#each of these has either a pin or a sticker in my etsy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

batwynn · 4 years

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Hii I’m an artists who needs help selling online so Im not a starving artist. Pls help

Hello!

Selling online advice... kind of really depends on what you’re looking to sell. There are certain markets that are really saturated, but if you get a leg in you can really succeed. There are some that are all but dead, and you get stragglers every once in a while but it’s mostly your friends XD. There are some that aren’t even a thing yet, and you have the chance to be the first to really get selling in that niche. So, it’s kind of hard to give general advice because it really depends on what things you want to sell. I can give some examples, though.

Pins: A saturated market, but if you’re doing something original you can break in pretty well. A lot of out-of-pocket cost and risk if you don’t know for sure that you have buyers, especially your first time. It also runs a risk of a bad pin-make depending on who you go with, as mistakes happen, and more and more companies are popping up claiming to be the ‘cheapest’ when they’re really just making poor quality pins. I’ve seen great success for first-time and returning pin artists with kickstarters, though! It’s a great way to get the money and orders together in a way that you know will make the order worth the cost, and give you and idea of who’s interested and might come back for another round. I highly recommend doing the research for pin companies, and taking a look at how some folks run Pin Patreons. (A heads up: most pin makers will not tell you who they work with to get them made. They’re kind of secretive about it.)

Stickers: Another market that seems saturated, until you take a closer look and realize that there’s so many unique designs out there and styles of stickers. This is another one where you have to be careful who you print with, if you aren’t printing at home, and if you order before you know you have the sales and interest. It’s another one where people make Sticker Clubs at certain Patreon levels to make it interesting and collect a certain amount of buyers that you’re sure will cover the cost. (you might want to avoid Sticker Mule, they have bad connections to racist stuff etc.)

Pillows and dolls: A little less crowded of a market, and a lot of room for originality and growth. It’s a LOT of work, though, if you’re doing the sewing and stuffing yourself. If you’re ordering dolls or pillows stuffed and printed with a company, be aware that the cost is HIGH! People will probably complain about how much you have to charge for them. You have to be sure you have those orders and the money to start, which means Kickstarters are another great way to do plushy/doll/pillow selling.

Art prints: relatively easy market, especially since it’s 100% your art just printed out lol. Finding a good printer and good prices is a little not fun, but it’s a great way to get income while working on stuff you enjoy and not always catering to custom stuff or marketing. This is a good idea to have on the side of other marketing stuff, for fans or friends who really want to hang your artwork in their home. :)

Custom products: This can be a saturated market, if only because there’s tons of companies offering custom things like bags and shirts and stuff and anyone can slap something on a shirt now and charge $40. One good trick is to have a unique collection or style of things, or a theme. (Ex: Pokémon themed, witches, cats, plants, etc,) The other thing is finding the right printer for these products. There are a few companies to avoid, so it’s a good idea to type company names into google and add ‘reviews’. You’ll see a lot of shady practices, sometimes also companies outright supporting groups or people you don’t agree with or want anything to do with. Also, a huge number of these companies are in Hong Kong or China, so be aware that the shipping times are much longer than local places, and even longer due to COVID at the moment. Another huge part of this is how custom are you going. Are you drawing custom body pillows? Or are you selling body pillows you already designed? Once you get into doing custom commissioned products, pricing needs to go UP! Think of the time spent, not just the cost of the product being printed!

Books/comics/zines:

Augh. Okay, so be very careful with printers here. Be careful of your rights, be careful of the rights of fan works and the rules of certain printers. In this case, there’s a lot of options, but the prices vary a LOT. So another case of doing a lot of research, and being ready to drop a large chunk of money for that order. (Again, Kickstarter is a good way to get things going.) For printing, remember CMYK! Edge bleeding! Page layouts! (Also maybe avoid Ka-blam)

Okay, so those are some examples of things to sell and such, now where to sell... Augh. Etsy is great for a lot of reasons, and bad for a lot of reasons. 80% of my sales on Etsy are through Etsy itself. Barely anyone follows links to my store from anywhere else, and most of the traffic to my store is directly from people searching for stuff on Etsy. This is great exposure to buyers, but it comes with some... problems. There’s a lot of junk on Etsy, and a 99% chance someone is selling the thing you want to sell for cheaper and it’s not even custom or anything like that. It’s a weird market. The other side of it is Etsy takes a pretty good chunk of change from each sale, each listing, each re-listing, etc. so that’s something you have to take into consideration. But they also let you print/buy shipping labels through them, which can make organization of orders much easier.

An alternative is Storenvy, which has similar problems but is a different type of market. It’s actually a little harder to sell on there in the way Etsy sells. You’re more likely to make sales through a link, it seems.

There’s other online shop options that let you keep your sales with no selling fees, but a lot of them... cost money to get the website so.

I’m sorry if this isn’t really helpful, but it really depends on what you’re planning to sell and where. Things like Patreon clubs and kickstarters can be helpful, but also require a lot of preparation of information, prices, what you’re going to offer, etc. Online stores can be a little easier to set up, but also require you to either have stock ready or be ready to ‘make to order’. So, it’s not super easy to start, but once you get going it can be really rewarding. :)

#selling #artist sales #Batwynn talks #good luck!#let me know if you have more questions #or specific ideas #or any help really

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upsettlspaghettl · 5 years

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Empire City Con 2019

I can say with confidence that this has been the best weekend of my life. People will be so quick to say that the Steven Universe fandom is one of the most toxic fandoms out there, but in all my years of going to conventions, this has been the most welcoming and friendly by far. Now, this could be because it’s a convention based on one singular fandom, as opposed to the mishmash of fandoms that gather at other conventions, but even Bronycon was nowhere near this level of welcoming. Then again, I only got the chance to go to 2 Bronycons so I don’t know if I can say much.

The flight to North Carolina was surprisingly not that bad. I’m very prone to getting lost, but I left 4 hours in advance and I didn’t even need those 4 hours. But this was my first time ever flying somewhere completely alone.

