#and I missed my artsy outdoor girl

[mangaka-neko-chan]

🖊+ Fura

Omg epic throwback to League of Legends OC, I have not forgotten my girl! For anyone who doesn't know, Fura is my character for League of Legends/ Runeterra. She's a wandering artist, originally from Demacia who now travels through Ionia by foot to paint all she sees. Her ability is to mostly passively absorb magic around her which can influence the magic she can use, her pysical abilites, even her physical appearance or behaviour. This is why she loves to be in Ionia cause there's plenty of magic to be around (as opposed to Demacia which left her basically soulless) and also it's mooooostly friendly. Mostly.

Being a travelling artist she needs the right gear to keep her art supplies, especially the paper and paint safe. Before she went on this journey, Fura went through a lot of planning and even prepared her own design of how her backpack should look and work. She let someone else build it and was pretty confident that this will hold for her entire journey but she was a fool. It was not water proof at all and Fura went through a lot of trial and error to achieve the gear she now uses to carry her stuff. Being heavily influenced by Ionian culture since she lived there for so long now, it's all handmade and natural materials. Minor breaks she learned to fix herself, major ones she let a professional fix them. Fura loves watching the skills of professional artists and crafters so she will happily watch someone fix her stuff. Just don't touch her supplies.

[bongdyke]

i don't think i've ever posted sims content but i've been on a sims 3 kick lately and specifically have started a 100 baby challenge - usually I do legacy gameplay so this is a little different for me! i only just started taking more consistent screenshots though, so they're a bit disjointed and one of the sons actually isn't in any of these! rip valor. decided to do a fairy as my matriarch and my goal is to have as many of the 100 babies be born to her as possible, maybe all if i decide to make her young again! here's some stuff of the family though because i've been getting reaaally into them all! info on Pearletta and her first seven children below the cut! <3

My matriarch, as previously mentioned, is a fairy named Pearletta Delphine, living in Starlight Shores. She's a bit of a klepto, neurotic, very neat and tidy, and is quite dramatic!

Her firstborn son, Derek, is now long out of the house with his wife and his own son, Gavin; and Kieran, his wife, and twin daughters were not far behind!

Derek is a genius, and very technically skilled, and will likely be getting his start in science fields, despite his many fears. Kieran is a hater of all things supernatural, the poor boy, considering he was the firstborn "hybrid" of the family, being born a fairy with the "werewolf trait". He's also a musician, and spent most of his adolescence learning guitar.

Her third son, Jack, is an athletic and friendly sim, and neat just like his mother! Now the oldest of the house, he's a fresh young adult, and preparing to get engaged to his girlfriend. These first three boys were all the perfect spitting image of their mother, and of each other!

Her fourth son, Valor, is also visually quite similar to his brothers, too, but you wouldn't know cuz i didn't take any screenshots of him lmao! But he's just growing into being a teenager, and who knows how that could change! His name ended up being quite funny, I'm not sure why it was what I chose, it was just randomly what I thought of, but he rolled the brave trait immediately! He's a bit lazy, and much messier than the rest of his family, and will likely be leaning towards military pursuits.

But now, after her deluge of sons, her deluge of daughters begins! First with beautiful Geneveive, who's in a lot of my photos! Like Valor, she's a couch potato, but she also loves the outdoors, and can sleep through almost anything. She's not sure where she's going in life yet, but she's a curious girl and loves artsy endeavors.

The babies are still quite young and haven't shared much of their personality with the family yet, but Adelaide and Bonette are both very excitable! Bonette is not one outdoor playtime, and Adelaide can be a bit forgetful, but they're precious additions to the family!! :3

a couple of the traits are missing from the sheet, like Kieran's last one, but here's a simpler look at each baby, their father, and their traits!

[artificialqueens]

Small Town Girl, Chapter One (Crygi) - Sweett-Hhappiness

One Direction blasting on the in her AirPods. Trees blurring by her window. Head rested on her knees which where tightly tucked into her chest. Even someone who had never seen her before could probably tell how genuinely unexcited she was to be 10 minutes out from her new phone is bright and shiny Los Angeles.

“Cryssie” Her mom shakes her lightly, causing the girl with curly red hair to pull her headphones out “were nearly there, please pack up your things and get ready.”

Obeying her moms wishes, she grabs her paint splattered bag and shoves her sketch book, pencils, and phone charger into it, zipping up carefully. Not even 5 minutes later, they pull into the driveway of a grey house and her mom shuts off the car, smiling over at her miserable looking daughter.

Crystal throws the door of the car open and slips out, throwing her bag over her shoulder. All of their boxes had previously been placed into the house, so she quickly makes her way into her new home. Practically sprinting up the stairs to her new room. She nods in approval at the pale yellow color it was painted.

She looks through the boxes in her room, pulling out her easel and setting it up in the corner opposite to her bed, followed by all her paints. She places her sketch book and assortment of pencils and markers onto the old white wooden desk placed in the final corner of her room.

“Crystal! Honey! Come introduce yourself to our new neighbors.” Crystal hears her mom call out. Padding down the stairs, she sees her mother standing with another older women, and her daughter, who seems to be around Crystal’s age.

“Hey, I’m Crystal” She says and offers her hand to the girl standing in front of her. She was tall, much taller then Crystal, and she had on a beautiful bubblegum colored dress with little wedges. Very different from Crystal’s baggy blue jeans streaked with different colored paints, and her tie dyed shirt. Her messy red hair pulled loosely into a bun, not doing much to tame her wild hair.

“GiGi” The girl offers with a warm, yet shy, smile, shaking her hand. Gigi. that name fit her perfectly in Crystal’s opinion.

“Genevieve, why don’t you help Crystal unpack some things in her new room. I’m sure it would be a huge help” The girls mother says with a smile, yet the smile seemed cold and uninviting, even though it was towards her own daughter. Gigi nodded shyly and Crystal leads her up to the room, which is still just set up with her art supplies.

“Your mom seems... intense” Crystal says as she closes the door behind them, chuckling softly.

“Yeah, you could say that” Gigi chuckles softly “are you going to be at North Winfield High?” she asks and tilts her head to the side. This causes the girls hair to fall to the other side, making a beauty mark visible on Gigi’s left cheek. Everything about this girl made Crystal ache with the desire to draw her.

“Uh, yeah I think so. I’m a senior” Crystal says with a weak smile “not that it really matters since i’m coming to a new school in the middle of my senior year” she shrugs and turns on her heel, pulling out a bag full of paint brushes, before turning back to Gigi as she speaks.

“I’m a senior as well, I can show you around tomorrow” she starts “i-if you want of course” the girl stutters out with a cute little blush.

“That would be awesome” Crystal sighs in relief, knowing she won’t have to stumble around awkwardly, trying to find her classes and having no one to talk to. Gigi couldn’t help a giggle that escapes her lips at Crystal’s adorable expression of relief.

That giggle, wow Gigi must be perfect. Everything seemed to be perfectly in place. She was so well put together, while Crystal was a collage of colors and textures, a mess.

“Gi! Come on we should be heading out” The girls mother shouts from down the stairs. Gigi gives Crystal a soft smile before speaking sweetly.

“See you tomorrow, Crys” She says, before turning on her heels and leaving Crystal star struck, standing there like an idiot.

It’s safe to say Crystal didn’t sleep well that night. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t get the picture of Gigi out of her head. Deciding to give up on a good nights sleep, she put in her AirPods, blasted music, and started to sketch a rough outline of Gigi’s face, which then turns into a detailed drawing with different shades of charcoal. By the time she was finished, her hands and face had lots of black residue. She cleans it off before finally crashing in bed, falling asleep easily.

———

What seemed like 30 seconds was actually 3 full hours of sleep, before Crystal’s alarm was blaring.

Groaning, the girl got up and trudged to the bathroom, looking at herself and seeing the worst case of bed head. She decides she mine as well shower since she had an hour before she had to be at school.

Getting out, she cleaned the steam covered mirror off and brushed out her wild hair. Even after being washed and brushed, it was still drying curly and untamed. Crystal didn’t mind though.

She threw in a loose pair of paint stained overalls with a baggy purple hoodie, stuffing her bag with her sketch book, pencils, charger, and laptop before dragging herself downstairs to eat the breakfast her mom had made.

After a drawn out conversation about starting school, a knock interrupted them. To Crystals surprise, Gigi had been standing on the other side. “Hey?” Crystal asked a bit confused.

“Hey, um, do you want a ride to school?” Gigi asked, visibly nervous. It was endearing to see this beautiful girl so shy.

“Oh- definitely! Thank!” Crystal says and smiles, throwing on her Doc Martens and slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Bye mom! i’ll see you after school!” she calls out and follows Gigi out the door, allowing herself to slide into the passengers seat of Gigi’s pale blue Volkswagen. “Your car is so nice” Crystal says in shock. Her parents could never afford her a car like this.

“Oh! Thank you! I got it for my sixteenth birthday.” Gigi explains with a smile, before carefully pulling out of the driveway and off towards the school. “Are you ready to come to North? It’s quite the experience for a small town girl like yourself”

“No way in hell am I ready” Crystal chuckles and smiles as Gigi turns on the radio. What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction playing and Crystal can’t help the smile that forms on her lips. Singing along shamelessly to every word that plays.

“You of all people like One Direction?” Gigi asked with a giggle and a nose scrunch. Gigi found its adorable that artsy Crystal liked a boy band.

“Are you making fun of my taste in music Miss Goode?” Crystal asked and raised on of her eyebrows at the taller girl. Gigi suppressed another giggle from slipping through her lips as they pull into the school parking lot and both exit the car.

“So i’ll take you to the office to check your schedule, then i’ll walk you to class and give you my phone number so i can find you throughout the day” Gigi explains as she leads her through the building.

Crystal was immediately overwhelmed. Her old school had been rather small, but this school? It was the opposite. Having 6 floors, one of which was a pool. A pool! What kind of school had a pool!

“Y-yeah, okay” Crystal nods as they walk into the office. Greeted by Principal Michelle.

“Hello Miss Goode, how can I help you” She asks with a kind hearted smile.

“Hey” Gigi starts with a smile “My friend, Crystal Methyd, yeah, shes new. Can we get her schedule please?” she asked politely. She was much more polite then Crystal. The principal handed it over with a smile and they thanked her, leaving the room before scanning over the paper. “Okay so, first, second, and sixth period we have together, the rest i’ll show you too throughout the day” Gigi explains with a nod.

Crystal looked overwhelmed, even though she was trying her best to hide it “sure, um, yeah sounds good” she stutters out.

“Hey, Crys, it’s all gonna be fine” Gigi says and puts her hands on Crystal’s shoulders, smiling sweetly. Crystal can’t help but relax under the girls touch. Nodding, the girls walk off together towards their first class, art.

The first half of the day seemed to fly by, as she was walking next to Gigi towards an outdoor table for lunch with her friends. Crystal said it wasn’t necessary, not wanting to impose on her time with her friends, but Gigi had insisted they would love Crystal.

“Gigi!” A bubbly blonde shouts and giggles, hugging the girl who Crystal had been with the last two days.

“Hi Jan, this is my friend, Crystal” Gigi introduces. Crystal gives a nervous wave to Jan and the group of girls in front of her. They all have kind smiles and wave back happily. “Crystal, this is Jan, Jackie, Rock, and Heidi” Gigi says and points to each girl.

Crystal smiles and falls into easy conversation with Gigi’s friends, talking about art, and music, and movies. Even being invited to Gigi’s sleepover that night, seeing as it was a Friday. She reluctantly agreed, after Jan and Gigi had practically begged her to join.

———

Crystal packed up her overnight back and padded across the lawn, knocking on Gigi’s door. She was pulled inside as soon as it has swung open by an excited Gigi.

“Okay so my mom isn’t home for the weekend, so Heidi brought drinks” Gigi bounces excitedly, already visibly tipsy as she hangs on Crystal giddily.

Crystal chuckles and puts her arm around the girls waist as Gigi leads her to her room, where all the girls are already settled on the floor, drinking from red cups and giggling aimlessly at whatever story Jan was telling.

After some drinking, and story telling, and movies later, Jan, Jackie, Rock, and Heidi decided they were tired and were going to head to bed. Gigi leaned over to Crystal and tucked some hair out of her face.

“Psst, Crys, do you want to go outside on my porch?” Gigi whispered. Crystal nods softly and they walk out quietly, not wanting to wake the other girls who were peacefully sleeping on Gigi’s bedroom floor.

“Um, Geege, do you smoke pot?” Crystal asked nervously as she pulls out a joint and a lighter. Gigi smirks devilishly and nods, taking them from her hand and giggling as she lights it, taking a long drag.

