#in my hobby revival era

[holocene-sims]

simblr new years resolutions 2024!

thank you @stargazer-sims so much for tagging me!! ❤️✨🌟

not sure who has done this one yet but i'll tag 💌 @seyvia @simmersofia @mangosimoothie @minty-plumbob @queeniecook @dandylion240 @mmmatchasims @thebramblewood @aheathen-conceivably @nectar-cellar @igglemouse & anyone who sees this and wants to do it!

honestly, i have never made a new years resolution in my life, so this is a fun exercise to try out for once!

what's your resolution for your simblr?

this is VERYYYYY ambitious but i want to fully complete the core "everything the stars promised" and move on to doing side content and MOST IMPORTANTLY the more loosey goosey fun epilogue :)

april 15th of this year will mark the second anniversary of the story! i've done so much and yet at the same time, so little in the grand scheme of the plot i have in mind. i randomly checked today to see how many pages on my blog the story takes up and we're at 31 pages! so, uh, about 15 pages a year - not sure if that's good progress or not but oh well! we are getting close to the extra exciting parts of the story, and i would love to finish it all up this year, you know? finish on a nice round even anniversary number and with a bunch of plot point bangers lolol

but we'll see! it's possible, maybe, since i'm graduating college this semester and will have more free time for a while, at least i as figure out the work situation and probably even while working whenever i do get a job since nightly homework will no longer exist LMAO, but even if it's not possible, i am definitely promising myself to work harder on the story! i really do love this thing despite it all and i'm proud of it, and i want to see how much i can keep improving it so that the ending is truly the best part <3

what do you want from the sims franchise?

a sale on kits lmfaoooo!!! (which will never happen) i have exactly 5 dollars left over from an old gift card someone gave me for ea app when it was still origin. it's exactly enough for a kit except that sales tax adds on 7 cents and the gift card leftovers don't cover that.

yeahhhh...i'm neither charging 7 cents for sales tax nor 5 bucks for a second kit to my credit card. no, ma'am. i want that shit for FREE

any other new years resolutions?

don't become incredibly depressed by the shock of leaving the school system after almost 23 years of life and the horrors of figuring out the whole...life and career...thing

lol this resolution will be broken

so, how about an achievable one? read more books and write more actual prose, whether for my sims story or for something else. i've been so burnt out from academia that it's all stopped being fun. like even my sims story has been such a drag to create because i just have zero desire to write, to work on the outline, or find inspiration.

and that really sucks. writing and reading have been a huge part of my life for so long and they mean a lot to me, but right now they do feel exhausting. i'm tired of looking at a word document and wanting to bash my head into the keyboard because it reminds me of writing project proposals and boring shit instead of good fiction.

but i'm hoping the freedom from academia will spark joy in my literary hobbies again, and i'm going to try and bring back my love for them myself :) not sure how but aside from finding a way to work on the sims story more, i'm thinking maybe i'll commit to trying out more short-form writing prompts.

[imahgined]

the rosy blog project - episode 1:

꒰ঌ intro + pt. 1 on how we made 2024 actually feel like 2014 ໒꒱

hiiii sweethearts! ໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১

welcome to the first episode of the rosy blog project! i’m andrea, but you can call me roseate. i'll be your host to this dreamy corner of the internet, where we celebrate all things feminine and inspiring.

this project is my way of reviving the iconic rosy blog era here on tumblr. in the 2010s, life felt slower, filled with hobbies, fashion, beauty tips, boybands, fandoms, iconic tv shows, and bubbly playlists. here, we'll savor the little things that made us feel connected, feminine and creative!

༊࿐ ⊹ ˚. part 1: what was the rosy blog era?

just in case you weren't around on tumblr in the early 2010s, rosy blog content focused on the years we spent hours reading glossy magazines like teen vogue, watching our fave youtubers, and scrolling through dreamy blogs. the rosy blog style was unapologetically girly. it embraced soft pinks, cream tones, and everything feminine. it was all about finding joy in the little things, like curating playlists, buying self-care products, and creating a space that felt uniquely yours.

༊࿐ ⊹ ˚. part 2: my take on how we made 2024 really feel like 2014

from the beggining of the year, i saw so much content on ig and tiktok from people begging to bring back 2014 vibes in 2024. i definitely believe that, collectively, we made it happen. this will be a series of a few blog posts breaking down this year's best moments and how everything felt like the rosy blog era.

section 1: music and pop culture

ariana grande in her wicked & eternal sunshine era: she literally embraced everything we loved from her yours truly era and reinvented it to fit her glinda role. the looks we got from her were super feminine, elegant and classy. seeing her like this reminded me so much of her gorgeous 2010s aesthetic. also, her eternal sunshine album was insanely good. the dreamy vocals felt like a new era that revisited her feminine side from her first album. last year, we even had her yours truly live sessions. inmaculate vibes!

madison beer slowly becoming viral again: i've been a fan of madison ever since i discovered her. this year, i got so excited when her song make you mine went viral. the techno style and her beautiful voice reminded me of some of her earlier songs, even a bit of i won't let you walk away. she’s so talented, and back in 2014, she was all over tumblr. i hope she finally gets the recognition she deserves!

fangirl nostalgia: during the 2010s, you were either a 1d, 5sos, jb or btr fangirl (or all of them at once!). so much has happened this year with our faves—jb having his first child, btr touring again—it’s been a beautiful revisit of the memories we made in those fandoms. and the best part? we continue to create new ones by supporting them into their adulthood. (except for the tragic passing of liam—may he rest in peace).

lana in coachella: nothing felt more 2014 than our beautiful lana headlining coachella this year. her ethereal voice revided her most iconic songs, and the vibes were simply the dreamiest. i completely adored the setlist, and her styling was too cute! classic lana, yet timelessly fresh.

girly pop revival: from sabrina carpenter's short n' sweet tour to taylor swift's eras tour, 2024 absolutely brought girly pop back to the mainstream. we had amazing albums from artists like charli xcx (the most 2014 revival ever) and rising stars like tate mcrae, addison rae and many more. my personal favorite? FLO's debut album, access all areas. their vocals and y2k style are a must hear i'm sure you'll adore.

