#i mean i am personally not anti anders but this stuff keeps showing up on my dash and I've had it

[swoleas]

since im in a complaining mood

i wish anders fans didn't claim his actions at the end of the game were righteous and justified rather than the selfish acts they actually are

it's one thing to enjoy a character in spite of their flaws. and it's another altogether to actively make other fans uncomfortable by claiming the bombing of a religious building is actually justice

White liberals whose only view on religious institutions is people protesting against gay rights your experiences are NOT universal. the vast majority of violence against religious buildings is rooted in white nationalism and colonialism. it is violence against black churches, against mosques, against synagogues that actually happens in the real world

and even if someone bombed a white church it still wouldn't be justified.

your favorite character is allowed to do things you don't necessarily agree with and still be your fave. that's what's great about fiction. it's not real.

anders was hurting and he was spurred on by the spirit of justice entwined with his sense of identity. during the game you see him nearly lose himself and attack innocent mages because justice has become more reactionary and more violent.

just because anders says that the spirit inhabiting him is justice doesn't make his actions just. everything he did he did it for himself and was not thinking about The Cause(tm) nor was he thinking of other mages when he did it. when you unironically go around saying that all anders actions were justified you're throwing real people under the bus.

[jeffhane]

dynasty live watching: an incoherent post so that i’m not spoiling people on the twitter tl (i doubt any of this will be chronological or coherent enough to actually contain spoilers but better safe than sorry!)

oh my god the “previously on” - i forgot abt fallon and evan....

Theyre at a FUNERAL??? this was actually predicted but oh my god. if its steven i am going to be so mad. what an unfitting end to the- WAIT WHAT SIX MONTHS? what was that font;;;;:; whes sueiwjwk

copper arch🥵🥵🥵

this is cute. this is cute i like faloon pretty women so true

BYE I FORGOT ABT THIS VASE

fallon is genuinely such a bad person this is so bizarre,,,, i think she needs to calm down about oiterally everything ever

“This wedding is our chance to break the cycle of craziness” babe ur literally the one making the cycle of craziness

w. was that an ikmenn of liam getting his head off

JEFF MY BELOVED HE LOOKS STUNNING IN THAT OUTFIT. WHYS ALEXIS HERW “POWER COUPLE” YOU WERID MANIPULATIVE PERSON GET AWAY FROM HIM LOL

alexis is up to no good. bad bad jpeg. why do they write her dialogue like this

adam is acted so well lmao he’s the most unhinged person to ever exist *screams*

ohhh dominique, i don’t remember much abt her 😭😭😭 this woman she’s with is beautiful

ITS LAGGING????? i cannot Believe tjis

~rebrand~ ok girlboss!!!!!!!!! can we ship this businesswoman i dont recall her name with fallon???? id like that i think

too many plotlines have happened in too many minutes, i’m already forgettint things that have happened... isn’t blake supposed to be in prisoj? no? Ok: sure

adam is constantly doing this expression that is like 👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁 HI SAM HI SAM HI SAM BEAUTIFUL MAN I LOVE HIM WHOS THIS MAN

raf is so stunning ughhhh i’m loving the costumes this season, everyone looks great! is this man a sam love interest? nervous? that is kinda cute. i miss stevej though. sadness. so many emotions

UHHHH hi alexis sure ig ur here

~OMENS~ babe that’s a tad dramatic don’t you think?????????? “Ignore the lore at your own peril” alright

WHOS THAT? WHOS THAT? OH HER OK

bye everything is going wrong for this......:..:::... *rubs hands together evilly* that will certainly be entertaining

credit scene!!! such a beautiful cast! where’s anders, oh how i miss him... i miss monica too wasn’t she supposed to be BACK🤔🤔🤔🧐🧐🤨🤨

its a commercial break... havent had to watch the show with these for so long😑😑😑. getting american ads is so funny bc the vast majority of them are Not at all relevant... at all

BACK TO DYNASTY!!!!!! was that a slinky? huh? oh ok that’s why the marriage is happening at the manor. #whenyouonlyhaveoneset oh hi ok monica so shes not going to be here?????😑😔😳

WHY IS SHE GETTING A CAR I FEEL LIKE THATS FORESHAWDOIWIJG FOR UMMMMM.... NOT GOOD THINGS ..... ITS LAGGING AGAIN 🤨

blake having dinner... ok hi cristal,,,,; is the priest subplot back? that was a weird one

adam???? how on earth does adam work his way into everything? NEXT GUEST? HUH? are you cheating on your wife? HI CULHANE! HI!

