#not what is currently trendy and what currently girls of that age would wear if they were invited to a fancy party

[earlyspringtranscendence]

finished watching lockwood earlier today and im gutted there wont be a second season bc it's so much better than [redacted] on all levels and ALSO claire finlay thompson of costume design fame i owe you my liiiiiiiife

[kaialawson]

hello everyone! i'm linny (he/him, 26, est) and i'll be playing kaia here, as well as @teddysmusings! i'm a little tardy to the party, but i'm here and i'm super excited to get to get to know everyone and their muses. underneath the cut you'll find all of kaia's background information, stats, and some connection ideas! if you're interested in plotting, just drop a like and i'll shoot you a message!

B A S I C S 

full name: kaia lawson. nicknames: tbd. gender:  cis woman. pronouns:  she/her. sexuality:  pansexual. age:  28 date of birth:  june 1st, 1995. zodiac sign:  gemini. birthplace: the bronx, new york. current location: jongno, seoul, south korea. residence:  high rise penthouse. occupation:  former singer-songwriter / current vocal coach. languages spoken: english, korean.

A P P E A R A N C E

faceclaim:  ryan destiny height:  5’5. build:  lean and toned. eyes:  brown. hair:  naturally dark brunette. piercings:  standard earlobe piercings.  tattoos:  a cherry blossom branch running along her forearm and wrist. other distinguishing features:  smile. style:  trendy, appears to be casual but is usually found wearing designer.

P E R S O N A L I T Y

traits:  (+) intelligent, honest, determined, dedicated , loyal. (-) picky, temperamental, bitter, easily angered , unforgiving.  mental health:  anxiety; medicated. depression; medicated physical health:  good. likes:  music, video games, spicy foods, bratz dolls, live concerts, wine, smoking marijuana.  dislikes:  being antagonized, people who don't respect boundaries, avocados, crowded spaces, groups of people that take up the whole sidewalk, being forced to introduce herself, being in the spotlight, being lied to, being told what to do, mint chocolate chip ice cream.  fears:  losing her autonomy.  phobias:  snakes. hobbies:  singing, teaching other people how to sing, crocheting, reading. skills: crocheting, singing, songwriting, jumping rope / double dutch, computer savvy. quirks:  cracking her knuckles when irritated, avoiding eye contact when feeling shy or nervous, rolling her eyes.

F A V O R I T E S

ice cream flavour:  cookies & cream.  time of the day / night:  late night.  weather:  summer weather.  breakfast food:  waffles, cereal, yogurt.  dinner food:  jerk chicken, beef patties, pasta, rice. colours:  lots of darker, muted colors.  music: nola adé, adele, fka twigs, kehlani, lady gaga, solange, yebba, paramore, hozier, ed sheeran, nirvana, beyoncé, megan thee stallion, sza, samara joy, flo milli, kendrick lamar. 

M I S C E L A N E O U S

a cherished item:  her maternal grandmother's locket. first love ( celeb crush ):  rider strong, circa boy meets world / ciara usual mood:  neutral. 1 thing they want to do / experience before they die:  visit her father's grave. 

B I O

childhood & adolescence: kaia grew up with a single mother in the bronx. her father, whom her mother didn't really speak about often, passed away just months before she was born. from a young age, it was quite difficult for her to deal with the fact that she grew up without a dad. she absolutely adored her mother, but being teased by other children for not having both parents in her life caused her a lot of inner turmoil. it didn't help that she was a rather awkward looking child - as most people go through their ugly duckling stages. despite being a shy, introverted girl, kaia had a very short tempered fuse - a trait that she inherited from her mother. her peers assumed that her quiet demeanor would make her an easy target for bullying, but she quickly proved them wrong after getting into a scuffle here and there; scuffles where she primarily came out on top.

her mother, tired of being called to her school for her fighting bullies, decided that she needed to redirect her short fuse into another avenue; which was when she introduced a ten year old kaia to music. her mother was an amateur musician in her youth, but retired and laid her music dreams to rest when she got pregnant with kaia. it became quite obvious that the music gene was passed onto her, because she took to it like a fish takes to water and fell in love with the art of music.

by the time she was fifteen years old, kaia had somehow landed herself a record deal and was placed in the lineup of america's next big girl group - KYC; the acronym standing for kaia, yolanda and carrie. three young girls with big voices. they took the country, and the world, by storm and became pop-r&b sensations by the time kaia was eighteen years old. and if she were being honest, she couldn't deny the fact that she loved it. she loved the fame and fortune that came along with being a singer, and she knew that the feeling would never die down or go away.

early & mid twenties: KYC lasted for five years before the trio decided to part ways in order to pursue their own artistic avenues. yolanda became a producer and did behind the scenes work. carrie became an actress. and kaia? she continued on the music path, debuting as a soloist and pushing her fame to the next level. awards, accolades and other accomplishments began swarming in, and for quite some time she loved it. she loved performing, giving her all to music and pleasing her fans as well as the general public. that is until she began to realize what a toll it was taking on her mental health and psyche. always being followed, never having a moment to herself, always having to live up to everyone's expectations. it was tiring and mentally draining. by the time she was twenty five and released her fifth solo album (her label had been working her like a dog, pushing her to release something at least once a year), she was done. she didn't want the fame anymore. she had experienced it, basked in it, and was over it. ten years of being in the spotlight was more than enough for her. she released her sixth album, her farewell album, on her twenty sixth birthday and hasn't looked back since.

current day: kaia has been living in south korea for two years now. after moving to the country for a change of scenery and to be closer to her cousin, tasha, kaia's been happier, healthier and calmer. gone are her anxiety attacks and worries of public scrutiny. while she still does get a little attention here and there, as well as occasionally being photographed or asked for a selfie or autograph by fans who recognize her, she's living a rather quiet and unassuming life in south korea. she's landed a job as the head vocal coach at canvas labs and enjoys her work there. although she can be a bit of a hard ass and very tough on the idols when it comes to their vocal training, it's only because she takes singing very seriously and wants them to be the best that they can be - and she doesn't want their poor vocal skills to reflect badly on her.

C O N N E C T I O N S

ex ( multiple ): kaia has had a few significant others in her life; some of them she parted with on friendly terms, others not so friendly.

fwb ( multiple ): self explanatory.

true friends ( multiple ): people that are actually friends with kaia because of who she is, not who she used to be.

music mentee: this person is interested in picking up a few music lessons and vocal coaching, and kaia can't help but give them a helping hand.

best friend / platonic soulmate: self explanatory.

gaming buddy ( multiple ): self explanatory.

sense of calm: one of the few people that can calm kaia down when her short fuse explodes.

sibling figure: kaia has taken this person under their wing as a younger sibling of sorts. she dotes on them, fusses over them and overall just babies them.

instigator: this person loves to push kaia's buttons until she bites back, because they love seeing how feisty she gets.

note: if you can't find anything to your liking here, we can always brainstorm!

[xjkhttp]

Personal experience with consent

I am doing this because I have a lot on my mind and can't let go of what happened.

I am a 17 years old female who looks 14, it is my last year of highschool and I am think I almost lost virginity to some form of sexual assaults. I would like to share my story so everyone can (still) know better than what I did. I was always a very serious person, considering my gender and how dangerous it is outside at night. But this guy that I'd name K changed my perspection of my doings and so I disobeyed my mom which I shouldn't have.

He is a year younger than me and in a different highschool. I first met him in highschool junior and lost sight of him after my departure for highschool. I saw him again in march when I recognized him in my bus it was probably around 6pm. I said hi and said it back and kept looking at his phone, he got kind of handsome really. When I got home that night i saw he added me on every social medias and came to talk to me 24/7 on insta. He proposed to go out drinking in our street once after gaining my friendship and trust. I agreed, I was the only girl and they were like 4 to 5 boys if I remember but we all know each others. That night I got drunk slept againgst a wall and when it was time to get home my mom took her medicine which helped her sleep and locked me out of the house by accident. That was us drinking for the first time together, I dont really enjoy drinking but since it is trendy among people of our age I thought it would be great to go out a bit and have a social life tho I did not know what was coming.

I finally succeded going home around 7am, mom said she was sorry, she hoped everything had gone well I told her "yeah dw" that was the truth but then i got notification from k again he said "that night was amazing and we should do it again but just the 2 of us and you should pay for the bottle this time since I payed for that night. I agreed sensing nothing but a friendly invitation. On a saturday at 8pm we met again (probably 1 week and a half after the first time i drank out). I dont last long with alchool unlike him and he knows that but we were 2 with a big bottle of rhum i drank 3 glasses with juice mixed in it and i slept against some wall to sober up I was slightly buzzed but it kept getting worse and from there I forgot a lot of the things that happened, really.

Somehow after talking closely to each other he ended up kissing me like my soul was wanted. Honestly the best kissing ever, I was a little attracted to him but I never had this in mind whenever I met him. I'm kind of stuck up and shy I would never iniciate something like this and people know my reputation for never making a move. I remember him saying he got candoms at home which was kinda close to our current location. I never agreed to go, I just aknowledge what he said I could not walk properly so he packed up my bag and brought me to his house in his room ON HIS OWN and i was not even conscient of that. I gained my consiousness back when I woke up on his bed he was putting on red leds💀. He came back kissing me and my head was spiralling I could not see straight but I was not against some kissing i liked it. But then he undressed me while I was laying and I was very slow about what was happening. Then, he tried to rub me through my panties and pushed it aside, i had not realised at that time that he already was wearing the condom and was streaped down like me. He tried to put it in and i thank god for making me this tight cuz it really hurted and he knew it but tried a second time just to fail. I wasnt aroused anymore and could not voice it out. Then without again asking for permission he got to my lower body under the sheets, pushed it aside once again and literaly began to lick my clitoris. It was euphoric and it felt really good. But once sobered up I did not think of it like that. After that he kept touching me but I was totally knocked out and I dont know what happened from there . He woke me up at 7am and told me I should completely get going if I dont want to be caught. I dressed myself up and whent ooutsde with him. He tried to kiss me goodbye but I wasnt in for that now that i sobered a little. I got home to my mother very angry saying she didnt recognize me anymore because- my neck was completely purple. The bastard sucked my soul out, i dont know when. I was grounded and told to put vinegar on it to erase it the best i could. It didnt go off for at least a week and a half. Then she told me to go to sleep if i did not want a whooping. When i woke up I went to take a shower and my body reveal was like opening a kinder surprise. My hips, right part of my chest and right leftcheek was printed blue too. I did not know what to think. At first, i thought, "well highschool experience yk". But after talking about it with a close friend she told me it was not okay he did not ask me for permission and i was drunk and that basically that made him a duchebag.

I was delulu over that because of that attraction i felt for him but after thinking it trough, days later i realised it was not okay. He stopped hitting me up as if he got what he wanted I felt used and disgusted though he did not penetrate me. And i'd like all genders to be careful in any situation called "friendly" when alchool is involved. I genuinely need to do a lot of stuff to get over that. I will give my consent when sober thats for sure and I hope naive people like me will too. Im sorry toward victims of SA and such its horrible. Please educate people around you about consent and be careful.

