#diy pen case

[eggbunni]

Look what I made, a fountain pen case for my pocket pens! I’m so proud of myself! 🥹

I had been looking for a pen case for my Kaweco Sport pens. Kaweco Sports are so short that they completely swim in all of my other cases, making them difficult to grab when I need one. After looking online at the different cases available, I couldn’t justify spending $45 to $60 on a factory made case just for my little pocket pens, especially since I’m committed to a No Buy for 2024.

I asked hubby to help me get all of my sewing equipment and fabric scraps out of storage, then set to work!

I completely winged it. No tutorial. Mostly because pen pouch tutorials didn’t seem to exist anywhere I searched for them. 😅 But that made it even more fun to figure out all by myself, and the satisfaction of completing my first case is invaluable! I feel so accomplished! AND I love my new little pen pouch. :)

It’s not perfect, but I’m sure my next one will be even better!

I’m looking forward to more DIY goodies in 2024 as I cure my shopping habit. 💪

[shadowlurkerbug]

I did something kinda insane.

I stole the intelligence!!

Close ups under cut

[pointless-blog-art]

i made a cardboard pen case to go on my journal! i want to make it look pretty eventually but it does its job well!

[rosegolden13]

Some thoughts about John Price who owns a hardware store in a small town post-retirement for a bum leg… That man could never be forced to not work. He’s not one to sit still for long, even with a small limp. 

Maintaining the place is simple work, easy on his heart and mind after all the stress of his previous job. Does he miss the adrenaline? The feeling of importance? Of course. So, he runs that hardware store like he’s still a captain. You bet those aisles are fully stocked and organized by product and alphabetized by brand. His book is always neatly filled out at the end of each day, reading glasses perched on the end of his nose as he records the daily finances and stock in a neat print. 

He wears kakis that fit just a bit too tight around the crotch, a red collared shirt that all the employees wear with a little logo that Soap designed over the chest pocket where John always has a pen tucked away. 

The biggest perk? The cute little clueless bird that comes in irregularly, needing help. Finally, he gets to feel competent again, needed by someone for his skill and expertise. 

The men almost never ask for help, too obsessed with their own masculinity to do that. Most of the women don’t need it, experts at the gardening or DIY projects they’re doing. 

But you? There’s some sort of home maintenance crisis you need help with nearly every month. John’s beyond grateful that you don’t just go on YouTube for tutorials or call a repairman like everyone else seems to be doing these days. He needs those doe eyes of yours trained on him as he explains the different types of hammers they have in stock and which one would be best for that loose floorboard of yours. He needs your sweet, grateful smile as you thank him for all his help.

He’ll get you the right wrench, doll, don’t worry your pretty little head. In fact, here’s his number in case you need help fixing your leaking sink. 

You need fertilizer for your garden? He’ll carry out the premium brand to your car for you and brush off your thanks with a simple “anytime, sweet'eart”.

The rest of the boys come in on their leaves to help out around the shop with stocking shelves and whatnot. Gaz and Soap cackle like hyenas the first time they see Price rush to your side when you tilt your head in confusion at all the different types of super glue. Even Simon is smirking a bit under his mask. The man is whipped.

[lazypanartist]

Hobie Brown x Artistic/DIY Reader

I love him ���

pt 1 - Pt 2 - Pt 3 - Pt 4

Warnings: maybe spoilers for ATSV, IDK. Reader's in the punk scene and from Hobie's universe. Whole lotta projection. Canon-typical injuries

Features info dumping and personal Hobie HCs I guess. It's long ASF. And just self indulgent

Please RB, likes alone don't do anything for the algorithm!

-----

DIY/punk Hobie Brown

If you're in the scene, you know the basics

Patches?

Hand-Stitched

Usually with dental floss for durability/cost efficiency

And originally painted with white-out for the same reasons

Spikes or studs?

Cheap, bulk buy, screw em on yourself

Or just make em out of cans

Hobie's fit looks like it fits the bill

Old leather or denim jacket with the sleeves cut off

FN/SM painted on the back

Shirt's kinda tattered iirc

Spiked collars are easy

Same with the wristbands

When he meets you?

Whoo boy

It was one of his shows he was putting on

New songs, new faces in the crowd

He spots you from a distance at first

Little sketchbook in hand

You stay through his whole performance

When he's chatting up the crowd afterwards, though?

You're already gone

(Bitch writes a song about the pretty thing watching from afar, bc ofc he does)

He next sees you during one of President Osborne's speeches

Standing in the front row of a gathered crowd, shaking your head at the screen

He drops down after a few minutes, hanging upside down and blocking the less-than-pleasant view

He takes a few moments between questions from others

Little explanations

A promise to do what he can

Takes just a glimpse to look you over

You have a similar touch to the rest of the crowd

Worn out boots, tattered clothes, hand-sewn and painted patches

And your sketchbook still in hand

It's a little peculiar for the crowd

But he doesn't question it

What he does question is where you've gone after he turns to look at you

He only took a second for more reassurances

But when he goes to see you again

You're gone, just like the first time you caught his eye

He realizes then

That he's intrigued

He doesn't know what it is about you

Until he keeps seeing you pop up again

Riots

Concerts

Shows

Speeches

His immaterial object of interest

He finally starts actually talking to you the third or fourth time he sees you

At another of Osborne's liefests

An ambassador on a stage, surrounded by punks

Speaking of the President's virtues

Yeah

Spider-Punk shows up pretty quickly to run him off

And gets to chatting with you

When he first approaches, you ask for his opinion on a patch idea

And turn your sketchbook to show him the page

His spider symbol backpiece

But instead of FN/SM, it simply states

"Down With President Osborne"

He takes your pen and signs as a seal of approval before swinging away

Sure, it was a short interaction

But it led to even more meaningful ones

Like, say..

