#dried flower framed wall art

[yourcoffeeguru]

Vintage Oval Wood Frame Pressed Dried Flowers 56.5cm x 46.5 cm Wall Hanging || SWtradepost - ebay

[mylunajewel]

Vintage Dried Flowers Wood Framed Shadowbox 3D Wall Hanging Decorative Ornament // swtradepost - shop 

[nohoney]

dabi is obsessed with your cherry perfume 🍒

he can’t get it out of his head, the sweet smell of the fruit spritzed onto your skin had his head turning the first time you had walked by him. it’s not overpoweringly sweet and he can smell a bit of jasmine as well in the fragrance. this is the first time he’s ever been this enticed before by a perfume. dabi doesn’t bother to compliment you for your perfume choice, but he does show that he is allured by it.

leaning in close to you when he bites at your neck, dabi holds back a groan when he inhales deeply. his teeth leave a bruise on your skin, the sting of his bite making you tremble in excitement but asking him to soothe you now with a kiss. he kisses your lips, your cheek, back to your neck again, at your collarbones, and even on the inside of your wrist. cherries, cherries, cherries—god, he’s getting obsessed.

he fucks you in missionary, one of his least favorite positions but he wants to tuck his nose along your neck to keep as close as possible to your perfume. that and to keep on biting you too. he smothers you in kisses, sometimes silencing your needy little moans and breathy calls of his name. “dabi… oh fuck dabi…!”

his cock fucks deeply into you, your eyes rolling back when he goes balls deep. your cunt clenches tightly before you cum on him. you beg for more, begging for dabi to keep using you as much as he sees fit.

the smell of the room reeks of sex, his cologne, and your perfume melded together in some odd mixture that only smells good to the two of you in the moment. dabi lays back in your girly bed to catch his breath, his head resting comfortably on silk pillowcases and his eyes leisurely glossing over the frames of art, photographs, and the dried bouquet of flowers hung on your wall. he lets you curl up next to him and rest your head on his chest. it’s faint, you had sweat off your perfume when you rode his cock earlier but it’s still there.

days later, dabi smells cherries again but doesn’t see you around. he looks for you but you’re nowhere in sight, and the perfume he’s associated with you doesn’t quite smell the same like the way you wear it. so when you’re in front of him again, it’s when he realizes that it’s not just the perfume you wear that he likes.

he just actually likes you.

[juniefruit]

*~artist bf hyunjin~*

I'm in love with artist hyunjin like is there anything more perfect. no

Word count: 560

Artist / art student boyfriend hyunjin who thinks you’re a masterpiece. You’re his muse in every aspect. His gold round-frame glasses glint in the afternoon sun as he sits in his studio, contemplating his current work-in-progress. His crisp white blouse and coffee-colored slacks suit him so well. He looks angelic in the golden light rays. The room is littered with paint tubes and brushes tucked away into cups of all shapes and sizes. 

On the wall hangs his favorite portrait- of you. It was a heat of the moment decision months ago- he couldn’t wait until christmas or your birthday in order to present it to you. The strokes of paint along the canvas are subtle but hold so much attention to detail. The way your eyes glimmer and body flows in the 2-dimensional space washes a calm over you every time. You watch Hyunjin from the doorway in silence for a minute or two before he senses your presence and looks behind him frim the stool he was sitting on. No words are exchanged, but a simple smile as you lock eyes conveys the right message. Life can be so tranquil in moments like these- Knowing you’ve found love, and there’s no better way to show it than through the eyes of an artist. It’s the small things he notices about you that matter the most- his recollection of your favorite colors, artists, and art styles. 

Sometimes, he lets you watch him paint. He doesn’t mind when you ask him questions or make comments. He would never tell you to repress your thoughts. But, you might get paint splattered all over you, which leads to you grabbing some paint and poking it on the tip of his nose. 

Carries his sketchbook with him everywhere!! He loves to draw random things in public like people sitting on the subway or ordering coffee. When you’re together, it’s usually you though. 

You two frequent the art museum in town. Hyunjin holds your hand as you meander through the galleries. He notices which paintings you admire the longest- whether it be renaissance, contemporary, mid-century, surrealist, you get the idea. Once you enter the gift shop, he gets you stuff with the paintings you liked on them (postcards, magnets etc).

It’s also a possibility you go to those paint-your-own pottery places, or a guided group painting class. He’s always over-qualified for those, but at least it’s quality time well spent together. 

On another note, your house always has at least one fresh flower bouquet, courtesy of your boyfriend. His justification is always that they reminded him of something about you. For example, if you’re not having the best day, he’ll come home with blue-purple flowers that are meant to represent that feeling, to convey that he’s aware of your state. Or if it’s a bright summer day and you’re in a good mood, he’ll bring white and yellow flowers that represent happiness and laughter. 

Third date idea- going to the forest for a walk, then setting up a picnic in the meadow. You packed some dried fruits and nuts and a few drinks. It’s a perfect sunny day, and everything seems to be glowing. Birds chirp around you as leaves shimmer in the brisk wind. Hyunjin is wrapped up in sketching the scene in his book, as you take a deep breath and enjoy the tranquility. 

[shmowder]

What Pathologic characters bring for your birthday Pt.2

[Note: this took...so much more effort than I ever expected, I'm unsure if I'll continue the termites and humbles part. Either way, I hope you enjoy this.]

The Utopians

Andrey Stamatin

he is used to sharing his birthday with his twin brother. As kids, most people would just hand them one present and expect them to split it. He knew better and would always concede the gift to Peter throughout the years. He's not used to attending a birthday that's not his own either. Going out of his way to indulge people was never one of his traits. And yet, he came to yours. Maybe that's a gift of its own. His gifts tend to be self-serving in one way or another, chaotic in nature, and borderline inappropriate. They usually include:

Imported fabric from the Capital, its pattern is unusual, but Andrey claims it's the current peak of high fashion in the industry. He can lend you his tailor's mailing address if you ever wish to fashion it into something wearable, or you could just drape the fabric over your naked self and walk around, Andrey will enjoy the view either way.

A Pythagorean cup he moulded himself from clay. He doesn't tell you the nature of the cup and just hands it to you with a wine bottle he grabbed on his way out of the Broken Heart pub.

A .44 calibre revolver, which is the most beautiful gun you've ever seen. The handle grip is made of brown rich wood with a smooth surface, the trigger gaurd is plated in gold, the frame is engraved with an intricate design resembling silver leaves curling around the barrel and chamber of the gun.

He let's you borrow the Broken Heart bar for a whole day for your celebration party in case you didn't want guests trashing your house. If you insist to throw the party in your own home, Andrey insists to allow him the privilege of kicking everyone out comes midnight, as long as you don't mind some bullet holes in your walls...and roof.

♧

Peter Stamatin

He tends to think of what he would like to receive when tasked with picking out a gift for someone else. He let Andrey pick which flavour the cake for their birthday was each time growing up since the adults would just cut them one slice and expect them to share it. Peter would give up the whole plate to his brother. He's accustomed to people coming to his own birthday rather than the other way around. Maybe the fact that he left his room to walk all the way to your house is a gift of its own. Peter treats the gifting process as another medium for art. His gifts may include:

One of his paintings, a newer one you haven't seen before. Despite the subject depicted being abstract in nature, there is still a resemblance to a human figure on the canvas. The more you stare at it, the more it feels like you're looking onto a mirror, as if he manages to paint the essences of your soul.

The first bottles of twyrine produced from the freshly picked herbs of this season. He much prefers the local drinks over the Capital's champagne and the pubs celler of wines. He usually goes out of his way to secure the first bottles to himself each season, but this time around, he decided to share them with you. Attempting to explain the unearthed magic that is this liquid condensation of herbs before losing interest halfway through the conversation and sipping on his glass in silence.

A tombstone he designed himself. Heavy black marble starting in the base and cut in precise spots midway through to allow for the seamlessly translation to the stained glass art which makes the top of the tomestone. The art piece itself is made from various glass pieces, different in texture and colours. A day celebrating your birth seemed like the perfect opportunity to offer a reminder of your inevitable death.

A bouquet of wilted flowers. What used to be white petals is now yellowish in colour, fragile looking as if the buds might crumble if you look at them for too long. Dried thin stems and falling leaves, flowers rotting from the inside as they fall apart on the outside.

