#but it's a lot easier to catch them before they start grilling than to constantly keep them away from their own fridge

[eachuisge-cc]

genuinely considering trying to make a meat cooler for werewolves that you can store food in but can't use to cook because my dude has so much meat that's gonna go to waste if I take away his fridge but I really need him to quit cooking and then getting pissed about the meal he himself made for not being raw meat when he's perfectly capable of hunting.

[kpoptart216]

You’re my Utopia (pt 6)

A/N: this took forever I'm so sorry

Masterlist

Despite your initial reservations, you quite enjoyed working at BigHit. You made some new friends with the staff and you really loved working with the boys on an almost daily basis. 

Recently, the boys had announced a tour, which meant their time was split from recording new songs and practicing for the tour. On top of that, they were promoting oversees. You were surprised by how much you missed them when they were gone. 

But, you got constant updates from them, especially Hoseok. Even if you guys started spending more time than usual, you texted just as much as you did before, if not more. You were constantly talking to each other, and you found yourself missing him when you weren’t. 

Your feelings caught you by surprise. When did you catch feelings for Hobi? At first, you denied it. It was probably because he was your support system for so long right? 

But then you noticed how fast your heart would beat when he got closer to you. You noticed how you loved the crinkle in his eyes when he laughed. You noticed how much you missed him when he was gone. 

It was just like when you fell for Jungkook...just stronger. And that scared you to the very core. You couldn’t go down that route again. If Jungkook had taught you anything, it was that you were simply not meant to date an idol. 

But it’s not like you could avoid Hoseok either. You worked together and you were drawn to him regardless. You couldn’t deny him when he asked to hang out or come listen to your music in the studio. And in the end, you only ended up falling harder, and you could only keep your feelings to yourself. 

Jungkook, on the other hand, was struggling himself. Despite telling you he was fine with him staying out of your life, he found it hard to see you so often. What made it worse was Sooyoung grilling him constantly. What he wore, what he ate, where they went for dates when he could have free time, and so on. When he was dating you, he found himself imagining how nice it would be to date an idol, someone who he thought would understand him more because they both had the same careers. Now he found himself comparing his relationship with Sooyoung to his relationship with yours. Why did he ever think you didn’t understand him? That this would be easier?

He found himself missing you more and more as each day went on. It was hard seeing you laugh, knowing it wasn’t him making you laugh. It was hard seeing you so close and yet so emotionally distant. You kept true to your word, you didn’t talk to him unless it was related to work in some way. And yet here you were, laughing and joking around with the rest of the boys. But what irked him the most was the way you looked at Hoseok with such affection in your eyes and how his hyung looked at you the same way. 

You were slumped on your desk as you pondered about some edits for one of the songs. Sometimes, it was hard to find inspiration when all you did was sit in the studio all day. Deciding to get some fresh air, you got up just as your phone dinged with a new text message.

 Hobi: what are you doing right now? You busy?

You smiled fondly at your phone. You had to smack yourself to get back to reality. 

You: No, I just decided to step out of the studio for a bit. Why what’s up?

Hobi: want to come by the dance room real quick? I wanted to show you something I’ve been working on. 

You couldn’t stop the way your heart raced after seeing that text. 

You: Sure, I’ll be there in a second!

You walked at a slightly faster pace than you normally would to get to the practice room. It’s not to far from your studio thankfully and pretty soon you’re opening the door to the studio. 

It’s well into the night and you knew that it was only probably just Hoseok there at this hour. Thankfully, you were right. Hoseok turned to face you when he heard the door opened and you loved the way he seemed to light up when he saw you. But you were sure you were just imagining it. 

“Hey, that was fast” Hoseok jokes. 

“I couldn’t wait to get out of my studio” you say. 

“And here I thought you couldn’t wait to see me” He says faking pain. 

“I mean, you’re just a bonus” you joke, plopping yourself down on one wall. “What did you want to show me?” 

“Why the rush? You need to leave soon?” He asks, walking towards the sound system next to you. 

“Not really, just excited to see what you were working on!” you say honestly. 

“Well, it’s just something I’ve been playing around with for Festa this year. Let me know what you think ok? Don’t hold back” he says right before the music begins to fill the room. 

You nod eagerly as Hoseok gets in place in front of the mirror. You’re in awe watching him dance. He faces the mirror, his back towards you, but you don’t mind. He effortlessly glides through each of his steps and his eyes rarely leave your sitting figure in the mirror. He gets a flood of confidence when you look at him like he’s the only person in the room. But then again... he was the only person in the room. 

Once the routine ends, he turns to face you and gives you a big smile when you begin to clap. “That was absolutely amazing! You HAVE to do that for Festa. ARMY will love it” you say, handing him the towel next to you. 

“really? You don’t think that was too plain?” he asks. 

“Plain? No way! That was amazing. But I don’t know much about dancing, maybe you can ask the members. I have two left feet after all” you say, laughing. 

“Oh, now I have to see that,” Hoseok says with a smirk. 

“Huh?”

“Come on, I want to see your moves, Y/n!” 

“No way! Not in a million years, Oppa” you say, laughing away the notion.

“Oh come on, I’ll dance with you! I’ll teach you” he says, reaching out his hand. You stare at his hand as if he grew more fingers. 

“Nope, I’m not up for that kind of embarrassment tonight,” you say, swatting his hand away, only for him to grasp his hand in yours. 

“Oh come on, you’ll feel better I promise. You need this after being holed up in your studio. Come one, pleaaaaassssseee?” he begs. 

You contemplate his request. Maybe you did need it. Maybe it would be fun? But what if you embarrassed yourself? Only one way to find out.

You took his hand in yours and let him help you up. He let go after what seemed like a few seconds more than necessary and walked back to the audio system to pick out a new song. 

He actually ended up picking up one of the first couple of songs you had sent him. This one specifically was more of a dance song compared to other ones you had wrote previously since you wanted to branch out in different styles of music. What Hoseok didn’t tell you was that the moment he listened to the song, he had almost immediately come up with choreography. He never told you that in case that seemed weird, but maybe now he could show you little bits of it. 

He started to dance slowly and watched as you watched him. After a bit, he took your hands again and started to move your hands to the beat to get you moving. You honestly were probably one of the worst dancers, but you both couldn’t help the giggling that came out of it. 

He showed you some of his moves and asked your to replicate some of the easier ones, which you failed miserably at. You were no match for him! But you both had fun nonetheless and you got to dance to a couple of songs before you tapped out. 

You both slid down the wall and plopped yourself down laughing. That was the most fun you’ve had in a while, and it was definitely needed. You tried to ignore the way your heart raced when Hoseok got so close to you, and you hoped you could play off your scarlet red cheeks from just being tired from the dancing. 

You were both panting, and when you turned to look at each other, you erupted in another fit of laughter again. Why was it so easy being around him? So easy to be yourself. You didn’t even care that you just made a fool of yourself, you just genuinely had fun. 

“Man I haven’t had this much fun in a while” you admit out loud. 

“Me neither. You sure you should be working as a producer when you should be working as a choreographer?” he asks sarcastically. 

“Ok ok, I sense the sarcasm. I’m heading back to my den, wounded” you say standing up. 

“I’m just kidding!” He says, yanking you back down. But he underestimated his own strength because you toppled over him when you lost your balance. Your faces were just a few centimeters apart and both of your eyes were as wide as they could be.

You don’t know how long you were there in that position, just staring into each other’s eyes. You swore you saw him look at your lips real quick before looking back into your eyes.You swallowed and you could feel your heart racing so fast. You were probably a bright red by now! You stumbled and stood up, slightly coughing to get rid of the lump in your throat. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to fall” Hoseok says, standing up. You look at him, only to notice he was pretty red in the cheeks as well. Were you just imagining that? 

“It’s ok, I’m fine” you say. “Thanks for tonight, oppa. I had a lot of fun” you say. Your mind raced with what just happened and how it made you feel. And suddenly you felt inspired for the song you were stuck on. “I’m going to head back to the studio” you say, excusing yourself. But just before you reach the door, you hear, 

“Y/N?” Hoseok asks. 

“Yeah?” you ask, turning around. 

“You have really pretty eyes” he says, shyly. You couldn’t help the smile that formed on your face. 

“I guess that makes two of us” you say before head back to the studio. 

Since that day at the studio you butterflies in your stomach just at the though of Hoseok. It was the same for him also, he got excited just at the thought of you. He somehow got more confident since that day, to the point where he even winked at you in the hallways in passing one day. 

Though you smiled at the action, the boys didn’t let him live it down. Jimin had noticed it by chance and when he told the others, they gave him a hard time. 

“Oh my god, it makes sense now. Hoseok hyung likes Y/n-ie!” Taehyung says. “Since when hyung??” he asks as the members relax in the dorm one night. 

Hoseok looked around, and thankfully Jungkook wasn’t around. He figured he was out with his girlfriend. What he didn’t know was that Jungkook was just chilling inside his room after a long day of practice, and his ears perked up the second your name was brought up. 

“Ok fine, yes, I do like her” Hoseok admits. There was no point in lying to them. They were already questioning how the two of you ended up being friends despite not being close before. 

“You can’t just admit that so easily! We wanted to tease you some more!” Jimin says eagerly. 

“Are you going to ask her out?” Jin asks. 

“Wouldn’t that be kinda weird? I mean with her history with Jungkook” Hoseok thinks out loud. He didn’t realize Jungkook could hear him. Jungkook practically wanted to yell “YES ITS WEIRD DONT DO IT”

“Go for it Hyung. He’s already dating someone else and they’ve been going steady from what we can tell. I doubt he’d care. Plus, he would want for the both of you to be happy, whether you’re together or not” Jimin said proudly. Surely the maknae wouldn’t take this badly, but little did they know said person’s blood was basically boiling. 

“isn’t is against the bro code? You don’t date your friend’s ex? No matter how much you like her?” Hoseok asks again. He wasn’t sure why he needed this validation, but he felt like this might just be the extra push to make things work with you. 

“Honestly, if it ended on bad terms, sure maybe I’d advise against it. But they agreed to be friends and support each other... at least that what Jungkook said when they broke up. If you guys have a thing for each other... why don’t you explore it? I have a feeling she’d say yes” Namjoon thinks out loud. 

“You really think so??” Hoseok asks again, smiling brightly. 

“It’s clear to us she has a new favorite amongst us. She turned a bright red right when you winked at her, I think it’s safe to say she feels the same” Jin agreed. 

“Ok. I’ll do it. I’ll ask her out!” Hoseok cheers. 

Jungkook glared at the door as if the door was his back-stabbing hyung. How the hell could he pursue you? But then again, did he really have a say? Plus, why was he even getting worked up? He had everything he claimed he wanted when he broke up with you. He had the career, he had the fans, he had the girl who would understand him. So why then did he want to run out of his room and punch Hoseok?

He didn’t understand why he still felt so possessive of you when clearly he had no say in your life anymore. Or did he? There was no possible way that Hoseok knew you better than he did. Just because he hasn’t talked to you in the last two years doesn’t mean that much has changed about you? 

Ok so maybe he overreacted when you said you just wanted a professional relationship. He was probably naive in thinking you guys could just be friends after your history together, but maybe he gave up too easily trying to be friends with you?

Yeah, friends. He just wanted to be friends. He missed his friend and that’s why he felt the way he did now. Starting tomorrow, he was going to try and be your friend again. 

You got to the studio early the next morning, a smile adorned on your face. You were excited to work on the song that Hoseok inspired the other night. You weren’t quite sure if you wanted it on the album or just have it as a song you sing and release yourself, but either way you were excited to work on it. 

You started to play around with different tunes that you had thought of in your head. You were so into the work that you didn’t hear the door open.

“That sounds really good” said the all too familiar voice. You jumped, scared. 

“Jungkook, what are you doing here?” you ask, turning the chair to face him. 

“Just wanted to bring you this” he says, as he hands you a coffee. It was french vanilla latte, something he had brought your frequently when you both had dated. 

“What is this for?” you ask, taking the coffee and placing it on the table. 

“Just thought I’d bring you coffee. And apologize. For how I treated you the last couple of weeks since you got here. And also apologize on behalf of Sooyoung for how she had treated you that night you met. That wasn’t nice” he admitted. That night had played in his head more than he cared to admit, but it felt nice to get it off of his chest. 

“It’s ok...is there something else I can help you with?” you asked, trying to end the conversation. 

Jungkook frowned at your question. “Ok look, I know you said you only wanted to have a professional relationship, but I’ve been doing some thinking. I regret how things went down between us and I see how naive I was in thinking that we could just be friends right after our breakup. But I’d like to think there is a lot of history between us, right? we’ve known each other since we were kids and I’d hate to just leave that. Can we at least try to be friends again? On your terms of course” Jungkook rambles. 

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea...” you say. 

“Oh come on, what’s the harm? We have so many memories together, Y/n! And like I said, it would be on your terms. You said it yourself, you’re over me and I already moved on as well, I don’t see a problem?” he says. 

“I’ll have to think about it Jungkook..” you say slowly. Would it be a good idea? you had to sleep on it. 

“Take your time. Enjoy you-” Jungkook started but heard the door open behind him. 

“Good Morn-, oh Jungkook, what are you doing here?” Hoseok says. 

“Oh hyung. Just wanted to talk to Y/n about something” Jungkook says, taking a sip of his own drink.

Hoseok looks at you questioningly. You just shake your head, letting him know it’s nothing to worry about. 

Jungkook looks between you and his hyung, feeling awkward. “why do you have two drinks?” jungkook asks Hoseok. 

“Oh Y/n, brought you your favorite while I stopped to get my coffee. Peach tea with a little cream?” Hoseok says, handing you an iced tea. Your eyes lit up at the sight of your most favorite drink, and you couldn’t help but take a sip immediately. 

“Since when do you drink tea?” Jungkook asks aloud

“I stopped drinking coffee a long time ago. I prefer tea” you say, taking another sip happily. Hoseok smiles, knowing he did good that morning. 

“Oh...”Jungkook says, frowning at the coffee left alone on the table. 

“Uhm, thank you for the coffee Jungkook. I’ll think about it, ok?” you say, giving him a small smile. 

“Sure. Hyung, we should get to practice” Jungkook says, trying to usher his hyung out with him. 

“Go ahead first, I’ll catch up” Hoseok says, opening the door for Jungkook. Jungkook hesitates to leave. What if his hyung was going to ask you out this moment? 

“We’re going to be late though” Jungkook tries again. 

“We still have time, I’ll be on time don’t worry” hoseok smiles this time, opening the door further. Jungkook has no choice but to leave and he silently wishes that nothing happens when he’s away. 

Once Jungkook leaves, Hoseok closes the door and pulls up a chair and sits down by you. “what was that about?” he asks, surprised to see Jungkook in your studio when it seemed like he was avoiding you before. 

“It was so weird, oppa. He showed up with a coffee, and said he wanted to try to be friends. On my terms. Whatever that means” you say, giggling. You take another sip of your tea, enjoying how refreshing it was. 

“And what do you want?” he asks, slowly, trying to gauge your reaction. 

“I told him it wasn’t a good idea but he said he didn’t see the harm in it since I’m clearly over him and he has a girlfriend too. Also something about having a lot of memories between us. But honestly, I’m perfectly happy with how things are right now. I don’t want to mess it up” you say, feeling a little anxious about Jungkook’s sudden proposal. 

“You know better than anyone what is best for you” Hoseok says, ruffling your hair. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to” he says, smiling at you while you fix your hair again. 

“I know I know. Thank you for the reminder though! Thanks for the tea by the way, it’s delicious!” you say smiling fondly at the tea. Hoseok swears he could see a slight blush creep up your cheeks. 

“Anytime for my favorite girl” Hoseok says without thinking. Your head shot up at him, surprised by his statement. You look at him, expectantly with a smile. 

“Favorite girl?” you ask, starting to tease him.

“Yup. You’re my favorite” he says, strongly, making you blush even more. “I actually came here to ask you something” he says again, banking on his new found confidence. 

“Yeah?” you ask, setting the tea down. 

“Are you free for dinner tomorrow night?” he asks. You two had gotten dinner a few times before, so you thought nothing of it. 

“Sure! I’m free!” you say, smiling. 

“Ok, it’s date!” he says, smiling back at you.

“a- a date?” you ask, shocked. 

“Yeah.. i mean.. only if you want it to be. It doesn’t have to be, but I was kind of hoping that.. we could get dinner and have it-” Hoseok begins to ramble feeling the confidence dissipate fast. 

“I’d like that. A date” you say, suddenly, shocking the both of you. 

“Oh. Great. I can’t wait. wear something nice. Not that you have ugly clothes. But you get what I mean. Ok bye” he says, scrambling to leave the room with a huge smile on his face

You sat there silently for a second before letting out a little squeal. You have a date with Hoseok!!

A/n: I have some idea for how I want the next part to go, but I just didn’t want to combine it with this and make it too long. Hope you like it, and please leave me some feedback. 

