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cricutguide · 6 months ago

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Fun and Easy Cricut Maker 3 Projects for Beginners [2024]

Cricut Maker 3 projects for beginners are not a big deal. You might be wondering why I am making this sentence with so much confidence. Well, it comes when you have done a lot of crafting over the years. And when you are an expert in a particular area, it is easy to say things like — “it’s not a big deal; it’s just a piece of cake!”

Yes, dear crafters, experience indeed speaks! However, gaining such an experience is not just a one-day process. I have created many projects, tried all the Cricut models, and know how to set up and use them. This is really a challenging learning process. I have spent days and nights on this valuable learning.

Today is the day I am writing this blog and telling you to try some crafts that I have made on Cricut Maker 3. Let’s delve into this guide to learn more.

1. Cake Topper

Every year, we celebrate a birthday, and decorating a cake is a very important task. But there are some Cricut Maker 3 projects for beginners that they can try to elevate this birthday celebration. Yes, you heard it right! It is a simple cake topper.

Yes, this is one of the easiest projects I have ever created using my Maker 3 machine. So, without any further delay, add this Cricut Maker 3 project ideas to your list.

2. T-shirts

Now, you can also make a personalized shirt using a robust machine like Cricut Maker 3. Creating a shirt on Cricut is a piece of cake. Just select a design on the Cricut Design Space app and start cutting it on your trusty Maker 3 machine. The machine is advanced enough to cut every inch very precisely, making it look like a professional design on your shirts.

3. Greeting Card

Although technology has changed drastically in recent years, people still prefer to try old things, such as greeting cards. I made this greeting card on Cricut Maker 3, especially for my lovely husband. The Cricut Maker 3 is a versatile machine that can make almost every type of craft.

So, whether you are looking for Cricut Maker 3 projects for beginners or experienced crafters, you can do it seamlessly.

4. Organizing Labels

Now, it’s time to organize your pantry or kitchen. For this, you can make some labels using permanent Smart Vinyl material. Start creating labels for each container in your kitchen. This will help your mom find the right container with the right ingredients.

The best part is that you can try multiple font styles with different sizes. Cricut Design Space has numerous font styles that are available for free. Just go and grab them.

5. 3D Paper Star Candy Box

Are you looking for 3D Cricut Maker 3 projects for beginners? If so, you will need to try this paper candy box. Given the shape of the star, it doesn’t only look beautiful but is also a useful thing for keeping all your sweetie candies.

Although I love paper crafts, they are easy to make and don’t cost too much. Also, when they are three-dimensional in shape, they attract more attention.

6. Wood Sign

In order to make this wood sign, I used a leftover scrap that I found in my husband’s carpentry shop. This silly signboard is perfect for your bathroom. Since I saw many such signs in other shops, I was eager to give it a try myself. Since I have my incredible Cricut Maker 3 machine, I made this bathroom sign.

7. Bookmarks

It is not the first time I made this bookmark; however, making it out of leather is something I have tried for the first time. Besides, I have used the same machine multiple times to make multiple things. Since this is a leather material, I have to use an Engraving tool to engrave the words. Also, to make the cut, I used a knife blade.

8. Coffee Mug

The coffee mug is one of the best Cricut Maker 3 projects for beginners, as it can be given as a gift. I love making this craft, and the result is quite satisfying. If you want to try this, you will also want a Cricut Mug Press so that you can transfer your infusible ink onto your mug.

However, the cutting design can be easily done on your Cricut Maker 3 machine. And trust me, Maker 3 will do its work nicely.

9. Ceramic Coasters

Coasters are an inseparable part of our lives. They are necessary to keep our dining tables clean. And who does not want to create something easy and creative, especially when your guests come to your home for dinner? With personalized crafters, you can make people feel more special and loved. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get started!

FAQs

Question 1: Can I make greeting cards on my Cricut Maker 3?

Answer: Yes, you can make greeting cards on your Cricut Maker 3 to make greeting cards using a Cricut card mat and cards. With its adaptive tool features, you can easily make cuts and engrave and emboss your materials. For Cricut, it is relatively easy; robust machines like Cricut Maker 3 are specially designed for it.

Question 2: Can Cricut Maker 3 cut wood?

Answer: Absolutely, yes! You can cut all types of wood materials made for crafting. Cricut Maker 3 is designed to cut delicate and tough materials easily in one go. All you need to do is use the right blade and wood. Speaking of the thickness of the wood, Maker 3 can cut up to 2.4mm thick wood in no time.

Question 3: Can I cut 3mm plywood on Cricut Maker 3?

Answer: 3mm thickness is too much for a Cricut Maker 3 machine. Hence, you can’t cut your plywood with this thickness. The suitable thickness that you can cut for wood is 2.4 mm. So ensure your wood thickness is within this range, not more than. Also, don’t try to cut without checking the compatibility of the machines; if it doesn’t support it, don’t cut it.

Source: Cricut Maker 3 projects for beginners

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#Cricut Maker 3 projects for beginners #Cricut.com/setup #Cricut Explore AIr 2 #Cricut maker 3 #software technology

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treadmilltreats · 1 year ago

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I am blessed to see another birthday

Sitting here, I can't help but think about my life as another birthday has approached. I can't help but reflect on the last 10 years of my life.

There were so many changes....again...

Some good... some definitely not so good.

I've come to realize not everyone you thought would be there for you, will...and to give thanks for the ones who will be. I've learned that not everyone has your heart, and you must be okay with that.

I learned that if you have faith, anything can happen. There are so many things that I thought I could never do, like walking away from fear and my abusive marriage after 24 years. Doing a triathlon at 49 for the first time and placing 3rd in my age group. I made a bucket list and vision board and have fullifed it all. I have done a marathon. I've jumped out of a plane, I've walked on fire, and fulfilled my dream of traveling to Europe.

I remember praying about a rental I could afford after my divorce, and God blessed me with a home of my own, 40k less than anything on the market.

I wrote and published not one but two books, I've spoken at many women's events about domestic violence and am blessed to write this blog 5 days a week for the last 11 years.

I've learned to pray even through the storms. I learned that I have to depend on myself and on God. I've learned that everything that happens isn't to me but for me. I've learned to look for a lesson in every up and down that life throws at me and learned from it. I've learned that my girls are my biggest supporters and that maybe I am doing something right because they are such beautiful souls.

I've learned that just when you thought this was your season, life will throw you some stuff that will knock you to your knees. So many things came at me at once that you ask why me? That even when you thought the pain and the betrayal of many "friends" had you out for the count, that I could pray my way through the storm and find a peace like I have never known.

I've learned that the world can change in a second. You can lose your job, people that you love, and live to see so much hatred in so many people. But I also learned that time could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it. I chose to always look for the good.

During the pandemic, I got to spend quality time with my girls, and I got to slow down.

I got to reflect on what was truly important, our health, my family, and my friends, and to never take anything for granted again. I saw people come together, all colors, all religions to fight against what is wrong with our country. I saw the good in people while it felt like sometimes there weren't any because I chose to look for it.

I learned to praise God, even when I didn't understand what was going on. I learned gratitude for the blessings I do have and hold on to the fact that these are all lessons I needed to learn to grow. I learned to listen for the signs and know that all things work for my good and have been called according to his purpose. My favorite Bible verse Romans 8.28.

I learned that sometimes a person comes into your life at the wrong time to teach you lessons of self-worth and will change everything you believed in yourself, for the better. I've learned that age doesn't matter when your souls connect, and even though he may not be your forever love, he will always hold that place in your heart.

This year has taught me to know my own strength and to hold onto God's strength when I had none of my own.

So today, my friends, I will go into this next year smarter and wiser.

I will go with more faith, more love, and an open heart no matter how many times I may have been hurt.

And yes, I will always be Tinkerbell, and I will always believe anything is possible if you believe....

Here's to another year of lessons and my gratitude for allowing him to let me celebrate another one.

And yes, as I say at the end of every blog, I will continue to "Be the change I want to see"

@TreadmillTreats

#self help #positive #love #faith

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yoiprojects-n-events · 5 years ago

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Hi!! I don’t really understand how all these event thingies work? Bangs, reverse bangs, zines, challenges etc. Could you explain them for me, please? 😅 Thanks!!

Hey there nony! That is a really great question! I would be more than happy to explain all the different events for you! I will even provide some example blogs you can look at too for reference (please note, not all of the example blogs will be active or current events/challenges).

Hold onto your ice skates because this is gonna be a long one. As such, I will put the explanations below the cut 💕

So I will begin with Challenges as they seemed to be the easiest to explain:

Challenges 📝

Challenges are generally based on Writing or Art prompts. These events challenge participants to create something based on a series of prompts for a certain number of days/weeks/etc. These types of challenges will most often be art-based, but not always.

For example: The most well-known event that would fall into the ‘challenges’ category would be Inktober. Although this event isn’t specific to Yuri!!! on Ice, it’s a good example to use. Inktober provides participants with a list of 31 prompts that an artist can use to guide their drawing ideas. Artists are challenged to post one ink drawing a day for 31 days based on these ideas. Even some writers use inktober prompts to create spooky stories every day for 31 days.

Applications or sign-ups are not typically required for these types of events.

Here are a few posts to check out with different Yuri!!! on Ice challenges:

100 Days of Makka Challenge, Pochatober 2019

Event Weeks 🎉

In the Yuri!!! on Ice fandom, event weeks seem to be the most popular (and generally the easiest to run). Event weeks (sometimes called theme weeks) as the name suggests, are generally week-long events that are often based on a specific theme. These themes can range from week-long birthday celebrations for a specific character, to holiday themes, or even more unique topics like fantasy weeks and ship weeks. Honestly, the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing a specific theme. I’ve seen a whole collection of crazy and interesting theme weeks in this fandom!

Anyways, once the event theme has been decided blog moderators will also provide participants with prompts or suggestions that span across seven days to help guide the creative process.

For Example: In October I was a co-moderator for a Spooky Week Event (A Halloween themed event) that ran from October 25 - October 31. For each day we had two ‘prompt suggestions’ to help inspire people. On the first day of the event, our prompts were ‘Zombies and Monsters’ and ‘Haunted’. For day Two, our prompts were ‘Devil and Demons’ and “Autumn’. Then that pattern continued over seven days.

Once the prompts have been released, creators will have a certain about of time to create something based on the daily themes. Then, once the event week starts, participants can start posting and sharing their creations.

Sometimes, event weeks will have a day called a ‘free day’ which means participants can create something based on anything that falls within the scope of the theme set for the event.

Applications or sign-ups are not typically required for these types of events.

Here are a few event week blogs to check out:

@yoirarepairweek (Upcoming in January), @yoitrainingweek, @yuuriweek2019

Gift Exchange/Secret Gift Exchange 🎁

Gift Exchanges are when participants create artwork or written fanfiction based upon prompts or ideas suggested by another participant.

When signing up for this type of event, you are generally asked to submit one or more prompts or suggestions based on a theme or pairing you enjoy and would like to receive as a gift from another participant.

For example: Let’s say I am a big fan of Victor Nikiforov/Katsuki Yuuri Super Hero AU’s (One of my not so secret weaknesses). I could ask for my giftee to create something based on that idea (and you can certainly add more details than this). Then, whoever receives your prompts/ideas would then create something (typically art or written works) based on what you have suggested.

It’s also important to note that when participating in these events, you are also expected to create something for another person based on the prompts/ideas that you receive from them.

More often than not, these events are Secret Gift Exchanges, meaning that no one knows who their giftee is until the set day when everyone is allowed to reveal/post their gifts.

Here are a few gift exchange blogs for you to check out:

@victuurisummerloving, @yoisecretskater, @yurionice-secretsanta

Bangs 📝🎨

Bangs are traditionally challenges that require authors to write a story that is 50,000 words or more within a set amount of time. HOWEVER, most bangs these days, host much smaller challenges that generally only require around 10k or 15k words per author (and sometimes even less depending on the event)

Then, once these stories have been partly, or fully written, artists will have the opportunity to review the written stories or a summary of the story. They can then decide which one they would like to create artwork for (this is often called the claims or claiming period).

Once the claims have been completed, authors and artists can converse (if desired) about the artwork that will be created for the story. Writers can often suggest to the artists which scenes they would like to see drawn, but it is up to the artist to make the final decision on what scenes actually are created.

Then, on a specific day, artists and writers will be able to post and reveal their works online.

These events can also be called Big Bangs or Mini Bangs at the discretion of the event moderators

Here are a few bangs blogs to check out:

@bigbangonice, @otayuribigbang, @viktuuriangstbang

Reverse Bangs 🔁🎨📝

Reverse Bangs, as the name would suggest, are the opposite of Bangs. For these events, artists create their work first instead of authors. Then, once their artwork has been created, authors can view the artwork and decide which piece they would like to write a story for.

