#ok i only saw the first pic in the art blast

[alteredsilicone]

Warframe- Whispers In The Walls by Alaric Antos

[clotpolesonly]

To Be A King - start to finish!

i finally did it!! this was my goal from day one, the entire reason i decided to take up bookbinding as a hobby in the first place! i had made noise about wanting to get this particular fic of mine  printed and bound before through what companies offered such services, and my mom and sister tried really hard to make that happen for me, but it proved fraught with peril lol. so when i mentioned having seen a tutorial for how to bind it DIY, they were like “heck yeah, why don’t you do that?”

so i did!

i’ll put the process and progress pics under a cut:

ok so this took me FOREVER AND A DAY to typeset, despite it being, ya know, my fic. mostly just because of length (127k) but also because it’s from 2013, my writing style has improved, and i couldn’t stand to not do editing throughout. i think i cut out about 3-4k and added 1-2k back, haha. despite lowering the word count, the page count actually went up because of how many big paragraphs i broke up into smaller paragraphs XD

i saw the pretty cover art that other binders were making and figured i should jump on the bandwagon. i think it’s pretty neat.

anyway, it ended up 552 pages in total, for 23 signatures

it’s a CHONK

the printer pulled through two pages together three times, which meant i had to reformat and reprint those pages. i already figured out how to do that without too much struggle, so that was okay. more concerning was that i accidentally managed to reverse the page numbers in one chapter only. that was a huge pain in the ass. had to go back, fix the problem, print to PDF, and get just those two signatures printed out independently. twas an ordeal, but it got did.

sewed on 4 tapes. i’m getting the hang of measuring and marking the holes, i think, which is good cuz i struggled with that on my first few books. i’ve also had very tight sewing so far. i had to be very conscious to keep things looser this time because i knew i wanted to round this book and i wouldn’t be able to do that if the kettle stitches were too tight. i did reasonably well! still had a few signatures that were a bit looser than others, but no big problem areas.

borrowed a hammer from my mother to do that rounding with. gotta tell ya, folks, hitting my precious book with a hammer made me very nervous alfkdjgh BUT I DID IT. it looks decent, but when measured, there’s a full quarter inch difference between the head and tail, lmao. it’s not all that noticeable when you’ve got the book in hand but it sure made some things tricky.

i went through the process of making a hollow spine!! which, while a nice thought, didn’t really pan out with the rounded spine. i need to try it again with a flatback. but now at least i’ve tried it out and have a better idea of how the process works, for next time.

the spine rounding was a struggle, lmao. all the guides sait to use bristol board for rounded spines instead of chipboard like the covers, so i googled for bristol board and ordered what came up first. but this bristol board is barely more flexible than the chipboard. it was a BITCH to round. i had to get it significantly wet, press it aggressively against a table edge to get it start bending, then wrap it around a cardboard tube, secure it with 8 rubber bands, and then blast it with a hairdryer. but hell if that bitch didn’t come out fucking ROUND and STAYING that way, lol. and also, conveniently, just about the perfect curve to fit.

now we get to the part where i’m a dumbass with no common sense. ok so my mom has a picture framing shop, and the shop next door to hers is an embroidery shop!! and mom, having heard all my bitching about not being able to put titles on my spines through various means, suggested that i might able to have my bookcloth embroidered. so i gave her a sample of the bookcloth i was planning to use for this project, dimensions guesstimated, and she traded some free picture framing to have my title embroidered.

it turned out pretty damn cool, as can be seen in that first picture up top ^^ i definitely wanted to use this and couldn’t swap the bookcloth out for anything else or re-cut it without sacrificing the awesome embroidered title.

so i get to the point of constructing my case, and i’m getting the exact measurements so i can make sure this bookcloth is trimmed down to the correct size now that i have the text block made up. and i forget to include the hinge gap (surprise, surprise). i trim this bookcloth down to about an inch thinner than it should be. so i think to myself “that’s fine, i was already being generous with my hinge gap, i can afford to halve the distance, make it less obvious that i fucked it up.

what i did not take into account (because i am a dumbass with no common sense) is that my cover boards were measured taking that initial hinge gap measurement into consideration, and making it smaller would drag the boards closer to the spine and completely eat up my fore edge square.

i go to fit my text block into my prepared case and, lo and behold, the pages are longer than the fucking boards alfkdhgj

only by a millimeter or so and, because the book is rounded, only at the outer edges. it doesn’t tank the book or anything, but boy do i feel stupid for it, hahaha. i trimmed the pastedown by a centimeter so that i could glue it down like normal and still have some space all around it and left the rest alone since there wasn’t really anything to be done about it without starting over from step 1.

the casing in went off without a hitch, made considerably easier by the rounded spine since things couldn’t slip around like they did with my last book.

here’s the round of the spine, looking pretty darn good. barely even noticeable that the boards are too short XD

this wasn’t the cover paper i was originally intending to use for this book, but then i was browsing the scrapbook aisle at Michaels and was like OOOOOH. textured and shiny silver, very majestic and kingly and whatnot. i’ll admit, this front side is actually upside down......again, no common sense, didn’t think anything of cutting out the cover pieces identically until i had to flip one over and went “...oh”

BUT IT’S STILL PRETTY COOL

and strangely enough, this might be what i’m proudest of, lmao. i bought some thin dowels and used those to make sure the hinges were super crisp!!! it looks awesome and i’m obsessed XD

so there we have it!! my magnum opus is officially in book form. even with the measuring snafu, i’m pretty darn proud of how it turned out. and it’s really fucking cool and satisfying to be able to hold this one in my hands. i will inevitably re-print and re-bind it someday in the future, when i’m more experienced and can do everything juuuust right, but i’m pretty proud of this as a fourth ever book bound.

big thanks to the folks over at the @renegadepublishing​ discord for being a great support system, sounding board, and cheerleading team (and for listening to me fret over every step along the way, lmao)! the real MVPs <3

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 24 - The more its restored, the less like the original it becomes.

K: This is Dir en grey's Kaoru, starting this episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe san, Tasai san, welcome....*points to Joe with his bare leg showing*..Errr, are you hot?

J: No, I mean, its hot isn't it?

K: Yeh, it is.

J: How do you feel about Summer? Im really bad with Summer!

K: Well, I don't like the heat, but I don't really go outside all that much.

J: Really? By the way, what are your favourite seasons, Kaoru?

K: Autumn and Spring.

J: Well, yeh right? Which do you hate the most? Winter or Summer?

K: Im really sensitive to hot and cold.

J: Oh really?!

K: But, hmm, which one? Maybe Summer is better.

J: Summer is better? Ehh? But in the winter you can always put on extra clothes if you are cold..but in Summer...we have our limits, right?  Summer is...

K: Can't you just put the aircon on?

J: I do...but..

K: If you go outside, right?

J: Outside is also hot, and if you leave the aircon on constantly inside, you'll catch a cold. Its hard, I really don't like summer at all!

