#prettiest rat in the west

[zanazirafanfic]

Guys I ordered him help.

[playitcoolboy]

I never planned on you.

Riff x Fem!Reader

Requested by: @leviecharmed86

No this has nothing to do with newsies, it just fits the one shot.

Before we get started: just remember I am a person. If this isn’t exactly what you requested please do not bash my head over it. I’m just trying to write some West Side Story content for those who want it. Thank you and enjoy the one shot!

A low whistle escaped Riff’s lips as he saw Graziella across from him. His lips turned upwards into his classic smirk that was always plastered on his lips. If Riff had one distinctive feature that could be used to find him, it was his smirk.

“Damn, Grazi. You get more attractive every time I see you,” Riff said, kissing the girl’s temple. Graziella blushed and looked away from Riff giggling. “I thought you liked it when I kissed you,” Riff teased, moving his lips down to Graziella’s neck. He placed tiny, butterfly kisses along Graziella’s neck, knowing exactly what he was doing.

All Graziella did was laugh and sigh dreamily. Riff knew exactly how to make Graziella’s knees feel weak, but it honestly wasn’t that hard for him to figure out. He just tried a handful of things to see what worked the best. “Never said I didn’t,” she protested, swaying to the music slightly.

Riff smiled and swayed along with Graziella as well, looking up and catching glimpse of the prettiest woman he had ever seen. He blinked and tried to spot the girl again, but it was as if she vanished, like she was a figment of Riff’s mind.

His eyes scanned the entire gym trying to find this girl, but at last, she couldn’t be found. “Fuck,” he muttered, letting go of Graziella and running over to the bleachers.

“Riff!” Graziella yelled after him, but Riff didn’t care as he met up with his best friend since birth, Tony.

“And what’s Batman doing that’s so important he stops dancing?” Tony teased, elbowing Riff gently.

“Shut up,” Riff muttered, his eyes quickly scanning the gym again. Tony rolled his eyes and began teasing Riff, but Riff didn’t focus on it, instead looking intensely around to find the girl who he had laid eyes on.

Y/N let out a sigh from her lips, glaring at three boys who were from the Jets. “Aye, eyes away,” she said, crossing her arms. She was used to stupid boys staring at her, and she learned how to deal with them.

Action smirked and put his hand out. “Give me a dance, eh?” He asked, causing Y/N to roll her eyes. ‘Oh god,’ she thought, ‘these boys are worse than that newsie Romeo I met earlier’

“I’d rather dance with a rat,” She responded simply, pushing Action’s hand back to him which caused Action’s friends to laugh at him.

Mouthpiece straightened his jacket and put his hand out. “How ‘bout a dance from a real man?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Y/N burst out laughing and shook her head. “are all Jets like you?” She asked, crossing her arms.

“Not all of us,” Riff said, grabbing Mouthpiece’s hand, pulling him back. “God, you guys need to stop flirting with every gal you see, like you can’t even have a working relationship-“ Riff started before making eye contact with Y/N. “Well… what’s a gal like you doin’ without a man?” Riff asked, leaning against the wall with a small smirk.

“Finding someone who interests me more than a living stick,” Y/N said, rolling her eyes. She had never really liked Riff, always running around at night and knocking trashcans around. He loved to cause trouble and make a ruckus, and that didn’t really make her like Riff. He was too loud and obnoxious while she was quiet and calm, not really wanting to draw attention to herself

Riff let out a low whistle, wiping this nose with his thumb. “Damn, you got a quick tongue. It’s rare to find gals like ya,” Riff said, putting his hand out. “Riff,” he stated, smirking a bit more. He noticed the eye roll the girl gave him, a small pain shooting through his heart.

“Oh, I know,” Y/N said, smacking Riff’s hand away. A small smirk lined her lips as she saw the confused yet slightly hurt look on Riff’s face as she walked away. Y/N decided it was not time to deal with this right now, especially with Riff.

“Oh my god Riff got rejected!” Action exclaimed, laughing his ass off.

“First time I’ve seen that happen!” Mouthpiece added, laughing along with Action.

Riff glared at both of them, crossing his arms. “I’m gonna get that gal by the end of tonight,” Riff stated, obviously determined to do so. Whenever Riff put his mind to something he always got it… but this was gonna be a challenge. That’s for sure.

“I call dibs on Grazi,” Mouthpiece said, dashing away. Action huffed. “Nah she's mine!” He yelled, running after his friend.

Riff couldn’t care less, his eyes following every move Y/N did. A slower song began to play, everyone slowly making their way together and beginning to dance. The leader of the Jets shook the nerves out of his hands, letting out a quick exhale before walking towards Y/N, determination in every step he took.

The second Y/N saw Riff approaching her, she rolled her eyes and grabbed the closest person to her, watching as Riff followed suit and grabbed the closest girl to him. The two didn’t break eye contact, beginning to dance with whoever they grabbed.

When it came time to switch dance partners, Riff and Y/N approached each other, bringing their hands together and circling around each other. Riff decided to make the first advance, as he wanted to get ahold of the reigns.

“You’re a great dancer,” Riff complimented, a small smirk tugging on his lips. “I do think you’d be a better dancer if you danced with me of course, just sayin’”

“You are seriously such a flirt,” Y/N huffed, still not breaking eye contact with the Jets leader. The two suddenly adjusted into a ballroom dance position, one arm around the other and the other arm out and holding the other’s hand. This still didn’t make the pair break eye contact, if anything, it strengthened the gaze between them.

Having Y/N in Riff’s arms made the boy’s heart speed up. The same girl who had taken his breath away when they first made eye contact was now literally against his chest, slow dancing with him. No matter what, he wouldn’t let his guard down. He still had a deal to fulfill, and even though it was a random deal with himself, he was sure as hell gonna follow through.

“So, what would it take to be able to take ya out to dinner?” Riff asked, a smirk lining his lips. He was used to asking people out for dinner, but he didn’t know why this time he felt his stomach twist into a knot out of anxiety? Fear? Whatever it was, he did not like it.

“A rumble,” Y/N said immediately, looking Riff dead in his eyes.

“Hold on- You’re challenging me to a rumble?” Riff said, his eyes going wide as his dancing began to slow.

“Mhm, that’s exactly what I’m doing. What, are you too chicken to accept?” Y/N asked, raising an eyebrow. She knew how to push men’s buttons, and when it came to Riff, this time wasn’t any different.

“I’d rather take you out to dinner than having to fight ya,” Riff said, sighing gently. “If you wanna go out to dinner with me, great. If you don’t, that’s also okay, I just don’t wanna have to fight you,” he said, releasing his arms from around Y/N.

They put their hands against each other’s again and stared into each other’s eyes once more. This time, Y/N studied Riff’s eyes and noticed how he had partial heterochromia in his right eye. That’s not the thing that took her interest though, it was the fact you could see a tinge of sadness and regret in them.

A sign escaped Y/N’s lips as she shook her head gently. “Fine. I’m giving you one chance. You can take me out to dinner once but if I’m not impressed, we rumble,” she said, smiling cheekily at Riff.

His face immediately lit up, interlocking their fingers together and pulling Y/N across the gym. A laugh escaped the girl's lips as Riff pulled her out the doors and through the school hallways.

“Trust me, you will not regret this,” Riff said with a smile as he opened the opening doors.

Y/N rolled her eyes. “I think I’ll be the judge of that,” she said, flicking the Jets leader's nose.

“You ain’t afraid of me?” Riff asked, beginning to walk down the street.

Y/N shook her head. “Nope, and probably never will,” she teased. “Now, before I fall asleep, you better get this night on the go”

“Okay okay, Miss Bossy!” Riff joked before dashing down the sidewalk hand-in-hand with Y/N, not a care in the world.

[jigsawwrangler]

I was tagged by @yennas to share my Top 5 Songs! 8Da Haa, thank you very much for thinking of me! ♥

As with most people, my five favorite songs are subject to change/fluctuate based on moment/mood, plus it’s hard to narrow down five in the first place, but here are five that I tend to think of when asked that question:

1. Blind - Placebo (The only consistent one. If I’m asked to give one favorite song, it will always be this one until further notice. Beautiful song, and alternate versions are sheer beauty, too. -- Oh and also this instrumental cover is another one of my favorite things. I first listened to it after I got off a night shift job around Christmastime, and the mood was just... fucking amazing.)

2. Daze - Poets of the Fall (There are a bunch of Poets of the Fall songs that I will rush to offer as amazing songs - consider “Carnival of Rust”, “Children of the Elder God”, and “Roses”, among so many others - but good goddamn this one is just gloriously electric and shiny - it sounds like watching a combination Cirque du Soleil performance and fireworks show taking place over a really reflective and sparkly lake in a way that’s pitch-perfect to me to the point where I can thoroughly forgive the fact that it uses the “fire/desire” rhyme. -- Which, I mean, I also forgive because Poets of the Fall lyrics are generally really well-written and also they’re all delivered in Marko Saaresto’s gorgeous fucking voice. This man has possibly the prettiest voice there ever was. And also I linked the video especially purposefully - I love the video for “Daze” and it’s also aesthetic perfection in my eyes.)

3. Never Let Go - Tom Waits (Also b e a u t i f u l . . . a song or other expression of loyalty always whoof fucking gets me. “Our ring’s in the pawnshop, the rain’s in the hole, down at the five points I stand... I’ll lose everything, but I won’t let go of your hand.” “Dare me to jump and I will... I’ll fall from your grace, but I’ll never net go of your hand.” Music that sounds raggedly and rustically yet resolutely triumphant *for* its loyalty like it’s a hope through hardship and has Tom Waits’s vocals also selling that same feeling... This is a song I associate with Ethan Winters, as a side note!) 4. Lullaby - The Cure (I taught myself this song for piano class. 8,D And its riffs, and subtle vocals... it’s a song that just comes together for me. It sounds like a song being sung in the evening about a horrible nightmare about being eaten by spiders that someone’s just... come to expect. They’re telling you what that dream is like, and you’re agreeing... “...yeah that sounds like a fucked-up dream. 8,|a” - also, “I feel like I’m being eaten by a thousand million shivering furry holes” is a horrifying but evocative image.)

5. The Crutch - Billy Talent (The sound fucking slaps, and the song is about getting unwittingly roped into an ultimately traumatizing abusive relationship... but... it r o c k s . . . “Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats” and “This is How It Goes” are other great Billy Talent songs!) 

I tag @rxttenfish, @firebirdnixy, @nobutseriouslywhat, @qualitystrangetrash, @witch-of-the-west-country, and everyone else who sees this, if you’d like to answer it. B,0a

[neon-junkie]

Speaking of old man Micah would you be interested in writing a one shot where he reunites with his s/o from the gang? Either pre epilogue or during the epilogue, whatever prompt inspires more!

SORRY this ask also drowned in my inbox, but I managed to fish it out!!  Wouldn’t it be a shame if you escaped just before it all kicked off at Beaver Hollow? And had to rely on what the papers told you to piece together what happened? Do you think Micah would ever tell you the truth? I think not.  Gender-neutral reader!

This isn't the first time you've been robbed, or attempted to be robbed. Being a gun for hire isn't too bad of a job, especially with your gunslinging background. Sure, you've had many close encounters with bullets, but you're trigger happy and this job satisfies your urges.

You're riding through Big Valley, accompanying a stagecoach of fancy folk heading from Blackwater. They wanted to take a more scenic route to Valentine, so they were being driven through one of the prettiest plains that New Handover has ever seen.

It was no surprise when a bunch of no goods jumped out from the trees, demanding you stopped and handed them everything they had. You're outnumbered, yes, but these men looked weak - skinny and infested, their skin red and itchy, malnourished. That's probably why they were hoping their posse number would scare you, but it didn't.

"Come on now, just hand it over. No need for folk to get shot," one of them tells you.

"The only folk gettin' shot here is you. Put your guns down, little boy," you tell him, your pistols at the ready. The driver is also pointing his shotgun.

"Little boy?" he laughs. "You better watch that mouth else I'll put it to better use," he snickers.

