#like i can get 2 bottles worth of wine for less then the cost of one? fuck yessss

[spookylilbimbo]

Yung gravy on shuffle plus a half bottle of pinot makes for a perfect bath 🥰🍷

[magnesiaandlemonjuice]

Friday 22 December 1826

7 1/4

11 50/60

the magnesia does very well for me, not acting too much like medicine - In my salon at 8 5/60 - fine morning finished dressing - at my desk at 8 55/60 - finished my letter to Miss MacLean (vide yesterday) wrote the 2nd end and much under the seal, and a few lines across one end, all very small and close - what I extracted yesterday took up about the latter 1/3 page 1 and 1/2 page 2 - the following is about 1 or nearly 2/3 of page 3 after promising to write regularly I go on to observe 

‘you give me no hope of seeing you here - you doubt whether you should like Paris in ‘my way’ as I do - what way is that? Perhaps you mistake it a little - I am sensible of the merits of the place for edification, and amusement, and salubrity, and the general purposes of living in all the comfort that money can purchase - but I am patriot still, and British to the bone - were it not for my aunt, I should have no thought of settling here - But what can I do? we sometimes talk of going farther south - The question is whether, when it comes to the part, my aunt can bear the journey? - I know not what to think - On leaving England and on arriving here, her life seemed not worth 1/2 a years purchase - Since writing to you last, she has changed so wonderfully for the better, she may continue for a dozen years - The climate has been of very great service, and till this last day or 2, she was really as she said, quite well - Even now that she cannot walk about quite so well, it seems merely a temporary effect of the weather - we had had a little sleet and drizzling rain all the morning, the 1st time we have had the 1st appearance of snow in its smallest shape - One might have hitherto walked, and sat out in the Tuileries gardens every day excepting 1 or 2 rainy days - and one might indeed, have walked there well enough this afternoon - I was not aware of having given you to understand that, in the event of anything happening to my aunt, I should positively and immediately return to England - She has desired to be interred here; and this might, or might not, according to circumstances, make so little difference - Be this as it might, you would probably see me soon - At present, however, I have not, as before, this to muse upon; for my aunt, tho’ very infirm, appears in no sort of danger - It is extraordinary that my 2 letters should give such opposite accounts - but such is the fact, a fact certainly beyond my calculation when I wrote to you last - ‘I am happy MacDonald still pleases’ - this sentence struck me at the time, and strikes me now - were we on terms more formal, I should still be cautious what I replied to this, grateful always for the Trouble you took for me; but, as it is, I shall write exactly what I think at present - It was difficult to find such a person as we wanted, without some fault or other, or if not a fault, some failing in what we wished for - I begrudge spending much paper on such a subject, especially as, on the whole, we go on pretty well - My aunt sometimes complains of carelessness on the part of MacDonald, and that she seems as if she did not always know what she was about - there are 2 things I have never named to my aunt, Miss Reed’s last letter (on her return from Bath) and a circumstance that occurred at Shibden - I have more than once spoken seriously to MacDonald I abominate what looks like prevarication and since a talkathon last Monday, I have had less confidence in her than ever - Her head is certainly not clear at all times - whether she has any thing on her mind, or any thing in her blood to confuse it, I know not - She is always very obliging, and cooks for us very nicely, and can do quite well for my aunt - Had she never the appearance of being so oddly confused, she might be invaluable - I shall probably speak to her no more - She is not in my province - Enough - It is probable you do not give me much credit for knowing how to manage woman servants - Mrs Lawton could no more understand her than myself - Perhaps if you were here, you might excuse us both - But breathe not a word of all this - we shall go on as we do, - well enough - and you shall give me a practical lesson 1 of these days in housekeeping, which, by the way, pothers me not a little just now’ - 

….. Breakfast at 10 20/60, read about 1/2 the paper, and had done all the above of today at 11 1/4 - ‘How do you and Mr Lawton agree? ‘I thought you did not at all like him’ there was a time when we did not agree; but we both thought better of it, and agreed to agree in future - He does not like York, so never goes there’ - Say we shall change our apartment - on account of ‘a kitchen 2 stories above us - bells that the servants cannot hear &c [etcetera] &c [etcetera]’ - altogether a very long, kind letter - sent it off at 11 1/2 to ‘Miss Maclean of Coll, Tobermory, N.B. Ecosse’ - Settled my accounts - dawdling over 1 thing or other - took George and went out at 1 3/4 - went to the potshop rue Saint Honoré numero 357. ask 5/. for basket panier de couteaux rue du marché Saint Honoré Numero 42. the woman asked George 3/. for it the other day - asked me 1/50, and I could get it for no less but could have had the other set for 1/25 at another shop merchancer the rue neuve des petit champs when I bought the large vegetable basket sometime since - thence to Bertaud rue neuve des petit champs Numero 33 - nice little pot of marmalade oil abricots very good à 1/50, but did not buy it - Roquefort cheese 2/. a lb very good - from de Parma (Parmesan) 2/40 a lb - thence to Berthellemot Palais royal for bonbons - Chinois &c [etcetera] 6/. a lb. all things of this kind 6/. a lb - said I had paid only 5/. - they declared it could not be - bonbons 6, 8, 10, 12/. a lb. - they said at last ‘nous arrangerons’, but I walked off determined to try elsewhere - bonbons 8, 10 and 12/. in the rue de Richelieu - just before coming to Saint Roch very nice figs in a little box at 2/. a lb. might have the box for 3/. allowing 2oz for the weight of the box - stopt at no. 334 and bought the plaqué tea-pot (vide line 7 page 60) for 29/. then got a little porcelaine sucrier à l’Anglais made me 1/75 tho’ only asked me 1/50 in the morning and another blue finger glass at the cheating pot-shop Numero 357 (rue Saint Honoré) and then some oranges and marrons, numero 353, and sent George home - I called at Melleriod about the plate, and bought some bombons à 8/. à la Belle Angelique Numero 25 Boulevard des Italiens - the boy followed me home with them - came upstairs at 4 - Dawdling over 1 thing or other (seeing that my money was right) till 4 20/60 then thro’ the gardens to the Faubourg Saint Germain to order wine chez meurice Numero 21 rue des petit pères - went up the rue des augustins almost to the end of the street then turned back a got right - ordered 2 dozen macon for the servants at 1/05, and 1 dozen for ourselves (red Beaune) and 1 bottle white Beaune à 2/. a bottle and 1 bottle Champaigne à 4/. and 1 ditto Bordeaux Lafitte à 4/. to come tomorrow morning - Got home (thro’ the place du carrousel) at 5 1/4 - Dawdling over 1 thing or other till dinner exactly at 6 - shewed the teapot &c [etcetera] - she hoped 1 could afford it - on telling the cost she was satisfied -

on speaking afterwards of the dessert she said it was all for Mrs B I said I would have as much every day for only myself with my own consent and if π [Mariana] came and I hoped she would manage it so we might have nine plates of dessert without costing very much my aunt only hoped that what ever I did I should manage to have a few franks for her to go out airing in the summer I said this sstruck me exceedingly she should always have as many franks for this purpose as she chose I would order no more about the table I had meant to agree for her to have the carriage twice a week it was she who prevented me she saw she hat touched a tender cord and began to lament her always ssaying what she thought it was all for my sake and she was crying but I told her what she had said she would know must strike me if she thought about it a minute I would rather go without dessert all my life than abridge her of the carriage or anything else I would rather be hundred more in debt she dried up her tears and we talked of macd our now frequent subject thought I to myself well no more thought beyond what is absolutely necessary I will save my money said I would not interfere about the table I see I had best make up my mind to a little more hugger mugger than necessary to enter into society it out of the question remember save my money and do not fidget my aunt by attention to desserts and appearances of this ssort I had thought of getting better teacups I shall give it up and will spend as little as I can begged my aunt to order the carriage whenever she liked - but we were very harmonious afterwards -

at Michel’s this morning as my eye casually glanced over the order book I saw an order for the Tasburghs rue Royal Numero 13 - from 9 1/4 to 10 wrote the last 38 lines - wrote a little note this morning to Mrs Barlow to ask her to order more charcoal for us. George took the note after leaving me - the charbonier chanced to call this evening to inquire if we wanted any - ordered it for tomorrow - we consume a sack i.e. 12 boisseaus in 3 weeks - charcoal 9/. charbonier for bringing 14 or 15 sols - made minutes of what I have to go tomorrow. no time to settle my accounts tonight - go to my room at 10 1/2 very fine day - O [two dots, marking discharge]

extraordinary my cousin does not come ought to have been with me wednesday week -

[Margin] ver[y] fine mild morn[in]g F40 at 8 1/4 a.m. 44o at 12 1/2 p.m. 41o - 6 - - - 10 1/2 -

SH:7/ML/E/10/0033 & SH:7/ML/E/10/0034

[openyourmindtocloseit]

The Illusion of Need In My Life

What do you need? Do you desire to live a life oozing with passion, pleasure, and beauty? Would a bottle of Bordeaux enhance your sense of personal grandeur, with its elegant label harkening back to the 1920ies era of dancing, literary giants smoking in cafes, and midnight strolls down narrow European city streets with dewy, stone paved roads glistening in the moonlight? It would sit there on the table with some fresh fruits, a few stinky cheeses that cost a pretty penny, and some toasted nuts and chocolates to complete this romantic sight. It does create an ambiance. Real wood, candles, french music wisping through the house, the smell of bread being baked. We are human, and being such our senses tell us something about what is good and what’s bad. Those rotten eggs, yeah, they smell bad, you shouldn’t eat them. That lavender, it is lowering your stress and evoking feelings of peace and tranquility with each sniff, you should continue to wear that lotion and to smooth the wrinkles in your hand and allow the tension you have had in your face to relax, it was barely perceptible before that moment. How long had your brow been furrowed? I digress. We use our senses to tell us the difference between good and bad, sick and healthy, dangerous and safe. These are good things and it is wise for us to discern these things and not blindly walk, this expression in itself is based on a revoking of our senses, but what I am saying is we don’t walk blindly into situations that would endanger us. We use sense and sense comes from that wise use of senses. At this point I may have lost you, and I do apologize for belaboring these words and describing to you something so commonplace, does it really need to be discussed? Well I would argue that many things I perceive and see to be obvious points of fact in life and in the human experience, have in my lifetime become things many people around me seem to question, or are urged to question. Is it all an illusion? Are we really just mindless chemical factories that operate on some sort of cosmic battery pack and everything I hope, sense, will, and pray for is not only pointless, but it was pointless to believe it wasn’t pointless. Depressed yet? Yeah, me too. Let’s leave that behind and get to the meat here. 

What I have learned about my senses is that they are powerful and at times I find it hard to overcome them for the good of myself and those I love. It is evident to me, that I am constantly being marketed too, and yet, at times I forget that it is marketing and that it is not necessary for a full life to own more beautiful things, taste more delicious wines and foods, and have more cozy days in sweaters. I do love those things and do not intend to leave them out of my life, however, to acknowledge to oneself that the feeling of need is not the actuality of need is important. Today I was looking at these beautiful bottles of wine and I had some other work to do, but I thought, I really have to figure out how to get this for an affordable price because life is less rich without pleasures like this, and I love the taste of good wine and pair it with a good meal, well I am a darn connoisseur, and I can encourage others to live richly without the money or luxury, but simply with a bottle of wine… which both cost money and is a luxury. You may say, yeah I think this is just your disordered mind, but I know more than I have this experience when we see something that seems like it could really elevate our lives and believe that it is of utmost importance to find another area to pinch in order to bring that luxury into our lives. For now, I am thankful I saw my insanity before I purchased a box of wine way over what my budget would allow, which is approximately zero dollars spent on wine. It is so unromantic. I like to be the Parisienne in my mind, and believe that I would rather have wine than rice, and that my legs will carry me anywhere I absolutely need to go if my car breaks down. The truth is, however, I do not live in Paris. The city I live in is stretched across miles and miles, and many areas are dilapidated and industrial spaces that do not always keep the most savory characters on it’s corners and streets. I would be putting myself in more potentially dangerous situations due to traffic, pollution, people, and general exhaustion if I walked each place I needed to be. I would be wiser to save my wine dollars to get my car tuned up or save for an upgrade in cars entirely. I humbly divulge this information to tell you that this has to be conscious for me, it is not obvious. I am unreasonable, I am sensuous, and senseless… Which seem like contradictions, but we don’t rely solely on our senses and their pleasures, we rely on our consciousness, and that consciousness can also be disordered which would be mental illness, but more on that another time. 

Really, what would be most beneficial is not to buy more things, although many things help us to lead more productive, well ordered, loving, lives and I am not against all purchases by any means, even purchases of wine, I do hope someday to budget a few delectable wines into my life, but many purchases are wildly unnecessary and are at their root a sort of covetous discontentment. It is your fault, because it is your heart that reacts to these advertisements and we know from Jerimiah 17:9 that:

 The heart is deceitful above all things,

    and desperately sick;

    Who can understand it?

… and yet, we can help ourselves a bit. What does that look like for me? Oh, well, simple thankfulness, knowing what’s in my home already, and also unsubscribing from things that market to me endlessly. I often get off social media and have recently realized that being free from that constant stream of marketing is also helpful. I would encourage most people to say goodbye to social media for good, but I understand the right attraction to it. The benefits rarely outweigh its detriment to my life. However, I plan to write on that another time. For now, I leave you with a bit of wisdom from Saint Augustine, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” and this great piece of poetry from Job:

Job Continues: Where Is Wisdom?

28 “Surely there is a mine for silver,

and a place for gold that they refine.

2  Iron is taken out of the earth,

and copper is smelted from the ore.

3  Man puts an end to darkness

and searches out to the farthest limit

the ore in gloom and deep darkness.

4  He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives;

they are forgotten by travelers;

they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.

5  As for the earth, bout of it comes bread,

but underneath it is turned up as by fire.

6  It's stones are the place of sapphires,1

and it has dust of gold.

7  “That path no bird of prey knows,

and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.

8  dThe proud beasts have not trodden it;

the lion has not passed over it.

9  “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock

and overturns mountains by the roots.

10  He cuts out channels in the rocks,

and his eye sees every precious thing.

11  He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,

and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

12  g“But where shall wisdom be found?

And where is the place of understanding?

13  Man does not know its worth,

and it is not found in the land of the living.

14  iThe deep says, ‘It is not in me,’

and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

15  Itl Cannot be bought for gold,

and silver cannot be weighed as its price.

16  It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,

in precious onyx or sapphire.

17  Gold and glass cannot equal it,

nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

18  No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;

The price of wisdom is above pearls.

19  qThe topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,

nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20  “From where, then, does wisdom come?

And where is the place of understanding?

21  It is hidden from the eyes of all living

and concealed from the birds of the air.

22  Abaddon and Death say,

‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

23  t“God understands the way to it,

and he knows its place.

24  For her looks to the ends of the earth

and sees everything under the heavens.

25  When he gave to the wind its weight

and apportioned the waters by measure,

26  when he made a decree for the rain

and wa way for the lightning of the thunder,

27  then he saw it and declared it;

he established it, and searched it out.

28  And he said to man,

‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,

and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

[paging-dr-bowen]

Tips for Interview Season

Congratulations on your invitation to interview at the residency programs of your dreams! The time period between submitting your ERAS and awaiting your first invitation to interview is nerve wrecking.  You might get bombarded with a couple rejection letters in the first few days (some programs even make errors by sending their rejection letters 3-4 times…like okay okay I get it it’s not you…it’s me…haha but don’t get discouraged your perfect match is still out there).  But what do you do before this time period? Here are some tips below:

1. ERAS photo – This is most likely your first business headshot ever. Or at least it was for me. Go to a photo studio like J.C. Penny (they have affordable Group On deals for $20 and under for a couple headshots) or grab a friend with a decent camera and some good lighting. Photo should show a welcoming smile (this is not a mugshot or a passport photo).  Attire should be simple, no distracting patterns or jewelry.  Think grays, blues, blacks, and calm pastels.  For men I’ve noticed a tie is a must. For women a blouse or a button up is fine, no cleavage.  Wear your hair how you will wear it during interviews because they will use the photo to reference you. Hair up or down is fine just keep it neat. I wore my hair in braids/twists and wore it loose and to the side.  Background of the photo should be a neutral color, try to avoid white. 2. Interview attire – Focusing on the ladies for this one, fellas interview attire is pretty standard across the board (business suit and business shoes). Aim to get about 3 outfits to cycle between especially for those weeks you have multiple interviews.  Pants suits and skirt suits or a dress and a blazer are the go-to outfits.  If opting for a dress or skirt length should at least be to the knees when sitting and wear nude/black stockings. Colors you should aim for a navy blue, gray, black and I even saw a candidate in a really nice forest green pant suit.  The idea is to get neutral colors and offset it with a nice pop of color that isn’t too distracting.  Limit the jewelry to simple pieces (stud earring and a simple necklace is fine, avoid bangles and bracelets that make noise).  Comfortable shoes are a must, I bought a 1.5inch closed toed-pumps and half way through interview season I resorted to just wearing my business everyday flats I wear on my clinical rotations from Clarks (got a lot of compliments too…I’m just like this old thang?). Just like your ERAS photo, wear your hair up or down is fine, just keep it neat.  Nice companies to buy clothing from are Ann Taylor Loft, Express, Banana Republic, Macy’s, Gap etc. You can bring a leather portfolio or a simple black leather tote (small to medium) to store a note pad, pen and a bottle of water and any other essentials like your wallet. For outerwear, a nice pea coat or trench coat pairs well with business attire.  Don’t over think it, most of the program directors I encountered have said they don’t really care about your attire so don’t break the bank on your medical school income (non-existent) but just put yourself together nicely.

