#proud to say I’ve only had 1 impulsive purchase this year!!!!

[seravph]

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC: i now only have 2 more things on my buy list until I’m DONE and I can STOP SPENDING MONEY ON BULLSHIT and actually save my money 🫶🫶🫶 be proud of me

[leviathan-dee]

DMC Week 2020: Day 1: Polar Opposites

(Yay, it’s finally here! I hope the community is working hard to create pieces for this amazing fandom. So let’s celebrate Devil May Cry, as well as Capcom, for bringing us these characters and stories we so easily fell in love with. Let the week commence!) (The prompts I’ve used for Day 1 were “Blood” and “Weapon”).

Watching the combating twins whack each other over minuscule things, Eva and Sparda ponder their children's demonic blood, and the men they would eventually become.

Word Count: 2,716

Characters: Sparda, Eva, Dante, Vergil

Read on AO3

An exasperated sigh left the honey blonde woman, her lashes fluttering shut at the sight of the impulsive twins combating in the greenery. She clasped her husband’s hand around her fingers, coiling their digits together in a comforting motion. The silver haired man simply eyed his beloved, his nonchalant gaze morphing into one of puzzlement and worry.

“Eva? Is something wrong, my love?” Bringing their entangled fingers to his lips, he placed tentative pecks upon his wife’s knuckles, earning him a pleased hum from the woman. Her expression, however, stayed drained.

“It’s just… They’re fighting again,” Eva exhaled once more, keeping her eyes on the bickering brothers in the distance, “tell me, Sparda. Will this ever end?”

The silver haired man, the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, chuckled. It appeared as though the sound was bereft of any amusement, seeming more forlorn, perhaps even bitter.

“Their nature demands it. The blood that pulses within their veins demands it.”

“I know- I just want them to get along.” She lamented the situation, continuously watching the two arctic silver haired boys whack each other with wooden swords. No matter how many times she reprimanded the two, they never listened.

“They will grow out of it, my love. If I know humans well enough, all boys of this age rebel against one another.” Sparda inched his frame closer to the woman, coiling his arm around her waist, drawing the couple closer together. They breathed each other’s scent, basking in the warmth. Placing her head upon the man’s shoulder, she continued to ponder the predicament.

“You do know us well enough. But... They’re twins, yet they act as if they are polar opposites.”

And it was true. Dante was a tempestuous child, leveling all stillness in his surroundings. He would grab any object that would be sufficient as a weapon, only to whack the ever-loving spirit out of anything that got in his way. The boy barely slept, perpetually energy filled, picking fights at any given moment. It was as if his addiction to adrenaline was insatiable. Although it was endearing, his constant joy and fervour for life colouring the air, it was definitely exhausting to his mother, Eva.

Whereas Vergil was a gentle creature. He was delicate, keeping to himself most of the time. The boy would cradle a novel with all the tenderness he could muster, scanning each word upon the page lovingly. He enjoyed the serenity of life, and preferred a confrontation-free day, as opposed to his brother’s persistent need for chaos.

Though they were twins, they contradicted that notion with every breath they would take. Fighting was the kind of joint activity Dante and Vergil were good at; The only kind of brotherhood they would participate in. Admittedly, it made Sparda proud. His sons had fighting spirits. Their demon blood flowed with a passion for battle, the same kind of passion that helped Sparda defeat Mundus two thousand years ago.

An abrupt memory stormed at the Dark Knight, flashbacks of his fights, and the tumultuous war between humanity and the netherworld. His human form began to sweat, a strange sensation of nausea rising within his belly. It wasn’t often he felt anxious, though the thought of his family perishing under the thumb of Hell would override any confidence he possessed.

He loved them too much.

“Eva… Listen. I have withheld this for far too long. I possess two artefacts. Two weapons, only meant for those who would protect the sanctity of our worldly barriers. To protect the human realm from dictatorship of the underworld.” Raising her heavy head from her husband’s shoulder, she eyed the man questioningly. She seemed to digest the information, noting what he meant wholeheartedly.

“Honey, you don’t mean to give them to the boys now, do you?”

“No. Only when they are ready. Although… Perhaps I may show them their future gifts now, my love?”

Brushing a golden unruly lock away from Eva’s cheek, he placed an amorous peck on the corner of her lips protectively, perhaps even a tad bit possessively. She embraced the warm feeling nevertheless.

“Of course. There is no need to ask permission of me. They’re your sons too, Sparda.” The woman nodded, her hair continuing to cascade down to her cheeks, earning her a boyish giggle from her husband.

Sparda sighed before unravelling himself from his beloved, already missing the tenderness of her frame. He stood to observe his battling sons. The two sparred in the shrubs, the sounds of rustling leaves and youthful grunts echoing in the garden. It was surprising at how well their demon blood healed their injuries. The only signs of the skirmish between the two ended up being the leftover sanguine that stained countless shirts. In fact, Eva began purchasing darker clothes for the boys, knowing full well that they would proceed to bleed each other whenever their tempers would allow it.

Seconds passed, Vergil ended the physical altercation with a swing to Dante’s legs, swooping him into the air. Dante less-than gracefully landed amongst the grass, giggling joyously at the change in direction, from vertical to horizontal. To the parents’ surprise, the twins had their fill of bickering for today. The elder twin approached his parents with a victorious smirk tugging at his lips, a trickle of crimson leaving his left nostril. Bouncing to his feet, Dante sprinted close behind.

Whilst Eva sighed dejectedly, Sparda naturally smiled.

“My sons! Come hither. Come, come.” As the father beckoned the twins, they coiled their arms around his legs, glueing themselves to his frame in a playful manner. Dante’s giggles alleviated all tension and exhaustion Eva felt, his jovial attitude giving her reason to be happy again. Vergil, albeit being the calmer, older brother, snickered mischievously alongside Dante.

“Ahh, my boys have turned to barnacles.” Sparda did not push the youths off, instead walking to his destination inside the manor, with the boys holding on for dear life on his limbs. The mossy colour in the woman’s eyes returned to its full lustrous blaze, watching her three goof-balls interact. It seemed as though her love for her family bloomed brighter than before. She let out a content sigh, before following the sprightly bunch of white hairs.

Moments later, they entered the manor, a warm smell of baked pastries blanketing their senses. Scents of cinnamon, and strawberry began to drift with the draft, the boy’s stomachs rumbling in retaliation. Dante tugged pleadingly at Eva’s scarlet shawl, alongside her heartstrings. Vergil simply stared up at the woman, his puppy-eyed stare finally breaking her defenses.

“Fine, fine. I’ll make some tea with the strawberry turnovers and cinnamon buns. Behave, don’t give your father any trouble.” Eva placed an ardent smooch on her husband’s jaw, barely able to reach his face from the sheer height he possessed. Sparda chuckled at the attempt, lowering himself to let her kiss him proper. The boys cringed at the display, letting out a collective drawl of ‘eeew’s, before their mother ruffled their silver hair beneath her palm.

As the gentle woman left to prepare the desserts, the three proceeded upstairs. Although the manor was an overwhelming size for four people, there was only one rarely frequented room. Standing before a mahogany door, Sparda pressed his palm against the lacquered handle, turning the metal as it laboriously whined at the sudden use. Swinging the door open, inches of undisturbed dust suddenly whafted into the air, a stale smell rising within the room. The family entered hesitantly, with Dante and Vergil still holding onto their father’s legs.

It was lowly lit, the windows obscured by thick, ochre curtains. A singular chest, spanning two metres in width, stood beside a tall mirror. It was ominous to say the least, with these objects being the only things to stand in the empty room. Curiosity seemed to override the twins, letting their father’s hostage legs go. They both approached the strange furniture.

Behind them, Sparda crouched to level his gaze with theirs, before beckoning them over to grasp their shoulders in unison.

“Dante, Vergil. My precious sons. There will come a time when you will grow into two strong men. Two powerful protectors. It is imperative that you understand this. That your existence is far more important than you realise.” Pausing his speech, the man brushed a ruffle of snowy locks away from Dante’s brow to see his flint eyes more clearly.

“You are the symbols of an unlikely union. You are proof that Hell and Earth can coexist in harmony.” Sparda continued, gently cradling Vergil’s chin to better see his son’s features.

“You understand this, yes?” The question was meant as less of a query, and more of a reassurance that Sparda was doing the right thing. He needed to know that the boys will grow up together. That they will sustain the peace that was so lovingly upheld by Sparda. The two nodded simultaneously, alleviating the rising tension their father felt.

“Good. Now. Where were we?”

Effortlessly, Sparda stood from his crouch, towering over the boys. He drifted towards the large chest that held his two prized artefacts. Surprisingly, the twins kept quiet. Usually, when their father wanted to show them something, they both bickered to draw his attention. It was cute, albeit slightly exhausting at times. Nevertheless, Sparda continued to the chest.

Placing a hesitant finger upon the lock, he traced the bronze embellishments, gliding his fingertips across the fleur de lis pattern. Moments of simply enjoying the handiwork, he drew a small, helix shaped key, sliding it into the lock with a buttery smooth movement. It opened with a pleasant click.

The twins inched towards their father, standing either side, clutching onto his shoulders so they could view the contents of the chest more closely. Almost with an aching slowness, the box opened its maw, gaping open to reveal two magnificent works of demonic smithing.

“These, my dear boys, are Devil Arms. They hold immense power I once possessed. I believe it is necessary to share my power with you, so you could too protect this realm.”

As Sparda explained the contents of the box, he grasped the two weapons, one in each hand, to pass them to the twins.

“This is the Rebellion, Dante. It is a blade of fine craftsmanship. The claymore holds powers of unification, and subjugation of demonic forces. I believe it would fit you quite well, my dear boy.” Dante’s eyes glistened with wonder, the oceans of silver going feral over the sight of such a grandiose masterpiece. The metal seemed to gleam in the dark, reflecting what little light the ochre curtains let escape through the fabric. Tentatively, the boy traced his fingers over the designs, poking curiously at the enraged skull that sat upon the hilt. It was apparent that Dante would struggle to hold the claymore, so Sparda propped the blade on the wall, letting his son examine the weapon further.