Crystal smiles at Gigi’s excitement over the little joint she had brought over, taking it from Gigi’s fingers and taking a hit of her own, blowing the smoke in Gigi’s face, causing her to giggle.

“You’re really pretty, you know” Gigi explains to Crystal with a dorky grin on her face, pushing some of Crystal’s wild hair out of her face.

Crystal blushes and thanks her as they continue to pass the joint back and forth.

“Last hit, want to share?” Crystal asked with a smirk. Gigi nods and with that, Crystal takes the last bit of the joint, putting it out, before taking Gigi’s face in her hands and moving them only inches apart, exhaling the smoke into Gigi’s mouth as she inhales, they separate after a few lingering moments and Gigi’s exhales the smoke out, blushing like crazy.

After a few moments of silence, they decided to make their way back up to Gigi’s room. The taller girl insisting that Crystal sleep in her bed, even with Crystal’s warnings that she is a huge cuddle bug, Gigi didn’t seem to mind at all.

Snuggled up into each other, they fell asleep peacefully, happy in each others embrace as the warm buzz goes through their heads and chests from the mix of pot and alcohol they had consumed through the night.

Crystal could definitely get used to this.

[idkwhoiamanymorebutwtf]

Redraws (and slight redesigns) of my Camp Camp Fan Kids.

Introducing Mina Goodplay and Christene Nurfington (the daughters of Nurf and Preston, clearly. Parents are divorced hence the different names)

Mina is an eleven year old girl. She’s very girly, very frilly, and is extremely emotionally driven. She’s absolutely best friends with Jasmine (who will be featured later). Mina has a tendency to be very creative with singing, art, acting, and writing. She is signed up for fanfiction writing camp. She’s not very close with her little sister (or Nurf) and actually has a bit of spite towards them, having all but disowned the,. Mina has a short temper as well, much like her father’s.

Christene is a nine year old girl. She’s sweet and a tiny bit shy, I will admit. She loves animals and is signed up for horse riding camp. Christene adores her whole family and is a bit of a daddy’s girl. Christene is very close with most kids at the surrounding summer camps (all the camp campbell kids were practically raised together) and she’s been adopted as an honorary flower scout by Khloe and Anais (will be brought up later). The only person she really doesn’t get along with is her sister, Mina, and that’s mostly Mina’s doing tbh.

Here we have Miss Cyra Houston. (Daughter of Dolph and Space Kid)

Cyra is a six year old girl. She’s the perfect blend of her parents. She’s energetic and sweet (although sometimes a bit too naive). She has an interest in space (she wants to be like her daddy) and is signed up for life drawing camp, mostly drawing..space related things. She’s absolutely best friends with Isaiah (will be brought up later), who is the only kid around her age. Cyra does feel left out sometimes though. All the kids adore one another but she’s kinda the annoying little sister of the group and most of the others find her embarrassing.

 These are Jasmine, Isaiah, and Clover (Children of Max, Nikki, and Neil)

Jasmine is a thirteen year old girl, the oldest of the current camp campbell kids. She’s clever and witty and a bit sarcastic, taking after her father in that reguard. However Jasmine is also rather girly and as a result is closer friends with Mina goodplay than anybody else. She also happens to have a crush on Gary Miller (he’ll show up later). Jasmine has always been very close with her parents as well and literally fights anyone who talks bad about them. She’s signed up for knitting camp, having learned how to knit at a young age from her father.

Isaiah is, much like his best friend Cyra, a very energetic, kind boy. However while his friend is an artsy type, Isaiah really enjoys the outdoors and is in bug-catching camp, collecting bugs as ‘friends’. He refused to come to camp until this year, being extremely attached to his parents, and they (Max in particular) didn’t have the heart to force him to go. However eventually his sisters and friends convinced him, so while he clings to Cyra, his sisters, and the counselors a lot, Isaiah is managing (and he’s allowed to call his parents every day).

Clover is j u s t like her mother. She’s physically active, hyper, energetic, she loves to move and can’t sit still e v e r. Clover also has a very quick temper, though, and will fucking fight you. She’s actually signed up for hand to hand combat camp. She’s very good friends with Hary and Gary Miller (will be mentioned later) and a flower scout, Georgia (Will also be mentioned later)

Hary and Gary Miller (Kids of Nerris, Harrison, and Ered)

Hary Miller takes after Nerris and Harrison. As in, he actually does take an interest in magic. However he isn’t into the type of magic his parents are. He’s intererested in magic like what he sees in..anime. He’s in anime camp and is just really excited about anime in general. He’s a very agreeable person too and is part of “the cool kids group” as they labeled a friend group consisting of himself, Gary, Clover, and one of the flower scouts, Georgia. Though to be honest none of them are that cool when you think about it.

Gary is interesting. Like his brother he’s into anime and is in anime camp. However he’s a lot more like Ered. You see, Gary grew up on stories about camp campbell from his parents and honorary aunts/uncles and alike. He just kinda misinterpreted his mother’s desire to be cool as something to strive for instead of something embarrassing that she got over (mostly) so Gary is constantly trying to look cool and comes across as a bit obsessed.

Finally we have our Flower Scouts. Khloe, Anais, and Georgia (the daughters of Sasha, Erin, and Tabii, clearly)

Anais is the leader type. She likes to take charge and always knows what to do. She can be protective and a bit pushy but out of all the kids she really is the most responsible. She and her sister, Khloe, have taken Christene Nurfington in as their honorary fourth sister.

Khloe is eleven years old. She’s always getting into trouble and because of it gets on well with Jasmine and Clover, who are rather mischevious as well. However her closest friends will always be her sisters and Christene.

Georgia is a sweet girl who’ll do anything she’s told to by her friends. She can be a bit..well, a bit dumb sometimes, but she tries her best. She’s part of the “cool kids group” with Clover, Hary, and Gary, and she (along with her sisters) often wind up sneaking over to Camp Campbell to spend time with their friends.

[5sosspicedrosey]

hey! i was wondering if i could get a ship?? im 5’4 im blonde w graysish blue eyes, im pretty skinny but im still kinda curvy if that makes sense lol??? i have a german Shepherd who i love to deathhhh i rly like to write poetry and do collage art stuff (i usually put them in zines) im super into fashion and wanna go to an art school, i aspire to dress like halsey but it probably just looks sloppy lol i looove concerts, especially smaller concerts!! my fav tv show rn is euphoria!

k girl, Calum Hood for you!

p.s I fuckin love zines! that is sooo cool that you make them!

here we go:

-literally the first thing that popped into my head was that Calum looks up to you so much. ya know how he hasn't really had a girlfriend for a while? it means so much that he’s with you. you are his angel, his sun, his moon, the reason he wakes up in the morning.

-when I say he looks up to you, I really mean it. the fact that you makes zines blows his mind! 

-he calls you his artist.

-also, ‘artsy fartsy,’ because he’s super playful around you.

-he totally wants to go to the Met Gala with you.

-you help him with his style!

-you pick out his outfits for shows!

-you make him feel confident and good about himself.

-he adores reading your creations. he loves them because you created them, they’re purely original, they’re your thoughts. through your poetry, he understands you better.

-you totally got him into making collages!

-and poetry, I feel like he’s really poetic.

-you two are really heartfelt.

-you two spend hours sitting on the floor of the living room, cutting out pictures from magazines and drawing, creating them into your own collages.

-then you put them on the walls.

-he says that he could stare into your eyes all day. they remind him of the ocean on an overcast day.

-by the way, he loves walking with you along the ocean shore on an overcast day. you two are all cuddled up in his hoodies, fingers intertwined.

-I feel like he loves to braid your hair.

-you two could talk for hours, never running out of conversation. but, you could also sit in comfortable silence. 

-he loves learning more about you. not just what your favourite colour is, but about the little, lesser-known things: the time you were the star of the elementary school play, that time you talked about pancakes in your sleep... etc. 

-HE! IS! SO! SUPPORTIVE!

-if you have an art show or a poetry reading, he will always be there. if he has to cancel previous plans, then so be it, when you are doing what you love he never wants to miss it.

-he’s really clingy.

-he calls you ‘doll.’

-he loves your style. whenever you say you look sloppy he immediately denies it. he hates when you put yourself down.

-you two love to go thrifting and to art sales.

-k, I imagine it being a summer day in L.A, approaching the sunset, orange and pink waves in the sky and you two dancing and singing your hearts out at a small outdoor concert.

-him letting you sit on his shoulders when you can’t see!

-he loves when you play with his hair.

-power suits for both of you.

-getting tattoos together!

-making cocktails for each other to try no matter how bad they are.

-he is gonna make sure you go to an art school, no buts. he is even more determined than you because he just wants you to be as happy as possible.

-HE LOVES YOUR DOG

-duke and your dog = best friends

-you two going on early morning walks as the sun rises with your pups

-he loves your dog like it’s his son. he insists that it is.

-watching Euphoria together and him getting ABSOLUTELY HOOKED.

- “Babeee, one more episode?” “Cal, we just watched the last episode of the season.” “WHAT!??!! NO I NEED MORE! GIVE ME MORE!”

-I feel like you two are soft but at the same time you’re that couple who arrives to a party on a motorcycle wearing leather jackets, boots and chains. 

-he would go CRAZY when you walk out of your room to go to the party, standing in the doorway with red lips, tight pants, like thigh-high leather boots, a leather jacket and his chains!!!!

-he almost doesn't want you to leave the house because he wants to fuck you so bad.

-he keep his hands on you ALL NIGHT.

-you tease him ALL NIGHT.

-he gets jealous hella easily.

-totally overprotective.

-but he backs off when he reminds himself that you are a badass and can be independent.

-he’s really respectful and knows his boundaries.

-so, the night of the party, once you two get home he fucking destroys you (in the good way).

-DIRTY TALK ALL THE WAY!

-he knows not to mess with you. you may be shorter than him but you can destroy him in the good way too. 

-he likes to be dom, but when he’s sub... WOW he loves it. 

-he loves when you wear lingerie.

-strip teases... ;)

-you two are a total power couple!

I hope you like it!

- Winnie <3

[lovemesomesurveys]

Name something that you saw within the past week that made you smile: My pup makes me smile. She’s always doing something cute or goofy. Name something within the past week that made you frown: Health stuff and my mom was dealing with some crap, which made me upset. Name somebody who you wish would cut you a break sometimes: Myself. Name somebody you know who deserves a better life than they have: My mom. Name something you own that has high sentimental value: I have a shirt that belonged to my grandma and one that belonged to my grandpa. I also have Brandie’s (my dog who passed away in 2016) collar and a pajama shirt she had.

