#biggest cases of resting bitch face in the four nations

[narrativelysignificantturtleduck]

"haha if you pause the show the characters make funny faces" is such a low form of humor but i can't help but enjoy how the pianjeong screenshots make them look super divorced

jeong jeong's side-eye. piandao's frown

they are NOT looking at each other

bumi had to separate them

[nomaliqhwa]

HERE'S WHY #HERSTORY IS ALSO OUR STORY

Nomaliqhwa Hadebe | Illustrations: Zinhle Sithebe

In our roles as rappers, radio hosts, executives, editors, DJs, VJs and patrons – it's women who are the custodians of the culture and who have helped hip hop in South Africa be more than just an imported passing fad.

Hip hop offers a space for reflection, ambition and comfort. It's competitive, raw, badass and nasty. And it can also be melancholic and emblematic, speaking to and for you. Simply put, hip hop belongs to women. And with Castle Lite bringing the first-ever all female line-up to Africa with the #HIPHOPHERSTORY concert, it's an opportune time to reflect on women's impact, starting with the trailblazers who will be on that stage.

Because for a genre that is shaped by many women's hands, the optics that currently represent hip hop still don't show the full picture. The way women are made to feel valueless within the scene, seen only as accessories to men's success is fraudulent. Women are the custodians of hip hop culture in South Africa right now, and it's about time we said it out loud.

"People generally think that with females sex sells and that's the only way you can get the message across. But that's not the case, that's what we are trying to eradicate in any industry that deals with entertainment and women. We are not here to sell ourselves, we are here to communicate with you. And in terms of transformation, that's happening more now." Ayanda MVP

There's a popular tag about Cape Town hip hop being excluded from the greater narrative, and you wouldn't be completely off if you bought into it.  Similarly the women doing the work haven't fully received the props that they deserve, which has resulted in a massive oversight of the important conversations and themes that female MCs continue to bring to the forefront. Today, we are privy to rappers like Andy Mkosi and Dope Saint Jude using their narratives to make music that speaks to how race, gender, sexuality and class impact their lives. Legitimising their intersected identities within the bigger scope of the hip hop narrative and allowing that representation to cross over far and wide. Like with the project that was Andy Mksosi's intimate Bedroom Tour, it added an incredibly personal and immersive feel to the way we experience the genre. Demonstrating the different dimensions of what hip hop in South Africa is and can be – even to communities it's been previously known to subjugate.

As in the case of rap supergroup and South African Hip Hop Hall of Famers Godessa. In our narrow perspective we forget to pay homage to these true OGs: three women out of Cape Town who charged forward in their role as pioneers of a mainstream movement at a time when the genre needed a buy in from women and the nation as a whole. Kwaito was at its prime as the urban culture, and reverberated with the South African experience in a way that hip hop did not. Yet Godessa's impact cemented hip hop's place in South African popular culture and ensured that it was more than an imported passing fad. They did that.

Godessa's presence was especially important at a time when the types of conversations we had about marginalised groups weren't as mainstream and as nuanced as they are now. Even while faced with the expectation that's still prevalent to this day – that women must compete with one another for limited seats at the table – they came through as three women of colour from Cape Town. In love with how rap gave them the ability to shape and control, Shame, EJ and Burni disproved the myth that women are each other's opponents by design. They also gave us bop on bops while providing one of South African hip hop's biggest lessons: if this thing is going to survive the early days it's going to have to be through the power of collectives. A call that was heeded nationwide by groups like Skwatta Kamp, Jozi, Teargas and more.

A significant scene in the Roxanne Shante biopic comes at the end when a little boy named Nassir desperately seeks out Roxanne to help him with his rhymes – alluding to a whole Nas needing to know that Roxanne thought he had the ability to one day be a good rapper.

It's worth considering that the reluctance to include women in the conversation may be hinged on an aversion to "women's issues". Perhaps it's the disinclination to rhymes that centre experiences that are not tailored for male consumption that fuels the myth that the quality of rap suffers when women pick up the mic.

But have you noticed how many women's nods a track needs for it to truly take off? In South Africa, one of the greatest examples of the power of women's co-sign is Lee Kasumba. It is her love of hip hop that has led to a career as one of the most prolific personalities in entertainment on the continent, and who has launched rap careers locally and throughout Africa. As a DJ and producer at YFM she created a space for South African hip hop to go mainstream, and then working as the Head of Channel O she now ensures that some of our faves stand a chance at being play-listed. Alongside this her work at Big Brother allows hip hop to leverage a wider audience. Then it is her being part of judging panels for BET Awards, Hype Magazine Awards and the South African Music Awards that has made it so that there are legitimate dreams to chase within the sorority.

Lee Kasumba's flexibility as a creative and conviction that not only does her opinion matter, but that it is important, has helped propel the growth of hip hop across the continent. It's her identity as a Ugandan woman living in South Africa shapes what she envisions and it remains important that she see her visions through because of how far her reach extends to. It's important she makes the career leaps giving her access to more resources and connections, like with the UN projects she is a part of as well as her charity that links African youth together through hip hop, Harambe. In doing so she has created more opportunities for many, broadening the scope and widening the cannon.

Passing the baton on to artists like Moozlie, who as a MTV VJ gave the nod that affected how viewers perceived things, it was her interviews and reporting that made the rest of the country aware of happenings in spaces like Braamfontein and the rap stars and fashions that emerged from those scenes. Her face helped brands integrate themselves into the local scene on a much bigger scale, while her presence as an MC at events brought people to clubs so that DJs could play the songs that in turn made them an integral part of the culture. Not surprising then that as a rapper Moozlie has released material in relatively quick succession that's challenged her male adversaries. Another game-changing move has been starting her own label to ensure that the deals suit her best interest as the artist she wants to be. This is beyond the question of inclusivity, it's a challenge for the crown.

Sure, there's no denying how women are part of hip hop's aesthetics: the booty-shaking, the bottle girls, girls getting sprayed with Champagne, faces on the flyers, bodies doing on campus promotions... That's hip hop too, but so is consistency.

And since the 'Amantombazane' remix, released a good four years ago, Nadia Nakai has consistently delivered. Her rap persona has consistently been the unrelenting foul mouthed rapper, unafraid of courting the crass and challenging whomever for the number one spot. On features she's upfront about her intentions, she isn't there to sing a hook or twerk in the background; she's there to kill that sh*t. Improving her pen game so that each verse is better than the last, Nadia knows that she won't be afforded the opportunity to be lazy or that the predominantly-male industry is waiting for her to be.

If how good she looks is going to grab your attention first then so be it; Nadia uses the agency of her body as a part of her brand and has no qualms tapping into that. Having been featured on some of the biggest and most commercially viable songs Nadia has become an ambassador of the new school and proves how our female rappers may be the hardest working of any of the main players today.

It's this visibility that has created a space for women writers, DJs, rappers and fans to claim ownership in a hyper-masculine space. A power that has given women the room to decide how they want to enjoy what comes from it, as well as the power to out problematic figures from performances while making a point of promoting inclusivity. It's the female buying power that indicates the taste levels in hip hop: the images women aspire to – be it overt sex appeal or boss bitch looks – the fashion we find appealing, and that is empowering. Women need know that we have that power.

We see this online in spaces like Twitter, which has become the first real go-to when one wants to see how well a project is doing. It's the women with the many followers, often brought on by teams as conversation drivers, tweeting out their opinions because their influence is the deciding factor over whether or not a hit will bang. It's the influencers who get asked to promote the big shows and yes it's the mention of Nicole Nyaba and Sophie Ndaba that make a line memorable, downloadable and dare I say, bearable. It's the memes, gifs, Instagram captions, snapchat videos. It's the girls, girls, girls, girls...

At the intersection of hip hop and identity politics women have found that they can create their own spaces that hip hop can live and breathe in. Pussy Party, founded by Phatstoki and Rosie Parade at Kitcheners where women and femmes dominate the space, learn to be DJs and ultimately feel safe enough to enjoy hip hop in the way they want.

