#its like the us just built a state and put all the annoying entitled old white people there

[nickbutnodick]

maybe the reason florida is such an abomination is bc it literally never was supposed to exist. it didnt, really. and then some people wanted money so they MADE florida.

[kalico-to-the-letter]

REVIEW // RWBY | 6.11 | “THE LADY IN THE SHOE”

AKA my Naruto: Shippūden experience revisited.

Welcome in to my review of Volume 6, Chapter 11, entitled, “The Lady in the Shoe”.

In this episode: Atlesian pride is at sea. A shared demon is faced.

The hands, though … the hands.

HOW SHŌNEN OF YOU.

We’re officially in a weird spot with this, the sixth and current season of RWBY.  

I have – as have most of us, I’m sure – known for a long time now that the 26th of January would be the airdate of the season finale. Despite that knowledge, it was never something that had never rung any alarm bells in my viewing experience of the season – until now.

With only two (!) episodes left for this season, we remain hanging on the cliff of an uneven storyline’s hastily-escalated climax. (Remembering of course that the finales have tended to be at least double-length episodes.)

The whole thing was very entertaining, and at times, edge-of-the-seat action material. As a singular package, this episode is very good. And if there were, say, five more episodes left, instead of just two, I wouldn’t have any issues at all.

But therein lies the issue. Naruto and Dragon Ball can pull off storytelling like this – RWBY has struggled with it forever, yet the show can’t seem to stay away from it or find the formula to make it work within its own limitations.

I’ve criticised this show in the past for its tendency to act like it has more time and more room to manoeuvre than it actually does. This is also not the first time I’ve identified shōnen storytelling characteristics in the show. But it seems to remain an ongoing issue directly affecting the pacing of seasons. As up-and-down as last season’s overall quality was, it was one of the better-paced runs in the show’s history. And when this season opened with a good episode, then an ok episode, then four great episodes in a row, and we were getting these great set ups with the antagonists and Team RWBY’s internal issues, I thought that the lock had been picked after all – that the show could stay consistent in quality and pace at the same time.

Call it a wandering focus, or a loosening of the grip – the unique, tight direction of this season was lost with the arrival in Argus. The early stories of the primary antagonists were pushed to the sideline, as was the Ozpin story. Any problems still within Team RWBY were instead transformed into Qrow’s issues with life itself, and even though Yang and Blake are fighting Adam now and will probably smack his ass around next week, they have had far less to do with each other than one might have expected, given their obvious issues.

Of the main storylines for this season, the only one that has been consistently featured and worked on is the story of Ruby’s personal growth, which is still fantastic as far as the positives go, and this episode continues to build on that by giving her some fun moments, with Weiss in particular.

I struggle with the grade for this episode, too. Perhaps more than any other episode I’ve assigned a grade value; this could well be the best episode I’ve not given at least an “A-“, and it’s solely down to the season’s recent pacing woes. Ultimately, it was all very well done. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the execution of Blake’s plot was flawless in this episode, and I must spotlight it.  

It was staged and crafted in all the right ways, from fighting and flying around in the trees to being forced into the open above a waterfall. The swordplay choreography hit its beats without making the fight look like a dance, which maintained the sense of danger. It created some telling images, such as Blake catching one of Adam’s swords in the sheath of her own weapon, or Blake losing that sheath to the water, or Blake’s own sword being shattered to pieces. She’s had this weapon forever, and now it’s gone – you can’t say that’s not a big deal. For a second, I thought she had been stabbed again, and the afterimage clone was used to counter that strong parallel of the first fight with Adam, years back. The scene held its drama throughout, and built even higher as the fight progressed onto the bridge and brought Yang into the situation.  

And even though it left on another cliffhanger, it was not the irritating sort like the fight against the mecha suit. It was more in keeping with better shōnen cliffhangers, an ending which still had deeply satisfying components despite choosing not to resolve the overall storyline. Yang’s arrival was momentous on its own, tossing her beloved bike into the water, and then squaring off with Adam. In another acknowledgement of the parallels, the fight was back-and-forth rather than Yang’s original headlong charge into defeat.

Consider the complexity at play here. Despite being the fresh fighter and going toe-to-toe with an old tormentor, Yang knows that she cannot defeat Adam on her own – only “hold him off”. When her hand shakes again. of course Adam is quick to call her out for her supposed lack of nerve. And of course, Blake is there to take it and reinforce their bond. “She’s not protecting me, Adam. And I’m not protecting her. We’re protecting each other.”

They both had turns fighting him solo in the Volume 3 finale. They both lost spectacularly, and Adam has haunted the both of them ever since. Blake wounded his pride at the end of Volume 5, but that wasn’t a real fight. Here, they will, at last, fight him together, and exorcise the demon they both share – the demon that tore them apart in the first place.

An ending like that to this story – and this whole scene, really – is almost enough to make up for potential storytelling malpractice. So, let’s bring it home, Volume 6: I can’t say I’m not intrigued about what happens next.

OBSERVATIONS:

What’s more impressive? Sniping a missile out of a sky from the ground, or catching a missile with a giant mecha suit and throwing it at a moving airship? Open the polls.

I see Weiss and Ruby riding on a giant bumblebee … Nothing.

I feel like Nora’s trying to get something from Ren … I’m stupid.

The fight against Cordovin was something straight out of an JRPG – plenty of making the sword-wielding heroes look tiny against a giant boss enemy. Not quite Final Fantasy or Nier, but in the ballpark.

The reveal of Adam’s scar is pretty gnarly. No one tell Weiss about the SDC brand right on his freaking eye.

Blake didn’t just lose her weapon – she lost her coat. Oh my goodness. Let’s just … whew.

I got chills when Yang blocked the charged strike and just frowned at Adam.

Of course, I would have preferred both stories to wrap up in this episode, but given how both it played out, I feel instinctively that one of these two storylines should have ended with this episode.

The Gang vs Cordovin isn’t the most compelling fight on paper, and it isn’t helped by some heavy-handed emotional manipulation, but hits all the points it needs to. That cliffhanger was genuinely annoying and unnecessary, though.

Cordovin isn’t a great antagonist, is she? Like, we were literally introduced to her four episodes ago, and here she is having a fight stretched over three episodes. Remember Neo and Cinder? And Salem’s crew? I’d care more about a fight with any of those jokers than I do about this fight with Cordovin. It’s still cool to see Ruby and Weiss killing it, and Qrow seems to have stopped his moping.

The main disappointment with the realisation that the finale is so close also comes from the promising set ups from the early parts of the season, such as Cinder’s involvement with Neo, or Emerald’s return to the villain crew – or even more recently, with Saphron and Terra’s issues with the Atlesian camp kind of fizzling into nothing. A lot of ideas which started strong but seem to have since been shelved for either the finale or Volume 7, which doesn’t really feel necessary. With Atlas almost promising to be a battleground, the next season pretty much writes itself, and skipping through these random Volume 6 subplots feels like a bit of a waste.

GRADE: B+

Against the time pressure of a rapidly winding-down season, “The Lady in the Shoe” puts RWBY in a strange place. On the one hand, it is another example of the show’s historically misguided tendency to dig itself into the "shōnen" hole and demand more of itself than it can deliver, and leaves the trajectory of the remaining two episodes in a murky state. On the other hand, it is an episode buoyed by strong execution and compelling character beats. Blake vs Adam, in particular, is a scene which goes down as one of the strongest and most complete of the entire series, in terms of fight psychology, staging, and dramatic involvement. At the very least, it all keeps one guessing. – KALLIE

[k-renne]

King of Pain Pt. IV

A/N: Lots of action in this installment, I’m really enjoying this story it’s coming very easy to me to write. Hope you guys enjoy it too!

Previously: I, II, III

“Dammit.” You curse. This was bad news. “How close are they?” You ask the messenger.

“You still have time before the reach the kingdom if you leave soon, though I think the King has proclaimed that he will recall his troops if you agree to his request,” He informs.

“Bastard,” You say under your breath. “Let them know that I’m coming, I won’t be far behind you I just need to gather my things,” You direct him. He leaves in a hurry and you’re left to explain this mess to Kylo.

“Y/N, what’s going on? You’re under attack, I didn’t think someone like you would have any enemies?” Kylo queries.

“You’re wrong, I have many enemies. Most of them men like Hux who thought they were somehow entitled to marry me, believing they could run my kingdom better than me,” You explain.

“That explains a lot about you, no wonder you’re so adamant,” Now he felt like he understood why you rejected him like that, and it made him regret his forwardness, he shouldn’t have been so impulsive with you.

“Yes, to be honest I don’t even really know why I even gave you a chance, you’re just like the rest of them,” You sigh. It wasn’t really true, but upon reflection you were beginning to have your doubts about Kylo. You thought that maybe you’d give him the benefit of the doubt to probe for his intentions with you. Though a part of you believed that he truly liked you, you felt the need to close yourself off from him so that he couldn’t hurt you like Hux had.

“Y/N,” Kylo pleaded. He was hurt by your generalization, after everything he thought you had gotten past this. It made him regret his rash behavior even more.

“I’m sorry, I have to go.” You begin to walk away but Kylo grabs you by the wrist.

“Wait. I can help you with this; you’re my ally we’re supposed to fight for each other. Please, my Knights can get rid of his forces in a matter of days since I have a feeling you won’t give up without a fight,” He urges.

“No, this is my fight. I’ll deal with this on my own, you don’t need to sacrifice any of your Knights for me,” You refuse his offer.

“Y/N you know my Knights are fully competent. In fact, I’ll fight them myself if that’s what it takes. Take advantage of our ally ship, it’ll make things easier. Trust me,” He tries to persuade you.

“I can’t. Don’t even try to help me, this is something I need to do on my own for myself, please respect this,” You pleaded.

Kylo sighed, you weren’t going to let him help you, “Alright, if that’s what you want Princess I’ll let you go,” He lied. There was no way in hell that he would let you go into battle by yourself at risk of getting injured or worse killed. He understood you, he could be the same way himself sometimes, but that didn’t mean that he agreed with your decision.

“Thank you, I’ll let you know how it goes, hopefully well enough that I can make it to your ball. I’m sorry to cut this visit short,” You apologize.

“It’s not your fault, I’m sure you will be successful in you efforts. Let me know if you need me.” With that he leaves you to pack up your things. You quickly shove your stuff away, suiting up in more battle friendly clothing just in case.

Kylo walks you to the outside edge of his castle to your ride, bidding you adieu with a soft kiss against your knuckles. It probably wasn’t the best decision, but he was bursting at the seams with affection for you and could barely hold himself back. You didn’t seem to mind too much, and he didn’t miss your shaky breath and fluttering lashes. All hope wasn’t lost just yet.

Kylo watched you leave until he couldn’t see you on the horizon anymore, eventually heading back to the safe confines of the palace. With purpose he made long strides to the training room where his Knights were. “Suit up, we’re preparing for battle,” He ordered. Some of them cheered, others ready to question him, as they were curious.

“Princess Y/N’s Kingdom is about to be under attack from the North, she doesn’t want my help, but I want to be there if intervention is required,” He answered their questions.

“But why wouldn’t she want our help? We could decimate his forces in the matter of hours!” A knight stated, others chimed with their agreement.

“Y/N is very determined to take care of this by herself, I wish that she would accept my support because in no way did I offer it to demean her prowess. I’m confident in her abilities but there’s a reason I have many allies,” He addresses. They stop questioning after that, some understand while others don’t fully grasp it, but they will follow their Master wherever he leads them.

Meanwhile you finally manage to reach your kingdom gates, bursting in and disrupting a room full of royal advisors. “I apologize for my lateness, I tried to get here as soon as possible, now what have you all been discussing without me?” You demand. It seemed as if they had all come to a consensus without you.

“Princess, we were wondering how we should welcome King Hux, if you just agreed to his demands we could avoid this. Besides, he should be our ally, not the likes of Ren who you were just cajoling with for the past few days.”

“Yes Princess, please listen. We are older and wiser, we know what’s best for you,” Another advises. Your anger grows with each belittling response.  

“Enough!” You silence them, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration. “Hux is not the type of man suited for our people, much less for me. He is ruthless and cruel, he would massacre us if we gave him the chance.”

“But Princess! Won’t he massacre us as it is? We can’t fight off his troops,” An old man questions you.

“This is preposterous! You’d rather risk the lives of our people instead of entering a profitable marriage? I’m beginning to question your judgment.”

