost from the texture of the sock or the dye bleeding.

Time to spray! The bottles were pretty easy to use, but some of the various types had a more stubborn spritzer. I found using both hands to squash the top down (and shaking the bottle regularly) helped a lot.

On a dry sock, the spray beads up a bit and is very "splashy" and airbrush-y, it's neat. I think it'd be really cool mixed with other surface design, like painting or stamping. Or . . . GLOW IN THE DARK DYE.

There's a faint colour to the glow in the dark dye (I'm pointing at it in the second half of the image above), but it's pretty subtle. It sort of blended into the Mint dye, so it's not very noticeable, which is rad. Surprise glow is the best glow. In later testing it seems like going super heavy on your spray by spraying close and several times makes for a better glowing shape.

Once I got one side looking how I wanted, it was time for the next! Having the cardboard inside made it very easy to flip and to hold by the edge so I could line up the splashes of colour. No matter what, you're going to have some "seams" on the sides of what you're spraying, but this helps break it up.

The end result isn't my favourite of the batch, but I am a fan of airbrushing and glow in the dark, so I still like 'em.

Wait, I take back what I said about which is my favourite. Because as soon as the lights are off, these socks ROCK. Please take this blurry, but vividly glowing image as proof of why. It's like  proof of Bigfoot's existence, only way more exciting:

DANG! I'm sold.

Spray dye on damp socks

This spray dye says it's particularly good for tie dye, so I knotted and folded up a pair of O Basics and misted them heavily with water. I followed that up with some heavy sprays of Turquoise and hit them again with water, hoping to encourage some colour spread.

The results seem far more subtle than regular tie-dying, as the socks were damp, not wet, so the dye only spread minimally, though misting the water made the edges soften.

The end result is like drifts of clouds, but I personally would stick with a vat or pot for tie dyeing myself, because I prefer long dye times that are easier to achieve when the thing you're dyeing is sitting in the dye, rather than your dye sitting on the thing you're dyeing.

I did try something else rad on this pair, but you gotta wait to the end of the post to really see it.

Spray dye on wet socks

Well, socks, what if we go full-wet? I got a pair of Midcalf Woolies fully soaked and wrung them out thoroughly. I then learned two things.

First, if you're going to work with very wet socks, putting plastic under them will make things a little neater while you're working. I grabbed an old shopping bag, which ended up being perfect because I flipped it after I sprayed one side, so the socks weren't sitting in little puddles of dye.

Second, wet wool sure has a smell I forget about.

I loosely folded the socks sort of accordion-style, to get organic stripes and then liberally spritzed them all over with the Mint dye. Then, using the Turquoise dye I started at the toes, aiming towards the cuffs of the socks, for a sort of gradient.

With this pair I used a "reverse stencil" by laying down a cut out star shape and spraying around it. I super love how this looks and it's partially why this pair is my favourite of the lot.

Also: stripes are the best. And the natural-off white colour of the wool yarn adds a depth to the dye colours I really am digging. Plus, this pair has a little surprise you can probably catch in the images above.

Spray dye on dry nylon stockings

Socks are rad, but when it comes to fine detail their texture keeps things rough. Like RIT, SEI Tumble Dye works across different fibers—from the cotton Extraordinaries and O Basics to the wool Midcalf Woolies. So I knew it'd work great on nylon. Most dyes love nylon. And the super fine and smooth texture of the Opaque Nylon Stockings just begs to be drawn and dyed on!

I went a bit wild with the stencils on this one, but also experimented with drips, not quite by choice (the stencils were getting pretty soggy, but I went with it). The more detailed flower stencil worked like a champ on these stockings!

The finished result is like something a mermaid hippie would be into and that makes me love them.

Tips, treats and wrapping up

Since this has been a more free-form DIY, the various things I noticed trying out this technique get to go here. More than any other surface design technique, spray dye is something you want to keep fiddling with. I'm already eyeballing one pair to hit with the spray again once I've typed this all up.

Lay flat to dry, for real

The instructions on the dye mention that hanging what you've dyed will encourage the dye to bleed downward. If that's not your jam, then lay everything flat to dry on a fresh surface of newspaper. Once everything is nice and dry, put them in the dryer for 20 minutes to heat set the colour.

