#btw its not pantonal

[sweet-potatah-pie]

The recent slip up with the Naveen Funko Pop got me thinking about how some of Naveen’s most distinguishing features are omitted from off-screen depictions of him (e.g, Disney Publishing, merch). The features that immediately come to mind for me are his lips (his top lift is often non-existent or depicted as much thinner than it is in the film…btw I LOVE the way you draw and describe his lips hahah 😍 [shaaameless fangirl whoops]), his skin tone, and his dimples (usually non-existent). 

What are some pet peeves you have regarding Disney’s representations of TiaNaveen, and how would you suggest Disney improves on its depictions in the future?

THIS!!! Naveen's character is often not "on model" outside of his depictions in the movie. (And lol, thank you! I'm a shaaameless writer myself! haha!) I've even noticed Tiana is sometimes off model as well in merch or print pieces (much lighter, face shape different, etc).

I think the things you mentioned about off model Naveen are spot on though. One thing I might add is that sometimes in profile is nose is less ethnic. He might appear that way sometimes in stories that are part of an assortment of Disney princess children's books.

The thing is, Disney is a mega corporation with stringent control over it's own image. I understand licensers like Funko Pop might mess up their partner brand's properties here and there, but if Disney wanted to exact control over Naveen's image as a South Asian presenting POC, they would. I unfortunately think that for whatever reason, it is just not in Disney's financial interest to care enough about him. They could create a standard set of Pantone colors to reference for him in the polymers and enamels used by their manufacturers, but they probably won't/don't.

I hope they do better with the TV show. :/ I want them full lips and dimples on my brown boy 😭

[raymurata]

As a born and raised Brazilian, I must say that I disagree quite strongly with this. 

As has been said by OP, there is no such thing as 1:1 equivalence of our real world and Thedas, and it is safe to say Bioware has taken elements from several different cultures to create their own, but when it comes to whatever might have been their major inspiration for Antiva, I strongly believe the 'new world' (and therefore Latin America) was not it. 

Let's break it down. 

The first thing that I would like to point out is that Thedas is a pseudo Medieval setting, but Latin America did not experience the V-XV centuries as Europe did. If they had based themselves on that period of our history, then we'd expect diffused tribes, Mayan/Aztec/Inca architecture, polytheistic/pantheistic religions and their rituals, indigenous clothing, foods and cultures. But that's not what we see.

And we don't see post-colonized Latin American culture either. Antiva is a country that has a long history of wealthy families, maritime domination, and trade, and no colonization whatsoever. Latin American countries were colonized, and as awful as all of those colonizations have been (decimation of peoples, burying of cultures, complete exploration of native resources to enrich the colonizers, slavery of natives, etc), you can't sweep them under the rug and pretend our modern culture exists without that baggage. It doesn't. And Antiva doesn't have it -- But Rivain sort of does.

That's ultimately my biggest point. If they had inspired themselves on us to create Antiva, you'd see elements that are unique to us (as pointed out above), either positive or negative, pre or post colonization. But looking at a clearly European-coded setting and pushing it to somehow pretend it was inspired on Latin America for the sake of representation… does not make me feel represented. It doesn't have my culture. I think Rivain is much more Latin American. 

Meanwhile, let's look at what Antiva does have.

It was originally named Calabria, which is the name of a region in Italy. 

It has a history of powerful city states with strong maritime presence and trade, such as the republic of Venice.

It has a city called Treviso (Italian comune which belonged to Venice), and another called Rialto (an area/bridge of Venice), and the Tellari swamps (Tellaro being an actual paesino in Northern Italy as well)

It has a tradition of week-long Satinalia, which is like Medieval Carnival (also called Saturnalia in ancient times). While you could argue that in modern times the Carnival of Rio has more fame than most in Europe, it was brought here by Christian colonizers, and we didn't have quite the same tradition of the king playing the fool. From wikipedia: 

Carnival: Some of the best-known traditions, including carnal parades and masquerade balls, were first recorded in medieval Italy. The Carnival of Venice was, for a long time, the most famous carnival. From Italy, Carnival traditions spread to Spain, Portugal, and France, and from France to New France in North America. From Spain and Portugal, it spread with colonization to the Caribbean and Latin America.

OP mentions the Andes, but I'd like to point out the Alps and the Apennine.