.mp3 by emilia: if you haven’t heard of emilia i'll be GLAD to introduce you. she's an insanely talented argentinian singer, composer, actress and model (also, the most stunning girl ever). last year, she released her second studio album, .mp3, with a 2000s-inspired sound and vibe. it's the girliest, most empowering, and fun album from a latin artist. this album served girly vibes with genres like pop, urban, dance pop, and contemporary r&b. even though this project and tour leaned into a y2k aesthetic, it also gave me major 2010 vibes with its sounds, looks and visuals. i'll dedicate a whole post to her and the album soon because, genuinely, the art direction is INSANE, and it's my favorite thing ever

for now, that’s it for this first section. i have so much to share with you—from lifestyle to fashion and so much more! i hope you enjoyed reading this 2024 recap, pt. 2 will be up soon.

i'd love to hear your thoughts on this post! let me know what you’d add or want to chat about, my dms are always open lovelies! have a magical and dreamy day ೀ ׅ ۫ . ㅇ

[ancanosaur]

Does anyone else remember how weirdly toxic the MK Fandom was around MKx era? Becuase I do.

Those like handful of blogs that were just getting into beef with random Kano fans and their whole thing was "Kanno is a peice of shit! And so are you for liking this fictional antagonist!!!" I remember a few who put anti-Kano in thier description of their blog and it was just a hobby to shame people for drawing Kano fanart or liking the character in any way. (And a small revival with mk11 since they made him fuzzy for that game lmao)

Weird uncomfortable age gap shipping... That whole thing about that one artist that drew Cassie cage/subzero stuff and a shit ton of people were like "uh, he's friends with her dad and is like 52. So that's kinda weird." But then it also turned into a headcanon argument bc people were like "yeah subzero definitely watched Cassie cage grow up and he was a part of her childhood." Wich is so funny looking back at it bc there was no need for people to theorise anything about the characters relationship any further than what is Canon for it to be weird.

That fucking Sektor fan who just casually wrote headcanons about Sektor being a huge fucking racist for no goddamn reason?????!?!??? The headcanon specifically was about how they ship him and Cyrax and how Sektor calls him slurs and physically, mentally, and sexually abuses him as part of thier romantic relationship????????????? And they even gave examples of the horribly racist things he says to him¿¿¿? And that Cyrax was just okay with it??? And ended the post with like " I love my evil little man 🥰" No trigger warnings on the post either and when they were critiqued for it they were like "it's realistic and it's just my personal headcanons and you don't have to agree. Sektor is my comfort character and this is just how i see him." -type shit. (Deeper lore about said person. I actually interacted with them way before the headcanon thing. They approached me wanting to rp and they were so controlling they were basically just telling me what to do the whole time. super rude and impatient. So they just suckedl lol.)

Art blogs getting wierd asks that requested them to draw the fem characters in what was very obviously kink art but the asker would ask it in a way to trick the artist into making free fetish art for them. I got so many requests back in the day to "could you draw mileena for me :) but with her jaw wired shut? :)" or "could you draw kitana wereing a new pair of flip flops for me? That would make my day." like ????? Vague to the point of its sus but there were alot of minors in the fandom at the time including myself, i was in highschool at the time. but I was raised on deviantart so I could smell a wierd fetish from a mile away. But I did see other young artists fulfill these requests and several of them completely unaware that they were drawing kink art. Kink art is cool. But not when you're tricking minors into drawing it for you for free. (There was this mileena anon that was the most common one and I swear it was the same dude bc it was always something to do with with her getting her jaw wired shut, her getting bracess, or some other hardware being attached to her jaw/teeth.)

Selfshippers/heteroshippers being like "I know Kung Jin is the only Canon gay character in this very cis het and hyper masculine video game franchise- but im gonna ship him with my girl oc :) becuase he isn't real and it's not wierd to just pick the only gay one :) out of a huge line of big muscle men to choose from :) to ship with :) my female girl she/her lady with a vagina self insert :) or ship him with Cassie :) bc they are friends and should date :) I know he likes men :) and erasing that part of him :) erases :) a big part of his character :) and character arc :) but he would look cute :) kissing girls :) bc im :) girl :) and so is Cassie cage :) and my oc :) - is what I remember.

2015/16 really was a time for the fandom.

[synergysilhouette]

5 things I want for Broadway's take on "Tangled"

NGL, I am slightly surprised that "Tangled" is getting a Broadway adaptation before "Moana" and "Encanto," but I'm hoping it's success opens the door for more Broadway musicals taken from Disney's revival era (and maybe bring back "Frozen"). That said, as someone who is NOT the biggest fan of "Tangled," there are a few things I'd like to see changed in the stage version. I'll try not to make this a repeat of my post on how I'd change the movie itself, but it's similar:

A more hesitant Rapunzel--As-is, she's a pretty complex character, but I feel like a lot of that is only utilized in the tower or in relation to Gothel. She's shown to be fiercely intelligent and have a lot of hobbies that she's mastered into talented skilled (baking, chess, pottery, painting, guitar, star charting, etc.), but it's mainly only shown in her intro song for how she kills time and how she knows about the floating light. She does keep herself busy in Corona, but her time there is relatively short, and her skillset is condensed to a musical sequence as before. I'd enjoy hearing more technological conversation from her or show how she navigates the forest, as I'd imagine she read as much as she could before going out into the world on how to survive and navigate, even if she mainly read books designed for entertainment rather than information. Along with this, I'd probably make her less innocent and bubbly--at least on the surface, presenting her as more aloof and tough because of how Gothel raised her, with her insecurities leading to a lot of trust issues that make her very antisocial and not trust Flynn at all. I felt like the "innocent young girl with a jaded older guy" trope is very played out. Speaking of, I'd probably make her older than 18 and and make Flynn only a couple years older than her at most. And I kinda want her in a new dress since her canon one feels a bit costume-y.