♧

Eva Yan

She arrives late, water is dripping from her hair as she admits she fell asleep in the bath and didn't realise how much time has passed. You help her to the upper floor and lend her a towel to dry up. She asks to borrow some of the flowers from the bouquets you receive to decorate her hair with, and you oblige. Two golden braids crown her head with small flower buds framing them like pearls.

A silk handheld fan with a light blue floral design and rosewood base structure. As she hands you the gift, she makes sure to stay and explain the romantic symbolism behind the choice of flowers in the design. At the end, she teaches you the basics of handheld fan language.

asymmetrical clip-on earrings. One has a dangling delicate chain that ends with a silver moon charm, and the other is made out of thin fabric to resemble the wings of a butterfly. The earrings look like they were taken from two different sets, and yet they match in a beautiful contrasting way of day and night.

A single lotus flower. A real living freshly picked lotus flower with waterdrolpets clinging to the pale pink leaves. It's still in the process of blooming. You're not sure how Eva managed to acquire this flower in such a preserved state this quickly, maybe with the help of a friend or two. When Eva makes a passing comment on how she knows a good herbal recipe to make with lotus flowers, Dankovsky almost chokes on his drink as he opens his mouth to say something before deciding against it.

A blank book, the pages aren't well aligned, and they vary in thickness. The leather cover holding them together is stiched by hand with the spine. Eva made it herself, she confessed, it took a long time. The pages hold the slightest hint of perfume to them, a soft smell that threatens to be washed away with each passing wind. She heard someone was bringing you a pen, and so she wanted to provide you with the pages.

♧

Maria Kaina

She commands the room effortlessly with her presence. Even the more rowdy guests feel a sense of shame under her heavy gaze as they quiet down and keep the destructiveness to a minimum. Dressed up to the nines in one of her best maroon dresses, she looks nothing short of bewitching while walking as if she was floating on air. You find yourself mesmerised by her beauty for a moment while she stands in front of you, your reaction clearly feeding her ego.

A golden picture frame. You've seen similar ones hanging around the crucible with paintings inside, depicting her late mother while others capture her own likeness with. Gold is her colour. You come to the conclusion as you lift the frame and look through it at the elegant figure of Maria, looking at you unimpressed with one lifted eyebrow. If you're out of paintings, she'll let you borrow one of the Stamatin twins to make do with, they technically work for her family after all.

perfume...or is it a colonge? You can't really tell. It's certainly strong with an ever-lasting smell, but the smell itself doesn't sting your nose despite how intense it is. It weaves itself seemingly through your senses, and for a second, you almost find yourself in a trance as your heart skips a beat. Hours later into the party, you find yourself still reminiscing about that lovely scent. The reproctutions of using that bottle might outweigh the benefits, and you realise you must think twice before touching it again.

A carving of flowers made from mundane stone. The material looks unexpectedly dull with a simple design until you view the art piece under direct sunlight. That's when it... remains an ordinary stone. Maybe for someone surrounded by gems, marbles, and silks all her life, the beauty of the mundane is hard to come by. You're reminded of the tale of Meduca as you stare at the hardened petals. Which one of the goddesses did this humble flora anger, you wonder.

♧

Mark Immortell

You're not sure when he arrives. You don't see him come in, nor do you hear the door. You just turned around a corner in your room and saw him staring out of the window. He smiled at you as he offered you one of three choices.

A snake's venom, you feel the glass vial staring back at you. The liquid is transparent red, much like diluted blood swirling around itself.

A bull's horn, with a hollow inside only the shell of bones remains. You put it to your ear and listen to the sounds of worms digging beneath the earth.

A mouse's heart, it's barely the size of your fingernail. Beating still, contrasts of red and blue veins pumping nothing into the void. You say hello, and it squeaks back.

♧

Vlad the Younger

From the way he seems to be studying the atmosphere of the party, it becomes apparent he is out of his usual element here. If you confront him about it, he admits that he never attended a birthday celebration before, even his own he'd usually ignore and be absent for. He simply didn't care for them, never saw the point. Although, since the day his sister was born, he made a habit of leaving gifts for her the day prior. It's a shame she grew out of playing with toys too soon.

A ruby ring it, was for someone else. The framing is made out of solid gold. It weights heavy on your palm and doesn't fit your finger quite right. A clear crimson crystal sits in the middle, not a single flaw amidst the professionally cut gem. For a second, you wonder if it's a proposal from how much the thing resembled an engagement ring. Vlad quickly clears the misunderstanding before it has time to occur. It simply is just a ring. Nothing more and nothing less. If the size is too off, just send it back to him, and he'll take care of resizing it for you.

a precious doll in a puffy dress. It's clearly meant for children yet is still on the high-end expensive kind of dolls, the ones you see in glass box displays. It comes with two different dresses and a golden hairbrush with a butterfly engraved on the back. You think you've seen a similar doll of this style on one of the shelves in Capella's room. Except this one is brand new while the one belonging to his sister was clearly well-loved and played with constantly in the past. He hands it to you with a melancholic smile.

♧

Georgiy Kain

He's very punctual with time, arrives exactly on the stroke of at the hour you've informed him the party would start at, and leaves on the dot at 9pm before bidding his farewells and congratulating you on throwing a successful social event. Saying he looks forward to next year's party, ah, but maybe you'd rather borrow the crucible for it? The location you've picked isn't exactly the most fitting, nor was the space accommodating enough. If you offer to walk him home, he'd find it amusing and indulge you by accepting the offer. The two of you walk about life and its meaning during the short walk.

A one of a kind vase, moulded by his own hands from clay. Countless hours must have been spent in the workshop for a vase to look this effortlessly flawless, as close to perfection as humanity can strive for. He humbly insists it was not a bother, the work was worth it. After all, if he doesn't push his limits with every single piece he makes, how is he supposed to improve? Each one has to put the last to shame, or else the whole process has been a failure, is what the judge explains to you as you awkwardly stand there holding the vase, hands getting sweaty and making you more aware of the possibility of accidentally breaking it. You hurry to carefully place it down a stable surface midway through his speech.

♧

Victor Kain

His congratulations are exactly tailored to fit the minimum standards of what's socially acceptable. He mostly keeps to himself through the party, discreetly keeping an eye on who's Maria's mingling with and making sure Casper doesn't break anything with the wooden sword he insisted on bringing while fighting with Notkin. Midway through the event, him and Bad Grief end up engrossed in their own conversation near the grandfather clock at the entrance of your house.

flowers, a bouquet of pure white roses and peace lilies, to be precise. A milky silk ribbon holds the deep green stems together in a delicate bow. A smaller ribbion made out of transparent lace makes a second bow right below the first one serving a decorative purpose. As you hold it and stare at yourself in the mirror, you get a sinking feeling in your stomach. You quickly place it into his brother's vase instead.

[somediyprojects]

DIY Pressed Flowers

Project by Jessica Marquez:

Whenever I have fresh flowers in my house, I’m just a little bit happier. A wild bouquet of colorful blooms brightens my mood and makes my space feel (and smell) great. Although, I rarely have fresh flowers out, because my cats love to munch on them. This DIY is all about preserving your flowers in an artful and creative way, or in my case, protecting them from the destructive mouths of small beasts. Whether it’s a special bouquet you’d like to keep forever, or a way to have flowers around even when your allergies or pets won’t cooperate, this project will keep your home forever in bloom. —Jessica

Pressing flowers is an easy way to preserve their beauty. You can use heavy books (remember using phone books? Those work well for pressing flowers), or you can go pro by making your own press. In our wall art, we’ll use pins to float our pressed flowers, creating depth and dimension much like in the artwork of Anne Ten Donkelaar, who uses pressed and paper flower cutouts for her layered and fantastical 3d botanical collages. Check out Anne’s work for a heavy dose of floral inspiration.

I visited my favorite local flower and skate shop (yep, best combo ever), Park Deli, for this stunning collection of bold yet delicate and brightly colored flowers. I think the best part of this project is the excuse to get some beautiful fresh flowers. You’ll be able to enjoy them for a very long time with this DIY.

Supplies

– Pressed flowers – Floral scissors – Parchment paper – Heavy books or flower Press – Glue – Shadow box frame (I used an IKEA Ribba frame) – Craft foam sheet – Colored paper – Pins (I used specimen pins, because I love the gold tops and matte black stems) – Tweezers

NOTE: Specimen pins measure about 1.5″ long, which extends beyond the shadow box frame’s glass. If you’d like to keep your final piece under the glass, you can use another type of shorter pin or cut your specimen pins down with jewelry wire cutters.