While OP is right that Brazil is the biggest producer -- and exporter -- of coffee, it was not native to us. In fact it was brought here by Europeans and we did not become such prominent producers of it until export demands increased (mostly European buyers). Furthermore we have a very complex history with coffee (lots of forests destroyed to plant it, slave workforce, etc) and it is at the center of our attempts at creating an independent economy in the early 19th century. Meanwhile, it doesn't seem to me like coffee has that baggage in Antiva. Rather it sounds more like: (from wikipedia )

Coffee: From the Middle East, coffee spread to Italy. The thriving trade between Venice and North Africa, Egypt, and the Middle East (back then Ottoman Empire), brought many goods, including coffee, to the Venetian port. From Venice, it was introduced to the rest of Europe. Coffee became more widely accepted after it was deemed a Christian beverage by Pope Clement VIII in 1600, despite appeals to ban the "Muslim drink." The first European coffee house opened in Rome in 1645.

When it comes to music, OP mentions the flute -- an instrument from several different cultures, not just Latin American in the least. Greece, Germany, China, India… There are flutes unique to South America, true, but there are flutes literally everywhere and Bioware never really shows us what kind of flute the lillo is. 

On the matter of "things that were common basically all over the globe," I need not say there was gold -- and gold ostentation -- in Europe in Medieval times. Gold as wealth is pretty much present in tons of cultures. OP also mentions turquoise. Yes, it is true the Aztec had it, but so did the Iranian, Egyptians and other Arab peoples. It was taken to Europe through the Silk Roads before they reached the Americas.

Which brings me to… Silk, and weaving. Silk is Chinese/Middle Eastern in origin but also a famous Antivan product. I don't know if maybe there is a parallel between European-Asian trade and Antivan-Par Vollen trade there. What I do know is that Antiva, as well as Orlais, is well known for its fashion in general, which evokes modern France (Paris) and Italy (Milan) in my mind. And it is relevant to point out weaving existed in medieval Europe as much as in South America. From Wikipedia:

Weaving: The predominant fibre was wool, followed by linen and nettlecloth for the lower classes. Cotton was introduced to Sicily and Spain in the 9th century. When Sicily was captured by the Normans, they took the technology to Northern Italy and then the rest of Europe. Silk fabric production was reintroduced towards the end of this period and the more sophisticated silk weaving techniques were applied to the other staples.

OP mentions the Felicissima Armada, the Antivan (and Rivaini) band of pirates. Yes, it is true that the Caribbean was the protagonist of the Golden Age of piracy, but the name 'felicissima armada' is literally the name of the Spanish navy in 1588. And piracy existed before its Golden Age. In fact, Venice has a history of struggles with pirates… And just remember that even though the Felicissima Armada did fight with Antiva against invasion, when in peace, the pirates target Antivan merchants too (who choose to pay them a tax instead of fighting), so they're not a protection army. 

In fact, the Thedosian Felicissima Armada has its headquarters in Llomerryn, which is a Rivaini 'pirate paradise' kind of like Nassau (and it is worth mentioning most Pirates were European anyway). Either way, that 'tarde hub' is Rivaini and not Antivan.

Some other things Rivain has in common with pre-colonization Latin America are its tribal customs and its religions. They were colonized by the Qunari and forced into the Qun and then the Chantry took over and violently pushed Andrastianism into their culture. The Chantry actually carries on a genocide of non-Andrastian in Rivain, forcing them to at least incorporate or pretend to accept Andrastianism.

In Rivain, body paint and body modifications are part of the culture (such as in pre colonized South American, African and Australian tribes), the women have a strong role (as with many of those peoples too), and the gods are nature itself (I know for a fact this was such for indigenous Brazilian groups). 

Bc of the chantry take over, Rivain has a Circle and mages are taken to it, but even inside the Circles the Seers (who seem to be like Paje or other tribal chiefs in South American communities) have authority bc this is part of their cultural roots. Just like here in Brazil Christianim exist simultaneously with African-Indigenous Brazilian religions.

Meanwhile Antiva is heavily Andrastian just as Italy and Spain were (and still are) heavily Christian.

Not to mention the Crows, who pretty much influence all political decisions in Antiva. They're several different cells with initiation rituals and pyramidal hierarchy. Sounds like the Italian mafia, huh? La Cosa Nostra, La Camorra and La 'Ndrangheta, for instance? The latter of which had its origins in Calabria, by the way. Of course you could argue the Colombian cartels are also very prominent in South America, but they're very modern and entirely drug traffic related, while the Italian mafia is older and more related to politics. I invite you to read anything on the Sicilian mafia initiation rituals and try not to see the Crows:

Sicilian Mafia: A prospective mafioso is carefully tested for obedience, discretion, courage, ruthlessness, and skill at espionage.[18][132] He is almost always required to commit murder as his ultimate trial,[18] even if he doesn't plan to be a career assassin. The act of murder is to prove his sincerity (i.e., he is not an undercover policeman) and to bind him into silence (i.e., he cannot break omertà without facing murder charges himself).