“Sir Gregory! Do not insult me this way; I would not put the lives of our people at risk. I have a plan, it may result in some damage due to artillery, but it would cost far less then the damage Hux would inflict if you allowed him to take control of what I have built,” You nearly shouted at the foolish men.

“Are you proposing that you fight? A princess cannot enter the battlefield, it’s unladylike!” Sir Gregory sputters out.

“Unladylike? Should my gender matter when I am clearly the most capable with a sword that we have? Don’t question me, you will listen to your leader,” You ordered. Suddenly the council erupts in a roar of voices, opposing your demands. You decide to stop wasting time and walk out on them, straight to the armory.

“Bernard, I need you to evacuate the people in the outlying villages immediately and get them to the Mountain’s Pass.” You turned to Felicity, a trusted friend and advisor. “Please evacuate the staff as well, I only want those who plan to fight to remain,” You address. “Yes Princess,” They agree, running off to complete their duties.

Hopefully your plan is successful, you continue running throughout the castle and giving commands, getting everyone organized and prepared for the battle to begin. Hux’s troops are just on the horizon and you lead your own forces to greet them, fully suited in armor and wearing the royal crest.

“We meet again Y/N, I’m guessing that you’ve made the unwise decision not to accept my proposal,” He mocks.

“You make it sound as if you were giving me a choice Armitage, I will submit to you and watch as you suck the life out of my people like a lowly leech,” You scoff.

“Silly girl, you should beg for mercy,” He sneers.

“Never,” You refuse. Hux begins to whisper something to the troops, and before you get the chance to strike everything goes up in flames. The horizon is a haze of fire and smoke, with screaming in the distance.

“Bernard I thought I told you to evacuate them!” You yell. “Bernard? Where the hell is he?” You question. No one responds; it seems as if he’s missing. Of course the bastard Hux is laughing at this, relishing your panic.

“You’re a monster,”  

“You should’ve listened to me, listened to your elders. You can still accept my offer and stop this now, though I don’t know if I’ll be as kind to you,” He continues.

“Enough of your cheap tactics meet the blade of my sword you swine!” You shout. You lead the attack, sword raised high and striking down men in its path down. The battle rages in full force, Hux standing behind his men and shouting at his men. He looks disgustingly angry, eyes almost as red as his hair, eagerly drinking in the sight of blood and carnage.

You continue to slice through your opponents, pushing them to the ground with a quick parry combo. You easily defeated tens of men, your own forces behind you. You were making good work, though some of your fighters were struck down and struggling; you were successful at keeping Hux at bay. You continued to fight through the night, only stopping for a few short breaks.

Kylo watched the battle below from a high point; he had just arrived only to see the tragic destruction that Hux reined on your Kingdom. He wished he could be there with you, down by your side in the thick of things. He loved watching you move in the battle, though he almost ran down there seeing you get the smallest scratch.

His Knights rested while he watched over you, seeing your troops wax and wane. He could see that Hux was growing increasingly annoyed by the hour, as he this wasn’t as easy as he would’ve thought. He had neglected to eliminate his biggest threat, you. Kylo was proud of you; he would’ve made the same decisions, even if it could’ve been quicker with the addition of help. “She’s starting to look tired,” A Knight remarks.

“Hmm I think she’ll be okay,” Kylo replies, he has faith in you.

“No look, I think she’s injured, she’s putting more weight on one side,”

“What! When? How could’ve I have missed that?” He questions. “You should wake the rest of them up, I think it’s time.”

“Master Ren, I hope you don’t mind me suggesting that you go by yourself. We’ll come in to clear them out, but you should get her off of there before she seriously injures herself,” The Knight suggests. Just as he says that Kylo watches as a blade slashes you, and by the way that you moved back it looked like it hurt.

“I’m going down, I want you to wake the rest of them up then take Hux by surprise from behind,” He commands. The Knight nods at his command and Kylo sprints off to the battlefield to meet you. It’s not long before he reaches you, quickly defending you from another attack. Some of Hux’s soldiers become afraid at the sight of this hulking black mass entering the field out of nowhere.

“Kylo what are you doing here? I can handle this!” You yell at him.

“You’re hurt, I’m just another one of your fighters for now. I’m sure your people are just as concerned for your safety, please you’ve already sacrificed enough for them,” He begs you to back down and seek medical attention. At this point you’re so exhausted that you feel like you’re going to collapse, but that doesn’t stop you from lunging forward and defending an attack. You put too much weight on your injured leg and the pain makes you stumble, just barely missing your attacker’s strike.

Kylo easily cuts him down and others around you before gently picking you up and carrying you to the med bay. You protest weakly but then stop as you see his Knights decimating the rest of the enemy. Hux was long gone, too much of a coward to remain and fight.

Kylo looked down at you eyes full of concern and you curled into him, wrapping your arms around his torso so that you could hide your face. You hated to appear weak in front of your people but at this point you were beyond fatigued to put on a mask for them. You feel a strange sort of comfort like this, like you can rest even though there’s chaos around you.

You arrive at the med bay where you’re immediately given care; Kylo stays at you side at your request, unwaveringly watching over you. You see your soldiers around you, some wounded, some dead, and you can’t help but cry at the catastrophe of it all. “I’m sorry,” You say to no one in particular. Though you were ultimately successful, losing so many lives was not part of your plan. You don’t hear Kylo’s response, falling asleep due to exhaustion.

[londonlanded]

Week 54

Monday, my job got a little more fun, and a lot more sweet. As part of our latest marketing campaign designed to advertise our beautiful property in Budapest, I arranged to work with my friends in the pastry kitchen at my old haunt, Four Seasons Park Lane, to make a Hungarian treat to send to some of our top clients. The issue with Hungary (of which there are very few, in my opinion, if any really), is that it doesn’t really export much even though it totally should! Aside from the occasional small specialty shop, and the bottles of Tokaji you can find in the wine section of most stores, there aren’t many things that make it out of the country for our liberal consumption. I remember falling in love with a couple of Hungarian sweets while I was there, and I haven’t been able to find them since. That’s not particularly unusual of course, it makes sense that something that’s from a country might mostly stay there, but I get murmurs of agreement from  my two Hungarian flatmates when I moan about how annoying it’s been to get Hungarian fineries worthy of being sent in the mail to our clients - they have just as much trouble finding products from home as I was seeming to. The solution? Make it yourself!

I headed over to the hotel and was met by David Oliver, our quirky pastry chef who had spent the weekend trying to sort out how to make our campaign happen. He also happens to be dating a Hungarian girl, which boded quite well for the fact-checking aspect of my project. He brought me to the pastry kitchen, which I had never been in, in spite of the fact that I had been on property for 7 months, and he presented me with his version of something called a Gerbeaud cake. This cake was created by a French chef living in Hungary (named after himself, of course), and it’s become one of the most famous desserts in the country. It was also created in a cafe that’s just down the road from our hotel, so it was an easy choice in terms of how to best represent what the city is capable of providing its visitors. 

Tasting it (poor tummy) was more than worth it, it’s apricot preserves, walnuts, butter biscuit and chocolate ganache all in one. And of course, it wouldn’t be Four Seasons without a little flair - I watched, mesmerized, as my new friend placed delicate flakes of gold leaf under the newly cut-out chocolate logos he had placed on each bite.

It looked almost as good as it tasted. 

The only catch of the day was the fact that, well, London doesn’t quite know how to handle the heat, in any sense. I left work and walked out into London’s version of a sweltering day, and beyond being deeply concerned about my little treat packages making it to their recipients without turning to mush in the muggy mail, the rest of the city was breaking down in slightly more concerning ways. My local Tesco’s fridges couldn’t handle it, and neither could the rest of England. Never ceases to amuse me how a little weather just shuts this place down. When the sign below was posted, it was a balmy 25 degrees...

Wednesday, a real highlight, Paris’ mum made me traditional Cantonese food and I think I definitely ate enough of it to show the appreciation I couldn’t exactly articulate in words. Paris translated for me, we were having mung bean noodles with traditional mushrooms, scrambled eggs, and dried scallops that were rehydrated and used as a stock base before being added into the main dish itself. They’re apparently a delicacy, and I can see why - they’re salty, briney and taste like stronger versions of the larger versions I’m more accustomed to (if one can be accustomed to scallops?). She also served potatoes and chicken wings in Gojuchang sauce, equally good, though I’m always more of a fan of noodles than anything else. 

We finished the meal with a vegetable broth that’s usually served on its own, either before a meal as an appetizer, or afterwards if you still have room. It was strange but delicious, you could taste the whole cobs of corn she had used, bought from the Chinatown farmers market earlier that week. As much as I’m sure Paris has had enough mother-son time for a while (like, two months, bless him), he’s definitely not tired of this little aspect of it. Dessert was a very non-traditional one, at least for mum. Paris popped open his bottle of 20 year old balsamic vinegar, and sought his pint of vanilla ice cream from the fridge, I grabbed the blueberries. Sounds weird, but give it a go and get back to me. Mum was excited to the point that she sent a photo of it to all her friends so they could see how strange her son’s palate had become, but she tried it like the chef she is. Everything once, eh. 

Thursday, early start at work since I was going to be heading out an hour early for my next adventure. Thankfully, I made it out in time to catch an earlier train to London City airport, since I found myself on a massively delayed Jubilee line that would have otherwise completely screwed me over had I not taken off an hour early. I always do wonder what’s a massive enough deal that could result in shutting down an entire tube station, but part of me doesn’t want to know why Waterloo was bypassed that afternoon. I got the airport with my version of just enough time (aka two hours), and stopped at Pret to grab some dinner before boarding my first ever TAP Portugal flight, to go to Lisbon to meet Brooke!

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that apparently TAP stands for ‘Take Another Plane,’ which wound up being more funny than it was inconvenient, I am grateful in hindsight for the anecdote it left me with though I was little grumpy at the time. I know this is classic anglicized entitlement, but the pilot hardly spoke English, so when I realized that the code he had spoken to us in was actually an announcement that we’d have to stop for gas halfway to our destination, we were landing in Nantes, France. My first thought was, ‘well hey, I guess pilots can forget to get gas, too,’ and my second was, ‘well thank you sweet lord he was able to voluntarily fall out of the sky before gravity forced it upon us!’ After an hour or so on the ground, extended by the fact that Nantes wasn’t expecting us and didn’t have the proper paperwork ready, we took off a second time, and landed in Lisbon a bit after midnight. But hey, at least the customs line for non-EU citizens was manageable...

 I hopped in an Uber, and while doing so managed to rip a hole the size of a graperfruit in my favourite pair of pants, quickly changed into something less shredded in the back seat of the car without the driver noticing (I’m an artist, thank you), and within about 15 minutes, pulled up to the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. 

I wasn’t with it enough to really appreciate it when I arrived, but I did take a good look around the next morning - it’s really a stunning place, it’s much bigger than many of our other hotels, and it’s as grand as the name states it might be. Hard to be underwhelming when you’ve got both Ritz and Four Seasons in your title.

 Swaths of pink flowers and vines hang from the main floral display in front of the Concierge and reception desks, I checked in and was told that not only were we on the 9th floor, we’d been upgraded to a Premier room for no reason that I could discern beyond proper kindness. It made getting to the hotel around 2AM sting quite a bit less. Brooke was asleep of course, but she’d picked up some snacks for me to arrive back to, and after downing a few of them while opening the letters the staff and sales team had left me, I climbed into bed, too. 

The morning meant really seeing the mess I had gotten myself into. I woke up to the largest hotel room I’ve ever stayed in (not that I’ve stayed in many, but regardless), and I noticed we had a terrace all to ourselves, too, with a view overlooking most of Lisbon. What a life. 

I had arranged to meet one of my long-distance colleagues for a tour around the hotel, Patricia was born and raised in Lisbon and had no shortage of recommendations for Brooke and me once we finished my tour. She showed me all their ballrooms and meetings and event spaces (as per my job’s main focus points), and I was struck over and over again by just how beautiful the place is - it’s honestly art, every corner is glowing or decorated somehow, there’s no shortage of places to stop and admire, whether you’re looking at the ceiling or the ground. 

After my hotel tour, Brooke and I met up in the room to find our way to the city centre to go on our free walking tour of the city, which wound up being just the two of us thanks to everyone else’s cancellations. We began in the  Luís de Camões square, which is dedicated to the famous poet of the same name who began Lisbon’s reputation of artistry. He was responsible for writing one of Portugal’s most famous pieces, The Lusiads, which earned him the reputation of being Portugal’s Shakespeare. One of his less gallant contemporaries,  António Ribeiro, has a statue a few metres away, outside the tavern he used to spend his earnings in, which he collected by writing poems for those who requested them. 