2. Make Flynn someone to take seriously--I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of they sympathetic thief trope, and that Flynn never comes off as cool or charming as he's supposed to be (we never see his charms work off, actually; according to when Rapunzel meets him, he's having an off day apparently), instead feeling a lot goofier. Similar to how Rapunzel is more reserved and tough, Flynn is more suave and capable, more focused on clever lines than quipping one-liners. Make him feel somewhat threatening and dangerous since he's a thief, and fueling Rapunzel's mistrust. A thing I'd also like to focus on more is his past and how he changes for Rapunzel. I like the idea that he sees the "Mother Knows Best (Reprise)" sequence from afar, and realizes that Rapunzel may only like him because he's not a good person, as people in abusive relationships may hop into another one, and vows to be someone who can protect her and care for her properly as he realizes he loves her, and has previously taken advantage of her in order to try to manipulate her into getting the crown back. I'd also like if he talked about his past periodically rather than just once after Rapunzel heals him; I need a recurring story rather than just a quick backstory that explains why you became pessimistic about the world (unless it's told through an ACTUAL flashback instead of just dialogue, similar to Nick Wilde's backstory in "Zootopia"). Perhaps put it into a song, and I was always weird about Flynn Rider being a fake name, especially since it doesn't affect the story; if you wanna highlight his insecurities, there are other ways to do so besides a fake name.

3. Give Gothel more songs (and perhaps make her a bit less over the top)--Given that Broadway musicals add songs, I doubt I have to worry about Gothel not getting to sing some more, but something I do kinda want is less over the top behavior with Rapunzel. I assume it's done to show the audience that she's clearly the villain and understand that she's manipulating Rapunzel, but I enjoy the more subtle moments. For example, right before the reprise of "Mother Knows Best," Gothel told Rapunzel that she found her by listening to the sound of "complete and utter betrayal." I'm sure some parents actually say stuff like this, but it sounded too obvious. However, afterwards, when she sings, it feels more legitimate, like she's actually angry, sarcastic, and frustrated (ironically during a big number). I'd enjoy more moments where her being a toxic parent are less obvious and are more subtle, personally. And ACTUALLY, someone once asked if "Mother Knows Best" (Reprise) was all in Rapunzel's head, and I do kinda like the idea that Gothel has made Rapunzel so insecure that she just has to wait for Rapunzel to unravel rather than directly intervene.

4. Make the Stabbington Brothers more important--Like I've said before, Flynn doesn't really have an obstacle or antagonist, as the brothers quickly become henchmen to Gothel, who she double-crosses when they fulfill her goal. In other words, despite originally being villains for Flynn, they end up not affecting his story on their own accord, but are pawns of Rapunzel's story. If we expanded on Flynn's past and lean into the fairy tale aspect, I kinda like the idea that they're his stepbrothers. And if we borrow from Flynn's prototype Bastion (who wanted to get out of being a thief rather than enjoying it), Flynn could just be forced to be a thief and manipulated emotionally like Rapunzel into believing he isn't going to survive on his own unless his does as his family asks.

5. Stay in Corona longer--I always hated how little time they spent in Corona, with most of the film taking place in the forest. I'd like for Rapunzel to have more time there to learn and explore her skills and interests (slowly becoming more social), kinda like how Ariel did in Eric's kingdom during her three days. I like the idea that Rapunzel periodically sees Gothel here and there but just tells herself she's going crazy, and Flynn has the same experience with the Stabbington brothers.

[brekkersnerd]

Daughter, Soldier, Goddess

Daughter, friend, lover, soldier, goddess. Titles, all given or earned.

There were four gods known to Navarre and the rest of the continent. If you go looking, you'll find more in the books. They commonly exclude the fifth. Goddess of healing, spring, and compassion. The order changes by day.

Goddess is a title earned by death, by revival.

Aisling Aetos is a daughter first, a sister second, a friend third, a soldier fourth, a lover fifth, and finally a goddess sixth. She defies odds and orders like it's a hobby, she's tough but fair, and she's on the hunt for the truth. A truth only she can find and tell. It comes at a cost, with a rebellion and a war brewing, she has her hands full.

Afterall, goddesses aren't made, they're born from ashes.

"He will pay for what he did. If it costs me everything, I will make sure it happens."

Please note: I do not own Fourth Wing or anything from it, this is fanfiction, I'm merely expanding on it. All rights go to Rebecca Yarros and any affiliates.

Hi all! A little note:

This story hops around, it starts when Brennan and Aisling are first years in Basgiath, then jumps to the rebellion era, and hops around after that to finally Iron Flame. I have a little bit of an outline in my head for how I want this to go, but that may not stick. I do not plan to wait for Onyx Storm, but if I don't finish writing this before then (I doubt I'll finish), then I can see if I can fix the timeline of that into this. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I've enjoyed writing! And please, please, please be kind, my writing is not the prettiest but I try my best to flesh everything out. Sometimes I feel I'm heavy on dialogue, and sometimes I feel like I don't use it enough. And please, if you find anything wrong, let me know!

Disclaimer: this is a fanfic off of a war college, if sensitive topics aren't your thing, please move on. I don't want to make someone uncomfortable. I will give potential trigger warnings if I think the chapter needs it, but this story is marked at MATURE, so take that into consideration before you read, thank you! And there will not be spice, I don't write that, if I did it wouldn't be written well. There will be build up to spice but all fade to black. And language, there will be that too. This will be cross posted to ao3 and Wattpad as well. And I read it five hundred times before I publish it, but I'm human, there's bound to be mistakes somewhere, please point them out kindly if you find one.

[lyriumsings]

oh damn I was just wondering if I should ask if you took oc questions and I saw a post about you wanting to talk about them. so. this is your sign: free pass tell me whatever you want about whoever you want. I’d like to know stuff about them (please. thank.)

This ask has literally been sitting here for like a year and I can’t stop thinking about my infamous mc so i’m gonna use this as a sort of preview introduction lol so anon if you’re out there im so sorry lmaooo and i absolutely love asks about my brain blorbos or anything really ngl i’ll probably copy and paste all this information to their Official Art ™️

Name: Octavia “Tavvi” Blackwater

Stage name: Tavvi

Pronouns: they/she

Sexuality: Bisexual

Band name: Beneath the Challenger (BTC). Octavia came up with the name and it’s basically a metaphor for them being super depressed lmao. It comes from the Challenger Deep which is the lowest point on earth beneath the Mariana’s trench.

