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firespirited · 3 years ago

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Yesterday’s film was the 3 part syfy original Tin Man made by the same guy who brought us Alice: the gloriously bad cgi, vaguely edgy story loosely inspired by Alice in Wonderland featuring Tim Curry for 30 seconds.

So Tin Man like Alice, is set centuries later and very loosely based on the source material, the world is entirely different but a few concepts are sort of the same. Alice the miniseries has a few lines when Alice first lands in the new world to explain this but Tin Man doesn’t give us any explanation on why this Oz is not our Oz until at least three hours in. It’s just the Oh Zee now! It’s hilariously bad, the storytelling is a mess but there’s a core story that’s slowly unfolds that is beautiful and Alan Cumming and Kathleen Robertson really carry this thing. Neal McDonough is also acting his butt off but seems to be in a different more serious series from the rest. He’s the Tin Man but he’s not the main character, which is a shame, he has a decent arc and I can see why there’s a niche fandom shipping him and Alan Cumming’s Glitch. We’re shown that he’s tinman because he was kept in a tin man (iron maiden) and has lost his heart but then the story goes “no actually he’s a tin man because that’s what this world calls sheriffs”. The flying monkeys? they come out of the evil witches chest tats so we get a lot of corset cleavage closeups. You just have to roll with it.

Zooey Dechanel is our protag Deegee and no that’s not an acronym for Dorothy Gale, she’s even called Deege by friends. Bless her she’s terrible at this kind of improv-heavy-pantomimey show: she’s supposed to be quirky and bewildered but it comes across like she didn’t learn her lines and has no idea what to emote. But like I said, by episode two, you just lean into the wierdness and cringe and inbetween following the cryptic clues to find another mcguffin to find the big magic mcguffin it becomes a touching story about family and found family. Everyone else is 100% committed though not sure everyone got the memo about tone! It’s got these campy moments and then moments when the serious ac-tors are playing off eachother and you’re briefly in a different show with a different vibe altogether.

Okay so I’ve gone into the so bad it’s good stuff and why this might be a fun watch but the show has a fatal flaw beyond pacing and mishmash storytelling and tone. So when Deegee lands in oz she’s immedately captured by munchkins: little people in a full face of red or blue with “tribal” designs who live in the trees and eeesh how long can I suspend my disgust? Thankfully it quickly moves on and everything’s back to fantasy tropes but nothing wierd (like little people or albinos or scarred people played as villains) then Toto the dog shows up at the end of the second act and my jaw dropped and I scream-laughed it’s so offensive...

Hope you’re sat down... so Toto the little dog frees Deegee from prison and when they’re outside, the dog shapeshifts into an older black man and it’s Blu Mankuma that dude you know from at least two shows and some voice work... the one black character that isn’t a butler... to be her magic guide to discover herself, I’m not kidding about the wording T_T so Toto is her childhood mispronunciation of her “Tutor”, he doesn’t get a name and he spends half his time on screen as a dog or as magic guide voice that she remembers in her head at pivotal moments. He’s not even present at the end for the hugs and final frames with everyone important. Like he um vanished when *nose squeak* he’s no longer needed. Toto appears for 1 second of triumph... as a wagging dog. it’s like the magical black guide* trope but cubed. (*i’m not getting anon hate for saying the official names of the racist tropes again)

I’m not sure how to rate this: it’s got moments of camp but so much less queer than the wizard of oz should be, it doesn’t lean into the darkness of the source materials like Emerald City, it’s got a lovely set of stories but it takes a very longwinded way of getting there. They use their CGI more sparingly and there are some good sets and concepts but we spend a lot of time travelling from one to another and back. The design isn’t consistent: there’s some steampunk, the baddies are SS but with more buckles, there are metal princess dresses and then you get a hippy van with hindu deities on it and a cabaret. The magic isn’t consistent. It feels like they started with a coherent vision then got lost in several dozen details that don’t fit. There’s some decent storytelling and very good acting under the mess. I think you could probably edit out half and reshuffle some exposition to make a decent story but As Is, I can’t recommend 3 x 1h30 with racist tropes, gratuitous violence and far too much going places to find the thing to find the next thing. I enjoyed the lads’ bantering and Azkadellias outfits and duality.

#saf #tinmansyfy #syfy tin man #tin man 2007 #movie reviews

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alecmagnuslwb · 4 years ago

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I Wear Your Winter Coat (The One You Love To Wear)

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The moon is high in the sky bright and shining, hell you can even see a few more stars than usual in between the city lights. The air’s not too cold just a nice chill that her big black jacket covered in patches and a few old clothes pins keeps away. There are clouds in the distance, but they’re hours away from causing any trouble. She has no magic shows lined up and she and John have agreed to at least a week of fun, they’ve earned it after everything that’s been on their plate lately. It’s the perfect, easy kind of night to go out and do something. So of course, Nick wants absolutely nothing to do with it.

“Oh come on mate, we took out three whole rabid vampire nests the past week. Not to mention the shows Zee’s been putting on. We agreed to a week off,” Constantine says as Nick declines so much as a dinner before he heads back to the brownstone.

“You both agreed to that,” he says turning to look at the two of them. “I have some research I want to do.” Zatanna sighs and steps away from John’s side to lay a gentle hand on Nick’s shoulder. Research seems to be his only past time these days, a past time that more and more so lately he doesn’t seem to want to share with them and it’s starting to worry her.

“You know you’re allowed to have fun, right?” she says with an encouraging smile. He brushes her hand off and shrugs.

“I have plenty of fun, see you two later,” he says without even entertaining the possibility of staying already turning around to leave. Zatanna watches him go, trying hard not to let Nick’s concerning behavior ruin her high spirits. John steps up next to her tossing his arm across her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her hair and immediately she starts to feel at ease again. For all his brashness sometimes John Constantine can be incredibly soothing. For her at least, most others probably wouldn’t agree with that statement.

“How about you help me pick out a new jacket? Seeing as you’re the reason I don’t have one anymore,” John says with a smirk watching as Nick saunters off around the corner leaving them to it.

Zatanna slips out from under John’s arm to stand in front of him mood completely restored with a bright, innocent smile on her lips.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says tugging at the jacket that was once his. She stuffs her hands into the pockets shimmying her shoulders playfully.

“Of course you don’t,” he says rolling his eyes fondly as he reaches out a hand to fix the collar of the jacket.

“Not a clue,” she says leaning in to place a quick light kiss on his cheek his stubble a little rough, but grounding beneath her lips. He scrunches up his face at the action, but she knows he’s secretly pleased. They may have been flirting from day one, but this thing between them is still new. It’s sweet even if they’re moving at high speed most of the time.

John loops his arm through hers entangling their fingers together inside her pocket before pulling her along down the street as he chuckles at her playful denial.

An hour and a half later they’re practically buried in a pile of coats and jackets in a small shop with Zatanna forcing every single one of them, no matter how ridiculous, onto John.

They start off simple enough with a classic black leather jacket with a few unnecessary buckles here and there that he looks great in, but he complains about the buckles purposely flicking himself in the face with one. A simple black bomber jacket is next.

“You look like Shaun of the Dead,” Zatanna says scrutinizing the look. The loose red tie, the white shirt and black pants, add in the fact that there’s a high chance any given day of him ending up covered in blood spatter and he’ll be the living embodiment of the character.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he says as he pulls the zipper all the way up to his neck.

“It is for me,” she says unzipping it immediately. No disrespect to Simon Pegg but she doesn’t need to hear movie quote quips while they’re out fighting for their lives on top of his usual snark.

John huffs but concedes moving on to the next jacket. A bit later she gets him in a long purple coat with the collar turned up.

“I look like Harry Potter,” he says scrunching up his nose.

Zatanna snorts, “I don’t think you know what Harry Potter looks like.”

Personally she thinks it looks good on him, even if it clashes with the tie, but she can tell from the displeased look on his face there’s no way he’s going to budge.

The yellow leather jacket he tries on next has extreme Freddie Mercury vibes, but this particular bisexual man isn’t pulling it off quite as well and the green fur one that comes after that, well Zatanna just wanted to laugh and point and call him Oscar the Grouch she didn’t actually think it would look good.

“If you get this one, it’ll definitely distract from your personality,” Zatanna jokes with a big smile looking at John in the mirror when they move on to the next possibility. He turns in the horrendously loud jacket and glares at her.