"You ever seen someone get their tongue cut out before? It's real nasty, and I'd be happy to show ya," you tell him.

You overhear a few more gang members approaching from horseback behind you, though they seemed to have stopped a little further out from the group. The lockbox on the back of the coach seems safe, for now.

"I think this ones itchin’ for a fight, boys," you overhear one of the men behind you say. And his voice seems... familiar. He sounds like he has flem and tobacco stuck in his throat and has given up on trying to get it out.

You keep your head forward.

"I've got twelve bullets here, boys. More than enough for each of ya."

"And we've got a lot more than that, sweetheart," another man from behind you says. This time you have to look, that voice rings a very loud bell, and you can already feel your heart sinking and your stomach turning.

You slowly look over your shoulder, guns still at the ready, pointing forward, but you subconsciously lower them slightly as you figure out who that voice belongs to.

"Micah?" you question, eyes meeting his, or one of his. There's a very distinct scar over his left eye, starting at his nose and trailing above his brow. He still wears that same white hat, and a brown leather coat that you haven't seen since you were huddled up in Colter with him, all those years ago.

"Hello, sweetheart," Micah greets you, trotting his mount forward slowly and stopping beside you. He looks up at you before dismounting, standing below the carriage. "You gonna come down from there and greet me properly?" Micah asks you, offering his hand.

"You tell your men to put their guns away first. I'm on the job, Micah," you tell him.

"You heard ‘em. Guns away, we is lettin' this lot go," Micah orders them in a raised voice.

"Let them go?" Joe huffs, scowling forward at Micah. You knew it was him! Still as ugly as you remember.

"You heard me, didn't ya? Let them go."

"Fine," Joe spits, holstering his guns. The rest of Micahs men follow, along with yourself, though the driver keeps his shotgun on his lap.

"Well?" Micah asks as he looks up at you, flexing his hand as it's still raised, waiting for you. You take it, your gloved hands meeting his for the first time in years. He helps you down from the carriage, a soft smile on his lips. He still has the same mustache, though his hairs are almost fully grey. His length has gone, his hair short and swept back, and it surprisingly suits him.

 "Been a while, ain't it?" Micah asks you, his hand still in yours.

"It has," you tell him.

"I went looking for you, you know," Micah informs you. You had escaped before the disaster went down, helping Tilly and Mary-Beth escape in the back of Pearson's wagon. After that, you headed back West, trying to get far away from that mess. You saw in the newspaper that Arthur had been killed by Pinkertons, the gang was no more, and everybody had gone their separate ways.

"I heard the Pinkertons finally caught up to y'all," you tell him. "Did you ever find out who the rat was?" you ask.

Micah lets out a long sigh before telling you "I'm afraid we didn't, sweetheart. Guess we'll never know," he shakes his head.

"Real shame. I was lookin' forward to cuttin' their balls off."

You feel Micahs hand tighten slightly around yours. He takes your other hand in his, raising them up to his chest tenderly.

"Where is you holdin' up? I don't wanna keep you from doin' your job so I'll pop by. Gotta let these fine folk get to wherever they're headin'," Micah says, sending a fake smile over to the strangers in the back of the stagecoach.

"Here, actually. A little cabin just up in the trees over there," you tell him as you point down towards the valley.

"How strange. I been roaming these parts for a while now and I ain't ever seen no sign of you," Micah says.

"I spend most of my time on the road, workin' and all that," you shrug. "I'll be back in a few days. Why don't you pop by in a weeks time?" you ask.

"Course. I'll be there, sweetheart," Micah smiles. "Now, I ain't gonna keep you away from your job any longer," Micah tells you as his thumbs stroke over the back of your hands, still pressed against his chest.

"You better not," you joke. "You get goin' now, and take your men with you," you tell him, letting go of his hands so you can climb back up onto the coach.

"Of course. Anythin' for you, darlin'," Micah says as he climbs onto the back of his mount. "I'll be seeing you soon," he smiles.

Micah gives you one last look before riding off, his men in tow, the sound of hooves heavy as they echo through the valley. The stagecoach driver doesn't say anything, he just gives the reigns a whip and you're back on your way.

That warm feeling remains in your stomach for the rest of your journey, accompanying you as you ride back to your homestead, and it gets even warmer when you see Micahs horse already hitched up outside. It's no surprise that he probably picked the lock and snuck in, but you don't mind. That's Micah for you.

It's about time you enjoyed your reunion.

[lacrow]

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

Didn’t know this was a thing, but I’m so glad it is cuz I’ve been looking for an excuse to share a little of my next fic on AO3. Most because I’m not posting it until all the chapters are finished, I’ve got too many ongoing projects as it is. This is the beginning of the first chapter. Let me know if you’re interested in reading!

Title: Long Rider

Fandom: Spy x Family

Genre: Western/Outlaw AU

Rating: M

Floorboards creaked as patrons walked in and out. The usual crowd, a group of local ranch hands, held up in the corner of the room nearest the piano. It was the most contested seat in the whole bar; secluded and quiet, seeing as how no one in town knew how to play the thing. The boys sauntered in from a long day out in the heat and stuck their fingers up in the air as both a greeting and request for booze. Luckily for them, Yor had served them enough times to not take offense at the gesture. She smiled and went to work fetching their beer.

Such was how things usually played out in Berlint, at least for Yor. The frontier town itself was young, probably no older than she was, and it still had that nice veneer of a place yet unsoiled by the ravages of the west. That wasn't to say it was perfect; no, far from it, but everyone had their place and filled it dutifully with few complaints. Yor's was behind the bar, serving local ranchers and travelers making their way through to the open plains. Berlint was the last threshold of civilization. Beyond its boundaries, there wasn't nothing but sun and buzzards.

Some of the rowdier hands snapped their fingers and told Yor to pick up the pace. They were the new ones; the more experienced men quickly smacked them outside the head and told them hush, and not just because they were being rude as hell. Yor overheard their exchange. She paused and shook her head, knowing exactly what they were talking about. With a sigh, she gathered up all the bottles and put them on a serving tray. A moment later and she dropped them off at their table with a pleasant smile before turning to walk away.

It didn't take long for newcomers to figure out she was the sheriff's sister.

People always treated her funny after that. She couldn't hardly blame them, though; Yuri had a bit of a reputation as a...firm hand when it came to dispensing frontier justice. His was a difficult job and Yor understood that, but she couldn't help but feel that he took things a bit too far sometimes. And if she as his sister could come to that conclusion, then she could only imagine what the average person thought of him. It was no wonder everyone treated her with kid gloves. God forbid they upset her and incite her brother's wrath.

Never mind the fact that she was a barmaid. Part of her job was to take things on the chin and keep a firm upper lip, especially with some of the people that strolled through her establishment. Yor had seen her fair share of fights, both armed and unarmed, and not a day didn't go by that one of her patrons didn't try to peek up her skirt for a cheap thrill. Yuri never had to intervene for any of that, because she was more than capable in handling herself and her bar. Only time she ever called him is when the dangerous sort walked in. Outlaws and the bunch. Course, they were few and far between. Even then, Yor usually kept things to herself; so long as everyone behaved, there was no point in ratting someone out to her brother.

Yor dropped the tray off behind the counter and started to wipe things down. It was slow that day. Yor wanted to keep busy though, so she went about cleaning musty bottles and rearranging them to make them look more appealing to the discerning customer. Not that anyone around here drank anything other than draft beer and whisky, but she could keep herself occupied till someone else walked in. Besides, she liked to clean. It was about the only thing she was good at besides pouring drinks (and that last one was still debatable to some).

As she went about her business, a floorboard creak alerted her to another visitor. Yor didn't turn around right away though, and instead politely told whoever it was she'd be with them in a moment. A stubborn smudge just wouldn't wipe out. Yor attacked it as best she could; her eyes twisted as she focused and she stuck her tongue out, leading to a less than flattering face. It was a good thing she was turned around...or at least it would have been, were it not for the fact that mirrors lined the wall. Everyone behind her could see everything.

"Papa, she looks funny!" a little voice giggled out from behind her.

Immediately Yor froze. That...sounded like a child? She quickly turned around and found two strangers standing there in front of the counter. One of them was a little girl who looked sweet as honey. Her face was dirty, as was the rest of her, but she stood tall and proud for such a little thing. Her pink hair was as bright as the beam in her face, and the green of her eyes rivaled any shade Yor had seen outside of pure emerald. The little girl walked out from the shadow of a much taller figure.

Papa, Yor assumed. He stood several heads taller than she (even without the boots) and wore an old, shabby duster coat like so many others. He was in the process of removing his hat as she turned around, and revealed to Yor a head of blonde hair softened by heat and sweat. Stubble textured his face after not having shaved in a few days, and streaks of dirt clung heavier to him than it did his daughter. Even with all that though, Yor still paused under the gaze of his eyes. The prettiest blue she'd ever seen. Sky blue. Just like the open air outside.

"Anya, what did I tell you about making fun of people?" the man growled as he flashed a warning look to the little girl.

"N-no! That's alright, she was just playin'!" Yor piped up, caught off-guard. "Although, um...I can't have children in here, sorry."

The man nodded. "I figured as much. It's just we've been rolling through for a while now and this is the first place we came across."

"Is that right?" Yor smiled pleasantly. "Where ya'll coming in from?"

Anya's papa shrugged. "Other side of the valley. If it's got a name, I don't know it."

"...Wait, you mean the two of you came from the west?" Yor's eyes widened when the man nodded. "Both of you?"

"Well, she's my daughter so, yes," the man replied, this time with a faint chuckle. He smiled at Yor, and she pinked a little.

Everything out past the valley was no man's land. There was enough to eat and drink of course, assuming you could hunt, but there wasn't anything else out there besides the elements. That's where bandits, natives, and travelers on their way west could be found...certainly not the place for a little girl to be out and about, even if she did have her father with her. Stranger still, why would they be making their way east? Most people would be trying to reach the far shore for a chance at hitting it rich in the gold mines. There wasn't nothing out back east.

"Well, we'll be heading out then," the man spoke up, bringing Yor back to reality. "Sorry to bother you."

He went to put his hat back on, but was immediately stopped when Yor jumped in place. "No, wait! I can, uh...make an exception. Just this once!"

Anya's papa blinked. Genuinely surprised, he eased into a smile. "Much appreciated, ma'am. Thank you."

"I want whiskey!" Anya grinned as she pointed at the bottles behind Yor. The barmaid gasped.

"When I'm dead and buried!" The man grabbed his daughter by the scruff of her dirty dress and walked her to the counter. "Sit!"

Anya's papa collapsed onto a bar chair. He quickly picked her up and dropped her into his lap, and she huffed in disappointment. Yor tilted her head at the strange pair, but couldn't stop a smile from forming at their antics. It was a refreshing sight to see, what with most of her days spent babysitting grown men before sending them off to do god-knows-what.

"Would you like a cold glass of milk, Anya?" Yor asked sweetly, which earned her an incredulous look from the little girl.

"Cold milk!?" Anya slammed her hand on the counter in amazement before looking up at her papa. He seemed just as surprised as her.

"Mhm," Yor nodded. She motioned to a door on the far side of the bar behind her. "We've got the only ice house for thirty miles, and I milked the goat this morning myself!"

"How 'bout that," the man nodded, impressed. Anya continued to stare at him pleadingly, and he smirked. "Sure. What do I owe ya?"

"First round's on the house!" Yor smiled. "And what'll it be for you, mister...?"

"Forger, ma'am." Anya's papa bowed his head. "Loid Forger."

Yor's smile grew wider. "What'll it be, Mr. Forger?"

"I'll take a scotch, missus...?"

"Miss Briar," she corrected. "But you can call me Yor!"

[daggerzine]

MY FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2020......phew.