Sturdier stencils, seriously

I thought I was being all wise, using mid-weight card stock for my stencils. Well, dampness laughs at such hubris. I recommend not using anything less sturdy than a file folder and maybe having a couple of each stenciled shape, so you can swap when they get over-damp. This is a stencil only one pair of socks in, already buckling under the wet.

I also recommend having rags or paper towels on hand to blot your stencils and wipe your hands. Dye will pool and build up on your stencils, making things a little risky when you remove them from your socks.

Watch those wrinkles!

If you're going for a smooth or more patterned look, really use a piece of cardboard inside the sock and make sure everything is nice and flat before you start spraying. The overall look of spray dye is sort of free form; but getting slashes of the sock's colour in the middle of a dyed area, because you forgot to smooth things out, might not be something you want. I still think the stockings this happened to me on look awesome, luckily.

GLITTER!!!

Astute readers may have noticed I mentioned glitter spray dye in my list up at the top and then never mentioned it again. That's because it was 100% the best thing about the spray dyes and I wanted to show off the sparkles. Even as it was making an epic mess on my workspace (they spray much more enthusiastically than the regular dyes), it was beautiful and shimmery.

It's not a heavy sparkle, but what it does do is add a fairy dusting to whatever you're spraying. It took everything in me not to coat all the socks with glitter dye. I did happily get the stockings and the wool socks with it (silver and gold, respectively) and I'm thrilled.

Heads up: we did notice the be-glittered socks shed a little bit of their shimmer onto our hands, but we're not sure what the long term lifespan of the glitter is for these.

Go forth and spray dye!

Like a lot of more free-form dye techniques, spray dye offers a lot of possibility and rewards experimentation. If you've been wanting to play with dye but don't want to mess with the vats and buckets and dipping and dunking, spray dye is a fun and accessible way to spice things up with a little colour. Test and try and keep playing and you'll end up with a pair of socks you love that you made look that awesome!

♥ Brenna Socks by Sock Dreams • Free Shipping in the US • $5 International Shipping Find us on facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | sock journal | g+

[latestnews36024h]

10 Home Office Ideas That Will Make You Want to Work All Day

Whether you work from home or have carved out a space for something you love like crafting, reading, or writing, your home office is a place that should inspire the flow of creativity and allow you to get down to business. But often, that's not the case. In fact, home offices can be the most neglected spaces in our homes—messy and unfriendly environments for inspiration, driving us to work anywhere but in the actual office, like the couch, or kitchen, or bed (guilty!). To help you create and update your own inspiring space, we asked experts—from designers to bloggers and editors—for their advice on the best home office updates and small home office ideas that will make you want to buckle down and get to work.

1. Think Chic Your space should inspire you—and reflect your unique personality. So don't be afraid to go all out.“We wanted to design a space that was fashionable, functional and reflected homeowner Desi Perkins’ personality. The black accent wall added some drama and depth to the space and we added a chandelier above the desk to add a little glitz and glamour. The wood tiled sideboard keeps the space organized, serving as a storage unit for beauty products and countertop for office supplies. The functionality of the space makes it possible for Desi to stay on top of the business side of her career while the chic decor provides the perfect backdrop for her videos and Instagram photos.” — Leura Fine, CEO and Founder of Laurel & Wolf

Get The Look: One way to glam up a home office is by refreshing your lighting. This eye-catching pendant lamp with gold detailing from Target will give your space a luxurious, yet professional feel.

2. Add Green Breathe some life into your space, so you'll want to stay longer. “I try to ensure a balanced home office which is practical, ergonomic, comfortable, and clean—if these elements aren’t in place I know I’ll end up working at the kitchen table! A lovely plant is said to help keep you feeling calm and clean the air—plus it looks pretty too. I like either a Snake Plant or a ZZ plant. Both look lovely, are good for cleaning the air, and are low maintenance!” — Niki Brantmark, Author and Founder of My Scandinavian Home

Get The Look: We adore this elevated cute little clay planter—perfect home for a snake plant—to add some dimension to your work space.

3. Get Artsy Decorate with images that speak to you. Even if you're crunching numbers all day. “Fill your office with vibrant art to energize your space and make you feel motivated. I create my own artwork and have it framed by Simply Framed, or I shop from Chairish and Society6.” — Dabito, Founder & Creative Director at Old Brand New

Get The Look: Dabito is happy to share his genius DIY instructions for his multi-purpose wall shelf/desk. (They're surprisingly easy to follow, phew!) But if you don’t want to spend your Saturday spray-painting and building shelves this wall unit from Ikea is a similarly chic option that can be up and ready fast!