Name something that you hope is different by this time next year: Health stuff. Name something that you’re good at but don’t like: I don’t feel like I’m good at anything. Name something that you’re bad at but DO like: In theory, I like crafty/artsy stuff but I have no artistic abilities or creativity. Name something that you strongly believe in: God. Name something that was funny to you but not to anybody else: Ha, a lot of things. i have a corny and stupid sense of humor. I love puns, too. People also don’t appreciate my self deprecating humor. *shrug* Name somebody who has tried to help you and ended up hurting you: Those that tried to help me haven’t hurt me. Name something that you had to learn the hard way: A lot of things. Name a date that has a lot of significance to you: Birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. Do you like pudding?: I like banana pudding. What was the last thing you complained about?: Jack in the Box messed up my food yesterday. Do you tend to use a lot of big words?: Not really. Do you fall for guys/girls easily?: Yes. Do you have low or high self-esteem?: What self-esteem? Are you a heavy sleeper?: Not usually. Have you ever felt like you’ve hit below rock bottom?: I feel like I’m there now. When someone copies you, are you more flattered or annoyed?: No one copies me so I don’t know, ha. I don’t think it would bother me, though. Are you trustworthy?: I’ve been told I am. What’s one of your favorite quotes?: I have a few, but I don’t feel like thinking about what they are. Favorite song lyrics?: ^^^^^ Which is worse: Stale chips or flat soda?: Stale chips. I actually didn’t used to mind flat soda sometimes. Have you ever been heartbroken?: Yes. Have you ever carved a pumpkin?: Yep, many times. Are there any CD’s that you enjoy listening to all the way through?: Yeah. Is there a lot of drama in your life right now?: There’s some stuff with a couple family members, but other than that my biggest things right now are my health issues. Do you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?: No. Have you ever set off a fire alarm at school?: No. Do you like raviolis?: I love ricotta cheese stuffed raviolis. And ones with cheese and spinach. Do you have a silly side?: Sure. Were you obsessed with those bead/jewelry making kits when you were younger?: Yeah, I enjoyed making bracelets. What’s one show that you wish was still on the air?: I do miss True Blood. What’s something you’re looking forward to?: Christmas shopping. Are you optimistic or pessimistic?: I’m pessimistic and a realist. Did you ever play with sidewalk chalk?: Yep. Are there any fast-food restaurants that you hate?: Nah, just not a big fan of. Like, I very rarely go to Wendy’s. Are you a picky eater?: Yes. It’s annoying. My eating habits and appetite have also changed a lot these past couple years, which has been difficult. Do you like the band Rise Against?: I liked a couple songs. Who’s the hottest guy and hottest girl out there?: Alexander Skarsgard. Are you stubborn?: Extremely. What’s your favorite song at the moment?: I haven’t listened to music lately, so I don’t really have one. Do you live your life to the fullest?: No. Have you ever questioned your sexuality?: No. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever been called?: I haven’t been called anything bad to my face by anyone. I’m the only one puts myself down. Have you ever burnt your ear with a straightener/curling iron?: No, but I’ve burned my thumb. Are you any good at the game Rockband?: I was great on easy mode, ha. I was rockin’ out like I was really playing that guitar. What’s your favorite board game?: Hmm. That’s tough, but I love board games. Do you believe that sometimes life is unfair? Or do you believe that that unfairness is justified?: Oh I most definitely feel that way. Do you have a hard time making new friends?: I don’t try to. What’s your favorite kind of doughnut?: Glazed or maple. What’s the most important quality in the opposite or preferred sex?: I need someone patient and understanding. Have you ever used a port-a-potty?: No. What’s your favorite ride at the fair?: I don’t go to fairs. I’d be afraid to ride any rides at one anyway because I’ve heard scary stories about fair rides. When was the last time someone gave you a piggy-back ride?: Not since I was a kid. Have you ever been onstage in front of a lot of people?: Yeah, for graduations and for choir/recital concerts. What was the last stinky thing you smelled?: Garbage. Are you more of a girly girl or a tomboy?: Neither, really. I’m not like super girly but I’m not a tomboy, either. What’s something you’re craving right now?: Nothing at this moment. Have you ever been on a boat?: Yes. Have you ever been camping?: Once, when I was a kid. What’s your favorite outdoor activity?: Only outdoor activity I like is going to the beach. Do you ever shop at Hot Topic?: Yes. Do you ever trip over your pets?: No, but I sometimes do on her toys. Do you have any Christmas lights up on your house?: Not yet, but soooon. Do you watch Spongebob Squarepants?: I used to sometimes when my brother was a kid and watched it. Are you currently in a relationship?: No. Is your foot asleep?: Uhh I guess in a way? I’m a paraplegic with no feeling from the waist down, so in a way it’s always asleep cause I don’t have any feeling there. What did you last look in the fridge for?: Shredded cheese.

[denisecua]

While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there aren’t as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. So upon getting back from my trip, I figured I should let my experiences be learning grounds for your future travels here. And without further adieu, let me present to you Taiwan (or Taipei) in lists of tips, tricks, hits and misses.

Flight: AirAsia

Very cheap roundtrip flights from Manila to Taipei– PHP 3,000 without check-in baggage and PHP 5,000 with 20kg of check-in baggage. Both include (strictly) 7kg carry-on allowance. Travel tax excluded.

AirAsia flights to Taiwan is only once a day apparently. Took the 11:15 PM flight out and the 1:45 AM flight back to Manila.

One of my fastest check-ins ever, especially during departure. Finished everything in 15-20 minutes! Way less people compared to Cebu Pacific which had super long lines heading to Taipei at the same time.

Flight was comfy, and the plane was nice and clean. Leg room, as you can expect, is quite limited, such that when I’d cross my legs, my knees would hit the next seat.

No blankets for lending!!! You’d have to purchase their AirAsia-branded blankets at PHP 500. Not cool! Or should I say, too cool because I was nearly freezing?!

For in-flight meals, you have to pre-book them if you don’t want to take chances. Pretty cheap, at around PHP 150-200 a meal.

Weather in August: H-O-T!!!!

August is Taiwan’s hottest month. Clearly we didn’t research prior to booking! Can go as high as 38 degrees Celcius!

Recommendation: Don’t book in August so you can maximize your stay! We got tired too easily due to the debilitating heat.

Money

Their currency is New Taiwanese Dollar.

Conversion from NTD to PHP is 1.7.

For money exchange, you have to do it at the airport upon arrival or at the banks. They don’t have FOREX stalls everywhere like in Hong Kong. So carefully plan your exchange in advance.

For pocket money, average spend a day (given our itinerary — available upon request) would be at around PHP 3,000-4,000 excluding shopping.

Accommodation: Meander Hostel

Definitely a place I’d recommend if you’re traveling on a budget! It’s a hostel but with private rooms.

Got the Triple Room with 1 queen bed and 1 double bed–comfy. Spacious enough. Looks new and clean. Has minimalist design.

Had troubles with the air conditioner–wouldn’t get cold enough for a day or two!

Shower area is more than sufficient, and heater works great! I could take showers for hours. Jk.

Total cost for 4 nights was at PHP 17,000 but thanks to Agoda Rewards, we got it for PHP 15,000. Just PHP 5,000 per head! So affordable!

No windows in the room; could use better lighting = Not very ideal for girls who spend a long time putting on makeup!!!!

Has a common room at the G/F. Very cozy and you can mingle with fellow travellers. You can also bring food and eat there. Has free-flowing water and wintermelon tea. Also coffee, milk tea, bread and fruits in the AM for breakfast.

Not allowed to bring outside shoes in. They give you slippers to use. Not sure if that’s hygienic but I think they sanitize it after every use. The upside is that you don’t have to bring your own slippers anymore.

Location is a-ok! Just 10 minutes away from Ximending on foot. You just have to walk one straight line/street so you won’t get lost. Also has nearby convenience stores.

Transporation

From Taoyuan International Airport, we shared a cab going to our hostel since it was late already (2AM) and it was cost-effective given that we were 4 people.

Getting around is mostly thru their MRT which is super easy to understand. We didn’t have to buy stored value cards since buying single tickets was always a breeze. Never a line! MRT is also very clean and not so crowded.

Most frequented line is the blue line–Bannan. That’s where Ximen is located right smack at the middle. This is why I recommend you choose a hotel in Ximen, since it’s close to the many areas you’re likely to visit as a tourist.

Going back to airport, we asked help from our hostel and they booked us a 9-seater van for just NT 1700. Not bad! From Ximen to Taoyuan, we only took 40 minutes.

Advantages of Taiwan over Hong Kong

Much, much friendlier people.

Less fast-paced so you can travel more calmly.

Cleaner, especially the toilets!

Generally cheaper.

Shopping

For international clothing brands, they have H&M and Uniqlo in Ximending (more expensive though) and GU, Pull & Bear, ZARA, and Bershka in Taipei 101 area.

They also have the usual sports stores like adidas, Nike, New Balance, and Jordan  in Ximending, but I never entered. Hihi.

Speaking of Ximending, they say that’s Taipei’s counterpart of Myeongdong in Seoul. While I still managed to have fun (because I will always, always find a way to shop successfully), I recommend not expecting too much. I found that there aren’t as many interesting stores, and even their food offerings were underwhelming.

Highlight for me was the skincare variety. They have super cheap sheet masks, so better hoard! Go for 86 Shop and Paris Strawberry, as they have better pricing. More on this here.

For Taiwanese delicacies (pasalubong alert!), buy from the corner/semi-hidden stores that don’t look fancy. The well-lit and nicer-looking ones have higher prices. For instance, I got salty yolk cookies for just NT 120 a pack while at the better-looking stores, they were selling it to me for NT 180. Nonetheless, they all provide free tastes so you can make sure the goodies are yummy before you buy them!

Re: Supermarkets, I’m not sure if I was just blind but there weren’t so many. I only found Jason’s Marketplace in Taipei 101 and in Ximending (near Exit 1 of Ximen Station). My favorite purchases were the frozen fried rice–huge variety (salmon, sausage, hawaiian, kimchi, smoked pork, etc.) and super cheap (NT 48–definitely more affordable than the Spam kimchi fried rice packs in Korea). Note: Put in carry-on because it’s not allowed for check-in baggage.

Food

Gudetama Cafe in Zhongxiao Dunhua is super cute! But, food could be better. I say don’t go there starving. Just get snacks or desserts there for Instagram purposes. Do note that you have to reserve in advance. I did thru eztable.com, and they require advanced consumable payment of NT 200 per head.

Yong Kang Street has a lot of restaurants and stalls you can try out: Scallion Pancakes (yum!), Smoothie House (line too long), etc. They also have the first ever Din Tai Fung there but waiting time is usually about 45 – 75 minutes. Personally, I find that it tastes the same as those in HK and SG, and nothing more.

Mala Hotpot!!!! Best hotpot buffet ever!!!! Their beef cuts are so generous, premium and lean! Soup tastes heavenly! They also have unlimited Haagen-Dazs ice cream with about 12 flavors. Unlimited canned drinks, too, and free-flowing coffee and tea. YUM YUM YUM! Per head: NT 598 for lunch and NT 698 for dinner and weekends. Note: Must call ahead of time for reservation.

Chose Raohe Night Market over Shi Lin because they say it’s less crowded there. Didn’t regret it. Place isn’t packed, and has good variety of food stalls. Do come with friends though so you can share food and try a lot of different things. My faves from there include the Walking Steak Cup and the big-ass chicken. Oh and the candied strawberry, too, for dessert!

7-Eleven is also close to my heart because they have this microwavable packed Spicy Chicken similar to KFC’s Hotshots that taste so yummy! Also very cheap at NT 38 if I remember correctly.

Mos Burger (originally from Japan) is also

Milk tea!!! If you’re not watching your sugar and dairy intake closely, go all out!

Attractions

Taipei 101 is a must-visit because it’s a key attraction in Taipei. It also has many stores from fashion to food. The Observatory is another thing. You pay about PHP 800 and the lines are excruciatingly long (maybe because we went on a weekend) and the view is meh. The outdoor viewing was also closed when we visited so that added to our disappointment.

Visited Huashan 1914 Creative Park for the “Hello My Name is Paul Smith” exhibit. I found that it was a breath of fresh air from the usual Taipei scene. Very artsy place! The exhibit was funky and colorful as expected. You’d leave the place with very nice pictures for sure. The entrance fee is not bad either at NT 280 for foreign visitors, and exhibit is set to run until September 3, 2017 only. [Note: Clearly, I published this too late.)

Joined KKday’s Day Tour from Taipei at USD 33 each, inclusive of bus transfers starting from Taipei Main Station but exclusive of entrance fees and food:

First stop: Yehliu Geopark for the rock formations. Very unique but also very hot. Remember to wear sunscreen–we forgot!!! Good thing this was first in the agenda, otherwise we’d have no energy to go around given the vast place and the hell-like heat!

Commercial: Be wary of the time. If tour guide says meeting time is at 11:00, she really means it. Otherwise, you’d get left behind just like our friend. Hahaha! It’s funny now but it was stressful at the time it was happening.

Second stop: Shifen Old Street for the lantern flying and lunch! For the lanterns, you can buy based on what you wish for (i.e. Wealth, Marriage, Happiness, and the like) and they cost at NT 200 a piece. You also get to write and draw your wishes on it usng a chinese pen (mopit), and take photos/videos as you let it go up in the air. They do this along the railway. As for the food part, I say it’s one of the best! We had Yakult slushie, barbecued chicken wing with rice inside, fried cuttlefish, and peanut ice cream roll. Gooda gooda in mah belly! ❤

Third stop: Shifen Waterfalls — underwhelming to be honest! I don’t know, maybe we were exhausted at this point but walking all the way to the falls didn’t feel worth it. It was smaller in person than in the photos. 😦

Fourth stop: Jiufen. If you’re a fan of the movie Spirited Away, be sure to visit! But if not, I honestly didn’t find it that interesting. It’s just an old alley that’s uphill–so many steps. We kept grumpling because we were so tired and sweaty and I was having allergies from my sweat and sunburn from Yehliu. We wondered how come the oldies have more energy than us. Hahaha! Highlight: Cute cat shops. There are about three!

Things I’d Do If/When I Go Back

Elephant Mountain because a pretty Canadian girl we met at the hostel recommended it for its view — you can see Taipei skyline including Taipei 101; I realize the skyline is only nice when the tower is in sight.

Cat Village because nobody wanted to go with me 😦

Mala Hotpot because it’s the bestest!

Meander Hostel because I miss their sofa :))

National Palace Museum because the hostel people said it has interesting treasures from China. Hmmmmm.

IKEA because apparently Taiwan has one!

Ichiran because apparently they just opened there, and we were plain oblivious.