MY 20 FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2020 (in no particular order)

 Close Lobsters- Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols (Shelflife)

Anna Burch- If You’re Dreaming (Polyvinyl)

The Reds, Pinks & Purples- You Might be Happy Someday (Tough Love) 

The Stroppies- Look Alive (Tough Love)

Melenas- Dias Raros (Trouble in Mind)

Boyracer- On a Promise (Emotional Response)

European Sun- S/T (WIAIWYA)

Terrible Signal- The Window (Heart of the Rat)

Smokescreens- A Strange Dream (Slumberland)

Mosses- TV Sun (Anyway)

Gary Olson- S/T (Tapete)

The Beths- Jump Rope Gazers (Carpark)

Jetstream Pony- S/T (Shelflife)

Lewsberg- In This Room (12XU)

The Brothers Steve- #1 (Big Stir)

Boat- Tread Lightly (Magic Marker)

The Bats- Foothills (Flying Nun)

The High Water Marks- Ecstasy Rhyme (Minty Fresh)

Exploding Flowers (Stumbling Blocks (The Beautiful Music)

Tobin Sprout- Empty Horses (Fire)

 Wait….20 more favorites (21-40)

The Very Most- Needs help (Kocliko/ Lost Sound Tapes)

Lisa Mychols & Super 8- S/T  (The Beautiful Music)

Louis Phillippe & the Night Mail- Thunderclouds (Tapoete)

Bye Bye Blackbirds- Boxer At Rest (Double Potion)

Kiwi Jr- Football Money (Mint)

 Bob Mould- Blue Hearts (Merge)

 Xetas- The Cypher (12XU)

Lorna – Constellations (Words on Music)

A Girl Called Eddy- Been Around  (Elefant)

Sault- Untitled (Rise) (Forever Living Originals)

RVG- Feral (Fire)

The Resonars- Disappear (self released)

Kestrels- Dream or Don’t Dream (Darla)

Black Watch- Brilliant Failures (A Turntable Friend)

Savak- Rotting Teeth in a Horse’s Mouth (Ernest Jenning)

The Innocence Mission- See You Tomorrow (Therese)

Stephen Malkmus- Traditional Techniques (Matador)

The Persian Leaps- Smiling Lessons (Land Ski Records)

The Vapour Trails- Golden Sunshine (Futureman)

Sweeping Promises- Hunger for a Way Out (Feel It)

  You want more?  Here’s 20 more! (41-60)

Nada Surf- Never Not Together (Barsuk)

Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever- Sideways to Italy (Sub Pop)

Girl Skin- Shade is on the Other Side (Jullian)

Perfume Genius- Set My Heart On Fire Immediately (Matador)

Brigid Mae Power- Head Above the Water (Fire)

Well Wishers- Shelf Life (self released)

Lunchbox-  After School Special (Slumberland)

En Attendant Ana- Jullian (Trouble in Mind)

Helen Love- Power On! (Alsopop/ Jigsaw)

 Voice Imitator- Plaza (12XU)

Cornershop- England Is a Garden (Ample Play)

The Luxemboug Signal- The Long Now (Shelflife)

Chubby and the Gang- Speed Kills (Static Shock Records)

Nah…- S/T (Shelflife)

Super 8- Head Sounds (Subjangle)

The Apartments- In and Out of the Light (Fire)

Moving Targets- Humbucker (Boss Tuneage)

Dead Famous People- Harry (Fire)

Supercrush- Sodo pOp (Don Giovanni)

Maria Mckee- La Vita Nuova (Fire)

 Aaaaaand 20 more!! (61-80)

Even as We Speak- Adelphi (Shelflife)

Marshall Holland- Paper Airplane (Mystery Lawn Music)

Lithics- Tower Of Age  (Trouble in Mind)

R.E. Seraphin- Tiny Shapes (Paisley Shirt Records)

Drew Citron- Free Now (Park the Van)

David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels- Gateway to a Lifetime of Disappointment   (Parkfield Records)

The Dream Syndicate- The Universe Inside (Anti)

Dolph Chaney- Rebuilding Permit (Big Stir)

Metz – Atlas Vending (Sub Pop)

Donal Hinely- Diary of a Snowflake (Atom/Scuffletown)

Mythical Motors- Leviathan Messiah (self released)

Mary Lattimore- Silver Ladders  (Secretly Canadian)

The Silent Boys- Tilt-a-Whirl (Walrus Records)

Fort Not- The Club is Open (Meritorio)

Thibault- …or not Thibault (Chapter Music)

The Crystal Furs- Beautiful and True (Subjangle)

Hinds- The Prettiest Curse (Mom + Pop)

Peel Dream Magazine- Agitprop Alterna (Slumberland)

The Legends- S/T (Labrador)

Coldbeat- Mother (DFA)

 I ALSO LIKED RECORDS BY- My Darling YOU!, You, Me & This Fuckin Guy, Gretchen’s Wheel, Jeremy, Pocket of Lollipops, Protomartyr, Shopping,  Joe Pernice, Pop Filter, All Ashore!, Half Japanese, Hazel English, Theatre Royal,  Jason Isbell, Bananagun, The Cool Greenhouse, the Drive-By Truckers, The Ashensden Papers, Steam Train Hearts, The Cakekitchen, Spinning Coin, Cable Ties, Emma Kupa, Rob Moss and The Skin Tight, Jeremy, Awful Sirs, The Corner Laughers, The Cakekitchen Turnstyles,  The Special Pillow, The Reflectors, , Devon Williams, The Lickerish Quartet, Modern Studies, The Bell Streets, Mike Gale, Kyle Forester, Shadow Show, Isobel Campbell,  The Proper Ornaments, Personality Cults,  The Safes, Flower, Dennis Davison , The Bell Streets, etc. etc.

  MY FAVORITE COLLECTIONS/ REISSUES

The Chills- Submarine Bells and Soft Bomb (both on Fire)

East Village- Hotrod Hotel (Slumberland)

The Orange Peels- Square (Minty Fresh)

Heavenly- a Bout De Heavenly (Damaged Goods)

Rowland S. Howard- Teenage Snuff Film (Fat Possim/ Mute)

Pale Saints- The Comforts of Madness (4AD)

Pylon- Pylon Box (New West)

Beachwood Sparks- S/T (Curation records)

Stephen- Radar of Small Dogs (Joyful Noise)

The Mendoza Line- We’re all in this alone (Bar-None)

Van Duren- Are You Serious (Omnivore)

Love Tractor- S/T (HHBTM)

The Toms- 1979 Sessions (Futureman)

Josie Cotton- Invasion of the B Girls (Kitten Robot Records)

Game Theory- Across the Barrier of Sound (Omnivore)

Crayon Fields- All the Pleasures of the World (Chapter Music)

The Lucksmiths- A Good Kind of Nervous (Matinee/ Lost and Lonesome)

The Bachelor Pad- All Hash and Cock: The Best Of (Emotional Response)

  MY FAVORITE SINGLES AND EPS-

Seablite- High-Rise Mannequins (Emotional Response)

Peter Hall- There’s Something Wrong With Everyone (The Beautiful Music)

The Legendary House Cats- A Postcard (and several more on Bandcamp)

Neutrals- Personal Computing (Slumberland)

High Cameras – 4 Songs (Hounds Tooth Cottage)

Love Burns- Gate and the Ghost 7”  (Kleine Schplatten Untergrund)

Pale Lights- You and I (Slumberland)

Dusty Miller- Empathy  (Small Bear Records)

Pezzati- The First EP (self released)

Strawberry Whiplash- Press 4 for Love (Matinee)

Dummy- EP 1 (self released)

R.E. Seraphin- A Room Forever (Paisley Shirt Records)

Flowers- Erik (Slumberland)

Kneeling in Piss- Music for Peasants (Anyway Records)

Northern Portrait- At Attention (Matinee)

[flightbookingworld]

Croatia Travel guide, the best places to holiday.

Croatia is one of the most beautiful coastal nations in Europe. It’s a unique blend of eastern and Mediterranean Europe. It has a whopping 5800km long coastline with it’s many islands included. Although there is no shortage of amazing and beautiful sights, There are a whole lot of fun stuff to do in Croatia. Great historical sites and monuments, must visit natonal parks, beautiful beaches, go island hopping, hire a yacht and explore the beautiful coastline.

As a coastal destination, Croatia is well known for having the prettiest beaches on the Adriatic sea. The turquoise blue water and sandy beaches are loved by tourists and photographers alike. However, there are more to this unique location than beaches and seaside villages. We will explore some of the beautiful places in mainland Croatia along with the coastline in this travel guide.

The best places to holiday in Croatia.

1.Dubrovnik We are convinced, that Dubrovnik cannot be left out of the list of the best places to holiday in Croatia. It has one of the most amazing Old Town districts in Europe. Therefore it is no wonder, that most of the scenes from King’s Landing was shot in Dubrovnik.

Along with Trogir, Dubrovnik is part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Its big old town area has been a popular tourist destination since the early days of tourism. While most locations were discovered quite slowly, Dubrovnik has been in the centre of attention for quite a while when it comes to tourism.

Once you step inside the original city walls, you will be taken into another world. You will feel like travelling right back into medieval ages. Walking on the cobblestone streets, within buildings that feel older than time itself is a unique feeling to experience. Dubrovnik is well connected to all major airports in europe and you can find plenty of cheap flight and hotels if you book early.

2.The Island of Hvar One of the top holiday destinations in Croatia is The Hvar Island, It is a favourite of tourists. It’s located south of Brac island and offers some of the most beautiful beaches in Croatia for those who love the beach and the beautiful coastline this is your spot. Hire a yacht and discover the the turquoise blue water and sandy beaches of the Adriatic sea. There are plenty of beautiful sea side cottages and hotels to choose from.

Apart from the beaches, the island is full of old medieval architecture and villages. Most of them survived the test of time quite well. Once the sun goes down it will be evident to you why Hvar is popular especially amongst the younger travellers. The main town on the island, also called Hvar, will transform into a party town, complete with cafes, bars and night clubs that are open late into the early morning.

3. Rovinj Old Town Rovinj is a city less than an hour away from Pula. No surprise that it has had plenty of Roman influence throughout history. To be honest, Rovinj looks like a town from the Venetian coastal region of Italy. It’s just in Croatia. This is a must visit on the list of best places to holiday in Croatia.

Built on a small isle, originally it was only reachable by a bridge. Ever since then the land has been filled up, now the old town has its own tiny peninsula. Surrounded by water, this special medieval town has one of the most charming atmospheres in Croatia. No surprise it is featured on the list of top romantic getaways in Croatia.

Wondering the cobblestone streets of this small old town area, you will be greeted with beauty around each corner. From tiny little sidestreets to grandiose plazas, this old town part has it all, condensed into a peninsula on the Adriatic.

Croatia is also one of the best holiday spots for sea lovers and sailors. We offer one of the best deals when it comes to boutique cruises from our partner Hopa Yachts. A boutique cruise is a unique sailing experience that will take you to places you never imagine on a comfortable home-like ship. Boutique cruises take place on small and medium vessels and therefore accommodate only a small limited number of travelers. Therefore the atmosphere on board is relaxed and the service is exceptional. A boutique cruise ensures a direct connection to nature and maximum proximity to the sea. We offer free cancellation. Just reserve at the lowest prices and pay later. Click here to avail exclusive promo code for our fans.

4. Pula In Croatia, Pula is the main attraction if you are planning to see some Roman ruins. As the centre of administration for the region in Roman times, it has one of the best ancient ruins of any Croatian city.

Not only that but the roman Amphitheatre in Pula, is one of the best-conserved Amphitheatre in the whole world, along with the Colosseum. Better yet, the Amphitheatre of Pula is in use today. You can catch musicals, theatre performances and live music performances here. Attending a live performance in the ancient building of the Roman Amphitheatre is a very unique and memorable experience.

Additionally to the beautiful Roman ruins in the city, the region also has a great history of winemaking and fishing. Whenever visiting, make sure you try some of the local wines and have some local seafood.

5. Motovun This iconic city in the Istria region of Croatia is perfect for an autumn getaway. The town resides on a hilltop and has a charming old town area. The surrounding region has been known for great wine and is perfect for visiting some wineries.

The town is also very famous for its excellent truffle, that is growing in the surrounding woods. As such, we recommend you to try the truffle out in one of the many restaurants and hotels around the area.

