#buy original landscape pictures

[jayadophotography]

Anti-Martial Law Political Graffiti

By: jayadophotography

You can buy me a coffee ☕ here. Thank you. 🙌

© 2023 Jay Ado Photography. All Rights Reserved.

[romanovthinkver]

pov: you’re scarlett johansson’s wife // sfw headcanons

scarlett knows you’re in love with New York and despite having drivers that can easily bring you to one side to another of the city, she knows you prefer taking the subway. you’re favourite is the Q train where you can see the best landscapes as it’s an open train space. your wife always makes sure to pick up a spot by the door, she always says “i want to see that beautiful smile on your face the whole ride” and as you watch the train going from Manhattan to Brooklyn, scarlett wraps an arm around your waist and looks up at you with pure love.

scarlett loves how you adore your county despite its bad sides. you’re here for work so you don’t go back home as much as you would want. the last time was at christmas two years ago with all the family. little pieces of your culture are spread in the house tho, through the food, the flag you hung in your home office, some products you buy at the authentic drug stores owned by people of your home-country. you also started to teach the kids your childhood traditions, your favourite meals, your native language even. sometimes you go out in typical restaurants, or the one that claims to be typical when they’re not, and your wife has to listen you ramble about how they couldn’t make a simple dish of your land and instead ruined it. “can you believe baby? they ruined it, look at this: chicken. why? there’s no chicken in the original recipe and yet i see chicken here, why you americans put chicken everywhere?” scarlett would laugh and sometimes record your little grumbles. the kids loves when you, their mama, cook home land dishes of a culture they’re starting to feel like theirs. your wife loves when your accent rolls off your tongue when you’re tired or pissed, sometimes even when you two fuck roughly; it send her over the edge in no time. however the thing she likes the most is when you speak in your native language giving her or the kids pet names or when you whisper “i love you.”

you’re the biggest supporter ever. the way your eyes shine when you stand beside scarlett at movies premiers, it’s unmatched. you always buzz around your wife when she’s being prepared by make-up and hair-stylists taking extra time to snap some phots of her proudly. you make sure her dress is always perfect and adjust it often during the carpet. you make sure scarlett is always hydrated, not only with alcohol but with water too!, and fed because these things are stressful and your lady has to be healthy. you step back when she poses for paparazzi photos even tho she insists to have you beside her, she would softly place her hand on your chest clothed by the black jacket and shares smiles and little whispers. “you’re so beautiful, baby” or “i can’t take my eyes off you” these are the words that you find to whisper to her in that moments when your eyes are glued to her form, your hand gently cradles her back. you in the end step back giving your wife the deserved moment in the shiny flashes of the photographer’s bulbs, she poses and you look at her, sometimes you would snap a few picture too of her beside the paparazzi. scarlett would peck your lips amidst the event, they reassure you like a warm blanket and she softly pass her slender fingers to wipe her lipstick off your lips. you watch the movie with rapt attention because despite everything, before meeting her, you were and are a fan of her movies. in the end you always hug her and pepper her lips and cheeks whispering “congratulations my love, you were brilliant!”, “i can feel the oscar baby, can i start your campaign now?”, “i’m so incredibly proud of you, you’re a movie star” or “look at that baby, they’re all clapping and cheering for you, you’re so inspiring.” at the after party you both dance, engage in conversation with people and sometimes only seat at the bar together. you make sure to drink only safe drinks and let your wife party as she deserve. you take care of her and by the end of the night she’s not much sober but you steady her holding by her waist, your suit jacket always ready to shield the woman from the cold gently rest on her shoulders and her heels accomodate your feet while she wears you’re much more comfortable shoes.

scarlett started a skin care brand line with her friend and co-founder, kate foster. you, despite not knowing a thing about skin care, started to be supportive since the first day. however you didn’t know your wife would make you be a tester. you forgot how many times you ran around the house to dodge her “c’mon baby let’s try this eye cream, i swear it will be good for your eyes!” or the times she would let you sit on the bathroom sink with a blue argyle mask on your face, a hand band with the brand logo that would definitely make your curls frizzy and messy. you would groan and grumble a lot but your wife is always quick to kiss you. in the end you fell into a routine of doing this pampering ritual every night. slowly you started to learn a lot about skin care and your wife’s work. you also would crash often at her office to just bring donuts and coffee or sneak to spend more time with your wife and the team. and much to your dismay, scarlett will never stop treating you like a tester, she’s already planning on dragging you at the offie to record some funny videos of her putting on your face brand new face creams.

talking about videos, you hate cameras and photos. oh you’re the opposite of your wife in this department. you’re a diplomat, an ambassador specifically, so you barely stand in front of cameras and address speeches, a safe way to do what you love without struggling with the media press. however since you got into a relationship with your wife and got married, you quickly became a target to paparazzi’s cameras. you awkwardly stand beside your wife when you’re taking photos at the event she has to attend, but scarlett is always there to calm you down with soft touches, whispers and little pecks. “it’s okay baby, focus on me, everything’s is alright”. when they catch you in the street you go protective over the kids and wife putting your discomfort aside. “little one it’s okay, look at mama, everything is okay. scarlett, baby, come closer to me. it’s okay”. when you’re alone, you just hide behind a hoodie hood. you rarely talk to the microphones and usually only offer politely smile and shield your anxious eyes.

scarlett never saw you crying in the years you’ve been together and probably she thought she would never. this until your wedding day arrived. oh, boy! the moment you saw her walking down the aisle you started crying for her endlessly beauty and the overwhelming love you have for her. after that you cried again, much harder, when your little girl was born. scarlett loves teasing you a lot about it. you blush rolling your eyes playfully and dismissing her with a groan.

you rarely fight but when you do, and it’s always for silly things, it doesn’t take much to crack the hard shell. one of you crawl in the arms of the other not much more than 1 hour later. you’re an ambassador so your job is to make peace, after toxic experiences in your past relationship, your communication level is high and you’re lucky enough to have found scarlett that is on the same page as yours. scarlett would hold you close and kiss the crown of your head. “i’m so sorry my love, i promise to work better on these things.” you would kiss her knuckles and whisper “i’m sorry too, baby, we’ll work on them together.”

at the end of the day it’s just you and your wife. you softly sway in the gold sunrise painting your skins. scarlett arms wrapped around your neck cradling the glass of wine between her hands while she leans to ghost your lips. your hand on her hip, the other hold your glass of wine close to the chest. you both hum the song that is putted on the background while behind you food cooks on the stove and mixes with the noises of the city. it’s peaceful, it’s a paradise, it’s you and the love of your life in a life that isn’t perfect, but has a glimpse of perfection shared together.

a/n: pt.2? nsfw part?