1. Cut the flowers close to the base. I experimented with a lot of different flowers, and found that small, thinner flowers that could lay flat worked best for pressing. Thicker, larger flowers took a lot of pressure to flatten and dry. Line a book with parchment paper and place cut flowers on the page without overlapping. Press for two to four weeks until they are completely dry.

Above is a collection of Chamomile, Thistle, pink Astrantia, orange Asclepia, white Veronica, and yellow Kangaroo paw. I have to say that the Astrantia, with their bold gradation of color and symmetrical starburst pattern, are my favorite.

Tip: Try to press your flowers when they are in full bloom to help get the best shape and colors. The colors will fade, but pressing them in the height of their bloom helps. Make sure they are completely dry, too, or they can mold.

2. Cut the paper and foam to frame size using the mat as a guide. Adhere foam to the back of the paper and frame. I used two layers of foam.

3. Compose an arrangement of pressed flowers. Once you decide on your layout, pin flowers in place starting with the bottom layer and working up. Use tweezers to easily pick up the pressed flowers.

Tip: Some of the dried flowers were so delicate that they cracked when pierced with the pins. Layering a small piece of foam just behind the flower as you pin helps avoid cracking and can also aid in adjusting the flowers at different heights on the pins.

[pocket-size-cthulhu]

Things you can frame (or not) and hang on your wall and nobody can stop you

Movie posters

Travel posters (real or from a fandom)

Pieces of music

Pages from old books (title page from a vintage copy of your favorite book perhaps)

Vinyls or other album art

Vintage stuff

Hats

Your own drawings or a friend's

Your own photos or a friend's

Old pics of your grandparents or whatever (wedding pics/baby pics or like Aesthetic Pics)

A piece of fabric with cool applique or pattern (shirt you love, old tablecloth etc)

Dried flowers/leaves

Pinned bugs if that's your thing

Ink prints of plants or whatever

Scientific diagrams (plants, animals, insects, machinery)

A poem

Tapestries, macrame, embroidery etc

Wicker or other woven stuff

Copies of famous works of art from the public domain

Commissioned fan art

Pics from the JWST or hubble

Mirrors (maybe with cool stuff done to them)

Clocks

Neon

Calendar

Maps

Help me think of more. I need to put stuff on my walls

[captain-alex-grayson]

My y2k emo dreams when I was little was to have a room like those teen girls with all the posters and stuff papering their walls.

I think I'm finally achieving that in my room at 25 years old.

The Mulan poster is from my dad's best friend, my late uncle beaky. He gave it to me in a black frame that I promptly beat the shit out of. I replaced it just Tuesday and it makes the wall brighter and allows me to add more gold frames. My maternal Uncle (my favorite and only bio uncle) passed in April. He had this low quality Edvard Munch print in a frame, it's a canvas like paper modpodged onto particle board. I wanted a frame but it's 11 1/2 by 13 1/2 which is custom and I'm poor so I used sticky velcro on the wall. Looks good right there.

In my closet I actually removed what was stored up there because it was from when I was like 5 so I vacuum sealed the stuff and stashed them away to utilize the shelf for figures. We have a type writer that doesn't function and is so unkempt that it's not worth fixing so I'm tossing it soon. In front of it is the sour apple intellectual property waterparks vinyl I got with that AP bundle. Holding it up is a die-cast model car that I put together myself like 19 years ago. I've got a wonder woman 5 by 7 from denver fan expo a few years ago (kaela kroft art if yall like star wars that's what she's known for). Hidden behind the bunny is my coffin terrarium with owliver on top. Got a tiny lego cyberman in the closet too bc it doesn't bring joy. There are 3 rows of funkos on the bottom layer, the second almost goes 3 back across and the top only goes two deep. They are organized bottom left to bottom right: Rivers Cuomo (music) Party Poison Gerard Way (music) Sox (film) The Hex Girls (nostalgia). Middle left to middle right: Patrick Stump (music) Pete Wentz (music) Number Five (comics) Laid Back Inosuke (anime/manga). The top right to left: Viktor Krum (Film) Buckbeak (film) Severus Snape (memoriam). In front are flowers I have dried. I really like vintage ceramic decor and target has been feeding me so we got that cheeky lil guy. The box has some of Pinky's fur to keep him with me since he passed in January and the photo behind the box is of Pinky. Then there's my mad hatter hat being protected by the shittiest 2012 fashion choice a burgundy fedora bc Taylor Swift did it and so can I. I looked fucking dumb it is not wearable and I'm tossing it soon. I'll someday have details on my bookshelf but for now just know that I had a loft bed until 2016 2017 ish. So my dresser was under the bed and I had space for my desk bookshelf and storage chest. I didn't want to take my frames under my sconce down so the bookshelf went in the closet.

I started adding sentimental things to my wall above my desk when I was 15. It was small but as I went on vacations and to concerts with friends I started a collage wall. My mom made the puzzle and it's glow in the dark and also not glued together lmao. My white board has a reminder to wear black and an awsten knight sticker being held up by magnets. I actually used to have a full sized Sirius Black wanted poster and that magnet replaces it. There's a picture of me and my sibling Binket from my late uncle's house and a turtle magnet my mom got me. That picture of pinky is roughly near the spot he was on my loft bed when I took that picture. I like the art in red vines boxes so I kept that. The envelope was from my grams during lunar new year. The white envelope has some papers I made in high school that just live there now. That feesh! is a post card from Saga Japan and was given to me by a guest from Saga when I was in 6th grade. I've gotta replace that marvel poster with the updated one or I just have to take it down because it's not a full reflection of my comic interests any more. Underneath that I have texts from last night Borderlands edition, a Captain America vintage promo poster on printer paper with a pewdiepie duck stuck to it. There's a funny insta story from awsten knight to the left of Borderlands and Pinky in a halloween costume under that. We have a little Vaughn that is looking toward a Rhys. Rhys is to the right of the cap poster. Then there's a row of bands I need to see live. I have Da Vinci's Demons texts from last night from my high school locker with blink 182 and fob mixed in. Got a micro burrito and micro totoro with 3 concert tickets. And I'll stop there bc I'll post close ups later.

I custom framed my signed parx poster and Geoff's signature goes off the page so I'm gonna fight him. Next to it is Rawrly and Pohly's Silly Lillies Monet remix. Under is a picture of me and my mom and me and Bink then we have me and my dad. I also never took down my 2016 2017 Newt Scamander cosplay reference photos and a soda exploded and they just live there now.

My beloved posters. The Gotham one is new, batman is my favorite vigilante. The AC Unity trailers reminded me of Backstreet's Back (Alright) so I got the poster and that's the only AC poster they had bc it just came out. The Last of Us is from my first con. Back when Denver Fan Expo was called Denver Comic Con. I love this poster and it has never laid flat for me so I might be forced to frame it soon. Heath Ledger was my favorite Joker and the best fake Knight I had ever seen and this poster was an immediate snag. I got wall clings from when I worked at Hot Topic and Isabelle is my comfort character, I didn't realize how much I found peace when playing New Leaf until the Isabelle obsession started. Below all that and back at the beginning we have an old Lost Boys poster from when the film was released. It was my mom's. Next is the Duran Duran poster, also my mom's. The crusty DC poster needs either an update or a replacement I'm not sure yet.

Yes I have a tv tray in my room. Yes I have plans to fix that. No I haven't found a way to fix it my ps5 cord is too short. Also those crayons are from like 2001.

[ohwaitwhatdamn]

Dreams of making buckwheat pancakes and having a silly dance party in the kitchen using homemade lavender flavored simple syrup. 

Framing the drawings the children drew on the wall, "It's pretty, but is it Art?" Yes, of course, indeed. 

We all drew on the wall and placed frames around our creations, "It's clever, but is it Art?" Yes, of course, indeed. 

Later, we will collect leaves and mushrooms and count the rings on tree stumps while our boots crunch over twigs and get caked with mud. 

Our bootprints stamped evidence of our adventures in our entryway as the children pulled treasures from their tiny pockets and displayed them proudly wherever their hearts desired.

Tenderly laid among pinecones, pieces of wood, and dried flowers that tell tales of other adventures in collecting sumac and yarrow. 