There's also the matter of the language. While David Gaider's word is not law, when we are discussing where the writers took their inspiration from, his word is very relevant. And he has written a short story in which Zev calls the warden "amore," which is Italian. All of the other people writing Antiva for the comics, instead, use Spanish -- which was brought to South America by the Spanish during colonization, and which brings me back to "Antiva doesn't have a history of colonization" point, so it does not represent post-colonization Latin America. 

Lastly, Antiva simply doesn't feel even remotely Latin American to me, a Latin American. I have lived all my life in Brazil and visited several of its states and cities. I've never seen these medieval looking, steep alleys, or castles on top of hills, with colorful little houses in all of the surroundings of that hill, or ports with a bunch of canals and all. When you do find such Architecture (or similar, like Ouro Preto) it is, of course, because of the European colonization.

On the other hand, I've been in Italy (spending a month here) for less than two weeks and I've been to a handful of cities which do look exactly like that! Just check out these pictures (some I took this week, some from google) side by side with the pictures OP took from The Silent Grove:

Now look at Rivain:

Picture on the right is of a city in the state of Pará, Brazil. Stilt houses are not exclusively or even originally ours, and they're definitely not common in most of Brazil, so plz don't assume as much. But we actually do have that kind of architecture. As opposed to, you know... medieval castles on hilltops

When it comes to their phenotype, yes, Antivans are dark skinned. The end. There should be no discussion regarding that. Zev and Josie are dark skinned and therefore, in terms of skin/genes, poc. 

Their ethnicity -- culture, architecture, and history, however, are not Latin American. And one thing North Americans in this fandom need to learn is that skin color does not equate history/culture, race does not equate to ethnicity. Stop acting like Zev being dark skinned makes him Colombian or Brazilian coded, or that Josie being dark skinned makes her Aztec-inspired (or that they can't be European-coded bc they are poc, as if there hadn't been any poc in medieval Italy/Spain. Yes, there were).

Dorian looks South Asian/Indian, but Tevinter is definitely not India-coded either. And as for Orlais being Italy/Spain…I just… I kindly ask my French followers to please take it away.

OP might be tired of all Medieval Fantasy settings being inspired in Europe, and so am I. But taking a very European-coded fictional place that does not have a noticeable Latin American historical or cultural baggage (either pre or post colonization) and calling it Latin American just because it has swamps, rain, weaving and flutes… does not make it Latin American coded. It just makes me, a Latin American, pissed.

If any Thedosian country is based on us, then it's Rivain. 

Of course, fans can hc whatever they want to increase representation. I myself made Fenris Brazilian in my modern AU. You may even hc Zev and Josie as Latine too, but Bioware most certainly did not. 

Do you know of any Latine characters in dragon age? I figured antivan characters but they're supposedly just spanish.

Antiva has more in common with Latin America than Spain and Italy (the other one often said.) So the TL;DR version is yeah I think most Antivan characters like Zevran and Josephine could be considered Latine. (And Josephine was clarified to be a WOC, though we weren’t given any details beyond that because BioWare.) 

Also you should totally check out @latinxdragonage!

First, just a reminder that there is no 1:1 ratio of Thedosian countries and IRL equivalencies, but rather general regions of the world. So please don’t misinterpret this as me lumping all of Latin America together, but rather I believe that is what BioWare did in terms of pulling inspiration from a wide range of places and cultures. Antiva is a large place and there’s lots of room for differences across it!

Zevran says that in Antiva it rains often. Spain has a dry climate compared to nations like Colombia (which has been ranked as the rainiest country in the world) and neighbouring countries:

That it rains so much in Antiva makes sense why they have a region called “the Drylands,” if it’s dry unlike most of their country, instead of the other way around like Spain.

Antiva is also hope to the Tellari swamps, which is a giant wetland [some images are included in this post]. Four of the worlds most major wetlands are in South America, including The Pantonal, which is also one of the largest. Looking at the actual comics though, while it’s called a swamp it appears more like a rain-forest to my eye at least. In which case that still definitely wouldn’t bring Spain or Italy to mind, would it?

