#i still need 501s but at least i have A pair of levi's

[mhaccunoval]

2024 is the year i carry out my dream (become the OGT guy in hooker with a penis)

[blog-for-fashion-things-blog]

5 Articles of Clothing To Wear In All 4 Seasons

As the bitter, cold Canadian winter approaches, I know i’m personally missing summer and dreading having to think about how many layers I would need to wear to keep myself warm. Sometimes I use the transition of seasons as an excuse to buy a few sets of new clothes just because it’s a new season. But I realize I have some key pieces of clothing that I can wear throughout these changing seasons, saving me money while putting good use to these key pieces as the seasons change.

Here are 5 articles of clothing you can wear in all 4 seasons:

1. BODYSUITS

Bodysuits are my number one essential to wear all year round. It is such a simple basic that has multiple uses and they are inexpensive. You can wear them with basically any outfit in each season. For the fall you can wear a long sleeve bodysuit under your jackets to give your arms a little extra warmth as it transitions into winter. Then you can re-purpose that bodysuit to add a layer underneath a cozy sweater.

Long Sleeve Bodysuit Outfit

If you really want to maximize a bodysuit, purchase one that has either lace detailing or an off-the-shoulder look so you can again wear it as a layer or wear it by itself with some high-waisted denim for a night out.

Layered Bodysuit Outfit   Tank Top Bodysuit Outfit

One of the more basic bodysuits is a t-shirt/crew neck bodysuit or a tank top bodysuit.  which definitely can be worn through spring, summer, fall and winter. Pair it with some high-waisted denim for a simple summer outfit or with a skirt, tights, boots and an oversized jacket for a more dressed up fall outfit.

If you need a few more ideas on what kinds of bodysuits you can style with what, here’s a link to Missguided's "How To Wear A Bodysuit" video that shows you 5 looks on styling a bodysuit and checkout this article on Stylecaster.com for 25 Bodysuit Outfits.

2. BOYFRIEND JEANS

Another article of clothing that you can wear all year round and is a good investment piece are boyfriend jeans. Like bodysuits, they can be worn with a more casual outfit with sneakers or dressed up with a pair of heels. Here is a Youtube Video that styles Boyfriend Jeans in 5 Different Ways for some inspiration.

A really good brand that I would highly recommend investing for a pair of jeans are the Levi's 501 Taper Jeans. Their denim is authentic, 100% cotton, and I know many other fashion bloggers have a pair of staple boyfriend jeans they wear constantly. If you aren’t into the boyfriend fit, fashion blogger Jess Undecided has a Youtube Video showcasing other styles of Levi's and ways to wear them.

(IG: @jessundecided)       (IG: @jessicailam)

Here are two fashion influencers that I follow that are wearing different style boyfriend jeans but also wearing them in two different seasons, winter and summer.

One key fashion tip is to try and roll up the hem of your jeans for a more relaxed look. If you feel Levi’s aren’t in your budget, I would suggest checking out HollisterCo Jeans as they always tend to have a sale on them throughout the year.

3. DENIM JACKET

Along with your staple boyfriend jeans, you always need a staple denim jacket. I always have to ask myself, “Do I really need ANOTHER denim jacket for this year?” and the answer is “No, I really don’t.” But I end up buying one anyways. Which is why finding a good versatile denim jacket that you can wear throughout the year is a must for your closet.

For good quality and good price point, I would go to Zara. Their denim is either authentic or premium and still under $100. If you really need two denim jackets, I would recommend getting one that is cropped and fitted, so you can wear it with dresses in the summer or with a thin zip-up hoody in the fall, such as this Light Blue Denim Jacket.

(source: miss louie.com) (source: Scoops&Vogue)

The second denim jacket you should have is an Oversized Denim Jacket which you can layer over a chunky knit or underneath your coat. Denim is also worn a lot but washed very little, to keep its structure and authenticity. This article by Grana gives you a few tips on How To Care For Denim.

4. CULOTTES OR WIDE LEG PANTS

One key thing to have in a pair of pants is both style and comfort. I also would look for a pair of pants that also give me a cool breeze in the spring/summer and an outer layer for the fall/winter.

Culottes In Winter Outfit Culottes In Summer Outfit

With culottes you can wear tights or knee high socks underneath and an oversized sweater to give you that extra layer of warmth for your legs in the winter. Once it transitions to spring and summer, feel free to wear your culottes on their own with a crop top and sandals and you are set keep wearing these pants through all seasons.

I would look in Uniqlo or Zara for a good pair as they both have different styles and colours, AND are both easy on the wallet.

5. TWO-PIECE SETS

You’ve reached the last and final piece or I should say pieces of your versatile closet essentials. This may be the least thought about type of clothing but matching sets or two-piece sets are basically giving you an even more wider range of outfit ideas for the year.

(IG: hellosylviaa)

I know that Forever21 sells matching sets but only on their website as web exclusives and at a good price too. With matching sets you can wear it together or separately and they come in many different combinations, such as shorts with t shirts / tank tops or skirts with a long sleeve. The possibilities with a matching set are endless.

(Business Matching Set) (Sweater Matching Set)

HollisterCo also has matching sets but they sell the pieces separately. The models wearing the matching sets always make me want to buy both pieces anyways!

With these 5 pieces in your closet, you can make so many outfits out of them for a whole year, saving you money while looking fashion forward!

Let me know what your favourite piece is by tweeting me @kayy_aii or if you have another piece of clothing that is essential all year round to you. I’d love to hear from you!

Follow my IG @fashiondiariesbykristina for some #OOTD ideas every Friday and look out for my post on styling a denim jacket!

[smoshvalentines2018-blog]

Coldwater Canyon Avenue - Fanfic Exchange

Written for @youraveragenerd349​ ​Part of the Smosh Valentine's Day Fanfic Exchange - please note this account is not the person who wrote this fic. Check back within the next day for the author reveal. Title: Coldwater Canyon Avenue Pairing: Olivia Sui/Courtney Miller Rating: Mature Warnings: Swearing, mention of knives, supernatural creature Summary: Courtney Miller makes a bet with Olivia Sui, the craziest girl in school, that she can’t cake it one night in the haunted house on Coldwater Canyon Avenue; so of course Olivia has to prove her wrong.