[centrally-unplanned]

Another big stop in Tokyo for me was Jimbocho Book Town! It is a neighborhood of, depending on who you ask, up to 400 generally-secondhand bookstores flanked by some of the major universities in Tokyo. The local government even prints out maps of the stores to help people find them all:

Which, you will note, is not 400 stores, because the process of becoming an "official" Jimbocho Town Bookstore is an intensely political operation run by local stakeholders with tons of fights over what should qualify and what rights that entails - never change humanity!

"Book Towns" used to actually be quite a common thing, and they peaked during the literary boom of the late 19th century. Figuring out "what books existed" was a hard task, and to do serious research you needed to own the books (you weren't making photocopies), so concentrating specialty bookstores in one area made sense to allow someone to go to one place and ask around to find what they need and discover what exists. It was academia's version of Comiket! Modern digital information & distribution networks slowly killed or at least reduced these districts in places like Paris or London, but Jimbocho is one of the few that still survives.

Why it has is multi-causal for sure - half of this story is that Tokyo is YIMBY paradise and has constantly built new buildings to meet demand so rents have been kept down, allowing low-margin, individually-owned operations to continue where they have struggled in places like the US. These stores don't make much money but they don't have to. But as important is that Japan has a very strong 'book collector' culture, it's the original baseball cards for a lot of people. The "organic" demand for a 1960's shoujo magazine or porcelainware picture book is low, but hobbyists building collections is a whole new source of interest. Book-as-art-collection powered Jimbocho through until the 21st century, where - again like Comiket - the 'spectacle' could give it a lift and allow the area to become a tourist attraction and a mecca for the ~cozy book hoarder aesthetic~ to take over. Now it can exist on its vibes, which go so far as to be government-recognized: In 2001 the "scent wafting from the pages of the secondhand bookstore" was added to Japan's Ministry of Environment's List of 100 Fragrance Landscapes.

Of course this transition has changed what it sells; when it first began in the Meiji area, Jimbocho served the growing universities flanking it, and was a hotpot of academic (and political-polemic) texts. Those stores still exist, but as universities built libraries and then digital collections, the hobby world has taken over. Which comes back to me, baby! If you want Old Anime Books Jimbocho is one of the best places to go - the list of "subculture" stores is expansive.

I'll highlight two here: the first store I went to was Kudan Shobo, a 3rd floor walk-up specializing in shoujo manga. And my guys, the ~vibes~ of this store. It has this little sign outside pointing you up the stairs with the cutest book angel logo:

And the stairs:

Real flex of Japan's low crime status btw. Inside is jam-packed shelves and the owner just sitting there eating dinner, so I didn't take any photos inside, but not only did it have a great collection of fully-complete shoujo magazines going back to the 1970's, it had a ton of "meta" books on shoujo & anime, even a doujinshi collection focusing on 'commentary on the otaku scene' style publications. Every Jimbocho store just has their own unique collection, and you can only discover it by visiting. I picked up two books here (will showcase some of the buys in another post).

The other great ~subculture~ store I went to was Yumeno Shoten - and this is the store I would recommend to any otaku visiting, it was a much broader collection while still having a ton of niche stuff. The vibes continued to be immaculate of course:

And they covered every category you could imagine - Newtype-style news magazine, anime cels, artbooks, off-beat serial manga magazines, 1st edition prints, just everything. They had promotional posters from Mushi Pro-era productions like Cleopatra, nothing was out of reach. I got a ton of books here - it was one of the first stores I visited on my second day in Jimobocho, which made me *heavily* weighed down for the subsequent explorations, a rookie mistake for sure. There are adorable book-themed hotels and hostels in Jimbocho, and I absolutely could see a trip where you just shop here for a week and stay nearby so you can drop off your haul as you go.

We went to other great stores - I was on the lookout for some 90's era photography stuff, particularly by youth punk photographer Hiromix (#FLCL database), and I got very close at fashion/photography store Komiyama Shoten but never quite got what I was looking for. Shinsendo Shoten is a bookstore devoted entirely to the "railway and industrial history of Japan" and an extensive map collection, it was my kind of fetish art. My partner @darktypedreams found two old copies of the fashion magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible, uh, somewhere, we checked like five places and I don't remember which finally had it! And we also visited Aratama Shoten, a store collecting vintage pornography with a gigantic section on old BDSM works that was very much up her alley. It had the porn price premium so we didn't buy anything, but it was delightful to look through works on bondage and non-con from as far back as the 1960's, where honestly the line between "this is just for the fetish" and "this is authentic gender politics" was...sometimes very blurry. No photos of this one for very obvious reasons.

Jimbocho absolutely earned its rep, its an extremely stellar example of how history, culture, and uh land use policy can build something in one place that seems impossible in another operating under a different set of those forces. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

[khaire-traveler]

🪻 Subtle Hyakinthos Worship 🌱

Pick flowers; press or dry them

Start a garden; tend to a plant

Grow your own herbs or produce

Keep a picture of him in your wallet

Wear jewelry that reminds you of him

Get a candle that reminds you of him (no altar needed)

Make a flower crown, especially with Laurel leaves included

Drink an herbal/flower tea (SAFELY!!!); add some honey to it

Support environmental preservation or LGBT rights organizations

Have imagery of swans, flowers, hyacinths, an iris or larkspur (sources believe one of these are the original flower mentioned in myth), the sun/sunlight, or rebirth (maybe spring) around

Have a stuffed animal swan or any animal you associate with rebirth

Express yourself in little ways if you can't be fully open; a bracelet that represents your gender, pride flag colored shoelaces, etc.