What is most inspiring is that we have a new generation of women working their way towards being Lee Kasumbas in their own right. That we can listen to Loot Love on a prime weekend slot on Metro FM and be reassured that our voices matter. Knowing that the idea of collaboration isn't discouraged, that there's room for all of us to eat and still have healthy competition. Knowing that women have the clout to achieve on the same scale as figures who previously took up all the space. It's about acknowledging that hip hop is ours enough for it to be something we feel entitled to enough to hand over.

[tonystarktogo]

Tiny Tony Overlord Part 6

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Read on AO3

Betaed by the amazing @folklejend. All remaining mistakes are my own.

Summary: In which Black Widow and Hawkeye are on the move, Tony and Dead-Eyes are on the run, and poor Brandon is in way over his head. He just doesn't know it yet.

.Near Zach’s B&B.

“Approaching last known location of STRIKE team 3,” Natasha Romanov announces, then promptly shuts off her official SHIELD-issued comm before anyone has the chance to pull her off a mission she technically hasn’t been assigned to yet. Knowing Fury—and Natasha makes it a point to know everyone who has authority over her—he’d have put anyone but her or Hawkeye onto this mission. Not until the mess with Iron Man has been cleaned up.

Too bad no Avenger has been chosen for their habit of staying on the sidelines. Or for obeying orders. Especially not when one of their own is missing.

And really, an unauthorised SHIELD mission with unknown objective just happens to slip through the cracks hours after Tony Stark, Iron Man, genius and the Avenger’s largest benefactor, goes missing during an ordinary mission? Natasha has spent too many years dancing in the grey areas between law and order to start believing in coincidences now.

Next to her, Barton swears suddenly and slams on the breaks. Raising his hands in defence when Natasha sends him a murderous glare he points towards a small, run-down building on the other side of the street. “We’re here.”

Her glare darkens. “Remind me to never let you behind a wheel again.”

“Promises, promises,” Barton sing-songs, unconcerned.

[continues under the cut]

Natasha doesn’t bother with any threats to his person. She’s already out of the car and halfway across the street, Barton following, quietly cursing on her heels.

It’s reckless to approach a location of interest openly the way they do. Shots mean snipers are a possibility, and the thought of giving their position up easily makes Natasha’s skin crawl. She’s been trained better than this. Has trained others better than this.

But her instincts tell her to trust Barton’s judgement. She is good, but he is Hawkeye; he would have let her know if there were any vantage points to worry about.

They aren’t the only people lurking in the parking lot. The two police cars and yellow crime scene tape has attracted a crowd of the morbidly curious. A fact which is both convenient, because she and Hawkeye are less likely to draw attention to themselves, and inconvenient, because police means red tape—and worse, witnesses.

Perhaps it’s her training as a Black Widow or her long years in the service of a shadowy government organisation, but despite their occasional usefulness, Natasha despises witnesses. They are a pain far more often than they are helpful—and the more curious ones often end up as casualties.

With long, confident steps, Natasha approaches the yellow tape, ducks down under it without breaking her stride. A con is all about confidence, after all—about believing you belong with so much conviction that the people around you have no choice but to accept it as the truth.

“Ma’am!” a young officer calls out, wide-eyed, a nervous twitch in his fingers, “you can’t just-“

Natasha graces the man with a look of utter condescension that even Hill would be impressed by—it had been modelled after her own, glowing example—and fishes a badge out of her breast pocket with the casual air of someone who’s done this many, many times before.

Not giving the officer any time to process the information, she stalks past him, assured in the knowledge that Barton will deal with the guy—and that it will establish her status as the Queen Bitch of the crime scene. A title that has, unsurprisingly, been christened by Stark during one of their rare missions together.

Natasha’s lips tighten at the casual reminder of her missing colleague. She and Stark had their differences—they all had their differences—but he was an Avenger. An attack on him is an offence to her own skills, if nothing else. Natasha has never pretended to handle offences well.

Several steps behind her, Barton and the local officer are talking in low voices—or, more likely, Barton is interrogating the officer for more information. The twitchy officer’s partner eyes her hesitantly for a moment before focusing on his phone again, probably with his superior, given the conversation.

Blending them out for the time being, Natasha takes note of her surroundings and allows the scene of the crime to speak for itself. The officers had apparently erred on the side of caution and closed off the entire parking lot. A measure Natasha fully approves of.

The centre of the fight must have been in the corner furthest away from the main street—limited view for possible witnesses implies a planned attack rather than a surprise confrontation. The area is littered with broken glass, metal parts, a half-destroyed car, discarded weapons, shells, and blood.

The only things missing are the bodies. And there should be bodies.

Natasha crouches down next to a puddle of blood with a frown. Someone has died right here, in this place. There is no way around it, not with the amount of blood on the ground. And the battered Ford Fiesta to her right looks like someone has been bodily thrown through the windscreen. Not the kind of move most people are capable off—and not something an ordinary SHIELD agent would be able to just shake off.

No. Someone has cleaned up the scene. After a violent battle with multiple losses, someone—or, more likely, multiple someones—had gotten rid off the bodies before the police showed up. That they have taken the time to do so tells Natasha many things, none of them good.

By the time Barton joins her, her face has settled into a mask of grim determination.

“So, apparently there are a lot of shoot-outs around this place,” Barton comments, his usual light-heartedness at odds with the sharp look in his eyes as he takes the scene in himself. “Owner called it in, right after the first shots were fired, or so he claims. The local police treated it as a routine check-up at first. Sherley says they got here about ten minutes after the dispatch, didn’t expect to find anything. They’ve been following protocol, not done too bad a job,” he finishes with a shrug.

Natasha hums. “What are you thinking?” she asks with a vague gesture towards the damaged parking lot, knowing Barton will understand the real question. What do you see?

Barton’s eyes narrow. She can almost hear him thinking everything over, trying to figure out what is troubling her. “For a fight between multiple people—possibly a whole STRIKE team and their opponents—the battle was very contained,” he murmurs after a moment.

Too contained , Natasha agrees silently, knows Barton is thinking the same. A confrontation like that should have spread out, but instead it seems like everything happened in the small space of three free parking spaces. But with a group this big, there should have been more, people who ran, people who got cut off from the focus point. How—

Barton pirouettes on his heels, a sharp, elegant movement that jerks Natasha out of her thoughts. He is scanning their surroundings expertly until they eventually settle on the roof of the small petrol station across the street.

When he turns back to face her, their long years of working together mean Natasha already knows what he’s going to say.

Barton doesn’t disappoint. “They had a sniper,” he says. Then adds grimly, “This wasn’t a fight, it was a slaughter.”

* * * * *

.On the streets of New York.

They lose the car in a backstreet ten minutes away from the B&B. And Tony would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed by just how far Dead-Eyes could get them in that short amount of time. Despite the traffic.

He would have been cheering the guy on if he wasn’t already struggling to stay conscious as it was. One thing his memories definitely don’t lie about: getting shot sucks. A lot. Thankfully it’s just a flesh wound. Looking back, Tony suspects it was shock more than anything that caused him to faint. Well, and the memories, can’t forget about those.

In any case, Dead-Eyes makes for a decent field medic and Tony is confident he won’t lose the arm anytime soon. Of course, that’s a mute point if he’s going to be incarcerated in one of those secret prisons Fury used to deny he had for the rest of his life. So. Escaping SHIELD first, everything else second.

Which is easier said and done when you’re dealing with an organisation that makes Big Brother look like a joke program a bored teenager made in a fit. Luckily, Tony has just gotten years of dealing with SHIELD downloaded into his brain. They are powerful, no doubt about that. But as usual, they are not as powerful as they’d like to be.

And their biggest weakness, Tony thinks with the derision of someone who’s lived for years in a world where nations had no meaning, is that they’re an American organisation. For all that SHIELD fancied itself a sort of global security force and kept their headquarters in the air, they were still US-based. They had a network, of course they did, but here, on their home turf, they were almost unbeatable. Whereas missions outside the country always involved a lot of politics and red tape for a reason.

When a bunch of mutant kids had attacked the Washington Post headquarters, SHIELD had sent a veritable army—and the Avengers who were, of course, an army all on their own—to handle the issue. When the same happened less than four months later in Hungary, only Hawkeye and Black Widow had been sent in. Without backup.