As we continued, we noticed some musicians playing in the street we were walking on, Juliana went on to explain that the bands we see, wearing what looked like uniforms, were actually groups of students who were doing this voluntarily. Most of them are paid in f & b, and whatever money they earn by playing is usually donated to a cause that the group chooses. Every university faculty has a band you can join, this one happened to be a group of medical students, but we were told that nurses, engineers, and beyond all put on the same kind of show. 

Just beyond where they were standing, we walked to the Elevator de Santa Justa. This Gothic-style elevator was built by Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard, who was rumoured to have been one of Eiffel's contemporaries. However, our guide Juliana did not hesitate to point out that, unlike the Eiffel Tower, this actually had a purpose. 

The Santa Justa lift was responsible for bringing people up to the upper levels of the city, since Lisbon’s basically a collection of hills, this makes a ton of sense. If you’re a child or if you’re elderly, I can’t imagine anything worse than going for a circuitous stair climb in 40 degree heat, when you could instead wait a few minutes to be lifted to your destination. 

We walked on see what was easily the most evocative part of the city tour, the Carmo Convent, which was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake and fire that effectively leveled the city. The earth shook beneath the feet of Lisbon’s residents for about a minute, which doesn’t seem like long but only to those whose worlds aren’t collapsing. Thing is, the world shaking is bad enough on it’s own, but it gets a bit worse when you’re standing in a room full of candles, that might as well be made of kindling framed with stone. 

You can still see char marks on the inside of the Gothic arches that line the outside of the convent, scars from a fire that burned over 200 years ago but that hasn’t been forgotten. Similarly to St. Dunstan’s in the East, they haven’t replaced some of the roof, though this time I think it was more out of an effort to illustrate devastation than it was for the sake of making a centrally located garden. 

As if matters could get worse, those who fled the earthquake and the fire, of course, headed towards the sea where they would not get burned. Unfortunately, as is often the case with seismological activity, a tsunami followed the quake, and destroyed most of the city and killed many of its citizens who had escaped the first round of disaster. 

That earthquake made way for a new government since, well, their leader at the time fled the city instead of cleaning up the mess, and the person that took over was responsible for saving Lisbon. His mantra of bury the dead, heal the living, and rebuild the city, cam true over the next years, and Sebastião de Melo, the prime minister at the time, became one of the city’s heroes. He redesigned what was broken, and you can plainly see the results of his efforts today. The new streets are wider and more spacious, they’d give anyone the chance to find open air if the earth were to ever shake again. 

Still, Lisbon’s reformation continued even into the last century, Brooke and I were both astounded to learn that so much change had occured so recently. Up until the 1900s, Portugal was living under a fascist regime that had begun to harm the citizens it ruled over. In 1974, the Portuguese had had enough, and at around 10:55 PM on the 24th of April, a song played on the radio that included a code to the members of the military that knew what was coming. At 12:20 AM, a second song played, this time with a lyric in it that included the sentiment of ‘the power returns to the people,’ and at that signal, the military took over ‘strategic points of power’ in the city, thereby beginning the revolution. Our guide continued, telling us that announcements were made over television and radio that everyone should stay inside, safely out of harms way, in case things turned violent. Much to the military’s surprise, Portuguese citizens emerged from their homes to join the military, as they felt it was their country to fight for alongside their forces. The revolution was successful, and since then, April 25th has been called ‘Freedom Day,’ and is now a public holiday. 

There’s also another powerful side to the revolution’s story. While it’s always been known as a relatively ‘peaceful’ one, as in it had very few fatalities, there’s another tale for how it got its name of ‘the Carnation Revolution.’ Carnations are in full bloom around the time that the revolution occurred, and apparently, one of Lisbon’s residents who didn’t have access to either television or radio had gotten up at dawn to go to work. She got there, realized that no one else was, but figured she’d made the trek so she might as well stay. A soldier walked past, and saw her shop was open, so he walked in and asked, ‘please, tell me you sell cigarettes?’ The woman replied, ‘no, but have a flower,’ and she proceeded to place one into the end of the soldier’s rifle. From then, it became a symbol of their peaceful revolt, and soldiers began to place flowers in their weapons to show that there was no real intent or desire to use them. Brooke and I both got genuine chills at this point, our tour guide’s delivery was only a bonus to an already powerful tale (albeit likely a bit embellished, but anyway). 

As Juliana led us through Lisbon’s winding roads, we walked through a tunnel depicting a cartoon version of Lisbon’s entire history, from the fire to the revolution to the present, another testament to the city’s artistry that I did not know it possessed. That tunnel gave way to a beautiful plaza, decorated in the same bright pink flowers we’d seen in the hotel lobby. I realized then that these are the same carnations that were talked about a few minutes prior, they were in full bloom. Not quite the red colour that we were told about, but a bit of googling tells me carnations can take on a range of shades, so I’m sure these bushes cousins were those in the story.  

From there, through the area that Juliana described as the Jewish Ghetto, which was actually one of the only areas of the city that survived both the fires and the tsunami of 1755. The streets are narrow, pedestrian only, and buildings are built high and narrow, closely packed to each other. Juliana told us that if we wanted to listen to traditional Portuguese Fado singing, we should come here, since it’s one of the only places in the city you can see the ancient art form practiced. She also pointed out the reason that the Portuguese haven’t invested much stock or money in CCTV surveillance systems. We were puzzled by this, but she pointed upwards at the windows behind us. Sure enough, out of every single one of them, there was an elderly Portuguese woman looking down at us. ‘The second something happens, everyone knows,’ said Juliana with a laugh. Apparently no language barrier exists in the context of suspicion? 

Finally, we headed towards the last stop on the tour, which was actually the most surprising part of the adventure for me. We walked to the front of a large building that had large, diamond shaped bumps all over the front of it. Apparently, the building was used as a cod-drying warehouse before it was left to ruin. Someone came across it and decided that no building this beautiful should be left the way it was, and turned it into a museum. The House of Spikes is now home to the museum of Jose Saramago, who is perhaps Portugal’s most famous writer. His most famous piece Blindness (great, in case you wanted my opinion, sure you did), won him the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988. The moment that surprised me the most though, was the end of the tour when Juliana pointed to the tree we were standing beside. She said, ‘not to alarm you, but he is buried under this tree.’ So I got a little closer to one of my favourite writers than I counted on getting, but being able to see the olive tree that marked his grave, while standing in front of the building designed to tentatively immortalize him, was a pretty fabulous way to top off a tour that proved there was far more to Lisbon than I could have ever imagined. 

We then headed towards Juliana’s recommended restaurants, and found ourselves at a cute Portuguese place for lunch. After a slight translation error, I wound up with Bacalhau à Bras, which is basically salted cod and hashbrowns fried together, served with salad, and Brooke had cod fritters and a side of rice, beans and tomato sauce. An odd mix that worked pretty perfectly, as far as I could tell. 

We walked (read, rolled) to the Praça do Comércio, which is the largest square in Europe, and walked through the archway that marks the entrance to Lisbon from the sea. The top of it is marked by the King who was in power during the 1755 earthquake, but he is shown facing the ocean since he fled the city instead of staying to protect it. Our guide said she wasn’t sure why he was given a monument at all, but I suppose being immortalized as a traitor is one way to pay for being one. 

Before we made our way back to the hotel for a break, Brooke and I stopped for a quick shop down the main strip of the city, and for a requisite Pastel de Nata, which is the famed Portuguese egg-custard tart that the country is famous for. 

We walked into a bakery where I watched them briefly being made, and Brooke treated me to one - again, worth the pain it caused me, sometimes you’ve just got to eat some gluten and figure out the rest later. 

We headed back to the hotel, and while Brooke headed down to the spa, I went upstairs to enjoy one of the most amazing things about our Lisbon hotel - the fact that it’s got gym and a sprinting track on the 11th floor, where you can look out on the entirety of the city while working off your tarts. I spent a generous amount of my workout looking at the city I had spent the day traipsing around, it’s hard to focus when the world outside is just so much better looking than the dumbbells you’re only half-convinced you want to be holding. 

We had a beautiful walk down to our dinner destination, and while it was booked out that evening, we made our way to a backup place called 11 Tapas. With no real expectations, we sat down at our tiny table and took in the well-loved vibe the restaurant gave off. Before long, our heavy-handed waitress had poured us two of the largest glasses of wine either of us had ever seen, and we were sitting in front of some of the most delicious tapas I’d had in a long time. Octopus, peppers and cilantro, smoked chorizo that came to the table while still on fire, mushrooms and sauteed onions, mussels, and a grilled chunk of goat’s cheese on arugula and tomatoes, we were two happy campers. 

Our heavy handed waitress the placed two glasses of equal volume on our neighbour’s table, and before long, she came over to us and replaced what we had on ours because she said something along the lines of, ‘you looked jealous!’ She went back to the counter, and returned with her glasses, pointing to them and saying, ‘I couldn’t see!’ when we laughed at the volume she’d poured for us.

 We ended the night with a lava cake and ice cream for Brooke, and cottage cheese with honey and walnuts for myself. Our first full day in Portugal set the bar quite high, don’t you think? That, and the fact that it cost a grand total of 32 Euros didn’t hurt either. 

Saturday morning, we started our day up on the 11th floor gym, taking in the sunshine before hopping on a 5 Euro round-trip train from the city’s central Rossio station, out to Sintra, a region known for its beautiful views and stunning architecture. We were surrounded by people wanting to do and see the same, and after a rather rough and windy bus ride to the top of the hill, we saw what it was they were trying to come and see. 

Pena Palace is a UNESCO world heritage site, and stands in the heart of the Sintra Mountains. Apparently you can see it from Lisbon on a clear day, which wasn’t the case for us, but it’s high enough up that we saw clouds rolling over the grounds as blue skies remained open above the world beyond the mountain.

Though it was initially built as a monastery in 1493, it was left to ruin before King Ferdinand the II came across it and fell in love with it, commissioning its Romantic reconstruction between 1842-1857. It’s a pretty impressive place, with tiled interiors and intricately carved furnishings. The real stunner is the outside though, colourful stucco and tile and stone, engraved and painted and all-together looking like a piece of artwork standing tall and proud out of the greenery below. 

Brooke and I headed back to Lisbon and stopped for some picnic supplies on the way back, and headed down to the hotel spa to unwind for a bit before heading out for dinner. Turns out, you don’t need to buy out the hotel to have exclusive use, if you’re lucky! Not sure how we managed to take over during peak season, but hey, sometimes it’s best not to ask questions. 

We headed out to our dinner reservation at a place called Minibar, which was an adventure all on its own. It’s a tasting menu designed to be more of an experience than a meal, and we wound up getting quite (sometimes too) daring with our orders to the point we didn’t always know what we were eating! After accidentally downing a chunk of foie gras covered in cocoa and hazlenuts disguised to look like a Ferrero Rocher, we chose to choose a little more conventionally for the rest of our meal.

I wasn’t feeling totally myself, so I went easy, but still managed to try some of the most amazing food we had found all trip. The walk home wasn’t too shabby either, I sometimes forget that life goes on after bedtime, and that in some places, leaving the restaurant after dark doesn’t mean you’ll be too cold to make it home. 

Came back to the hotel and finally had a second to walk around and attempt to capture it, turns out, I can’t. 

Sunday started off, you guessed it, at the top floor gym, where Brooke and I worked out and took one last look at the Lisbon skyline before dropping our bags at reception and checking out. We also had a little photoshoot in case our future selves need some motivation at the gym, since our workout views were no doubt going to pale in comparison from here on out. 

The grand total cost of my stay at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon? 6 Euros, 1/person/night, city tax. Otherwise, we’d been allowed to stay at the cost of having a contract with the company for almost a year and a half. Fair enough.

We hopped in an uber to one of the places we’d been recommended - Cascais is a city on the west coast of Portugal, and we had been told to go there for the beach, to compliment the city-exploration we’d been doing for the past two days.You can definitely take a train, but we chose the 30-minute car ride option since we had our flights to catch later in the day. We hopped in and soon realized our driver was from Cascais, and he decided he’d take us right to the sight we were in his car on his way to go see! We weren’t counting on a full blown tour, but turns out kindness and national pride are as abundant as the other here in Portugal. 

Boca del Inferno is named that way because of the noise the waves make when crashing into it during a storm - it’s a large rocky outcropping that you can climb all over. 