The coat lands at a bit below waist high, it’s technically black but there’s so many rhinestones, random neon numbers and a large patch of a gold and silver tiger on the back that any subtlety it could have flies right out the window instantly. It’s hilarious and tacky and it’s Zatanna’s favorite jacket she’s ever seen.

“I am a fucking delight,” he says a little loudly, catching the startled attention of the poor shop girl who’s been putting up with them. She’s seemingly not asked them to leave yet because she genuinely believes they intend to make a purchase. Which they will theoretically after Zatanna’s had her share of laughs that is.

Zatanna snorts which quickly turns into giggles as she continues facing on John’s glare in the mirror. He rips the jacket off tossing it into the chair Zatanna has been occupying for most of this fashion show and reaches into his pants pocket. He gets the cigarette barely halfway to his mouth before the shopgirl is rushing over and snatching it from his hand.

“No smoking in here, sir,” she says sternly handing the cigarette to Zatanna who it seems she has determined is the logical one between the two of them. Which is a great and accurate observation. “Also please do not throw the merchandise.”

She huffs and walks away from them grabbing the hideous jacket from the chair as she goes.

“Alright we gotta wrap this up before that girl kills us,” Zatanna says pocketing the cigarette and trying not to laugh some more.

“I just need something simple,” John says wandering over to the wall in the back that houses the shops normal everyday looking coats. “Something easy to clean and easy to replace, cause fuck knows I get dirty.” He says looking back and winking at Zatanna, she just rolls her eyes.

John shifts through a few more hangers before he makes a triumphant sound pulling a knee length tan jacket from the rack. It’s a trench coat of all things, he slips it on easily as he walks back over to the mirror.

“Whaddya think?” he asks flipping up the collar. Zatanna steps up behind him looking him over. He looks pretty good, definitely better than most men would look in one. She thinks he might be pulling it off in a completely non-creepy way which Zatanna has never seen a man do.

She walks around him a couple times surveying as he tugs at the wrists smoothing them out.

“I think,” she says as she stops behind him lifting up to rest her chin on his shoulder and meet his eyes in the mirror. “You are the first man in history to successfully not look like a creepy flasher in a trench coat.”

John meets her eyes in the mirror and gives her that flirtatious smirk she’s so used to.

“Thanks love,” he says twisting the price tag. “This one’s actually in my price range too.”

John turns around jostling her from her comfortable position on his shoulder and threads their fingers together walking over to the main counter. The shop girl looks beyond relieved when they check out happily taking John’s money and more or less stressing in her fake chipper goodbye that they never come back to this particular store.

Zatanna feels a little bad, she wishes stores had tip jars to at least pay the girl a bit extra for her troubles. They step outside finding that during their shopping not so spree the far away clouds from earlier have turned the pleasant weather into rain. John pushes the door open holding it for her. He steps out behind her ripping the tag from the coat and tossing it into a puddle.

They huddle together and move down a bit out of the eyeline of the shop girl while still staying dry under the awning.

“It’s a good thing I got the new coat,” he says reaching into Zatanna’s pocket and grabbing the cigarette she’d been handed by the shop girl. He holds out his hand to her. “Make a run for the pub?” he says gesturing in the general vicinity of where a pub they’ve taken to frequenting sits a few streets over.

“One second,” she says standing in front of him. She grips the lapels of his coat and closes her eyes.

“What’re you doing?” he asks the unlit cigarette muffling his words just a bit.

“Hush,” she says refocusing on the task at hand. She mumbles a few backwards words of protection and luck under her breath feeling the crackle of magic at her fingers as it seeps into the coat. She opens her eyes just as it glows for a second the magic settling in.

“It’s not bulletproofed or anything, but it should keep you a little safer, maybe even bring you a little more luck now,” she says with a smile looking up at him. John just shakes his head a little look of disbelief moving across his face. He pulls the cigarette from his lips and puts his hands on each side of her face gently.

“I’m already more bloody lucky than I deserve,” he says. He leans in kissing her soundly not giving her a chance to say anything in defense of himself. She gets lost in it, in him, like she does so often these days, not feeling a thing except for the warmth of his body against her and that constant taste of smoke that lingers on his lips that she’s grown to love. The moment is broken however when a large bang on the glass behind them tears them apart. The girl from the shop is on the other side her hand still pressed to the glass a frustrated look on her face.

John starts laughing putting the cigarette back between his lips and Zatanna follows suit not being able to hide her amusement. She grabs his hand and tugs him out into the rain. They rush down a bit before they find another awning to huddle under. It’s much smaller than the one in front of the shop the rain still whipping in and hitting them. John tugs his jacket off and lifts it over top of them as a makeshift umbrella fighting off the rain that’s sneaking in.

He tilts his head gesturing for Zatanna to move in closer and she does, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“Want to see if we can wait it out?” she says speaking a little louder so he can hear her over the bouncing of rain on the awning above.

“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine right here,” he says putting his arm around her as best as he can while still holding up the jacket. He seems to remember the cigarette still between his teeth then looking down at it.

Zatanna snaps her fingers saying a quiet ‘erif’ under her breath. An orange flame comes to life at the tip of her index finger and she lifts it up lighting the cigarette for him, he smiles in thanks taking a deep inhale. She pulls it from his lips taking a rare drag of her own as well blowing it out into the rain.

“The jacket really does suit you,” she says looking up at the piece of clothing and putting the cigarette back between his lips. “I think you’ve found your signature look.”

“It’s no fishnet and corset, but I think I can make it work,” he says with a smirk forming around his cigarette looking her up and down hungrily.

Zatanna just huffs a bit snuggling in closer against him and under the trench coat watching the rain fall steady around them.

#my fic #john constantine #zatanna zatara #johnzee

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grantairezee · 4 years ago

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I had this survey saved in my drafts from like 6 years ago or something, so I’m going to do it. I was tagged by @boutiquebeelzebub

1. Write your name in song titles:

golly. My actual name is long, so I’m going to shorten it to an adjacent nickname that nobody actually calls me.

California Dreaming-The Mamas and the Papas

Holiday-Green Day

Undisclosed Desires-Muse

Cemeteries of London-Coldplay

Kryptonite-3 Doors Down

2. Why did you choose your url?

Grantaire is a cynical “trained-as-an-artist-but-not-using-his-training-for-mental-health-reasons” “does-a-lot-of-anguished-pining” type character who I vibed with for Obvious Reasons. The -zee is from Gamzee Homestuck, who I like, but he got mind-controlled and then everyone including the author acted like the things he did while mind-controlled were narratively the same as his independent actions, which makes me mad. (I just like that Sad Clown, OK?). Before that I think my URL was viewfromthecarrock, a Tolkien Reference, but also that was so long ago that I can’t actually remember when I changed it. I probably wont ever change it again bc now i got that Brand Identity, babey.

3. Middle name?

Marie

4. If you could be any ficitional character who would it be?

I don’t think I would want to Be A Fictional Character per se. Be in a fictional universe? Maybe. but if you’re making me pick: Gandalf, because being OP and also trolling everyone on the reg. is an energy I would enjoy manifesting.

6. Favourite song atm?

I don’t have one specific song that i’m deeply into right now. I’m experiencing complicated thoughts about The Wellerman, and also I’ve been listening to Green Day’s Entire Discography from the last 10 years while i drive to and from work, and that is an interesting experience in light of current events.

7. Top 4 Fandoms?

Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are always my top 2. IDK which other two would round out my 4. I guess Les Mis and Homestuck would be solid contenders since they’re where my url came from...IDK, folks, IDK. If I had done this when I was tagged, harry potter would have been in there too, but I’m Having Complicated Thoughts in re: JKR’s whole everything, so idk if I can count that anymore, even though I have probably put more brain hours into thinking about Harry Potter than any other franchise in existence, Literally Since I Was Seven. Possibly more brain hours than JKR put into it. JKR thinks august has 3 weeks in it and that trans people aren’t valid, though, so what does she know? Maybe I should just revoke custody. My City Now And They’re All Trans.

8. Why do you like tumblr?

I like it bc nobody IRL could find mine unless I told them how. It’s the anonymity for me. I enjoy shouting into the void with limited repercussions. Also I’ve made some good friends on here that I enjoy talking with. @ my mutuals I see u and I love u.

Tag 9 friends:

This is Schrodinger’s tag. You may self-select to participate as the spirit leads you.