Him practically dropping out of the sky into a park

You were just minding your business, sketching the scenery

When he almost fell on top of you.

Covered in injuries

He laughs when he looks up and sees that it's you

Because of course it's you

Tries to resist when you start futzing over him

If you're the parent friend like me?

Patch him up

PLEASE

Even if you can't see him back together

Just

Bandaids and gauze pads

And maybe some candy

Bc suckers help with creativity

Or it's just my neurodivergence? Idk

Just. Offer him one in case he needs to bite on something while you're putting alcohol on his injuries

When you're done he looks them over

Promptly winces when he twists his arm 🙄

But then thanks you for your help and swings off

Again

These kinds of interactions become common

He'll find you hanging around the city

Either doodling or just vibing

And drops down to talk for a bit

Or get patched up

Loves when you offer to fix his costume

Bc it looks just as nice & homemade as the rest of your/his fits

Grins under his mask when he sees a new patch or two

And starts snickering if you deny their application

He really appreciates everything you do for him

And figures he should prove it

Sure, he's saved you

But he's saved a lot of people..

He wants this to be special

Unique

And he thinks he knows how to do that..

---

Click for next part

[itsnotnina]

back-to-school thoughts

When I was a kid, the end of the summer holidays always brought around a wave of excitement. As much as I loved the six weeks we got off, going back to school was a whole new level of excitement. Going back to school meant a new start (I think my brain still functions on a September-to-September calendar), seeing friends I hadn't seen in all summer, and the opportunity to reinvent myself.

I would spend hours upon hours watching 'DIY stationery tutorials' and 'What's in my Bag' videos to try and recreate my image in the days leading up to the beginning of the year. I'd collect all my newest pens and pencils (which I would inevitably lose before the Christmas holidays) and pack my bag and anxiously wait for 8am the next morning so I could run off to school.

I couldn't wait to see which teachers I'd have, who was in my classes, and how I'd stack up against the milestones of getting older.

Now - as an adult in university who pretty much hated her last few years of school - the last few weeks of summer are rife with stress. The simplicity of childhood excitement has been replaced with a complicated cocktail of deadlines, money stress, and the pressure to constantly perform.

Yeah, university can be fun. I love my friends, I love my freedom, and I love the satisfaction of achieving my dreams. But the joy of learning that I felt when I was younger often feels crushed beneath an avalanche of essays, group projects, and the constant mental math of wondering where this takes me.

I sometimes think about the younger version of me - who read academic journals for fun - and wonder if I'll ever recapture the carefree excitement of a new academic year.

Maybe it’s not about recreating that feeling but reimagining it. It’s not about colourful pencil cases or new backpacks anymore (although, I love me a nice, new notebook or some cute pens). It’s about finding small joys in the chaos - coffee with friends, a doughnut during exam season - and reminding myself that growth, no matter how daunting, is worth it.

So here’s to all of us still navigating education, whether you are at school or university. I hope that this year is the best it could possibly be, no matter what your best looks like.

[queer-of-hearts]

What DIY skills do you think Neve has?

Hmm, probably at least a few!

Growing up impoverished but with a sense of style like hers, I'd put money on Neve knowing her way around a needle and thread. I mean look at her. Iconic.

Also, not sure if this counts as a DIY skill but judging from her case notes, girly's a doodler! Soooo drawing/design

And lastly I think she has a moderate amount of mechanical know-how from years of tuning up her prosthetic and working with weird, dumb-looking pens.

Thanks for asking!

[writingquestionsanswered]

I’m currently trying to write/outline a romance novel. It is starkly different from 3 act structures, what plot outlines/structures would you recommend for romance? Do they usually have 2-3 conflicts? For characters, especially for a normal romance, what are the goals usually, isn’t it just to find love or is that too 2d/flat? I can’t find any external/internal conflicts online, some external ones are available, but yeah, mostly unavailable. What are a few examples and what do external/internal conflicts mean in silly romance novels that are not so deep and intense as general fiction? Stuff on this topic are very scarce, sadly. I’d love ur perspective on this! Thank you in advance, love!!

Outlining a Romance Novel

Romance novel structure depends on the type of romance you want to write. Straight up romance revolves around two people meeting and falling in love. There is usually an external conflict against which this romance plays out, which provides the necessary tension, conflict of interest, fodder for misunderstanding, and other obstacles and challenges that create a bumpy road on the way to true love. However, this external conflict is in full service of the developing romance.

A great example of this type of romance would be the romance movies you see on Hallmark and Lifetime. Here's a trailer for a random one, but fair warning that this trailer gives everything away, so "spoiler alert" if that matters to you...)

In Bottled with Love, Abbey and Nick meet when they're forced to work together on a project at the company he works for (where he's the CEO's wayward son.) The project (and their subsequent butting of heads) is the external conflict against which their romance plays out, but the focus is on the development of their relationship, not on the actual project. This story also has the added internal conflict for both characters, which is the "pen pal" relationships they both have going on secretly in the background, which adds additional conflict later on. Lately, romances that play out against genre conflicts are also popular. Like traditional romance, the romantic couple is still central to the story, but unlike traditional romance, the external conflict is given a lot more weight. And, there are usually internal conflicts for the main characters as well. A great example of this kind of romance is Outlander. I'm sticking in the season one trailer, but fair warning... there are glimpses of scenes with violence, nudity, sex, and SA:

In the case of Outlander, Claire and Jamie meet when she is transported back in time from her home era of 1945 to the past era of 1743. In addition to the external conflict of Claire wanting to get back home to her own time, there's also an English officer (who turns out to be an ancestor of the husband she left in 1945) who is determined to make her life difficult. And, the first few books also play out first against the conflict between Scottish highlanders and the British occupiers. And, you can also have a combination of the two, where it's still a straight up romance, but it plays out against a genre background. In this case, the genre-related external conflict is still minor compared to the development of the romantic couple:

In the case of the first and third example, there are very specific romance beats you'll want to hit. A really popular structure template is Gwen Hayes' Romancing the Beat. The Dabble web site and the DIY MFA web site also both have romance structure templates, and there are certainly others you can find via a general search for romance story structure. In the case of the second example, you will want to hit a lot of those beats, but you'll be weaving that into a story structure for stories with a plot-driven element (like Save the Cat! Writes a Novel or the Three-Act Structure.) Just remember, in all of these cases, you don't have to follow a template to a tee. They're just there as guidelines to help you navigate and plot your story. With romance, though, you do want to make sure you hit the important romantic beats.

As for some of your other questions:

Do they usually have 2-3 conflicts? Most romances have both internal and external conflict. Then, there may be multiple external conflicts if you do a story like Outlander which plays out against a genre-based backdrop and has an external conflict related to that genre.

For characters, especially for a normal romance, what are the goals usually, isn’t it just to find love or is that too 2d/flat? Romance beat sheets will clarify this for you, but yes, if you do a traditional romance, a "happily ever after" is the goal.

What are a few examples and what do external/internal conflicts mean in silly romance novels that are not so deep and intense as general fiction? Examples #1 and #3 provide an idea of what the external and internal conflicts can look like in traditional, straight up romance. External conflict in romance usually happens one of two ways: the protagonist leaves their "normal life" and ends up in a place where they meet the love interest. Or, the love interest gets dropped into their "normal life." Some examples:

-- protagonist leaves their big city job to visit their small hometown for Christmas

-- protagonist leaves their small hometown to attend a friend's destination wedding in Rome

-- protagonist leaves their stressful office job and takes a job a bakery that desperately needs a manager

-- love interest is the new partner on the protagonist's work project

-- love interest is the popular new photographer showing up at the weddings the protagonist plans/coordinates

-- love interest is the new supplier for the bakery the protagonist manages

As for internal conflict, it works the same as in other stories. The internal conflict is usually something that is keeping them from moving forward in their lives. Sometimes, whatever it is that brings the love interest into their lives is a result of them trying to break out of that rut. Or, it could be that however their life changes as a result of meeting the love interest is the thing that helps them get out of that rut.

I hope that gives you some direction for how to come up with conflict ideas and how to structure your story!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[oftlunarialmoon]

5 Fun Ideas for Your Agere/Littlespace Bag!

Ciao lovelies! Before I begin, I’d like to thank one of you lovelies, named Isobel, for the suggestion behind this post! I am slowly working my way through the requests currently in the blog post request form, but don’t let that discourage any of you from sharing your requests! ^-^ and thanks for the patience on that so far! In today’s post, to answer Isobel’s request for something related to an agere bag, I will be sharing 5 fun ideas for your agere/littlepace bag! Including decoration ideas, things to pack within, and some subtle/discreet regression ideas too! I hope you like this post, and let’s get into it!

Once again, thank you Isobel for this suggestion! 

I know many of my fellow age regressors / littles out there can’t openly be themselves for fear of judgment or bullying, so a lot of you have to be discreet or subtle about your littlespace. I wish we could live in a world that’s more open and accepting to everyone, but for now, this list has some discreet regression suggestions for you ! Let me know if you’d like to see more ideas like that in the future!

5 Fun Ideas for Your Agere/Littlespace Bag!

IDEA #1: Personalize / Decorate a Plain Backpack!

there are many other ways to make your agere bag unique! You could use patches, buttons, keychains, fabric paint….there’s a lot you can do with a plain backpack! For those worried about being discreet, you can always explain a cute bag as kawaii or alternative fashion inspired, and doubly so if you use fandom decorations from shows you like when small! :)

Your bag would be super personal to you, and also shows your secret little side~!

Now let’s move to some ideas of items that can be packed in your bag for discreet regression! 

IDEA #2: Subtle Babey Snacks!

It’s super easy to bring along snacks like fruit snacks, goldfish, bite size muffins, etc, and these can double as regression snacks! 

I personally like goldfish, fruit snacks, and scooby snacks! (Scooby snacks are also good for those of you who pet regress!)

You can take this a step further with cute or kawaii food storage containers, or just tupperware that you can cover with stickers!

IDEA #3: Personalize your Devices!

So you could get a cute phonecase , which is an easy and cute way to feel little, but you could also personalize your phone or mp3 player with things like cute stickers on the outside! AND, now with the iphone updates, you could customize the icons in your phone, lockscreen images, etc! :) You could even make your passcode a secret reference to a small time show you like !!

Another thing you can do is DIY a cute case for your phone out of felt! Check out THIS DIY from OFT’s past where I made a cute cat pouch for your device!

IDEA #4: Tiny Toys! 

Okay, this is a little less subtle, but you can bring small toys or minifigures in your small bag! It may feel a little uncomfortable to do so at first, but you can give a lot of reasons for this!

Possible explanations for toys in your bag:

“I have a job as a babysitter after school and these are for the kids there.”

“I am an ameteur photographer and I like using these for practice.”

“I thought these looked cute and possibly would make nice fidget toys”

“I like to have something in my hands when I focus”

Etc, but you can also just give a simple:

“I think they’re cool.” 

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for the things you like, and you don’t need to be ashamed. What you share with others is your business, and your business only!

IDEA #5: Cute Memo Pads!