I got the chance to meet Deedee Magno Hall, who signed my Guide to the Crystal Gems. Now it’s my goal to get all the character pages signed. But it’s got all the fusions of season 1, so chances are I won’t ever get the chance to get Sugilite’s page signed. Oh well, a fan can dream, right? Just kind of a bummer because she happens to be my favorite fusion.

She also validated my OC ship with Yellow Pearl which was super cool of her. Deedee is a really sweet person. While waiting in line to meet her I made friends with a kid, and he was fanboying like crazy. Later on we met somebody else, and we all did karaoke together. Then they got to do a group Karaoke with Deedee, which I was unfortunately too nervous to join. She said she would try do one with me but we never got the chance, but either way I’m so grateful. She’s a really kind person and I hope I can meet her again!

My part in the karaoke was still really fun though. Me and my 2 friends were having a hard time figuring out what song to do, and since the instrumentals were live, the people playing only had a limited number of songs they could play. Eventually we agreed on Stronger than you. But the instrumental team couldn’t play that one, so one of my new friends asked everybody to sing along and be inclusive. I got to to do the Peridot rap onstage too! Only me and 1 other person in the audience did that though so it was really scary and I fumbled a lot... but I’m still so happy that I got to because it was just such a good time for everybody.

There was actually a garnet cosplayer who’s act was right before ours and they were still by the karaoke lineup, so one of my friends asked them to come join us. Toward the middle of our act, this same friend spotted a Jasper in the front row, dragged them up on stage, and we had an adorable fake fight scene. I had to hop off stage right before the song ended to hug somebody in the front row who was crying. I was relieved to hear that they were tears of joy. In the end, they invited my group to sit in the front row with them.

Right, and Garnet’s act! They actually sang the original SU opening in German which was super amazing. Toward the end, there was a Pearl cosplayer in her Mr. Greg tuxedo who sang It’s Over isn’t it with Deedee, and a Yellow Pearl cosplayer who did an amazing Yellow Pearl-y take on Do it for her. So yeah the variety of acts was fantastic and the whole thing was just so feel-good all around.

At the very end of the karaoke, after everyone had gotten a chance and we were all just hanging out in the karaoke room, I was given a Spinel promo pin by a Mystery Girl. Not literally a Mystery Girl cosplayer, but somebody who I thought was just... well, somebody. They mentioned having extras from the movie screening in CA, and were handing them out to Spinel cosplayers. Of course I was hopping up and down being super thankful to an awkward degree, like I normally do.

That night, I told my roommates what happened, and they told me just who that Mystery Girl was. None other than Mackenzie Atwood, creator of the Pearl’s Secret Rap Career series. My facial recognition is terrible, so I didn’t realize at the time. I was lucky enough to run into her again the next morning during breakfast in the hotel lobby, so I got to thank her personally in the end.

Speaking of Mystery Girls, there actually was a Mystery Girl cosplayer who was especially awesome. Not even ten minutes after arriving at the convention, I see 2 Spinels who welcome me into their Spinel group. A Mystery Girl cosplayer is with them, and they hand me a pair of shoe squeakers. They look like tiny clear whoopie cushions, and Mystery Girl was handing them out to all the Spinels. I don’t know about everybody else, but mine drew a lot of attention from other con-goers because I was super happy and energetic at this con so I ran everywhere I went. People were always laughing and it made me so happy that I was able to make people smile. I’ll definitely be using them again in my future Spinel cosplays.

One of the people I shared a hotel room with was a Spinel cosplayer on the first day, and they were carrying an amazing Spinel plushie that I remember seeing a photo of on Deviantart, and later showed up for sale on Etsy. It was super expensive and I remember wanting it, but I couldn’t be jealous because I know I was super lucky to even see the thing in real life!

On the second day, I met a sweet little girl who seemed to think I was the real Spinel. She drew me a picture of Baby Spinel, and I gave her my drawing of Baby Spinel which I’d made earlier that day in the quiet room. Later on, one of the convention organizers was holding a game session, and this kid crushed me in a round of Gem Gem Clod... which is Duck Duck Goose, but better. Note to self: playing games that involve running when wearing pink high heeled boots probably isn’t gonna go well!

After some games, we made some meep morps. Somebody started a trend of drawing Lion on the little canvases we were given, but my Lion wasn’t coming out quite right, so after I finished drawing his head I just. put it on one single leg. You’ve heard of Leg Pearl, now get ready for Leg Lion. I was super happy about that too because I made everybody laugh.

Once we ran out of canvases, the organizer offered to take polaroids of some of us, so now me and this adorable little kid had matching photos, which we put in tiny pink frames and put a Spinel gem on each.

oh also! the game organizer had a tattoo on their leg of a bunch of anime characters, mainly the cute “squad mascot” archetype. There was Hawk, Happy, a few other characters, and Keroro! I totally freaked out over Keroro because it’s a relatively obscure series, and it was the first show that really got me into anime! I’ve always loved things like Pokemon and Naruto, but Keroro Gunso was my gateway to the anime community as a whole.

At around noon, I spent a little more time in the room where the games were held, which had some board games of its own, books, and art supplies and overall functioned as just a room to hang out in. There I met a Pink Diamond cosplayer in a pink schoolgirl uniform and an Uravity hat (really cute outfit!), and a goth Spinel cosplayer. The Pink Diamond cosplayer was a great artist and drew a really cute magical girl Steven. These 2 people also taught me what a vsco girl was when they were joking about the fact that Pink Diamond would totally be one. I was super confused but it was really funny after they explained it.

There was a cosplay fashion show much later in the day and I made friends with a Ruby and Sapphire while sitting in line. They were a couple irl and went on stage together and they were adorable! They were also both Hazbin Hotel and Harry Potter fans, so we had a lot to talk about. We kept talking while we waited in line for the Sadie Killer and the Suspects concert too, and a few other people joined us. I’d only just met these people but I really felt surrounded by friends.

Earlier in the day, while I was waiting in line to meet Kinetic Cosplay, I ran into an amazing Sour Cream and Buck Dewey. I got their photo, only to later see them on stage as a part of the real life Sadie Killer and the Suspects. Jenny Pizza was also on stage, but I didn’t see her before that.