#there was an old man at my church who called me Chuck as a kid bc he had a running joke with my mother #the joke was that since I have an older sister I should have been a boy to complete the matching set #jokes on him i have transcended the gender binary #but actually it didnt bother me at the time #or now even #He was just like ''Ohoho I will call this toddler Chuck because it Amuses Me Personally''#and this was before gender politics so it wasnt even malicious it was just kind of Mischievous.

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folerdetdufoler · 6 years ago

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well this is a bit ridiculous. it’s been nearly three weeks and i’m still thinking about oslo. i’m not sure why i’m dragging this out, but a part of me probably doesn’t want to acknowledge how important it was to me. i don’t want to give it that power. it has it though. that city, those people, they have my heart.

when i got home on friday night we made vague plans for the parade the next morning, which ended up being “maybe we’ll get into the centre around one? eh?” so i spent a lazy morning with brown cheese, a slightly improved showering experience, and then my best attempt at pink stripes on the ol’ apples. i do not have a single photo of myself from pride except the shitty bus selfie i sent kit and i...can’t find it? so just use your imagination. i had a hint of cardamom on the wrists thanks to haidee, plus the rainbow pin from her on my backpack, and i was feeling pumped. i chickened out on wearing the socks she gave me because i didn’t want to spend the day in the sun and end up looking like a meme. i admire everyone else’s commitment to fashion with the risk of such a tan line, and wonder if they just spend the entire summer in socks pulled up their calves and dirty trainers.

but i digress. we hop off the plane at lax with a dream and my cardigan and follow the rainbows to the parade route. along the way i’m texting locations back and forth with a few folks but never make the connection happen, so we just keep walking until we settle a ways down karl johans. we’re maybe four people back from the barricade but we can still see everything, and certainly hear everything. fryd, my translating queen, explained who each group was, what some of the signs said, and why their presence in the parade was important. otherwise i would’ve spent the whole parade just waiting for the next bus with an english pop song blaring from it. i mean, i did that too, but i also learned about the parties in between. as the parade went on we were able to squeeze closer to the barricade, and ended up next to a lovely person who would scream HAPPY PRIDE to each group and get a rousing response. josefin waved her flag and we cheered and danced, and i felt the purest admiration for every person who was there representing a life without shame.

i don’t think i’m one of those people, yet. i don’t have any shame about my sexuality, or at least sexuality in general, but i live in an extreme denial of the damaged state of my body, and that overshadows many other aspects of my life: my sexuality, my career, my relationships, my place in this world. i would never be able to walk in a parade like that with a clear conscience. i would never be able to say that about myself. but because i find it so impossible for myself, it becomes a much more impressive accomplishment for everyone else i see. and to have what felt like an entire city embrace that pride, well...i couldn’t help but smile. i felt the love and acceptance on such a large scale that i thought: okay, maybe it’s possible.

i didn’t want to leave that bubble of hope.

after the parade finished i literally battled the crowds to find a spot in pride park. we were sweaty and tired but there was that energy of everyone still celebrating and i didn’t want to let that go. i didn’t care if it meant standing in line for an hour for pizza, because it was still an hour in that bubble. so i did. also the guy selling pizza was very attractive.

we ate and drank and saw a very tan morten in his tutu and then we gave up. or at least i did. i was sweating through my shorts and feeling quite keen on a swim, so i brought gaya, rino, and laura back to the house for a dip. we spent the afternoon cooling off, which gave us a few hours to just chill. @wehave4ever came out, and josefin and zee recreated the kiss, with fryd filming underwater (with a fucking phone! WHAT). aside from the pool the house is designed for entertaining, with plenty of seating and a great indoor/outdoor vibe. so after the rush of the early afternoon, it was nice to have space to spread out and reenergize for the evening.

i just have to circle back for a moment because...nadège. we met, finally, at the bus stop! i had already jumped in the pool but jumped right back out when she was on her way, and then scurried like a wet rat down the street in my suit and towel. i think it says a lot that i was comfortable enough to walk through the neighb in my swimsuit, as well as let that be nadège’s first sight of me, so i hope i didn’t offend anyone with the appearance. but yeah, i felt like i was at home, seeing an old friend, and dragging her up to my room to hang out, even though technically she was a stranger stepping off the bus, and i only recognized her because she wasn’t the woman with a stroller. anyway, i’m struggling to express what it is, both in person and in the fic i’m writing, that transition of an online relationship to a real life one, because the emotions are so...contradictory. i know you, but i don’t. i can tell you anything, but i should probably start with hello. i think i barely talked to her because i was so nervous and didn’t want to ramble, which is...what she sees me do on the internet every day. ugh. bottom line, i met a woman i admire so much and she has a very cool phone case and now i just want to fly across the atlantic again so we can sit down and have a proper conversation. bra story.

we hopped back on the bus to scoop isi, and after a couple of false starts ended up at tgi friday’s (in? at? on?) aker brygge. because my knowledge of the city is limited to skam locations i hadn’t spent much time by the water, so this ended up being a nice detour with a hint of home. i’ll admit i was a little on edge because i wanted to get to the closing night party on time, but this was a lesson in patience as well as who-the-fuck-shows-up-early-to-the-club. lesson learned.

the club was loud and i was scared. i wasn’t familiar with the music, and because i wasn’t really dancing all i could do was look around, and that felt creepy. i kind of gave up after a while, turning into a wallflower next to a group of girls who seemed just as unenthused. but then a barely clothed soul in heels got me grooving, backpack ‘n all, and i finally got over my prejudice against music that did not have lyrics i could sing along to. you just need a fuckin’ beat.

that didn’t stop me from running though, when gaya texted me from downstairs announcing the return of pop music. i think i eked out about 45 minutes in my element on another sticky floor before the fire alarm went off. it was ten minutes until closing so the jury is still out on a proper fire or just an efficient way of shutting down the club, but it was an interesting way to end pride week. we found our bus, waited for a less crowded one, and went home.

i chose the master bedroom in the house, and it has a small balcony, and for the third night in a row i watched the moon for a few minutes before falling asleep. thanks for a great night, babe.

#kerryinoslo #i've never met a celebrity but i think that's what it feels like #it was all kind of a blur #the afternoon and evening with nadège #maybe i was trying too hard to be cool and not embarrass myself #that i ended up being cold?#reel it in kerry #reel it the fuck in #we're all just humans here #amazing humans #but humans nonetheless

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lastbuckshot · 7 years ago

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oc list

so @underbree did a lot of asking abt my ocs so i’ve been typing up a (very small) synopsis of them for a few hrs (small bc there’re So Many)

if ur curious abt them or wanna know more abt a few pls feel free to ask me about them i love my kids

some notes:

fc = face claim

some fcs repeat bc I can’t leave well enough alone and some different looks from the same actor give off completely different vibes (I’m the guiltiest of this with cm punk lmao)

sometimes my fandoms/obsessions and my fcs go hand in hand so when u see a bunch of actors from the same show that’s usually not a coincidence

speaking of fandoms, a lot of these ocs and fcs are years and years old (I’m talking like some of them are 6 years old) so a lot of them are gonna have fcs from ppl I used to fuck w/ heavy way back when but I don’t anymore, I just can’t bring myself to change the fc (like with all the cm punks)

you’d expect me to have a pj and a milo oc and I’d expect it too but I don’t, Freddie (@miloventisoylatte) has both and we collab like every day

all the assassins aren’t assassins for fun, and they’re not hitmen either; there’s an entire company/organization that they’re a part of, which doles out missions and payouts. they only really kill scummy people so think of it as a massive trained vigilante operative organization

The Oloros

Zemorah (Zee; FC: Janelle Monae) – she’s probably my fave oc atm, I grouped her with her family but she’s also an assassin. she’s the seed that planted the whole family, bc she was a standalone oc first. she’s a bi girl, and she has a history of past relationship abuse, but she’s growing and recovering and actually engaged (to one of freddie’s ocs as a matter of fact; a big werewolf boi named Aaron who has Milo Ventimiglia as a FC)!!! she’s a bonefide flower girl sis loves flowers and gardening but she’s Not the one to play with. Very independent and self-sufficient bc she doesn’t see the point in having anyone take care of her when she can take care of herself and do it better. Prefers hand-to-hand combat to guns on missions. Frequently goes on missions with Liam (mentioned later), but is off from missions indefinitely because she’s with child (triplets!!!)