3. Work on your elevator pitch. School?  Hometown? What is your passion within medicine? Why do you want the field you’re applying to? What are you looking for in a residency program (all the curriculums look generally the same due to AAMC requirements but what additional factors are important to you – is it location? Close to home? On-call hours? Specific elective opportunities? Why would they want you? Having a concise statement to answer all of these questions in a minute or less in a way that doesn’t sound scripted will prepare you for interviews as well as networking opportunities outside of your interviews. 4. Homework to do before your interview: Know the resident profiles of the residency – read about their values, experiences and interests to see how you’d fit in.  Re-read your personal statement if it might have been a while since you read it.  Re-read your CV you submitted on ERAS to make sure you remember every activity or research you inclluded in case it is a conversation piece. Do some research on the faculty and the program director that will be interviewing you (think of it as the equivalence to some light facebook stalking…you wouldn’t reiterate all their accolades but it’s nice to know to causally drop in a conversation when you have nothing to talk about so you can get them talking about theirselves) 5. What do they ask you on interviews? Anything …really. The most common questions I was asked in every interview were: Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to be a ____doctor? Why our program? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your career plans for after residency?  Beyond these questions it was really casual conversation.  The number one question you are guaranteed to be asked a million times are: Do YoU hAvE aNy QuEsTiOnS fOr Me? …you might want to say no but please don’t.  Before your interview you should review the program’s website and make note of things you’d like to ask questions about.  If you think you know there is everything to know about this program you can restate facts about the program you love and ask them to elaborate further or just simply try your best to form a question…it shows interest (they say it’s okay if you don’t have any but please try to have 1 or 2).  You are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. 6. How will your interview day be structured? Most programs send you an itinerary the week or a few days before the interview telling you how long each portion is and with whom.  If they don’t, you can request it politely but you still might not get it until the day of the interview (which sucks because you can’t do your research on your interviewers but it’s okay). On average interviews can range from 15minutes-30 minutes per interview and you can get anywhere from 3-5 or more of those per day.  Interview day is long but you will get used to it. At some point there will be a tour of the hospital given by a resident (this is where comfy shoes come in handy).  After a while you’ll be over seeing another hospital because let’s be honest every ICU looks the same for the most part but your job is to stay tuned in and again…ask questions because the hospital tour is an interview just like everything else during the day.  Be friendly and get to know the other candidates, you might make friendships that last beyond interview day and who knows you might end up at the same program.  The programs are also taking note of how you interact with people and whether or not you’re a good fit for their program. 7. So its October/November and I still haven’t heard from the program of my dreams rejecting me or inviting me to an interview. Or maybe I haven’t heard from any programs at all? Here’s where a polite letter of intent comes in handy. Some programs use filters to help them sift through the thousands of applications they get. You might have been lost by the filter. Send a letter of intent and make it as personalized as possible to the programs you haven’t heard from stating why you think you’d be a great fit for their program and what you love about their program and if they would review your application for an interview.  Late November, I haven’t heard back from one of the programs I desired and I sent them an email and was offered an interview a few days later. So I can say it definitely is worth doing. 8. Expenses.  Interview season is expensive. You may need to take out extra in your student loans than you do usually. Things that will cost you extra money are the ERAS application fee which increases the more programs you apply to, gas for your car for interviews you drive to,  Uber/Lyft or other rideshare, air fare for interviews you may have to fly to, hotels for overnight stays that aren’t covered by the residency program (I lucked out because Family Medicine programs on average love to wine and dine us and reserved nice hotels for me to stay in free of charge ).  My entire interview season costed me about $6,000.  The AAMC estimates that for students the range is anywhere from $3,000-$7,000.  It varies depending on how many interviews are local or how many programs you applied to.  Sooo much money I know…but if it makes you feel better you get free lunch on interview day and even a three course dinner if you opt to go to the “optional” pre-interview social the night before (Take advantage). You might also be visiting a new town or city, if you can explore the area a bit before going home it’s a nice mini trip and way to see if you could imagine yourself living there for the next 3+ years. 9. Pre-interview dinner – is it optional? It is but if you can go, I’d say go.  It’s a nice chance to get to know some of the residents outside of work without the faculty around. You also get to eat like a king on someone else’s dime. They won’t scrutinize you for not going but it does look nice if you went. If you do go, don’t just sit there and eat, please be social because although the residents say its casual…your impressions do matter. 10. Cancelling interviews. If you have been blessed with a decent amount of interviews and you can confidently say you are at a comfortable amount with all the programs you desire going to scheduled then by all means cancel.  Cancel as early as you can so it leaves room for other applicants who may have wanted to interview there to accept the offer.  Generally, 1 week to a month in advance is preferred.  Be polite when doing so because it does reflect on your school. 10 interviews scheduled is the average comfort zone (so they say).  I was paranoid and went on way more interviews beyond that because I wanted to be sure of my choice in the end.  I’m happy I did that because if I were to cancel interviews without going to see the program in person I’m sure I’d miss out.  On that same note, don’t be afraid to reject interview offers from places you know you absolutely would not want to end up (this may happen if you applied broadly just to have some options) – only do this if you have a decent amount of interviews scheduled. 11. What do I do after interview day? Most programs will say do not reach out with a thank you note. If they don’t say this you are free to send a thank you note if you wish. I did not send any thank you notes and I don’t believe it negatively affected me.  Interview season is very busy for the program coordinators scheduling interviews…they don’t need to read my generic thank you note/email that I will be sending to every program.  However, if I did have a question that wasn’t answered on interview day I would go ahead and reach out. 12. How do I make my Rank Order List? Only rank programs you interviewed at because only those programs have a chance at ranking you.  Only rank programs you would like to end up at. Rank them in the order of YOUR preference not how you think they might like you.  Go with your gut. I advise you send  a letter of intent as you make your Rank List to the program directors of perhaps your top 5 programs.  I sent a letter to my number one program telling them I will be ranking them number 1.  To programs #2-5 I told them I was ranking them highly.  You might not get any response (that’s okay), Match rules say programs can’t tell you they’re ranking you and they can’t ask you if you’re ranking them but there aren’t any rules against you volunteering the information.  Be careful of wording, I would NOT tell my number 2 program that I am ranking them number 2 (no one wants to hear that).  Make sure to tell them what you love about their program as well and why you’d be a great fit. 13. How will I know if I will match? You don’t. You may have feelings. Programs might tell you they think you’d be a great fit. You might get a post card or a letter from programs or a phone call follow up. They might hint and nudge and wink at you. With all this being said…you still don’t know for sure what the outcome of Match Day will be.  All you can do is hope, pray and have faith that the feelings you got from those interactions are genuine.

[seasonofthegeek]

Not Lost but Still Found, Part 2

A big thank you to the gorgeous @lahiffed for requesting a second part of this Chloe/Nino story through ko-fi. I’ve fallen for this ship (but let’s be fair, I’m trash for most Nino ships at this point).

Parts 1, 2:

“You really might be my best work yet. No one we see today will be this handsome and put together.” Chloe adjusted Nino’s tie and stepped back. “This color looks so good on you. I’ll try to find you another suit like it in a different cut.”

Nino was finding it hard to swallow past the anxiety-induced lump in his throat.  “If you say so. I feel kinda silly.” 

He’d let Chloe coat his face in moisturizer after she chastised him for not doing it himself after his “lessons” the day before and even applied an eye cream to cover up the dark circles from his lack of sleep. Nino had to excuse himself and escape into his bedroom to change afterwards because her gentle fingers on his face and the concerned look when she demanded to know why he hadn’t slept well was just a little too much for him to handle. His feelings were quickly shifting from only friends territory into something else and it was making his head spin. 

“Well, you don’t look silly; you look dashing.” She stepped in front of the mirror by the door and checked her make-up and hair one last time. “So the car should be downstairs any minute. As soon as we get to the first place, I need you to act your ass off. I’m going to be showing you around town in places I know my former clients will be.”

“I’m liking this idea less and less.”

She waved her hand carelessly. “It’ll be fine. Just pretend you’re a rich prince or something. You’ve hired me to make you irresistible.”

“Chloe.”

“These people will believe whatever I tell them.”

Nino frowned. “Yeah, I know. They believed what your nemesis told them too. That’s why you lost most of your clients in the first place.” He saw the furrow begin between her eyebrows and thought it better to cut it off before it grew into a full scowl. “But if you think this is the best way to get your business back on its feet, I’ll support you.”

“I do,” she sniffed, lifting her chin. She looked down at her phone. “The car’s here. Don’t forget your suitcase.”

“Ah yes, my empty suitcase that costs more than our couch.” Nino lifted the expensive leather case up carefully. He was hoping he could somehow return it and avoid the stress of trying to keep it from getting scratched on every surface it happened to touch.

“Our weekly takeout bill costs more than that couch,” she replied flippantly and led the way out the door.

___

“Oh, you poor darling, I was just devastated when I heard you were leaving us,” crooned the lady with the bottle tan that edged just the wrong side of orange. 

Nino took another sip of wine to avoid making a face at her obvious show. They’d “just happened” to bump into Chloe’s fifth former client and each one was worse than the last. They’d all acted so distraught that she’d “left” them and their wardrobes to fend for themselves, as if Chloe didn’t know they’d all turned around and hired the woman who spread the false rumors about her to begin with.

“Well, someone’s been keeping me busy.” Chloe looped her arm around Nino’s and pulled him close. “Just look at these eyes and tell me how could I not give him all my attention?”

Nino pasted on the self-deprecating smile he felt he’d perfected at this point.  “I’d be lost without her. She’s a fashion genius.”

The woman visibly preened and offered her hand daintily. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.”

At that moment, Nino felt his phone vibrate in his chest pocket and he pulled away from Chloe as gently as it could while ignoring the woman’s offered hand. “Sorry, sweetheart, I need to take this.” He didn’t meet her gaze as he stepped away and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Do you remember,” Alya began in greeting over the line as soon as he answered, “when I predicted that you and Chloe would end up together? You laughed and told me I was crazy. Crazy, you said.” She left off with that and Nino audibly sighed.

“I can’t really talk about this right now, Al.”

“You sent me a novel’s worth of texts last night. We’re talking about it.”

He cast a quick glance back to see Chloe’s eyes darting to him as she pretended to listen to her former client drone on. “Okay, yes, I want to talk about it because I’m kinda losing it here, but I can’t talk about it now.”

“Mmm. So you’re with her?”

“Yeah. I stepped away while she’s talking to an old client. I’m helping her get her business started back up.”

“How very noble.”

“Alya,” he whined. “I’m in over my head here. She’s got me in a suit and I have a briefcase and I’m pretending to be her...her boyfriend or something.”

There was a pause and even the sound of the tapping of Alya’s keyboard over the line quieted. “Was the pretending thing her idea or yours?”

“What does it matter?”

“Just answer the question, my dearest Nino.”

Nino knew he was blushing and made sure he was solidly turned away from Chloe. “Mine, I guess. I offered and she said it was a great idea.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But it’s not real!”

“Sure.”

“It’s not.”

“Oh, I know. Marinette’s not really my girlfriend either. We’ve just been sleeping together for three years now but it was only for pretend. I actually thought you and I were still dating this whole time.”

“Don’t be rude. This is so not the same as you guys,” Nino insisted, lowering his voice and moving further away.��“Chloe and I are...we’re friends. I mean, at least I think she thinks we’re just friends and that’s fine. This is something I need to get out of my system and I thought talking to another friend would help but I was sorely mistaken.”

“Don’t get your boxers in a bunch; I’m only teasing you. You know I want you to be happy and I think you and Chloe would be great together, especially after everything that happened with the bitch I shall not name.”

“It would be too easy to say your name right there, wouldn’t it?”

“Watch it. I’m your favorite ex and you better not forget it.”

Nino let out a small chuckle and felt relief flood his system. It was always so easy to be honest with Alya. “I feel like I don’t know how to act around her.”

“I get that. I definitely had a gay panic moment when I realized my feelings for Marinette were more than just best friend territory. Try to take it a day at a time. If you feel brave enough to talk to her about it, go for it. You might be surprised how she feels.”

“Or she might freak and move out of the apartment.”

“I don’t think you’re giving Chloe due credit, but do whatever feels right.” There was a murmur in the background and Alya sighed. “Sorry, sweets, but I’m on a deadline. Hit me up when you want to talk more. I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks, Al.” Nino ended the call and slipped his phone back into place. He turned and found Chloe walking towards him, one perfectly manicured eyebrow raised. 

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just catching up with Alya about some stuff. How’d the rest of the meeting go?”

She beamed at him. “I’ve got Sophia scheduled for a shopping trip next Tuesday. I asked if Claire was the one who suggested the tan and then offered to hook her up with one of my contacts who does a lot of celebrities when they are going to be on the red carpet. She took the bait instantly. I’m a badass bitch.”

“That you are. Your week is filling up fast.”

She looped her arm around his as she’d done so many times that day even though there was no one around to see. “It is, but don’t worry. I still have plenty of time for you. What do you say to an early dinner?”

___

“My feet are killing me,” Chloe whined. She dramatically stumbled through the door and fell face first onto the couch. “I hate high heels.”

“Then why wear them?” Nino followed her inside and closed the door behind them. He cast a forlorn look at the small scratch on the side of his new suitcase before setting it down by the key and mail table.

“You just don’t get women’s fashion.”

“I don’t get wearing something that hurts, no,” he agreed. “And on that note, I’m going to go change out of this suit. I’ve hit my tolerance threshold.”

“Ninnnnnno,” Chloe wailed. “Help me. I can’t feel my feet.”

He shook his head and rounded the couch. “Do you really want me to take your shoes off for you?”

She wiggled her feet in answer. 

“Pathetic.”

“Pretty please with a cherry on top.”

Nino took a deep breath and carefully undid the buckle of her shoe. He slid it off and let it drop to the floor unceremoniously.

“Hey! These weren’t cheap. Be careful.”

“I think you meant to say thank you.”

Chloe made a huffing noise and lifted her remaining shoe up. She’d turned her head so she could watch him and Nino felt his skin run hot. He fumbled with the buckle this time and almost dropped the shoe on accident before jerkily setting it down with the other one. 

“Okay, I’m going to go change now.” He straightened and moved away as fast as he could without being obvious.

Chloe propped herself up on her elbows and frowned at him. “You aren’t going to rub my feet?”

There was no verbal reply as Nino’s bedroom door pointedly closed.

___

The soft knock was all the warning Nino got before Chloe was entering his room. Her hair was up in a messy bun, her face scrubbed free of make up, and she was wearing one of the oversized hoodies he’d grown accustomed to seeing her in. 

“I could’ve been naked,” he chastised from his lounging place on his bed, pushing one of his headphones back so he could hear her better.

“Pity. I could’ve used a peep show.” She climbed into his bed beside him and leaned against the wall. “What are you listening to?”

“One of the records I picked up last night.”

“Can I listen to it with you?”

Nino nodded, feeling a little thunderstruck as he reached over to pull his headphone jack out of the record player on the nightstand. 

“Oh, this is nice. It isn’t like the stuff you usually listen to.” 

“Thanks for that underhanded compliment.”

She dropped her head to his shoulder with a content hum and they sat there together for two songs before she spoke again.

“Thank you for coming with me today. You really helped it seem like I’ve got my shit together.”

“You do have your shit together.” Nino eyed Chloe’s hand that was splayed out, palm up, between them. His own palm itched with the need to be pressed against hers. He curled his hand into a fist and shoved it into the large front pocket of his sweatshirt.

“You know I don’t, but I want to try to get to that point. I think these meetings next week are a good place to start. I’m feeling really good about it.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.” Nino finally allowed himself to rest his head against hers, if only to relieve the crick in his neck from trying to stay so rigid. With that action, Chloe scooted closer to him and made another happy hum. She curled against his side and slid down just a bit before huffing.

“I thought this was going to be more comfortable than it is. Scooch down with me.”

“I was just fine sitting like this, you know.” Nino wanted desperately to do what she wanted but he thought he might lose his sanity if he did.

“Scooch,” she demanded and tugged on his arm. 

He reluctantly wiggled down until Chloe curled up against him again. 

“This is much better.”

“Good to know, your Highness.”