Olivia slowly unpacked her lunch, she really didn’t feel like eating. The realisation that today was friday, aka the friday on which she would have to fulfill the bet she made with Courtney Miller, was dawning on he and suddenly her lemon chicken soup her mother had packed in her thermos was surprisingly unappetizing. But Olivia still tried to remain calm, she couldn’t just let people know that she was having a minor panic attack because it would leave her reputation in shambles.    “Oh hey Olivia!” Courtney Miller said with feigned enthusiasm. The blonde was holding her lunch tray and her two friends, Noah Grossman and Keith Leak Jr. were trailing behind her. “Ready for tonight? Or are you really the huge chicken I think you are?” Courtney mocked. Olivia rolled her eyes behind her aviators and adjusted her leather jacket. “No Miller, I didn’t pussy out.” Olivia replied flatly. Courtney’s plastered smile grew uncomfortable at Olivia’s choice language but Olivia just used that as leverage, Courtney could act tough all she really wanted but Olivia was the one who was actually the tough one. “I’m still attending your Satanic ritual as planned.” “It’s not a Satanic ritual!” Courtney snapped. Olivia smirked and Courtney tried to recompose herself. She adjusted the lunch tray in her hands a threw her head back which tousled her blonde bob that was full of beachy waves, she was a true Cali native. “Fuck off Miller and take your friends with you.” A familiar voice stated. It was Shayne, Olivia’s best friend, and he took his spot at the lunch table next to Olivia. Noah Grossman and Keith Leak looked rather afraid of him whereas Courtney just looked ticked off, but soon the three teens left their spot in front of Olivia and went across the school’s courtyard to find their own place to eat. Shayne took off his leather jacket that was similar to Olivia’s and stuck a toothpick in his mouth to keep his mind off of the urge to smoke a cigarette, Olivia did the same. Being stressed always made her want to smoke a little more than usual. Olivia Sui had moved to Los Angeles about three years ago in the spring of ‘75 when she was fifteen years old and a sophmore in highschool. No one really wanted to be her friend, not many white kids wanted to be friends with an Asian girl, but the only person that really talked to her was Shayne Topp because just like her, no one sat with Shayne at lunch. Shayne was known for being a troublemaker and not one of the quirky fun kind. Shayne mouthed off to teachers, read erotic novels, smoked in the school’s bathrooms, and once blew up a trashcan because he could. Teachers blamed it on his lack of a father figure. But when Olivia moved in town he had one last chance at having a friend because no one else wanted to be his already, and thus began their mutual bonding of feeling alone. Since then they were best friends and also the most intimidating kids in school. No one fucked with Sui or Topp, they always came as a pair and now that they were seniors their scariness factor was up to a level ten. Now they spent time graffiting the back of the school along with underpasses in the city, read even more graphic and erotic novels, lit up in the back of Shayne’s old Ford pick up, and occasionally blew up a trash can every once and awhile for the feeling of nostalgia. Both always wore ripped 501 Levi’s jeans, leather jackets they found at the thrift store, and heavy metal t-shirts along with either having a toothpick or a cigarette hanging out their mouths. Yet there was one person who finally did fuck with them and that was Courtney Miller, one of the most popular girls in school and also the exact opposite of Shayne and Olivia. She was always known for wearing high waisted shorts, flowing white blouses, and was the human embodiment of pastel. Courtney was always followed around by a bookish boy by the name of Noah Grossman who was always carrying a copy of some type of American classic literature book and wore thick rimmed glasses. The other was Keith Leak Jr. who was head of the school’s choir, always had the lead role in the musical, and always wore a wide brimmed hat. It was in english class that Courtney called Olivia Sui out. The class was reading “The Great Gatsby” which Shayne complained about the lack of sex and how F. Scott Fitzgerald quoted another one of his books in his epigram and Olivia complained about how the character Daisy had no substance to her whenever she spoke. Courtney then made the remark that Olivia as a person had zero substance to which Olivia replied with saying Courtney was an ‘overzealous attention whore who has everyone so far up her ass they don’t realise how big of a bitch she actually is’ which caused Olivia to be yelled at by the teacher and was soon sent to the principal's office with a smirk on her face and Courtney almost in tears. At the end of the day Courtney approached Olivia while she was at her locker talking to Shayne despite Noah and Keith's protests. The Courtney stood beside Olivia with her hands on her hips and confidently told the raven haired girl that she was ‘a no good fearmonger who was faking being the toughest girl in the school when in reality she was a huge chicken’ Olivia laughed at the statement and called Courtney a pussy because she couldn’t say pussy. “Well fine, if you think you’re so tough then how about you and everyone else here spend this friday night exploring the abandoned house on Coldwater Canyon Avenue!” Courtney exclaimed. If there was one thing kids at this school feared more than Olivia and Shayne it was the dilapidated house on Coldwater Canyon Avenue that was rumored to be haunted. No one could even walk past the grimy house without feeling something squirm in the pit of their stomach. “Fine. Shayne and I will totally spend a night in the squatters house if that means we get to see you and your friends piss your pants if we see the supposed ‘shadow man’ that lives there.” Olivia slammed her locker shut and her and Shayne walked away from the three other teens. Noah and Keith looked at Courtney with wide eyes. Fastworfard to friday and Noah and Keith are still looking at Courtney as if she was crazy. “I honest to god hate you, why the fuck did you have to call Olivia out on tuesday? Why couldn’t you just leave her alone like everyone else? Why do you suck?” Keith complained as he sat down next to Noah at a vacant lunch table. Courtney just rolled her eyes. “Olivia and Shayne just need to be put in place, our school shouldn’t be overrun by two kids with daddy issues, it’s so stupid that people even think that they’re remotely scary.” Courtney scoffed. “Oh really? You don’t think that the two of them are terrifying?” Keith asked. “What’s to be afraid of?” Courtney asked as she took a bite out of the hamburger on her tray. “Their lack of a will to live.” Noah replied blandly. “Seriously Courtney, that’s why they do what they do like blow up shit and smoke until they can’t breathe anymore, they literally do not care and have nothing to lose. And now because of you we have to go into the haunted house on Coldwater Canyon Avenue and probably have our guts removed from our bodies while we’re still alive.” “And because you challenged Olivia to a bet you basically challenged Shayne who is arguably worse than her. He’s a true psychopath and her stupid best friend.” Keith added on. “Whatever, their both just losers who have no life and channel their anger into acts of violence and stuff like that, at least that’s what I overheard the teachers saying.” Courtney said with a mouthful of burger.+++    It was nearing six o’clock in the evening and Shayne and Olivia were at the only diner in town that would let them in. It was owned by the Johnson’s whose son used to attend the high school but had to drop out to help with he diner full time. His name was Wes and he had longer hair that kind of made him look like a rock star and he was also incredibly tall and built which made him look intimidating but in reality he was just a gentle giant. Wes was Olivia and Shayne’s only other friend and they were two of his very friends. Wes ad always been nice to the two rebels and so was his family and their diner was the only restaurant in town that would allow them in, not even then McDonalds.    “So rumor around town is that the two of you are staying the night in the abandoned house on Coldwater Canyon Avenue.” Wes said as he set two plates of food down in front of Shayne and Olivia. One plate was a huge pulled pork sandwich that was split in half and dripping with barbeque sauce, the other plate was just heaped with fries. “Yeah, Miller challenged me to some stupid bet because she thought I was a phony, and she also said Shayne was one too so now we have to prove that we aren’t pussies or whatever so she can get off our case.” Olivia said as she dug into the sandwich. Shayne put ketchup on the fries and started to dig in. “And her stupid friends are also making an appearance.” “Listen I’ll show up to anything if I get to see those two nimrods have a fucking heart attack over some bogus ‘shadow man’ that supposedly resides there. The whole thing is bullshit, haunted house and all.” Shayne said smugly. His aviators were pushed up on his head which pushed his messy blond hair back and he was effortlessly slumped in the booth. Olivia looked almost the same only had a little bit of barbeque on the corner of her mouth. “Well as long as you two don’t die in the process I don’t care.” Wes said with a laugh. He slung his hand towel over his shoulder and left for the back of the diner. “Man, Wesley is so fucking cool.” Shayne said as he started to help Olivia with the sandwich. She nodded in agreement, to hungry to make any words. As both of the teens took a swig out of their coke bottles a group of teenage girls from the highschool walked through the diner doors and headed towards a booth. Olivia and Shayne caught their eyes and lifted their hands to make a small wave and also smirked at the group of girls. The girls just looked away from the two of them, scared to make eye contact with the two of them because of their reputation and because attractive people were always more intimidating. Olivia and Shayne just laughed at their fear. +++    Olivia and Shayne were waiting for the others to arrive in the 7-Eleven parking lot. Shayne had bought a few packs of Camels which should keep them occupied for the night and maybe Miller and her entourage would want some, no hurt in sharing. They would all be spending the night together anyways. They also bought a few packs of beers and a couple of snacks to keep them occupied. Olivia and Shayne felt pretty prepared and Shayne had brought his switchblade along with his smaller pocket knife for Olivia. Soon after the sun had set the two teens saw Courtney Miller’s Ford Escort pull into the parking lot. Shayne scoffed at the tiny car that made his red Ford pickup look like a monster.    