    [Long Overdue Post] A Roundup of My Taipei Trip While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there aren't as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.

[royalalbertamuseumblog]

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

By: Kelsie Tetreau 

February 11 marks the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, a day that recognizes the critical role women and girls play in science and technology communities. The Royal Alberta Museum is fortunate to have some incredible female scientists on staff. For example, the Earth Sciences team of ten staff includes eight amazing female scientists!

RAM Earth Sciences Team pointing at all the glass ceilings they’re breaking: Back (L-R) - Matthew Bolton, Chris Jass. Middle (L-R) – Alwynne Beaudoin, Diana Tirlea, Christina Barron-Oritz. Front (L-R)- Amandah van Merlin, Emily Moffat, Katherine Bramble, Melissa Bowerman. Missing: Shauna Coombs

Today, we would love to introduce you to three of them: Melissa Bowerman, Diana Tirlea, and Diane Haughland of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI). (Note: ABMI is an arms-length, not-for-profit organization that partner with the RAM on research).

What do you do here at RAM?

Melissa Bowerman: I have been leading the Geology Program at the museum for 10 years as the Assistant Curator of Geology.  

Diana Tirlea: I am the Assistant Curator for Quaternary Environments. My roles include maintaining the labs and equipment, providing access to the Seed and Pollen Reference Collection to the public, conducting research using pollen and macrofossils to reconstruct past landscapes and making this accessible to the public through publications, presentations and outreach.

Diane Haughland: As the ABMI Lichen specialist, I do research on lichen ecology, taxonomy, and biodiversity monitoring methods. My team of four wonderful women is responsible for identifying 15,000-25,000 lichens each year collected by the ABMI. I also train field technicians, teach, and supervise graduate students.

What first made you interested in science as a career?

Melissa Bowerman: A museum program! I attended a program at the former Edmonton Space and Science Centre. I believe the program was called the Challenger Program and it let students take on roles in a space flight scenario. It was a remarkable experience that sparked a life-long interest in space and science.

Diana Tirlea: Growing up I enjoyed being outdoors, learning about the different animals and plants I encountered. I was an observer and I saw beauty in the world, tiny and large things. My passion for knowing and learning about my surroundings led me to pursue a science career.

Diane Haughland: I was more of an artsy kid; up until high school, I equated science with anatomy and medicine. As an undergraduate, I discovered botany and ecology, and that metaphorical light bulb went off. Already an avid hiker and camper, they brought extra layers of meaning and joy to my outdoor adventures.  Asking curiosity-driven questions that have conservation implications? I was hooked.

Diana Tirlea hard at work, both in the ground and in the lab!

What was your education and career path that lead you to your current job?

Melissa Bowerman: I completed an undergraduate degree in Geology at the University of Alberta. I was fortunate to gain abundant field experience early in my career – in places like the Canadian High Arctic, the Canadian Cordillera and Hawaii. I went on to complete a master’s degree investigating the metamorphic history of the Canadian Shield in northern Manitoba. I also spent time working for a mining exploration company on projects in the Northwest Territories and Yukon before landing at the Royal Alberta Museum. This job turned out to be a perfect opportunity for me to combine my love of teaching with my passion for science.

Diana Tirlea: My career path was definitely not straightforward. A big part of my career development was obtaining a broad range of experiences and skills through volunteering, working, taking courses, completing an internship and connecting with people in the science field.

I started my education at MacEwan College intending to complete my pre-veterinarian courses. I decided I preferred animal biology and completed a major in zoology at the University of Alberta. Between my 3rd and 4th year at university, I completed an 8-month internship working on wetlands and plants. After completion of my undergraduate degree, I took a few years off to work as an environmental consultant. I returned to the U of A to complete an MSc in Ecology, where I focused on reconstructing changes in past environments using pollen analysis and pigments. After completing my MSc I worked as a vegetation ecologist until I began working at the Royal Alberta Museum. The skills I have developed through my education, volunteering and work experiences and through the many individuals I have networked with contributed to success I have had at my current position.

Diane Haughland: As an undergraduate, I was determined to be a veterinarian. After job shadowing a vet, discovering ecology, and with the encouragement of professors, I instead pursued science through a Master’s degree. After teaching at a university, I wanted to be better at asking ecological questions, experimental design and statistics so I went back for a doctorate. My PhD was in the science of biodiversity monitoring. While I worked with birds, soil mites, mosses, and plants, it was the lichens that grew on me. I worked hard to grasp their taxonomy and that skill set helped me secure my position, as Lichenologist for the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI).

 What is the coolest thing you have had the opportunity to do in your career?

Melissa Bowerman: The hottest thing I have done in my career is get up close to lava not once, but twice. While watching lava flow in Hawaii, I was surprised to discover lava makes noise - it crackles and pops. Flakes of glass popping off the surface of the lava causes the sound. I was desperate to interact with the lava but the only thing I had in my pack was carrots. I can confirm – carrots burst into flame in lava.

Diana Tirlea: Hmmm, it is hard to pick just one thing. It ranges from “big” cool thinks like coring peatlands, helicopter rides (to study site), and rehabilitating bald eagles, to “small” things like finding preserved seeds from melting glaciers! It is also very awesome to share my research work and experiences with people and meeting interesting and passionate researchers at conferences.

Diane Haughland: Do I have to name just one? I love the travel – to explore ecosystems with other nature nerds, whether it’s in southern Alberta or on another continent is awesome.  To hike, quad or helicopter into sites that few people have seen is humbling, and to see them from a different perspective. For example, I introduced a long-time rancher to the dozens of hidden lichens living literally beneath his feet. I’ve helped discover new species to science, and designed survey methods for province-wide monitoring.  The challenges are never-ending, and that’s really the coolest part of my job.

Diane Haughland and her lichen-y friends.

Tell me about a time you had an opportunity to share your knowledge and contribution to the scientific community?

Melissa Bowerman: I cherish every opportunity to teach students in the field. Geology is a subject best taught outside and on the rocks. The backdrop of the Rockies makes for a fine classroom.

Diana Tirlea: Recently I presented to a plant study group on how we can use pollen and seeds to reconstruct past landscapes. We discussed different features used to identify pollen and seeds and we examined seeds under a dissecting microscope to look at differences in size, shape and morphology. Following this presentation, two people contacted us to discuss or use the RAM Seed Reference Collection (over 2260 specimens) to identify their samples.

Diane Haughland: I was part of the ‘provocative speaker series’ at a Telus World of Science adults-only event, “Dark Matters: the Science of Sex”, where I compared lichen sexuality to the wonderful variety in human relationships. For communicating with other scientists, publications are critical. They can be a lot of work but science is often advanced through incremental progress – it’s nice to contribute one of those increments.

Do you notice a shift in equality and parity for women in science?

Melissa Bowerman: Most geology classes at the undergraduate level are split evenly between men and women but that balance does not happen as often at advanced career levels. I have witnessed progress in the short span of my career and I hope to see more.    

Diana Tirlea: There seems to be a lot more women in science now; however, there is still a real lack of women represented in executive positions. However, there are many opportunities for women and girls to enter a science career today, including many internships and summer job opportunities for women. In addition, many science careers and organizations support women with families, including stay-at-home opportunities such as preparing scientific reports or editing journal articles.

Diane Haughland: The statistics show that more women are entering science, but the science shows that there are still (often unconscious) biases against women, particularly as they progress in their careers.  Focusing on that can be counterproductive, which is why I’ve learned to focus on the process, skill development and critical thinking. I encourage my students to use all resources available to them to ensure they are confident in their contributions.  We’ve come so far in the last 50 years and I’m optimistic our realized opportunities as women will only increase.

Melissa Bowerman examining a pumice deposit in Hokkaido, Japan

What is your advice to young girls interested in pursuing a career in science?

Melissa Bowerman: I do not subscribe to the idea of being naturally good at a particular subject. If science is your passion, hard work is the ticket to success.

Diana Tirlea: To help determine your career path, explore your interests through volunteering, working and interviewing people from different organizations. Do not be afraid to change your career path based on your experiences (e.g., volunteering).  Some careers may seem exciting and interesting, but you need to experience them beforehand. For example, I love working with small specimens (e.g., seeds) and microscopes and I can do this for hours. By networking, having many different experiences and connecting with people in your field of interest, you can align your passions and your individuality with your career. This will lead you to personal and professional success!

Diane Haughland: It’s cliché, but do what you love and do it to the best of your ability. Define your own balance. I love my work and I spend more time on it than I’m paid to, but that’s because the work is the reward. Realize you don’t have control over whether you get a certain job, but you do have control over how you spend your precious time.  And take care of yourself, always.

[quills-and-spills-blog]

A Good Environment

For this I used the prompt: “Write a piece about a school club” from @dropkickwritersblock​ (find the prompt here: x ). Thanks for the inspiration!

Warning: this text discusses anxiety, implied animal attacks, scarring, panic attacks, and descriptions of pain. It is, however, a happy story on the whole. Stay safe kids!

The character of Vi belongs to @evanescencerps​ and the character of Adam belongs to @artsy-mcbang​. If you like Gus, he’ll definitely be back in future writing pieces!

Enjoy!

“And what exactly would this club being doing?”

Gus looked up at Miss Fenwyck, eyes wide and nervous as ever.

“Um, v-volunteering at the, um, animal shelter, M-Miss. And m-maybe, uh, f-fundraisers? To h-help the sh-shelters g-get b-by…”

His English teacher’s neutral expression drew into a small frown. Gus grabbed the hem of his shirt and fiddled with it nervously. His already considerable anxiety level soared with every silent second she spent studying the application he’d handed her. She cleared her throat.

“Gus,” she began, rolling the word slowly as if she was using the time to carefully plan out how best to to break bad news to her already unstable student, “I appreciate your desire to help our furry friends, especially after...”

She paused for a brief second as she studied his face, giving him a sympathetic smile. It ended up  being more of an awkward grimace. Gus returned it with a nervous smile, wincing a little as the still-tender marks on his face puckered uncomfortably. Miss Fenwyck continued carefully.

“...However, this application does not have much to do with the school itself. It’s also incredibly specific, which is a club feature that tends to work against its formation.” She bit her lip. “Do you have any interested students?” She looked back to the application.  “Or a representative teacher?”

Gus shrank into himself a little. “Um...n-no,” he said quietly, “I...th-this was...um, I was hoping...m-maybe with a c-club...um...”

Miss Fenwyck stopped him with a sad smile. Though the expression stung a little, Gus appreciated not having to admit his lonely state out loud. “I see,” Miss Fenwyck sighed, “And I sympathize, Gus. But you need at least three more members and a teacher overseeing your activities before I can authorize a club. Perhaps you can join one that’s already been formed?”

Gus’s large front teeth chewed at his lip nervously. He felt his chest tighten and his vision swim a little with his growing anxiety. “I um...I w-waited a l-little l-late to j-join any, um, clubs, so...m-most p-people have k-kind of s-settled in? With f-friends and s-stuff? And I d-don’t w-want to interru-”

Gus jumped as the door to the classroom swing open suddenly. It hadn’t slammed into the wall, but the whooshing assaulted Gus’s senses strangely. He spun, ducking a little as he did so out of reflex. He’d been on high alert the past couple of days, but hadn’t thought much of it. He’d just chalked it up to his accident paired with the all the psyching up he’d been doing to hand in this application.

A shaggy head poked into the room, lighting up with a grin as the man who owned it strode in with long, lanky strides. He adjusted the large overfilled binder in his arms before looking down at his colleague. “Ah! Miss Fenwyck! Crushing another grand club pipe dream, it seems?” Miss Fenwyck’s face pinched into something between a pout and a scolding glare, but the man just waved a big hairy hand good-naturedly. “You know I’m just kidding.” He looked down at Gus with an easy smile, his grey eyes soft and reassuring. “Right?”

Gus felt himself smiling back automatically. A piece of Gus’s brain tried to puzzle out why his panic begin to ebb away the more the man remained in his presence. His mounting anxiety could never be completely erased, but the level it was at now was an all-time low in a matter of seconds. He decided not to question a good thing, choosing to shake off the feeling in favour of a reply. “Ha, um, yes Mr. Gilani.” The biology teacher just chuckled in response.

“I did come to do a little brainstorming about a student we’re both having trouble with, Olivia, but two birds and one stone and all that.”

He studied Gus’s face, his nose twitching slightly. Gus caught a strangely musky scent in the room as well, like wet earth. He wondered what it was. “Well, if this boy can’t found a club, let a club find him!” Patting the cover of the binder he held as if to affirm his statement, Mr. Gilani pulled a piece of paper out of the back pocket and handed it gently to Gus.

“If you don’t mind tramping around in the outdoors, the environmental club would be more than happy to have you!”