[merrymorningofmay]

hi! :)

i am loving your art! you're so talented! im particularly dazzled over your granny's house in a box, it's so cute! i was wondering, what materials did you use to make the inside? i love miniatures and ive been curious to make my own, but im not sure where to start. i saw yours and love how it looks! but wasn't sure if the furniture and what not was made out of clay or something different.

happy crafting!! cant wait to see more of your creations!

omg that's so sweet thank you!!! <33

as for materials: it's mostly (basically all the furniture + the door + books/icons on the shelves + the candle) toothpicks and coffee mixers/popsicle sticks :') also much of the stuff is beads + jewelry findings (all the obvious ones + the mirror frame + the mug on the table is a bail bead with paint on top)

the heating thingie under the window is a plastic straw cut into little pieces + ends melted together with a candle + glued and painted

the dried herbs on the wall are uh. i took a bunch of loose herbal teas (linden, the purple ones are marjoram iirc? and the yellow ones are immortelle, not a tea but i happened to have it), picked out some flowers/leaves that looked pretty and fitted my scale, assembled them into little bouquets with glue (it's easier when you take a stem or a piece of wire as a base and glue the flowers onto it), wrapped some thread around them for a finished look

the "fresh" plants are wire stems + paper (highly recommend a hole puncher like this to make tiny paper leaves/petals painlessly!)

the rest is pretty much paper + some wire :') the creature guy is the only clay element, but tbh that's just because i have more fun assembling things than sculpting them

i also had this ask a while ago where i mentioned some youtube channels that have cool techniques and ideas if you're interested!

thanks again and good luck with your creations!!!

[yourcoffeeguru]

Vintage Oval Wood Frame Pressed Dried Flowers 56.5cm x 46.5 cm Wall Hanging || SWtradepost

[misqnon]

Masquerade

CHAPTER 3: A Meeting

“On the final Friday of each month, towns and cities around the country hold their monthly masquerade. Although the humans don’t know it, this is the only time supernatural beings come out of their hiding places to dance amongst the mortals.”

(Mystery, adventure, eventual human/vampire romance)

*warning for very slight nsfwish scenario in this chapter

Previous Chapters

They headed out of the kitchen and back into the main hall, where Lilli pointed out the paintings of their ancestors.

"Priya painted these more recent ones! Isn't she talented?"

"Wow, these are amazing. How old is she? 

..Actually, how old are any of you?" Marnie asked. 

Carter mock gasped. "Ah! Asking my age? Haven't you heard you should never ask a vampire such a thing?"

Marnie laughed, and Carter smiled back.

Well, maybe he wasn't all bad. 

"Priya's 23." Lilli said. "Ace and I just turned 24, Carter's 25, and Harley is 28. Oh, and Maki is 26." 

"23? She's so talented for her age…" 

"Marnie and I are 21." Leo said. "It's crazy that you guys are mostly all around our age." 

"Yea, I was a little worried you were gonna be like, 800 or something, not gonna lie." Marnie said. Carter dramatically gasped at her again. 

"Do I look-" 

Lilli playfully shoved him. He shoved her back. 

Then they walked through the downstairs waiting room- just a collection of chairs and tables in a sunny red room full of windows and bookshelves. There was a bathroom, a laundry area, another, smaller kitchen, and the entrance to a basement. Upstairs housed another 2 bathrooms, a dressing room, a modest ballroom, a study, a library, and a few other doors they walked right past. Leo and Marnie were flabbergasted at just how much room there was. At how expensive it must be. Did any of them have…actual jobs? 

"And here's my bedroom!" Lilli said, opening a door with a pink crocheted 'L' hanging on it. 

Inside was a large bedroom with a canopy bed, a desk, a vanity, a dresser, and plenty of flowers and plants put on the windowsills. Although the wallpaper was a classical red and brown, bits of her classic pink filled the room in the bedspread, the decor, and her clothes. Marnie walked in and expressed her love for the room- the pink, the plants, the clothes- all the bits of Lilli- and Lilli started showing her around excitedly. 

Carter and Leo, left at the door, stared awkwardly. The girls seemed preoccupied, and made no effort to include them- caught up in their own little world.

Carter, not one to wait, figured he'd take things into his own hands. 

He turned to leave the room on his heel, grabbing Leo's hand as he did so, and took a few confident steps down the hall.

"Hup-! Hey!" He said, though he didn't make an attempt to pull away. 

"What, don't you want to see my room?" 

"Uh…I…guess? Shouldn't we wait on…"

"Lilli loves to show off her things. They're going to be in there at least an hour. Come on, don't you want your sister to have some quality bonding time with her new friend?" 

Well the first half sounded innocent (if not flamboyant) enough, but now he was convinced this was (another?) attempt to steal his blood. 

Nonetheless, at the end of the hall, away from most the other doors, was a dark wooden door with dried roses pinned to it. A rabbit's foot hung from the doorknob, which Carter turned and opened to a dark, black-toned room.

This whole family seemed color coded. If Lilli's room was classical with a dash of pink, this was dark academia with a dash of…dark. 

Dark brown oak wooden furniture lined the room, though his bed was much more modern, with no canopy and a minimalist black frame. Unlike Lilli's, his was unmade, which might not be an indicator of his character considering he might have quite literally been sleeping when they showed up. He was still in his nightgown. 

Much like his robe, the bedspread and sheets were black, as was much of the posters, frames, and paraphernalia on the wall. It was mostly sketches, art, maps, musical groups. Some of the sketches looked similar to the style he had been told downstairs were Priya's, which he found sweet.

Then he heard Carter shut the door behind them.

Now wait a minute.

Carter was walking away from the door, stretching, his face a blissful grin. He walked right up to Leo- too close- and spoke with lidded eyes and a sly voice.

"You know, they probably won't notice we're gone for a while." 

Leo immediately felt all the blood in his body rush up into his face. Was he flirting with him? Well, past that step really- was he trying to hook up? Like, right now? With Leo? 

Breathless, Leo just fumbled over his words with many 'uh's and 'um's. 

"You're really cute, Glasses."

Carter put his hand to Leo's chest, gently, and Leo somehow blushed again. 

He had never, never been intimate with a man- hell, the poor repressed bastard had never even kissed a man. Well, to be fair, he'd never been intimate with a woman either. But at least he'd kissed one of those. 

Carter was slowly pushing Leo to his bed, and Leo was cooperating. His mind was far away. Well, actually, it was right here, and quite active, but it was operating somewhere outside his body right now.

If he wasn't a poor repressed bastard, desperate and touch-starved and maybe a bit aroused right now, then he'd be 20 feet down the hall right now telling Lilli that her scary big brother was trying to seduce him. 

Especially because her scary big brother was a vampire. And especially especially because he knew this one specifically wasn't above eating him.

But he was a poor repressed bastard, and he did want to experience what it was like to be with a man, and Carter, admittedly, was kinda hot, and it appeared that in the span of time he was thinking all of this he had ended up laid down on Carter's bed, and Carter had climbed on top of him, straddling his hips.

Wait, what. 

Oh God, He was Straddling His Hips.

"You know, I won't lie, I wasn't expecting you to actually go along with this." Carter said, leaning down. 

'Well, neither was I!' Leo thought. 

Then Carter bypassed Leo's face and hovered his breath, and his fangs, right above Leo's collarbone. 

"So is this something I'll be allowed to do, too…?" He whispered, inching dangerously closer to Leo's pulse- upon which, the utter realization of being bitten pulled Leo right out of his gay little fantasy and back into the real world. 

His heart rate- already accelerated for other reasons- shot through the top and began racing. Unfortunately, that only seemed to make Carter more interested. 

"Come on, Leo, give me an answer…" Carter cooed. 

But Leo was frozen. Frozen and fucking terrified-

WHACK.

One pair of brown eyes and one pair of red eyes both shot to the door as it slammed open, despite having previously been locked. One equally as shocked, utterly pissed pair of green eyes shone in the doorway, its owner brandishing a small brass key.

"Carter. Get off of him."

The Guardian Crain was already scrambling off the bed by the time Ace said his name. 

The taller man walked over to the bed and held a hand out to Leo, but he wasn't looking at him. He was just glaring daggers at his brother, who had his arms crossed and was averting eye contact with a grimace on the other side of the bed.

Leo took his hand and was gently, but firmly, pulled to his feet. He was embarrassed- really embarrassed- but hopefully most of the blame would be put on Carter. Rightfully so.

Sorry, Carter.

Ace led him out of the room, and upon leaving, locked the door from the outside. He heard Carter protest something from inside, but he was too preoccupied to figure out exactly what he said.

As soon as they were alone, Ace leaned down and looked him in the eyes.

"Are you okay?" Ace put a hand on his neck and turned it over, this way and that, checking for bite marks. "He didn't do anything to you, right?" 