Much to Brooke’s chagrin I was one of the wannabe monkeys that was turning it into my playground. 

There’s not much to see beyond the chasm itself, but the walk on the way back meant we could see a bit of Cascais without even meaning to. before long, we were in the centre of the city, or at least along the coast at a point where we decided to stop. 

The difference in design between both Lisbon and Cascais is palatable, one is densely packed and bustling, while Cascais bears a bit more of a resemblance to Los Angeles along the coast, but not the Venice beach part, more like LA on a Sunday morning. It’s actually earned the reputation of being the California of Portugal, Lisbon’s main bridge looks a ton like the golden gate, and the vibe of Cascais resembles its equally laid-back counterpart. Walking around, we could feel why they were being compared to one another. 

We found ourselves a spot on the beach and settled in, I saw some clouds take shapes I’d never seen before, and we watched the day go by as the sun told us we had made the right choice in how we were spending our day. 

Our Uber driver home was playing jazz on his car radio, and we made it back to the hotel slightly more sandy and much better off than we had been when we left. We also wound up far less broke than we expected to be, sure Cascais is 24 km away, but Uber is notoriously inexpensive in Portugal, and we found ourselves pleasantly surprised with the fact that we’d managed to conveniently and relatively inexpensively hit another city on a day we thought we’d be too tight for time to do so. We decided on the way back to the hotel that we’d make the most of our stay, and we chose to use my employee benefits to try out the hotel’s acclaimed Sunday brunch. We were seated, and soon, we were beyond glad we’d made that choice. I’m here to change your opinions of Four Seasons - whatever they are, they now need to include the fact that an FS brunch is probably the best meal they serve. 

I’ve had three of them now (spoiled much?) and this one was by far the best, Portuguese delicacies, seafood, an entire honeycomb suspended for you to break chunks off of and use at your discretion, dozens of desserts and a handful of one-hit appetizers that left you wanting about twelve more. Aren’t all berries dusted in gold???

It didn’t hurt that our waiter was an angel with a sense of humour, whose version of punshing us for not yet having tried Port during our trip was to bring us two glasses of it on the house. No matter what you think of Four Seasons, no matter what comes to mind, I know that this experience will mean that at least for me, the first thing I’ll think about will be the people who make these experiences happen. They’re phenomenal, almost every single time. 

Unfortunately, even the best things have to end, and we headed down to the spa to shower and change before heading to the airport to come back to London. One final moment of joy though, it’s usually me who says sentimental things that usually stay inside peoples heads, but that I choose to share with the planet. On our Uber ride to the airport, our driver spoke only French and Portuguese. We were chatting, and out of the blue, he came out with something along the lines of, ‘sometimes I think it’s so useless to know this language, I never really use it. But then I do, and it reminds me how important it is, it let me talk to a Canadian that I never would have been able to talk to otherwise. I think that’s special.’ And I think he’s right. 

After our slightly delayed flight finally made it to London, Brooke and I made a beeline for bed. Nothing like having to land in France though, I’m hoping that only happens to me once. And to end off, a shot of my all-time favourite part about air travel - that no matter where you are, the colours just seem brighter above the clouds, whether there are any or not. 

Next week, some down time? Maybe? 

e

[jackieo-nyc-blog]

There are no men’s and women’s businesses: just business.

Would you tell Nicki Minaj that she is a great “woman rapper” or rapper in general?

The first statement, which we use so often, takes away from the fact that she is more than competent and competitive in the general, albeit male-dominated, hip-hop/rap industry.

In order to be a great rapper, you need to possess universal qualities: the skills, tenacity, and brand recognition to succeed, connections, and a shit-load of hard work to make it all happen. Women are subject to more difficulty: Nicki dealt with a fair share of sexism and harassment in her rise to fame.

However, because she was able to rise above all of those challenges andemploy the universal skills necessary to be a successful artist, shouldn’t we do her the justice of placing her as champion in the bigger hip-hop/rap category rather than pigeon-holing her in the “female” rapper category?

To me, for the same reason, calling a business a “woman’s business,” is incredibly offensive.

It takes away from the fact that women who run businesses are strong, intelligent, and powerful enough to compete in the general economy — right next to their male counterparts.

As stated above, surely women face unique difficulties when it comes to doing business, but we all, regardless of gender, creed, ethnicity, or what-have-you must possess and evoke universal principles to build successful careers.

We have to be relentless, tough, confident, bright, etc. to succeed. If we are women, we may overcome more than our male counterparts, and more still if we are people of color, but isn’t that even more reason to plow our way to the front lines of business in general?

I think the idea of having a space by women for women to work is wonderful. Most of our modern offices were built by men — women, let’s build some work spaces.

The problem with the way it is being done know by The Wing and its supporters is in how they have approached empowering women: by creating the idea of “women-safe businesses” and putting men down.

When I look at photos of The Wing, with its pink interiors, perfume and cosmetics in the bathroom, other frilly and fluffy accessories, and signs that say “No Man’s Land,” I get pissed.

First of all, not everything has to be so cozy and “feminine” for women to feel comfortable. This is a centuries-old belief, and it’s disappointing to see different brands and so-called feminist warriors allowing for that to be the narrative of women’s co-working spaces.

Secondly, not allowing men into a work space and implying that women need to work entirely separately from them is a bit reminiscent of segregation. It implies that women cannot thrive unless they are kept far away from men.

The truth is, ladies, we are at a disadvantage to men in business that in the short term only we can fix, and a lot of it has to do with how we have been trained by society to act and react to situations. We speak more softly, we’re afraid of confrontation, we haven’t been in places of power for long enough, we don’t like to hurt feelings, etc.

We are not going to be put into powerful positions in life by hiding from reality. We need to embrace that these are the realities at hand and change them.

Challenge yourself to be tougher, control the room no matter who is present while you are speaking, heck — have someone yell at you. We need to be prepared to rise not hide. It is the only way we will change the composition of business, technology, music, and every other industry that is dominated by the opposite sex.

Further, it is annoying that if I were to work at a place like The Wing, I could not bring my business partner because he is a man. Honestly, in my time as an entrepreneur, more men have been advocates for my success and growth than women.

I have come across plenty of sexism as well, but I choose not to engage with it or work with those people. Sometimes this is unavoidable — and it sucks, I understand that deeply — but if we ever want to see massive change, we should keep our female and male allies close and keep going.

Lastly, the signage and magazines entitled No Man’s Land that The Wing puts out are horrifying. Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to put someone else down to make yourself feel better?

We are women, we have a lot to overcome, but we should not sink so low as to put all men down to raise ourselves up.

It is unnecessary and frankly, disturbing, that this is the approach we are being fed by the media and female leaders. We can pick ourselves up and rise to new heights without making someone else look bad.

Check out my video rant below on this topic.

....

P.S. If you work at The Wing, and you pay thousands of dollars a month to do so, you’re not that fucking disadvantaged. Get over yourself.

[otomefantasy]

Man Cave Decor

Man Cave Decor

So, you picked finally picked out a theme and spotted some furniture to match the room. You set up the TV, entertainment system, bar, shelves, and so on. And yet…something feels lacking. Of course, the walls! The floor! The clocks, signs, and flags! Man cave decor gives your man cave that extra oomph it needs to go from ‘okay’ to ‘spectacular.’ On top of that, it makes the room feel more personalized and cozy. Check out these great ideas for man cave decor, along with tips on how to set up your room just right!

Read: The Ultimate Man Cave

  Cool Stuff to Put in a Man Cave

For some good man cave decor ideas, let’s step back and consider exactly what decor entails. First, decide on a focal point that ties the room together. It represents your man cave theme and the function you use your man space for. Cool gadgets for your man cave add the extra oomph to the room’s design. Other than the typical man cave furniture placement rules, some rules exist for picking out man cave decor.

Rule one? Experiment with different sizes and scales of decor. A grid-like decor system works well for minimalist setups, but for anything else, it looks a little uncreative. Variety, such as a rug or different wall texture in one part of the room, spice things up and gives a wandering eye something to look at!

  Buy from Amazon

  “MAN CAVE” Shot Glass Display Shelf Wall Curio – NO DOOR

A good example of a focal point is a Man Cave shot glass display. With a minimal pine wood frame, this shelf takes up a small amount of space. At the same time, filling the shelf with colorful shot glasses draws the eyes in. It holds up to 36 glasses, allowing you to display a collection of movie, sports, games, and similar shot glasses. Honestly, this shelf matches anything classified as a man cave, so it remains useful even if you change your theme in the future. Any cave with a bar needs a shot glass shelf anyways, so why not one designed specifically for man caves?

    Personalized Man Cave Decor

Of course, a little personalization takes any old man cave and makes it your man cave. Instead of throwing in any man cave candles with a scent you like, pick on that matches your theme, and use a personalized candle holder to make it match. Personalizing things with rustic man cave ideas proves easy, as all you need to do is a little sanding and staining on some wood furniture to make things click. When it comes to man cave decor, you need to strike a careful balance between personalized and useful. The following sections all provide examples and inspiration on how to decorate your man cave with a bit of personality!

  Man Cave Sports Decor

Starting off on your personal quest of man cave decor, your pride and joy for your local sports team—or, you know, the one that wins in some other state—forms step one for cave decorating. Each of the following recommendations appear in multiple team designs, ensuring you find one that suits your cave. Hang them up on walls, doors, or outside, if you like. Keep them up all the time, or just on game day—for that little bit of extra support. Gathering the man fam around on game day, these bits of pride show everyone who they better cheer for under your roof.

  Buy from Amazon

  NFL Wool Man Cave Banners

Want to hang up a banner of your favorite team in your man cave? Well, this little NFL banner does the trick. These officially licensed banners depict over two dozen NFL teams, ensuring anyone enjoys the perfect entrance to the perfect sports-themed man cave. On top of that, the item itself feels very high-quality. The soft wool shows off the brilliant sports colors perfectly. These man cave banners hang nearly three feet down, so dedicate a small portion of your wall or door to show it off. Hanging it also works, although the banner only shows its design on one side, so keep that in mind.

      Buy from Amazon

  NFL 3×5 Country Design Flags

Like the banners, these officially licensed NFL flags come in over a dozen designs with different teams. Although they make them out of polyester, the fabric feels durable and it includes several accessories to ensure the flag lasts for ages. UVA protection keeps it from fading in the sun, while a reinforced headband with two metal grommets keeps the flag from floating away. Although built to fly in the outdoors, the flags work awesome in an interior setting. Simply hang them up on the wall to show off your team pride! They make a great focal point for a whole section of your cave.

        Buy from Amazon

  Nfl Football Team Chrome Wall Clock

Once again, these man cave clocks show the colors and helmets of many different football teams! The three-stripe design with a helmet in the foreground draws the eyes into the clock. The football jersey pattern adds an extra flair to an already great clock. The chrome plating on the edges give off a professional look, and among a bunch of other sports stuff, it adds a finishing touch to the room. Unlike many clocks, the hands on these ones use simple rectangular strips. In my opinion, the utilitarian clock hands feel manlier than classic hand designs. Well, maybe that’s just me!

  Man Cave Wall Decor

Two different kinds of man cave wall decor exist. We all know the first type. Hanging up awesome man cave wall murals, gun wall murals, and really just all kinds of man cave wall art ideas fit into this category. However, the second category forms the crucial foundation of any small room decor. Specifically, wall textures. Instead of painting everything one color and sticking to it, choose a portion of the wall and give it a wood pattern, brick overlay, or even just a different kind of textured wall paper.

All three dimensional decorations tie into this texture, giving the room more dimensions. That’s why canvas prints look better than posters in your man cave! The following types of man cave decor add a little bit of texture and personalization to your mantuary.

Buy from Amazon

  Marla Rae Premium Thick-Wrap Canvas Wall Art Print entitled Man Cave Rules

This canvas print shows some of the basic rules of a man cave: your cave, your rules, sports on the TV 100% of the time, dogs welcome, and so on. Using a man cave rules art print close to the entrance or in a visible spot helps define the room. On top of that, it makes it more personalized and gives you lots of ideas on maintaining your mantuary! The crisp color, high quality canvas, and UV resistant inks ensure it lasts at least until your next room make over. Probably more than that, though! They also make it in two sizes, so you easily fit it in your room.