Halina (Hal; FC: Yetide Badaki) – the oldest of the oloro sisters (but not the oldest sibling). Tendaji’s twin sister. She’s reserved and on the quiet side compared to a lot of her family; she’s on almost the same plane as rashid. she can also be a workaholic, getting stuff done and making progress (on work or in life) is one of the most fulfilling things in the world for her

Malkia (Mal; FC: Danielle Brooks) – the youngest of the oloro sisters and she loves to give love. She has a big ol’ heart and a loud infectious laugh. If you wanna have a good time and feel good about yourself and come out feeling like a Rockstar you hang out with mal

Hodari (FC: Aldis Hodge) – one of the younger oloro brothers. he’s like, the class clown of the siblings. he’s always making fun of something or someone he’s goofy as hell

Rashid (FC: Mike Colter) – oldest child and oldest brother, probably the most stoic and “put together” sibling. married with kids and very, very, very protective of his family. a “you’d be better off fucking with him than fucking with his family” type

Kaivon (Kai; FC: Ricky Whittle) – second youngest brother, and adopted. bi, and a flirt (ofc he is). Someone you can ask to fuck you one time out of the gate and he’ll have no problem w/ doing it. He could talk a priest into becoming a satanist

Jamal (FC: Trevante Rhodes) – jamal is the youngest brother and youngest sibling and he’s such a sweet heart oh my god,,, he’s pan and he’s like a giant teddy bear he really just wants to make everyone he meets happy. truly a people pleaser and a “I’ll give someone in need the clothes off my back” type. Lover of cuddles

Tendaji (‘Daji; FC: Michael James Shaw) – Halina’s twin brother. ‘Daji is the sibling you get when you mix rashid’s protectiveness and hodari’s goofiness. He’ll make you laugh and loves to laugh but you Cannot cross him or his family he won’t let it happen

Shani (FC: Viola Davis) – the mom of this gaggle of kids. she’s a really sweet and loving mom and provider for her kids, so much so that she adopted one and pushed out 7

Andwele (FC: Lance Reddick) – dad of this gaggle of kids. Very stoic and gets a kick out of being overly stoic toward people he’s meeting for the first time and seeing how they react when rly deep down he loves a good time

The Northcutts (Werecats)

Alexander (Alex; CM Punk [this version]) – levi’s older brother. alex is a werecat, yes, as a northcutt, yes, but he’s also a demon (his dad was one). Ego the size of texas. Still exploring and discovering his sexuality, and isn’t completely comfortable with any labels, but he’s a lover of sex in general. So much so that he has 4 kids (he’s a single dad). there’s a good heart in there somewhere but he’s still a force of chaotic evil. Chaotic neutral on a good day. Chaotic good on a better one. But always chaotic

Levi (FC: Adam Levine) – alex’s younger brother. He’s the good brother. He’s not a demon, because he and alex have different dads. Lover of sushi (yes, because he’s a cat)

Grant (FC: Jake Gyllenhaal) – charlie’s older brother. He’s a really chilled out and laid back single dad of one, but his brother is a bad influence

Charles (Charlie; FC: Ryan Reynolds) – grant’s younger brother. Getting called Charles upsets him spiritually, please spare him the pain. One of the pettiest, dumbest, most extracurricular ocs. He’s an assassin and when jay (an oc I talk abt later) gets ready to give him his payouts (which can be huge lump sums of money, I’m telling you right now), he’ll tell jay he wants something stupid instead, like pocket lint or a finger nail clipping. Like, he doesn’t want any of the money, he’ll tell jay to donate it or give it to someone else or do whatever he wants with it, and just ask for a shoestring. It drives jay up the fucking wall

Jackson (Jax; FC: Chris Evans) – rebecca’s older brother. He’s in the same boat as alex with exploring his sexuality, figuring himself out. It’s summer, he’s got his hat on backwards, and he’s ready to fucking party. has dabbled in drugs and is a patron of the one night stand

Rebecca (FC: Megan Fox) – jax’s younger sister. bi. she used to be a party animal just like jax, until she had her first son. She’s cooled way down now, and she’s the mom everyone wants. She’s the mom that takes everyone to Disney and buys everyone souvenirs on a whim bc she just feels like it

Nadia (FC: Jessica Chastain) – tara’s older sister. mother of twins. Very loving, and the type of person you go to if you need life coaching.

Tara (FC: Amber Heard) – nadia’s younger sister. bi. she’s a mom with a very big, soft heart. Her instinct is to nurture everyone around her (not necessarily coach them like her sister does; just take care of them emotionally)

Anastasia (Annie; FC: Alicia Coppola) – alex’s and levi’s mom; bi, and the youngest sibling out of the matriarchs/patriarchs. Just like all the northcutt matriarchs and patriarchs, she’s a fun-loving parent. Teases her kids in as loving a way possible (like asking alex if he’s done slinging his junk around and impregnating the city)

Katrina (FC: Julianna Margulies) – charlie’s and grant’s mom; bi, and the oldest sibling out of the matriarchs/patriarchs. Very similar to annie, but her ambiance is different. If annie is a chill mom, katrina’s more of a cool mom.

Anthony (Ant; FC: Live Schreiber) – nadia’s and tara’s dad, and the second oldest of the matriarchs/patriarchs. Looks scary, but is actually only scary 49% of the time. Probably the most serious of the northcutt parents (which isn’t saying much, bc the whole family is doofy)

Logan (FC: Hugh Jackman) – jax’s and rebecca’s dad, and the second youngest of the matriarchs/patriarchs. Prankster and a jokester, and very close to annie

The Assassins

Aiden (FC: Richard Armitage) – eva’s fiancé and a lover of red wine. aiden was the start of a long line of assassins. He’s a father of one, with another on the way, with his fiancee. There’s some years old drama between him and ian, that ultimately ended in the death of his (aiden’s) daughter’s mother’s death, because of the assassination of the wrong person on ian’s part (it’s resulted in an inside joke about bad aim). He’s semi-retired now, in that he doesn’t go on missions himself much, but he still works with the company.

James (FC: Andrew Lincoln) – dani’s husband. aiden’s best friend. Father of two (one with dani, one from a previous marriage). Also semi-retired, in the same way as aiden. He’s got a big fucking mouth and almost everything he has is some type of joke or innuendo

Dominic (FC: Luke Evans) – jay’s older brother (half-brother, different dads). Pan. Loves to cook (entrees more than desserts), hopeless romantic, and a single father of one. Still takes assassin work often, usually sniping.

Ian (FC: Michael Fassbender) – mr. bad aim. Still carries a lot of guilt about what happened to aiden’s daughter’s mother (should he is up to viewer discretion), but he’s still very loving, and he’s been trying to make up for it for years (despite being told it’s a buried and forgiven issue). Doesn’t handle guns much on missions anymore; he’s more in charge of extraction now (whether that be via car, bus, motorcycle, heli, etc.)

Jacob (Jay; FC: Ian Bohen [usually this version]) – dominic’s younger brother (half-brother, different dads), and a father of two. Also loves to cook (desserts more than entrees), and used to work as an actual assassin, for a very short time, but stopped, because that part of the job wasn’t for him. Nowadays, he’s more like the accountant/money man in the company, giving everyone what they’re owed, determining how much, helping decide which jobs get what pay. The object of charlie’s endless torment

Liam (FC: Dan Stevens) – liam’s a werecat as well as an assassin, as WELL as a demon (on his mom’s side). he’s adopted (his adoptive parents and biological mom r mentioned later), which he found out relatively early in life, when his abilities started manifesting on accident. He was never mad about it, and didn’t take a particular interest in finding his real parents until recently (and luckily he’s found his mom; the deal with his dad hasn’t been completely settled yet). Sniper/generally most comfortable with guns as opposed to hand-to-hand. Zee’s frequent partner and mission husband (but not her real fiancé, even if they had a fling for a while). Gets clowned for eating baked beans for breakfast (especially by zee)

Danielle (Dani; FC: Danai Gurira) – james’s wife. A jack of all trades in the company, with her hand in accounting, assassinations, mission planning, and training. She thinks her husband is endearingly dumb (she doesn’t look down on him, she just knows he’s a dumbass), but she places a high value on how much he makes her laugh.

Evalyn (Eva; FC: Rutina Wesley) – aiden’s fiancée, and a doctor within the company. You could probably tell from her job she genuinely loves taking care of people, and enjoys the pressure. She can do surgeries and the like, but poison recognition and treatment (if possible) is her preferred practice.