Even if you are looking to catch some sun on the beach Motovun is located less than an hour away from the Istrian coast, so you are not missing out on the beautiful shore of Croatia.

6. Trogir Old Town With the city of Trogir, we have our first urban location on the list of best places to holiday in Croatia. Trogir is just west of Split. You can get here with a relatively short drive. The towns most famous attraction is the Historic City of Trogir.

This historic location sits on a tiny island in the middle of the city. Apart from being one of the best-preserved Mediterranean medieval city, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. This amazing old town has been shaped by all the great seafaring nations of the past. You will find that the influence of such nations, like the Greeks and Romans, have made the Historical City Centre of Trogir quite a special place.

The fact that it has survived the test of time in such an amazing state is a wonder in itself. We highly recommend visiting this pretty UNESCO site.

7.Brela Beach – Punta Rata It is in an orderly fashion, we start our list of prettiest places in a country known for its breathtaking coastline, on a beach. South of Split, almost halfway to Dubrovnik lies the city of Brela. This particular town is well known for its the beautiful beach the Punta Rata. There is plenty of fun things to do while in brela.

It seems like to us that the water is always crystal clear, and the most beautiful shade of turquoise around here. Along with the beautiful sea, this white pebble beach will provide you with a view even if you turn back towards the land. Right behind you are the mountains of Biokovo Nature Park.

In 1968, this beachside has been named ‘Champion of the Adriatic’. Although it has been a couple of years since 1968, even today, Punta Rata is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Adriatic. Brela Beach is definitely among the list of best places to holiday in Croatia. click for more info compare cruise prices

8. Zlatni Rat, Brac Zlatni Rat is one of the most unique beaches of Croatia. Also known as the Golden Horn, this pretty beach has been a symbol of Brac Island.

The white sandy beach and the always beautiful Adriatic Sea could alone make this beach noteworthy. However, its most unique feature is its location. Located on the south side of Brac Island, it is a tiny sand isle extending into the sea. The size of the actual beach will always be dependent on the sea.

It’s not only the beachgoers that love Zlatni Rat. Due to it’s unique geographical location, the sea around it can get windy with great waves. This makes the beach a perfect spot for sailors, sea lovers that love sailing, windsurfers as well.

[inafternoonair]

Top 25 albums of 2019

the music was pretty good this year.

[Previously: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011]

The honorable mentions: Angel Olsen — All Mirrors; Blood Orange — Angel’s Pulse; Better Oblivion Community Center — Better Oblivion Community Center; Future — Save Me; Greys — Age Hasn’t Spoiled You; The Japanese House — Good at Falling; Julian Lynch — Rat’s Spit; Kim Petras — Clarity; Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!; Lisa Prank — Perfect Love Song; The Menzingers — Hello Exile; Solange — When I Get Home; Tacocat — This Mess Is a Place; Titus Andronicus — An Obelisk; Vivian Girls — Memory; Yohuna — Mirroring.

25. Vampire Weekend — Father of the Bride 24. Deerhunter — Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared 23. Whitney — Forever Turned Around

22. Spielbergs — This Is Not The End Spielbergs came across my radar in January or February via Spotify, and when I saw the cover art for This Is Not The End, I tried to guess what it would sound like. I pegged it as some combination of The Hotelier and Joyce Manor and other things of that ilk. It was similar to that — but so much more. This was part of the soundtrack from when I drove from Philadelphia to Baltimore to Pittsburgh to Indianapolis and back for the NFL combine. Good road trip. Top track: “Distant Star”

21. Girlpool — What Chaos Is Imaginary 20. Drawing Boards — The Message

19. Big Thief — Two Hands I sat in a coffee shop in my new neighborhood earlier this month and ran through Two Hands, which I kind of forgot about (whoops) after U.F.O.F. “Not” came on, the waning sunlight was reflecting off Eastern State Penitentiary and I could see the reflection of the dying sunset in the clouds to the east down Fairmount. It was A Moment, you could say. Top track: “Not”

18. Mark Ronson — Late Night Feelings The most misguided driving venture I’ve ever had is driving from Denver, Colo., to Davenport, Iowa, during my return from California in 2014. That drive took 13 or 14 hours, and I started it way too late in the morning and there was a time change built in. I was alone. It was a little much. But driving from Green Bay, Wisc., to Milwaukee, Wisc., after the Eagles played the Packers in September ranks up there, though it was more inconvienent than misguided. I left Lambeau Field at 1:30 a.m. and had to be at the airport in Milwaukee by 4 to return my rental car and make my plane home. It was a lot. It was all worth it. Top track: “See U Again (feat. Camila Cabello)”

17. Emily Yacine — Remember The Silver 16. Caroline Polacheck — Pang

15. Charli XCX — Charli I remember listening the Charli XCX in 2012 — ”Valentine” that February was my first exposure, then the You’re The One EP solidified her for me (s/o to the Balam Acab and Blood Orange remixes) — and being like, yeah, this is great. The highs of Charli validated that. The best songs on here are some of the best pop songs of the year. But there’s a lot that I skip, and that prevents it from being up higher. I made a playlist that has only the songs I really, really liked from Charli (because all of them are pretty good), and it turns out that those are the songs that are either solo or have the least intrusive features. It colored my perception of this album a ton It’s an interesting formula in 2019. But Charli rules. Top track: “Silver Cross”/”Official”

14. Barrie — Happy To Be Here 13. Nilüfer Yanya — Miss Universe 12. No Rome — Crying In The Prettiest Places 11. Clairo — Immunity

10. Frass Green — For You 9. Big Thief — U.F.O.F. 8. Mannequin Pussy — Patience 7. Kevin Morby — Oh My God

6. Mike Krol — Power Chords The second Saturday in March was the first real taste of spring, so I went up to the roof to sit and stare at the skyline while listening to Power Chords. It was the perfect marriage. Top track: “Pink and Blue”

5. Carly Rae Jepsen — Dedicated 4. Purple Mountains — Purple Mountains 3. (Sandy) Alex G — House of Sugar 2. Oso Oso — Basking In The Glow

1. Toro y Moi — Outer Peace We left Denver and headed west up into the hills toward Red Rocks, and Ian put on Outer Peace. It worked. As a chillwave defender for life, I miss the Causers of This vibe, but Outer Peace falls into the same lineage as Boo Boo a couple years ago. It’s rather minimal, and it’s contempative. The themes are large, and there’s a good Ariel Pink callback to the beginning of the decade: “It’s always the same, as always.” It worked in a Colorado summer, in a swampy Philadelphia September and a the cold tease of winter. Top track: “Fading”

[sceawere]

understanding | luca changretta

sequel to ‘risk’

Matteo was at the steps of the hotel to meet your car, opening your door for you as it pulled up.

“Guess I missed my chance, huh?” he joked, helping you out. You laughed and gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Don’t worry, Matty boy. With gentlemanly manners like that, you’ll be snapped up soon enough” he frowned at your words, but laughed still.

“Don’t ever call me that again” he said, turning to climb the steps up to the imposing doorway. You followed up, heels clacking on the damp stone.

“What’cha gonna do about it, huh, tough guy?” you knocked his shoulder as he opened the door for you and nearly missed the eyeroll he gave you, only catching it because you gave a dramatic turn. You smiled as he shook his head, looking over your shoulder as you stepped backwards into the lobby.

“I remember the first time you came here, you were like a little mouse” he pinched his fingers together in front of him “now you’re sounding your mouth off like that”

“I threatened to pull your friends eyes out” you reminded him, and he shrugged.

“Yeah, but you were very polite about it. You asked him nicely, like a lady” he looked down at you with a slight smirk and you returned it.

“Well, I am, as I was then, incredibly nervous” you sighed, shifting your weight from foot to foot, rolling on your toes slightly in the plush carpeting beneath you both.

“Don’t be” he lifted an arm for you to take, hooking your elbow through his “Boss is a good man. He won’t bite”

You tilted your head at the lilt in his tone, the smirk that grew. Another sigh as you both turned was quickly replaced by a sharp intake of breath and a noise of complaint from Matteo as you shoved him back into an alcove.

“Woah, sweetheart- “

“Shit, fuck, and shitty fuck” you whispered out a trail of curses, dipping your head to rest on his lapel.

“Ok…what’s- “

“Those men work for Tommy – well, with Tommy, sort of, kind of. Everyone works for Tommy really, I guess” you whispered to him, leaning back to peer around a well-placed plant that formed a veil between you and them. They were stood together in a group of five or six men, some you recognised, some you didn’t.

You were dipped back, as though you were dancing, when Matteo leaned forward to take a peek as well. You turned your head to him, frowning, and trying to catch his eye. When he did see you, he shrugged, and you sighed. You pushed him back, gripping the lapels of his coat, and swinging you both round to switch places so he could look at the men better. You frowned, patting his chest, as he eyed up the situation.

“Is that a gun?” you whispered.

“Course it’s a gun” he tutted, throwing a look your way.

“My head was right there!” you protested, and he rolled his eyes.

“The safety’s on, what you take me for? Just because you lot are living out in the wild west, doesn’t mean- “

He turned quickly as they turned as a group, one of the men pointing up at a portrait on the wall next to the alcove.

“How many of them have I got to shoot?” Matteo asked, the two of you keeping eye to eye, trying to look like young lovers having a moment, rather than members of rival factions trying to hide behind a potted plant.

“None of them!” you whispered back, outraged. You made sure to exaggerate each word, your face screwed up.

“Any of them go running back to Tommy, and- “

“When I said they worked for him, I meant for the company. Like that guy- “you nodded to one of the older men “runs a frickin’ paint company for goodness sake. He gave me a lecture on the history of tint chemistry one time, he’s not shooting up anyone”

You sighed, looking over at the door as rain started to patter against the glass. You hoped it wouldn’t bother the men, and that they’d leave soon enough, so you could scurry up the stairs and hide in shame for the rest of the night.

“They’re legit business men, ok? I’m not even sure they know Tommy’s Tommy. I mean, they must know, I guess. But you know, whether they understand, whether they care, I don’t… know what I’m even trying to explain. Regardless- “you re-adjusted your grip on his lapels “I go to the galas and stuff sometimes, Tommy gets bored of trying to act all proper and respectable, and the executives sometimes need a pretty face to open up their contracts, so…they’ll recognise me. Is all. And all it takes is them dropping a ‘oh, I saw you at the hotel!’ in front of Tommy and we’re done”

“Well, we can’t stand in the shrubbery all night” he snarked, and you scowled up at him.

“Is there a side-entrance? Can we go up the service stairs or something?”

“No, the kitchens and deliveries are at the back”

“Then let’s go that way”

“Did you hear me? There’s no side-entrance. It’s a 3 miles round trip through town and back to get to that door from the outside”

“I think you’re exaggerating slightly” you droned, and he flicked a brow at you.

“We specifically picked a place with as few easily-accessible external doors as possible, you get me?”

You sighed, leaning back against the wall.

“Well, there has to be another way around this. We can’t stand in the shrubbery all night” you agreed.

-

“What the hell happened to you” Luca asked of Matteo as he shepherded you into the room. You were both dripping wet, Matteo wrestling his coat off and lifting his arms as he looked down at his spoiled suit.

“Blinders in the lobby. We had to go back out and around the back way to avoid being seen. Only problem is, the only way to get in the back entrance is to circle the whole block, and go down an alley to the service entrance” he motioned the route with his hands, movements frantic with frustration, as you abandoned all hope of saving your outfit and toed your shoes off and kicked them away with a huff “could have sailed our way straight up to that window, the amount of water falling out there. Probably would’ve been quicker, how the hell do they not have a shorter way to-”

Both men’s eye turned to you as you let out a noise of frustration, flapping your arms that were stuck in the wet fabric of the sleeves. Finally, they gave way and your coat slumped to the floor. You sighed heavily again, shifting your weight onto one hip as Luca looked you over. Your shoes were strewn a metre away, your coat crumpled on the floor. The hem of your silky dress was splashed with mud and dripping onto the fancy carpet below your bare feet. Your hair was soaked through, probably tatty from where you’d squeezed the curls of their excess water. You gave another deep sigh as Matteo smirked and dipped his head to keep his laughter to himself.