“And this, Vergil, is the Yamato. It is a powerful odachi, that possesses the ability to separate the demonic realms from humanity. Believe it or not, the Yamato helped me defeat the Prince of Darkness, Mundus. It will be yours, when the time comes.” Vergil’s eyes mirrored that of Dante’s, blazing with a fervent curiosity. The youth’s fingers gently laced around the scabbard, as well as the sheath, a pure smile spreading across his lips. The Yamato held elegant designs, dragon motifs embellished on the endpoint of the hilt, bronze colouring each pattern.

“They will be yours when the time comes. You will uphold the peace, and protect all that you hold dear. For now, however, it is imperative that you fight together. Not against one another. You are brothers, and shall be brothers-in-arms if need be.” Reaching out to the twins, Sparda placed his palms on their cheeks, noticing the congealed blood that sat upon their skin from the previous brawl. He squeezed the skin on their faces lovingly, earning him a gentle giggle from the sons. Sparda continued to examine their faces with pure adoration. The union of Eva’s and Sparda’s features danced bewitchingly on the boys’ faces, an alliance of humanity and demon-kind.

“Is that clear?” Sparda’s assertive tone caused the twins to stand to attention, Vergil answering first, and Dante second.

“Yes, papa.”

“Sure thing dad!”

Sparda stood to his feet, once again towering over the two minuscule boys, moving towards the body-length mirror. The twins moved with him, standing either side of the man, grasping onto the violet corduroy fabric of his trousers. Sparda veered his gaze towards his reflection. He viewed the display before him, the twins watching their father with wide-eyed awe.

How much his love for the polar opposites bloomed throughout his chest, he could barely describe. These innocent youths, watching their reflections with such pure, ardent love, reflected all that Sparda fought for. It was this love that morphed the Dark Knight’s opinion on humanity, and his awakening to justice.

Though they fought with passion, they were more alike than they wanted to admit. It was a similarity past appearances. Of course, their features, hair, the colour of their eyes, and their bodies looked identical. However, their reactions to outside stimulus, as well as conflict, were where the similarities turned even more damningly alike.

Sparda exhaled, ruffling the twins’ hair adoringly. Perhaps with time, they would accept their brotherhood as part of their blood.

A resounding, gentle clearing of the throat interrupted the three, causing all to turn their heads like meerkats. Eva stood in the doorway, the delicate smell of roses wafting in, alongside the scent of ready baked pastries and tea.

“Boys, tea is ready. The desserts are prepared too. Go, shoo, before the tea cools,” as her sons ran past, her fingers brushed against their hair, enjoying the feeling of silky locks, “so… How did it go? Did they fight over their gifts?” Eva watched as the twins ran in unison, surprised at their sudden tenderness to each others’ presence. Not pushing; Simply letting each other pass, running alongside the railing of the manor. They appeared to tolerate one another… for now.

“Not at all. They’re more mature than you give them credit for, my love.” A soft silence engulfed the chamber, the dust settling once again upon each surface. Sparda wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist as he continued with his report of reassurance.

“They may be polar opposites, but they are twins. Whatever the future brings, they will grow up to be fine men.” It was a short exhale that left Eva’s lungs. An exhale of contentment, rather than exasperation. She returned the embrace warmly, keeping her arms on his chest, feeling his proudly beating heart pound with adoration against her palm.

It was this moment she understood that her sons were in the hands of a capable man, albeit his demonic origins. His aristocratic behaviour, and ability to subdue the stormy nature of the twins always impressed her. If Sparda said that Dante and Vergil will grow into two, fine, protectors of the realm, that's what they will become. No matter how contradictory their nature was, and how feverishly they battled against one another, they would join to defeat a common foe.

As long as Sparda was beside them, all would be ok.

The young woman cradled her husband’s jaw, drawing him closer to her visage. Before gazing at him with her mossy eyes, she scrunched her nose to brush it against his own. The motion naturally caused Sparda to chuckle. As the two of them basked in each other’s presence, the cacophony of bickering twins bounced from the dining room.

“That bun is MINE!” Vergil’s venomous tone was to be reckoned with.

“URGH! You had five! Not fair!” The retaliating voice boomed from Dante, followed by a thunderous whack and a pained groan from his elder brother. It seemed as though the moment of brotherhood had gone and passed. Eva facepalmed.

“They will be fine.” With Sparda snorting at the sounds from downstairs, he placed his chin on Eva’s collarbone, nuzzling close. Instinctively, her delicate fingers ran through his hair, drawing him closer to her neck. She smiled, knowing full well that all was going to turn out alright.

“I hope you’re right, honey. I hope you’re right...”

[kirstielol]

FMLS90

12/30 - Look back at week 1, where we did goal setting. List the goal(s) you set. How did you do towards your goals? What do you need to do to get back on track or maintain the progress you have made toward them?

lose 15lbs ❌ well.... i lost 5lbs.... then gained it back over christmas holidays 😂😭

track calories every day  ❌ and this is why i didn’t hit my goal #1. i wasn’t tracking calories every day. sometimes i went an entire week tracking properly, then i’d stop for a few days. or i’d do it for like half a week but not the full week. anyways, because i wasn’t tracking my calories, i maintained my weight instead of losing anything.

weight lifting 3x per week ❌ almost. i was doing 2x per week, which isn’t bad. at least i kept going to the gym regularly. i would like to still up it to 3x so i can work on gaining back some of the muscle mass i lost

go to bed early ❌ still need to work on this a bit more too. i’m usually in bed before midnight, so that’s not bad. i’d like to push it another hour and try to be in bed by 11pm.

eat out less ✅ ok this one was a success. i’ve definitely been eating out A LOT less the past 3 months. usually only 1-2 times a month, and when we do order food.. i opt to get something healthy like a bowl of pho or a subway sandwich.

limit alcohol to 2x per week ✅ easy peasy. i rarely drink, some weekends i don’t drink at all, and some weekends i’ll pick up a small bottle of wine or a couple coolers to drink. and for the coolers, i’ll buy a low calorie vodka soda instead of something much higher in calories like i used to

get 5 more listings up on etsy ��� ok well i don’t feel too bad about this one.. the reason i didn’t add more listings is because i didn’t have any time because i was selling my other items so much. every week i’ve been having to print, cut, and pack up at least 5-10 orders. so yeah on one hand i haven’t had time to design any new stickers, but my etsy shop has been doing VERY well and has been keeping me quite busy so i’m happy :)

no more impulse purchases ✅ i’ve been a lot better about buying things i don’t really need. if i want something, i’ll bookmark the page and think it over before buying anything. it’s stopped me from so many impulse purchases.

12/31 - Look back at the past 12 weeks. Which was your favorite and least favorite week and why?

least favourite was probably the week with sleep as its theme, mainly because that’s one area where i don’t need to make many improvements. so i didn’t have much to say for the prompts lol.

favourite week was the mental health themed week. mental health is SO important, and i feel like it isn’t discussed as much as it should be. so having an entire week where the prompts got everyone to talk about their mental health, i thought that was great!

1/1 - As the year wraps up, look back and share some of your favorite memories and most proud moments of 2019.

favourite memories.... probably just all the times i got to see my friends. hiking in the summer, going bowling, board game nights, and now our d&d sessions.

1/2 - What are your thoughts on New Years Resolutions? Do you have any?

this year i don’t really have any resolutions. i have goals, but they’re the same goals as i wrote at the beginning of this challenge. just gonna give them another go i guess lmao. december was a crazy busy month for me, so i think now that things have calmed down i’ll have a much easier time staying on track.

[myaekingheart]

Top 5 accessories for cosplaying? (Like, Favorite wig, necklace, dress, etc and if you have photos I’d love to see them. 😂)

OH MAN THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD ONE, THANK YOU JESSIE xD

1. HANDS DOWN, my Rapunzel wig.  This little baby is truly my labor of love and the pinnacle of my Rapunzel cosplaying experience. I’ve actually always felt kind of competitive about my Rapunzel cosplay? Like I was never a good enough Rapunzel cosplayer, and it took a lot of work and money hrmmm for me to feel this confident and proud of how far I’ve come, and this wig is like the end-all, be-all for that. The dress is gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but the wig just really pulls it all together. Ever since I saw usagi-kirov’s amazing Rapunzel cosplays, I knew I needed to have a super long wig. It took a lot of trial and error to finally get where I am now with it, and I couldn’t be more in love with it. It tops out at 13ft long, and as much as I hate having to clean out all that hair, a part of me wants to expand on it EVEN MORE in the future, until it reaches maybe 30ft! 

I’d like to say I’m a very detail-oriented person and this is especially true of things I’m passionate about, like cosplaying Rapunzel. As such, I felt extremely compelled to go the extra mile with my wig and add in a special little detail to it that I think makes the whole thing even better: Rapunzel’s brunette strand. 

In the movie, as a quick refresher, Mother Gothel tries to snip a lock of baby Rapunzel’s hair when she breaks into the castle in the very beginning of the movie. She finds, however, that when the hair is cut, it “turns brown and loses it’s power.” That little strand of hair that Gothel cut never grew back, and Rapunzel displays it to Eugene after they escape death in the cave after the dam breaks and she heals his injured hand with her hair.  Adding this to my own cosplay was probably the best impulsive decision I ever made. The strand itself is a clip in that was originally long and white and bought for a now-defunct Anna cosplay. I got really inspired one night, so I grabbed a pair of scissors and a brown sharpie and voila-- Rapunzel’s brunette strand! Even if you can’t always see it when I’m cosplaying, I always love the fact that it’s there and that I can always pull my blonde hair back and show it off whenever the timing is appropriate. I just feel like it adds an extra little dose of magic, you know? 

2. Pascal Now this little guy has been with me since 2012 and is honestly one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I found him for $7 on Ebay by a company named Bullyland, and while he’s tiny he’s super screen accurate in design and just the cutest damn thing. I’ve brought him lots of places with me over the years, including Oktoberfest at my grandparent’s church and Bok Tower in Florida! As well as pretty much every con I’ve attended as Rapunzel, too <3

3. Satchel (Wow this is really becoming all Tangled props, isn’t it? Whoops!)  Now this one I have yet to break out at a convention but I will tomorrow and I am so excited to! I’ve been itching for a replica of Eugene’s satchel from the film for ages, but I didn’t think I was skilled enough to make one on my own, and the internet is a wonderland for people of all different styles and skill levels to sell their own renditions. I put off getting an actual one for so long, and ended up even settling for a slightly-similar brown cross-body bag instead for the longest time, but then came my lord and savior mothership supreme HOT TOPIC. As part of a recent Disney collection, they released a replica of the satchel and I knew my time had come. My parents were gracious enough to buy one for me and bring it up on one of their trips to my college town and I can honestly say, I am absolutely in love with it. It’s so screen accurate and beautifully made, and the inside lining is purple with the Corona sun emblem! It’s honestly just one of my absolute favorite things and I am so grateful to have been able to get my hands on one. 