[rpmemesbyarat]

I was listening to a podcast about the X-Men, and the hosts brought up how Wolverine, a very long-lived/ageless character due to the nature of his mutation, always seems to dress in accordance of whatever era he’s in in flashbacks. . .yet in current era, he hasn’t updated his look since the 70s when he first appeared, and how they’d like to see him do so. Since, if he always moved with the times before, why stop only in the modern time? This made me realize, I see this a lot in immortal/long-lived characters, often but not always vampires: They’ll dress in the quintessential fashions of whatever era they were in, until they get to the modern era. They’re wearing big old bustles in the Victorian era, flapper dresses and bobs and pearls in the 20s, mini-dresses and go-go boots in the 60s, off the shoulder tops and big hair in the 80s. . .but then when it gets to current year, suddenly they’re no longer the peak of current fashion. Maybe they just kinda wear “whatever” or maybe they suddenly go back to wearing something from the 1800s, but they’re not dressing like a cliche of the decade the way they were of every OTHER time they live. What happened? Typically, no answer is provided, because the question never occurred to the writer/artist. The actual reason is typically either that they want to blatantly signal “this character in THIS time period here” through the dress OR that they just really, really like historical fashions (I sure do!) so it’s appealing to them to have their character wear the bustles and the flapper dresses and so on, but it’s not really appealing for them to have the character wear what’s in style now, because it’s not exotic or unusual or classy to us like historical fashion is. Which, I understand, I feel the same way. But if you’re looking through the POV of a person actually living in those times, they didn’t see these styles as exotic, unusual, or classy. They were normal and trendy. Speaking of trendy, sometimes people will also say that their long-lived character “doesn’t care about fashion” and that’s why they dress in T-shirts, jeans, and other basics in the modern era. . .but if that’s the case, why did they dress like a fashion plate in every previous time they lived in? In this case, the creator typically doesn’t realized that not everyone dressed in the most “of the moment” styles in previous decades, any more than everyone dresses as the current height of fashion today. For instance, not every girl in the 20s was a flapper, it was considered a very scandalous (and stylish) thing to do. So it would be very daring and fashion-forward young women who donned those little fringe dresses, not wallflowers and bookworms and people who “didn’t care about fashion”. Period fashion also often includes MUCH more than whatever is just the most famous/cliche image is to us, as a little research can reveal, which is more typical of what the average person might hav worn, and, of course, many people would wear things they owned from previous decades as well, especially if they weren’t wealthy. And it was usually mostly young people wearing the trendiest of looks. People who were 30+ in the 80s probably weren’t trying to look like Cyndi Lauper, and if they were, they’d probably get the same sort of reaction that most people would give today to a 30+ person trying to look like Billie Eilish. So if your person is physically over a certain age, they also might somewhat sneered at or side-eyed if they’re dressing ways that are thought to only be “for” younger crowds. Which is not say they still couldn’t have, just something to note. So, what am I saying here? That your vampire (or whatever) HAS to dress like a super fashionable person in the modern time if you want to have them dress like a flapper and a mod and what have you in previous times? That you’re NOT ALLOWED to let them be fashionable in previous decades/eras if they’re not in the current time? No. Absolutely not. It’s just to point this out, make you consider it, and then you can do whatever you like. Maybe you make an explanation like, they just stopped caring. Or maybe you don’t make any explanation, because you don’t have to. If this is something you intend to publish, it might be good to consider it, as fans do inevitably ask things like this, but if it’s just for you? Keep doing it if it’s what you prefer/like. I’m just thinking aloud with this stuff. (I do kinda want to see a vampire in the Victorian era dressing in the height of Tudor style though)

[shit-talk-turner]

Sorry, but, I cannot fathom how you and others genuinely think Louise’s social medias aren’t up to par. Honestly, as painful as it is to say this, her current feed is better than Alexa’s (I say that as a diehard Alexa fan- I knew about her before AM believe it or not). The trousers she wore in his recent feed post are actually very trendy right now (see ‘scandi girl’ style, eg Matilda Djerf- one of the biggest style influencers of the year) and Bella Hadid has been spotted wearing similar. I am speaking as someone who is completely neutral towards all the exes except alexa, and taylor’s feed is out of touch and out of date. I don’t know what you think is a good social media presence but, taylor certainly doesn’t have it. Also; when posting a slide show on instagram it’s either a ‘photo dump’, where all the photos are completely irrelevant to eachother or all very similar. Louise has a sleek and cohesive page, a photo dump would be out of place. I’m no fan of Louise and frankly I don’t know much about her, but she *knows* how to do social media. She didn’t post pictures of her birthday gathering because it’s not a trendy thing to do, it comes off a cocky, no popular influencers post feed posts about parties. A good instagram is polished and showcases artistic style (which, tough pill to swallow for you, Louise clearly has), Taylor and Arielle both have failed to keep their socials up to date with trends (and there’s nothing wrong with that, but we’re talking ‘influencer’ here, so i am going to criticise) which is why so many of the younger fans dislike Arielle and were shocked that Arabella is rumoured to be about her. have your opinions yadadah but at least have some common sense. Louise’s career and whatever else is discussed in this blog doesn’t matter into how good she is at social media. yes, she might not be known to be her own person compared to other exes but, for someone of her age, she’s quite astoundingly aware of current trends and is in touch with youth. She’s not trying to be ‘hip to impress genz’, he’s just smart with social media. lol.

You make interesting points but do you think that just because her outfits are on-trend and her feed is cohesive, it means that she’s good at social media? It seems like there are kind of separate arguments being made here, i.e. her having style — that’s subjective, we can agree to disagree — versus her doing what influencers are supposed to be doing i.e. promoting the products that brands send them and making them look appealing. We can’t forget her multiple faux pas in that area— for example, the fiasco where Carel was rolling out a campaign starring her and she didn’t tag them and tagged Rouje shoes in her story instead. And things like we were just discussing yesterday where she shows the package of something that she was sent, but doesn’t follow up with showing the actual product or saying anything about it. When we discuss her social media presence it isn’t really to compare her to the other girlfriends, but to the influencers that she seems to be trying and failing to emulate.

[duchessofostergotlands]

Whyyyy are soles on trainers so THICK right now??? Or why am I so unfashionable?! Everything looks like platform heels and I want something low pro and it’s impossible to find. Kate’s bibi mint velvets are my dream shoes but nothing like them exist I’m constantly 10 years behind the trends. Maybe in ten years I’ll be salivating over platforms but right now this is breaking my heart

Hahahaha I'm sorry anon, I know I don't know you but this is the kind of thing that I would say and then immediately think "wow I am way too young to be talking like my grandmother" haha. I don't know your age or anything but I saw this thing recently which really rang true to me. When you're young you sometimes look at older people and think "why don't they dress in a more modern way? Why can't they keep up with trends?" And I thought that even as someone who was never exactly trendy. But now that I'm at an age where people in the generation below me are adults who participate in online conversations and see me as old, I realised that we all are perfectly aware of what the trends are we just choose not to follow them because we think they're stupid haha. I'm sorry, no amount of money will make me think bucket hats should be brought back.

But fashion is totally cyclical really. I grew up in the Spice Girls era so platforms were the thing and the 90s is currently the "in" decade with young folk so they may be drawing inspiration from that (and the 90s stole it from earlier as well!) So I just say wear whatever makes you happy.

[isayamasideblog]

Shopping Trip

Mikasa and Sasha go on a shopping trip when Mikasa wants to change her wardrobe! For @erehkasa  💗

Words: 956

Mikasa dresses how she likes. However, she does prefer comfort over looking fashionable. She has lots of comfy sweaters and cardigans and… yes she has scarfs. 

Her favorite is the one Eren gave her. 

One day she opens her closet and she realizes she’s been wearing the same clothes over and over again.

And she admits that some of the current trends are kinda cute and she wouldn’t mind wearing them.

So she calls her best gal pal, Sasha, because she knows she will be honest with the clothes Mikasa will choose. If it makes Mikasa look weird Sasha will let her know! 

And Mikasa doesn’t mind her comments because Sasha will make it sound funny somehow. Like if the shirt Mikasa’s wearing is too sparkly she’d call her a disco ball or something.

So they meet up at the mall and they first hit up the food court (Sasha’s idea lol)

Afterwards they walk into this very trendy store with a whole bunch of girls around their age. 

Mikasa sees how some of them wear these very short crop tops and notices how boys look at them, so Mikasa decides to try one on. She wonders if Eren will look at her like that if she were to wear one. 

So she chooses one of the shortest crop tops she sees and tries it out.  

“Come out Mikasa, let me see it!” Sasha yells from the waiting area. She steps out and looks at herself in the display mirror, abs on full display, but she looks so uncomfortable, and Sasha notices. 

Sasha has some items of clothing that she chose for herself, but she hands some very cute dresses to Mikasa and she tries them on.

She comes out and she likes how she looks in them, but then Mikasa kinda stares at herself in the mirror and it’s like Sasha could read her mind, she leans over and tells her “I think Eren would love this on you!” 

Mikasa blushes, and she smiles, “You think so?” 

“Do I think so? Yes! I do!” Sasha exclaims, but then adds, “To be honest you could be wearing a trash bag and Eren would still think you look cute.” 🤔 

Mikasa side eyes Sasha, but she finds it nice that her friend thinks that. 

Later on, Mikasa and Sasha go on their quest for more clothes! (and maybe a cinnamon bun for Sasha)

Mikasa finds that her statuesque figure makes clothes look better on her (short gang i’m sorry) so she can really pull anything off! 

She also finds that her fashion tastes have a wide range, but she sticks to darker neutral colors rather than pastels and vibrant colors. 

And she buys herself some thigh high boots and many short skirts to pair with. (Legs for days with this one) 

“You have the legs Mikasa! Buy them!” Sasha insists. Mikasa buys lots of fishnet and warm tights to pair with the skirts, she’s not one to show too much skin just like that (she’s a shy girl plus she gets cold easily too)

She makes sure to buy coats and comfortable oversized sweaters… oh and a super nice faux leather jacket. 

She gets clothes for every occasion and season! Her street style is on par with Lisa from BlackPink’s, comfortable, yet fashion! because who knows what wild adventure Eren will take her on any given day lol. 

I’d like to think she wears tons of long summer dresses when it’s hot and of course she pairs them with sun hats, she’s big on suncare, her mom has always made her wear hats to protect her skin. 

She buys a hat for Eren too, hoping he’d wear it (he will because she gave it him) 

Yes, Mikasa will buy Eren clothes, because he needs to get rid of that one shirt! 

She comes out of the mall super excited to try on her new clothes and she doesn’t want to admit it, but yes, she wants Eren to notice. 

Eren does notice something different about Mikasa when he sees her, but he’s not sure what it is (boys are dumb tbh)

He admits that Mikasa looks extra cute today.  

Sasha literally has to tell him that she bought new clothes. Sasha wants Eren to compliment her because if he doesn’t, Sasha will call him a “bowl-cut bastard” (please know the reference) 

Mikasa has a small bag where she has the stuff she bought for Eren and she walks up to him, wearing a really cute black dress Sasha chose for her. She paired it with some fishnets and some nice combat boots.  

“Mikasa… new dress?” he asks. Mikasa nods. 

“That color really suits you,” he says a little awkwardly. Mikasa is over the moon when he says this.

“I got you this Eren,” she says as she shyly gives him the bag. 

Eren immediately opens (he likes gifts, it’s not canon, but it’s canon) he pulls out two shirts and the hat and he’s like, “Woah, you got this for me? Thank you!” 

