#also Rosie is a Portuguese water dog!

[alpineshift]

Hello! My end of week plans have been ruined by non-stop rain & localised flooding 😭 (everyone is safe, the dog is mad I won’t let him out to splash in the newly formed lake in our yard) if you are still doing the prompts, please could I request number 17 - dewy meadow perfect for a picnic, but much like here, it’s pouring with rain & we have some very wet, bedraggled, throughly unhappy hockeys?

Thanks for all the stories so far!

oh no I'm sorry to hear about your plans 😢 I hope the rain lets up! I'm glad you're all safe!

#17 is yours ❤️

[17] a dewy meadow perfect for a picnic (except it's not anymore)

"Well. I don't think we can do a picnic anymore."

It's worse than the weather forecast had predicted. Nico had been particularly agitated by the storm overnight, pacing back and forth until Jack had called him to bed. And now, he's standing under the awning of the porch outside, expression faintly devastated by the ongoing inclement weather.

Jack walked up behind his boyfriend and rubs his back soothingly; Nico had been so excited about this trip, eager to organize their picnic after Jack had looked through the rental property photos and mentioned how beautiful the nearby meadow was. Now, he's looking like someone's just canceled the hockey season again.

"It's okay, babe, I'm sure there's other things we could do--"

Of course, that's when they hear the short bark, a bang as the screen door flies open, and see Rosie shooting off into the rain, paws splashing through the puddles and mud as she makes a break for it.

Jack has never run faster in his life.

Two soaked outfits, a very zoomie'd out dog, and a long, hot shower later, Jack's finally plodding back into the main area of the cottage, drying his damp hair, dressed down comfortably in sweat pants and Nico's long sleeve.

He feels awful; he's the one who didn't latch the door shut properly and they'd returned looking like drowned rats, but Nico hadn't even gotten mad--just sighed fondly at their mischievous dog after they'd washed and dried her, pecked Jack on the lips and let him take a shower in the master suite while he used the downstairs bathroom.

"Neeks?" Jack calls. "Babe? Are you done showering?"

"Yeah--over here, Jack."

He's in the den, and Jack happily heads that way, a suggestion for a movie and popcorn on his lips, only for the words to vanish and his jaw to drop when he enters the sitting area.

Nico's rearranged the entire place, clearing the floor for their picnic blanket, sitting cushions, and all the food, including two bubbling glasses of champagne. The lamps are dimmed and there are fairy lights strung up, glowing warmly. Rosie is sitting dutifully on one of the cushions, her tongue lolling happily as she smiles up at Jack, wearing a very cute red ribbon around her neck.

Nico's at the edge of the picnic blanket, and he's down on one knee with a little velvet box in hand.

Jack drops the towel. "Oh my god," he says faintly.

"Surprise," Nico manages, a grinning shyly up at him. "So, uh, this isn't a picnic in the meadow that you liked, but I figured we could make the most of it. I had a whole speech planned and it was very cliched and you would've called me cheesy, but I think the universe has a different plan for us."

"Oh my god," Jack repeats. "Is this why you were so upset about the rain?"

"Partly," Nico admits. "But honestly--I don't think it matters anymore. Life is kind of crazy and things can go sideways so fast and dogs can just run outside before you can stop them, but if anything, today's just proved that being with you makes it all easier, rain or shine. And I hope that we'll have that with each other forever."

He takes a deep breath and cracks open the lid; the ring inside is so handsome, so elegant, so perfect. "I love you so much, Jack," Nico starts, a faint tremble in his voice. "Will you--"

He doesn't even get to finish. Jack is already tackling him into the cushions, shouting his yes in delight, feeling Nico exhale in relief and hug him back and laugh happily into the curve of his neck. Rosie immediately leaps over them, wriggling excitedly into their arms, and Jack can't think of a better surprise to turn the gloomy grey day around.

"I love you, babe," he whispers back, curling into Nico's warm, adoring hold. "I love you so much too."

[thestalkerbunny]

Also ALSO (sorry for all these asks) how do you come up with names? They're always very memorable.

Never apologize for feeding into my desire to info dump about my world and realm.

I honestly have no clue sometimes, some characters have full names, some just go by first names, some have no last names, some names are just PUNS that honestly reflect on the character themself-but let’s look at some hot names in Induction for example from not much meaning or thought to IMMENSE THOUGHT.

Ruby Hulme was a name I pulled from a name generator. After a quick google; Hulme translates to ‘Islands in the River’ or ‘Holly.’

Grim Sheeper is a pun on the term ‘Grim Reaper’

Dimitri is the name of the Exorcist in the movie ‘The Exorcist.’ It’s also Russian meaning ‘Follower of Demeter.’

Cen T. Pede......is quite literally a Centipede.

Hackles is the word for the hair that will stand up on the back of the neck of a dog when it’s angry. (which reflects on his personality and temper)

Ledago’s name is interesting-originally when I made him in middleschool when I Was young dumb and naive, I was trying to think of the name ‘Legba’ which is the Hatian Loa of the Crossroads. But my brain couldn’t think of the world and used ‘Ledago’ instead. Ledago can closely be compared to the Portuguese word ‘Legado’ which means ‘Legacy’. Which was oddly unintentional, but I like it.