Vocal Insp: donna missal (pinnacle voice bc for them tbh), The pretty reckless, the haunt

Music Insp: The Pretty Reckless, The Haunt, (for all of these bands i have very specific songs that i plug in as BTC’s lyrics lmao i have a playlist for them that i basically hc as their songs), Bad Omens (Just Pretend is SUCH a seven x mc song and i hc it as BTC’s best song), Mothica (VICES tho), and Honey Revenge! Here’s their playlist it grows everyday lmao

Fandom: Aquanauts. I hc that Maya figured out the bands meaning and picked based on that, Octavia genuinely loves it and finds it cute. And somehow the fact that the name makes sense to what the band name is makes them feel very seen and comforted tbh

Ep: Under the Water

Favorite unreleased single: The Slowest Heart (Which i actually took from Gilded Lily bc that song has heavy Octavia x Seven vibes) They have “the slowest heart” tattooed on there left rib age side boob area lol Although I feel like if she wrote it it’d be closer to the sped up version and a bit angrier mixed with hurt but the lyrics are perfect)

Romance: Seven’s ex. Still has his initials and doesn’t bother to cover it. And they are harboring a very blatant crush on Orion that if they’re being honest about started specifically because Orion seems pretty unattainable and they have no actual expectations of that fantasy becoming a reality (at least at first). Some cute stuff about them and seven tho: I hc fans called them Seven8 cuz Octavia means 8 or i guess Setavia works but Seven8 is so cute to me. And that seven had them in his phone as “8” and Octavia had him as “7 Ducky”

Some backstory:

Octavia is biracial her mom is white and her dad is black (specifically has afro indigenous roots but he was a foster kid so very estranged from these cultures) does not have a good relationship with their parents at all. Their parents didn’t really want kids? Sort of had Octavia because that’s what they were “supposed” to do next after getting married. Octavia is very much just an item checked off a list in a lot of ways regarding them. Very much the type of people who probably shouldn’t have had a kid not because they didn’t provide physically but they’re just emotionally nonexistent and incredibly dismissive lol. So yeah, so she had a very lonely childhood.

They did lots of ballet/contemporary dancing and soft ball which she does still actually enjoy as hobbies presently, but for the most part she’s obsessed with music and making music. They have a bat from highschool that they call “Lucky Lucy” where for two separate games in a row she hit nothing but home runs with it. Now, she takes it to every show and makes everybody touch Lucky Lucy before performing.

Octavia is obsessed with old hollywood glamour and old movies/shows from that era— most specifically Audrey Hempburn. They have several references/quotes from her tattooed on them: “never throw out anyone” is a partial quote from “People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw anyone out.” that they have tattooed directly under their S.D. tattoo which is my favorite lol and another is “i was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.” probably on their opposite forearm from S.D. (There’s more but i gotta map them out.) They can do a transatlantic accent, and did so for many months as a teen to annoy their parents.

Lastly, romantic history: before Seven they had a girlfriend, Maria. Who was pretty much their polar opposite—very straight laced, serious, and structured but also incredibly sweet, polite, absolute wifey material—and honestly while she supported Octavia’s dream on a surface level she thought Octavia needed a more concrete plan for the future. They dated for about half of high school and split amicably when it became clear that Octavia wasn’t going to change/Octavia’s underlying feelings for Seven became a bit too obvious to ignore. They’re still in contact and friendly and Maria is married and has two kids.

Post Seven, Octavia had one serious relationship that was on and off for 8 months about a year after their initial split. It was bad. Incredibly toxic content warning type bad. Dean Clayton was the lead singer of another indie band Violet Vapors and was a general misogynistic piece of shit. It was a they just didn’t see the red flags until they were already in it type situation, bc no one advertises themself as a pos partner obvs. She doesn’t like to talk about it and borderline actively ignores it, but if they ever saw him again they’d probably take their bat to him tbh. Octavia is in a muuuuch better place now (comparatively speaking, which i mean the bar is in hell so do with that what ye will) still does drugs and drinks but it’s not nearly as bad as uhhh this era of their life.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Hi Alexis! I was wondering if you could share some tips for when you're feeling burnt out or just not interested in the sims? I'm in a burnout era rn and it's like I want to PLAY and TELL MY STORIES but I just feel the task of editing and writing to be so daunting right now :(

Hello there, dearest Nonny! 💕

Thank you so much for asking this because I absolutely think it’s something all of us simmers struggle with from time to time. I know I’ve gone through a few burnout eras both big and small and can definitely feel myself entering another one as we speak, so I’m more than happy to help!

Now a bit of a caveat: these are my tips and tricks. I know everyone is different and some of these may not work for everyone. So if anyone wants to leave their own tips in the comments below please do, I would love to read them!

I’m going to put the whole rant under the cut because who could have guessed it…it’s going to be long! 😅

1. Have A Plan:

This is absolutely going to be my most divisive bit of advice, because I’ve talked to other simmers who have told me that this alone would cause burnout for them, but for me it’s probably the no. 1 thing that keeps me posting. I have a detailed calendar of my post schedule, usually about 2-3 months in advance, that helps me stay on track and keep focused. Sometimes I will move things around a day or two or even push it back a full week when I need to, but overall I stick to it.

This is definitely because I am a planner, but if I have a difficult shoot or don’t want to edit, I can easily look at the calendar and go “Okay but in two posts you’re going to get to the scene you’re really excited about.” Or when I know I have a huge shoot coming up and can budget my time accordingly. This also means when I have more time or energy I can shoot through a few scenes and know that I’m set for a week or two to relax and everything is done for those posts.

Planning will probably look different for everyone, but I really do think it’s helpful to have something tangible and attainable to look forward to in those moments you’re feeling unmotivated.

2. Find What Keeps you Motivated and Lean In:

This is crucial for me and arguably what has kept my story going for so long. I have this story written decades in advance, and knowing those points I want to get to and dynamics I want to explore keeps me motivated when I’m feeling down.