“That’s your Majesty,” she corrected. She yawned and rubbed her cheek against the soft material of his sweatshirt. “I really like this music. It makes me feel calm.”

“Yeah, it’s good for that.” His voice was barely a whisper but he didn’t think he could speak any louder. His arm had gotten trapped under Chloe when she’d moved in closer and he chose the option of trying to casually rest his hand against her side rather than let it keep tingling.

“I’m going to sleep in here,” she murmured. “Can I?”

It was such a Chloe thing to say that Nino felt his heart swell. A statement followed by a question. 

“Of course,” he replied softly. 

Buy me a cherry coke?

[cherryyharryy]

Show and Tell

Harry and Y/N make their first public appearance, but things don’t go as expected.

I got this idea a few months ago but finally got the motivation for it the other day. Let me know what you think!!!!!

Part 1

She was going a little stir crazy. Okay, more than a little. But Harry had managed to keep y/n’s name out of people’s mouths whenever his was uttered, and so it seemed worth it, the secrecy, the separate cars, separate hotels... They’d escaped every fan pic and even the paparazzi wasn’t on their trail.

He’d had girlfriends before, and the older he got, the more his privacy became more sacred, so the desire to keep the girl on his arm out of the tabloids was crucial. And by the time y/n came along...he knew. He knew she was it for him, and he knew one day they’d find out about her, but for now he was going to do his best to avoid her pretty face being plastered over every magazine.

“Are you sure about this, H?”

He hummed, adjusting the glittered mask over his love’s face. “If I wasn’t sure, we wouldn’t be going.”

It was a birthday party. The invite alone cost more than y/n’s rent, and a sliver of her dignity when Harry suggested she join him since the dress code requested costumes. She didn’t know who’s birthday it was or where the shiny Bentley parked outside her apartment was taking them. All she knew was what Harry had told her about the lavish star-filled get-togethers he’d attended, and that this party was one of those that would start off classy and dignified with everyone acting like adults until someone inevitably switched gears and jumped on a table with too much wine in their system or dove into a pool with too many clothes on.

“Looks amazing, baby.”

Harry stepped back, tugging on his bottom lip with his freshly painted nails to admire the adjustments. Y/n had an elaborate mask—designed just for her at Harry’s request—hiding her face. It was a fox, an incredibly Gucci-esque-grownup-fox that molded to the shape of her face perfectly. Not too tight but with plenty of breathing room. Her eyes were hidden, and the faux fur Peter Pan collar around her neck hid the last of her skin not covered by the equally as sexy suit she had on.

“Here’s your gloves, darling. You can see alright, yeah? Need me to fix somethin’? Is it too hot?”

“Harry,” y/n giggled, “I’m fine. Actually feels pretty good, kind of empowering.” Once her white lace gloves were inched up her arms, resembling that of the animal’s, she did a little spin. “I like the heels.”

Harry’s eyes drifted down to her feet which were slipped into five-inch Louis Vuitton’s, then back up her body. “Your hair.”

“What about it?”

“I can see it,” he mumbled. “Didn’t think about that.”

“Well no one’s gonna recognize me from my hair alone, H.”

“Still, can’t be too careful.”

Y/n huffed as Harry dashed into the bathroom, following him to see his hands rifling through the cabinets.

“Oh no you don’t,” she chided, putting her hands up and backing away from his smirk. “That color looked dreadful on me.”

“It’ll wash out by Monday, love.” He was already shaking the can of hair color, an unfortunate match to y/n’s ensemble. “Now take that mask off and lean over the tub.”

***

Y/n had a bittersweet relief swimming through her brain. Because apparently attending a party with her boyfriend came with rules, and suddenly all the late nights spent dreaming about being by Harry’s side at whatever extravagant gathering he was at instead of on her couch were put into perspective.

“Don’t drink too much. And don’t go off on your own, can’t chance anyone tryin’ t’peak under your mask. Oh! And for the love of God, don’t talk.”

Harry’s rings were cold, cold enough for her to feel them through the dress shirt she wore under the jacket he refused to admit its price of when he brought it home. And his grip was tight, holding her close as if she’d get lost and never find her way back, which all in all, seemed like a potential possibility at the size of where they were. And she couldn’t guess where they were because that was all a secret. Everything was a secret, from the moment they met, and it wasn’t until a guy in a fish mask approached them with a bottle of wine in his hands that Harry’s sanity was dependent on her anonymity.

“Harry…”

“Hey, Jordan. How are you mate?”

“Thought that was you, you guys look great.”

Y/n nodded and looked over at Harry, who was decked out in a matching fox costume only his was less feminine, and he didn’t have to hide his hands or ruin his hair with cheap 24-hour dye.

“So, who’s this?”

Harry slapped Jordan’s hand away from its approach towards y/n’s mask, uttering out apologies while he pulled her closer. “It’s my uh, a friend.”

“Well can I get a name—”

“Excuse us.” Harry steered y/n away, practically dragging her from the mass of people fawning over each other’s intricate costumes.

“Harry,” she groaned, pushing his hands away. “What was that about?”

“M’sorry, I panicked.” He ran his hand through his hair, tugging on the ends. “I—I didn’t want anyone to know who you are.”

“Yeah I know,” she bit. “You’ve made that very clear.”

His shoulders slouched as he sucked in a breath. “M’just trying to protect you.”

She sighed, nodding her head. “I know. But most everyone knows you’re with someone, they just don’t know who. We’ve been together for almost two years now, I’ve earned the right to be called your girlfriend. You don’t have to hand out my blood type, but a little recognition won’t hurt.”

“Okay, you’re right.” His face was hidden, but it’d been two years, and she knew his lip was sore under his teeth and his brows were as high as they could go. “Come on, let’s go get a drink.”

***

Y/n was going to need more than a drink. Or, Alex, rather.

Alex was the name she’d been awarded with when the sixth person who inquired about who was under Harry’s companion’s mask had their hand gently pushed back down by his and those cold rings.

And she wasn’t just Alex, no. She was Alex the cousin, Alex the married hairstylist, even Alex, my sister’s best friend. And as the night drug on y/n’s patience dwindled away each time Harry patted her on the back while introducing her as some version of his friend.

“You want another drink, baby?”

“Why the hell are you whispering?”

Harry leaned in, lifting his mask an inch away from his skin. “So no one will know.”

Y/n was fuming. And Harry was lucky he couldn’t see her face, couldn’t see her lip curl at her boyfriend’s words or the glare she had steadied on him. “Right. Can’t have anyone finding out your little secret now, can we?”

“Sweetheart—”

“Don’t bother, H.”

She thrust her near empty glass into his hand and stomped off, slinking through the crowd until she found a door leading outside into the numb January air. Outside to what she now realized was a backyard, a very large, very expensive looking backyard. She followed a stone path into a garden, closed in by tall hedges, passing a dormant fountain until she found a little bench to settle on.

“Y/n?”

“Who’s y/n?”

Harry’s hair was a wild mess, face flushed under the moonlight with his mask hanging from the crook of his elbow. “What’re on about? Why’d you huff outta there like tha’?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She ripped the mask off her face, inhaling the cold night air and relishing the chilly sting soothing her warm skin.

“Y/n—”

“Who’s this y/n? I’m your...godson’s babysitter, remember? Or wait, wait, I forgot—your dogwalker’s mom.”

This time he saw the eye roll. And he definitely saw the grimace etched onto her face. “Okay,” he sighed defeated, “those are pathetic identities. But you have to admit they worked.” He chuckled, stepping closer to the bench and nodding at her legs propped up along the length of the seat. “Budge over, pet. And we can’t stay out here too long, s’freezing.”

She didn’t move, not for a few seconds until she swung her legs off, digging her heels into the ground as she stormed back towards the mansion. Once she reached the edge of the garden she turned around, crossing her arms and her ankles in a defying stance. “By the way, who the hell owns this place?”

Harry’s jaw slacked and he cleared his throat. “S’a, Benny’s.”

He stood there, staring at where she’d stood not two minutes ago and ran over the entire night in his mind, only in his head everything was playing out differently. She had a smile on that he could see, a smile that everyone tonight could see. But once reality hit and a heavy breeze grazed his skin, he made his way back, slipping the mask over his face to hide the tears sliding down his cheeks.

Read part 2 here.

[supersoldierslover]

The Accidental Mrs. Rogers Part 3

Summary:  (Modern Au) To celebrate your birthday, you and your friends go to Vegas. After a very drunk night, you discover that your life changed forever.

Pairing: Steve x Reader

Words: 1890

Warnings:  I know that Steve is Irish, but in this fic lets pretend that he is Italin because it’s was something i need it for the plot ok?

Thank you @unbetaedimagines for beta this for me,You are the best

Part 1, Part 2

You could say you knew three things about Steve Grant Rogers for sure. The first one is that the only way he drinks his coffee is He generally drinks one cup in the morning and one in the afternoon.

When he drinks, he usually makes a joke about the coffee being as dark as his soul.

The second is that Steve loves romantic comedies; you can’t count how many times you went to his apartment after work to eat some takeout and watch movies with him. He says that he likes them because everything works out in the end.

For you, however, it’s because he is a hopeless romantic. You saw how he acted around girlfriends in the past; you notice the little things that he did for them. Any girl who ends up with Steve Rogers would be lucky.

And the third thing is that Steve is always early for things, doesn’t matter what it is. It can be to a party, a dinner date or a meeting. So you knew that when you stepped on the plane, Steve would already be there in his seat, waiting for you.

“You have been avoiding me.” He says as you sit by his side. You shrug; he is right but you’re never going to admit it out loud.  You were just not ready to face Steve , so instead of spending the day with him, you went to the casino with Wanda and Nat.

It was a lot more fun to gamble small amounts of money than with your life.

“No, I’m not… I’m here, aren’t I?” You reply, avoiding looking into his eyes; you did try to avoid him. You wanted to change seats on the plane with Natasha or Wanda, but they didn’t’ want to. They said that it was time for you to act like a big girl and face your husband.

“You are, but you don’t look like you want to be here.” He says half joking and half serious. You never consider yourself good at confrontation. You usually avoid it at all costs, but you know that you can’t run away from this forever.  

So you take a deep breath, thinking what is the best way to start this conversation. You have to remember that this Steve, your Stevie, and he is never going to do anything to purposely hurt you.

“I’m happy to be going back home. Vegas can be chaotic and I just want normal.”  You say, playing with the ring on your finger. You don’t know why you’re wearing your wedding ring; maybe you are afraid of losing it maybe it’s something more.

He nods, taking your left hand in his, building up the courage to say something. “I told Sam and Bucky about what happened to us.” He says, avoiding eye contact with you. You shrug; you didn’t’ keep the secret from Nat and Wanda, so how can you expect him to do it?

“It’s ok, the girls know too. What did the guys say?” You ask curiously. He laughs, letting go of your hand and running his  through his hair. “A lot of things, a few are better for you not know, but in the end, they were surprisingly supportive.” He says, smiling; his smile is so bright that it’s contagious. For a brief moment, you forget the situation you’re in right now.

“How are we going to solve this, Stevie?” You ask, bring the mood down. You feel like you two can survive the whole one night stand and getting married thing, but it will take some time.“I’m not sure, but all I know is that I don’t want to get a divorce.”

You arch your eyebrows at him. You are not really surprised by the fact that he doesn’t want a divorce.  If he wanted to get one, you two would have solved this right away in the morning. “Why?”

He sighs, looking so confused right now that your heart breaks. “My mom, my family… The way I was raised, marriage is forever, it’s supposed to be with the love of your life.” You nod; you don’t agree with him. but you do understand where he is coming from.

Steve never talks about his family, but Bucky does, and according to him, Steve’s family is very Italian and very religious. Bucky told you a lot of stories about their childhood and how scary Steve’s father was.

You didn’t have to be a genius to know what he was implying; Steve father was abusive towards his wife, son and probably everyone around him. You do understand Steve’s side on this; he doesn’t want to disappoint his family or betray his beliefs.  

“I understand, but it’s worth it? Steve, we don’t even remember our own wedding. Your family is not more important than your happiness.”  You say, resting your hand on his thigh; you can’t stay in this marriage for the rest of your life because of Steve and his believes.

It doesn’t matter how much you love Steve, he is your best friend after all.

“I know that is not fair to you. You’re not in love with me and I get that and I get this is not your dream wedding … But just give me a chance, please?” He pleads, and he sounds desperate. He doesn’t sound like a man who wants a chance with a woman, but someone who is scared of something.

“What is really happening, Steve? Don’t lie to me, please.” You say, trying to understand him. “I don’t remember a lot about last night, but I remember a few things, especially the way I was feeling… And I never felt like that, so happy and carefree…”

“That was the tequila talking, Steve, nothing else.” You say, cutting him off. Everything sounds better when you are drunk. “No, it wasn’t, around you I always feel this way, but yesterday, everything was amplified. When I kissed you, it was the best kiss of my life.”

You bite your lip, you don’t want to believe him and his feelings because he is confused.  

“So what, are you proposing?” When you think about your kiss with Steve, you can’t deny that it was magical, but a kiss is not enough for you to marry someone or in this case, to stay married. “We can try for a while, six months maybe even a little less if you want…”

You take a deep breath; what does try for a while even mean? You would still be living in your apartment or would you live with him? Would you two share a bed or sleep in separates rooms? What really scares you is, will your relationship evolve physically or emotionally?

Do you even like Steve this way? Sure he was a great guy, so caring, funny and adorable. And it doesn’t hurt that he looks the way he does, with his blonde hair, blue eyes, and adorable smile. But still, is this enough? And even more importantly, does he likes you this way?

You have so many questions for him, but instead, all you do is to nod and say, “Give me some time to think about it.”

“Are you planning to leave your room anytime soon? You have been here for almost five hours now.”  Wanda says, entering your room and lying on your bed beside you. “Not really, I like my room a lot it’s very comfy in here.” You say, staring at the ceiling; you’ve been in the same position for 5 hours, thinking about your conversation with Steve and the mess your life became in the last 48 hours.

“Well, you are wearing your wedding ring, so you two are good?” She asks, staring at you. You can’t lie to her; during your flight you two had a lot of time to talk. And as much you two talked, you feel like you didn’t get anywhere.

“You could say that. You know we had six hours to talk about all this and still I don’t know what we are going to do Biting your lip, you know that you have to solve this as a responsible adult.

“Why?” She asks, picking your left hand and seeing the ring on your finger. “He wants to give us a try, he also wants me to move in with him… And you know what the worst part is? I don’t even know if he likes me.”

She looks at you before getting out of the bed. “You know, for us to have this conversation, we need two things; wine and Nat.” She says, leaving your room just to return to a few seconds later with two bottles of wine and Natasha.

“Let’s start from the beginning; why don’t you want to move with him?” Natasha asks, sitting on your floor. It was obvious that Wanda explained to her what was happening in the thirty seconds that she was away.

You sigh; you have a lot of reasons, but the one that is really holding you back is the fact that you don’t know how he feels about you. You don’t want to dive into this, whatever this is, if he is only doing this because he is afraid of his family.

If he wants to give this a chance, it has to be a real chance.

“First off, how can I leave you two alone in this apartment? You two need my help to my pay rent and second, what if this fake, real wedding doesn’t work out? I’ll be homeless; I can’t afford an apartment alone in this city and what if we aren’t friends anymore because you like your new roommate more?”

You are sure that half of the things you are saying don’t make any sense but all this fears are thru for you.

“Calm the fuck down, you don’t have to worry about us. Nat and I can handle rent without you and you are not going to be homeless.” Wanda says, sweetly hugging you. You knew that you are overreacting, but you need someone to calm you down. “Are you afraid of moving in with Steve?” Natasha asks, in a sweet tone that she typically doesn’t use.

When you nod, she continues. “Why? Steve obviously cares about and he would never kick you out of his house. So tell me, what is worrying you?”  She asks, and sometimes you hate how well knows you.

“I don’t want to ruin our friendship; I don’t want us to end up hating each other. I don’t even know if I like Steve like that.” Natasha passes the wine to you. She and Wanda exchange a few looks before Wanda speaks.

“Of course you like him, sweetheart. You agreed to stay married to him; you wouldn’t do that with any other man. Just talk to him, figure things out. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”  Wanda says, taking a sip of the wine.

“And you shouldn’t make decisions based on fear. So give him a chance, just remember you are in control, not him or his family. You do whatever you are comfortable with.” Natasha says, raising the bottle of wine.

You nod, knowing that tomorrow your relationship with Steve will change forever. You just hope it’s for the best.

Part 4

Steve and the reader are very confused right now, but I do hope you guys are enjoying this mess of feelings. And I truly believe that their hearts are in the right place.

So please leave feedback, I’m really excited to know what you guys are thinking so far. Especially if you are on the tag list.  And the tag list is closed but this fic is posted every Sunday.