T: Haha

J: You're also limited in what you can eat, right? You have no appetite, you get bored of eating soumen noodles every day.

K: Yeh, that does get boring.

J: In winter you can have big hot pots, and all sorts!

K: I eat hot pots in the summer too.

J: Really?!

T: Ehh?

J: Incredible! Ah, but on the other hand, yes, that kinda works.

T: Wouldn't you feel cooler? After eating it?

K: I feel hot.

J: You feel hot? haha.

K: Hahaha

J: Its is hot!

K: I get really hot! Haha

T: Do you eat it with the aircon blasting?

K: Well, even with the aircon blasting, I still sweat a lot.

J: Its hot, right? But doing that feels good? Conversely?

K: What have you been eating?

J: Salad, basically.

K: Did you say you were on a diet?

J: Yeh, my belly is getting round.

K: Weren't you going to the gym?

J: I am going to the gym!

K: Haha.

J: I started with squats, and when I lifted up, it was so hard*1.

K: Hahaha

J: My muscles hurt a lot today. I can't walk up the stairs.

T: Hahaha

K: At 50, you're like...

J: Getting my teeth out...

K: Getting your teeth out..

T: Doing squats...

J: Yeh, well im divorced, and im aiming to remarry, so this is my last spurt. If I havn't reached my goal by age 55...

K: You've entered a plan to reform yourself?

J: Yes, I have.

T: Joe, you're young!

J: If I havn't managed it by 55, I'll give up...*gestures to camera* So, please,  everyone.

K: Why are you smiling?

T: Hahaha

J: I've kinda been wanting to do that.

K: Hahaha

J: Lets cut that bit.

K: No, we'll show it

J: Hahaha

K: We won't cut it, haha. Ok, Joe san. Today's news please.

J: Yes, this is today's news. We talked about this news a little bit once on the radio show, didn't we?

K: Yeh, we did.

J: Right? Well this is news about how "The more it was restored, the less like the original it became". So in Spain, its been disovered that  an amatuer tried to re-touch a famous work of art, and failed twice. The altered work is a oil painting copy of the 17th century piece by the Spanish Baroque artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The title of the work is, 'The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables'. The owner of this piece, an art collecter based in Valencia, who paid 1200 euros for it, had requested an employee of a furniture repair company to clean the painting. But during the cleaning, the Virgin Mary's face changed. After not one, but two restoration attempts, the painting was completely ruined, and the owner was apparently very angry. So, if you search for it, you will be able to find the images online. We can't show you them here due to the issue of image rights (*On screen text: Search for Spain painting restoration*). But...yehh..

T: Its incredible, isn't it?

J: This is shocking!

K: They weren't looking at how the picture is supposed to be, were they?

T: *Looking at his paper* Is the top picture the first restoration attempt?

K: Yeh, the one on the left is the original state, and on the right is the first restoration.

J: The top right, yeh.

*Lots of giggling*

J: This has zero sense of Maria! It looks like some vandalism.

K: Its looks like those pictures they stick up outside the police box *2

J: This first attempt is bad enough...

K: Its terrible, really bad!

J: But it generally still fits with the original Maria's line of gaze, right?

K: Yeh, but like, you can see the whites of her eyes. The top half is totally black.

J: If this is restoration work, it means they took money for it?

T: ??? *3

J: Really!

K: How did they actually do it though? Normally you have to use a matching colour to the original, and just do it like this, right?*imitates dabbing paint finely*

J: I think so.

K: But it seems like this person has just gone like "Gahhh' *imitates waving a paintbrush around roughly*

J: They re-painted it, right?

K: They are just slapping paint on, you can't see much detail.

J: Re-writing it! Its terrible!

K: They were somehow trying to remember what it used to look like.

J: At least they could have taken a photo..

K: Without that, this third try is never gonna work.

J: Everyone, please search for these images online. The third image is shocking!

T: The second pic is still looking upwards and kinda has a bit of the orininal feel to it, but the third pic is just staring straight forward!

K: Its the same person who did them both, right?

Kami: Um..I just..

J: Ah, Kami is here.

Kami: Um, I had a look at it, but where did her clothes go?

J: Huh? (*looks at paper*) Ohh, her clothes?

Kami: Yeh.

J: In the original, the area from Maria's chest and up is visible, but by the third picture, the clothes cover up to her head. This is awful!

T: Its scary, isn't it?

J: This is...well, where is the real problem? Even this kind of person has the authority to do restorations, even people at this level.

K: I dont know if they had the authority, they were just asked.

Kami: Yeh, the owner asked a furniture business to do it.

J: Yeh, someone from the furniture business came to restore it.

Kami: If you ask a furniture store to do it, this kind of result can't be helped.

K: For sure. ????*4

Kami: Maria got really ugly.

T: Ahh, I see! Originally, they were supposed to be just cleaning it right? Like, removing the dust.

J: Yeh, that might have been it. Like the painting was deteriorating, and in order to stop it getting worse, or something like that. They must have thought it was ok to go ahead and re-paint it.

K: The person who did it was quite eldery weren't they?

J: Ahh, I see.

T: This is crazy

J: But after seeing their first try, they should have given up trying to fix it for a second time. Somehow, that would've been better.

K: The owner shouldn't ask the same person to fix it, right?

J: Right!

K: But, well, it won't go back to its original state will it?

J: No, it won't.

K: Even if a new person could get to back to this (*points at the first restoration attempt*)

J: ??? Its like hell if you keep going, and hell if you stop. In the end, its like ??? *5, it would be no good...Well, its an impressive thing.

K: Yeh, but imagine if you wanted to keep viewing the painting, as for the first restoration,   if you look at it from far away, it kiiinda still resembles the original a bit. But the second one is no good at all.

J: Yeh, its no good. In the first one you can kinda still see that they were trying to paint the virgin mary, but in the second restoration, it looks like an old woman..not even a proper portrait.

T: Her nose is well defined though, haha.

J: Well, yeh...Isn't the Virgin Mary a friend of Kami's?

Kami: Well, the one in the original is my friend. The third one is totally different.

J: Its no good?

K: That kind of old woman, really.

J: Do you consider this to be a profanity? Is this ok?

Kami: Well, its ok, isn't it?

J: Hahaha.

Kami: That kind of thing.

J: Ah, its ok.

Kami: The original is really well painted isn't it?

T: Mm, yeh.

Kami: Yeh, I think its a really good picture.

K: Its a copy though right? There is someone who painted this as a copy?

T: Yeh, there is a proper original.

K: It would be pretty expensive to hire that person to fix it, right?

J: I think they were trying to save money. 140000yen was too much for them. I wonder how much it usually costs to have a painting decently restored? How much did they save?

K: It probably takes quite a long time to do.

T: I think it takes a really long time.

J: Yeah. Well, when they saw how it ended up, it says the owner was angry, well, yeh, he would be angry wouldn't he?