If you have a partner, buy or pick flowers for them; buy or pick flowers for yourself

Pick up trash in your environment

Try spring cleaning; tidy up your space

Take a self-care bath/shower, especially with herbs or flower petals

Make a list of things that made you smile throughout the day/week, big or small

Talk a walk/hike in nature; walk through a field of flowers or an area with lots of flowers

Put up a sugar water feeder for pollinators, such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees

Fall asleep/meditate to the sounds of nature - bird songs, forest ambiance, etc.

Take regular breaks from screens; be sure to get some fresh air

Learn about the local flora

Try foraging (SAFELY!!!)

Practice compassion towards others as well as yourself

Donate fresh fruits and vegetables to soup kitchens and homeless shelters (if the shelters accept perishables)

Get some movement throughout your day, even if it's just stretching your muscles

Eat three meals a day; try to eat well if able

Stay hydrated; drink lots of water

Take your medications, if any

Try herbal/natural remedies for MINOR health problems; stomaches, headaches, sore throats, etc.

Take some time to bask in the sunlight

Get accustomed to the idea of change; without change, we cannot progress

Keep a self-love and self-growth journal; write about your feelings (positive and negative), treat yourself with understanding, write ways you've changed throughout the month, etc.

Engage in comforting activities after a hard day; engage in self-care

Engage with childhood media; get in touch with the younger part of yourself

Get comfortable with the idea of growing older; to be human is to grow old; to grow old is not a bad thing

Be kind to children; play with them if offered

Dance/sing to music, especially music that makes you feel free, wild, young, or happy

Recycle when you can; try to make/use your own compost

Leave flowers on graves (ask permission from the cemetery first!!!)

Make your own cookies, pastries, breads, etc.; try to use natural ingredients

Give out handmade pastries, cookies, breads, etc. to loved ones and those in need

Try to ground yourself in nature; stand in a green landscape with bare feet (if safe); focus on the fresh air coming into and out of your lungs, the peaceful sounds near you, etc.

Be gentle with yourself, especially if you're having a difficult time; treat yourself as you would treat a loved one - someone extremely near and dear to your heart

Open your windows, blinds, curtains, etc. on a sunny day; let the light or fresh air in

Stop and smell the flowers c:

-

This is my life of discreet ways to worship Hyacinthus! I found this list a bit challenging, mostly due to the stress I'm dealing with offline, so I'll likely make edits to it in the future. In the meantime, I hope someone finds this helpful! Take care! 💜

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

[chojrak-making-things]

The last world for now, in which I stayed for longer, is called “Galaad Island” or “Isle de Gallahaad” in original, since it’s French world. I don’t know who created it, but it originates from site called Simsdesignavenue, which is no longer available. The only place for now to download it, is this pack on mediafire, so catch it up and make a copy if you want.

Person which showed me this world said it was basen on French coast, with a bit of Breton climate. It’s unpopulated, but it has many tombs and it’s story is focused around Galahad, Gallahaad, or whatever spelling is possible (I’ve seen so many). He was a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. Though in this world he’s refered as “Saint Gallahad”, so I don’t know what’s behind that. All I know is that there’s his tomb, and there’s a lot of other tombs as well, so if you want to look for Grail, go ahead!

It’s very old world, probably from 2010. So it uses only World Adventures and Ambitions. There’s CC attached, which is lathern and some wallpapers. I turned it into packages and put into proper folders and it was working. So if you don’t install simpack, I made a folder with all them converted. (Just remember that world file goes into different folder than regular CC!)

Anyway, let’s take a closer look under the cut.

...

Town centre is pretty similar to the one from Riverview. It also has many parks, but not only narrow ones.

What is definitely different from Riverview, is that waterfall behind city hall.

Closer to the shore you can find something like a cottage houses. Most houses in this world have like 2-3 bedrooms, but very thin on place. I’ll show the interior set up later in this post.

Gardens and paths behind them are very atmospheric.

Other houses are simpler. They’re placed near town entrance. There’s also laundromat and cafeteria.

Going along the shore you cen see community beach.

Even further you can find a lonely wooden shack on the beach. It’s residential lot, good for those who like to keep it private.

Behind that shack there’s spacious areaon the hill where houses are rather scattered around, with only paths meandering between them.

And of course there’s pearl of this world - lathern. But it’s just decorative CC. There’s medium sized house with garden near it, and private beach.

In the middle of the island you can find another waterfall and community center / fishing spot. Fishing spot reminds me of the one in Riverblossom Hills from The Sims 2.

Near you can find another houses and something more... mysterious.

The highest part of island is kinda empty in lots. You can find there however the biggest ones, like the one bellow.

When it comes of typical interior, it looks like this.

There are also more modern houses. 

But what I haven’t mentioned earlier, there’s no starters! So eaither you need to move sims onto empty lot, use cheat, or buy unfurnished one. Only one or two could be bought unfurnished if I recall correctly.

But to not end it with such a sour picture, here you have a few more views on town. Obviously I coundn’t show all I wanted, but I started a longer gameplay in this one, so I’ll have yet occasion to spam with nice landscapes.

Thanks for reading!

...

[simmer-until-tender]

Sims tag

Thanks to those who tagged me~

1. what’s your favorite sims death?

satellite. It's so sudden and random and weird. Death be that way sometimes.

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match?

whatever makes my game look like a dog ate a box of crayons and vomited all over everything

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight?

hell nah, I have too many skinny bitches in my game as it is

4. Do you use move objects?

religiously, and then I yell at my sims when they throw routing errors

5. Favorite mod?

whichever one makes the hobby NPCs go fuck themselves

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got?

I got university from the library lol but I think the first one I owned was open for business, which was a revelation at the time. I always wanted nightlife but was too afraid to ask my mom for it cause it looked SEXY. now, as an adult, can confirm nightlife is the best one. but I am a sexual deviant, so.