      Buy from Amazon

  Ichthus Jesus Fish Crucifix

Showing off your religion in a man cave setting may seem strange, but a lot of people like showing off their devotion in every room. This cross contains ichthys symbols, which refer to the verse “I will make you fishers of men.” At the same time, fitting a cross into your decor that matches proves difficult when you’re focusing on manly decor. I recommend using this rustic cross decoration for your man cave because it matches with any old western-style, rustic, or steampunk man cave decor. It works inside and outside, although dry it quickly if water gets on it.

    Man Cave Flags and Signs

Moving on to different types of man cave wall decorations, personalized man cave signs always catch the eye and adds a conversation piece to your room. Man cave wall decals such as zombie wall stickers or your university logo adds flavor to the room, but doesn’t shout ‘man cave.’ If you want to really make an impression, then think about what separates your cave from a study or entertainment room. Skip the inspirational art and go straight for the man cave flags and signs!

    Buy from Amazon

  Man Cave Sign Decorative Mancave Wooden Novelty Wall Decor

If you enjoy hunting and need a sign for your man cave, look no further than this quaint piece of work. They designed the words with a bone theme in mind, so that it looks like bits of antler hanging on wood. Although made of plastic, that only makes it more durable over time. Plus, no one knows the difference unless they touch it directly. The rope ties it all together in more ways than one, adding to the ‘primitive’ look that hunting inspires. The sign itself measures 12” x 5.5” x 1.5”, so it fits well on a door or in small, unused places in your mancave.

      Buy from Amazon

  Desperate Enterprises Man Cave “What Happens in The Cave Tin” Sign, 12 by 16-Inch

Made from metal material, this sign defines an important rule in every man cave. Specifically, the fact that anything that happens in the man cave, stays in the man cave! Although a lot of people keep drama out of their man caves, the reality is that life creeps in. Sometimes the wife acts annoying, other times the job just grates at your patience, and every now and then disaster strikes! Talking about your troubles in a stress-free environment helps cope with the tedium of everyday life. However, talking honestly with others reveals some adverse opinions of people you truly care about. As such, any discussion that happens in the man cave, stays in the man cave!

Or, you know, any other strange activities there.

      Buy from Amazon

  Old Glory Patriotic House Flag Vintage American Flag 28″ x 40″

This large flag shows off your patriotism. Hand it inside or outside the cave—it resists any kind of weather or beer you throw at it! Especially in modern times, America struggles with the concept of unity. This beautiful flag helps us remember the true nature and origin of Americans! Unlike many flags, this one shows off a rustic design and its own name—Old Glory! It matches any man cave, from rustic rooms to sports havens. The flag looks a little darker than its preview image, but I think this just adds to its charm. Although not a centerpiece, it complements every man cave theme out there!

      Buy from Amazon

  Crystal Art 79488 “Sign Of The Times” Man Cave LED Lighted Sign, 10″ x 19″

This man cave looks exactly like the open signs of your typical bar. Except, of course, for the ‘mancave’ label. For any man cave with a bar, this sign adds a little bit of flair to the room. It invites others to ask for drinks—something I find pretty fun, when otherwise I need to offer to make something before anyone expresses interest! The classic LED sign saves on power and never heats up, despite glowing brightly. In fact, the sign shines so brightly that I needed to put a filter on it so it didn’t glare on my monitors! I suggest putting it up high in the room to mitigate its brightness.

      Buy from Amazon

  Primitives by Kathy Wood Box Sign, 10-Inch by 6-Inch, Alcohol

This sign also works great for a bar, although it serves an entirely different purpose than the one pictured above. In a man cave, alcohol flows like water. A sign like this cements that concept—or at least shows off one of your favorite pastimes. The only ‘diet’ in a man cave involves lots of meat and little salad! To go with the sign, I also recommend a little bundle of matching coasters—each with unique phrases. My favorite among them is ‘Don’t cry over spilled milk. It could have been wine!’ Our desire for a good drink goes back for millennia, so the title of this piece of art makes total sense.

  Man Cave Clocks

Although phones and computers replaced the clock in conventional settings, the clock still serves an aesthetic function. Phones and tablets create a distraction every time you check the time—so much so that I still prefer using clocks than reading twenty alerts on my phone and then forgetting to actually check the time. On top of that, clocks help a room click together, and the many different types of clocks allow them to match all sorts of themes.

  Buy from Amazon

  Infinity Instruments Sofia 12 inch Silent Sweep Wall Clock

Some people hate ticking clocks. Honestly, the grating noise of a clock sounds annoying if you listen to it all day. They designed this clock with a silent sweep movement, ensuring that annoying ticking bothers nobody. Although the ‘elegant’ design appears girly at first, it matches perfectly with classy bars that look like they appeared straight out of the roaring 20s. The entire clock measures 12 inches, while the face itself clocks in at six inches. You set the clock using a manual dial on the back. More than anything else, use this clock as a decorative addition to your man cave.

      Buy from Amazon

  OLDTOWN Clock 3D Retro Rustic Vintage Wooden 23-Inch Noiseless Gear Wall Clock, Roman-Anti-Bronze

This clock hangs up in my man cave and fits the steampunk theme perfectly. The wood texture really makes it look like rusted metal, although I wish they used some sort of gloss that makes it reflective, just like metal. The clock hands move silently, so when I play horror games, it never hinders my immersion. If you dislike Roman numerals—which I totally understand—then two other clocks use regular numbers to help you tell the time. Available in both a rustic brown and a black finish, I highly recommend them for any steampunk or wild west themed man caves!

      Buy from Amazon

  Neonetics Bud Light Neon Wall Clock, 15-Inch

Need a clock for your bar? Look no further. This classic clock design hangs in bars across the nation and contains a neon ring to light up the drinking area. The chrome rim also makes it look sleek and professional. Even for man caves without a bar, this clock works so well and looks so good that you may as well hang it up anyways! Depending on your needs, it runs on a single AA battery or the AC adapter included in your purchase. Of course, I prefer the battery option, since it leaves no wire to hide and keeps the room looking organized.

      Buy from Amazon

  Wood Wall Clock, NALAKUVARA Vintage

And now for a little something different! I absolutely love this clock and hang it up in my kitchen—but it fits a lot of traditional game rooms perfectly! I simply use the steampunk clock above in my room, and a man cave only needs one clock! The thin, flat surface keeps its design minimal, and the classic hand designs actually look great on this piece. Put it in a room with a pool table, poker table, and a billiards board and you create the classic game room faster than you snap your fingers! Well, okay, assembling a pool table takes time—but that aside! I absolutely love this design and also see it working in a café-style room.

    Man Cave Decor DIY

Looking for man cave ideas on a budget? The tasks proves harder than it sounds. Finding cheap man cave stuff starts with browsing antique stores, garage sales, and thrift stores…but where do you go after that? In truth, you go back to thinking of man cave ideas…cheap man cave ideas. By doing things yourself, you exchange hefty price tags for your own time and experience. A lot of people make the mistake of taking on DIY projects without the correct amount of experience, with rather lackluster results.

When thinking of your own DIY projects, consider whether you take pride in the sort of work you planned out for yourself. If so, then go for it. If not, or if you never learned how to do it in the first place, then call in an expert. At the same time, with the help of the internet, you learn to do most things you need to do while building your man cave. The only thing that always needs an expert—100% of the time, no exceptions—is electric work.

  Ultimate Man Cave Accessories

Beyond your typical decor, the ‘extra’ furniture also needs a place to stay. These so-called accessories actually provide important services to your one-of-a-kind man cave, despite their ‘optional’ status. In example, a fridge houses all your food and necessities, and supports any kind of bar you put into your cave. A pool table keeps the room lively and creates a focal point, while shot glasses ensure the alcohol keeps flowing. Man cave cutting boards ensure that any mini kitchens in the cave cook amazing dishes. These little non-essential accessories make life in your man cave that much easier!

    Buy from Amazon

  NewAir 84-Can Beverage Cooler

No man cave goes without a beer cooler. This delightful little fridge keeps things at 34 degrees—in other words, perfect for that frosty feeling, without the actual frozen bit. The small version fits up to 84 cans, while the large version fits a whopping 126 cans! Compared to other beverage coolers, the price looks great and the design fits a man cave perfectly. With a little adjustments, you can fit about six bottles on the bottom shelf and use the upper shelf to hold your beer or soda. It sounds about as loud as your average cooler. Place it underneath a table, but keep it outside of a cabinet, since it ventilates from the rear.

      Buy from Amazon

  The Man Cave Starr X Wall Mount Bottle Opener

Simple in design and aesthetic, it nonetheless makes an essential addition to your man cave decor. The reason? It never mysteriously walks away. My bottle openers used to disappear. Maybe they went home in the pockets of my friends, or maybe—more likely—my wife simply misplaced it in the mysterious realm of our kitchen drawers and cabinets. I took to tying an orange shoe tie to it, but even that failed. The solution? Nail the bottle opener to the wall, of course! This simple bottle opener—made specifically for the mancave—easily attaches to walls and durable furniture. Enjoy a life without searching for a necessary tool!

      Buy from Amazon

  Whiskey / Bourbon Decanter – Liquor Dispenser

For whiskey and bourbon aficionados, a good decanter fills in a necessary spot to your man cave bar. Exposing a larger surface area of your drink improves its taste, and this classy rendition of the age-old decanter gives you an excellent way of serving it. It also works for vodka, rum, tequila, or—check this out—mouthwash. Of course, more than anything else, it improves the flavor of wine. Choose how you use it and enjoy the improved quality of your drink of choice. Along with that, you impress your friends with the knowledge of traditional ways to serve alcohol!

      Buy from Amazon

  Bruntmor, CAPMAGS Strong Magnetic w/ Zinc Alloy Beer Opener & Cap Catcher

When a simple bottle opener fails to impress you, one of these might do the job. Available in three sleek designs, this rustic man cave decor uses magnetism to catch loose bottle caps. This keeps the junk down in your man cave. If you invite people over often, garbage tends to be a problem. Even with a lot of trashcans, people find a way to stuff their litter in the weirdest places. Plus, if you need a gift for someone, this always proves useful. Yes, even if they already use another bottle opener. The beautiful wood design looks great in everything but a minimalist setup—unless that setup uses cherry red or brown colors in its design.

    Man Cave Gift Ideas

It would be nice if cool apartment stuff for guys grew on trees, but the reality is that gifts for the man cave take a lot of thought and creativity. Simply shopping through a hardware store for miscellaneous tools never makes the mark. When looking for a gift, consider the theme of your man’s cave. Anything that matches that theme and looks halfway useful works well as a gift. On the other hand, maybe the intricacies of the cave escape you, and you don’t even have a starting point. In this case, shop for generally useful things that any man would enjoy.

In the following examples (which I also highly recommend), they touch on general love of alcohol and rashness. The last one works well in nautical, sea, film, and military rooms—plus it looks awesome and they make it in tons of colors! These general ideas help you find a solid gift idea for the man in your life.

  Buy from Amazon

  USA Beer Cap Map

Anyone with a drinking hobby seriously needs a USA beer cap map. Why? Simply collecting brews from across the nation challenges you to seek out new flavors and destinations. Finding a drink from small breweries from every state proves more difficult than you could imagine. Out-of-the-way states like Hawaii, Alaska, and Idaho (because really, who lives in Idaho?) make completing it especially hard. Nonetheless, for those who manage to fill in every single state, this map provides twenty extra cap spots. I recommend using these extra spots for brews from your favorite cities—whether or not you grew up there or simply hold it in high regard.

      Buy from Amazon

  Rude Monkey Flipping The Bird

Okay, I know a lot of people out there made jungle or tropical themed man caves. Especially people with pools. And you know what? Power to you. The plants that go towards your man cave really clear up the air and add atmosphere. But, simply put, you need a little man cave decor to really set the mood. My recommended solution? A monkey flipping the bird. This little wooden carving—each one hand crafted—depicts a monkey casually flipping the bird to all passersby. Hide it someplace and reveal it whenever someone says something stupid, or show it off proudly as a piece of your regular decor!

      Buy from Amazon

  Hampton Nautical Deluxe Class Wood and Brass Decorative Ship Wheel 18″

Available in a huge range of colors, this nautical wheel fits well into any ocean-themed man cave. Complement it with blue, white, and tan tones to really kick off the captain’s quarters. On top of its amazing color varieties, they also make it in a ton of sizes. Want a quaint little six inch wheel to decorate a shelf? This works. Or maybe you want a 48 inch wheel to really set the mood. Again, this wheel provides an option for you. Made out of shisham wood and a brass center, this nautical wheel tops all the other options available to you!