K: Yeh, he would. Cause its his precious painting that he just wanted cleaning.

J: Yes, thats it.

K: I can only laugh at this, haha. Its a total disaster, really.

T: It really is.

J: Well, the lesson to learn from this is that a ricecake maker makes ricecakes. If you want anything repairing properly, hire a professional..otherwise this type of thing will happen.

T: Thats it.

J: Don't be stingy!

T: Its problematic if they pretend to be a pro, then take your money. But in this case they were just a furniture store.

J: Asking a furniture store to do it was the mistake. Why did they ask a furniture store?

T: But they still said, 'Yes, we can do it', right?

J: Hmm, yeah.

K: They had the look of someone who could do it. The owner was fooled.

J: Its like 'The Guild', they may have had the look of a craftsperson. You have to be careful with appearance too.

K: Well, I think we'll finish here. Please subscribe. Thank you very much.

J: Go Hanshin Tigers!

*1, 2 Couldn't make out the last words, but i think its something like this.

*3, 4, 5 Couldn't make out.

[robinrunsfiction]

Ok I’ve had this idea in my head for weeks and I trust you to write it. Person A: I’m in love with (person B)?! Why didn’t you tell me? Revenge Frank x reader during warped tour. Where the reader does merch for either my chem or another band and she’s kinda girlier (soft emo? Idk) and frank keeps finding excuses to talk to her and the band keeps teasing him about it. Just lots of awkward but cute fluffiness. Sorry it’s so long I’ve had this idea for weeks and can’t get it out of my head.

Summer of Like, Summer of Love 

Pairing: Frank Iero x Female ReaderRating: GeneralRequested By: @scrolling-my-life-awayWord Count: ~2,400Author’s Note:I love this request because I’m biased toward the early to mid-2000s as this is when I discovered FOB, MCR, all of them really! Also this request gave me an excuse to look at pre-hiatus FOB pics, revenge era MCR, and my own facebook photos for inspo! Also a little background Petekey for fun!

On the 2005 Warped Tour, the heat of the summer sun bakedeveryone alive during the day, and the parties revived everyone at night andtonight was no exception. You were only about a week into your first majortour, running the merch booth for the hottest new band, Fall Out Boy. You weresipping on a cup of stale beer as you looked around at all the band members,roadies and groupies who were partying after the last sets of the nightfinished.

You tried to pick out anyone you recognized when suddenlyyou thought you spotted a face that looked familiar. There were tons of bandsyou loved on the tour, but more than any other band, you really wanted to meetthe guys from My Chemical Romance, and you thought you saw them across the way.You could have sworn for a second Frank was even looking your way.

“Hey, (YN), wanna go grab some food?” Your cousin Patrickasked, seeming to appear out of thin air.

“Jesus, Trick, you really have to scare me like that?” Youjumped.

“Sorry, you wanna go grab something to eat or not?”

“Yea, I suppose,” you said setting your mostly empty cup ona table before following Patrick toward the van waiting to take the band out toget dinner.

From across the parking lot, Frank watched you walk away.

“Hey Mikes, what’s that one band you can’t shut up about?”

Mikey thought for a second. “You mean Fall Out Boy?”

“Yea, we should check them out tomorrow.”

~

The next day Frank, Mikey and Gerard were standing just offstage as Fall Out Boy performed.

“Who are you looking for?” Gerard asked as he watched Franklooking around at everyone but the band on stage.

“No one,” Frank replied snapping back to attention. “I’ll beright back,” he replied wandering off.

“Wasn’t this his idea?” Gerard asked his brother whoseattention was glued to the band, specifically the bassist on stage. “Never mind,”he muttered to himself.

Frank’s suspicion was correct. The girl he had spotted thenight before was singlehandedly working the Fall Out Boy merch booth, but atthe moment she wasn’t busy since all the fans were watching the band play.

“Hi, what can I- oh my God, you’re Frank Iero. Sorry, I justlove your music,” you gushed, blushing crimson.

Frank laughed and looked down to keep from blushing himself.He was used to girls fawning over him, throwing themselves at him, but this wasdifferent. He was certain you were the cutest thing he had ever seen.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Umm, what’s your name?”

“(YN),” you replied. “Sorry, again, you just startled me.”

He laughed again. “Are you gonna be at the party tonight?”

“Yea, usually am,” you replied, starting to notice peoplewere standing back, looking at the merch. “I’ll see you there?”

“Yea, I’ll see ya,” Frank said before waving and headingback to the backstage area before he got mobbed by fans.

~

Knowing that Frank was probably going to come talk to you atthe party tonight, you decided to put a little more effort into yourappearance. You had been avoiding wearing makeup during the day, since it wouldjust melt off in the heat, but now you made yourself up, and pulled on a pinktank top and a denim mini skirt.

You found Patrick and Joe by one of the kegs and Patrickpoured you a beer. You talked for a while before Pete and My Chemical Romancearrived. Everyone introduced themselves and you couldn’t help but notice Frankhad come to stand over by you.

“(YN), you need a refill?” Patrick asked.

“No, I’m good thanks,” you replied as some more people cameover and started talking. You spotted a picnic table close by and sat down.Much to your delight, Frank followed.

“So, is that your boyfriend?” Frank asked almost shyly.

“Patrick? Oh my God, no! He’s my cousin! He got me the jobmanaging the merch booth because I just graduated college and don’t have a jobyet.”

Frank tried to keep his cool and not let a relieved smilewash over his face. “Oh, sweet. What did you major in?”

“Marketing with a minor in graphic design. It was kind of amiddle ground. My parents would pay for school if I majored in something Icould get a job with.”

“So, what do you wanna do with it?”

You sighed. “I dunno, maybe get a job at an ad agency or-”

“No no, not what do your parents want you to do, what do youwanna do?” He asked, looking dead in your eyes. You stared back, a slow smilecreeping across your face. You were surprised he was able to see through yoursafe, but boring response.

“I wanna design band merch, and logos, and album art, all ofit. That’s why Patrick put me up for this job, he knows I’ve been obsessed withthis for years.”

Frank smiled once he heard the truth spill from your lips.“That’s so cool, I’d love to see your work some time.”

You shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I have a sketch bookback in the bus I could show you.”

“Hey (YN), Frank, we’re going to a party, wanna come?” Peteshouted before Frank could reply.

“Wanna go?” Frank asked you.

“Sure, I could use a change of scenery.”

~

The party was at an over-full house, and most of the peoplein attendance were from the tour as well. The stench of stale beer and weedwafted through the air as music blasted through speakers.

“So much for a change of scenery,” you muttered as youfollowed the gang through the crush of bodies.

“Should have stayed outside, it was cooler out there,” youheard Ray comment behind you.

“Come on,” Frank said taking the lead, charging through thecrowd toward the back of the house. Soon you had escaped into the backyard andinto fresh air.

“This is better,” you commented, straightening your skirt.