Still talking about geography, Antiva shares The Hundred Pillars with Tevinter, which is a long stretched mountain range like the Andes.

Last Flight describes Antiva City being decorated with turquoise tiles, just like the Aztec people used it for, among other things as it was favoured for both ornamentation and ceremonial use. There is no turquoise in Spain.

Also in Antiva is gold; their symbol is a golden drake. And yeah the Spaniards sure loved their fucking gold, but who did they steal it all from again?

Antiva is where coffee is produced in Thedas. The world’s biggest coffee producer is Brazil (by a lot), with Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia and Mexico also being on the top ten list.Some other foods that are known to come from Antiva are peppers, corn and passion fruit, all foods native to Latin America, and only brought back to Spain by colonizers.

Antiva is specifically named when discussing fine weaving skills, with rugs apparently identifiable as Antivan by look. Weaving is an iconic textile tradition from many Indigenous peoples in South America.

Zevran mentions something called a “lillo flute” being a common instrument used by Antivan minstrels. This may be a fictional type of flute, and not that they have the copyright on all flute music, but flutes are among the most used instruments in Andean music.

Antiva has a huge history of piracy and as a trade hub similar to the Caribbean, including the existence of pirate seaports, which were a large contributor to the establishment of Antiva as a nation.

Finally, a few things entering headcanon territory but I’ll include anyway:

I like to think the Drylands could be equivalent to the drylands in Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

That Antivans have notable weaving textiles would also suggest that they have the animals it takes to produce the fibres, like llamas and alpacas? Which would thrive in the Drylands and mountains. And the Dalish of Antiva probably use halla wool.

It’s not that there aren’t any things that Antiva has in common with Spain and Italy, like previously being a city-state (something Gaider specifically pointed out when asked if Antiva City was Italy) and known for wine exports. But I think Orlais has more in common with those countries, when we’re talking about the quantity of similarities……And frankly, I am really tired of the fantasy genre only equating to Europe. Dragon Age is one of the only franchises not to do that.

SOURCES:

Dragon Age: Origins

World of Thedas Vol 1

World of Thedas Vol 2

The Silent Grove

The Calling

The Masked Empire

Last Flight

See the sources in this post re: food

[eossa]

I posted 111 times in 2022

35 posts created (32%)

76 posts reblogged (68%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@altindie

@wordbite

@supportcontentcreators

@acuite

@southcodes

I tagged 109 of my posts in 2022

Only 2% of my posts had no tags

#blog - 97 posts

#theme rec - 44 posts

#1c - 40 posts

#sidebar - 38 posts

#responsive - 37 posts

#fave - 33 posts

#minimal - 31 posts

#header - 25 posts

#page rec - 18 posts

#dark mode - 17 posts

Longest Tag: 30 characters

#pantone color of the year 2023

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Farbenfroh Page 1 Revamp

A responsive page for displaying colors (or other elements) with standard Isotope filtering and a smart dark mode.

Preview | Code: here or here

Key Features: Isotope filtering. Masonry layout. Responsive. Sidebar layout. Smart dark mode.

For information in regards to resources and customization, please read the page guide here.

19 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

#4

While it’s not yet clear what Adobe will do with Figma, and while the Figma CEO has claimed that Figma will operate autonomously, here’s a free alternative just in case.

22 notes - Posted September 15, 2022

#3

See the full post

41 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

#2

hi! sorry to bother but i was wondering if you know some resources at how can i learn to make themes? im already learning html/css but im finding hard to find good resources to learn how to make themes :( btw: love your work!

Hello! Thank you for the compliment and your interest in making themes.

Since you’re already learning HTML and CSS, I don’t think I need to tell you about w3schools or stackoverflow – you probably came across them yourself already. :)

The best way to understand tumblr themes is to look at the official guide for creating custom themes. There, all of the (necessary) variables are listed and their purpose is described as well.

Base codes can be very helpful to see how these elements look when they are put together, plus the HTML works already so you can focus on manipulating elements with CSS.

@buildthemes is an entire blog dedicated to teaching people how to code themes. You have to view the blog in its own tab to access the different chapters.

@theme-hunter also has a neat list of tutorials you can use for creating amazing themes.

I hope these resources are helpful!

110 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Adobe Alternatives

This post on instagram lists free and paid alternatives to adobe’s creative cloud … well, I’m going to provide you with the links to the free versions. Please refrain from commenting your personal opinions on the CC or any of these free alternatives.