Werewolves

Jonathan (Nate; CM Punk [this version]) – one of my first ocs, and honestly, a pure, good soul. He has a history of abuse (not from relationships like with zee; his abuse came from his father and his peers [I don’t mean school here, even though that’s true too]), and struggles a lot with depressive episodes, but he still has the biggest, warmest heart in the world. He knows forgiving isn’t for everyone, but it’s what makes him feel better, given some time and space. Christmas is his favorite holiday and he has a collection of santa hats that he makes his friends wear to get into the spirit. He’s still figuring out his own gender, sexuality, and romantic attraction, but he considers himself a bi ace often (he’s not sex repulsed and he’s had sex, but not often and it’s not important to him), and fluctuates between considering himself male and nonbinary (but he’s more comfortable with he/him pronouns in both cases)

David (FC: Ian Bohen [usually this version]) – cocky and full of himself and comes off as arrogant. He sort of is all of those things, sort of not. I’m just gonna say this honestly: thot. 5 kids, but all from the same mom. he’s not with her, not formally; they’re more like…….. kid partners? Mates? It’s a weird arrangement. But he a hoe

Ryan (FC: CM Punk [this version]) – one of nate’s past abusers. Repentant, very repentant, and nate’s forgiven him, but whether anyone else does (or should) is discretionary.

*Tom (FC: Tom Hiddleston) – (*name subject to change bc I don’t usually like fcs and ocs to have the same first name) the second of nate’s main abusers, alongside ryan. Has also repented and earned nate’s forgiveness, but again, whether anyone else can forgive him is discretionary.

Demons and Fallen Angels

I’m gonna save some breath here: all the fallens are pansexual and panromantic, unless stated otherwise (god’s not included here)

God (FC: Idris Elba) – okay, obviously god isn’t a fallen angel or a demon, but he’s still in this equation. Not much to say bc god is……… god.

Lucifer (Lucy; FC: Colin O’Donoghue) – yes, Thee lucifer, the fallen angel. Big ego, as you can imagine, and very, very bitter at god, not just for casting him out, but for keeping people he was close to before the fall from following him, including his girlfriend (and now wife) at the time, ariel. Extreme lover of red wine and makes his own in hell bc mortal wine isn’t strong enough or good enough for him. Father of twin daughters in the official sense, but has fathered literal devil spawns in the past So I Mean

Ariel (FC: Jennifer Morrison) – lucy’s wife and long time (millions/billions of years long) girlfriend. Did not follow lucifer in the fall, half because god convinced her not to, and half because she thought his betrayal of god was a betrayal of her, since it’d put their relationship at risk (whether she’s right or not is a matter of personal opinion). She’d visit lucy as an angel to talk to him, because she was upset that they were apart, but still missed him. Eventually, she made the decision to put her love for lucy over her angelhood and fell. She’s still an angel at heart, though.

Jonah (Ares; FC: Sean Maguire) – lucy’s best friend. Fell with him, and was his right hand man during the rebellion. He got his nickname from lucy, because he reminded him of the god of war. Despite lucy seeing them as equals (minus lucy being king, and ares not), ares has a tendency to refer to lucy as “my lord” and “king” (though he’s cut down recently). Honestly a workaholic, and loves being occupied (which in hell means a fair amount of soul torturing, but he also makes lucy’s wine)

Adam (FC: Josh Dallas) – another fallen angel. Didn’t fall with lucy, but fell well before ariel. If a frat boy were a fallen angel, they’d be adam.

Sabrina (FC: Rebecca Mader) – o shit bois, another fallen!!! Before lucy met/fell in love with ariel, sabrina was his main squeeze. she fell shortly after lucy and ares did, and she and lucy did some fooling around in the years before ariel fell. She and lucy are probably more alike than ariel and lucy as far as attitudes and mannerisms go (both of them are promiscuous [not a bad thing], sarcastic, and flirtatious), but doesn’t hold any (or much) ill will toward lucy or ariel.

Malachi (FC: Liam Garrigan) - yet another fallen!!! fell after lucifer, and stayed in hell, not causing trouble, for a little bit. then he started plotting to overthrow lucy, and eventually tried, by threatening to kill ariel if he didn’t give him the thrown. got punished with torture and stripped of the privileges being a fallen got him before. lucy’s pulled him out of punishment now tho. second chances and all that.

Paul (El Demonio, Victoria; CM Punk [this version]) – genderfluid/bigender (hence the two nicknames), and currently married to haedes with a daughter (biologically theirs) after some turbulent times of denial and teasing from both of them. Sarcastic and a little bit holier than thou (but so is haedes). Would lay down his life for any and all forms of red velvet.

Desmond (Haedes; Richard Armitage [mostly any version of RA with long(er) hair is Haedes]) – paul’s husband. A little arrogant, but not usually so much that you wanna punch him in the throat. Just about as arrogant as you’d expect a demon to be.

Joseph (Joe; FC: Joe Manganiello) – alex’s dad. Estranged from his son and alex’s mom both bc of the grimy shit he did. Not born a demon, and not possessed, but filled (literally, not figuratively) with demonic energy by a demon.

Athena (FC: Jill Wagner) – Liam’s biological mother (who he only met very recently; he does openly call her “mom”)

Humans

Violetta (Dee; FC: Ruth Negga) – calling her Violetta or Violet will probably get your shit pushed in so please leave her be. Bi. She has tulip o’hare’s accent (as opposed to ruth’s irish one), and part of a female biker “gang” (yes, she wears plenty of leather jackets). Loves teaching herself tinkering/handy type things, like taking apart and fixing computers, building computers, fixing cars, sewing, and fixing appliances. Really, she’ll pick up and learn just about anything if you give her the time.

Abaddon (Abby; FC: Jeffrey Dean Morgan) – no, not That Abaddon. Abby’s just a country boy with strong opinions on how peach cobbler should look, taste, and be served. Master griller. Father of two (co-custody).

Wade (FC: Wade Barrett/Stu Bennett) – my very first oc, so we’re talking like, 6 years. Which you think would mean I have a lot to say here, but I don’t!!!!!! his character’s been doing a lot of changing and evolving with my tastes and perceptions, with me trying to decide what’s too far and what’s not. and I might do an entire revamp. For now, I’ll leave it at: he has a really sketchy fucking past, but he’s doing better now.

Cassandra (Cassie; FC: Emma Thompson) – liam’s adoptive mother. A+ sense of humor. Jokes about liam and zee still being together.

Denton (FC: Hugh Laurie) – liam’s adoptive father. The more reserved between him and his wife, but he has an endearing dry/subtle humor that suits him.

Killian (FC: Matt Ryan [the welsh actor not the football player]) – I’d be lying if I said killian wasn’t very inspired by john Constantine lmao, bc he is. He is a demon hunter/exorcist/jack of all trades in the supernatural. He knows lucy, and lucy knows him, and there’s a petty war between them. Lucy isn’t killing him, killian isn’t actively trying to take down lucy, but they know each other exist, and killian brags to him about trapping and destroying all his demons.

#btp #bri ocs #bri's writing

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litl-theinterview · 5 years ago

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Bifen Xu

1. What is your favorite thing right now?

I love looking at beautiful images of interiors which also makes me sad too. I can look at the Eames Home, anything Billy Cotton. the Mjolk stone house, everything Leslie Williamson shoots, minimalist homes with natural material, daylight and plants suck me in. I've just described my Instagram hole.

2. If you were to be reincarnated as an animal, what animal would it be?

A bird so I could fly everywhere.

3. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

I went to a very competitive high school (Stuyvesant HS. in New York) so I'm always so insecure about being considered "smart." So yes I like when people describe me as intelligent or smart. ) Not that I get this compliment a lot though.

4. If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?

I'd like to go back to Japan. I haven't been since my son was born and I always love it for the culture, shopping, food, and beauty.

5. What do you consider your best feature?

My perceptive-ness. The Koreans call it Noonchi. Or do you mean physical? I take great care of my skin and love washing my face and using a lot of beauty products (p50 & Retin-A are some favorites)

6. What is one thing that makes you happy?

My 3.5-year-old son is starting to talk and engage in conversations now and he says the funniest things. He currently thinks that a MetroCard is the most valuable thing you can own.

7. What is the food you would take to a desert island?

I never tire of bread and cheese and it seems like it would be practical to eat on an island.

8. What is something you never get tired of?

Books and reading. I'm in a bad mood if I don't have something good to read. The last good book I read is Life Undercover.

9. What is something about you that people are always surprised to learn?

That I dream of being a lawyer or an agent in the CIA.

10. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

"Don't do what you think you should do but what you want to do." From my old boss and friend Joe Zee

11. Who would you like to play you in the biopic of your life?

Janeane Garofolo has my vibes.