Both bands assembled outside around a fire pit that someonehad started but left unattended. Gerard and Andy watched over their friendslike two sober babysitters as everyone got drinks and sat around the fire. Youfound a lawn chair and got comfortable. You weren’t sure if you should try tojump into a conversation, but again Frank made his way to you, pulling up hisown chair.

“Is this your first time being on tour?” Frank asked.

“Yea, I’ve worked some of their local shows and helped makeshirts for them and stuff, but this is the first time I’ve gotten out on theroad. It’s such a different experience. Do you like it?”

“Yea, being in front of the crowds is amazing, but anytime Ican do anything with music I’m happy.”

“Being on this tour I’ve seen a lot of awesome bands, butyou guys are the best. Like, your energy on stage is incredible,” you toldFrank.

“Thanks,” he replied with a grin, again looking down,feeling a blush on his cheeks.

As you and Frank talked, you both leaned closer together, withyou occasionally getting up the nerve to place your hand on his arm, and hewould look you in the eyes adoringly. Neither of you quite believing what youwere experiencing between you.

“Do you think they see what’s going on between them?” Gerardasked.

“I have no idea,” Ray replied with a laugh as he tookanother swig of his beer.

“Just don’t think you can steal our merch girl, she’s the onlyone who can put up with them,” Andy said nodding to his band mates.

“As long as Pete doesn’t runaway with Mikey,” Gerard said with a laughand a glance toward the bassists who had wandered off from the group.

~

It had been a couple weeks since the start of the tour and Frank wasstill going out of his way to hang out with you when he could, and your crush onhim was as strong as ever. Even though so many people looked at you and how youdressed, or did your hair, and thought you didn’t belong with the punk or emo scene,Frank made you feel like you belonged because he looked past that and got toknow you. And as Frank got to know you, his feelings deepened for you as well.

You had been in your bunk, listening to music as you drew inyour sketchbook when you heard Mikey and Pete leaving the back of the bus.

“Wait, Mikey, are you going back to your bus?” You asked,scrambling off your bed.

Mikey stopped almost out the door. “Yea, why?”

You handed him the folded piece of paper. “Its just a designidea I thought Frank might like,” you explained.

Mikey smiled knowingly. “Sure.”

When Mikey arrived back at the My Chemical Romance bus, hefound Frank reading in the back.

“Here,” Mikey said handing his band mate the piece of paper.

“What is it?”

“Its from (YN),” the words barely left Mikey’s mouth beforeFrank snatched the paper from him, a grin forming on his face.

“Oh this is so cool,” he said in awe.

“What is it?” Gerard asked as he and Ray came into the backof the bus.

“(YN) made something for Frank,” Mikey answered.

“It’s a cool design of my name,” he said still studying thedetails around the letters of his name, running his fingers over the lines. “Ishould write her a song to thank her,” he thought aloud, momentarily forgettinghis band mates presence.

“Damn Frank you’ve really fallen for this girl,” Ray saidwith a laugh.

“What? No, she’s just super cool, and really cute, andalways smells good and she’s easy to talk to.”

“And you never stop smiling when she’s around, and she’s allyou can talk about when she isn’t, and you wanna write a song for her,” Gerardsmiled, hoping his friends mind would go where he was leading.

Frank sat for a moment and then a look of realization washedover him. “I’m in love with (YN)? Why didn’t you tell me?” Frank exclaimed.

“I think you’re the only person who never noticed,” Mikeylaughed.

“What am I gonna do?”

“Ask her out like a normal human being?” Ray suggested.Frank shot him a look that said that was the stupidest thing he had ever heard.“What? It’s really not that big of a deal. I mean, I could ask her out if Iwanted to.”

“No!” Frank shouted, jumping up. “I’m gonna do it.”

~

It was nearing the fourth of July, so almost everyone whoshouldn’t have been allowed near explosives had purchased fireworks. Frank was scanning the crowd nervously looking for you. Thenhe spotted you looking uncomfortable with some guy talking to you. You caught Frank’seye and felt relief wash over you as he came your way.

“Frank! There you are!” You said jumping up and wrappingyour arms around him. To your surprise he hugged you back just as tightly. Overyour shoulder Frank glared at the guy who had been talking to you and he tookthe hint to get lost.

“Thanks for that, he was really bothering me,” you said whenhe pulled back and saw the guy was gone.

“Its no biggie,” he replied smiling. “I got your design bythe way, it’s amazing, thank you.”

“No problem. I still gotta show you my whole sketchbooksometime when we aren’t so busy.”

“I’m not busy now,” Frank replied.

You smiled and nodded. “Yea, come on then,” you said headingtoward the buses. As you moved through the dark you felt Frank’s hand graspyours and you smiled, butterflies soaring through your stomach.

When you made it back to the bus, no one else was around. Youwent back to your bunk and pulled out the notepad. You switched on the lightand sat down on the sofa next to Frank.

“Ok, so this is my favorite so far,” you said flipping to apage with Fall Out Boy logos. “I did a few for My Chem too,” you said turningthe page.

Frank examined everything on each page carefully, notletting you rush past, even if you argued that the ones he was looking atweren’t good.

“Pete should give you a job at his label, these are awesome, you reallyhave a lot of talent,” he said looking up at you in awe.

You shrugged. “I’m afraid my style isn’t edgy enough for alot of bands.”

“Nah, it’s cool, and I think you could be edgier if youtried. Its there under the surface, I can tell.”

“Thanks,” you laughed.

“I’m serious, you’re awesome,” he said looking in your eyes.It was now or never. “Umm, (YN) do you wanna go out with me sometime?”

You were shocked and then thrilled. “Yea, yes, that would becool,” you grinned.

Frank grinned back and suddenly you were both leaning in,lips inches from each other.

“Oh (YN) you’re here- oh shit sorry,” Patrick rambled realizingwhat he interrupted when you and Frank both sat bolt upright.

“What’s up Patrick?” you sighed, looking over at yourembarrassed cousin.

“They’re starting the fireworks soon, I know you alwaysliked them,” he replied, looking at his shoes.

“Thanks,” you replied sincerely. Patrick waved as he walkedout. “Umm, do you wanna look at the fireworks?”

“Sure,” Frank replied with a smile. Anything to spend a little more time with you.

You found a spot back from the rest of the people gatheredaround watching the amateur pyrotechnics. You and Frank sat down on thescratchy grass and Frank wrapped his arm around your shoulders. You looked upat him and he smiled down, and you felt yourself leaning in again. When yourlips finally connected with his, you couldn’t help but smile. You pulled back fromthe kiss, the grin still plastered across your face.

“Holy shit I do love you,” Frank said, his eyes wide. Youlaughed and the smile on your face grew even larger. He grabbed your face andpulled you back into another kiss, the momentum of which caused him to tumblehim back into the grass with you laid out on top of him. Needless to say, neitherof you saw much of the fireworks that night.