Gus blinked at the club member application in his hands and then up at Mr. Gilani.

“I, but...but isn’t everyone already...together? Like, with friend groups and stuff...”

The biology teacher brushed his worries away with another sweep of his big hand.

“Don’t be worried about making friends! We’re a small and tight-knit group for sure, but I guarantee you’ll fit right in and be part of the gang in no time.”

Gus stared at the application skeptically, but felt a surging tug of heart-tearing hope in his chest at the thought of finally finding friends. Mr Gilani took his silence as hesitation.

“If it’s any help in your decision, we have a sleep away trip planned for next week with all expenses paid thanks to our super successful bake sale the other week. Nothing like a good campfire-and-cabin situation to spark friendships!”

Slowly Gus nodded, the movement becoming more enthusiastic the longer it continued.

“Yeah...um, yes, I mean, I’d love to. Do, Um, d-do you have a pen?”

He scribbled down his information while the teachers talked shop and waited politely for them to finish speaking to hand in his application. Returning the completed sheet to his binder, Mr. Gilani rewarded him with a thumbs up and a grin. “Good to have you kiddo!” he said enthusiastically as he followed Gus out of the classroom. He snapped his fingers suddenly.

“Oh, Gus! I don’t mean to pry, but how long ago was your...”

He pointed gingerly to his own face before continuing.

“I just want to make sure it’s healed enough to be running around in the dirt, you know?”

Gus touched the scars on his face.

“Oh, um...it’ll be a m-month by the c-cabin t-trip? Is th-that okay?”

A strange look crossed the biology teacher’s face; not unfriendly, but something between concern and sympathy.

“Of course! But Gus? Do come to the trip, please. It’s important you come. For your sake. Promise me?”

Gus looked at the taller man, puzzled, but nodded after only a brief hesitation. Mr. Gilani’s returning smile seemed tinged with relief.

“Good man. Well, see you in class!”

With a wave he turned back the way he’d come and disappeared down the hall, leaving Gus to mull over the conversation on his walk home.

Gus’s nerves were as frayed as his backpack straps, his fingers picking at the fabric. He stood alone in the school parking lot, the first to arrive for the club trip. Not even the bus had pulled in yet. Gus eyed the sky as the light bled out into evening. He would have come at a more reasonable time - his brother Theo kept trying to convince him to arrive at least a couple minutes late - but even a month later he was hesitant to walk anywhere in the dark. He rocked from his heels to his toes and back again, channelling his nervous energy into kinetic energy. He was focusing so much on this simple task that he almost didn’t realize another person had shown up until he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Already in motion he sprang a into the air, projecting himself away from the mysterious figure. He almost turned his ankle on the landing. Surprised laughter tickled the air, and he felt his face heating up.

A girl he’d seen in his math class studied him with raised eyebrows and a small smile. With her straight black bangs pulled back it took him a few extra seconds to recognize her. She normally hid behind her hair in math class as if it were a protective curtain from the numbers and formulas.

“Um. H-Hi,” Gus said sheepishly. The girl snorted.

“Hi. Don’t be nervous. I won’t bite.”

She laughed again quietly at her joke. Gus looked at the ground. Biting was a bit of a sensitive subject for him at the moment. He looked back up to see her smile falter a bit, her eyes looking away awkwardly, her hands coming up to worry a lock of her hair. Oh no.

“Uhhh, I’m G-Gus!” he said a bit too loudly. They both cringed. He tried again, more softly. “S-Sorry. But y-yeah, um. Gus. Th-that’s m-me.” He gave her a half wince, half smile, his brain running through a list of insults aimed at himself. The awkward burst of introduction had brought her little smile back, though.

“Vi,” she said simply, then frowned in thought. “...Math class?” she said finally, tilting her head a bit to the side.

Gus felt like he was falling down an elevator shaft while his heart exploded simultaneously.

“I! Um! Yes!”

He didn’t mean to sound so excited, but he couldn’t help the goofy grin that spread across his face and the happy little bounce he gave at being remembered. He watched as the expression was echoed in Vi’s face, her eyes glinting mischievously as though his excitement was catching.

“Man, you know math can actually be really interesting, but a goldfish could teach it better than Mr. Harbour. It’d be less dry, at least.”

She grinned wider at the pun. Gus felt an honest reply almost spill out of his mouth

”Maybe the material, but I’d rather find a teacher that could...express his thoughts a little less wetly. My desk is kind of in the splash zone.”

Vi’s laughter was sharp and loud. Though it hurt Gus’s ears a little, it was well worth it. His nervousness was being converted into a euphoric frenzied excitement that was somehow helping him speak candidly, as he would with his brothers. It was as if the connection of math class had erased the usual awkward social barrier. Or maybe there had never been one there in the first place. He’d forgotten how good making friends felt.

The bus pulled in as they traded banter back and forth. Mr. Gilani strode out to greet it with his own duffle bag and a clipboard, sporting a more casual, campy outfit of a simple blue t-shirt and brown cargo shorts. The biology teacher waved them onto the bus as he checked their names off on his clipboard. As Gus passed on his way up the bus steps, Mr. Gilani caught his eye. Raising his own eyebrows Mr.Gilani smiled, as if to say a gentle, “I told you so”. Gus was so engrossed in the first long conversation with a stranger he’d had in awhile that he almost didn’t notice the long gnarled scars wrapping around Mr. Gilani’s knee.

Four more students piled onto the bus after them, and each was just as easy to talk to as the last. Gus was starry-eyed, feeling drunk with happiness. His conversations with them seemed almost second-nature, as if Gus had been friends with them for years and was just catching up. They shared snacks and played card and road trip games as the bus lumbered along the highway towards the camp.

Nightfall brought a more tense atmosphere. Gus first assumed it was sleepiness settling into the bus, but agitated looks and rubbing of exposed skin made him realize everyone was experiencing the same strange itchy feeling as himself. He saw Mr. Gilani look around at the students. Concern painted his face, but not worry. Gus decided it was best to try to ignore it.

Arrival at camp saw the kids splitting quickly into their cabins. It was near midnight by the time they’d reached the camp, and the gentle rocking of the bus had left the club members sleepy. Though they tried valiantly to have the late-night discussions camp is famous for, most fell asleep within fifteen minutes of lying down. It took four times that for Gus to finally drift off. Left in the awe of being someplace so remote but so comforting all at once, he scratched at the the strange itch growing in strength as the night stretched on.

Gus had never been to camp before. His family couldn’t afford it, and his mother had always been at home when he was a child. Though the dark woods gave him a constant dull buzz of fear, the activities were enough to keep him relatively distracted. The camp staff sent them off on everything from plant identification hikes to kayaking on the lake to capture the flag. Gus was a fairly small, slight boy. He’d never been particularly physically active, but he had some happy memories hiking through the forest with his dad and brothers. Going into the first few activities he was afraid he’d make a fool of himself, but he was pleasantly surprised. For what a team member lacked in one skill, the others found skills to more than make up for them. No one was left out. Gus supposed there was a benefit for such a small group of people to be friends. It was much easier to keep track of everyone’s well being, and that made it even easier for them to find success individually and as a whole.

Gus’s self esteem had never been great, and had only fallen as he failed to make friends. He had a hard time finding anything about himself that he liked, let alone any discernable skills. So when his capture the flag team pointed out that his smaller body could move quieter and hide easier than his larger counterparts’, Gus felt something shift in his chest. It felt lighter, somehow. As a particularly hulking, athletic boy named Adam bolted around and drew the attention of the opposing team, Gus snuck into the enemy territory and stole away with their flag to win the game. The grin he had plastered on his face when his team greeted him with hoops and hollers and hugs was so intense he felt like it might break his face in two. Even the intense and moody Adam offered him a little smile and a clap on the back that almost sent him flying face first into the dirt. So when the mood changed to one of anxious apprehension as shadows stretched across the camp Gus’s anxiety remained two-fold, and along with it the strange itch.

Gus stuck close to Vi and Adam as they made their way to the mess hall in the gathering dark. He felt a small sense of relief that the huge older boy had been paired as his cabin safety buddy. Even though Adam’s occasional angry outbursts reminded him of his terrifying stepfather, something about the quiet demeanor and the surprisingly gentle and instinctual way he would place himself between the forest and Gus made him a surprisingly comforting force. It was almost as if he was reading Gus’s fears straight from his mind.

Gus wanted to ask about what was happening, why everyone seemed so apprehensive as if they were sensing some sort of natural disaster, but he’d just become friends with them. He was waiting for the moment when he screwed something up as per usual. He wasn’t about to fast forward the situation by dragging uncomfortable thoughts out of everyone. Instead, he focused on keeping his small legs at enough of a trot to keep up with Adam.

As they reached the mess hall the tense silence increased tenfold. It felt almost solidified in the air.

Gus took a seat in between Adam and Vi, the person sandwich making him feel a little more comforted. He scratched his arm idly. Conversation at the table was already weak at best. When the food came it was enjoyed in silence. Gus frowned a little as the flavour of his food burst strangely in his mouth. There was a spice - or maybe a mixture of spices? - in here he didn’t recognize. The sour flavour was a weird choice for spaghetti. Thinking it was a safe enough topic, he nudged Adam softly and mentioned the strange taste with a nervous smile. Adam just blinked at him slowly, cool face not betraying any expression. He finally replied with a grunt and a gruff, “just remember to finish eating all of it,” before rising to take his own empty plate to the kitchens. Though Vi offered a few awkward but nice attempts at conversation, Gus stayed relatively quiet the rest of the meal.

A half hour before sunset, Mr. Gilani gathered everyone in the mess hall. On the table were glasses and a couple pitchers of water, as well as some small pill bottles. Gus eyed them warily, but everyone around him seemed to look a little more relieved at the sight. As they milled about, Mr.Gilani signaled them all to line up in front of the water table. His panic level steadily rising, Gus considered what this all could mean. Scenarios blurred through his head at top speed.

Was there something in the woods?

Was it coming to hurt them, and those pills were in case of injury?

Or had he jumped into some weird cult situation?

He felt his breath coming faster and faster, the itch under his skin getting worse by the second. He felt his chest constrict and his knees buckle. Adam was close enough to catch him before he hit the floor, but the closeness made the attack worse, confining, constricting. He curled in on himself, shaking uncontrollably as his vision tunnelled. Mr Gilani was suddenly beside him. The biology teacher’s voice was telling him to breathe, giving him cues to do so in a measured way. He sounded so far away. Slowly the feeling subsided, and Gus felt the usual extreme fatigue set in. Mr. Gilani helped him up and over to a pop-up cot in the corner of the mess hall, and Gus fell onto it. The biology professor disappeared from Gus’s vision for a second before returning with a glass of water and a couple of the pills. “Painkillers,” he explained, but Gus was already pushing them away, his panic returning. “No, Gus, You’re going to want them, just - ” Gus was so frantic to escape them that he knocked the pills out of Mr. Gilani’s hand, the hard capsules skittering off across the tile floor. Mr. Gilani sighed.

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry. I didn’t want to scare you. You don’t have to if you really don’t want to.”

Gus felt relief wash over him, his eyes drooping closed.

“I just want you to be as comfortable as possible,” Mr. Gilani continued, “We should have probably been more forthcoming about why we’re all here - ”

Gus heard him get cut off by an incredulous Vi questioning the reasons to keep quiet. As much as he wanted to stay awake, sleep took Gus under.

He woke up to his whole body itching furiously. He groaned, scratching his leg as he came to. As his sleep-blurred mind took a grip on reality, he heard strange sounds from all around him. Something wasn’t quite right. He blinked his eyes open.

The mess hall was dark, but his night vision slowly came into focus. People-like forms littered the hall. Some stood, but hunched a little as if they’d been sucker punched. Some were on the floor, writhing and jerking. All of them were making a strange groaning sound, punctuated with cracks and yelps of pain. Was something in here with them?  Was something hunting them?

Gus struggled to sit up quickly, giving a quick yell in pain himself. He became aware of a dull, a body-wide cramping ache throughout his entire person. It built steadily, along with that damned incredible itch. He scratched at his leg more furiously.  He realized it felt a lot hairier than he remembered before the pain reached a boiling point, leaving him in  the screaming wake of his own crackling bones.

As suddenly as it started, the pain subsided. Gus raised his head blearily and looked around the mess hall, breathing hard and achy joints creaking. It took a few minutes for the shapes to focus; his eyes had teared up during his episode. It took a couple of seconds for his brain to make sense of what slowly came into view.

The hall was filled with glinting eyes, fur, and sharp fangs.

Gus screamed, memories rushing back as he tried to scramble backwards. A chorus of voices exploded around him.

Someone who sounded like Vi shouted, “Hey wait!”