    Ultimate Man Cave Decor

In the end, the ultimate man cave decor lets your individuality shine through, no matter what items you choose to display. Let the list I provided you here guide your creativity in new and amazing ways that show everyone your inner self! Whether you choose a gift or improve your personal mantuary, the decor you choose adds a new layer of personality to the room. As you relax in your room and look out on all of your sweet decor, take pride in the fruit of your labor!

Check out the rest of the site for more specifics on setting up a man cave, including managing space in a small room, setting up a game room, planning out your cave, and much more!

The post Man Cave Decor appeared first on True Man Cave.

from True Man Cave https://www.truemancave.com/man-cave-decor/

[clapyourhandsrec]

Man Cave Decor

Man Cave Decor

So, you picked finally picked out a theme and spotted some furniture to match the room. You set up the TV, entertainment system, bar, shelves, and so on. And yet…something feels lacking. Of course, the walls! The floor! The clocks, signs, and flags! Man cave decor gives your man cave that extra oomph it needs to go from ‘okay’ to ‘spectacular.’ On top of that, it makes the room feel more personalized and cozy. Check out these great ideas for man cave decor, along with tips on how to set up your room just right!

Read: The Ultimate Man Cave

  Cool Stuff to Put in a Man Cave

For some good man cave decor ideas, let’s step back and consider exactly what decor entails. First, decide on a focal point that ties the room together. It represents your man cave theme and the function you use your man space for. Cool gadgets for your man cave add the extra oomph to the room’s design. Other than the typical man cave furniture placement rules, some rules exist for picking out man cave decor.

Rule one? Experiment with different sizes and scales of decor. A grid-like decor system works well for minimalist setups, but for anything else, it looks a little uncreative. Variety, such as a rug or different wall texture in one part of the room, spice things up and gives a wandering eye something to look at!

  Buy from Amazon

  “MAN CAVE” Shot Glass Display Shelf Wall Curio – NO DOOR

A good example of a focal point is a Man Cave shot glass display. With a minimal pine wood frame, this shelf takes up a small amount of space. At the same time, filling the shelf with colorful shot glasses draws the eyes in. It holds up to 36 glasses, allowing you to display a collection of movie, sports, games, and similar shot glasses. Honestly, this shelf matches anything classified as a man cave, so it remains useful even if you change your theme in the future. Any cave with a bar needs a shot glass shelf anyways, so why not one designed specifically for man caves?

    Personalized Man Cave Decor

Of course, a little personalization takes any old man cave and makes it your man cave. Instead of throwing in any man cave candles with a scent you like, pick on that matches your theme, and use a personalized candle holder to make it match. Personalizing things with rustic man cave ideas proves easy, as all you need to do is a little sanding and staining on some wood furniture to make things click. When it comes to man cave decor, you need to strike a careful balance between personalized and useful. The following sections all provide examples and inspiration on how to decorate your man cave with a bit of personality!

  Man Cave Sports Decor

Starting off on your personal quest of man cave decor, your pride and joy for your local sports team—or, you know, the one that wins in some other state—forms step one for cave decorating. Each of the following recommendations appear in multiple team designs, ensuring you find one that suits your cave. Hang them up on walls, doors, or outside, if you like. Keep them up all the time, or just on game day—for that little bit of extra support. Gathering the man fam around on game day, these bits of pride show everyone who they better cheer for under your roof.

  Buy from Amazon

  NFL Wool Man Cave Banners

Want to hang up a banner of your favorite team in your man cave? Well, this little NFL banner does the trick. These officially licensed banners depict over two dozen NFL teams, ensuring anyone enjoys the perfect entrance to the perfect sports-themed man cave. On top of that, the item itself feels very high-quality. The soft wool shows off the brilliant sports colors perfectly. These man cave banners hang nearly three feet down, so dedicate a small portion of your wall or door to show it off. Hanging it also works, although the banner only shows its design on one side, so keep that in mind.

      Buy from Amazon

  NFL 3×5 Country Design Flags

Like the banners, these officially licensed NFL flags come in over a dozen designs with different teams. Although they make them out of polyester, the fabric feels durable and it includes several accessories to ensure the flag lasts for ages. UVA protection keeps it from fading in the sun, while a reinforced headband with two metal grommets keeps the flag from floating away. Although built to fly in the outdoors, the flags work awesome in an interior setting. Simply hang them up on the wall to show off your team pride! They make a great focal point for a whole section of your cave.

        Buy from Amazon

  Nfl Football Team Chrome Wall Clock

Once again, these man cave clocks show the colors and helmets of many different football teams! The three-stripe design with a helmet in the foreground draws the eyes into the clock. The football jersey pattern adds an extra flair to an already great clock. The chrome plating on the edges give off a professional look, and among a bunch of other sports stuff, it adds a finishing touch to the room. Unlike many clocks, the hands on these ones use simple rectangular strips. In my opinion, the utilitarian clock hands feel manlier than classic hand designs. Well, maybe that’s just me!

  Man Cave Wall Decor

Two different kinds of man cave wall decor exist. We all know the first type. Hanging up awesome man cave wall murals, gun wall murals, and really just all kinds of man cave wall art ideas fit into this category. However, the second category forms the crucial foundation of any small room decor. Specifically, wall textures. Instead of painting everything one color and sticking to it, choose a portion of the wall and give it a wood pattern, brick overlay, or even just a different kind of textured wall paper.

All three dimensional decorations tie into this texture, giving the room more dimensions. That’s why canvas prints look better than posters in your man cave! The following types of man cave decor add a little bit of texture and personalization to your mantuary.

Buy from Amazon

  Marla Rae Premium Thick-Wrap Canvas Wall Art Print entitled Man Cave Rules

This canvas print shows some of the basic rules of a man cave: your cave, your rules, sports on the TV 100% of the time, dogs welcome, and so on. Using a man cave rules art print close to the entrance or in a visible spot helps define the room. On top of that, it makes it more personalized and gives you lots of ideas on maintaining your mantuary! The crisp color, high quality canvas, and UV resistant inks ensure it lasts at least until your next room make over. Probably more than that, though! They also make it in two sizes, so you easily fit it in your room.

      Buy from Amazon

  Ichthus Jesus Fish Crucifix

Showing off your religion in a man cave setting may seem strange, but a lot of people like showing off their devotion in every room. This cross contains ichthys symbols, which refer to the verse “I will make you fishers of men.” At the same time, fitting a cross into your decor that matches proves difficult when you’re focusing on manly decor. I recommend using this rustic cross decoration for your man cave because it matches with any old western-style, rustic, or steampunk man cave decor. It works inside and outside, although dry it quickly if water gets on it.

    Man Cave Flags and Signs

Moving on to different types of man cave wall decorations, personalized man cave signs always catch the eye and adds a conversation piece to your room. Man cave wall decals such as zombie wall stickers or your university logo adds flavor to the room, but doesn’t shout ‘man cave.’ If you want to really make an impression, then think about what separates your cave from a study or entertainment room. Skip the inspirational art and go straight for the man cave flags and signs!

    Buy from Amazon

  Man Cave Sign Decorative Mancave Wooden Novelty Wall Decor

If you enjoy hunting and need a sign for your man cave, look no further than this quaint piece of work. They designed the words with a bone theme in mind, so that it looks like bits of antler hanging on wood. Although made of plastic, that only makes it more durable over time. Plus, no one knows the difference unless they touch it directly. The rope ties it all together in more ways than one, adding to the ‘primitive’ look that hunting inspires. The sign itself measures 12” x 5.5” x 1.5”, so it fits well on a door or in small, unused places in your mancave.

      Buy from Amazon

  Desperate Enterprises Man Cave “What Happens in The Cave Tin” Sign, 12 by 16-Inch

Made from metal material, this sign defines an important rule in every man cave. Specifically, the fact that anything that happens in the man cave, stays in the man cave! Although a lot of people keep drama out of their man caves, the reality is that life creeps in. Sometimes the wife acts annoying, other times the job just grates at your patience, and every now and then disaster strikes! Talking about your troubles in a stress-free environment helps cope with the tedium of everyday life. However, talking honestly with others reveals some adverse opinions of people you truly care about. As such, any discussion that happens in the man cave, stays in the man cave!

Or, you know, any other strange activities there.

      Buy from Amazon

  Old Glory Patriotic House Flag Vintage American Flag 28″ x 40″

This large flag shows off your patriotism. Hand it inside or outside the cave—it resists any kind of weather or beer you throw at it! Especially in modern times, America struggles with the concept of unity. This beautiful flag helps us remember the true nature and origin of Americans! Unlike many flags, this one shows off a rustic design and its own name—Old Glory! It matches any man cave, from rustic rooms to sports havens. The flag looks a little darker than its preview image, but I think this just adds to its charm. Although not a centerpiece, it complements every man cave theme out there!

      Buy from Amazon

  Crystal Art 79488 “Sign Of The Times” Man Cave LED Lighted Sign, 10″ x 19″

This man cave looks exactly like the open signs of your typical bar. Except, of course, for the ‘mancave’ label. For any man cave with a bar, this sign adds a little bit of flair to the room. It invites others to ask for drinks—something I find pretty fun, when otherwise I need to offer to make something before anyone expresses interest! The classic LED sign saves on power and never heats up, despite glowing brightly. In fact, the sign shines so brightly that I needed to put a filter on it so it didn’t glare on my monitors! I suggest putting it up high in the room to mitigate its brightness.

      Buy from Amazon

  Primitives by Kathy Wood Box Sign, 10-Inch by 6-Inch, Alcohol

This sign also works great for a bar, although it serves an entirely different purpose than the one pictured above. In a man cave, alcohol flows like water. A sign like this cements that concept—or at least shows off one of your favorite pastimes. The only ‘diet’ in a man cave involves lots of meat and little salad! To go with the sign, I also recommend a little bundle of matching coasters—each with unique phrases. My favorite among them is ‘Don’t cry over spilled milk. It could have been wine!’ Our desire for a good drink goes back for millennia, so the title of this piece of art makes total sense.

  Man Cave Clocks

Although phones and computers replaced the clock in conventional settings, the clock still serves an aesthetic function. Phones and tablets create a distraction every time you check the time—so much so that I still prefer using clocks than reading twenty alerts on my phone and then forgetting to actually check the time. On top of that, clocks help a room click together, and the many different types of clocks allow them to match all sorts of themes.

  Buy from Amazon

  Infinity Instruments Sofia 12 inch Silent Sweep Wall Clock

Some people hate ticking clocks. Honestly, the grating noise of a clock sounds annoying if you listen to it all day. They designed this clock with a silent sweep movement, ensuring that annoying ticking bothers nobody. Although the ‘elegant’ design appears girly at first, it matches perfectly with classy bars that look like they appeared straight out of the roaring 20s. The entire clock measures 12 inches, while the face itself clocks in at six inches. You set the clock using a manual dial on the back. More than anything else, use this clock as a decorative addition to your man cave.

      Buy from Amazon

  OLDTOWN Clock 3D Retro Rustic Vintage Wooden 23-Inch Noiseless Gear Wall Clock, Roman-Anti-Bronze

This clock hangs up in my man cave and fits the steampunk theme perfectly. The wood texture really makes it look like rusted metal, although I wish they used some sort of gloss that makes it reflective, just like metal. The clock hands move silently, so when I play horror games, it never hinders my immersion. If you dislike Roman numerals—which I totally understand—then two other clocks use regular numbers to help you tell the time. Available in both a rustic brown and a black finish, I highly recommend them for any steampunk or wild west themed man caves!

      Buy from Amazon

  Neonetics Bud Light Neon Wall Clock, 15-Inch

Need a clock for your bar? Look no further. This classic clock design hangs in bars across the nation and contains a neon ring to light up the drinking area. The chrome rim also makes it look sleek and professional. Even for man caves without a bar, this clock works so well and looks so good that you may as well hang it up anyways! Depending on your needs, it runs on a single AA battery or the AC adapter included in your purchase. Of course, I prefer the battery option, since it leaves no wire to hide and keeps the room looking organized.

      Buy from Amazon

  Wood Wall Clock, NALAKUVARA Vintage

And now for a little something different! I absolutely love this clock and hang it up in my kitchen—but it fits a lot of traditional game rooms perfectly! I simply use the steampunk clock above in my room, and a man cave only needs one clock! The thin, flat surface keeps its design minimal, and the classic hand designs actually look great on this piece. Put it in a room with a pool table, poker table, and a billiards board and you create the classic game room faster than you snap your fingers! Well, okay, assembling a pool table takes time—but that aside! I absolutely love this design and also see it working in a café-style room.