This is a fun one, because it can be so easily explained and can add this awesome moment of cuteness and secret smallness to your day! A lot of people carry memo pads or to-do lists, and it’s not unusual to have cute ones! You can even pair this up with a kawaii pen or pencil, and it’s totally normal, and flies easily under everyone’s radar. Kawaii stationery has been a common interest for a while, so it won’t make anyone suspicious.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this, Isobel, and everyone else as well!

And now the most important part: please remember to stay AWESOME and LOVE yourself!! You are epic, awesome, and amazing, and you deserve to know this each and every day! Be sure to give yourself positive affirmation each and every day! 

I’ll see you in the next post, video, or whatever comes next!

[dapandapod]

Bring a friend home

Hello there! I honestly don't remember what the exact prompt was, but @firefly-party insisted on Jaskel something something Ikea, and thus, here we are! It was one of those eves I'm convinced I'm hilarious, lets see if you agree xD Please enjoy this silly madness!

On Ao3 here

See, there is thinking outside the box, and there is thinking outside the box. Then there is IKEA. Ikea is the kingdom of DIY and flat boxes. There is nothing you can’t do with a poor man’s budget and imagination, just ask youtube.

Which is why Jaskier finds himself getting lost by the couch section, and then again by the kitchen tables, and then there were the pretty lights and the cool shoe racks. HIs favorite was hot pink, in case anyone was wondering.

Oddly enough, Jaskier’s goal is the kid’s section.

He knows they are supposed to be at the end of the lap, and learned the hard way that short cuts really is just short for really-fucking-lost-where-was-that-blasted-map.

All he needs is the huge roll of drawing paper, and he means the HUGE one. It is heavy as shit, and well, maybe he should have brought something to carry it with, but that was future Jaskier’s problem, and now present Jaskier is cursing past Jaskier for getting distracted by the funky looking bed set.

It will be fine, probably, if he can make it to the downstairs area there should be those heavy duty baskets.

Jaskier is contemplating if he should buy the low budget pens as well, wondering if his niece and their Infinity Art Project will be worthy tools, when something catches his eye. There, by the exit, there are giant plushy baskets.

See, Jaskier is not a big fan of plushies, not really. They lack the warmth and the weight a person would have, but they are also much, much less dramatic than a person, probably.

And there, between the orangutan and the giant panda, there it is.

It is blue and white, and has just the one row of teeth, which his niece would have plenty of words about if she was with him.

It is soft and it’s silly and it’s silly and it's perfect, and Jaskier possibly said that out loud because there is one of those yellow striped shirts with the blue print turning around, and it takes him a moment to look up from that unfairly well shaped chest and into the face of a giant.

Which he also might have said out loud, if the twitch of the giant’s lips is anything to go by.

“Hej,” The man greets, of course he does, as if Jaskier speaks Ikea. “Anything I can do for you today?”

His name tag says Eskel, and it takes a WILD amount of willpower to not blurt out ‘How about me?’ and instead just stand there gaping for a moment, clutching his huge roll of paper.

“Your shark only has one set of teeth,” Jaskier says after one heartbeat too long, Eskel’s eyebrows lifting with the corner of his mouth.

“Well, I hear teeth make them harder to cuddle, and frankly, I myself find too many teeth a bit concerning. Tried to bring it up with the design team, but turns out I’m not very good at swedish,” the giant says, and Jaskier is feeling weak.

Actually yes, the paper roll is getting too heavy to hold the way he is, so he shifts, considering whether to either put it on the floor or between his knees, because that clearly is the right way to hold a giant huge fucking paper roll.

“Bitemarks are hot though,” Jaskier says before he can shove his entire fist in his mouth, which also would have been an unfortunate thing to do in front of this man. “I’ll just-” Jaskier says, turning on his heels to flee, only to walk almost straight into one of the display shelves.

He is saved by a big hand on his shoulder, and then not saved when Jaskier proceeds to drop the monster of a paper roll an inch from his toes.

The thud of the paper landing on the concrete floor makes Jaskier just close his eyes and accept his doom, because there is no way paper nor floor survived that.

“Ah, let me get that for you,” Eskel says, and when Jaskier opens his eyes again, the giant yellow striped man is kneeling in front of him, picking up the paper roll like it weighs nothing to him. It probably doesn’t.

Jaskier is wondering if Eskel would be able to pick him up as easily, and firmly shuts that down.

“Where to? Do you have a basket or a shopping cart?” he asks, and Jaskier is an embarrassed, shamed, blushing puddle on the floor.

“Ah, I was just… going to get that and get to the registers.”

Eskel nods sagely, and nods towards the shark plushies.

“Go give them a squeeze. You just might find a cuddly friend to bring home,” he says, and Jaskier…cannot.

Either this man is as dense as a brick and doesn’t realize what that sounds like, or he does.

Either way, Jaskier does walk over to the shark cage, the iron bars of the plushie basket holding an unholy amount of soft and silly and perfect bodies with staring eyes and too few teeth. BLÅHAJ, he reads, completely unable to pronounce it, but bewitched anyway.

He squeeze one, as instructed, and then the next. But the way the first one is looking at him, as if betrayed, Jaskier can’t help but to pick it up and hold it as he squeezes the others.

It is very nice to hold it actually, and Jaskier realizes he is indeed leaving here with a shark, and he is mentally preparing himself for the berating his niece will get him when they are introduced.

Finnigan. That is his name now. And he knows he will be berated even more when the niece finds the pun in there.

Turning around, Jaskier is surprised to see the employee is still watching him, and still holding that huge, now slightly dented paper roll for their Infinity Art Project.

“You are a good salesman, I’ll give you that,” Jaskier says, wagging his finger at Eskel.