However, for you, it may be precisely the opposite. Just the element of gameplay or the unknown may be engaging, or perhaps simply a certain lot that you’ve downloaded or era of clothing. It is important to remember there’s no right way to tell your story, so structuring your own time and efforts around what you like, even if it means changing stuff halfway through, is crucial to making this enjoyable and sustainable.

Sometimes for me it’s smaller motivations, and I’m really into building or CAS or character development for a few days or weeks at a time. I’ll play around with how my posts are told or even what I’m doing in the background (getting my next gen CC folder ready, building a lot, doing an ask game). Switching gears into what’s interesting to me at that moment can revive my interest in the story overall and prevent a burnout in the long term.

The same is true in inverse. If there’s an element that is standing in the way of the hobby bringing you fulfillment, it may not be as necessary as you think. Recently for me I also had a bit of burnout with editing, and this is a huge reason why I finally downloaded reshade. Now my editing time is cut back immensely and I find myself reinspired by taking screenshots and have leaned further into landscape shots and just aesthetic filler.

3. TAKE BREAKS:

Yes, this is in all caps. Yes, it is the most important. Posting our pixel stories is a surprisingly mentally draining hobby, so you absolutely have to give your brain and creativity a rest from time to time. When you start feeling that it’s consistently a chore, that’s a sure fire sign that it’s time to take a break.

Now for me (because of the schedule) sometimes y’all won’t even see when I take a little break. It might mean that I take a week or two away from the game but I’ll have the posts done in advance so there’s no gap in posting. It also means I can just push things back a bit if needed; then when I’m feeling ready to go again, I know exactly where I left off and what the next steps are.

The latter is probably where the schedule is most important to me, as I do feel like a lot of simmers take necessary breaks but have difficulty knowing how to pick back up again. I personally strive to take longer breaks at the end of an arc (like when Florence left New Orleans in 1925). This gives me a feeling of satisfaction, like I left the story on a good note and am free to take however much time I need without the pressure to return that I left something unfinished. It also means I know exactly what I’m returning to, and can do necessary preparations like lot building or pose downloading before I even start posting again.

—

But overall I will reiterate what I said above: if you have a story to tell or gameplay to share or edits to make they are your creations and you should always view them as such.

Sharing here can sometimes be a bit of an odd juxtaposition, where you feel like you need to have a certain look or a certain caliber of posts or even a certain frequency. Finding the way this hobby brings you the most fulfillment is absolutely what is most important, and that way you want to return after those moments of burnout because it is still something that you enjoy doing.

[pompeii-the-houseplant]

get to know a mutual better!

thanks for the tag @clairdelilac! finally getting around to doing this :')

LAST SONG: Hallucinations - PVRIS. I only knew Dead Weight by her but spotify autoplay shuffled this one and I might have to go listen to the whole album now

FAVOURITE COLOUR: orange!!!! at some point in my life i bonded with it like a stray cat-- it is the colour of life to me, i associate it very strongly with sunlight. might fuck around and dye my hair it

CURRENTLY WATCHING: started rewatching the fruits basket reboot! most beloved comfort series <3333 if you haven't watched it or read the manga, i know the concept seems a bit off-putting!! but it is SUCH a good exploration of intergenerational trauma and family abuse. the characters are wonderfully complex, the art and the soundtrack of the reboot is superb, highly highly recommend. series of all time. currently watching it w/o subtitles to try and revive my japanese, so im feeling very cool about being able to understand it so far (definitely nothing to do with the fact i know this story better than my own hands)

LAST MOVIE: rewatched kiki's delivery service for the first time in a while. currently got uni burnout so it hit much harder than i anticipated ㅠㅠ

CURRENTLY READING: i've been really bad at reading the past few weeks, but the last books i was reading were Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro, and Babel - R.F. Kuang.

SWEET/SAVOURY/SPICY: all three <3 i love my spice, i have a really big sweet tooth tho. i am a terrible chronic snacker; if there is food in front of me, i will be eating it.

LAST THING GOOGLED: "our wives under the sea". friend recommended me a book they finished recently :)

CURRENT OBSESSION: i tend to hyperfixate on music really easily. lately it's been Flora Fauna - Billie Marten, I'm Your Man - Mitski (actually went feral the first time i heard it), and Reputation - Taylor Swift (the eras tour movie awoke something). incredibly excited for the new TAEMIN album. and i've got ATEEZ on the brain, as per usual

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: uni has been taking up most of my time tbh, i've been trying to get back into my old hobbies tho. took a lyra class a few weeks ago just for funsies, and i've got about three creative writing projects bouncing around my brain like a dvd screensaver. once exam period ends i will be unstoppable

i'm tagging: @exhausted-asterism, @raise-me-up-take-me-up, @minmarti, @fireworksgalaxy, @evilautisticsociety

[tanya-shiza]

Porcelain Doll // TaNya Era

While I'm actively trying to finish the art about my artifact. Let's talk about that new villain I mentioned in my last post.

The Porcelain Doll named Selén is possessed by a vengeful spirit. The spirit used to belong to a boy named Rowen Stufford. His old father was the owner of a small shop of homemade porcelain dolls.

Little BackStory:

An old man - the owner of a small shop selling homemade porcelain dolls - was finishing his new girl named Selén. His son Rowen Stufford never shared his father's hobbies and helped him create dolls only so that they would not become completely impoverished. In his spare time, he ran to suspicious cultists who promised him to revive his dead mother... Rowen was sitting at his desk, scribbling in his diary.

On that warm orange evening, the killer returned to have some more fun. This time the Stufford family was less fortunate. Monsters killed the father that finished painting Selen's eyes. Out of fear, he dropped the doll on the floor. At that moment, before death, the 17-year-old satanist swore to himself that he would take revenge on Monstrox for everything. Perhaps it was because of this oath that Rowan's embittered and vengeful soul moved into the doll and fell asleep until now.