It had never explicitly been said, but there was a very political reason why Captain America and Iron Man were used as little as possible beyond the national borders. Tony still remembers those three agonising weeks until Clint and Nat had made it back—and the state they had been in after that mission. More importantly, he remembers Steve’s expression when he saw them. In hindsight—or foresight, considering the whole time travel business—Tony wonders if maybe that was when Steve’s resentment against national barriers and politics first started.

The thought isn’t as bitter as it used to be, but it still burns, just a little.

Tony accepts the hoodie Dead-Eyes hands him—and where he’s gotten it from, Tony really doesn’t want to know—and discards his torn, bloody shirt without a thought. The black fabric will hide any blood that seeps through the makeshift bandage on his arm and hands, and Tony wonders briefly if Dead-Eyes is that brilliant even in his current state or just that lucky.

Dead-Eyes, too, makes to get out of his combat wear and into a casual sweatshirt, but Tony stops him before he has the chance. “Wait!” he calls out, a grin spreading over his face as he thinks some more over the brilliant idea he’s just had. “You’re gonna need that where we’re going.”

He hadn’t really considered it until now, but he is for all intents and purposes a kid, and that comes with a lot of limitations. Having a badass Winter Soldier at his back, on the other hand, will make dealings in the seedy underbelly of New York so much easier.

Because step one of getting the hell out of SHIELD’s far-reaching shadow is leaving the country, asap. And for that, Tony and Dead-Eyes are gonna need papers. Really good, iron-clad papers. The kind Tony usually wouldn’t dare to leave to anyone but himself, if he wasn’t temporarily out-of-commission.

Luckily, he knows a guy.

* * * * *

.At MatchPatch.

Brandon Green, whose real name is neither Brandon nor Green, has watched all kinds of people walk through the doors of MatchPatch, the run-down bar with the dirt-cheap drinks that taste exactly as bad as they look. Some regulars come here looking for a quiet night away from their families or empty homes. Most of the others are here for him.

It’s not that he ever intended to set up shop in a place like this, but Brandon doesn’t like mixing his personal life with his professional one. Matter of fact, he doesn’t like to have a personal life at all. And despite the smell and the occasional raid, the place has grown on him—meaning he’ll have to dump it in a month or two—but Brandon has never liked to rush these types of things. Rushing always leads to mistakes and Brandon doesn’t do mistakes. His clientele certainly expects nothing less.

Generally, his customers tend to be two types of people: the ones who are in deep trouble and the ones who are said deep trouble.

The two men who have just entered the bar and are now walking towards his seat in the corner with self-assured strides are definitely of the later sort. Brandon feels a familiar thrill at the thought of making another deal with people much more dangerous than he could ever be, something akin to fascination that he has never succeeded in fully suppressing.

The clear leader of the two is surprisingly small, tiny even. His face is covered by a black hood, and in the dim light of the bar, only the weak glint where the light is reflected in his eyes tells Brandon that there really is a person watching him from the shadows.

The second man is standing right behind the first. Unlike his companion, he has made no effort to conceal his face, and for that alone, Brandon would have pegged him as the more dangerous one. The look of absolute murder in his cold eyes goes a long way of solidifying that impression.

The tiny leader tilts his head in silent command, a disturbingly childlike gesture that send a shudder down Brandon’s back for a whole other reason.

The aggressive-looking guy responds immediately. “Two passports,” he says with the gravelly voice of someone unused to talking regularly. “A child, Leo Grahams, 9 years old, and a man, Victor Grahams, 32 years old.” He slides a white cover over the table, continues with a simple, “These pictures.”

Brandon clears his throat. “I’m gonna need seven hours. And it ain’t gonna be cheap.” *1

The talker doesn’t even blink. “You have three. Cost is not an issue.”

As one, the two men turn around and leave the bar, leaving behind an incredulous Brandon who isn’t sure whether he has just been threatened or not.

* * * * *

.Parking Lot of Zach’s B&B.

“Is there-uhm-anything I can d-do to help you, Ma’am?” Officer Sherley asks hesitantly.

He is still twitchy and a little pale. It makes Natasha nervous. Twitchy in her line of work usually means guilty—or even I’m about to draw a weapon. She doesn’t like it. She likes it even less that he keeps calling her ‘Ma’am’.

Luckily for the officer, Barton intervenes, more than used to her moods. “Poor guy,” he murmurs as he watches Sherley walk back towards the small crowd of persistent onlookers. “I think these might’ve been his first bodies.”

At that, Natasha snaps around. “Bodies?” she asks, sharper than she means to.

“Sorry, I thought Welson told you.” Barton grimaces at the oversight. Or maybe her death glare. It’s hard to tell these days, since he’s become sort of immune to her fury, annoying as that is.

On the upside, at least that means he isn’t too busy running for his life to lead her around a white van near the back wall of the building. As it turns out, whoever was behind the attack hasn’t taken the time to get rid off the bodies—just to hide them out of plain sight. Admittedly a more efficient option.

Natasha stares at the methodically-placed bodies. They’ve been put on top of each other to fit into the small place behind the van, a mockery of a human pyramid. It should have been a more disturbing sight than it is, but then, Natasha isn’t exactly your average woman.

“Five of them have been killed by headshots, clean, definitely a sniper’s work,” Barton informs her without prompting. “Two broken necks, onecrushed throat,” the way he stresses it says Barton is most disturbed by that one, “one choked and two more shot in the heart, close range.”

Natasha is still staring with something approaching disbelief at the bodies when her phone rings. She doesn’t need to look at the display to know it’s Fury—and that he is honouring his name. Nothing pisses the man off more than an agent going off the rails. Especially when he hasn’t given the implied permission to do so.

The barked, “You better have some fucking results, Romanov!” that greets her when she answers is therefore unsurprising.

“Well, the good news is your missing STRIKE team won’t ever pull a mission behind your back again,” Natasha states.

Barton snorts. The dry sarcasm is a little hard to swallow—too soon, their bodies aren’t even cold yet—but she’s worked this job too long to hold it back.

Fury snarls in wordless rage. For all that the man hates disobedience, he really despises it when his disobedient agents turn up dead. “And the bad news?” he demands impatiently.

The question is only expected, but what little amusement Natasha has managed to find in the situation is drained at a dizzying speed. She exchanges a glance with Barton, reads the same indecision in his eyes. They could be talking about another victim, or worse, a hostage, but in their world things are rarely ever that simple.

“Romanov!” Fury snaps.

“There were twelve agents sent out today,” Natasha says, voice cold. “But we only have eleven bodies.”

*1 I’m aware that this is most likely an impossible time-frame to obtain fake passports -- though I honestly have no idea what a real one would be. For the sake of this story, the aliases named are ones that Tony had already created at some point in his life, just in case. They’re basically “empty” identities that exist online because he created them, documents etc are all there. The only thing Brandon needs to do is get passports for identities that officially exist. Illegally, given the timeframe, but the internet lead me to believe that this is far more likely than creating a convincing fake passport.

What do you think, where will Tony and Dead-Eyes go now? And which conclusions will SHIELD come to?

[cat0620]

Knowledge about farm & garden

1. Sights of farm & garden Chteau de Grand-Arnsberg, constructed at the beginning of the 12th century to protect the imperial city of Haguenau. Chteau de Ramstein, constructed in the 13th century by the Falkenstein nobility.

the church of Saint Catherine, transformed into a Protestant church in 1571 and reconstructed in the 17th century. the marker/milestone near Schmalenthal, dated from 1605. Delimits the old borders of the county of Bitche.

The calvary (in French, a small figurine of Christ on the cross) near Frohnacker, dated from 1790. The tomb of Philippe Hirtz, an ironworker from Mouterhouse, dated from 1868. the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, built at the end of the 19th century, which is a place of pilgrimage every May.

The bird observation post, the best place to discover the fauna of the Northern Vosges.Situated on the main road, a farm is composed of two buildings: the home, gabled on the road, dated 1770 on the door of the cellar, and the farm itself, dated 1753, developed in breadth behind the courtyard. Exceptional in the Pays de Bitche, the farm resembles the Alsatian building style.