“I look like a drowned rat” you complained.

“Prettiest one I’ve ever seen” Luca replied, a light smile on his face as he stepped over to you. You frowned up at him, pouting as you looked down at your ruined outfit, and contrasted it with his pristine suit.

“I looked like a girl from the pictures” you explained, disappointment heavy in your tone.

“I know you did” he laid a hand on your hair as you sulked, leaning around him when you heard one of Matteo’s soft chuckles.

“I take back everything I said about you being a gentleman!” he raised his hands in defence, smile still wide into his cheeks. He kept his arms up in surrender as he walked over to the door, scooping up his own damp coat on his way.

“Enjoy your dinner!” he said, pulling the door shut behind him.

You took a deep breathe, swinging your head back to Luca, who was smiling softly as he looked you over again.

“Don’t” you whispered.

“I didn’t say anything” he motioned across his lips “not a word”

He turned and made his way through the room to another door, and by the tiles you saw on the wall, you assumed it was a bathroom. You looked down, pinching the fabric at your thighs to lightly lift the hem of your skirt away from your ankles, tutting at the state of it. This carpet was far too nice to be dripping puddle water all over, and you looked around for somewhere else to stand.

“Here” Luca returned, holding a towel outstretched to you. You dropped your grip and took it from him, dabbing it over your face, and patting it over the ends of your hair.

“I can’t…” you looked down at the sodden fabric “this dress is done”

You avoided his gaze, eyes to the ends of your hair, and then your arms as you patted them off too.

“Well, I don’t have any pretty dresses lying around…” you looked up to him, and he smiled at your unimpressed expression “but I should have a shirt or two around here somewhere you can borrow”

You bit your lip, dropping the towel to your waist. Your hands were bundled up in the fabric, and they fidgeted with it, the warmth returning to your fingers. You looked down at your dress again, trying to work out how much coverage you’d get. Luca was tall, but not that tall, and you were going to be walking around his hotel room with a significant amount of leg showing. You thought back to all Polly’s lectures on respectability before your dates when you were younger and huffed a little.

Luca was already over by the wardrobe, pulling out a shirt and slipping it off the hanger for you. You ran an eye over the room quickly, looking for a blanket or a sheet or something. The only ones to be found were spread on the bed and so when Luca turned back around he found you staring at the covers intently, trying to work out what to do with yourself. He looked from the bed, to you, shirt still hooked over one finger. You cleared your throat, and tip toed your way across to him, trying to avoid as much contact with the floor as possible.

“Thank you” you whispered as you took the dry fabric from him, hobbling your way over to the bathroom with your skirt bunched in one hand. Once inside, you lay your head onto the tiles softly, rocking your forehead over the cool surface.

“This is a fucking disaster” you whispered to yourself, before laying the shirt over the counter and slipping out of your dress.

-

Luca was crouched before the big fireplace in the antechamber when you stepped back out. You hovered in the doorway, a hand on either side of the woodwork and one foot on the tile, the other on the carpet. You frowned as you watched his shoulders roll. You tilted your head, trying to confirm what he was doing, when he turned back to grab a pack of matches perched on the edge of the coffee table. He caught sight of you, smile pulling onto your face as his eyes ran down your body, straight to your legs.

“Be…a gentleman” you reminded him, and his smile grew, looking down to the matches in his hand.

You dropped your hands to your sides and stepped out into the room. You reached over to grip the blanket topping the bed, dragging it with you as you stepped back.

A flicker in the corner of your eye drew your gaze. He’d lit the fireplace in the bedroom as well, and the warmth spilled out in to the room, losing its reach eventually as you progressed towards him. He flicked a look up to you as the first match failed to light and he threw it into the grate, reaching back into the packet with an irritated hiss.

“Why’d you look so surprised?” he asked, striking the match and dipping his knee back into the carpet when it flew into life. He brought it to the grate, carefully inspecting the fledgling flames as you crawled onto the sofa, pulling the blanket over your now bare knees.

You’d draped your stockings over the edge of the bath to dry, umming and aahing over whether to hide them somewhere for five minutes before you realised it was ridiculous and left them where they were.

“I don’t know, I thought you’d get someone in to do that for you, I guess”

He straightened his spine as the fire came to life properly, throwing the box back onto the table. He stood, taking the short steps over to you, and reaching for a bottle on the side table next to you. He towered over you like this, and you bent your neck back to keep eyes on him as he poured himself a glass.

“You want one?” he motioned with the bottle, and you shook your head.

“I could go for a tea, if you’re doing one?” you lifted your elbow to rest on the sofa back, resting your head on your fist “though I suppose there’s no kettle up here, is there, so…”

“No, but there’s a phone, and a big kitchen downstairs. And since you asked so nicely, I’ll go through the monumental effort of ringing down and requesting one, how about that?” he took a quick drink, before moving towards the desk.

“Thank you” you replied after him, leaning forward on the sofa to watch him go. Your hands fell to your lap, tracing the intricate embroidery on the cover, as you listened to him ring down.

“They’ll be up in a minute” he explained, coming back to sit at your side. He took another drink, looping one arm over the sofa back, and perching the glass on his knee. He traced eyes over you again, his expression softening.

“What?” you almost whispered, trying to work him out.

“Cosy” he replied, and you burst out laughing, bending back into your knees slightly. He smiled across at you as you straightened back up, settling your back against the chair as you adjusted your legs, so you could turn to face him a little better. You dragged the blanket back over your feet, tucking it around your ankles.

“I didn’t take you for the ‘quiet night in’ kind of type” you joked, and he gave a little shrug.

“I can be domestic” he replied, taking another drink.

“Yeah, lighting fires in a marble fireplace- “you motioned behind you and reached to tip the bottle into view a little better “drinking stuff I can’t pronounce that probably costs more than most people’s monthly wage”

You turned back to him.

“Lounging about your hotel suite in a fancy suit while you contemplate your empire, you’re a real salt of the earth guy, huh?” you rested your elbow up on the edge of the sofa back, close enough that you could feel the heat of his arm through the cotton, and tilted your temple to your fist.

“That what you’re looking for? Nice, honest Joe”

You shrugged, casting as eye back down to the blanket.

“I’m here looking like a wash up and you’re Mr Fancy over there. I might not feel so out of place”

You watched the tip of his tongue as he rolled it over the edge of his teeth, before lifting his arm over your head as he reached to place his glass on the coffee table. He set about undoing the buttons on his waistcoat, draping it over the armrest.

You furrowed your brow, still smiling apprehensively as he looked to you, loosening his collar, and beginning to roll up his sleeves. When he was done he settled back and motioned to himself. You laughed, shaking your head.

“Yeah, you look terrible now. Almost unrecognisable. A shadow of the man you were before”

“Anything for you, doll” he replied, draining his glass. Your eyes followed him as he returned the now empty glass to the coffee table, before settling back, and bringing his eyes to yours.

“What did you tell Tommy about where you were going?” he asked, fingers drumming a beat where they lay on the back of the sofa.

You sighed, and adjusted in the seat.

“That I was going to see an old friend from school – it’s kind of a regular event at the moment, I figured routine would make him less suspicious. She’s getting married in a couple of weeks and they’re moving away after, so we’ve been meeting up and…you know, having fun together while we can. Making memories”

“Running wild?” he joked, and you rolled your eyes with a smile.

“I’ll have you know that when you’re not around, I’m entirely respectable” he raised his brows, and you tilted your head, daring him to disagree “you’re a bad influence, Mr Changretta”

“I’ve been a perfect gentleman” he argued, and you nodded sarcastically “I have!”

There was a knock at the door, and he shouted for them to enter. You’d forgot about the tea and now worried about being seen by the staff. Luca had managed to work someone into Tommy’s house without him realising, and the thought that Tommy could do the same suddenly hit you.

You raised your hand, fingers fidgeting with your lip, and obscuring part of your face. You flicked your hair back, hoping to obscure its length and were glad that the water had darkened the strands. Hopefully in the dim light of the room (with just the fires and the lamps lit) you wouldn’t be entirely recognisable, just in case.

“Thank you” he said as the maid left. He reached forward, pausing when he looked back over his shoulder, and found you looking nervous.

“It’s her job to be discreet” he reminded you, and you moved your eyes from the doorway to him.

“I’m not worried about gossip, I’m about worried about whether she only draws one pay check, or if I should be advising Polly to pack a bag and make herself scarce right about now” you whispered back. He shook his head, smiling to himself,

“I picked this place because it was clean. I checked everyone out, don’t worry”

“Did you- “you stalled as he leaned back, resting his arm on the back of the sofa, and leaning into you.

“My men know every face, every résumé– they know the names of every guests in every room. We picked this place because it was clean, don’t worry” he reassured, and you took a deep breath, nodding slowly.

“This is my day job” he continues, calling back to your words when you first met “and you’re adorable when you blush”

“Are you going to feed me or not? I was promised a dinner, and I’m so hungry I’m about to eat that table, so- “

He stood from the sofa, and made his way towards the door before you could finish your protest.

-

“Stop!” you implored through your laugh. You and Luca had moved to the floor before the fireplace as it started to rain heavily outside once again, finishing your desserts in it’s warm glow. He was leant back against a chair, one leg outstretched, the other bent so he could drape his arm over it lazily, swilling his glass lightly in the flickering light.

“I’m not doing anything” he motioned to himself with his free hand, taking another sip with a smirk.

“You’re staring, and it’s putting me off”

“I’m looking at a beautiful woman, what- “

“You’re looking at a woman who is trying to eat her body weight in whipped cream in peace, so avert thy eyes, mister” you took another scoop from the posh crystal bowl and filled your mouth, letting the spoon drop back with a clatter.

You lifted the bowl and put it back on the table with the rest of the plates and trays, adjusting your blanket skirt around you as you shuffled closer to the warm glow.

“Stop” you whispered again, catching Luca smiling into the fire.

“I’m not-I did what you asked, what more do you want from me?” he asked, purposefully not looking in your direction as he addressed you.

You licked the cream off the edge of your thumb, eyeing his glass. You reached forward, picking it out of his hand. He turned his head to his hand, then to yours, then to you, as you eyed its contents.

“What is this? Whisky? I don’t like whisky” you said, before taking a drink. You grimaced, you still didn’t like whisky, and handed it back to him. He was shaking his head with a smile as you wiped your mouth with your thumb again.

“What do you like?”

“Vodka” you replied quickly. He looked surprised but impressed, moving his glass to the floor next to him. He let it clink against the marble.

“Every time I think I understand you, you surprise me”

“Maybe you’re underestimating me then” you replied, and he nodded.

“Maybe”

You sat without speaking, enjoying the quiet together for a while. The fireplace hummed and cracked, the rain jotting against the windows in spatters and flows, soft then beating, then dying away again. It was dark out by now, the season bringing the night in fast, but the vast curtains remained open. It put a glow into the room, the cool light melding into the warmth expelled by the fire.

“Maybe we’re underestimating each other” you said, after so long a silence you thought the frown on Luca’s face was from him forgetting what had been said.

“Why’s that?” he asked, and you nodded towards the flames.

“I thought you’d be all fancy big boss, but you light your own fires” you explained, and he laughed, shaking his head, having supposed you were about to make a grand revelation. He picked up the glass, ready to take the last sip.

“I usually have the maids do it” he deferred, and you perked up, mouthing an ‘ah!’ “but- “

He pointed to you with the hand holding the glass, pulling it away from his lips at the last second.

“I wanted to impress the lady, so…”

“You made a fine job of it” you agreed.

“You can thank my grandfather for that. He used to take me camping” he explained, and you burst out laughing. He gave a look of mock outrage, and you threw a hand over your mouth.

“Sorry” you whispered, still laughing regardless “Sorry, I’m just imagining little Luca in his short pants, in the forest- “

You broke for laughter again, as he shook his head.

“It’s a sight!”