While the convention was great, something also happened that scared the hell out of me. At NYCC just last month, I bought some very tiny stickers, one of which was Froppy from BHNA. When I got home and unpacked, it was gone. I thought maybe it fell into the fabric of my backpack, and if it did, there was really no way to retrieve it unless it decided to fall out again. However at the convention... I was at the registration table, decorating my con badge. I pick up my phone, and suddenly the Froppy sticker falls out of nowhere. It looked like it came from the phone, but I can’t imagine where it would have fit and gotten stuck. It kinda just fell out of the void. Either way I’m glad to have it back.

Lets see... I also got some pictures of the real life Mr. Universe van... and later on I ran into the owner of the van in full Mr. Universe gear.

The Garnet cosplayer was Cotton Candy garnet on the second day and I still can’t get over how sweet and nice they were.

There were some family cosplays. On the first day I saw a Yellowtail carrying a baby doll dressed as Onion, and then on the second day the same person was with a Vidalia cosplayer, and an actual child dressed as Onion.

There were also a pair of parents dressed as Connie’s mom and dad, and their kid dressed as Connie.

On the first day there was a Mr. Smiley which was super cool and unexpected, and then on the second day they were Bismuth. There were actually 3 Bismuths in total at the con which was surprising because that wig looks super difficult to make. Anyone who can pull that off is amazing!

The last day only went on until about noon, but my flight didn’t leave until the next day. I didn’t book my hotel room for that night because I wanted extra time in case I got lost on the way to the airport. Turned out there were free shuttles. I ended up in the same shuttle as that Pink Diamond cosplayer and her dad, and she showed me this adorable RPG game app called Wholesome Cats. We took some snapchats together and now I know what I’d look like as a boy...

Since there was a shuttle to the airport, that meant I was super early for my flight. Super early as in, almost 12 hours early. After going through security, I was planning to just sleep at the gate, but my gate number wasn’t on the screen. So I asked an airport employee, and he told me that I wasn’t even supposed to be let through security until the next day, which was when my gate number was supposed to show up... whoops. It wasn’t so bad though, either way I’d just be hanging out at the airport for the night. I decided not to sleep though, just in case. It felt weird late at night, when the airport was more or less completely empty. It was so nice and quiet, and the Starbucks was still open so I had a super yummy dinner of pumpkin bread and cheese danishes.

I think that’s about it? If you wanna see pictures, I’ll be posting them all to a public album on Gnomie Leviton on Facebook, and I’ll also select a special few to post on QueenGnomie on Instagram.

If you add me on FB please tell me your url! I only add people who I've talked to before.

In conclusion!

This was by far my favorite convention I’ve ever been to, because you could literally just go up to someone, start talking, and you’d immediately have an awesome new friend. I’ve never been to a con before where every single person was so approachable. It really felt like everybody there was one big family. I already have a potential roommate for next year, so I really hope to get back on my feet soon so I can go!

#i dont wanna play anymore (MUN POSTS)#long post #hazbin hotel tw #harry potter tw #bhna tw

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dawnjeman · 6 years

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2018 Christmas Decorating Ideas

Hello, my friends! How are you today? I am so happy to be able to share our annual “Christmas Decorating Ideas” post featuring many homeowners that were featured on my “Beautiful Homes of Instagram” series. They are really creative and when it comes to Christmas decor, they do not waste any time! Their homes are filled with the Christmas magic and I am sure that they will leave you inspired and wanting to add more of this magic right to your home.

Make sure to follow them on Instagram, pin your favorite 2018 Christmas ideas and get ready to celebrate this beautiful season with your loved ones. This is the main reason we work hard on this… to make sure we create beautiful memories in our homes with the people that matters the most to us.

Now, let this Holiday Season begin!

2018 Christmas Decorating Ideas

@CesHome6:

I wanted to keep a more traditional look for my Christmas decor outside the house this year. I feel that it matched the style of the home the best. I took wreaths from Michaels and added an outdoor red bow from Walmart and hung them on the windows and doors with command hooks. I put a pre-lit garland from Walmart on the upstairs balcony and added a couple of swags from Michaels as you walk up to the home and that was it for the outside.

Follow @CesHome6 on Instagram.

Christmas Decor

For my indoor Christmas decor I love to add a lot of red and plaid. My home is so neutral year round so I go crazy with color this time of year. I add red or plaid bows to my wreaths I already have up and change out my pillows and blankets for more red and plaid. I found these red pillows at At Home for only $5 each and the black and white plaid blanket from Walmart for only $3. I love a bargain. My chairs are from Nebraska Furniture Mart in their Ashely Home Store line and they are the most comfortable little chairs.

@CesHome6

Dining Table

My dining table decor was very simple to create by just adding 4 Target trees, a few wooden deer from Hobby Lobby, some Dollar Store candles and a few picks that look like garland from Hobby Lobby.

@CesHome6

Christmas Kitchen Island Decor

I created the Merry Christmas garland above my oven with sticker letters on wood slices strung on twine. I like to make my own bows for my wreaths too. My tiered tray is one of my favorite purchases because I can easily change out the decor to match any season. Pine cones and berry stems can be put anywhere in the house to add the Christmas season to any space.

@CesHome6

Counter Decor

I like to keep certain decor out year round because it’s just easier that way. For fall I added apples and pears to this greenery and for Christmas I added some snow covered pine cones and berry picks.

@CesHome6

Details

My favorite place to shop for Christmas decor is Target. I’m sure you can agree that Target has it all. I made this cute, simple little vignette in my kitchen with items from Target and Michaels.

@CesHome6

Console Table Decor

I kept all my main decor pieces in this space and just added some red ornaments from the Dollar Tree, NOEL letters I painted red from Hobby Lobby, some cotton stems to make it look more wintery, and a plaid bow I made with leftover ribbon from my tree.

@CesHome6

Christmas

Reindeer printable is from Etsy at NMinetstore.