One can see this by the separation between buildings and the farm and by the porch-roof superimposed on the main/front face of the building. The difference to the Alsatian style is that the pan-de-bois is relegated in the second part (that is, the foundations), while the house is constructed with stone and a mix of roughcast lime (pebbles were added in the mix and used to increase the surface area of the house, to increase the rate of evaporation). ------ 2.

Bashford Manor Stable of farm & garden Bashford Manor Stable was an American Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation in Louisville, Kentucky owned by George James Long. In 1874 James Bennett Wilder built a home on farm acreage he called Bashford Manor. In 1887 George Long purchased Bashford Manor and developed it into a leading Thoroughbred horse farm which bred three Kentucky Derby winners.

To stock his new breeding operation. George Long acquired horses from the Erdenheim Stud of Norman W. Kittson.

Following the May 1888 death of Norman W. Kittson, in November his estate auctioned the bloodstock and Long purchased the sire Alarm and two of his broodmare daughters, Luminous and Albia. The then nineteen-year-old Alarm had notably been the sire of Himyar and Panique.

Alarm died at Bashford Manor in 1895 and was buried in the farm's equine cemetery. The stable bred and raced Azra who won the 1892 Derby and Sir Huon who won it in 1906. Under Long's name, he raced homebred Hindus who won the 1900 Preakness Stakes.

As well, George Long bred Manuel who won the 1899 Derby for Alfred & Dave Morris. The Thoroughbred operation continued until 1922 when the bloodstock was sold. The home remained in Long's family until being sold in 1951.

The property was annexed by the City of Louisville in 1953. The barns were torn down in 1970 and the house in 1973. The Bashford Manor area of Louisville was developed into residential homes and a shopping mall.

Churchill Downs in Louisville honors the racing and breeding stable with the annual running of the Bashford Manor Stakes. ------ 3. Synopsis of farm & garden Death on a Factory Farm follows the undercover investigation of Wiles Hog Farm by the animal rights group The Humane Farming Association (HFA), and the resulting court case against it.

The organization received a tip from an employee at the farm that animals were being abused, including a claim that hogs were being hung by chains and strangled to death as a form of euthanasia. HFA then turned to an undercover investigator using the name "Pete". The investigator wore a hidden camera while he worked undercover as a farmhand at Wiles.

Over the course of six weeks, the investigator secretly filmed numerous incriminating scenes, including piglets being tossed into crates from across a room, impregnated sows held in pens impeded their ability to move, an unhealthy piglet being hit against a wall to euthanize it, and a sick sow being hung by a chain from a forklift until it choked to death. Having obtained this evidence, Pete concluded the investigation and quit the job at the farm. HFA brought Pete's footage to the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, which then raided the farm.

Prosecutors filed ten criminal charges of animal cruelty against the farm's owners, and a farm employee who participated in hanging the sow. In the subsequent trial, the prosecutors and the defense fought about the legality and morality of these practices, described by the presiding judge as "distasteful and offensive". However, the judge defended these practices as the reality of producing pork for consumption.

------ 4. Borodino, New York of farm & garden Borodino is a hamlet located at the intersection of New York State Route 41 (East Lake Road, running approximately eastwest) and New York State Route 174 (Rose Hill Road, running northsouth) in the Town of Spafford in Onondaga County, New York, near Skaneateles Lake. The hamlet proper extends five to ten properties to the east, south, west and north from the intersection, until houses and a few other buildings are replaced by farm fields.

A monument for veterans, designed by Gianfranco Fritelli, stands in a cemetery at the southeast corner of the intersection. A little-altered Federal style Methodist Church, known locally as "The Church", dating from 1830, stands close to the 174, about five properties north. The Borodino District School No.

8 (c. 185359) and Borodino Hall (1835) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. About four properties to the south is a turnoff to a public boat landing and ramp into Skaneateles Lake; a few more properties to the south is Borodino's fire station, site of several fundraising pancake breakfasts each year which are among the biggest community events in the hamlet.

Another is the Town of Spafford's annual Fourth of July parade, running from the fire station to the cemetery at the intersection. The public boat landing and the Spafford Town Hall are often said to be in Borodino, although the boat landing is about 0.75 miles (1.

21 km) to the southwest and the town hall is 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the north along the 174, and separated by farm fields, from the intersection.

The town hall is closer to the intersection of Rose Hill Road with Howe Road. ------ 5. Sem, Norway of farm & garden Sem is a village in Tnsberg in Vestfold county, Norway.

Sem was a former municipality in Vestfold. The parish of Sm was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 3,590.

On 1 January 1965 the district Stang with 126 inhabitants was incorporated into the former municipality of Borre. On 1 January 1988 the rest was incorporated into the municipality of Tnsberg. Prior to the merger Sem was about three times the size of Tnsberg, which had a population of 21,948.

The village of Sem has a population of 1,981, of which 42 people live within the border of the neighboring municipality Stokke. The village is situated five kilometers west of the city of Tnsberg. Originally the municipality and the parish were named after the historic Sem Manor (Sem hovedgrd).

During the Middle Ages, Sem Manor was a royal and feudal overlord residence at the site where Jarlsberg Manor is located today. King Harald Fairhair chose to install his son Bjorn Farmann as the master of the estate. It was here that Bjorn Farmann was killed by Eric Bloodaxe in 927.

In 1673, Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld took over the property which until then had belonged to the King of Denmark. Griffenfeldt named the farm Griffenfeldgrd, but three years later it was renamed Jarlsberg Manor (Jarlsberg Hovedgrd). In 1682 the buildings on Jarlsberg burned and new buildings of stone were built by the new owner, the Danish-Norwegian Field Marshal Wilhelm Gustav Wedel.

------ 6. Manor of farm & garden The village was first settled by the Saxons. Its toponym is derived from Old English: either Gdan dn (the hill of Goda) or Gdinga dn (Goda's people).

Before the Norman conquest of England two Saxons, Siward and Siwate, held the Manor of Godington, but the Domesday Book records that by 1086 a Norman called Richard Puingiant held it. He also held the manor of Middleton Stoney, and Godington was held as part of the latter manor for some centuries thereafter. By the middle of the 12th century the manor of Godington was held by Richard de Camville, who gave Poodle Farm in the parish to the Augustinian Missenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire.

The Abbey retained Poodle Farm until the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. By 1541 William Fermor of Somerton had bought the farm. By the time of his death in 1552 Fermor also held Godington Manor, thus reuniting Poodle with the other former de Camville lands.

Godington remained with the Fermors until the last direct heir, another William Fermor, died without a direct successor in 1828. There is a rectangular mediaeval moat next to the parish church. The present Moat Farm house inside the moated area is dated 1672.

By 1535 Magdalen College, Oxford held three hay meadows in the parish. It still held them in 1817, when the duty to pay tithes was commuted. Most of the parish was farmed under the open field system until 1603, when it was enclosed by agreement between Sir Richard Fermor, the Rector and one of the local farmers.

------ 7. Charles Johnson Farm of farm & garden Charles Johnson purchased 6.78 acres (2.

74 ha) from a Charles Anderson, who was living in a log cabin on the site since about 1880. When Johnson purchased the property in 1904, that cabin was the only structure, along with an orchard to the southwest of the main house. One of the Johnsons' daughters regularly went to this farm to purchase apples.

When Mr. Anderson suggested that he give her the tree, she became adamant that her parents move it. Since that was not possible, Mr.

Johnson asked if he could purchase the property, to which Mr. Anderson replied that he would sell, if the Johnsons built him a place back in the woods to live out his life. Historic structures In 1908, the cabin enlarged into the main house seen today.

It was enclosed by clapboard siding and the inside was lath and plastered. It was enlarged with a dining room and kitchen. Because the house was expanded from and existing structure, there are no identifiable Swedish characteristics.

There are two summer kitchens to the east of the house. The smallest (8 ft  12 ft or 2.4 m  3.

7 m) was built as a temporary structure during the 1908 improvement of the main house. The other (12 ft  20 ft or 3.7 m  6.