FunFact1:

Initially, Mr. and Mrs. Stufford were engaged in gardening and made good money, but after the death of wife, Rowen's father sold their garden, which offended his son, and opened a porcelain doll shop. He did it in memory of his beloved, who adored porcelain dolls and dreamed of opening her own shop. Rowen didn't know about this and was careless about his father's dolls and often directly despised the old father, laughing that the dolls are only for girls and that he was crazy to sell their thriving garden. It's ironic that the boy loved his mother more than anything in the world and if he knew about her dream he would gladly open a shop himself. Of course, his father tried to explain everything to him, but Rowan would not listen to anything. He was too busy grieving for his mother and wanting her back.

FunFact2:

• The name Rowen is very similar to the word Rowan. It was in honor of the red rowan trees in the garden that the mother named her red-haired son Rowan.

• The surname of the Stufford family comes from the word stuff, which hints at the not the best state of Dad's family business of creating furniture, so the family continued the family business on the maternal line — gardening.

• Porcelain kinda is consonant with the word - Selén - a chemical that «helps prevent premature aging of the body». A reference to the fact that Rowen's soul stopped aging after being imprisoned in a doll. Oh, well, also Mr. Stafford took it on doctor's registration.

Design

I really tried to change the design, so Selen wouldn't look like Poppy, but i can't do it because of my headcanons about color and it meaning in TaNya Era. For example, cyan is color of sadness, red is anger, irritation, and green is most often revenge, but there are moments with illness, pain, etc.

As we can see, the predominant color is cyan, which is understandable, because of the sad backstory. Red hair is rather pale, more like brown, which shows that there is little left of the Rowen's soul and there is almost no anger. Green ribbons wrap around the entire body of the doll, which indicates that the viability of the doll rests only on the thirst for revenge.

Also, the doll itself has blue eyes, the father wanted to make the doll calm and a little sad, but after the obsession with the vengeful spirit, the eyes turned yellow.

✨BONUS✨

I was working on this post ALL DAY, mostly because in school. And I managed to draw a sketch of Selen.

(I forgot about her big bow on her head and didn't draw ribbons. 😭)

[japdeguzman]

Photo by Anita Jankovic on Unsplash

They say the saddest song is the one that’s never been written. But for me, the saddest phrase in the entire English language isn’t a melody, it’s a whisper — “I used to.”

Three little words, strung together, that carry the weight of a thousand unspoken stories.

I used to love spending entire Saturdays curled up with a good book, getting lost in fantastical worlds. Now, the thought of staring at a page for minutes feels exhausting.

Maybe it’s the fatigue of modern life, the constant barrage of information, or perhaps just a shift in priorities. Whatever the reason, the joy of getting swept away in a story feels like a distant memory.

There are hobbies that used to be my haven — painting landscapes that blossomed with vibrant colors, the quiet hum of focus as my brush stroked the canvas.

Now, the paints sit untouched, their vibrancy a stark contrast to the dull ache of creative stagnation. Did the passion fade? Did life simply steal the time?

“I used to…” hangs heavy in the air, a question mark with no easy answer.

The things we love are often intertwined with the people we love. Remember those Friday night movie marathons with my best friend, fueled by endless bowls of popcorn and whispered secrets?

Now, scattered across different cities, lives taking on new shapes, those nights seem like a scene from a bygone era. “I used to…” takes on a tinge of loneliness, a yearning for a simpler time when connection seemed effortless.

But here’s the thing — “I used to…” doesn’t have to be a death knell for joy. Maybe the spark for reading has dimmed, but perhaps it’s time to explore audiobooks or podcasts that ignite my curiosity in a different way. Maybe the paints are gathering dust, but can I find a creative outlet in something new — photography, pottery, or even journaling?

As for those cherished friendships, distance doesn’t have to diminish the bond. Technology bridges the geographical gap, allowing for virtual movie nights or simply catching up on life’s twists and turns.

“I used to…” can transform into “I still cherish,” a reminder that some connections transcend time and space.

The truth is, change is inevitable. Our interests evolve, our priorities shift, and the things that once brought us joy might need to be revisited in new light. “I used to…” can be a springboard for rediscovery. It can prompt us to explore what sparks joy now, what ignites our passions in this current chapter of life.

Maybe the old hobbies won’t be revived, the worn teddy bear won’t be the source of comfort anymore. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for new loves, new connections, and new experiences that paint our lives with vibrant colors.

Perhaps the echoes of “I used to…” can lead seamlessly into an exciting symphony of “I am now discovering…”

[someprettyname]

Yipeeee :DDDDDD

Time to yap 😎↕️

Oooh. Makes sense honestly 😌↔️ My favourite colour would be yellow :D [stands for hope....i might suck at a lot of things but I'm good at hoping most of the times. It was the sole thing which got me out of the two toughest time recently. It also stands for everything bright and optimistic. Very inspiring.] [additional question : what are your hobbies?]

OMG DUMPLINGSSSS AAAAAAAAA so. Like. In our country we have this food called momos, IT'S MY COMFORT FOOD TOOOO EEEEEEE (along with gobhi Manchurian the beloved :T, any sort of sweet makes me happy too) a lot of dishes can be my comfort food though (everything other than these 3 is mostly my mom's handmade specific so...uh. Lol. Not easily found.), but nothing beats these 3.

RUSHING TO LISTEN TO THEM RIGHT NOW!!! 🏃🏻‍♀️ (Oh my god i love that opening. It's my favourite.) My recommendations? Hehehehe. I'll just give you some songs I've been enjoying a lot lately 🎶

those eyes - new west sailor song - gigi perez golden hour - JVKE (i know it's old, but it's beautiful. I've been in my golden hour revival era.)

4. I'm adding those two on my tbw. My favourite genre as of now is fantasy and sometimes a little slice of life 🎶 i have waaaay too many stories which have touched me honestly xD we can yap all about it some other day 😌↕️

Oki doki. Time for the additional question! [Wow. You're amazing at at asking questions. This is such a...🤨 tangential 🤨 question....sjsjhsoan. It didn't take long for me to think but definitely very long to type out lol 😂😭]

My first absolute reaction would be I'd feel on top of the world...in an alone, empty kinda way. Because where are others? How come I'm the only one who's this loved? Did i not love people around me enough for them to be standing by my side here too? Then I'd get overwhelmed with this responsibility (love isn't something to take and have most of, it's to be shared, found in the smallest things and cherished) and have a small episode of breakdown. Because... Thank you. Thank you for loving me so much that i don't even know how to process it.