“straight people are exhausting” i mean yes, objectively, absolutely, but culhane is #notstraight .... idk how i feel about sam and this man. also what? huh? staying here? ok cool ig

OHHHHH he got married i see i see

“Haven’t you milked the carrington cow already” but....... she is literally the person who deserves the stuff..... k......... i don’t like dominique but she was given the short end of the stick also blake stop manipulating people just bc they tell u the truth😶😶😶😶😶😶😶

frustrated that we haven’t seen fallon in any non-wedding related stuff yet i always liked her more ~dramatic~ plots . like she’s a sweetheart but i do want her to evolve beyond thsi. idk if that makes sense. ok bye

“A relative’s happy marriage” uh???? we live in a society😔📈

who is father lynch<3333 oh he is in the hospital that’s not great oh adam upset that’s new /s

y is kirby dressed like an elf. god bless.

ughhhh i just think adam is not good for kirby. he’s not good in general. so true . what is he up to. ads again hhhhhhhhhh💯

omg we are back!!!!! blake wear the suit!! hi liz!!! i’ve seen pictures of this outfit, it looks nice. “I really want things to work out with liam” now that would be great but you’re in a soap opera so the chances of that are .... I DONT EVEN ONOW IF U CAN WEATHER ANYTHING W CRISTAL...)))))!$$ NOT NECESSARILY THE BEET CHOICE????

~technically it wasn’t cancelled~ alright love i feel as though you’re not telling the full truth here. ok his name is ryan . we know that now . cool . this relationship is awkward but it could be sweet

what the Fuck is dominique talking about this is so creepy😭😭😭 please do not market lingerie to ur niece 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 why does no one in this show know how to be polite

“You want me to stake my personal assets” i’m sure this would be meaningful if i knew anything about finance????? WAIT WAIT WIAT WAIT WAIT DHE REHEARING THE SAM DONS G THE SONG ALEXIS DONT INTERRUPT HER SINGING THE SONG🧐😔😔😔🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🥰🥰🤬😤😤😤😤😤😤

~duplicitous sham~ that’s quite a juicy phrase ms fallon. alexis i dislike your marriage. and you in fact. yes x . “We were just like any other newlyweds” except the newlywed factor........:

anders. oh my god i adore him so much. he reminds me of my grandfather . YES adam is dangerous. anders i love you so much. be my grandfather figure. top 10 cool old dudes of all time.

liz is so beautiful how am i suppised to “Focus” on the “storyline” kirby just went 🥰🥰 also hi culhane ily babe

“My father’s convinced adam is pure evil” you see, that is......... trueeeee...........:.::: im sorry culhane ily love

this dialogue unfortunately does not flow all that well LOL . people dont think up things like this on the fly “my love is like that boutineer” sir i guarantee that metaphors r not going to save ur relationship... HI sam. so true. hi ily. samhane? culsam? 😳😳

DONT STEAL ANDERS SPOT OH HI JEFF YOU LOOK STUNNING.......... BEAUTIFUL BOY ....... HI!!!! ~you are the only family you’ve ever needed~ shit none of this wouldve happened if the Carringtons werent so greedy ij the first place

~true love has many faces~ how many anti liam omens can they sneak in into the episode 😭😭😭😭 hi laura whats up

the poor waiters at this establishment...... why does laura look like a rlly young version of my grandma........: huh.... wont think abt it /... alexis bad mom.jpeg

“I don’t want to miss my sons special day” ok bye i don’t #care she’s kind of rude

fallon trying to avoid future drama is confusing to me as that used to be her ENTIRE THING? HUH??? everyones talking to their moms today what the heck do that many people talk to their moms???

jeff hiiiii <333 that maroon suit!!!!! love!!!!!