Once the art claiming period has ended, Artist and Writers can collaborate (if desired) regarding the creation of the written portion of the piece. Sometimes, (if desired) artists will even create additional pieces for a story based on what the author writes.

Then, on a specific day, artists and writers will be able to post and reveal their works online.

* Sadly, I don’t have any Yuri!!! on Ice blogs to recommend looking at regarding this particular category. The only Reverse Bang I found in this fandom seems to have occurred in 2017 and the main blog appears to no longer exist (I can provide example blogs from other fandoms though if desired, just send me a message and let me know).

Zines 📚

Now, while I don’t necessarily reblog Zine events on this page, I am more than happy to explain what they are and how they work!

The term Zine, which is apparently pronounced zeen -like magazine- comes from the term Fanzine (I’ve been pronouncing it wrong this whole time, whoops). Zines can be created by a single person or by a group of artists, writers (and sometimes cosplayers) who come together to create content for an independent or self-published booklet.

Zines are often theme-based (i.e. Fairytale themed or centered on a specific ship) and all the content created for the zine is based around said theme.

In order to participate in these events, interested parties will submit an application containing examples of their works. Once applications close, moderators will review the submissions and decide which applicants will be participating.***

Once Zines are completed, they are put online for fans to purchase. Some Zines are digital-only, meaning that only PDF versions are sold. Other Zines sell physical printed books and even merchandise items (such as pins, keychains, bookmarks, etc).

Depending on the moderators, some zines donate all the prophets made on sales to a preselected charity while other zines split any money made between all the creators. Most Zines, however, either do a combination of both (donate half the proceeds and split the remaining money between contributors if there is enough) or simply donate everything to a specific charity.

Zines are incredibly fun events, but I would definitely say that they are the most time-consuming.

*** Sometimes, when Zines are online-only (PDF versions), all applicants are accepted. If a Zine is going to be physically printed, moderators tend to limit the number of participants to keep both the production costs and the sale prices low.

Here are a few Zine blogs for you to check out:

@yoidreadfulzine (applications still open), @onceuponayoi, @phichimettizine

Again, I do apologize for the length of this post but I hope I was able to answer all of your questions nony!! I tried to include everything, even the ones not mentioned, but please let me know if I left anything out that you would like to know about! (If anyone sees anything that seems incorrect/inaccurate, please let me know)

I will also create a new page on my blog explaining all of the above again so it will be easy for everyone to find in the future!

- Mystic

#nony #answered asks #yuri on ice #yuri events #Big Bang #bang #mini bang #reverse bang #secret gift exchange #gift exchange #drawing challenge #writing challenge #event week #theme week #yoi

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fenriael · 5 years ago

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Too Much Information: Character Interview - Valien Gelus

Thank you for tagging me, @sheirukitriesfandom! I really enjoyed reading about your Rashkan. I was a bit delayed filling this out because of RL, but I had good fun doing this (I hope I filled it out right, it was my first time doing one of these things XD).

I chose Valien, one of my favourite ESO OCs. Valien is my Altmer ice battle mage, and his other half is Kathariel, a half Altmer, half Bosmer priestess of Auri-el with an affinity for fire magic. They are the pair currently featuring in my blog’s banner together in the snow :)

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A tall, relatively broad-shouldered Altmer gentleman of advancing years whose golden face carries scars from many battles. His long, sleek, silver-white hair is carefully tied back, but hangs loose at the shoulders. His robes are simple, but elegant, charcoal grey with pale blue accents. He wears a sword at his side and a faint icy chill permeates the air as he studies you piercingly with pale grey eyes.

Name -> “Lord Valien, of the house of Gelus.”

“We are called the house of Gelus because it is said we are born with ice in our veins,” Lord Valien explains, lifting his hand in explanation as frost slowly creeps from the tips of slender golden fingers to the wrist. He smiles thinly. “There is, as with all good family stories, a modicum of truth to be found in those tales.”

Are you single? -> Valien leans back in his chair, raising an eyebrow.

“A curious question. I have in recent years found myself fortunate enough to spend my time with a most wonderful young woman by the name of Kathariel,” he explains with a slight smile, although it then fades a little.

“I am, of course, still married. It was an arranged affair, as is often the case for important marriages in Altmer society. While we found each other’s company agreeable at first, as the years passed, we became rather…well, different people, shall we say.” Valien smiles ruefully. “Despite how some of our people may speak, just because the star alignments or family pedigree predict an auspicious marriage, does not mean it will be so.”

“We are, however, still on cordial terms, although we find that maintaining a certain degree of distance has aided in producing a suitable working partnership for the purpose of maintaining strong family alliances.”

Are you happy? -> “In recent years, yes, very much so. It was not always the case, however.”

Are you angry? -> “I am I an angry person? No, not as such. But in the past, some bitterness on my part resulted in the unfortunate habit of distancing myself from those I should have shown more affection for,” he explains quietly, appearing more than a little uncomfortable. “In addition, I am not known to suffer fools terribly well,” he then adds more convivially, and gives a rueful chuckle. “The soldiers formally under my command would likely attest to that! But I think most would have agreed not unfairly so, under the circumstances. I hope so, at any rate.”

Are your parents still married? -> “No, not anymore, but that is perhaps unsurprising given my age.”

NINE FACTS

Birth Place? -> “My family’s main estate, nestled in the foothills of Eton Nir.”

Hair Colour? -> Silver-white.

Eye Colour? -> Pale grey-blue, comparable to the pallor of the clouds before a snowstorm.

Birthday? -> “I was born early in the month of First Seed, under the sign of the Lord, and incidentally when the first of the snowdrops had begun to bloom that year. In terms of age, I can tell you to begin with that I am more than old enough to recall Master Vanus Galerion forming that troublesome mages guild of his,” Valien grumbles good-naturedly. “Will that suffice?”

Mood?-> “I think I most likely covered this above?”

Gender? -> “Male.”

Summer or winter? -> Valien’s mouth twitches upwards in amusement. “I would have thought the answer to that question obvious. Winter, of course. Though,” he then adds, expression softening. “There is something also to be said for the summer also is there not? After all, my beloved would say there is room in our lives for all seasons equally, and I daresay she is correct.”

Morning or afternoon?-> “I prefer being up early. I do rather dislike any day that I am being unproductive in. Although, Kathariel is very fond of reminding me I should be more restful.”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

Are you in love? -> “I believe I have mentioned Kathariel already?” Valien replies with slight smile. “She was a priestess in a monastery of Auri-el that I was brought to after sustaining some quite severe injuries. Later, she was instrumental in aiding my binding ritual to finally put to rest the evil that had left me with the injuries in the first place. I would not have survived either ordeal without her. She chose to leave the monastery to join my household afterwards, and has been part of my life ever since.”

Do you believe in love at first sight? ->“I think love at first sight is a concept best left to the young and foolishly impulsive,” Valien replies, frowning slightly. “Although,” he then adds after a pause, “I must say, from the day I met Kathariel she stood out in my mind; it has not forgotten her since. So perhaps I should not be quite so quick to dismiss such notions.”

Who ended your last relationship?-> “With my wife? We grew apart, or perhaps I should say the differences that were always between us grew more and more apparent as the years went by.”

Have you ever broken someone’s heart? -> “I highly doubt it.” He replies bluntly. “What is your next question?”

Are you afraid of commitments? -> Valien’s eyes narrow slightly, and then he sighs heavily. “I am…hesitant to dedicate myself to partnerships unless the person in question is truly of a like mind to my own. I spent too many years in the unfortunate company of politically-motivated sycophants whose only interest was in my family bloodline. It was a most wearying state of affairs.”

Have you hugged someone within the last week? -> Valien reaches down and scratches the head of a young griffin draped across his feet, snoring gently. “Why yes, of course,” he replies with a chuckle, indicating the feathered creature with amusement.

Have you ever had a secret admirer? -> “Not that I am aware of.”

Have you ever broken your own heart? -> Valien shifts slightly in his chair. “Perhaps we should move onto the next question, yes?”

SIX CHOICES

Love or lust? -> “Why not both?”

Lemonade or iced tea? -> “I’m very fond of teas, either hot or cold.”

Cats or Dogs? -> “As a general rule I find animals of any type far more agreeable than most mer I encounter.”

A few best friends or many regular friends? -> “I cannot say I know many whom I would consider to be close friends, in truth. But there is Kathariel, of course; there is also my youngest brother who, despite his unnatural and frankly unsettling love of opera music and his utterly mistaken belief that he is capable of singing, has time and time again provided most trustworthy and sensible council in my travels.”

“At one time I would have also considered my middle brother a friend also, but I fear that time has since past. He was formally a revelator-naganwe, a death seer, but in his grief he found himself reaching for magics he should not have reached for, and performing experiments that crossed too many lines. He chose to distance himself from the rest of the family to avoid ill-will to befall our household; Altmer society is not forgiving of Graxifalas – disgraceful - behaviour.”

Wild night out or romantic night in? -> “I prefer quiet evenings. I am not one for excessive drink or large gatherings.”

Day or night? -> “Day or night? That would depend,” he replies with a smirk, “on the nature of the activities in mind.”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

Been caught sneaking out? -> Valien scoffs at the question. “Not since I was a lot younger and a lot more foolish than I am now.”

Fallen down/up the stairs? -> “If there are no witnesses then it did not happen, correct?”

Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? -> “Most certainly.”

Wanted to disappear? -> “Oh yes, quite frequently,” Valien mutters sullenly. “From court banquets, the many social gatherings my wife enjoys hosting in our halls, from any event whatsoever that claims to be held in celebration of my name day.” He sighs despairingly. “Did I mention I was not terribly fond of social gatherings?”

FOUR PREFERENCES

Smile or eyes? -> “It seems a pity to choose, when both can be so enrapturing.”

Shorter or Taller? -> “Well, I cannot say I have a personal preference. Kathariel is however noticeably shorter than myself, being that I am taller than average and she is of part Bosmeri heritage.”

Intelligence or Attraction? -> “Intelligence, certainly. I would not wish to be involved with someone who I could not have a lively debate with.”

Hook-up or Relationship? -> “I cannot say I enjoy casual dalliances by any means. “

FAMILY

Do you and your family get along? -> “I believe I have already explained my relationship to my wife.” Valien pauses slightly. “As for my son and daughter, I have always loved them greatly, though I fear they regarded me as rather a distant figure in their youth. I have tried to make amends for this more recently. I also have a young granddaughter, and she is the apple of my eye, so to speak.”

Would you say you have a “messed up life”? -> “Not particularly. At times complicated, however, but then that is true of many people’s lives.”

Have you ever run away from home? -> “There were many years I chose to spend away from my household in my role as a battle-reeve, and so in a manner of speaking, yes. There were times when I should have returned home, but I did not. I believed that the work I was doing would benefit them undoubtedly more than my presence at home would. Now my children are fully grown, and I regret that choice greatly. We have at least, had the opportunity to grow closer of late, and for that I am most grateful. ”

Have you ever gotten kicked out? -> “I have not.”

FRIENDS

Do you secretly hate one of your friends -> “Certainly not?”

Do you consider all of your friends good friends -> “Yes, of course.”

Who is your best friend -> “My beloved Kathariel.”

Who knows everything about you -> “Kathariel, undoubtedly,” he replies with a slight smile. “I never expected to find someone who I would share my life with in such a way, but it has been a blessing indeed.”

I think I’m now supposed to tag more people now If I understand correctly? @mutantenfisch, @forevervobla @taergalive, @sadmagecentral I hope it’s ok if I tag you all (not sure about the etiquette for this kinda thing)?

#my oc #Valien Gelus #elder scrolls #teso #eso #Altmer #mage #ask meme #my writing

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apexart-journal · 3 years ago

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Tasha Dougé, Day 6 aka My BDAY!! Today I turn 40!!

May 26, 2021. It was the last Super Moon of the year, a Blood Moon, the Flower Moon and a lunar eclipse. This all happened before 8am EDT. What a way to start off my 40th birthday. 40 years on the this earth and I have much to be grateful for and I appreciate all my blessings, including this fellowship. Thank you God, Ancestors, Lwas and the Universe.

Now for those who have been following or are just joining me on this journey, I want to acknowledge the lapse in posts. Today is actually day 9 of my fellowship. For all the bloggers and vloggers out there, I tip my hat to you all in sheer awe. This is not easy to do consistently. I knew that, but now I really KNOW. I mean I am out here in these NYC streets and by the time I get back to the apt, the only thing I want to blog are the number of Zzz’s and snores coming out of me in the bed. Nonetheless, I committed to sharing my journey and I want to. So here we go.