12. Please share your favorite photo of yourself and why it is your favorite. This was taken at a wedding in a photo booth and it makes my friends laugh.

Bifen Xu grew up in New York City. She attended Stuyvesant High School and Northwestern University. She has worked for media companies Conde Nast, The New York Times and Yahoo Style which she launched with Joe Zee and Dora Fung in 2014. Her family is from Hong Kong and Guanzhou, China. Her favorite comfort food is her mom’s stir-fried tomatoe and egg dish with rice and no matter how many times she tries to make it herself, it’s never as good as her mom’s.

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#leave it to leonor #the interview #q&a

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havecats-willtravel · 8 years ago

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a blue dot in a red state: austin, texas.

“are you doing anything fun this weekend?” everyone asked. “i have no plans, except i’ll be in austin.” “you’ll love it! go here... and here... and here.”

this was the conversation over-and-over as i started planning for my weekend getaway in this part of liberal texas. after four jam-packed days in austin, it’s everything they said it would be, and exactly what i wanted it to be.

it’s one of the youngest cities i’ve been in, but the lularoe leggings were few and far between (thankfully!). austin brings to the table the booming tech industry and has a river that runs through it (win-win in my book). and no matter where you are in this town, they’ll be a bar and a dog.

what i am glad i packed: comfortable shoes! austin is an active city (ok even if that means the activity is going to a bar) so you’ll definitely want to bring some footwear with support, like classic converses or trendy tom’s.

what i am sad i left at home: sunscreen and a raincoat! in a city where you are doing a bunch of on-your-feet exploring, the weather is going to dictate quite a bit of your plans. one day the severe thunderstorms made for a lazy morning, yet magically later that afternoon it was so sunny that my skin quickly turned pink. be flexible, but be prepared.

our recommendations:

we stayed at the uber luxurious jw marriott in downtown; a truly stunning hotel with gorgeous views of the city and the river. if i could have found a way to take that shower home with me, i would have. for a convenient, yet yummy, bite to eat, grab a seven-layer salad (romaine, adobo chicken, roasted tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocado, cheddar, smoked pepper ranch, $15 and on the late night menu too!) and a 10 span chardonnay from the central coast on the patio of the corner restaurant.

staying on the food and drink train, second bar + kitchen just across from the jw marriott is an ideal place for rose with girlfriends or an after work beer to decompress. the swanky, modern interior still provides the cozy vibe, while the outside patio is breezy and refreshing, and always my recommendation. the avocado fundido (asadero, house chorizo, chipotle corn chips, $12) is a must!

after work, meet up with your friends on the rooftop of handlebar. this old school vibe hangout is guaranteed to be overflowing with young adults drinking fancy beers out of tall boy cans. but they have happy hour deals so cans up!

post work drinks or pre-game of late night, swing into irene’s cafe for tasty sandwiches in a diner-like atmosphere. we recommend the smoked turkey sandwich (bacon, havarti, bibb lettuce, poblano aioli on toasted white bread, $12) and the pulled chicken and avocado sandwich (smashed black beans, spicy cabbage slaw, pickled jalapeños on a milk bun, $12)

take a stroll down south congress street where shops and restaurants abound. the storefronts are all designed to showcase their own character (checkout farm to market grocery, uncommon objects for example), while low-hanging tree branches covered in white lights (i’m looking at you perla’s) complement the movie-like appeal of this area. stop in to apana’s coffee + beer while walking back toward downtown to grab one of their craft brews on tap or specialty coffees. or bring your laptop and setup your own office for the day.

if you’re like me and you can never get enough mexican food, do not miss a chance to dine at torchy’s tacos, which will satisfy your craving while keeping your budget in mind. get there early for the breakfast tacos (we didn’t, sadly), but if you can’t, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. we recommend the baja shrimp taco (hand-battered fried shrimp with cooked cabbage slaw topped with pickled jalapeños and onions, queso fresco, cilantro and a wedge of lime; served with chipotle sauce on a corn tortilla) and dirty sanchez taco (scrambled eggs with a fried poblano chile, guacamole, escabeche carrots and shredded cheese, served with poblano sauce on a fresh flour tortilla.) do not skip on the queso (served with homemade chips, this delicious green chile queso is topped with guacamole, queso fresco, cilantro and diablo hot sauce!)

for brunch, dine at swift’s attic for dollar mimosas and the best french toast (called the “tcb” it is brioche french toast, peanut butter, house cured bacon, salted caramel, bananas, $12.) others at the table were dining on shrimp remoulade (frisee, lardon, roasted potatoes, poached vital farms egg, hot sauce, $16) and the turkey hash (holy trinity, house-smoked turkey, roasted tomatoes, homefries, dos lunas “chee-zee” egg, $12.)

just downstairs from swift’s attic is this hole-in-the-wall jazz club called the elephant room. it’s the perfect date night place, keeping jazz cool way before before la la land did. order a cool in the basement lemonade signature cocktail and cozy up to the one you love under the flickering lights of the red candles.

another unique spot is a little speakeasy called firehouse lounge hidden in a hostel. once you figure out how to get inside, the dark and cozy interior invites you to melt into its leather seats and enjoy live music while sipping on fancy cocktails. treat yourself and order the jack rose (applejack, lime, house pomegranate syrup, $12) or the moscow mule (vodka, lime, touch of simple, ginger brew, $8.5.)

for late night, head over to sixth street where the roads get blocked off to bring the city’s hottest entertainment area to life. there are so many bars/clubs to choose from that you’re bound to have one that fits your vibe. take an ID, but leave the cash at home -- zero covers! grab some grub at one of the many food trucks or swing into p. terry’s burger stand for a late night cheeseburger ($2.65!) and fries ($1.75!)

for sunday fundays, hit up rainey street where rows of houses have been transformed into individual bars oozing of character and charm. like much of austin, there is a house-turned-bar that fits every need. we soaked up the sun over hops at craft pride, bar 96 and bungalow.

our shoulda, coulda, wouldas:

the colorado river is constantly populated with paddleboards, kayaks, paddleboats, etc. you can rent one from several places, just get outside and get in the river.

speaking of the river, just before dusk, hundreds of people gather on the congress avenue bridge to watch the bats rise in the summer. apparently this bridge is home to the world’s largest bat colony, with some suggesting there are approximately 1.5 million bats living under this bridge in the hot texas summers! it’s weird and creepy and touristy and yet i wanted to experience it. we saw people lining the bridge waiting on the bats, but our fasten driver said it was too cool out so they were wasting their time. silly tourists.

while not unique to this area, i heard nothing but good stuff about these massive donuts at voodoo doughnut based out of portland. unfortunately, i didn’t have the time to grab one to taste for myself. i’ll be back for them (i’m looking at you old dirty bastard doughnut: raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting, oreo's and peanut butter) because in my world, calories don’t count on vacation.

apparently there’s this beautiful spot about thirty minutes outside of austin called lake travis with wineries (bent oak winery for example), breweries (oasis texas brewing company for example) and some other cool shops and restaurants. do a car share with car2go, pack a picnic, let down your hair and enjoy the drive.

grab barbecue at salt lick. unfortunately, i didn’t have the time to get to the actual restaurant, so i picked up a pulled pork sandwich (romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, purple onions, special sauce, $9.95) with potato salad at the airport. still worth it and certainly makes me want to get out to the real deal.

final tips and tricks:

there’s no uber or lyft in austin (i know!) but don’t panic. we recommend an app called fasten or ride austin.

still want one more good cocktail? slip into the vietnamese cafe and french bakery of elizabeth street cafe and order a shady blonde (sparkling wine, lillet blanc, grapefruit and thyme, $8.) you made it this far through the austin blog, you deserve some bubbly for crying out loud!

and finally, head next door to criquet shirts. if you’re into polos with a solid business model, you won’t be disappointed by their office-meets-retail shop. and give a shout out to our new friends here that welcomed us as strangers into their final four party and can throw a kick-ass frat party that even makes a thirty something feel young again.

from boozy bungalows to sunset bats, this blue dot in a red state has everything and more for any type of traveler. if you’re a frequent visitor or lover of asheville, north carolina you’ll fall in love with this part of texas as quickly as i did. so if you’re heading to austin any time soon, let me know and i’ll happily share a google doc with you that has all of this information and more in an easy-to-access file for your smartphone. and if you need a traveling buddy, let’s go!

until the next adventure, cheers to a life well traveled!