All the teens hopped out of their respective cars and grabbed their backpacks out of the trunks of their car. The teens all kept silent as they walked the two blocks to the house on Coldwater Canyon Avenue. Noah felt his hands get clammy as the sky got darker and the air colder, Keith felt his dinner churning in his stomach, Courtney started to regret making this bet, and Olivia and Shayne felt a slight urge to smoke a cigarette. They all reached the bleak house that had water ruined shutters and an always open door that lead into the dreary, dark house. Dilapidated chain linked fence that was over six feet tall lined the entire house and a faded sign with the words ‘FORECLOSED’ hung loosely on the wooden paneling of the house. Olivia and Shayne gave each other a look then took a running start towards the fence. The two teens climbed and hopped over the fence with ease and laughed as they reached the other side.    “You coming Miller? You’re the one who invited us to this crack house in the first place!” Olivia shouted while standing in the overgrown lawn of the house. Courtney rolled her eyes and motioned for her timid friends to join her as she not so gracefully climbed and hopped over the fence. Olivia wore a shit eating grin and motioned for Courtney to lead the way.    The house on Coldwater Canyon Avenue was not so much a house but instead a very run down, very old, mansion. It wasn’t very wide but incredible tall which made it stick out like a sore thumb compared to all the shorter, more modern houses on the avenue. The tall, dark wood building loomed over everyone and could even make the happiest people feel bad or  paranoid, Noah liked to think it was something straight out of a Stephen King novel. Most of the windows were either boarded or barred, there only seemed to be one entrance, and on the windiest days you could heard it groan and shudder as if it was only being held together by a few nails. The legend behind the old house was that an entire family hung themselves in various parts in the house all at the same time because they went insane from being haunted by a demon or ‘shadow man’ as few people in town would like to call it. Supposedly you could sometimes see the shadow man looking outside windows, make its way across the entry way, or that it would pretend to be your own shadow and strike you from behind.    Olivia and Shayne thought it was bullshit, no way a shadow man could ever exist and those who believed it were probably insane. Noah didn’t really believe in it either he was just scared of someone calling the police on all of them because they were trespassing. Keith really didn’t really believe either ut he was just scared of Shayne and Olivia but mainly Shayne. Courtney on the other hand didn’t really know what to believe, sure a shadowman sounded like crazy talk but at the same time could it be possible? The teens slowly went up the rickety stairs and into the entryway of the house. The floor littered with leaves and a slight draft rustled them through the house.    “So what’s the plan Miller? What the hell are we doing here?” Olivia asked as she looked around the house. There was still furniture in it, old furniture pieces that consisted of a dusty couch that looked dated along with some side tables. Olivia continued to wander around the downstairs and the house seemed mostly furnished but still very empty, almost sad.    “Well I mean we can always explore, the bet is that you guys can’t leave.” She replied. The group started looking around with Olivia and eventually started to wander up the stairs.    “Dude check this out!” Noah shouted from one of the many rooms. The group found him opening a few old cardboard boxes that seemed to have hundreds of old polaroids. Keith looked around the small room that seemed to only be filled with boxes and he started to open a few more.    “Look at this stuff.” Keith said, he showed the group the boxes that had old clothing in them, canned goods, and many, many photographs. They all started pulling out the old photos and looking at them. Some were of people that they assumed used to live there, some of the house back when it was in its prime, a few of a german shepard that seemed to be a pet, and some of different parts of the interior of the house.    “Holy shit dude!” Olivia said as she pulled out the polaroid camera that seemed to of taken all the pictures along with a few film cartridges. She loaded the camera and aimed it at Shayne who made a cheesy grin. The camera flashed and the slip of paper slid out the end and Olivia shook it and gave it to her friend. “You look stupid.” She murmured, Shayne laughed and nudged Olivia’s shoulder. Courtney watched the interaction as she shuffled through pictures. Her stomach almost churned which made her confused but then again everything about this situation was confusing.    Noah looked at a few polaroids that were of the house back when it looked good. It’s original color was a deep blue with red shutters and the interior has lovely wallpaper. He recognised some of the furniture from the living area in the photos and the old windows used to be stained glass in some parts of the house. It would’ve been beautiful if time didn’t kill it, it even used to have a white picket fence instead of a chain linked one. He glanced at all of them until he came across one that was of the doorway that led into the kitchen. In the picture stood a woman in the doorway dressed in clothing for the time period, Noah assumed the late forties early fifties, and she was smiling and holding a birthday cake. He smiled at it and almost set it back down with no hesitation until he glanced at it one more time. There in the back of the photo stood something, something different. Noah tried to brush it off like it was nothing but the harder he looked the worse it got. There was a figure, a shadowy figure that stood behind the woman with what seemed like glowing eyes. Noah blinked hard to try and refocus, his eyes must of been playing tricks on him because there was no way in hell the rumors could be true.    “Noah are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Keith asked, breaking his friend out of his daydream or more so realization. Noah looked at the picture Keith was holding, one of the dog, which was standing in one of the many bedrooms this house probably had. A child was petting it and on the back wall was a similar figure to the one in Noah’s picture. Courtney saw what they were doing and sifted through the pictures until she found one similar to theirs. The shadowy figure looming in every one.    “What the hell are you guys doing?” Olivia asked, she set the polaroid camera down and watched as the three friends started opening every box with pictures in them.    “Here, look!” Courtney showed the raven haired girl the pictures. Noah and Keith continued to look and Olivia rolled her eyes.    “You guys are idiots, it fucking doctored! This was probably planted here by some other kid.” She suggested.    “Olivia, these photos are old, look at them! The house is all nice and the figure is in almost all of these! Also they were taken almost twenty years ago so there’s no way they could be doctored!” Olivia rolled her eyes but Shayne took the photo out of Courtney’s hand to get a better look. By this time there was no light coming in from the windows and the teens all had their flashlights out.    “You people are crazy and this is all some type of joke isn’t it?” Olivia grabbed her backpack and left the room. The group ran after her as she stormed down the stairs and into the living room. “You know what, this is some type of prank pulled by you and your dumbass friends! You’re just a worthles, suck up Miller and nobody actually likes you!” Olivia shouted from the first floor.    “And you’re the one backing out of this whole thing! You are literally leaving because you saw one thing out of the ordinary, one thing! You actually are just a huge pussy!” Courtney yelled from the top of the stairs. Shayne let out a whistle and Olivia’s brows furrowed.    “Fuck off Courtney!” Olivia screamed. She turned to walk out of the door and into the night but her plans were ruined when the rickety door slammed shut right in front of her face causing the entire house to shake.    The group at the top of the stairs had wide eyes and Olivia was left speechless. There, right in front of her on the door was a shadow that wasn’t hers and had dim, red eyes that looked like you could fall into them. Olivia took a step back and heard the faint cracking of leaves underneath her feet. The shadow was tall and skinny, dark and inky, just like in the pictures. A low hum or murmur was heard echoing throughout the house as the figure stared right back at Olivia.    Olivia turned around and bolted up the stairs and a chorus of shouts and yelps were heard from everyone else. They all shuffled into the room at the top of the stairs, flashlights shining everywhere and panting heard from everyone.    “No, no this isn’t possible.” Olivia whispered to herself. She looked at Shayne who looked just as confused and then back at Courtney and the boys who looked like they were going to cry. “What the fuck what the fuck?” she exclaimed.    “We need to get out of here and never come back.” Noah said.    “Agreed” Shayne responded.    “There’s only one exit.” Keith said painfully. Everyone looked at him with scared expressions that were also pissed off expressions. “Sorry.” Keith responded. Everyone took a deep breath and Olivia and Shayne took out their knives which caused some alarm with the other teens.    “Alright, on the count of three, we run down these stairs and get the hell out of here and go back to the 7-Eleven without looking back.” Olivia said, everyone nodded.    “One” Shayne gripped his knife a little tighter.    “Two” Noah and Keith adjusted their backpacks.    “Three” Olivia looked at Courtney and Courtney back at her and the blonde opened up the door and the teens rushed down the stairs in a blaze of screaming glory. The low murmur of the shadow man hummed loudly throughout the house and louder as they reached the door.    Shayne kicked open the door and the all stumbled down the steps. The five all ran down the street with panting breaths and their lungs screamed for help as their stomachs flipped. They rushed into the 7-Eleven parking lot that was completely barron and all gasped for air beside Shayne’s truck.    Olivia looked at Courtney who was beside her and started to break out into breathy laughter. Courtney looked back at Olivia and joined her in her laughing fit. The girls were almost kneeling on the ground because they were laughing so hard.    “You’re crazy Miller, fucking insane.” Olivia said as her laughter died down. She took out a cigarette and lit one up. Courtney took it out of Olivia’s hand and took a long drag from it which caused Olivia to raise her eyebrows.    “And you’re not a pussy Sui, not at all.” Courtney replied. The girls smiled at each other in the 7-Eleven parking lot late that night, and at school they started to do the same.   