Ae – After Effects

Blender | DaVinci Resolve

Ai – Illustrator

Boxy SVG | Inkscape | Krita | Vectr (new, old)

An – Animate

Blender | Pencil2D | Spline (3D tool)

Au – Audition

Audacity | Garageband (iOS, Mac, Windows) | LMMS | Tracktion Waveform Free

Dw – Dreamweaver

Atom | Brackets | Sublime | VS Code

Id – InDesign

Canva | Krita | Scribus

Ps – Photoshop

Darktable | GIMP | Krita | Paint.NET | Photopea

Xd – Experience Design

Figma | Framer | Invision

From Julia to You

Three personal faves which I use regularly:

Projector (Canva alternative).

Lunapic (similar to GIMP but online).

FireAlpaca (painting tool).

Crello (Canva alternative).

200 notes - Posted January 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[fangirlwithade]

WILL SOLACE APPRECIATION POST

for his late birthday :))

After the events in Tower of Nero he grows his hair out, at first Nico isn’t sure but then whenever he gets anxious he just plays with Will’s hair.

Percy just casually mentions to the seven that Will rode a motorcycle during the battle of Manhattan and both Hazel and Piper come to him for lessons.

Will never usually does a big celebration for his birthday but after the War with Gaia, Nico and some campers throw him a small suprise party and he loves it.

His favourite colour is lemon drop (its an actual pantone colour btw).

He’s both a cat and a dog person .

Shortly after the war with Gaia, Will starts writing poetry, mostly as a method to keep sane but also for himself. He keeps it in a little black book and one day when his siblings find out they convince him to publish some of it so Will becomes a published author (under a different name) and all of the money he makes goes back to Mental Health charities. 

This took me forever and honestly all the more reason why we deserved more Will Solace content 🙃🙃

[stardusstt]

pantone, combat boots, white bed sheets :o

Pantone: describe a person close to your life in detail. I’m gonna describe my new boyfriend 😍 his name is Chad, he is a literal dream come true. He plays guitar and drums, he usually tours with a band setting up and tearing down. He air drums to the tunes we listen to🤓 he has fuzzy wuzzy long hair and it’s perfect like cotton candy. If it were pink you’d wanna eat it man. But i mean a glance at that hottie and you’d want it all, I dooooo all day ERR DAY😍💋 his smile haunts my dreams in the most fantastic way. He holds me like he’ll never let go, and he LOVES that clingy shit😌 he’s a tall ass drink of rock n roll water,,, make that yellow Gatorade cuz he drinks that specifically cuz he saw James Hetfield do it. SWOONNNN. Btw they’re his fav band🤪 Combat Boots: are you a very forgiving person? Do you like being this way? I honestly probably am, but I never forget. I’m just way too nice sometimes. I forgave a lot of terrible people for doing a lot of terrible things and still stuck w em even tho I was practically tortured by the psycho induced anxiety. White Bed Sheets: what is your night time routine? Well it’s starting to get different, nowadays it’s one of two. If I’m alone I brush my teeth and mouthwash it up I have an interesting mouth routine haha I floss too when I’m not too lazy. Usually if I don’t pass out call my baby before he goes to sleep, and then I smoke some ganj and listen to some tunes to help calm my nerves if I have any (it’s been getting much better 😌) and bedy bye!! If my honey is thankfully in my presence for my pre sleep rituals, Its the same minus calling him obvi and since he’s there hanky panky is graciously involved😍😝. Thanks doll, these were really fun and cute💕✨😊

[tinypmsmatch]

Pantone 7691.

Snowflake eraser my daughter got at her piano teacher’s Christmas party. She came home requesting that I should take a picture of it. Keeping my word 😊✌️ Btw, I kept seeing these 6 tiny people with their both arms up, like they’re screaming “Yay!” 😆

Anyways, wish we had some snow in Houston this year. But it seems like it’s sticking to its schedule of showing up every 8 years 🤷🏻‍♀️

[loldocket]

Keeping a pantone card in my phone case just in case anyone asks what my favourite colour is

(its pink btw 💗)

[eszteroida]

🌼"If I were.. “ tag 🌼

I saw this post on @la-petitefille ’s blog (btw I’m in LOVE with her blog,If you see it dear,I love you!) and since she tagged everyone who got inspired by it, I decided to do it myself and follow her way of tagging everyone who sees it on my blog. Have a magical day, everyone, I love all of you!