1 m) was the house built by the Johnsons for Charles Anderson. I was moved nearer the farmstead after his death. Northeast of the main house is the two-story barn (12 ft  30 in or 3.

7 m  760 mm). The barn was built sometime before 1908. A chicken coop was added shortly after the barns construction.

the privy is still standing to the northeast of the main house about 50 feet (15 m).

[saintedfury]

tagged by @thirdstreetsam

BASICS.

FULL NAME : Soledad Amaranta Guerrero ALIAS : Boss, Jefaza, Furia, Sol AGE : 38 (as of this moment in Bossville) BIRTHDAY : August 8th ETHNIC GROUP : Latinx NATIONALITY : American LANGUAGE / S : English and Spanish, a bit of Russian SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Pansexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Polygamous RELATIONSHIP STATUS : Currently in an open relationship with Eli Mitchell. Recently lost a long time lover, Troy Bradshaw, and even more recently mutually ended a relationship with Johnny CLASS : Working Class (No matter the size of her ‘bank account’ Furia is who she has always been. A Latina from Mission Beach and worked her ass off every day of her life--legitimately and not. HOME TOWN / AREA : Stilwater born and raised CURRENT HOME : Currently she only has a residence on Zin, her Bossville residence deteriorated and has not been restored. Though Eli has offered for her to come to the New Earth settlement in his dimension. PROFESSION : Racer, boost, gang leader, galactic emperor, formerly POTUS

PHYSICAL.

HAIR : Jet Black, wavy and usually worn down. It’s currently regrown out to about her shoulders. EYES : Hazel, rimmed in green, with long lashes and a strong swooping brow NOSE : straight and defined, not quite buttonish, but rather unremarkable FACE : Triangular to Square, she has prominent cheekbones, a squarish jaw with a strong chin. LIPS : Average, but on the fuller side. Always painted in a blood red, which is really smudge-resistent. Though she’s not adverse to occasionally intentionally wearing a less kiss-proof version of the shade. COMPLEXION : Using this reference, her tone ranges from tawny to terra cotta, leaning toward the brown-red. BLEMISHES : She has the occasional dark freckle on her arms and back, but not many. SCARS : There are several across her knuckles. On her torso there are thin scars, both smooth and jagged, from gunshots and knife wounds. She’s got one that nearly traces her collar bone, but is really only noticeable when she has a tan--it goes silvery and almost seems to take on a ghastly glow. Most of them have faded by now. TATTOOS : A large ornate Fleur de lis on her right shoulderblade, a TS on her left hand, a chaos symbol at the top of her spine at her hairline, a fiery lion on her hip. A lovely ornate peacock has joined the mix, along with a wolf  on her lower back. There is a small four leaf clover in black and white on her right ankle and a clever spider crawling across the inside of her right wrist.  HEIGHT : 5′9″ WEIGHT : 132 lbs BUILD : Trim, defined but not toned. She has a dancer’s body. FEATURES : Long legs, ruby red lips, and a thick curtain of wavy ink black hair ALLERGIES : Bullshit USUAL HAIR STYLE : Long and loose, showing off her natural waves, which get curlier the shorter her hair is. USUAL FACE LOOK : Usually she has a welcoming look. Thankfully, she doesn’t suffer from resting bitch face, but that sultry pout gets her in trouble from time to time. USUAL CLOTHING : Furia is usually dressed quite posh. She even makes sloopy jeans and a t-shirt look dressy. She keeps her appearance up to a certain rather refined scale complete with stylish heels and boots, though of late she’s been veering back into baggy jeans, clunky work boots in purple, baggy hoodies, and bandanas (mainly for when she goes ‘writing’).

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S : Open water, boats, losing people she cares about, being the cause of the loss of those she cares about (either death or estrangement) ASPIRATION / S : Stealing every moment of happiness she can from the darkness of the world, as well as guiding the empire to autonomy. She’s rather hoping to steal a large chunk of time in the next four years to bask in the time Eli has left. POSITIVE TRAITS : Loyal, protective, playful NEGATIVE TRAITS : Can be incredibly self-destructive MBTI : ENFJ ZODIAC : Leo TEMPERAMENT : Sanguine SOUL TYPE / S : The Warrior, with a side of the Nurturer (x) ANIMALS : Lions, big cats, house cats VICE HABIT / S : Fighting (she’ll go to fight clubs, start brawls), alcohol, sex FAITH : None GHOSTS? : Yes, she’s felt haunted her entire life AFTERLIFE? : No. (Though she wants to hope that there is one, if only for the people she’s lost, and because of Eli’s threat to come back and see her after he’s gone.) REINCARNATION? : No. (She sees Talon as a special case. It’s not something available to normal people.) ALIENS? : Of course! POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : Rather a mix of egalitarian and socialist ideals ECONOMIC PREFERENCE : She is struggling to keep the empire in barter system, there are forces seeking to monetize the economy. SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION : She believes in the idea that equality is the trait that will allow the people of her empire the freedom to pursue liberty and happiness. EDUCATION LEVEL : Finished high school. Nearly completed her associate’s in accounting.

FAMILY.

FATHER : Martín Guerrero MOTHER : Angela Guerrero SIBLINGS : Memo, Maximo, Enrique & Emilio, Socorro, Gabriel EXTENDED FAMILY : Several aunts and uncles NAME MEANING / S : Soledad means solitude. After losing her parents and grandparents, she feared that her name might signify her fate. That thought still haunts her from time to time, especially lately with Troy’s death and her estrangement with Johnny. Amaranta means unfading, and Guerrero means warrior. HISTORICAL CONNECTION? : Only in Stilwater, her grandfather (Yayo) Alejandro ran a black market smuggling ring out of the Stilwater docks. He was careful and successful enough to remain unknown to officials in the city.

FAVOURITES.

BOOK : Persuasion by Jane Austen, maybe tied with Fantomina by Eliza Haywood MOVIE : Probably the Fast and the Furious movies--cars, races, chases, explosions, and fights. Hard to beat, or so she tells me. 5 SONGS :  Alpha Female by Wild Beasts, Raise Hell by Dorothy, A Little Wicked by Valerie Broussard, Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira, Bad Influence by P!nk DEITY : God, though the two had a falling out years ago, she chooses not to believe in him HOLIDAY : New Year’s & Mardi Gras MONTH : March, because it’s usually quite rainy SEASON : Winter PLACE : Anywhere, as long as she’s there with someone she loves WEATHER : Rainy or sunny SOUND : The powerful rumble of well-built engine SCENT / S :  Spices, smoke TASTE / S : Caramel, spices, chiles, smoked meats and veggies,  . FEEL / S : Lace, silk, denim, skin. ANIMAL / S : Lions, specifically lionesses NUMBER : 8 COLOUR : Black, white, purple, lavender.

EXTRA.

TALENTS : Cooking and baking, drawing and ‘writing’, dancing, picking locks, driving, boosting cars BAD AT : Pistol accuracy, dealing with her own failures (particularly when she feels she’s failed the people closest to her), placing herself before the people she loves,  TURN ONS : Confidence, fun loving nature, adventurousness, loyalty TURN OFFS : Lack of a sense of humor, taking oneself too seriously, lying/dishonesty HOBBIES : Dancing, graffiti, drawing, cooking (though not as much now that she doesn’t have a place in Bossville). TROPES : Lovable Rogue, Tomboy & Girly Girl (Though she fits both roles in her timeline), Sugar & Ice Personality (though few have witnessed her icy side) AESTHETIC TAGS : #Araña, #Seda y Encaje, #Dulce y Picante, #Veloz GPOY QUOTES :  “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” -Oscar Wilde | “One day, you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” -Paulo Coelho | “Never waste a moment, it may be the last with someone you love.”

FC INFO.

MAIN FC / S : Natalie Danish & herself ALT FC / S : I don’t know her name but the woman who is in the avatar square when posts from this blog show in the dashboard. OLDER FC / S : Haven’t really given it much thought. To be honest, I’m not sure she’ll make it to fifty or much past.  YOUNGER FC / S : Again, I’ve posted a pic or two here and there, but of nameless folks. VOICE CLAIM / S : Rebecca Sanabria (the Latina VO actress from SR 2) Though Furia’s got a thicker accent than most, she never wanted or tried to lose it. Honestly, when I hear her voice in my head I hear deeper Latina voices like Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayek, and Maria Conchita Alonzo. GENDERBENT FC / S : Jason Momoa (who is also the FC for her brother Memo, they look very much alike).