Skoll’s name means ‘Treachery’ in Norse. It’s also the name of the Norse Wolf that quests to consume the Sun. It’s not his real name, but one he chose and it reflects on his nerdy book lad nature. 

Maxim’s name is fun as his full name was intended to be Maximus-which would mean ‘The Greatest’ However due to a flub up, the ‘us’ part was left off, often leading his name to be pronounced as Max M. A tentrill is a part of the plant that is used to climb or bind. (which makes sense his father was a florist)

So this is fun. This actual meaning to me. So let’s start simple. Rosie and Maplewood actually references to what Kelly is-Which is a Rosey Maplewood Moth-noted for it’s vibrant pink and pastel yellow colors. The Kelly part actually references to the mobster George Barnes Kelly-also known as Machine Gun Kelly who came from the Memphis area. At one point, The actual Mobster robbed a bank in a town in Mississippi called Tupelo-The building the bank was housed in was eventually sold and it came into possession of my aunt who turned it into a beauty salon until her retirement. The floor tiles were original and you could see where the bank tellers counters used to be and the place where the safe used to be was used to store christmas decorations. That’s at least what was told to me as a child and the story seems to hold a lot of water.

[signaturekitchen]

French Grey In-Frame Kitchen – by Edwin Loxley

The story: As well as dealers all over the UK, Edwin Loxley also has international dealers in Portugal, USA, Latvia and Russia

The designer: Sharron Figueira, designer at Edwin Loxley, Portugal (www.edwinloxley.co.uk)

Designer Q&A:

Q) What was the brief from the client?

The project was a total kitchen refurbishment for a traditional Portuguese villa, built in 2008. The previous kitchen was a standard developers’ kitchen, which, eight years on, had seen better days. The homeowners wanted a new kitchen with plenty of good usable storage and worksurface. Besides being a practical space, they wanted an impressive entertaining/family area for family, friends and their two Portuguese water dogs – Harry and Rosie. The style was to be a blend of traditional and contemporary flavours.

Q) How did you set about answering that brief?

I worked closely with the family to achieve a design that suited the clients’ requirements both in terms of style and content. The design therefore blends traditional painted in-frame cabinetry, embodying a moulded Shaker door with contemporary accents in the form of shotblasted natural oak.

A large island complements the wall-mounted cabinetry with additional cupboard storage and worktop space. The island also provides an informal dining/breakfast bar; ideal for entertaining whilst acting as a visual divide between the food preparation and social area of the kitchen space.

The light tones of the French Grey furniture, combined with 20mm Dekton Edora worktops and clever lighting combine to make a bright, light space. Wonderful bespoke touches, that we have come to expect from Edwin Loxley, extend to the dogs’ feeding bowls; each bowl fashioned out of the same oak and inscribed with the dogs’ names.

Q) Which products did you use and why?

Traditional cabinetry was fused with contemporary touches such as the heavily grained shotblasted oak to create a contrast of both style and finishes. The light tones of the paint finish and the worktops, in a plain profile, give the room a light and airy feel. High specification integrated appliances such as the twin Neff ovens and Fhiaba fridge-freezer give the homeowners more than enough cooking and food storage capacity to cater for dinner parties and day to day family life. The Miele wine cooler is conveniently located beneath the island; adjacent to the seating. The quality and durability of the Edwin Loxley cabinetry means that it will last for years to come, with little, if anything, required by way of maintenance. The furniture can, in the future, be updated (should the homeowners wish) with a new paint shade and accessories to give a different look.

Q) Was there any building/renovation work involved?

The old worn out kitchen required removal and the flooring needed to match the adjacent sun lounge to give a design flow and feel of continuity.

Q) What elements do you think make the scheme so successful?

‘The devil is in the detail’ as the saying goes. Rather than just one element, it’s several design touches, some of them seemingly small, which give the kitchen its wow factor. Firstly the ‘Yin and Yang’ combination of materials and finishes – heavily grained shotblasted oak against super smooth, light painted furniture. Secondly, the correlation of the oak accent pieces with the home’s other architectural features such as the flooring and internal door treatment and thirdly, the attention to detail such as the subtle plinth lighting, which gives the impression that the furniture is floating.

 Q) Any advice for someone who may be planning a new kitchen?

Don’t be afraid to challenge convention! It’s important the space works for you both in terms of content and planning as well as using finishes that appeal. There is no reason why you can’t combine traditional with contemporary – super smooth with heavily grained – or long and straight with beautiful curves. That’s the beauty of a true bespoke design and manufacturing service; the only limit is your imagination.

 The details:

Kitchen appliances by Neff, Fhiaba, Liebherr and Miele,

Tap by Grohe,

 Hayley loves: the attention to detail with the hand carved cabinetry and, of course, who could resist the personalised dog bowls.

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Via Hayley Gilbert http://www.thekitchenthink.co.uk