“I’ll help you down the stairs with this, your hands look rather busy,” the giant says good naturedly. “If you don’t have more to pick up from here, that is,” He adds, stopping himself halfway to the stairs.

Lovely, simply lovely, and the way the scar stretches when he smiles, Jaskier squeezes poor Finnigan very hard to his chest. Good thing he isn’t a squeak toy, or this would have been very awkward.

“No, I’m done, thank you. But I can take it myself.”

“It’s alright,” Eskel waves him off with one hand, WITH ONE HAND, SIR!

It is simply unfair how some people just are like that, it is almost insulting how one person can be this kind and handsome and strong at the same time.

It is probably illegal somewhere, and Eskel will be put in handsome-jail if he ever goes there. Fuck, Jaskier needs a coffee and to shut his brain the fuck up.

They walk together down the stairs, but then Eskel just follows him and refuses to let the giant huge fucking paper roll down. Jaskier explains the Infinite Art Project and Eskel makes a contribution with a handful of those hand sized miniature pencils from one of the dispensers and winks as he tucks them into Jaskier’s bag. Well fuck.

Their time is up when Jaskier actually arrives by the registers and is forced to choose which line is the shortest and which one will offer him more time with this hunk of a human.

“When can we expect the art exhibition to begin? Any chance one can get an invite, considering how I am contributing?” Eskel asks, and oh boy, yeah, that man probably knows what he is doing.

Jaskier feels himself giving a crooked smile and pretends to consider it.

“For the meager price of One Cinnamon Bun, I might even let you in on the process itself,” Jaskier dares, heart racing and hands sweating. Poor Finnigan, they haven’t even left the store yet, and he is already on cuddle duty.

“A man should know his worth,” Eskel agrees with a nod. “You got yourself a bargain. Though I will add in a chosen beverage to go with it, in about fifteen minutes when my shift is over?”

Oh dear lord, Jaskier is going to combust on the spot.

They part ways, allowing Jaskier to dump his stuff in his shabby little car and to run into the bathrooms and check out his hair, only to meet up again by the Bistro outside the register area.

If Jaskier felt weak from seeing this man in yellow and blue stripes, it has nothing on him compared to Eskel in civilian clothes.

Eskel is enlightened about the arts of a 7 year old, and Jaskier brings home two cuddly friends from Ikea that day.

[nyasbrain]

Week 1: Tumblr in 2025?

Hey...is this thing on?

As a long-time tumblr fan and advocate, returning to the app (everything is an app, even if I'm writing this on my laptop) was not on my 2025 bingo card.

What was on my bingo card, however, was a fairly vague "crafts & DIYs" square. I'd like to think of this as a craft of sorts.

I'm not great at sharing through pictures and videos, so while I'd love to get on the recently resurrected TikTok and yap to the camera, that is not an option. Lucky for me, I've always been good at yelling into the void.

Everyone is on Substack these days, which is like tumblr for serious people. As a 2013 vet and self-proclaimed unserious person, I've always seen tumblr as a void. I could post and reblog whatever I wanted without fear because no one I knew was on the app, despite my constant advocacy. So here I am again, in 2025, asking for tumblr to be the same space I needed in 2013, where I posted my horrible Wattpad stories, discovered Frank Ocean, and explored my style via the NYC influencers I wanted to be just like (where are they now?).

Now into the weekly brain dump:

Reading: The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

After being sucked in by Emily Henry last year, I became a BIG romance reader. It's by no means my favorite genre, as the formula for romance is super predictable. The two love interests are introduced, form some relationship through a popular trope (enemies to lovers, fake relationship, or in this case, secret identity), miscommunication causing the (always hated by me) third act breakup before everything is resolved and they live happily ever after.

The romance book formula is why so many people love the genre and why romance books are perfect when I'm between something heavy or don't know what else to read. Before we get into it, this is my rating scale, for reference.

☆ Worst thing I ever read ☆☆ Something to talk about ☆☆☆ Cute, fun, hot, interesting ☆☆☆☆ Hooked, giving you a play by play  ☆☆☆☆☆ Burned into my brain, will never get over 

The Neighbor Favor is the first in The Greene Sister Series. Since I got into romance, I've been on a mission to read all the popular romance series, especially by Black authors. So this being a letdown was just as sad for me as it is for anyone who loves the book.

Stage 1: The two love interests are introduced.

The FMC Lily, an assistant at a non-fiction publishing house with dreams of being a children's book editor, deliriously emails the author of her favorite fantasy book on a hot summer train in NYC. That one email turns into months (maybe a year) of back-and-forth between Lily and the ~mysterious~ and charming author. After several emails, flirting, and imaginary dates, the two mutually agree to FT (or Zoom? Skype?). Lily is sat, waiting on the call for the full hour before getting an email back from the author saying, "I'm not who you think I am," and disconnecting his email altogether, which I thought was VERY dramatic.

Months later, Lily moves in with her sister Violet (yes, all of the sisters are named after flowers) and runs into the MMC, nicknamed "fine as hell neighbor" Nick, in the elevator, who is giving a pep talk to his other neighbor Henry about how to get a girl.

Stage 2: Form a relationship through a popular trope.

Lily, who is described as shy and reserved, enlists Nick to help her find a date to her sister's wedding after an electrifying kiss, which Nick runs out on. The two begin the forced proximity, wingman trope.

Of course, Lily and Nick want to be together, but Nick has some "I'm unworthy" complex that I frankly hate in a character, especially when it is unwarranted.

Stage 3: Third act breakup

If it wasn't apparent, the mystery author and Nick are the same person. Nick uses a pen name, N.R. Strickland, has no author photo, and says he's British in his author bio (more on this later). Nick reveals this to Lily after kissing her the third time (he actually does nothing to help this woman find a date besides taking her to a party), and Lily admits her feelings for him.