4. Rapunzel’s Crown I don’t really wear this one out just because she’s delicate, but this is another beauty I couldn’t be happier to get my hands on. I had wanted a replica of Rapunzel’s beautiful crown for so long, and even more than the satchel, but had the hardest time getting one for years. Disney had released an official replica in 2010 when the movie was released, and it was available until late 2011/early 2012 I believe? But it was so gorgeous, and I wanted one so badly, but I was never able to actually get one, they had sold out way too quickly-- go figure. Disney has never released another crown quite like this one since, so I was heartbroken when I was completely unable to get one. This was really before “princessing” took a huge boom back when Angel-Secret, Fairytale Wigs, and Secret Honey’s Halloween line were really household princess cosplay names (or at least for me). Much like the satchel, there were sellers online creating Rapunzel tiara’s but they were always either not quite what I wanted or way out of my price range. I felt like the only way I’d be able to really get what I wanted was to try and make it which my then-fifteen year old self really did not master. I had first tried sculpting one...we don’t talk about the results of that. I nicknamed that attempt “The Sand Mound” because that is exactly what it looked like: a mound of sand. Then I tried using a cheap plastic tiara that I got in a Barnegat, NJ Target one summer as a base and that worked for a while but it still wasn’t really what I wanted, was super top heavy, and really poorly made to the point where it was just falling apart. It wasn’t until 2015 when I finally found a reasonably priced, screen accurate Rapunzel tiara, the crown of my dreams. It was made by an indie company named Moonfire charms, who has since stopped making the crown, and is one of my most prized possessions, honestly. It’s just so beautiful and detailed and well-made, even if it is a little top-heavy, too, and I’m too scared to wear it to a convention for fear of it breaking on me (which I have good reason to fear because it actually came damaged when I ordered it and they were gracious enough to send me a new one free of charge). Looking back, this one is actually even more screen accurate than the Disney Store one was, so I guess things worked out for the best in the end, anyways! 

5. Dinglehopper I know what you’re thinking: how can a fork be one of your favorite cosplay accessories? Well, listen, this dinglehopper thank-you-very-much is just super magical, okay? When I was putting together my Ariel cosplay, I thought it would be cute to have a dinglehopper as a prop but I wasn’t too concerned about buying one. It was something that I was just kind of “whatever, I’ll just grab a fork” about. But then I came across this vintage serving fork that my mom had, I think it may have belonged to her grandmother, and I instantly knew this was the fork. 

“It’s her! She’s the one I’ve been looking for!”  Seriously, though, this fork just has a certain je ne sais quois about it that makes it feel like it was ripped straight from a fairytale. Maybe because it’s antique. Maybe because it has some rose detailing on the handle. Maybe I’m just a sap. Who knows? But this fork is definitely a precious keepsake that I just love incorpoating into my Ariel cosplay. 

[tetrisfinished]

sometimes, it's the littlest accomplishments that can make you feel like you're on top of the world.

about a week ago i finally figured out what to do with our spare room. prior to this i was debating between a guest room and an office because the room is super tiny and any configurations i had done previously didn't really look like i'd have a lot of space left to do both.

so i had finally decided to make it an office. (i will not talk about how a BIG chunk of my decision to turn it into an office was due to the fact that my little family's being threatened with the potential disruption of a long term guest...my brother in law arriving from pakistan soon.....but this is a story for another time.

anyway, i used to have a twin bed, which i finally sold the frame of and now i'm left with a mattress. so i kept the mattress in the room while i purchased my desk and decided it's nice to have a spare mattress in the house anyway JUST IN CASE.

however, when i set my desk up, i finally tapped into the one configuration of the room that allowed me the opportunity to have BOTH an office space (desk and chair, let's be real) AND a spare bedroom!

so now i've got a desk and mattress in the room, but it's far from complete; the things i have yet to purchase are:

1. swivel mesh office chair

2. chair mat for the carpet

3. DAYBED - yes. the DAYBED complete with trundle (learned a new word...this is the part of the daybed that extends out and turns from the twin to a double bed!) and storage

so naturally, as you can tell, i'm sure, i am ELATED by this plan. i think it's so necessary to have a guest room and i'm just so happy to be able to efficiently use the limited amount of space i have. anywho, this wonderful discovery that i stumbled upon led me to begin my search for a good daybed complete with trundle and storage that wouldn't break my bank.

and let me tell you....it is SLIM PICKINs out there in that particular category. the only places i found anything really were ikea and wayfair!

and wayfair is so frigging expensive! there's daybeds on wayfair for like $1000! which i think is ridiculous, but such is life i suppose.

in any case, i finally settled on a daybed (linked below) from ikea. simple and well...it's ikea so i know it's decent shit. which i'm okay with. and considering i'm not in any huge rush to purchase, i thought i'd hold out for about a year and just wait for a sale if it ever went on one! (another thing i will not talk about is my notorious impulse buying habits and how i have zero patience, but a year is what i am telling myself...).

in ANY case (and yes, i'm almost HERE to the point of my story), the daybed i've chosen only comes in one colour and that colour is white. the room is white. the desk is brown and dark brown/black. so i thought it wouldn't look great when it came together unless the room had some other splash of colour. now i would have LOVED to get a daybed that was maybe grey or some other nice light colour....but ikea only had it in white and far be it from me to try and paint on furniture....soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo last week i decided that i would give PAINTING A ROOM IN MY HOUSE a go!

i decided it....and then i DID IT! i started on sunday (may 9th) with the major support and motivation from my cousins (and major discouragement from my mom and husband....but coupled with the exact opposite from my cousins it actually resulted in a good bit of additional motivation to prove myself) and i finished yesterday may 11th.

i cannot believe i've done it honestly. it's the tiniest room you'll ever see and not complicated at all in terms of trims and windows and outlets - just your basic, run of the mill tiny hole in the wall room.

but i set out to do it...and i did. this could be because there's no way you can really give up when you've already begun splattering a wall with paint, but mainly it was because i wanted to do it. i want to always show my husband that i'm capable and i can do it. especially when he's convinced himself and is very actively trying to convince me that i can't.

so anyway. the point of this whole story is, i was scared shitless but it was a very calculated risk that i took. and while the paint job is absolutely not perfect (definitely got some paint on the ceiling...) i am just so CHUFFED with myself i cannot explain to you!

everything worked out! i purchased the paint and the colour was great, a paint kit and it included everything i needed and i purchased both using my saved up CT $ i.e. they were free. and in 4 days i painted my room FOR FREE.

WITHOUT ANYONE'S PHYSICAL HELP! okay that's a lie. yasir helped - begrudgingly. because i was too scared to stand on the chair (for fear of breaking it and then falling 2 feet to my death), i made him tape the ceiling. but by the time i was done painting, i felt so invincible that i even climbed that same chair to remove the tape.

so i'd say maybe 5% of the effort yasir put in and the rest was all me.

and i just gotta say....i'm not often proud of myself. but this one event in my life. i am actually extremely proud of this. and i'm so excited for my daybed to go on sale so that i can buy it and truly finish achieving the full potential of this room.

OKAY. i'm done.

much love,

goodnight!

[fullyjenanigans2]

BYE, 2020!

We only have a few hours left before this year ends. Let us first allow that to sink in and let us suck it all in! Haha! Yup. That's how fast time flies. And just like that, with just a blink of an eye, a new year comes crawling like a thief in the night.

I don't know what to tell you. I only wanted to leave something here before 2020 takes off. If I'm going to end it here, I can actually tell it in a nutshell, just like how most of us will roll it out: this year really gave too much heartaches. That may be an understatement, but yeah, that basically sums it up. It has been a real rollercoaster ride (with a lot of upside downs). It made my emotional equilibrium out of hand and has thrown me bucket of tears. Although I am often devoid of pulses, I still freaking felt every fucking change slash shit that this year has brought me.

I don't have a bucket list to tick off cos it isn't a thing for me, but I have a blank paper where I just put whatever my impulse tells me or whatever I feel like an achievement. Allow me to reel off the things that I think are worthy to be filed up on that said space.

1. I have read 11 books this year. Reading will always be a thing for me. I am not the bookworm type nor the intelligent-reader, but flipping the last page of a book elates me. Because for some us, just like in movies, endings are really the best part. I plan to finish more novels since I'm way way too lazy to deal with academics, so why not fuel up my mind with books?

2. I was able to monitor my health gradually. I may have missed some months going to the hospital and stealthily gives in to bad food, I'm still proud of myself for consciously eating what I am supposed to take. I didn't miss taking my meds and I'm trying hard not to go beyond a cup of rice. Haha! There's still a lot to do, though, but I guess I'm doing better. *crossed fingers*

3. I rekindled a lost friendship. I am fully aware of the crack on the glass that will never be brought back to its original form. I still get annoyed and most often than not lose the required patience, but I still did what I had to. The world is round they say. I'm a bit in denial of the fact that I am now running after her. How fucked up is that? And I must admit that I hate her for being quite indifferent about it. It's my fault, though, so I had to wave that white flag because who is the underdog now? Pfft. Again, tell me how fucked up that is? We are talking friends now and we have a plan of seeing each other before I head back to work.

4. I am more/still tolerant of people around my circle. I mean I get to be more apathetic with how they are and how they want their lives to be. I know that sounds awful, but I have to avoid life's toxicities because I already have my own to cope-with and this is me being tolerant. I restricted and unfollowed people in social media and in real life. Those who haven't been of help with how I am becoming. I don't like posts and greet them in whatever occasions because I don't want to be greeted back with rejections and "dry" responses. Man, let's admit it, some of our social circle tends to give us dry fucks and shits that drain our well being. I had to give these people that unseen limelight so that it won't hurt anymore. Haha! I also don't do away with myself giving them the same reply.

5. Love didn't leave me this year. If you know what I mean. That's expected, though. Haha! But yeah, that's one of the biggest things that I am thankful for so let's not forget to put that on this list. End of number five.