A gruff voice that seemed like Adam said “Whoa man.”

A Mr. Gilani voice was calling gently, “Gus, stay calm”.

His body felt strange, like someone had popped his legs off and put them on backwards. In his confusion he slipped and slammed into the floor, bringing his hands up to shield his head as he hit the ground. He rushed to get up and caught sight of his hands. He froze.

They were covered in brown hair, and his fingers were more claw than anything.

He felt panic rising, but a strange sense of calm settled over him as a large wolf with scars across its back knee trotted over and nudged him with his nose. “It’s okay,” the wolf spoke in Mr.Gilani’s voice. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I wanted you to enjoy your time here without worrying about the change. It’s the last time you were going to be able to.”

A huge tawny wolf snuffled and added gruffly in Adam’s voice, “You’re like, super nervous man. You would have gone bonkers if we told you.”

A chorus of sorries followed the admission. Gus blinked at all of them. A smaller black wolf trotted over and nudged him. If the voice didn’t give away that it was Vi, the mischief in the eyes definitely did. “But, hard part’s over. Now the real fun starts.” With a few whoops and hollers, the small group of wolves raced towards the mess hall doors and slammed into them, knocking them open easily and taking off into the night.

Gus sprang to his four feet, his nervousness forgotten in his scramble not to be left behind. He ran after the frenzied pack on clumsy legs, his newfound paws tripping him up as he tried to figure out the right rhythm in which to move them properly. Gus felt his common sense click back into place as the group barrelled into the woods. His panic rose as he slid to a sprawling halt at the treeline. Now alone at the edge of the forest he stood, shaking, trying to piece together all these broken pieces of what he knew about himself and the world. Whimpers escaped his mouth, further alienating his mind from his body. Something stirred in the forest ahead of him and his heart leapt into his throat. However the sight of the three loping wolves that would have sent him to a panic state earlier that day calmed him slightly instead. The small black wolf moved to stand at Gus’s right side while the towering tawny took the left. Both stood protectively close, their calm reassurance unchanged with their altered forms. The scarred-kneed wolf dipped his head at Gus gently.

“Don’t be scared. The bit of wolfsbane in your dinner tonight will let you keep your wits about you, and the whole pack is here to take care of you. We can’t stop what happened to you,” he pointed his snout at Gus’s face, “But we can be your support system.”

He let his tongue loll out in a goofy manner.

“And friends of course, if you’ll have us! We’re protective of our own. Besides, I know a few who have already grown quite attached.”

Gus felt the two bodies on either side of him press close. His chest warmed with the contact, the fear loosening its constrictive grip on his insides. This was all still so new to him, so frightening and confusing and daunting for what it meant for his life from here on out. But for once, he didn’t have to figure it out alone.

He stared into the dark trees, the snatch of wilderness echoing all the dark places that had given him so much anxiety in the past month. He stood on calm legs and nodded. “It’s weird, but...it a sort of strange, backwards way this is everything I ever wanted.” He let his tongue hang from his mouth in a silly smile, mimicking the expressions around him at his admission. Mr. Gilani dropped down into a play stance before jumping up, letting out a bellowing, joyful howl, and darting back into the forest. Vi and Adam moved after him, taking up the call. Gus felt himself move with them, hurtling with unbridled excitement into the very thing that would have before sparked a panic attack. As the swell of wolf song rose around him he threw back his head and added to it eagerly, his notes finding a place in the woodsy symphony.

[faithfulsinncrs]

all the mun emojis

The rest is going under read more, because that’s a lot of questions xp

🎂- When's your birthday?

February 12th.

 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦- What's your family like?

They are very unique. I can’t really explain them. Both sides of my family are HUGE and everyone has their own uniqueness about them. But there are a few things that both of them have in common like all of them are extremely loud and wild, gatherings are always something I look forward to going, and we all have a good time with each other.

🐶- Favorite animal?

I love dogs more than anything. 

 🔶- Favorite color(s)?

Green. Any shade of green tbh.

 🎥- Favorite movie?

Ummm. I don’t really have an ultimate favorite movie. I have a various amounts. I think Harry Potter would be one I could watch every day and any Studio Ghibli movies.

 📺- Favorite TV show?

Hands down, NCIS. I can watch all the seasons over and over again and still not get tired of it.

🎞- Favorite cartoon/anime?

Favorite cartoon would have to be Avatar the Last Airbender. Favorite anime, damn that’s a lot, but it’s a tie between Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Fairy Tail, One Punch, Yuri! On Ice and Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

 🍔- Favorite food?

Chicken Alfredo Pasta or anything pasta really. I do like pizza too. Mm and island food. Oh and sushi.

 🍦- Favorite ice cream flavor?

Cookies’n’Cream AND Rainbow Sherbert.

 🍭- Favorite candy?

KitKat and Cookie’n’Creme Hersheys.

 🍸- Do you drink?

Occasionally, but lately I’ve been drinking more than I have before. STRESS MAN.

 👣- What do you like to do in your spare time?

Read or write or finish up an adult coloring book. But most of the time it’s really just being lazy.

 ⚽️- Do you like any sports?

I love them. Like seriously, my family spends more time outdoors than anyone I know. Since spring is around the corner, we’re going to the park for our weekend softball sessions.

 🎮- Favorite video game(s)?

Fallout 4. I have lost count how many times I’ve finished that game. I am currently doing Survival, but I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it lol.

 ⛪️- Are you religious?

I would say yes. My entire family is religious but not in the extreme way.

 ⌛️- Last thing you did before logging in?

Eat dinner and trying to think up some good replies to my drafts.

 🎈- Share a childhood memory!

Spending so much time with my grandpa and listening to all his amazing stories and also seeing everyone smile. I miss that.

 🛍- What was the last purchase you made for?

The geek that I am, I bought the Sims 4 Get Together expansion pack. lol.

 💸- If you had a billion dollars and could only spend it, what would you buy first?

I would buy and build my own house and pay it off right there. 

 🖌- Are you artsy?

I can be a bit artsy. I’m more artsy with my words than with my drawing.

 ❤️- How would you describe yourself?

A girl who’s trying to get her life together and not stress out about the little things, but is also very insecure about her body and herself to not stress about the little things.

 💛- How do other people describe you?

Shy and very dependable is what I always seem to get.

 ⭕️- Favorite Pokemon?

Bulbasaur.

 💠- what is the Most expensive thing you own?

Hmmmm, I would say it’s my original Air Force Ones or my phone.

 ⚜- What is the most precious thing you own?

A bracelet that my late grandma got me when she was in Hawaii for medical referral.

 🐻- Do you have any stuffed animals?

I do and I’m not ashamed of it. lol. I have three.

 🐝- Favorite season?

In between spring and summer, because that’s when the temperature is just right.

 🐋- share a Weird/funny story?

I don’t really have a funny or weird story I can think of. lol.

[cherubintraining]

All of the aesthetic asks please

flower crown: when did you last sing to yourself?

I last sang to myself…hm…about ten minutes ago? Before my roommate came back from her class! All Time Low by Jon Bellion is stuck in my head today!

fairy lights: if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know?

Hm…this is a very good question…probably if we will ever live on other planets. Space is v neat.

daisies: what is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

Living!! Something I’ve been doing for almost 19 years!! Because sometimes being alive is Rough™️️ and that’s okay! I try my best and that’s all a person can do!

1975: what is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise?

There’s two that came right to mind! The first is the most recent, when my aunt let me play with her makeup and hair and I low-key transformed her into the next Stevie Nicks. Good TImes™️️! The other one that came right to mind is when I got to see my favorite person for the first time in over a year when she came home for a weekend. I miss her bunches.

matte: if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?

I mean probably? I’d probably not continue my college education and try to travel different places. Work on my bucket list. But I also potentially wouldn’t change anything.

black nail polish: do you have a bucket list? if so, what are the top three things?

Pet a giraffe (done), own a hedgehog, and own a bed and breakfast (in no particular order)

pantone: describe a person close to your life in detail.

She’s got shoulder-length brown hair and big, beautiful sea-glass colored eyes. Full-lips and a contagious smile. Her entire persona just makes you want to sit and listen to what she has to say for hours on end. Her voice calms me down. Her sense of humor can be a little dark sometimes but that’s okay, because it makes me laugh. (I guess I can be pretty dark, too) She has been through a lot, but she has never stopped fighting and I truly admire that about her. I love her a lot. She’s like an angel to me.

moodboard: do you feel you had a happy childhood?

I feel I had a relatively normal childhood!

stars: when did you last cry in front of another person?

Pssshhh yesterday when I got in a car accident, I cried in front of my roommate, the other driver who was involved, and two police officers.

plants: pick a person to stargaze with you and explain why you picked them.

I’d probably pick my cousin John. He’s a man of quiet solitude and loves the outdoors. His mind wanders a lot so I feel it’d be a good fit. ‘Specially since my eyes are too bad to see that far away :P

converse: would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them?

Maybe? If we were stuck together for a long period of time, sure.

lace: when was your last 3am conversation with someone, and who were they to you?

My friend Nikki. She and I were wandering around the city and talking and being idiots. She’s a long-time childhood friend.

handwriting: if you were about to die, and you could only say one more sentence to one person, what would you say and to whom?

I’d engrave “nothing is set in stone” on my gravestone with my own two hands so that way everyone who sees it can roll their eyes in exasperation at me.

cactus: what is your opinion on brown eyes?

I lowkey think I had a thing for people for brown eyes - every person I’ve dated has had brown eyes. (Except one, but we don’t talk about that.) They’re beautiful and deep, and there’s so much more…to them than…what…meets…the…eye…I hate myself.

sunrise: pick a quote and describe what it means to you personally.

“Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyways.” This is the story of my life. i am messy. I am complicated. I live in constant anxiety and I always show up anyways.

oil paints: what would you title the autobiography of your life so far?

Things that Happened™️️

overalls: what would you do with one billion dollars?

Move to another country. Buy a little house and a dog and lots of flowers. Create the aesthetic that I will probably never be able to afford.

combat boots: are you a very forgiving person? do you like being this way?

With some things I am too forgiving. With others I hold too many grudges. I don’t like being this way really because if I forgive I never forget and since I never forget, I feel like I never truly forgive. winged eyeliner: write a hundred word letter to your twelve year old self.

(I’m going to do an estimate on words.)

Dear twelve year old me,You are going to make so many mistakes. So, so many mistakes. Right now is the beginning of where we as a person went wrong. We treat ourselves like crap, and I wish I could warn you of what is going to happen, but I can’t. I, for one am not a time traveler, and B) you become a better person because of it all. I hope. I don’t know. I’m still working on it. Read a lot of books. Make a lot of art. Ignore boys in general cuz boy oh boy do you have another thing coming. Sincerely, Me. The Older Screw-up™️️

pastel: would you describe yourself as more punk or pastel?

Neither. I am Punk Pastel™️️

tattoos: how do you feel about tattoos and piercings? explain.

LOVE THEM. I have 6 piercings so far, though my final number is aimed to be around 12. I have one tattoo, but I plan on becoming a walking canvas. It’s my body, and I want to treat it like the masterpiece it is.

piercings: do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not?

I either wear a shit ton of makeup or nothing at all. There is no in between with me. But I really LOVE makeup.

bands: talk about a song/band/lyric that has affected your life in some way.

I grew up on Pink Floyd, so I guess I have them to blame for my constant Angst™️️.

messy bun: the world is listening. pick one sentence you would tell them.

LMAO I can’t do speeches in front of a class, no way in hell would I be able to say something to the entire world. It’d probably just be a *choking noise*

cry baby: list the concerts you have been to and talk about how they make you feel.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas-y!Hannah Montana/the Jonas Brothers - honestly don’t remember too much of that concertScott Stapp - Really happy and chill because my dad was with me and very happy. Warped Tour - Very emo. Just…very, very emo. Black Veil Brides - I had a headache the next day but it was a lot of fun! Nothingbutthieves - I had no idea who this band was but they ended up being really good. I felt very relaxed and old…there were a lot of younger kids there.X-Fest- I was really only there to see Wheezer and Panic! At the Disco but it was sooooo much fun. Lots of dancing and GORGEOUS sunsets.Florence and the Machine - Like the gypsy princess I wish I could be. Taylor Swift (all of her tours) - I am always going to love Taylor Swift. Her music just makes me very happy and I’m not ashamed to say that I love her. Very dance. Much smile. Many off-key singing from my aunt and I.

grunge: who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say?

My Person, Angel. And it could say anything in the world, I’d still be happy because this week is already extremely Rough™️️

space: do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised?

My desk at home is very cute and artsy but the one here at school is kinda really messy.

white bed sheets: what is your night time routine?