"N-No, nothing happened."  It sent chills down his spine to have yet another vampire touching his neck, even gently. And right in his face, up close like this, he realized he did indeed still have a crush on Ace. Unless this was the residual arousal talking. 

"Good. God, I'm sorry. Maybe bringing you here was a bad idea." He stood up again, rubbing the back of his neck in that absentminded way he did when he was nervous.    

"No, no! It's not your fault. And I'm not hurt at all, remember?" 

"Yea, no thanks to him." He scoffed, looking back at the door.

"I won't tell if you don't want me to." Ace said, putting a finger to his lips. "I'm very good at keeping secrets." He winked.

Leo blushed. "I'd appreciate that." 

Maybe he would tell Marnie later, but. For now. He was going to try to. Move on. Somehow. 

"Come on, I have some news." 

And with that, Ace led him back down the hallway towards the study room they had passed earlier, where Lilli, Marnie, and Harley waited around a large wood table. Priya and Maki sat on the other end as well, though they seemed less interested. 

"Where's Carter?" Harley asked.

"Not here." Ace lied. 

Harley sighed. "We can't have a Coven Meeting without him-"

"I'M HERE!" 

Carter breathlessly entered the room, looking flustered. There were a few leaves stuck to his robe. "Sorry. I got held up." He glared pointedly at Ace. 

Ace glared back just as ruefully. "Oh, something was getting up alright." He mumbled under his breath. 

They were glaring daggers at each other without any subtlety. Leo felt shame and embarrassment welling up inside him, knowing this related to him, but luckily he was saved by the bell. Harley dismissed them both to their seats, clearly catching on that something had gone on.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll find out later. Just sit down, please." He sounded tired. But after everyone had sat, Ace next to Lilli, Leo next to Ace, and Carter next to…Leo, the meeting began. 

Harley perked up a bit when he spoke. "Ace has brought to my attention a new plan regarding something that's been a mystery within our family for decades. I don't think most of you know about it- maybe Maki, if anyone- but there is one key on Ace's belt that we don't know the lock to." 

The whole Crain family shuffled at that. It seemed that Ace was very good at this whole "Key" thing, and he seemed to know his stuff. 

"When the Keeper of the Keys title was passed on to him, he was told that every keeper has tried to find what it unlocks. But whatever it is, the one thing we do know about it is that it's in the human realm." 

Marnie looked at Leo. Things were starting to make sense. 

"Ace and I have talked about finding what this key unlocks before, but only briefly. We didn't get much farther after finding out it was in the human realm, for obvious reasons. But he has proposed that perhaps with human guides," Harley nodded to Marnie, and then Leo,

"This could become possible." 

Whispers spread across the table. Leo and Marnie tried to take inventory of the reactions. Lilli looked confused, if anything- she didn't seem to know anything about this beforehand. Carter was the same, although he looked like he was thinking hard about something. 

They heard Priya speak for the first time, whispering something unintelligible to Maki. But Maki wasn't paying attention to her. She was looking down, intently, and she looked almost…angry. 

"Thoughts?" Asked Harley.

Carter raised his hand. "Why weren't we told about this special little key before? And, most importantly, what do we even think it unlocks? I mean, is it even worth it?" 

Ace stepped in for that one. "When I became Keeper of the Keys, I was told that this information was only to be shared between myself and the Coven Head. Considering I can't really up and leave without telling you all why, let alone bring humans home, I elected to ignore that rule. However, I can't tell you what we think it is. That, I was told, was more confidential than anything. But I can tell you that it's…insane. Something that all of us would kill for."

"Convenient." Said Carter. 

"I mean it. You guys know I wouldn't abuse your trust." 

"I know what it is." 

Everyone turned their heads to the new voice; Maki's. Her face was flat, purple eyes devoid of any light. 

Ace and Harley looked at each other, but she spoke again before they could say anything.

"And it's not worth it. It's stupid. It probably isn't even real, anyway." 

Leo watched Ace fumble a bit, deflating. "How…How do you know what it is?"

"I read it in one of the books in the library. An old journal I found in the archives. It belonged to one of our great uncles, one of the previous Key Keepers. And it's not worth it. What do you even plan on doing? Just because you have two humans with you doesn't mean you can walk around openly. And it's not like you can wear your masquerade gear every day; people will think you're crazy. Do you even know where you're going? There's an entire globe out there, the human realm isn't just Blighton- if that were the case, you would have been searching every masquerade night. It could be in another country for all we know. And whether this lock is on a box, a door, a lock- we don't even know what we're looking for. Have you thought this through at all?" 

By the end her gaze had left the table and turned directly to the blonde Crain, her voice and eyes cutting the room with malice. The twins felt they shouldn't be there, that this wasn't their place at all- in fact, even Carter and Lilli looked shocked. Ace just blinked, overwhelmed- if not a little hurt. 

Harley cleared his throat. 

"Maki's right. We don't have any leads. Whether her idea of what the key unlocks is correct or not, it'd be stupid to head out on a journey to the human realm with nothing but the key and a couple mortals." 

He looked to the two mortals in question. "No offense."

"None taken!" They said quickly, in unison. They were just happy to have something to input. 

"I'm well aware of that." Ace said. "But where else to get more information than the human realm itself? Its libraries, its people, its local legends. This wouldn't just be a prop hunt, the first phase of it would be gathering information." 

Maki was silent. She still looked angry, displeased, and she didn't seem to agree with what Ace had just put forward, either, but she had said her piece. 

Harley looked to the group. 

"I'll open it up to a vote. Lilli, Maki, Priya, Carter. And you two," Harley said, nodding to the twins.

Marnie blinked. "Wait, us?" The other vamps seemed surprised as well.

He shrugged. "You're involved, so you might as well get a vote."

Maki looked ready to jump out of her seat, but Priya placed a quiet hand on her shoulder. 

Harley opened it up to the table. 

"All in favor of allowing Ace to move forward with his plan, in phases." 

Leo and Marnie looked at each other before slowly raising their hands, just above their head lines. Lilli raised her hand next. Then Carter, and surprisingly, Priya.

Maki said nothing. 

Harley shrugged again. "That's majority." 

Ace jumped up, pumping his fist in the air. "Yes!" 

"Ace, sit down." 

"Yessir!" Plop.

"Let me lay down some ground rules. You guys can give feedback if they don't sound good to you. First of all, we need to figure out to what extent you'll be involving these two." He gestured to the twins again. "I'm sure they have their own lives they need to get back to."

Leo and Marnie looked at each other. Marnie worked at the local market, and Leo had gotten a job editing papers at the local printing press. Other than that, they really only had each other and their humble little house. They'd only lived here a year or so, anyway. 

Marnie hesitantly explained. "Well, we both have jobs, but they're not…the most important things in the world to us. Other than that there isn't much holding us here, but obviously we need the money to keep our house, and get food." 

Priya spoke. "We could always pay for them." 

"Priya!" Maki hissed. 

She shrugged. "We have so much of it. Sometimes I go into the vault and fold the bills into little boats." 

Oh. Alright. 

Harley nodded. "Uh, okay. Priya, don't…do that anymore. But she's right." He turned back to them. "Our family has quite a bit of money. It could be our way of paying you, considering your help."

That…didn't sound too bad, actually. Leo was starting to like these guys more and more. 

"That…sounds alright to me." He said. 

Harley nodded. "Information, then. I'm not approving any trip outside of the immediate area until you bring me a lead."

Ace brightened. "Does that mean I'm allowed in the human realm for research?"

Harley sighed. "I suppose." 

"Haha!" Ace grinned. 

"And are you planning on doing this alone, aside from your two guides?" 

Lilli looked over at him and Ace smiled. 

"I was planning on taking Lilli, actually." 

"That sounds like a good idea. She's more responsible than you anyway." Harley smirked. 

Ace pretended to be bothered and Lilli giggled. 

Leo and Marnie, though they hadn't said it to each other out loud, were actually starting to feel…excited. 

Their life here wasn't bad by any means, but it was definitely simple, and temporary. They had escaped home but they couldn't live their greatest dreams right away. They had to settle for a small, cheap town near the forest, getting day jobs while they saved up for whatever was next. 

And both of them would be lying if they said they hadn't daydreamed of situations like this. Of adventure. Of getting out there. Of seeing the world. Of escaping. 

"I'm coming too." 

The sound of mirrors breaking filled Leo's head as he looked over to the voice that had come from right beside him, from Carter.

Harley quirked a brow, while Lilli and Ace made…some faces. 