6. I came to realize that friends stay because you give them reasons to. I ignored group chats and stop speaking to certain friends intimately because I judged them wrongly (I think?). Intimacy plays a big part in all of my relationships, especially in friendship. I'm too sensitive with how you make me feel, and if we don't vibe anymore, that's a red flag. These things hit me. I also have to consider where my friends are coming from. Life is not all about how friends make us feel, but how we are to them, too. There are gaps between us and our certain friends because we allow that barrier to grow. Yes to never removing the walls, but at least let them pass from time to time. I can do that, right?

7. My family are all well. I don't have a perfect nor a near to perfection one, but I will not trade anything for another, even for another set of dogs! I can't wait to bake something in our newly purchased gas range. Yes. I know! I feel giddy, too!

8. I still have work. Yay! Nothing more, nothing less. Allow me to not go beyond anything about it. There are no perfect employers, so do employees. I am thankful and that is all.

9. This pandemic really had taken a lot from us, like stuff that help us survive this mundane world. Before it, we would wish for a change and now that it is here, we miss the old one. Crazy as it may sound, but we really do. I miss my previous life and I'm really been dying to have it back. I hope that the life we've been wanting could return the way it was because it really feels like it was stolen from us.

10. Lastly, I've been trying my very best to adjust and be flexible with all the changes. I love life, anyway. Thus, I have to bear with anything that it throws me. And I have to mean that "anything".

There's still too much to say, but let me stop the drama there. And please don't get me wrong. I am thankful for everything that I have right now. It's just been hard not to bring out the "teleserye" because that's how my life's been lately. I have a lot of reasons to be happy, though, so yes, Advanced Happy 2021, folks! With all the shitty things and people around, let's always choose to be wonderful! Oh, bigger that is! Cheers!

[notgonnarememberthis]

Beautiful- Chapter 5

I’m so sorry for the extended absence I’ve had a ton of stuff on my shoulders lately. First things first, I had another set of exams for college and then I started this new series called The Gifted (by the way I totally recommend to everyone). Finally I’ve settled enough to punch out another chapter.

Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this chapter I’m actually hella proud of it. The first part of this chapter was inspired by James Veitch is a Terrible Roommate if you haven’t seen it yet, I 1000% recommend it’s so funny and it just reminded me so much of Joanlock that I couldn’t help but write it in.

To Sherlock’s credit they hadn’t had an interesting case in about a month. It’s honestly a miracle that he’s made it this long without any of his usual shenanigans. Normally at this point he would’ve conducted an experiment involving explosions or a case study on Watson’s behavior at different intervals based on how much sleep she could get to function to the best of her ability. Not that he didn’t have substantial research on the subject already, more research could never hurt though.

It starts out with one. Watson’s lip quirks up as they pass a tiny display at the grocery, it’s a stack of rubber ducks carefully stacked in a pyramid. It’s an impulse buy not that he looks back at it but it made her smile so in the end it was worth it. It quickly becomes a game to test her observational skills. One day the duck disappears from its usual precipice on the shelf just below her products. If she notices its disappearance she doesn’t mention it.

However hours later he hears her call from downstairs, “Sherlock why was the duck in the cereal box?” To simply put it he’d moved her favorite cereal 3 inches to the left after sticking the duck inside. She should’ve noticed a lot sooner but at the same time he hadn’t heard her pad down the stairs until a mere 45 minutes ago.

Then it strikes him that he hasn’t pushed her to her top level annoyance in far too long. He almost misses her screaming his name from the other side of the Brownstone. So he buys more rubber ducks. With his devious plan now in action he changes their orientation every day when he’s sure she’s either not home or in deep slumber. One day he arranges them as if two are getting married, then in a cult like circle around a tube of toothpaste, even draping two of them in shreds of toilet paper as mummies for Halloween. His particular favorite was when he managed to perfectly recreate the scene from Titanic after the boat sinks.

After all of this effort there’s still no reaction. To his shock and appall, she didn’t even address the ducks. By all logic by now he should’ve at least gotten a smile out of her but no. So he ups his game purchasing a load of them for a shockingly cheap price off this Amazon user SpookyBoi. Three days later a box filled with 95 rubber ducks is delivered to Marcus’ home. He couldn’t very well set the delivery for the Brownstone lest Watson find it while he’s not paying attention.

So he sets up his new mission carefully setting up the ducks as if they’re crawling out of the drain itself. He barely even used a third of the ducks in the box so of course he already begins planning his next attack in case Watson doesn’t bring up the ducks yet again. Sure enough not even a peep from her even though when he returns they’re visibly moved after her shower.

Fine if she wants to play that way.

It takes 3 hours but he expands his mission having them crawl from the drain, up the side of the tub, out over the side, to the other side of the bathroom in rows of 10 until they narrow reaching a significantly larger duck wearing a crown. He’s not going to admit how much money he actually spent on this display but it’s oh so worth it when his phone buzzes late one night.

We need to talk about the ducks -JW

Ducks? -SH

Don’t play coy with me. I couldn’t shower this morning because I had to move over 100 of those stupid ducks. -JW

Srry. No more tiny ducks. Prmse. -SH

Honestly she should’ve caught onto the loophole right then and there but shockingly she didn’t. Only an hour later Gregson calls with reports of a triple homicide. He takes a separate cab excusing to Watson that he had to meet with Alfredo really quick and he’d meet her at the scene of the crime in about an hour. Rather he makes a quick trip to the local bath store and purchase 5 ducks about the size of a laptop. He positions them and he’s off to the crime scene.

You said no more ducks. -JW

I said no more tiny ducks. -SH

I’m meeting my mom for dinner tonight. When I get back I want all of the ducks gone. I don’t care how. It happens or I make your life hell -JW

His disappointment at the end of their game is met with a tiny bit of thrill at her threat. He still wants to see how far he could push her. He wants to get that oh so pleasant shout. Cn I kp 1? -SH

One. -JW

:) -SH

It takes him 2 hours and an air pump but the trap is set long before Watson walks in the door. The large inflatable duck takes up ⅔ of the bathroom and is positioned facing the door.  He tries not to bounce with excitement as soon as she announces her presence with a sigh and the loud shut of the door.

“I’m going to take a shower.” She says, exhaustion evident in her tone. He nods not turning to face her lest he gives away the surprise.

He begins counting the seconds until finally,

“Sherlock!” Her voice calls in frustration. He bounds up the stairs two at a time, a giant smile plastered across his lips. She’s standing in the doorway of the bathroom, eyes flashing with fury. He’s hit suddenly by how nice she looks. Her makeup is done carefully, hair draped over her shoulders in loose perfect curls, black dress hugging tightly to her figure without being suggestive. She marches over to him and he notices how much shorter she is without her heels on. She barely comes up to his shoulder. “Do you think this is funny?” She seethes, yet beneath the anger he swears he sees a bit of a spark in her eyes, a challenge.

“Quackers.” He answers with a smirk.

“I warned you.”

“No you said I may have one.”

“I didn’t mean one that takes up half of the bathroom!” She steps forwards moving to push him back but he catches her wrists.

“You should’ve been more specific. I thought you would’ve learned after the tiny ducks.” Her chest swells with an angry breath. He’s suddenly aware of how close she’d advanced in her attempts to push him and the fact that he’s still holding her. He drops her wrists quickly but it’s too late. Memories of that night sweep over him once more. How he’d held her wrists above her head, how he’d pressed her against the wall lips buried in her throat, the way her nails scraped down his bare back.

She moves away quickly back into the bathroom, snatching a pair of scissors from the sink. With a quick slash the duck is torn and is quickly deflating. “Take your duck so I can shower.” It isn’t a request, rather a command. He obeys taking the limp yellow body and dragging it into the hall. The bathroom door slams in his face and he sends a quick text.

Need 2 tlk nw. Emrgncy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alfredo arrives at the Brownstone much faster than Sherlock anticipated, knocking frantically on the door. He yanks it open, his former guide’s eyes tracing over his form. “Did you relapse.” His voice is harsh and demanding.

“What? No.” Sherlock says defensively.

“Did you almost relapse? You don’t have anything here do you? You know Joan would kill you.”

“Slow down. It has nothing to do with relapse at all.” He visibly settles.

“What’s the emergency then?”

He goes quiet listening for the sounds of the shower. He continues once he’s sure he can hear the water hitting the tub. “I think I may be attracted to Watson.” He says quickly.

“You’re kidding me.” Alfredo scoffs throwing his head back. “I abandoned a client and broke 3 different laws on the road because you think you are attracted to your partner.”

“I’m beginning to think you’re not seeing how much of a problem this is.”

“You’re right. I don’t.” He sighs taking a seat on the couch. He pats the spot beside him inviting Sherlock to sit down. With a roll of his eyes he plops down beside him. “Joan is an attractive woman. Why is this a problem?”

“Because this isn’t the first time.” He mutters under his breath.

“We are not having this talk at 11:30 at night.” Alfredo groans rubbing his hands over his face.

“If you’re not going to be any help”

“I am going to help but I need you to stop with this cryptic shit.” He sits up now, “When did this start.”

“If I tell you it doesn’t leave this room. Not even Watson knows.” He waits until Alfredo nods before continuing. “18 years ago my father took me with him on a business trip to America. I went to a bar while he was at the meeting to have a few drinks. I met this woman, went home with her and we-”

“Please skip the details. I can assume.” Alfredo interrupts putting up his hand.

“Well I told her that my name was Sean. No use in giving my name if we were only going to meet once.”

“What’s the point of this side story.”

“The woman was Watson.”

“You slept with Joan.” Alfredo repeats in shock. Their bubble is broken by the shattering of glass behind them. He spins around and sure enough Watson is there clad in pajamas and her favorite red cardigan. A shattered tea cup lies abandoned at her feet. The water he heard running… It must’ve been the sink. How much of the conversation had she heard?

“You’re Sean.” She whispers in disbelief.

“Shit.” Alfredo mutters.

“Watson.” He’s on his feet approaching her quickly. Her eyes are shining with a new kind of anger, one that reflects disappointment… betrayal.

“Don’t.” She stops him backing away. “You knew. You knew and you didn’t even bother to tell me.” She scoffs.

“Watson.” Another step forwards and another backwards.

“How long did you know.”