He is so happy with his gift he immediately goes to the bathroom and puts it on. He loves her fashion choices and he promises himself that he will go to the store and buy her something in thanks. (Psst, he buys her a scarf)

Overall, Mikasa is a fashion girl, and she will make sure that Eren is not dressed like a hobo. Eren on his own=hobo. 

She becomes some sort of fashion queen and people are always asking her where she buys her clothes. 

Mikasa’s favorite thing is when Eren compliments her, but if Eren is being honest, he actually will still find her cute if she were wearing a trashbag.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Name 3 things you want to buy from the store soon. Some more microwave meal things I like to have on hand for easy lunches, some snacks, and more coffee. Name 3 of the best DIY youtubers. I don’t watch any DIY YouTubers. What color shirt did you wear yesterday? Black. Majority of my shirts are black. Are you sick right now? Yes. Do you get sick frequently? Yes, but not with like colds and flus and whatnot. I actually rarely get those, thankfully. I just get/feel sick in other ways all the time due to health reasons.

When was the last time you had the stomach flu? It’s been a few years. Not fun. Do you see rudeness online daily? I don’t spend much time in the comment sections anymore on things to be honest. Otherwise, I definitely would see rudeness daily. People are brutal. Do you wish your life were better than it is? I wish my health was better that’s for sure. That’s the biggest issue I have that affects everything else in so many ways. Who is someone whom you want to ask questions? No one comes to mind. What is something you have a hard time grasping? Life? What is something God is teaching you right now? Patience and trust for sure, but also I think this is meant to be a time to build my faith and relationship with Him. Do you try to sell old clothes online? No, I haven’t done that but I’ve thought about it. ^And if yes, have you had good luck with that? -- Do you think of life as holy? It doesn’t seem that way when you see all that goes on in the world with violence and hate. Would you ever want a super-realistic baby doll? No thank you. Those are suuuuper creepy. What is one question you want to ask somebody? -- Do you prefer pineapples or cacti? I don’t have a preference or interest in either one. Elephants or llamas? Elephants. Rainbows or fairies? Fairies. Mermaids or dragonflies? Mermaids. 

Ladybugs or bumblebees? Neitherrrr. Name one thing you could do with a pinecone. Put some cinnamon scented oil or something on it and use it as decor during Christmastime. I’ve bought some before and they smell SO good. Have you ever seen a gigantic pinecone before? I don’t think so. List 3 places you'd like to visit. I need a beach trip ASAP, Hawaii, and Sweden. Do you own a hula skirt? No. Do you encounter rudeness on facebook often? I don’t, no. What is the last book you read, what was it about, and was it good? I’m currently reading, “The Girl and the Unlucky 13″ by AJ Rivers. It’s the 13th book in a murder mystery series that I’ve been really enjoying. List five good names for girl twins. Nah. List five good names for boy twins. Nah. What is the best thing that ever happened to you? Starting my relationship with God. Have you ever tried to impress anyone? I’m not impressive. Has anyone ever accused you of being gay? Not that I’m aware of. What's a secret that you've never told anyone? It’s a secret. Do you wish you knew who cared about you or had someone who did? I do have people that care about me. Do you wish you could talk to someone you could trust right now? I have my family to talk to if I need to. ^If yes, what would you say? -- Are you wondering if a certain person cares about you? No. What facebook groups have you found the most helpful? Bible study groups. Do you correct grammatical errors when you see them? Mentally, yes. Did your mom ever own a typewriter? Probably. Did you name all of your stuffed animals and dolls? No. What would you have your bridesmaids wear? I don’t plan on getting married. Where do you want to go on your honeymoon? -- What is the best date you've ever had? Cafe and bookstore dates with Ty. Are you sick right now? Yes. You asked this. Do you gargle with salt water when your throat is congested? I’ve never done that. Do you feel loved? Yes. Do you like your butt? Why or why not? What butt? ha. List 3 pet peeves you have. Eating sounds, ice clinking against the glass, and being told to calm down or chill out. List 1 favorite pizza topping. A new favorite is cilantro. Is your floor clear? Yeah. Do you wear a watch every day? I never wear a watch. What do you think of people who wear a cross necklace every day? I don’t see a problem with that. 

Are you ashamed of your faith? Not at all. Have you ever felt ashamed of your faith? No. What is it that you believe in? I’m a Christian.  Has anyone ever tried to force their beliefs on you? Yes. Have you ever personally been a victim of homophobia? No. Have you ever been accused of being homophobic? No. Have you realized that what people accuse you of is true of them? Not always, but I’ve seen many instances where that was the case. Do you find it strange that people who live in a bubble think they don't? They’re in a bubble, it’s all they know so it’s hard to see otherwise. Do you think you'd be happier if you had a pet? I have a doggo. <3 Who was the last person you went on a date with? Ty. How long has it been since that last time you went on a date? It’s been a few years now. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? Nope. Have you ever been pregnant? Nope. Are all of your friends having babies right now? All my Facebook “friends” seem to. Do you think babies are cute? Yeah. What is your favorite style of pants? Leggings. I live in ‘em. List five trends that you follow. I don’t even know what’s trendy anymore. I’m super out of the loop. List five trends that you haven't caught onto. *shrug* How old were you when you first got a cell phone? I was 16. What is a health problem you had in the first grade? Scoliosis.  Were you ever hospitalized as a little kid? Yes, several times. What's your favorite way to curl your hair? I don’t curl my hair. Do you ever put curlers in your hair? No. Name someone you miss. My grandparents who have passed away. Name two people you love. My mom and brother. Are the birds chirping today? Not at the moment, it’s 3:30AM. At what age did you start swearing? In high school, but not much. I’m still not one to curse a lot.  Who was your first best friend (apart from a sibling)? My mom. Ha, you didn’t say apart from a parent. Do you have memories of going to church when you were little? Yes, I went sometimes with my grandparents. What is something you physically can't do? Walk... Have you ever been put in the wrong section in a choir? No. What time zone are you in? Pacific. Favorite day of the week? They’re all the same to me. What was your favorite day of the week as a kid? Friday of course. It was “Fun Friday” at school and also pizza day, plus it meant the weekend, which was super exciting as a kid. I miss those days. :( Have you ever been a victim of substance abuse? No. ...spiritual abuse? No. ...emotional abuse? No. ...mental abuse? No. ....physical abuse? No. ...sexual abuse? No. ...sexual harassment? No. ....bullying? No. .....another kind of harassment? No. ....persecution? No. ...hate crimes? No. Do you have any true friends? I have my family.

[sweethurtss]

Due to being raised by her grandmother, Victoria had never really understood what the current fashion trends were until after she started going to school and finally interacted with people her own age. Immediately, she noticed the stark difference between her clothing and the other girls - her classmates either loved her unique style or found it a little odd. She wouldn’t say she was particularly bullied for it - though she does recall how her teachers would often liken her to a little doll that had come to life since she often wore the vintage style dresses her grandmother would buy for her.

In middle school, she would seek fashion advice from the other girls in class for more modern styles and how to properly wear them - often teased that she was so prim and proper because she always zipped and buttoned her cardigans and sweaters all the way up instead of leaving a few buttons undone or letting it be half-zipped. She would have to beg her grandmother to take her to the more trendy stores, or dig extensively through the racks at the second-hand store for anything that was similar to the styles her friends would wear.

Eventually, Victoria began sewing her own clothing. She would use the old dress patterns that her grandmother had stashed away. She decided that even if the modern style was very nice and easier to move in, she was still more partial to vintage and Victorian era aesthetics and shapes - eventually finding that happy medium between style and comfort. It just felt more suitable to the girl who’s biggest idols in life were Elvira and Bettie Page, and who longed to live in between the pages of a classic gothic novel.

[starlingsrps]

poppy allen character development.

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME:  poppy lieke allen

NICKNAME(S): nope.

PREFERRED NAME(S): poppy

BIRTH DATE: october 25

AGE: twenty seven

GENDER: cis female

PRONOUNS: feminine

ROMANTIC/SEXUAL ORIENTATION: heterosexual

NATIONALITY: american

ETHNICITY: american-dutch

CURRENT LOCATION: los angeles, ca

LIVING CONDITIONS: neat and tidy, well decorated. she's definitely in laurel canyon, purposefully kind of a bitch to drive to.

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: santa barbara, ca

HOMETOWN: montecito, ca

PLACES LIVED: montecito, new york, london - wherever the hell she's filming tbh. los angeles is home.

SOCIAL CLASS: upper upper. when your eighteenth birthday is a people magazine cover, you don't pretend.

EDUCATION LEVEL: high school

FATHER: bryce hawthorne, 57, movie star

MOTHER: saskia werhoff, 52, model turned lifestyle guru

SIBLING(S): marieke allen, 25; matthias allen, 20

BIRTH ORDER: poppy, marieke, matthias

CHILDREN: absolutely no.

PET(S): nope; allergic to most things with fur.

OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: her mother's family in the netherlands, her father's in nebraska.

PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: legion and documented online.

ARRESTS?: nope.

PRISON TIME?: nope.

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: actress

SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: spokesperson

TERTIARY SOURCE(S) OF INCOME: trust fund

CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: like why wouldn't she be

PAST JOB(S): does she look like she's ever done intensive work?

SPENDING HABITS: poppy's version of reasonable is absolutely not the same as a normal persons. she thinks she's reasonable but that's just because she doesn't own a diamond encrusted birkin. she buys things that are high quality and doesn't really have experience with things that aren't.

MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: real estate portfolio. she owns her house and a condo in new york. both are points of pride for her.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: B-

OFFENSE: B

DEFENSE: B

SPEED: B

INTELLIGENCE: B

ACCURACY: B+

AGILITY: B

STAMINA: B

TEAMWORK: C+

TALENTS: poppy has an incredible work ethic and sense of loyalty. she knows she's lucky to be where she is in life but she's going to show up the same as anyone else on set and give her best every time. she knows her self worth and she does not compromise on it one single bit.

SHORTCOMINGS: that can come off as.....abrasive.

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english and dutch

DRIVE?: yes

JUMP-STAR A CAR?: she was definitely taught by her father but it did not stick.

CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: see above.

RIDE A BICYCLE?: yes

SWIM?: yes

PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: no

PLAY CHESS?: no

BRAID HAIR?: yes

TIE A TIE?: yes

PICK A LOCK?: no.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: abigail cowen

EYE COLOR: blue

HAIR COLOR: red; boosted from strawberry blonde to red-red.

HAIR TYPE/STYLE: long and swishy. it's a signature at this point. that pantene hair deal did not just materialize on it's own.

GLASSES/CONTACTS?: both - a bitch is Nearsighted.

DOMINANT HAND: right

HEIGHT: 5'7

BUILD: willowy and toned, great ass.

EXERCISE HABITS: daily - she looks at it as part of her job description and between her father's biceps and her mother's devotion to yoga, she wasn't really raised with much of a choice but to use the gym.

SKIN TONE: fair, little freckled. a lot freckled if the sun has gotten to her.

TATTOOS: none

PEIRCINGS: ears

MARKS/SCARS: none

NOTABLE FEATURES: the Hair, upturned nose

USUAL EXPRESSION: attentive

CLOTHING STYLE: carefully curated. god i miss polyvore this would be so much easier. hold for pinterest board.