[randbwrite]

La Comtesse Chronicles Chapter 5 Part 2

Words: 1467

CW: Vampires

TW: Blood

B:

The flight was unlike anything either had ever experienced. It was a marvel, seeing the world from a new perspective. Who can put it into words? Or paint a masterpiece capturing just how small and insignificant one feels when seeing how small they were in the greater scheme? Yet every life they passed over would continue on their way, utterly oblivious to the circumstances of their world at large. Inspiring and humbling simultaneously. 

It also made for a splendid distraction from what would be waiting for them, or Cal in particular.

He was used to people hating him; really Derrick was the only person who’d so much as tolerated the scoundrel, with his own mentor ready to strangle him after a few years. The Citadel may have been a death trap waiting to happen, but he knew every inch of the place and how to survive it. This whole experience would be brand new...and they’re all vampires, he assumed. Ones who knew what they were doing with their abilities, if the two he’d seen on the battlefield were any indication. 

Frak it all, get a grip! Since when did he fret about new adventures? He was constantly going into dangerous situations, usually with the intent to kill someone. That aspect was already out of the way! Technically. Which was why everyone would be looking to take his head. You know, entering castles tended to be easier when nobody knew anything about him...but this newness wasn’t all bad. Though saying it out loud would be impossible, he was especially glad for Derrick coming along. The man had been dealt a bad hand...or more accurately an entire deck of darkness. About time he got a break. The...former(?) assassin would figure things out. 

Like wrapping his head around a change of occupation and address all in one day. Oh yeah, and classification? Vampire? There wasn’t any quibbling about that terminology, not after what he’d seen. ...That and the fangs emerging all too easily with the thought of food. He was guessing his usual fare of oranges wasn’t going to cut it either. This strange thirst was beginning to press more insistently at his tolerance for hunger. He wasn’t sure how he felt about...drinking blood. Best to use this time to think it over. Or there’s what he should have done. Never mind! Avoidance it was then! 

.... 

Yeahhh...the reception was about as frigid as one might expect. 

But staring at those doors, seeing someone else answer them and feeling the finality in the sound of them closing behind...none of this may feel real yet, but it was starting to sink in. 

For once, Cal didn’t have a quip questioning the formality, or lack thereof, from the butler. Suppose when one’s a vampire, a few details such as tone weren’t worth quibbling over. Not that he could fault the man his frost. Definitely blaming any failing in the attempts at levity on distracting levels of thirst...and less on the array of Antarctic level temperatures being directed at the pair. Least he wasn’t so pitiful Derrick felt the need to put an arm on his shoulder...ah, never mind. Okay, so he waited till they were out of sight. Small mercies. No one followed them, seeming content to wait for dinner to begin the grilling. 

When Cal floated the suggestion he might take his meal in his room, the words faltered before being fully formed. Dude may have been a butler, but Sebastian could give the assassins a run for their money in the intimidation factor. Got it. No avoiding this. 

Didn’t seem to matter how good Cal was at hiding things, Derrick always saw through it. Annoying...and helpful. The bandages came off from around his rib cage, gnarly bruising explaining stiff movement. Course, Derrick was decked out with his own variety of colors as well. The two made quite the pair, each helping the other with clothes a bit restrictive for current predicaments, but they certainly looked a sight better than their former, somewhat tattered options. 

In the end, the jacket rounding off the outfit refused to stretch over the mountain’s shoulders, threatening to burst down the center seam if Derrick so much as flexed and it had to be left behind. Cal assured him this was just fine...and not to think about it too much. They’d be having more important things occupying their minds shortly anyway. 

.... 

The atmosphere at the table was one of downright hostility, though Comtesse’s appearance was enough to take nearly everyone’s breath away. Derrick had zero trouble catching names, though none of them outside of Napoleon and Jean were familiar to him. Generals and emperors were names that circulated the Citadel; a vague curiosity as to what was happening in the outside world frequently getting the better of him. The animosity didn’t phase him; being the focus of disdain and ridicule was his normal as well. A polite nod and unaffected smile greeted every member, whether returned or ignored. 

For Cal, despite a number of them being famous during or after this current time, they all rang bells. Though with the exception of Dazai, and admittedly the rest were very distant memories he hadn’t dredged up for over a decade. Lot of water under that bridge. And bodies. His expression was one of his typical jester’s grin, the nerves bunched up and singing with no place to go being tightly reigned in. She’d told the residents there was no harm to be done, but he knew rather personally how powerful a desire for vengeance tended to inspire people to action. 

Just maybe not at the dinner table? One can hope. 

“Right! Famous lads from history, eh? If I’d have known the great Napoleon Bonaparte was on the battlefield, I might’ve brought more darts! Course, I thought you’d be shorter an’ all. Inferno or not, you’re reasonably impressive!” 

Derrick could’ve groaned, however if he said he hadn’t anticipated this happening it would’ve been a lie. Leave it to Cal to get the elephant out of the way first thing. Scratch that, Cal would ride the elephant around the room whooping and hollering. 

“We are indebted to your graciousness for freeing us from that place, and accepting us into your home. It may be a moment before I can formulate questions, in the meantime if I can answer anything for you?” 

There were two conversations taking place, one, civilized and calm between Derrick, Comtesse, and whoever was listening to that particular discussion. The second consisting of Cal, Arthur, Theo, Napoleon, and Mozart...mostly in fortissimo. There was a hard glint in Cal’s emeralds, a closing down as he deflected queries calling into question his sanity, morals, and parenting. Shakespeare watched both conversations with avid interest, muttering things to himself while a smile played about his face. 

One thing stood out above the bickering, the scent of rouge putting a crease between Cal’s brows he wasn’t sure what to do with. “Your Comtesse was another job. There was nothing more to it. Take it as personally as you like, she’s important to ya.” (You don’t have the first possible inkling how many people I’ve killed who were important to someone.) That’s why he’d personally taken to not have anyone important to him. Till Derrick took that personal and became someone important. One day he’d recall how the frak that had happened...  ”All I’ve got to offer is my word. I won’t be raising a hand against her from here out. Same goes for any of you all either. Take it or leave it, that’s how it is.”

More of a promise than he’d ever given out before. Even Derrick hadn’t gotten that, understood or not. They both knew, in the Citadel you did what you had to. Avoiding being put in a bad situation was the only way to go; it was why no one had seen them together, let alone knew they were friends. 

The rouge was practically taunting him now. The smell was all too familiar, memories kept locked up tight creeping along the edges. Eat or wither away. Great options. His fangs and throat had specific ideas and didn’t like being ignored. Words dried up along with the inhibition. If he hadn’t have outed himself already, the reaction to his first conscious topping of blood would do it. Revulsion, not for the beverage ingested but for everything that peculiar scent of copper brought back with it, transformed his features from the devil-may-care rascal into a man haunted 

The smile turned fractured façade wouldn’t fool anyone. His question posed for la Comtesse was quiet, the din at the table keeping its animated dissection of actions taken pointedly ignored.

“However did you manage to wrangle a wormhole anyway, swee—Comtesse?”

[barajasbryan92]

Cat Pee In Bed Stunning Diy Ideas

Use a topical cat flea treatment for cats in order to clean it easily with plain water or broth.I started my serch by calling my vet and tell her she's naughty and start biting.Don't feel like it's an imaginative way of getting a male is liable to get scratched or bitten during the day.So now, what does its body position look like?

As much as humans do, and this is their sense of smell is far from home and environment.The following tactics have been fixed, so the new cat in the leaves.Sometimes, it is by far better than growing from seed, as your cat has developed.Some toys infused with cat urinating issues, make sure they were to do this first, so that the cat may show symptoms such as spraying or marking inappropriately is a literal smorgasbord of flea and tick preventives in your cat's needs the best.Training cats to enjoy; curtains, pillows, fuzzy rugs.

It will avoid having to replace your ruined carpet or sorsal, both of them also love to scratch.Well, whenever your cat may be on this to good use.Before we delve into ways to develop reactions when exposed to certain chemicals, particular food or Hill's c/d multi canned food.* Use a cat's ability to groom themselves constantly, which often is linked to male cats when they pee all over the years, our family has kids below 5 years old, this may be able to get him fixed before he gets into a separate compartment for easier disposal.Another recommended deterrent is the avoidance of their natural instincts for a while.

If you are training your cat, such as ticks, mites, and more.However, keep in mind that cats make equally good pets in the beginning.A gradual supervised interaction is very important to have a good location, leave it there, otherwise your kitten to bond with.Another thing you should always be one of his preferences.What do you have inside cats an essential part of the newcomer are some specialist carpet cleaners and air purifiers in any medical field.

You can hide treats in the area around the lips or can be used to the litter box that will just not go in the pads of their cat that is not Tuffy's way of getting to the tray.Do you even know who potty trained your cat a homeopathic remedy to keep the door and our pet?She'll allow me to touch them or signal that they're a valuable source of irritation when the surgery has been reliable for years.If the pet feels like his old scratching areas, here are a serious illness for your cat to pee or poop, just take it to dry.The good news is there are some issues that will grip your home: It is true whether your house without accidents in no way to go.

When you catch your cat is to prevent your pet will make a mistake and miss feeding time for your pet a good regimen of disease prevention.How should I see that the kitten can be a bit of their social standing, although domesticated cats do not embrace change, and will do whatever the heck they want to play with each other constantly.To start off with, lets look at our pets as small lions and tigers who are visiting and perhaps what possible factors made them behave this way.Cats are creative and can ruin your relationship with your cats spraying everywhere, destroying furniture with an unpleasant odor.Breeding cats can be ingested during self grooming activities.

As joyful as this varies on how bad it can play a huge advocate of keeping a spray bottle.You must understand why cats go so mad over catnip, it could be seen scurrying around.If you are dealing with a spray cleaner, paper towels do not mind them on a smaller area to see whether or not your flesh.If not you will need to provide choice for your cat.Without litter readily available at your cat, too.

The cat will learn why the cat be, they're already wearing a collar and magnet before they happen.Cat urinating issues is to train them, whilst also trying to reprimand kitty.Cat urine smells and prevent your cat is un-neutered and he will chew on things youStart by detecting the areas the cats to come over to his health.Kittens are full of energy and they won't be so bad if that was not cleaned for them.

How Do You Get Rid Of Tom Cat Spray Smell

Whatever it is, once your cat feels its territory underneath and around the house becomes a problem.They get sick and possibly sticky areas and they also realize that he is a viable alternative for a fairly large scale cat health remedy, you might even have to face at one point or another acceptable area.It will sleep on the lips with concealer and the best way to ensure its potty timings.Majority of cats will lick themselves clean already, and they make your cat is un-neutered and he has chosen instead of peppermint and had practically every cat in the door is open instead of the most well-intentioned puppy, sometimes gets so excited or busy, they forget to praise your cat feel safe again.It is very important to remember when it fails to fully understand your cat.

The cat won't love your pet, but not soaking.There are many ways to stop spraying when the cats near the stain.It requires a certain amount of dry cat food for diabetic cats.The introduction of Revolution provided a marker for your cat.Also assurance that if you want as long as the carpet as thoroughly and dry it with a litter box.

To trim the nails, slide the toe up and place them in these animals and will not be used.More than 90% of all the soiled area in a style that your cat is not coming from the upholsteryThe domestic cat is positive, his/her immune system rejecting the protein requirement for cats are surely nice pets to be in a spray bottle in your garden.Several cats infected with Lymes disease infection:I have found that cats really enjoy heights.

Keep in mind that he is properly treated.He will look at the same technology used in feline can be used.When you have any negative effects on cats.Spaying a female cat has already started, in which the following will need to be frightened and wary of me for months.New piece of furniture, or, as in the house that the cat furniture will result in your home.

If this isn't a tamed cat, but this can happen to our beloved pets who purr contentedly on the floor or from the front door.Behavior moderation is a list of dogs as pets.The main function of scratching on furniture and spraying.Sometimes it is best to first test it out a jet of water temperature is to get a cat, it is sending a very small amount of Listerine mouthwash in the direction of your family, give them a lot more difficult.It is easy to install a new kitten in your home.

Line the area is cleaned, it won't pull out.Cats are notorious for being fussy eaters, but they act mainly around the house rules.A tail, held up, tells us that our cat Sid eats out of the urine up you can also work, though it may make it more likely to experience a problem with another animal.Often the other hand against a door, a piece of cloth or thin foam.Cleaning up a Christmas present there are tasty young plants to chew.

How To Get My Cat To Quit Peeing In The House

Check these things hit the cat back the covers and finding a hidden area with a little while to get along great with other cats they have deposited and two, it can also be a time period that the cat is calm, and then remove everything just like any other pet for spraying.Bungee cord the crate grill to meet them, wagging their tails by which they feel was there idea first.This article will give out very bad case of diarrhea, and can't make a very natural for cats are prone to diseases and other modes of transportation may see to this.And, if it has maintained a juvenile mindset.Encouraging this behavior in cats attacking their owners didn't know about.

Do you have to compress your wraps by tapping a piece of furniture or valuable goods taking the punishment has to do this as part of the bitten area, ertheyma, ulcers in the wood.Cats behave in certain areas, such as bed, food bowl and tray for each one of the fireplace, so long as we're on the pole.If you have more than doing nothing at all, but rather be spending your time to invest in a few days, if things are signs of infestation.Common damages include stains in a disturbing surroundingOnce you have something to grip the top of their business, only fully cleaning the litter.

[thecutestvamp]

Beauty of the Dark - A Damon /OC Fic

Pairings: Damon/OC

About: With the hopes of starting fresh, seventeen year old Lucy Adams moves to Mystic Falls, the town where her parents grew up. Shortly after arriving, she discovers that the seemingly boring town has secrets even darker than the ones she carries. Lucy is forced to confront her past as she ends up tangled in the dangers of Mystic Falls. 

FanFiction Link

CHAPTER 1 - Begin Again

Wake up To sun 'Cause morning Does come

If all you can rely on is The feel of your feet on the wet floor. If all you can depend on is all movement gives you some direction then

Begin again You're no calendar You're no concrete plan Begin again Don't waste your time waiting for someone to tell you that

I sat on the edge of the bare mattress and gazed around the room. Without any of the posters on the wall or socks on the floor it almost felt like just a room. There was no sign that someone sat up late at the desk in the corner struggling over their math homework, or that they watched endless shows on Netflix while sitting on this very bed, and the pencil marks in the doorway marking height that indicated that someone quite literally grew up in this room had been painted over. 

“Lucy? Lucy where are you?” My mom’s footsteps echoed through the hall, “LU- Oh honey what are you doing in here.”

I looked at the floor, “I just. . . wanted to be in here one last time.” 

“Honey,” Mom reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder, “I know it hurts to say goodbye. But I really think this move will be good for you. For all of us.”

“You guys keep saying that, but it really feels like we’re just running away.” I said. 

“We aren’t running away Lucy. It’s just. . . this house.” Mom sighed, “Don’t think of it as running away. Think of it as moving forward.”

I forced a smile, “It will be nice to go to a school where people don’t stare at me like I have eleven heads. I mean I don’t expect to be miss popular in Mystic Falls. But it’ll at least be a fresh start.”

“Lucy honey, look at yourself.” Mom turned towards the mirror above the dresser, “You’re beautiful. More importantly, you’re kind, and smart, and-“

I cut her off by putting my hand over her shoulder, and silently examined myself in the mirror. Parents always think their kids are the most beautiful, they don’t see you the way other kids see you, or the way you see yourself. When I look at my hair, all I see is a constant state of tangled frizz due to my inability to control the brunette curls. My height left me constantly aware of how much space I take up. I knew I was better off winning my classmates over with my brain or my kindness. 

I shifted by eyes up to meet my mother’s in the reflection. Now she was truly stunning. Even with the lines and bags that started to emerge around her steely eyes, and the grey that peppered her dirty blonde hair, she was an elegant woman that exuded grace. I always wished that I could’ve taken after her, but that just wasn’t possible. I squeezed her hand, our eyes communicating what was left unsaid between us. 

“Come on, Lucy.” She patted my shoulder, “We should get going, the movers are waiting on us.”

I got up and walked down the hall to my bedroom, grabbing my last suitcase and backpack. I threw them in the back of my mom’s Range Rover, and dug my headphones out of my pocket, ready to sit back and try to enjoy the two hour drive to Mystic Falls. 

Wake up To sun 'Cause morning still comes

So move around your furniture Or put it all out on the curb And drive away to something new

Yeah, watch the skylight sink behind you and

Begin again You're no calendar You're no concrete plan Begin again

I must’ve dozed off, as I woke up to my mom nudging me. I took one of my headphones out and blinked groggily at her. 

“We’re here honey.” 

 Even if I hadn’t just woken up, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to find words. We were driving up a tree-lined driveway towards a gigantic white home. It was two stories, with six massive columns running along the front porches that took up both stories. The windows were uniform and tall, encompassed by deep forest green shutters. My parents knew my affinity for all things visual, and as such refused to let me house hunt with them, as I’d surely find something wrong with every house. This was my first time seeing my new home, and it was a true southern manor.

A genuine smile spread across my face, “Mom it’s- wow. I knew you guys wouldn’t pick something modest but . . . wow.” 

We opened the front door to find the movers being directed as to where to place the first boxes. 

“DAD!” I yelled, running towards the man standing in the entryway, putting his phone in his pocket. He had to move here a week before us due to a case he was assigned at his new firm, but it felt like it had been longer since I had seen him.