Post-reveal, Lily feels (rightfully) betrayed, Nick feels guilty AF, and gives her a stack of emails he has written to her since he ghosted her, then proceeds to buy her some (practical) gifts. Nick apologizes, says he'll never lie to her again, and grovels for approximately five pages before...

Stage 4: Everything is resolved

Lily forgives him and agrees to begin building a relationship. Blah blah blah, Lily goes to her sister's bachelorette party, some stuff happens with Nick's family, and he fucks off to NC for a week before he comes back for an author wrap party at the publishing company and reveals that he is N.R. Strickland (GASP).

Stage 5: Happily Ever After

With all that, the two go to her sister's (not) wedding together, and they live happily ever after.

Now, here are my issues with the book.

1. So many tropes. You've got mail (the first quarter of the book is told through email) x forced proximity x wingman x secret identity x friends to lovers. Girl, give it up! I only have the tolerance for maybe two tropes a book without it feeling forced.

2. Nick's woe-is-me attitude is so insufferable. I understand he's had a hard family life, but one of his big reasons for not wanting to reveal himself as the author is because he lied about being from England, and when I say nobody cared... NO ONE CARED!

3. Pacing? I don't know; it was just weird for me. The amount of times they kissed and then tried to be friends? No tension, IMO. What makes a romance is the HEA, so while I know they will always end up together when the third act breakup comes, I want to at least think they won't.

Overall, I gave it two stars. It's something to talk about (clearly), and I will read the rest of the series; I would not recommend this as a stand-alone.

Eating: Yogurt Bowls w/ Apple and Cinnamon

idk, this is just a hyper-fixation meal that carried over from fall to winter. I'm not good at buying fruit, but somehow when I go to the grocery store, a bag of apples always ends up in my cart. Mix that with some yogurt and a dash (one of my favorite metrics of measurement) of cinnamon. That gets five big booms from me. 

Playing: Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay

What is on my bingo card for 2025 is listening to 30 albums. I'm a chronic listener to my liked playlist, which I have been saving songs to since I made my Spotify account. This year, I'm rejecting modernity (listening to curated Spotify playlists) and returning to my roots of discovering music on my own.

How I haven't heard of Magdalena Bay before this week is beyond me because

1. I'm obsessed

2. They have 3.5M monthly listeners.

The album gave me the same feeling I had when I listened to Nurture by Porter Robinson (one of my favorite albums of last year) , which is: wow; I love everything. I love music. How I have I never heard this before? Can I hear everything else by this artist immediately?

Angel on a Satellite is one of my favorite songs on the album, mostly because it makes me feel how I felt when I watched POSE for the first time. I will not explain further.

Reccomending: Making things with your hands

I've become somewhat of a fiber arts evangelist, as my friend Nia described it, in the past month. There is something so fulfilling about making shit with your hands.

Having a "hand hobby" outside of going on your phone is a lost art. While I firmly believe scrolling is a hobby, making tangible items with your hands is unmatched. There is no better feeling than crocheting a sweater or knitting a scarf and saying "Thanks, I made it" when someone compliments you.

I've known how to crochet for years. The first time I learned was in middle school, where some cool girl taught me on the school bus in the morning (I hope she is being hot and thriving somewhere). Since then crocheting has been on and off for me and the first garment I made was in December. Something in me unlocked. Knowing I could make clothes out of yarn??? I felt like a witch! Since then, I've been spreading the good word about making shit with your hands.

I watched this video on the politics of feminism and fiber arts, which I don't have anything smart to say about, but thought was good.

But that's not all. I've also been super into junk journaling this year. My junk journal, which is mostly a collage of shit I've collected, has brought me so much joy. I'm yearning for old magazines and craft supplies so I can create more spreads. I've never been good at regular journaling, but this feels like a way to reflect on the things I've done. 

Treating: Very expensive jeans

I'm not one for buying expensive shit, but last week I spent $200 in 30 minutes, which, frankly, I think should be illegal.

I've been playing with my personal style lately, trying to find clothes that SCREAM my name and outfits I can create interesting silhouettes with. So last week, on an adventure to find barrel jeans, I walked into Madewell. Naturally, I went to the sale section, and where I wanted to find barrel jeans; I found wide-leg black jeans, a staple that was missing from my closet.

I did the normal find a size, try them on, and when I say I could not leave the store without them, I mean it. Thankfully, it was 50% off sale, which meant these normally very expensive jeans would be $69 instead of $138.

WRONG!

The sale section, one room in the back of the store, is "split" into two sections. Sale on the right and non-sale on the left, except it is not split, it's just clothes in a room. So after I tried them on, and decided I couldn't live without them, I ended up spending $138 on jeans, which I'm vowing to NEVER do again. And as a writing this, the jeans are now on sale...

That's it for now. Thanks for being my place to scream into the void.

[which-item-poll-archive]

Tag directory

Not Archive tags:

Not Archive - Posts that aren't from the original blog

Archivist update - An update from me! This is to differentiate it from which-item-poll's original tag 'update'

Archivist responds - If I reblog with a comment or reply to an ask, it's under this tag

Archivist reblog - I've reblogged something not related to the archive. Probably myself.

Survey - Asking for your opinions before doing something new, changing something or updating something

Archivist pinned - My pinned posts! This is to differentiate it from which-item-poll's original tag 'pinned'

Scheduled - A non-archive post that I scheduled to post later.

Image restoration - Sometimes images get broken. This is for posts where I find the original image and re-upload it to the post. (usually as a reblog). There's none that have been published yet but there's some in the queue.

Tag directory - This post! I might break this post up into three smaller posts to make it easier to use (especially as more months get added). In which case, they'll all have this tag!