“I wasn’t always the auspicious man you see before you” he joked.

“No, I can believe that” you teased, rolling your lips between your teeth. He stared you down.

“What did you think I’d be?” he asked. You thought on it for a moment, moving to free your legs from the blanket and stretch them out towards the fire. You made sure to pull the blanket up around your hips and thighs, keeping the edge of the shirt covered.

“I thought maybe you were…” you stalled, looking up at him “uhh…maybe…”

You squinted, trying to come up with the right words.

“Using me to get to Tommy” you said lightly, grimacing slightly. His face dropped and became serious and you moved to fill the silence before he did.

“You enjoy winding me up and calling the office and…” you bobbed your head about “you know, the secret notes, the teasing. I thought maybe at some point you were going to turn around and let Tommy know and…throw it in his face. ‘I got one of your girls’, you know?”

He reached across and picked a toothpick off the table, rolling it around in his mouth. You supressed the pull of your lips – for all the teasing he gave you about nervous habits, he had his own little tell.

“You think I’d do that?” he drawled, avoiding your eyes.

“Of course I did. You know I should. I didn’t know you. I knew a vague image of who you could be. Tell me you don’t think I was justified” you challenged lightly, and he quirked a brow, nodding towards you. Still considering the flames, rather than you.

“You still think that?” he asked.

“No. Well, a part of me. Little niggling voice in the back of my head, but I think that’s mostly Tommy’s influence, actually. I got the idea from somewhere” you whispered the last part, thinking back to when he’d thrown those words at Polly before “Being careful is kind of my thing, I don’t know if you’ve noticed”

A smirk pulled over his face slowly, and he gave a slow blink to look towards you.

“I trust you” you told him, sincere “I think you tease me because you like it, not because you’re trying to achieve anything. You like seeing me worked up, knowing you can affect me like that. You like that it works you up a little bit too”

It was time for a smirk of your own. He pulled the pick from his mouth as you lifted onto your knees, pulling the blanket behind you as you made towards him. He straightened his other leg, eyes rolling over you as you settled a knee either side of his lap. You dropped the blanket and settled a hand on either side of his chest, rolling your head so you were posed over his, hair falling in a curtain between you and the fire. It cast flickering shadows over his eyes, but you could still see them ablaze as you lowered and traced your lips to his.

You lingered for a few moments, waiting until his breath deepened, before you pushed up and rested back against his legs. You let out a light sigh, smiling nervously at him. He reached across for his glass, remembered it was empty, and dropped it down with a ring. You rolled your lips between your teeth, watching him with a sense of pride at having knocked him off balance. He gave his own little sigh, before reaching up a hand and tangling his fingers into your damp hair.

“Just when I think I understand you, you surprise me”

 -

[theredheadstory]

Skydiving Take II, Newport (RI)

I left San Diego on Friday night, embarking on a long red-eye flight over to Hartford, Connecticut, with a super early - more like ‘in-the-middle-of-the-night’ stop in Atlanta, Georgia. I made it eventually, having a giddy reunion with my dear friend Aly who I last saw last year. 

We have been going on over 9 years of friendship at this point, and made it through all the different stages of life: high school, college, first (or second) job, boyfriend(s), you name it. And all that with a huge Atlantic Ocean in-between most of the time. In fact, we have only grown closer of friends, which I am absolutely grateful for. We just clicked, hit it off, and she has been one of my handful of best friends ever since. I guess distance does not really matter when it’s real, true and honest.

So, fast forward, after a big mug of coffee and PB Jelly for lunch, the skydiving place called and told us we could come in 2 hours early as the weather was supposed to be alright then. Up to that point it wasn’t even clear if we could even jump that day, as it was so overcast. But we were lucky (or whatever you want to call it, haha). I also really wanted to “get it over with” as I had set my mind to it already and it really needed to happen now.

A few bathrooms runs later (hey, I am just being honest, my/our nerves were going bonkers), we were fitted into our harnesses and waiting for our instructors. Pat, a good friend of Aly and her better half Jason (who decided to keep his feet on the ground) was jumping with us. It was even his first jump! Ahh, I only remember our first skydiving adventure too well!

Jason caught me, I admit it (and there’s photographical evidence), trying to calm myself here. Boy, yes, I was SO nervous when I saw how freaking small that plane was, unlike the one we jumped out of a year go in San Diego. URGH! For some reason, the size of this plane got my heart rate going through the roof.

The plane was, in fact, so small, that Pat - SO SORRY! - could not go up with us but had to go by himself. FIRST! Oh goodness. I actually hate waiting.  

However, we didn’t have to wait until he was all the way back on the ground, safely, but got to go up in another TINY plane, where we were literally squished in.

We met our instructors, took a few pictures, and then it was time: time to leave the ground. 

The countdown was on. We were gonna do this. “No backing out now. We’re in this together. Just breathe. I wanted this. We both wanted this. WHY? Doesn’t matter, we wanted to jump once more - west and east coast. Last one. Just try to enjoy it. It’s gonna be a-mazing. Here we go.”

One last picture before takeoff (don’t be fooled by fake smiles, mine more than Aly’s actually, haha). 

I let the pictures speak for themselves now. Expect some pretty hilarious ones. The prettiest I’ve ever been - wicked witch! 

And, ready or not, we’re taking off. 

Up in the air we go. The pilot was wearing a parachute himself, by the way. Just saying. 

My adrenalin level was so high, that I didn't not feel like myself anymore and actually tried to calm down. Seriously. The view was awesome, though. 

Aly was sitting right by the door but she played it off fairly well. Boy, this plane was a little rat hole. 

We chit chatted with our instructors who seemed very cool, and I made sure they knew what they were doing. (At this point, our lives were legit in their hands, anyway. No, I don’t think I am being too dramatic at this point, as I think it’s pretty accurate to say that.)

10,000 ft, here we go - and now keep the ridiculous pictures going. Too good not to share with you, I swear. 

So, the scariest part of all - and that’s actually now the running gag - was the little platform attached to the plane. YES, we had to step on it and YES, I was forced to take a picture with my instructor before I was allowed to relax by...just falling. Bahaha. SERIOUSLY, the wind was blowing so strongly that I could barely keep my feet on this little platform. I was terrified! I mean, I don’t even know why, as we were gonna free-fall anyway. But I think it’s because you try to NOT jump, are actually not allowed to before standing on the platform, so it feels like some kind of James Bond movie you’re in - with SO MUCH FEAR OF HEIGHTS!

SMIIILE - or whatever that is. 

...and then voooom! We fell. 

Let the funny faces begin. I proudly present to you: my most attractive self. 

 All the love high above the ground. 

Superman -woman, wooohh!

Hihi, probably one of my favorite photos. My nose looks ridiculously huge in that picture. 

Just screaming a little more. No one hears it anyway. Looks like I am enjoying it. So weird, I must have been so high on adrenalin that I can’t really remember this moment. 

After about a 35 second fall, the parachute opened. Luckily. I got to enjoy the view. WOW! 

Cheesin’ a little more and being able to navigate that thing - more or less. 

Eventually, both Aly and I (and Pat long before us) made it safely to the ground. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE, once more!

Jump number two is in the books. 

BOOM! We really did it!

After having taken care of Aly’s almost-ripped ear (she had a little bit of a panicky face when I told her that her ear was bleeding and earring was not where it was supposed to be; I tend to be overly dramatic), we needed a little bit of down time and get our heart rates down. We drove to a beach nearby (ahh, I cannot recall the name of the little town, it was something with “hills”) and walked around for a little bit, inhaling the fresh, crisp air.

They also showed me Taylor Swift’s House. But honestly, I was so high from our jump that this was sort of secondary. 

I got these two cuties on camera shortly before it died on me. 

New England is exactly what I thought it would be: beautiful, quaint, charming. Well, judging by the first impressions I had gotten. 

I had to stop and take a deep breath. I forgot how different the east coast is. The air is rougher, the wind crispier. Loved it. There’s the northern German in me speaking. 

We made burgers for dinner and had wine. I was crashing hard when we were back at Jason’s house, but absolutely happy. The overnight flight was already worth it. 

I slept like a rock that night, but I am glad this Saturday was so action filled as I would have fallen asleep in the afternoon otherwise. This girl is not functioning without her solid 7 hours.

Here is to a lifetime of friendship - whether it be flying up high, or with both feet on the ground. However, from now on hopefully without an ocean in-between...

[apartyinmymouth]

Songs About Neña

I am a wanderlust, in the truest meaning of the word. I’m also a creature of habit  and routine, the juxtaposition of me I guess or perhaps I’m just a Pisces, tried  and true. When I find a thing I love, I’ll stick with, patronize, utilize, etc. to the  very end. My newest love is this secret jungle eatery across from Coleman SkatePark and under the Manhattan Bridge that served as a glass factory prior to its  recent renovation. In the ever-changing community that is downtown Manhattan, 49 Monroe (Monroe’s) feels like a well-executed homage to 90’s era  New York City. So, upon my recent from return from a one month stint traveling  throughout Morocco, I planned (upon landing at JFK airport while taxing on the  runway) with my friend and incredible chef, Teresa, known as “Face” to close  friends and family because she has one of the prettiest, to grab dinner at  Monroe’s the moment I arrive home and free myself of my luggage.

I could wax poetic about the interiors (the precisely balanced execution of  wood, iron and botanicals,) lushness and airiness of the communal space, etc.  but I won’t, because I write about food! The menu is easy, classic fare but  beautifully executed and I mentioned reasonably priced. One may not  necessarily opt for spaghetti & meatballs when dining out but you would do  yourself a tremendous service by sampling their rendition (a blend of spicy pork  and beef), delicioso!! My favorites are the Seafood Platter (copious amounts of  shrimp, clams, calamari, mussels tossed in garlic, parsley and white wine  topped by 2 ginormous tiger prawns) and the Carbonara (you can NEVER go  wrong with pasta, parmesan and pancetta) which is prepared beautifully.  Nothing short of orgasmic! In between forkfuls of pasta and squid and on our  second bottle of rosé I share all the highlights of my trip, standout moments etc.  Face updates me on all that I’ve missed or perhaps not LOL while I was away  and almost in unison our ears zone in on the tunes wafting through the speakers  in the dining room. 80’s & 90’s Hip Hop & R&B… I’m officially in heaven! Then  we get to talking about all things Mouth Parties and Face inquires as to why the  inclusion of music, the playlists that accompany each entry of my digital diary. For as long as I can remember the two main constants in my life have been  Food & Music and I believe my first method of communication was through  song. I grew up surrounded by music and whenever I couldn’t find the words,  there was always a song I could revert to that would encapsulate my exact  feelings at any given moment.  