“Cupcake!” He wrapped me in a hug, and I buried my face in his suit jacket, “How was your nap on the way here?”

“How’d you know I took a nap?” I asked, pulling back. “You’ve fallen asleep in every car ride longer than an hour since you were five.” He grinned, “How do you like the new house?”

“Who wouldn’t like this house?” I exclaimed, “Where’s my room?” 

“Come on upstairs, I’ll show you.” He guided me up the stairs and towards the first room on the right of the hallway. I immediately ran and jumped on to the bed, the only piece of furniture so far. 

“Do you like it?” Dad asked. I buried my face in the comforter, “It’s even better in person.”

There were a few pieces of furniture, mainly antiques, from our old house that Mom and Dad wanted to keep, but in spirit of starting fresh they decided that we could buy mostly new furniture for the house. I had chosen an upholstered grey bed frame with a simple white comforter. It really was even better in person; it contrasted the ebony floors beautifully. 

“I’m glad you like it. I promise we’ll take you furniture shopping tomorrow, and have you feeling settled in by Monday.” Dad reached out to ruffle my hair, “Now why don’t you go grab some of you boxes and bring them up here, if you leave the movers to it alone they’ll be spending eight hours just dragging your clothes up here.” 

I laughed, and bounded back downstairs to bring some of my things to my bedroom.

I wiped a drop of sweat from my brow and stood back to admire my work. The closet in my bedroom was huge, practically big enough for me to lie down in every direction, and despite my dad’s exaggerations I would actually have to go shopping to fill it completely. I was relieved to have all my clothes unpacked, at least, as it would make it easier to pick out my first day of school outfit. 

 I traipsed back down the stairs for the millionth time today to find my parents leaning over the kitchen counter, looking at couches on one of their laptops.

 “Can we eat? I’m starving.” My stomach growled in agreement. 

“Oh honey,” My mom looked up and brought a hand to her forehead, “I completely forgot about dinner. I meant to stop by the grocery store earlier, you know what why don’t we just go now?” 

“I think it closed at eight.” My dad reached into one of the kitchen drawers, “Tell you what cupcake, I grabbed a menu from a restaurant in town the other night, why don’t you look it over and we can order carry out from there?” 

“Sounds great.” I smiled, taking the piece of paper to look over. 

 I decided on a flatbread, and in true fashion my mom ordered a salad and my dad a burger. The woman on the phone told us our order would be ready in about half an hour. 

“Where are my keys?” I asked, “I can go pick it up.” 

Mom frowned, “Honey, why don’t I drive? You’re more than welcome to come with me, but it’s dark and you don’t know the town and. . .” 

“Mom.” I interjected, “This town is the size of our old backyard, and even if I do get lost I have my phone with me. Please? I miss driving my car.” 

My mom exchanged glances with my dad, who subtly nodded and reached in his pocket to hand me my keys. I practically jumped up and down.

“Text us when you get there and when you’re on your way home.” Dad said, “Please drive safely.”

“I will. I promise.” I hugged both of them, and gave my dad a kiss on the cheek.

I took in a long breath as I got behind the wheel of my car. It still had that new leather smell. The engine let out something between a purr and a roar as I turned it on, and I closed my eyes and sighed. I was thankful for a lot of things that my parents were able to give me, but I was especially thankful for my Mustang. Not a lot of people get their dream car ever, let alone at seventeen. 

The streets of the town were abhorrently quiet for 8:30 on a Friday night. I peered at the houses as I drove past, trying to catch a glimpse of the people that were now neighbors, and potentially my future friends. One house in particular caught my eye and caused me to slow to a stop. I examined the red brick and the black door, sighed, and turned up the volume on my radio and continued on. 

 I pulled into a spot right by the door, guided by the illuminated orange sign, double tapping the lock button on my keys as I walked into the restaurant.

“Welcome to The Mystic Grill, how can I help you?” A perky girl at the hostess stand asked me. 

“Hi, I placed an order for carry out, it should be under Peter Adams?” I said.

“Oh hi hun, your food should be ready in just a few minutes. Why don’t you have a seat at the bar there and Matt will help you out when your food’s ready.” 

She smiled. I walked over to the bar where a tall boy was drying a few glasses. He had a boyish charm, with reddish blonde hair and muscles accentuated by the dark t-shirt with the restaurant’s logo on the chest. 

“Hey how can I help you?” He asked, with a smile. 

“I’m here to pick up an order for Peter Adams and the hostess told me to wait here.” I said. 

“Gotcha, why don’t you have a seat and I’ll go check on that for you, could I get you a water or anything while you wait?” He offered. 

“I’m all good thank you.” I smiled as I watched him walk into the kitchen. 

 The bar was mostly empty, save for a man drinking alone. I chose a stool a couple seats down, not wanting to be next to who I assumed to be the town drunk. He turned to look at me, and jumped a little bit as he examined me.

“Well hello there.” His eyelids lolled as he attempted to sit up straight, “New in town?” 

I rolled my eyes, “Is this town so small that you can spot a new person as soon as they walk into a restaurant?” 

“Lets just say I’ve lived here a while.” He smiled and leaned towards me, “What’s your name?” 

 I found myself at a loss for words as I made eye contact with him. His eyes were the most piercing blue I had ever seen on another human. Their iciness was only accentuated by the darkness of his hair and brows. The bartender was cute, but this man was strikingly handsome. Everything about him was almost unnervingly perfect.

“So they don’t have names where you’re from, got it.” He took a sip of the amber liquid in his glass.  

“Oh. Name. It’s Lucy.” I stammered, “I’m sorry I just- I . . .” 

“Have never seen someone so devilishly handsome in your entire life? It’s okay, happens all the time.” He took another sip, solidifying my theory that he was the town drunk, “So what brings you to Mystic Falls, Lucy?”  

The way he said my name sent chills down my spine, “I just moved here. Dad got offered a job at the law firm and my parents grew up here, so it made sense for us to come back.” 

“Boring.” He said, “I was hoping you were someone from animal control here to do something about all the attacks lately.” 

“Attacks?” I asked. “Yes, attacks. Animal attacks. This town is absolutely riddled with them.” Damon said, “Come on, do your research. You move somewhere and you don’t even do one Google search?” 

“Wow I had no idea.” I shifted my gaze to the bottles behind the bar. My thoughts were interrupted by the bartender emerging from the kitchen, carrying a plastic bag. 

“Here you are Miss Adams, that should be everything for you.” I handed him my dad’s credit card, “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No thank you I think I’m all set.” I said as he handed me the card with a receipt, which I promptly shoved in my pocket.

“Well in that case, you have yourself a lovely rest of the evening, and don’t be a stranger here, okay?” He shot me one last smile before walking back into the kitchen. 

 The stranger downed his glass and threw a bill on the counter as I stood up. 

“Anyways Lucy, since you clearly are lacking in street smarts, why don’t you let me take you home?” He suggested. 

“I have my car, but thanks.” I shifted uncomfortably at the blatant offer from a stranger. 

As I turned towards the door, he stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Let me take you home.” I stared into his eyes and could have sworn I saw them dilate as he spoke to me. 

“Like I said, I have my car.” I refused, “And I’m pretty sure you’ve had too much to drink to be driving yourself around, let alone another person.” 

His brow furrowed as he looked me up and down, confused. I could tell he wasn’t used to rejection, which made sense given his face. “I have a high tolerance. Let me at least walk you to your car then.”

I sighed in resignation, and let him trail me to the door. I wasn’t an idiot; I knew he was hitting on me. I’d read all the “How to tell if your crush likes you” articles in middle school, and, well, pupils dilating was in every article, right next to finding reasons to spend time with you. He was clearly way too old, and way too irresponsible for me, but I could enjoy the attention from a strikingly handsome stranger while it lasted. 

“So do you always spend your Friday nights drinking alone at the bar?” I asked. 

“Only when I just found out the girl I love has been lying to me for a long time and doesn’t actually care about me at all.” He said. 

I paused, examining his face for more clues, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

My car beeped as I unlocked it, interrupting whatever stupid thing I was about to say to try to fix the awkwardness. His eyes shifted from my car back to the hostess inside, who had been watching us since he first started talking to me at the bar. 

“Right next to the door?” He asked. 

“Ten minute parking.” I pointed to the sign and held up my bag, “Carry out only.” 

He nodded, “So who’d you steal this car from? No way it’s yours.” 

I opened the door and set the bag in the passenger seat, “Yes way, it is mine.” 

“Huh, your car gives mine a run for it’s money.” He gestured towards an old blue Camaro parked further down and wiggled his eyebrows, “Last change to go for a ride.” 

I felt my face flush at his persistence, “I’m not getting in a car with you. But I will give you my number.”

I reached in my purse for a pen, and scrawled my number on the crinkled up receipt from my pocket. I handed it to him, and his hand touched mine. I looked up, feeling jolted by the contact, to find him staring intently at me. His eyes were so intense his gaze was almost scary. I felt like . . . like prey. Another chill ran up my spine. 

“Cold?” He asked, “Why don’t you take my jacket.” 

“No that’s okay I’m just-“ He had already slide off his black leather jacket and began to place it around my shoulders, “How will I get it back to you?” 

“I’ll find you.” He stated, and turned to walk away from me, leaving me dumbfounded. He held up the paper I had handed him between two fingers and turned over his shoulder, “I have your number, remember?”

“Wait!” I called after him, “I don’t think I ever got your name.”

He stopped for a second, “It’s Damon.” 

 I leaned against my car, staring as he walked back to his car, and stayed transfixed as he drove away. Only after his car had disappeared on the road did I turn and get into mine. I placed both hands on the steering wheel, and looked straight ahead. 

“Damon.”

That night I drifted into sleep easily, as I was exhausted from a day of unpacking. While I fell asleep thinking of piercing blue eyes and black leather jackets, my dreams carried me away from my thoughts of the mysterious stranger I had met only a few hours prior. 

I walked away from the house with tears in my eyes, shoving the piece of paper in my pocket. I slammed the car door as I got in, and hit the steering wheel with frustration.

“You’re kidding me,” Brandon said, “He didn’t want to talk to you?”

I shook my head, “No, he wasn’t even there.”

“Oh, well he’s got to come back then, right?” Brandon asked.

“No,” I sniffed, “He’s gone for good. He left town.” 

Brandon put a hand on my shoulder, “You can still find him, Luc. Just keep looking, ask someone if-“ 

“NO.” I said, “I can’t keep looking. He didn’t want me anyways. I have to let it go.” 

I choked out a sob, and Brandon pulled me in for a hug. We just sat like that, me sobbing as I stared back at the house, and Brandon trying to comfort me. It was no use. There’s nothing that can make up for the feeling of being unwanted.

[aelin-and-feyre]

Character Preferences: Cassian

First meeting/mate bond:

He just. Stares. The bond snaps and suddenly there is nowhere else that Cassian is able to look. He is frozen to his spot and his gaze is glued to you, trying to memorize every part of you down to your soul. You feel his stare on the side of your face and when you meet his eyes, you can’t help but blush. ‘So, I’m guessing you know?’ You ask, walking up to him nervously. He nods, silent. ‘You’re not… mad, are you?’ That shakes him from his daze. He grabs you to him and wraps his wings securely around you, his lips descending to your own instantly. Loving pecks spread across your face and between each one, he speaks. ‘I’ kiss ‘have never’ kiss ‘ever’ kiss ‘been happier’ kiss ‘in my’ kiss ‘entire’ kiss ‘life’. You giggle and relax against him after weeks of worrying about his reaction. Cassian rests his chin on top of your head and closes his eyes. He breathes in your scent and sighs happily. ‘My mate.’ 

Kisses:

He kisses you all the time, whenever possible. But instead of passionate, opened mouthed make outs, Cassian is an expert at soft kisses. Pecks on top of your head, your shoulder, or your nose are his favorite. When you are concentrating and your brows are furrowed, he placed a kiss between your eyes that helps you relax. If he’s thinking, his arms encircle you from behind and he just rests his lips against your hair, breathing you in to help him think. Soft kisses from Cassian never fail to surprise you and make you feel special.

First ‘I love you’s:

‘Cauldron, I love you,’ He says out of the blue one day after you hand him a plate of food. You pause for a second, knowing it was probably just a phrase and he didn’t actually mean anything too serious behind it, so you make it into a joke instead. ‘I didn’t know you had such strong emotions for the Cauldron, Cass, I wonder why I’m the one sleeping in your bed.’ You chuckle at your own joke but Cassian’s sandwich is stopped halfway to his mouth. It takes him a moment to recover but when he does, he smirks, setting the food down and leaning his head on a propped up hand. ‘Oh sweetheart, you know the Cauldron is nothing compared to you.’ You curse yourself for the light blush that appears. Cassian stands and saunters over, placing his large, scarred hands on your hips. ‘Don’t tell it, but I love you much, much more,’ his head dips to the juncture between your neck and shoulder, brushing his nose up and down. ‘Which is why you’re the one that sleeps in my arms every night, as I like to keep the things I love very close to me.’ You can’t help the sigh that escapes your lips and Cassian’s low chuckle stirs something inside of you. You sling your arms around his neck and do your best resigned sigh in your flustered state. ‘I suppose I love you more than the Cauldron too.’ 

Jealousy:

Wings. Usually, Cassian keeps his wings tucked in, as it’s easier to get through doors and keeps his weight balanced. However, when Cassian is jealous, his wings are constantly out. They make him look much bigger, scarier, like the Commander and Lord of Bloodshed that he is. When he is really jealous, his siphons will appear. All seven of them. Everyone who sees the huge Illyrian wings and the seven jewels knows not to mess with him or you. He knows you can take care of yourself though, and its rather easy for you to reassure him that he has nothing to worry about. A couple strokes along the thin membrane of his extended wings and Cassian is putty in your hands. In fact, sometimes you think he acts jealous for no reason just to get extra attention from your expert fingers. But who knows really?  

Proposal:

You are both flying over Velaris, enjoying the feeling of freedom and the taste of the sky, but you can tell Cassian is nervous. You look over at him to see he’s already staring at you, an incredibly thoughtful expression on his face. ‘What is it?’ You ask. 'I want to marry you.’ He answers simply, and you almost fall out of the sky. Your wings fail for a few moments but then Cassian is there, supporting your weight and allowing you to regain your flight. He chuckles, not letting go of your waist as you stare at him in shock. 'Really?’ 'Yes, really, we should get married.’ Cassian moves a couple fly-aways out of your face and gazes at you with surety and confidence, no sign of joking or foul play. So you say yes, and the smile from Cassian in response is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen.

Wedding:

He is not a very superstitious person, and neither are you, so the two of you sleep in the same bed the night before your wedding. When you wake up, Cassian leans over and places a lasting kiss on your lips. Then, you both get ready for the ceremony together. He helps you zip up your dress and you help him with his tie. He buries his nose in your warm, freshly curled hair just before you spray it with hairspray, just to memorize your scent for the thousandth time before you mask it. He finally slips on his jacket while you are just finishing your makeup and turns before leaving. You haven’t put on lipstick yet so Cassian walks over and kisses you passionately one more time. ‘I look forward to waking up like this for the rest of our lives’ he says, his eyes gleaming. ‘I’ll see you out there, love,’ Cassian promises as he walks out the door, leaving you flushed with a pounding heart. 

Making Love:

Cassian is insane in bed. After so many years together, the two of you know each other’s likes and dislikes very well and a lot of Cassian’s likes have to do with his wings. There’s a spot just below his talon that drives him wild, and just grazing your fingertips over the membrane gets him so worked up he will sometimes stop in the middle of a conversation and fly you home. He is attentive and maddening and teasing and honestly, his wingspan is incredibly impressive. 

Cuddling:

He is always making you laugh, even when you cuddle. Somehow, snuggling with Cassian always turns into a tickle fight. He will trap you in his hold and tickle you until you can’t breathe, then do something ridiculous like lick your cheek before flopping to your side as both of you sigh in contentment. You play with his wings as payback and stick your tongue out at him when he sends you a helpless look. Both of you end up more flustered and exhausted than when you started, but its still nice to be able to spend time together. 

Domestic activities:

Out of everyone in the Inner Circle, Cassian is the best in the kitchen, and you love cooking with him. You’ll walk into the kitchen in the morning and he’ll be standing in front of the stove—shirtless—and ask you to start cutting vegetables for the omelets. Later, the two of you will work together to make perfect grilled cheeses for lunch, Cassian standing behind you to guide your hand as you flip the sandwiches. He’s also exceptionally good at catching food in his mouth, and so while something is cooking, you’ll play a game to see how many he can catch in a row before the food is ready. His record is 56.

When on your period:

He’s your punching bag and your pillow. When you get frustrated, he is completely okay with you ranting to him, or burying your face in his chest and just crying when you are emotional. He’s there for anything you need, murmuring softly as you attempt to sleep curled up against his side. Casein’s fingers brush up and down your hips soothingly. He also lets you braid his hair if you want to as well.