JEWELRY: whatever suits/is loaned for the occasion. she has a lot of small pieces that she owns for daily wear and a few really nice bits that she got from her parents as gifts.

ALLERGIES: dander, almonds.

DIET: nothing super weird/out of the ordinary, definitely erring on the trendy and consciously healthy end of things.

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: nah.

PSYCHOLOGY

ENNEAGRAM TYPE: type eight

MORAL ALIGNMENT: chaotic neutral

TEMPERAMENT: choleric

ELEMENT: water

SOCIABILITY: A - poppy is incredibly charming and social.

EMOTIONAL STABILITY: ehhhh i'll give her a B-. like she's not bad but when her temper gets triggered, hell will reign.

OBSESSION(S): nah

COMPULSION(S): nah

PHOBIA(S): failure

ADDICTION(S): nah

DRUG USE: she does smoke, she does know, she doesn't care.

ALCOHOL USE: social drinker.

PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: no (yet i think a certain someone might get something thrown at him)

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: even and cultivated. she has a pretty feminine voice and has done a little voiceover work.

ACCENT: nope.

QUIRKS: she squints a lot, even if she does have her glasses on or contacts in. this bitch is Blind.

HOBBIES: she does read a lot and she does enjoy trying new things. nothing crafty but she's pretty down for new activities.

HABITS: daily workout, twice weekly call with her Team, grooming, work. she likes to stay busy and likes to stay organized - her planner is sacred.

NERVOUS TICKS: don't fucking touch her planner.

DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: personal success. she was well known before she jumped into acting and modeling on her own by virtue of her parents but she absolutely wants to be her own person. she doesn't use her father's SAG name (legally, they're all allens rather than hawthorne but SAG), she doesn't do any mommy and me/daddy and me projects and she steers any interviews away from heavy talk about her family.

FEARS: personal failure. she knows she'll be okay no matter what - she's got the cushion of wealth and privilege - but she does not want to ever fail on her own merits.

POSITIVE TRAITS: loyal, generous, hard working, passionate, driven, fearless.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: bossy, stubborn, abrasive, no sense of limitations, single minded.

SENSE OF HUMOR: good! kind of dorky, prone to dragging the shit out of people.

DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: ehhhhh what is often

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: sex working, being alone. she spends so much time surrounded by people that being alone to relax is a luxury.

ANIMAL: she thinks dogs are awesome but she can't be around them without a shitload of benadryl so like, bears?

BEVERAGE: the iced coffee IS surgically attached to her hand, thanks!

BOOK:

CELEBRITY: her parents, corny as that is. least favorite is her brother, who's big on tiktok and habitually trying to use her pool for shenanigans.

COLOR: red

DESIGNER: she's a valentino bitch.

FOOD: a really, really good steak.

FLOWER: gardenias

GEM: pearls

HOLIDAY: christmas

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: flying

MOVIE: father of the bride

MUSICAL ARTIST: kacey musgraves

SCENERY: the ocean. she's a coastal california girl and she does not like to be far from the water.

SCENT: ocean, gardenias, coffee.

SPORT: baseball

SPORTS TEAM: dodgers

TELEVISION SHOW: nothing specific but she will watch food network competition shows for hours.

WEATHER: bright and sunny

VACATION DESTINATION: exotic and warm.

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: having her career measured on its own merits; oscar. she doesn't not want a family and such outside of that but her career is her focus. she's in a good place and she doesn't want to put anything on pause.

GREATEST FEAR: poppy is alarmingly fearless. the only thing she truly fears is failing herself. nothing else really matters.

MOST AT EASE WHEN: with her family on the ranch in montecito to hang out and relax. she likes being around her sister - marieke is a classics student and has been bouncing about europe for the past seven years and they don't get to see each other very often. marieke is calm and completely removed from hollywood and she's basically the human equivelent of going to a spa.

LEAST AT EASE WHEN: not....no. poppy may be slightly uncomfortable but she is never going to let that show or acknowledge it.

WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: a scandal she can't recover from.

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: her career, the first time she wasn't mentioned in conjuction with her parents in a magazine article in the first paragraph.

BIGGEST REGRET: nope.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: she's sure there have been but they're all pretty buried.

BIGGEST SECRET: keiran, 100%.

TOP PRIORITIES: her career. it's a thing she can control.

[nessafms]

new  york’s  very  own  NESSA  LOCKE  was  spotted  on  broadway  street  in  𝓳𝓲𝓶𝓶𝔂  𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓸  𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓪  𝓯𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻  𝓽𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓵  𝓱𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼  .  your  resemblance  to  kylie  jenner  is  unreal  .  according  to  tmz  ,  you  just  have  your  twenty  two  birthday  bash  .  while  living  in  nyc  ,  you’ve  been  labeled  as  being  finicky  ,  but  also  alluring  .  i  guess  being  a  scorpio  explains  that  .  3  things  that  would  paint  a  better  picture  of  you  would  be  expensive  diamonds  clinging  to  delicate  fingers  ,  makeup  swatches  on  tan  skin , &  wine  induced  giggles  .

GREETINGS  ,   cuties  .   i’m  gi  ,  9teen  ,  and  go  by  she  and  her  pronouns  .  i  kind  of  suck  at  introductions  ?  so  please  excuse  all  of  the  rambling  and  unnecessary  comments  that  are  throughout  this  .   nessa  is  kind  of  my  baby  ?  so  im  super  super  excited  to  bring  her  into  this  group  and  play  her  once  again  and  even  more  excited  to  write  with  all  of  you  !!!!!!   everything  you  need  to  know  about  her  is  under  the  cut  ,  and  if  you  want  to  plot  please  give  this  a  heart  and  we  can  do  so  (  or  message  me  on  discord  ,  𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐲#1776  )

*  basics 

FULL  NAME.  nessa  ryan  locke  .

NAME  MEANING.   pure  ,  holy  ;  butterfly  . 

REASONING.   it  was  suppose  to  be  vanessa  but  somehow  ended  up  being  just  nessa  by  the  time  she  was  actually  born  .

NICKNAMES.   ness  ,  nessy  .

PREFERRED  NAME.  ness  and/or  nessa  .

BIRTH  DATE.   november  third  ,  nineteen  ninety  eight  .

AGE.  twenty  two  .

ZODIAC.  scorpio  .

GENDER.  cis  female  .

PRONOUNS.  she  and  her  .

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION.  heterosexual  .

CURRENT  LOCATION.   moved  to  new  york  city  at  the  age  of  nineteen  ,  (  click  here  to  see  her  residence  ) .

PLACE  OF  BIRTH.  los  angeles   ,  california  .

HOMETOWN.   los  angeles  ,  california  .

FATHER.  jared  locke  ,  actor  .

MOTHER.   jillian  locke  ,  former  model  .

SIBLINGS.   nirvana  locke  ,  emerson  locke  .

BIRTH  ORDER.  youngest  .

PETS.  wolfie  ,  husky  .

HAIR  COLOR.   originally  a  black  color  ,  though  it  tends  to  go  from  black  to  a  light  brown  and/or  a  blonde  color  . 

EYE  COLOR.  brown  ,  but  she  takes  pride  in  the  small  specks  of  green  .

DOMINANT  HAND.  right  .

HEIGHT.  five  ft  six  .

TATTOOS.   nessa  has  five  tattoo’s  all  together  ,  the  first  one  being  something  that  resembles  the  fire  emoji  on  her  right  inner  hip  she  got  with  her  group  of  friends  .   she  has  a  rose  on  the  left  side  of  her  boob  ,  which  she  got  strictly  because  she  thought  it  was  pretty  .   she  has  two  butterflies  behind  her  left  ear  ,  a  smiley  face  on  her  right  upper  butt  cheek  ,  and  finally  the  words  ,  ‘  take  care  ‘  tattooed  on  her  right  arm .  

PIERCINGS.   she  has  five  holes  on  her  right  ear  and  seven  holes  on  her  left  ear  .  

DRUGS  /  ALCOHOL  /  SMOKING.  no  (  beside  smoking  weed  here  and  there )    ,  yes  ,  no  .  

SOUNDTRACK.   self  care  ,  mac  miller  .   angel  ,  the  weeknd  .  fetish  ,  selena  gomez  .  bitter  ,  fletcher  .  july  ,  noah  cyrus  .  bad  news  ,  kehlani  .   after  hours  ,  the  weeknd  .   needy  ,  ariana  grande  .   save  myself  ,  ed  sheeran .  p*$$y  fairy  ,  jhene  aiko  .  girls  in  the  hood  ,  megan  thee  stallion  .  

AESTHETICS.   emerald  hues  forming  into  a  distant  memory  ,   soft  laughter  in  the  dead  of  the  night  ,  luxurious  material  clinging  to  honeyed  skin  ,   tired  hues  ,   the  glow  of  neon  lights  lightening  up  a  dark  room  .  

LINKS.  here’s  her  pinterest  !! 

FUN  FACTS.   she  has  a  three  year  old  husky  ,  whom  she  treats  as  though  she  carried  him  around  for  nine  months  .  she  has  a  obsession  with  acrylic  nails  ,  you  will  always  find  her  with  something  different  every  two  weeks  .  she  always  has  her  toes  painted  ,  usually  baby  something          baby  pink  ,  baby  blue  .   she  enjoys  switching  up  her  look  which  includes  hair  changes  whether  it  be  sporting  a  wig  or  actually  dyeing  it  .  has  a  talent  of  painting  but  normally  doesn’t  have  the  time  or  inspiration  to  do  so  .  a  music  bug  ,  she  has  to  be  listening  to  tunes  if  she’s  cleaning  ,  cooking  ,  bathing  ...  hates  the  gym  more  then  anything  but  has  a  personal  trainer  (  she  spends  most  of  the  time  avoiding  )  to  kick  her  ass  in  shape  .  rarely  diets  and  with  this  she  has  a  bad  habit  of  eating  whatever  her  body  craves  .  she  loves  waffle  fries  ,  and  prefers  a  burger  over  a  chicken  sandwich  .   she  hates  neon  green  ,  don’t  fight  her  on  this  .  she’s  a  bit  of  a  car  junkie  and  constantly  purchases  them  despite  not  needing  to  .  her  worst  habit  is  online  shopping  ,  she  will  spend  thousand  of  dollars  at  ONE  store  .