Then when I ✨collect myself✨ I'd start pondering. This question can either mean I'm the most famous person which would also mean I'm the most hated person, i suppose? In which case I'd focus on learning how to process all that energy, handle the fame and love and share my experiences with the world. But on second thought, fans can't really "love" me, for they don't and can't know me in my rawest form. This would count under being the most adored, so case discarded.

Second possible way i could perceive this question would be that I have this circle of close people who love me the way i feel loved. In which case, I'd first of all be intrigued. Because how does someone measure the intensity of emotions and contrast it? We both might say we're 100% happy at a point of time but your 100 might be my 80, and vice versa, ygwim?

EITHER WAYS. All nuances put aside, I'd love the people around me more. I'd find that MF who loves me but doesn't speak too much about it and smother them with love.

Also, i think loving and being able to be loved is a skill. An ability which directly correlates to your mental health/situation/approach to life and relationship/perception of world a lot of times...so as the most loved person in the world I'd like to write books and go on the internet to share my insights on how to open yourself to love so that at the end of the day I'm not standing alone at the top of the world alone. So that by the time i leave this world is a much better place 🎶

Because if I'm the most loved it also means i allowed myself to be the most vulnerable, isn't it? And being vulnerable is hard. VERY hard. But it's not that bad. It's beautiful a lot more than it's awful :)🎶

now your turn!!! You tell me what would YOU do if you found out you're the most loved 🎶😙

OKAY OKAY 👏🏻👏🏻

Rapid fire time 😌↕️

Favourite colour? Any reasons why?

Sweet, savoury or spicy? Any comfort food?

Recommend me three songs :3

Favourite genre, if any? If not, then tell me about your favourite story and why it's your favourite? [Can be anything - web series, anime, novel, real life experience, ANYTHING!]

[I wasn't kidding when I said you've got me curious 😔]

Okay! I'll answer this without thinking too much.

Green, it reminds me of my childhood, specific memories of trying to marry a tree and spending more time in my garden than with people rip

I love all three, no preference, dumplings as comfort food and banana milk!

Three songs: Igloo- Kissoflife, Glad you came-the wanted, Rhiannon-Fleetwood Mac, ( Saturn-sleeping at last, one more for good measure 😂😂 Ohhh and Tobey flyyyy highhhyy~ 😂😂)

I prefer Mystery, thriller and fantasy a little more than the other genres, the one anime that had really stuck with me is Orange and for movie, I would say When the promised flower blooms. Maybe I like Angst a little too much for it aids in distracting my mind from my own problems and hyper analyze other's problems and be prepared for a scenario that never comes-

Also, is it alright if I ask you the same question?? With an additional one!

If you found out you were the most loved person in the whole wide world, what are the emotions you will be feeling? (you can take your time with answering this one because honestly it's strange 😂😂)

[nayumis]

Oded Ezer: Exceptional Concept Workshop Day 1

The Task:

My next step:

I began by making a list of my areas of interests, niches, and hobbies that could be applied to the three types of projects Oded tasked us with. However I was getting no where with finding ideas from the inside of my own head, so I decided to look for inspiration at the library. Here, I noted down anything that I gravitated towards, anything that made me wonder, and other inspirations. I recalled my interests in Polish opera posters (from when I went to a poster exhibition in Kyoto), and a D&AD winner of the moving poster festival. Therefore I came up with the idea to re-purpose opera posters and make them come to life with moving imagery. This could contribute to the revival of Operas and make its posters visually appealing to modern audiences, and can be applied to technology and social media.

My Idea:

The related projects/resources/references I sourced to back up or better explain my idea:

Smartify: An app that makes artworks come to life when scanned, and educates modern audiences in an interactive, engaging, and digital way.

Posters of the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary: This website features examples of posters featured in the exhibition and talks about the exhibition's book (which I also own).

Anna Mills Nicer Tuesdays: Talks on how her use of type and graphics come to life and are given a personality. This inspired me on how not only limiting myself to making the illustrations move, typography can be given a personality too.

Moving Poster examples: Examples show contemporary posters that uses screen billboards, station screens, online websites and social media as poster platforms. For promotion and for a design festival.

The feedback I received:

Workshop Reflection and Takeaways:

It was interesting to see how by breaking down and simplifying my concepts helped lead us to a better, stronger concept. From simply questioning myself whether I enjoyed each step, topic, field of study, if I had answered with "no" then that was easily changed to an area I was interested in. Furthermore, Oded said I was limiting myself to a poster as the output. Rather than just creating a moving poster, I was told to think broader and bigger and to create an "exceptional project". I think my main takeaway from this session was that I should pursue a project of which I will enjoy and am passionate about, think about myself and let my intrusive thoughts win as they may lead me to greater ideas, and don't limit myself to a singular medium straight off the bat as it will limit my overall output.

I found this session very inspiring and it definitely taught me about a new way of thinking and brainstorming for ideas.

[bailaconox]

still would love to do my “one book a month” thing so i skimmed thru the last couple chapters before the point i stopped in qoaad because gOD I WOULD LOVE TO FINISH READING THIS FUCKING BOOK I STARTED BACK IN LIKE 2018?????????? I MISS SHADOWHUNTER STUFF I MISS THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH I WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THEM AND IF ANYTHING WILL RENEW MY LOVE FOR READING IT’LL BE SOME SHADOWHUNTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[groupieculture]

CAROLIN I HAVE MISSED SEEING U ON THE DASH SOOOOOOOO MUCH OMG HI!!!! besides the Literary Projects what have u been up to????? the people (me) are dying to know

hi<3 nothing major besides that as im a creature of routine but i have become rich in hobbies. also read like 5 books and got some new ones. also domesticating my cool new flatmate. also thinking of reviving my blonde era. as you can see so many changes are happening, cant keep up. but most of all i miss the gay people on my phone.

[cybernexus]

what kind of aesthetics does raj appreciate? in terms of fashion and art.. raj seems like the type to appreciate clothes by zolnar. are there certain colors that he gravitates to?