Dont hurt anders you strange little evil man!!!!!!!!!!! (Adam, for reference)

fallon likes to ~e n u n c i a t e~ her dialogue. Drama Teachers Love Her

FIRBY SCENE! WELL THEY R TALKINF! UWU ! UWU ! smiles:) smiiiiiles:) the height difference i cannot do this😑😊😊😊🕯🕯🕯 BYE

BueirHWIIDWJDIWIFJWIFJWJJFWJFJWJDJWJDJWIFJWJFJWJDKWJDJWDJJWHDWHDHWHEHWHDHWJDJWJRJWJEJWJDJQUEUWJEJWJEJW CRIES SOBS SCREAMS THIS OS SO FUCKING FUNNY

Kirby you dumbass😭😭😭😭😭 ALEXIS WUDIWNDJW JEFF CAN YOU NOT HEF FCANKREMTIWN WHY IS THIS DIALOGUE IM SCREAMIGNRJFJD

kirby babe you are the kist imorjri WHQT? HUH? when all the characters have the maturity of a 13 yr old <33333 DID THE SHOW JUST END?????? OK.... DAMN.... they were really 2 minutes away from the end and remembered that things are supposed to happen in tv show episodes.... i cannot tell whether it os over actually?????? huh??? going to keep watching because it would be so embarrassing if i missed a few minutes oh yeah theres more

IM SORRY WHYBARE THESE PEOPLE SO STUPID. every single one of them. ih my god l. ohhhh my god . “I never meant to hurt you” you cheated on him. both of them are bad people. 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨 kirby darling what were you thinking . this dress on kirby is STUNNING ugh, she’s so charming . adam Shut the fuck up. He hasn’t said anything but shut the fuck up. OH MY GOD ADAM SHUT THE FUCK UP. OH MY GOD I HATE ADAM SO MUXH. OH MY GOD HOW IS HE THE WORST PERSON TO EVER LIVE 😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😶😶😶����😶😶😶😶😶 HES SO EVIL

“I didn’t want to tell you because i didnt want you to think of me as a monster” why did you do that stuff then bro . Kirby you SHOULDNT trust someone after they say that? How naive? Huh ?

omg hello jeffs grandma!!!!! she deserves better than every shitshow in this family... god🤨 dominique being a good person? i like to see that. she seems so genuine. ok this is nice . wait... SAFE? 😳😳😳😳 💴 💵 #money i miss monica

why do they never have sufficient lifhting in WAIT..... HER?????? #dumbofass HI JEFF <33333333 HI you can scam and whatever ur allowed to i support u

ooohhhh GORGEOUS fallon outfit

“Such a fail” IS THIS 2012 . CRINE HEIDJWJFIWNDWJDNWKFJW ENJDJSDJWJNDJWJD they keep saying folklore and im thinking its some sort of reference to the album and i get confused. wheres scheming fallon. need scheming fallon. do a scheme. do it

“We are that lucky couple” press x to doubt .... wait who is this🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 this seems cincerning im cocnentwd why did it zoom in on this random man

[greensconnor]

i’m asking about your dragon age characters

molly i would KILL for u im ur personal hitman now

anyway i said my city now because the entire bioware writing team sucks shit xoxo and i’m so much smarter than all of them but also fully incapable of having a normal amount of ocs for anything (see: the time i made 20 rwby ocs in less than two weeks) so i have. five worldstates here r some assorted thoughts

uhhh so the worldstates r as follows

eira mahariel (two-handed berserk/champ spec), rhett hawke (two-handed berserk spec), alas lavellan (mage knight enchanter spec), romanced alistair/fenris/dorian respectively

shiv tabris (dual wield duelist/assassin spec), radella “rads” hawke (mage spirit healer spec), kat adaar (two-handed reaver spec), romanced morrigan/isabela/cassandra respectively because im a pc gamer and i think i should be able to date whatever video game woman i like because im infinitely better than cishet men

this world state said yeah i respect mens rights. mens rights to shut the fuck up

twins bronson (sword/shield reaver spec) & bryant cousland (archer ranger spec), carmine hawke (archer assassin spec), syracuse trevelyan (dual wield tempest spec), romanced zevran/anora/josephine/bull. if ur wondering how that works my city now and the warden, hawke and the inquisitor should all meet and so they do because i Said So