[t9digitalmarketing-blog]

Top Tips & Budget Friendly Ways To Experience Paris Like A Native

Hi guys, welcome to my blog. My name is Caroline, I am 22 and I am Irish. I am studying Commerce International in University College Dublin and I spent a year in Paris studying commerce through French. I have learned the ins and outs of the city (sometimes the hard way) and some of this information I would love to have known prior to moving there. The majority of tourists spend hours queueing to see (some impressive, some not so impressive) tourist attractions and frequently get ripped off. As a result their Parisian experience ends up being very unproductive and costly.

Paris is known for being expensive but you can definitely do it on a budget and I am going to tell you how! Young people tend to avoid travelling to Paris because it has a name for being notoriously expensive, however Paris is not actually any more expensive than any other European city. Paris is very much geared towards young people and it has become my favourite city in Europe. There is a never-ending list of things to do for young people and it is simply an amazing place to live/study/visit.

I am going to share my top tips with you and help you experience Paris like a French native, and as a young person, the best spots to visit so that you can get the most out of your trip to this incredible city.

Culture

Paris is a fantastic city if you have a European passport and you are under the age of 26 as you can get into the majority of cultural sites and museums for free on any day of the week! (Admission to most museums is pretty cheap anyway but when you are on a budget it all adds up very quickly). There are hundreds of museums in Paris but my two favourite are Musée du Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. The Louvre (Musée du Louvre) is a great place to start and the Mona Lisa is a must see! Musée d’Orsay is another great museum even if you don’t enjoy art, the layout of the museum and its architecture is well worth seeing (a scene from Gossip Girl was also shot in this museum).

L’Arc du Triomphe is an absolute must! It is an arch that acts as a roundabout with 12 different streets leading up to it. You have to go underground to get to the centre of the roundabout/the arch. You can then climb up to the top of l’Arc du Triomphe which in my opinion has one of the best views of Paris. You have to climb a long windy staircase in order to get to the top so wear comfortable shoes. You can even see La Défense, the infamous business district from the top. You will also see the longest street in Europe, the Champs Elysée. The “roundabout” has no rules as such and as a result it is chaotic all the time, from the top looking down it is like watching a colony of ants frantically moving around attempting to dodge one another.

Sacre Coeur is well worth the visit even if you don’t actually enter the basilica. It is situated at the very top of a village and there is a long hilly walk up to it but the views from the top are incredible.

Palais Garnier is a spectacular opera house. You can do a day tour of it which costs €15 and tickets to the shows can go up to €500. If you are keen to see a show, you can queue at the ticket kiosk (several hours prior to the show) and get tickets to the ballet/opera for as cheap as €10 – that is if you have half the day to spend queuing for a show that could sell out.

Trocadero is an absolute must-go! This is where you will find the best view of the Eiffel Tower. I wouldn’t recommend going to any restaurants or bars in this area as they are all very overpriced (this where a lot of tourists get caught out).

Day Trips & Tours

Chateau du Versailles is magnificent and well worth visiting on a sunny day. It is about an hour (by train) south of Paris and then a 20 minute walk from the train station. The entry fee to the palace is free for European residents under the age of 26 and the entry fee to the gardens is €10 for a student (buy tickets in Versailles because they are cheaper at the door than they are online). The gardens are more impressive than the palace in my opinion. The gardens are so vast it would take you all day to walk around them however you can rent golf buggies or bikes in order to cover more land in less time. During the summer months you can rent rowing boats and row/float on the lake. Most people bring a picnic with them and enjoy their lunch on the designated grass areas soaking up the sun. There is only one coffee shop here and several ice cream kiosks so definitely bring your own snacks.

Disneyland Paris is an absolute must if you are spending a few days in Paris. You can take the RER A (main underground train line in Paris) towards Marne la Vallée and it leaves you right at the gates of Disneyland. It takes approximately 40 minutes from central Paris. The queues are not nearly half as bad here as they are in Disneyland in America and it really is a magical experience. There is something for all ages and the firework display every evening is spectacular. If you book tickets online they are usually around €50 however if you buy tickets at the door, the price is double. There are lots of restaurants and bakeries here but they tend to be pricey so I would advise bringing snacks from Monoprix and baguettes/croissants from a bakery in Paris with you. Check the weather before booking your tickets!

You can buy tickets online here https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-ie/

Boat tours are a great way to a get an overview of the city, learn some interesting facts and get some great photos. Paris is stunning at night time when all of the famous monuments are lit up so I would recommend doing a boat tour at night. There are several companies that do boat cruises, however don’t waste your money purchasing a “dinner experience” package etc. as you will be too busy eating (a very basic meal) to see any of the sights. I would recommend getting the cheapest and most basic tour ticket and choosing a boat that has an upstairs. I found that Bateaux Parisians were great and their most basic ‘illuminations’ tour cost €13.50 per person. The boat sails up and down the Seine pointing out the famous sights/monuments/areas. The tour lasts around 75 minutes.

You can buy tickets online here https://book.seine-river-cruises.com/book/7944/checkout

When in Paris do as the French do

The Parisians are the most sociable people you will ever come across. They love any opportunity to be amongst people and sipping on wine. There is a famous saying “when in Rome do as the Romans,” the same concept applies in Paris! Even if it is lashing rain, sit outside under a canopy and enjoy some food and a few drinks. However if the weather is good, follow the French to any of the gardens (my personal favourite is Jardin des Tuileries), bring your picnic blanket, a few croissants, baguettes and a bottle of wine and soak up the atmosphere – this is a favourite pass time for the French.

On summer nights when the parks are closed you’ll find everyone with their bottles of wine and snacks sitting along the banks of Seine – the whole way along it! It is honestly one of the most fun enjoyable and cheapest things you will do and you will feel just like a native.

Another great location during the day/early evening for doing this is on Champ de Mars which is the grass area just in front of the Eiffel Tower. It is a really popular meet up spot for students and workers alike with one of the most iconic views.

Bars & Restaurants

Brunch is a huge thing in Paris, everyone does it and you will often queue for up to 90 minutes to get a table in some of the best places. Brunch is expensive (usually €25 per person) but it is 2 meals in 1 and you get a crazy amount of delicious food! My personal favourite is Paperboy situated on Rue Amelot – all of their food is incredible! But some other great spots include Lockwood, Hardware Société, Le Pain Quotidien and the Soul Kitchen.

If you love acai bowls make sure to check out Love Juice Bar and the Juicerie. If you are a hot chocolate lover, Angelina’s is renowned for having the best tasting hot chocolate in France. It is one of the most famous ‘tea rooms’ in the world and quite an experience. However one hot chocolate costs €9 but you can opt for the take away option which is half the price. Another spot for chocolate lovers is Lindt – there are several Lindt stores in Paris all of which have sit down Cafés. I am a huge chocolate lover and Lindt did not disappoint and was much cheaper than Angelina (although 2 very different atmospheres).

Chatelet is an area full of bars and restaurants all of which are extremely affordable and it is an area that is usually buzzing from 1pm on a Saturday right up until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Pizza Populaire is a restaurant with a really alt style and cool vibes that have a pizza margaherita on the menu for just €5! However you need to be at the doors 25 minutes prior to opening (6pm) in order to get a seat as there is always a queue.

If you are on a really tight budget, there are plenty of Mc Donald’s and Dominos scattered around Paris too.

Happy hour is very popular in Paris usually between 3-7pm so if you want to enjoy a drink in a nice bar on a budget, then choose your times to do so wisely. There are several must see bars even if you only purchase a bottle of water for €3 or one alcoholic drink for €11. ‘Off Seine’ is a hotel shaped like a boat in the Seine River. Its bar area even has a pool and there is live music there every evening. 100 yards from this, there is a rooftop bar called ‘Café Oz Rooftop’ – it is another great spot that is on the Seine and turns into a rooftop nightclub every night. They also have themed events during the week such as “Erasmus student nights” etc.

Le Perchoir Marais is also a rooftop bar with very chilled, cool vibes and since waiters don’t serve customers here (you have to queue at the bar to get a drink), you can even experience it without ever buying a drink!

Rue Saint Honoré, located in the 1st arrondissement is one of the most expensive streets in Paris however there is a bar on this street called ‘Le Musset’ that does great cocktails for €6 until 7pm every day. They have a seated area outside with a canopy so you can feel and live just like the Parisians; sipping on nice drinks watching the world go by.

General Tips

In my opinion going up the Eiffel Tower is a waste of time and money. The queues can be quite long and it is expensive enough. When you get to the top there isn’t much to see other than high rise buildings. It is usually a disappointment for tourists.

The Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour once it is dark so make sure and look out for that!

An absolute must-buy is a transport pass called ‘Navigo’. It costs €27 (or if you are repurchasing €22) for a week and it allows you to hop on and hop off every RER (main underground train line), every metro and all public buses. You will get more than your value for money with this – even if you’re only in Paris for a few days! Make sure and bring a passport photo to attach on to the Navigo card because if you are stopped by the Navigo wardens you will be fined if your card doesn’t have a photo of you on it. You can check it out online here but buy it at any train station when you arrive in Paris - https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/navigo-monthly-and-weekly-travel-passes

Download the RAFTP app on your phone and it will tell you which train lines/ metros/ buses to take to your chosen destination.

Charles de Gaulle and Orly airport are the most accessible airports from the city. There are trains and buses from both into the city – all of which you can use your Navigo on. Even though flights are often cheaper to Beauvais airport, there is no public transport to Beauvais airport from the city – you either have to pay privately for the airport bus (€30 return to the city) and taxis cost approximately €120 to the airport from the city.

Place du Vendome is lovely to walk around too and a popular area for seeing celebrities during Paris Fashion Week.

I hope you found this blog helpful, let me know in the comments section if you have any questions and enjoy Paris if you are visiting! If you leave your email address in the comments section I will add you to my mailing list and send out an email when my next blog post is up so that you don’t miss it.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored nor does it contain any affiliated links. I took all of the photos shown in this post.

[faithandforestphoto]

Wedding Planning on a Budget: 5 Ways to Save Thousands

Lets just face it, somehow weddings have become one of the most expensive milestones one can celebrate in their lifetime. The day is HUGE and the industry only seems to be climbing, but I am here to give you HOPE! You can have the beautiful, elegant, wedding of your dreams without breaking the bank by using a few tips and tricks that I discovered (and stole a couple from friends) while planning a wedding.

What really matters to you?

It is so important before starting to shell out money to pause, take a moment, and think about the top three things that are the most important on your special day. What have you always thought of being perfect? For me, it was photography, the venue, and my hair. I knew going into planning that I was willing to sacrifice in other areas so that I could have a mountain venue, beautiful pictures that I could look back on forever, and 22” hair extensions so I could feel like a true princess on the best day ever. What is it for you? Music? Venue? Photography? Flowers? Once we solidify what really matters, we can start to cut corners elsewhere.

2. Utilize the people around you!

Do you have an aunt that’s a florist? An uncle that’s a videographer? A mom that’s an architect? Or just crafty people? We were able to get thousands of dollars worth of flowers because my aunt and her friend are florists and were willing to put together my flowers at no cost. All we had to do was pay for the flowers! (Shout out to Flower Moxie who came through with quality, gorgeous flowers!) I will caution you though, when you reach out to someone near you be sure to set clear boundaries and expectations. You do not want to end up with someone flaking at the last minute! That causes too much stress! In addition, its probably because I am a photographer, but I encourage you not to skimp on photography. Aside from your memories, your pictures are the only part of your wedding that you can keep forever.

3. Create a signature drink and use a liquor vendor that allows you to return what you don’t open

We once again saved at least hundreds of dollars by having two signature drinks plus beer and wine instead of a full open bar. My signature drink was a lavender lemonade gin and tonic and Kody’s was Jameson and ginger ale! Our guests loved them and our liquor vendor allowed us to return anything that wasn’t open at the end of the night. Shout out to Apple Jacks! They were a dream to work with. If we had a full open bar, way more bottles would have been opened and we would have been able to return way less!

4. Think of alternative venues

This tip I stole from my coworker who is getting married and was talking to me about her plan. I think she is a genius. She is renting out a very large lodge AirBnB that has a large deck, arbor in the back yard, and is on a lake. How perfect is that? They have a private space where they can have the ceremony, reception, and don’t have to worry about getting anywhere when its over. Now, this may be trickier the more guests you have at your wedding, but it is worth looking into!

5. DIY and Recycled Wedding Decor!

I found that this was the fun part of wedding planning! It is no surprise that Pintrest has tons of DIY wedding decor possibilities. That being said, be careful! Sometimes we can get a little DIY happy and end up spending more money to DIY than we would have to just buy whatever it is in the first place! One of our DIY elements to our wedding was buying old piano books from a thrift store, rolling them up, and putting dried lavender in it for our guests to toss during our send off. On the note of decor, search for a local facebook wedding buy and sell or recycled wedding group. People are always selling tons of super cute decor when their wedding is over!

Last but not least, this day is YOUR day. Whatever you do, whatever you decide, it will be unique to you and your partner. Your wedding is a part of your story and anything that happens (or doesn’t happen) is all part of the new journey you are setting on. Enjoy the time, take lots of pictures, and remember to slow down and breathe through the whole thing!

[merak-zoran]

More on Making Mead

I don’t mean to be a condescending dickbag, but that post on how to make mead for 13 bucks was so badly written that I can’t let it go. 

You know how you can go in the kitchen and throw together some flour, water, yeast and salt, and let it sit and it will make bread? And it’s okay bread? It’s not great, but it’s cheap and edible? That’s what that mead post will get you. 

Mead takes a long, long time to make. 

If you want to begin brewing, I strongly suggest reading Making Wild Wines and Meads to start. It’s a fantastic little book, and very approachable. 

Steps that recipe skipped:

1. Sterilization. when the ex and I were making Mead, we would gather all the equipment we needed, put it in a bucket and fill it with hot water and iodine. Iodine stains, but it’s good for sterilizing your equipment. 

2. Choice of honey: Honey, in America, is legally allowed to be adulterated with corn syrup. How can you be sure that you’re buying real, 100% pure honey? Contact a beekeeper. Buy direct from a farm. Trade mead with your beekeeper friends. It will cost you, pure actual honey is expensive. Any place selling 64 oz of honey for 13 dollars is selling you mostly corn syrup. 

The type of honey matters too. Avocado and Buckwheat honeys are very dark, almost like molasses. Orange Blossom Honey is light, clear and extremely floral. Clover honey is bog standard, not too strongly flavored like anything at all. 

3. Fermentation. you don’t have to do specific gravity tests, unless you want to find the alcohol percentage of your mead. So don’t get too invested in purchasing specialized equipment. But there’s several stages in fermenting alcohol. Primary fermentation is what that recipe offered. (eg, letting it sit undisturbed.) The primary should only be about a couple weeks, at most. Then you rack it. You’re taking the wine off the lees, and moving it to a new (sterilized) container. This helps clarify the wine, both in color and flavor. Secondary Fermentation is letting it sit, preferably in a closet, or basement, for a long, long time. (Sometimes up to a year)

4. Finishing. Sulfites are added to wine to stop fermentation. I know “sulfite” is a bad word, but if you can eat broccoli without getting sick, you can add sulfites to your wine. They also help clarify the wine. Fining Agents are another method of clarifying. You should add sulfites to homemade wine, because otherwise the fermentation will not stop and you can end up with bottles exploding in your closet. 

5. Bottling. You can absolutely reuse beer bottles. If you plan on doing this, do yourself a huge favor and run all your bottles through the dishwasher as soon as you’re done drinking the beer. Or hand wash. Then let dry, upside down. You should rinse and sterilize your bottles on bottling day. There is specialized equipment for bottling wine, it’s worth investing in. You don’t pour the wine in the bottle, you siphon it from the carboy into the glass. That leaves the remaining lees in the carboy to be discarded. 

6. Date and Label. Homemade wine, even with sulfites, doesn’t last as long as store bought. Give it away, drink it yourself. 

A note on equipment. There is literally no reason to use a balloon to top your carboy. Get an airlock. They’re pretty cheap and they’re made to prevent bad bacteria from growing in your booze. The initial investment in equipment for wine and mead making should be less than 100 dollars. Always check craigslist, there’s usually someone selling their unused failed hobby kits on there. 

Making your own booze is really fun and if you live in a good fruit growing region, totally worth it. Dry raspberry wine is the color of stained glass and tastes like summer. German style Apple Wine is bone dry, cuts through the fat of cheese and compliments olives and salami. Parsnip wine tastes of flower. Habenero Peach Mead is hot and spicy and sweet and a lovely surprise in the glass. Give home brewing a try, it’s immensely rewarding. 

Just, keep everything really, really clean, please. 

[digitalmarketingt9-blog]

Top Tips & Budget Friendly Ways To Experience Paris Like A Native

Hi guys, welcome to my blog. My name is Caroline, I am 22 and I am Irish. I am studying Commerce International in University College Dublin and I spent a year in Paris studying commerce through French. I have learned the ins and outs of the city (sometimes the hard way) and some of this information I would love to have known prior to moving there. The majority of tourists spend hours queueing to see (some impressive, some not so impressive) tourist attractions and frequently get ripped off. As a result their Parisian experience ends up being very unproductive and costly.