It was a late start on the 26th and that was great because the BDay love was pouring in. Since I can’t celebrate in person, I created a BDAY BINGO game and my friends were game. The day/afternoon started with a good ole game of mini golf. I haven’t played since 2000. So I’m coming into this with tons of rust. PERIODT. I was told that I would have some company. Dhairya came to play with his cool shades in tow. He is a student at NYU studying computer engineering. My solution to any computer issue is Ctrl + Alt + Delete. If that doesn’t work, then I can’t help ya. That is the extent of my expertise. Now, I will direct all questions to Dhairya. Dhairya came to the states from India three months ago and it was a pleasure listening and learning about him. Now, he said he never played mini golf. However, that is not what the score card said. No need to focus on the numbers. What’s important is that he didn’t let me win because it was my birthday and that we really enjoyed our time playing. And if you have to know, yes he did win. As per my photos (taken by Dhairya), you can see that I had a hard conversation with my ball trying to sort out the lack of communication and teamwork. After his win, I introduce Dhairya to one of my favorite spots, NISH NUSH. It is a Mediterranean vegetarian spot that I last visited in Summer of 2019. It was perfect because he is vegetarian. He loved the food. My bday was off to a great spot. Next off to Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

If you haven’t been to Sunset Park, you need to go immediately. What a beautiful park. The view was gorgeous. I laid out and enjoyed my icee. One of the pigeons wanted to give me a gift. It showered me with some excrements. Apparently, that is supposed to be a sign of good luck. I will let you know later how true that is. Until then, I proceeded to use some hand sanitizer to remove the “gift.” My agenda for the day suggested some snacks. I decided to try the red bean puff pastry from Jade Bakery (corner of 63rd & 8th) and the rice cake skewers from 369 BBQ (corner of 61st & 8th). When I got to Jade’s and asked for the red bean pastry, they were exactly sure about what I was asking for. However, they were super sweet and friendly. They showed me something red and had beans, so I took it. Next to 369 BBQ. I almost missed it because I was looking for a brick and mortar. Good thing my peripheral vision is still working. I ordered one skewer to go. I walked to the train to head over to Greenwood Cemetery for the last event for the day.

While waiting for the train, I cracked open the foil and started eating the rice cake skewer. Wait for it... Hell the Freak Yes!!! It was the bomb! Ever order something and get mad that you only got one? Well that was what I was feeling. It was doughy goodness with a kick of spice. I am SOLD and I will be back for sure.

I made it to the cemetery with like 2 mins to spare. There was a line and we waited for them to let us in. I was the only Black person on the line, but I was going in to see what this was about. To be honest, I was trying to see if this event could be rescheduled. I mean a cemetery on my bday?! I googled it and they only do the event once a month. So as someone who is all about experiences and willingly accepted the nomination to be a part of this fellowship, I told myself to go for it. They let us in and off we went. You find out fairly quickly that the tour is self-guided. As I enter the cemetery and take it all in, I am filled with questions. Who came up with this idea? Was the person buried in the pyramid mausoleum African/Black? Why do people chose to occupy so much space even in death? As I witnessed the entertainment, I wondered who is the entertainment for? Were the deceased considered in those decisions? As part of the event, folks had the option to enter into certain mausoleums. For me, that led to more questions. How were the mausoleums selected? Did they ask the deceased permission? At one point, I asked if there were people actually in them and I was told yes. It is my bday and I don’t know the energy of the people deceased. Thanks, but I will pass on that one.

Oh yea. How could I almost forget? Literally about 5 minutes after I entered the cemetery with the group, the grey clouds with all their rolling thunder came right on through. Strong winds followed by stronger gusts of winds had the trees howling and the branches swaying frantically. Shortly after, the rain came. Pellets of water were hurled onto our bodies and my body for sure since I didn’t have an umbrella. For me, that was the good Lord and ancestors saying you came, you saw and now you gotta go. With that message, I got another message. This time it was for the event folks saying that the event was canceled due to the rain. My sister called with some happy birthday vibes and asked where I was. I told her I was in a cemetery and she was like “on your birthday?” I told her yea. I was not surprised by her shock, but I flipped it for her real good. Yes, it was my 40th birthday, but what would be a better reminder to live then to be among those who have passed.

I choose to live with every breath I have until my very last. This was a bomb birthday!!

Sidebar: I will return to Greenwood because Basquiat is buried there and there is also an African burial ground called the Freedom Lots.

#Tasha Dougé #local nyc

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chickenfetus · 7 years ago

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HI!!! i like to request ALL of the flowery asks! btw i LOVE ur blog and maybe u????? idk 🌸🌸 (jk i love u alot)

who is this????????/ under cut bc i get rambly

azalea: what’s one word that describes you?

lame lmao

baby’s breath: what did you want to be when you were a kid?

honestly? my answer’s like yours jen because i wanted to be an astronaut but also a vet and then a few years later i wanted to be something else of a whole different profession but now i know what reality is like and i have no clue what i wanna be whoops

begonia: are you a messy or clean person?

i hate seeing my desk/workspace be messy but i cant bring myself to clean it up either???? bc im lazy

bleeding heart: has your heart ever been broken?

hMMMMm mmm idk i dont think so

bluebell: do you drink tea or coffee?

i drink tea more than i drink coffee but i drink water more than i drink tea i drink water like. everyday lmao obviously but i drink a lot of water its my brand now

buttercup: what are five things that make you apologetically happy?

what does this mean why is the word apologetically there i cancelled it lmao no negativity in this house

my favorite people (u know who + my friends)

when people answer my anon asks and . they respond with a long reply/seem really happy responding thats my fav fam

this is getting real anime but when i get an UR/4* from scouting

finding an anime/manga/book that perfectly suits my taste

im very tempted to just say water bc idk what else 2 say

calla: what’s your favorite book?

ive only read 3 whole books this year but i recommend all of them

challenger deep - neal shusterman (i could go on about this book for days honestly its so interesting and even though its told by the same person it has two kind of perspectives because there are two settings, that didnt make sense but this book is my new favorite)

see you in the cosmos - jack cheng (i love this one too because its just so warm? made me a little emo but its really good and i love how unique it is, text type wise)

a monster calls - patrick ness (this was something i heard from my school first so i didnt know if i really wanted to get it but its actually pretty good?)

carnation: what are your five most played songs?

i cant really check using the music app bc i added the songs at different timings so itll be inaccurate ill just do most played song from each band/group

again - astro (this is their best song dont @ me)

letting go - day6

all in/stuck - monsta x

death by a strawberry - dance gavin dance

check yes juliet - we the kings

chrysanthemum: what are you afraid of?

i may not b a child but im still afraid of the dark bc my imagination is wild im also afraid of bugs and disappointing others nice oh shit im also afraid of asking for things

daffodil: what’s your astrological sign?

capricorn

dahlia: what’s your favorite band?

this question was made for me its day6

daisy: which ‘friends’ character do you relate to the most?

ive never watched friends

dandelion: are you an extrovert or an introvert?

in between!!!!!

geranium: how has your day been?

its been good!!! i managed to ask my mum 2 take me to hair place so i can get it cut finally and im working on updating my tumblr pages and doing all my tags

hydrangea: what’s your dream job?

pass

iris: who’s your celebrity crush?

pass

lavender: what’s one of the best gifts you’ve ever received?

oH FUCK FAM my friends got me a kermit toy for my birthday i lvoe it 2 dEATH

lily: what’s something you’ve achieved that you’re really proud of?

i got first in my class once wow amazing that was 2 years ago i wish i was as good as the me from 2 years ago

marigold: what would you like to do more of, but don’t ?

well i want 2 b more hardworking but guess thats too late

morning glory: are you an early bird or a night owl?

now that school is over and i have no reason to wake up early ive become neither which is saddening because... i like waking up at 7am on weekends and doing things early but now i wake up at like 9-10am and i still sleep at 11pm

orchid: what’s the last movie you saw?

i really dont remember?? maybe uh guardians of the galaxy?? i dont remember who i watched it with and when but it was good actually i remember who i watched it with nvm

pansy: do you believe in love at first sight?

i dont really believe in romantic love anymore

peony: what does your url mean?

chicken fetus means an egg

periwinkle: what are you thankful for?

god get ready folks im gonna go on my biggest boxy rant ever...

so boxy is my friend who ive been mutuals for over a year and our first common interest is love live and haikyuu so we had that to talk about but im bad at keeping conversations with ppl on tumblr so that ended quickly but earlier this year or late last year i made a twitter and told people on here about it and she followed me and i didnt really mind/pay attention to the stuff she posted/rted uNTIL. until that fateful day... june 25th... at like 8pm? she rted a pic of mister brian kang with dumb minion glasses on and ok maybe i do believe in love at first sight? bc wow!!!!! whos this dumbass with minion glasses and the fluffiest hair ??? so i slide into boxy’s dm.. expecting an explanation and she gives me a good one saying how brians from a band (i would later find out), day6 and im not a fan of kpop, never have been.. ive only watched like some kpop mvs bc i love my friends so i expect myself to listen to them and get over them as soon as im done. boxy my friend, bless HER she sends me all of their mvs from congratulations to i smile and i watch the first one - i smile and me? i start smiling and i can feel myself getting excited because holy fuck theyre a band! they play fucking instruments??? and at this point im already whipped then i move onto how can i say and that shit blew my mind let me tell you.. so because of boxy... i get to where i am now, proudly stanning 3 groups and if it were not for her i wouldve never gotten into mx as well... boxy is just?? really important to me her impact is just that great?? so im super!! sUPER thankful for her and i dont think she’ll ever see this but boxy i love u thank u so much!! boxy gave me more than one reason to live, and not just exist?? without her i wouldve never been able to make so many (like 2 but hEY) new friends and this probably got so long idk im just really thankful for boxy thank u lord for blessing us with boxy (@/youngkwhom on twitter) (kittenma on tumblr) i hope shes happy forever and i also hope she has good days for the rest of her life?? boxy deserves it i lvoe u boxy

petunia: where were you ten years ago?

10 years ago i was like 6 probably watching pokemon or some shit and getting glasses

poinsettia: where would you like to be in ten years?

dead thanks

poppy: what’s your online persona?

i dont understad the meaning of persona but an egg??????

rose: who’s the last person you spent quality time with?

all my classmates in an exam hall for 2 hours, quality time indeed

snapdragon: what are your goals?

pass

sunflower: what’s your favorite quote?

i think i had one before but i forgot so maybe it wasnt my favourite lol idk i dont have one now

tulip: if you had three wishes, what would you wish for?

for all of my favourite people to be happy forever

a good future

i want astro, mx and day6 to get an award for all of their hardwork thanks

violet: what’s one thing most people don’t know about you?

i was gonna say smth negative but lets not hm m m i? ?? ill put smth irl ppl probably dont know either uh hhh i guess?? that i eat a lot?? but also get full really quickly but then really hungry right after that idk thanks digestion

zinnia: do you believe in magic?

no ????/ idk is there any evidence that magic exists

JEN !!! thank u so much for asking even tho u probably asked just to get back at me but this was still fun ask memes will never get boring bro,. i love u and i hope u have a good evening also i love ur blog too moon anon probably already told u

to anyone who actually bothered reading through this mess - thank you and i hope you have a good day/night too!!

#vampbin #asks

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tipsycad147 · 5 years ago

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3 Ways To Use Magic For The Zodiac: Libra

SL Bear

Libras are an interesting mix. They like the finer things and appreciate beauty, but are often categorise as superficial. They are heavily concerned with justice and fairness, but they are motivated to keep the peace above all — the ultimate people pleasers. This makes Libra indecisive when it comes to choosing sides and fearful of confrontation. While they are labelled good mediators, they hold grudges like a dog with a bone and can be swayed easily, especially if they believe it means a faster path to harmony. In essence, Libras are incredibly sweet, down to Earth people who just want a little peace and quiet. Things get tricky for them when other people are involved, which is unavoidable — unlike some other signs, Libras are very social beings.

Looking To The Wind

Because Libras are all about balance and harmony, I wanted to honor this when creating some magic for their birthday. Though Libras can be indecisive, it’s only because they want to make sure they’ve done things right. They want to make the moral choice, that also makes the most people happy. This is a hard thing for anyone, but Libras take this responsibility very seriously.