[gothify1]

Recently I was in NYC for work and while catching up with some of my colleagues, the topic of Levi’s jean fits came up. They asked me for any wisdom about which styles were best and what they should look for. The next day, an invitation to come to Coachella with Levi’s landed in my inbox. Denim destiny? I thought so. Fast forward a few weeks, and there I was in Palm Desert surrounded by every Levi’s jean fit you can imagine, from their new product to vintage finds. Plus, their design team was on hand to give fit advice and walk us through each and every pair. I tried on a giant stack of jeans—I’m embarrassed to admit I was a bit of a dressing room hog that day, but anything for the story right? After photographing my favorites including some Boomerangs to capture them in action, I was surprised to find that my picks were all new styles. I’m a bonafide vintage jeans devotee, so this was not what I expected at all. To get more insight into the backstory of each style and how they fit, I sat down with Karyn Hillman, Levi’s Chief Product Officer. Keep reading to hear her take on all of my favorite Levi’s jeans fits, plus my point of view too. P.S.: If you’re thinking about snagging a pair yourself and need a reference point, I’m 5’4’’ and wear a size 26. Levi’s Take:“The Wedgie is an absolute best-seller. It was really inspired by an ‘80s vintage 501 mashed up with a ‘50s vintage 501, kind of a pin-up jean. The Wedgie is snug throughout the top-block (aka the top section of the jeans) and it nips in throughout. We launched the jean fit with a skinny leg, and when we introduced a straight-leg version (pictured), people loved it. It has the best of both worlds: I’m sexy on top and I’m nipped in, but then has that cool-girl leg shape that’s a little bit more relaxed.” — Karyn Hillman, Levi’s Chief Product Officer My Take:Even though I knew tons of fashion girls loved the Wedgie, I had actually yet to try it before this trip. The blue pair I tried is 100% cotton, meaning it’s a non-stretch denim, just like my favorite vintage pairs. Because it’s non-stretch, I had to go up a size to get the right fit. The white pair had a bit more stretch, so I could take my normal size 26. The top-block reminded me 100% of how a vintage pair looks and feels, which in my opinion, is hard to find in the denim world. In the non-stretch blue pair, I felt like they flattened by butt just a little, and this is likely because of the material. The white pair with stretch made my rear view a bit more appealing (to myself at least!). I can absolutely see why this style is fan favorite, but I was excited to try their newer style making waves in the fashion world, the Ribcage… Levi’s Take: “The Ribcage launched in November, and it’s inspired by 501 again, but actually the ‘90s versions of the 501 mashed up with the ‘70s versions of the 501. The Ribcage is the highest rise ever. Compared to the Wedgie, the Ribcage is tad bit more extreme in the uprightness and how it shapes you and holds you in. But also, right at the hip it is a bit straighter and releases a little bit compared to the Wedgie, which nips in at every point.” — Karyn Hillman, Levi’s Chief Product Officer. My Take: At the Levi’s Coachella event I saw people with different shapes, sizes, and style types trying on the Ribcage, and it was surprising how good one jean style looked on everyone. My favorite version was the Ribcage Wide-Leg (pictured), but they also have the Ribcage with other leg silhouettes. I have since incorporated this pair into my top three pairs of jeans on rotation, because I love them so much. The wider leg feels fresh and relaxed compared to a straight leg, but I love that it still has the super tight, high-rise top block that lends some sexiness to the look. These jeans play incredibly well with a cute crop top, and made my butt look shapely, but in a more relaxed way. This exact pair isn't available yet, but the straight-leg version is shoppable now, which has the same top-block. Levi’s Take: The Dad Jean is different from the Mom Jean, which is high and nipped at the waist with an extreme taper. The Dad Jean is inspired by how cool girls in the ‘90s wore their 501s upsized with just the right amount of slouch.  The Dad Jean is made for today with a rise that sits just below the waist, relaxed through the hip and thigh, and extends into a loose straight leg.” — Karyn Hillman, Levi’s Chief Product Officer. My Take:                             The Dad Jean definitely has a slouchy cool-girl effect. They’ll probably be your comfiest jeans you own, because they’re not made to fit your body like a second skin. If I was to pick a pair to wear on a flight, they’d definitely be these. They're not available yet, but will be launching soon.  Levi’s Take:“We love a good vintage inspired short pair of shorts a la the High Rise 501 Short. However, we also have been feeling for a slightly slouchier fit with a longer length, hitting around mid-thigh, which is why we created the super easy and effortless Slouch Short.” — Karyn Hillman, Levi’s Chief Product Officer. My Take: As someone whose job it is to identify trends before they blow up, I can say with confidence that Levi’s is smart for getting in on the long short. All the cooler denim brands are offering their take, and it’s poised to give short shorts a run for their money. I liked that this pair is just loose enough so they’re not like denim bike shorts, but are still tight enough to make a long short flattering on me. Levi’s Take:“Of all vintage jeans, the iconic Levi’s 501 are the most sought-after jeans in the world. If you want to try another vintage cut, we are also obsessed with the 517, a classic bootcut popular in the ‘70s. Bootcuts are universally flattering, and we’ve introduced several bootcut and flares into the line, from a sexy Ribcage Split Flare and Ribcage Cropped Flare to our beautiful 715 Bootcut.” — Karyn Hillman, Levi’s Chief Product Officer. My Take:If you are looking for the classic body-hugging vintage jeans that are super popular now, 501 is likely the Levi’s jean fit you’re after. You can see from the rear-view shot that it makes my butt look the most lifted and full of any of the styles. Although full disclosure, I have had this pair altered to custom fit my body. If you’re in L.A., the geniuses at Denim Revival are experts at this. You can see how they took in the jeans in the back, making the back pockets closer together for an ultra-snug fit. This pair has been my ride-or-die vintage jeans for several years now. And although they definitely make the booty pop the most, this also means they’re so tight that I won’t wear them when I want to be super comfortable. After trying the Ribcage style, I had the realization that my go-to vintage 501s were perhaps trying a bit too hard for that perfect butt-hugging look. It’s obvious they are tight with a capital T. Perhaps that’s why the slightly subtler, though definitely still appealing, rear view the Ribcage provides has become my new favorite. Next up, check out the new trends everyone is wearing with jeans.

[daveywankenobie]

So, the results are in for the Christmas and New Year period.

It was a maintain.

Last week I lost 1.5lbs, and this week I gained it back again – so if nothing else in terms of the holiday season I’m no heavier than I was when I started which is a plus.

In contrast my other half managed her second week in a row losing weight at probably the most difficult time of the year, meaning she dropped at total of 4lbs over the holiday season and because of this also took home the group’s Slimmer of the Week basket!!!

Now it’s my turn to try and emulate her good behaviour because its officially 2020.

Now the hard work starts.

Currently there are a significant number of shirts in my wardrobe that look like they’ve been sprayed onto me – and for anyone that’s been following my blog for any length of time they’ll know that this is a serious issue – because I possess more of this this particular item of clothing than any other.

My last tally came to well over a hundred and then I just stopped counting because I didnt want to stop buying nice ones when I found them. Thankfully my partner seems quite happy to encourage this particular element of my behaviour and she rather likes me in a more flamboyant shirt.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m still not short of shirts and trousers that fit – but some of my absolute favourites are annoyingly out of reach at the moment, and I know that the ones I’m wearing represent (to me at least) someone that I’d rather not be at the moment.

However – there are still wonderful things to find – and (despite their tendency to appear in rather fuddy duddy shops for the middle aged and wealthier denziens of the world) for some time I’ve wanted a pair of Meyer trousers.

Prior to my dumpster diving approach to clothes buying I had no idea about these – but they’re ridiculously well made, comfortable and hard wearing trousers.

They also have lovely stitching and detailing – such as the lining which looks and feels totally awesome!

I picked these up for £5 in a Coventry charity shop – but if I’d bought them new the price would have been VERY different (link).

I have some absolutely prized possessions like these (such as my Paul Smith and Levis 501’s) all of which were found in charity shops – which will last me a very long time indeed if I look after them.

Annoyingly I gave an entire suitcase full of absolutely superb makes of shirts, trousers and denims back to charity about six months ago because they were slightly too big for me.

Consequently I’ve had to re-buy these items over the last month or two just to maintain an operational wardrobe, but it’s been a valuable lesson.

I’ve come to realise that what’s happened to my weight is not failure.

It’s just life.

Well. It is for me and many others anyway.

I have a friend who remarked casually on a walk several months ago that she has dresses and other items of clothing that are well over 20 and sometimes 30 years old that she still wears regularly.

At the time I think she expected me to be horrified when she admitted this to me – but to my mind it represented an absolute dream come true and is practically a perfect description of the guy I’d love to (but don’t think I ever will) be.

For a start it’s environmentally friendly to use clothes for this length of time and because of that I definitely approve. It just goes to show that if you are careful and buy really well made items then they last longer than supermarket fashion brands.

However that wasn’t the only thing that stood out when she said it because most of all her frikkin weight hasn’t changed at all for thirty plus years!!!

The truth is that a huge part of me wanted to just lose all of my fat and then live in a dream world where I never craved anything ever again and where I was to all intents and purposes completely over all of my battles with eating.

I guess it’s why I found the end of my tenure as MOTY such a relief – because I wanted my existence from that point on to be about more than constantly checking and monitoring weight and tinkering with aspects of my diet.

In all honesty I wanted this blog and my everyday world to become a story where I was well adjusted, happily employed, busy doing things I loved and finally – secure in a relationship that makes me feel valued.

Maybe by now I’d have a dog…

Maybe some of that is just wishful thinking though (possibly not the dog though…) because I’ve realised that to leave oneself no breathing room or ‘space to fail’ with deeply entrenched eating habits is a bad thing.

At least for me.

I think I may have to accept that there will be periods in life where I’m the slimmest that I can be and there are others when I’m definitely going to be a bit more cuddly.

Thankfully I recently aquired a great barometer – and she’s proven that she’ll support me when I want to be lighter and also me when I’m a little heavier.

It’s nice to have a voice of sanity (attached to a finger invariably poking me in the ribs) when I’m busy trying to tear myself to shreds with negative inner monologues.

Truthfully though it’s actually helped to have my very first Christmas both off and on plan – and you can trust me when I say that I’ve enjoyed more than my fair share of Christmas cake and other treats!

This Christmas has been very very different to any other year that I’ve experienced though and I don’t just mean in terms of my willingness to consume seasonal nom nom’s.

Since 2016 it’s been relatively easy to have an austere holiday period. I could sit alone at home, not having to acknowledge the time of year and treat each meal time the same way that I would on every other day of the year.

If I wanted to have a salad on Christmas day then who would care? It would after all be only me sitting in front of the TV with a Pyrex mixing bowl full of lettuce so it wouldn’t matter one little bit.

However – after reaching my target weight Christmas suddenly (and a little unexpectedly) became more poignant.

Whereas the 25th of December used to be just a another day on the calendar to me, over time it’s become something that carries a lot more weight than it used to. I’d even go so far as to say that events relating to it have (bit by bit) changed every aspect of my life.

Amazingly it’s only the third year running that I’ve put a tree up.

The first year (link) was something of a triumph for me to do it at all because doing so was wrapped up in lots of long held and very negative associations with my childhood.

When I finally decided it was time to make a change in 2017 the act represented hope and a sense that things were finally changing for the better in my life. I was on my way to target and the tree I bought ultimately ended up covered with decorations that were donated to me by the women at my Slimming World group.

It also had a SW cardboard wish bauble on it with my goal.

Furthermore (although I didn’t buy it) I also had begun to try on some seasonally themed clothing – which was a major leap towards a festive attitude that I’d never felt before.

The following year was quite different though – and instead of me looking at my delicately dressed tree as a symbol of all the positive changes that I’d made in my life (and a reminder of the generosity of others) I instead sat back and viewed it with an overwhelming sense of sadness because all of a sudden it made me feel crushingly lonely (link).

Things happen for a reason though – and as everyone now knows it was that post which prompted my current partner to reach out to me.