7.  Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing?

in my head it's like "aLIVE" but from a linguistic perspective I gotta concede that the "LIVing" pronunciation makes more sense because it's consistent with the other modes (buy/build) which are verbs not adjectives

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

I hate all my loser sims I guess I have a sweet spot for a child sim I made back when I was a child. She lived in a trailer, had big droopy eyes like Brittany Spears, and was named Miami.

9.  Have you made a simself?

yeah I basically always have one but she's a townie. to play her would be weird. here's the bitch

10. What sims traits do you give yourself?

sloppy and lazy yeeeeeee

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color?

the custom mohawk colors bro

12. Favorite EA hair?

this bitch still has a hold on me

13. Favorite life stage?

I like teens, they're so sassy, getting them to do their homework sucks but also unlike children they can just get bad grades, nobody cares

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the game play?

I'm a builder but I'm trying not to give up on gameplay. It's not working.

15. Are you a CC creator?

not really, I like recoloring things to look like an 80s train-wreck though

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sims squad?

.....there are sim-cliques?

17. What’s your favorite game (1,2,3,4)?

sims 3 is hideous (sorry bout it), sims 4 has lovely landscapes but the gameplay is akin to watching paint dry. I'm sure I'll love the sims 1 once I get around to playing it. I like creepy weird stuff.

18. Do you have any sims merch?

i wouldnt let myself be seen dead in sims merch also fuck EA

19. Do you have a youtube for sims?

I have too much CC to also run a screen recorder without tons of crashing lol I have no self control

20. How has your “sims style” changed throughout your years of playing?

with every passing day i am more of a builder and more of a maximalist also i keep making animal sims now like some kind of furry *shudders*

21. What’s your origin ID?

lol just say no to origin

22. Who’s your favorite cc creator?

who made the baby bbq? them

23. How long have you had a simblr?

since 2017. I was a baby in undergrad then. making sims stories was like my therapy. now im an adult with real therapy.

24. How do you edit your pictures?

I churn them mindlessly through photoscape generally. anything else is too much work.

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next?

SIMS 2 REMASTERED

SIMS 2 REMASTERED

SIMS 2 THAT RUNS WELL ON A MODERN COMPUTER WITH SIM HANDS THAT ARE MORE THAN 7 POLYS PLZ

I'm not sure who has/hasn't done this. I'll tag @sicksadsim, @pixelatedpanic, @letomills, @snapdragoned, @ivycopur, @bubuthejedi, @lifetime-want

[drawpaintwritemakethings]

five ukiyo-e ink brush drawings on paper

The ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") genre of art flourished in Japan from the 17th through 19th centuries. Ukiyo-e artists produced woodblock prints and paintings depicting samurai, beautiful courtesans, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, history, folk tales, travel in romantic landscapes, flora, fauna and erotica. The Floating World, as the pleasure districts of Edo (modern day Tokyo) were called, describes the sensory pleasures of urban life, but also offers a bittersweet reminder of the fleeting nature of all worldly delights. Some of the greatest Japanese artists of the time—Ando Hiroshige, Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Toyokuni III, and Keisai Eisen among them—became known primarily as woodblock print designers in the ukiyo-e style. Their work had a profound impact on European artists around this time—its flattened perspective and innovative compositions inspired artists such as Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as the Japonisme movement in art and design.

Here are five original ink-brush drawings in the ukiyo-e style — a reinterpretation divergent from a simple pastiche in that the historical ukiyo-e images were never done in simple black and white.

samurai at rest

samurai with fan

samurai with playful ghost

samurai with spear

the warlord

superblack India ink on various weights of all-wood sketch paper: a textured-surface, cold-press paper with anti-microbial agents (for protection against environmental acids)

8 x 10 inches each

packaged in a clear sleeve with lightweight archival board

… Living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maple leaves; singing songs, drinking wine, diverting ourselves in just floating, floating; … refusing to be disheartened, like a gourd floating along with the river current: this is what we call the floating world… ~ Asai Ryoi Singlemindedness is all-powerful.  ~ Tsunetomo Yamamoto At the moment of victory, tighten the straps of your helmet. ~ Tokugawa Ieyasu

meant for framing, to be displayed as a series

a wonderful gift for the Japanophile or fan of Asian art

shipped with care

everything from my shop comes with an extra art surprise

buy from people, not corporations

buy things made by human hands, not computers

escape from the dreaming planet ... give the gift of original art

find it here: drawthingspaintthingswritethingsmakethings.bigcartel.com/product/five-ukiyo-e-ink-brush-drawings-on-paper

[artsarahodgson]

Sara Hodgson Art's creative landscape painting collection will enhance your decor. Our artists skillfully blend color, texture, and shape to create stunning representations of the natural environment. These paintings are perfect for modern interiors, adding sophistication and a touch of nature's charm to any space.

[like-likes]

This is Dad's Farm. I'm inheriting it.

It is still going to cost us $200k, sort of. We are buying it from my two brothers. If we had sold it like we all originally considered, we would have split the profit three ways. Yet, after all the fees involved in selling (do i really have to list them? There is a lot.), getting $100k each after all that would be wonderfully and incredibly ideal, so hub's and I factored that into this investment and we're happy to give them them each their most ideal fair share.

Fortunately, we have a home to sell (a small one floor ranch in a city suburb) and now is still a really great time to sell so it's definitely time. Our goal is to get our city home on the market before memorial day. In the meantime, we are free to move our stuff in while we clean it up.

There is a very large stone pit which was once part of a barn's foundation long ago. Ever since I first lived here back in 2002 we've always used this space as a bonfire pit for peace and parties.

Before pictures are good to have. You didn't want to see the before/before we cleaned out the clutter, did you? That was last year. I have all these awful colors and unfinished projects and the overall conditions of the house burned into my memory... Dad never did much updating. Funniest part about that detail is that he worked professionally as a finished carpenter in the Boston union.

Here's some junk on the second floor:

oh, and back to the kitchen. I decided to take off the cabinet doors on the top. They are ugly, don't open well or don't close well depending on the season so fuck these cabinet doors!