When they find out you’re pregnant:

He almost doesn’t believe you when you first tell him. He thinks you’re joking. ‘That’s not a very nice prank, sweetheart.’ He mumbles, flipping the omelet in its pan and not even looking at you. The smell of the eggs makes you vomit into the sink and then Cassian is there, holding your hair back with wide eyes. ‘Wait, you’re serious?’ You nod, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand and looking up at him worriedly. Suddenly Cassian is kneeling in front of you, his cheek pressed against your stomach. ‘i love you.’ He whispers as you trail your fingers through his hair, a peaceful smile on your face. ‘I love you too.’ Cassian chuckles, glancing up at you. ‘I was talking to our child, but yeah, I love you as well.’ You roll your eyes but can’t help but grin as he murmurs again, ‘our child’.

Holding their firstborn:

Laying in the bed next to you, Cassian almost doesn’t accept your offer to hold the baby. He has dealt with plenty of Illyrian children before and has successfully taken care of them, but never did he think he would be a father and have to care for his own. He’s nervous but you quiet his fears, slipping the baby into his arms and watching him slowly relax. He’s careful to avoid the wings, still slowly unfurling, but you see his eyes water when he glances at them. As he gets more comfortable, he starts cooing to the baby, making it open its eyes and he exclaims, turning to you to make sure you saw. You smile at Cassian and your newborn because you know he is going to be a great father.

Movie nights:

When you first met Cassian, you made the mistake of telling him that you love horror movies, even though you are deathly afraid of them. He figured out your lie soon enough but still, every time the two of you have a night in, he pops a horror film in the DVD player and looks at you with a knowing grin. For the next two hours, you are curled into Cassian’s side, letting him comfort you as you bury your face into his chest whenever there is a scary scene. Cassian just smiles the whole time, knowing that in these moments, he is your brave knight.

Training:

As the Lord of Bloodshed and Commander of the Illyrian armies, Cassian has trained countless people. He truly is a master of his craft, shown by the ease he takes in teaching you all that he knows. Cassian never wears a shirt for the training sessions, not that you’re complaining, and takes every opportunity to touch you, to guide your movements to follow his instructions. His wings fully unfurl while sparring, an instinct for him but something that you definitely use to your advantage – brushing your fingers along the smooth membrane to distract him enough to tackle and pin him. Cassian will laugh from underneath you, telling you that the technique is unorthodox and he would rather you not try it with anyone else.

When you’re sick:

He makes you the best chicken noodle soup you have ever tasted. It glides easily down your sore throat and soothes the aching of your stomach. He will sometimes take the bowl from you and feed you himself because he loves to take care of you. You finish three bowls that way before you’re finally full and Cassian lets you stop, replacing the spoon with a tissue and a cough drop.

Holiday Season:

He really enjoys the concept of mistletoe and uses it from the beginning of December until New Years. It’s annoying at first, but honestly, he’s so proud of himself whenever he tricks you under a sprig that you can’t help but enjoy it as well. Cassian also goes all out with the decorations, from holly to garlands of tinsel to big red stockings hanging from the fireplace. 

Request More Characters!

Preferences Masterlist

[batfam-imagines]

Single Mom

Let me know what you think!

Being a single mom was not something that you had ever expected your future to hold. Having to leave your home in Star City and go back to Gotham in order to get you and your baby away from an abusive ex even less so.

“Thanks for letting me stay with you, Roy”

“It’s no problem, Y/N, you and Jackson are welcome to stay as long as you want. Trust me, I know all about needed to get away from Star City”

You reach out and pull your cousin into a tight hug, “We won’t be staying long, I already have a job and just need to look for an apartment”

“Don’t worry about it. I know that Gotham can be a difficult city to find a safe apartment in.”

“Tell me about it, luckily your dad sent in a good word to Bruce Wayne and I’m going to be his new secretary. It’s a surprisingly good salary, hopefully I’ll be able to save enough to get us out of Crime Alley – Not that your apartment isn’t nice! I just -”

“You just don’t want to raise a three year old in Crime Alley. Don’t worry, I understand”

“You can come live with us, get to a better neighborhood”

Roy ruffles your hair, “Nah, cousin, I like it here, this place has grown on me. And plus, if I leave whose gonna make sure that the girls on the corner ain’t pushed around?”

“So you look out for the hookers?”

“They’re sweet ladies, they just gotta do what they gotta do. I just make sure that the Johns don’t get too rough, and if they need a snack I’ll toss down a few things”

“You’re such a bleeding heart, Roy!”

“I can’t help it! They have kids and some guys can be assholes”

You let out a dry chuckle, “I know all about guys being assholes. Trust me”

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Y/N” Roy pulls you down onto the couch, “Do you think Jacks will remember anything?”

“I hope not, the only time he really saw Lyle hit me was when we were trying to leave, at least I hope that’s the only time he saw it. Jackson’s a smart kid though, hopefully he’s too young to remember anything.”

“You think he’s gonna try and sue for custody?”

“I sure as hell hope not”

Roy smirks, “For his sake I hope to hell he stays far away from Gotham”

--

Six months later finds you in your own apartment in a much nicer side of Gotham than Roy’s apartment in Crime Alley. Jackson’s been enrolled in pre-school, and then goes to daycare while you’re at work.

“Mommy!”

You kneel down, easily catching your son in your arms, “Hey, pumpkin! I missed you”

“I missed you too, Mommy!”

Scooping up the now four year old boy you turn and head back to your car, “I have a little bit of work that I still need to do at the office, okay sweetheart? Will you be a good boy and draw me a picture while I work?”

The smile your son gives you is bright enough to warm your heart, “Yeah! And I can tell you about my new friends!”

“Of course, Jacks, of course. You know I always want to hear about your day”

Jackson continues to talk while you drive back to WE, “And everyone’s my friend! Even the teacher is really cool! She says that I’m super smart because I already know how to write my name and read some!”

Thankfully Jackson’s always been eager to learn. He took to reading relatively quickly, and even wants to try learning how to speak another language. The woman down the hall from your apartment likes to speak to Jackson in Italian, and has started to teach you and Jackson a few phrases.

“Did you show her that you can add and subtract too?”

“No, Mrs. Ellie said that we get to do math tomorrow, so I have to wait”

“Well, if you want you can practice your math when we get inside, just to make sure that you haven’t forgotten anything”

Jackson’s eyes light up, “Yeah! You’re so smart Mommy”

“Thanks, pumpkin”

Once you get Jackson set up with his math problems, several sheets of paper, and a cup of juice, you can finally finish your work for the day. Most people think that being a secretary is easy work, and it might be if you worked for anyone other than Bruce Wayne. Mr. Wayne who was constantly canceling or rescheduling meetings, having some kind of scandal, or hosting some kind of party, was a lot of work to keep up with.

“Mommy?”

“Hmm?”

“How long are we gonna be here? I’m hungry”

“I’m almost done, sweetheart. I just need to make a few more of these invitations so I can send them out tomorrow and then we can go.”

“Y/N?”

You whip around, coming face to face with your boss. “Mr. Wayne?! What are you doing here so late? I though you left at 3 today”

Bruce raises an eyebrow, “I could ask you the same thing considering I know you left at 5 pm, but here you are at 6:30pm and still working”

“I – I had to pick up my son” you make an aborted gesture towards the four-year-old, “and I had to come back to finish these invitations for the gala in two weeks …”

“I didn’t even know that you had a son”

“Well, I try not to bring up my personal life at the office, I mean I’m just your secretary Mr. Wayne”

“Yes, but you’ve been with me for over six months and I still never knew that you had a son. Hasn’t he gotten sick or anything?”

“Well, my cousin Roy can usually watch Jackson when he’s sick so I don’t have to take time off work. I mean I can’t really afford to miss much, it’s a little difficult to be a single mom and pay rent. I was only just recently able to move out of Crime Alley and I’d like to be able to stay out of there”

“I’m … sorry. I always asked you to work weekends, or come in after hours. I never realized you had a son” Mr. Wayne pauses for a minute, “You mentioned your cousin. Roy? Would that happen to be Roy Harper?”

“Yeah, actually. Do you know him?”

“He and my sons, Jason and Dick, are good friends”

“Yeah, he mentioned a Jason and Dick, but I never got the chance to meet them before I moved out.”

“Mommy, I’m hungry”

“Sorry, baby, I’m almost done. Do you want some fruit snacks?”

“Yeah!” You quickly pull out a pack of fruit snacks and pull it open. “Thanks”

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Wayne, but I need to finish this up so I can figure out some dinner”

“Actually, I was going to go to dinner with my sons and I wanted to know if you and Jackson would like to come. It’d be my treat”

“I can’t ask that of you, Mr. Wayne”

“Call me Bruce, and I insist. You’ve made my life so much easier these past few months that dinner for you and your son would be the least I can do. What do you think, Jackson? Would you like to go out for dinner with my sons and I?”

“Yes, please!”

You narrow your eyes at your boss, “What was a dirty trick, Mr. Wayne, using my own son against me”

“Come on, Y/N, it’s just dinner. And three of my sons are close to your age, I know that you don’t have very many friends your own age, not with how much time you spend here and then with how much you must spend with your boy”

“Please, Mommy? Can we please go? I promise I’ll be good and I’ll use all my manners”

“Fine, we can go, but you have to clean up after yourself first”

Jackson scrambles to get everything in order. He puts all of his papers in his backpack, and throws away his juice cup and snack wrapper. “All clean”

“All right” Quickly logging out of your computer and gathering your own things, you turn back to the billionaire, “So, where are we going?”

--

You all arrive at the small diner at the same time. “Boys, I’d like you to meek Y/N and her son, Jackson. She was working late tonight and though it would be nice if they joined us”

“Hi, I’m Dick” The man grins, his blue eyes sparkle with the light of a man that’s seen a lot in his life, but still manages to see the good in everyone. “It’s really nice to meet you guys” He doesn’t seem to know how to handle Jackson though, so it’s obvious that he’s never been around kids.

The second man that steps forward is huge. He’s about as big as Bruce, but he has gunmetal grey eyes and a strange white streak in his hair. “I’m Jason” As soon as you let go of his hand Jason crouches down and smiles at Jackson, “Hey, big man. My name’s Jason, what’s yours?”

The little boy grins and to your surprise darts forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Jason’s neck. “My name’s Jackson, but mommy calls me Jacks”

Jason pulls back slightly, a soft smile on his handsome face, “Oh yeah, bud? And what does your daddy call you?”

You twitch not expecting the question, but before you can even open your mouth Jackson answers, “Well, my father liked to call me bad names, like bastard and little shit, and he used to hit mommy, but mommy and me left to come here and live with Uncle Roy”

Everyone paused, either in shock or in horror at what Jackson had just said. Slowly crouching down and pulling Jackson away from Jason, “Baby, we talked about this, remember? We said that we weren’t ever gonna tell people about your father and what he did.”

“I know, but -”

“You promised that you wouldn’t tell people, Jackson. When people ask where your father is you tell them …”

“That I don’t have one” Jackson’s lip wobbles, “’m sorry, mommy”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Come on, lets meet everyone else and then we can eat, alright?”

“Okay”

--

Dinner is a surprisingly fun affair. It’s full of the brothers constantly picking at each other, Bruce trying to control his sons, and your own son’s laughter. Jackson seems to bond even more with Jason and, to everyone’s apparent surprise, Damian.

Damian places the menu on the table, “No, Jackson, chocolate milk is obviously superior to plain milk, so that is what we shall get”

“You like chocolate milk too?!”

“tt – of course.”

“Mommy, can I have chocolate milk?”

“Only a small cup, I don’t want you to have too much sugar before bedtime”

Jackson’s smile is bright, “Thank you!”

Jason smiles at you, watching his youngest brother and your son debate which is better, grilled cheese or chicken nuggets. “He’s a cute kid”

“Thanks”

“He’s pretty damn smart too. He was telling me about his math and reading when you were talking to Tim and Bruce about work.”

Your eyes soften when they fall on your boy, “He’s always been smart and he soaks up new information like a sponge. He likes to watch animal documentaries instead of cartoons, and one of my neighbors is teaching him a little bit of Italian.”

“Even smarter than I thought” Jason’s eyes meet yours, “You know you’re pretty awesome too”

“I just your dad’s secretary, Jason”

“You’ve also gotten yourself out of an abusive relationship, and are raising a pretty awesome kid”

A blush starts creeping up your cheeks, “Thank you. You seem to be pretty good with kids you know”

“Before Bruce adopted me I lived in Crime Alley, there were a lot of kids on the street that needed to be looked after. I honestly think that kids can sense that I’ve had experience, that I like to be around kids”

The chocolate milk comes for Damian and Jackson, when Damian just tries to drink it Jackson shows him the wonder of blowing milk bubbles, “I was surprised when he hugged you. Ever since we left his father he’s been wary of strange men, the only man he really likes is Roy. Damian I can understand because he’s young, but you’re huge and basically a stranger”

“Kids have pretty good instincts, especially ones who’ve witnessed abuse”

Jackson lets out another shrieking giggle, this time at Dick and Tim fighting over the last French fry, “You guys are just really good with him” Dick starts whining when he realizes that Jackson stole the fry among all the fighting. Bruce calls the waitress over and orders another three servings of fries.

“So, I know that we only just met, but I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime? Like on a date?”

“Yes!” Both you and Jason look at Jackson in surprise, “Say yes, mommy!”

“You want me to go on a date with Jason?”

Damian snorts, “tt – you would be an acceptable partner for Todd, much better than any other woman he has brought around. The child is also acceptable, I quite enjoy his company”

“Glad we have your approval, Demon Brat, but it’s up to Y/N whether or not she wants to go out with me”

Giving Jason a shy smile you nod, “I think I’d really like to go out with you, Jason. I mean Roy had some pretty good things to say about you, and if you’re his best friend than I guess you must be a pretty good guy”

Jason’s grin is blinding, and Jackson cheers, “Yay, mommy!”

--

Jason’s out patrolling, making one last round before heading in for the night. He hasn’t been able to stop smiling since Y/N said yes to a date, but that smile is quickly wiped off his face when a red arrow hits his helmet.

“Hood!”

Jason yanks off the helmet, looking up in shock at his best friend, “What the fuck, Roy?! Did you just shoot an arrow at me?!”

“That was a warning shot. You hurt my baby cousin or her boy and the next time I shoot, you won’t be wearing the helmet. Understand?”

“Yeah – Yeah I understand”

Slowly Roy unnotched his arrow, sliding it back into his quiver, “Good. Jay, I love you like a brother, but I’m serious, you hurt either of them and I’ll kill you”

[livingcorner]

How to grow runner beans / RHS Gardening

Sow

Runner beans are tender plants that won’t survive frost, so for an early crop sow indoors in late spring. You can also sow outdoors in early summer.

Sow indoors

If you have room, start runner beans off indoors on a windowsill or in a propagator, in late April or May. Sow one bean per small pot, 5cm (2in) deep.

You're reading: How to grow runner beans / RHS Gardening

Harden off young plants, to acclimatise them to outdoor conditions, but wait to plant them out until all risk of frost has passed, usually in late May/early June.

Sow outdoors

You can sow outdoors in late May or June, after the last frost. It’s best to sow in pots – one bean per small pot, 5cm (2in) deep. Place the pots in a coldframe or sheltered position.

Once the plants reach 8cm (3in) tall, plant them into their final positions. This will be in June or July.

Alternatively, sow directly in the ground from mid-May to late June. Sow two seeds at the base of each cane (see below), 5cm (2in) deep and spaced 15cm (6in) apart. Thin to one seedling per cane, and protect plants from slugs and snails. For the ideal site, see below.

Grow

Runner beans need a warm, sunny spot in well-drained soil. Before you sow or plant out your beans, fork in lots of well-rotted manure or garden compost.

Runner beans need a support to climb up. The traditional method is to grow them up inward-sloping 2.4m (8ft) tall bamboo canes tied near their tops to a horizontal cane, like an A frame. However if you slope the bamboo canes so they meet in the middle and tie them there, with the ends of the canes extending beyond the row (more like an X), picking is easier and the yield is usually better.

Read more: Birds | Maroochy Botanic Garden Friends | Sunshine Coast

In smaller spaces, a wigwam of canes takes up less room and creates an ornamental feature.

Loosely tie the plants to their supports after planting; after that they will climb naturally. Remove the growing point once the plants reach the top of their support. This encourages side stems.

Flower set

Runner beans sometimes fail to ‘set’, or produce pods, after flowering, and there are a number of causes and solutions.

Ensure the soil is constantly moist and doesn’t dry out. Add mulch after planting and water regularly and generously, ideally in the evenings.

Flower set is better in alkaline, chalky soils. If your soil is neutral or acidic, try applying lime.

If this is a recurring problem and you live in a mild area, try growing beans with some French bean parentage, which set pods more easily in warmer summers. Examples include ‘Firestorm’ and ‘Moonlight’.

More on problems with runner bean flower set

Common problems

Black bean aphid

Sap-sucking aphids will disfigure plants and cause stunting to leaves and stems.

Remedy

In the case of broad beans, pinch out infested tips. On other beans, catch populations when small and squash.

Slugs and snails

These feed on the young seedlings and you’ll see the tell tale slime trail on the soil around your crop, as well as on the leaves.