The rest (as they say) is history.

This year therefore is (what I consider to be) my first real Christmas since I was a child – because the entirety of it has been spent with someone that’s not only very important to me but makes me very very happy.

Consequently we’ve done Xmas properly – from unwrapping our gifts on Christmas morning (I used to open them as I got them more often than not), having a special dinner, travelling to see family, hosting family, eating cheese and biscuits, indulging a glass or two of Prosecco (I had fizzy pop instead) tucking into in some festive chocolates, playing board games, watching movies and also diving (with great gusto) into some more chocolate.

None of this was really on plan – and I couldnt really even claim it was ‘flexible synning’.

It was really just synning – and therefore my overall maintain is something that is totally deserved. If I (well more accurately WE) hadn’t been so focused on exercise it could just easily have been a massive gain.

Instead my other half and I managed for the entire two week holiday period from the 20th December to today (my partner is a teacher so was off work) to go swimming every single day that wasn’t a bank holiday as well as walking an average of around 9 miles.

For me that meant about 14+ kilometres in the pool and almost 130+ miles on foot.

It’s going to be difficult to get out of the relaxed ‘treat myself’ mentality now though – but do so I must, because now Christmas is over, the decorations have to come down, and my exercise needs to continue without cake.

Balls.

That’s going to be a challenge.

However – I’ve done it before and I can do it again.

Today (Sunday) we got up at 6.30am, got ready, walked two and a half miles to Leamington’s Newbold Comyn leisure centre, swum a kilometre (and I managed a record time for me of 26.50) had a sauna, sat in the plunge pool, walked two and a half miles back again, went straight out to do the shopping (Aldi is CARNAGE unless you’re there waiting for it to open at 9.55am on a Sunday) and then finally returned home to have breakfast and a cup of tea at 11am.

Now all I have to do is not eat everything in sight for the rest of the day and week ahead.

It’s going to be a tall order – but I’m willing to give it a go.

From this point on though (just in case) I’m not going to get rid of the jeans and shirts with a waist that allows for a little bit of wriggle room, but instead put them at the back of a shelf in my wardrobe and save them for a ‘rainy day’.

I’ve currently got nine weeks left on my SW 12 week countdown (I purchased it a while back) and by the end of it I’m calling target – wherever that may be because I have absolutely sod all left to prove and I’m still as fit as a butcher’s dog.

My current goal weight in SW’s system is 15st, and I need to drop a stone and a half in order to get back into that range (15st 3lbs is the top end), which I think is probably do-able in two months.

If I can get any lower then that’s a bonus – but this time around I’ve not got to worry about photoshoots or press calls at the Ritz – I’ve just got to get to a maintainable and comfortable number that suits me and doesn’t mean I have to buy another 100 shirts.

(At least another 100 in a larger size…)

Here goes nothing!

Davey

The wages of cake So, the results are in for the Christmas and New Year period. It was a maintain.

[cearyfloyd]

2018 Juniper Gift Guide!

We’re living smack dab in the middle of a construction zone this holiday season, so the halls we’re decking are cramped and quite a bit more dusty than they were last year, but I’m still loving it. For the last few years we’ve focused on a experiences during the holidays rather than a ton of gifts. We told the girls on Christmas morning last year about our Scandinavian trip with a big book about the area. It was magical to look at it together by the Christmas tree and talk about all the places we wanted to see! This year we’ll tell them about our next trip (any guesses where we’re off to this summer?!)

In the gift department, we have been giving the girls each five presents that they get to suggest to us. 1. Something they want, 2. something they need 3. something to wear 4. something to read and then 5. one present from Santa. It’s still a lot, but it really helps keep a lid on gifts and they somehow all feel more special! It’s worked really well for us the last few years. I’d love to hear what you all do for your gifting traditions this season

And now for the 2018 JUNIPER GIFT GUIDE! These are all items I have (or would love to own) and that I think would make really wonderful gifts this season. Happy shopping!

  FOR HER

1. Flowers By Color Book – This specific encyclopedia of flowers is stunning, but coffee table books in general are a GREAT gift idea. Because they’re usually slightly more expensive than an item you’d buy for yourself on the regular without a good reason ($40+), coffee table books feel more luxurious than maybe they even are! Also, it gives the receiver something to look at while they thank you for the gift, thereby avoiding the super awkward minute of explaining why you bought them the gift after its opened. It’s basically like you have given two gifts with this gorgeous book! Look at you. You are a gift-giving genius.

2. Leather and Brass Bag – I’ve been carrying this bag for the last two months and I love it! Want to know why? It has COMPARTMENTS. I love different sections for receipts, keys, wallet, phone, etc. The bag is just big enough to fit a full-sized wallet (I have this one) but not so roomy that you accidentally tote around a five pound tape measure for two weeks until your shoulder starts aching at nights.

3. Le Labo Travel Rollers – Le Labo products feel expensive and special. These rollers are a great price though! There are two in this pack, so if you are feeling sassy, open the box, keep one for yourself and give the other to your bestie! Make it a gift topper on an amazing coffee table book!

4. Statement Earrings – It’s only been the last year or two that I started tiptoeing into the world of statement earrings. Simple clothes and bold jewelry feels really chic to me right now. Also, earrings feel a little more giftable than rings or necklaces!

5. Jade Roller – Yup, they live up to the hype. I like to pop mine in the fridge or freezer before rolling the puffiness out of my face in the morning or the headache out after a long day. Which reminds me of another great gift idea that I forgot to include in this round up graphic but will mention here. These blue-light blocking glasses are game changing! If I am good about wearing them all day I notice a huge difference in my eyes and the frequency/intensity of my headaches. Worth the $20 and they look cute too! :) I think a combo gift of the jade roller and these glasses would be a super thoughtful gift for friends that work long hours behind a screen!

6. Hair Refresher Spray – I use this powder dry shampoo religiously. I’ve found aerosol dry shampoo just doesn’t cut it for me, not to mention I get like five uses out of a bottle? Not cool. I’ll stick with my $12 powder dry shampoo that lasts me two months. And lately, I’ve been using a little of this Hair Refresher spray if I haven’t washed my hair in a couple of days. It smells AMAZING (like, really) and you only need a little bit.

7. Black Boots – I needed new black boots, snagged these a few weeks ago and they make me feel cool. They are often on sale and they are surprisingly affordable for the construction, style and brand! Recommend!

8. Striped Bow Hair Tie – I LOVE these bow hair ties! They’re cute in my girls’ hair for sure, but I also like wearing them in a loose half up style or just with a low pony and a hat. Super cute especially for just a few dollars.

9. Personalized Luggage Tag – Gorgeous color and material? Check. Personalized? Check. Travel-focused? Check! The perfect gift to give to your wife along with plane tickets to Paris or Tokyo! (Hint, hint, Michael!)

10. Dyson Hair Dryer – Have you tried it yet? I stayed at a fancy hotel recently that had one of these Dyson Hair Dryers in my room and I LOVED it. My current hair dryer is on its last leg, and I’ve got this one in my cart ready for when it finally kicks the bucket! :)

11. Classic Sunglasses – I’ll probably include these classic sunnies in every gift guide from here on because they’re just that good. I’ve managed to keep these ones safe for the past year, but even if I lost them I’d buy the exact same pair the same day. That is how much I love these sunglasses. I feel no need to have multiples in rotation. It’s a committed relationship.

12. Josef Albers in Mexico Book – If a friend gave me this art book, their cool factor would instantly jump up quite a few notches. Right?! Look at that cover. The color is even better in person and the inside is just as amazing and inspiring.

13. Instax Square Polaroid – It’s about time that Instax came out with a square polaroid photo size! The camera is supposed have a lot more features on this one too! I’m asking Santa for one of these.

14. Wide Brim Hat – You’ve probably seen me link to this affordable and gorgeous hat a couple times. It’s on sale so I snagged a couple more colors! I’m working on the design of our new master closet and I’m thinking I should try to incorporate some hat storage somewhere. Have you seen any cool ideas?

15. Black Levi’s 501s – I’ve been on a Madewell jeans kick for the last three or four years (just like the rest of the world), and I still really love them, but I grabbed a couple pairs of these Levi’s 501 jeans in the cropped 28″ inseam over Black Friday weekend and I have found a new favorite. They do wonders for the booty just like Madewell jeans, but they feel a lot more classic. Warning though, unlike Madewell who is VERY generous with their sizing, you’ll want to size up in Levi’s. There’s not a lot of stretch in these, but they REALLY hold their shape because of it! I’m about to order a pair of the vintage wash lighter blue while they’re 20% off!

16. Gold Rings Stack – I have recently been leaving my engagement ring at home and just wearing my wedding band, especially if I’m wearing a fun ring on my right hand. I have a collection of vintage turquoise rings that I love to wear but I also love these gold rings that come in a stack of five! It’s a statement but it’s still a simple look.

17. Lip Mask – Yup, still using it every night, and still LOVING it. I’m only about halfway through my little tub too. High fives for affordable, good products!

18. Rosehip Oil – Here’s another affordable, good product I’m still using every day and loving. I got my husband hooked on it too and the bottles are so affordable we each have our own. I choose it over coconut oil any day of the week!