Ugh blurry video screen shots. Trust me, it looks better. We have a large pantry elsewhere for food in ugly packages. Only plates, cups, etc... clear bins of foods (like rice or pasta) in this kitchen on these shelves. The new colors I'm working around kinda go like this:

We are all so excited! Our kids (adult kids, 20 & 25), are both super excited, even after seeing all the work involved. One of them wants a dog, the other wants a cat... and as long as they can pay for their needs, as soon as we are settled in - I don't mind. We need a cat anyway for mice. We already have a dog, but my baby is getting up in the years so she's gonna have to keep to the first floor. But oh, ok wait - now we're also talking about goats to help with our landscaping and chickens because why not? Yeah maybe probably... one animal at a time! ok?

Wanna see some of the leftover junk and repairs involved? Here's some. I don't think I mentioned from the first picture we're working on getting a quote from a company that literally jacks up a side of your house to repair a corner post (currently incased in a green tarp, thanks, dad).

Thanks for checking out our happy little project. ;)

I hope no one minds if I tag it stardew valley since it certainly feels like the real life beginnings of one and I wanna keep that vibe going as we all settle in here. :) My daughter was asking about growing vegetables! This girl's personality is comparable to a Hailey. My son is more of a Sebastian. My Hubs? He's a Gus. What am I? A mix of Leah and Robin, I think. :)

[duckprintspress]

“Aim For The Heart”: Campaign Updates and Spotlights on Artist Jennifer Smith and Author R. L. Houck

The campaign to fund Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers” is now halfway done and going strong! For those not super familiar with how campaigns go, usually the bulk of funding comes in during the first 48 hours and the last 48 hours of the campaign. I personally usually look to see us at 50% funded by the end of the first 48 hours; if we hit that metric then I can say with a fair degree of confidence that we’ll reach our goal. This campaign did hit that, handily, and now with 15 days left, we’re only $750 shy of our goal! While I’m not hosting any parades yet, as I check in midway through our campaign…we’re doing great.

A huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who has backed so far, and also to everyone who has helped spread the word about the campaign. Word of mouth is 10000% the most effective way to help people find out this project exists and get them interested in buying the anthology; we’d never get to the goal without our supporters, and we’d never get there without every person who says, “hey, have you seen this?” Y’all rock. We love that we get to bring you awesome books.

Anyway, on to today’s contributor spotlights!

Knight and Squire by Jennifer Smith

About the Artist: Smith has been drawing since a young age. With a focus in traditional drawing techniques, she has recently started using digital mediums to imitate traditional styles. Her focus is in portraiture and landscapes, especially with watercolor. You can find more of her art on her Tumblr.

Link: Tumblr

Allergy Girl and the Hate Arrangement by R. L. Houck

About the Author: R. L. Houck (she/her) still has one of the first stories she ever wrote, all the way back from elementary school. It was about flightless penguins reaching the sun and was a good indication of her boundless imagination and her love of animals. The latter became a full-time veterinary career; the former keeps her occupied with fanfiction and original fiction in her downtime.

She’s sometimes found wandering the woods around her house in Virginia with her dog. If not there, she’s sitting on the couch, catching up on a Netflix series, and smothered by her five cats. Sometimes, there’s even space for her wife.

Links: TikTok

Story Teaser:

“Oh, no! Mom’s been very supportive of me being trans. I just meant the name change. For an English lit professor, she has a real hard-on against Shakespeare,” Portia said. “It was one of the main reasons I chose the name.”

Christa didn’t want to bring the conversation down by discussing unsupportive parents of LGBTQA+ kids. Instead, she jumped on the mention of Shakespeare. “Well, Portia was a kick-ass character too,” Christa said.

“Right? Thank you!”

“You’re quite welcome. Oh! Phoenix! Is that why you chose the tattoo? Never mind, you don’t have to answer that. I apologize—I’m being super nosy,” Christa said, immediately backtracking.

Portia laughed. “You’re fine. That is exactly why I chose the phoenix: rebirth. And those pictures are sent; tell me what you think.”

A few seconds later, Christa got a text message from an unknown number. She opened it to see a gorgeous flower arrangement shown in several pictures taken from multiple angles.

“Wow. This is beautiful,” Christa said, voice faint from awe. “Are you sure this says, ‘I hate your guts and wish abstract misery upon you for the rest of your natural existence’ in flower language?”

“…in so many words, yes,” Portia said, sounding amused.

Tags: allergies, attraction at first sight, character has a different gender than in the source material, customer service representative, deadnaming (accidental), f/f, florist, getting together, the language of flowers, meet awkward, modern, past tense, pining, pov third person limited, siblings, tattoo, triplets, trans

We’ve already raised $7,250 to fund this anthology, and we’re 90% of the way to our goal. Come see what all the fuss is about, and help us spread the word by sharing today’s awesome teasers or any of our past posts!

[fashionbooksmilano]

Helmut Newton Pages from the Glossies

Facsimiles 1956-1998

Taschen, Koln 2015, 524 pages, English, French, German, 29,5 x 22,5 cm,   ISBN  9783836524490

euro 35,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Helmut Newton, master of late 20th-century fashion photography, always considered the printed page the most important factor to his work. It was, he explained, in the framework of an editorial or advertising commission, that he found his inspiration, and produced his best shots. Joining the prestigious roster of Taschen’s Helmut Newton titles, including Sex & Landscapes, World without Men, and the much coveted Helmut Newton SUMO, this fresh edition of Pages from the Glossies gathers the most eminent and interesting examples of Helmut Newton’s work for magazines across Europe and the United States. Facsimiles of more than 500 original spreads from the likes of Elle, Amica, and above all, Vogue follow Newton’s ongoing ability to break the boundaries of his genre and the interaction of his unique, daring, pictures with typography and layout. In lively personal anecdotes alongside the spreads, Newton talks through the inspirations and informal moments behind some of his most memorable images. We follow him scouting models, setting up a shot with the captain of a nuclear submarine, collaborating with Anna Wintour, and negotiating between different cultural attitudes towards the nude.