If I were a month, I’d be: Every season, every month has its own beauty,it’s really hard to choose but I’ll go with December because Christmas and the actual spirit what December has just gets me everytime.

If I were a day of the week, I’d be: Saturday. On saturdays I usually get up early in the morning. With a coffee, blanket and a good book I sit outside and forget everything else for a while.

If I were a planet, I’d be: Earth. Earth carries the worst creatures, humans with their terrible behaviour..and still manages to be strong and never gives up.. Like me, I carry a lot of tough things from day to day, week to week, month to month,year to year.. But here I am, fairly strong and happy most of the time, self-love is the key.

If I were a sea animal, I’d be: A dolphin, the happines, the grace, the beautifulness they have is so stunning.

If I were a God/Goddess, I’d be: Athéna.

Goddess of wisdom, craft(art), diplomacy, poetry, medicine

If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be: an antique mirror

If I were a gemstone, I’d be: either Rainbow Obsidian (the energies of this stone will inspire you to be a good example for others. It will encourage you to focus only on the good.) or Opal (opal is considered a stone representing hope, innocence and purity. It has strong connotations of happiness, faithfulness, loyalty and confidence.)

If I were a flower, I’d be: Rose and lavender 🌹 *in need of the lavender emoji*

If I were a kind of weather, I’d be: chilly, snowy winter day ❄

If I were a color, I’d be: that’s exciting. One and a half year ago I wouldn’t even bother thinking on it, I would’ve said black.. But I’ve changed in so many levels of my soul and now I see more colors. I really can’t decide, but I think I would be Sea Fog and Zephyr From Pantone’s color collection (pictures below) and every color of a Monet,Gogh painting.

If I were an emotion, I’d be: calm, Christmas spirit, the feeling you get after the best coffee or tea, the feeling when you leave a bookstore with a good book. The feeling when you see a good painting, photograph, dance performance. When you see your pet after a long day, or when you take a hot bubble bath after a long day.

If I were a fruit, I’d be: any kind of berries

If I were a sound, I’d be: that’s hard for a misophonic, but I would be the click sound when you push the expo button on a camera, or the sound of the sea, page turning in a book.

If I were an element, I’d be: since I’m a proud Virgo, I’d be Earth, of course 🌱

If I were a place, I’d be: museum hall, Photographer’s studio or a reading place next to a window.

If I were a mythological creature, I’d be: a fairy. 💖

If I were a taste, I’d be: coffee and tea.

If I were a scent, I’d be: gingerbread, cinnamon, marshmallow candle

If I were an object, I’d be: a book

if I were a body part, I’d be: a foot with a beautiful pointe, or lungs

If I were a song, I’d be: Okay there’s no way to choose one so I’m just gonna pour my soul now. Classicals: I would be Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No.1 ; Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pas De Deux’, 'Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy’ (nutcracker), Swan Lake(all); 'Spring Waltz’ by Chopin; Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata, Für Elise; Ernesto Cortazar - Beethoven’s silence. Soundtracks: BBC Sherlock theme, Imitation Game theme by Alexandre Desplat, Dandelions by A.Desplat (Afterwards movie) pop&indie&alternative: Zayn’s Dusk Till Dawn, Agnes Obel’s Fuel To Fire, Ed Sheeran’s Perfect, Johnny Lloyd’s Pilgrims, Sodus by Cemeteries,Snowmine’s Hologram, The XX songs, Arctic Monkeys' songs. Sorry I could not choose one of all the good masterpieces, these are the ones that I can listen to unconditionally and never get bored of, especially the classicals are my favourite.

If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be: Pointe shoes and Latin shoes

[sainttheosylas]

all the aesthetic questions

(Btw @cyrusgavar sent me all this questions so you all know they rock)

flower crown: when did you last sing to yourself?I don’t sing to myself but I talk to myself literally every day.

fairy lights: if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know?I’d ask if my parents really love me.

daisies: what is the greatest accomplishment of your life?I haven’t done many impressive things with my life, and I’ve missed out on some stuff I wish i could have achieved. But I’d say my biggest achievement is who’ve I’ve become and the attitude I’ve curated. I used to have extreme anger issues that held me back and I’ve had to conquer that. Very few people actually have to go through such dramatic personality change like that in order to progress in life so I think I’m rather proud of my personal character development.