riva amell (mage arcane warrior/battlemage spec), graham “gray” hawke (mage force spec), hellathen “hela” lavellan (archer assassin spec); romanced cullen/anders and later blackwall because hawke only likes men who will break his heart. hela doesn’t have a romance because she’s literally 20. who let her lead the inquisition (me it was me). also it should be noted the version of cullen i have in my head only vaguely resembles actual cullen because i write better than dragon age writers ever could and i gave him an Actual Cohesive Narrative and he gets bullied relentlessly for being scrawnier than his mage boyfriend

malien “mal” surana (mage spirit healer/keeper spec), jules hawke (sword/shield reaver spec), ash adaar (mage rift spec), romanced leliana/merrill/krem because i should have been able to kiss krem and its a Crime that i am not allowed to

knight enchanter is a Very op specialization and by Very op i mean it makes a mage with their built-in low constitution stats able to solo the biggest baddest dragon in the game on nightmare mode in under five minutes so like. alas lavellan fist fights dragons for fun send tweet

i think lavellans should be able to hit ppl with bricks for all the shit they endure. thus solas gets pranked by mahariel and alas by which i mean they just tip buckets of water onto him from the rookery

kat might be my only competent inquisitor but she did also try to knock out the right hand of the divine and attempt to gap even tho there’s fucky magic burning up her hand so does she have a brain cell? you decide

also its fantasy land and i do what i want so kat has blue/gold sectoral heterochromia

gray “mage rights” hawke is best friends with fenris which surprises literally everyone. their friendship started because they got into a fist fight and then they were like okay i respect u now. hawke is like hey fenris give me ur sword i have a fun trick to show u [uses his sword as a foci to zap carver in the ass with lightning]

i am Always thinking abt like how cullen could have been one man anti-chantry propaganda machine if he hadn’t so blatantly been shoehorned into every game past origins so anyway bioware forgot about a wholeass moon i can write what i like. [holds up cullen by the scruff of his stupid armor] not only are you bisexual you are also a bottom

i also Hate the whole uwu mage haters get fixed by romancing a mage

unlocked secret dialogue option where my inquisitors verbally cuss out dorian’s dad instead of whatever sympathetic narrative the writers were going for cuz its bullshit.

riva is a showoff and a Menace about being as good as he is because he unabashedly loves being a mage and hes like oooh look at me im sexy i dont need to use my hands to cast magic because i’m just that good ;)) and you know what. hes right.

gray, on the other hand, does Not want to be mage. he wants to be a druffalo farmer and retire in the hinterlands and be left the fuck alone. unfortunately he is gay and has one brain cell and terrible, terrible taste in men. ribbed relentlessly for this by riva (altho does he have room to talk hes been hung up on cullen since he was like 13)

shiv is trans n kieran is the result of doing the dark ritual with her wife and he looks a Lot like shiv (dark skin pointed ears, shock-white hair) and morrigan always just Assumed she dyed it or did something magic with it so seeing their kid come out like that was a WEIRD time for her

leliana almost Murdered by cassandra in worldstate 5 because the warden is Actually There The Whole Time, but its been 10 years, mal’s cut off all her hair and gotten full facial tattoos and she’s like “no one will know its me its fine” and she’s right. she gets away with it. only cullen like, Knows, because he knew her before the blight but he doesnt have a death wish n he like. will Not piss her off

shes dalish by birth n she was stolen from her clan by templars and thus is vehemently anti-circle and anti-chantry in general

uhhh the vallaslin (elf face tattoos) of my 4 dalish characters are:

eira = ghilan’nain (chose em cuz shes rlly interested in the navigation aspect of the goddess)

alas = falon’din (god of the dead n he picked them because he’s Also the god of fortune and alas is like tee hee fun but also he can and will kill u if u fuck with him so yk its fitting)

hela = june (god of the craft bc she likes to Make things but june is also the god who taught the elves 2 hunt and hela is. a hunter.)

mal = elgar’nan (allfather/god of vengeance bc. she is Vengeful. she is Angry. but yk fucking with shem politics and fucking their divine is like. mal may have little a retribution. as a treat.) yes she has the full half-face solid colour tattoo she does NOT fuck around.

bronson and bryant r not genetically identical but they Look similar enough 2 anyone who doesn’t know them well enough 2 play spot the distance. anora and bronson think this is a super fun game to play, especially when nobles realize they’ve swapped out the king but they’re too nervous to say anything

eira mahariel has two hands. one is for holding hands with alistair and the other is for throttling elven gods, apparently. she’s killed one before so solas she’s coming for your bitch ass next. watch urself.