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 : if you could write your character your way in their own movie , what would it be called , what style would it be filmed in , and what would it be about ?

A1 : It would be some over dramatic mix of action and romance probably. There would probably be a lot of cars and skimpy lingerie. It’d likely have some corny name like Silk & Steel, or something foolish.

Q2 : what would their soundtrack / score sound like ?

A2 : It would be a mix of things you can dance to.

Q3 : why did you start writing this character ?

A3 : I actually created Furia for a smut one shot. She was supposed to be a one trick pony and this happened.

Q4 : what first attracted you to this character ?

A4: She’s just this mix of serious and playful. It’s really her imperfections and faults that I enjoy the most.

Q5 : describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.

A5 : Oh, she can be quiet moody and self-destructive.

Q6 : what do you have in common with your muse ?

A6 : A love of music and caramel. And we’re both good cooks.

Q7 : how does your muse feel about you ?

A7 : She thinks I really need to get out more 

Q8 : what characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ?

A8 : All of them! Really! Whether it’s something playful or character building. The interactions with everyone are always fun, and even the most innocent, calm, superficial interactions and draw out some of her history and pieces of her personality. Honestly, her interactions with other muses and characters has allowed me to develop Furia much more fully over the last several years.

Q9 : what gives you inspiration to write your muse ?

A9 : Music, movies, prompts, RP, talking to other muns, reading, driving. And for some reason when I fall asleep, she tends to pop into my head some nights. It kills me because I always end up sitting up 5 or 6 times to jot down some idea that came to me as I was falling asleep.

Q10 : how long did this take you to complete ?

A10 : A few hours give or take.

Tagging @nightmareon3rdst, @thirdstreetshackles, @demonsaint, and anyone else who would like to participate as well. I just think most of the folks who I’d usually tag were either already tagged, tagged me, or completed it beforehand. 

[francesmorris-blog1]

I was very against getting botox and fillers up until the age of 25 but that all changed when I became friends with two girls in London who had been getting aesthetic procedures done for years and looked incredible! At first, I wasn’t aware that there would be any plausible reason to have anything like that done under the age of 50, seeing as though we have makeup and facials to help with the aging process. However, their reasons were rather different.

Firstly, since Kylie Jenner and other popular, young celebrities became very public about their cosmetic enhancements, I noticed a sudden increase in ladies and gentlemen getting botox and fillers from as young as 17, which I originally thought was crazy, to be honest, nevertheless, now that I have been getting these procedures done for years now, I understand why and there are a few reasons you may not have thought of. Firstly, yes it is a trend, especially as the Kardashians seem to rule the world right now and set the bar for makeup looks, physical appearance, and fashion. Secondly, when it comes to lip fillers, cheek fillers etc, they are only temporary and can certainly make one appear, more sexualised; definitely appealing to young men and women. Thirdly, with botox, in particular, it doesn’t just prevent you from getting deep set wrinkles in the future but it allows you to look ‘well rested’ at all times, which for me, previously working 16 hour days, was a God send. Finally, all of the above allows for a better make-up application which is super popular right now with YouTube and the oh so kind ‘media’, for young girls, and allows you to wear less of it in fact, because it makes for smoother skin and more defined features.

Upon a recent visit to the UK, I was informed that the NHS (national health service) also provides this service for those who suffer from migraines; Botox paralyzes the muscle and stops you from straining, although they haven’t proven whether it actually makes a difference. One friend of mine who does not need Botox at all, still has it done because she swears it stops her from getting migraines, myself included actually.  

Below I outline what options are available to you and what they mean/do, what cosmetic procedures I have tried, tips, what to expect, who I have gone to and recommend in the UK and Italy, as well as other non-evasive treatments/products to try before you make the plunge! 

Botox

Botox (onabotulinum toxin A) was licensed specifically for the treatment of a chronic migraine in July 2010 by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It since caught on for aesthetic reasons, given that the wrinkles can be visibly, completely erased as a result. There are seven types of botulinum toxin, named type A–G. Type A and B are capable of causing disease in humans and are also used commercially and medically. Types C–G are less common; types E and F can cause disease in humans, while the other types cause disease in other animals. Botulinum toxin types A and B are used in medicine to treat various muscle spasms and diseases characterized by overactive muscle. The commercial form is marketed under the brand name Botox, among others. Botox is made by Allergan a pharmaceutical company. 

In cosmetic applications, botulinum toxin is considered safe and effective for reduction of facial wrinkles, especially in the uppermost third of the face. Injection of botulinum toxin into the muscles under facial wrinkles causes relaxation of those muscles, resulting in the smoothing of the overlying skin. Smoothing of wrinkles is usually visible three days after treatment and is maximally visible two weeks following injection. The treated muscles gradually regain function and generally return to their former appearance three to four months after treatment. Muscles can be treated repeatedly to maintain the smoothed appearance.

Botulinum toxin is also used to treat disorders of hyperactive nerves including excessive sweating, neuropathic pain, and some allergy symptoms. In addition to these uses, botulinum toxin is being evaluated for use in treating chronic pain. 

Below I have outlined on my face only, where you can have Botox administered and what it does. 

I get botox regularly in my crows feet or smile lines, frown lines (between my eyebrows) and forehead and this keeps me looking super fresh and well rested. I have also had a smile lift because naturally, I have RBF aka ‘resting bitch face’ and those lines from the nostrils to the corners of the mouth but only once because it made me look too plastic. 

I personally do not think it hurts at all, a slight sting but only slight.  In fact, I don’t even have the numbing cream that they can plaster all over you, my only tip would be to close your eyes unless you would enjoy seeing a needle come at you under blinding lights. The plastic surgeon or aesthetic nurse will ask you to frown and they either mark your face or inject where you frown/have wrinkles immediately. It takes around 5 minutes and you will start to see the results in 3-5 days and lasts 3-6 months but everyone is different. For me, I am lucky if I get 3 months out of botox. See below for any further tips/suggestions before getting botox. 

Dermal Fillers

Derma Fillers/’Soft Tissue Fillers’, also known as injectable implants, or wrinkle fillers are medical device implants approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in helping to create a smoother and/or fuller appearance in the face, including nasolabial folds, cheeks and lips and for increasing the volume of the back of the hand.

They instantly change your appearance so proceed with caution. Above I have highlighted where you can have fillers specifically and what it does.  

I have had cheek enhancements and lip enhancements to date but regularly get lip fillers as I naturally have thin lips. The cheek enhancement didn’t really make a noticeable difference on me, maybe it’s because I didn’t get a lot put in, only 1ml per cheek and seeing as though I do not have any cheekbones to speak of visually, I probably needed to get a lot more put in but it is expensive; upwards of €800 and something I can live without. 

Lip fillers can be painful so the numbing cream is a must. I do not personally feel it being injected, or any pain until they do my cupids bow which stings and feels like the needle is going up into my nose. The great thing about fillers, in general, is instantly you see the results before the swelling kicks in, the filler, (I shall list the many types available below) last between 3 months – 1 year depending on the brand you choose. The more you have your lips done, the longer they last, so for me, my lip enhancement lasts just under a year. My cheek enhancement lasted 6 months and I had a slight bruise on my left cheek; easily covered by makeup and went away within 4 days. 

Brands: Restylane, Perlane, Juvéderm Ultra, Teosyal, Belotero, Radiesse and Sculptra. These are also known as hyaluronic fillers which mean they are a naturally occurring substance, present in every living organism so it is very biocompatible and rarely causes any reactions (aka water based). It is estimated that 30 million patients around the world have been treated with some form of hyaluronic acid. Your aesthetic nurse or cosmetic surgeon will tell you which brand of filler will produce the best results for the area in which you want to be injected.