#austin #austintexas #havecatswilltravel

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jessicakehoe · 5 years ago

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Dan Levy on Judging Etsy’s Design Awards, the Fashion on Schitt’s Creek and More

Dan Levy might consider himself the “dark horse” on Etsy’s first-ever Design Awards judging panel but anyone who’s watched a single frame of his show Schitt’s Creek knows otherwise. Together with costume designer Debra Hanson, Levy created incomparable looks for the cast that no one would expect to see outside of magazine editorials: head-to-toe Rick Owens in one scene, archival Alexander McQueen in another; Raf Simons for Jil Sander here, Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga there.

It was Levy’s involvement in the design aspect of Schitt’s Creek that piqued Etsy’s interest in having him as a judge for their inaugural Design Awards, which were launched to celebrate the innovation and craftsmanship of sellers from around the world. Other judges include style expert Joe Zee, author and artist Garance Doré, interior designer Sophie Robinson, décor expert Holly Becker, and fashion designer Anavila Misra. Of the 160 finalists selected this year, 23 are Canadian, spanning multiple areas of expertise from ceramics to jewellery. The winner—who is set to be announced at the end of the month—will receive a prize of USD 15,000.

We spoke with Levy over the phone about his love for scouring the internet for unique finds, the process of judging the Design Awards, and which Etsy products he’d stock Rose Apothecary with.

From your work on the show we know you’re someone who loves scouting vintage stores and consignment shops. So when did you first start getting interested in the process of exploring and discovering unique finds, even before the show?

I’ve always been very creative in the way that I’ve gone about acquiring what I like and what I need. For a very long time I didn’t have the financial means to just go into a store and buy stuff. So if I saw something I liked I would often turn to Etsy to try and find it or to try and recreate it. When it came to the show in particular I knew immediately that we would be finding some great, unique, one-of-a-kind pieces on there, particularly for wardrobe but also for set design. And particularly in our sixth season I found some truly remarkable, outrageous accessories for Catherine [O’Hara] and I wish that we were having this conversation after that season aired because they truly are conversation-starters. But I think it’s an invaluable resource for people who are really interested in personalized, artisanal work, and buying directly from artists and getting to read about their stories and how they’ve gotten to where they’ve gotten to.

When you’re on Etsy, what kind of rabbit hole do you find yourself going down the most often in terms of what you love looking for?

Everything from photography for my house to vintage jewellery. I’ve been trying to find a very particular signet ring that I have yet to find, but I’ve come close. And a lot of amazing art for myself. The wonderful thing about it—and what could potentially be daunting—is just the sheer ‘choose your own adventure’ element of it. Because once you get on there, you could be on there for hours. But in the process of doing this show I’ve also received a ton of Etsy fan art, that is so incredible and elevated. Paintings and needleworks and poems and pins and t-shirts. So I realized there’s an entire subculture on Etsy dedicated to fan experiences for people. That was a really wonderful discovery for me.

For the Design Awards, from what I understand there were thousands of entries that you looked at. So how were you able to narrow it down?

Fortunately, Etsy had a really smart game plan in terms of how you go about assessing all of the art, which made it easier for me. But again, reading everyone’s stories, that was the most amazing part of this experience for me. Just hearing about how people got into what they do. So many times people left jobs to pursue their true passion, and their work is incredible. So it was difficult to look at it through a lens of ‘I’m going to take my personal preferences out of this,’ in terms of generally what my aesthetic is, and look at it in terms of quality, craftsmanship, ingenuity, saying something that I haven’t seen before, contributing something to their craft that is innovative and special. That was sort of my gaze—what are you doing here that I haven’t seen before? And how have you executed that? And there’s an amazing group of people that are just doing extraordinary work that could be sold in any kind of design store.

Photo courtesy Cybele B. Pilon

Photo courtesy Heavy Flow

Photo courtesy Heirloom Hats

Photo courtesy Illo Leather

Photo courtesy KROFT Studio

Photo courtesy Noemiah

Photo courtesy Nova Mercury

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Etsy Design Awards

‘Love Myself’ bud vase by Cybele B. Pilon

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Etsy Design Awards

‘Satellite’ jacket by Heavy Flow

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Etsy Design Awards

‘Shelly’ hat by Heirloom Hats

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Etsy Design Awards

Leather tote by Illo Leather

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Etsy Design Awards

Hanging clothes rack by KROFT Studio

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Etsy Design Awards

Dress by Noemiah

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Etsy Design Awards

Rainbow wall hanging by Nova Mercury

So if you were curating a selection of items for Rose Apothecary, what kind of pieces would you pick?

Oh goodness. What I love most about Etsy is that a lot of people will customize their work. Yes there are paintings and photographs and things that you can buy but you can also work with a lot of artists to customize things, whether it’s furniture or home decor or needlework. You can get personalized messages stitched on t-shirts. There is such a world out there. I would imagine that David, if he were to utilize Etsy as a means of supplying for the store, would only do customizable. They would have to be one-of-a-kind limited editions. There are amazing candle makers, jewellery designers, he’d probably go after some of that; artisanal woodwork furniture would probably be in there. I’ve already seen some customized Rose Apothecary t-shirts on Etsy so I think he’d probably buy those. Someone painted my actual dog on Etsy. It’s amazing. I am continually stunned by what people are doing on there.

The fashion on Schitt’s Creek is so thoughtful, it gets so much across about each character’s personality. Why was it so important to you to really nail that? It was important to me from the very beginning that the character’s clothes tell a story of their wealth. Because I didn’t want to continue to write about ‘remember when we were rich?’ If you can find actual designer clothing and you make them look wealthy, it just circumvents so much unnecessary exposition.

What I love is that they continue to dress the way they did before they lost their wealth. They’re not dressing that way in a performative manner; it’s such a part of who they are that no matter where they live they’re going to continue to dress that way.

Oh completely. And I think that’s been the magically surrealistic element of the show, just that they continue to find these clothes, they must have brought five million suitcases to this motel. (laughs) But much like the shows that I’ve admired in the past, like Sex And The City, clothing and wardrobe choices are so crucial. They contribute such a wonderful layer of character that you really don’t have to write. And for me as a fan of fashion, if I can watch a show and really fall in love with the characters, and then in addition to that, admire the clothes that they’re wearing and feel an element of ‘oh I recognize that’ or ‘I love that outfit,’ I think it only helps lure the audience in. And in our case I wanted the show to reach out to the fashion crowd, to people who are interested in fashion, I wanted people in all the fashion hubs, in New York and Paris and London and LA, to watch the show and be able to pinpoint designer pieces that they recognize. That was really important to me. I didn’t want to just throw a strand of pearls around Alexis’s neck and say she’s a rich girl. No. She has 900 Isabel Marant dresses. That’s the kind of rich girl she is.

And you’ve been able to do this on a tiny budget, from what I understand.

Oh yeah. For me it was going to Etsy, it was going to consignment stores. In the back of my mind, because I’m a fan of fashion, there were looks from different collections that I’ve always wanted to touch and feel up close. For example I’ve long admired Raf [Simons]’s last collection for Jil Sander, I thought it was heartbreakingly beautiful. It had such a warmth and a special spirit to it that I sourced one of those dresses and put Annie [Murphy] in it. It’s a pink strapless dress, and she’s wearing it in our pilot episode coming down the stairs. For me as a fan of fashion, I was like ‘I just want to surround myself with good vibes.’ I feel like that’s what the clothes do for me in a way. That dress to me was like a little good luck charm. I remember thinking ‘I don’t know where this show is going to go but we have a piece of something that I’ve really admired involved in that process’ and that to me was quite special.

The post Dan Levy on Judging Etsy’s Design Awards, the Fashion on <em>Schitt’s Creek</em> and More appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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heimwee2456 · 6 years ago

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The Netherlands is a fascinating country to visit, combining almost two thousand years of history and architecture with endless scenic canals and waterways and an energetic modern vibe. Ancient towns like Breda, Maastricht, and Middelburg have been in existence for at least a thousand years, and the entire country is a treasure trove for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts. Now let’s have a closer insight into this culture-rich piece of land!