Paris is known for being expensive but you can definitely do it on a budget and I am going to tell you how! Young people tend to avoid travelling to Paris because it has a name for being notoriously expensive, however Paris is not actually any more expensive than any other European city. Paris is very much geared towards young people and it has become my favourite city in Europe. There is a never-ending list of things to do for young people and it is simply an amazing place to live/study/visit.

I am going to share my top tips with you and help you experience Paris like a French native, and as a young person, the best spots to visit so that you can get the most out of your trip to this incredible city.

Culture

Paris is a fantastic city if you have a European passport and you are under the age of 26 as you can get into the majority of cultural sites and museums for free on any day of the week! (Admission to most museums is pretty cheap anyway but when you are on a budget it all adds up very quickly). There are hundreds of museums in Paris but my two favourite are Musée du Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. The Louvre (Musée du Louvre) is a great place to start and the Mona Lisa is a must see! Musée d’Orsay is another great museum even if you don’t enjoy art, the layout of the museum and its architecture is well worth seeing (a scene from Gossip Girl was also shot in this museum).

L’Arc du Triomphe is an absolute must! It is an arch that acts as a roundabout with 12 different streets leading up to it. You have to go underground to get to the centre of the roundabout/the arch. You can then climb up to the top of l’Arc du Triomphe which in my opinion has one of the best views of Paris. You have to climb a long windy staircase in order to get to the top so wear comfortable shoes. You can even see La Défense, the infamous business district from the top. You will also see the longest street in Europe, the Champs Elysée. The “roundabout” has no rules as such and as a result it is chaotic all the time, from the top looking down it is like watching a colony of ants frantically moving around attempting to dodge one another.

Sacre Coeur is well worth the visit even if you don’t actually enter the basilica. It is situated at the very top of a village and there is a long hilly walk up to it but the views from the top are incredible.

Palais Garnier is a spectacular opera house. You can do a day tour of it which costs €15 and tickets to the shows can go up to €500. If you are keen to see a show, you can queue at the ticket kiosk (several hours prior to the show) and get tickets to the ballet/opera for as cheap as €10 – that is if you have half the day to spend queuing for a show that could sell out.

Trocadero is an absolute must-go! This is where you will find the best view of the Eiffel Tower. I wouldn’t recommend going to any restaurants or bars in this area as they are all very overpriced (this where a lot of tourists get caught out).

Day Trips & Tours

Chateau du Versailles is magnificent and well worth visiting on a sunny day. It is about an hour (by train) south of Paris and then a 20 minute walk from the train station. The entry fee to the palace is free for European residents under the age of 26 and the entry fee to the gardens is €10 for a student (buy tickets in Versailles because they are cheaper at the door than they are online). The gardens are more impressive than the palace in my opinion. The gardens are so vast it would take you all day to walk around them however you can rent golf buggies or bikes in order to cover more land in less time. During the summer months you can rent rowing boats and row/float on the lake. Most people bring a picnic with them and enjoy their lunch on the designated grass areas soaking up the sun. There is only one coffee shop here and several ice cream kiosks so definitely bring your own snacks.

Disneyland Paris is an absolute must if you are spending a few days in Paris. You can take the RER A (main underground train line in Paris) towards Marne la Vallée and it leaves you right at the gates of Disneyland. It takes approximately 40 minutes from central Paris. The queues are not nearly half as bad here as they are in Disneyland in America and it really is a magical experience. There is something for all ages and the firework display every evening is spectacular. If you book tickets online they are usually around €50 however if you buy tickets at the door, the price is double. There are lots of restaurants and bakeries here but they tend to be pricey so I would advise bringing snacks from Monoprix and baguettes/croissants from a bakery in Paris with you. Check the weather before booking your tickets!

You can buy tickets online here https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-ie/

Boat tours are a great way to a get an overview of the city, learn some interesting facts and get some great photos. Paris is stunning at night time when all of the famous monuments are lit up so I would recommend doing a boat tour at night. There are several companies that do boat cruises, however don’t waste your money purchasing a “dinner experience” package etc. as you will be too busy eating (a very basic meal) to see any of the sights. I would recommend getting the cheapest and most basic tour ticket and choosing a boat that has an upstairs. I found that Bateaux Parisians were great and their most basic ‘illuminations’ tour cost €13.50 per person. The boat sails up and down the Seine pointing out the famous sights/monuments/areas. The tour lasts around 75 minutes.

You can buy tickets online here https://book.seine-river-cruises.com/book/7944/checkout

When in Paris do as the French do

The Parisians are the most sociable people you will ever come across. They love any opportunity to be amongst people and sipping on wine. There is a famous saying “when in Rome do as the Romans,” the same concept applies in Paris! Even if it is lashing rain, sit outside under a canopy and enjoy some food and a few drinks. However if the weather is good, follow the French to any of the gardens (my personal favourite is Jardin des Tuileries), bring your picnic blanket, a few croissants, baguettes and a bottle of wine and soak up the atmosphere – this is a favourite pass time for the French.

On summer nights when the parks are closed you’ll find everyone with their bottles of wine and snacks sitting along the banks of Seine – the whole way along it! It is honestly one of the most fun enjoyable and cheapest things you will do and you will feel just like a native.

Another great location during the day/early evening for doing this is on Champ de Mars which is the grass area just in front of the Eiffel Tower. It is a really popular meet up spot for students and workers alike with one of the most iconic views.  

Bars & Restaurants

Brunch is a huge thing in Paris, everyone does it and you will often queue for up to 90 minutes to get a table in some of the best places. Brunch is expensive (usually €25 per person) but it is 2 meals in 1 and you get a crazy amount of delicious food! My personal favourite is Paperboy situated on Rue Amelot – all of their food is incredible! But some other great spots include Lockwood, Hardware Société, Le Pain Quotidien and the Soul Kitchen.

If you love acai bowls make sure to check out Love Juice Bar and the Juicerie. If you are a hot chocolate lover, Angelina’s is renowned for having the best tasting hot chocolate in France. It is one of the most famous ‘tea rooms’ in the world and quite an experience. However one hot chocolate costs €9 but you can opt for the take away option which is half the price. Another spot for chocolate lovers is Lindt – there are several Lindt stores in Paris all of which have sit down Cafés. I am a huge chocolate lover and Lindt did not disappoint and was much cheaper than Angelina (although 2 very different atmospheres).

Chatelet is an area full of bars and restaurants all of which are extremely affordable and it is an area that is usually buzzing from 1pm on a Saturday right up until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Pizza Populaire is a restaurant with a really alt style and cool vibes that have a pizza margaherita on the menu for just €5! However you need to be at the doors 25 minutes prior to opening (6pm) in order to get a seat as there is always a queue.

If you are on a really tight budget, there are plenty of Mc Donald’s and Dominos scattered around Paris too.

Happy hour is very popular in Paris usually between 3-7pm so if you want to enjoy a drink in a nice bar on a budget, then choose your times to do so wisely. There are several must see bars even if you only purchase a bottle of water for €3 or one alcoholic drink for €11. ‘Off Seine’ is a hotel shaped like a boat in the Seine River. Its bar area even has a pool and there is live music there every evening. 100 yards from this, there is a rooftop bar called ‘Café Oz Rooftop’ – it is another great spot that is on the Seine and turns into a rooftop nightclub every night. They also have themed events during the week such as “Erasmus student nights” etc.

Le Perchoir Marais is also a rooftop bar with very chilled, cool vibes and since waiters don’t serve customers here (you have to queue at the bar to get a drink), you can even experience it without ever buying a drink!

Rue Saint Honoré, located in the 1st arrondissement is one of the most expensive streets in Paris however there is a bar on this street called ‘Le Musset’ that does great cocktails for €6 until 7pm every day. They have a seated area outside with a canopy so you can feel and live just like the Parisians; sipping on nice drinks watching the world go by.

General Tips

In my opinion going up the Eiffel Tower is a waste of time and money. The queues can be quite long and it is expensive enough. When you get to the top there isn’t much to see other than high rise buildings. It is usually a disappointment for tourists.

The Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour once it is dark so make sure and look out for that!

An absolute must-buy is a transport pass called ‘Navigo’. It costs €27 (or if you are repurchasing €22) for a week and it allows you to hop on and hop off every RER (main underground train line), every metro and all public buses. You will get more than your value for money with this – even if you’re only in Paris for a few days! Make sure and bring a passport photo to attach on to the Navigo card because if you are stopped by the Navigo wardens you will be fined if your card doesn’t have a photo of you on it. You can check it out online here but buy it at any train station when you arrive in Paris - https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/navigo-monthly-and-weekly-travel-passes

Download the RAFTP app on your phone and it will tell you which train lines/ metros/ buses to take to your chosen destination.

Charles de Gaulle and Orly airport are the most accessible airports from the city. There are trains and buses from both into the city – all of which you can use your Navigo on. Even though flights are often cheaper to Beauvais airport, there is no public transport to Beauvais airport from the city – you either have to pay privately for the airport bus (€30 return to the city) and taxis cost approximately €120 to the airport from the city.

Place du Vendome is lovely to walk around too and a popular area for seeing celebrities during Paris Fashion Week.

I hope you found this blog helpful, let me know in the comments section if you have any questions and enjoy Paris if you are visiting! If you leave your email address in the comments section I will add you to my mailing list and send out an email when my next blog post is up so that you don’t miss it.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored nor does it contain any affiliated links. I took all of the photos shown in this post.

[meetmeatthecoda]

Grifting with the Enemy: Chapter 4

Hey all! :D Here is the next chapter of GWTE! I know, I know, it’s been 84 years. I’m hoping there’s still some interest in this fic! In the coming days, I will splitting my writing time between this and Amethyst, which is Part 2 of Facets containing all my soulmate and AU prompts. Super pumped :) That said, this is a bit of a return to writing for me since it’s been a while since a substantial update cause of real life and it’s CERTAINLY been a while for an update on this fic, in particular. So, as usual, I would love any feedback you can give me, especially concerning continuity with previous chapters, flow, and pacing. I’m hoping I picked it up okay but, as always, I await your responses with baited breath :)) Anyhoo, please enjoy if you can and this will also be posted, as well as the previous 3 chapters, on my FF.net and AO3 profiles! :D Thanks guys! :) Much love! <3 

Liz walks into the restaurant, standing on her toes as she scans the room for Red. She sees many diners, all dressed in casual, mid-day finery, and paying her no mind. Liz purses her lips. Only Red would invite her to a restaurant like this knowing full well that she would be wearing a leather jacket and a blue beanie.

Typical.

Red had left a day in between their last meeting before calling again – Liz tried to ignore how happy she was that he didn’t wait a full three days like the last time – and inviting her to lunch to discuss the heist. In a public restaurant. In broad daylight.

Unbelievable.

She had assumed that he had reserved the whole stuffy restaurant or something ridiculous for the sake of privacy (that was something rich people did, right?), thinking there was no way he would discuss secret illegal plans surrounded by potentially eavesdropping diners.

She was wrong.

He apparently didn’t think anyone would care enough to listen to their heist plans or, if they did, he obviously didn’t care enough to do anything about it. He was happy to sit and enjoy what will probably be a delicious lunch – if the small portions and pristine table cloths are anything to go by – out in the open, where anyone can see him.

Except Liz, apparently.

She continues to crane her neck, struggling to find him in the busy restaurant. She sees the host spot her and start to make his way over to seat her. Great. She was hoping to slink in unnoticed, feeling very out of place in her current attire, every inch the careless, fresh-out-of-college, youth she pretended to be. She doesn’t even know what name Red gave when reserving his table and it could be anything. If she could just catch a glimpse of him –

“Hello, can I help you?”

The host interrupts her desperate search, looking at her with undisguised interest. Hm. Well, at least he’s not snobbish and rude. He is cute, after all, despite being several years younger than her, probably actually fresh out of college, as opposed to her. Oh well. Perhaps he can help.

“Um, maybe, I’m looking for a, well, he’s a, uh, he –”

But Liz is saved from struggling to describe the walking enigma that is Raymond Reddington by the sight of a fedora perched on a hat stand near the back of the restaurant. She swears it wasn’t there a second ago but, if it was, it’s no wonder she didn’t see it. He must have secured a private table if he’s all the way back there. She can’t see him but there’s no mistaking that hat, probably worth more than her monthly rent costs.

The host is still watching her hesitantly.

“Oh, never mind, I see him,” she says kindly, relieved, and flashes the young man a smile which seems to dazzle him a little. “I’ll just go and join him.”

She leaves the stuttering waiter behind, catching a quiet little “oh, okay” before she saunters out of earshot, not sorry to be going. He is sweet but much too young for her, even if an on-looker wouldn’t be able to tell. Besides, she’s not interested in a boy.

She is having lunch with a man.

(Oh, bad, Liz, bad thought.)

Liz weaves her way carefully through the tables, minding the messenger bag slung across her chest, catching a few stares from elegantly dressed man and woman with her bright blue beanie and wide rimmed glasses, as expected, before she finally rounds the corner to a table situated out of the way in a little alcove. It is still within sight and earshot of a few tables, all of which are suspiciously empty. Perhaps reserving the whole restaurant wasn’t such a far-fetched assumption, after all.

“Lizzie!”

His warm, welcoming voice washes over her, as it always does, making her feel much less out of place than she did in the open dining area. Amazing.

He sits in a fancy chair at the beautifully laid table, looking just like all the other elegant, rich diners in the outer area. She sighs.

(He’s so out of her league.)

There are only two places at the small table, all the dishes empty, save two goblets of water at each place. Both glasses contain the same amount, however, meaning that Red waited for her to arrive before eating or drinking. Somehow, she’s not surprised. He is an unfailingly polite criminal. She smothers a smile.

“Hi, Red,” she says happily, slinging her bag over the back of the vacant chair across from him. “Where’s Dembe today? Won’t he be joining us?”

Red smiles easily at her, taking a moment to watch her remove her beanie, stuff it a little self-consciously in her bag, and smooth a hand over her ponytail before answering.

“Dembe is rather a connoisseur of fine foods and he enjoys watching professionals at work. He’s in the kitchen observing.”

Liz raises her eyebrows, surprised and skeptical. She thinks it’s more likely that Dembe is watching over Red’s meal at all stages to make sure no one slips anything in it. That fits with her current profile of Red, appearing completely at ease while really going to all lengths to assuage his paranoia. Poor Dembe, being quarantined to the kitchen to watch his boss’s food, how unfair –

“I know what you’re thinking, Lizzie, and it’s nothing like that. Dembe is quite an enthusiastic chef. You should try his dishes, they’re exquisite. His mushroom ravioli with sun dried tomatoes and white wine sauce is to die for. And don’t even get me started on his desserts.”

Liz smiles, amused by Red’s gushing over Dembe. Perhaps their relationship is something deeper than it appears at first glance. She’ll be sure to observe them more closely from now on.

“I see. So, he is a willing student of the kitchen, is he?” she questions, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Very much so,” Red says happily. “I’ll tell him you were worried for him though, he’ll be touched. If you’re lucky, he may even make you his famous crème bruleé as a thank you.”

“Good, is it?”

“Positively indulgent,” Red hums, his voice deep and his eyes dark. Liz stares back at him, entranced. The air warms between them.

(Liz suddenly wonders what would happen if she took advantage of their seclusion at this private table, out of sight, alone, together –)

And then a male waiter materializes out of thin air – luckily a different young man than the one Liz talked to before – and the heated staring contest between Red and Liz comes to an abrupt end. Liz can’t help but feel both relieved and disappointed.

She reaches for her water goblet and takes a fortifying gulp.

“Are you and the young lady ready to order, Mr. Kershaw?” the man asks professionally, completely unaware of what he just interrupted. “Would you perhaps like some wine to get you started?”

“Yes, please, Walter,” Red says smoothly, turning away from Liz to address the waiter he is obviously familiar with. “I think we’ll share a bottle of ’76 Merlot, if that’s all right with you, of course, Lizzie?”

Liz, who hasn’t even glanced at the beautiful menu covered with curly writing, nods easily. “Sure, I’ll have a glass.”

“Very good, ma’am,” the waiter nods and disappears again.

Liz sighs, turning to the menu, on the hunt for something that looks good. She doesn’t even know where to begin. But she certainly doesn’t want to admit it to Red.

“If I may, Lizzie, I would recommend the chicken marsala with roasted potatoes and red wine sauce. It’s delicious, easily my favorite thing on the menu.”

Well. That sounds lovely. How convenient. But she doesn’t want to admit that either.

“Hmmm,” she hums noncommittally. “Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Liz pretends to read the rest of the menu thoroughly, already having settled on the chicken marsala. Then she thinks of a way to tease him more. She can’t resist.

“Red wine sauce, you said?”

“Yes. Why, are you not a fan of wine?”

“Oh, no, certainly, I am. I love a good glass of red before bed just as much as the next girl,” Liz smirks at him over the rim of her glasses. “I’m just sensing a theme with your suggestions here, Red. Not trying to get me drunk, are you?”