What you will need:

A small piece of blue material

A stick and a way to affix the material to the stick

A blue candle

A tarot deck

Alternative: A coin and some blue paint

Libra is an air sign so it’s important to bring this element into your magic because it’ll work well with you. For this magic, you’ll be using wind so wait for a breezy day before starting.

To begin, make a small flag out of your materials, then plant it somewhere outside where you can see it from a window. Light a blue candle, shuffle your tarot deck, and draw two cards. Place these cards side by side in front of the blue candle. The card on your right represents the situation you’re having difficulty with — the problem that needs a decision — and the card on the left represents your role in this situation. While you’ve probably already spent a lot of time thinking about this decision, and weighing all sides, something is keeping you from reaching a clear yes or no. This is where the flag comes in. Trust your intuition! You already know the right thing to do, so no more vacillating. Whichever way you’re leaning toward more, take a moment and ask aloud “am I making the right choice?” Then take both of the tarot cards in your hand and look outside at the flag. If it blows east, the answer is yes. If it blows to the west, your answer is no.

Alternatively, you may not have time to wait for a windy day or for whatever reason, a flag is not possible. No worries! Paint a coin (a quarter will work best) blue and mark one side with the Libra glyph, which is a symbol for balance. Instead of looking outside at the flag after reading the cards, flip the coin high in the air. Heads (the side with the Libra glyph) is yes, and tails is a no. You can keep this coin with you and ask it simple yes or no questions whenever indecision strikes.

Pomme d’Amour

Libras are connected to the planet Venus, as well as the goddess. Because of this, Libras are ruled by a desire to find lasting love and a partner who will support them through thick and thin. While they may not necessarily seek marriage, the concept of marriage and union is closely tied to Libra’s symbolism.

This spell is meant to draw out a fitting partner for Libra!

What you will need:

A green (unripened) cherry tomato

Rose petals

A banana

A paper bag

A small altar

Seven red candles

This spell should be started on a Monday.

To begin, create a sigil based on the traits you’d like to see in a partner. Keep it specific “My partner is _____” and add as many adjectives as you’d like. Once your sigil is complete, draw it on the paper bag.

The altar doesn’t have to be as big and special as your regular altar, it’s just a space where everything can sit without being disturbed. Tomatoes are sacred to Libras, probably due to their association with love and Venus. There are also stories of tomatoes being powerful aphrodisiacs, which make them a perfect fit for this spell. Place the candles in a circle and then pop the tomato into the paper bag with the banana and nest this in the centre of your circle. Please space everything carefully so there’s no chance of the paper bag catching fire!

In the space between the bag and the candles, sprinkle your rose petals. This spell will be performed over a week so don’t be alarmed when the petals start to dry — that’s perfectly fine.

At the beginning of the week, once everything is set up, light the candle just to the right of the candle at the very top of the circle, or the candle at the 1 o’clock position. Recite the first line of the incantation. For each following day of the week, moving clockwise around the circle of candles, say the corresponding line of the incantation and light the next candle in the circle, along with all the preceding candles you lit the days before. I recommend letting the candles burn for at least a half hour every day, but feel free to let them burn longer if you like!

On the seventh day, all your candles will be lit and you’ll recite the last line of the spell. Remove the tomato from the bag and tear away the paper round the sigil, so it’s small enough to burn, then activate your sigil with the flame of Sunday’s candle. Save the ashes of the sigil, mix it with the rose petals and set them in your hand. Go outside and blow this mixture to the east.

If the tomato isn’t ripe yet, it’s okay, there’s no time limit on it. However, when it does ripen, use this tomato to make something delicious and share it with a friend or family member who could use a pick-me-up. This is a gesture of kindness and love which hopefully will come back to you!

Libra love spell incantation:

Monday: I send the call out on the wind

Tuesday: And it will come back again

Wednesday: Love built to last and stronger still

Thursday: Than summer sun or winter chill

Friday: Venus, please find them for me

Saturday: And make them beautiful to see

Sunday: I sent the call out on the wind, and now I bring them home again

You may substitute whatever pronouns you’d like here, of course.

Aeolian Force

Though water is by far the most powerful way that our landscape is shaped, wind is a force of change as well. It blows the terrain away or blasts sand and dirt against surfaces thus eroding them over time. This is called the Aeolian process and it’s seen primarily in sparse regions like deserts and areas with little vegetation. It creates smooth, bizarre rock formations and gorgeous dunes. For this spell, we’re going to use it to bury an old grudge.

Libras don’t let go of past insults easily, but holding onto the past — which can never be changed — is unhelpful. Not because you should forgive everyone always and hug instead, but because focusing on anything negative for too long is bad for you. It’s nonproductive for your life. So what do you do? You blow it away.

What you will need:

Sand

Mint

A wooden stick (or any tool handy that can be used as a writing instrument)

You can perform this spell two ways: Go somewhere with a lot of sand or, if that’s not possible, just grab some from the craft store and put it onto a container. Add a little mint to the sand, then with your stick, write out the thing you can’t let go of, or the name of the person who wronged you. It’s hard to write in sand, so keep it short. Let this sit overnight and while it rests, use this time to think about why this action bothered you so much. Think about why holding onto this blip in your past serves you. Does it? Does the person still think about it, or are you the only one that hasn’t moved on? The point is to realize that when you let go of something, it stops having power over you. Instead of negatively affecting you, it disappears into the past.

In the morning, return to the sand and blow onto the surface until you’ve made the words disappear. As you do, imagine you’re wiping it from your memory. This might take a minute, but that’s good. It will give you more time to meditate on why taking this step is the right thing to do.

Libras are complicated; elegant yet down to earth, fair but deeply concerned with making sure everyone’s needs are met. For your birthday, take some time for yourself and celebrate the many facets of your personality — there’s no one quite like you, Libra!

Do you know how to enhance your magic, improve your intent, and get kick ass results from your spells all at once?

If you don’t, then you need to be utilising the amazing energy structure inherent to the human magical system. Tapping into this energy system allows you to understand the magic you’re using on a far deeper level and achieve results that will blow your mind.

In The Witch’s Energy System, I’ll break down the entire system into easy to use pieces so that you can learn to see, feel, and make use of this energy in a way that will completely change how you view your own magic.

Learn More Here >>

https://thetravelingwitch.com/blog/2018/8/26/3-ways-to-use-magic-for-the-zodiac-libra

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aoimori · 7 years ago

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07.06.2017 Gara (MERRY) 第二回自作自演 @ Tokyo Kinema Club [Part One]

Part one - Gara’s Living Funeral

Part two - Asada Heaven

I went to both of Gara’s birthday events in Tokyo! Both events had a different theme. Here’s my report/thoughts on set one, 「ガラ生前葬」(Gara’s Living Funeral).

What is this event

We got invitations to this event at Yaon back in May. The invitations/his blog posts etc. said that he heard living funerals will lengthen the person’s life, and that’s something that he of all people needs. He asked us to wear bright clothes and have bright feelings in our hearts.

There were three separate seating types. First was family member seating on the first floor. Then mistress seating which was a single row of seats on the second floor (where I was). Finally there was normal seating behind the family on the first floor. He asked mistresses to wear flashy clothes and lots of perfume. I DID MY BEST.

Both events were at Tokyo Kinema Club in Ueno which is one of my favorite venues! The building was originally a Taisho era cabaret club but was eventually repurposed into a livehouse/event space. The atmosphere inside is still 100% retro cabaret. The vibe is really cool and perfect for this kind of event.

We were all given a rosette which he asked us to wear, too.

From Yuu’s twitter, the very interesting seating signs...

There was a funeral altar set up on stage with offerings like fruit etc. and also two bottles of Coca Cola and two cans of beer. Of course. I actually saw a staff member coming back from the conbini nearby while I was waiting for merch with the two Coke bottles lol. Anyway, projected on the screen for the entire event was a big portrait style photo of Gara in a frame.

Photo from his blog of the balcony area and the very dramatic lighting...

All entrances/exits were made from a mini balcony area with stairs leading down to the left side of the stage. There was a woman’s voice announcing the beginning of each part of the event. When it started Gara walked out onto the balcony and bowed. He was wearing the same white suit and hat from Shiroi Hitsuji last November but with a different tie maybe? He walked on stage and turned to look at the giant photo of himself. He talked to us a little about how going through the process of planning an event like this really made him think about things. He had a binder that he kept looking through.

He asked us all to stay with him until the end, and that he would memorize all of our faces tonight.

Ceremony and offerings...

Next up was a Buddhist monk who came on stage. He sat in front of the altar and started the ceremony with chanting/ringing bells. After a while Gara signaled to start the next part of the event which was… giving him offerings personally! The monk continued chanting the entire time.

He jumped off stage and stood there while the first floor audience slowly stood row by row and presented him with offerings and shook his hand. The whole process took about 20-30 minutes and by the end he had amassed enough gifts and letters to completely fill several tables. He looked really happy the whole time, and especially at the end, where he must have realized just how much stuff he got lol. He was very kind and smiled as he shook everyone’s hand.

Once everyone on the first floor had gone up to him and the monk had finished chanting, he talked a little bit about how he’d have to see the mistresses later, it wouldn’t be good if he went to talk to us then… So instead he talked to the monk. He introduced him as someone who he’s known since he was very young from his hometown who has helped him a lot. He also said that a lot of us don’t know the proper traditions at funerals but since he has this monk as a friend he can ask him questions about things like this. He then recommended that we all befriend a monk lol. He tried to get him to talk but the offer was noooot accepted haha. The monk left and we all clapped.

Video messages??

The next segment was supposed to be video messages from his friends. He didn’t know who was going to show up, so he sat down and watched the videos with us. I can’t remember everyone, but basically, every person who was announced was really famous and with no connections to Gara (Tomoyasu Hotei, a baseball player, SMAP…) and the people in the video were just pretending to be those celebrities. He seemed pretty surprised and was laughing the whole time but also sounded like he was really looking forward to videos from his real friends lol.

NERO ARRIVES and we all cry together

Then we had a eulogy read by a special guest… Nero!!

I saw Nero earlier that day when I was standing in line for merch. He just walked right past and waved to us and went inside. Real chill.

He was wearing a suit, but something about it looked a little more salaryman than funeral haha. He looked really great though. He came on stage and stood facing the screen while he read his speech, after bowing to everyone multiple times. He and Gara bowed to each other and it was really cute lol.

Gara stood off to the side watching. Throughout the speech Nero kept looking over at Gara trying to get a reaction but Gara wasn’t giving him anything. At one point Nero looked at Gara, then looked over his shoulder at us and grinned. His speech started out very lighthearted and kind of teasing. He said Gara used to always bully/tease him and told some story about Gara having him call a certain number instead of directly talking to him… I don’t really understand the way Nero talks sometimes, but it was basically just poking at Gara for how much he teases him lol.

After that his speech got more serious. He talked about how much he respects Gara and how thankful he is to be in a band under his leadership. I think this was the moment in the event that felt the most like a funeral. It was really heartfelt. Gara actually started crying and had to pick up his towel off the ground to wipe his eyes and nose. For the rest of the speech he stood with his head tilted up looking up at the ceiling. It was a really emotional moment for everyone. At the end Nero gave a little plug for Merry’s upcoming album and tour, added some “zenshin zenrei!!” and then bowed to literally everyone again before running up the stairs to the balcony and leaving.

At this point there was an intermission. I was waiting up on the second floor when I saw Tetsu walk in with another guy. They stood behind me for a little while and then sat at a table behind me. I heard Tetsu talking about Kenichi and why he wasn’t able to make it. It was a kind of crazy feeling to know he was right behind me just chillin lol.

Acoustic time with Yuu

Then we had the last part of the event – a short acoustic live with Yuu. Yuu came on stage in his usual, more casual style suit with a tshirt underneath. He brought out a cake, too. At first Gara acted really shocked and was saying what???? You bring out a cake NOW??? And motioned to the altar and everything lol. Yuu told him he was sorry that the candles weren’t lit because they couldn’t have open flames in the venue etc. etc. and kind of hesitantly handed it over, but Gara immediately took it and started saying how it was OKAY!! He could see the FLAMES!! We sang to him and he pretended to blow the candles out. It was adorable lol. He switches back and forth between acting uninterested and being SUPER caring lol

Setlist

The setlist was three Merry songs and three covers (w/ links for your listening enjoyment), as follows:

01. 喝采（ちあきなおみ）(Kassai, Chiaki Naomi)

02. アタシは捨て猫 (Atashi wa suteneko)

03. 時代（中島みゆき）(Jidai, Nakajima Miyuki)

04. ザァーザァー (Zaa zaa)

05. COOKIE（尾崎豊）(Ozaki Yutaka)

06. SWAN

Yuu chose the setlist out of songs that Gara liked. And Gara was right, the mood was preeeetty dark. I was honestly really struck by how emotional each song was. I absolutely love Gara and Yuu’s Shinjuku Blues style performances.