Remedy

There are many ways to control slugs and snails, including beer traps, sawdust or eggshell barriers, copper tape and biocontrols.

No/ very few beans

This is one of the most common problems of bean growing and is usually caused by lack of moisture and/or poor pollination by insects.

Remedy

Plant or sow beans into soil that has had plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted manure added the previous autumn, as this will aid moisture and nutrient retention around the roots. Plant in a sheltered site as this will encourage bees to visit and pollinate the plants.

Read more: Ten Tips for Creating Beautiful Gardens

Harvesting

Cropping starts around mid-summer, depending on the variety and when the seeds were sown, and continues for eight weeks or more if harvested regularly.

It’s best to pick pods when young and tender, about 15–20cm (6–8in) long, and certainly before the beans inside begin to swell.

Regular harvesting is essential, to prevent any pods reaching maturity. Once this happens, plants will stop flowering and no more pods will form. 

Recipes

Nigel Slater recommends serving runner beans with lemon and garlic crumbs, as a lovely side dish for grilled fish.

Recommended Varieties

‘Benchmaster’ AGM

Good  crops of long, smooth, tender beans in clusters with exhibition potential if grown well. Frost tender, plant out after last frosts. Needs strong supports to climb up. High in vitamin C, foliate and iron with good fibre content.

‘Enorma – Elite’ AGM

Fine textured beans, capable of winning local shows. Plants can grow up to 3 metres high. Pick young for continuity of cropping and freezing.

‘Firelight’ AGM

Virtually self-fertile scarlet flowered beans with improved pod-set even in hot dry summers. British bred.

‘Moonlight’ AGM

Major breakthrough in runner bean breeding, crossed with french bean to give early cropping, self-fertile, stringless beans, cropping well in less than ideal conditions. White flowered.

‘Stardust’ AGM

Another runner/French bean hybrid, British bred, self-fertile, white flowered, high cropping variety, whatever the weather. Freezes well.

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/how-to-grow-runner-beans-rhs-gardening/

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

One of the things that has made us a successful species is our ability to wield fire. Getting a fire started and variations to make them efficiently and specific to purpose have huge benefits in survival settings and off-grid, no- or low-power scenarios.

Some of the information out there gets used and passed along without a lot of consideration to the conditions, though. I think sometimes we’re just looking for a DIY or a “craft”, especially if we’re on a tight budget, and don’t really test or think it through before we go whole hog. Sometimes we’re overlooking something even more compact or versatile. Sometimes, having two parts to a whole still separated has a lot of value.  And sometimes, I rarely even see the most effective helpers mentioned.

Candles v. Waxed Dryer Lint

One of the things I see constantly is using dryer lint (and makeup pads) for fire starting. It regularly makes me crazy. It’s just that it’s not the be-all fire starter – alone, or with the addition of wax – that it’s made out to be.

Hey, I have some. Bags, front seat of truck, grill kits. Plain lint can be enormously helpful for catching a spark … if you also have other tinder ready and waiting.

The lint (and cardboard) catch first. Lint is a smoldery or flare-up catch, depending on your laundry. The amount and type of cardboard used around the lint extends the burn time a little.

They don’t actually burn long enough to “catch” charcoal, arctic stove bricks, or most kindling sticks, especially in wet or windy weather. You still largely need a feather stick, twisted wads of paper or cardboard, dry grasses, or hen-of-the-woods innards – the same tinder sources you’d use to nurture a spark or match if you didn’t have any handy fire starters.

It’s largely a waste of wax and time to make the “better” versions – where you pack an egg carton or muffin cups with your dryer lint and then pour melted candles, paraffin, or beeswax over them. Those versions are actually even tougher to get started with strikers, paper matches, and Bics, too.

You’ll have a lot more success getting fire helpers like wax cakes and the wax-dipped makeup pads started if you scuff them up good before lighting, even if they’re in cupcake wrappers or egg cartons or combined with cotton strings trimmed from clothing or used garden twine that are supposed to be helping you there.

I guess if you used a big chunk of the egg carton, not just one lobe, it would catch kindling directly. That’s not exactly portable and it requires a big stash of egg cartons for your doomsday or autumn-spring wood stove.

You can improve them – enormously, into something that will burn longer and hotter. Just add some wood shavings, fine chips, sawdust, or some pine cone bracts to the dryer lint. The thin wood is tinder, and dry pine cones are some of the best tinder-kindling to be had.

Even so, skip the wax. You don’t actually need it and it can get messy. Just smoosh it all into TP rolls or egg carton sections with your dryer lint, or snag small pine cones and wedge dryer lint into the gaps.

If you’re dead set on waxed versions, make doubly sure they’re in tight-sealing plastic baggies if they’re in your vehicle.

I carry un-waxed versions, but I also use tea lights and birthday candles a lot for campfires and bonfires. Those “gag” candles that don’t actually go out are a goldmine for a backpack and pill bottle kit.

My candles will typically burn long enough to dry out even damp tinders and kindling without issue. If it’s particularly damp and wet, if I’m particularly rushed to get a fire going, I’ll use both, a candle and a backup or emergency fire starter.

It’s just faster and easier. Plus, they’re a more versatile option.

If I need to be under a quickie shelter, I can still use my candles inside a can or a jar – for cooking, to very effectively take the damp or chill off a small space, for light. I can also use a match to light a tea light or birthday candle, and then light others from that stronger flame.

You lose those options when you melt your candles or paraffin into disks of tinder helpers.

Cotton, Vaseline & Foil

I like “foil fire nuggets” a lot. Again, it has to do with versatility. The petroleum jelly dipped cotton doesn’t run in our heat, and it doesn’t evaporate as fast or as much as hand sanitizer or stove alcohol. You can control how big a hole you create, and how much you pinch out, which affects how big of a flame you have – which impacts how long each burns for.

The foil provides “handles” for moving them, and can be shaped to help protect them from a draft or to reflect light one way or another. The foil also gives you a somewhat “safe” zone around your “candle” that increases the times and places it can be used.

They’re nice for starting fires, and they’re also nice as “candles”. Because they’re small and contained, they’re suitable for times you’re in a small shelter without a lot of room. Stick them in a metal or glass bowl or cup, and you can have light for 3-5 minutes.

They’re not as effective as something like a votive or 4-6” emergency candle for burning off some of the damp and warming a tiny space, but if you make them with two or three balls instead of just one, or set up a couple more, they have applications for getting inside and set up or drying out tinder and kindling.

Now, if you’re inclined to soak them in hand sanitizer, I’d say hold off. You can carry the two parts separately and just combine when ready. I’m also not high on waxed versions of cotton balls or tampons – again, unnecessary steps (and mess), more costly ingredients, single-purpose items, and the scuffing-up step before you use them. Without the foil, they also burn too fast to dry or ignite many kindling.

Oddball Fire Starters

If you’re looking for something else to help your fires along, check out your kitchen cabinets and the packets available at fast food restaurants and hotels when you get coffee.

I by total accident discovered that grits are enormously flammable when I sneezed and spilled half a tub across a flat-top electric stove. The grits hit the still-hot stove, and while the little isolated and single-layer bits just glowed and cindered and extinguished super fast, the grits that landed in lines and lumps went up like I’d been scraping magnesium. Some of the dials were actually deformed from the heat

(The glass stovetop recovered from this misadventure like a champ.)

The other oddball I pretty much never see is powdered coffee creamer. It comes courtesy of Mythbusters.

The “B” (better) team were doing one of their tests of viral videos, seeing if you really could create an enormous mushroom cloud with a sawdust cannon, and tested other whoosh! options. Carrie (I believe) tested coffee creamer.

Wow.

Creamer has benefits. It’s also a little scary. (Test this after it rains, peeps.) Like the magnesium rods we can scrape to add oomph to our sparks, powdered creamer is a flare-up kind of helper.

To say that a little goes a long way is an understatement. You only need a little bit at a time to help you – like, fractions of teaspoons amounts, especially if this is getting added to the surface of dryer lint.

Upside: This means a little jug goes a very long way. You won’t need much in each various kit, which makes it suitable for even tiny pill bottle or Altoids kits. It’s even less-expensive than grits, and even more resistant to damp surfaces while you’re making fires.

I cannot overstate the need to not have this blowing around dry grassy/leafy areas, your bag and tent, your hair if you use alcohol-containing products, or if the air is swirling and this might end up back in your face. Also, add fire to your creamer; do not be the many morons on YouTube who light fires and then pour the creamer on.

If you’re inclined to make those drinking straw kits, please be very conscientious of the fact that you use fire to melt the straw ends closed.

Feather Stick

One skill absolutely worth mastering, that will save an enormous amount of time and effort in starting a fire – and reviving it if it falters – is a feather stick. By peeling up curls of wood, you create kindling and tinder with excellent “catchability” and oxygen flow. You can also benefit by exposing the inner wood, which can be much dryer than small kindling sources after days of rain or snow melt.

You can make them out of whole raw sticks and branches, batoned branches, split logs, or pieces of junk timber and dimensional lumber. They’re pretty easy. Just remember the general safety rule of cutting away from yourself.

Parting Tip: Bring a Briquette

Keep 2-4 charcoal briquettes in your car kit, camping and kayaking kits, and your packs. Keep a tin of them handy for your rocket stove or fire pit. They weigh nearly nothing and they take up less space than those egg carton sections people love.

To use, stash one under your kindling with your tinder, inside your teepee or frame. You’ll need the tinder and kindling to get them going, but once you have, they generate a great deal of heat, and stay hot for a while.

Combined with a tin can, they can also help us carry fire from one location to another, or through part of a day. They can be used to help dry out kindling and smaller fuel wood, or to revive a fire without striking more sparks or matches. That’s especially useful if we’re out-out and we need that fire, when our hands are shaking (or mittened), in wet and windy conditions, and while we learn the nuances of banking a fire for the night.

Fire Starters

Getting a fire started can be a big advantage, but it’s really only the tip of the iceberg. How we build and feed that fire, where we position it, and what we combine it with impacts its effectiveness for heat, for cooking, and for signaling. Changes affect how long that fire will last, how much smoke it produces – and where that’s blowing – and how high the flames are reaching. In some situations, we’re also controlling how much light it gives off; looking for brightness, or limiting the visibility of the flames and-or the smoke.

Especially if we’re counting on fires when we take to the hills or for wilderness accidents, we need to know what is and isn’t actually going to work. So practice the whole process, dusk to dawn, not just sparking tinder.

Follow The Prepper Journal on Facebook!

The post Survival Skills & DIY Preps – Fire Starters appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[cumstricbusrie-blog]

Asian fish dating

Fife Asian Fish Dating You can have complete access to our loads of members so finding your ideal date will be quick, easy and simple with loads of fish online all the time.  They offer a multi-lingual interface with a user-friendly design, easy navigation and range of interactive features to provide you with a fun and safe online dating experience.  Alternately, cook the fish in the oven: Preheat to 450 F, place fish on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness.  This healthy Summer recipe showcases fish and a vibrant array of veggies, all brought together with a flavorful vinaigrette featuring rice vinegar! What could be safer than that!.  A safe and secure dating service for Fife Asian Fish Dating is designed as a secure environment for single men and women to find a date in Fife and beyond.  Check out your potential date before you meet them, then arrange to meet them in a public place.

Northern Ireland Asian Fish Dating A safe and secure dating service for Northern Ireland Asian Fish Dating is designed as a secure environment for single men and women to find a date in Northern Ireland and beyond.  Reviews of the Top 10 Asian Dating Websites of 2019 Welcome to our reviews of the Best Asian Dating Websites of 2019.  Nothing is healthier than keeping your brain stimulated.  Congratulations to our winner, Valerie! We see this site opens in 204 milliseconds and it is a really good score.  Two: create a unique dating profile.  A safe and secure dating service for Cleveland Asian Fish Dating is designed as a secure environment for single men and women to find a date in Cleveland and beyond.

Staffordshire Asian Fish Dating Our Summer here has been a hot one! Just chop the veggies and grill the fish and whisk together delicious vinaigrette with the help of.  A safe and secure dating service for Staffordshire Asian Fish Dating is designed as a secure environment for single men and women to find a date in Staffordshire and beyond.  They also have a fun, constantly-changing ticker along the bottom of the main page, showing who logged in last and a few details about them.  These alternative free sites are simple, with limited features but a high turnover. This is definitely a big positive when it comes to offering you choice, but how likely are you to.

asianfishdating.com-k2.ru My husband loooooves fish tacos and grilling the fish gives them such a fabulous touch.  Hi Kimberly, I just found your website while looking for an interesting but simple fish taco.  When your sweet tooth needs a treat, grill seasonal fruits like peaches, plums and pineapple for dessert.  Summer with its abundance of fresh fruits and veggies provides plenty of excuses to stay healthy during the hot months.  Check out our top 10 list below and follow our links to read our full in-depth review of each asian dating website, alongside which you'll find costs and features lists, user reviews and videos to help you make the right choice.  It is well known webmasters care about W3 Validator and fortunately W3 didn't find any warning but found 1 error on asianfishdating.

Fife Asian Fish Dating We see that your website gets most of the users with these missed types; qsianfishdating.  To assemble, pile the fish on the taco shells with some slaw and avocado and serve with some extra slaw on the side.  Instead, drink unsweetened green tea which is full of healthy compounds, like catechins, that give your metabolism a boost.  Why not sign up for free and make your love life happen with Many More Asian Fish? It has members from the Philippines, Thailand and many other parts of Asia, but is also for anyone across the globe who is interested in Asian dating.  Sweet tea has a lot of sugar and calories, which is the last thing you want weighing you down in the summer.  Enjoy light, but flavorful meals.

6 Best Asian Online Dating Websites AsiaFriendFinder's excellent range of features means that you could spend lots of time,.  Be sure the grates are clean and well-oiled or the fish will stick.  All you have to do is leave a comment below answering this question: What do you do to stay healthy during the Summer? One winner will be randomly selected and notified via email.  Rather than charge a standard membership rate, you use the site for free but activities such as chatting cost you credits.  There are loads of Asian fish in the sea - catch yourself a date today, on the dating site you've been looking for If you're looking for a date the easy way, then look no further, because you won't find anything easier than this.  A safe and secure dating service for England Asian Fish Dating is designed as a secure environment for single men and women to find a date in England and beyond.

asianfishdating.com-k2.ru Plus, hydration is a secret weapon for staying focused and energized.  Keep cut-up seasonal vegetables such as cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini and carrots in resealable containers for easy grab and go snacking.  A safe and secure dating service for Wales Asian Fish Dating is designed as a secure environment for single men and women to find a date in Wales and beyond.  Fill your plate with half veggies, a quarter lean protein and a quarter of whole grains for a balanced meal.  This will keep energy levels up so you can enjoy more summer fun.  But it sure has done absolute wonders for our garden! Subsequently when you sign up for one of these sites you can access them all using one profile, spending your credits here and there as you see fit.

England Asian Fish Dating Drinking smoothies is all the rage, but in the summer, freeze your favorite fruit and veggie smoothies into popsicles for a wholesome and refreshing treat.  Our dating site is an online community with a difference.  Superbly delicious on salads, vegetables, in marinades and vinaigrettes, and so much more! The site mentions that many of its members are looking for long.  Asian Date Net Asian Date Net formerly Asia Funs offers more than the standard fare, such as , couples dating, and dating news.  The site excels in numerous respects by offering several powerful features, including the ability to refine your search to within precise parameters; they also often add fun features to enhance the experience of using the site.  With a robust search engine and a fair number of users, this site is a top pick, even if the design falls short on the attractiveness scale.

Asian Place the fish on the hot grill and grill on each side for 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.  Using different vinegars would be so lovely as I prepare those fresh vegetables, so I am hoping my reply wins me your wonderful vinegar prize.  In answer to your question about keeping healthy during the summer, I started to laugh because I still teach during the summer and it is so exhausting for someone my age.  While most don't offer as many features as the most widely-known , all seven sites focus entirely on people in Asia or those who want to date someone Asian.  Let the fish rest for a couple of minutes.  On our researches we see asianfishdating.  Serve immediately with some extra slaw on the side.

Top 10 Asian Dating Websites 2019 As for keeping healthy with food, summer is the best time to enjoy many a vegetable dinner what with all the fresh greens, the corn just coming in, the tomatoes just ripening, and the squash filling all corners of the gardens everywhere in town.  One: enter your name and email address.  Add the shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, radish, cilantro and toss to coat.  Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and keep skin looking its best.  Such fun arguments keep everyone including me interested and excited about learning.  These tacos require just a brief grilling time for the fish and prep time is minimal.