speaking of eira and alistair are married thru dalish tradition and humans don’t recognize it n alistair loves 2 re-propose to her with random things. he’ll just pick up like. a bit of cheese and be like “marry me ;)” and she’s like GASP but whatever will the chantry say!!!! all of their friends r sick of them

“vhenan if you love me bring me a sword” “you think i could do better than a sword made out of space rock?” “:)”

eira is my youngest hero at 18 at the start of her game and kat is my oldest at 32 at the start of her game.

none of my hawkes are under six foot. rhett is the tallest (6′8″) and rads is the shortest (6′2″).

syracuse trevelyan would have been the Perfect inquisitor if he were not a pretty boy himbo and a gay bastard who does Most Things just to spite his parents.

[corypheus pointing at syracuse’s visage in his crystal orb thingo] i want that twink obliterated

i love the companions from older games return thing i truly do so i make it a point for Every companion to return in inquisition so the gang rlly is all here because i am a Slutte for found family

i lie in my keep worldstates because i dont want to choose between hawke and alistair during here lies the abyss but i never make him king and every time i play inquisition and cole has the wicked grace line it makes me Scream. alistair baby im so sorry i did this to you but i didnt actually do this to you

yes this is my everyone lives au but like. all the time. i have never left hawke in the fade and i do not intend to.

fuck whatever nonsense about wardens not being able 2 have kids. by sheer divine power (me) anora and bryant have three daughters; eleanor, sabina & cecelia n both bronson and zevran make Excellent uncles because i think anora deserves good things because i’m tired of bioware being like women bad, actually,

so like most of the time i have the warden & hawke turning up after the move to skyhold n then staying on, with the exception of bryant, carmine & mal. mal is as mentioned previously just There the whole time with her girlfriend. bryant steps in as king of ferelden w/ interests in closing the big hole in the sky spewing demons in2 his kingdom yk. carmine shows up because she wants to help & she wants protection for bethany but she outright says she’d rather die than be inquisitor so cassandra is shit out of luck.

“CHANGE HER MIND VARRIC” “she once doubled down on insisting amaranth was a shade of blue because she didn’t want to admit to being wrong. no one’s changing her mind seeker”

alas is the middle child of eight and is thus very good with children and also bossing around people older than him. 2 of his older siblings come to the inquisition when stuff in wycome has been settled

i left ash with the basic canon background with Some variation (he grew up under the qun and left of his own free will when his magic was discovered n he realized he couldn’t take living as a saarebas

kat on the other hand was raised tal-vashoth and has bounced around basically all over thedas and leads her own merc company when the conclave blows up. she also speaks multiple languages. is there a language she doesn’t speak? probably not

just realized how long this got so im gonna like. stop my general rambling now but lmao yeah theres some basics. waves hands.

[dicecast]

Rather Disappointed by Pillars 2 Companions

Ok so we go from 11 Companions in the first game to 6 in the second, and that isn’t in itself a problem.  Less companions means more focus on those who are left, more personality, more dedication, more individual plot arcs, like Baldur’s Gate vs Baldur’s Gate II.  So I don’t object to the lower number, my issue is the choices, let’s talk the purpose of companions. 

    Companions in these sorts of games are what keep you active and focused on the world, they are your main form of engagement.  Its like your buddies in a D&D game, they provide friendship and give you a reason to care about all this.  Bioware is really good in this department, even when the main story is boring (Origins), incoherent (DA:II) or makes no sense (Inquisition) the core focus of engagement on your companions stays strong, these guys are your friends.  Except Blackwall, he sucks, but everybody else are interesting unique people who you care about and get involved in their lives.  And Pillars 1 was already kind of a step back in that direction, only a little banter, pretty basic personal questions, and about half of what they say is exposition.  Like with the original Baldur’s Gate, they work better when they ipmly a larger personality rather than showing one, which is why Greiving Mother, Kana, Durance work so well, and while Aloth and Pallagina are so much weaker, they are just generic.   