They actually talked about Shinjuku Blues a little. Gara mentioned something about calling it Uguisudani Blues this time instead. He asked Yuu what they called it when they performed on the street in Sapporo... and Yuu very flatly replied, “Shinjuku Blues” lol

The way Gara sang Kassai was really, really beautiful. The song is from the point of view of a singer who reflects on receiving the news of someone’s passing. I didn’t know the song before, but the first line got me. It’s something like “The curtain rises as always and I’m singing love songs. The news that arrived had a black border” (a funeral invitation). I think if you listen to the song you’ll understand, but there were parts that Gara put extra stress on and it was really striking. I briefly looked up the history of the song, and it looks like someone other than Chiaki Naomi wrote the lyrics without knowing anything about her. But still, the lyrics ended up being incredibly relevant to her own life, to the point that she first refused to sing it because it was too painful.

Then we had atashi wa suteneko. I think everyone was really there to hear Merry songs, and of course I loved hearing them, but I’m weak for Showa sadness too lol. The “S.O.S” ending of this song stuck out to me. I think in the recording you get this impression too, but on that night everything was a little slower and he really sounded like he was calling out for help.

Gara introduced the next song, Jidai, as one that was special to him. It’s a song about dealing with difficult times and knowing that someday in the future you’ll be able to look back on it and smile. The first chorus is like “time goes round and round, the cycle of happiness and sadness repeats, lovers who separated today will be reunited again in the next life”. It’s honestly a really, really sad song, and the way he sang the chorus just shattered your heart. It seemed very important to him because at one point he actually started tearing up. It didn’t come through in his voice though. It’s a beautiful song but just a little too sad for me to handle…

Then they played Zaa zaa, which Gara wrote for Daisuke of Kagerou. Before the song started Gara mentioned that usually Merry is on tour around this time of year so he’ll sing this song, but this year they’re working on an album, so he decided to sing it here instead. I think everyone in the venue was very deeply touched. I personally hadn’t realized just how serious some of this event would be.

The next song was another cover, COOKIE by Ozaki Yutaka. He was an incredibly popular musician who died very young.

For this song Gara played guitar!! The guitar he’s been using is actually one he borrowed from Kiyoharu when he started teaching him how to play. He really came to like it so… he hasn’t exactly returned it yet lol. He said he hopes that someday his profile for Merry can change to Gara �� vocals & guitar. Yuu said maybe it’s a little too early for that lol. But that maybe Gara could play guitar during Merry’s next tour. Alone. Gara seemed a little surprised by this lol. He also spent a while getting ready to start playing and eventually Yuu finally asked if he was ready lol. Yuu did say he has a good sense of rhythm so he picks up on this stuff quickly.

Another photo from his blog from the day before

I linked to a performance of this song, but I think the tone was really different acoustic. The way Gara sang felt very gentle, especially in the chorus. “Hey, my sweetheart, bake cookies for me...” It really contrasts to the more serious tone of the rest of the song. It was definitely a song he likes a lot and it showed. I don’t really know how else to describe his guitar/vocals other than incredibly soft and gentle. And if you’ll EXCUSE ME for just a moment, I think I fell REAL hard during this song lol. I arrived at a new level of 浅田地獄

The last song was SWAN. He introduced it as a song that he hadn’t sang in a long time. Can you like. Feel the vibe of this show. Every single song just broke my heart into tinier pieces. He was especially emotion during this song and I think he really conveyed longing? Something about this performance made me really ~get~ this song if that makes any sense...

On a lighter note, during one of these last songs he unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt so I have now seen sad stripping Gara twice lmao. Except this time was because it was actually hot. The other time was just… him being him.

And that was it! Yuu left first. Gara thanked us for coming and said he’d come to see the mistresses a little later. So we waited around for a little while until he showed up in the doorway. We all got to shake his hand on our way out. When he saw me he opened his arms and said 愛人～♪ (mistress/lover~) with this big smile. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life tbqh. I was VERY pleased to get a genuine smile before I even did anything haha. I only had the time to say a couple things and then wished him a happy birthday in English which totally threw him off and he kind of laughed and smiled. I love that sometimes he’ll shake your hand with both of his too. He’s so sweet?????? I hope he had the best birthday ever?????????????? I’m not this strong of a person someone help me

AND THUS ended part one…

I ran off to my hotel and got changed really quick because the vibe of set two was the COMPLETE opposite of set one. Next post will also include the very interesting goods lol

And since I was very happy with my outfit, here was my attempt at a Tokyo Kinema Club style mistress + lots of perfume...

As you can probably tell I had a REAL good time 💃❤

#merry #gara #メリー #ガラ #live report #lives in japan #garaba #my sweet boy #he spoils us rotten #i'm sure that the second i post this i'll remember something else

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bangtan-bunny · 7 years ago

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Sweet Apple Muffins [1]

Pairing: Kim Namjoon x Reader (ft. Taehyung)

Word Count: 4315

Genre/Summary: Angst and fluff / brief sensuality / light swearing / feels. Namjoon has been overwhelmed with work and while you are generally supportive, he’s gone too far and forgets a very important day. You begin to go through your memories of how you met him.

A/N: Hello everyone! I posted this fanfic awhile back, but upon revamping my blog and wanting to step things up, I decided to edit and re-upload this story (and actually finish it lol) This story is very special to me because I honestly drew a lot of y/n’s thoughts and opinions from my own. Anywhoooo enjoy!

~~~~ indicates a flashback/end of flashback

“So what do you think? I mean it is just a demo, so I can fix the producing and the instrumentals sou-”

You put a finger to his lips to quiet his nervous ramblings. Namjoon always felt his work never measured up to his sky high expectations. Despite the countless all-nighters and almost non-existent diet he endured, he had to make sure everything was perfect, especially when he knew you were going to see it. His incessant tapping and avoidance of eye contact was a clear sign of this paranoia. Namjoon had put the finishing touches Bangtan’s last track of the new album, and he finally felt ready to show it to you. Pulling out your earbuds and setting them and the laptop on the coffee table, you kick your legs up onto the couch and turn to face him. He refused to shift his downward gaze until you gave a light push to his shoulder.

“Don’t start with that now, this song is really something special. The melody is catchy, but I know ARMY will love it because of the lyrics. You guys have been taking on more serious topics surrounding our age group lately, but in this song, you’ve been able to talk about young love again, but maintained a balance with the maturity you’ve developed. It’s so individually personal, but will still hit home to anyone that has ever loved.” You chose your words carefully because you knew Namjoon trusts your opinion.

He tilted his head and made the face he always did when he was touched by something, so you knew he really took what you said to heart. You kicked up your knees to your chest, pulling the blanket tighter around your torso and leaning onto Namjoon, resting your head on his shoulder. He reached behind your back and pulled you closer, his warmth having replaced the cold you’ve been feeling from the overly air conditioned studio. It’s hard to imagine all of the nights he spent here trying to finish the album. His determination was definately admirable. Relaxing into this position, you let your mind begin wander some more. How you’ve missed this comfort. How you’ve missed him. You reach up to him, lips just about to touch before you were rudely awakened.

You barely had time to register your surroundings as the loud smack of the bedroom door sounds against the wall. Shooting up in bed, you hope for it to be the person that had been ‘haunting’ your dreams almost every night. Your shoulders slump and you lay back down in disappointment at the appearance of your best friend.

“C’mon y/n, it’s your birthday!”

He stomps over and pulls off the covers you’ve recently grown accustomed to hogging. You groan in annoyance, longing to go back to your wonderful dream.

“It’s time to get up!”

You roll over from the bubbliness that is Kim Taehyung. He frowns, but then reaches across the bed to pull open the blinds. Anger billows deep inside your chest as you scrunch your face at the unwelcomed sunshines on either side of you.

“Why did you have to get here so early, Tae?”

You tried not to sound as miserable and well, as sexually deprived, as you felt. Instead, you reluctantly sit up, look him in the face and deliver your best fake smile. Sadly, this boy could read you like a book. That sympathetic look, the one he’s been giving you more often than you like to admit, makes an appearance as he plops down next to you. Putting an arm around your slouched shoulders, he attempts to cheer you up.

“Well it’s a big day and to spend it right, we have to start early! So get dressed, we’re going to Doni’s in ten minutes.”

Doni’s was your favorite coffee shop in the city. You and Tae personally know Doni’s son who sneaks both of you the two most freshly baked muffins every morning. The shop was a little space shoved between a popular hair salon and a liquor store. At first glance the place looks pretty cheap, but it’s the comforting and homey atmosphere that keeps people coming back. At least that’s what keeps you coming back. When walking in, your attention is usually diverted to the long glass counter where all of their delicious pastries and breads are lined up along three shelves. Doni’s wife, Lara, usually worked the cash register and she would greet you kindly each morning.

The rest of the café was to the left with large chalkboards along the walls that mainly listed their drinks, pastries, specialties and prices. Then there was the ‘customer board’ along the far wall by the windows. This special board was a large chalkboard where customers could draw or write whatever they wanted and as long as it was appropriate, it wouldn’t be erased. Since this shop was more of a stop and go for most, not many people hung out long enough to write anything on the board, so it was far from being filled up. Whether you were with Tae, someone else, or by yourself, you always looked for the table by the customer board. Reading the messages helped brighten the start for your day. The tables were pretty dingy as well, with chairs varying from three to five at each one. A small jukebox lay beside “your” table, but you could never stand the music selection Doni liked (mainly Skrillex and Diplo) so you routinely became the DJ. This place was particularly special though, as it was actually the place where you met Namjoon.

“Earth to y/n, we’re burning daylight!” Tae taunts while shaking your shoulders.

You sigh deeply and take your mind off of thoughts of Namjoon. Looking into Taehyung’s hopeful eyes, you can see that he’s genuinely trying to help you. Whether he’s doing this out of care or pity, you appreciated his efforts. The least you could do was put on a believable happy face this time.

“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

His face lights up and you see his signature box-like grin. His happiness has always been contagious so you couldn’t help the corners of your mouth perk up at the sight of his childish excitement. Taehyung was right. Today was your birthday and you were going to enjoy it. If Namjoon still wants to ignore you, even on a day like this, well actions speak louder than words then.

The thought of him still makes your stomach turn, but also makes your heart skip. This confusing and uncomfortable feeling is all you’ve had of him for the past month and a half since he’s been staying at the studio. With WINGS’s success, you know he really needs to focus on this next album. However, he hasn’t taken the time to talk with you at all. You were extremely worried about him. He hasn’t answered any of your texts or calls and the other members just give vague answers that don’t help ease you at all. But the thought of Namjoon, at least for today, is not going to consume you.

Tae is already out of the room so you summon just enough energy to get up and get dressed. Even though it’s your birthday and you could’ve tried a little harder with your appearance, you chose a comfortable hoodie and sweatpants over a pretty dress. It was below freezing outside and you weren’t about to risk getting sick just to look presentable. Being a nurse isn’t a profession where you can just call in whenever you want. You had your patients to think about. In this way, you could relate to Namjoon. Both of your jobs are very demanding, time consuming and you have people relying on you. However, at least you still managed to let him know if you were staying late or if there was a problem at the hospital. Damn it, you’re not supposed to think about him today! If only your birthday wasn’t the hardest day to forget him.

There was no need to do your hair or makeup either. It was only Tae, Doni and Lara you’d be seeing, all of whom you don’t feel the need to impress. Glancing down at the desk of the vanity, you can’t help but stare longingly at the little collage of you and Namjoon. There you are on his shoulders, attempting to “hold up” one of the Zen Temples while traveling around the lakes in Arashiyama. The two of you celebrated your first anniversary by going to Kyoto, Japan because you both were fascinated by the landscape of Arashiyama. It’s known for its hilly landscapes, forests and lakes with the original Zen temples unaffected by WWII. Its untouched environment is said to give off an aura of peace and tranquility. Witnessing something seeming to be completely separate from the developing world with Namjoon was an experience you will always cherish.

Shifting to the next picture, you roll your eyes at the photo Tae took of you and Namjoon sitting in the practice room, unaware of his presence and mouths full of ramen. Passing a few family and award show pictures, your smile drops when you spot the picture taken the first day you met.

Though it was two years ago, you could still remember every detail of that bitterly cold morning. You were heading to Doni’s again, looking forward to a mint hot chocolate and one of their brand new glazed apple muffins. Also your friend Emily had wanted you to meet her new boyfriend who you’d soon find out to be Taehyung. This also being the day you first met Tae, however, you wouldn’t become close until she broke his heart and you were there to console him. Emily was a vlogger and photographer leading her to meet him while at one of BTS’s photoshoots. Though you love her, she’s known to toy with people’s emotions, and you didn’t have the heart to tell Taehyung at the time. At the time, she told you to meet them at Doni’s at eight and then you’d spend the day together. You chuckled to yourself at how it never went according to plan.