Masterlist

[nikkiraemaui]

August No Throw Away Challenge

OK-- here it is. My review of the first 10 days of my August ‘no throw away challenge’

I should start by saying that I first got the idea for this challenge from following an author on IG named @jedidiahjenkins.  In addition to just publishing a book, he co-founded the company #mybyta.  Byta is an incredible little BPA free, double vacuum sealed, leakproof mug that they engrave your name on- and I’m obsessed with it. He purchased a hip trailer, and traveled around promoting his Bytas, and encouraged people to join him on his June no throw away challenge. I was inspired....and addicted to following his insta story.

Just a casual pic of me and my adorable Byta on our way to work.

As mentioned in my previous posts, I live on Maui. If you haven’t read any of my previous posts, I’m sure you’ve gathered from context clues that I live on Maui-- if you haven’t, then your teachers have not done well with their context clue lessons.

Anywhooo... it’s been 10 days.  My goal: to not throw away any plastic bottles or straws.  Now, this challenge has lived up to it’s name, it is called a challenge because it is meant to be challenging, but it’s also made me even more aware of HOW MUCH PLASTIC I STILL USE!  It is everywhere. Below is a picture of all of the eco-friendly things a great friend sent me for my birthday.. 90% of it wrapped in plastic.  But, as I keep reminding myself, my challenge was meant to be eye opening, and focused on starting small. Rome, as they say, was not built in a day. Also, since I live on an island, most of what I purchase comes wrapped in plastic from the mainland, and I haven’t quite figured out how to get out of that dilemma yet. 

To help myself be successful I’ve been collecting a lot of reusable mugs, cups, water bottles and straws.  I’ve placed them in my purse, car, at my job, and at home.  The first few days were cake.  I’ve already been dedicated to using a Hydroflask daily, and carrying around a metal straw in my purse, so I wasn’t feeling too out of my routine yet.  

Until Day 3: “The Margarita Incident”.  I had been having an amazing day with one of my girlfriends-  full of sunny weather, shopping, and laughter.  We decided to stop at a local bar for a margarita.  We were both giggling and not paying attention when the waiter came up to take our order, eager to get back to our conversation, we quickly ordered strawberry margaritas and resumed our conversation.  Minutes later the waiter arrived with our drinks, plastic straws and all.  In my haste, I had forgotten to say “no straw” when I ordered, and it was pointless not to use it at that point. Whether or not I drank out of that straw, it would have been disposed of.  So, there I sat, feeling guilty as I drank my margarita through a plastic straw, with my silicone straw sitting lonely unused beside it.  I made a mental note to always make sure to say “no straw” whenever I order something.  Realizing it was such a simple and easy to make mistake to make.

A few days after the margarita incident my confidence level had gone back up.  I had gone back to work and my ‘full proof’ mug at work and at home thing was working great. Midweek I was invited to celebrate a friends birthday, the party started at her house, and ended up at a painting party.  When I got to the house, everyone was casually having some drinks out of red solo cups, and once again I immediately realized I was not as prepared as I thought I was.  Knowing I could just easily just ask for a glass,  I opted not drink  since we were leaving soon anyway, but was really looking forward to a cocktail when we got there.  As we walked in, and I saw the list of fruity drinks on the wall, coupled with the paint set up with music blaring, my heart sank when I realized I’d left my Byta and silicone straw on the counter at my apartment.  They only served drinks in plastic cups, coupled with plastic straws...  It was in this moment I really made a choice.  I could just say “screw it, it’s ONE cup.”, but that’s the entire point of this challenge.  If we all keep doing that, and making exceptions, there will be no change.  So, I sucked it up, accepted my fate, and wound up cocktail-less, but having a blast anyway.    I left Island Art Party with a smile, a semi-descent painting of a sunset, and a sense of pride that I hadn’t taken the easy road. (If you live on Maui, I’m talking about Island Art Party in Azeka-- it was so fun, Wednesdays have kama‘aina 1/2 off deals)

I’m hoping to get through this month without throwing away any water bottles or straws, and to learn from my simple mistakes earlier this month.  Next month I’ll focus more on some other things.

Some advice I have to help get started on this journey is -- go reusable cup/mug/bottle shopping.  I went shopping in search of a perfect giant coffee mug last weekend, and finding it brought me so much silly joy. I mean, look at....

But seriously, just stock up. The Byta I got was a little on the pricey side, but I know it will last a long time, and it’s a quality product. My other mugs I got were from Amazon or TJ Maxx for really cheap.  

The month is a third over, so I’ll keep positing about my #plasticfree adventures.

It’s probably not a coincidence that both of my mishaps revolved around alcohol, but I won’t be throwing that away.

[wildflower8281]

Welcome to Miami

You’ve seen more in 5 days in Miami than Pete & I have seen in one year!

Coconut Grove: My Sister’s Place

I recently had the opportunity to visit my sister, Erin and her boyfriend, Pete in their amazing place in Miami. This was the first time I’d visited them since they lived down there. The 3 of us had the weekend together and then I had Monday-Wednesday to explore the city on my own, while they went to work. (They are currently in Hawaii now, so don’t feel too bad!)

During our weekend together, we did all things #relax: pool time, patio time (they have an amazing view), and of course amazing eats, most of them waterfront:

1 Hotel Miami Beach, Planthouse: brunch with a view of the ocean

Rusty Pelican: dinner on Key Biscayne, waterfront, view of Miami skyline

Lulu’s: Coconut Grove’s lovely downtown spot for brunch and people watching

Berries in the Grove: walkable local joint where we watched the Kentucky Derby!

Havana Harry's: authentic Cuban cuisine!

Doc B’s: downtown Coral Gables, fantastic all around, amazing guac

Coconut Grove is a sweet section of town, mostly with a residential feel, but also right next to the train and Route 1, both of which get you anywhere. Erin & Pete lived car-free in Phila and they remain car-free in Miami. It’s pretty awesome and very doable! Our trio had a blast together eating, relaxing and reconnecting - I can’t wait to return! 

(This was a quick post, so I’m bunching the pics together, #sorrynotsorry)

Monday: Little Havana

I had rented a car for my explorations from Monday through Wednesday. I’m not afraid to drive in new places or cities, thanks to being thrown into NY City as a nun and learning it on my own with a GPS! Nothing really scares me after that: If you can cruise in NYC, then you can cruise anywhere! (I’ve also driven a 12 passenger van on the left side of the road in Guyana, so there’s that. #ssvm #nunlife #missionaryadventures)

Anyway, of course my first desire when thinking of exploring Miami would be to 

visit Little Havana! It was only a 15 minute drive from Coconut Grove! The neighborhood is actually 3 square miles, most of it residential, so I just parked on a side street and made my way up to Calle Ocho, which is the main street of Little Havana.