Red only grins at her, his eyes sparkling. “Perhaps I am,” he murmurs.

Another moment starts to grow between them but is quickly stopped once again by the return of their waiter with their ordered bottle of wine. Liz is starting to feel a distinct distaste for this poor server and his timing. But then he pours her a generous glass of wine and she feels a little more friendly.

“Are you perhaps ready to order?”

“Lizzie?”

“Yes, I am. But you first, please.”

“Of course,” Red agrees easily, wasting no time in ordering his preferred chicken dish.

The waiter simply nods, making no move to write the order down. Liz tries not to be impressed by that. This order will probably be the least complicated thing he serves all day. He turns to look at her expectantly.

“And I’ll have the same, please,” Liz says politely. The waiter just nods again before taking their menus and moving off.

“Well, well. You took my advice, after all,” Red says to her slyly, regaining her attention effortlessly.

“Well, you know, there’s a first time for everything,” Liz says cheekily, reaching for her wine glass.

Red smirks at her, picking up his own glass and clinking it gently with hers before she can bring it to her mouth. “Indeed,” he purrs, holding her eyes as he takes a sip from his glass.

She blushes.

(Oh, my.)

“Well, I was under the impression this was a working lunch. Am I mistaken?” Liz prompts after another long moment, struggling to break Red’s gaze long enough to form coherent words.

Red continues to stare at her for a second even after she looks away. She can feel his gaze on her, a warm, drugging thing, before he nods to himself and slips into his businessman persona.

(Liz can see the change in him easily, another person sliding into place as if a switch has been flipped.)

“No, you’re absolutely right. A working lunch it is,” Red confirms, straightening in his chair. “Details are coming together well for the heist.”

“Excellent,” Liz murmurs. “Any chance you want to fill me in on those details? I’m used to running solo on gigs like this. I feel quite left in the dark.”

“I’m sorry, Lizzie, that’s not at all my intention,” Red frowns, leaning forward to convey his sincerity. “It’s only logistical things that I’ve been organizing. I invited you to lunch today for the very purpose of filling you in.”

“Oh, good,” Liz says easily. She doesn’t feel any animosity towards Red for the lack of information. She believes him when he says he was intending to tell her. She just wants to prod him along a little, with the heist date drawing closer every day. “So, what do I need to know?”

Red gives her a little smile of thanks for understanding and takes another sip of wine before answering her.

“We’ll rob AM&R Bank at two o’clock in the afternoon on September the twentieth.”

Liz almost chokes on her mouthful of wine.

“What? We’re robbing one of the most secure banks in D.C. in broad daylight? Are you crazy?”

“Quite possibly,” Red grins at her a little madly. “But this is a perfectly sane decision, I assure you, Lizzie.”

Liz puts down her glass and pushes it far away from her. Perhaps drinking wine at a working lunch with Raymond Reddington is not a good idea.

She crosses her arms. “Care to elaborate?” she asks primly.

“With pleasure,” Red answers happily. “As demonstrated beautifully by your response, the best time to commit any crime is when the ones who would stop you least expect it. This is especially true with a robbery. If the guards aren’t expecting a break-in, they won’t see one. The human mind is a remarkable thing, as I’m sure you’re aware, Lizzie.”

Liz purses her lips, mulling over his logic and the obvious reference to her psychology background. She has to admit he has a point. But that doesn’t mean she agrees with him.

“All right,” she says a little tersely.

Red frowns slightly. “You don’t sound completely on board.”

“That’s because I’m not,” Liz answers simply. “I admit that your logic is sound but only in theory. In reality, it simply can’t hold up.”

“And why is that?” Red challenges, seeming intrigued by her defiance and genuinely interested in her opinion.

Liz stares at him evenly. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my studies of the human mind, it’s that people rarely do as they’re expected. There’s so many random variables that you’re not taking into account in this situation.”

“Like what?” he asks immediately, an odd sparkle in his eyes that pulls Liz forward in her seat, leaning towards him and lowering her voice into something more intimate.

“What if the guard on duty decides to have an extra espresso shot in his coffee that morning, making him more observant and on edge than he usually is? What if one of the cameras needs unscheduled maintenance and it’s left tilted two inches further to the left than you originally anticipated, at the perfect angle to catch our faces? What if Amos Rodfield himself decides to show up and inspect his bank that day and we’re caught? There are simply too many unknowns.”

Red nods seriously, leaning forward to match her posture, placing his forearms on the table, and looks earnestly into her eyes. “Absolutely. We need to be able to control as many factors in this situation as possible if we are to be successful in our operation.”

Liz nods, pleased. Good, she’s convinced him to see her side of things, excellent, perhaps now he’ll –

“Which is why I’ve planted a guard to be on duty that afternoon, a most trusted friend named Amilo, who, as it happens, abhors coffee. I’ll have one of my own men check the cameras and install fake feeds during the morning shift to avoid any unexpected technological mishaps. And, as far as Amos goes, I know his schedule. He’ll be on vacation with his young girlfriend Bridget in the Bahamas on the day of the heist.”

Liz blinks.

Oh.

“Do you agree with me now, Lizzie?” Red asks, a slight taunt in his voice as he leans closer conspiratorially, a dark twinkle in his eyes.

Liz stares back at him for a moment, mouth agape, entranced and in wonder at his brilliant mind, before looking down at her empty plate with a huffed little laugh. Impressive. But she can’t let him off the hook that easily.

“No,” she murmurs, looking up to catch his expression.

She sees his self-assured grin slips in an instant, the corners of his mouth pulling down in an unexpected frown.

How satisfying.

“You can only control so many factors, Red. And as impressive as all those things are, committing a robbery in the middle of the day is still a large and unnecessary risk.”

They stare at each other in silence, both sets of eyes flicking back and forth to watch the other.

(There is no anger or resentment between them, only good-natured tension and excitement, a friendly debate to see who wins. Liz loves the feeling.)

“But,” Liz suddenly breaks the silence with a careless shrug, moving abruptly to sit back in her seat, secretly lamenting the new distance between them. “It’s your heist, Red. So, I’ll show up whatever time you tell me to.”

She grins teasingly at him. She wants to make it clear that there are no hard feelings between them, at least not on her end.

Red seems to get the message, returning her smile after a searching look and a slow nod, easing back in his seat to copy her posture.

“That’s good to know,” he murmurs finally. “And, while I accept your reasons for thinking otherwise, I’d still like to perform the heist during the day.”

“All right,” Liz says easily, taking a sip of wine.

(She was right to save it. She needed her wits about her for that round.)

Red follows her lead, sipping his wine as well, observing her as he does so.

“So, you would never perform a heist during the day?” he asks, the teasing back in his voice, happy that they got through a mild disagreement without serious complications.

“Well,” Liz lilts, unable to resist playing with him a little. “Not by choice, no.”

“And why is that?”

“I’ve found that I always perform best at night.”

She looks up at him coyly, making her innuendo clear, pleased to see his lips quirk and his gaze darken as he looks at her.

“Oh, I have no doubt,” he rumbles.

Liz lets out a breathy laugh and they watch each other in rapt fascination until suddenly their waiter reappears with their identical lunches.

(And she is sure that in that moment they were both contemplating a “night performance” and the thought alone heats her cheeks.)

Red turns to their waiter, making a show out of thanking him for the quick service, using no shortage of flattery as he does so. Liz, grateful for the personal moment, takes a deep breath and attempts to steady her heart rate. Who knew lunch with Raymond Reddington could be this exhilarating?

(Oh, but she is enjoying herself.)

Liz looks back up as the waiter moves off again, feeling a little more in control and ready to tackle whatever disarming looks Red may choose to throw at her next.

(And perhaps throw some of her own. She can’t let him have all the fun.)

“This smells amazing,” Liz says. And it’s true. The chicken looks perfectly done with just the right amount of sauce. Her stomach grumbles. She suddenly remembers that she’s only had some buttered toast to eat today and that was this morning.

Red smiles at her. “I hope you enjoy it,” he tells her sincerely, picking up his wine glass and holding it towards her. “Cheers.”

Liz quickly picks up her glass to clink it against his once again. “Cheers.”

They dig in, Liz starting with her potatoes and Red going right for the chicken, cutting it up into neat pieces before delicately dipping it in the sauce.

(He is a methodical eater, Liz notices, much like herself, further reinforcing her suspicion that they have similar minds, detail-oriented and organized. The thought that they have things in common thrills her.)

They eat in silence for a few comfortable minutes before Red speaks.

“So, Lizzie,” he begins.

Liz looks up from her half-empty plate with her eyebrows raised politely.

“Yes?”

“Now that work is out of the way for now, should we indulge in some pleasant meal-time conversation?”

“Certainly, if you like,” answers Liz with a grin, amused by his playfully formal attitude. “Or, we could continue to sit in companionable silence until it gets unbearably awkward from lack of speech and one of us excuses themselves to the bathroom in a desperate attempt to get away.”

Red chuckles warmly at her. “Yes, we could also do that, although I must admit I would prefer the former.”

Liz smiles back at him. “Yes, I would as well.”

(She can’t imagine even a hint of awkwardness permeating the air between them. She just suggested it to be funny. Red is simply too comfortable to be awkward. Too suave and confident and handsome –)

“So, what should we talk about?” asks Liz, out of both genuine curiosity and an effort to halt that line of thought in its tracks.

Red takes a moment to drink his wine, swishing the liquid around in his mouth for a moment before swallowing, clearly pondering her question. Then, having come to a decision, he looks up at her suddenly, his gaze direct and piercing.

“I’d like to talk about you.”

Liz blinks in surprise, her fork, chicken and all, stopping halfway to her mouth. “Me?”

Red’s mouth twitches. “Yes, Lizzie. You.”

Liz puts her fork down and takes a drink before answering, a little confused. “I’m not sure what there is to talk about that you don’t already know. I’m a professional grifter. I pick locks and do brush passes and steal things. That’s about it.”

“Those are your professional qualifications, Lizzie. I know all about those. I’m talking about more personal things.”

Liz frowns. “Personal things? Are you telling me you didn’t already have your henchman look up everything little thing about me?”

This time, Red’s eye twitches instead of his mouth. Hit. “Intel, for the purposes of the heist, mind you, only tell me so much,” Red murmurs. “I want to know more about you, Lizzie, as a person, not as a grifter, impressive though that side of you may be.”

“Oh,” Liz murmurs, feeling a little touched that Red would even be interested in her that way.

(She tries to tamp down the little flutters in her stomach at words “Red” and “interested in her”.)

“Well,” she says, feeling more at ease now. “What would you like to know?”

Red smiles a kind smile, his eyes warm and attentive. “Where did you grow up?” he asks softly.

Liz smiles back. “Nebraska.”

And it goes on from there, Red asking questions and Liz providing answers, opening up more as time passes. Red is an active participant, making it a true conversation, adding comments or occasionally sharing a related story of his own.

(He is a fantastic storyteller, engaging but not overpowering, and she thinks that she could listen to him all day, would like to, in fact. But, for some reason, he’s more interested in her right now and that creates a different but equally pleasant feeling inside her.)

Liz does most of the talking, the rest of her meal going cold on her plate while Red picks a little more at his own before abandoning it completely to give her his full attention. And Liz doesn’t mind not finishing her plate; she was getting full anyway and she can have the leftovers for dinner tonight.

(And the fact that Red values what she’s saying over their delicious lunch of chicken marsala – and he was right, it is fabulous – speaks volumes to her.)

Liz isn’t sure how long they talk but she knows she never wants it to end. She’s never enjoyed talking about herself very much but with Red, she doesn’t feel like something on display to be picked at and dissected, like she does with most people. She can feel his attention on her but it is polite and courteous and interested, a warm, flattering thing. It doesn’t suffocate her or pressure her like other people’s eyes do and instead gives her just the right amount of welcome to feel safe.

(It’s a lovely feeling.)

Liz isn’t sure how long they would have sat there talking and sharing and laughing if Dembe had not suddenly appeared by Red’s elbow, staring at him meaningfully until Red finished his current story (which left Liz holding a stitch in her side from laughing so hard) and managed to tear his openly adoring gaze from her.

“Yes, Dembe?”

“We must leave now if you are to make your three o’clock meeting, Raymond,” Dembe says quietly.

Liz’s mouth falls open in shock and she quickly turns to root around in her bag for her phone, needing to see the time for herself. She manages to extract it with minimal struggle and unlocks the screen. Dembe is right, of course. It is half past two. Her and Red have been eating and talking for just over two hours.

(Time flies when you’re…well.)

Red nods, gently dismissing Dembe, and takes a moment to shift back into his business man persona. Liz watches quietly, lamenting the return of Raymond Reddington and the departure of Red.

He turns to look at her. “Well, Lizzie, I’m truly sorry to say it but I do have to be going.”

“That’s all right,” Liz says, trying not to let disappointment bleed into her voice. “I didn’t realize how long it’s been. I can’t expect to steal any more of your time.”

Red shakes his head at her. “You of all people should know, Lizzie. The word ‘theft’ implies that you took something I wasn’t offering. And that was certainly not the case.”

Liz blushes lightly at his words, feeling quite light-headed at the clear insinuation.

(And perhaps it’s best that they part ways now; she’s not sure how much more overt flirting she can take without breaking out into childish giggles. How much wine has she had anyway?)

Red raises a hand to signal their waiter, who was apparently waiting nearby, unnoticed by Liz, and he hurries towards the table.

“Yes, Mr. Kershaw?”

“Walter, could we have the rest of the young lady’s meal to go, please?”

“Absolutely, Mr. Kershaw. I’ll be right back, sir.”

Red thanks the waiter who, to Liz’s surprise, whisks her plate out from in front of her and takes it away. Well, the service in this restaurant is certainly something. At the eateries Liz frequents, they usually just toss a flimsy box in her general direction. What a change.

Liz takes a breath. “Thank you for such a lovely afternoon, Red. The meal was delicious and the company was…better.” She smiles at him, trying to make her feelings clear.

“You’re very welcome, Lizzie. I assure you it was my pleasure. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

(And Liz thinks she might hear a bit of a tremble in Red’s voice as he says this, just a hint of uncertainty. It’s so unfounded that it’s almost laughable.)

“Oh, I think so, yes,” she says with a kind smile.

He smiles back at her gratefully and they just look at one another until the waiter re-appears, placing a small take-out bag on the table in front of her. She thanks him profusely and, once he’s gone, finally moves to stand. Red follows suit.

“Well, I expect I’ll be hearing from you?” Liz inquires cheerfully.

“Oh, yes,” Red hums, looking into her eyes. “I’ll give you a call.”

“Excellent,” chirps Liz, finding it hard to pull her gaze – and body – away from Red and his magnetic presence.

(Well, she has to leave sometime, doesn’t she?)

“I’ll talk to you soon then,” she says happily, and he simply nods at her. She turns to leave.

Liz makes her way back to the front of the restaurant, weaving through the tables in same way she came in. The only difference is that this time, she can feel Red’s eyes on her back until the door closes behind her.

Liz kicks the door of her apartment shut with a sigh, heading right for the kitchen to drop her bag of leftovers off in the fridge. As it happens, she’s not hungry, even after a full day of errands and shopping after leaving Red at the restaurant. It’s early evening now and she can always eat later.

She turns on some lights as she makes her way through her apartment, growing dim in the evening light, and tosses her bag on its usual chair, somehow managing not to stub her toe on any furniture as she goes. Amazing.

Liz enters the kitchen and sets the bag of leftovers on the counter, reaching in and feeling around for what should be a small box of chicken marsala, only to be confronted with what feels distinctly like two boxes.

She frowns.

Liz pulls out both boxes and sets them on the counter, squinting at them in confusion. After a moment’s deliberation, she opens the box on the left to reveal her entrée. So, then what is in the other box? Did the waiter perhaps give her Red’s leftovers as well? No, Red’s plate was still on the table when she left. So, what –

She carefully opens the mystery box and gasps aloud. A huge slice of tiramisu sits there, looking absolutely delicious. The scent of coffee meets her nose seconds later and her mouth waters. Liz loves tiramisu. How did Red –

Ring, ring.

Liz jumps, a little startled, and goes running for her discarded bag, her phone’s muffled ring tone luckily still audible from inside. After a brief struggle involving her car keys, a pair of earbuds, and her lockpicks, Liz finally manages to extract her phone and glance at the screen before pressing accept.

Unknown.

Her heart flips in her chest.

“Hello?”

“Lizzie.”

“Red,” she breathes, not realizing how she sighs his name until she’s already done it.

“Is this a good time?”

Liz can’t help but smile. Polite criminal. “Yes, perfect actually, I just got home.”

“Wonderful,” Red says and she’s sure she can hear a smile in his voice. “Did you, uh, get a chance to get settled?”

“If you mean look in my bag of leftovers and find the tiramisu, then yes, I did,” Liz can’t help but get straight to the point.