~~~~~~~~~~

Normally you’re at Doni’s by seven and are used to the almost empty shop, so you didn’t expect it to be packed less than an hour later. You knew most people started work by nine, but you didn’t think any of those respectable business people would go to Doni’s of all places. Lara wasn’t at the counter so you decided to search the tables. Your friend had vibrant reddish hair so it didn’t take long to come to the conclusion that you beat them here. Deciding to find a place to hold until they get there, you turned to look to see if “your” table was taken.

It sort of was. There was a man there, but he had pulled the chair away from the table to face the window. On any other day, you would have assumed that even though he sat a few feet away, the table was his and you wouldn’t have bothered. However, that day you had no other choice of a seat. So you walked over to the corner with the customer chalkboard and sat down in the chair farthest from the man. You felt extremely awkward being this close to a stranger and acting as if you just rudely sat with them. Trying to distract yourself, you turned to the chalkboard which had a few new words on it.

Why is there no opposite word for loneliness?

Were we born to die.

Were we born to live.

Are we living to die,

Or are we dying to live?

The name tag with my name on it,

Is that my life?

Or is it death?

…Who knows?

Rolling your eyes at the obvious attempt for someone to sound ‘deep’ and ‘compelling,’ you scoffed before debating what new drawing you wanted to add to your little collection in the bottom corner. You were interrupted by a deep voice speaking up from behind you.

“You disagree?”

You jumped in surprise and spun around to find that it was the man sitting by the window. He had platinum blonde hair and his smirk revealed two obvious dimples. You found him attractive, but even then you weren’t one to get all flustered just because someone looked pleasing.

“I just don’t agree with this person’s outlook. Yes, it’s perfectly fine to question why we’re here. Honestly, I think about it more than I like to admit. However, I’ve come to learn that you shouldn’t look at life as just a loan on death. That just creates a miserable existence where you don’t appreciate the adventures life offers because you’re so focused on this big “end.” Whoever wrote this needs to realize their “name tag” or whatever isn’t something prewritten for you by death. Your name tag is something you design yourself.”

You smiled more at your little speech rather than at the man. You were remembering how far you had come since the days where depression and anxiety used to control your thoughts and actions. You still struggle sometimes, but mentally, you were at a much better place now. And looking at that quote reminded you of how you used to feel.

The man’s smirk deepened and he raised an eyebrow, perhaps in surprise. Feeling his sense of superiority slip had relaxed you and made you a little cocky. He pulled his chair closer to the table and leaned forward.

“From a realist’s point of view, I don’t believe that way of thinking works for everyone. Not all people can just live happy go lucky like that,” his tone slightly mocking.

The last part struck a nerve with you because you were very aware of the happy go lucky people in this world, and you did not want to be compared to them. Especially after what you went through, you found it difficult to keep your cool at this stranger’s arrogance.

“I don’t think that what I said is happy go lucky by any means. It’s more about survival. When you question things too much, your thoughts become overwhelming. Soon enough, you’ll realize that you could question every little thing in the world for eternity. That’s when the loneliness kicks in and you see how alone you really are in this world. You’ll go mad once you embrace this. So it’s not happy go lucky,” you copied his tone, “It’s thoughtful and rational.” You took a pause before looking him right in the eyes.

“Also, there is an opposite for the word loneliness. It’s called living. Speaking of living, one of those apple muffins are calling my name.”

Feeling that you won this conversation with the stranger, you stood to walk over to see Lara back at the register. Hearing a chair scrape against the floor, you noticed the man get up and quickly stumble beside you. He seemed to have lost his confident composure which made you feel even more proud. You had to look up at him a little, as he was taller than you thought.

“So, apple muffins, eh?” It came out awkwardly, his previous deep and confident tone had completely vanished.

“Yeah, they just got them in for the winter. Normally I just get a pumpkin one. A mint hot chocolate sounds really good too,” you replied as the cold wind from the opening front door sent a chill throughout your body and goosebumps down your arms. You also felt awkward by going from such a deep conversation to simple small talk.

“So you’re a regular here, then?”

“I come here everyday. Today, I’m waiting for a couple friends to come by,” you said, hoping he would get the hint and get lost. Even though you weren’t that excited about Emily’s schedule, she was trying to give you a fun day and you should appreciate her attempt at getting you out of the house. At the same time though, a small part of you kind of enjoyed the man’s strange company.

“Did they ditch you?” He scoffed, his confidence had clearly returned. You rolled your eyes yet again and decided to ignore him.

You both reached the counter and Lara immediately walked over upon seeing you. She was getting up in the years, but her voice and smile were genuine and sweet.

“Good morning, y/n and …”

Exhaustion was clear in the older woman’s voice as she waited for the man to introduce himself. Her confused expression must have been from surprise to see you with another person for once.

“Hello, my name is Namjoon. May I order two apple muffins, one grande americano and a mint hot chocolate?” You turned to him with wide eyes, but snapped back to Lara as she addressed you.

“And for you, y/n?”

The man, now you discover to be named Namjoon, placed a hand on your back and spoke for you. Your body tensed at his touch.

“It’s my turn to pay for us today, right y/n?” Hearing him say your name with that self righteous attitude angered you in a way you couldn’t articulate, but you reluctantly smiled to not embarrass yourself any further.

“That’s right, thank you Lara.”

“You shouldn’t be thanking me, y/n. The new muffins are pretty expensive.” The older woman was enjoying this as her eyes shifted from you to Namjoon, waiting for you to address him. You rigidly shifted your body to look at him, realizing he was liking this as well.

“Right. Thanks, Joonie,” you replied while hoping the cheesy nickname would throw him off. It only managed his smirk to deepen. How had he been able to get under your skin so easily within just a few minutes?

He put an arm around you and flashed a bright grin at Lara. His action made you freeze, making you unable to talk. You couldn’t tell if it was out of shock or anger. Regardless, you let him keep control of this stupid little role play. Meanwhile, in your mind, you were planning on when to knock this guy out for making you feel like such an incompetent child.

“Your total comes to $22.57″

Namjoon leaned onto the counter, and looked Lara in the eyes with a cockiness that made you bite your tongue so hard, you swear you could taste blood. He slid his card through the reader and when it asked for the amount he wanted to pay, you watched him type in $222.57.

“I can see how hard you work in this little place, so please keep the change for yourself,” Namjoon smoothly says while you and Lara stood there, dumbfounded.

“I’m sorry, I can’t accept this!” Lara wasn’t wealthy by any means and you couldn’t remember the last time she took a day off.

“Yes you can. Go to the ski lodge with your husband, or that new spa hotel that opened up downtown, whatever will make you happy. Everyone needs to have a little adventure sometimes.”

Now he was mocking what you said earlier. Normally you wouldn��t have cared if your opinions differed from someone else’s, but you poured your damn heart out back there and this guy was being a total ass about it.

“You’re right, thank you sir!” Lara stutters out while stumbling down the counter to get the muffins. You turned to look at him in complete shock and he just shrugged. A moment of silence ensued while you were trying to process what just happened in the past couple minutes. That was, until he came up with another jab at you.

“So these muffins were like six bucks a piece, you didn’t tell me they’d be that much!” He crossed his arms and turned away, pretending to be annoyed.

Was he fucking kidding? If your eyes were wide before, now they were saucers. He just gave Lara a $200 tip, if that can even be called a tip. You didn’t ask him to buy you anything, so why was this your fault? And why was he still even here!? Your mouth was agape, but of course, none of these thoughts came out.

“Wow, selfish and can’t even come up with a witty comeback? You’re not as smart as I thought.”

You were beginning to see red. You wanted to scream out and punch him straight in the face, but what the hell was holding you back? This guy needed to be put in his place.

This familiar feeling reminded you of your ex-boyfriend. Being the manipulative jerk he was, he knew how to play you and your emotions. He was able to make you feel guilty for things that weren’t your fault, forgive him for the shitty way he’d treat you, and still somehow convince you to love him. He was one of the main causes for the severity of your depression. It was only when you finally caught him cheating that you were you barely strong enough to leave. So there was no way in hell a man was going to make you feel insignificant and stupid again.

“You know what, Namj-” you tried to begin your rant, but Lara’s voice cut you off.

“Here you go, kids. One grande americano, a mint hot chocolate and two apple muffins. I made sure to put extra glaze on them,” Lara said as she came back with the tray.

“Thank you and have a lovely day, Ma'am. Let’s go, y/n,” Namjoon said as he turned to walk back towards the table.

Today was supposed to be special and here you are feeling played by this random guy. You could’ve walked right out that door, leaving Namjoon in his tracks. Emily would understand. You could start the day over, forget all about this and try to enjoy yourself. However, you somehow ended up going back to your chair. Before you started to walk away, Lara reached across the counter and placed a hand on your shoulder.

”Don’t let that one go, y/n. It’s hard to find real gentlemen these days, much less cute ones.”

Now your face was burning for an entirely different reason. All you could do was nod slightly before side stepping away from her and making your way towards the table.

Sitting back down, you grabbed your drink from the tray and took a large gulp. From many mornings of hot drinks, you became used to the scorching liquid. Namjoon looked oddly at you, but then turned down to open the bag. You chuckled at his perfectly groomed nails and pretty hands. Your ex was a rugged and dirty guy with a film of dirt always under his nails. Namjoon didn’t seem to notice as he took out the muffins and placed both in front of him. In response to your confused look, he spoke up in that arrogant voice again.

“Who said either of these were for you?” His tone and smirk made your skin crawl. This time you were determined to not give him the satisfaction of seeing you upset.

“I assumed they were both for you. You do look like you need the extra carbs.”

“You’re calling me fat?”

“No, the opposite actually. You do look kind of scrawny,” Sarcasm practically dripping from your words.

You could see his tongue press against the inside of his cheek as he tried to keep calm. A smile spread across your face as this game was finally beginning to turn in your favor. Waiting for an opportunity, you watched his hands move away from the muffins. You then shot your hand forward and grabbed hold of the bigger one. However, he was faster than you thought because before even realizing it, his hand clasped tightly onto your wrist.

Masterlist

#finally done!!#I had to edit this three separate times because nothing would save #ugh the struggle #anyway thanks for reading #Sweet Apple Muffins #bts #namjoon #rap monster #bangtan sonyeondan #fanfic #bts fanfic #angst #fluff #bts scenarios

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yieniall · 8 years ago

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question tag

thanks for the tag @textingniall ! @bb-bambam @dongbangsoojjp @jacksonwangtastic @showyourdesire @beummieyoungie do it if you want :)

1| how old were you when you had your first kiss?

16 2| What made you decide to have a tumblr blog? for 1d and memes 3| Been depressed: yea. but im recovering well and generally much happier :) (if you ever wanna talk or need someone to listen to, dont hesitate to come to me!) 4| how many people have you fist fought? 0 5| do you want to have kids? how many? yea :) 2 or 3 6| Do you want to change your name: LOL yea. ok so my name is “iana” but i would like my name to be “ayana”, which would sound exactly the same but i like how it’s spelled phonetically and the spelling itself is prettier 7| Right or left handed: right 8| do you have piercings? how many? my ears are pierced (just one on each ear) but i dont like wearing earrings :/ 9| who was the last person you cried in front of? my mom 10| do you believe in soulmates? lol i know i throw the word “soulmates” around quite loosely with jjp but i dont think about it a lot, actually! sure i guess, it’s a nice idea :)

11| Zodiac sign: scorpio 12| Do you have a dream job? ok so when i was a kid my “dream job” (aka something that i would fantasize about but didnt/couldnt entertain as an actual career path) was to be a singer or actress lollll. but my career aspiration (aka what i am currently pursuing and think i will genuinely love) rn, is to go into public policy. currently, i wanna work in the government and focus on youth employment and social development. i also hope that i can publish academic articles while i work, specifically reviewing national and international policies

^thats a kinda long answer bc it’s one of the most important things in my life rn and something i think about constantly. every time i read testimonials from graduates of the MPP program at my uni i get so excited (yet also nervous!) about this career path 13| A crush: nobody lol 14| What do you like about yourself: im filipina and i love my tan skin :) 15| Right now eating: nothing 16| who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? my bff 17| Height: 5′0 /152cm 18| what is/are/were your best subject(s)?

law, economic sociology, political sociology

19| Met someone who changed you:

my gr12 philosophy teacher. i have/will always have the deepest respect and admiration for him. he was the first person to introduce the importance of intersectionality in my feminism and he taught me many invaluable critical thinking skills. he was so calm and patient and he ALWAYS listened to me. like sometimes he would give us study periods, and i would come to him with one question- and that question lead to 1.5hr discussion. and i learned a lot about his life too which was really fascinating. and then i would be late for chemistry and he would always take me to my class and apologize to my teacher for it. (ok needless to say.. pls dont misunderstand the nature of our relationship, he was like a mentor to me).