The only part of Cuban culture I’ve ever been close to was Maria Cruz. She was a teacher at the church I worked for in Spanish Harlem, San Pablo. She had grown up in Cuba and lived there during the terrible times of Fidel Castro. She taught religion secretly and remembered what it was like to not have access to sugar. She lived there during the scarce and scary times & always had stories to tell. Then, she came to New York. I remember she would occasionally bring us (the nuns who worked in the CCD office) Cuban coffee, in those tiny NY cups and it was the richest, yummiest coffee I’d ever had! That was the closest to Cuban culture I ever got, until now.

My first goal was to find a cuban bakery or coffee shop and score some coffee & sweet breads or cookies to go along, then to sit and just people watch. Luckily, as I rounded the corner of Calle 8, I stumbled upon just that and ordered un cafe cubano and some I-don’t-know-what-they-are-called yummy cuban cookies. I took my treats down the street, seeking a bench to chill on, which I promptly found at Domino Park. Domino Park is just what it sounds like - a dozen or so tables, filled with locals (mostly men) playing dominos, laughing, drinking their cafes and chatting. It was a hub of bustle and I sat right down and enjoyed the scene! One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to find the local hubs, sit and just watch the people. I like to blend in (if possible), remain unnoticed and just observe humanity. It’s fascinating. I made eye contact with various of the players (old enough to be my grandparents,) smiled and I think they appreciated that I just quietly came in and sat down. There were loads of other tourists who came in charging with their cameras, hovering around the tables snapping photos, as if these folks were statues or something. It felt weird to me and I appreciated just being on the sidelines, enjoying my cafe & cookies, just watching.

From the park, I just wandered up and down Calle 8, snapping pictures of everything colorful, vibrant and interesting - which is basically everything in Little Havana. From the trash cans with Cuban art on them, to the wall tiles, street murals and picturesque cafes and walkways. I’m not really a shopper, so I skipped all the souvenir stores (although many looked like they had fun stuff!) and always consider my photos the best captures of my experience that I get to take with me for free. I love shooting new places, capturing scenes, art, and interesting corners or angles that people may not notice. So I spend the next 2 hours doing just that and it made me very happy. I also scored a second cafe cubano, because why not?

I’m not one to educate on history or culture, but Cuba does have an interesting, terrible and unique history behind all the colorful culture and rich coffees. I’ve read about it and learned first hand from Maria Cruz. It’s worth a look-up, whether or not you ever visit Little Havana or Cuba. (Same goes for any culture/country - who were the native peoples, what is their true history, whose land am I on, etc. )

Tuesday: Miami Beach Botanical Garden; South Miami Beach; Matheson Hammock Park

There are at least 5 amazing gardens one can visit in the Miami area, but the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is free! I drove the interesting highways over to Miami Beach and parked in the lot for a whopping $2/hour.

I was expecting the Gardens to be the size of the one here in Phoenix, which could easily take 2 hours to wander through. The Miami Beach Botanical Garden was probably only about ⅓ the size, but reconciled the lack of acreage with rich, lush, tropical radiance! They had a pond with fish, turtles and frogs! A Japanese style garden, a labyrinth you can walk through, various fountains peacefully cascading water and everything in bloom, green and refreshing. Just walking around was like breathing healing air.

I spent about an hour there and still had time on my car to spare, so I was like, “OK, what am I near right now? Where can I explore?” Turned out I was a 15 minute walk from South Beach, aka: the Ocean, so I headed east! Walking towards the beach, I heard dozens of languages, most of them totally unfamiliar to me, like from Eastern Europe and Asia for sure. Pretty neat.

The beach was calm, free (take notes, NJ) and very blue!! I walked to the water, sat in the sand and enjoyed the moment. I didn’t have a bathing suit on, so I just walked in to my ankles, but the water was refreshing. I would have jumped in, but I still had things to do that day and didn’t want #wetbuttcarseat.

I made my way home just in time for the afternoon shower to land. Afternoon showers are a thing in Miami during the rainy season. They usually pass in 1-2 hours, which this one did. Enough time for me to eat lunch and read a bit.

My next stop was the Old Cutler Trail, which I had read was great for biking or walking along. It was 13 miles in total, but one could start wherever and just meander. Well, I found the start of the trail in a gorgeous, historic neighborhood, but it seemed much more ideal for biking. I didn’t just want to walk in a neighborhood, so I kept driving along Old Culter just to see what I might find. This is just how I roll.

Shortly, I saw a sign for Matheson Hammock Park, aiming toward the bay, so I followed that sign. For $5, I could drive in and explore the bay area, swim and relax. It was shortly after the storm, so the place was pretty empty except for me, some lifeguards wandering around and the sunshine. Palm trees, calm beaches, a view of the Miami skyline. I explored the beach pretty intensely and witnessed all kinds of crab life happening right at the waters edge, and quite literally under my feet! It was a very lively shoreline! I watched the crab and critter bustle for quite some time! I relaxed on the picnic tables and watched the water, felt the breezes, just took in this secluded place I happened to find. I felt lucky!

Wednesday: Ancient Spanish Monastery

On my last day in Miami, I ventured to North Miami where the Ancient Spanish Monastery was situated. I guess, Dear Reader, you’ve figured by now that I’m not one to just lay on the beach for 3 days straight! Don’t get me wrong, I love the ocean, but if I have the opportunity to explore a new city, I dive in! I love any reason to wander, take pictures, see something new. So, prior to my trip, I of course researched and selected a few main sites to visit, one of them being this Monastery that just looked gorgeous. I love old buildings, things that feel European and old, and of course there is my ever-affinity to anything related to #monasticlife! Well, this monastery would prove much more interesting than I anticipated!

History from Spanish Monastery:

“Construction of the Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux was begun in the year 1133 AD near Segovia, Spain. Cistercian monks occupied the Monastery for nearly 700 years. After a social revolution in the 1830's, the Monastery’s Cloisters were seized, sold, and converted into a granary and stable.

In 1925, William Randolph Hearst purchased the Cloisters and the Monastery's outbuildings. The structures were dismantled stone by stone, bound with protective hay, packed in more than 11,000 wooden crates, numbered for identification and shipped to the United States. Soon after the shipment arrived, Hearst's financial problems forced most of his collection to be sold at auction. The massive crates remained in a warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, for 26 years. One year after Hearst’s' death in 1952, they were purchased by two entrepreneurs for use as a tourist attraction. It took 19 months to put the Monastery back together. In 1953 Time magazine called it ‘the biggest jigsaw puzzle in history.’                                                           

In 1964, Colonel Robert Pentland, Jr, who was a multimillionaire banker, philanthropist and benefactor of many Episcopal churches, purchased the Cloisters and presented them to the Bishop of Florida. Today the parish Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux is an active and growing congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida.”

The photos show how beautifully restored this place is, in addition to it being basically another botanical gardens. There was a labyrinth on the grounds one could wander through and rows of perfectly planted, vibrant flowers. Moving through the Monastery was like being in a different epoch. Knowing that generations of monks silently moved through the corridors, ate in the refrectory and lived religious life within those stones was pretty amazing. Worth the visit, if you geek-out on this stuff like I do. Plus, a gorgeous place to take pictures!