*  background .

stranded at  the  age  of  five  ,  a  stuffed  elephant  in  hand  and  confusion  lingering  on  skin  .  only  small  glimpses  of  heart  felt  moments  to  ease  the  tears  .  one  moment  she  was  there  ,  and  the  next  she  somehow  slipped  through  the  cracks  .  not  even  the  power  of  hollywood  being  able  to  track  down  the  angelic  emerald  hued  model  .  instead  ,  her  father  had  to  wrap  his  arms  around  his  three  children  and  fabricate  a  story  that  would  not  shatter  their  delicate  hearts  .  but  the  damage  was  already  done  .

drenched  in  sovereignty  and  affluence  ,  the  privilege  of  being  privilege  had  always  been  a  reality  ,  even  before  the  disappearance  of  her  mother  .  a  celebrity  child  ,  grew  up  in  the  spotlight  and  had  ears  filled  with  comments  from  millions  who  did  not  know  her  .   not  a  sob  story  ,  unless  you  considered  her  mommy  issues  .  inherited  her  father’s  ambition  and  her  mom’s  trust  issues .  started  branding  herself  at  the  age  of  seventeen  ,  a  trend  setter  .  the  title  of  social  media  personality  was  granted  to  nessa  before  it  was  even  a  thing  ,  and  she  did  not  stop  there .   ventured  into  the  beauty  industry  ,  building  an  empire  from  top  to  bottom  .  and  eventually  even  created  a  fashion  line  with  her  older  sister  ,  even  after  all  the  red  warnings  .

but  the  finer  things  in  life  did  not  come  with  all  blessings  .   her  delicate  hands  drenched  in  cold  glue  ,  shattered  pieces  clinging  for  their  lives  with  expectations  of  being  put  back  together  again  .  adored  and  envied  by  the  world  ,  but  the  outside  looking  in  did  not  see  bent  back  constantly  picking  up  pieces  of  her  sisters  who  crumbled  with  even  the  softest  poke  .  addiction  controlling  every  aspect   of  her  sisters  lives  ,  and  the  relationship  she  shared  with  them  .  it’s  never  been  pretty  to  watch  the  ones  you  love  self  destruct  and  take  everything  you  love  and  trust  down  with  them  ..  hard  to  look  them  in  the  eyes  as  anger  and  heartache  consumes   you  .  and  even  harder  to  forgive  .  

forever  fighting  the  demons  her  mother  instored  in  her  ,  and  the  demons  her  sister’s  stir  up  .  her  only  breath  of  fresh  air  being  her  daddy  ,  and  the  way  he  always  has  her  back  (  no  favorites  are  played  but  we  all  know  )  ,  and  the  life  she  helped  build  for  herself  .  wants  to  be  rid  of  hands  that  hold  her  back  and  take  and  take  until  she  has  nothing  left  ,  and  instead  plunge  into  the  world  of  living  for  herself  and  new  york  city  granted  the  brunette  that  opportunity  .  

*  personality .

affection  sings  to  her  in  the  form  of  a  love  song  ,  her  love  language  .  digits  itch  to  hold  friends  hands  ,  and  lean  on  lovers  shoulders  .  uses  pet  names  like  her  vocabulary  only  consists  of  the  word  angel  and  baby  .  a  chatter  bug  that  hides  vulnerability  with  ebullience  and  teasing  manners  .  impulsiveness  that  jumps  out  at  all  the  wrong  times  ,  and  a  carelessness  that  teams  up  with  her  pettiness  to  make  all  the  wrong  choices  .  feels  replaceable  and  easily  disposable  ,  makes  her  fear  of  ever  letting  anyone  get  too  close  .  finicky  ,  hard  to  please  and  even  harder  to  totally  figure  out  ,  some  would  say  she’s  hot  and  cold  .  tries  to  stay  out  of  her  head  with  burying  herself  in  work  .  knows  how  it  feels  to  feel  like  you  are  nothing  ,  and  fills  that  whole  with  giving  back  as  much  as  she  can  .  silly  and  sometimes  ditzy  .  loves  too  hard  for  her  own  good  ,  and  has  a  bad  habit  of  letting  people  back  in  even  when  they  do  not  deserve  it  or  her  ..  has  a  softness that’s  desperate  to  escape  .   hates  love  because  she  understands  what  it  can  do  to  you  and  loves  just  as  much  for  the  same  reason  .  built  a  wall  around  her  heart  to  avoid  adding  any  more  scars  ,  and  will  save  you  before  she  saves  herself  .  holds  on  to  people  a  little  too  tight  ,  because  she  hates  going  through  the  process  of  letting  people  in  all  over  again  .  a  twenty  something  year  old  who  craves  a  mother’s  touch  but  holds  a  grudge  that  sometimes  causes  her  to  miss  out  on  people  .   always  just  wants  to  feel  like  she’s  worth  making  sacrifices  for  .

* career . 

kylie    cosmetics  ?  nessa  cosmetics  ,  a  brand  built  at  seventeen  years  old  and  has  only  grown  from  there  .   collections  that  consist  of  collabs  with  close  friends  and  family  (  when  she’s  talking  to  them  )  ,   and  season  /  holiday  collections  .  does  something  for  her  birthday  ,  november  third  ,  every  year  .  has  a  collection  dedicated  to  her  zodiac  sign  , scorpio  .   constantly  changing  her  formula  to  better  her  brand  ,  and  does  everything  hands  on  .  does  most  of  her  work  from  her  office  .   can  find  her  instagram  stories  to  be  her  swatching  her  latest  products  .  favorite  thing  of  hers  being  her  eye shadows   (  applaud  for  the  pigmented  ) .  good  quality  ,  inclusive  and  diverse  (  more  then  actual  kylie  cosmetics  )  is  the  most  important  thing  when  it  comes  to  her  brand  . 

launched  nessa  skin  a  single  year  ago  ,  and  has  worked  on  it  for  the  last  three  years  .  her  latest  child  ,  and  plans  to  only  grow  it  .  skin  has  always  been  super  important  to  nessa  ,  and  delivering  her  supporters  with  products  that  will  actually  work  is  her  main  priority  .  

a  youtube  channel  with  ten  million  subscribers  ,  youtuber  as  a  second  job .  it  starting  as  a  hobby  and  a  way  of  connecting  with  supporters  to  becoming  something  she  cannot  imagine  not  doing  .   her  channel  consists  of  mixed  content  such  from  fashion  hauls  to  makeup  videos  to  even  vlogs  that  involved  her  friends  (  and  family  )  doing  stupid  things  .  

em  &  ness  ,  a  clothing  brand  her  and  her  sister  are  developing  .   features  trendy  street  wear  ,  more  to  come  soon  . 

* connections

the  childhood  friend  that  reminds  her  of  simpler  times  ,   mud  pies  in  the  back  yard  and  riding  their  bikes  around  the  neighborhood  .  secrets  and  promises  of  being  friends  forever  that  felt  secure  but  feel  short  .  bonded  forever  maybe  ,  but  constantly  feeling  like  strangers  .   (  or   they  could  still  be  close  friends  )

the  family  friend  that  their  parent(s)  swore  were  going  to  end  up  together  ,  though  if  the  two  caught  any  talk  of  that  would  scrunch  their  nose  ups  and  shake  their  head  .  or  at  least  they  did  for  a  while  ,  until  lines  started  to  fade  and  the  comfortableness  felt  like  something  more  ..  not  together  now  ,  but  constantly  a  what  if  ,  the  idea  still  runs  in  their  minds  but  is  a  friendship  worth  something  that  might  not  work  out 

a  friendship  or  more  so  platonic  soulmates  ,  if  you  see  one  you  know  the  other  is  not  far  behind  .  they  are  somewhat  extensions  of  one  another  ,  swear  they  cannot  survive  without  one  another  .  the  one  person  nessa  trusts  the  most  ,  someone  who  has  never  hurt  her  or  left  her  .  her  person  .

the  bad  influence  that  plays  on  her  impulsiveness  .  talks  her  head  up  to  get  even  or  take  that  tenth  shot  because  why  the  fuck  not  .  anytime  something  bad  almost  happened  ,  like  that  time  we  almost  got  a  fine  ,  she  was  with  this  person  .  and  while  she  adores  them  ,  she  knows  they  aren’t  exactly  the  best  for  her  .

the  friend  group  you  cannot  help  but  envy  ,  constantly  plastered  on  one  anothers  instragram  feeds  .  has  their  own  groupchat  that  does  nothing  but  blow  up  .  shopping  trips  in  italy  and  vacations  in  greece  .  do  not  always  get  along  but  there  is  always  love  in  between  them  .  they  are  constantly  in  her  vlogs  ,  and  would  kind  of  be  like  her  very  own  vlog  squad  .

the  friends  with  benefits  who  swear  they  are  just  friends  ,  and  the  sex  means  nothing  .  despite  the  fact  that  they  linger  a  little  too  long  in  one  another’s  bed    .  and  the  promises  of  this  will  not  ruin  anything  become  blurry  when  they  connect  on  a  deeper  level  .  and    it  gets  confusing  when  their  affectionate  comes  to  surface  ,  but  regardless  they  are  just  friends  .

a  trio  of  three  friends  who  are  always  seen  together  ,  best  friends  could  be  the  world  to  use  to  describe  them  (  bonus  points  if  its  all  girls  )  .

the heart  breaker  ,  the  person  that  fucked  her  up  for  good  .  ruined  the  way  she  loved  and  left  her  with  a  lot  of  regret  and  heart  ache  .  she  swear  she  hates  them  ,  but  she  hates  how  much  she  loved  them  and  how  close  they  got  to  her  .  hates  how  they  went  from  knowing  her  more  then  anyone  to  being  someone  she  cannot  even  look  in  the  eyes  anymore  (  bonus  points  if  it  involves  them  cheating  on  her  ,  extra  bonus  points  if  it’s  angsty  as  hell  )  

the  drinking  buddy  she  confides  in   ,  a  glass  of  wine  and  a  lot  of  shit  talking  that   always  end  up  in  talking  about  personal  matters  .  they  are  a  ear  and  someone  to  lean  on  .

the  on  and  off  fling  ,  their  back  and  forth  being  nessa  and  her  refusal  to  let  them  in  completely  .  her  feelings  for  them  scare  her  ,  and  she’s  not  ready  to  walk  down  the  road  of  being  with  someone  again  .

other  things  i  want  include  ;  unlikely  friends  ,  enemies  to  friends  ,  friends  to  enemies  ,  lovers  to  friends  ,  friends  to  lover  ,  ex  best  friend  ,  ex  friends  in  general  ,  ex  friends  who  miss  each  other  terribly  ,  other  youtubers  she  collabs  with  ,  other  ceo’s  of  makeup  brands  /  skin  brands  she  has  a  rivalry  with  because  the  media  made  it  seem  like  they  hated  one  another  .

[trendyclassicandvintage]

A PASSION FOR HISTORIC FASHIONS: JENNA MILLER

Jenna Miller Travels Back in Time with Costume Design

Starting with our first post, after a hiatus, Trendy, Classic, & Vintage will be highlighting historical fashion costumers, sewers, and enthusiasts. Each interview will focus on an individual’s preferences, knowledge of a specific time period, and experiences. Additionally, each post will demonstrate historical influences that are present in contemporary fashion. A series of these posts will follow in the coming weeks. Check back each week to experience historical fashion through the eyes of passionate followers of the subject. The first in this series of posts will spotlight the work of Jenna Miller, who is the historical fashion blogger for the blog "Threading the West", and also a professional costume designer.

...

In the era of social media, utilizing a few hashtags, one can instantly be connected with individuals who are passionate about a particular industry or hobby. Hashtags related to historical costuming will lead you to many modern-day individuals dressed in garments of bygone eras. Jenna Miller is one of the historic costumers that you can discover on social media today. In the case of Miller, she has taken her passion for historic fashion a step further, by establishing her professional career around the subject. 

To begin, Miller is a professional costume designer whose work has been seen in two music videos by Randy Houser, as detailed within her resume at RavennaOldWest.com. The videos which include her work are ‘“...Like a Cowboy...” and ...”We Went,”’ according to the same source. Additionally, her professional resume includes work in television, films, theatrical productions, including Huckleberry Productions’ theatrical production of “Tragedy at the OK Corral,” and print publications. Her designs can be seen in the film Draw the Line, the Netflix series Godless, and Modern Luxury Scottsdale magazine’s March and April 2015 issue, as detailed within the same source.