1975: what is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise?I’d say my most recent happy memory is playing DM at my first D&D campaign with my friends and hearing afterwards how much fun they had even if I was pretty nervous and afraid I was doing something wrong the entire time.

matte: if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?I think the first thing I would start doing if I knew I was going to die would be being more honest. I feel like I’ve held my tongue all my life and I have always wanted to speak my mind more. In addition, I think I would try to speak to other people to create the change I want to see in the world and leave a legacy.

black nail polish: do you have a bucket list? if so, what are the top three things?I don’t have a written bucket list per se but I do say three things I definitively want to do before I die. I want to explore Seattle alone, get a job that I’m happy at and see my friends Chase and Robin in the flesh.

pantone: describe a person close to your life in detail.They look exactly like every single blonde heartthrob from the 90s with like three more inches of hair. I don’t think they’ve even touched a bra in their entire life even though they should probably wear one and they’ve got really cute selfies. Also I’m totally doing their make up if we ever see each other in the flesh.

moodboard: do you feel you had a happy childhood?Oh HELL no. I don’t want to go into detail on such a public forum but the people closest to me really understand how horrid my childhood was.

stars: when did you last cry in front of another person?Last Thursday in front of my maternal grandma, actually.

plants: pick a person to stargaze with you and explain why you picked them.@im-bravo she’s pretty cool.

converse: would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them?oh definitely if they were up for it I’m a pretty sociable person and I’m always looking to make new friends. But having mutual interest is one of the most important things in a new friend for me so my standards are a little bit high since my interest can be a little obscure at times.

lace: when was your last 3am conversation with someone, and who were they to you?Dude I’m not awake at 3 AM. if I’m awake at 12 AM it’s a miracle.

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 think I’ll try something pragmatic. I’ll go up to a judge and write my last will and testament dividing all my worldly possessions and money.

cactus: what is your opinion on brown eyes?Well I have them. They’re pretty okay. I wish my mom would stop saying brown eyes mean I’m full of shit, though.

sunrise: pick a quote and describe what it means to you personally.“This now, this us, we can cope with that.” -Cecil Baldwin Basically I like this quote as it will basically says ‘we can cope with that’ and well, frankly coping is about all I can do right now.

oil paints: what would you title the autobiography of your life so far?'Drafting plans for a Powder Palace’

overalls: what would you do with one billion dollars?First things first I’m going to get the hell out of here and go to where my friends are. Then I’m going to donate like 2 million to ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Then I’ll probably just stick a bunch of it in stocks and bonds well I think of the next thing to do.

combat boots: are you a very forgiving person? do you like being this way?I think I’m a pretty forgiving person but it’s also because I can’t stand up for myself and if I can even hold a grudge its hard for me to act upon it.

winged eyeliner: write a hundred word letter to your twelve year old self.“Dear 12 year old me: everything is super shitty and mind numbingly bland right now but just give it a while and you’ll escape. One thing I will need to stop doing is procrastinating and I also want you to speak your mind a little more. Also do anything you can to not be boring and see as much of the world as you can because HOO BOY was your childhood boring you need to exercise your brain with new experiences.”

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

tattoos: how do you feel about tattoos and piercings? explain.I really want a dragonfly tattoo and I’ve got a few pretty interesting ideas drawn up and I doing a few piercing but my mom hates facial piercing so I can’t get one. A mouth piercing would be pretty cool though.

piercings: do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not?I usually don’t wear make up on school days unless something important’s going on since it takes so much time to put on but when I’m going to the mall or out of town I tend to put on some make up. Eyeshadow, eyeliner and all that.

bands: talk about a song/band/lyric that has affected your life in some way.can’t say I can think of a song/band that affected me in a particularly noteworthy way.

messy bun: the world is listening. pick one sentence you would tell them.'Read Ava’s Demon and shoot Donald Trump.’

cry baby: list the concerts you have been to and talk about how they make you feel.Never been to a concert in my life.

grunge: who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say?I’d say I really want a letter from Michelle Czajkowski. Maybe some artistic encouragement or behind the scenes looks on how she makes her own art or own comic.

space: do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised?My desk is pretty dang organized usually it’s only disorganized for a few hours or so until I reorganize it.

white bed sheets: what is your night time routine?Hang out on couch for several hours, get tired, grab my dog, read fan fiction, fall asleep.