“Ah, yes, that’s rather what I meant,” he sounds a little hesitant, though Liz can’t imagine why. “Did you, uh, are you, well, do you –”

It takes a second for Liz to understand what he’s trying to ask. “Oh, yes, I love tiramisu!” she hurries to reassure him. “Yes, I could hardly believe it, it’s my favorite, how did you do it?”

Red gives a relieved chuckle, so deep she thinks that her phone might have warmed a little in her hand. “It was just a lucky guess. I know you’re a fan of coffee, at least in the morning, since I had some with you in your apartment last week, so I figured it was a safe bet that you’d like tiramisu. And I just slipped a note to Walter when you weren’t looking, that’s all. I’m surprised you didn’t catch me, to be honest.”

“So am I,” murmurs Liz, truly impressed that Red managed to perform what was basically a brush pass right in front of her without her noticing. “Well, thank you very much, I can’t wait to dig in.”

“You’re very welcome, Lizzie, and I’ll let you get to it in just a moment. I was just calling to see if you’d like to practice a little tomorrow.”

Liz frowns to herself. “Practice?”

“Yes, for the heist,” he answers, excitement now clear in his voice. “I was just thinking it might be a good idea to see how we work together under pressure before the big day. Just to be safe, you know.”

Liz has to admit it’s a good idea. She hasn’t done too many joint gigs – since she definitely prefers to work alone – but with the few partners she’s had, it’s never quite worked out.

(She has a funny feeling that Red is different though. In more ways than one.)

But, it can’t hurt to practice, as Red says.

“All right,” she agrees eagerly. “Do you have anywhere specific in mind?”

“Not really,” he says idly. “I figured I’d get your opinion on that since you’re no doubt more experienced in the field than I am. Of course, we could always meet at outside your apartment and wander until we find an appropriate location to steal a little something. Or is that too spur-of-the-moment for you?”

He sounds genuinely concerned that this won’t be to her liking, apparently oblivious to the fact that that’s exactly the sort of thing Liz had so much fun doing with her friends in high school. Besides, what better way to test themselves as a team than not planning a thing, all the while knowing that the actual heist will be planned down to the last detail?

“No, no, that’s fine,” Liz assures him. “Spontaneous crime is my favorite kind of crime, as it happens, however did you guess?” she quirks her mouth up in a teasing grin even though he can’t see her.

“I seem to be on a winning streak today,” he hums.

Liz presses her phone close to her ear. “One could almost say you’re getting lucky.”

Red’s delighted chuckle at her innuendo fills her whole body and she laughs breathily along with him.

“One can only hope,” he murmurs, making her smirk. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Yes,” Liz says, happy at the prospect of seeing him again so soon. “Does nine-ish sound okay?”

“It’s a date,” he murmurs.

“Excellent,” she hums. “I’ll see you then.”

“Good night, Lizzie. Enjoy your dessert.”

“Good night, Red, and thank you again.”

Liz hangs up, breathless and tingly, and does nothing but stand stupidly in her kitchen for a second, a ridiculous grin on her face.

Oh, Red.

Then she gets another whiff of the tiramisu and snaps out of it, turning to grab a fork from the drawer next to the sink. She wastes no more time digging into the tiramisu, spearing a generous forkful and putting it in her mouth, closing her eyes with a tiny moan as the coffee flavor explodes on her tongue. As she swallows, already helping herself to another bite, she catches herself having the oddest thought.

She wishes Red was here to share dessert with her.

Oh.

Oh, she’s got it bad.

[solsarin]

what percent alcohol is smirnoff raspberry

what percent alcohol is smirnoff raspberry

Hello dear friends, thank you for choosing us. In this post on the solsarin site, we will talk about “ what percent alcohol is smirnoff raspberry“. Stay with us. Thank you for your choice.

How much is a bottle of raspberry Smirnoff?

Smirnoff will range in price by region but an original 750ml bottle of Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka should generally cost between $11.99 – $14.99. Smirnoff also offers 80 proof (40% ABV) which ranges from $11.67 – $15.99, and 100 proof (50% ABV) which ranges from $16.98 – $19.99.

Is Smirnoff Raspberry good?

It’s a quality vodka for a decent price. Their flavors tend to be very prominent and it makes for one less mixer needed! This was really good mixed with sprite.

what percent alcohol is Smirnoff Raspberry?

Please drink responsibly.

SMIRNOFF Raspberry Vodka Infused With Natural Flavors. 35% Alc/Vol.

What is raspberry Smirnoff?

Smirnoff Raspberry is rich and robust. This spirit is infused with natural raspberry flavor for a tart and fruity finish. Pairs best with soda water, lemonade, or cranberry juice. Smirnoff Raspberry is Kosher Certified and gluten free.

What is a cheap vodka?

11 Vodkas Under $25 That Are Worth Stocking in Your Bar Cart

Deep Eddy Vodka.

Seagram’s Vodka.

Skyy Vodka.

Sobieski Vodka.

Råvo Vodka.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

New Amsterdam Vodka.

Three Olives Vodka.

Does Smirnoff Raspberry Vodka have sugar?

Smirnoff vodka is a staple in bars across the country. Smirnoff raspberry is rich and robust. There are no sugar carbs fiber cholesterol fat sodium vitamins or minerals in vodka.

Can you smell vodka on someones breath?

If someone takes a straight shot of alcohol, like vodka or something, and you immediately smell their breath, it’s not very strong, but you can still smell something. With time, it goes away. If you take the same amount of vodka and dilute it with water, it doesn’t smell as strong.

What does raspberry Smirnoff taste like?

Product description. Infused with the natural flavor of raspberries for a tart and fruity finish, Smirnoff Raspberry is the perfect Vodka Specialty for your next cocktail party. Triple distilled, this 70 proof specialty spirit is smooth enough to drink on the rocks or in a round of shots.

Can you get drunk on Smirnoff?

Due to the similar alcohol contents, it’s likely that one could get drunk by drinking the same number of Smirnoff Ice that they would beers. However, the actual number of Smirnoff Ice it takes someone to get drunk varies, depending on a variety of factors such as: Their body weight.

Is 5% alcohol a lot of alcohol?

Originally Answered: Is 5 percent alcohol a lot? No, that’s about right for a slightly stronger than average beer. light beer is 3.5 percent alcohol. wine is 12 to 14 percent alcohol and hard liquor starts around 40% or 80 proof and goes up to 190 proof which is grain alcohol or more commonly known as moonshine.

How do you drink Smirnoff vodka?

Combine the Smirnoff vodka, triple sec, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a frosted cocktail glass. Rub the rim with orange zest (if desired) and drop it into the glass. Serve.

What percent is raspberry vodka?

Smirnoff Raspberry Vodka (Abv 37.5%) | Morrisons.

What are the Smirnoff flavors?

Flavours include Green Apple, Orange, Cranberry, Raspberry, Citrus (Lemon), Vanilla, Strawberry, Black Cherry, Watermelon, Lime, Blueberry, White Grape, Melon (Honeydew/Cantaloupe), Pomegranate, Passion Fruit, Pear, Peach, Pineapple, Mango, Coconut, and most recently Amaretto.

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Smirnoff

Smirnoff

(/ˈsmɪərnɒf

/

;

Russian:

[smʲɪrˈnof]) is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898).

[1]

It is now distributed in 130 countries

[citation needed]

and produced in several countries including Argentina, Albania, Brazil, Honduras, India,

[2]

Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Mongolia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States

[citation needed]

. Smirnoff products include vodka, flavoured vodka, and malt beverages. In  

In the 1930s, Vladimir met Rudolph Kunett, a Russian who had emigrated in the 1920s to New York, and had succeeded in business. The Kunett family had been a supplier of grains to Smirnov in Moscow before the Revolution. In 1933, Vladimir sold Kunett the rights to Smirnoff vodka production and sales in North America. Kunett then returned to the United States, quit his sales job, and established his first North American distillery in Bethel, Connecticut, after the end of Prohibition in 1933. However, the business in America was not as successful as Kunett had hoped. By 1938 Kunett, could not afford the sales licences, and contacted John Martin, president of Heublein. Heublein was a company that specialized in the import and export of liquors and foreign foods. Using the $14,000 that the Heublein company made from a new product that ended up saving them from bankruptcy, Martin bought the rights to Smirnoff in 1939. His board thought he was mad. Americans were traditionally whiskey drinkers unfamiliar with vodka and so sales were slow. Sales picked up considerably after Heublein advertised it as a “white whiskey” with “no taste, no smell” sealed with whiskey corks.

[5]

resource: wikipedia

What percent is raspberry Smirnoff?35%

SMIRNOFF Raspberry

Vodka Infused With Natural Flavors. 35% Alc/Vol.How much alcohol does Smirnoff Ice Raspberry have?Lightly carbonated, this drink packs a tangy kick with a refreshing finish. Enjoy chilled and drink responsibly.

Smirnoff Ice Raspberry

Burst has a 4.5% ABV. One of the most popular malt beverages in the nation,

Smirnoff Ice

has been a staple of get-togethers and parties since 1999.What percentage is raspberry vodka?Absolut Raspberri

vodka

is the perfect gift to offer for Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions. It comes in a 70cl bottle and has an alcohol content of 40% vol.What is raspberry Smirnoff?

Smirnoff Raspberry

is rich and robust. This spirit is infused with natural

raspberry

flavor for a tart and fruity finish. Pairs best with soda water, lemonade, or cranberry juice.

Smirnoff Raspberry

is Kosher Certified and gluten free.How strong is raspberry Smirnoff?Infused with the natural flavor of

raspberries

for a tart and fruity finish,

Smirnoff Raspberry

is the perfect

Vodka

Specialty for your next cocktail party. Triple distilled, this 70 proof specialty spirit is smooth enough to drink on the rocks or in a round of shots.How many Smirnoff Ices get drunk?Of all the factors that affect how long it takes a person to

get drunk

off

Smirnoff Ice

, bodyweight is one of the main ones. It will take a 160-pound man approximately four drinks before they are over the legal limit of 0.08 percent most areas use.Does Raspberry Smirnoff taste good?I like my cocktails to be flavorful, not sweet.

Smirnoff Raspberry

Vodka has a

nice

clean

raspberry flavor

, it doesn’t

taste

artificial.Is Smirnoff Ice Raspberry good?I love this pack of 4

Smirnoff Ice

Coolers. They are Refreshing, Fruity, Smooth, No aftertaste of Vodka. Very nicely created with

Raspberry

flavoring. Tastes amazing!What is the best raspberry vodka?

Best

Berry: New Amsterdam Red Berry

Vodka

For a versatile pick that can work in many drinks, New Amsterdam Red Berry

Vodka

is a

great

choice. Bottled at 35 percent ABV (70 proof), this California

vodka

is distilled from Midwest grains.

[fakexpearls]

Skincare Recs/What I’m Currently Using:

Cleanser:

Drunk Elephant Pekee Bar $28.00: I like bar cleansers and ones that don’t foam a lot, because all the foaming agents can and have irritated my skin. Other bars I have liked: Lush’s Fresh Farmacy for normal skin and Lush’s Aqua Marina for dry/irritated skin

Makeup Remover:

Banila Co. Clean it Zero $26.95: This is a solid oil makeup remover that is gentle but thorough. This huge thing lasts me upwards of four months, too. I use it with the Makeup Eraser to make sure all the makeup gets off the first go. Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm is the Western Version of this. 

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water (the green lid) $7.00: This gets off any eyeliner that I was too lazy to get off before and a great eraser when I make a makeup error. I can’t use this all over because it gives me milla, but for a quick makeup removal now and then, this does the trick.

Toner:

Morning: Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner $14.00: Instead of washing my face in the morning, I splash it with water and then wipe this all over. This is an Asian toner, so unlike Western ones, it’s soothing and doesn’t burn at all. When I had really bad acne last year, the aloe in this seemed to help calm down my skin. I use this in the morning before doing my serums.

Night: Rohto Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Skin Lotion ($16.95): I know the name says it’s a lotion, but it’s really a thin moisturizing toner. I use this post workouts after I wipe off my face and at night after I do my serums. My dry dry skin drinks this up. 

I used to really like Lush’s Eau Roma Water but it’s nothing fancy? You could use just rose water and get the same benefits, probably. 

Serums:

Morning: Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector & Optimizer ($79.50): This was my first skin-correcting serum that I used, and I really liked it! I’m attempting to kill the bottle now as I’ve moved onto Vitamin C in the mornings, so I use this every other day. With everyday use, I saw dark spots lightening pretty quickly...I just have had more results with other products on the market that cost about the same. 

Algenist GENIUS Ultimate Anti-Aging Vitamin C+ Serum ($118.00): I would give this a huge meh for the price, but because of the price I’m going to finish it. I use this every other day at the moment until the Clinique one is finally empty. If it’s doing anything for my skin, it’s too subtle for me to tell, and this smells strangely sweet to me? I have another Vitamin C product waiting in the wings to move on to, but my friend swears by the Drunk Elephant C-Firm Day Serum. The Ordinary makes a decent Vitamin C serum as well, but it dried out my cheekbone area sooo much. I will say this is very gentle. 

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence ($16.30): This product was life-changing when I had awful acne and nothing seemed to help it. Snail Serum (or Snail Goop as I lovingly call it) soothes just about everything and anything. I used to use this morning and night when my skin was very dry. This helps prevent and soothe acne, dry skin, etc. The been venom helps to plump skin and make it glow. Obviously if you’re allergic to bees, don’t use this. This is a Ride or Die product for me.

Night: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($90.00): Listen, I wish this wasn’t worth the hype. My wallet really wishes it was garbage, but here we are. This is a 12% AHA and BHA serum - these are acids - that chemically exfoliate your face, smoothing and resurfacing, etc. I love it. It’s very gentle after using harsher AHAs and BHAs that burned. I have seen the most results with this product (more than with Clinique’s Even Better) and I will probably use this until the day I die...or something equally as dramatic.

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence ($19.20): SNAIL GOOP. But this one is just for moisturizing and helping with dark under-eye circles. Three pumps of this before my nightly toner and my skin just soaks it all up. 

Moisturizers:

Morning: Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator ($52.50): Every time I try to switch away from this lotion, I always come back. Without this in the winter, my skin is parched. In the summer, it’s a great night cream. Just imagine soaking your face in the most soothing and cooling water you can find....it’s lovely. This is the strongest moisturizer Clinique offers, but the have the regular Moisture Surge for less dry skin. This lasts me about four months as a morning cream. 

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer ($29.00): This is great for summer and also just a hint of moisture post workout, throughout the day if I’m feeling dry, etc. Very light but effective. This bottle lasted me through last summer and mid-fall and I should get another season out of it.

Night: Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream ($84.00): I use this for preventing the signs of aging versus trying to correct. I’m on my third tub of this, so I think that speaks enough towards it’s quality in my opinion. This isn’t super moisturizing, but it’s not light either.  Kiehl’s Ginger Leaf & Hibiscus Firming Mask ($54.00): I’ve been using this for about a month now, about every other night and I really like it. This isn’t an overnight mask that just sits on your skin - this sinks in (pretty quickly) and does the job. I haven’t noticed a tone of brightening or firming so it’s not a game changer, but I like it!

I want to like the Cerva Skin Renewing Night Cream but it gives me milla on my cheeks. It’s oiler than those mentioned above, but very moisturizing. I use it as a super eye cream and down my neck. It’s also great when I have a dry patch - I put that on that area for a week(?) and it’s taken care of. 

No matter what I use on my face at night, I cover it with a thin layer of Aquafor before bed to lock that product in. It doesn’t make a mess of my pillows or anything. I wake up with smooth and soft skin and I love this trick.

Eye creams:

Believe what you want on eye creams - do we need it, do we don’t - but I like them.  Innisfree Jeju Orchid Eye Cream ($24.21): This is very moisturizing, but not thick! It wears well under makeup, and I’m currently using it at night too. I’m really bad about patting in my eye creams - I’ll put them on and just let them absorb - and this doesn’t take too long to absorb on it’s own. My eye area is not noticeably drier with this cream as compared to when I don’t use any cream at all. (Side note, the site I link this one through is where I get a lot of my Asian Skincare. Order it all at once and you get free express shipping, etc. Also, you can trust these items are legit)

Clinique All About the Eyes Rich ($32.50): An standard in my vanity. I come back to this guy in the winters or in general. This is thicker than the Innisfree, and wears well under makeup. I would say this is more a night eye cream. 

Suncreen:

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid: ($29.99 but you can find it half-off if you just Google) I like this facial sunscreen for everyday use. It’s light, doesn’t give a white-cast, and wears very well under makeup. 

Omi Menturm Sen Bears Super SPF 50+ PA +++: ($10.80) This is a Korean sunscreen that is very similar to the La Roche-Posay but less expensive and it has that PA protection. Korean and European sunscreen is notably better than that in the US. Facts. Research why. This has been wearing well under my makeup on the days I grab for it. If you’re looking for a Korean sunscreen, this is the one I like (after many I did not). What does the PA+++ mean? Read about it here. 

Nuetrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 55: ($9.99 for 2) This was the product that I started with for daily sunscreen and it works well. I still have backups of this because it’s inexpensive, effective, and works well under makeup for me. 

Masks:

A good facemask and a glass of wine can save a bad day. It can also help your skin. I try to mask twice a week.

I regularly use:

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay (I mix with the apple cider vinegar)

Benton Snail Bee High Content Sheet Mask

A Donkey Milk Mask for super hydration

Murad Clarify Mask for spot treatments 

Ranavat Botanics Kiss of Royal Tea Hydrating Masque (this was a treat yo self product and I really like it, but the price makes me want to die)

If you want any more details on one of these products, feel free to message me! I’ll answer to the best of my ability.

[wineanddinosaur]

The PakTech Plastic Paradox

Last February, just a month or so before the coronavirus pandemic really got going in earnest, Emma Shea received a package at Zero Gravity Craft Brewery in Burlington, Vt. It was from PakTech, the Eugene, Ore., firm that produces the hard plastic, solid-hued 4- and 6-pack carrier handles with which the brewery packages its canned beers. But it wasn’t the handles themselves — it was a bin for customers to drop off used handles for proper recycling.

“We emailed PakTech and they mailed us a blue collection bin and some educational signage within two weeks,” Shea recalls in an emailed exchange with VinePair.

But when it came time to actually recycle the used high-density polyethylene handles Zero Gravity had collected, Shea and her colleagues encountered what you might call the PakTech paradox. Despite the company’s claims that its popular handles are both made from 100 percent recyclable materials and themselves fully recyclable, actually recycling them is often more complicated than that.

“We don’t have a convenient location that accepts PakTech handles for processing,” says Shea. “Currently, the nearest location is in Massachusetts, and they only accept them by the truckload.”

So what happens to the PakTech handles that make it to your local brewery, but not a reprocessor? Across the country at San Diego’s Thorn Beer Company — which has offered small discounts on beer for returned handles for the past couple of years — Anna Brigham has an answer. “Any toppers that we can’t reuse goes into our [waste management company] recycling dumpster and hopefully will get recycled from there,” she tells VinePair.

“Though there’s no way to know what’s happening to it at that point.”

PakTech’s craft brew debut

It’s flummoxing stuff, particularly for breweries that choose PakTech’s popular handles because of their recyclability (not to mention the nearly 500 nationwide that, like Zero Gravity and Thorn, have opted into the company’s pilot handle collection program, launched in 2018.) But before we get into all that, it’s worth taking a quick step back to parse how PakTech can handles found their way into the beer business in the first place.

Beer has been sold in 6-packs since the late 1930s, but it wasn’t until 1960 that an American manufacturer invented those clear plastic rings to replace heavier, more expensive metal, wood, and cardboard carriers. After a 1961 deal with a little St. Louis brewery you may have heard of called Anheuser-Busch, these things quickly became the U.S. beer business’s industry-standard 6-pack carrying solution. But they also became notorious among environmentalists and conservation groups for their negative impact on wildlife: When they wound up in the ocean, as they often did, they reportedly strangled the occasional turtle. “Six-pack rings were hugely controversial ever since I was a kid,” recalls Anne Johnson, vice president of global corporate sustainability at material recovery consultancy Resource Recycling Systems, in a recent phone interview. “They’re one of those first things that really ended up being a plastic pollution problem.”

So when American craft brewing’s second wave picked up steam in the aughts, the eco-conscious, small-bore producers pushing it forward sought packaging that was both better for the environment and more suited to their smaller budgets and outputs. Enter PakTech, which in 2008, partnered with Maui Brewing to develop QuadPak and 6Pak carriers, early versions of the now-ubiquitous handles craft beer drinkers know today.

“We feel that PakTech has met our needs in an environmentally friendly way that is certain to create a buzz,” Maui Brewing founder Garrett Marrero told Packaging World in November of that year. The article mentioned the carriers’ dust-cover tops and their versatility (workers could snap cans into them by hand, staving off the need for expensive automation equipment until volume demanded it) as key differentiators. “It’s been extremely successful so far. We barely are keeping up with orders,” Marrerro added at the time.

Those early PakTech toppers might have been less lethal for marine life, but they were still being made with “virgin” HDPE, or high density polyethylene — that is, new plastic. As the American drinking public became more concerned about the climate crisis, and more attuned to the role plastic (in both its production and afterlife) plays in hastening environmental apocalypse, PakTech tweaked its offering.

“I believe in 2012, we started converting our handles away from virgin resin and towards PCR,” or post-consumer recycled materials, says Keenan Hoar, PakTech’s territory sales manager for the eastern U.S. and Latin America. The company has come a long way since then, he tells VinePair. “Right now, all of our can handles, every one that we produce, is going to be made of that 100 percent PCR material, so it’s 100 percent recycled to start.” PakTech says this shift helps it avoid most of the energy and emissions that go into virgin plastic, and all of the oil. The material itself mostly comes from recycled milk jugs, though recently, PakTech has also experimented with a “full circle” program to recycle old handles directly into new ones. Across its entire portfolio — i.e., its non-beer products — the firm still has a few holdout customers using virgin resin, Hoar says, but “our goal is 100 percent conversion [to PCR], and we’re almost there.”

According to its website, “almost half” of PakTech’s business today is manufacturing can carriers. The plastic for those carriers mostly comes from recycled milk jugs, Hoar says. And it’s apparently been good for business — though it’s hard to say for sure. The company, which is privately held, declined to disclose sales figures or an estimate of the number of can carriers it sold last year, and Hoar told VinePair that because it sells both directly to breweries and distributors, “the actual number [of craft brewers using PakTech handles] is almost impossible to pin down.” But even as growth has slowed in the maturing American craft brewing landscape, and competitors have introduced their own carriers (some recycled plastic, some not), PakTech has found new customers in canned wine, RTDs, and even the cannabis space. (The company recently introduced the PakLock, a child-resistant cover for canned THC drinks.) After a pandemic year during which at-home drinking was at an all-time high, Hoar tells me the company’s carrier business “is still continuing to grow, and at a very good rate.”

Credit: Paktech

On recycling failures and ‘murph’ misses

But while PakTech’s handles are a popular, cost-effective carrying solution across beverage categories and they create a second-life opportunity for the virgin HDPE #2 material that other companies put into the world, they’re not without downsides.

On the benign end of the spectrum: Rank-and-file drinkers have long complained about the difficulty of breaking beers loose from the plastic toppers. “The cans can be tough to remove from the Pak-Tech when you want to drink one — they’re very secure!” Deschutes’ packaging materials manager Matt Bussmann tells VinePair via email. More troubling: “They are still plastic, which is not as green as other options,” he says.

John Hocevar, the oceans campaign director at Greenpeace USA and the author of a peer-reviewed February 2020 study of plastic recyclability in the U.S., drives this point home: “At the end of the day, if a piece of plastic is floating in the ocean, I don’t really care how much recycled content is in it.”

Whether PakTech’s toppers wind up in the ocean is a function, in part, of whether the American recycling system works as promised. And as you may have heard, it doesn’t really, not these days. It’s a very complicated subject, and there are lots of reasons for its failures, many of which, it won’t shock you to learn, are negative externalities of under-regulated capitalism. But for our purposes, the important takeaway is that when you discard a product — be it a PakTech handle, a water bottle, or an aluminum can — into the recycling, it’s more often than not sent to the landfill anyway.

Recycling rates vary depending on material type, geography, and a bunch of other factors, but in 2018 (the last year for which the Environmental Protection Agency published such figures) the recycling rate for HDPE #2 stood at 8.9 percent — meaning that a little over 90 percent of the type of plastic PakTech uses went unrecycled or uncollected entirely in the U.S. With the advent of China’s National Sword policy in 2018, recycling rates likely got even worse, Hocevar and his colleagues speculate. And the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t helped.

PakTech isn’t responsible for single-handedly fixing the country’s broken recycling system, of course. But its handles don’t exactly make it easier on that system, either. Even if you put your handles into the blue bin in your kitchen, and even if they make it to a material recovery facility — an MRF, or “murph” in the jargon — they may not get properly sorted for reprocessing once they’re there.

“Normally I would say go ahead and put it in your bin, but it looks pretty flat,” says RSS’s Johnson, looking at photos of PakTech handles on the company’s website. “I think that if you put it in your bin, it has a chance of getting through” into a bale of to-be-recycled plastics, known to recycling types as “feedstock.” But because the handles are so slim, they may flow with paper, cardboard, and other two-dimensional items, which creates a potential double-whammy: The plastic doesn’t get recovered, and it may contaminate whatever feedstock with which it’s been improperly sorted.

RRS has not studied PakTech handles specifically, so Johnson emphasizes that this is speculation: “It would need to be tested … I would recommend a material flow test at the given MRF.”

But this is not as straightforward as it may seem. According to Greenpeace’s study, there are 367 MRFs across the United States. Their sorting abilities “vary quite a bit,” says Hocevar, as do the materials they accept. So depending on where you live, even if you religiously put your PakTech handles in that blue household bin, the odds are even slimmer (ahem) that they’ll be reprocessed like more easily scanned, three-dimensional HDPE #2 shapes like bottles and jugs.

“All of the curbside recycling picked up by the city goes to a MRF, so the problem is not that it’s not routed through a MRF,” Sabrina Culyba, editor of Recycle This Pittsburgh, a recycling advocacy group, tells VinePair via email. “But MRFs use sorting equipment and a lot of plastic items won’t make it through the sorting process successfully.” That’s why in Pittsburgh, PakTech handles aren’t currently accepted in curbside recycling at all, she adds.

Credit: Paktech

Closing the loop?

None of this is news to PakTech. “It’s difficult for a lot of facilities to recycle these handles,” says Hoar. “It’s been a pretty big frustration on our end.” Which brings us back to the company’s collection program. In 2018, aiming to sidestep the MRF morass and give more of its handles a better shot at actually being recycled, PakTech piloted its own recycling program, partnering with breweries willing to serve as drop-off points for customers’ used toppers.

“We said ‘screw it, let’s build [a system] on our own dime, and see if this works,’” Hoar says. According to PakTech’s marketing materials, there are around 500 breweries currently involved in the program across the country, with another five to 10 coming aboard each week.

The idea is to create a take-back program for PakTech handles that sidesteps the pitfalls of the American recycling system writ large. It operates on the theory that, if drinkers are willing to sort the toppers themselves at home (which many of them are), then bring their personal PakTech stacks back to dedicated checkpoints, that would allow the material to essentially avoid the recycling system and be delivered straight to a reprocessor. And make no mistake, once it gets there, HDPE #2 is very recyclable, and according to Johnson at RRS, has “huge value to American manufacturing.” Because drinkers have already done the hard work of winnowing paper, adhesive, and other contaminants out of their stacks of handles, they’re prime feedstock that reprocessors will pay for by the pound.

“In the best-case scenario [breweries participating in PakTech’s program] can actually sell it back to that plastic recovery facility,” Hoar says. “Not saying that there’s much profit involved, but enough to cover the costs and maintain a third, fourth life for these handles.”

For the breweries, liquor stores, and supermarkets that want to participate, it works just like Shea at Zero Gravity described. They contact PakTech, the firm ships out a bin and some promotional posters (at no cost to the retailer), and customers drop off their handles for recovery. “The process was very easy,” she says.

Will it solve the PakTech paradox? TBD. “There are incredibly successful take-back programs, but usually it’s in a very controlled loop,” says Johnson. Nespresso’s program, for example, yields a higher recycling rate than the national average (which, according to the EPA, clocked a dismal 23.6 percent for all materials in 2018, the most recent year for which that figure is available), but it’s more expensive to run than a curbside program because customers literally mail spent pods back to the company. Barring mail — which works with the small, aluminum espresso capsules in a way that might not for the larger 4- and 6-pack handles— for a take-back program to really work, it must “have the infrastructure to collect from all the potential places it might go,” said Johnson.

PakTech’s program doesn’t meet that mark yet. As a voluntary effort, the drop-off points aren’t evenly dispersed geographically; they tend to cluster in major cities, and are particularly dense in PakTech’s backyard in the Pacific Northwest. “The whole recycling program, we just kind of started it up and it became a beast of its own, so we really rely on communication with customers who say ‘we don’t have this in our area,’” to establish drop-offs, says Hoar. A VinePair analysis of PakTech’s listings shows 10 states have no drop-off locations, while another seven feature just one or two locations for the entire state. Where the drop-off points don’t exist, Hoar hopes customers will encourage their local breweries to inquire with the company to set them up.

“We want this to succeed, and we don’t just want to ship somebody [a bin] knowing that they can’t recycle” the handles they collect, he says. (Maybe not in all cases, though: “Support from PakTech has been minimal,” Brigham says.)

Where they do exist, PakTech’s recovery bins seem popular. “It’s something our customers seem to appreciate,” says Bryan Grigsby, who handles sales and marketing at Oklahoma City’s Elk Valley Brewing Company, which has been a drop-off location since December 2018. “We use it ourselves on a pretty regular basis, as I’m breaking apart 6-packs or making sample packs for an account or something.” (Many breweries and bottle shops repack 4- and 6-packs by hand with recollected handles.) Hoar warns that used handles could cause trouble if fed through automated applicators, but affirms that as long as a handle “looks good,” this type of direct reuse is a viable path. And the handles are sturdy: At East Brother Beer Co. in Richmond, Calif., cofounder Rob Lightner estimates only about 10 percent of the PakTech carriers they take in are broken beyond reuse.

Low-volume hand-packing aside, dropping your handles off at a collection bin may not secure them safe passage to a new life.

In an ideal world, participating breweries return the PakTech feedstock they’ve collected directly to reprocessors. Sometimes, those firms will take delivery of small, inconsistent loads: For example, Deschutes’ Bend, Ore., location sends the handles it recovers to The Broomsmen, a local recycling organization that accepts PakTech drop-offs from individuals, small businesses, and breweries alike. In other markets, those businesses require minimums too high for individual breweries to meet — “by the truckload,” as Shea discovered. (In other markets, Hoar says, neighboring breweries have successfully teamed up to consolidate collections and meet minimums together, something Shea hopes to explore.)

If brewers can’t find a reprocessor to take the handles, or don’t have the space or nearby brewery partners to consolidate collections to meet minimums, then what? Oklahoma City has no commercial recycling program, Grigsby tells me, so when the bin is full, Elk Valley employees bring the recollected toppers home to recycle curbside. If the MRF they wind up at can handle the handles, they’ll be recycled. If not, well, you know the deal. Routing them through the curbside program puts the handles in the same jeopardy as Brigham’s at Thorn, thousands of miles away.

It’s these kinds of inconsistencies, coupled with the fact that much more beer is sold off-premise than through taprooms (particularly in 2020), that drive skepticism of the program’s efficacy for Greenpeace’s Hocevar. “It feels like ‘yes, but,’” he says. “Since so many [6-packs with PakTech handles] are sold in supermarkets, it seems that it’s going to be a really small portion” of customers that actually knows about, much less follows through on, the collection program. As it stands, he continues, “PakTech is producing a huge number of single-use throwaway plastic items that are going to end up in landfills, incinerators, and the environment. We need to be able to do better than that, at this point.”

His suggestion? Calling on your favorite local breweries and asking them to consider other packaging options that don’t involve any plastic, recycled or otherwise. (There are a few, though none nearly as ubiquitous as PakTech, let alone cardboard cartons or old-school plastic rings.) But you may not want to do that, given the costs and logistical challenges associated, not to mention the fact that craft breweries got walloped during the pandemic and are currently in recovery mode, anyway. And depending on your philosophy about recycling — is it a good system worth fixing, or an inherently flawed one designed to provide cover for planet-killing pollution? — you may see PakTech as part of a sustainable solution rather than the plastic problem.

That’s very much how PakTech sees itself. In response to Hocevar’s criticism, the company issued VinePair a written statement from its sustainability officer, Gary Panknin, disputing the notion that the company was profiting off throwaway plastic. ”By utilizing our products it is contributing to keeping plastics out of the environment. In fact, PakTech has currently kept the equivalent of over half a billion milk jugs from being displaced into the environment and eliminated the depletion of resources needed to make new plastic material,” he said. “PakTech handles are not single-use throw away items.”

They certainly shouldn’t be, given HDPE #2’s recyclability. And it must be emphasized again that PakTech is neither responsible for fixing all of recycling’s woes, nor the only company trying to develop a market — in the beer space and beyond — for recycled plastics. But the next time you see a stack of the company’s popular handles, remember: All that plastic has gotta go somewhere, and just because it can be recycled doesn’t automatically mean it will be. “Ideally, we’ll be able to work together as a brewing community, and find a solution that is both environmentally conscious and logistically doable for most,” says Shea at Zero Gravity. For the craft brewing industry, whether such a solution includes PakTech’s recycled plastic handles long-term remains to be seen.

The article The PakTech Plastic Paradox appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/paktech-plastic-paradox/