19. Rosewater Spray – I love this spray, in every season it helps with dryness and gives a natural, dewy glow all day. Plus it makes you smell like a rose garden and who doesn’t want that?

20. Dusty Rose Knit Tennies – Just like how I’m branching outside my Madewell jeans, I’m also looking outside my Nike tunnel vision with running shoes. I like the fit of these Stella McCartney for Adidas tennies and that gorgeous dusty rose color gives me life, even when I’m dying on the treadmill.

21. Milk Bar Life Book – We all love Milk Bar. And after watching her on Chef’s Table, I love Christina Tosi and her approach to life and food. Really looking forward to checking out her new book and trying her recipes!

22. Homebody Sweatshirt – I’ve taken the Meyers Briggs Test a dozen times and each time the first letter in my results switch between I and E, depending on the year and my headspace while taking the test. Either way though, I’m obsessed with being home, snuggling with my kiddos and shutting out the world for at least a few hours of the day. It fills me up for sure. Needless to say, I love this cute Homebody sweatshirt and I love the lady that makes them.

23. High-waisted leggings – Thanks to the Buy Guide, I have fallen in LOVE with these $20 Lululemon dupes. They are high-waisted and flattering, but not so thick that you get overheated at the gym. My favorite part is the double phone pockets in the leg! I am not a fan of belt pockets or arm bands, but these are the perfect size that make my phone easily accessible but keep it in place. I have them in black and navy and can’t wait to get more! Never again will I pay $100+ for leggings!!

24.  Sports Bras Value Pack – Same story with this sports bra! I used to run 30 miles a week and I miss being in that kind of shape. Running was the best therapy and stress reliever for me. I’ve been doing the Couch to 10k app for the past month or two and I’m starting to feel the switch over happen in my fitness, where it’s not as painful and where my body is starting to crave the activity! Finally! This bra has been great for running (because I should know better by now that sports bras that are great for yoga are NOT great for running!!!).

25. Rust Suede Moto Jacket – This suede jacket has been my favorite fashion purchase this year. I love it, I feel put together when I wear it and I know I’ll love it for years to come. I went up a size and was glad I did when it arrived!

26. 30oz Tumbler with Metal Straw – I read Girl, Wash Your Face earlier this year and I really liked it then, but I’ve especially enjoyed following Rachel Hollis on Insta since then. She does a program at the end of the year called the last 90 days where you try to end the year with a bang, so you’re in a good spot for the New Year before it actually starts. Every day you do just a few things to help you thrive in your day and drinking water is one of them. Half your weight in ounces. It sounds worse than it is. I’ve been using my metal tumbler with lots of ice and some fresh lemon or lime to mix it up and I’m feeling great! Right now just might be the most stressful month of my life/career and I’m not really feeling it the way I know I would have in years past. I think its the 5 To Thrive tips I’m taking from Rachel’s advice.  You should join in if you haven’t started following her!

27. Wideleg Crop Pant -The cut and color of these wideleg pants is great on everyone! Every woman on my team has a pair and we all love them! I think they are pretty true to size, but I’d maybe go a size smaller if you’re slightly between sizes.

28. Impress Nails – Okay, this might stir up some controversy, but my friends at Classy Clutter told me about these press-on nails that are only a few dollars per set and that last about 10 days (which is about as long as I can get my gel nails to stay on). I’ve been using them for the past few months and I am blown away at how much healthier my nails have gotten after giving them a break from the constant gel manicures! You just stick them on clean nails and trim to your liking! I’m HOOKED.

29. Month’s Supply of Face Masks – These sheet masks are truly awesome, affordable and have become a favorite ritual I do a few times a week before bed, scrolling insta and watching The Office. It’s the small things, friends.

30. Hand Warmer + Portable Charger – Okay, I know I live in Arizona, but our 130 yr old brick building is CHILLY in the winter! We just started keeping these hand warmers around the studio to keep our typing fingers toasty and limber. Bonus points for it also being a portable phone charger! I would have used this thing to death when we lived in NYC!

31. Marie Kondo – I Marie-Kondoed my house up and down before we started this reno. I still have to work on the studio, but it was amazing to revisit the wonderful little book that so beautifully and simply describes the importance of using what we have and keeping only what we really love and use. I just bought this book called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and I’m excited to dive in.

32. Braided Leather Booties – The weather is mild enough here for these booties to be considered winter footwear and I love them! They’re flattering on the foot and super comfortable, though I’d definitely go up a size!

  FOR HIM

1. Record Player – I got Michael a record player for Christmas a couple years ago and I’m surprised at how much we all love and use it! We buy new records often and Michael and I love to go to used record stores on date nights.

2. Sigur Ros Album – This is one of my favorite bands (even more so after going to Iceland!) and it feels like all of their albums were meant to be listened to on vinyl!

3. Apple Earbuds – Michael is getting a pair of these for Christmas because I bought myself a pair at the airport recently and haven’t stopped raving about them since. They are so great for my runs too! There’s nothing worse than yanking out the cord accidentally.

4. Hilarious Adult Award Ribbons – Guys, these adult ribbon awards are so funny. I want to frame them for our home office because they make me giggle. :)

5. Leather iPhone Case + Wallet – Just the necessities! The slightly pebbled finish on this leather helps the color stay true and finish can be more easily cleaned than the leather cases from the Apple store.

6. Schrute Farms Sweatshirt – Michael and I started re-watching The Office before bed and I forgot just how funny that show is. It really holds up and warms the heart. I love this inexpensive sweatshirt that I’m planning to order for Michael (and then borrow for myself) :)

7. Beard Kit – Michael grew a beard last year and he really likes this kit! It comes with a balm and oil and a brush and comb.

8. Peeps Glasses Cleaner – Glasses are hard to keep clean, but Michael keeps one of these in his work bag and one in his car and they work really well! I might get one for myself to keep my sunglasses and blue-blockers fingerprint free! :)

9. Post Secret Book – Do you remember this book? I stumbled on it again recently and I loved it. The author left blank postcards in random places and asked people to anonymously share a secret they’ve never shared before. The submissions are raw and funny and often so heartfelt. I found myself tearing up several times while quickly browsing the book in my local used bookshop. I think it would make a wonderful gift.

10. 23 and Me – Michael and I got each other 23 and me DNA kits last year. It was SO exciting (and slightly terrifying) to get the reports back. We bought the upgraded version where they test you for some common genetic diseases and disorders. Thankfully we didn’t have any big surprises there! The ancestry report though was FASCINATING! I’m mostly Scandinavian (which I knew) but there were some big surprises, like I have some ancestors from Senegal! Wow! I also am 3% Native American! I’m looking forward to doing more family history and learning more about my family history. Our trip to see my great grandmother’s home in Sweden this summer lit a fire in me and I’m excited to keep learning and I know Michael feels the same after seeing his family history report. It was a very special gift!

11. Wireless Charger – Once you go wireless, it feels like such a burden to have to actually plug in your phone! ;)

12. Compression Eye Mask – We’ve got a couple of migraine sufferers in my extended family and I’ve heard really really good things about this compression mask!

13. Shiatsu Massager – This might be me imposing my own wishlist on to Michael, but I will definitely borrow this neck massager if he got one for Christmas! It has several thousand five star reviews, so I think it’s a safe gift purchase!

14. Tile Keyfinder -Not saying that my husband occasionally misplaces his keys (he does), but if he did, the Tile would be a miracle for us (it is).

15. Leather Key Ring – (To make the said keys even easier to find.)

16. Credit Card Survival Tool – Isn’t this cool?! All the guys I know would be VERY into this survival tool. And if the end of the world is actually as close as it has been feeling lately, maybe I’ll want one for myself. (because nothing says Merry Christmas like apocalypse planning!)

  FOR KIDS

1. Wooden Zoo Puzzle – I’m really trying to limit the number of plastic toys we bring in the house and so I’m trying to only buy wood toys and books for Christmas. I love this wooden puzzle set of safari animals.

2. Balance Blocks Game – Another wooden toy that the whole family loves to play with. We had these sitting in a pretty bowl on a sideboard by our dining table because they’re fun to tinker with after meals while we’re all still talking.

3. Checkerboard Skateboard – All my girls are very into skating right now and they fight over the one board we have. I like the checkerboard pattern on this one (and that it’s so affordable, in case this is really just a passing phase!).

4. Scratch Off Travel Map – We’ve made it a goal to visit a new continent every year and I love the idea of hanging this Scratch Off travel map in our playroom. It starts out black and white and the countries under the scratch off material are all in color. Such a cute idea, right?

5. Wooden Doctor Kit Toy – In case you can’t bring yourself to buy plastic character toys but your three year-old daughter loves watching Doc McStuffins.

6. Bloxels – My girls are in a coding club at our local library and one of the parents suggested this game! It combines tech and arts and crafts and I’m excited to try it with my kids!

7. Mustard Kids Suitcase – I mean, I really just want one for myself. This little suitcase would make weekend trips up to my parents house all the more exciting!