@CesHome6

Plaid Christmas Tree

My Christmas tree is 9 feet from At Home and it’s been going strong for 3 years. I’ve never had to replace a bulb. I found my ornaments at Target, At Home, and Hobby Lobby. My tree skirt, garland, white houses and comfortable fuzzy blanket are all from Target too. The beautiful pillow is from my favorite IG pillow shop @linenandivory. I stuff the adorable Santa bags I found at Michaels with packing paper to make them look like they’re filled with gifts. With having 4 kids I like my decor to still be fun for them.

@CesHome6

Close-up

I add plaid ribbon from Michaels weaved in and out of the tree because it adds so much to the tree.

@CesHome6

Fire

Since I don’t have a fireplace I have to make do with Netflix Christmas Fireplace. 🙂

@CesHome6

See @CesHome6 on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@Cindimc.IvoryHomeDesign:

It’s a beautiful Mississippi night! Have you started Christmas decorating? I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season friends!

Follow @cindimc.ivoryhomedesign on Instagram.

Front Door Christmas Decor

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

Porch Swing

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

Dining Room

I’m so thankful today for God’s love and Mercy! Gratitude works miracles, try it! It shifts your mood in seconds! Think positive thoughts today and have a blessed day!

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

The Magic of Christmas

I had plenty of good help today decorating this 12 ft Fraser Fir Christmas tree!

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Special memories!

Make someone smile today, and it will make you happier! Enjoy your day!

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

Nesting

Love this picture of Beau. He’s enjoying the fire!

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

Outdoor Fireplace

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

Porch Swing

Cindi’s porch swing is one of the most pinned on the net and it’s easy to see why, right?! 🙂

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

Christmas

@cindimc.ivoryhomedesign

See @cindimc.ivoryhomedesign on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@HouseOnPrairieLane

Christmas is my absolute FAVORITE season of the year to decorate! There’s something about the twinkling lights and the smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree that makes our home feel truly magical. I love to start with a neutral color scheme of white, gold and silver, but then incorporate a few pops of color. Navy and blush pink are my current favorite looks for the holiday season, and there is nothing like adding fresh greenery to the mix! I love to have a cohesive look throughout our home, especially since we have an open concept layout. I just love how it all flows together.. including my matching wrapping paper! We are so excited for the Holiday Season and look forward to the wonderful memories we create each year. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, from House on Prairie Lane Xo!

Follow @houseonprairielane on Instagram.

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Kitchen Pendants

Pendants: Pottery Barn.

Bar Stools: West Elm.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Dining Room

Chandelier: Feiss

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Table Decor

Candle Holders: West Elm.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Shiplap Paint Color

Shiplap Wall: Sherwin Williams Cyberspace.

Lighting: Birch Lane.

Metal Wall Art: Target.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Ornaments

Ornaments: West Elm.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Ballerina

Erica Barratt Ballerina: West Elm.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Wrapping Paper

Wrapping Paper: Sugar Paper at Target.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Living Room

Sofas: Pottery Barn.

Coffee Table: Pottery Barn.

Lanterns (by fireplace): West Elm.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Stockings

Rug: Pottery Barn.

Ceramic Houses: Target.

Knit Stockings: West Elm.

Stocking Holders: West Elm.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Trees

Accordion Paper Trees: West Elm (similar) – the ones above are also from West Elm, but no longer available.

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

Gold Garland

Gold Garland: West Elm

@houseonprairielane

Photography: Andrew Standaert.

See @houseonprairielane on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@SweetThreadsco:

‘Tis the season! For our front porch I swagged greenery over and across our front doors and hung boxwood wreaths with black and white striped ribbon for a clean, classic look.

Little extra details include, black ribbon tied to the lanterns and a black and white striped rug under the welcome mat to greet our guests in a big way!

Follow @sweetthreadsco on Instagram.

Planter

I filled a black container from the Hearth & Hand line by Magnolia for Target with live greenery and red berries.

@sweetthreadsco

Bench Decor Inspo

@sweetthreadsco

Family Room

In our family room, I used live cedar garland across our mantle and added accents such as a white flocked trees and an antler pillow from a local shop.

Sweet Threads Design.

See @sweetthreadsco on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@Pamela.Saumure:

Hello and Happy Holidays! It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! It seems that I just put my Christmas totes away two or three months ago.

Thank you to Luciane once again for all of her hard work she puts in to every blog post and special series’ that she writes. I am so honoured and humbled to be featured in her Beautiful Homes of Instagram Series along with so many other very talented home decor accounts that I adore. I hope your enjoy the tour.

Decorating my home for Christmas is my favourite season to decorate. Although I start strong with good intentions, sometimes I find it hard to stay motivated and keep decorating until it’s finished. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. Whatever the reason, I certainly find scrolling my favourite Instagram accounts helpful to find inspiration and keep up the momentum.

I am very much a less-is-more kind of person (except for decorating a Christmas tree, which in my opinion, can never have too many decorations) as you can tell by the decor on my front porch. I enjoy arranging the urns myself and adding special touches and items from nature but snow and time came too soon this year. I purchased these pretty, ready-made planters this year at a local nursery. I like the festive touch the pops of red from the berries give. I love lanterns in any colour or style, and like to group them together and either add a candle to the inside, or different colours of Christmas balls to them and add a bow and ribbon the the handle.

Follow @pamela.saumure on Instagram.

Christmas Tree

As I mentioned, Christmas tree decor is where more is more!!! I love ribbons, bows, sparkles, flowers, just about anything, as long as it all compliments each other. My tree decor changes every few years or so but I am careful to ensure it matches my interior decor.

Joy

I love this tree from Balsam Hill in the living room. Its branches are full and life-like and made of such great quality and it assembles quickly. It is not prelit. As convenient and beautiful as they are, I prefer adding my own strands of lights.

Mantel

I tried adding this mantle sign to the sunroom mantle but I feel its home is above this fireplace. A few years ago, I decided I wanted to try my hand at sign making, as I look back, I wonder why I didn’t start with a smaller sign. To me, this sign is significant in meaning, and I don’t require much more decor on the mantle than what is there now.