However, her current costume design venture is for her own company Ravenna Old & New West Studios. The company combines design, photography, and more, as observed at RavennaOldWest.com. According to Miller, “...the costumes (are) for a showcase short film project...called ‘Victorian Orchards.’” Miller elaborates on the theme and storyline of the project by stating, “...we are recreating, through costume design, a day in the life of a Victorian-era family during a fruit orchard harvest season.” Her designs for the film will consist of  “...bright neutral linens and….hand…” constructed “...lace…” and embroidery “...to give the costumes a very delicate aesthetic.” In Miller’s summation, “It’s all in the details on this project as we are aiming to make it very visually spectacular.” 

Precise tailoring and the use of boning, intricate details, and layering are paramount to the creation of historic fashions. With these considerations in mind, how long does it take to construct them? According to Miller, the amount of time it takes her to design and sew a historical look, “...truly depends on the garment, but my latest creation, which is the absinthe gown … took me a full month to complete … For that gown, I made all the flowers, leaves, and even the tiny berries completely from scratch and then hand-painted portions of it.” Miller’s attention to detail has no doubt contributed to her success within the film, television, and music industries.

Source: Jenna Miller’s YouTube Channel

Miller’s dedication to design is clear, but how and when did her passion for the subject first arise? According to Miller, her interest in historical fashions began as a child, in which she would spend her time “...watching period films and reading historical novels.” Additionally, she had the unique childhood aspiration “...of becoming a museum curator.” 

Continuing on, according to Miller, her foray into designing historic costumes began, “...about 8 years ago.” Miller added, “I was living in the historic town of Tombstone, Arizona, working as a horse wrangler on a guest ranch. I started paying close attention to the 1880’s period costumes the local Old West reenactors were wearing around town and decided to try my hand at making one.” Miller's experience with sewing began as a hobby, before shifting to the focus of historical garment construction. Miller states, “Once I finished making the one Victorian gown, I was hooked on doing period costuming from then on.” 

Miller’s path to her career is one that many can relate to. Often one may not realize how much his or her early interests can influence one’s ultimate career. Miller’s story also demonstrates how one can be successful in pursuing a unique field of interest. As Miller exemplifies, passion is important, but hard work and the meticulous practice of her craft has helped her to take her childhood interests and make them into a career. 

Image Courtesy of Jenna Miller / Ravenna Old & New West Studios ©

----

Q&A: Costume Designer Preferences and Insights

Trendy, Classic, & Vintage: What is your favorite fashion era, and why?

Jenna Miller: I am a huge fan of the 1880s. Having been born and raised in the Great American West of Southeast Arizona, the Old West history of Tombstone and like towns always intrigued me and the fashions of that era struck a chord in my soul.

TCV: Who is your favorite figure in fashion history, and why? 

JM: Film costume designer Edith Head from the Golden Age of Hollywood is my fashion hero. I have always greatly admired her designs. It just so happens that my great aunt and Edith were best friends when they were young and I have in my possession several photographs of the two of them together as young girls. I treasure those old photographs.

TCV: If you follow current fashions, what historical influences have you seen returning?

JM: Ah, so many historical influences are returning and it is a wonderful thing! I would definitely say I’ve seen a lot of the 1950’s styles making a comeback and there’s quite a trend of early 19th-century fashion influence I’ve seen seeping into modern fashion. It seems a lot of the younger generation of historical costumers on Instagram are influencing trends right now and to me, it is a lovely sight to behold.

TCV: If you could bring back one historical fashion, accessory item or trend, what would it be, and why? 

JM: Hats. I adore elegant historical style hats and greatly wish they were worn on a regular basis again.

TCV: Where do you find your materials to create your looks?

Works Cited:

Miller, Jenna. “Jenna’s Costuming Resume.”  Ravenna Old & New West Ventures. N.d., https://ravennaoldwest.com/about-the-designer/jennas-costuming-resume/, Accessed 9 July, 2020.

Miller, Jenna. “Re: Interview about historic costuming.” Received by Brittany Kilpatrick, 23 June 2020. Email Interview.

Miller, Jenna. Instagram Correspondence. Received by Brittany Kilpatrick, 22 July 2020. Email Interview.

“Absinthe Green in the Meadow by Ravenna Old West.” YouTube, uploaded by Jenna Miller, 28 April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFoznhKh2NI, Accessed 25 July, 2020.

[purplesurveys]

864

What was your last facebook status? Hmm I share posts a lot and add my own captions, but I never upload my own statuses unless I’m changing my profile photo. That being said, my last post involved making fun of our military. What color is the wall in your kitchen? All our walls are white, but there’s a part of the kitchen where the lower half of the wall is made up of coral-ish tiles. Last time you were in a group shot? My best guess would be late April when we took a family photo for my parents’ 23rd wedding anniversary. Other than that, my phone tells me that the last group shot I took with my friends was taken on February 7th. Damn. Last time you dressed formally? I think it was Feb 2017 because that was the last debut I remember going to. At what age did you go through puberty? I was a bit of an early bird lol, I got my period a few weeks after turning 10.

Last time you got an xray? 2016. I needed multiple medical tests before I was allowed to enroll in my university, and it was during those tests that doctors found out I have scoliosis so I needed some X-rays done for the school to see if PE was gonna be a problem for me. What is the stupidest show on television? I don’t watch a lot of TV these days but uhhhh I never saw the appeal of reality shows that have some dating gimmick.  Do you enjoy photo editing? Nah. I’ve never understood how Photoshop works. Do you pluck/wax your eyebrows? I pluck them because of anxiety, not because of maintenance. Have you ever owned a blacklight? Sure. When I was a kid I loooooved invisible pen + blacklight kits; always thought they were the coolest thing and they always made me feel like a big badass detective haha. Do you own a coloring book? Yessssss. I’m pretty sure this blog was able to cover my coloring phase two years ago. I haven’t touched my coloring books in a while, but that just means I’ve been doing okay. And that’s a real good thing. Do you shop at a dollar store? Obviously not, but we do have stores that kinda have the same gimmick. One that I can think of is Daiso (it’s actually a Japanese chain but whatever) which sells most of their stuff at ₱88. If I need something for the short-term, I’ll sometimes get it from there. Do you do any winter sports? ...No. Which is worse: Snakes, Scorpions or Spiders? I’ll go with scorpions, because I had an uncle who kept this scorpion figurine and always told me scary stories about them, so for the longest time I’ve associated scorpions with danger and venom and just generally the feeling of being scared of them. Is there an attic and/or a basement in your house? We have neither.

Do you own duct tape? My parents probably have a roll in their room but I have no reason to have one of my own. Do you own a jack knife? Nope. When was the last time you ordered something online? November. I was buying Christmas presents.

Have you ever been bitten by a tick? No, but they’ve walked on me before. I'm always able to feel and catch them, though. Do you prefer blackberries or raspberries? No preference. What color is your mom’s car? I’m not actually sure who pays for our cars, but our main family cars are white and blue-greenish. Do you like flavored water? I’ve never had it before and I’m not interested. I drink water because I find its tasteless-ness refreshing, so to drink water with flavor is super pointless to me. Do you watch wrestling? You asked the right person ;) Hahaha I love wrestling, but I can’t say that I watch recent episodes. I don’t find the storylines as captivating these days, so it has also meant that I mostly don’t know who the newer wrestlers are anymore. But even if that’s the case, I’m never completely away from wrestling because I still subscribe to wrestling-themed YouTube channels and stay updated with wrestling news sites.

Do you enjoy cranberry juice? No, but my mom is nuts about them. We always have two or three bottles of cranberry juice in the fridge at a time. I personally think it smells terrible, but I don’t like fruits. Do you drink? Yes. Do you have unwanted facial hair? Nope. Do you know the difference between "possum" and "oppossum"?` No. Have you ever had a bird or a squirrel in your house? I’ve had countless birds sit on my windowsill, but they never went inside. We don’t have squirrels. What label would you give your clothing style? Soft girl, trendy, chic. How far away is the closest mall? Two minutes away from the main entrance of our village. How many gingers do you know? Zero. Do people often misspell your name? Yes, but I don’t make a fuss about it because to be fair, mine is the uncommon spelling of the name. I do get annoyed when people *who already know me* still misspell it, though. What is your sexual orientation? Demi. At least that’s the one that makes most sense to me in the meantime. I prefer not to put a label on myself.

Do you know another language? Yes indeed. Do you think sloths are cute? Sure, but there are cuter animals. Are you reading a book currently? Not at the moment, but I really should find another memoir to read. How many hours do you work a week? 0. How high off the ground is your bed? Idk, it’s standard bed height lol. It’s high enough for me not to allow Cooper to start jumping off of it yet, but low enough for my feet to reach the floor. Do you have a tv in your room? I used to; the PS3 also used to be in my room for some reason. Once we noticed that my brother would always come over my room to use my TV and the PS3, we just moved both things to his room. Do you wear a lot of plaid? I wore a plaid skirt everyday from kindergarten to high school. I don’t think I’ve worn plaid since. I didn’t end up hating the pattern but I do just need a fucking break from it lol What do you think about gauged ears? Personally not a fan. It makes me wince :( But like I always say, you do you. Do you text a lot? I used to, before the quarantine. There’s no reason to get load now that I’m just at home all day, all week, and all month, so I’ve stopped texting indefinitely. How often do you go camping? I’ve never even been. What is the cutest breed of dog? I find all of them cute except for chihuahuas and pugs. I also feel bad for some mixed-breeds like golden retriever corgis... Do you own a cat? My sister used to. I never had one of my own. What are the initials of your high school? AA. What are your initials? RIAC. Do you do dishes by hand or dish washer? By hand. I don’t know any one Filipino house that has a dishwasher lol that’s definitely always been a first-world concept to me.

[lovemesomesurveys]

What website is it easy to spend too much time on? This one and YouTube. What’s been bothering you lately? Just the usual things. Do you ever get cravings for cheese? Yeah. I love cheese. I have at least one thing with cheese everyday, sometimes more. I eat Ramen every night and I like to add shredded cheese to it, so there’s one sure way I get my cheese intake. Do you ever crave affection? Yes. Would you name your baby after someone or give him/her his or her own name? I don’t plan on having kids.