   The other role companions fulfill is teaching us about the world as a whole, this is doubly important for a work with its own unique setting that we the audience don’t know.   Lets use DA:II as an example.  We have 

  Varric, who introduces us to Kirkwall, Surface Dwarf Culture, and the storytelling traditions of Thedas

  Fenris: Who teaches us about Tevinter, Elven Slaves, the Religion of this world, and understanding anti mage Bigotry 

   Anders: Who teaches us about Apostates, the Circle, the Pro Mage Position, Spirits, the Fade and Abominations 

   Merrill: We learn about the Dalish, BLood Magic, Ancient Elves, Demons, the Fade, and the world’s approach to history. 

   Isabella: Shows us Rivani, sexual politics, the role of women in Thedas,  but mostly the experience of the every day people in this larger world, since her reaction mirrors most people in the city. 

   Sebastian: The Chantry and more complex theology 

   Aveline: Fereldin, Orlais, gender roles again, the role of the military, and Kirkwall

   Tallis: Stuff about the Qun 

Oh and Caver/Bethany are there too, they are doing stuff. 

   Through them we learn about the world and get more connected to the overall experience of the setting.  This is kinda done in Pillars, but it misses a lot opportunities in the first game, because the biggest problem with Pillars is that they have this super unique interesting fantasy world but instead focus on just rehashing all of the basic shit you can get in any fantasy world.  I mean why are we in Drywood, generic Europe/Colonial America when we hear about these much cooler places we won’t be able to go too.  Oh there are two  opposing factions who are unreasonably fanatical that you have to choose between and one of them happen to be knights, you don’t fucking say?   This is a world where reincarnation is provably true?  Huh I wonder how that would affect the religious and daily life of the people, and in what ways would people change, gee that sounds like it could have lots of interesting societal/theological implications and...oh we just aren’t going to address it beyond a few throw away lines, ok, sure.  Not like we have actual societies that believe in reincarnation whose ideas we could incorporate.  

   Oh you’re world has a generic italian setting full of civil wars, art, trade, ships, bad tempers, vendettas, culture and fine food?  Gee, I would have never guessed, don’t suppose we could have something a little more unique?  Oh they are all black...huh well that something I suppose.  

   Hey you have these Godlike who are full of interesting possibilities and people reaction to them.....oh that isn’t coming up like...at all.....thanks Pillars, thanks alot.  And yes, I am still bitter about playing a Godlike and getting no reward for it.  

    Pillars is a much more interesting game which constantly seems to want to generic itself, which is the same problem I have with D&D actually.  And that brings me to the companions.  Because lets look at the new people here we have 

A human Druid, an Aumaua Druid, a Wild Orlan.  No Pale Elves (again), no new Godlike (the Godlike being emblematic of pillar’s larger problem), no Boreal Dwarves, only 1 Orlan and 1 Aumua.  I’d mourn the lack of Mountain Dwarves but honestly, who cares, utterly generic.    And then of the returning characters......gah.

   OK Eothas is returning so that is like a whole thing, I get it.  So Eder being there is likely important cause he has a relationship to his God’s death and all that.  I understand taht.  And the Devs said that they felt they didn’t do a good job with Pallegina (not shit?) and want to give her another chance, ok that makes sense I suppose.  But Aloth?  not only was he the worse character in the first game, he had his story line, it was all about the Leaden Key, he is done, its over, we don’t need him anymore, go home.  Its weird that literally half the companions are hold overs from the first game, I think it was very wise of Bioware to make sure that only a few companions returned in each game.  But even beyond that, if you had to have three old companions return, instead of Aloth why not you know...somebody connected to Eothas....like the guy who fucking killed him?  Wouldn’t Durance have like...opinions on this whole affair?  He is also less crap than Aloth as a character.      

    None of this means that the games will be bad or the characters will be bad, or even that this won’t be better than the first game, its just that right off the bad i’m seeing choices that ignore better opportunities for a story.  The Sequel should be an opportunity to do what DA:II did but with a less shit ending, to embrace what makes its unique and distinct and use the second game to really differentiate itself from fantasy mythology as a whole, not fall back unto old habits.

[trenttrendspotter]

What to Give Next?

I met up with Kat Krassner, Co-Founder and Co-Editor of PRESENT Magazine and The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market®, January 10 – 17. I was on the lookout for trends in gifting at the show and thought who better to ask what she’s been spotting.