Pinecones

I’ve always been drawn to gold for Christmas. It adds a pretty, timeless elegance to anything and it compliments so many other colours.

Sunroom

Is there anything more cozy than a warm crackling fire and the soft golden glow of Christmas lights? Both create a warm and homey ambiance.

Liberty

My sweet girl Liberty keeps her eyes on me while I tweak decor pieces and move them from one room to another, many times over, until I find just the right spot for it.

Sharing

Along with a collection of Christmas trees, I also have an abundance of pretty bags, boxes and tissue paper that sit underneath the tree, or I use them to add sparkle and glam to any space.

Lit White Houses

These cute little white houses were purchased at Target Dollar Spot.

Sunroom Christmas Tree

This 9 foot tall tree is the perfect height for the sunroom. This year, I found a large roll of pretty peacock ribbon at Costco and knew the shades of blue were perfect for the sunroom tree. I was able to wrap the whole tree and still have a substantial amount of ribbon left! I added blue balls from Canadian Tire and Michales and added gold filler, of course.

Dining Room

My dining tablescape decor will likely change a few times before we actually enjoy Christmas brunch and dinner around it. I’ll add a long fresh flower centrepiece and add silver or gold candles (or both) and keep it simple and elegant.

You must see her kitchen on Pamela’s Beautiful Homes of Instagram feature!!!

Stair Garland

I like to layer garland with different tones and species of greenery, like cedar, pine and of course, eucalyptus.

Mudroom

Keeping with the less is more theme, my mudroom has a tiny flocked gold and silver decorated tree that I found at HomeSense Canada a few years ago.

Merry & Bright

I must admit, I have a rather large collection of assorted Christmas trees and signs. You will find a tree or two in every room.

See @pamela.saumure on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@PlankandPillow:

This year we took a more traditional approach with our Christmas Decor. We achieved this feel by using lots of greenery and reds. We also added in some gold accents to bring out a more modern feel.

Follow @plankandpillow on Instagram.

Kitchen Hood Decor

You can see more detail on this kitchen hood here.

@plankandpillow

Naturally Beautiful

@plankandpillow

Paint Color

Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Creamy.

@plankandpillow

Christmas Tree

@plankandpillow

See @plankandpillow on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@Cynthia_Weber_Design:

I am so excited to be a part of this amazing Holiday feature on Homebunch! My name is Cynthia and I run a custom interiors studio from our historic stone home BannockBurn 1878 located in the rolling countryside of south western Ontario, Canada.

I often hear people say that they don’t know where to begin when creating the mood for Holiday Dinner parties… It can all seem a bit overwhelming! I was thrilled to collaborate recently with Bradshaws, a fantastic local shop for a Holiday Style shoot at our home. We had a wonderful time and I hope these photos give you some ideas for setting your table this festive season!!

Follow @cynthia_weber_design on Instagram.

Creative

Creating a beautiful Holiday tablescape sets the mood for the festivities… smiling faces and laughter mixing with beautiful holiday music enticing those that sit to linger and make memories. For this look we started with a classic white tablecloth topped with the unexpected addition of a jaunty stripped table runner. Round woven placemats in silver and gorgeous Le Creuset dinnerware bring texture and interest. Some whimsy comes to the party with these fun tree ornaments tied around the napkins with twine… A gift for each guest to take home as a memory of the evening.

@cynthia_weber_design.

Details

Mixing fresh greens with crystal candlesticks, white candles and these wonderful mercury glass trees brings the perfect mix to this centrepiece. I can just imaging the dance of soft light when the candles are lit playing off the metallic of the trees… sigh.

@cynthia_weber_design.

Serving

If you are anything like me you are always looking for serving areas. I designed these collapsible tray tables based on a vintage baggage stand concept. We have them throughout the house and quite frankly, I can’t image not having them… I use them in so many ways. Here one makes the perfect place to showcase desert. Not only does this leave the host or hostess free to do less hopping between courses but it also provides another place for a holiday vignette.

@cynthia_weber_design.

Cake

We work so hard creating beautiful deserts for Holiday gatherings… it seems fitting to give them centre stage as long as possible! This absolutely adorable cake dressed with rosemary tip trees and a banbiesque doe deserve to be seen and fawned over… yes, I did say “fawned” over Ha Ha Ha… or is it Ho Ho Ho?

@cynthia_weber_design.

Cabinet

Sometimes high impact can be achieved through simplicity… a wreath hung with wide black ribbon is all that was needed to dress my china cabinet.

@cynthia_weber_design.

Chair

Fresh greens are always my go to when styling for the Holidays… yes, they can be more work and yes, they do drop as the season winds up but for me… there is no substitute! Here a small posy of cedar, seeded eucalyptus and a magnolia tip are tied with ribbon on the chair backs.

Well that is my take on creating a festive dining room for the Holidays. I hope you enjoyed the photos and if you are curious to see more of our home and my work please follow along with me on Instagram at @cynthia_weber_design. I would love to get to know you!!

@cynthia_weber_design.

See @cynthia_weber_design on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@CarolineOnDesign:

Follow @carolineondesign on Instagram.

Staircase Decor

@carolineondesign.

Dining Room To Foyer

@carolineondesign.

Dining Area

@carolineondesign.

Centerpiece

@carolineondesign.

Frosted

@carolineondesign.

Kitchen Paint Color

Kitchen cabinet paint color is “Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove”.

@carolineondesign.

Countertop

Counters are LG Viatera Quartz, Everest.

@carolineondesign.

Family Room Decor

@carolineondesign.

Christmas Tree

@carolineondesign.

Window-seat

@carolineondesign.

Christmas Bedroom Decor

@carolineondesign.

See @carolineondesign on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@SimplySouthernCottage:

Everything seen here is crafted from greens found in nature. From my gas lanterns hang magnolia swags infused with apples, cedar, holly and pine (and you might even catch a hint of cloves). Then, I made a gorgeous magnolia wreath to match and it graces my bright yellow door. On the front steps, you’ll find parcels wrapped in brown paper nestled amongst small, fresh cedar trees.