I have Juvederm Ultra injected into my lips because it lasts the longest but more pricey and have had Juvederm Voluma injected into my cheeks because it is a thicker substance and therefore more suitable for the area. My first time having my lips filled, I had Restylane because Juvederm hadn’t become popular yet on the market so it wasn’t as readily available at the time. The only downside with Restylane is I had severe swelling for a lot long period and with Juvederm that recovery time was cut in half, with less hardening of the lips and significantly less swelling. Restylane did not last as long as the Juvederm product did so it was an easy decision for me moving forward. 

Medical Professionals

It is vitally important that you only go to either a certified aesthetic nurse, cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist to have any of the non-surgical procedures listed above, done. 

The biggest factor when shopping for any non-surgical treatments is the experience.  With experience comes the knowledge of which areas and amounts work best to get a natural-looking result that lasts as long as possible.  Experience should not only be measured in years but also how regularly it is done by a particular aesthetic nurse, plastic surgeon or dermatologist.  In many cases, a board certified plastic surgeon is going to have more experience specifically in aesthetic procedures, however, a very experienced Dermatologist would be a better choice than an inexperienced plastic surgeon.  

Another way to gauge how much experience a doctor or specific practice has is to ask about their Allergan account level.  Allergan is the manufacturer of Botox as mentioned above and has various levels of accounts by a doctor or by practice based on how much Botox they are purchasing.  Levels include silver, gold, platinum, platinum plus, diamond and then black diamond is the highest, meaning they are in the top 1% of injectors nationwide.

After experience, comes a good eye.  Just as a dermatologist would have a very developed eye for certain skin abnormalities, a good plastic surgeon will have an artistic eye for what appears natural and what does not when performing Botox and/or injectable filler procedures; same goes for the aesthetic nurse who has to have had the following experience just to become certified;

Be currently licensed as a Registered Nurse 

Work in collaboration or in a practice with a physician that is Board Certified within one of the following specialties: Plastic/Aesthetic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, or Facial Plastic Surgery (ENT); and

Have a minimum of two years of nursing experience as a registered nurse within one of the listed Core Specialties above in a general staff, administrative, teaching, or research capacity within three years prior to application, and

Have spent at least one thousand (1,000) practice hours within the core specialties during the preceding two years, and

Have their Supervising Core Physician endorse their application.

Removal

If for whatever reason you are not happy with the results and with that being said, you have waited at least 7 – 10 days for the swelling to go down, you can go back to the person who carried out the treatment, or find a new practitioner, to remove the derma fillers completely. This takes just as long as it did to carry out the treatment in the first place but with a twist.

They will inject the area(s) with hyaluronidase; Hyaluronidase is a protein enzyme and works by causing rapid spreading of injected fluid into the body, which increases the absorption of injected fluids.

You will be swollen and very bruised after this and it hurts like hell. I have thankfully only had this done once but only in the area where there was too much product injected; the left corner of my mouth which made me look like the honey monster lol. This really is a last resort but I am glad this is available so that any mistakes/results you are not happy with can be erased and so quickly. They can also target particular areas if you do not wish all of the injectable product to be dissolved, so to speak.  

Tips

Again, I can not stress this enough, please only go to either a board certified plastic surgeon, a certified aesthetic nurse or a dermatologist for any of the above mentioned non-surgical treatments. 

Purchase Arnica in either cream or tablet form; this can be bought almost everywhere in stores such as Holland & Barret, Boots in the UK any worldwide Pharmacies, Walgreens and CVS in the USA. I prefer the cream to prevent any bruising, which is a common occurrence, especially after your first time getting either botox or dermal fillers; more common with derma fillers in my experience. The tablets you take at least 5 days before getting the treatment. Arnica works wonders and quickly! Arnica also helps with swelling which is brilliant.

Remember to breathe and relax. I know this sounds hard given the needles and the emotional rollercoaster you go through in anticipation of your appointment but it is key, especially when the medical professional is carrying out the actual treatment. 

Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions, you will not offend them, they are there to put you at ease and never overdo it on your first go; in fact whichever medical professional you choose, if they are good, won’t let you overdo it just for the cheque! 

Make sure your reasons aren’t just to keep up with the Kardashians or the Jones’ for that matter; yes this is mainly done for cosmetic reasons but at least have a plausible explanation for doing any of the above because it is highly addictive and an expensive habit as a result. If you can’t afford to have it done regularly then don’t bother starting and it’s also good to listen to your friends/family/someone you trust because more often than not, people don’t notice when they are going overboard which is easily done because over time you become braver and want to change more and more, especially when it comes to the face. 

After you have had dermal fillers you may feel like there are balls of hardened gel in, for example, your lips. The professional will give you a full list of aftercare instructions but for the sake of this blog, I will mention a few that were important to my recovery and results. Massage the area and hard! Do not go gently. You will rarely end up with lumps and bumps but on the rare occasion that I have heard of this happening, it is because they did not massage the area. These lumps will feel very hard in the first 3 days, longer if it’s your first time. It may feel slightly tender/painful but it is important especially if you want perfect results. 

Don’t use an ice pack directly onto the swollen area after dermal fillers. Many suggest that you do but it actually hardens the dermal filler ‘balls’ in my experience and postpones the recovery time. Instead, rub cold water on the area or use frozen peas wrapped in a thick tea towel if you really have to. 

In particular reference to lip enhancements, sleep a little upright for the first few nights; this stops you from swelling so much. 

Don’t panic; especially if it is your first time getting any non-surgical procedure, the swelling and bruising can sometimes be dramatic and make you question what you have done to yourself. It is perfectly normal to freak out but give it time and always attend the 2-week checkup appointment even if you are happy with the results. I often find numerous posts online with people crying for help on what to do after 3 days of bruising and swelling, realistically you will not look normal, or have the results you want within 10 days. Think duck mouth. I recommend you don’t even touch your face at least 1 month before a special event. 

Gadgets/Products I Recommend 

If my honesty hasn’t sufficiently put you off, or you are not sure if you want to look frozen/plumped then below are some products I have personally used that will give you similar results without the injections. With that being said, there is absolutely no product on the market that will give you better results than Botox, especially when it comes to reversing wrinkles despite what it says on the tin, however, there are some fabulous anti-ageing products that can smooth out the skin and or temporarily plump up your lips to give you a better visual idea on what you may look like. 

Candy Lipz Italy 

Candy Lipz USA & Canada 

Candy Lipz UK

Is a fantastic product/device that plumps up your lips to the size of your choosing temporarily. I was sent this product around a year and a half ago and use it for when I am in between treatments. The effects last around 2 hours and great for a night out or event as long as you bring it with you! If you scroll far enough back on their or my Instagram @theblondecitizenblog then you will see a video of me using this product. You may have to give it a few goes before getting it right but follow the instructions given and or watch the numerous videos of how it is used beforehand. I did try this on my mothers’ almost non-existent lips and it made only a slight difference so I would say it helps to have lips before using this product. 

  Sunday Riley is one of my favorite skin care brands. Below I have included a review from BeautyPedia. 

“Sunday Riley is a brand that has captured the attention of many with its mix of luxury-positioned skincare products and its ties to today’s top fashion designers. This coupling, plus the brand’s cult-like status among beauty editors, has led many of our readers to ask us whether Sunday Riley products are deserving of the hype. Often noted in Sunday Riley’s products is the NV-5 Ageless Complex. Despite the number “5” in this trade name, the complex contains a mix of seven plant ingredients: prickly pear extract, blue agave, lady’s slipper orchid extract, opuntia tuna fruit, cactus extract, aloe, and a type of yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). We explored the research on each of the ingredients in the NV-5 Ageless Complex. While all of them have some benefit for skin, they’re not ingredients that have comparative benefit to long established ingredients such as retinol, vitamin C, and niacinamide, for example.”

Despite the non-conclusive review, I swear by them and albeit an expensive line, they have personally worked for me which is why I recommend the following if you are looking for an anti-aging, skin plumper for your wrinkle concerns: 

Good Genes found at Sephora and Space.NK is formulated with high-potency, purified grade lactic acid that immediately exfoliates dull, pore-clogging dead skin cells, revealing smoother, fresher, younger-looking skin. Fine lines appear visually plumped while the skin looks more radiant and, with continued use, the appearance of stubborn hyperpigmentation and visible signs of aging are reduced for a healthier-looking complexion. Also enhanced with licorice for brightening, Good Genes clarifies, smoothes and retexturizes for instant radiance.