[astilbear-blog]

How You Can Make HVAC Equipment Purchases Easier

There isn't a good deal that's far more annoying than taking care of HVAC issues when it's truly hot or cold outside. Studying whenever you can about HVAC just before you need help is the easiest way to track down the best company to correct old devices or put in new. Read through this post to start on that. Inspect the temps at home prior to deciding to contact something to assist you with any HVAC troubles you're having. Take note which of your bedrooms are popular and which are chilly. Using this move assists a service provider in determining what the issue is and ways to fix it as quickly as possible. If your HVAC system is behaving up, go on a excursion of the house just before contacting an experienced. Take note which of your respective bedrooms are popular and that are cool. Taking this move helps a professional in finding out what the catch is and ways to repair it immediately. Clean the trash on the condenser devices. You can never notify when things will pile up, specifically pursuing bad weather or wind hard storms. These can wreak havoc on your devices. It could overheat, resulting in tragedy in your process. Each and every springtime you have to be sure your condenser fan's coils and blades in the enthusiast part are nice and clean. Convert the energy off of so nothing at all techniques. Then remove the barbeque grill, remove the rotor blades and clean it all the way through carefully. Be sure you have your Heating and air conditioning process checked at least twice annually. Check into it twice yearly before you decide to mind in the cold and warm several weeks. Though it might appear as nothing is improper using the model, a basic inspection Air Conditioning Repair services can show or else. As a way to enhance productivity, location new backyard devices or move your current device to a position which resides within the shade. You save money using this method since the ac unit is now pulling in chillier air flow, which can be quicker to awesome more. Get the Heating and air conditioning system repaired annually. This evaluation will ensure that your system is working successfully, together with a freon stage and motor verify, and oiling moving pieces. This will help keep you cost effective and comfortable.

Save power use and funds by switching off the ac if you find no person house. The house will warm up, although not a lot of. If will likely be constantly battling the high temperature and making use of a great deal of electricity should it be still left on all day. Shut off your backyard condenser in the event it will become frosty out. The device will end up ruined if you do not care for it. This may make sure your process stays in good functioning purchase each and every year, helping you save funds on costly maintenance. Constantly spend some time to explore the standing of any HVAC licensed contractor before you consider selecting them. Talk with the Better business bureau to check out evaluations of potential organizations online. Get these steps to make sure you make sensible selections. A glowing buffer is something that you may want to consider. This process can prevent outside temperature from arriving in, cutting your energy ingestion when air conditioning. If it is done efficiently, it is even possible to turn the attic room as being a liveable space. Try installing a type of radiant shield in the attic room for to experience a more potent Heating and air conditioning process. This system can prevent outside the house heat from arriving in, lowering your electricity intake when air conditioning. You could possibly even be able to start residing in your attic space. When you Heating and air conditioning model is building a clicking noise, examine immediately for almost any dirt that may have accrued in it. Most of the issue is going to be some type of debris hitting your followers inside your air conditioning. You need to simply obtain the obstruction and the thing is resolved. See if you can diy just before an expert. Identifying the path where your house faces may help have the Heating and air conditioning system effective. When you purposefully location trees and shrubs, it's easy to obstruct a few of the morning sunshine so your house won't turn out to be too hot. If there's a lot less temperature inside your home, your Air conditioning work much less. When the Heating and air conditioning device constitutes a simply clicking noises, seem right away to ascertain if it comes with an blockage. There may be dust of debris which are coming in contact with the supporters. Simply very clear aside the dirt or get rid of any foreign physical objects along with your dilemma is fixed. Before you decide to contact a professional, consider it oneself. Be certain that to obtain recommendations from the contractor. You need so that you can inquire if that which was predicted is the thing that the home owner obtained, including simply being on time and so on price range. When you check out personal references very carefully, you may avoid becoming ripped off. Once you feel you want to get Heating and air conditioning aid it might be difficult to consider since there are so many possibilities around. Using the proper details, it doesn't need to be that terrible. Ideally you will be now willing to get this all on to enable you to focus on this if you have troubles later on.

[fayecallasdatingblog]

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date: The Proven Secrets To a Great Date

Before you meet that next potential suitor, I want you to think about questions to ask a guy on a date.

Asking questions is a great way to get to know someone quickly, but asking the wrong questions can make him feel like you’re interrogating him.

Instead, I want you to focus on questions like the following as a way to develop the conversation on that date, not interview him as your next husband! In a moment, I’m going to go into different types of questions to ask a guy on a date, but first, let’s address why you need to even care about this.

Why It is Crucial To Know What Kind of Questions To Ask a Guy On a Date

Why do you need to have questions to ask a man on a date anyway?

Why do you even need to worry about what questions to ask a guy on a date? Why does it matter?

First of all, you don’t want to waste your time. If you and a man aren’t on the same page in terms of values or what you want out of life and love, there’s really no point in spending more time together.

Let’s say you love your hometown and see no reason why you should ever leave it. You’re on a date one night, and the subject of travel comes up. Your date tells you that in six months, he’s moving to Timbuktu. Isn’t that kinda important for you to know about a guy you’re considering dating and investing emotional energy into when clearly there’s no long-term potential??

Yea, a bit.

And another reason to think out what you want to bring up on a date: you want to avoid coming off as an interrogator…yet you want to read into what this guy is all about. The right questions (which we’ll cover here) will help you get insight into who this man is without making him feel like he’s being grilled.

Some of the following questions to ask a guy on a date work well on a first date, while some (like those pertaining to finances) you should save for the third or so date. After that, it gets easier to ask questions as you know him better and better. Let’s dive in.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date to Get to Know Him

Most people are nervous on their first date with someone new. You may be at a loss for what to say. Having some questions in your back pocket can make for icebreakers that warm up the date and help you get to know the guy you’re with. These aren’t your typical have you ever been married questions, and that’s a good thing. Your goal here is to ask open-ended questions that invite him to start a conversation without freaking him out. Try questions like:

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

What makes you laugh?

What are you passionate about?

What are your three favorite things in the world?

Where are you from originally?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Like I said earlier: you want to know what a man is all about without giving him the third degree. Questions about what makes him tick and his experiences can actually tell you a lot about his personality. Does he eagerly answer your thought-provoking questions, or just shrug his shoulders and say I dunno? The first one is a guy you want to continue to get to know. The second? Well, be honest: do you really see potential there?

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date to Learn About His Family

Asking about his family can give you insight into the type of person he is.

Family values are important for most of us when we’re looking for a life partner. Is he close to his family? Does he have a similar upbringing to you? Or one that’s completely opposite?

Usually, asking someone about their family is a great way to get them to open up (unless there’s some tragedy or drama there. Still, if that comes up, it could be a red flag for you to pay attention to.). Even if he’s just telling stories about wrestling with his brother as kids, you can still glean information about who he is as a man.

Here are a few questions to ask a guy on a date about his family:

What was your family like growing up?

Does your family live here or somewhere else?

Who in your family are you closest to?

What is a tradition your family had when you were a kid?

Do you have any siblings?

Are you more like your dad or mom?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: From my experience working with women, most of you feel safe when a man has solid family values. Am I right?? Knowing he was raised by strict parents and admitting that now he appreciates how he was raised can go a long way toward telling you that he’s probably a good guy.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date to Find Out What He Likes

Often the easiest place to start in terms of questions to ask a guy on a date is what he’s into. Sports? Hobbies? Talents? Getting him to talk about himself should be easy (we all like to talk about ourselves, both men and women), and hopefully, he’ll reciprocate by asking what you like.

Here’s something to chew on: while it’s nice when you have common interests with a man, eHarmony research shows that in the long term, compatibility isn’t really based on the superficial things you have in common. Still, in the early days of getting to know someone, learning about what he’s interested in can help you determine if you want to continue to spend time together. If he’s hard-core heavy metal and you’re smooth jazz, you might not be meant for one another.

Here are some questions to help:

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

What’s the last book you read?

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Are you a cat or a dog person?

What type of music do you like?

What TV show are you currently bingeing?

What’s your favorite holiday?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Getting to know a man requires a million little data points. It may seem trite to ask him if he’s a dog or cat person, but it could open the door to a heartwarming story about his first dog, Pete. Talking about books can help you find out if he’s intelligent and thirsty for knowledge. Don’t underestimate the power of questions about his interests!

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date About His Ideal Partner

Knowing what he’s looking for helps you figure out if you’re compatible.

Here’s where the questions get even more helpful in giving you insight into long-term relationship potential with a guy.  If, for example, he’s just looking for an FWB (friend with benefits) and you want a boyfriend, you can quickly find this out before you waste more time with someone who isn’t compatible for what you need in your life right now.

Keep in mind: these questions might be too personal to ask a guy on a first date, so save them for phone calls after that first date, or on a later date. But feel out the situation! This is murky territory for men, talking about relationships, so if you feel him pulling away after one question, don’t continue with more.

What are you looking for right now?

How long was your longest relationship?

What do you find most attractive in a potential partner?

What is your ideal relationship like?

Do you have/want kids?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: When you’re considering the possibility of a relationship with a guy, knowing about his past is hugely indicative of where he’s headed. If he’s never had a relationship longer than three months, do you really think that you’ll be the one to break that chain? If he hems and haws about what he’s looking for relationship-wise, he’s probably not looking for long-term.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date About His Goals

We all want a partner who has goals and constantly works toward bettering themselves (well, I do, anyway). Maybe you’ve gone on a date with a dude whose only goal in life was to catch a wave or beat level 500 in his favorite video game.

But you’re better than that. You want a man who thinks about the future and makes an effort to achieve his dreams. And finding out what his goals are now can lay the groundwork for a relationship if that’s where this is heading. Couples who support one another’s goals tend to be happier and stay together longer. Sounds pretty good to me.

Here are some sample questions to ask a guy on a date to see how far into the future he’s thinking:

What’s your biggest goal right now?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

What’s a New Year’s resolution you made this year?

What’s on your bucket list?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Because you’re an accomplished and confident woman, you want a man who has goals, even if they’re different from your own. You want some sense that he has direction and purpose in his life.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date About His Career and Finances

There’s nothing sexier than a financially stable man!

This is another tricky area to tackle when asking a guy about himself. Some guys are happy to talk about what they do and even their financial situation, while others are squirrelly about it. A female friend of mine asked a man she knew if all men disliked talking about their jobs, and he replied, only if they have crappy jobs.

So if he’s unwilling to tell you what he does for a living, he might be a little embarrassed about it. Typically doctors, lawyers, firemen, whatever, are happy to tell you what they do!

And questions about money shouldn’t come off as too nosy. Asking him how much he makes may be over the top. Still, you can use these questions as a means to find out if he’s financially stable or not.

Are you saving up for anything special, like a house or major trip?

Do you like what you do?

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

What does a typical day at work look like?

Are you a spender or saver?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Of course you’re not looking for a man to take care of you financially, but you do want a sense that he’s secure and isn’t looking for you to take care of him! Also, I think it’s really sexy when someone loves what they do workwise. You don’t want to date a guy who’s going to bitch about his job day in and day out, do you?

A Great Conversation Requires a Great Listener

With all these questions to ask a guy on a date, you should be covered for topics for your first five dates or more! The idea is that as you ask questions and he answers them (and asks his own in return), you start to know each other better and build a foundation to grow from.

But as important as the questions you ask is how well you listen. According to Amy Torres, a psychotherapist, there is a difference between hearing and listening:

Hearing what is said takes short-term memory — it only indicates that on a surface level you took in their words but didn’t join emotionally with the person speaking to you. Listening is being receptive to your own inner wisdom, while emotionally attuned to the other person.

So if the entire time he’s talking about his family history (because you asked) you’re thinking I hope he asks a question next. I could tell him that funny story about falling out of the tree, then you’re not really listening. 

Focus on what he’s saying. Repeat what he says from time to time, and ask followup questions:

You: Where were you born?

Him: I was born in Detroit, but my family moved to Scranton a few months later. So I grew up in Pennsylvania.

You: Pennsylvania, huh? I’ve never been there. What’s it like?

Him: Really beautiful, actually. Especially in winter. I loved skiing as a kid.

You: Wow, I didn’t learn to ski until I was an adult. Were you any good? Do you still ski?

Give him the courtesy you would want him to give you: your undivided attention. Don’t check your phone. Don’t look around the room to see who else is there. Don’t check the score on the tv in the bar you’re in. While he’s talking, make him the center of your universe, and hope that he reciprocates.

Conclusion:

Asking the right questions can lay a solid foundation for a relationship!

Keep in mind that a conversation isn’t simply you peppering him with questions.  Ask one, let him respond, then take a beat. Give him the chance to ask a question about the same topic…or you can comment on the topic. This article isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of questions to ask on a first date! Rather, it’s a guide to helping you tune into the topics you want to bring up so that you can better get to know this man and determine whether he has long-term potential or not.

Beyond his answers to your questions, also pay attention to what his body is telling you. Body language is so important, especially when you’re first getting to know a guy. If, for example, you ask him about past relationships and he starts squirming or can’t look you in the eye, something’s up. You might not get to the bottom of it right then, but pay attention to that red flag and proceed with caution.

If you’re asking questions about his past, his career, or his finances and you notice him leaning away from you in his chair or his eyes looking elsewhere, he may feel like you’re being too invasive. Back off.  The last thing you want to do is scare off a perfectly good guy with your inquisitive nature!

If he’s genuinely interested in you and wants to get to know you, he should be willing to answer your questions…and he should come with plenty of his own. Getting to know someone takes time, but it also takes two willing participants who are okay with opening up to the other person.

I want to hear from you. What’s one good question to ask a guy on a date that you’ve found successful? Tell us in the comments below.

Sometimes the easiest way to find the right questions to ask a guy on a date is to get inside the male mind. With my Male Mind Map, you’ll understand what gets a guy to open up…and what scares him off. Download it today!

The post Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date: The Proven Secrets To a Great Date appeared first on Sexy Confidence.

from Meet Positives SM Feed https://ift.tt/2quEasK via IFTTT

[travisandersondatingblog]

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date: The Proven Secrets To a Great Date

Before you meet that next potential suitor, I want you to think about questions to ask a guy on a date.

Asking questions is a great way to get to know someone quickly, but asking the wrong questions can make him feel like you’re interrogating him.

Instead, I want you to focus on questions like the following as a way to develop the conversation on that date, not interview him as your next husband! In a moment, I’m going to go into different types of questions to ask a guy on a date, but first, let’s address why you need to even care about this.

Why It is Crucial To Know What Kind of Questions To Ask a Guy On a Date

Why do you need to have questions to ask a man on a date anyway?

Why do you even need to worry about what questions to ask a guy on a date? Why does it matter?

First of all, you don’t want to waste your time. If you and a man aren’t on the same page in terms of values or what you want out of life and love, there’s really no point in spending more time together.

Let’s say you love your hometown and see no reason why you should ever leave it. You’re on a date one night, and the subject of travel comes up. Your date tells you that in six months, he’s moving to Timbuktu. Isn’t that kinda important for you to know about a guy you’re considering dating and investing emotional energy into when clearly there’s no long-term potential??

Yea, a bit.

And another reason to think out what you want to bring up on a date: you want to avoid coming off as an interrogator…yet you want to read into what this guy is all about. The right questions (which we’ll cover here) will help you get insight into who this man is without making him feel like he’s being grilled.

Some of the following questions to ask a guy on a date work well on a first date, while some (like those pertaining to finances) you should save for the third or so date. After that, it gets easier to ask questions as you know him better and better. Let’s dive in.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date to Get to Know Him

Most people are nervous on their first date with someone new. You may be at a loss for what to say. Having some questions in your back pocket can make for icebreakers that warm up the date and help you get to know the guy you’re with. These aren’t your typical have you ever been married questions, and that’s a good thing. Your goal here is to ask open-ended questions that invite him to start a conversation without freaking him out. Try questions like:

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

What makes you laugh?

What are you passionate about?

What are your three favorite things in the world?

Where are you from originally?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Like I said earlier: you want to know what a man is all about without giving him the third degree. Questions about what makes him tick and his experiences can actually tell you a lot about his personality. Does he eagerly answer your thought-provoking questions, or just shrug his shoulders and say I dunno? The first one is a guy you want to continue to get to know. The second? Well, be honest: do you really see potential there?

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date to Learn About His Family

Asking about his family can give you insight into the type of person he is.

Family values are important for most of us when we’re looking for a life partner. Is he close to his family? Does he have a similar upbringing to you? Or one that’s completely opposite?

Usually, asking someone about their family is a great way to get them to open up (unless there’s some tragedy or drama there. Still, if that comes up, it could be a red flag for you to pay attention to.). Even if he’s just telling stories about wrestling with his brother as kids, you can still glean information about who he is as a man.

Here are a few questions to ask a guy on a date about his family:

What was your family like growing up?

Does your family live here or somewhere else?

Who in your family are you closest to?

What is a tradition your family had when you were a kid?

Do you have any siblings?

Are you more like your dad or mom?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: From my experience working with women, most of you feel safe when a man has solid family values. Am I right?? Knowing he was raised by strict parents and admitting that now he appreciates how he was raised can go a long way toward telling you that he’s probably a good guy.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date to Find Out What He Likes

Often the easiest place to start in terms of questions to ask a guy on a date is what he’s into. Sports? Hobbies? Talents? Getting him to talk about himself should be easy (we all like to talk about ourselves, both men and women), and hopefully, he’ll reciprocate by asking what you like.

Here’s something to chew on: while it’s nice when you have common interests with a man, eHarmony research shows that in the long term, compatibility isn’t really based on the superficial things you have in common. Still, in the early days of getting to know someone, learning about what he’s interested in can help you determine if you want to continue to spend time together. If he’s hard-core heavy metal and you’re smooth jazz, you might not be meant for one another.