Music was and is still very much my deepest inspiration. I’ve been asked before  If there was a choice between being deaf or blind which would I choose? I’d

keep my ability to hear (I’ve worn glasses since the 3rd grade and had corrective  surgery at 22 so I can barely see as it is LOL). My imagination is vivid, almost  lucid, I can picture things greater than what my eyes can see BUT I need to be  able to hear not just listen… As my life would unfold I’d come to have songs  written about, inspired by, dedicated to, spoken about (knowingly and intuitively)  Me. From early on, my first experience in love, the guy who deflowered me can  attest, music is in my bloodstream, in my bones. Even though I was a city kid,  an ‘Around the Way Girl’ so to speak, I wasn’t a “hood rat” (absolutely NO  offense to my ghetto queens I fuck with ya’ll) so to speak. I come from a typical  conservative West Indian family i.e. parochial schools, church on Sundays and  wasn’t allowed much freedom outside of studies and healthy leisure activities  unless I snuck (which you can imagine I did, often LOL) and did it. That’s the  thing about being a curious child growing up in a major city, you don’t have to  seek trouble, trouble has a way of finding you, not to mention the man who  created me, my biological father was a rude bwoy (Jamaican Patois) so it was  sort of in my DNA. Trouble arrived at my friend Ayana’s 14th birthday party.  Disguised as love, I fell for this young lad hard. I was green and naïve he wasn’t.  I loved him, he loved virgins. You could imagine what eventually happened. He  was my secret boyfriend (secret because I wasn’t allowed to have them). A year  into our relationship I found out he’d been cheating on me with a girl named  Tanya from his housing project. Of course, he was! My heart shattered. I was  having all these adult feelings but was still very young and couldn’t find the  words to express my pain so, I wrote the lyrics to “A Right & A Wrong Way” or  was it “How Deep Is Your Love”(can’t quite remember, so long ago) and snail  mailed it to him. His reply “next time say how you feel and don’t send Keith  Sweat songs!” Shallow bastard had no appreciation for my depth LOL! I would  eventually get over him, he would spend the following 15 years (NO LIE) pining  over me. Whatever, I assume he’s either in or under someone’s jail cell right now  (he was one of those types ;)

For all intents and purposes, one could timeline my entire dating history through  D’Angelo’s discography alone. Brown Sugar - High School, Voodoo - College  and Black Messiah - Adulthood. Literally, this was the road map and whenever  I’d get wind that he was releasing a new album I knew instinctively it was the  end of whatever relationship I was in at the time. God, forbid I wasn’t ready or  didn’t want to break up just yet, the fear of our Lord would take over knowing it  was or soon to be over, officially. D went on a fourteen-year hiatus between  sophomore and junior albums so a lot of stuff transpired in my life in-between  but surprisingly, happily and even serendipitously, during the summer of 2014  when news started to permeate the industry of Black Messiah’s near arrival I  was happier than a pig in shit because not only had I been ready to end the  toxicity I was involved in, this omen let me know it was over FOR REAL this  time! YESSSSS! I will say that things tend to happen in three’s so I’m hoping the  jinx has broken as I really want D’Angelo to put out new music and considering

where I am in my life currently, my next time at the “Love” Rodeo will be my final  curtain call for keeps. It was already written. Maktub…

As fate would have it I’d spend most of my 20s in a long-term committed  relationship with one of the most talented, authentic and versatile artists I’ve  ever had the pleasure of knowing. He may never be as famous or publicly  sought after as some of the musicians charting on Billboard or Nielsen  Soundscan (the casualties of the business of music as opposed to lack of talent,  drive or ambition) but he was, by far, lightyears ahead of most. Our union was  one of mutual respect, appreciation and admiration. We were young and in love.  We were dreamers with our entire lives ahead of us. I was his biggest  cheerleader and he, mine, fiercely protective of each other. We fought a lot of  battles together, won some, lost some. I almost married him. Ultimately that’s  not what the universe intended for me. Eventually, after close to 8 years together  I would leave. Our relationship ended not for a specific reason but for all the  reasons. As we grow and evolve as individuals, should we be coupled up during  the time, we can either grow together or grow apart. I simply outgrew the  relationship. I was 23 years old when we fell in love. At 31 years that chapter of  my life ended. Of all my former lovers, beaus, admirers, suitors, he and I are still  good friends to this day and I’m grateful for it. That’s the thing about great food,  great music and great friends. If it was good, it remains :-) -APIMM

Playlist for this entry from my schizophrenic iTunes library (RIP to my iPod Classc :-( 

“Angel Eyes (1957 Edition)” - Ella Fitzgerald “Liberian Girl” - Michael Jackson “Heartbreak Hotel” - The Jackson 5  “Come Into My House” - Queen Latifah “Odd Future” - Jahkoy “Around the Way Girl” - LL Cool J “Candy Shop” - Madonna  “The Bottle” - Gil Scott-Heron “6PM In New York” – Drake “Partytime” -  Missy Elliott “Take It Personal” - Gangstarr   “1000 Deaths” - D’Angelo & The Vanguard “Worst Behavior” - Drake “Idols Become Rivals” - Rick Ross feat. Chris Rock “Politics As Usual” - Jay Z  “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” - Roy Ayers “Keep It G” - A$AP Rocky feat. SpaceGhostPurrp & Aaron Johnson “Not Like My Girl” - Avery Storm feat. Rick Ross “Teenage Fever” – Drake “Stuck In The Middle With You” - Stealers Wheel “Raised By Wolves” - U2   “Dancing on My Own” - Robyn “Blow” - Beyoncé “My Lady” - Avery Storm

[discovercreate]

A Charming Italian Villa Meets a Rainbow of Pastel

Any time that Brancoprata is involved in a wedding, it’s a given that all out beauty is sure to follow. And this celebration of a fellow wedding mastermind so lives up to all that hype. It’s a mix of old world beauty, modern touches and the softest, prettiest pastel hues set against the backdrop of an Italian Villa. Pore through the vault filled with two gorgeous ceremonies and one of the prettiest tablescapes to ever grace SMP all right here.

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  Colors

Seasons

Summer

Settings

Castle

Styles

Destination

From the Bride… Working in the wedding industry and being exposed to different styles of venue, décor etc meant we had already discussed in advance the type of place we wanted the wedding to be and roughly how it would look. I love photographing the details when I attend weddings so really wanted to focus on creating those in our own. We wanted a relaxed outdoor wedding and so going home to Italy (from the UK) was a must.

Every Sunday when in Italy, my family and I all go to an agriturismo (a farm where they cook you fantastic food) for lunch and we wanted to recreate this at the wedding. These lunches have a very villagey feel often to them and so I wanted the dinner to be relaxed featuring long tables with boards of amazing food in the middle. Our vision for the day was to include our interest of art, music and our respective cultures (Scottish, Italian and Indian). It was also an opportunity for both sides to get to know us better as a couple. We have been together for years and know each others families very well but there are lots of interests, memories, life events you share as a couple that often people don’t see. I love Ancient, Etruscan and Renaissance art and so I knew I wanted to incorporate elements of these into the design and feel of our wedding.

We also love a large variety of music genres: R&B, rat pack, classical, bossa nova, Indian instrumentals, West African music and Madagascan reggae, and knew we wanted the day to reflect and work with these. We sectioned each part of the day with a different style of music. Classical, West African and Madagascan Reggae during the different stages of our wedding ceremony followed by Bossa Nova for cocktail hour, Indian for the Hindu ceremony, Italian and Rat pack over dinner and R&B for the dancing.

I looked to my home and wardrobe when choosing the color palette for our wedding before playing around with textures, material and color samples on a physical mood board to narrow down. We chose a mixture of pale pink, ecru and off white for our main colors with pops of champagne and silver. I did have a few concerns because the colors were also the colors that make up the brand colors in my business and I thought that might seem a little strange (A little “I can’t leave work at work”), as well as being colors you’d typically associate with weddings and I considered that I may want something a little different. However in the end they are color combinations I find most beautiful and they are also rarely seen in Indian weddings so I liked that we could create a visually unique version of the Hindu ceremony.

I went totally overboard with the DIY details. I had the strange idea that it would be super romantic to handcraft a wedding for the love of my life. I am known to get a little carried away and whilst working on one thing I’d get an idea to do another. I really love making things but in the lead up to our wedding both parents got quite sick and so I found I hadn’t budgeted enough time for DIY and unexpected life events which added a little more stress than I had anticipated.

I created all the stationary from invites, programs, signage and table stationary as well as made my garter and made hand dyed silk ribbons for the bouquets as well as napkins and tablecloths (Sofia kindly helped me with the latter last minute). I also painted plastic garden urns with a concrete based paint mix (for easier transport) for the tables. We made the garlands for the Indian wedding ceremony and my mum made the muslin curtains for the wooded ceremony.

The most fun project was designing my Indian wedding outfit. I knew I wanted something a little different and less heavily decorated than the usual. I couldn’t find what I wanted anywhere so I decided to create it myself. I travelled the length of the UK to source the right fabrics and it was amazing to see it come to life! The detail we got the most comments on were the personalized letters we wrote for each of our guests in lieu of having actual favors. This also doubled as their name card at their allocated seat. We chose to describe a favorite memory with them or/and give thanks to them in a specific way and I think that touched quite a lot of the guests. Your wedding is the one opportunity where you will both have all your loved ones in one place and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to not only share with them how we felt about each other but how we felt about each of them too. 

Seeing my husband to be, teary eyed at the end of the aisle was a beautiful moment. As well as reading our personalized vows to each other. Giuseppe from Blessings from Italy helped us create the most unique and personal ceremony and I didn’t realize quite how emotional it would be. There were a lot of tears. We did quite a lot of homework for the ceremony and it felt really special that every word truly reflected us as individuals and as a couple.

My favorite crafted detail had to be the stationary and our wedding timeline board. I took a calligraphy class and practiced for weeks before handwriting all the stationary myself. The stationary took around 3-4 weeks so quite an arduous and stressful job but once finished I was quite happy with them given I am a total calligraphy amateur! With our wedding timeline I painstakingly painted a serif-roman style font onto a sheet of thick glass and it was displayed amongst the foliage and crumbling arches of the Convent.

I had huge apprehensions about my gown. I knew a lot of the styles I liked wouldn’t be best suited to my petite but curvy body type. I decided to step away from Pinterest and try some on so I would really know what felt right. I had planned on just browsing and getting an idea so that when I went with my mum and bridesmaids, I’d not be swayed heavily by their opinions. Hence, off I went to visit the Coco & Kate Atelier. Sophie and I have worked together quite a few times and every time I have visited her atelier I have fallen in love with at least a handful of her grown up dresses. I walked in and spotted my dress. It was the first I tried on and was different to what I had anticipated I would want (I imagined soft tulle with three quarter length sleeves) but I have always loved the heavily beaded gowns from designers like Elie Saab, so what better time to wear such a lavish dress. Sophie encouraged me to try on more and her honest opinion of each was incredibly appreciated. I really liked the fact that I had went alone. It made the decision seem so easy.

There were no preconceived ideas about what I should wear. Luckily, once I had softly decided and sent a photo to my mum, she loved it too. My seamstress worked wonders in recreating the v-neck at the front to bring it a little lower and to shape it in at the waist and under my bottom to give a little more height to my petite height.

The flowers I chose were quite simple. I love foliage like eucalyptus, olive leaves and ruscus so I wanted to create a look that was foliage heavy. I decided to go for white, creams and pale pinks to keep in with the rest of the décor. I loved our ‘concrete’ urns so wanted these to be the focal point of the tables. I had actually under ordered the amount of flowers we needed but yet Sofia created the softest and freshest looking tablescape and really saved the day!

For our wedding cake, we chose to have a pandoro table in multiple sizes along with my favorite Italian pastries, bigne. Pandoro is traditionally a cake you would eat at Christmas but I love the taste and we just wanted to have food that we enjoyed eating rather than worrying if it was typically wedding or not. I also wanted our guests to experience all the parts of Italy that I have grown up with and love.

Don’t be fooled by thinking that DIY is a more budget friendly option. It really isn’t. Unlike the professionals there is a lot of trial and error and there were times when the stress and time it took was quite a lot of pressure. If you are like me and absolutely adore making things, then I strongly recommend working out how much time you have and planning jobs that take only half that time because life does get in the way, unexpected things crop up and the stress of not having enough time to do things can overshadow the fact you are marrying the love of your life! (The satisfaction of making all the details is lovely though). If you are having a destination wedding too without doubt I would recommend hiring a wedding planner throughout your wedding planning journey. The week running up to our wedding we had quite a few issues and it really created so much stress. You definitely can plan a wedding yourself but sometimes it is worth every penny to outsource!