“I-”

“How long!” She demands swiping furiously at a spare tear that escaped.

“Since we met.” He whispers in admission. An angry laugh mixed with a sob leaves her lips. She looks away so that he can’t see the tears of humiliation escaping. He steps towards her again taking her arms gently. “I’m sorry. I thought if I told you, you’d leave.”

“Well I found out. What now Sherlock?” She asks bitterly snatching herself from his grip. She hardens herself setting her jaw. “I’m staying at Marcus’ tonight.”

“Watson you don’t have to-”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” She snaps. “You don’t get to tell me what to do right now. Got it?” With that she leaves up the stairs to get dressed and packed for the night. Alfredo lingers for only moments before dismissing himself with a quiet apology. She doesn’t say a word as she storms out the door but he can see the angry tears streaming down her cheeks.

The Brownstone aches with silence in her absence.

[dothewrite]

SCENARIO WITH AKAASHI AND FEM S/O WHERE AKAASHI IS AN ASSASSIN/SPY THINGO AND HE WAS ON A MISSION TO KILL HIS S/O AND NOW THEY'RE JUST STANDING IN FRONT OF ONE ANOTHER AND AKAASHI IS HOLDING THE GUN BUT HEJUST CANT SHOTO AND (i'm so sorry this is a cliche but please feel fee to make it as original as possible! )

My brain went on a wild ride with this one! I initially misread that both characters would be assassins, then I wanted to make it all badass, then my brain went ‘nope’ and… well, you’ll see. This was incredibly fun to write, thank you for requesting this. :) I hope you enjoy it!

The house is empty when he returns. Nothing is out of the ordinary; the porch lights are on, the garage doors slide up smoothly when he presses the remote button. The low grinding of the tires against gravel is a noise he hears every night when he parks his Mercedes next to her Porsche.

It’s 6.55, five minutes until dinner’s ready. Akaashi is a naturally quiet man, and he slides his key and unlocks the front door very quietly, as he usually does. The hinges make no noise, because he’d oiled them a week ago, and he slips off his shoes by the glass shoe-rack. It’s only a small thing, as neither of them like impulse spending, and he counts silently in his head. Yes, they’re all there. She’s probably in her slippers then, padding around the polished wooden floor on muted feet.

He’s not the type to shout, especially in such a large house with only the two of them, so his entrance past the foyer and into the living room is unannounced.

She’s not there, and the curtains are drawn. Akaashi really should be getting on, but he takes a moment to run his fingers over the fine embroidery of their antique couch. It had belonged to his grandmother, and they had without hesitation, both decided to place it where they would see it the most.

“What do you think about a dog?”

“Depends on whose dog it is.”

“…Why do you know everything I’m going to say?”

“This is an expensive couch, let’s not ruin it with teething, infant beasts yet, how about it?”

“Well at least I know what you feel now about having children.”

“My feelings on children are entirely different.”

“Really?”

“Yes. They shit everywhere too.”

“Keiji!”

He peeks his head around the corner into the kitchen, and she’s not there either. It’s out of the ordinary, because both of them are quite tidy individuals, and the lights and oven have been left on. Akaashi reaches out to bring up a knife dirtied with the slight orange colour of chopped carrots. It’s all there, neatly sorted into bowls of prepared vegetables on the counter. The salt and pepper are out too, ready to go on the steak that’s still sitting on the chopping board.

Before he walks out of the kitchen, he takes a minute or two to put the condiments back into the shelf where they belong.

Seeing dinner almost complete makes him a little hungry, and it gives the uncomfortable churning in his stomach an edge- a nagging feeling that tugs at his sides. She always tells him off softly for that too, when he stays out too late or overworks himself at the office until he’s back at three in the morning looking completely famished. He remembers her late night snacks for him like it was yesterday, but he’s stopped coming home so late for two years. He misses them a little, maybe not the worried expression on her face, but the way she laces their fingers together and bumps her hip against his in a gentle admonishment.

It’s supposed to be his turn to cook tomorrow evening, if she’s doing it tonight. The only logical conclusion would be to make a stew, since she’s making something seared tonight. A warm smile touches his lips, unbidden, and when Akaashi pictures the scene of the two of them wrapped up next to each other on the sofa eating off fancy plates and watching bad soap operas, he forgets to be unhappy for a minute.

He gives the guest rooms downstairs a quick glance over, and she’s not there either.

“Mmmm, a boyfriend who cooks? Does this mean I’m set for life?”

“I’ll cook if you buy the groceries.”

“Sure, let’s leave the most tedious part for the lady.”

“Lady? I don’t see a lady here.”

“Oh, I see how it is. I guess it won’t matter if I do this-”

“-Stop! STOP! At least roll down the curtains, jesus christ!”

“I so am a lady.”

Akaashi is very proud of his stairs. He’s always been thankful that he chose to invest in good craftsmanship and good wood, and since they bought the house six years ago, he hasn’t heard a single creak from them at all. It’s all the better for him, because he knows that he’s used to stealth. He’s used to pretending that he’s not where he really is, and with each silent step he remembers what he’s supposed to do.

For him, silence has always been the loudest noise for him, and the way the house seems to be resonating with it, Akaashi has a lot of moments to think. One of the things that comes to mind is how she was happy to hear that he liked things quiet too, and now, he understands, that the soundless stairs were probably a good thing for her too.

The banisters reflect only the warm, dim light from downstairs’ corridor and his own shadow. He makes it to the top before flicking up the switch that lights up their second floor. Akaashi glances around without moving his head, only his eyes flickering here and there, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anyone upstairs either.

He heads to the salon first, and when the only sign of life he sees is their shared pot of white tulips, he can’t help but take a seat next to them. Although pale yellow is his favourite colour, he thinks that these flowers are the most beautiful he’s ever seen.

-

“Happy Tuesday! I have a present for you.”

“But Tuesdays are my worst days.”

“All the more reason!”

“You got me a scarf? In the middle of summer?”

“I saw it in a display today and, well, I kinda thought it would make your hair look beautiful.”

“…I have a present for you too.”

“A scarf??”

“No, tulips.”

“Did you choose to raise plants instead because they don’t shit and bite your furniture?”

“Correct.”

-

His fingers fall away from their supple petals in a lonely caress, and he pushes himself upright. He’ll come back and water them later, he decides. The piano seems to play itself a mournful tune of farewell as he slips out and closes the door behind him.

There are a lot of windows in their house, he realizes. Purchasing it, they had been more focused on the layout and the spread of space, and even at night they usually turn the lights on in a trail behind them. Rarely have either of them needed to navigate the house in darkness, and now that he’s chosen to do so, Akaashi finally notices the way the half-moon lays down checkered patterns on the floor like a mat. Window after window, it marks his progress down the hallway.

Usually, there’s music coming from at least somewhere. Wherever she decides to nest, really, and if Akaashi ever loses her or if she doesn’t respond to his gentle call of her name, he only needs to follow the source of the music until she pops up sooner or later. It’s too quiet for his liking tonight, so when he reaches their shared room, he slides their built in speaker system on.

It plays her favourite song, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 11, at a medium to low volume, and Akaashi feels a chill run down his arms. As much as she loves this, she seldom listens to it. Akaashi is the classical music lover out of the two of them, and this was the song he performed for her with a modest orchestra the night he proposed. She, however, thoroughly enjoys pop music and dramatic electronic tunes, and it’s despite all that she’s managed to fall in love with everything that Akaashi loves to listen to, too.

The melody feels like a love letter, a letter of apology, a message, a serenade. She’s not even here, not in the house like Akaashi had originally thought, but he falls in love with her a little more with each passing arpeggio.

Lithe fingers flip open the envelope on the nightstand, revealing an actual note on a post-it note. The laugh that this brings him aches from his head to his heart. He puts it back where he had found it after reading over the message, and makes his way downstairs again, a little faster than before. Swiping his abandoned jacket from the back of the couch, he leaves the house.

“I’ve been thinking of putting you in my will.”

“That’s sudden. We’re not married or anything. Do you have a terminal disease you’re not telling me about?”

“It’s just good to be careful. You never know what’s going to happen.”

“You’re… right, but… I don’t really want to think about anything happening to either of us yet. Not when we haven’t tried so many things together.”

“Alright. I won’t mention it again until you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Keiji.”

“Mhmm.”

The hotel lobby is so familiar to him that the busboys and the concierge all shoot him welcoming, yet knowing looks the moment he steps in. Akaashi supposes that he should feel a little abashed that he’s come here so often for dinner with his wife that everyone recognizes him, but nothing shows on his alabaster skin. He nods at them, a polite greeting that doesn’t disturb their work, and makes his way to the auditorium. It’s an odd combination, a hotel and an auditorium, but it’s the reason why he likes this place the best of all.

When he slips in from one of the side doors, he’s greeted with a solid flood of atmospheric lights, and a single spotlight that seems to be shining at the stage. She’s right there, waiting for him, her slim dress hugging her down to her ankles as they dangle off the edge of the platform. Graceful, yet obstinate, as always, and he clears his throat to let himself be known.

Her smile is so sad that it inspires a soft composition in his head. Akaashi makes his way closer to her and stops when he’s right in front of the dip that is the orchestra pit. Their eyes are locked onto each other, into each other, and he speaks first.

“Would you like me to play something for you?” His voice is terribly quiet, but it sounds like a cry in the silence and acoustics of the hall. “Chopin, perhaps?”

“Only if you’re planning on proposing again,” she laughs softly, bordering on a giggle and a chuckle. He watches wordlessly as her eyes wrinkle a little at the edges, her lips turn up at the sides and her fingers curl around the edge of the stage a little tighter. She’s not hiding a single thing from him, and it makes his breath heavy.

“Not tonight,” he murmurs.

A weighted silence hovers above them, and although they’ve spent more than half the time in peace, in each other’s arms, not needing to say a word, this leaves an uncomfortable tingle in their limbs. Stretched, sluggish, yet ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Her eyes finally flicker away from his own deep-sea ones, and they rest longingly on his shoulders and his hands. “Did you bring everything you need with you?”

Akaashi tenses his fingers. “Yes,” he replies, this time more solidly, “you left the bathtub untouched.”

Her smile is kind, and he returns one of his own. “I had to leave you with something, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair.”

“Thank you.”