First things first, starting off with a brief description of the largest Dutch cities:

• Alkmaar – picturesque town, where you can every Friday from April to September visit traditional market with cheeses – de Alkmaarse kaasmarkt. You can also visit a museum of cheese. Everything you need to know is here: http://www.kaasmarkt.nl , http://www.kaasmuseum.nl. • Amsterdam – capital of the Netherlands offers you a lot of interesting attractions. Located there is e.g. museum of one of the most famous victims of nacism Anne Frank Huis (www.annefrank.rog). Building of the museum in the shape of boat NEMO offers the biggest interactive exposition of science and technology in the Netherlands (www.e-nemo.nl). Rijksmuseum will astonish you with collection of almost 1 million of artistic exhibits situated in 200 exposition halls and acquiant you with works of Dutch masters from 17th century (www.rijksmuseum.nl). You certainly can’t left behind the Van Gogh Museum, in which you will find unique collection of drawings and paintings of this famous artist (www.vangoghmuseum.nl). Amsterdam also offers the lovers of unrestrained fun amounts of coffeeshops or the famous district Wallen, known also as Red Light District. • Delft – the town is famous mostly because of production of porcelain Delfts Blauw (Delft Blue), so there can’t be missing a porcelain museum De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (www.royaldelft.com). Interesting is also a monumental building of the town hall on square Markt. • Den Haag – in Den Haag you can visit e.g. center of Dutch politics Het Binnenhof or Madurodam, 25 times decreased town, where you can as from bird’s eye look on everything what is typical for the Netherlands (www.madurodam.nl). Part of Den Haag is also Scheveningen – famous touristic paradise with beaches, promenades and bars. • Groningen – town was from major part ruined during the World War II., but still has a lot to offer to its visitors. Symbol of the town is a church tower Martinitoren, which is situated on the square Grote Markt. You can have a cup of coffee there in very unusual building Gaoudkantoor. • Maastricht – the Vrijthof square is dominated by a Romanesque basilica Sint-Servaasbasiliek and Gothic church Sint-Janskerk. Interesting experience can also be a visitation of gallery of the art Bonnefantenmuseum built by proposals of famous Italian architect Alda Rossi. • Naarden – is one of the best preserved fortified towns in Europe and it’s known also because of its star shape. John Amos Comenius is buried here (www.comeniusmuseum.nl). • Rotterdam – center of the town was completely destroyed during the WW2. In fifties began a new construction and Rotterdam became one of the few European cities with development of skyscrapers. Besides nice walk between high-rise buildings you can visit Euromast, 185m high tower, from which you can savour view to the town of modern architecture (www.euromast.nl). And for lovers of architecture the city of Rotterdam offers museum Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (www.nai.nl). Europort, largest port in Europe, will dedicate you to the history of sea transport (www.europort.nl). • Utrecht – one of the oldest Dutch towns can offer you a lot. Go to the highest church town in the Netherlands Domtoren (www.domtoren.nl) or walk through the university area De Uithof. It’s a singular case of collection of unique buildings in modern architecture. Rietveld Schroderhuis is, on the contrary, the lone building, which was at that time built by architectonal principles of art movement De Stijl. In 2000 was written to the Word Heritage UNESCO list (www.rietveldschroderhuis.nl). Utrecht is outstanding also thanks to the canal Oude Gracht, on which shores are from spring to autumn opened terraces of dozens of cafés and restaurants. • ’s Hertogenbosch – in this town was born famous Renaissance painter Hieronymus Bosch. His world full of fantasy can be admired in Jheronimus Bosch Art Center (www.jheronimusbosch-artcenter.nl) • Zaanstad – how was life in 17th and 18th century in the Netherlands will bring you inhabited open air museum in province North Holland De Zaanse Schans (www.zaanseschans.nl).

Now let’s see the other attractions!

Zaanse Schans

Those who wish they could travel back in time and visit the Netherlands of the 17th and 18th centuries have come to the right place. Zaanse Schans is located around 15 kilometers to the north of Amsterdam and is styled as an open-air museum where you can take a stroll around a traditional Dutch village and find out how ancient craftsmen would have worked. Just some of the sights include a shipyard, a grocery store, a pewter factory, and a range of dainty green wooden houses. You will also find some graceful windmills although out of the 600 that would have dotted the area in the days of old, only 5 now remain and can be visited by the public. These include an iconic saw mill as well as an oil mill and you will find fun live demonstrations like a clog making session.

Kinderdijk

There are many things that make the Netherlands the unique place that it is, but nothing complements better the traditional Dutch landscape than its picturesque windmills. The country is full of them, but the UNESCO-protected 19 old windmills of Kinderdijk are, no doubt, one of the most famous sights in the Netherlands.

Designed in 1740 to drain the Alblasserwaard polders and to prevent flooding, the windmills were perfectly preserved ever since. Nowadays, tourists from all over the world come to admire this idiosyncratic scenery and learn about the brilliant Dutch water management. Moreover, from April to the end of October, one of these ancient generators is open to the public in order to be explored and admired.

Kinderdijk sits in the province of South Holland, about 15 km east of Rotterdam, and can be easily reached by car, train, bus, and even by boat during the tourist season.

Efteling

Established in 1952, in the little town of Kaatsheuvel, Southern Netherlands, Efteling is among the oldest theme parks in the world and the largest attraction of its kind in the country, about twice as large as California’s famous Disneyland.

The park is divided into four different realms – each with its own theme, and has lots of attractions to entertain the entire family, from wide-open green spaces, concerts, and theatrical performances to bars, restaurants, and a four star hotel.

Towns by the Zuiderzee

Among the most beautiful villages in the Netherlands are the small hamlets along the Ijsselmeer, the freshwater lake that resulted from the closing of the sea entrance to the Zuider Zee. These towns flourished during Amsterdam’s Golden Age, when they had access to the Atlantic and prospered as fishing and trade centers, but lost importance as the harbors silted up. Time seems to have stood still for the fishing village of Marken and the seaports of Volendam and Enkhuizen, where many of the colorful houses have become museums and shops. Enkhuizen has preserved many of its buildings and seafaring industries in the open-air Zuiderzee Museum, where the cultural heritage and maritime history of the old Zuiderzee region is preserved. Here, you can see craftsmen at work learning old maritime skills. In Volendam’s harbor, you can see a collection of colorful old wooden boats.

Volendam

Marken

Arcen Castle

Arcen Castle is steeped in mystery and has stood in Limburg for over three centuries, placing it among the oldest surviving strongholds in the Netherlands. Several impressive, landscape gardens lies beyond its double-moat, which regularly hosts outdoor events.

De Haar Castle

Near the lovely old city of Utrecht, the fourth largest in the Netherlands, Kasteel De Haar is the largest fortification in the country. This spectacular castle, built by the famous Dutch architect, PJH Cuypers, required so much land (it sits on a spectacular 250-acre park) that the entire village of Haarzuilens had to be relocated to accommodate it. While the original castle site was established in the 14th century, this newer structure dates from 1892 and is well worth taking the time to explore. Inside, you’ll be rewarded with impressive collections of antiques, furniture, paintings, and tapestries, but it’s the gardens that really draw the crowds – along with the castle’s fairytale looks.

Madurodam

If you want to see the whole of the Netherlands but don’t have time then travel to Madurodam in The Hague. Here you will find a mini version of the Netherlands on a 1:25 scale and you can see all the county’s top destinations including cute windmills, main landmarks, and decorative features like bridges. This model city even includes its own harbor as well as a railway system and an airport.

Giethoorn

Imagine the tranquility of spending a few days in a peaceful Dutch village surrounded by scenic waterways and canals. The centuries-old village of Hiethoorn is almost completely devoid of roads, and many houses can only be reached by boat or by making your way along a footpath or bicycle trail – bike rentals available in the village. As you can imagine, boating is the primary activity in Giethoorn, and you have a number of options for renting a suitable boat to explore the area. You can spend a peaceful day or two gliding along the canals, stopping at the many waterside restaurants to sample some regional Dutch food and drinks. There are three canal-side museums to visit, showcasing ancient Dutch life, vintage motor cars, and precious gemstones.

Although considered a small country, there’s many places worth a visit in the Netherlands as you can see. In this article I’ve laid out some of the best places, definitely worth a vist. Hopefully it will give you some inspiration on where to go!

Have a great day!

Cultural Curiosities in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a fascinating country to visit, combining almost two thousand years of history and architecture with endless scenic canals and waterways and an energetic modern vibe.

Cultural Curiosities in the Netherlands The Netherlands is a fascinating country to visit, combining almost two thousand years of history and architecture with endless scenic canals and waterways and an energetic modern vibe.

#culture #Netherlands #photo #photography #The Netherlands #travel #traveling #trip

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