Photography: Brancoprata | Videography: Marco Caputo Films | Event and Floral Design: Brancoprata | Shoes: LK Bennett | Jewelry: Poetry Jewelry On Etsy | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Hair and Make Up: The Hair And Makeup Atelier | Celebrant: Blessings from Italy | Bride's dress: Coco & Kate (Jenny Yoo Collection) | Catering and Furniture Hire: Love Banqueting | Ceremony and Reception venue: Convento Dell' Annunciata | Day of Coordination: Revelry Events | Flower Girl Dress: Zara | Groom's shoes: Churches | Groomsmen's Bow Tie: Gucci | Maid of Honor Dress: Monsoon | Maid of Honor Dress: H&M | Music: Italian Wedding Music | Ring Box: The Mrs Box | Scent: Eau des Merveilles by Hermes | Sent: Chanel | Tux Jacket: Dobell | Veil: Custom Made By Helen Martin | Watch: DW

© Style Me Pretty, 2017. | Permalink | Comments | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Post categories: Destination, Real Weddings, The Blog

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[allaboutdisney-blog1]

Disney Stars Who Passed Away Hello guys, We have made a new video on Disney Stars Who Passed Away. Hope you will like it. SUBSCRIBE US ! You May Also Watch The Thundermans Before and After 2017: https://youtu.be/KF5AQkDCqZ8 Disney Stars Who Passed Away: https://youtu.be/bOC1sNEf5qw Disney Famous Girls Stars Before And After 2017: https://youtu.be/IYo6FA0sIUk Victorious Before and After 2017: https://youtu.be/SnP4owVP5cQ Austin and Ally Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/0LmGoeH4ELU Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/PF70-8UXEXA iCarly Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/cfLHDjIdgn4 Jessie Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/jSgwOyx43IU Game Shakers Before And After 2017: https://youtu.be/tSeC3D44yhw Disney Girls Real Name And Age 2017: https://youtu.be/cMh79Di2bpI Lab Rats ★ Real Name And Age: https://youtu.be/PRs4TBdsA1s Top 10 Cutest Disney Couples Who Broke Up: https://youtu.be/RQfxE8xQDVo Disney Stars Who Did Plastic Surgery: https://youtu.be/zfn8MTN5rXc Top 10 Prettiest Disney Girls Under 18: https://youtu.be/BLd-OJok_Xk 7 Disney Stars Who Hated Each Other: https://youtu.be/dsax1t3kmgQ Top 10 Hottest Disney Couples Ever: https://youtu.be/G6a76Cixszo Top 10 Disney Stars Who Went To Jail: https://youtu.be/pO5lub2g594 10 Disney Kids Who Are Actually Parents Now:https://youtu.be/yzetPTvDU8g Disney Girls Real Name And Age 2017: https://youtu.be/PHp3NPixwCM Top 10 Richest Disney Girls 2017: https://youtu.be/c528AXRPuuA Top 10 Prettiest Disney Girls 2017: https://youtu.be/zyOebN0m8S4 Our list includes: Lee Thompson Young Born: February 1, 1984, Columbia, South Carolina, US Died: August 19, 2013, Los Angeles, California, US Michael Mantenuto Born: May 13, 1981, Holliston, Massachusetts, US Died: April 24, 2017, Des Moines, Washington, US Bobby Driscoll Born: March 3, 1937, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US Died: March 30, 1968, East Village, New York City, New York, US Matthew Garber Born: March 25, 1956, Stepney, London, UK Died: June 13, 1977, Hampstead, UK Jonathan Brandis Born: April 13, 1976, Danbury, Connecticut, US Died: November 12, 2003, West Hollywood, California, US

[disneystarsthennow-blog]

Disney Stars Who Passed Away Hello guys, We have made a new video on Disney Stars Who Passed Away. Hope you will like it. SUBSCRIBE US ! You May Also Watch The Thundermans Before and After 2017: https://youtu.be/KF5AQkDCqZ8 Disney Stars Who Passed Away: https://youtu.be/bOC1sNEf5qw Disney Famous Girls Stars Before And After 2017: https://youtu.be/IYo6FA0sIUk Victorious Before and After 2017: https://youtu.be/SnP4owVP5cQ Austin and Ally Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/0LmGoeH4ELU Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/PF70-8UXEXA iCarly Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/cfLHDjIdgn4 Jessie Before After 2017: https://youtu.be/jSgwOyx43IU Game Shakers Before And After 2017: https://youtu.be/tSeC3D44yhw Disney Girls Real Name And Age 2017: https://youtu.be/cMh79Di2bpI Lab Rats ★ Real Name And Age: https://youtu.be/PRs4TBdsA1s Top 10 Cutest Disney Couples Who Broke Up: https://youtu.be/RQfxE8xQDVo Disney Stars Who Did Plastic Surgery: https://youtu.be/zfn8MTN5rXc Top 10 Prettiest Disney Girls Under 18: https://youtu.be/BLd-OJok_Xk 7 Disney Stars Who Hated Each Other: https://youtu.be/dsax1t3kmgQ Top 10 Hottest Disney Couples Ever: https://youtu.be/G6a76Cixszo Top 10 Disney Stars Who Went To Jail: https://youtu.be/pO5lub2g594 10 Disney Kids Who Are Actually Parents Now:https://youtu.be/yzetPTvDU8g Disney Girls Real Name And Age 2017: https://youtu.be/PHp3NPixwCM Top 10 Richest Disney Girls 2017: https://youtu.be/c528AXRPuuA Top 10 Prettiest Disney Girls 2017: https://youtu.be/zyOebN0m8S4 Our list includes: Lee Thompson Young Born: February 1, 1984, Columbia, South Carolina, US Died: August 19, 2013, Los Angeles, California, US Michael Mantenuto Born: May 13, 1981, Holliston, Massachusetts, US Died: April 24, 2017, Des Moines, Washington, US Bobby Driscoll Born: March 3, 1937, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US Died: March 30, 1968, East Village, New York City, New York, US Matthew Garber Born: March 25, 1956, Stepney, London, UK Died: June 13, 1977, Hampstead, UK Jonathan Brandis Born: April 13, 1976, Danbury, Connecticut, US Died: November 12, 2003, West Hollywood, California, US

[usuallypleasantprince]

Read Sink (Cold Mark #2) online free by Scarlett Dawn

Sink (Cold Mark #2) Author: Scarlett Dawn

I had made friends with a bug. My, how my life had altered since I escaped the west of Triaz. Though, to be specific, I wasn’t entirely sure that it was a bug. As long as I looked past the facts that it was as long as I was tall, had razor sharp teeth, had twenty beady eyes, had twelve long legs with webbed feet, and had black scales that were as soft as feathers…well, then it reminded me of a bug that I had once seen in a picture book of Earth. The author had called it “Spider”.

I called my new bug friend “Charlie”.

Of course, he didn’t speak back, but he did watch the entrance to the sewer I now resided in.

I had officially gone from being a lab rat living in grandeur, to a street rat living in hiding.

It was still better than being played with by my Vaq.

Plus, I had Charlie.

I glanced in his – Charlie was definitely a he – direction. Charlie’s hind end was facing my direction. Not exactly the prettiest of sights, but he was still keeping his many eyes on the alleyways outside of our alcove. The damp, rank air had first been stifling when I had found this hiding spot a week ago, but now, it was a sad circumstance that I no longer smelled the putrid air that filtered in through my new home.

When I had first met Charlie, I had been... Continuous reading: Read Sink (Cold Mark #2) online free by Scarlett Dawn #Romance #BillionaireRomance #New-Adult #Young-Adult #HotBookSeries #fantasy #Vampires #OthersBooks #ScienceFiction #Thriller #Horror #Classics #NewReleases #Mystery/Suspense #HotAuthors #Sink(ColdMark#2) #13 pages: #Previous #UnfinishedHeroseries #ColoradoMountainseries #Chaosseries #TheSinclairsseries #TheYoungElitesseries #BillionairesandBridesmaidsseries #JustOneDayseries #SinnersonTourseries #Manwhoreseries #ThisManseries #OneNightseries #Fixedseries #AThousandLetters #WastedWords #MyNotSoPerfectLife #Caraval(Caraval#1) #TheSunIsAlsoaStar #Everything,Everything #DevilinSpring(TheRavenels#3) #MarryingWinterborne(TheRavenels#2) #Cold-HeartedRake(TheRavenels#1) #NorseMythology

[sensitivefern]

Given passenger pigeons’ Brobdingnagian appetites for mast and maize, one would expect that Indians would also have hunted them and wanted to keep down their numbers. Thus their bones should be plentiful at archaeological sites...

===

...St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland... he surely did. It was he who brought Christianity to Ireland, and by so doing drove out the Druid serpents and their wisdom-knowledge. St. Patrick was thorough to say the least, for wisdom-knowledge has never returned; on the contrary, Catholicism reigns supreme. This is the curse of ireland, but sunk in the depths of their Christian ignorance its people cannot see it. It is tragic indeed that a people so potentially fine should be literally damned by their religion. If, as has been said, they are not mature emotionally and politically, the reason is obvious: two thousand years of religious error plus seven hundred of racial hatred. If the Irish would overcome this, they must bring back to Erin the ancient wisdom. With this, they would realize that the thing that’s bedevilin’ them now is not the Satan of religion but the religion of Satan, Catholicism.

[Deceptions and Myths of the Bible]

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On March 18, 1917... Germany sank three American ships, the City of Memphis, the Vigilante, and the Illinois, without warning. America entered the war.

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Naples, Florida, January 9 [1972]. At Wellfleet before I left, I found myself surrounded by my books and other belongings, but was now alienated from them, couldn’t really connect with them. Uncomfortable. [...] Yellow and red hibiscus flowers – no suckers dropping from the palms – no traces of wild life whatever except pelicans and other birds – lakes full of ducks and other water fowl, which Audubon must have studied, now built up, surrounded by houses. [...] No corner drugstores or convenient grocery stores. No community existence of even the Middle Western kind. Traffic and crowding of shoppers like Wellfleet in August. You can’t get anywhere without a car and distances too far to walk. Elena was afraid to ask what people’s politics were – our enthusiasm for McGovern was coldly received by... [...] Happily sunk in Balzac again. Easy to get to bathroom.

Elena follows the primary elections and has become somewhat addicted to TV.

[Edmund Wilson]

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leather flower, vase vine | Clematis viorna ‘Vase vine belongs to a large group of clematis in the section Viorna, along with many other similar native clematis. This is one of the prettiest and most overlooked species in the genus. Plants easily climb 10ft. or more, with thin slightly hairy deep green leaves, divided into five to seven leaflets’... as a general rule this species is more attractive when encouraged to grow over and through shrubs and other plants in the garden as opposed to being forced to ascend a trellis, etc. ... no cultivars per se... Clematis glaucophyllum is also called leather flower... native to Pennsylvania and west to Illinois, and parts south; zones 4-7... full sun with a bit of dappled shade...

hardy ageratum | Conoclinium coelestinum Formerly Eupatorium coelestinum... Rarely found growing in gardens, possibly because the plants ‘resemble the bedding ageratums they just bought at K-Mart, and they don’t need anything else that looks like that’... rhizomatous – and quick-spreading at that... ‘Album’ is a naturally occurring whitey; ‘Cori’ and ‘Wayside Variety’ are more compact... zones 4-9; moist soil, full sun... easily propagated from seed; terminal cuttings from the named varieties – rooting hormone is recommended.. easily divided...

[Armitage’s Native Plants for North American Gardens]

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❚Paris mayor to spend 1.5 million euros for 'war on rats'

Come and knock on our door... (Come and knock on our door) We've been waiting for you... (We've been waiting for you) Where the kisses are hers and hers and his, Three's company too.

Come and dance on on our floor... (Come and dance on on our floor) Take a step that is new... (Take a step that is new) We've a loveable space that needs your face, Three's company too.

You'll see that life is a ball again, laughter is calling for you... Down at our rendezvous... (Down at our rendezvous) Three's company too!

David Letterman's ugly personality no laughing matter: colleagues Late-night funnyman David Letterman was hardly a barrel of laughs off the air. A new biography of the now-retired talk show host portrays Letterman as more self-loathing than self-critical — and an often miserable man who inflicted his pain on his staff. “He was never truly comfortable unless he was seething with unhappiness at something,” one longtime writer told author Jason Zinoman in “Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night.”

Eagle Flies Away with Cat

...Here in Finland we even have group on Facebook called "Sipsikaljavegaanit" (literally chips and beer vegans). And rules allow posting only pics and recipes of vegan junk food.

White Evangelicals believe they are more persecuted than Muslims. Also believe the earth is 6000 years old and Donald Trump has...

And now for something completely different, I present to you pic of dude humping Wall Street "fearless girl" statue