Door Color: Lemon Twist by Sherwin Williams.

Follow @simplysoutherncottage on Instagram.

Callie Jo Photography.

Kitchen & Dining Room

In keeping with my simple living and decor philosophy, every piece of Christmas greenery I use is natural and real, beautiful, cost effective and extremely fragrant! I envision back in 1926 (the year my cottage was built), families traipsed through the woods, axe in tow, to select the perfect Christmas tree. And I’m sure the lady of the house would also have gathered cedar, pine, holly and boxwood along the way to adorn her lovely home. So this is exactly how my cottage is decorated for Christmas!

@simplysoutherncottage

Callie Jo Photography.

Kitchen

My kitchen area is full of cedar and apples! Apples in the window sills. Apples dotting the runner on my dining room table. And a dough bowl full of apples on my kitchen island! All natural, boxwood wreaths grace the triplet windows above my kitchen sink.

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Window

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Home-Sweet-Home

Hardwood floors are refinished originals.

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Chandelier

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Natural Decor

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Dining Room

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Christmas Tree

While I didn’t traipse through the woods, I did visit a local tree farm and selected the perfect tree. I strung white lights all throughout tree. Next I crafted a beautiful rag garland by tearing strips of white fabrics (garnered from sheets, bedskirts, clothing, tablecloths, curtains, towels and more all found at Goodwill, garage sales or other thrift stores). I tied the fabric onto rope in an alternating fashion by both texture and shade of white. Then, you might be surprised to hear, I don’t have Christmas ornaments! My ornaments are dried hydrangeas I deadheaded from a friend’s garden! Lastly, I stuck a few sticks in the top to spray outward, and that is my tree. Very simple. Very plain. But oh so beautiful!

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Fireplace

My mantel is definitely the focal point of my Christmas cottage. My mom used her amazing creative talent and created a massive magnolia and pine cone garland that drapes over the front. Striped black and white stockings (purchased locally) hang from the mantel drawing the eye into the space. Smaller Christmas trees and tiny Rosemary trees flank each end. They are separated by wooden candlesticks (marked with $105 price tags but purchased from a garage sale in Texas for only $5). For the center of my mantel, I used the website PicMonkey and created a chalkboard graphic that says “O come let us adore Him.” After sending the graphic to Office Depot for printing, I framed it in a frame someone gifted me! Then, I topped it with plexiglass cut from our local glass shop. My mantel is a statement piece and I love that it was created on a dime with extremely thought out and purposeful, natural décor.

@simplysoutherncottage.

Home Office Chandelier Decor

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Christmas Bedroom Decor

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Bedroom Tree

In order to find the perfect greenery and trees for the rest of the cottage, I did traipse through the woods and cut an abundance of cedar, pine and boxwood. Every light fixture in the cottage is laced with cedar. Simple “Charlie Brown” trees are located in each bedroom—some have lights, some do not. All my trees rest in galvanized tubs or buckets, because again, I pondered what families in the 1920s might have utilized to hold water for their trees and figure these were a logical option.

@simplysoutherncottage

Callie Jo Photography.

Bathroom Decor

@simplysoutherncottage.

Callie Jo Photography.

Tin

@simplysoutherncottage

Callie Jo Photography.

Mudroom

To wrap all of this up and tie it with a bow, I constantly burn candles and play Christmas music during the season. My choice of candles (for any time during the year) are scents that smell like delicious desserts! So if you happen to step foot in my cottage during late November and anytime in December, rest assured you will be transported to a Charles Dickens’ like experience complete with all the sights, sounds and smells of the holidays!

@simplysoutherncottage

Meet the Homeowner

@simplysoutherncottage

Callie Jo Photography.

See @simplysoutherncottage on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@SweetShadyLane:

Nothing says Christmas to me like a warm welcome and I’m obsessed with my preserved boxwood garland that I bought on sale at Ballard Design (similar here) a few years ago. The ribbon is from a garden store and the ornament balls are from various HomeGoods stores. I change the ribbon color every year, but this was one of my favorites! Stair runner is by Stanton.

Follow @SweetShadyLane on Instagram.

Foyer

Wood floors are by Duchâteau—walnut with an oil stain. Pretty spindle bench purchased through The Sitting Room. Sconces are antique…We love having a mix of new and old lighting throughout the house. Enamel is Simply White by, Benjamin Moore. Plaid pillow is from Gray Home.

@SweetShadyLane

Living Room

This was the first year I ever did a faux tree… Ours is a Balsam Hill (Fraser Fir Flip Tree.) Rug is a Couristan carpet, table is an antique Baker that I found on Etsy. Chairs and stools are from The Sitting Room. Trio of wreaths are Ballard Design and pretty Jingle Bell art is from John Derrian in NYC.

@SweetShadyLane

Christmas Mantel

Vintage art above tray table is The Atelier Collection. Stockings are vintage—embroidered with my kids names— they have an elegant and whimsical charm to them and I tear up every time I pull them out. Blue and white has been collected over time and the red photo album says, “Christmas Thru The Years…” A treasure of precious memories.

@SweetShadyLane

Paint Color

Pine table is an antique, pretty blue plaid cubes are from Etsy…They came in a simple white and I recovered them with this beautiful English plaid…I also have slipcovers for them when the seasons change.

Paint color is Simply White by Benjamin Moore.

@SweetShadyLane

Roses

I love using my blue and white Juliska soup tureen for a centerpiece and red roses and fresh greens are always a classic. Bamboo chairs are a consignment find.

@SweetShadyLane

Kitchen

These faux berries are the easiest and perfect way to bring Christmas into the kitchen. Stove is Ilve, runner and clipper ship tray are antiques. Monogrammed French cloth is Jan de luz Linnens.

@SweetShadyLane

Dresser

Front entry welcoming. Vintage art by The Atelier Collection. Pine dresser, brass lamp and books are antiques. Brass hurricane was a score at HomeGoods.

@SweetShadyLane

Vintage Fireplace

We call this room, The Nook. A cozy space to sit by the fire.