“Fashion apparel, jewelry and fun socks are hot right now,” said Krassner.  “Objects with sayings on them were everywhere at market.”

Indeed they were. This is a trend we’ve been seeing develop overtime. Products with meaning and messages sell more!

There are also new great sources for gifts. Uttermost has become the go to website and catalogue to discover some of the most innovative furniture and décor brands. This company is responsible for bringing high end quality items to the forefront of the design industry.

Here is a rundown of what else we saw at the show that was of note.

Bringing the indoors outdoors

When we create spaces outdoors we want them to mirror some of the creature comforts that we enjoy indoors. Two expectations we have of our outdoor spaces are that they are comfortable and can be kept clean.

Vivere’s goal is to relax the world and it is also their mantra for living. Their premium outdoor living products, including hammocks and hammock chairs, are made with highly durable yet soft materials that will make you want to spend more time relaxing and entertaining outdoors.

Starting out of a passion for well made, practical, and beautiful things, Minnie and Moon’s collection of home and garden gifts are perfect companions for taking care of your garden, transforming your yard into an outdoor art gallery and living a richer, more connected to what’s important life. Although its not the intention, most of the pieces in the collection will be heirlooms.

Sometimes Mother Nature can be messy from grass clippings leftover after mowing the yard to leaves that pile up in outdoor entertaining areas during the fall. The Better!Broom combines the features of a rake with a broom to help us keep our patios, garages any other outdoor areas tidy.

POLaRT merges Baroque style furniture with the present. Described as fantastic, odd, daring, classic, beautiful, but certainly never dull, POLaRT’s furniture will make your outdoor space stand out from the rest and stand the test of time in terms of durability and fashion.

Gifts that give back to the environment

Now we can give gifts that give back to the environment and make our daily activities and routines more eco friendly.

Making getting your coffee fix on the go easier than ever is  Presse by Bobble. These stylish, practical coffee presses are stainless steel and provide you with the perfect cuppa’joe in just 3 minutes! It uses  no plastic, is dishwasher safe, and its 3 walls of insulation will keep your coffee hot for hours.

Long before “going green” was ever heard of SallyeAnder has been creating eco friendly products. From body washes and creams to laundry detergent for infants, since 1982 Sallye Ander has strived to provide American Handmade, uncompromising, quality products with ingredients globally and locally sourced using constant innovation. Once you use their soaps, you won’t be happy till you are using them again.

Inspired by summertime and weekend getaways in the many lakeside cabins and campgrounds of Minnesota, Lakegirl’s line was made for the woman who wants to dig her toes into the sand, take a boat ride, go for a swim, or catch a fish.

Give gifts that inspire

Whether we are showing support to someone who’s going through a hard time or celebrating an exciting milestone we want to give a gift that makes an impact. These gifts say just the right thing.

Make your favorite area, or your friend’s, even more special with a handmade gift from Chandler4Corners. These hand-hooked wool gifts can spruce up any room and also provide that personal touch.

A hand written note of encouragement and gift to Heather White from Evelyn O’Reilly and over 20 years of friendship inspired them to start 3 Realms, a collection of products inspired by ancient symbols of strength, harmony, energy, protection, heroism, joy and faith.  I can’t imagine anyone not loving their key rings.

Regina Andrew designs say Detroit! The hands-on approach and hard-work show through in this designer couple’s relatable, rock & roll aesthetic.

Music to your ears

Sometimes nature can be the composer of some of the most beautiful and relaxing music. Now, companies are developing ways to harness those sounds, allowing you to hear them clearly and add to the ambiance of your favorite outdoor space.

Described as producing a symphonic-quality musical instrument for the wind to play Music of the Spheres will give you a new way to “listen” to the outdoors. Their unique design, consisting of matte black tubing with silver accents and a curved diamond-shaped wind catcher, Music of the Spheres is harnessing the soothing sounds of nature to create “world peace, one backyard at a time.”

Musical instrument maker Jacob Sokoloff has been known for his precision tuned Car Charms and incorporating whimsical shapes such as hummingbirds, cats, dragonflies.  His creations are just as pleasing to the eye as they are the ear. I adore my mermaid car charm as does everyone who hears her gentle music!