This treatment can be applied under your foundation as a radiance primer without any oiliness.

1 oz.

Paraben-free; sulfate-free; phthalate-free

  Trusted Medical Professionals I Recommend | UK | Italy

Below is a list of both plastic surgeons, aesthetic nurses and trusted professionals who I have had first-hand experience within the UK and Italy along with pricing and website details. 

UK

Ashleigh Todd Aesthetics 

About:

With clinics both in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, Ashleigh Todd Aesthetics is a leading skincare and beauty expert offering a wide range of services including wrinkle-reducing injections, PRP, Epionce Peels, Cryolipolisis, Dermal Fillers and Agera Peels.

With care and attention, and doing the simple things to perfection, Ashleigh Todd is a passionate skincare and beauty treatments pioneer that delivers the “Wow Factor” to make you stand out from the crowd.

After attending Duncan of Jordanstone Art School and the University of West Scotland to complete a degree in Nursing Studies, Ashleigh combined her medical experience with her outstanding artistic ability to deliver top quality aesthetic beauty treatment in clinics across Scotland and North East England.

In addition to her practitioner’s qualifications, Ashleigh continues her professional development by regularly visiting Harley Street in London, Paris, and Berlin keeping up to date with the latest training and procedures.

Ashleigh is now an Elite Aesthetics Nurse with over five years’ experience. Growing demand for her services led to the setup of the first Ashleigh Todd Aesthetics Clinic in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2014.

Pricing:

Please contact Ashleigh Todd directly for prices. 

  Emma J Lowe Aesthetics 

Emma also works in the Inverness NHS Hospital in Scotland and is referred to by doctors for patients needing Botox for medical reasons. 

About:

Emma J Lowe is a highly experienced Registered General Nurse, Advanced Aesthetics Practitioner and Harley Street Trained. She also has a Nurse Medical Prescriber Qualification. Over time she has gained a huge amount of specialist knowledge and experience in the areas around the eyes and face.

Her original training and experience were in The Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, which is an international center of excellence.

Emma is currently working as a Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Prescriber within the NHS, carrying out botulinum clinics, as well as emergency clinics, intravitreal injections, and minor procedures.

A reputation based on trust, knowledge & experience

Emma has 20 years ophthalmic and nursing experience and has had specialist training in aesthetics during this time. As a foundation for her botulinum work, Emma has completed qualifications in botulinum toxin administration as well as dermal filler administration and holds the certificate in Advanced Aesthetics Practice.

Emma is a member of the Association of Scottish Aesthetics Practitioners and interacts at national and international aesthetic meetings.

Emma independently runs her aesthetic clinics within the ophthalmology department at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness which offers both a discrete and clinical/medical environment. A gold standard for aesthetic treatments.

Prices:

Please contact Emma J Lowe directly. 

Norma Conroy & Gwen Inglis Aesthetic Practitioners – Edinburgh 

Surface Beauty 

About:

Surface Beauty is one of the leading Aesthetic Practices within Scotland, with extensive years’ experience in the field of aesthetics and a team of fully qualified practitioners, you can relax knowing our nurse practitioners are the best in the business and you are receiving one of the most competitive prices in the Aesthetic business. We only use 100% approved products prescribed by an on-site qualified practitioner in accordance with the NMC rules and regulations.  As we have no large overheads, unlike our competitors, we pass all our savings to our clients.

Norma Conroy BN RGN NIP & Aesthetic Medical Practitioner

Having qualified from Napier University Edinburgh with distinction Norma has successfully completed the specialist certified courses in dermal fillers and all aspects of Anti-Wrinkle injections and has completed her degree in Nurse Independent Prescribing. Norma is one of the few practitioners in Edinburgh to be trained to an advanced level within the aesthetic practice and can perform specialist treatments on the lower face and neck area.  She also specialises in tear trough rejuvenation, lip enhancement & cheek augmentation. Norma has been trained at Harley Street as a Lipoglaze Technician.

Gwen Inglis BN RGN & Aesthetic Medical Practitioner

Gwen successfully obtained her nursing degree at Napier University and has had an extensive nursing career within Vascular and General Surgery and the Scottish Transplant Unit. She has successfully completed the specialist certified course in Dermal Fillers, all aspects of anti-wrinkle injections to an advanced level and has also been trained in Harley Street as a Lipoglaze Technician.  Gwen also specialises in lip enhancement and has a huge following in Edinburgh for lip augmentation with both the younger and older generation, giving beautiful natural results. 

“Our ultimate goal is to provide comprehensive aesthetic treatments to help maintain a healthy and vibrant appearance whilst maintaining health and well-being of each client and to enhance natural beauty in a safe environment.”

We are fully insured by Hamilton Fraser www.hamiltonfraser.co.uk 

Pricing:

For full pricing please refer to the ‘Fee’ section of their website.

Botox 3 areas; prices start at £250

Dermal Fillers; £210 per syringe aka 1ml of Juvederm 

  Emily Draper

The Skin Clinic – Preston, England

              About:

Emily Draper specialises in anti-wrinkle injections and Dermal fillers who is a registered Nurse with many years of experience in Aesthetics. She is particularly superb at lip enhancements from my experience. You can see the many 5 star reviews in the link above. 

Pricing:

For 3 areas of Botox i.e Crows Feet, Frown Lines, and Forehead Lines prices start at £250.

For Dermal Fillers, prices start at £150.

Italy

MedLight 

Dott. Michele Bianchini

About:

Born in Siena in 1977, Michele Bianchini has devoted his studies at the Aesthetic Medicine also gaining considerable experience in the use of laser technology. He graduated in Medicine with a specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine with diploma in Aesthetic Medicine (Quadrennial School of Aesthetic Medicine, Fondazione Fatebenefratelli, Rome), Master’s Degree in Aesthetic Dermatology (University of Florence), Master’s Degree in Aesthetic Surgery (at Humanitas, directed by Prof. M. Klinger, Milan).

Institute of Health responsible MEDLIGHT, Bianchini shuns any stereotypical model of beauty, convinced that the original physical features should never be overwhelmed but if anything changed in the sense of greater harmony.

An active member of the Italian Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SIME), a member of the Italian Federation of Aesthetic Medicine (FIME) and the Italian Society of Dermatology Aesthetic and Corrective (SIDEC).

Pricing:

Botox is around €300 Euros for 3 areas; Crows Feet, Forehead Lines, and Frown Lines.

Dermal Fillers are €300 i.e lip enhancement. 

Important Links

I hope you found this blog useful, I have tried to include as much information as possible but if for whatever reason you need to contact me regarding my experiences then feel free to on the following links! 

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Yours Truly,

The Blonde Citizen 

Botox & Dermal Fillers: Tips | Everything You Need To Know | Removal | Pricing | Where To Italy | UK | Other Product/Gadget Recommendations #lipenhancement #cosmeticsurgery #dermalfillers #lipfiller #kyliejenner #kardashians #cosmetic #surgeons #aestheticnurse #ashleightoddaesthetics #ashleightodd #emmajlowe #emmajloweaesthetics #surfacebeauty #recommended #lifestyleblog #lifestyleblogger #expat #expatlife #expatblog #style #beauty #beautyblog #beautyproducts #productreview #juvederm #juvedermultra #juvedermvoluma #dottmichelebianchini #aesthetics #botox #botoxreview #lipfillereview #recovery #tips #travel #traveltips #theskinclinic #goodgenes #sundayriley #candylipz #candylipzreview #Hyaluronidase #nonsurgicaltreatments #nonsurgical #italy #firenze #florence #injectables #nonsurgicalfacelift #cheekfiller #cheekenhancement #eyebrowlift #surgicaljourney #crowsfeet #theblondecitizenblog I was very against getting botox and fillers up until the age of 25 but that all changed when I became friends with two girls in London who had been getting aesthetic procedures done for years and looked incredible!