4. Find the Rug Ground your space with a colorful area rug—for visual interest and soothing sound-absorption. “The multi-colored rug brings in other colors that accent the peach and green nicely, too. But you could also do a neutral gray rug with this color combo. Keep the furniture simple and clean to make it more sleek, and then add in some green foliage to give the room some texture!” — Joy Cho, Founder & Creative Director of Oh Joy!

Get The Look: World Market is great for beautiful, affordable textiles, and we're loving this multi-shaded patterned rug, which works with light blue, plum, apricot, or creamy white walls.

5. Practice Hygge Make it welcoming—but not too cozy that all you want to do is nap. "Neutral colors on your walls and floor, paired with natural wood, plants and some kind of textile, like blankets, throw pillows, rugs or a yarn wall hanging, create a simple yet cozy working space.” — Caitlin & Manda, Co-founders of The Merrythought

Get The Look: This soft space-dyed throw from West Elm is just what your home office needs. Create a DIY blanket ladder, and hang a few wool ones near your desk for keeping warm in winter; switch them out with thin, cotton ones in the summer.

6. Hang a Gallery Wall It's your space—crowd it with what you love. “Style a gallery wall against a neutral wall. You can arrange them on the floor first, moving the prints around until you achieve the harmonious look that you want. Use removable wall strips to hold your prints up. This allows for the flexibility of changing the look of the wall.” — Geraldine Tan, Founder & Editor of Little Big Bell

Get The Look: We love Minted for their huge, affordable collection of prints. They also provide a free service so that you can text a picture of your wall to their stylists, and they’ll put together a recommendations of art pairings for you. Matting and frames are a way to make art prints look more expensive and styled, but can be a pricey investment. Don’t rule out Michaels—they do custom framing in store!

7. Mix Old and New Don't be afraid to steal decor from other rooms in the house. A mix of vintage and modern makes a home feel warm and lived in and personal, instead of feeling like a showroom. “We paired a gorgeous antique rug that the client already had (hidden away in a dark spot elsewhere in the house!) and a pair of new red chairs. The art on the walls is limited to black and white images so that the color in the space doesn’t become too overwhelming. It is such a comfortable, beautiful room to work in.” — Melissa Mascara, Designer at Homepolish

Get The Look: Nothing in the attic? Shop antique stores, flea markets, and even Craigslist to find pieces for your office, whether it’s an aged roll top desk or vintage lamp, and pair these with brand new items, like a pair of vibrant chairs for guests to use when you’re hosting a meeting from home.

8. Let Light in Stay connected to the great outdoors. "Natural light makes a space feel bigger—which is always a plus in a small space. For my home office I actually used fogged window film on all the windows so I could always have the blinds up. This allows enough light to feed the plants in the room and keep them, as well as myself, lively! And when you feel alive, you’re always more efficient.” — Hayley Francis, Founder and Blogger at Neon Doves

Get The Look: If you, like Hayley, have an office that also functions as a dressing room/walk-in closet, affix a non-adhesive frosted film to windows, to allow sunlight into your space while maintaining privacy.  

9. Work in Color Choose colors that speak to you—not what's trendy. “I found this Stone Blue color by Farrow & Ball provided the perfect background for a productive day’s work. Having a bit of fun with the filing cabinets in a non-conventional turquoise meant that even the more functional elements of the room looked attractive.” — Emily Murray, Founder & Editor at The Pink House

Get The Look: Whether you’re painting office walls, shelves, and ceiling with one color to make the space feel larger, or using a filing cabinet like this one from CB2 for just a pop of color, working in a color-filled environment can make you more inspired to work from your office—and not the couch.

10. Optimize Your Space Organization is key—use every trick in the book. Nobody works well in a messy home office. “Don’t waste an ounce of space by tucking printers, filing, etc into corners and in drawers. Use all your vertical space, too, by putting cabinets up to the ceiling with varying types of storage and a wall hanging pin board to help organize supplies that might otherwise end up shoved in a drawer!” — Carly Callahan, Designer at Homepolish and Founder of Callahan Interiors.

Get The Look: This is one home office decor idea that's non-negotiable! Kick off your newfound commitment to organization with this rose gold wall grid.