Do you think boys can wear pink and girls can wear blue? It’s 2020, old sport. Get with it. Which hair curlers have you had the best luck with? I don’t use any hair curlers. What is the best way to curl your hair? I haven’t curled my hair in years, but whenever I did, which was rare, I just used a curling iron. Curling my hair never held up very well, though. Don’t you hate it when people act like idiots just to make you mad? I don’t have anyone in my life that does this currently, but yes it would drive me insane.  If you were thrown into a lion’s den, would you trust God to save you? Yes. I’d either survive or not, but either way I’d be fine because I do believe in heaven.  Do you wish you could call the police on the police? No. Do you write in cursive or print more? Print. I only use cursive to sign my name. Were you alive before the Internet came out? So, according to Google the very early stages actually began in 1983, but it wasn’t until 1990 that the internet we know, the world wide web, came to be. If we’re counting ‘83 then no, I wasn’t alive before it came out. If we’re talking 1990, then yes.  Do you like that trends from the 90’s are coming back in style? Yeah. I love the 90s and it seems a lot of people do as well. ….or would you rather have the trends stay the same as the last decade? I honestly don’t follow trends that much anymore, I’ll still like what I like regardless anyway, but it is cool that it changes and new things come about and old things come back around.  What was a horrible trend when you were in high school? Hmm. The scene style was really big when I was in high school and I’m sure people look back on that and cringe, but I liked it.  What is a horrible trend now? I don’t even know what’s trendy right now. What would you do differently if you were God? I don’t even want to entertain that idea. God is God. Have you ever met anyone who claimed to be God? No. If you had to leave the US and never come back, where would you move? I really don’t know. Would you buy a castle if you could afford one? Nah. What is something you aren’t ok with? Uhh, a lot of things. Like abuse of any kind to anyone, but child and animal abuse really hit hard because they don’t have a voice and they’re not really able to defend themselves. Do you fully trust anyone? Yes. How many true Christians do you know? Do you know any? I’ve met a lot of who I’d consider to be true, good Christians recently on the online bible study group I joined a few months ago. There’s Ty as well, but I haven’t seen or talked to him in a few years. :( Do you think someone’s value is based on how much money they have or make? Absolutely not. Would you rather be an aborted baby or a victim of child abuse? Jeez. What’s one trend you’re behind the times on? I don’t knowww. Do idiots act like know-it-alls a lot around you? I’ve known people who acted like know it alls, but didn’t really know shit if that’s what you mean. Do you think it’s ok to call an idiot an idiot? In some cases. I’m not referring to someone who might not be very book smart or something. That’s not an idiot at all. An idiot is someone who does very stupid and reckless things. Someone who chooses to be ignorant about certain things. 

If you had a child with down’s syndrome, would you keep him/her? I don’t plan on having children at all.

Don’t you wish people who weren’t qualified would stop getting handed leadership positions? Well, yeah.

Who is the worst plagiarizer you know? I don’t know any plagiarizers. 

If someone tried to murder your child, do you think it would be wrong to expose them publicly and talk about it on social media? Uh, that’s not even where my mind would go. That would be THE FURTHEST thing from my mind if someone tried to MURDER my child or any of my loved ones, wtf. My focus would be finding that person and getting them thrown in jail.

…Why do you think people think this is wrong? That just wouldn’t even be on my mind. 

Is there a toxic person that you miss? No.

Are you still contemplating going back to someone you shouldn’t? Nope. I’ve completely moved on from anyone I’ve had feelings for like that. 

What do you need right now Nothing at this very moment.

When was the last time you had a new crush? It’s been yearsss. Do you know any “Christians” who are rude and judgmental? Yes. It’s people like that who give Christians a bad name. People see that and think that’s the image of Christianity.

What would you do if your Bible was falling apart? I use an online version, actually. I do want to get a physical copy, though.

Do you have coffee with Jesus every morning? Typically, I make my coffee and then read the daily devotional that this one website posts. I’ve been kind of slacking a bit; though, and that’s not okay.

Do you pretend to be someone you’re not on facebook? Why or why not? No. I don’t see any reason to do that. This is who I am, folks.

Do you know anyone who pretends to be a Christian to get attention? No.

Do you want Jesus to come back soon? Yes.

Do you believe that Jesus is going to come back in your lifetime? No one knows when He will come, but we should be ready and looking.

Would you rather wear blue jeans or jeggings? Jeggings out of the two, but I’m just a regular leggings kind of gal.

What is the most comfortable type of pants ever? Leggings.

What is something you can’t wear because of your body type? I’m very self-conscious about wearing low cut tops, tank tops, crop tops, bathing suits, shorts, dresses (unless I have tights underneath), and any kind of opened toe shoes. I don’t wear any of that stuff. 

If you have curves, do you like them? I don’t have curves. I’d like to.

What is the curviest part of your body? I don’t have any. I’m very thin.

Have you ever been punished for doing the right thing? It felt that way.

How often do you cry? Often.

How many Christians do you know who actually care? I know many loving, caring Christians that truly want and do help others and do good.

Is Tumblr all that it’s hyped up to be? *shrug* I like it. I’m still here. I’ve been around since 2009 on my main account :O

At what age do you think someone is old enough to give advice? Uhh. I don’t know. Depends what type of advice. And also, just cause someone is older it doesn’t mean they should be giving advice. There’s just some types of people who shouldn’t be giving advice.

Have you ever worn matching pajamas with someone? My family and I do for Christmas.

What helps you fall asleep? ASMR.

Do you have a nighttime routine? I do surveys and watch YouTube.

What was the last mountain you climbed? Oh ya know, I’m always climbing mountains. Just another day for me. Just conquered Mt. Everest last week. No biggie.

Who is the fakest Christian you know? Why do you keep coming back to this?

Who are the fakest friends you’ve had? There have been a few.

Who’s the most narcissistic person you know? One of our family friends can be. :X

Who gives the best hugs? My doggo gives great cuddles.

Who was the last person you hugged? My mom.

[valiantleigh]

What I Learned From 5 Years of Minimalism

The Beginning of  a Learning Curve

It all started with clothes. Oh boy, the clothes that 14-year-old Brenna chose to wear. Walking into Rue 21, determined to make all my fashion dreams come true, I‌ [un]wisely chose 3 pairs of brightly colored skinny jeans⁠—electric blue, shockingly emerald green, and maroon⁠—and cheaply made circle scarves and tops to match. This was it. This is how I would gain the “oohs” and “ahhs” and admiration of my fellow trendy Freshmen at Parowan High.

Eventually, the glamour wore off. Frustrated, I realized that rare shades of spunky green could only match with so many things. Dressing fashionably was more of a chore than I had ever wanted it to be, and somehow I still didn’t measure up to the girls around me. How would I‌ ever be comfortable with how I looked and achieve the effortless style I longed for?

Enter minimalism⁠—the worldwide movement touting the universal benefits of decluttering, downsizing, and “less is more.” Capsule wardrobes and black and white outfits seemed like the perfect solution to my personal style dilemma, and at age 15 I proudly declared myself to be a “minimalist.”

(If you are not familiar with the term “minimalism”, this article, and this article both give a good overview.)

I‌ began to devour every piece of minimalist literature and media I could find. I strategically began buying clothing that was guaranteed to pair well each day. I was ruthless as I decluttered my belongings and challenged myself to thrive with only the things that were necessary. Everything had to go. Frivolity and excess became enemies to my ideal of perfection.

At one point, I was successfully dressing myself for school each day with only 3 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of shoes, and one jacket to my name. Decided pickiness and a limited budget didn’t allow for much more, but at that time it was all about the numbers. I was proud of myself for proving it was possible to “live with less.”

But minimalism isn't strictly about clothing. It's a way of life. Mistakenly, I began to pattern myself after the lifestyle I saw on other people’s blogs and YouTube channels, convincing myself that this was my best life. Minimalism changed a lot of things for me: how I‌ viewed my time, my dream [tiny] house I‌ would build in college (ha! not happening), constant dissatisfaction with the untidiness of any room that wasn’t mine, and even how I‌ lived the gospel. Clearing the excess left me feeling empty instead of whole.

It took a little while but I finally realized that I‌ don’t want the smallest home possible; I don’t want to grow all my food and live off the grid; I‌ don’t want to constantly obsess over having the “right” stuff. And white walls and furniture? Forget it! I’m gonna be a mama, after all.

What I Got Wrong

In the end, minimalism wasn’t the solution to all my problems. For a young girl who felt that having full control over every detail of her life would bring the peace she desired, maybe minimalism wasn’t the best thing. However, looking back I wouldn’t give up the lessons I‌ learned about the relationship between possessions and my individual worth. While there was certainly a time that I cut out too much in order to live the lifestyle I‌ thought would save me, I have now kept the best parts of that journey and found balance and joy in more fulfilling ways.

So what are the best parts of minimalism? A few years ago, I totally missed the mark on that score. “Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.” (theminimalists.com, emphasis added) I, however, was using this tool as a justification for striving for unattainable flawlessness.

While I recount my past misunderstandings concerning minimalism, my goal is to dissuade you from it’s vices, not it’s actual tenets. Younger Brenna was reading words between the lines that weren’t meant to be there in the first place.

In fact, nearly every minimalist influencer out there pleads that newbies to the movement avoid conforming to any one way of using minimalism, especially if it isn’t right for them.

According to Colleen Valles of No Side Bar, “the beauty of minimalism” is that “there are no standards.”

“Minimalism is not about following someone else’s rules or way of living as a minimalist,” offers Melissa of Simple Lionheart Life. “It’s about figuring out what is important to you and getting rid of everything that’s distracting you from the important stuff.”

As I made this mental shift from a sort of utopian/restrictive minimalism to a mindful/carefree minimalism, here’s a few lessons I picked up on:

Lesson 1: When you find out what is really important to you, you’ll actually want it, and have a clear path to get it.

In this busy, busy world there is so much to choose from. With all of these choices vying for our attention, decision fatigue eventually leads to self doubt and feelings of failure.

But do we really even want the things that we choose on a daily basis? Do we want to scroll through our Instagram for 6 hours a day? Do we want to impress people whose opinions don’t matter to us anyway? Do we want to avoid things that might challenge us just because it is safe and easy? No one, when making a list of their priorities in life, even thinks about these things. They don’t make the Top 100!

So ask yourself, “What do I really want? And what is stopping me from obtaining it?” When I talk about actually wanting something, that includes taking the necessary action to reach for it and then make it a reality. This is different than saying something is a priority, or knowing something should be important to us.

You don't really want it unless you act like you want it.

A powerful gift that we have been given from our God is our ability to choose. By realizing what you really want and don’t want for your life, daily decision-making won't necessarily become easier, but it will certainly be simpler.

In my own life, instead of wearing certain styles of clothes to fit in or measure up to someone else, I‌ wear them because I‌ want to. I dress modestly because I want to. I‌ wear my vintage mom jeans because I look dang good in them, and because I‌ want to.

Instead of counting how many objects I own in order to fit into some made up ideal, I‌ keep it to the necessities because I want to. I‌ want my stuff to be organized, so I organize it, not worrying about how unorganized other people’s stuff is (because people are more important than stuff).

Once I figured out what I‌ really wanted, my life truly became mine, not some miserable copy-cat existence. My biggest hope for you is to recognize just how much power you wield when you make the choice to choose what your life is going to be.

Lesson 2: You can’t have everything you want, but you can be content.

I know this seems counter-intuitive to "choose what you want in life." But hear me out.

I am a firm believer that when we decide to choose the important stuff, it invites those things into our lives like a magnet. But I also know that we can’t choose every situation, or heartache, or trial that becomes a part of our mortal journey.

I like to think that our freedom of choice falls into two categories: (1) the things we can control or influence, no questions asked, and (2) the things we can’t–in which case we still have full and complete control over our attitude, our outlook, our reaction, and how we cope with what is placed before us.

My decision to be a minimalist was born out of discontent. I‌ just wanted more, more, more, because I didn’t feel like I was enough. But today, I’m here to tell you, that whatever you do have–whether it’s less or more–you can be content, and even grateful, right where you are. You are enough, and all that surrounds you is enough.

Even after all my talk of action and knowing what you want, I know that sometimes there is no amount of action that can change what our reality is right now. Some of our desires only come to fruition after we’ve been reaching for a very long time.