At home I usually take a bath, wash my face, brush my teeth, put on my fleetwood Mac record and my fairy lights and go on tumblr. (I know, it sounds fake. But it’s true.)

old books: what’s one thing you don’t want your parents to know?

Technically there’s two things. I like girls and I have a tattoo.

beaches: if you had to dye your hair how would you dye/style it and why?

It would be pink ALL over and it’d be longer than it is now so I can wear space buns and put hair glitter in it.

eyes: pick five people to go on an excursion with you. who would you pick and where would you go/what would you do?

Sarah, Isabella, Megan, Morgan, and Jules. I don’t know what we would do or where we would go but I think it’d be v fun.

11:11: name three wishes and why you wish for them.

I wish school was over (I’m stressed) I wish for a hedgehog (they’re so cute)And I wish all my friends were happy (I’m lame)

painting: what is the best halloween costume you have ever put together? if none, make one up.

Oh I’ve decided for halloween next year I’ll be Van gogh. I’m going to wear my starry night dress and have an ear necklace and carry around sunflowers.

lightning: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done while drunk or high?

Never been high. I got drunk once and made out with a boy.

thunder: what’s one thing you would never do for one million dollars?

Kill anything or anyone

storms: you on only listen to one song for the rest of your life, or only see one person for the rest of your life. which and why?

Song: Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

love: have you ever fallen in love? describe what it feels like to realise you’re in love.

I’m gonna pass on this one.

clouds: if you’re a boy, would you ever rock black nail polish? if you’re a girl, would you ever rock really really short hair?I am a girl and I had short hair once (its still pretty short) but I loved it

coffee: what’s your starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone?

My friend Sam. Vanilla Chai Tea Latte

marble: what is the most important thing to you in your life right now?

Sleep.

This was very long but very fun! Thank you anon!!!

[beimanorthrun-blog]

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Best Places To Meet Girls In Santiago & Dating Guide Meet thousands of singles in Santiago De Chile with Mingle2's free personal ads and chat rooms.  The temporary exhibits, which showcase everything from desert hats to weavings to rock art, are also worth visiting.  Sign up for free and create an impressive profile that introduces your pleasant personality to your prospects.  Every winter, powder hounds flock to this ski area 102 miles northeast of Santiago to tackle the Andes' famed slopes.  But there's plenty more to capture your attention.  Connecting Singles is a 100% where you can make friends and meet Chile singles.

Santiago.singles.dating: Santiago Dating You can dance the night away after dark in one of its many discos.  Several other key government officials also have offices in the neoclassical structure that takes up a whole block in downtown Santiago.  After hosting the first-ever World Championship event in Latin America, Portillo and its popularity only continued to grow, earning it a reputation as one of Chile's most-beloved ski retreats.  If you're looking to learn more about General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, plan a visit to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos.  Beckoning to an artsy crowd, the Bellavista neighborhood features graffiti-lined streets with cafes, art galleries and boutique shops.

Santiago Dating Have you tried all the traditional ways to find someone special in Chile? You'll also want to save time for perusing the or for a leisurely tasting at one of the nearby.  The hill's height affords spectacular views to those who visit the summit.  According to many recent visitors, the museum succeeds in increasing cultural awareness of the thousands of residents impacted by persecutions, exoneration, imprisonment and torture during Pinochet's rule.  Meanwhile, the plaza fills with comedians, artists, photographers, performers and street vendors on a daily basis, making this a popular spot to simply relax and soak up the city's culture.  These are members that meet the criteria you specifed as being what you're looking for, and for whom you also meet their criteria.  When outdoor enthusiasts flock to the Andes' jagged peaks and wine lovers explore the Maipo Valley's spectacular , art history buffs head to the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino.  The massive, decorated naves add to the aura of inspiration.

Chilean Dating As you walk past the stalls and stands, you'll come across rarities like giant squid, sea urchin and barnacles, among other unconventional offerings.  According to Siteadvisor and Google safe browsing analytics, Santiago.  The museum's permanent collection showcases works from Colonial times to the present.  Chile Dating for singles from Chile.  Communicate free with quality, successful, fun, exciting, sexy Chile singles - Free of any charges whatsoever.

[followmeeastward]

One night in Bangkok...

(11/12/18) Okay so it was more than one night! But anyways! This past month I was lucky enough to get to travel to Thailand with a large group of my fellow volunteers! We all took to gathering in Bangkok for the beginning of the week, to indulge ourselves in western civilization, then for the last four days of the week, took to an AirBnB on one of the many islands off the coast of Thailand. While I could go on for days with every little detail I’ll give you the highlight reel of the city in this post!

Day Zero (Saturday 10/20) Stepping out of one world into another….

I’ve now been living in Myanmar for nine months, and have grown very accustomed to their version of what a city is, and what western style foods they provide. Nothing was more of a shock on the whole of our Thailand trip than that first drive into downtown Bangkok from the airport. Once again seeing buildings that rise more than twenty floors into the air, and a Starbucks on every corner. I had to consciously remind myself to keep my mouth closed because for the first time in so long I was seeing names of establishments like McDonalds and Subway and I could not contain my girlish excitement. It was like stepping back into any major American city. And it was in seeing this, that it truly felt like vacation had begun, it was a whole new world and a whole new mindset. Couldn’t have made me more excited!

Day 1 (Sunday 10/21) A Day of Shopping:

We woke up from our first night’s sleep and decided that we would go to Chatuchak Weekend Market. It is the largest outdoor market in all of Thailand, definitely a big tourist destination, but at the same time something you do not want to miss. They have everything you could want, from Thai coffee, to mangos and sticky rice, to clothes, food items, pet items, and even pets themselves! Anything you could want you could easily find at this market. It was like an artsy farmers market on steroids. My favorite part about it was how easily a person could get lost, so many different twists and turns, you could be walking for only 10 minutes and find yourself in a whole new section having no clue how you got there! We spent the better part of the day there, trying to hide from the constant on and off showers, splitting our group of 10 into smaller groups, and then randomly running into each other, until we all came to the decision it was time to go back to the hostel.

That night we took ourselves to a place called Best Beef. Which for a price you could get all the meat and veggies you can eat in two hours. Each table had their own grills on them which you would then cook the food yourself at the table! Needless to say our large group got their moneys worth! After that, as we wobbled and rolled ourselves out the restaurant we went to Khao San Road. This is a road that is blocked off, so no cars can go up and down, and is instead lined with bars and clubs. There are also street vendors trying to sell you fried scorpions on a stick and the wonderful ping pong show. No we did not see a ping pong show, if you don’t know what that is, good. It was at a place like this that our group had a killer time! They got me to get up and sing karaoke, where passerby took my video. Then we all danced in the streets to loud techno music with what seemed like hundreds of our new close friends (wouldn’t be the only time this week)! Next thing we knew it was past three in the morning. Definitely time to go back and sleep for a few hours before facing the next day!

Day 2 (Monday 10/22) A Cinematic Cure:

We all woke full day number two not feeling our tip top. But we all gathered and rallied and went to this cool breakfast spot located in the floor above a bar. Inside it looked like a cute coffee shop had been set up at someone’s kitchen table. But the bar downstairs looked like you were walking through the hospital wing at an insane asylum. 50% scary, 50% intriguing. Later that day, my girls Shannon and Maia and myself decided that we would treat ourselves to a movie. A Star is Born with Lady Gaga had just come out, and we thought what better time to go! The movie theater we found had a lobby that looked nicer than some of the top hotels in the states. It was absolutely gorgeous and each theater was HUGE, with recliner comfy chairs, and unlike the theaters in Myanmar, there was FRESH popcorn. It was the perfect hangover cure! That night we went back to the insane asylum looking bar because as it turns out was a craft beer bar! They had beers and ciders of all varieties from all over the world. Even my lovely Ballast Point! We also met the owner who was from Canada but had been in the craft beer business for quite sometime. It was definitely a contrast to the night before, but we were the only people in the bar, so it was nice to get out and have good quality beer in a more low key setting.

Day 3 (Tuesday 10/23) Off to Chinatown:

On our last full day in the city, Paul had a great idea of taking a traditional thai motor boat from downtown where we were staying to where the famous palace is. So me and him, along with Maia and Connor, set off in the morning, after getting our Starbucks on an adventure! It was a whirl wind taking that boat! You sit down in the boat, and its in the water instead of on top of. So when you look over the edge of the boat, you almost at level with the water. Now the waves on the river were very choppy that day and getting on and off you didn’t have much help, so it was a constant game of hoping that you wouldn't stand up and fall in the water. But my favorite part of the ride was getting to see the skyline of the city from a new point of view. We saw buildings of all shapes and sizes, Chinatown, pagodas and other ferry type boat cruises passing by.

We didn’t actually go inside any of the major temples or the palace, because we were trying to save money, instead we walk the length around them before finding ourselves in a nice gated park trying to beat the heat. It was there we decided to go into Chinatown for lunch and just to have a look.  Upon entering Chinatown it looked very similar to that of the one in San Francisco, just flat. Each establishment was hanging red lanterns, all around you were Chinese symbols advertising different things on different store fronts. After a wild ride getting there watching our driver dodge traffic we found ourselves in the middle of another rain storm.We decided there to turn down what looked like a covered road that was also lined with everything from food stands, to snack shops, to trinket shops. It was down this road that we found the best food I had had in a long time. We got gyoza, pork buns, fried rice, ramen noodles, and all of us got drinks besides water, all for the equivalent of around ten American dollars. It was a tiny hole in the wall place, that if you asked me to find it again I would never be able to. It was truly the best. Everything so fresh and no tourists, that’s how you know it’s good, when it’s all locals.

By the end of the day when the four of us had reached our hostel once more, we had taken four different modes of transportation throughout the course of the day, Paul had broken his shoes, and we were soaked in rain water. Perfect way to say thank you and goodbye to Bangkok. Because the next morning we’d be off to the island!

[sentrava]

A Beer-Filled Idaho Weekend: How to Spend a Perfect Four Days in Boise

Before we moved from California seven years ago, we spent our final months bopping around the Western states, trying to cram as many national parks, scenic vistas and new states in as humanly possible. This was our introduction to Idaho, a dream world of a place we immediately became enamored with as we arrived in Coeur d’Alene on a sunny, hot afternoon after six straight weeks of freezing, spitting rain. The brief three days that followed encompassed a lot of lake exploration and teaching Ella how to swim, and we tried to figure out how we could swing back down to Boise on our way home.

The travel gods worked against us, though, as we were on a schedule to depart San Francisco and move back across the country, so we shelved that idea. But Boise has always been on the back of my mind ever since I felt like I missed out on it the first time.

There’s a happy ending to this story, of course, if you can’t already tell by the title of this post, as Boise finally happened many, many years later.

And boy did Boise deliver! A progressive city posing as a large college town—population 225,000—it’s brimming with craft beer and rainbow flags aplenty, and many people told us it was “the next Portland” or “Denver lite.” I’d go one step further and say I prefer it to both of those places—by now, you know the cities that speak to me: just large, convenient and manageable enough without the true hassles of urban life—so whatever you’re doing, Boise, keep it up.

For those of you looking to plan a trip to Idaho, here’s how our long weekend in Boise went down.

Thursday

Much to my delight when booking our tickets, I found that Southwest flies to Boise, so we hopped an early morning flight out of Nashville, connected in Phoenix, then touched down in Idaho just in time for lunch.

Our first stop was an obvious one for anyone who has known us more than five Internet seconds: Bardenay. If there’s anything I love more than a good distillery, it’s one that also has a top-notch restaurant, and Bardenay bears the distinction of being the country’s first distillery restaurant. We liked it so much—specifically, for me, the vegetarian options—that we came back for a second meal over the course of our weekend, despite Boise having so many delicious restaurant options. Bonus: Our parking garage across the street was adorned with murals! But that was just the start.

When we got back to our car, we headed less than half a mile down the street to check into our hotel, but not before stumbling upon even more murals, including one that was being installed! Boise, it’s like you know us already.

It was completely finished by the time we left, too!

As it turns out, our hotel, Inn at 500 Capitol, also looked onto a brand new mural painted across an apartment building. I don’t know what I expected from Boise, but murals around every turn was not it! (I was quite pleased by these discoveries, clearly.)

I also wasn’t prepared for how truly artsy and adorable the Inn at Capitol 500 would be. From the moment we checked in, and they gave us a local craft beer as an amenity until we stepped out on our floor that had—you guessed it!—a mural staring back at us, I felt right at home.

I came to find this was just the beginning of the Four Diamond hotel’s extensive art collection. Throughout the course of our visit, we checked out every floor, each of which was decorated with its own custom drawing and other bold, whimsical art. Color me thrilled!