8. Giant Maps Book – This book is STUNNING. It’s been a favorite of ours and has really fueled the girls’ desires to see the world. It’s also sparked a lot of important conversations about the rest of the world and how truly, truly lucky we are.

9. Today Book – Margot is almost four and she is the perfect age for this beautiful, interactive book. It’s almost like a Choose Your Own Adventure book for toddlers and younger children, but with everyday objects and tasks. It’s a really well done book!

10. One Thousand Things Book – Another perfect Margot-aged book that helps with those budding vocabularies! There are a thousand unique items hidden in the pages that your child can search for and find and share with you. It’s cute and fun to do if you’re sick of reciting the same bedtime books for the seven millionth time.

11. Wooden Tool Box Toy – Boys and girls alike would love this beautifully made wooden toy! I love that it comes with a pretty box where every toy tool has a designated spot!

12. Moon Nightlight – This is hands down the prettiest nightlight I’ve ever stumbled across. It’s like a little sculpture for your child’s nightstand or dresser. I love it and would totally put one in my room if I didn’t need like the blackest darkness to fall asleep every night. :)

13. Kid Bath Bombs with Surprise Toys – Bath bombs are trendy, yes, but they are also the answer to many of life’s problems, even for kids. A good bath or shower and early bedtime fixes 90% of life’s problems, am I right? What I love about these bath bombs is they are colorful but don’t stain my tub and they DON’T HAVE GLITTER (how and why is that a thing!?). But most importantly they have little toys inside that make the bath time ritual like opening one giant LOL surprise doll without the expense, mess and confusing messaging about sexualized babies? I don’t know how long the novelty of these bath bombs will last with my two youngest daughters, but I’ll take any help I can get these days and will be stuffing their stockings with bath bombs!

14. Jotblock Watercolor Set – I love that this watercolor set is semi-portable! Perfect for road trips and for keeping on bedside tables. My 11 year-old will LOVE getting this on Christmas morning.

15. Caboodles Organizer – Did you die like I did seeing Caboodles on the end cap of your local Target?! I literally gasped out loud and yelled at my girls OH MY GOSH THIS WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY CHILDHOOD!!!! I worked so hard babysitting to save enough money for my own Caboodles organizer. It was peach and teal and perfect all over. I filled it with velvet scrunchies and green and pink tubes of mascara, Dr. Pepper lip smackers and a super heavy hairbrush with the world’s stiffest bristles that were all missing the little plastic bead things on the end so it felt like you were basically brushing your hair with razor blades. A treasure box I tell you and my girls should all want one!

16. Harry Potter Gift Set – Okay, so, yes, this is an expensive gift to give a kid, but this collector’s edition of the Harry Potter series is REALLY cool too. I’d even go out on a limb here and call it an heirloom collection. Your kid’s kids will cherish this set so if you can afford it and your child is old enough to respect and appreciate how nice they are, I’d totally go for it.

17. Christmas Jammies – Do you give your kids Christmas jammies every year? We used to wrap them up and let the girls open them and wear them on Christmas Eve, but this year I think I’m going to give them their Christmas jammies NOW so they can get some good use out of them before the big night! I love these old school button down separates!

18. Wooden Dollhouse – We bought an old dollhouse on Craigslist last year with the plan to fix it up. It’s not in terrible shape so the girls have been playing with it and it’s fine. Maybe someday I’ll have enough time to really fix it up! If I had it to do over again though, I would have bought something beautiful and easy and toddler proof like this wooden dollhouse! It comes with a ton of furniture and accessory options!

19. Fuzzy Socks and Eye Mask –  These would make the cutest stocking stuffers. There are a couple of different variations too – like a panda and a unicorn. I like to buy extras of cute and cheap gifts like these to have on hand that go on a high shelf in my closet where I stash small gifts for last minute birthday parties. It comes in handy so often but whatever you do, guard the secret of the shelf with your life!

20. Red Polka Dot Tea Set – You know what’s a really terrible idea? A ceramic play tea set. The pieces shatter or even just chip and you’ve got a problem on your hands! With four daughters, I’ve bought a play tea set or ten in my day, and this metal one has become a family favorite. It’s tiny (which is actually perfect for minimizing spills/mess) and adorable and indestructible.

21. The Little Prince Pop-Up Book – Okay, this book is a serious masterpiece. The illustrations and pop-ups are next level and they help tell the story so beautifully!  My kids love it and I do too. We try to read to whole book together once or twice a year over a few nights.

22. Mary Jane Velvet Bow Flats – I love these sweet little flats for Christmas card photos or a special occasion! They are so pretty and would pair well with this adorable buffalo check dress!

FOR HOME

1. Black Bread Board with Double Handles – The double handle here makes this super affordable bread board feel much more expensive than it is. The two handles make it a great layering piece on a larger more traditional round board (or like #20 below!).

2. Round Bamboo Tray – Perfect for any coffee table or console top, wrap a book and a candle or the towels below and set it in this tray with a big bow around it and you’ve just taken simple gifts to the next level!

3. Black and White Turkish Towels – No one would guess these towels are from Amazon!

4. Match Striker – I love getting candles for gifts, but adding candle accessories takes the gift to the next level! I love this handmade match striker!

5. Wick Trimmer & Candle Snuffer – Same as above! This makes a great addition to a fancy candle! The snuffer especially is the best. Who wants to ruin all the great smell you got from the candle with a bunch of smoke?

6. Cinderose Candle – I’m really impressed with this candle! Like with a super expensive candle brand (like Byredo or Dyptique), the scent lingers for days. This woodsy, smoky rose scent is my very favorite!

7. Rust Runner – We love this rug! I used the 8×10 version in the Gentry Project living room and the runner in this kitchen project. It’s affordable and gorgeous!

8. Super Affordable Trestle Dining Table – About $600 is a CRAZY GOOD price for a table this pretty and that’s made from solid wood. Click through the listing photos to see a close up of the wood grain. It’s so much more expensive looking – like a Restoration Hardware table. And I love that you could get it in just a few days, so you have time to spruce up your dining room before hosting Christmas dinner!

9. Juniper Home Collection Lumbar Pillow – Still my favorite way to dress a bed without a million pillows! As part of the Last 90 Days program thing I was just talking about I have been trying to make my bed every morning consistently. This lumbar pillow makes it a quick and easy process and I feel like I have started my day right.

10. Favorite Planter – We use this planter a lot too and always get a million questions about where to buy it! It’s just from Amazon! Easy and so cute!

11. Leather and Brass Wall Frame – featuring “Huddle” by Jenny’s Print Shop – I love this frame and HUDDLE has become one of my favorite prints in the shop. Did you know we also offer gift cards for the holidays?!

12. Cream Chunky Knit Throw – I am OBSESSED with this throw. It is chunky and soft and well-made and absolutely gorgeous. If you’re over your sofa but want a stop gap before buying a new one, this throw would be a great neutral addition!

13. West Elm Knock-Off Leather Office Chair – I’m not sure what is happening here, but somehow this Amazon chair is an EXACT replica of the West Elm Slope chair that is twice the price! We have a few of these from West Elm at the studio and will be ordering more from the Amazon seller as our team is growing.

14. Mother of Pearl Bottle Opener – I don’t drink, but a bottle opener is handy to have in any home and makes a great gift for friends that do! I love mother of pearl together with brass!

15. Copper Pepper Mill – This copper pepper mill is the perfect gift for moms (me included)!! It feels so luxe!

16. Mustard Mudcloth Pillow – My local friend owns Sew + Cloth and her pillows are my FAVORITE. I love so many of her pillows and this gold mudcloth she recently added to her shop is at the top of my list.

17. Best Brass Box – I’m a sucker for little trinkets to layer on top of desks or on stacks of coffee table books and this little brass box is amazing. The BEST engraving is the name of brand, but I love it as a gift that makes a general sweet statement – Best Mom/Dad/Aunt/Uncle. Best Boss. Best Friend.

18. Firewood Holder – This is another item that looks way more expensive than it actually is! I love the matte black finish and modern shape.

19. Faux Ficus Branches – Faux branches are a great way to step into the world of faux plants without committing to a 8′ fiddle leaf for hundreds of dollars. These branches are only $20 and look super realistic! For an even fuller look, I’d order two bundles and put them in a HUGE vase for a console table or a center hall table.

20. Wood and Marble Bread Board – Bread boards make a great hostess gift, just be sure to bring a little (or a lot of) cheese with you! Try the honey goat cheese at Trader Joe’s! Or some camembert with fig jam. Yum!

21. Sonos – Our cute Tivoli at the studio has been acting up the past couple of months so I think we’re going to switch over to Sonos system. I’ve only heard amazing reviews about this speaker and the one I linked to here is gift-appropriate and on the affordable side!

22. Dyson Vacuum – I got my Dyson stick vacuum last year for Christmas and I can’t believe I lived in a world with corded vacuums for so much of my life before that! If you haven’t jumped ship yet, NOW IS THE TIME. Life is too short for vacuum bags and cords.

23. White Fluted Vase – Another favorite hostess gift? Fresh flowers in a pretty vase. This one looks incredible with literally any flower you can find even at the grocery store.