She had always been the soft-hearted one, more so than he. Even her fingers look reluctant as they slide out a Desert Eagle .50 from behind her, wrapping around the grip with the same amount of delicacy she would cup his cheek with, or run her fingers over his lips with.

Akaashi can’t help but raise an impassive eyebrow, and draws his own Walther PPK/S .380 from its position by his belt. She doesn’t make a move yet, and he flushes a little in appreciation as he takes advantage of their stillness to double check his suppressor.

“I knew you’d be a suppressor kind of person,” she teases. Akaashi doesn’t look up, but continues to run his fingers carefully over any gaps he might have missed.

“And I didn’t think you’d really prefer power over speed, yet here we are.”

She shrugs, and this time he does catch it. He raises his head to meet her eyes again, and their grips on their guns grow firmer. “I don’t, not for actual work. A girl can have her guilty pleasures, after all.”

“Chopin?” He can’t help but grin a little, and she laughs again. Oh, how he loves that sound, more than music itself.

“Chopin,” she agrees, with a lingering smile, “and you.”

He lifts the gun to point it at the space between her eyes. She does the same, without hesitation.

“You were mine too,” he admits.

“Were?”

Akaashi gazes at her rather than stares, and his heart feels so incredibly full that it beats only pain that one feels when absolutely, irrevocably in love. “Are. You still are,” he corrects. It’s the most truthful thing he’s said all evening, perhaps all year, and the confession is worth three times its weight in gold when a rich, red flush spreads over her cheeks and her lips widen with happiness.

What a sight they must both make! She is beautiful- she is always beautiful, to him, even in tea-stained shirts and ripped pajama pants- in the black, full length dress that he had once commented on as his favourite. He, in his work clothes: a simple, black tuxedo with velvet highlights, and he knows it makes him look every inch a mysterious stranger. It was necessary for this afternoon’s job, you see. The job he took on because he had been taking too long on the current one he’s on. The one he put off for weeks.

He’s peering at her skin from behind his rear sight, down the barrel, and it’s a shame she doesn’t appear on stage more often because the gentle lights that beam up at her that makes her look a vision to him. He’s all coiled and tense, yet she’s still gripping her pistol loosely, swinging her legs like she always does when she’s nervous, and Akaashi has never wanted to pull her to him more in his life. He wants to murmur into her soft hair that she’ll be alright, that it’ll be better tomorrow, and that he’ll bring her a warm cup of tea once she’s tucked in bed.

She needs only to pull that trigger at him, for her to become the adult she’s always loathed being. Muscle memory will snap into place no matter how carelessly she does it, and without a doubt Akaashi believes that her bullet will hit its mark.

Maybe if she shoots at his heart instead of his head, it’ll distract him from that unshakeable ache in his chest for a while.

Akaashi Keiji is excellent at his job. He is one of the best in his agency, and he has never failed a mission before.

“Shoot me,” he looks her in the eye and tells her.

“I’m trying,” comes her strangled reply, forcibly light with stress and Akaashi lowers his gun. In fact, he lets it dangle off his fingers and drop of its own volition, onto the plush carpeted floor. It hits the ground with a muffled thud, and he lets his hands hang loosely at his sides.

“I love you,” he bleeds his heart from his lips, and all the pressure inside fades with each word he exhales, “I can’t shoot you. I wouldn’t be able to live afterwards.”

Her expression is pained, and her hands tremble when the tears start to roll down her cheeks in big, fat beads. It makes him feel a little better, because he’s adept enough at reading her expressions to know that she’s been holding those in for days now. Those stolen days built on stolen moments- taking as many normal, happy moments with them as they can.

“Keiji,” she whispers his name, “you’re a dead man if you don’t.”

“I’m a dead man if I do,” he replies stubbornly. His face betrays nothing, but his eyebrows are set in firm resolution, and his fingers wrapped into fists. He’s done nothing yet except for stand and stare, but he’s already exhausted and worn down to the bone. He can feel the beads of sweat form along his hairline but he doesn’t dare to break their tension. “If you want to shoot me, then please.”

“I don’t want to!” She grumbles indignantly. “Don’t put it like that. You always do that.”

He rocks backwards a little on his heels and smiles. “I do, I’m sorry.”

She lets out a heavy sigh, one that’s more impatient than solemn, and something in Akaashi’s chest leaps. He can’t quite believe his eyes, believe his life when he sees her toss her own gun to the side in a snap of her arm.

“Who’s going to play me Chopin in the middle of the night if I shoot you?”

“They did invent CDs.”

“Keiji, nobody uses CDs anymore.”

“Pirating is a crime, you know. You might get caught.”

“Funnily enough, I’ve done worse.”

She’s watching him out of the corner of her eye, and he’s looking at her with the deadpan expression he’s so accustomed to wearing. This moment finds them both submerged in complete disbelief, irony and utter ridiculousness that Akaashi is tempted to burst into laughter.

He opts to reach her as fast as he can, instead. His leather shoes carry him to the far end of the stage in a moment, and he can tell from her shifting shadow that she’s matching him step for step. Although he only has to wait half a second longer, it feels like the weight of the sea is dragging him down when he reaches out to trap her in his arms and never, ever let go.

She’s barely caught a breath, or a sob in this case, when he grips her face tightly in between his hands and covers her mouth with his in desperate apology. He drinks her up, each lap, each suck, until he’s sure that she’s the only flavour he’ll remember when everything is gone. He presses kisses along her neck next, or her forehead, or her eyelids, and anything else that he can reach because he promises that he’ll never take anything for granted anymore. She’s not always going to be with him, and he won’t always be allowed with her. This is yet another stolen moment, but to heck with it- Akaashi will sell every part of himself if it means that he can hang on to a few more of these.

He’s by no means a romantic, nor a very expressive man, but it’s the gravity of his decision that pulls him to one knee, cradling her hand in both of his. She looks ripped apart between relief and fear, but her eyes are wide and only for him in this one movement. Akaashi presses a kiss to her trembling knuckles.

“Marry me,” he tells her.

She’s silent for a second, until it’s broken by her hiccuping laughter.

“We’re already married, silly. You’re going to have to play me a different song this time if you want me to do it again.”

So he does. He pulls her beside him, slim figure pressed firmly against lean muscle and he begins to play a new song. Weapons on the ground, forgotten, and the promise of tomorrow’s daybreak also disappeared, the sound of fervent Piano Concerto in B-Minor: Allegro Appassionato winds together with the tune of an uncertain tomorrow, and a certain love.

[martechadvisor-blog]

Lessons from the CMO’s Inbox

For all the chat, Chatters, Slacks, texts, tweets, Confides, and ‘grams in my life, the primary place where I still communicate about business is via email. I suspect this is true for a majority of CMOs. It’s not sexy or always sane, but the inbox is a threaded, searchable, archivable world that keeps both strategic and tactical projects on the tracks.

That said, it is also a noisy place. A place where mission critical communications mix with the cold outreach of strangers trying to sell you advertising, events, MarTech, and more. Left unattended, a CMO’s inbox becomes so overwhelming that the only recourse is to burn the midnight or weekend oil to clear it out, or declare email bankruptcy and let the chips fall where they may.

As I begin my fourth year as CMO of Yext, I’m proud to say that I’ve never had to resort to email bankruptcy. That badge of honor, however, has come at a price. I’m now hopelessly tethered to my iPhone, checking email nights and weekends to ensure, not only that I’m responsive, but also that I quickly dispatch unsolicited emails from my life. Have I found the proper balance? Not yet. But I have learned a thing or two about the CMO’s inbox that every MarTech company with email programs and business development reps (BDRs) needs to hear:

LESSON #1: Your Reps Are Legion.

According to Scott Brinker’s 2018 Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic, there are 6,829 technology companies trying to sell something to CMOs.

Let that sink in. Six thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine marketing and advertising technology companies with crews of BDRs trying to sell their wares. When they train their sights on the CMO’s inbox, you get a laughable volume that no human can manage. The result? CMOs are trained to delete your cold emails without a thought, no matter how plaintive the cry for “Just 15 minutes of your time.” Too many reps + too many emails + too many requests for 15 minutes of my time = a predisposition to hit delete.

LESSON #2: You’re Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

In a given week, I receive more than 200 unsolicited emails from BDRs trying to pitch their MarTech, AdTech, events, and creative solutions. 99% of those go into the trash. Why? Because I don’t know them. Your reps may be incredible people, but in that moment, they are strangers, and I have other, strategic, tactical, and personal priorities to address with people I work with every day.

A CMO-first approach to MarTech sales looks great on paper, but unless you have a preexisting relationship, it’s dangerous, lottery-ticket thinking. The far better practice is to reach out to the front-line marketers who would use and fully appreciate the time-saving, value-added aspects of your technology. The rise of LinkedIn gives your BDRs zero excuse to not know who these folks are — and their inboxes aren’t as inundated as those in the C-Suite.

LESSON #3: Even If It’s the Right Tree, It May Be the Wrong Season. 

I have a ton of respect for great BDRs because they can weather a ton of rejection for the precious few responses of gold. And while booking a call or meeting is the holy grail, the “right tech, wrong timing” response should also be highly valued.

Strategic CMOs look to the horizon, not the floor. Impulse purchases are the exception due to annual budget cycles. Thus, it’s critically important that a “not now, maybe later” response be honored as requested. The CMO does not buy based on other people’s timelines. They buy on theirs. If the CMO has revealed that timeline, it’s a good thing — heck, it’s a great thing! Your BDRs just need the patience and communication skills to re-engage at that later point when the CMO (and budget) is ready to take action.

LESSON #4: Encourage Creativity, But Make Sure It’s in Line With Your Brand.

Here are just some of the ways BDRs have tried to engage me in the past month:

Apologizing for failing to meet with me at an event I didn’t attend.

Apologizing that their 10(!) prior cold emails “weren’t resonating” and asking what they could do better to connect.

Asking for a meet to demo their product.

Asking for 15 minutes of my time. For what, I’m not sure.

Asking me to check a box on whether I wanted to continue emailing me.

Asking me to connect them with the proper person for whatever they were selling.

Calling my cell phone (which I let go to voicemail unless I recognize the number).

Calling my work phone (which I always let go to voicemail). 

Inviting me to an invite-only, day long event next month.

Inviting me to a private dinner in a week (didn’t feel like the first choice there).