Remember those two categories of choices? I‌ think that they can be separated by time as well. The first category, the things we can control, are all in the future, at some later date. And while we wait, we make the category two choices: our attitude, how we view our situation. Contentedness is “satisfaction with things as they are.”

Plainly stated, we will never be happy or fulfilled with what we have in the future if we don’t accept our current situation–the “right now.”

What I am trying to say is this: maybe you want x but you need y. You want a clean home, but you need less stuff. You want freedom, but you need to take charge of your choices. You want peace, but you need to make space for it by letting go of something first. You want to be productive, but you need to measure your success differently.

After you know what you want, being content in your day-to-day existence–with yourself, your situation, your stuff, and the people around you–is the best way to love the journey while you reach for your desires.

Lesson 3: Money matters, but not in the way the world tells you.

Long before minimalism, I‌ learned my most important lesson about money management from paying tithing. Giving 10-percent of my earnings to the Lord–as a act of faith and obedience–has always multiplied the other 90-percent.

Minimalism taught me how to more effectively use that 90-percent. It’s easy to think that we are free to spend money just because we have it. I have been shopping for about 5 out of 20 years that I've been alive, and every purchase that ended up not working out in the way that I expected–whether I‌ was expecting increased happiness, popularity, or some easy fix to a deeper problem–was a lesson about treating my money well.

When you treat your money with kindness, it will treat you kindly too. So be nice to your money. Think carefully before you use it. Save some of it to show that you appreciate it. Invest it in something for the future. Spend it on that which is good and wholesome–especially the things and the people you treasure. But in all of your budgeting, don’t be too stingy with it. Money will ebb and flow through your life. Treat yourself! Use it as a tool to improve your life and lives around you. The mistakes you make with money will always be lessons for the future. Money is forgiving when you try to mend your ways; all it takes is some time.

Livin’ the Slow Life

I‌ hope you realize how recently these lessons took full effect for me. It didn’t happen right at first, or even all at once.

Over time, I’ve come to distance myself from the world of minimalism. I‌ no longer pour over articles from minimalist bloggers. I‌ know enough, and it sits well with me. Still, minimalism has been a big part of my growth, and I can’t pretend like it never happened.

Now that I know myself and my stuff a little bit better, I’ve decided to call what I do “slow living.” With a quick internet search you will find that there is certainly a slow movement going on, with decades of history behind it, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm just doing what works for me (and borrowing the term). How I approach productivity, money, and how I spend my time is largely influenced by minimalism, but recently it’s become something all it's own. (Of course, I’ve always been influenced by the gospel of Jesus Christ.) Right now, I’m just focused on “embracing my pace.” And I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

Live valiant leigh,

Brenna

[Originally posted on September 3, 2019]

[thatwitchglenda]

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Glenda Calliope Chittock  PRONUNCIATION:  /ˈɡlɛndə  ka-LYE-oh-pee MEANING: Fair and good; beautiful voice REASONING: Glenda was a sort of ‘pick a name, any name’ sort of choice. Calliope is her paternal grandmothers name. NICKNAME(S): Glen, G  PREFERRED NAME(S): She doesn’t really prefer nicknames to her full name, so really it’s up to whoever is talking to her.  BIRTH DATE: October 3, 2000 AGE: 19 ZODIAC: Libra GENDER: Female PRONOUNS: She/her ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Heteromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Heterosexual  NATIONALITY: English ETHNICITY: Colombian/Mexican CURRENT LOCATION: While she’s shared a flat with Amelia in muggle London for some time, the two girls are currently in the process of moving to the Peakes. LIVING CONDITIONS: See above ^ TITLE(S): n/a

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: Mould-on-the-Wold HOMETOWN:  Mould-on-the-Wold, a quiet all wizarding village  SOCIAL CLASS: Middle class EDUCATION LEVEL: Hogwarts. While the end of her 7th year was interrupted, Glenda was in the process of and has since completed NEWT examination 

BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood, although her family is so far down the ranks it doesn’t say much.  FATHER: Augustine Chittock MOTHER: Collette Chittock nee Alderton SIBLING(S): None BIRTH ORDER: n/a CHILDREN: n/a PET(S): None. She never got one when she went to Hogwarts, but she’s been thinking about getting a cat for some time.  OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: Honestly, the Chittock’s have very little family outside their immediate circle PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: Peter Pettigrew ARRESTS?: None PRISON TIME?: N/a

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: Working as Sienna Rowle’s stylist/assistant SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: Sponsorship through her podcast CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: Very content. The podcast and getting to work with people she really admires is basically a dream come true for her. Working with Sienna, on the other hand, is just super fun? She actually really enjoys it and she can’t deny that the benefits of the job (ie pretty great pay, tagging along on trips, etc is awesome as well) PAST JOB(S): Internship at the WWN SPENDING HABITS: She used to spend way more than she has. Now she can actually afford to buy the things she likes but really she’s just... lowkey a shopaholic? She likes to shop, she loves to buy things for other people.  MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: 

SKILLS & ABILITIES

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: English  DRIVE?: Barely. Her family does own a car, simply because they live outside of London and relying on the floo and apparition constantly just isn’t an option. But she never properly learned how to drive? She’s driven it maybe a handful of times and is basically an old lady at the wheel.  JUMP-STAR A CAR?: LOL  CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: Definitely not  RIDE A BICYCLE?: Yes SWIM?: Yes PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: She used to play the piano fairly well but she hasn’t touched one since she was at least fifteen. It’s unlikely she could do more than a few cords and a few songs burned into memory.  PLAY CHESS?: Nope BRAID HAIR?: Yes, she loves to braid her hair! Her mum used to dutch braid her hair every night before bed and so she usually sleeps in braids out of habit? Girl likes her braids.  TIE A TIE?: Yes, she learned before Hogwarts on her father. Frankly, he liked to pretend that he couldn’t, it was very cute but also pretty horrifying until she got the hang of it.  PICK A LOCK?: She probably thinks she’d be able to do so with a bobby pin if she tried (thanks to all those muggle films), but thankfully, there’s alohamora. 

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: Cierra Ramirez EYE COLOR: Dark brown HAIR COLOR: Dark brown, almost black HAIR TYPE/STYLE: She’s always kept it fairly long and can pretty much count the times she’s cut her hair in her life. Depending on her mood she’ll straighten it or just curl it; but Glenda’s gotten pretty decent at updos in the last year or so. She’ll throw in the occasional space buns or whatnot.  GLASSES/CONTACTS?:  Glasses but really only for reading far away/watching television. At Hogwarts she constantly forgot to take them to class with her, which often resulted in needing to take notes from whoever was sitting next to her. She’s gotten much better at wearing them when she actually needs them.  DOMINANT HAND: Right handed HEIGHT: 5′1″ or 155 cm WEIGHT: We don’t need to know that  BUILD: Petite/curvy EXERCISE HABITS: Honestly, she doesn’t really go to the gym unless someone forces her to go with them. Back at school when Amelia was on the quidditch team, the girls would regularly work out together. Now she more so relies on youtube videos and a yoga mat to get a workout done in her room TATTOOS: None, although she’s not opposed  PIERCINGS: She’s had the standard lobe piercings for as long as she can remember, but has gotten some over the years. Two on each lobe, as well as her helix and tragus on one side, and rook on the other.  MARKS/SCARS: Most of her scrapes were healed before they ever got a chance to scar; but she does have one particularly notable one on the back of her neck. Not having listened to her mum, she’d hurt herself and terrified of getting in trouble, had hidden the pretty large cut away. Sadly, it had resulted in dittany not being used soon enough.  NOTABLE FEATURES: None USUAL EXPRESSION: LOL let’s just say resting bitch face.  CLOTHING STYLE: Honestly, it’s always changing. Glenda’s super into what’s trendy and ‘in’ and her style really reflects that. She loves bright colors and things that make her stand out (especially given that she’s so short), and her staple is heels. She honestly almost always has some sort of heel on.  JEWELRY: She basically always wears her mothers necklace that was given to her before leaving for Hogwarts. It’s a pretty simple design, just a small pendant with a tiny wildflower in resin. Earrings are also a staple for her, she rarely takes them out and is always sporting something. ALLERGIES: Pollen, latex, dogs. Sad. DIET: She’ll literally try anything once  PHYSICAL AILMENTS: None to make note of

PSYCHOLOGY

MORAL ALIGNMENT: True Neutral TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine PRIMARY INTELLIGENCE TYPE: Musical Intelligence  APPROXIMATE IQ: 121 MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: None SOCIABILITY: Emotive  PHOBIA(S): Touching raw cotton, spiders ADDICTION(S): At most her phone DRUG USE: Occasionally will smoke some weed but more socially than anything else ALCOHOL USE: Again occasionally and as a social thing PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: Not really. Although she might want to sometimes, Glenda’s never actually hit anyone

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: Very casual QUIRKS: Her height, she’s so short. She talks pretty loudly and very quickly compared to others, she’s definitely that person that you have to remind to speak quieter sometimes. Very extroverted HOBBIES: Roller skating, baking HABITS: She has pretty much the same wake up routine? Cannot function without making some tea in the morning.  NERVOUS TICKS: Lip nibbling. So much lip nibbling. When she’s uncomfortable or nervous or basically anything other than neutral.   She also tends to wring her hands when she’s nervous and she’ll fiddle with her rings or any jewelry she might have on. DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: Honestly, she’s just always trying to one-up herself. It’s not that she necessarily has to prove anything to anyone accept herself.  FEARS: Being mediocre. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she’s terrified of people hating or disliking her when she does actually put herself out there. POSITIVE TRAITS: NEGATIVE TRAITS: SENSE OF HUMOR: DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: Not too much, but she doesn’t mind cursing and regularly does so CATCHPHRASE(S): None, really? 

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: Listening to music tbh.  ANIMAL: To have? Cats. To just like admire? Sloths, man.  BEVERAGE: Tea COLOR: Pink DESIGNER: Marc Jacobs FOOD: Straight up just some farfalle with pesto and loaded with pine nuts. Topped with some parm. Amazing.  FLOWER: Daffodils  GEM: Amethyst  HOLIDAY:  Halloween MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: Apparition  MOVIE: Ever After MUSICAL ARTIST: Tove Lo maybe? Stevie Nicks? SCENERY: Some pretty fucking mountains, man.  SCENT: Woodsy, musky scents. Or rose.  SPORT: Honestly, none SPORTS TEAM: ^^^  TELEVISION SHOW: Superstore, Arrested Development. ...Greys Anatomy WEATHER: Snow!!  VACATION DESTINATION: She’s gone nowhere really, like, she’s been on one holiday because of Sienna and so I don’t think she actually has a favorite. 

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: That her podcast really, really takes off. That she becomes properly relevant in the music industry as someone who genuinely has something to say.  GREATEST FEAR: Irrelevance, but also loneliness. She doesn’t want to base anything of herself on love or relationships but she definitely has this fear of ultimately being alone. Or not even being alone, but being lonely.  MOST AT EASE WHEN: In her room, hanging out with her best friends and listening to music. It’s peaceful, it’s happy.  LEAST AT EASE WHEN: In a new environment with new people that she doesn’t necessarily know or trust. She’s not necessarily uncomfortable, but she’s more on guard than in any other situation.