^anyway, this is also kinda long bc i really do admire him so much. and i actually saw him again on my uni campus! i was like “sir?? what are you doing here?!” and apparently he was doing his phD. and it was so nice, before we parted he gave me a friendly hug and said “i’m glad to see you’re still happy and smiling” :’)

20| do you like someone: all my friends and family obvs :)

21| I’m about to: go to bed!

22| do you believe everything happens for a reason? yes! but sometimes the reason isnt as meaningful as youd think so it’s often not worth dwelling on such things 23| Sports I joined: mmmm, most prominently: figure skating, cheerleading and swimming 24| what’s irritating you right now? nothing?? 25| do you give out second chances too easily? idk? i dont really feel like ive been purposefully hurt enough by anyone to say that keeping them in my life was me “giving them a second chance” 26| What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: maybe just wish i didnt lose my native dialect when i immigrated to canada :/ 27| are you mean? i hope not! i have my shortcomings im sure :( 28| Cried when someone died: when my neighbour passed away 💔 29| Blood type: O 30| If you could meet ANY Korean CELEBRITY (Includes Actors, Models, K-Music artists, etc.), who would it be? ahhhhhh well i feel so lucky to have met got7 :’) (no joke i think about that literally everyday) but i would love to meet them again and be less shy toward jaebum. id also LOOOOOOVE to meet NCT! and as for actors i would love to meet jung kyung ho and gong yoo

31| Birthday: October 30 32| Been drunk and thrown up: yea but LISTEN. my body doesnt take to alcohol well so im gonna throw up even with very little 33| are you scared of spiders? nah not really 34| What would you like to achieve (or experience) before the age of 60?

sooo many things. id like to achieve the career goals i mentioned above and id like to learn at least 2 more languages. and travel more.

35| What do you wish for the most to happen? idkkkkk :o 36| is cheating ever okay? never 37| Do you have any pets: a dog! 38| When did you get into kpop and how? around september 2015 cuz i stumbled onto Just Right 39| Favorite animal? dogs! 40| Love at first sight: personally no? 41| how do you want to die? sleeping 42| Lips or eyes: eyes 43| Hair length: like? mine? to my boobs 44| would you go back in time if you were given the chance? literally just to relive meeting got7 lol 45| who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? my dad 46| how exactly are you feeling at the moment? sleepy 47| Laughed until you cry: no i dont think so :o 48| favorite food? sooooo manyyyyy idk! 49| when was your last physical fight? never 50| Do you believe in yourself: working on it :)

#tags #about me

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warmheartworldwide · 6 years ago

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A Summer of Laughter, Love and Learning

The following blog comes from Alexandria Chadwick who spent her summer at Warm Heart:

A year ago, if you had told me that I would be spending three months 9,000 miles away from home, I would not have believed it. I am from Swansboro, North Carolina, and I recently finished my first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a Morehead-Cain scholar, it was time for me to embark on my public service summer, designed to direct the attention of scholars to the needs surrounding them.

Ready to work!

I chose to spend ten weeks volunteering at Warm Heart because it offered me the opportunity to work in the two areas that I am most passionate about: education and healthcare. Of course, there were the additional challenges of a language barrier, cultural differences, and being so far from home to overcome. As my time here comes to an end, I am happy to report that I have learned more from my time at Warm Heart than I ever thought possible!

Jaan gives me a French braid with flowers

When I got calls from my friends and family at home asking about my plans for the day, more often than not, I responded with “I don’t know.” There have been very few instances in my structured life where I have given this answer for so many days in a row and surprisingly, I found the unknown quite exciting! I typically wake up knowing I will help the kids with their homework after school and teach English on Monday nights, but beyond that I have learned to go with the flow.

No day is exactly the same. I’ve gone on many home visits to the elderly and disabled with the Warm Heart staff, taken trips to the market in Phrao to buy ingredients for our delicious Thursday night volunteer dinners, ran Warm Heart’s Instagram, made biochar, helped plan Warm Heart’s 10th anniversary party, and even volunteered at Chiang Mai’s mango festival. The majority of what I’ve done didn’t fall under my original job description, but I have been more than happy to do it all. The diversity of experiences that Warm Heart allows its volunteers to experience is extremely special. The independence and trust given to volunteers can be overwhelming at times, so it is important to be confident and know that your efforts are making a difference and are greatly appreciated.

I was super lucky to be at Warm Heart for their 10th anniversary! They have defeated the odds for small nonprofits and it was an honor to celebrate such an important milestone with them! For several weeks, I helped design fliers and t-shirts for the event. Warm Heart’s 10th anniversary coincided with the Fourth of July, so the live music, good food, and fireworks at our venue in Chiang Mai made me feel right at home. It was a joyous gathering of Warm Heart’s friends, both old and new.

(l. to r.) Volunteers Shawn, Pearce, Stéphane, Mélissa, Amanda, me, Jack, and Madison at Warm Heart’s 10th anniversary celebration

One of the things I wanted to work on was the relationships the Warm Heart children have with each other. During one of my first weekends at Warm Heart, another volunteer and I hosted a field day of outside games. The goal was to get the kids to work and communicate with others outside of their normal friend groups. Although the rules of the games were broken quite frequently, there was almost constant laughter, a telltale sign of a good day! The kids were so entertained, as were the volunteers, and everyone had a wonderful time in the fresh air away from their computer screens.

Water balloon toss on field day!

My favorite day at Warm Heart was one weekend when I made pancakes with the kids. They absolutely love to cook! We had about 20 of the boys and girls gathered around, mixing and pouring ingredients. I am not super comfortable in the kitchen, so I was pretty nervous when it came time to flip the pancakes. I had kids pouring the batter, running around and playing, and watching over my shoulder. I was really impressed with my newfound skills and 50 pancakes later, I felt like a contestant on Masterchef. I let the kids take turns flipping the pancakes and they were just as good as me! We had a giant jar of strawberry jelly and before we knew it, all the pancakes were gone! It was a fantastic experience.

Later that same day, I saw a group of kids riding bikes and walking onto this beautiful trail that goes towards the mountains and through the corn fields. I ran to catch up with them and they were so excited. The girls were all holding hands and they grabbed mine too. They even spoke to me in English which is extremely hard to get them to do! After our walk, all of the kids were called to the kitchen because it was time to celebrate four birthdays! There was cake, singing, presents, and of course a lot of smiles. I’ve found that it’s the simple moments, making pancakes, going for walks, and eating cake that are among the most treasured moments of my time in Thailand. Simple acts of love and celebration are what made my time here feel most meaningful. I was very lucky that they occurred so often!

Afternoon walk with Op, Jui, Nuey, Ying, Nuey, Nui, and Nipa

Unfortunately, I’m afraid that I have been impacted by Warm Heart far more than I have impacted it. It is extremely difficult to make huge changes in a new place in just 10 weeks, especially when the kids are in school until 4 p.m. each day. For future volunteers, stay as long as you can!! However, the importance of the relationships I built with the children at Warm Heart should not be dismissed. I tried to get them to speak English to me whenever possible, but found that there are so many nonverbal ways to connect with people as well, such as making food, giving high fives, and playing hand games. All summer long, all I had to do was stick out my hands and there would be someone ready to play. I am so grateful for the kindness I was shown, the knowledge I received, and the experiences I had during my time at Warm Heart. I have gained a new sense of independence and confidence that I’m sure will serve me well in the years to come. Warm Heart has incredible projects in the works and I cannot wait to see what they do next to benefit this community!

Helping Young Smart Farmers with their booth at agricultural festival in Phrao (l. to r.) Stéphane, Mélissa, Wali, Aom, Madison and me

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berthastover · 7 years ago

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Why Retention Emails Are Equally Important as Sales Emails

If you work in marketing or sales, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about using email marketing to acquire customers — watching engagement stats, A/B testing content, and planning campaign after campaign to convert. What’s your best conversion rate on those campaigns? Ten percent? A little lower? Maybe a bit higher?

If there was a secret to converting your email campaigns at 30 percent or higher, would you want to know what it is? The answer is in your audience — and it’s a list you already have right in your CRM.

Here’s why you should be emailing your current customers just as much, if not more, than your prospects.

Why customer retention is important

Repeats beat first-timers

After making a purchase, a customer has a 27 percent chance of buying from you again. If they make a second and third purchase, they have a 54 percent chance of making another purchase.

These statistics showcase the importance of measuring customer lifetime value (CLV) — the projected revenue a customer will generate over their lifetime. Typically, the longer a customer sticks around, the more profit potential they have because the initial costs of conversion get smaller and smaller in comparison to spend.

However, in order to get the most out of CLV, you need to retain, upsell, and cross-sell your customers. In order do that in a world of increasing noise and competition, you have to stay top-of-mind. And email is still the top way in which most people would like to be reached.

When creating customer retention emails that keep you relevant, you have to remember it’s not about selling. It’s about providing value. Share information, tell a story, offer exclusives, brighten a day — when you show up with value in your customers’ inboxes, they’ll shop back up in your “checkout” line.

Referrals lower acquisitions costs

Each time a customer makes a purchase, they are becoming more comfortable with you and are therefore more willing to refer you onto someone else. After 10 purchases, customers refer 50 percent more people to a business than a one-time purchaser. Repeat customers can actually increase profitability not only by making more purchases but by attracting more clients through word of mouth. It’s nearly free marketing — the only cost is retention.

The key to retaining your customers in a way that encourages them to refer is to make them feel like they are part of your brand’s family. And families stay in touch. By emailing your customers with timely, relevant content on a regular basis you’re continuing to build your importance in their lives. You’ll make more sales and be the first product or service that comes to mind when a real-life friend or family member asks for a recommendation.

Customers are your best data points

If you want to learn how to convert your prospects, look no further than your current customers. That they’ve already taken the leap speaks to the fact that you did something right and through your long-term relationship you can get to know them better than you will ever know your leads.

Use your retention emails to gather data on your customers and build buyer personas and customer journeys that you can then use to inform your acquisition efforts.

7 retention email ideas to get you started

If you’re not sure where to start with customer retention campaigns, here are a few inspirational emails.

Exclusives: A preview of a new product, a VIP-only event invitation, or a special sale all make customers feel “in” and valued.

Requests: Being asked for our opinion triggers neurochemicals associated with satisfaction and empathy. Ask your customer for feedback to make them feel good and get valuable data.

Gamification: Another trigger of happy neurochemicals are games – as the recent gamification software craze has shown for both employees and customers. Reward your customers for engaging with your brand and they’ll want to do more.

Training: Continue to educate your customers on your product. The more they understand and gain value from your features, the longer they’ll stick around.

Referral rewards: Happy customers are naturally great referrers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t benefit from an extra push.

Just-for-fun: Your friends and family send you birthday and holiday greetings. Show up for special occasions in your customers’ inboxes. (This one from Southwest linked to fun videos.)

Engagement reports: You’ll see “year in review” features on many social media tools like Facebook and Instagram, which are a good indicator that this type of information works for engagement. Celebrate your customer’s anniversary and don’t skimp on the details.

Curious about what other types of emails you could be sending? Check out this article and get inspired – 20+ Automated Emails You Should Be Sending Today.

If you spend as much time working on customer retention as you do on customer retention, you will be amazed at the results.

It is 5-10 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to retain an existing one. By increasing your retention rate with email campaigns, you’ll see a better ROI from every single customer you sign up, more referrals, and better insights into growing your customer base.

The Content Imperative for Successful Marketing Automation [Webinar Recap]

Content Strategies to Nurture Prospects Along the Buyer’s Journey

The post Why Retention Emails Are Equally Important as Sales Emails appeared first on GetResponse Blog - Online Marketing Tips.

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americafuneral10-blog · 7 years ago

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12 Days of Easy DIYs That Help Families Remember At Christmas

Originally Published on the funeralOne Blog

Christmas and remembrance go hand-in-hand.