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07/02/23

[aquaburst3]

Ever since that picture of Snow White with the creepy CGI dwarves dropped, I've seen people posting hot takes about Rachel. Here's mine.

I feel bad for Rachel Zelger. She is getting a lot of undeserved flack. Bigots are calling her "Snow Brown" and other hateful things, despite the fact that she's literally a white latina, who is olive-skinned. (Again, I think a lot of it is bigots being angry about "wokeness", but that's a whole other can of worms.) Rachel's position about this specific adaptation is completely understandable.

This movie is shaping up to be pretty bad. Not because of Rachel Zelger. This is already the second time the release date was delayed. I don't think it's just because of the strike. It genuinely seems like Disney is going back to the drawing board multiple times and it's not coming together. I still don't buy their excuse about the dwarves, since they look like they just slapped some CGI figures over the other actors. No one can come back for reshoots, making this even more awkward. Usually movies with this much production troubles never turn out to be good. The same thing happened with Artemis Fowl, and I suspect the same will happen here. I don't blame her for not liking this movie. This wasn't the first time an actor hated the movie that they were in. Robert Pattinson famously mocked the Twilight movies as they were coming out. So why is she any different?

Having said that, I think her comments about the OG animated version were a bit tone deaf. Love it or hate it, Snow White is one of the first full length animated movies ever. If it wasn't for it, the whole animation landscape throughout the world would be different. Hell, this movie along with Carl Barks comics are the whole reason why anime characters look like the way they do. You have to give the movie some respect for that. Her dissing it and brushing off completely makes her come off as disrespectful and like she has zero understanding off the character she's portraying or animation as a whole. The comments she made about the prince, by extension, Jeremy Renner, makes her look even worse. She should've thought through her comments before spouting them out.

Snow White isn't one of my favourite Disney movies. It's certainly a product of its time, and has a lot of issues like not giving the prince more screentime (even if it's understandable why) or it prioritizing random scenes with the characters working or goofing off instead of proper character or story developments. At the same time, I think Snow White's a bit more feminist than what some people are giving her credit for. She is assertive, capable, adaptable and hard working, which are all feminist traits. While I'm childfree by choice "leftist", even I admit that being a mother is a lot of hard work and takes a strong person to do. There's nothing wrong with someone wanting to have a family one day or being like me and never having any at all. Feminism is about choice, after all.

Yes, Snow White as a character needs an update. However, I still think you can do that while also keeping the core of her character and not turn her into a girl boss. That is certainly possible. Vil from Twisted Wonderland is a great example, and he comes from a Disney property too. Despite technically being inspired by the Evil Queen, a lot of his good traits are taken from Snow White and Adam. Like the original Snow White, Vil's hardworking, capable, adaptable, quick on his feet, kind, caring and wants to help out everyone around him become their best selves. He also lacks some of Snow White's glaring issues like her extreme naivety and dumb moments. (Seriously, why did she let in the Evil Queen into the cottage, especially when she was told not to multiple times and the birds attacked her?) But at the same time, he is also incredibly flawed. He's domineering, harsh, impulsive, overly critical, in his own head and super judgemental. These negative traits flesh him out and make him seem more human compared to the original, who was a very flat character. Hell, same can be said about Mary from Once Upon a Time. Disney can do it. They just didn't here.

I think we can all agree that Disney should've casted actual little people as the dwarves, the conservative "media" bullshit making their own movie is fucking laughable and the Disney Princesses can fall in love and be strong characters. Characters like Tiana and all of the other Renaissance prove that. I want more romance in Disney movies again, dammit!

[mollywog]

Tell me about this “current chapter” wip! The title is so vague and I’m intrigued

Thanks for the ask @daydreamingandprocrastination !!

Hahaha. I probably should have left that off the list, because it’s just a continuation of a different fic… I try to break things into Posted, Future Ideas, Current Chapter… but this was named before I had multiple WIP and I haven’t updated the name

This would be for the next chapter (actually probably 2 chapters from now) of Misadventures (Modern High school AU). It’s a rough first draft of a conversation between Katniss and Peeta during the school’s ‘Fine Arts Night’…

“Wasn’t sure you would be here.”

“Prim had a flute solo earlier”

He hums and nods “But that was in the auditorium and here you are in the studio”

Her cheeks heat. She shrugs feigning nonchalance. “It’s quiet in here”

He lets her off the hook. “So this has been a popular piece tonight, what do you think?” Nodding to the piece she’d been scowling at

She shrugs.

“Oh come on! That’s it? A Katniss Everdeen shrug?”

“I’m not good at this” this could refer to anything at this point: talking about art, talking to people in general, or talking to Peeta specifically.

“That’s the beauty of art. 10 people can look at the same thing and each come up with a different interpretation. How does it make you feel?” By the end he’s doing a pretty good interpretation on of Ms Portia.

“Annoyed. It feels… artificial. Everything is too… Pristine? Symmetrical maybe?” She gestures to the one he referenced as well as the two on either side.

“Ouch, tell me how you really feel.”

“You asked!” Motioning to the original painting with an abundance of voting slips. “This is the worst of all. It’s supposed to be a nature shot, but there is nothing natural about it. That’s not how moss grows. A deer can’t turn its head like that. The wind somehow only affects half the things in the landscape. I don’t buy it.”

He’s looking amused. “Maybe that was the point of the picture?”

“No” she doesn’t know why she’s being so bold, but she knows Peeta’s art and this isn’t it. If she can’t compliment him outright, she can at least let him know he has no real competition here, or likely anywhere regardless of how the votes turn out. “This is... It’s shallow. It’s meant to be admired, not ‘felt’ or remembered.”

“I never took you for an art critic Ms Everdeen?” She jumped at the sound of Ms Portia’s voice.

[oh-a-very-toxic-octopus]

The final Prison House build post! A follow-up to the gutting, landscaping and redooring posts.

There's a bit more of this build I did solo:

I built out from the original walls and roof with CLS to create space for wiring and insulation and to provide support for what would be my built-in desk.