En Fin

My adventure in Miami was fabulous and now I want to move there. Seriously, the green and the water, the tropical vibe got me. While I love the desert and all Phoenix has been to me, Miami felt like my next move. Next move, like give me a year or so to get my biz going, then tropics here I come! Not to mention, my brilliant sister & her fab partner Pete live there. Miami felt real good.

Te veo, Miami, te veo. Ya pronto.

[nurseyydex]

consider this: SMH & one direction

i just wanna talk about smh and 1d ok im so sorry this wasnt supposed to be this long i have no control 

dex grew up with sisters (let me have this he has a bunch of sisters ok) so not only was he completely unable to escape one direction he was not allowed to get away with any sort of ‘bands that have mainly young female fanbases are not real music’ misogyny that lots of teen boys and adult males have 

so he likes 1d he doesnt advertise but he had to listen to them a lot so he knows their entire discography and what they have some good songs ok bro 

so yeah they find their way into his workout playlists so fucking what man they’re fucking hype songs 

his fave is niall bc hes chill and just wants to drink beer and play his guitar and listen to dad rock and he’s irish (dex is irish and is grandma loves niall bc she’s irish and what a sweet young lad) he’s not like die hard niall stan but he knows all of the 1d discourse from his sisters debating (im willing to listen to other opinions my back up is louis bc hes a punk) 

he save up one year (and got help from his fam) to get tickets for his sisters to see a wwa concert as a birthday/christmas/every holiday present bc theyre expensive and they dont have a lot of money 

his mom technically bought the tickets he just helped pay for them and the girls surprised him with a ticket for him to come with (mama poindexter: well i cant let them go alone who’s gonna watch them you have to go make sure they dont get arrested for doing something stupid) dex played it cool but it was such a fun concert and so fun to hang out with his sisters tooo

nursey now is a goddamn hipster u cant tell me he isnt into a bunch of british alternative bands and bc of his brit music phase he knew about one direction from the very start at the x factor stage (he definitely mentions this all the goddamn time when they start becoming popular but he chills out through the years)

hes been to at least one concert for every tour (he even got tickets to the madison square garden show) - he went to every concert with his sister but it was his idea to go and she was just there to keep an eye on him

also a big reason he got into the band was zayn like heres a pakistani muslim boy who’s super talented with these white dudes and that representation is super important (i also hc nursey as muslim or at least partially but zayn is a brown muslim boy killing it so yeah its awesome) 

but nurseys fave tho is harry especially when harry is a total hoe with long hair and jewelry and those red carpet looks like nursey is in love but also in awe bc those sparkly boots and that floral suit like those are iconic Looks™ and nursey loves it bc gender isnt real and he loves hoe looks (zayn is like 1.5 tho bc nursey is in love)

nursey tries to serenade dex with little things one day when they’re chilling by the pond on the grass and dex punches him bc nursey is making him emo even when he knows dex doesnt have emotions (in public in front of people who can see him cry)

bitty likes them they’re no beyonce but theyre fun and attractive and yeah hes gonna have some fun dancing to them he isn’t really up with all the drama and disc*urse until the boys have 1d nights and they watch this is us and the concert dvds bc he learns a lot 

he loves 2013 era harry and all the time liam (that boy is thicc and bitty 100% does not swoon)

holster like come tf on holster loves them he unironically and passionately loves one direction completely unashamed he does not care for your opinions and no one makes fun of him bc he’s a 6′4 fucking big ass hockey player who could drop kick u across campus if he wanted to

he claims he doesnt have a fave but he would die for all of them 

his fave rotates seasonally and he has a different fave for each era 

he went to the tmh tour and he’s gone to every tour since - he goes with his sisters bc its a bonding topic for them he sits at the edge of the floor or at the end of a row on the sides bc hes so tall he feels so bad and he tries to stay out of the way of the little girls behind him but hes nice to them and talks to them and so they like him even if hes a giant

but really he and his sisters are so close bc they have a lot of similar interests and they talk about pop culture stuff and its hard to keep intouch when hes away so much but they have group chats about 1d and tv shows and stuff so its so nice for them to keep up a strong bonding time 

ransom is a britney bitch and holster dragged him into 1d. he’s in it for the memes and the drama really. (he likes the songs and thinks its fun but he wouldnt have been a fan and gone to concerts if it wasnt for holtz)

holster takes him to the wwa concert and they have a blast 

holster also drags his ass to see this is us opening night (they both cry)

chowder just loves everyone and he doesnt understand why people hate 1d (or other pop artists with majority young female fan bases that ppl hate bc misogyny) when theyre so fun he’s not an active /fan/ until smh has team bonding nights involving one direction jam sessions and concert dvd watching and drunk history

on such 1d nights they put on one of the dvds and it accidentally turns into a drinking game (mainly drinking bc this part of my god did u see that !!! THAT NOTE CHANGE !!!! and ZAYN WHY !!!! and other painful parts) and some of them *cough* nursey dex and holster *cough* get possibly the most drunk they ever get bc of this 

theres loud awful drunk singing along and some sobbing (this is definitely not based off of any sort of personal experience whatsoever nope never done this before) 

after the movie when everyone is so drunk they talk about 1d history which is how the veterans teach the others about the exciting drama and disc*urse  

lardo is a bad bitch who is tough as fuck and manages a division I mens hockey team and every single one of them is afraid of her. AND she would not let any bro tease her for liking one direction bc why the fuck not. 

she has plenty of their songs thrown in arting playlists and in pump up playlists 

and she knows theres nothing better to cheer holster up when he’s having a rough day than a 1d dance sesh 

dont forget where you belong is the first song on her team bonding playlist bc its a love song to ur bandmates which transfers very well to love songs to ur teammates 

shitty unapologetically loves 1d and boy bands and girl bands and he supports all things that young girls love but are not taken seriously bc girls like them 

he’s written at least 3 papers/projects on the misogyny surrounding young girls and their interests and involvement in fandom and also boybands (he tries to fight all guys who disrespect girls’ interests and the power of teenage girls)

he’ll randomly show up to a 1d night bc obvi he’s in that gc and he’s ready to party and express emotions and dance and talk drama 

he loves harry bc “THAT FLOW MAN!!! HIS FLOW IS SO SICK!!!”

he cried when harry posted the pic of the hair he chopped off and cried when he saw the another man shoot where harry was defying all sorts of societal norms it was beautiful and his flow is still so nice even this short its ok it’ll grow back better than before

one friday night the lax bros sneak over to try to prank the haus and peak in the window and see half of the hockey team in the living room drunk off their ass singing loudly to a one direction concert on the tv - holster and nursey jumping around attempting to dance along, ransom clinging to bitty on the floor crying about a ‘hiatus’, bitty soothing ransom, dex forgetting about the drink in his one hand to drink rum from the bottle, shitty naked (not surprising) and slow dancing with a life sized cut-out of harry styles with tears streaming down his face (more surprising), and chowder lying on the couch singing through mouthfuls of pie 

they walk back to the lax bro house without executing the prank and they never mention it again