Our room itself was a Premier King decked out in a swanky-cool Rat Pack theme and its own furnished balcony, too.

While the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service, it’s also very central and the first thing we do in any new place is hit the ground on our own four feet, so we walked toward the capitol, through Freak Alley and over to Hops & Bottles to sample the local water.

Immediately after entering Hops & Bottles—which it bears noting, is hopping any day after work—we got to chatting with owner Mark Sieber, who spent nearly a decade up in Seattle, then moved back home to Boise with his wife at which point they decided to start their own bottle shop.

Hops & Bottles opened this summer and already has more than a dozen beers on tap, in addition to 300+ in cans and bottles. The refrigerators at Hops & Bottles stock some of my favorite West Coast beers that I haven’t been able to track down in years, so SVV and I put together our own six-pack—you can pick and choose as you wish—to enjoy throughout the rest of our stay. And naturally now we’re wondering how we can replicate Mark’s model back in Tennessee!

One of the toughest parts of our trip was narrowing down our long to-eat list to just a few key meals. We’d been told newcomer The Wylder was one not to miss, so we made this our first dinner, chowing down on a charcuterie board, craft cocktails and some bomb pizza, the crust of which was made from a 50-year-old sourdough starter. Setting the stage for one excellent weekend indeed.

Friday

A friend who went to school in Idaho absolutely raved about Downtown Java, so we got up, walked toward the capitol, and dropped in for a healthy breakfast and the signature “bowl of soul” before continuing our aimless wandering.

At 11:30, we headed over to the Basque Market to get in line for Paella on the Patio, which takes place at noon on Wednesday and Friday of every week and dinner on Thursdays. Did you know that Idaho boasts the largest population of Basques outside of their native region? The area is a must-visit for history-lovers and the paella party a can’t-miss for epicures who find their way to Boise. It’s first come, first served, though—and when it’s gone, it’s gone—so you best get there early! The market has been thriving since 2000 and under its current ownership, Tony Eiguren (pictured below) and his wife Tara, for just over a decade. If you don’t care for paella, the market also sells various tapas inside.

After that, we had a bit of time to kill before our next activity, so we checked out the locals’ favorite, Bittercreek Alehouse, for a flight of regional brews.

If you’re not a beer lover and art isn’t your thing—to which I say, girl, you’re crazy—there is still one major reason to visit Boise: the World Center for Birds of Prey.

This world-class facility serves as the headquarters for the Peregrine Fund (established in 1970) and is located just 25 minutes from downtown; it not only serves as a research center and sanctuary for raptors but also an educational facility teaching people why they shouldn’t fear these gorgeous creatures. I learned SO many things about birds of prey during our three hours exploring the grounds; for example, did you know that as recently as the 1950s, the government placed a bounty on the head of many birds of prey, in particular the bald eagle? How insane is that! Or that not very long ago, there were only 22 California condors left on Earth, and 35 years after starting to breed them in captivity and release them into the wild, there are now around 500?

Or how about this one: The main culprit of death for condors is lead poisoning (i.e. humans hunting animals whose carcasses the condors later prey upon). It’s mind-blowing, the amount of information available at this facility.

The six-month-old Milky eagle owl was by far my favorite raptor to observe, but my Potter-loving self squealed when I got to meet Buckbeak’s doppelgänger (from the other side of the glass, I might add!). Those visiting the center in late-September through early-November should definitely sign up for one of the weekly flight demonstrations.

Those who want to further their knowledge on raptors should drive down to the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in Murphy, a near half-million acres managed by the BLM about an hour south of Boise. We didn’t have time to squeeze it in on this trip, but a visit to Dedication Point Overlook will be the first thing we do next time we’re back.

After our time with the birds of prey, we headed back into Boise to make a dent in the local brewing scene, each stop impressive in its own right (and most of which had a resident food truck, which we took advantage of, as well!). Among our favorites are:

Payette Brewing Company — one of the best taproom backyards I’ve ever seen

Woodland Empire Ale Craft — a more intimate tasting room with an ace staff 

Barbarian Brewing — a heaven for sours lovers

At 7pm, we drove to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, which isn’t so much a festival per se as a series produced by a local theater company that runs in the outdoor amphitheater from May though September each year.

We already had lawn chairs reserved, nabbed a picnic dinner from Cafe Shakespeare and brought in our six-pack from Hops & Bottles. Gotta love a venue that’s BYOB (or wine)! There’s a pre-show concert to listen to if you arrive early. The play during our visit was Pride & Prejudice, and it was hands-down the best rendition of the classic Austen tale that I’d ever seen. Photos are not allowed during the production, which made me sit back and enjoy the three hours uninterrupted for a change, but let me just say this: I’ve never witnessed such professional-caliber talent in a community production before!

Saturday

We’re early risers these days, particularly when on mountain time, and we were up with the sun and ready to cruise around town by bike. As if our hotel could get any more desirable, they also offered complimentary cruisers that guests could take out in three-hour increments. Even better is the fact that the Greenbelt is just two minutes by bike from the hotel. Sold!

The Greenbelt spans 25 miles of park and trail along the Boise River, and it’s definitely well-used and well-loved by its residents, from runners and bikers to fishermen and canines.

Keep your eyes peeled for giraffes as you clip by—no, really, the giraffe quarters at Zoo Boise overlook the Greenbelt so if you feel as if you’re being watched, there’s a good chance you are!

On our way back from our ride, I was in need of a caffeine drip, so we dropped into Form & Function, just a couple blocks from the hotel, and fueled up.

After our bike ride, we returned our cruisers to the hotel, then walked over to Boise Farmers Market, a thriving public market with so much to look at and all sorts of delicacies like tamales cooked on site and jalapeño wine lemonade to taste.

Also taking place on Saturday mornings and early afternoons from mid-April through mid-December is Capital City Public Market up near the capitol, which is heavier on the arts and crafts than the farmers market.

While in the heart of Boise, we took the opportunity to peek inside the capitol itself and check out its fantastic collection of marble before our stomachs directed us to Bardenay once more for a meal.

Following brunch, we returned to our hotel to kick it for the afternoon, only to discover there’s a hidden gem of an indie theater tucked behind it. Suddenly the cinematic theme of our room made perfect sense! Having not seen a movie all summer long, we grabbed tickets to see a matinee of Eighth Grade in a theater that was born one year before me (that’s to say, it’s been around a lot of years). There was a bar and a restaurant, and the experience was peppered with nostalgia. Boise peeps, you need to be seeing movies at the Flicks if you aren’t already!

When we came out of the movie in broad daylight, the force of the Boise summer heat hit us full force so we ventured across the street from the hotel to a collective of concepts comprising Gas Lantern Drinking Company, White Dog Brewing and LongDrop Cider Company. This grouping of libations also dishes up eats from a local food truck, Smoke and Thyme, which has a permanent location out back.

I’ve never been a huge cider fan before but that’s clearly because I’d never had LongDrop’s creations, as we sampled a full flight and I found myself wanting to come back for more; it was the perfect respite from the Idaho heat. LongDrop was the first cidery in the whole state, and they also sell select products in bottles and cans.

We left LongDrop quicker than we would have liked—just one flight? who are we even?—but that’s because we were racing the sun and wanted to make it to Camel’s Back Park before dark.

There are two ways to get up to the top of Camel’s Back ridge: the longer, windier way with more solid footing or the near-vertical climb up Sand Hill.

We took Sand Hill, though I only recommend doing so if you’re wearing sneakers with good grip as that hill is steep, particularly at the top. I felt like I was going to topple down it as I dug my toes into the sand for stability.

It was a hazy evening, which almost prohibited us from making the trek up, but I’m so glad we did as the smoke made for a dramatic sunset. Moon, too.

Next time we’re in Boise, we’ll bring a picnic to eat at Camel’s Back Park first as there’s a nice, grassy stretch of 11 acres at the bottom of the ridge.

Sunday

Lazy Sunday? Ha, not in our world! But like any good Sunday, ours started with mimosas and brunch at Fork, a downtown staple that luckily takes reservations because we had tried to go Saturday during the market only to find a near two-hour wait. Book your table in advance, as you don’t want to miss Fork.

After brunch, we walked around the sleepy downtown before the collegiates were up and at ’em for the day, then headed 45 minutes north to Horseshoe Bend, stopping along the Payette River to take photos on the way.

It was a bit hazy from the California wildfires, but a gorgeous day for rafting. Idaho gets hot in the summer, and I can’t think of a better way to cool off than a rafting trip down the icy Payette!

We arrived at Cascade Raft and Kayak to find one of the most polished outdoor outfitters I’ve ever seen; in addition to all the usual equipment rentals and shops, there was an outdoor grille, a riverfront patio, a grassy lounge area, a smoothie bar, a cafe, and plenty of space to hang before and after your trip.

We waited until our color was called, then boarded up the bus to drive the 15 minutes to the starting point of our trip.

Given that I have been rafting all of five times in my life, I’ll admit: I was nervous. When the guide told us we’d be on Class III and IV rapids for much of the time, I wondered if it was too late to back out of our trip down the Lower South Fork of the Payette.

Three hours later, I’m so glad I didn’t. This was by far the highlight of our time in Idaho, and that’s saying a lot, as there’s nothing from our trip I’d take off the itinerary.

SVV even “rode the bull” right after we finished Staircase, the most epic series of cascades on this stretch of the South Fork. We had opted for the half-day “rush,” but next time I’d love to do the full-day “plunge” and really soak up the beauty of the region.

We were tired when we returned to Boise, but that didn’t deter us from a couple of brewery stops, followed by a nightcap at the STIL Ice Cream Shop. This brand new ice cream shop not only scoops up booze-infused ice creams, but also serves beer and spirits pairings. Talk about my dream concept!

Monday

Monday morning rolled around, and we knew we’d saved the best breakfast stop for last: Guru Donuts. Better yet, they’re gluten-free (not that I needed an excuse to indulge)!

We didn’t do much shopping while in Boise—primarily because we were too busy tasting all the beer in town—but while driving to Camel’s Back had stumbled upon Hyde Park in the North End and mentally bookmarked it for a little window-shopping. It was just a bonus then that we also spotted a mural that spanned an entire co-op wall on the drive over.

Sadly, our noon airport departure approached far too quickly, and we’d only managed to check off a half-dozen breweries and taprooms throughout the weekend. So we made that one more by heading over to the local outpost of 10 Barrel Brewing Co. for lunch and kiwi sours before we officially bid Boise farewell.

I’m a list-maker (shocking, right?), and I’ll admit we didn’t manage to make it through my entire eat/drink list, specifically to Waffle Me Up, Boise Fry Company, BACON or Wild Root Cafe & Market, because there are only so many meals in a day (or so I’m told…). But all the more reason to return next summer, as if the art and beer and outdoors weren’t already enough of an excuse!

Have you been to Boise? Did you find it an unexpected Mecca of culinary and artistic delights? What would you add to my weekend itinerary for next time?

This post was sponsored by Visit Idaho. All opinions are my own.

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A Beer-Filled Idaho Weekend: How to Spend a Perfect Four Days in Boise published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS

[craiglotter]

Just across the road from Sedgefield’s super popular Wild Oats Community Farmers’ Market grounds stands another, even more colourful entry into the weekend market scene – The Scarab’s Craft Market at Scarab Village.

Leaving the fresh produce and eco-friendly themes for the Wild Oats Market to pick up, the Scarab’s Craft Market instead doubles down on being the source of the best authentic, handmade craft to be found along the Garden Route.

The musical, colourful, welcoming market is held beside the titular Scarab Art and Craft Village, which itself is also home to more than just a few super interesting stores.

Beads, exotic plants, stone art, ornate light fittings, wooden crosses, owl boxes, woodcraft furniture, and my personal favourite, craft paper made from Elephant Dung can all be found as you flutter between one artsy shop and the next.

There is an outdoor red roof venue which you can hire, there is a small diner ready to see to any hunger pangs that you might be experiencing, and there is a small, octopus under the sea themed kids play area for the little ones. (Which the girls of course enjoyed).

Oh, and Sedgefield’s very own little craft brewery also just happens to be situated in the village…

Sadly for us though, our short Sedgefield stop didn’t quite fall over a weekend, so we missed out on experiencing the vibrant atmosphere that surely must be on display here come each and every Saturday – which I guess just means we need to make our way back there sooner than later then! 😉

Related Link: Scarab Village | Scarab Paper | Sedgefield

Elephant Dung Paper at the Scarab Art and Craft Village in Sedgefield (2017-07-11) Just across the road from Sedgefield's super popular Wild Oats Community Farmers' Market grounds stands another, even more colourful entry into the weekend market scene - The Scarab's Craft Market at…