Here are some questions to help:

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

What’s the last book you read?

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Are you a cat or a dog person?

What type of music do you like?

What TV show are you currently bingeing?

What’s your favorite holiday?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Getting to know a man requires a million little data points. It may seem trite to ask him if he’s a dog or cat person, but it could open the door to a heartwarming story about his first dog, Pete. Talking about books can help you find out if he’s intelligent and thirsty for knowledge. Don’t underestimate the power of questions about his interests!

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date About His Ideal Partner

Knowing what he’s looking for helps you figure out if you’re compatible.

Here’s where the questions get even more helpful in giving you insight into long-term relationship potential with a guy.  If, for example, he’s just looking for an FWB (friend with benefits) and you want a boyfriend, you can quickly find this out before you waste more time with someone who isn’t compatible for what you need in your life right now.

Keep in mind: these questions might be too personal to ask a guy on a first date, so save them for phone calls after that first date, or on a later date. But feel out the situation! This is murky territory for men, talking about relationships, so if you feel him pulling away after one question, don’t continue with more.

What are you looking for right now?

How long was your longest relationship?

What do you find most attractive in a potential partner?

What is your ideal relationship like?

Do you have/want kids?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: When you’re considering the possibility of a relationship with a guy, knowing about his past is hugely indicative of where he’s headed. If he’s never had a relationship longer than three months, do you really think that you’ll be the one to break that chain? If he hems and haws about what he’s looking for relationship-wise, he’s probably not looking for long-term.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date About His Goals

We all want a partner who has goals and constantly works toward bettering themselves (well, I do, anyway). Maybe you’ve gone on a date with a dude whose only goal in life was to catch a wave or beat level 500 in his favorite video game.

But you��re better than that. You want a man who thinks about the future and makes an effort to achieve his dreams. And finding out what his goals are now can lay the groundwork for a relationship if that’s where this is heading. Couples who support one another’s goals tend to be happier and stay together longer. Sounds pretty good to me.

Here are some sample questions to ask a guy on a date to see how far into the future he’s thinking:

What’s your biggest goal right now?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

What’s a New Year’s resolution you made this year?

What’s on your bucket list?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Because you’re an accomplished and confident woman, you want a man who has goals, even if they’re different from your own. You want some sense that he has direction and purpose in his life.

Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date About His Career and Finances

There’s nothing sexier than a financially stable man!

This is another tricky area to tackle when asking a guy about himself. Some guys are happy to talk about what they do and even their financial situation, while others are squirrelly about it. A female friend of mine asked a man she knew if all men disliked talking about their jobs, and he replied, only if they have crappy jobs.

So if he’s unwilling to tell you what he does for a living, he might be a little embarrassed about it. Typically doctors, lawyers, firemen, whatever, are happy to tell you what they do!

And questions about money shouldn’t come off as too nosy. Asking him how much he makes may be over the top. Still, you can use these questions as a means to find out if he’s financially stable or not.

Are you saving up for anything special, like a house or major trip?

Do you like what you do?

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

What does a typical day at work look like?

Are you a spender or saver?

How these questions help you figure out compatibility: Of course you’re not looking for a man to take care of you financially, but you do want a sense that he’s secure and isn’t looking for you to take care of him! Also, I think it’s really sexy when someone loves what they do workwise. You don’t want to date a guy who’s going to bitch about his job day in and day out, do you?

A Great Conversation Requires a Great Listener

With all these questions to ask a guy on a date, you should be covered for topics for your first five dates or more! The idea is that as you ask questions and he answers them (and asks his own in return), you start to know each other better and build a foundation to grow from.

But as important as the questions you ask is how well you listen. According to Amy Torres, a psychotherapist, there is a difference between hearing and listening:

Hearing what is said takes short-term memory — it only indicates that on a surface level you took in their words but didn’t join emotionally with the person speaking to you. Listening is being receptive to your own inner wisdom, while emotionally attuned to the other person.

So if the entire time he’s talking about his family history (because you asked) you’re thinking I hope he asks a question next. I could tell him that funny story about falling out of the tree, then you’re not really listening. 

Focus on what he’s saying. Repeat what he says from time to time, and ask followup questions:

You: Where were you born?

Him: I was born in Detroit, but my family moved to Scranton a few months later. So I grew up in Pennsylvania.

You: Pennsylvania, huh? I’ve never been there. What’s it like?

Him: Really beautiful, actually. Especially in winter. I loved skiing as a kid.

You: Wow, I didn’t learn to ski until I was an adult. Were you any good? Do you still ski?

Give him the courtesy you would want him to give you: your undivided attention. Don’t check your phone. Don’t look around the room to see who else is there. Don’t check the score on the tv in the bar you’re in. While he’s talking, make him the center of your universe, and hope that he reciprocates.

Conclusion:

Asking the right questions can lay a solid foundation for a relationship!

Keep in mind that a conversation isn’t simply you peppering him with questions.  Ask one, let him respond, then take a beat. Give him the chance to ask a question about the same topic…or you can comment on the topic. This article isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of questions to ask on a first date! Rather, it’s a guide to helping you tune into the topics you want to bring up so that you can better get to know this man and determine whether he has long-term potential or not.

Beyond his answers to your questions, also pay attention to what his body is telling you. Body language is so important, especially when you’re first getting to know a guy. If, for example, you ask him about past relationships and he starts squirming or can’t look you in the eye, something’s up. You might not get to the bottom of it right then, but pay attention to that red flag and proceed with caution.

If you’re asking questions about his past, his career, or his finances and you notice him leaning away from you in his chair or his eyes looking elsewhere, he may feel like you’re being too invasive. Back off.  The last thing you want to do is scare off a perfectly good guy with your inquisitive nature!

If he’s genuinely interested in you and wants to get to know you, he should be willing to answer your questions…and he should come with plenty of his own. Getting to know someone takes time, but it also takes two willing participants who are okay with opening up to the other person.

I want to hear from you. What’s one good question to ask a guy on a date that you’ve found successful? Tell us in the comments below.

Sometimes the easiest way to find the right questions to ask a guy on a date is to get inside the male mind. With my Male Mind Map, you’ll understand what gets a guy to open up…and what scares him off. Download it today!

The post Questions to Ask a Guy on a Date: The Proven Secrets To a Great Date appeared first on Sexy Confidence.

from Meet Positives SM Feed 3 https://ift.tt/2quEasK via IFTTT

[billydmacklin]

The New Duplex Floor Plan

If you saw our before & after post about the beach duplex demo, then you know we’ve got some big plans for the duplex’s floor plan. We want to make the most of the given space – and we’re even adding on a smidge more – so it can sleep more people, offer more bathrooms, and generally improve the feeling of being in this cool old house. Before each side had only one full bath (!!!), so we’re hopeful that we have nowhere to go but up. So we’re back today with some floor plans to show you exactly what we intend to do. And the nerd inside of me is extremely excited about it.

If you’re new around here or aren’t sue what we mean by “the duplex,” you can catch up on everything in detail here. But the short version is that it’s a rundown duplex that we bought last fall to renovate and turn into a weekly vacation rental. It’s just one house away from our pink beach house in Cape Charles, VA, which is located on the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. So far it has just been gutted and once the weather starts cooperating, we’ll finally get to start rolling on exterior improvements like a new non-leaking roof and some new not-rotten siding.

The Before

The two halves of the duplex are nearly identical, just mirrored along the central wall that separates them. They have separate addresses and we intend to keep them separate so that they can be rented separately (although a larger family might rent both sides to have the whole house for a week). All of the changes we make will be the same on each side, so we’re just going to focus on the LEFT side of the house as you face it from the street. But again, each side will remain a mirror image when it comes to floor plan/layout. As for decorating them, Sherry thinks it’ll be fun to decorate them slightly differently. Think cousins and not identical twins.

But back to the floor plan. First of all, since it’s a common layout question we have been getting a lot on social media: we aren’t doing an interior door to make it optional for someone staying in one side of the duplex to open that door and have access to the other side. This isn’t possible due to code reasons, but the front doors of each side literally couldn’t be closer (and under a covered porch) so if a larger family rents both sides for the week it is basically the shortest walk ever to get from one side to the other:

Each side is a little under 1,300 square feet, and when we bought it each side only had two bedrooms and one full bathroom – all on the second floor. We don’t believe that was the original floor plan (it was extremely choppy with doorways and lights in very odd places) so we’re just doing our best to make the house feel more original, intentional, efficient, and less oddly closed off – since we’ll probably never know the original floor plan. Although we do know that the house has always been a duplex as far as we know. There are two lots and two different house numbers as far back as we can go. You can see before photos in this post & walk through it on video to get more of an idea about how oddly laid out things were.

Note: The pencil drawings we’ve been working on with our contractor were too hard to read in photographs, so we’ve recreated them as well as we can using free online software called HomeStyler and then we added our own labels in Photoshop. They are mostly to scale, but some details are approximate.

The After (or at least, The Plan)

I’ll take you through all of the major changes in a moment using side-by-side floor plans, but here’s an overall look at what we’re planning to do. When we’re done, each side will go from 1 bathroom to 2.5, and from 2 bedrooms to 3. And yes, we spontaneously break out in full body sweats when we think about having to tile all five bathrooms and install two kitchens once the walls go back up, so let’s not talk about that right now, mmmkay?

Downstairs Living Areas

I know it’s often easier to understand changes when you can see the before and after floor plans side-by-side, so that’s what we’ve done below. This is just the front half of the downstairs (the before is on the left, and the after is on the right, with numbered labels I’ll get into in a moment).

Here’s a quick summary of the big changes in this part of the house:

We’re opening up the wall that separates the stairs from the living area so that the entry vestibule gets more light and is less claustrophobic.

The living area is quite large (we’re not sure how the previous occupants used it) so we’re planning to use the back half of it as a casual dining area since it will be right off of the kitchen. Exact furniture plan TBD, but we love Chris & Julia’s open dining room & living room.

To create better flow and sight lines between the kitchen and the dining area, we’re widening this doorway.

Since the current downstairs has no bathroom, we’re turning this large closet area under the stairs into a powder room. A few people said they worry about bathroom smells wafting into the dining area but my parents have a beach rental with an extremely similar layout and it works out really well. Anyway doing something smelly wants to go upstairs instead of doing it right off of the living area anyway. Is that TMI? Probably. But the point is that we think it’ll work out nicely.

For reference, this is what that space is looking like at the moment.

And here’s an inspiration photo of how we’ll open up the side of the stairs, which was formerly enclosed all the way down to the first step:

  image source

Downstairs Kitchen Areas

The back half of the downstairs was pretty hardworking before, but we’re making it work even harder – incorporating laundry, a larger kitchen, and even a “mudroom” zone for people coming in from the back door. There will also be an outdoor shower by the back door, so people will wash the sand off there, then enter through the mudroom, and toss their towels into the washer or hang them up in the mudroom area. We are hopeful that the combination of an outdoor shower and a tiled room to enter through with laundry/mudroom capabilities will keep a lot of sand out of the rest of the house.

Again, looking at the before and after plan side-by-side, here are the highlights:

We’re moving the kitchen into the larger former dining space so that we can greatly increase storage, counter space, and even add a dishwasher. Exact layout TBD, and we may incorporate a small (maybe movable) island or baking cart in the center.

The former kitchen (which wasn’t the original kitchen location, since that area used to be a side porch) will become laundry/pantry space. We think it will be nice to continue the cabinetry in here to visually extend the kitchen, but we’ll be adding pocket doors so that it can be closed off – especially if laundry noise needs to be muffled. Plus, we just love pocket doors in these old homes. They feel original and cool (even if they haven’t always been there, like the ones we added to the back bedroom in the pink house).

This back section of each side was fairly unused apart from the water heater and a toilet (just on the right side, kinda sitting out in the open). Since it opens to the backyard, we want to create a space for sandy gear and towels just beyond the outdoor shower.

We’ll also put a utility closet back there that can hide stuff like the HVAC system and a tankless water heater.

Here’s a view of the old kitchen that was in that former side porch when we bought the house. The future mudroom and utility closet will go just beyond the right side of where these creamsicle-colored cabinets once were.

And since we’ve landed on “mint” as the accent color for this project, we’re thinking the pocket doors that will go in this doorway (which, again, will separate the future kitchen from the future pantry/laundry) might look something like this charming door from Yellow Brick Home’s kitchen… just two of them since the opening will be double wide like the one above.

Upstairs, Front Bedroom, & Hall Bath

Moving upstairs, let’s start at the front of the house:

Just like downstairs, the space up here hasn’t really been used to its maximum potential (we believe things were constantly being chopped up/changed/moved just based on some odd light placements, etc). And since maximizing the beds and baths is important for a vacation rental, this is what we’re planning to do:

The area at the top of the stairs is very cramped and feels cut off, so we’re giving it a more spacious landing without losing the linen closet

The bathroom up here was unnecessarily large, so we’re basically splitting it in half to make a more modest space that’s still large enough for a tub/shower combo (probably a drop-in tub with a tile shower surround).

By splitting the bathroom and stealing a little bit of space from the main two bedrooms, we’ll be able to create a third sleeping space (similar to our beach house’s bunk room, but probably a little larger).

Not much is changing in the front bedroom. It will get a hair smaller and we plan to re-orient the closet. The closet has a beautiful window in it (the one with the diamond grill pattern seen from the front) but the old owner had it boarded over and covered with drywall (!!!) so they could run a closet bar across the opposite wall. To uncover the window and let the light shine in, we’ll move the closet bar to the wall across from the window (where it will be hidden from view in the bedroom thanks to being tucked into that nook) and use a pocket door, which we hope will encourage people to leave it open and let the light shine in.

This is what the view from the front bedroom looks like right now, so you can kind of see how the bathroom will be split:

Upstairs, Back Bedroom, & Master Bath

This is the area of the house where we are actually adding space, which is going to earn us another full bath that is also an ensuite. Woot!

But there is more than just an added bathroom going on back here, so here’s what you should take note of:

This “bump out” on the back of the house already exists downstairs (remember the mudroom and utility closet?) so we already have approval from the town to continue that footprint upstairs and bump out the second floor to match it. The cheapest way to do an addition is to build on top of something that already has a foundation/footers, so we’re excited to just pop the second floor out. It won’t be a huge bathroom (probably just a walk-in shower) but we always love having our own ensuite bathroom when we travel, so we think it’ll be a big bonus.

Since we’re losing the existing back window (it will become the bathroom door) we got approval to add a new window so that we don’t reduce natural light in this bedroom.

This room was already very long, but by stealing some square footage for the bunkroom it got even more elongated. So we landed on the idea of adding two built-in closets (with drywall and proper doors) on either side of the side window. It makes the room shape a bit more natural and gives the room the closet it still needed – plus we think we may use the other one as a locked owner’s closet.

We used this same trick in the pink house, but by pulling the bedroom door into the hallway a little bit (in this case to line up with the linen closet door) it creates a “vestibule” for the inswing of the door. Since the bed will likely go on that right wall (facing the window bench) this means the door doesn’t open right into the nightstand.

And to give you an idea of what we mean in #3 about the window bench, here’s an inspiration picture that Sherry dug up to get excited about this spot. We might leave it more open underneath for people to tuck suitcases (or, if we’re really ambitious, we could make it a flip top bench with linen storage underneath).

image source

This is what that bedroom originally looked like (that’s the window that’s becoming a bathroom door) so we’re looking forward to making it feel more “masterful.”

I’ll leave you guys with one parting look at the full “after” floor plan:

If it’s like the pink house, we know this is not likely to be our last iteration of these plans. We’ve done most of our tweaking already, but some things are dependent on how some construction shakes out. For instance, this plans assumes we can make room for the upstairs HVAC in the attic. That’s not a certainty yet, so it could throw a wrench in our plans. We’ll keep you posted…

The post The New Duplex Floor Plan appeared first on Young House Love.

The New Duplex Floor Plan published first on https://carpetgurus.tumblr.com/

[statusreview]

The New Duplex Floor Plan

If you saw our before & after post about the beach duplex demo, then you know we’ve got some big plans for the duplex’s floor plan. We want to make the most of the given space – and we’re even adding on a smidge more – so it can sleep more people, offer more bathrooms, and generally improve the feeling of being in this cool old house. Before each side had only one full bath (!!!), so we’re hopeful that we have nowhere to go but up. So we’re back today with some floor plans to show you exactly what we intend to do. And the nerd inside of me is extremely excited about it.

If you’re new around here or aren’t sue what we mean by “the duplex,” you can catch up on everything in detail here. But the short version is that it’s a rundown duplex that we bought last fall to renovate and turn into a weekly vacation rental. It’s just one house away from our pink beach house in Cape Charles, VA, which is located on the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. So far it has just been gutted and once the weather starts cooperating, we’ll finally get to start rolling on exterior improvements like a new non-leaking roof and some new not-rotten siding.

The Before

The two halves of the duplex are nearly identical, just mirrored along the central wall that separates them. They have separate addresses and we intend to keep them separate so that they can be rented separately (although a larger family might rent both sides to have the whole house for a week). All of the changes we make will be the same on each side, so we’re just going to focus on the LEFT side of the house as you face it from the street. But again, each side will remain a mirror image when it comes to floor plan/layout. As for decorating them, Sherry thinks it’ll be fun to decorate them slightly differently. Think cousins and not identical twins.