    Man Cave Decor DIY

Looking for man cave ideas on a budget? The tasks proves harder than it sounds. Finding cheap man cave stuff starts with browsing antique stores, garage sales, and thrift stores…but where do you go after that? In truth, you go back to thinking of man cave ideas…cheap man cave ideas. By doing things yourself, you exchange hefty price tags for your own time and experience. A lot of people make the mistake of taking on DIY projects without the correct amount of experience, with rather lackluster results.

When thinking of your own DIY projects, consider whether you take pride in the sort of work you planned out for yourself. If so, then go for it. If not, or if you never learned how to do it in the first place, then call in an expert. At the same time, with the help of the internet, you learn to do most things you need to do while building your man cave. The only thing that always needs an expert—100% of the time, no exceptions—is electric work.

  Ultimate Man Cave Accessories

Beyond your typical decor, the ‘extra’ furniture also needs a place to stay. These so-called accessories actually provide important services to your one-of-a-kind man cave, despite their ‘optional’ status. In example, a fridge houses all your food and necessities, and supports any kind of bar you put into your cave. A pool table keeps the room lively and creates a focal point, while shot glasses ensure the alcohol keeps flowing. Man cave cutting boards ensure that any mini kitchens in the cave cook amazing dishes. These little non-essential accessories make life in your man cave that much easier!

    Buy from Amazon

  NewAir 84-Can Beverage Cooler

No man cave goes without a beer cooler. This delightful little fridge keeps things at 34 degrees—in other words, perfect for that frosty feeling, without the actual frozen bit. The small version fits up to 84 cans, while the large version fits a whopping 126 cans! Compared to other beverage coolers, the price looks great and the design fits a man cave perfectly. With a little adjustments, you can fit about six bottles on the bottom shelf and use the upper shelf to hold your beer or soda. It sounds about as loud as your average cooler. Place it underneath a table, but keep it outside of a cabinet, since it ventilates from the rear.

      Buy from Amazon

  The Man Cave Starr X Wall Mount Bottle Opener

Simple in design and aesthetic, it nonetheless makes an essential addition to your man cave decor. The reason? It never mysteriously walks away. My bottle openers used to disappear. Maybe they went home in the pockets of my friends, or maybe—more likely—my wife simply misplaced it in the mysterious realm of our kitchen drawers and cabinets. I took to tying an orange shoe tie to it, but even that failed. The solution? Nail the bottle opener to the wall, of course! This simple bottle opener—made specifically for the mancave—easily attaches to walls and durable furniture. Enjoy a life without searching for a necessary tool!

      Buy from Amazon

  Whiskey / Bourbon Decanter – Liquor Dispenser

For whiskey and bourbon aficionados, a good decanter fills in a necessary spot to your man cave bar. Exposing a larger surface area of your drink improves its taste, and this classy rendition of the age-old decanter gives you an excellent way of serving it. It also works for vodka, rum, tequila, or—check this out—mouthwash. Of course, more than anything else, it improves the flavor of wine. Choose how you use it and enjoy the improved quality of your drink of choice. Along with that, you impress your friends with the knowledge of traditional ways to serve alcohol!

      Buy from Amazon

  Bruntmor, CAPMAGS Strong Magnetic w/ Zinc Alloy Beer Opener & Cap Catcher

When a simple bottle opener fails to impress you, one of these might do the job. Available in three sleek designs, this rustic man cave decor uses magnetism to catch loose bottle caps. This keeps the junk down in your man cave. If you invite people over often, garbage tends to be a problem. Even with a lot of trashcans, people find a way to stuff their litter in the weirdest places. Plus, if you need a gift for someone, this always proves useful. Yes, even if they already use another bottle opener. The beautiful wood design looks great in everything but a minimalist setup—unless that setup uses cherry red or brown colors in its design.

    Man Cave Gift Ideas

It would be nice if cool apartment stuff for guys grew on trees, but the reality is that gifts for the man cave take a lot of thought and creativity. Simply shopping through a hardware store for miscellaneous tools never makes the mark. When looking for a gift, consider the theme of your man’s cave. Anything that matches that theme and looks halfway useful works well as a gift. On the other hand, maybe the intricacies of the cave escape you, and you don’t even have a starting point. In this case, shop for generally useful things that any man would enjoy.

In the following examples (which I also highly recommend), they touch on general love of alcohol and rashness. The last one works well in nautical, sea, film, and military rooms—plus it looks awesome and they make it in tons of colors! These general ideas help you find a solid gift idea for the man in your life.

  Buy from Amazon

  USA Beer Cap Map

Anyone with a drinking hobby seriously needs a USA beer cap map. Why? Simply collecting brews from across the nation challenges you to seek out new flavors and destinations. Finding a drink from small breweries from every state proves more difficult than you could imagine. Out-of-the-way states like Hawaii, Alaska, and Idaho (because really, who lives in Idaho?) make completing it especially hard. Nonetheless, for those who manage to fill in every single state, this map provides twenty extra cap spots. I recommend using these extra spots for brews from your favorite cities—whether or not you grew up there or simply hold it in high regard.

      Buy from Amazon

  Rude Monkey Flipping The Bird

Okay, I know a lot of people out there made jungle or tropical themed man caves. Especially people with pools. And you know what? Power to you. The plants that go towards your man cave really clear up the air and add atmosphere. But, simply put, you need a little man cave decor to really set the mood. My recommended solution? A monkey flipping the bird. This little wooden carving—each one hand crafted—depicts a monkey casually flipping the bird to all passersby. Hide it someplace and reveal it whenever someone says something stupid, or show it off proudly as a piece of your regular decor!

      Buy from Amazon

  Hampton Nautical Deluxe Class Wood and Brass Decorative Ship Wheel 18″

Available in a huge range of colors, this nautical wheel fits well into any ocean-themed man cave. Complement it with blue, white, and tan tones to really kick off the captain’s quarters. On top of its amazing color varieties, they also make it in a ton of sizes. Want a quaint little six inch wheel to decorate a shelf? This works. Or maybe you want a 48 inch wheel to really set the mood. Again, this wheel provides an option for you. Made out of shisham wood and a brass center, this nautical wheel tops all the other options available to you!

    Ultimate Man Cave Decor

In the end, the ultimate man cave decor lets your individuality shine through, no matter what items you choose to display. Let the list I provided you here guide your creativity in new and amazing ways that show everyone your inner self! Whether you choose a gift or improve your personal mantuary, the decor you choose adds a new layer of personality to the room. As you relax in your room and look out on all of your sweet decor, take pride in the fruit of your labor!

Check out the rest of the site for more specifics on setting up a man cave, including managing space in a small room, setting up a game room, planning out your cave, and much more!

The post Man Cave Decor appeared first on True Man Cave.

from True Man Cave https://www.truemancave.com/man-cave-decor/

[malibootie]

Man Cave Decor

Man Cave Decor

So, you picked finally picked out a theme and spotted some furniture to match the room. You set up the TV, entertainment system, bar, shelves, and so on. And yet…something feels lacking. Of course, the walls! The floor! The clocks, signs, and flags! Man cave decor gives your man cave that extra oomph it needs to go from ‘okay’ to ‘spectacular.’ On top of that, it makes the room feel more personalized and cozy. Check out these great ideas for man cave decor, along with tips on how to set up your room just right!

Read: The Ultimate Man Cave

  Cool Stuff to Put in a Man Cave

For some good man cave decor ideas, let’s step back and consider exactly what decor entails. First, decide on a focal point that ties the room together. It represents your man cave theme and the function you use your man space for. Cool gadgets for your man cave add the extra oomph to the room’s design. Other than the typical man cave furniture placement rules, some rules exist for picking out man cave decor.

Rule one? Experiment with different sizes and scales of decor. A grid-like decor system works well for minimalist setups, but for anything else, it looks a little uncreative. Variety, such as a rug or different wall texture in one part of the room, spice things up and gives a wandering eye something to look at!

  Buy from Amazon

  “MAN CAVE” Shot Glass Display Shelf Wall Curio – NO DOOR

A good example of a focal point is a Man Cave shot glass display. With a minimal pine wood frame, this shelf takes up a small amount of space. At the same time, filling the shelf with colorful shot glasses draws the eyes in. It holds up to 36 glasses, allowing you to display a collection of movie, sports, games, and similar shot glasses. Honestly, this shelf matches anything classified as a man cave, so it remains useful even if you change your theme in the future. Any cave with a bar needs a shot glass shelf anyways, so why not one designed specifically for man caves?

    Personalized Man Cave Decor

Of course, a little personalization takes any old man cave and makes it your man cave. Instead of throwing in any man cave candles with a scent you like, pick on that matches your theme, and use a personalized candle holder to make it match. Personalizing things with rustic man cave ideas proves easy, as all you need to do is a little sanding and staining on some wood furniture to make things click. When it comes to man cave decor, you need to strike a careful balance between personalized and useful. The following sections all provide examples and inspiration on how to decorate your man cave with a bit of personality!

  Man Cave Sports Decor

Starting off on your personal quest of man cave decor, your pride and joy for your local sports team—or, you know, the one that wins in some other state—forms step one for cave decorating. Each of the following recommendations appear in multiple team designs, ensuring you find one that suits your cave. Hang them up on walls, doors, or outside, if you like. Keep them up all the time, or just on game day—for that little bit of extra support. Gathering the man fam around on game day, these bits of pride show everyone who they better cheer for under your roof.

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  NFL Wool Man Cave Banners

Want to hang up a banner of your favorite team in your man cave? Well, this little NFL banner does the trick. These officially licensed banners depict over two dozen NFL teams, ensuring anyone enjoys the perfect entrance to the perfect sports-themed man cave. On top of that, the item itself feels very high-quality. The soft wool shows off the brilliant sports colors perfectly. These man cave banners hang nearly three feet down, so dedicate a small portion of your wall or door to show it off. Hanging it also works, although the banner only shows its design on one side, so keep that in mind.

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  NFL 3×5 Country Design Flags

Like the banners, these officially licensed NFL flags come in over a dozen designs with different teams. Although they make them out of polyester, the fabric feels durable and it includes several accessories to ensure the flag lasts for ages. UVA protection keeps it from fading in the sun, while a reinforced headband with two metal grommets keeps the flag from floating away. Although built to fly in the outdoors, the flags work awesome in an interior setting. Simply hang them up on the wall to show off your team pride! They make a great focal point for a whole section of your cave.

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  Nfl Football Team Chrome Wall Clock

Once again, these man cave clocks show the colors and helmets of many different football teams! The three-stripe design with a helmet in the foreground draws the eyes into the clock. The football jersey pattern adds an extra flair to an already great clock. The chrome plating on the edges give off a professional look, and among a bunch of other sports stuff, it adds a finishing touch to the room. Unlike many clocks, the hands on these ones use simple rectangular strips. In my opinion, the utilitarian clock hands feel manlier than classic hand designs. Well, maybe that’s just me!

  Man Cave Wall Decor

Two different kinds of man cave wall decor exist. We all know the first type. Hanging up awesome man cave wall murals, gun wall murals, and really just all kinds of man cave wall art ideas fit into this category. However, the second category forms the crucial foundation of any small room decor. Specifically, wall textures. Instead of painting everything one color and sticking to it, choose a portion of the wall and give it a wood pattern, brick overlay, or even just a different kind of textured wall paper.

All three dimensional decorations tie into this texture, giving the room more dimensions. That’s why canvas prints look better than posters in your man cave! The following types of man cave decor add a little bit of texture and personalization to your mantuary.

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  Marla Rae Premium Thick-Wrap Canvas Wall Art Print entitled Man Cave Rules

This canvas print shows some of the basic rules of a man cave: your cave, your rules, sports on the TV 100% of the time, dogs welcome, and so on. Using a man cave rules art print close to the entrance or in a visible spot helps define the room. On top of that, it makes it more personalized and gives you lots of ideas on maintaining your mantuary! The crisp color, high quality canvas, and UV resistant inks ensure it lasts at least until your next room make over. Probably more than that, though! They also make it in two sizes, so you easily fit it in your room.

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  Ichthus Jesus Fish Crucifix

Showing off your religion in a man cave setting may seem strange, but a lot of people like showing off their devotion in every room. This cross contains ichthys symbols, which refer to the verse “I will make you fishers of men.” At the same time, fitting a cross into your decor that matches proves difficult when you’re focusing on manly decor. I recommend using this rustic cross decoration for your man cave because it matches with any old western-style, rustic, or steampunk man cave decor. It works inside and outside, although dry it quickly if water gets on it.