A special gift for a special guy

Now the task of shopping for the special guy in your life is not so hard if you know what his favorite hobbies are. Get him a gift to make what he enjoys, even more enjoyable.

Weems&Plath makes outfitting and accessorizing your boat easy. With nautical instruments, which they refer to as “boat jewelry,” Weems&Plath helps you stand out from the rest on the water.

Want to own a lamp inspired by Albert Einstein or a clock modeled after original timepieces found on a Cold War-era Russian submarine? Pendulux is merging modern and present by creating home accessories inspired by historical objects. Whoever has one considers it a favorite.

Innovative Beauty

Have you ever considered starting your beauty routine from the inside out or adding wine to beauty regimen? Well now you don’t have to, all you have to do is enjoy the benefits they’ll deliver thanks to some emerging brands in the beauty industry.

Develop your beauty form the inside out with the world’s first complete dual process probiotic skincare system BeBella. BeBella increases skin hydration, reduces wrinkles and repairs damaged skin by working in tandem with topical and oral forms to help you defy aging in a whole new way.

For most women, diamonds aren’t their best friend…wine is! That’s the main ingredient in the beauty line deVine. Using the natural moisturizing and anti-aging benefits of the Red Wine Grape, deVine is making sure, just like the popular beverage, women also get better with age.

Creature comforts

Comfort comes in many forms maybe it’s an old chair we’ll never part with or a jacket we wear that feels like it was made for us.

After a friend suffered a series of strokes Janska was inspired to create a jacket that not only kept her warm, but was easy for her to put on. From that act of kindness Janska WellnessWear was born, a collection of easy-care, beautiful, simple and life enhancing clothing, ranging from jackets to house slippers that are stylish and easy to get in and out of.

Some of our most comfortable pieces of furniture are our oldest because over time they begin to mold to our bodies. Yogibo has been able to capture this “magic” by creating furniture that molds to your body. This collection of home furniture and accessories will provide you and your guest unsurpassed personalized comfort that looks great and is more versatile than you ever imagined.

A unique spin on classic foods and spices

Food is often at the center of events in our lives and now retailers are finding unique ways, and uses, for us to enjoy our favorite foods and spices.

Verdant Kitchen is a gourmet and wellness company that crafts artisanal foods and beverages with a focus on the ginger and turmeric family of spices. Verdant Kitchen’s collection of ginger and turmeric infused products will add that “extra spice” to your favorite dishes.

Add that extra pinch of salt to your dishes from something that will certainly become kitchen conversation piece. Salt Rox are the only salt cooking plates manufactured to be safe for cooking and grilling. Made from Pink Himalayan salt, Salt Rox cooking plates and other complementary salt products will inspire you to make your traditional salt shakers a thing of the past.

Savannah Bee is showing us that honey isn’t just for our foods and beverages! Along with creating unique edible honey products Savannah Bee is also using honey’s health benefits to create skin care products that hydrate and protect and most importantly give the little honey the big respect it deserves. I am especially excited about their honey comb which you can use on cheese plates with or without cheese.

Made in small batches at their farm in Downeast Maine, MyPastaArt uses the healthiest, freshest ingredients available to create authentic Italian made pasta. Their traditional methods of creating their pasta allows it to retain the health benefits of the ingredients used to make it, presenting you with a natural and healthy base to your favorite pasta dishes.

A new way to enjoy beer

Benjamin Franklin once said “Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy” and retailers are trying to spread the happiness that comes from the beverage by incorporating into foods and products we use daily.

Molly & Drew humbly embarked on their dream in small-town Iowa with 100 bags of homemade beer bread mix at a craft show. Today, Molly & Drew The Beer Bread Company’s beer infused concoctions, consisting of bread and cake mixes, are a staple in thousands of retail stores around the country.

With a name like Swag Brewery you would expect them to be brewing gallons of the sudsy stuff, but instead by brewing a hearty collection of beer infused products. A collection of candles, candy and body soap provides you with a unique and innovative way to experience one the most popular drinks in the world.

These are just a few of the highlights from a long and large marketplace.   For a good selection of trending gifts and home goods, Fieldstone has an extensive portfolio of them and  virtual showroom for easy access.

– By The Trent Trend Spotter, Nancy Trent

Featured in Whole Foods Magazine