[gigsoupmusic]

Exclusive interview with Rome based artist Dolche

Christine Herin, known professionally as Dolche, is an Italian-French singer, songwriter, composer and record producer already boasts a 20-year music career, more than 500 concerts in Europe with and key collaborations with Grammy Award winning professionals. She was born in Valle d'Aosta, a French-speaking autonomous region in the north of Italy. The first single off her forthcoming album Exotic Diorama (out Oct 2020 ) is the cinematic Roma - available now, and which has a very DIY inspired lockdown concept for its video. We had a chat with the artist herself to find out more about her life, creativity in lockdown conditions and the ideas behind her forthcoming album... How did you become a musician? Who or what inspired you? I began to sing when I was around 3 or 4 years old. My dad used to bring me to the small church of my 40-inhabitant village and he tells me I harmonized the hymns sung by the choir. Since my earliest memory music has always been there even if in my family and village nobody knew anything about music. My mother still asks me when I will find a real job! I am completely self-taught. I remember the day I found out that the public library in the city had vinyl. I was 12 and went there every day I could to listen to these amazing sounds that I never heard before. I was listening to Aretha Franklin’s records. I also had a great love for classical music…Bach, Puccini, the opera. I probably got so stubborn and sacrificed so much to be a musician (I can’t even remember how many side jobs I did) because it was the only way to do it. It was like survival for me. Music was in me and I had to do it to be myself. What do you enjoy most about being a musician? What do you hate most?’ I enjoy the live performance, the stage. Most people are afraid before concerts. I never have been. It’s the most natural thing for me. Sharing the emotions with the public, throwing myself in the instruments and in the performance. I just can’t get enough. I don’t hate anything about music. I hate that most things I am required to do today as a musician have nothing to do with writing or playing music. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be? No hesitation on that: I would give women an equal space. The music industry is still so anachronistically a man’s world. If you were on a desert island and could only take one album with you to listen to, what album would you choose? What a disaster, just one?! Ok it would be “Greatest Hits” of 1981 by Queen. I would already have all the sound of nature to listen to and I would definitely need some music to get the energy to face the tough wild life and to feel the power of pure art. Tell us about the new single ‘Roma’ and the video that goes with it. Ah, that is a story! Because I had to figure out a way to make a professional video from home in complete isolation. Out of curiosity, before everyone begun to do it, I was spying the unique, amazing show that the city of Rome – ‘Roma’- had to offer in these sad lockdown days. There is a website where you can connect to all the main webcams in town and watch a show that nobody has ever seen before. The city, my city, bare, silent, empty, beautiful and melancholic with its fountains pouring water and the sun changing the shades on the statues. I wanted everybody to be able to take a look into this secret jewel box. I purchased all the videos of one entire day, the day when our Prime Minister declared complete lockdown also for factories. And I used the time-lapse images to show the magnificence of the sun and clouds and water moving in an otherwise still postcard. I wanted to put my body into this narration and I covered myself with a bed sheet miming the pose of La Pietà, by Michelangelo Buonarroti. I moved all the furniture to get a white empty wall, embraced my guitar and projected the images upon me while singing. There are of course a lot of technical issues that I solved but that’s my geek side and I will not bore you with that! This was the perfect way to present to my fans my love song for Roma, a city that welcomed me ten years ago and gave me a home, a wife and a dog. I will be forever thankful to this ‘old lady’. https://youtu.be/kHe7hqRhGFc How has Covid-19 affected your music/ musical plans for this year? As all my fellow musicians we have all been hit hard by this epidemic, both in personal life and in our jobs. I planned the release of my album for 2020. And this included touring in Italy and in the USA and, hopefully, in some other countries where my music is very much loved (Turkey, Brazil, Mexico). Plus, I usually spend part of the year in New York City to write music and film music videos. All this is gone for the moment. I will soon be on Patreon with live online concerts and more. Musicians are too often afraid and ashamed to say that we do it because we love it but we need money to keep doing it. And concerts, together with merch sales, are the only income source if you are a small/medium size independent artist. People are unaware that we get absolutely zero from all the platforms they pay to listen to music. I hope this will be an occasion to let people learn more about this and support their favourite artists trough different circuits to help them keep making the music they love. Can you tell us anything about the follow up single to Roma? I can tell you that it is a completely different song and mood. It will be a song, in English this time, with a super well-produced video that we shot in New York City last November with very exciting special effects! I am very proud of it especially because of the message of the song. But I don’t want to spoil it for you! Your forthcoming album will be called ‘Exotic Diorama’ and will be released in October this year – can you give us an idea what inspired the songs on it? My wife Chiara found the name for the album and I think it perfectly expresses its deepest nature. The first time that I was in New York was with her and she brought me to the Natural History Museum, near Central Park. Quite a show. I stayed still for a time that I cannot measure in front of the dioramas of many wild habitats. A sad yet mesmerizing spectacle. An entire world in a few squared metres enclosed by glass but still so alive that I could imagine sounds and movements. Exotic Diorama is like a key hole through which you can spy an entire universe. Mine. My music is inspired by dreams and food and sounds of nature and smells. For this reason, it is varied and nearly unclassifiable. No kidding. We face a great problem each time we need to select a music category when we release a single! Each song is unique and has a different style from the others. But all together they make sense. Like an impressionist painting that you can only understand if you look to its entirety. Lastly, the word exotic fit my nature: in my home village, in my same family they look at me as if they saw a hummingbird flying in the Alps! If you had to describe the album in a few lines – what would you say? I will do it in three words. A big trip! You have fans all over the world – how do they differ? Oh, they couldn't be more heterogenous! I have this lovely and fun old guy from Punjabi all dressed in red and orange sending me pics of his hens and a young 16 year old lesbian girl from Turkey who tells me how much she feels alone and finds comfort in my music and in the fact that I am openly Lesbian. I have a lot of amazing people from South America fighting for the amazons and for the rights of our environment and a Brazilian woman who always plays my songs and sends me video might it be in the backyard during her kid's birthday party or driving to work. One thing though they all have in common. A profound respect for human rights and human freedom. Have you had a chance to meet any fans on tour (prior to lockdown)? Yes, I met some of them after my New York gigs and they joined my team for dinner right after. It was a blast! Do you have a message for your fans - old and new? Be nice. Be open. And have a Dolche day! What are your personal hopes and wishes for the rest of the year and beyond? Well, I am pregnant. After many tries Chiara and I finally made the right one just the day before lockdown was declared...perfect timing, ah! I am not kidding. I am always working and traveling and touring and rehearsing and this forced pause in the first three months (ending in two weeks) has been the only way I could stay still in one place. So, my hope is an easy one: That this kid will get into a world made better by all the hard times that we are going through. And that my wife lets me buy one more guitar! Read the full article