Then uh got an electrician in, obviously. For the other bits. That require an electrician.

These lights belch out 4000 lumens each, which is pretty important to me as someone who loses her shit if things aren't brightly lit. Yes I use light mode on everything. Come the fuck at me.

I struggled magnificently with soloing anything that remained, not least because everything was heavy/above my head. Jim stepped in to take lead, partly because I'd helped with his office, partly because I was growing violent having to work from the living room sofa, and mostly as a birthday present.

Am I brittle about this? Yes slightly. In my mind, I was gonna finish Prison House myself. But 1) even as "hold this up there" labourer I was still heavily involved and 2) he is fast as fuck and has an incredible eye for detail, so I'm sure the end result worked out prettier than it might have otherwise.

So here's the rest:

The back wall in place! With glue! And then Stormlite so we wouldn't have to plaster! And a ceiling made of pine tongue-and-groove!

I did some painting in the night. Creatively, and unlike everyone else I know, I chose green.

I met several moths during this process, including a massive fox moth.

Left: the windowsill improved with ceiling off-cuts. Right: the desk supports. They're scaffolding poles left over from the time we used scaffolding poles to fence Max's poop field.

We'd stored a piece of worktop for probably eighteen months during the main house build, and finally got to use it now.

Three cuts, two coats of oil and an exceedingly long surge-protected power strip. It's been several months and I'm still in love with the industrial look of those wildly OTT poles and brackets. You can't really see them unless you stoop to look.

Here's the flooring and skirting board going in.

Mistakes were made with the flooring, if I'm honest. In the original post, back when this wasn't going to be a major project and Jim was ultimately going to reclaim it as a motorbike lock-up, you'll see I laid a load of soft matting to cover up the old roughed-up surface. We didn't rip that shit out. Always rip it out. There's compression in the foam still, which means the floor dips a little under pressure, and I think that'll ultimately lead to premature failure, especially as I bought the world's cheapest bargain bucket double-discounted clip-together boards.

Anyway, once that was in, it was time to add the woodburning stove we picked up in this old post.

I picked up some old flue pieces from FB marketplace and then we tried to figure out how the hell to slot it all together, roughing positions with a piece of old pipe.

This was in September, when we should have been done and well onto the final prep for Morocco, so we rushed like hell and I took few progress pics. Therefore not pictured: a lot of cutting, swearing, and buying heat-proof everything to make it all fit together. But it did fit together! I want to find another length of pipe to bring it to the proper height to stop it backdrafting, but as we're into spring now, I've got time.

Everything installed and complete:

[at-the-sign-of-the-fox-n-phoenix]

From a 50 year old artist who is also Not Disney who is a long time Tumblrite who wants to support your livelihood but can’t for many reasons -

You appear to be a Twitter refugee, if I’m understanding your 'I make money on Twitter’ statement correctly (which I may not have properly understood), who seems to be struggling because you have not yet adapted to the local culture and are, as a result, completely misreading the room.  It happens and is not something to be ashamed of, but it is also NOT the culture you’re new in’s problem.  It’s a you thing.  When I was moved by my family with them to South Korea during my childhood, I had the same problem for a good long while. I learned and adapted over time.  I believe you can do the same.  You’re a fucking artist.  OF COURSE YOU CAN.  YOU ARE BRILLIANT.

HELPFUL QUESTIONS TO SUPPORT YOU BUILDING YOUR FRIEND GROUPS HERE AND ALSO YOUR BUSINESS NETWORK (THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE SAME THING) -

1.  Have I made sure my profile picture IS a profile picture I put effort into and not one of the default Tumblr ones?  Having a default Tumblr profile pic screams I AM NOT A HUMAN, and NOBODY will buy shit from what they think is a bot.

2.  Have I made sure I reblog things that I like (especially my and other artists’ art)?  Have I commented and added on every post I have enjoyed?  Tumblr is a team sport where there is no ‘enemy’ and it all becomes jokey art.  Even the just talking posts.  Even the instructive posts.  We have a Science Side.  We have a History Side.  We have experts on shit, who really, really are EXPERTS, who won’t tell you their names since they’d love to get tenure but if you read in their disciplines, you know who you’re talking to.  (NO WORRIES REPUTABLE ACADEMICS I AM NOT GONNA OUT YOU!)  Not reblogging, commenting, etc means you’re not participating.  Nobody willingly spends time with people just leeching off of them, let alone buys anything from them.  We care about each other here.  It will help if you cultivate that, as well.  We are not mere ATMs.  Nor are you.  We are in your same boat, for the most part.

3.  If you have fixed items 1 and 2, if they needed fixed, now you move to the real way you find your people: 3a.  What fandoms do you suspect might most vibe with your work?  Go find out.  Share your art.  What is the response?  Is this a spot to consistently share your work (with prices listed in case anybody is interested in having it on their wall or side table)?  

EXAMPLES of 3a - 3ai.  Do you draw Dean Winchester’s car model and year in various situations?  SPN WANTS THEIR CAR BACK, BABY.  and you can give it to them. 

3aii.  Do you do lots of abstract stuff?  Make bizarro world fantasy thingies?  You may walk into UNREALITY, ABSTRACT, FANTASY tags and find your people.

3aiii.  Does your art fit mostly into one or a few different aesthetic styles?  We have whole aesthetics fandoms here.  Do you do sweet pastoral landscapes? GET THEE TO THE COTTAGECORE TAG! 

3aiv.  Do you like drawing giant monsters, original or otherwise?  JAPANESE KAIJU, GODZILLA, etc tags are calling your name. 