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

beaches: if you had to dye your hair how would you dye/style it and why?I probably go for a dark purple to lavender gradient. Not that you can get a good gradient in a pixie cut.

eyes: pick five people to go on an excursion with you. who would you pick and where would you go/what would you do?Chase, Robin, I.M. Bravo, Michelle Czajkowski, and @accordingtomyresearch and we’re all hitting up Seattle

11:11: name three wishes and why you wish for them.I’d wish for financial security, the confidence to do what I really need to do, and the belief in myself to work on my artistic skills until I am as good as the people I admire.

painting: what is the best halloween costume you have ever put together? if none, make one up. I put together a pretty hot greaser costume last year. Turns out i can rock slicked back hair.

lightning: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done while drunk or high?The craziest thing I’ve done while high was knit while watching a horror movie/ roleplay a sad, drunk Damara.

thunder: what’s one thing you would never do for one million dollars?Say something positive about Donald Trump.

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?This question fucking sucks. One song because I cannot survive only seen one person.

love: have you ever fallen in love? describe what it feels like to realise you’re in love.I had a crush on this one girl in middle school but definitely wasn’t love. I’m never felt romantic love for anyone but I do know that I love the world and I love all my friends deeply and platonically and warm way that few others understand because they see love as exclusively romantic.

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?considering I’ve had a pixie cut for over a year now I’d say I would.

coffee: what’s your starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone?Dude I don’t go to Starbucks their water tastes burnt.

marble: what is the most important thing to you in your life right now?I took the most important thing in my life right now are the steps I’m about to take into independence and adult hood.

[italianbark]

Last week I enjoied a few days at Paris Maison et Objet + Paris Design Week 2017. While here you can find some new/interesting design products, today I take some minutes to share with you some new interior trends I noticed, some days after my travel as I need always few time to think back and digest what I saw.

Most brands proposed again similar trends and style we already saw at Milan Design Week 2017 (greenery, colour blocks, earthy + dark shades, black lines) , or for example in the past edition of MO17 in January.

BUT there is something I noticed which is new from past fairs and I’ll bet will be a trend next year. Lets see if I’m wrong in a few months!

Ylva Skarp

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TREND #1 | RED

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Well maybe I’m just influenced by the amazing exhibit “Christian Dior Couturier du Rêve” I saw during my days in Paris, where red was one of the main protagonists, as for Christian Dior history.

But don’t think it’s a coincidence that Vitra chose this bright and bold red as the colour for its booth. Several brand are launching their products in a red version and in all the latest colour releases by paint brands there is a bright red shade.

See for example Pantone Spring 2018, Behr, Dulux.

It is also a colour we haven’t recently seen in interiors so I ‘m quite sure it will come strongly back. Maybe next Pantone of the year will be a red..?

PS: Fun to notice, I just repainted my bold red wall in greige (and yes I’m so happy with it now!)

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Vitra

Nomess

Nomess

Rina Menardi

Rina Menardi

Rina Menardi

Desjeux Delaye

Amed Design

Fermob

Diamantini Domeniconi

Valerie objects

  Pantone Spring 2018

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TREND #2 | STORAGE DECOR

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You are nobody without a minimalist clothes rack at home.

At least, judging by how many clothes racks I saw at the fair. Every brand designed its own version, but really is there so much call for clothes racks in people homes (talking about real homes, not blogs or magazines ones)?

BTW, for sure the trend is to match functionality with aesthetics and to transform objects that once were just useful in beautiful ones.

Less is more, so let’s work on the less to make it beautiful.

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Kommod

Klybeck

BEdesign

Puik

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TREND #3 | EASTERN TWIST

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I must admit that this point is very influenced by my own taste but I’m noticing more and more shapes and lines with a Far East twist.

Very interesting also the in-fair exhibit about Asian rising talents.

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  [symple_divider style=”dashed” margin_top=”20″ margin_bottom=”20″] TREND #4 | COMFORT TIME

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Design is more and more oriented towards people comfort. The “Comfort Time” exhibit showcased this cross-trend in a total white space furnished with items designed to make our lives more comfortable.

An interesting selection of furniture and objects ranging from workspace, to living room, to beds, to building materials: by observing present products, comfort is really one of the key trends at present.

Design is not made for surprising people anymore with special effects, but for making our lives better and more comfortable.

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HAVE YOU DOWNLOADED MY INTERIOR TRENDS 2018 GUIDE?

4 EXCLUSIVE NEW INTERIOR TRENDS I NOTICED AT MAISON ET OBJET 2017 Last week I enjoied a few days at Paris Maison et Objet + Paris Design Week 2017…