@SweetShadyLane

Christmas Vignette

My very own The Vignette Box—Christmas Edition. It is now sold out, but it was one of my favorites.

@SweetShadyLane

Christmas Tree

Darling wrapping paper by the very talented, Abbey Holden Studio. Abbey is also the designer for all of my Vignette Box art.

@SweetShadyLane

Art

Close up of my John Derrian find….Vintage Christmas art that makes my heart sing.

Family

Merry Christmas everyone! xoxo

@SweetShadyLane

See @SweetShadyLane on Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

@CarcabaRoad:

Decorating for the holidays in our new home this year was both exciting and challenging. I always love to mix old and new when styling a space.

Although my home is full of neutrals I love to keep holiday tradition and incorporate classic pops of red. Our flocked tree is from Hobby Lobby and I used a $4 white cotton ribbon and stuck with the three classic colors of white red and green to dress it. Again I pulled in vintage crocks and an antique sleigh and chair to add some charm.

Follow @CarcabaRoad on Instagram.

North Pole

To keep it extra magical and fun for the kids I added this new North Pole sign from @wildelmdesignco and of course Santa! The 25 pillow by @livingwithamanda is another new favorite this year, perfect pop of red with a vintage vibe.

@CarcabaRoad

Kitchen

@CarcabaRoad

Kitchen Sink

@CarcabaRoad

Sitting Room

Our sitting room is the perfect rustic modern mix full of neutrals. The shelves are simply styled with old books, an antique scale and wood and white decor.

The faux trees shown are from @hobbylobby. The fresh farm tree sign is designed by Rebecca @wildelmdesignco. Adding some holiday pillows by @livingwithamanda and a cozy blanket completed the looked!

Paint is Sherwin-Williams Pure White.

@CarcabaRoad

Mantel

The antique log roller, crocks and vintage style stockings from @thevintagebucket softened the space and the wrapped gifts were the perfect touch. All the greenery used on the mantle can be found @pier1 and the little white houses @target.

@CarcabaRoad

Barn Door

@CarcabaRoad

Gift Wrapping Station

I have spent half my life wrapping gifts on the floor and I thought it would be fun to create a gift wrapping station in our second floor living area.

@CarcabaRoad

Details

Mostly all the gift wrap and accessories and the tree are from Target. The buffalo check bench is from Aranda @dixiecottage , pillow from @livingwithamanda.

@CarcabaRoad

Paint Color

Wall paint color is Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray.

@CarcabaRoad

Front Porch

@CarcabaRoad

See @CarcabaRoad on Home Bunch.

Many thanks to all homeowners for sharing the details above.

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Cyber Monday Best Sellers.

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City Lot Modern Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: New England Home.

Family Home Renovation with Casual Interiors.

2018 Norton Children’s Hospital Raffle Home.

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theconservativebrief · 6 years

Link

I know we’re online, a space where it feels like everything we’re talking about is either iconic and the greatest of all time or a horrible crime against humanity that has ended our personal will to live, so I’m going to be very careful about overstepping into rhetorical hyperbole that makes you doubt my ability to process scales of importance or things in relation to other things. But I still have to tell you: There are so few objects in this world that fill me with as visceral and physical a rage as a “Hermione 2020” sticker.

Each time I see this sticker — which, if you’re unclear, is promoting the totally fake candidacy of a made-up British child Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series for the upsettingly real position of president of the United States — feels the way a light pat on the direct top of your head feels. The way the Keith Urban song “Female” feels. The way that scene in The Sopranos where Junior Soprano breaks up with his girlfriend by shoving a lemon meringue pie into her face feels. The way a consolation prize feels when what you lost is, like, the belief that you will see women become full citizens of the United States in your lifetime and what you’re being consoled with is a dumbass sticker.

I mean, have you heard the phrase “adding insult to injury”? Have you wondered what you might use as the perfect, unimpeachable example if you had to explain the idiom to someone in just one second?

have you heard the phrase “adding insult to injury”?

To me, “Hermione 2020” is it. It says I am right that a woman will never be president, but that it’s okay because a fictional witch from England might. “Valiant effort!” it says. “Please retreat into the back of your imagination! Go ahead and unravel, placate yourself with your fantasy life, it’s fine!” I see “Hermione 2020” on cars and on coffee shop laptops, on YouTubers’ lapels and on innocent children’s school things on the train, on the internet and in the world. And each time I see it, I do unravel just a little more.

As we approach the midterm elections, and as questions of what constitutes real, urgent political action — the kind that protects others from harm and preserves some hope that democracy will not end — are again at the center of conversation, I’ve been wondering why exactly this one sticker is so uniquely appalling to me. Surely, over the past two years, I have seen enough “feminist merch” to be used to it. To not feel the need to bicker over something so small.

Is Hermione 2020 objectively worse than Supreme’s new “18 & Stormy” T-shirt, which features a computer-generated composite of 18 of the women who’ve accused Donald Trump of sexual assault or harassment, plus Stormy Daniels? I mean … obviously no. Is it worse than Outrage, a boutique in Washington, DC, that was, chillingly, founded in October 2016 and that sells an entire line of clothing that says “OMG GOP WTF”? No, I guess I have to admit it is not, and that I’d spend the next 48 hours eating Hermione 2020 stickers before I would agree to walk into that store.

I know Hermione 2020 is not worse than this Instagram comment from the “female-led brand” marketplace Bulletin, defending its “Ladies is pimps too” phone case: “We weren’t focusing on the literal meaning of pimp. More the colloquial meaning which is similar to ‘boss.’ Happy to chat with you — feel free to DM us about it.”

I know all this, yet Hermione 2020. Oh, my gosh. Even now, I feel like I’m one misplaced milligram of caffeine away from biting through my own tongue.

“Hermione 2020” was created by the in-house design team at New York City’s largest bookstore, the Strand, in December 2016, and is currently listed in the merch section of the store’s website with the product description, “Muggles for Hermione! This is the type of strong-minded, no nonsense wizard we can get behind.” The Hermione 2020 button combo five-pack description is similar to that of the sticker, but also worse: “Accio Hermione to the Oval Office! Can you even imagine how organized she would be in the White House? This is a strong woman we can get behind.” You can also buy a Hermione 2020 T-shirt, pin, mug, and magnet.