Inviting me to meet with their CEO when he’s in NYC.

Pointing out that I haven’t responded to their prior emails (BTW, you do know I can see everything you send in a Gmail thread, right?).

Referencing my social media profiles (love of bacon, Diet Coke, Cleveland).

Requesting the “professional courtesy of a reply” to their numerous, unsolicited emails.

Sending email to my private email aliases (a sure-fire way to have me “Mark as Spam”).

Sending me whiskey via direct mail with email follow-up (FYI, I don’t drink alcohol).  

This list doesn’t just speak to the volume and variety of cold emails I receive; it also speaks to how BDR outreach can impact brand perception. In the absence of any other contact, my only brand experience with your MarTech company is through the cold emails, calls, and direct mail from your BDRs. If they sound desperate, passive-aggressive or frustrated, that’s my initial impression of your brand.

My CMO-to-CMO advice is to make sure your BDR communications are reviewed periodically to ensure their tone, tenor, and content is in line with your brand voice. Whether you’re emailing a CMO or a hands-on marketer, that prospect is busy trying to succeed in their job. Whether by email, direct mail, events or other outreach, if you can demonstrate to them how you can help them succeed, you’re in a far better place to make the sale than if you badger, bribe, and cajole them into a response.

So be kind to not just the CMO’s inbox, but everyone’s. Absent a relationship or highly relevant and timely offer, it’s rarely a place to begin a business relationship from scratch

This article was first appeared on MarTech Advisor

[fesahaawit]

The Hustler / Budgeter Giveaway! (x2)

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one.” – Mark Twain

Goooooood morning hustlers and budgeters! And budgeters who hustle!

If you love pen and paper, you’re going to love today’s giveaways :) Two of my friends recently put out some pretty epic products, and both were kind enough to give me a free copy to pass out to you fine folks today:

Cait Flanders’ Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Ryan Helms’ Side Hustle Journal

Info on them below, as well as how to enter, but even if you don’t win one today, don’t let it stop you from carrying forward! Or even making your own budgeting/hustling journals! ;) (Though prob best to just save the time and buy these, haha…. and I’m not getting paid to say that, btw, nor will I make any commissions off it… I just genuinely love these and think they can amplify your mission!)

Giveaway #1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Cait’s wildly popular budgeting planner is back and improved for the 2018 year! It’s her third run of these since practically selling out of all previous versions, and is an EXTREMELY great way to track your $$$, along with your thoughts, if you’re a pen and paper type o’ person.

These puppies are as beautiful as they are useful, and they sell for $45 CAD, or about $39.55 USD (and she ships internationally!). They also come with a new workbook you can download along with it.

Here’s more info on the planner itself:

Mindful Budgeting is a daily planner designed to help you track both your spending and your to-do’s, and make sure your monthly budgets align with your goals and values. If you’re looking for a tool to help you stop making impulse purchases, start making mindful decisions and move you in the direction you want your financial life to be going, this is it.

Features:

Daily spending sheets, where you can track both your spending and your to-do list items

Full monthly calendars (with Canada/USA holidays)

Monthly budget templates

Space to do weekly check-ins and monthly reflections

Quarterly exercises to map out your goals and make sure your budget aligns with them

Spreadsheets to track both your debt repayment and savings progress

*NEW* Spreadsheet to track your net worth

*NEW* Spreadsheet to track your bill payments, so you never miss one

*NEW* Worksheet to map out + budget for large annual expenses

Twelve motivational quotes to inspire you, and

Instructions on how to use the planner daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly.

 And here’s more info on the workbook that goes along with it:

While you wait for your planner to arrive, you can download and get started with a new workbook! This PDF contains 10 pages designed to:

figure out where your money has been going

name some financial decisions you can be proud of

dream (big and small) about the future, and

identify how you want to feel about money by the end of 2018.

 They come in two different design styles, and you can learn more about them (and order/gawk over) here: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

(Also – be sure to check out Cait’s minimalism/money blog too if you’ve never peered at before! It’s one of my all-time favorites! –> CaitFlanders.com)

Giveaway #2: The Side Hustle Journal

This journal is a whole other creation, and one that centers around side hustles which I’ve never seen merged together before?! In fact, this one is so new that it just came off a successful stint on Kickstarter and is now finishing up production!

(They had over 650 backers and raised $13,595 to bring it to life, pretty cool… You can still see the Kickstarter page here if you want: The Side Hustle Journal: Turning 9 to 5’ers to Entrepreneurs)

So what is a “Side Hustle Journal”?

The Side Hustle Journal is a tool to take your idea from concept to cash flow, no matter how busy you are. The journal isn’t simply a daily planner, it includes systems designed specifically for side hustlers. The systems built into the journal will teach you how to:

Hack your busy schedule to unlock time

Break down the process of starting or scaling a business into bite-sized chunks

Only focus on what’s important and forget the rest

Expedite the process through consistent micro goal setting

And do all this while increasing your performance at your day job

These are the foundational objectives of The Molehill System™, which lives inside The Side Hustle Journal. This is the tool to take you to the next level whether you don’t have an idea or if you are already on the path to side hustle success – and every stage in-between.  

You can learn more about this journal here: The Side Hustle Journal. (They go for $31.97, but if you use discount code “JMONEY” you’ll get 15% off)

Here’s how to win them!

I only have one each so you’ll have to decide *which* of them you want the most (you can’t win both – sorry!), but once you pick your favorite here’s what to do:

Make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter! Where we send these blog posts via email right to your inbox each week: sign up here (if you’re seeing this in email, you’re already signed up ;))

Answer the question relating to the journal you want:

For the Mindful Budgeting Planner – what’s the one area of your budget you struggle with the most?

For the Hustle Journal – what side hustle are you thinking of starting, or have already started, that you’re hoping this helps you with?  

And that’s it! Leave your answers in the comments below, or by replying back if you’re seeing this in email/social/etc, and then we’ll pick a winner next weekend and announce it shortly there after.

And whether you win it or not, don’t let it stop you from going after those sexy budgets/hustles in this new year! Action always gets you further than dreaming!

Good luck guys… And big thanks again to Cait and Ryan for feeding our obsessions over here :)

The Hustler / Budgeter Giveaway! (x2) posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

[actionfigureinsider]

NEW ASH VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS COMIC BOOK SERIES CELEBRATES THE CULT HORROR FILM’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A SPECTACULAR 99-CENT INTRODUCTORY #0 ISSUE

Co-Writers Chad Bowers and Chris Sims (of Marvel’s X-Men ’92) Join Artist Mauro Vargas for the Next Spine-Chilling Chapter of the Chosen One, Ash Williams!

  March 20, 2017, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment is proud to launch Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness, an all-new series in the popular comic book franchise based on the 1992 cult favorite film, with a #0 issue at the introductory retail price of only $0.99. This great value, billed as “S-Mart Special Pricing” as a in-joke to hardcore AOD enthusiasts, will welcome new fans as the perfect comic book “impulse buy”. The opening chapter in the latest Army of Darkness epic comes courtesy of the red-hot writing team of Chad Bowers and Chris Sims (X-Men ’92, Swordquest), along with artist Mauro Vargas (Crossed: Badlands).

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For 25 years, Ash Williams has been waging a war in film and comics against the Army of Darkness. Now, Dynamite Entertainment is proud to present the next thrilling chapter, kicking off in this special prelude! Ash may be the Chosen One, but that doesn’t mean he can hold down a steady job at S-Mart. When he’s scrambling for employment, will he find himself once again thrown into battle against the Deadites? Here’s a hint: The book ain’t called Ash: The Guy With A Regular Job Who Doesn’t Battle Against The Forces of Evil.

“Army of Darkness, and really Sam Raimi’s entire filmography, is such a major influence on how we approach storytelling,” says co-writer Chad Bowers. “Being turned loose inside that sandbox and having a chance to add to the AOD mythology feels like something we’ve been working toward for years, and hopefully it reads that way, too. And I dare anybody to tell me Ash Williams isn’t the toughest ass-kicker in horror! What he lacks in brains, he more than makes up for by having a chainsaw for a hand. That’ll get you a long way in this world!”

“I saw Army of Darkness when I was nine, and I’ve literally described it as a life-changing experience. It might’ve been the most influential movie I’ve ever watched — in terms of the stories that I like and how much I love smartass everyman heroes that stumble into having to do the right thing — and almost everything I’ve written has had a variation on that idea kicking around in it,” says co-writer Chris Sims. “One of our big goals whenever we sit down to write a new story is to keep things moving fast enough that nobody has a chance to get bored, and with Ash, escalating those situations was so much fun.”

“Chad and Chris bring such vibrant life to their scripts; they translate their own enthusiasm so incredibly to the work, and they are Army of Darkness fans through and through. Teaming them with Mauro Vargas, an exceptional rising star (especially in the realm of hardcore horror), will ensure that longtime fans and curious newcomers are more than satisfied!” says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “Celebrating AOD’s anniversary with a 99-cent introductory-priced #0 issue is a great way for our retail partners to welcome as many customers as possible to the world of Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness with minimal risk. Put copies on your store shelves and watch as impulse buys ensue — Ash is back, and we couldn’t be happier!”

The 99-cent debut issue of Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness features a cover by superstar artist Nick Bradshaw (Wolverine & The X-Men). Five variant editions are available as retailer incentives for comic shops that support the launch issue with stocking thresholds. These variant editions include three “Sneak Peek” editions by Reilly Brown (Deadpool & Cable), series artist Mauro Vargas (Crossed: Badlands), and Pasquale Qualano (Doctor Who); a “Blood Red” Line Art cover edition by the aforementioned Nick Bradshaw; and a J. Scott Campbell “13th Anniversary Flashback” cover edition, re-presenting the very first Army of Darkness comic book cover when Dynamite launched its flagship title in 2004.

Army of Darkness is a 1992 fantasy/comedy film with strong horror elements starring Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice), the third installment in a trilogy featuring reluctant hero Ash Williams. Directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man), the film saw its tough-as-nails, wise-cracking protagonist transported from the modern era to the Dark Ages in his continuing war against demonic evil. Army of Darkness generated a dedicated fan following for its premise and lead actor. Since 2004, Dynamite Entertainment has been the proud home to Army of Darkness comic books.

Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ April 2017 Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in June. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies with their local comic book retailers. Ash Vs. The Army of Darkness will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.