Archival tags:

Which-item-poll archive - All archived posts have this tag, unless I've made a mistake on one of them. This way you can browse the blog without seeing non-archive posts, but you don't have to pick a category

No original tags - If a post didn't have tags on it when I archived it, I added this tag. This way everyone knows (including me) that I didn't just forget to add them when I reblogged the post.

Posts by month of when they were originally posted

(More month tags will be added as posts from those months are published)

January 2024

January 2024 (chronological order)

February 2024

February 2024 (chronological order)

March 2024

March 2024 (chronological order)

Categories

Please keep in mind that I am having to adjust the tags on posts as they exit the queue as I can only see one of the images in the mass post editor. If something is in the wrong tag or should be in a category but isn't please let me know!

The original blog added descriptive tags to items starting in June. However, since a lot of them are quite item-specific, I've decided to tag some broad categories for the sake of browsing.

Clothing and accessories - Where you'll find clothes, bags, jewelry, watches and wearables

Charms and Keychains - Items that are meant to be attached to accessories or your keys. In days of yore they would adorn your phone.

Cosmetics and Bathoom - Bath mats, soap dispensers, nail products, soap and bath products

Stickers and stationary - Stickers, notebooks, pens, memo pads and other related items (Cardboard, paper, staples ect)

Art and prints - Prints, posters, postcards and bookmarks. Digital art and adoptables. If its by an etsy artist and it's not a sticker, charm or keychain then its in here.

Crafts and activities - Anything with a DIY element, whether it's a set of yarn, crocheting needles, or a 3D sculpture that you assemble at home

Home Decor - Furniture, decorative items for homes, plant related items, display knick knacks.

Kitchenwares - Plates, cups, bowls, kitchen tools and appliances. And also drink bottles.

Food and drink - Edibles and drinkables. Snacks, lollies and sodas. It's food and drink, its what it says on the tin (and not water bottles)

Toys and games - Board games, cards, figures, toys and plushies are in here

Plushies - Plushies also have their own category, because sometimes a plushie is a toy and sometimes it is a bag (or socks or some other item)

Sensory and Fidgets - Fidget toys, slimes, fidget wearables and other sensory products.

Electronics and related items - Electronics, computer accessories, accessories for computer accessories such as custom keycaps and anything that needs to be plugged in or have a battery. Phone cases too.

Instruments - Musical instruments. Some of them are also in electronics if they are electric guitars or such.

Smoking and related paraphernalia - Anything to do with weed or smoking. I have no idea how tumblr acts if you tag something with weed, hence the name. Also I think some THC gummies are in here.

Sex toys - A tag from the original blog. None are posted yet but they're coming soon. Please remember to block the tag #tw nsfw if you don't want to see these items!

Misc - Anything that I had trouble categorizing or was too specific for its own categories ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Jokes and Japes - Polls that are meant to be funny or memeish. Includes April Fools and Halloween.

Which-item-polls original recurring tags (such as "not a poll") should eventually have their own category, but its difficult to document them properly when they're not all posted. I'll get to it sometime. 🛌🏼

[oicuperp]

Peter Strahm: Mage of Light - A classpect analysis

Mage - one who understands their aspect or understands through their aspect Light - light, knowledge, fortune Mage of Light - one who understands light, knowledge or fortune; or understands through light, knowledge or fortune

Starting with a more literal interpretation of the Light aspect, light represents order, and is said to conquer darkness and chaos. This could be associated to the justice the FBI tries to bring Jigsaw to, in this case

A Mage of Light has a really good understanding of how light, knowledge or fortune works. As an FBI agent, Strahm needs a deep understanding of the information he is given in order to ... well ... do his job. The Mage class understands his aspect since a very early age, which could be connected to how he was top of the class (and was probably also top of the class even before the academy)

He KNOWS how to handle knowledge and it can be seen throughout saw 4 and 5. His first appearance was quickly figuring out that there HAD to be a second apprentice. When he entered a room following Rigg's trail of games he immediatly knew what the trap was about and what Rigg was supposed to do, to see what Jigsaw sees and feel what Jigsaw feels, just by seeing the aftermath of it

Mages know both the positive and negative sides of their aspect. He uses his understanding of knowledge to advance in his investigations, but also knows quite well what too much of it can do to someone. This can be seen when Billy explodes in Perez's face, letting both of them know that if they keep getting closer, if they keep gaining knowledge of the ongoing murders and try to stop Jigsaw, they will be next

The most interesting part of Mages, in my opinion, is how they begin to lose their aspect and ends up negatively affected by it. After surviving the Water Cube Trap due to fortune (the pen being the only thing in his pocket) and knowledge (knowing how to give himself a DIY tracheotomy), he continues investigating on his own, suspecting Hoffman after Perez said his name. Of course, he continues to gain more and more knowledge about Jigsaw's real identity while going to the different places where traps had taken place, but he doesn't have the knowledge of Hoffman framing him for all the murders so, while he gains knowledge from one part, he loses it from the other due to his obsession and stubborness

Entering the Glass Coffin room was the breaking point. His thirst for knowledge leads him to lose it, not listening to the entire tape and therefore not having the knowledge that he could've survived by entering the coffin. After losing this knowledge, he's almost doomed but, what definitely makes him lose all fortune is locking Hoffman in the coffin

That's it teehee :3

[vxmpyr-clxb]

☆ . . . INSIDE SAGE'S PHONE!