    Man Cave Flags and Signs

Moving on to different types of man cave wall decorations, personalized man cave signs always catch the eye and adds a conversation piece to your room. Man cave wall decals such as zombie wall stickers or your university logo adds flavor to the room, but doesn’t shout ‘man cave.’ If you want to really make an impression, then think about what separates your cave from a study or entertainment room. Skip the inspirational art and go straight for the man cave flags and signs!

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  Man Cave Sign Decorative Mancave Wooden Novelty Wall Decor

If you enjoy hunting and need a sign for your man cave, look no further than this quaint piece of work. They designed the words with a bone theme in mind, so that it looks like bits of antler hanging on wood. Although made of plastic, that only makes it more durable over time. Plus, no one knows the difference unless they touch it directly. The rope ties it all together in more ways than one, adding to the ‘primitive’ look that hunting inspires. The sign itself measures 12” x 5.5” x 1.5”, so it fits well on a door or in small, unused places in your mancave.

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  Desperate Enterprises Man Cave “What Happens in The Cave Tin” Sign, 12 by 16-Inch

Made from metal material, this sign defines an important rule in every man cave. Specifically, the fact that anything that happens in the man cave, stays in the man cave! Although a lot of people keep drama out of their man caves, the reality is that life creeps in. Sometimes the wife acts annoying, other times the job just grates at your patience, and every now and then disaster strikes! Talking about your troubles in a stress-free environment helps cope with the tedium of everyday life. However, talking honestly with others reveals some adverse opinions of people you truly care about. As such, any discussion that happens in the man cave, stays in the man cave!

Or, you know, any other strange activities there.

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  Old Glory Patriotic House Flag Vintage American Flag 28″ x 40″

This large flag shows off your patriotism. Hand it inside or outside the cave—it resists any kind of weather or beer you throw at it! Especially in modern times, America struggles with the concept of unity. This beautiful flag helps us remember the true nature and origin of Americans! Unlike many flags, this one shows off a rustic design and its own name—Old Glory! It matches any man cave, from rustic rooms to sports havens. The flag looks a little darker than its preview image, but I think this just adds to its charm. Although not a centerpiece, it complements every man cave theme out there!

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  Crystal Art 79488 “Sign Of The Times” Man Cave LED Lighted Sign, 10″ x 19″

This man cave looks exactly like the open signs of your typical bar. Except, of course, for the ‘mancave’ label. For any man cave with a bar, this sign adds a little bit of flair to the room. It invites others to ask for drinks—something I find pretty fun, when otherwise I need to offer to make something before anyone expresses interest! The classic LED sign saves on power and never heats up, despite glowing brightly. In fact, the sign shines so brightly that I needed to put a filter on it so it didn’t glare on my monitors! I suggest putting it up high in the room to mitigate its brightness.

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  Primitives by Kathy Wood Box Sign, 10-Inch by 6-Inch, Alcohol

This sign also works great for a bar, although it serves an entirely different purpose than the one pictured above. In a man cave, alcohol flows like water. A sign like this cements that concept—or at least shows off one of your favorite pastimes. The only ‘diet’ in a man cave involves lots of meat and little salad! To go with the sign, I also recommend a little bundle of matching coasters—each with unique phrases. My favorite among them is ‘Don’t cry over spilled milk. It could have been wine!’ Our desire for a good drink goes back for millennia, so the title of this piece of art makes total sense.

  Man Cave Clocks

Although phones and computers replaced the clock in conventional settings, the clock still serves an aesthetic function. Phones and tablets create a distraction every time you check the time—so much so that I still prefer using clocks than reading twenty alerts on my phone and then forgetting to actually check the time. On top of that, clocks help a room click together, and the many different types of clocks allow them to match all sorts of themes.

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  Infinity Instruments Sofia 12 inch Silent Sweep Wall Clock

Some people hate ticking clocks. Honestly, the grating noise of a clock sounds annoying if you listen to it all day. They designed this clock with a silent sweep movement, ensuring that annoying ticking bothers nobody. Although the ‘elegant’ design appears girly at first, it matches perfectly with classy bars that look like they appeared straight out of the roaring 20s. The entire clock measures 12 inches, while the face itself clocks in at six inches. You set the clock using a manual dial on the back. More than anything else, use this clock as a decorative addition to your man cave.

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  OLDTOWN Clock 3D Retro Rustic Vintage Wooden 23-Inch Noiseless Gear Wall Clock, Roman-Anti-Bronze

This clock hangs up in my man cave and fits the steampunk theme perfectly. The wood texture really makes it look like rusted metal, although I wish they used some sort of gloss that makes it reflective, just like metal. The clock hands move silently, so when I play horror games, it never hinders my immersion. If you dislike Roman numerals—which I totally understand—then two other clocks use regular numbers to help you tell the time. Available in both a rustic brown and a black finish, I highly recommend them for any steampunk or wild west themed man caves!

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  Neonetics Bud Light Neon Wall Clock, 15-Inch

Need a clock for your bar? Look no further. This classic clock design hangs in bars across the nation and contains a neon ring to light up the drinking area. The chrome rim also makes it look sleek and professional. Even for man caves without a bar, this clock works so well and looks so good that you may as well hang it up anyways! Depending on your needs, it runs on a single AA battery or the AC adapter included in your purchase. Of course, I prefer the battery option, since it leaves no wire to hide and keeps the room looking organized.

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  Wood Wall Clock, NALAKUVARA Vintage

And now for a little something different! I absolutely love this clock and hang it up in my kitchen—but it fits a lot of traditional game rooms perfectly! I simply use the steampunk clock above in my room, and a man cave only needs one clock! The thin, flat surface keeps its design minimal, and the classic hand designs actually look great on this piece. Put it in a room with a pool table, poker table, and a billiards board and you create the classic game room faster than you snap your fingers! Well, okay, assembling a pool table takes time—but that aside! I absolutely love this design and also see it working in a café-style room.

    Man Cave Decor DIY

Looking for man cave ideas on a budget? The tasks proves harder than it sounds. Finding cheap man cave stuff starts with browsing antique stores, garage sales, and thrift stores…but where do you go after that? In truth, you go back to thinking of man cave ideas…cheap man cave ideas. By doing things yourself, you exchange hefty price tags for your own time and experience. A lot of people make the mistake of taking on DIY projects without the correct amount of experience, with rather lackluster results.

When thinking of your own DIY projects, consider whether you take pride in the sort of work you planned out for yourself. If so, then go for it. If not, or if you never learned how to do it in the first place, then call in an expert. At the same time, with the help of the internet, you learn to do most things you need to do while building your man cave. The only thing that always needs an expert—100% of the time, no exceptions—is electric work.

  Ultimate Man Cave Accessories

Beyond your typical decor, the ‘extra’ furniture also needs a place to stay. These so-called accessories actually provide important services to your one-of-a-kind man cave, despite their ‘optional’ status. In example, a fridge houses all your food and necessities, and supports any kind of bar you put into your cave. A pool table keeps the room lively and creates a focal point, while shot glasses ensure the alcohol keeps flowing. Man cave cutting boards ensure that any mini kitchens in the cave cook amazing dishes. These little non-essential accessories make life in your man cave that much easier!

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  NewAir 84-Can Beverage Cooler

No man cave goes without a beer cooler. This delightful little fridge keeps things at 34 degrees—in other words, perfect for that frosty feeling, without the actual frozen bit. The small version fits up to 84 cans, while the large version fits a whopping 126 cans! Compared to other beverage coolers, the price looks great and the design fits a man cave perfectly. With a little adjustments, you can fit about six bottles on the bottom shelf and use the upper shelf to hold your beer or soda. It sounds about as loud as your average cooler. Place it underneath a table, but keep it outside of a cabinet, since it ventilates from the rear.

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  The Man Cave Starr X Wall Mount Bottle Opener

Simple in design and aesthetic, it nonetheless makes an essential addition to your man cave decor. The reason? It never mysteriously walks away. My bottle openers used to disappear. Maybe they went home in the pockets of my friends, or maybe—more likely—my wife simply misplaced it in the mysterious realm of our kitchen drawers and cabinets. I took to tying an orange shoe tie to it, but even that failed. The solution? Nail the bottle opener to the wall, of course! This simple bottle opener—made specifically for the mancave—easily attaches to walls and durable furniture. Enjoy a life without searching for a necessary tool!

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  Whiskey / Bourbon Decanter – Liquor Dispenser

For whiskey and bourbon aficionados, a good decanter fills in a necessary spot to your man cave bar. Exposing a larger surface area of your drink improves its taste, and this classy rendition of the age-old decanter gives you an excellent way of serving it. It also works for vodka, rum, tequila, or—check this out—mouthwash. Of course, more than anything else, it improves the flavor of wine. Choose how you use it and enjoy the improved quality of your drink of choice. Along with that, you impress your friends with the knowledge of traditional ways to serve alcohol!

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  Bruntmor, CAPMAGS Strong Magnetic w/ Zinc Alloy Beer Opener & Cap Catcher

When a simple bottle opener fails to impress you, one of these might do the job. Available in three sleek designs, this rustic man cave decor uses magnetism to catch loose bottle caps. This keeps the junk down in your man cave. If you invite people over often, garbage tends to be a problem. Even with a lot of trashcans, people find a way to stuff their litter in the weirdest places. Plus, if you need a gift for someone, this always proves useful. Yes, even if they already use another bottle opener. The beautiful wood design looks great in everything but a minimalist setup—unless that setup uses cherry red or brown colors in its design.

    Man Cave Gift Ideas

It would be nice if cool apartment stuff for guys grew on trees, but the reality is that gifts for the man cave take a lot of thought and creativity. Simply shopping through a hardware store for miscellaneous tools never makes the mark. When looking for a gift, consider the theme of your man’s cave. Anything that matches that theme and looks halfway useful works well as a gift. On the other hand, maybe the intricacies of the cave escape you, and you don’t even have a starting point. In this case, shop for generally useful things that any man would enjoy.

In the following examples (which I also highly recommend), they touch on general love of alcohol and rashness. The last one works well in nautical, sea, film, and military rooms—plus it looks awesome and they make it in tons of colors! These general ideas help you find a solid gift idea for the man in your life.

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  USA Beer Cap Map

Anyone with a drinking hobby seriously needs a USA beer cap map. Why? Simply collecting brews from across the nation challenges you to seek out new flavors and destinations. Finding a drink from small breweries from every state proves more difficult than you could imagine. Out-of-the-way states like Hawaii, Alaska, and Idaho (because really, who lives in Idaho?) make completing it especially hard. Nonetheless, for those who manage to fill in every single state, this map provides twenty extra cap spots. I recommend using these extra spots for brews from your favorite cities—whether or not you grew up there or simply hold it in high regard.

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  Rude Monkey Flipping The Bird

Okay, I know a lot of people out there made jungle or tropical themed man caves. Especially people with pools. And you know what? Power to you. The plants that go towards your man cave really clear up the air and add atmosphere. But, simply put, you need a little man cave decor to really set the mood. My recommended solution? A monkey flipping the bird. This little wooden carving—each one hand crafted—depicts a monkey casually flipping the bird to all passersby. Hide it someplace and reveal it whenever someone says something stupid, or show it off proudly as a piece of your regular decor!

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  Hampton Nautical Deluxe Class Wood and Brass Decorative Ship Wheel 18″

Available in a huge range of colors, this nautical wheel fits well into any ocean-themed man cave. Complement it with blue, white, and tan tones to really kick off the captain’s quarters. On top of its amazing color varieties, they also make it in a ton of sizes. Want a quaint little six inch wheel to decorate a shelf? This works. Or maybe you want a 48 inch wheel to really set the mood. Again, this wheel provides an option for you. Made out of shisham wood and a brass center, this nautical wheel tops all the other options available to you!

    Ultimate Man Cave Decor

In the end, the ultimate man cave decor lets your individuality shine through, no matter what items you choose to display. Let the list I provided you here guide your creativity in new and amazing ways that show everyone your inner self! Whether you choose a gift or improve your personal mantuary, the decor you choose adds a new layer of personality to the room. As you relax in your room and look out on all of your sweet decor, take pride in the fruit of your labor!

Check out the rest of the site for more specifics on setting up a man cave, including managing space in a small room, setting up a game room, planning out your cave, and much more!

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