24. Hygge & West Home Book – I love the people from Hygge & West and their first design book did not disappoint! Beautiful images of real homes that look lived in and so cozy!

25. Rust Waffle Throw – Rust is my favorite accent color to use in rooms these days! This super inexpensive throw looks great on a sofa or chair or thrown at the end of the bed. It’s lightweight and delicate but still so soft.

26. Striped Planter – This little planter (that could also work as a vase) is SO pretty and so unique with the loose, organic blue stripes! And it’s on super sale right now. Win-win.

27. String Shopping Bags – I love having these bags around my house and in my car! They work great in a pinch for toting snacks to the soccer field or to use as grocery bags!

28. Velvet Hangers – I have these hangers in the beige color for our closet and you just can’t beat the 50 for $20 price! They make our small master closet actually usable and I love that all of my tops and dresses stay put!

29. Portable Steamer – I’ve bought a few fancy steamers in my day and none of have worked as long and as well as this little steamer that fits perfectly in a cabinet in your laundry room or closet!

30. Terrazzo Coasters – This is an affordable, non-committal way to get on the terrazzo train!

31. – Pressed Glass Frames – I love little brass frames for pressed flowers. I love the idea of collecting little flowers and leaves from a special place, pressing them and framing for a gift.

The post 2018 Juniper Gift Guide! appeared first on Little Green Notebook.

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1977 Firebird Formula +2

VESSELS

77 Firebird Formula - Nick and bad boy buddy Michael

Meeting Cass for the first time at the Mall’s Cruisin Arcade - 16 years old 

Back Story “Thinking Back Memory” Adaptation for Wings

From “The Mystery” (M1) Chapter 3

Still seeing through the eyes of this child he was, Nicholas had not yet discovered these things spoken of in the end of that last chapter.  Oh yes the seeds were planted but the soil had not yet been tilled. The rain had not yet fallen and the sun had not yet shone down upon him.  “Lets Go!” Michael yelled jumping back in the car. A shiny white Firebird Formula with 400 cubic inches of solid power under the hood. The license plate held down by the gas cap so it couldn’t be read. The second Michaels butt hit the seat Nicks foot hit the floor and they left two black patches and a cloud of thick white smoke in their wake as they performed their “fill-and-squeal” as Michael so proudly called it in his north Denver outlaw drawl. “Yeah!” they yelled as they high fived, popped in the Boston tape and opened another beer. “Let’s munch” Michael prompted as he looked at Nick and said 7-11 without uttering a single word. So there they were a twelve pack of Michelob and a giant box of Twinkies. As Nick shoved the last sponge cake down his throat and chased it with the now warmed over beer, low and behold to Nick’s surprise it all came right back up. He was a living, breathing, sixteen year old beer fountain. He tried to focus but all that he could see was the 4x9 Jensen speaker in the box on the floor between his knees bubbling out “More Than a Feeling” through the audible beer batter. Michael looked at him, then down at the speaker then again back up at him and blurted out as he would often do “Aaaaaahhhh Ha Haaaa!” laughing in that way that only Nick’s best, there and present for him friend in the world could.

               Skip to later in Chapter 3>>>  “Nicholas Angelino!” his mother yelled that typical first and last name call when you know someone is in trouble, snapping him out of his memories. “Don’t you have school today?” Still not able to move from the alcohol induced train wreck that he was, he uttered the first words that came to his mind. “A fever, I think I’m siiiiiiick.” Immediately she was there with a cool washcloth and 7-Up. As always she was there for him even if he was bending the truth a little and she knew it as mothers always do. Somehow mothers just have a way of knowing the truth. They just know but they play along out of nothing more than real genuine motherly love. Nick’s mother had tons of this motherly love and he knew it because he was still alive to tell about all the insane things he had been through as a child. Without her, Nick never would have made it to his current age of sixteen.

               Standing on the running boards of the Cyclone roller coaster at Lakeside Amusement park in North Denver, holding on with one hand and taking the bottle of Jack Daniels from Michael in the other, down the hatch it went, no chase! Yeeee-haaaaw they would yell while hanging out of the coaster car and riding it like a steel and wooden mechanical bull charging 45 miles an hour into “bad boyz curve” over the lake.  Jumping back into the car from the slalom water ski like running board outside the coaster car, Michael yelled “let’s go cruise the mall!” The common sensical translation of this in Nicks case would have been “your mother needs help because you are totally out of control and she can’t handle you on her own”. “You guys are crazy!” a few girls said as they exited the coaster…”That’s rght! We are crazy” they yelled right in the girl’s faces laughing and running off to “the real ride”.

               Feeling no pain and feeling indestructible, they thought they were teenage gods as they made the rounds at Westminster Mall, the other cruising place besides Colfax or West 38th in Denver. ‘This is where the babes are” Michael would say, “and we’re the baddest dudes in the baddest ride” Nick would reply. “Let’s go inside” Mike suggested. Nick quickly began to moan “awe man, and leave my car out here, you crazy?!” “Crazy? Me? Ahhhhh!” Mike jolted his trademark response. Next thing Nick knew they were steppin’ inside the mall or in this case you could have called it the hospital where he was led to for the help he needed. “Let’s play some air hockey” or translated “the psycho ward is this way” Michael said as he led Nick to the game room. Lights were flashing and the place was a zoo for kids not yet old enough to stagger out of a bar but only to stagger into the then only “social media” zone they had. At that age their bar was a dashboard and the bar tender was whoever wasn’t trying to drive. Lucky for them at the ripe age of sixteen, Nick was about to be saved from having to experience a real bar and looking back later in life, he was glad. The thought of sitting on a stool and drowning sorrows in a smoke filled, neon lit bar, with ragged dart boards and the moldy smell of rotting beer with a bar tender who was a sad excuse for a shrink made the four wheeled version they had a far less depressing memory.

               So there they were, a couple of juvenile delinquents who thought they were just the coolest “car dudes” on Earth walking in to the teenage, street version of the Top Gun bar scene. Sporting that first pair of Levi 501’s that Michael sold him used for full retail, Nick ignorantly paid sixteen bucks to his offline supermall buddy back then. Their shoes were the mandatory Nike high tops that if you didn’t have you were surely considered someone with a mental problem or worse, you must be on welfare and your mother purchased your middle school triple striped, black, Trax brand football cleats at K-mart so you were sure to get beat up by the rest of the football team on your way home from practice.

As the two wanna-be hood rat super hero’s began to “Stayin Alive” strut over to the air hockey, then teen tinder tables of their time, all of the sudden Nick was stopped dead in his tracks. The whole room changed in an instant. Everyone else disappeared and there he was in the “help my son lord” clinic and the nurse was a girl dressed like an angel in white just standing there smiling at him. She held up a thermometer that in real life was her signaling finger gesturing “come over here so I can check your temperature.” Nick immediately snapped out of it as Michael nudged him. Obviously noticing the in shock state his former plaid pant turned Levi’s novice was in. “Michael I love you bro” Nick said to him, his then EMT. “I’m really glad you decided we should come in here” he whispered through his well hidden perma-grin. “Oh shut up Nick” he barked as always “just go talk to her!” Turning his head slowly back to her, something that seemed to take every muscle in his head and neck to do, there she was. The sweetest, most darling, beautiful, charming thing he had ever laid his eyes on in his life, opening her clear bright eyes in slow motion, this is what the Nickster saw. A nurse? An Angel? A dream? Yes all of these things. An angel with golden hair, the biggest blue eyes he’d ever seen and a set of wings made from a red and gray letter jacket that at that moment dawned a “J” that didn’t stand for Jefferson High but pure Joy! The dream became his first love reality when she opened her eyes in what seemed like ultra slow motion and said... “Tell me something.” Nick’s mouth opened but nothing came out as she continued….”look me in the eyes and tell me this” she paused….”tell me you won’t let me drive your car.” Nick shook off his frozen face, snapping out of the I’m dreaming coma that he was in and woke up immediately, got right in her face and laughed. “Ahhhh Haaa, sorry, no I won’t let you drive my car! Mike did you hear that? haaa haaaa she asked to drive my ride! dude! Lets Cruise!!”  Nick backed away laughing at her “Ha ha that is hilarious, you want to drive my car! That is sooo funny….Michael did you hear that?”

               As they began to leave laughing hysterically, that angel’s voice yelled out in disbelief “hey wait a minute.” She grabbed her friend and dragged her to follow them. In Nick’s ignorant innocence, fully and completely without knowing in the least, he apparently said the exact right thing. Because what other guys only dreamed about and painstakingly stuttered mumbles of numerous pick-up lines to get….was his! The relief nurse that his mother needed so badly had arrived. The angel that he needed so desperately to put his feet back on the ground and his butt back in the seat of that coaster, grabbed his life by the sleeve of his shirt and said these words that he would never ever in his lifetime forget….”Aren’t you forgetting something?” As Cass and her best friend, Julie Christine, followed them to this “car”, this “chariot”, this forever life changing steel time machine “vessel” these teenage “vessels” of flesh and bone, energy and spirit, would enter, and never be the same again.

Actual Post Date: December 4, 2018 9:02pm