"And why would you need to go, Carter?" Harley asked.

"Because, I sneak off to the human realm all the time. Oh, don't look surprised, you knew I wasn't disappearing to the moor." 

Harley had his eyes shut, face tight with frustration. He just waved it off to the little team they had formed of human/vampire duos.

Lilli and Ace both looked at their brother with…Apprehension. Lilli tried to let him down gently. 

"Carter, we know that you'd be a valuable asset to the human realm, but we kind of have…guides, for that. Uh, besides! The more vampires in the human realm, the more complicated things get. Ace and I are pushing it as it is."

"Yea, and you eat people, dude." Ace added.

"I can control myself!" Carter protested.

Ace inflamed. "20 MINUTES AGO I HAD TO PEEL YOU OFF-" 

Leo panicked. "I THINK WE'LL BE FINE WITH FOUR." He interjected. 

Marnie gave him a suspicious glance.

Carter just huffed. "Alright, Fine. Head to the human realm without your humble guard dog. It's not like there was a hunter out for your necks just last night." 

Harley nearly sat bolt upright. 

"A hunter?" 

"Oh, yea." Ace scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly. "I forgot about that." 

Carter smirked. 

Harley sighed for probably the millionth time that day. "It's getting late. We should let the humans get home. We can continue this conversation later." 

Leo suddenly realized just how late it was. Looking to the clock on the wall, he watched the dial approach four. He did not look forward to the walk home at this hour. Besides that, he was now realizing just how tired he was. 

Ace looked at Leo sympathetically. "It is getting late. Sorry we ended up keeping you so long. I'm sure you two are exhausted after everything that's happened." 

Leo chuckled. "Yea, a bit." 

Lilli popped her head into the conversation. "It is late- much too late to make the walk home. Why don't we let them sleep here? We have guest rooms." 

Harley, among others, looked hesitant. "I'm..not sure if that's a good idea," He began. 

"Aw, c'mon Harls! They're harmless." Ace winked. 

Harley frowned at him. "I know they're harmless, Ace. It's their comfort I'm worried about." Carter's name did not have to be said. 

Marnie peeped up. "I don't mean to impose, but I don't really want to walk home at this hour either. And I wouldn't mind having a sleepover in Lilli's room, personally. " She smiled, and Lilli smiled back. 

Harley made a face. Then he looked at Leo. "What about you?"

What about Leo. He wasn't sure he knew himself. He looked to Ace, at his left, and then Carter, to his right. 

It was like an angel and a devil on his shoulders. 

But he, too, really didn't want to walk home tonight. Dangerous or not, he mostly didn't wanna have to wait that long before being able to get the fuck to sleep. 

"...Just for tonight, I don't think I'd mind." 

Harley huffed. "Well, if you're comfortable with it, then you're free to. Ace, Lilli, please take good care of your guests. And Carter,"

"Alright, alright! I got it! Not like you've said it a thousand times tonight…"

"For you, it bears repeating." Ace mumbled.

Marnie and Lilli, predictably, did end up having a mock-sleepover. Lilli grabbed some extra pillows and bedsheets from the guest bedroom and insisted on sleeping on the floor so that Marnie could have her bed. Marnie protested, of course, but couldn't win against Lilli's diplomat arguments. Her bed was unbelievably fancy- the kind you could tell was actually high quality, not just expensive- and it smelled good, too, like flowers and linen. 

Leo, however, spent the entire walk upstairs trying to decide which would be more safe from possible vampiric attacks: a guest bedroom, all to himself and vampire free, but open to attacks from Carter or any other thirsty home member who walked by. 

The alternative, however, was sharing a room with Ace, which was intimidating for multiple reasons. And also meant sleeping in the same room as a vampire, as much as he had come to like Ace. 

It was still only Day 1. He had a while to go before he would fully trust him. 

Once they were upstairs, and everyone else had departed, Ace put a hand on his hip and asked Leo his plan. Leo had decided that he'd ask for a guest bedroom if Ace didn't outright offer him to room with him. Besides, he didn't wanna overstep his boundaries. It was like inviting yourself over to someone else's house. 

"You sure?" Ace asked, upon hearing Leo's decision. "I wouldn't mind if you slept with me. Besides, how else am I supposed to protect you from Carter?" He grinned a quirky grin. 

Leo blushed. "Well…when you put it that way," 

Ace cackled, throwing an arm around Leo's shoulders. "C'mon, I'll show you my room. There's a futon in there you can crash on." 

He guided Leo there with his arm perched on Leo the whole time. Leo would not admit to himself that he thoroughly enjoyed the other's touch. 

When they reached Ace's door, a dark blue with a pair of aviator glasses hanging from it, Leo realized this was the first time he'd spent the night at someone else's house. He'd never really gotten to do it as a kid.

Inside, Ace's room was much like Lilli's. Classic wallpaper and furniture but Ace-isms all over the room. A guitar sat in the back corner, a few clothes messily hung on chair backs, some old tools sat on his desk. Surprisingly, it was relatively free of key motifs. There were quite a few airplanes, though. 

His bed was a canopy, like Lilli's, but the sheets were a navy blue. He pulled them back and grabbed an extra blanket from the mess of comforters, handing one to Leo.

"Let me go grab you a pillow." 

Leo put his blanket down on the futon and sat. 

What a weird day this had been. If you told him 12 hours ago that his first masquerade night would end with a sleepover at the home of his new vampire friends, he would have told you that that was an extremely strange, specific scenario. And also that you were crazy. 

But here he was. 

He heard footsteps come back in the room and expected to see Ace, but instead-

Well, take one guess.

Surprisingly, though, the raven-haired visitor didn't look sly, or mischievous, or even amused. He seemed relatively even-faced, if not worried. 

Leo made a face despite that, preparing for the worst. Carter avoided eye-contact, but spoke.

"Hey. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier."

…Oh?

"I mean, some of it was on purpose, but I don't want to genuinely make someone uncomfortable. If I was, coming onto you, that is, and-"

Leo interrupted him after getting the gist of what he was saying. 

"It's alright. Thanks…for apologizing. And…Sorry." 

Carter looked at him strangely. "What are you sorry for?" 

"I don't know. Making you look bad?" 

Carter just stared at him for a moment, then cackled, his fangs out and proud. Then he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"You need to raise your self-esteem. You're cute, you should have some more of it." 

Leo blinked. 

"I would say I won't flirt with you anymore, and I won't, if you don't want me to. But I don't mean anything by it, really. It just really pisses Ace off." He said, grinning. 

Speaking of, the blonde appeared in the doorway shortly afterwards with some pillows. The moment he saw Carter he nearly flipped a lid, going on about how he can't leave him alone for a second- but Carter ignored him, spinning his finger around at his temple to indicate that he was crazy to Leo. As much as he loved Ace, he had to admit, it made him laugh a bit. Carter and Ace's relationship was…entertaining, to say the least.

"Alright, alright, I'll get out of your room. I just couldn't keep myself away from our visitor. And not for the reason you think!" 

Ace squinted at him. "Uh huh. And what would that be?"

"I just thought I'd ask him if he was single." 

"GET OUT!" 

Eventually, Ace got him out of the room. Carter managed to wave goodbye to Leo, who halfheartedly waved back. Any romantic inkling that had briefly appeared between him and Carter earlier in the day had been ruled out by now, but he didn't mind the other's presence as much as he thought he did. 

Still made him dreadfully nervous, though. 

By the time they got settled, it was practically 5 am. Ace said goodnight, climbed into bed, and assured Leo that all the doors and windows were locked, and that he had the key. 

Leo layed on the futon with his gaze to the ceiling, considering what he had gotten himself into, but it didn't last long. Within minutes he'd fallen into a peaceful sleep himself, completely forgetting to worry about his vampiric roommate for the night.

—

Sub-Chapter: Girls

"...Hey, Marnie?" 

Marnie blearily blinked her eyes open, having almost completely fallen asleep. They laid down just minutes ago.

"Yea?" 

"Sorry, were you asleep?"

"No, no, what's up?" She slurred. 

"...Do you guys really want to help us? I mean, you didn't get a lot of time to think about it. And I know it's…a lot. No one will be mad if you decide against it."

"..." Marnie lay still for a moment, then sat up in bed and pushed the covers from her legs. She put her bare feet to the cold, hardwood floor and shuffled over to where Lilli was. She gestured for Lilli to scoot over even though it was completely dark in the room. Luckily, Lilli could see anyway. She complied.