  About Dynamite Entertainment:

Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more.  Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt.  In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Kevin Smith, Alex Ross, Neil Gaiman, Andy Diggle, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Jae Lee, Marc Guggenheim, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Steve Niles, James Robinson, and a host of up-and-coming new talent.  Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s Project Superpowers – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors.  In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011.  The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.

Dynamite Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dynamitecomics Dynamite Twitter: http://twitter.com/DynamiteComics Dynamite Official Website: http://www.dynamite.com/ Comic Shop Locator Service: 1-888-comicbook, or visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com/

  ASH VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS COMIC BOOK CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 99-CENT #0 LAUNCH ISSUE NEW ASH VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS COMIC BOOK SERIES CELEBRATES THE CULT HORROR FILM'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY…

[fesahaawit]

The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Hello, friends! It’s that time of year again! The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planners are ready! :)

If you remember, I had originally decided not to do another planner this year. The list of reasons why aren’t particularly important (as many were likely stemmed from anxiety). But thanks to your requests + some help from current users of the 2017 planner, I changed my mind! And now this little project I dreamt up in 2015 will carry on for another year. So, thank you for both the push and the support.

Based on the covers, you will notice most things are the same as last year. My designer did such an amazing job, I didn’t want to see her covers go. It looks/feels the same inside, too. But, thanks to your suggestions, there are a few new templates that will make it just a little bit better! And as a fun bonus: I created a free 10-page PDF workbook you can get started with while you’re waiting for your order to arrive!

Before you keep reading, I want to stress two things. First, this is not my “book”. This is a daily planner I’ve been making every year for the last three years that is designed to help people with their personal finances. We’ll talk more about my memoir in the first week of December! And two, I know this planner isn’t for everyone, because no financial tool could possibly be for everyone. But if you think it could be for you, keep reading. :)

The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Even though this might look like an ordinary day planner, I consider Mindful Budgeting to be somewhat of a course in that I’ve laid it out hoping you will use it a certain way. There is something for you to do every day, week, month and quarter, all of which I outline at the beginning of the planner.

Every day, there is designated space for you to track your spending as well as your to-dos (this is the reason I first created the planner in 2015). At the end of every week, there are also three questions for you to answer that will help you reflect on your spending and plan for the week ahead.

At the beginning of every month, you will write a budget—then later update it, based on the spending you track throughout the month. There is also space for you to reflect on your spending, your habits, and any changes you’ve noticed in yourself or your life.

Every month, you will also be able to update the balances of your debts and your savings (or assets). And thanks to the suggestions from current users of the 2017 planner, I have added three new templates: one to calculate your net worth, one to track your bill payments, and one to map out + budget for large annual expenses.

Finally, every quarter, you will complete a four-step exercise that helps you figure out what your current goals and values are, so you can make sure your monthly budgets align with them; this is, personally, one of my favourite parts of the planner!

By using the Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner, my hope is you will achieve your goals and finish 2018 with a better understanding of your personal finances. If nothing else, I hope the planner helps you realize what matters most to you, so you can make sure your spending and saving aligns with that.

Full list of features:

Daily spending sheets, where you can track both your spending and your to-do list items

Full monthly calendars (with Canada/USA holidays)

Monthly budget templates

Space to do weekly check-ins and monthly reflections

Quarterly exercises to map out your goals and make sure your budget aligns with them

Spreadsheets to track both your debt repayment and savings progress

*NEW* Spreadsheet to track your net worth

*NEW* Spreadsheet to track your bill payments, so you never miss one

*NEW* Worksheet to map out + budget for large annual expenses

Twelve motivational quotes to inspire you, and

Instructions on how to use the planner daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly.

Pick from One of Two Covers

There are not one but two different cover designs for the Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner. Rest assured, what’s inside both options is identical, so you’re not missing anything by ordering one over the other. Just pick the cover that suites you best!

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner ($45 CAD)

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions ($45 CAD)

Free Gift with Purchase

While you wait for your planner to arrive, you can download and get started with a new workbook! This PDF contains 10 pages designed to:

figure out where your money has been going

name some financial decisions you can be proud of

dream (big and small) about the future, and

identify how you want to feel about money by the end of 2018.

After placing your order, you should receive a confirmation email in your inbox. Simply forward a copy of that email (or at least a screenshot of the order details) to mindfulbudgeting@gmail.com as proof of purchase, and I’ll send you the workbook!

International Orders (and Prices!)

As you know, I’m Canadian, and therefore the $45 price tag you see above is in Canadian dollars. While the exchange rate usually works in most people’s favour, I also know it’s a lot easier to budget for a purchase when you know how much it’s actually going to cost! So for those of you in the USA, the UK and Australia, here are direct links to the planners in your currency:

The USA

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions

The UK

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions

Australia

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions

Shipping Information

Each Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner is ordered, printed and shipped directly from Blurb—my print shop of choice. There are usually a few different shipping options, depending on where you live. And your planner(s) should arrive in a cardboard box, similar to what you’d expect to receive if you ordered a book off Amazon.

That’s a lot of information to digest, so I’ll sum it up by saying this: only buy the planner if it’s something you plan to actually use next year and you have the money for it. I know it’s not for everyone, because there isn’t one financial tool that will work for absolutely everyone. Personal finance is personal, and we all have to find the systems that work for us. I am grateful that this little thing I created has helped hundreds of people so far. And if you think it’s one of the tools that could work for you, I will be grateful for that too. :)

As always, I’m here to answer any questions you have about it!

The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

[fesahaawit]

The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Hello, friends! It’s that time of year again! The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planners are ready! :)

If you remember, I had originally decided not to do another planner this year. The list of reasons why aren’t particularly important (as many were likely stemmed from anxiety). But thanks to your requests + some help from current users of the 2017 planner, I changed my mind! And now this little project I dreamt up in 2015 will carry on for another year. So, thank you for both the push and the support.

Based on the covers, you will notice most things are the same as last year. My designer did such an amazing job, I didn’t want to see her covers go. It looks/feels the same inside, too. But, thanks to your suggestions, there are a few new templates that will make it just a little bit better! And as a fun bonus: I created a free 10-page PDF workbook you can get started with while you’re waiting for your order to arrive!

Before you keep reading, I want to stress two things. First, this is not my “book”. This is a daily planner I’ve been making every year for the last three years that is designed to help people with their personal finances. We’ll talk more about my memoir in the first week of December! And two, I know this planner isn’t for everyone, because no financial tool could possibly be for everyone. But if you think it could be for you, keep reading. :)

The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Even though this might look like an ordinary day planner, I consider Mindful Budgeting to be somewhat of a course in that I’ve laid it out hoping you will use it a certain way. There is something for you to do every day, week, month and quarter, all of which I outline at the beginning of the planner.

Every day, there is designated space for you to track your spending as well as your to-dos (this is the reason I first created the planner in 2015). At the end of every week, there are also three questions for you to answer that will help you reflect on your spending and plan for the week ahead.

At the beginning of every month, you will write a budget—then later update it, based on the spending you track throughout the month. There is also space for you to reflect on your spending, your habits, and any changes you’ve noticed in yourself or your life.

Every month, you will also be able to update the balances of your debts and your savings (or assets). And thanks to the suggestions from current users of the 2017 planner, I have added three new templates: one to calculate your net worth, one to track your bill payments, and one to map out + budget for large annual expenses.

Finally, every quarter, you will complete a four-step exercise that helps you figure out what your current goals and values are, so you can make sure your monthly budgets align with them; this is, personally, one of my favourite parts of the planner!

By using the Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner, my hope is you will achieve your goals and finish 2018 with a better understanding of your personal finances. If nothing else, I hope the planner helps you realize what matters most to you, so you can make sure your spending and saving aligns with that.

Full list of features:

Daily spending sheets, where you can track both your spending and your to-do list items

Full monthly calendars (with Canada/USA holidays)

Monthly budget templates

Space to do weekly check-ins and monthly reflections

Quarterly exercises to map out your goals and make sure your budget aligns with them

Spreadsheets to track both your debt repayment and savings progress

*NEW* Spreadsheet to track your net worth

*NEW* Spreadsheet to track your bill payments, so you never miss one

*NEW* Worksheet to map out + budget for large annual expenses

Twelve motivational quotes to inspire you, and

Instructions on how to use the planner daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly.

Pick from One of Two Covers

There are not one but two different cover designs for the Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner. Rest assured, what’s inside both options is identical, so you’re not missing anything by ordering one over the other. Just pick the cover that suites you best!

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner ($45 CAD)

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions ($45 CAD)

Free Gift with Purchase

While you wait for your planner to arrive, you can download and get started with a new workbook! This PDF contains 10 pages designed to:

figure out where your money has been going

name some financial decisions you can be proud of

dream (big and small) about the future, and

identify how you want to feel about money by the end of 2018.

After placing your order, you should receive a confirmation email in your inbox. Simply forward a copy of that email (or at least a screenshot of the order details) to mindfulbudgeting@gmail.com as proof of purchase, and I’ll send you the workbook!

International Orders (and Prices!)

As you know, I’m Canadian, and therefore the $45 price tag you see above is in Canadian dollars. While the exchange rate usually works in most people’s favour, I also know it’s a lot easier to budget for a purchase when you know how much it’s actually going to cost! So for those of you in the USA, the UK and Australia, here are direct links to the planners in your currency:

The USA

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions

The UK

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions

Australia

Cover 1: Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner

Cover 2: Stop Making Impulse Purchases, Start Making Mindful Decisions

Shipping Information

Each Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner is ordered, printed and shipped directly from Blurb—my print shop of choice. There are usually a few different shipping options, depending on where you live. And your planner(s) should arrive in a cardboard box, similar to what you’d expect to receive if you ordered a book off Amazon.

That’s a lot of information to digest, so I’ll sum it up by saying this: only buy the planner if it’s something you plan to actually use next year and you have the money for it. I know it’s not for everyone, because there isn’t one financial tool that will work for absolutely everyone. Personal finance is personal, and we all have to find the systems that work for us. I am grateful that this little thing I created has helped hundreds of people so far. And if you think it’s one of the tools that could work for you, I will be grateful for that too. :)

As always, I’m here to answer any questions you have about it!

The Mindful Budgeting 2018 Planner posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