4.  PROMOTE YOUR FELLOW ARTISTS.  It is proof you aren’t just out to cover you own ass.

4a. EXAMPLES

4ai.  NOW to the Absolutely Shameless plugs for all the artists I already know (if we want our own livelihoods to happen, friend, we boost everyone else who also is Not Disney who is just trying to survive late stage capitalism):

4aii.  I buy from Diane Duane (@dduane) and boost all sales notices I see from her eBooks Direct shop so others can, too. She writes the safe for neurodivergent, queer kids Young Wizards series (So You Want to Be a Wizard, etc), she writes Middle Kingdom, and her dear one, Peter Morwood (@petermorwood) - who is beloved on Tumblr for his in depth swords posts and adorable cat posts, also has many books in that shop.  Both are veterans of writing for the Star Trek franchise OFFICIALLY!  No, no ST series are in eBooks Direct, those are all property of the Franchise and so not for them to sell. There are often sales including EVERYTHING IN THE SHOP for like 40 USD.  They cannot sell to UK, sadly. (Corrections welcome, Writer Aunti!)

4aiii.  When I have money again I will be buying from @momolady - she writes exophilic love stories and makes some epic, genre related stickers.

4aiv.  Also from @monstersandmaw who’s art is diverse and lush and wonderful and I can’t even accurately describe it aside from often sculpture or useful and LUSHLY BEAUTIFUL. 

4av.  my friend Ashleigh makes some epic, investment worthy collage art over on Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/aTinyArtGarage.  Check it out!

4avi.  Our Beloved @theshitpostcalligrapher​ also has an Etsy shop - OMG the calligraphy, Illumination and the SHITPOSTS!  https://www.etsy.com/shop/WitchsGrove?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1326505436

4avii.  Finally, I (Phoenix M.T. Noah @at-the-sign-of-the-fox-n-phoenix) am a poet and bookbinder.  You can hear my first spoken word album, produced by Thomas Herlofsen, a Norwegian punk musician and author of the poetry book Chatterheart, on Google’s assistant just by telling it to give you the latest album by Phoenix M.T. Noah.  You’ll get to hear FENRIR’S MOTHER.  And yes, I’ve earned a tiny amount from people here choosing to listen.  It’s also on YouTube, SoundCloud, and everywhere else, I’m told.  I do have a Patreon and that sponsors 2 in person, outdoor in the park open mics (POETIC MISCHIEF IN THE PARK) every month so people can come and share their work in a supportive environment.

You can do this, @mtomauw.  I believe in you.  Show me your art so I can plug it, too.  : )  YOU ARE WORTHY OF YOUR LIVELIHOOD.  So are we all.

The only thing I need tumblr to do is to get like... cool with the idea you can hire people here to do commissions for you and to like.. consider monetary support for artists cuz one of the reasons and the biggest reason I moved to twitter in the first place is because people there buy my art. I make a living there doing art. And the vibe here is **we don't do that here** If you want artists to be here and do art you gotta be okay with the concept of artists trying to make money. I hate capitalism as much as the next person but I'm also 30 years old living with my fucking parents because I can't pay for a 1 bedroom apartment. Artists are not 'big business'. We're not Disney. We're just people trying to make a living or some money for groceries and shit.

[rockyschexneider]

Is Your Marketing Strategy the Real Gold or Just Fool's Gold?

Is Your Marketing Strategy the Real Gold or Just Fool's Gold?

Picture this: It's a brisk, bone-chilling day in medieval Europe. Mist shrouds the cobblestone streets, and somewhere in a dimly lit chamber, an alchemist—the original marketing maestro—is busy grinding actual gold. No, not to craft exquisite jewelry or mint coins, but to concoct a medieval "gold dust cure" for sore limbs. Yes, this was the latest antidote for arthritis. A bit eccentric, right? The reality is, no one could confirm its efficacy, but that didn't stop people from eagerly buying into it. After all, it was gold, and shiny things have always enticed humanity, especially when they promised relief.

Fast forward to today. Swap the medieval streets for the sprawling digital marketplace, and we have our version of "gold dust cures" in internet marketing. Weekly, a new tool, strategy, or hack emerges, flaunting itself as *the ultimate solution.* The promises are big, the allure is undeniable, but do they deliver? Or are we, like those medieval innocents, lured by the glitter to only find fool's gold?

Our modern marketing landscape is a smorgasbord of enticing possibilities. We're bombarded with claims that this new SEO tool or that “revolutionary” social media trick is the secret sauce to success. The sparkle of newness is hard to resist. Yet, it’s crucial to remember that not everything that glitters is valuable. Some of these strategies might offer short-term wins, but lack of sustainable value.

In a world obsessed with constant innovation, there’s virtue in simplicity and credibility. It’s often the tried-and-true methods—rather than flashy newcomers—that truly propel a strategy forward. Consider the timeless power of understanding your audience, invaluable content, and genuine engagement. These may not be as shiny as the latest digital marvel, but their effectiveness is proven.

It’s tempting to pour resources into every cutting-edge trend, but as any seasoned internet marketer will tell you, these can often be diversions in disguise. So, before you sprinkle that metaphorical gold dust into your marketing strategy, pause to discern whether it's genuine or merely the latest hype.

In the heart of it all, real gold in marketing is about focusing on strategies that genuinely move the needle—building relationships, creating value, and nurturing loyalty. Sure, the glamour of new platforms and automation tools is dazzling, but it’s the fundamentals that stand the test of time. Authenticity doesn’t just maintain relevancy; it solidifies trust with your audience.

If you’re searching for a strategy that carries true value, it's worth considering where collective knowledge has gathered. Take for instance, MAPs Phase Two—it’s not just about new skills, but fostering a sense of community and driving a movement that adapts with the ever-changing tides of marketing. With Phase Two closing soon, diving into this opportunity isn't about seeking the next shiny thing, but rather investing in continuous learning and collective growth.

The world of internet marketing can be as convoluted as those damp, medieval alleys. But by maintaining focus on meaningful engagement, leveraging proven strategies, and participating in communities that promote learning rather than spectacle, you ensure that your marketing efforts are not just another glittering distraction but rather a genuine testament to your brand's promise.

Every marketer must ask: Are you pursuing real value, or just the latest pretty thing? So, go ahead, try a new strategy, but keep in mind what truly sparkles over time—connection, authenticity, and powerful storytelling. Only then will you transform your marketing from mere pyrite to solid gold.

--- **