Marnie sat down with her and pulled the blankets over her cold toes. 

"Lilli, you seem so…insecure, about humans. About what we think of you. Did something happen…? I mean, you don't have to tell me, but….We don't have anything against you. Leo- I know he acts scared of you all, and I'm sorry, he's just-" 

"No, no! Leo is fine, he hasn't hurt my feelings. I understand. Nothing has happened to me, actually, but…I've heard stories, and I know family who…have had to deal with things. I don't know, I guess I'm just scared humans will think I'm…disgusting. Or a monster." 

Marnie was quiet a moment. "...I like monsters. I think they're misunderstood." 

Lilli looked at her. She'd never heard a response quite like that before. 

"And besides. Isn't it cool having a friend that could totally kick your ass? Especially knowing that they totally could, but they won't. ‘Cause they like you. And you like them." 

"...I've never thought of it that way. But, with us, it's like…We could beat you up, and sometimes we really want to beat you up. Our whole lives were designed around beating you up. It's not like we can just pretend that isn't true."

"Well, then, doesn't that make the fact you choose not to even more meaningful? And whether you think your lives were 'designed' that way or not, you and your family are doing just fine as you are right now, aren't you? Getting food from blood banks? That's like saying humans were designed to eat fruit, but how many people do you know that actually go looking for fruit trees when they want an apple? We don't, we go to a store to buy it prepared, just like you. And I don't think the apple tree holds it against us." 

Lilli thought for a long time. "Marnie, I don't know if I fully agree with your metaphor yet, but…It's very thoughtful. I appreciate that you care so much, even though we've really only just met." 

Marnie smiled a sad smile. "I should be thanking you. I'm just happy to have a friend. A girl friend. I've just…had trouble…in the past. Feeling comfortable with other girls accepting me, I guess. It isn't, like, a competition thing or anything. Just…personal stuff. But, so, it means a lot to me to finally make a friend who's a girl and who also isn't Leo." She said, chuckling. Lilli laughed too.

"Well I like you a lot already. And I'm excited to talk about anything and everything with you. My sisters were nice to have around, and I love them both dearly, but they weren't much like me. So this is nice for me too."

Marnie snorted. "We sound like we just started dating." 

Lilli laughed at that. "I don't think I could have romance in my life right now."

"I don't think I could have romance in my life, like, ever. For some reason, it's just not my thing. I think platonic relationships are just as important and special. Have I hammered that home too much tonight?" She yawned. "I feel like I'm repeating myself." 

Lilli smiled. "Nah, it's nice to be reassured. You should get to bed. You need more rest than me."

Marnie stood, yawning again. "Yea, yea, rub it in." 

"Hehe, maybe I will. You keep saying I should get more comfortable with who I am!" 

"Is who you are relevant to me going to sleep right now?" 

"I don't think so."

"Then I care not. G'night." She said, flopping back down into her nest of blankets. Lilli rolled her eyes, smiling, and went back to bed herself.

[confused-android]

I'm mostly doing Salty Pirate Month on discord this year, and I'm starting a little early.

I'm actually taking a few weeks off work to focus on mental health. My goal each day is to do one (1) body movement, one (1) grief processing thing, and one (1) salty pirate task.

This will be my master list. I don't think I'll make the most regular updates here (though we'll see!) but I can keep track of the full list here.

Storage Room ⬜ Camping gear ⬜ Test camping gear ⬜ Label camping gear ⬜ Ask everyone about what gear we can/should get rid of ⬜ Robot parts ⬜ Sort down to ONE bin ⬜ Get rid of the rest ⬜ Put shelf from laundry room OR luka’s closet where robot parts are ⬜ Un-freeze and bake yarn ⬜ Put S’s things on a shelf instead of in a corner ⬜ Insulate HVAC ducts in the storage room with the silver stuff Craft Room ⬜ Take all craft supplies down ⬜ Sort ⬜ Put back on shelves & label ⬜ Give away things we for sure won’t use ⬜ Find place for sewing machine ⬜ Finish sorting buttons (luka?) into grey mini shelves ⬜ sort yarn ⬜ revive cedar and lavender sachets Family Room / Library ⬜ Sell unwanted videos and video games (get help) ⬜ Clear carpet in front of bookshelves ⬜ Sort remaining basement bookshelves ✅ Give away talmud tractates ⬜ Sort through comic books ⬜ Take remaining claire-books to little free library ⬜ Basement lighting redesign? ⬜ Organize puzzle and game shelves ⬜ Paint walls on either side of basement stairs ⬜ Install stair nose at top of basement stairs Galia’s Bedroom ⬜ Claire’s stuff ⬜ Get rid of green bag of underwear and socks ⬜ Sort / get rid of bathroom supplies ⬜ Personal objects ⬜ Try on new clothes for me ⬜ Pillows & Bedding ⬜ Find some way to distribute hats ⬜ What do with cloth masks? ✅ Fix or get rid of sewing kit table ⬜ reorg/tidy standing desk ⬜ Install paper sorter on wall ⬜ Sort all personal paperwork ⬜ Correctly install linen shelves? ⬜ Bring down smutty comics, reorg headboard ⬜ Find a place for the sweater/storage bench ⬜ Stablize shoe rack ⬜ Give away Ro art (to S?) ⬜ Deodorize and scrub mattress ⬜ Re-attach curtain rods ⬜ Re-attach towel hooks in bathroom ⬜ Move / store crib and changing table Kitchen ⬜ Fix or replace drinks cart with something less wobbly ⬜ Swap generic plates for stenglware ⬜ Organize under legume cupboard ⬜ Sew lace curtains Living Room ⬜ Sort living room kallax ⬜ Sort / reduce records ⬜ frame/hang ALL art in fireplace ⬜ Reorg some other art ⬜ arrange dried flowers and bottles ⬜ Tidy Galia’s desk / deskshelves ⬜ Weather stripping on front door Outdoors ⬜ Assemble and hang my mezuzah ⬜ Build firewood rack in back yard ⬜ Hire someone to repair sidewalk ⬜ Tidy porch ⬜ Prune and hang tulsi Misc ⬜ Rin builds linen shelves ⬜ Sort towels and linens

This is intimidating, but I am excited to see what happens over the month!

November is coming and with it National Clean Your Home Month! I'm posting up a link now and will repost it around the end of October so people can explore, discuss, and plan.

The goal of "NaClYoHo" is not actually to end up with a clean home; it's to spend the month of November addressing what you’d like to change about your living space. Each day (or however often you want) you can put on some kind of media -- a podcast, a playlist, a movie -- and clean, organize, sort, or work on your to-do list until the media is over or you run out of steam.

The link above goes to the "Manifesto" where you can learn more about the ideas behind the project, plus find links to interesting aspects of previous years. You know you want to find out what a To Viking list is!

This year I've decided not to do a signup sheet, but I have gone through past years' sheets and created THE BIG DOCUMENT OF:

At this document you can find a massive list of media that past participants suggest, along with ideas for how to clean, tips for cleaning and self-care, and product recommendations.

Prepare yourselves, my salty pirate comrades! The month approaches!

[purannegi244]

Stylish Home Decoration Ideas for Marriage to Create Memorable Moments

Transforming a House into a Home: Beyond Furniture, Beyond the Ordinary

A wedding is a celebration of love, commitment, and the creation of a shared life together. The newlyweds' home becomes the foundation of this new chapter, a place where memories are made, love blossoms, and life takes on a whole new meaning. Thoughtful and stylish home decor can play a crucial role in transforming a house into a home, a place that reflects their unique personalities and creates an environment where they can cherish every moment together.

Beyond the Basics: Bringing Personality and Meaning to Each Space

While furniture is essential for a functional home, it's the decorative touches, the personal touches, that truly define a space and turn it into a reflection of the couple's heart and soul. Here are some stylish home decor ideas to inspire a home that tells their unique story:

Creating a Gallery of Love: Walls That Speak to Their Journey

Wall Gallery of Shared Memories: Create a dedicated wall space where they can display photos, artwork, travel souvenirs, and other meaningful items that represent their journey as a couple. This gallery becomes a visual tapestry of their love story, reminding them of special moments and shared experiences.

Personalized Wall Art: Consider commissioned artwork, custom prints with their initials or wedding date, or framed quotes that reflect their love and aspirations. This personalized touch adds a unique dimension to the home décor and celebrates their individuality as a couple.