HER PHONES && THEIR CASES !

sage actually has two phones. one for work, the iphone, and another, the galaxy flip, for personal things.

she's had two ever since she was in high school, because she's been working since then and her father didn't want the people she worked with to have access to her personal phone number.

the cases she picks are usually ones that are either super simple or have a 2nd feature. her most well known one though, is a gameboy case that actually has games on it and her DIY-ed cases for her iphone.

her iphone cases all start out clear and end up being DIY-ed to all hell, because when sage has nothing to do, she draws on stuff. her favorite one is the one with stars that she drew with posca pens while on live with a few of her members.

another one of her iconic cases was when she was in her marvel/spiderman era and had a spiderman case for a couple months.

HER PHONE SETUPS !

( the general themes of each of them; left work && right personal )

the set up for her personal phone changes every few months, but her work phone has been relatively the same since she got it. only changed when she has to update it.

as for her lock screen on her personal phone, it used to be a picture of her and sunghoon when they went skating one time as a way to destress while preparing for a comeback, but she made sure to change it before said comeback, not wanting to start any rumors.

the lock screen on her work phone is a photo of the posters in the corner of her room where she likes to work on her music and films.

and the icons and widgets being on both her personal and work phone is kind of her way of reminding her that her job is supposed to be fun and to not take things too seriously.

LAYOUT IB: @enha-sua

[tobiasdrake]

Now we know the full extent of the trick. All that's left to do is nail the killer.

I love it. I'm so happy that Kanai Ward's Forever Rain got to be used as a murder weapon. I was hoping early on that it would go this direction but I wasn't expecting it.

Even if it is ridiculous, this is the best murder weapon in the game, hands down.

Also, we never found the temperature regulator that allegedly electrocuted the victim. Did the Peacekeepers whole-ass make that up? Did they invent a hypothetical device that maybe was in the room and might have shocked him?

I'm not surprised at their lack of integrity but I am a bit stunned at the brazenness of it. You can close any case as an accidental death by making up whatever evidence would need to exist in order for an accident to occur. I always call this "They fell. Onto some bullets."

But no, the Peacekeepers are seriously out here going, "Eh, maybe there were some bullets on the ground that he could have fallen on. You don't know."

By tampering with the rain gutters, of course. Fortunately, there's a talented DIY expert right here in this room.

I'm waiting for him to realize that he's penned down and try to punch his way out. At Halara. It will be hilarious.

I knew Rich Boy Haircut couldn't be trusted. That is a presentation that says, "Pick me for your next CEO! I'm good at looking business!" They say to dress for the job you want, and his outfit wants to be paid an executive salary for sitting around an office writing mission statements.

Which is basically what this marriage would be for him. Hell, he might even find a way for Tetra to accidentally herself to death too once the paperwork is signed. I wouldn't put it past him to go full Black Widower.

Sugar probably heard him doing it, which is what got her barking up a storm.

I'm not sure how you would tell the difference between rainwater and the water already in the tanks. Is it the water level that's the problem? Fishtanks are generally not kept full to the brim.

That's why he broke that one! Because he was in a panic. That makes sense.

Then the noise from frantically smashing the tanks is what set Sugar off.

She believes us. That's good. There's nowhere for Jeryn to go.

Come on, Jeryn. Throw a punch at Halara. It will be hilarious.

Sure is convenient that the murder weapon, by pure coincidence, happens to resemble Sugar's favorite kind of toy in the whole world. XD Honestly, we probably didn't need that justification. "Sugar's been digging in trash again" is explanation enough.

She's a dog. They like to find random shit to chew on.

I mean, she hated him from the beginning so she could be barking at him just for sucking. But the evidence is nonetheless pretty damning even without Sugar's questionably positive ID.

YES! DO IT! THROW A PUNCH AT HALARA! They will put you through the floor.

Aww, he has a knife. Look at that, Halara. He has a knife.

OY. NOT COOL. Yakou has some knifing of his own to do before he's ready to get knifed! You're violating the sacred stabbing order!

I don't know why they even bothered asking. XD

Holy shit, that happened fast. Yakou gives the go-ahead and their leading distraction-coin is in the air nanoseconds later.

Halara is so goddamn cool.

A few weeks later, he's dead feral in the Restricted Area, and everyone else is packing their bags and closing up shop for good.

But it's a nice sentiment, at least. Besides, I'm sure she'll have more pressing concerns by that point. The important thing is, Halara crushed this mystery with style.

[somediyprojects]

DIY Hex Symbol Coasters

Project by Halligan:

Hex signs are a form of traditional Pennsylvania Dutch folk art. They have been painted on the sides of barns to ward off evil spirits, offer good fortune or wish happiness for hundreds of years. These sentiments are perfect for the harvest season! Here is a colorful interpretation for your Thanksgiving table to wish all your guests health and prosperity for the holiday season. — Halligan

Materials

wood log (or you can purchase pre-made cut pieces here or here or here)

4 paint colors + white paint

clear fast-drying waterproof sealant

paintbrushes

carbon paper or tracing paper to make your own carbon paper

pencil and ballpoint pen

computer and printer

tape

miter saw and sandpaper (if not purchasing pre-made stump pieces)

Instructions

1. Print out templates to the size of your wood. I made my images large in case you have a large circle of wood. You can shrink by scaling down the print-size percentage.

template 1

template 2

template 3

template 4

2. If you did not purchase your log pieces, cut 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick rings out of your wood log. My log was about 4″ in diameter. Sand surfaces until smooth.

3. Cut out paper design circles and a carbon paper circle the same size. If you can’t find carbon paper (don’t forget to look in your check book), you can make your own with tracing paper and pencil lead. Instructions here.

4. Tape both layers on top of the wood, with the carbon paper facing the wood and the design facing up, and use a ballpoint pen to trace design.

5. After the design is lightly lined, paint all shapes in with a thin layer of white paint.

6. Use your paint-by-numbers guides to paint colors.

7. Seal with a quick-drying clear sealant.