Let's see... he's a big fan of streetwear and futuristic stuff so hell yea!!! If I could make clothes from scratch, since I'm still learning 3D and I can't as of yet, I would make like 1000 more outfits for him that look just like those! I'm very uninitiated when it comes to fashion and don't know brands very well but I loved looking at the pictures I saw of those.

(Cut for length)

He tends to prefer dark colors, with pops of color here and there. He himself is pretty colorful, so he kind of brings the colorfulness in his outfits. IMO he looks great with black, due to how black and red go together. He'll wear more loud colors on occasion, as he doesn't usually care what other people think unless it's someone close to him (just look at that crop top with his pecs out, like damn lol). But usually it's monochrome or black and red. He does like wearing brighter, more flashy colors, but overall he thinks that darker ones suit him.

He goes back and forth between wearing relatively "conservative" clothing as far as skin being covered is concerned, to wearing y'know, a crop top and skinny jeans. And also being naked. Because maybe like 30% of the time he is! Although he wears armor over his cybernetic chassis so unless he's not wearing that, he's never truly "naked." He tends not to think of his body in a manner similar to a human's, so when he's reminded that it's human shaped (especially if somebody flirts with him) he tends to get embarrassed. Lately he's taken to wearing clothes a bit more often. He doesn't really care what anybody else thinks, but god help him if his friends tease him. I guess you could kind of call him a bit of a goth with how much black he wears; but not quite as much as my other muse Aihren does. His style is otherwise stuff like streetwear, techwear, cyberpunk style clothes. He'll occasionally pull off a casual look pretty well (like in that vneck tshirt below).

Here's a sample of what he wears on a daily basis with a bonus formal outfit:

For art:

Despite his rather monochrome choice of attire, he actually really likes colors. He's one of those people where if you ask what his favorite color is, he has a hard time and just can't pick because to him, they're all beautiful. He will legit kick your ass if you try to guess for him and say it's red. Lmfao

He enjoys colors that scare people who are afraid of color (like the kinds of people who paint their whole house white). Cyan and pink, neon green and purple, black and blood red, cyan and gold, ect. He will also go for more traditional, "classy" color combos like black and gold or just monochrome with shades of white, black, and gray.

He's also particularly appreciative of just about every form of art. Especially if it's something he's never heard of before, or from a dying hobby (in the grim cyberpunk future) that's being revived.

Some of his favorite kinds of art are the more difficult to find arts in his futuristic era that require physical materials and aren't digital in nature. In his world, there are simulators that can do just about anything, this means that fewer and fewer people are being taught the real life methods of art. These arts that he appreciates are: traditional painting, stone sculpting, wood working, and so on.

And a last bonus close up of the doodle I made:

[youregay]

upcoming sufjan stevens albums:

stevens announces the return of the 50 states project, with the first being California, only to release an album about 8 famous real life murders. musically the album is reminiscent of ‘A Beginner's Mind’ with more stylistic variation; including some heavy period-specific inspiration in the songs set in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. stevens incorporates some interesting synth riffs for the 80s, and some banjo and perfect harmonies for the 60s and early folk-revival 70s. the album ends with a 40s blues-style union ballad about a scab leader being killed. ultimately the album is musically cohesive despite the wide breadth of eras being explored and is well received

California does actually come out just 5 months later and audiences expect a peppier, hippy and folk inspired ‘Carrie and Lowell’ and are instead greeted with an almost nauseating electronic album that is 12 songs and 74 minutes long. it is initially panned by fans of his more popular albums, but after a while critics and audiences alike view it as a maturation of his more electronic-centered music and see the earlier half of the album as expanding upon ‘The Ascension’ in a similar way to how ‘Illinois’ expanded upon ‘Seven Swans.’ the first half of the album is the half with lyrics, the later half being largely instrumental with vocals being used mainly as another instrument and eventually devolving into ambient noise by the last song. a year later 2.5 seconds of a beat and half a line of lyrics are sampled in an Anderson .Paak x Kendrick Lamar song the next two albums are also state albums and the last (for now) in the project. Pennsylvania is released next and is somewhat of a ‘return to form’ for stevens. the album began development around the time of the original states project albums (’Illinois’ and ‘Michigan’) and certain themes can be seen as a through-line to those albums. structurally and lyrically it’s closest to Illinois, but musically it blends a lot of his acoustic styling in his earlier work with the enormous, overwhelming sound in ‘Age of Adz,’ and in fact ends with ‘Pittsburgh: Reprise,’ an 18 minute song that many liken to ‘Impossible Soul’ for it’s long, rambling quality but that personally most resembles his EP ‘America’ with the songs ‘America’ and ‘My Rajneesh,’ both of which have the same quality of decay and themes of institutional collapse (in Pittsburgh’s case, the collapse of the steel industry). the album follows the story of a man who doesn’t age, traveling the state through it’s founding to modern times and is lauded as ‘a great American fairy-tale.’ the album’s outtake companion album includes 5, sufjan-original folk songs and union songs and becomes a favorite among super fans.

afterwards he releases ‘New York,’ an album described as a ‘coming home’ for stevens, less so musically and more so thematically. the album is a return to autobiography and follows up on many of those aspects present in ‘Illinois,’ ‘Michigan,’ and even certain threads from ‘Carrie and Lowell.’ stevens dense lyrics allow for him to talk about his experiences making and preforming music without it feeling too on-the-nose, as well as about his personal life and relationships without people being able to overstep his privacy. a much loved, quieter song at the one third mark of the album is about stevens re-connection with his hobbies and a divisive (but great) song at the two thirds mark is a stealth christmas song. the most popular song on the album is ‘Catskill Mountains’ which tells the story of a 17y/o boy who runs away from home and lives in the the Catskill mountains and is mauled by an enormous white bear, barely surviving but having an impactful spiritual experience. the album is most palpably about coming home in the song ‘Home’ which acts as the climax of the album and explores his settling-down in Upstate New York and the healing from past trauma through his relationships with others.

lastly, to buck tradition, stevens releases a Halloween ep instead of a Christmas album. the album is released November first and is 9 songs long. several of the songs are about specific movies including fan-favorite from the album, ‘Carrie.’