Similar items are available on Etsy and TeePublic, and from the Harry Potter Alliance — a nonprofit that reframes social and political issues through the lens of the Harry Potter series to encourage Harry Potter fans to participate in activism, and “the exclusive merchandiser for Granger/Lovegood 2020!” (“Lovegood” referring to the character Luna Lovegood, apparently Hermione’s vice president.)

To be fair, Hermione 2020 is rooted in the canon of the Harry Potter universe. In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the play co-written by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany and first staged in London in the summer of 2016, Hermione Granger is the Minister for Magic. Widely accepted extrapolations from the broader Harry Potter timeline say Hermione took on this role sometime around the start of her daughter Rose’s fourth year of school at Hogwarts, which would have been in 2020.

When I spoke to the Strand’s head of marketing, Leigh Altshuler, a couple of weeks ago, she said the sticker is, in part, a reference to this in-universe event, and that the Strand often hides “Easter eggs” like this in its products for book superfans to find.

Sure. But merch does not exist just for delight. In fact, the Strand does not currently spend any money on advertising because it does such a good job with merch. According to Altshuler, the store sold 100,000 tote bags last year.

She politely defended the Hermione 2020 merch, which is sometimes more popular than the store’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, and “Make America Read Again” lines, but sometimes not, depending on the week. “With the resistance and with this message of female empowerment going on, we definitely see that particular line at a steady sales pace. We hope that when we make these cheeky slogans, it helps people identify with the slogan itself and also as a reader, who is curious, who wants to be more informed,” she told me. The sticker is “a response to people getting more political” and is “inviting younger people to get more involved.”

“She’s so relatable and easy to champion”

“Who better [to do that] than a young female heroine that so many people in the literary world love?” she asked, and I was having trouble gearing up to argue until she followed it up by saying, “She’s so relatable and easy to champion.”

Oh, no. I know this is not what she intended, but I don’t think I can stomach, again, being presented with the impossible goal of finding a woman who is ambitious and driven and one-in-a-million smart and also relatable. Also not threatening. You know, not the hero of the book series that built a billionaire.

“It helped put a positive spin on things, and it still does,” Altshuler continued. “Maybe if somebody feels discouraged and like they want to give up hope, it helps people see forward.”

But forward to what?

“Harry Potter Nostalgia for Millennials,” on YouTube. Abbey Howe

Dissecting the broader trend of feminist merch for Racked just before the Women’s March last January, Aminatou Sow wrote, “Shopping is shopping and political action is political action, and no matter what anyone says, it’s very hard to blend the two in a sincere way that actually results in the kind of political change we so desperately need.”

She pointed out that while seeing something like a “Future Is Female” sweatshirt in the wild might make her feel just a little more comfortable for a second or two, it didn’t tell her anything about whether the wearer would actually be willing to “speak about injustice” when the moment arrived.

On a more conceptual level, her argument was preceded by comparative literature and gender scholar Ewa Ziarek, who wrote for the Journal of Speculative Philosophy in 2012:

On the one hand, art and aesthetics, implicitly or explicitly, have been a rich resource for feminist thinking about the nature of difference, gender, sexuality, and politics. On the other hand, however, the question of aesthetics has been, more often than not, subordinated to the more urgent issues of feminist politics.

My anger, while easy to feel, and an eye-roll, while easy to execute, is maybe not so totally, universally fair. There are great feminist artists who have taken on slogans and iconography as their primary media: Jenny Holzer, the Guerrilla Girls, Barbara Kruger (who also gave us the perfect words for addressing that Supreme T-shirt monstrosity we discussed), and many others twist the familiar language and symbols of our popular culture to make statements that question the necessity of our terrible structures.

In Kruger’s work in particular, the female body is described as a battlefield, and the ways in which feminists can control and distort public perceptions of their bodies — not explicitly with graphic tees, but not explicitly not with graphic tees — is framed as guerrilla warfare. The problem is the temptation to do this and nothing else.

Since I guess I don’t, not really, not purely, have an issue with people wearing slogan shirts, I think more of what frustrates me about Hermione 2020 is that it references the dull, inane, continued use of Harry Potter analogies to explain political realities that are either far more complicated or far more grim than could possibly be elucidated by a series of children’s novels.

“Even Hogwarts fell to Voldemort,” people tweeted after the election. “It’s Dolores Umbridge shit,” a famous scientist tweeted about the details coming out of a child immigrant detainment camp on the US border, referencing the evil headmaster who took over the school in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The pleading refrain of “read another book” became so common, it’s now a meme.

“The internet is always going to be the internet, and there’s always going to be someone who’s unhappy with something,” Altshuler told me, seeming annoyed for the first and only time in our conversation. “There’s always going to be people on Twitter talking about everything. In terms of us talking about Harry Potter or books in general and the relationship to politics … we are a bookstore. We don’t really get the feedback of ‘we don’t want to hear anything else about books.’”

Okay, fair enough! The Strand does not need to be my scapegoat. I hate this sticker more each time I think about it, but probably only because I’m using it to embody complicated questions it is not well-suited to embody, much like I am accusing others of doing.

Admittedly, I have a handpainted “Make Feminism a Threat Again” poster in my room. I don’t really consider it particularly clever or a tangible form of political action, but do like to look at it. I’m not saying hokey merch should be given an “all good” simply because I’ve indulged in it, but maybe I should do others the courtesy of giving their chosen presentation of values and beliefs some more generous critical thought. Not just a knee-jerk so strong I shatter my own chin. My anger, after all, has far more diffuse a target than one sticker.

“There was never an intention of mocking,” Altshuler told me. Hermione 2020 “takes the edge off, or the pressure off. I think we really were trying to maybe help people not feel so let down.”

I still hate it. But it’s fine.

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Original Source -> The unbearable condescension of Harry Potter feminism

via The Conservative Brief

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