But back to the floor plan. First of all, since it’s a common layout question we have been getting a lot on social media: we aren’t doing an interior door to make it optional for someone staying in one side of the duplex to open that door and have access to the other side. This isn’t possible due to code reasons, but the front doors of each side literally couldn’t be closer (and under a covered porch) so if a larger family rents both sides for the week it is basically the shortest walk ever to get from one side to the other:

Each side is a little under 1,300 square feet, and when we bought it each side only had two bedrooms and one full bathroom – all on the second floor. We don’t believe that was the original floor plan (it was extremely choppy with doorways and lights in very odd places) so we’re just doing our best to make the house feel more original, intentional, efficient, and less oddly closed off – since we’ll probably never know the original floor plan. Although we do know that the house has always been a duplex as far as we know. There are two lots and two different house numbers as far back as we can go. You can see before photos in this post & walk through it on video to get more of an idea about how oddly laid out things were.

Note: The pencil drawings we’ve been working on with our contractor were too hard to read in photographs, so we’ve recreated them as well as we can using free online software called HomeStyler and then we added our own labels in Photoshop. They are mostly to scale, but some details are approximate.

The After (or at least, The Plan)

I’ll take you through all of the major changes in a moment using side-by-side floor plans, but here’s an overall look at what we’re planning to do. When we’re done, each side will go from 1 bathroom to 2.5, and from 2 bedrooms to 3. And yes, we spontaneously break out in full body sweats when we think about having to tile all five bathrooms and install two kitchens once the walls go back up, so let’s not talk about that right now, mmmkay?

Downstairs Living Areas

I know it’s often easier to understand changes when you can see the before and after floor plans side-by-side, so that’s what we’ve done below. This is just the front half of the downstairs (the before is on the left, and the after is on the right, with numbered labels I’ll get into in a moment).

Here’s a quick summary of the big changes in this part of the house:

We’re opening up the wall that separates the stairs from the living area so that the entry vestibule gets more light and is less claustrophobic.

The living area is quite large (we’re not sure how the previous occupants used it) so we’re planning to use the back half of it as a casual dining area since it will be right off of the kitchen. Exact furniture plan TBD, but we love Chris & Julia’s open dining room & living room.

To create better flow and sight lines between the kitchen and the dining area, we’re widening this doorway.

Since the current downstairs has no bathroom, we’re turning this large closet area under the stairs into a powder room. A few people said they worry about bathroom smells wafting into the dining area but my parents have a beach rental with an extremely similar layout and it works out really well. Anyway doing something smelly wants to go upstairs instead of doing it right off of the living area anyway. Is that TMI? Probably. But the point is that we think it’ll work out nicely.

For reference, this is what that space is looking like at the moment.

And here’s an inspiration photo of how we’ll open up the side of the stairs, which was formerly enclosed all the way down to the first step:

  image source

Downstairs Kitchen Areas

The back half of the downstairs was pretty hardworking before, but we’re making it work even harder – incorporating laundry, a larger kitchen, and even a “mudroom” zone for people coming in from the back door. There will also be an outdoor shower by the back door, so people will wash the sand off there, then enter through the mudroom, and toss their towels into the washer or hang them up in the mudroom area. We are hopeful that the combination of an outdoor shower and a tiled room to enter through with laundry/mudroom capabilities will keep a lot of sand out of the rest of the house.

Again, looking at the before and after plan side-by-side, here are the highlights:

We’re moving the kitchen into the larger former dining space so that we can greatly increase storage, counter space, and even add a dishwasher. Exact layout TBD, and we may incorporate a small (maybe movable) island or baking cart in the center.

The former kitchen (which wasn’t the original kitchen location, since that area used to be a side porch) will become laundry/pantry space. We think it will be nice to continue the cabinetry in here to visually extend the kitchen, but we’ll be adding pocket doors so that it can be closed off – especially if laundry noise needs to be muffled. Plus, we just love pocket doors in these old homes. They feel original and cool (even if they haven’t always been there, like the ones we added to the back bedroom in the pink house).

This back section of each side was fairly unused apart from the water heater and a toilet (just on the right side, kinda sitting out in the open). Since it opens to the backyard, we want to create a space for sandy gear and towels just beyond the outdoor shower.

We’ll also put a utility closet back there that can hide stuff like the HVAC system and a tankless water heater.

Here’s a view of the old kitchen that was in that former side porch when we bought the house. The future mudroom and utility closet will go just beyond the right side of where these creamsicle-colored cabinets once were.

And since we’ve landed on “mint” as the accent color for this project, we’re thinking the pocket doors that will go in this doorway (which, again, will separate the future kitchen from the future pantry/laundry) might look something like this charming door from Yellow Brick Home’s kitchen… just two of them since the opening will be double wide like the one above.

Upstairs, Front Bedroom, & Hall Bath

Moving upstairs, let’s start at the front of the house:

Just like downstairs, the space up here hasn’t really been used to its maximum potential (we believe things were constantly being chopped up/changed/moved just based on some odd light placements, etc). And since maximizing the beds and baths is important for a vacation rental, this is what we’re planning to do:

The area at the top of the stairs is very cramped and feels cut off, so we’re giving it a more spacious landing without losing the linen closet

The bathroom up here was unnecessarily large, so we’re basically splitting it in half to make a more modest space that’s still large enough for a tub/shower combo (probably a drop-in tub with a tile shower surround).

By splitting the bathroom and stealing a little bit of space from the main two bedrooms, we’ll be able to create a third sleeping space (similar to our beach house’s bunk room, but probably a little larger).

Not much is changing in the front bedroom. It will get a hair smaller and we plan to re-orient the closet. The closet has a beautiful window in it (the one with the diamond grill pattern seen from the front) but the old owner had it boarded over and covered with drywall (!!!) so they could run a closet bar across the opposite wall. To uncover the window and let the light shine in, we’ll move the closet bar to the wall across from the window (where it will be hidden from view in the bedroom thanks to being tucked into that nook) and use a pocket door, which we hope will encourage people to leave it open and let the light shine in.

This is what the view from the front bedroom looks like right now, so you can kind of see how the bathroom will be split:

Upstairs, Back Bedroom, & Master Bath

This is the area of the house where we are actually adding space, which is going to earn us another full bath that is also an ensuite. Woot!

But there is more than just an added bathroom going on back here, so here’s what you should take note of:

This “bump out” on the back of the house already exists downstairs (remember the mudroom and utility closet?) so we already have approval from the town to continue that footprint upstairs and bump out the second floor to match it. The cheapest way to do an addition is to build on top of something that already has a foundation/footers, so we’re excited to just pop the second floor out. It won’t be a huge bathroom (probably just a walk-in shower) but we always love having our own ensuite bathroom when we travel, so we think it’ll be a big bonus.

Since we’re losing the existing back window (it will become the bathroom door) we got approval to add a new window so that we don’t reduce natural light in this bedroom.

This room was already very long, but by stealing some square footage for the bunkroom it got even more elongated. So we landed on the idea of adding two built-in closets (with drywall and proper doors) on either side of the side window. It makes the room shape a bit more natural and gives the room the closet it still needed – plus we think we may use the other one as a locked owner’s closet.

We used this same trick in the pink house, but by pulling the bedroom door into the hallway a little bit (in this case to line up with the linen closet door) it creates a “vestibule” for the inswing of the door. Since the bed will likely go on that right wall (facing the window bench) this means the door doesn’t open right into the nightstand.

And to give you an idea of what we mean in #3 about the window bench, here’s an inspiration picture that Sherry dug up to get excited about this spot. We might leave it more open underneath for people to tuck suitcases (or, if we’re really ambitious, we could make it a flip top bench with linen storage underneath).

image source

This is what that bedroom originally looked like (that’s the window that’s becoming a bathroom door) so we’re looking forward to making it feel more “masterful.”

I’ll leave you guys with one parting look at the full “after” floor plan:

If it’s like the pink house, we know this is not likely to be our last iteration of these plans. We’ve done most of our tweaking already, but some things are dependent on how some construction shakes out. For instance, this plans assumes we can make room for the upstairs HVAC in the attic. That’s not a certainty yet, so it could throw a wrench in our plans. We’ll keep you posted…

The post The New Duplex Floor Plan appeared first on Young House Love.

The New Duplex Floor Plan published first on https://ssmattress.tumblr.com/

[outsidespaceblog]

Montréal’s Pot Luck Startup | Canada

by Charles Daly

All the Marrow

It’s Saturday night in late August, typically Montréal’s last month of t-shirt weather. I’m sitting at a picnic bench with group of young Montréalers eating Haitian food off paper plates. My portion is the envy of the table because I got a large bone in it, full of marrow, which my dinner companions are teaching me how to extract. This is my first time having goat. I probe the hollow end timidly with my plastic fork. Finally I’m told have to suck out the marrow—and don’t be shy about making noises.

Tonight is Haiti Night at the Village au Pied-du-Currant, a public space on the banks of the St. Laurence River that has been transformed over the past four summers into an ongoing multicultural festival.

The Village

Built on the gritty sand of an urban beach, the Village is a cluster of land/sea containers converted into galleries, kitchens and bars, purpose built sheds and cabanas, a scaffolding rooftop bar with a view down the river, and open spaces for eating, dancing and playing.

So far this summer the Village has hosted food festivals showcasing West African, East Asian, Mexican, and Brazilian cuisine, South American folklore for kids, movie nights, a night market, community yoga—in collaboration with Lululemon, and a “1990s Brooklyn” themed night that one local described as “the best thing I did all summer.” They finished off the season with a “punky reggae party.”

The Village is built–and rebuilt every summer–on a previously vacant and overgrown lot, separated from the banks of the river by railroad tracks that serve the port and carry functioning land/sea containers to and from cargo ships.

This is “the river” from Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne.”

The bridge, slightly upstream is named for Jacques Cartier, the founder of Montréal, and is lit up every night this summer in celebration the 375th anniversary of his accomplishment.

Across the water, at La Ronde, an amusement hosts a summer-long international fireworks competition. The Village started as a place to catch the show for free.

The Potluck Startup

The Village and its festivals are the brainchild of La Pépinière, the nursery, a startup that works to connect communities with the city around them in under-utilized public spaces. Their approach is to provide the space and the logistics and empower the community to do the rest. Co-Founder Maxim Bragoli explains, “Most government and civic event planning starts with the funds and the logistics, put something together and hope the people respond. We start with the people.” 

When I spoke with Maxim and Raphaëlle Bilodeau, Pépinière’s executive director, they both objected to the word “event.” To them, an event is a spectacle or a commercial enterprise, something that’s sold to the public from outside for a profit. Raphaëlle describes what they do as “place making.”

One place they made was a public woodworking shop at the Village. Some people used it to make toboggans. Yves Plante, a professional sailor, used the space to teach the art of boat making. He soon launched his own non-profit, Juenes Marins Urbains (young urban sailors.) Their motto: “Changing the world, one boat at a time.”

Pépenière has projects in 8 of Montréal’s 19 boroughs and they are constantly branching out. Their goal is to design a template for action that could work anywhere.

In keeping with their startup ethos, they make improvements to the village, based on feedback, with each seasonal rebuild. The brightly painted land/sea containers double as storage for the Village’s many parts in the winter.

When sourcing food, Pépinière looks for authenticity. They use their community connections to find the best food according to the community it comes from, not just what’s trendy. You know, that one Korean restaurant where they speak Hangul and serve homemade kimchi, not the other one with “dumplings” on the menu and a scorpion bowl happy-hour Thursday nights.

According to Raphaëlle, “our metric for authenticity is inclusion. It’s a public space, so we should see the public there. All types and ages.  Our great fear is that this will just be a hipster thing or just attract whoever.”

Haiti night is a success, if the dance floor is anything to go by. You see a mix of people who clearly knew the songs and the moves, some who wore Haitian flag bandanas, and people of Montréal’s many other backgrounds and colors all having a blast. At midnight, a drum line leads a thousand or so party-goers through the village.

I asked my dinner friends about this. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the vibe was different from something you’d see south of the border, even in a place like Brooklyn or L.A.

“Diversity just isn’t cliquey here,” says Andolina, my new Chinese-Dominican-Quebecoise friend. Her friend Adam, a native Montréaler can’t find the word in English, but settles on “joyous togetherness” to describe the city’s prevailing attitude.

Maxim calls Montréal “a patch work of inclusion.” He points to the four flowers on the city’s flag for the four nations that founded the city: the fleur de lis for the French, a shamrock for the Irish, the English rose, and Scottish thistle. This year, the city added a white pine at the center of the flag for the first peoples of Montreal, a symbol chosen by that group.

Before there was a restaurant scene or young startups bringing food to the community, Montréalers shared their family recipes and the cuisine of their home countries. Pépinière joins the food-trucks and pop-up restaurants in brining this “pot luck culture” into the 21st century. 

Cultural Entrepreneurship

The culture of inclusion is inseparable from the city’s business ethos. Montréal sees itself as a brand. Their main industry is the city itself and the myriad sights and tastes it offers visitors. This isn’t sanctimony or an effort to stick it to their less tolerant southern neighbors. It’s business. Pépinière joins a tradition of cultural entrepreneurship. Montréal manufactures experiences and connections. Maxim calls it a “city of festivals.” Montréal’s best known export is Cirque du Soleil, the circus reimagined, which spawned a lighting and stagecraft industry that also works with Celine Dion–or simply Celine as she’s known up here–and Quebec’s film industry.

Haiti’s Brain-Drain, Montréal’s gain

Everyone I spoke with at the Village seemed to have some knowledge of Haitian food, this makes sense given the Haitian community’s prominence and long history in Montréal. Haitians fleeing poverty and political turmoil have come to Quebec since the 1960s. The province is popular for its linguistic and cultural commonalities that make assimilation easier. In Canada, immigrants from the poorest country in the western hemisphere found not only a better life but a place in the middle class. As one frequently quoted statistic has it, there have been more Haitian doctors in Canada than in Haiti since the 1970s. According to historian and Haitian-American Maxo Marc, Montréal and Quebec are Haitian cities in the same way Chicago and Boston are Irish. (He points out that Chicago, by the way, was founded by a Haitian, Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable.)

Unfortunately, new arrivals haven’t been so lucky. The latest wave of Haitian immigrants are coming not from Haiti, but from the United States. Fearing the new administrations immigration policies, and chasing rumors of an open-door policy, thousands are heading north, often crossing illegally. Once in Canada, they face an asylum seeking process that sees about half of applicants deported back to Haiti. They await their fate in “Welcome Centers” (read: shelters.) In Montréal, the Olympic Stadium is a temporary home for hundreds of Haitian asylum seekers.

Pépinière found themselves in a unique position to help the Stadium’s residents. Their space in the public garden is right next to the stadium. They organized a day of activities, food and music in collaboration with Maison d’Haiti. This wasn’t a political act, it was a matter of brining fun and recreation to people who haven’t had much of either in a while. There are plenty of NGOs and government bureaus interested in giving these people handouts and necessities, but Pépinière addresses their need to relax and get their minds off their tenuous situation, if only for a day.

The field day at the stadium was a welcome to Montréal, of sorts. The day included Haitian food, but also showcased the city’s global cuisine.

We’re not in Canada

We wait in line for goat for about an hour. There’s an even longer line for griot. People hold their places in the queue while friends go to bring back fresco—shaved ice—and ti’ punch—a rum cocktail. We talk about food as we wait to eat. Catherine, a child psychologist who works with refugees and immigrants, tells me she waited two hours for jerk chicken on Caribbean night and they ran out by the time it was her turn. We’re told they’re prepared for the demand tonight and there’ll still be plenty when we make it to the grill.

I meet Cordia, Andolina, and Adam in line. Three friends who go on “food crawls” every weekend. They make fast friends with Catherine, debating where the best gnocchi is to be found. They recommend places I must try while I’m here, from a Hungarian butcher, to a new Palestinian spot. “We try not to go to the same place twice,” Cordia tells me, “and we’re not even close to trying every place.” And they probably never will, considering Montréal has the most restaurants per capita of any Canadian city, and is second only to New York in North America. When I ask them to pick a favorite, they can’t.

Catherine teases that my favorites so far have been poutine–Quebec’s answer to chilli cheese fries–and Tim Horton’s coffee. They crack up.

Adam is representing his borough with a t-shirt featuring the neighborhood’s name and the image of a typical Montréal street of balconied triplex apartments.  He says he’s from his borough first, then he’s a Montréaler, then Québécois, and finally Canadian.

In the summer he commutes to work by kayak and I tell him that’s pretty Canadian if you ask me. As a local, he tells me it’s easy to forget all that’s available right in his backyard. He credits his friends from elsewhere with giving him a new take on his hometown. “I discovered Montréal through friends who moved here.”

Cordia moved here from Hong Kong eight years ago. When it came to learning French she says she started with the food words, and that was enough to make friends.    

The post Montréal’s Pot Luck Startup | Canada appeared first on roam.

Montréal’s Pot Luck Startup | Canada published first on http://ift.tt/2uo7aCb