Creative Use of Mirrors: Strategic placement of mirrors can not only visually enlarge a room but also add a touch of elegance and depth. Mirrors can reflect light, create a sense of spaciousness, and offer interesting focal points throughout the home.

Infusing Warmth and Comfort: Nurturing a Space for Relaxation and Joy

Cozy Textiles: Introduce a mix of textures and colors to add warmth and comfort to the home. Think plush throws, soft rugs, cozy pillows, and luxurious curtains. This interplay of textures adds a comforting layer to the living spaces and creates a haven for relaxation and shared moments.

Nature-Inspired Decor: Bring the beauty of the outdoors in with natural elements such as plants, flowers, dried botanicals, and earthy tones. This creates a fresh and inviting atmosphere that promotes serenity and well-being.

Lighting for Ambiance: Go beyond basic overhead lighting. Consider using lamps, candles, and fairy lights to create different moods and illuminate special areas. The soft glow of lights can enhance the cozy and romantic atmosphere in the evenings.

Personalized Touches: Small, thoughtful items with personal meaning create a home that feels truly unique and reflects the couple's personalities. Think cherished souvenirs, handmade gifts from loved ones, or items they collected together during their travels.

Creating a Space That Reflects Their Love:

Here are some key principles for creating a stylish home that is both beautiful and meaningful:

Collaborative Design: Involve both partners in the design process to create a space they both love and feel connected to. This shared vision ensures that the home reflects their unique personalities and shared aspirations.

Focus on Functionality: Choose decor that is both beautiful and functional. A home should be a space that is enjoyable to live in, not just a showcase of decorative items.

Evolving Style: Encourage the couple to embrace their evolving style and interests. Home decor is a living thing, reflecting their shared journey as a couple.

Ultimately, the best home décor is that which speaks to the hearts of the newlyweds. By incorporating elements that are both personal and stylish, you're helping them create a space where their love can blossom and grow, a haven where they can create a lifetime of memories.

[rushnkurblogs]

Create a Nature-Inspired Space with Seagrass Placemats and Seagrass Baskets

Transforming your home into a nature-inspired haven is easier than you might think. By incorporating natural elements, you can bring warmth, texture, and a sense of serenity to your décor. Seagrass placemats and seagrass baskets are two perfect additions that combine style with sustainability. These eco-friendly, handwoven pieces add a touch of the outdoors to your dining and living spaces, creating a cozy atmosphere that encourages gatherings and memorable moments with family and friends.

The Aesthetic Charm of Seagrass Placemats

Seagrass placemats instantly elevate the look of your dining table with their earthy tones and unique textures. Whether you're hosting an elegant dinner or enjoying a casual meal, these natural placemats bring a rustic yet refined appeal to your table setting. To create an eye-catching dining experience, pair seagrass placemats with vibrant tableware, fresh flowers, or other natural elements. This combination of organic textures and colors will create a harmonious dining space that is both inviting and beautiful.

Transform Your Space with Seagrass Baskets

Seagrass baskets are versatile decor items that can be used in various ways to enhance the nature-inspired vibe of your home. Whether for storage or as decorative accents, these baskets add natural beauty to any room. Use them to organize household items or fill them with fresh flowers, fruits, or even dried botanicals for a pop of nature. Seagrass baskets work wonderfully in both modern and traditional spaces, effortlessly blending functionality with a rustic aesthetic.

Creating a Warm, Organic Dining Experience

By combining seagrass placemats and seagrass baskets with other natural elements, you can craft a space that feels warm, welcoming, and grounded in nature. Consider complementing these pieces with:

Rustic Centerpieces: Incorporate driftwood, stone, or wildflowers to enhance the organic atmosphere.

Bamboo Tableware: Add bamboo plates or utensils for an eco-friendly, cohesive look.

Cotton or Linen Tablecloths: Soft, natural fabric tablecloths bring an extra layer of comfort to your dining setup.

Dried Flower Arrangements: Place simple vases of dried flowers around your table for a subtle yet elegant touch.

Together, these natural accents create a tranquil, nature-inspired dining area that fosters a sense of calm and connection with the environment. Seagrass placemats and seagrass baskets not only add to the aesthetic appeal but also promote a lifestyle rooted in sustainability and timeless beauty.

Creative Ways to Use Seagrass Placemats and Baskets Beyond the Table

Seagrass products can also be creatively integrated into other parts of your home decor. Here are a few innovative ways to make the most of seagrass placemats and baskets:

Wall Art: Use smaller seagrass placemats as framed wall art for a coastal or rustic touch in any room.

Table Runners: Stitch multiple placemats together to create a custom table runner that adds texture and depth.

Plant Mats: Place seagrass placemats under potted plants to protect your surfaces while adding a layer of natural texture.

Storage Solutions: Seagrass baskets offer stylish storage for organizing toys, blankets, or magazines.

By incorporating additional natural decor elements like rattan baskets, wooden trays, and jute rugs, you can create a seamless, nature-inspired theme throughout your home. These accents work harmoniously to provide a cohesive look that emphasizes earthy textures and sustainable living.

Elevate Your Space with Seagrass Decor

Creating a nature-inspired retreat in your home is all about embracing organic materials like seagrass placemats and seagrass baskets. These pieces help you craft a space that reflects a love for nature while promoting eco-conscious living. Whether used for dining, storage, or decorative purposes, seagrass decor enhances the beauty of your home while bringing the warmth and tranquility of the outdoors inside.

Use code: DECOR15 to get flat 15% off on your first order

[dominionproperties]

Spice Up Your Apartment: Seasonal Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces

As the seasons change, so can your apartment’s vibe. Don’t settle for the same old décor when you can freshen your space with a touch of each season’s flair. Let’s dive into seasonal decorating ideas for small spaces that’ll keep your apartment looking novel and nice!

Month by Month, Make It Pop

Why stick to one theme when you can have 12? Each month brings its own unique charm, so let your apartment reflect that. Swap out a few key pieces to keep things fresh—no need to overhaul the entire place. For example:

October Happy Harvest: In addition to the usual orange pumpkins, paint some in shades of matte black, deep plum and gold. Add a touch of the unexpected by filling glass jars with dried flowers, sticks and spices.

November Gathering Table: Use a wooden tray filled with faux antlers, scented pinecones and rustic candle holders as a centerpiece. Complement this with earthy-toned table linens and a few strategically placed faux fur accents.

December Winter Wonderland: String white paper snowflakes across windows and fill clear glass vases with branches dipped in white paint, along with a few simple Scandinavian-style star ornaments. For a unique twist, hang floating tea lights from ceiling hooks to create an ethereal effect.

DIY Your Way to Décor Bliss

Nothing says “home sweet home” like decorations you’ve made yourself. They’re a great way to personalize your space without breaking the bank. Ideas include:

Unusual Wreaths: Welcome people to your space with a one-of-a-kind wreath. Think a black cat or candy wreath for Halloween or use fall-inspired materials like feathers or leaves.

Mason Jar Lanterns: For a warm, inviting glow, fill mason jars with fairy or tea lights and line them along counters or windowsills. For autumn, add dried leaves and tiny pumpkins inside. For winter, swap these out for fake snow and mini pinecones.

Fabric-covered Pumpkins and Acorns: Use old sweaters or scarves to wrap pumpkins of all sizes. Create the cutest accents by doing the same with acorns—just cut fabric down to size, wrap and glue if needed. It’s an easy, no-sew project that adds a textured and unexpected look.

Make Every Inch Count

Balancing your love for seasonal decorations with the reality of apartment living can be a bit tricky. The key? Keep it simple. Choose seasonal decorating ideas that don’t overwhelm your space.

Go vertical by stacking three different pumpkin sizes on top of each other. Hang seasonal art on your walls, like framing a piece of fabric (or wrapping paper) in the season’s colors. It’s easy to switch out seasonally and it adds a pop of personality.

Store it Away, Save it for Another Day

Once each season’s over, you’ll need a smart storage solution. Breathable fabric storage bags with clear labels for easy identification are ideal. Use these to store smaller items like ornaments, garlands or candle holders, and hang them in your closet for easy access.

Sliding drawers that fit under your bed or couch are perfect to store larger items like pillows, blankets, tablecloths or wreaths. These drawers make it easy to pull out seasonal items without hassle. Or, use vacuum-sealed bags to reduce those items’ sizes and store them flat under your bed or the top shelf of your closet.

Small Space, Festive Place

Grab a pumpkin spice latte and get going with these seasonal decorating ideas for small spaces. Your apartment deserves to look as spicy as the season itself!