When we talk about the “true reason for the season,” many of these reasons are steeped in holiday remembrance: Family traditions that have carried over generation to generation, stories of holiday pastimes that are told around the fireplace, and even meals and movies shared that carry a special significance.

So with so much remembrance surrounding this festive holiday, it’s no surprise that families want to make their loved ones a part of the celebration… especially if they may no longer be around to take part themselves.

As funeral professionals, we are the go-to resource in town for all things memorials and remembrance. If you want to take that role one step further this holiday season, further connect with your community by helping them remember their loved ones this Christmas.

Here are some of our favorite crafts and DIYs that your funeral home could host as holiday workshops this Christmas to help your families embrace the true reason for the season.

1. Memorial Candle

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Candles have a special place in memorialization. They help us feel as though we are actively honoring or celebrating someone, by lighting a candle in their memory. One way that you can help families feel this connection even further is by helping them create a personalized memorial candle with their loved one’s photo on it, or even one of their favorite quotes.

Click here for instructions.

2. ‘Save A Seat’ Sign

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Help families feel as though their loved one is still very much a part of the Christmas festivities with a beautiful sign that calls on people to remember. This beautiful plaque reads: “Christmas in Heaven. What do they do? They come down to Earth to spend it with you. So save them a seat, just one empty chair. You may not see them, but they will always be there.

Click here for instructions.

3. Wooden Photo Ornaments

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Decorating the tree is one of the most important and memorable parts of the Christmas season. So why not help families make their loved ones a part of the decorating, even after they are gone. These simply to make photo ornaments are a beautiful addition to any Christmas tree, and help bring memorialization into the tree decorating process.

Click here for instructions.

4. Christmas Memories Wreath

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Another great way to help families bring photos into their holiday decor is with a beautiful, one-of-a-kind photo wreath. This wreath could be made up solely of loved ones that families want to remember at Christmas time, or even of all of their favorite holiday photo moments – including photos with their loved ones around the Christmas tree or opening presents.

Click here for instructions.

5. Remembrance Stocking

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It wouldn’t be Christmas morning without the opening of our Christmas stockings. Help families complete their family Christmas mantle display by creating a stocking that is truly representative of their loved one – because it is made with some of their favorite worn items! Encourage families to bring in their loved one’s favorite dress, jeans or even Christmas sweater, and help them make a personalized stocking that can hang on the fireplace for years to come.

Click here for instructions.

6. Christmas Shirt Pillow Cover

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Speaking of ways to repurpose a loved one’s favorite clothing items, another great DIY that families can incorporate into their holiday decor is a Christmas Shirt Pillow Cover. This is an especially great craft to do with Grandpa’s or Dad’s favorite flannel or button-up shirt. You could even stick holly or pine cones into the pocket square to really help bring the Christmas spirit inside.

Click here for instructions.

7. Holiday Photo Luminaries

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Bring light to the holidays ahead by helping families create beautiful picture frame luminaries, which work great as festive holiday decor or even as a personalized gift for others. Not only are these unique display pieces a wonderful way to brighten up the home around the holidays, but lighting these memorial luminaries would be a great activity for any family to add into into their Christmas Eve traditions.

Click here for instructions.

8. “A Few of My Favorite Things” Ornament

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While we love the idea of a DIY photo ornament, like we mentioned above, a photo is not the only way to remember someone around the holidays. You could also make a wonderful ornament memento with some of their favorite items or pieces of clothing. In this tutorial, the author uses fabric shears from her late father’s different shirts and combines them all into a clear glass ornament to hang on her Christmas tree – complete with a personal note from her dad that she will always cherish.

Click here for instructions.

9. Night Before Christmas Pillow

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For many families, the sounds of Christmas are just as memorable and important as the sights and smells. Maybe it was a favorite Christmas story that you used to get read before bedtime, or a favorite holiday song that you would always listen to while baking cookies. No matter what words they may have been, help your families visualize them on a personalized pillow that they can lay their head on the night before Christmas.

Click here for instructions.

10. Holiday Card Book

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Over our lifetime, many of us save up a nice collection of greeting cards, whether it’s for birthdays, holidays, weddings, you name it. But we never actually do anything with these cards, other than when we run across them while moving or cleaning out old boxes. With this DIY, help your families put sentimental holiday cards from their loved ones on display in a beautiful book that they will actually flip through and look at each holiday season.

Click here for instructions.

11. Sweater Letters

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One of our favorite ways to decorate for the holidays is to put some of our favorite festive sayings up around the house, like “Ho Ho Ho” or “Oh What Fun!” Help your families do the same – but with an extra special personalized touch, by adding some of their loved one’s favorite items onto the letters. This DIY is easy… simply grab something fabric that was special to a loved one (a blanket, a shirt, a stuffed animal, etc.) and cut out the shape of the letters you are creating. Next, just glue the fabric onto the letters. Voila! That’s it!

12. Year In Remembrance Video

Last but not least, help your whole community celebrate, honor and remember their loved ones at Christmas time by putting together a beautiful Year In Remembrance video, set to a cozy winter theme. With Life Tributes memorial video software, you can combine all of the photos of the loved one’s whose lives you celebrated in 2017 into one moving, emotional slideshow that you can play for families in a private service at your funeral home, or send them a copy to wish them a happy holidays and let them know you’re thinking of them.

12 Days of Easy DIYs That Help Families Remember At Christmas published first on YouTube

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kerryhudson · 7 years ago

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A Good News Day

So this is my news and here’s a link to the full press release.

I did have an alternative quote for The Bookseller (a longterm pash of mine, that magazine) which went something like (I’m paraphrasing here), ‘FFFFFFUUUUCCCKKKKKIIINGYESSSSSSMATTTTTEEEEEEE!!!!’ accompanied by a gif of a delighted piglet in a ball pool but, I think we can agree it’s for the best, sobriety kicked in.

Here’s a video of me looking moon-faced and delighted as I sign the contract in my local instead:

youtube

I am delighted though. I never imagined I’d get to write one book let alone four of them. Especially not with a literary heavyweight like Chatto & Windus as my publisher, not about something that’s so important to me, that I might actually be given a voice to talk about the things I think are fucked up, might be changed, should be paid attention to and more so than ever in the current climate.

Things you never imagine might happen. You can put that on my gravestone. Or name my debut alt-folk album that. Or ice my 40th birthday cake with those words. Etc.

It’s true though. I signed my first contract just before my 30th birthday while temping at a cancer charity. I so disbelieved my good fortune that even when my agent, Juliet, called and told me, I still insisted on going to see a Ben Affleck movie at the local Vue with an M&S sarnie as my celebration night (regrets, I have a few…). That book was Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma and I expected nothing of it. Nothing. But I did, in fact, get some things, lots of good things. Not least of all reaching readers who told me my very personal story touched them, that they had read and understood it. The next contract I signed was for Thirst, my strange working-class fractured love story set between Hackney and Siberia. That was three years later, and, again, I just thanked my lucky stars and hoped for nothing more than a painless death.

And that doesn’t go away, that feeling. I keep waiting for that feeling of WTF, WTAF, to go but it never has and now, seven years later, I’m quite attached to it – it makes the highs enjoyably dizzying and the celebrations go on for days because who knows when they’ll next come?

Reading through the posts of this sporadic emptying of my mind onto the internet (I think we can all agree the time for it to be even tenuously referred to as ‘a blog’ is long past) I found something I wrote between Tony Hogan and Thirst:

‘A long time ago…before Tony Hogan came out and I was so nervous that somehow I would fuck up this amazing thing that had happened…I decided that the only way I could negotiate this world I did not fit in in, a place of good fortune, a place of socially easy people with PhDs and perfect teeth…was just to be myself. Just know what I’m about, what my own values are, what’s important to me and what I consider to be extraneous bullshite. This is the very best advice I ever gave myself and works in almost every situation…and where I might have concertinaed under the acute weirdness of all of the unimaginable experiences that have occurred since I published my book - this wee mantra ‘work hard, be kind, don’t be an arsehole’ has helped me enjoy most of the fucking amazing stuff that has happened.’

I want to ask you, how has nothing changed? And I also want to say, I am so glad nothing has changed.

To know I’ll publish two more books is a joyous thing for which I am hugely grateful. To write a regular column for The Pool, to know I get to ride this rollercoaster for a few more years, these are wonderful things. The announcement was today and I have been overwhelmed by the goodwill, support and kindness. I feel beyond lucky. Truly. Absolutely. Very, very fucking lucky.

More than that, to get to write a book like Lowborn feels like something exceptional. This is the book I’ve been waiting to write my whole life. It’s going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever written in every possible sense (gruelling is the word I’ve been using most often with friends) and I couldn’t be happier about it. It’s a true privilege. It not even about telling my own stories anymore –even though telling them, speaking up, means a huge amount to me – it’s about getting to write other people’s stories. Stories that need to be heard. I’ll move heaven and hell to do those people, the people I grew up with, the younger, struggling me, the justice they deserve.

So, for those of you reading this, many of whom I bet have been reading since Tony Hogan was just another Bookseller announcement and a sick feeling in my belly, thanks for sticking with me, fancy a trip to Great Yarmouth?

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remedialmassage · 7 years ago

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On the Topic of Regret: A Resolution from the Underground

“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” ― Mercedes Lackey

This time last year, I was still waiting for the jet lag to wear off at the beginning of a month-long trip in Germany. I had just finished my last semester of college and the trip to Berlin was the culmination of an international reporting course. For myself and 17 other students, the objective was to report on the refugee crisis and find a unique angle to cover it.

As much as I learned and discovered from the reporting trip, my greatest lesson came after our reporting project had ended and everyone had left — returning home or continuing on to their next great adventure.

I’ve heard from many people that their most educational experiences, the ones that instilled some great change in them, generally happened at times when they were alone. Something happens to us when we are left alone. We see and experience the world in a completely different way. Without another person to focus our energy on, our minds open up to our surroundings and something that had maybe been right in front of our eyes the entire time, invisible to us with the distractions of traveling in pairs and groups, suddenly becomes visible.

For me, that something revealed itself in the most unassuming of places — an underground train station.

Once our reporting trip had come to a close, I decided to stick around for another week to explore the city of Berlin on my own. I was preparing to celebrate my 22nd birthday, and I was determined to get into Berghain — one of the world’s most famous nightclubs and, not surprisingly, one of the hardest to get into. So when I had made it up to the bouncer, after an hour of waiting in line, I didn’t take it personally when he shook his head and opened his arm toward the alley without even consulting the notorious Sven Marquardt — the club’s long-time bouncer who was standing in the corner, obsolete and uninterested.

I reluctantly left and began making my way back to the hostel I was staying at. I had looked up several other clubs earlier that day as a backup, should I fail to make it into Berghain, but it was getting late and I didn’t really want to stand in another line. I was walking to the nearest bus stop, and enjoying the quiet of the dark streets. I took two buses, before making it to the train station that would bring me back to Urbanstrasse.

I was sitting in the underground, waiting for the next train, when a man behind me started playing music. He was playing an instrument that I had never seen before, an instrument that I had never even heard of. I now know that it was a hang drum, but the name is of little importance compared to the sound that it made at the touch of a young man dressed in bohemian garb.

Everything stopped as the sounds echoed and reverberated off the walls of the underground tunnel. I sat there, not moving, just listening. I started to cry.

I cried because I didn’t ever want it to stop.

I don’t often believe in fate, but I believed in that moment, as I do now, that I was meant to be in that tunnel, listening to a stranger play an instrument that was entirely foreign to me. There was a reason I didn’t get into Berghain and a reason I walked into that subway station at that moment.

I was meant to hear him play.

I sat there listening, and everything else faded away. The rest of my day seemed unimportant, and I recalled having felt all day as though I had been waiting for something grand to happen. I had mistakenly thought that Berghain was what awaited me.

But that moment, to me, meant more than anything else that could have possibly happened — on my birthday, or any other day.

I eventually turned to look at the young musician who had captured my soul and all that I am with the simple rhythmic drumming from his hands and the tips of his fingers.

He looked like a gypsy, a traveler — his clothing was worn, with many holes and frayed edges. He must live in those clothes, I remember thinking.

His hands never stopped moving as he beat on the instrument in a series of pulsating taps. The instrument was little more than a piece of cutlery — a large metal bowl with dents in it. But the sounds that came from it stemmed from another world.

I could have listened to him forever. I could have stayed, happily caught in a musical trance. But eventually, his song ended. The metal instrument sat silently in his lap, and the train soon came.

It pulled up to the station and the doors slid open. I hesitated before standing up, my feet slowly carrying me forward. It was a shuffle more than a walk. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to leave the strange traveler and his beautiful instrument, who had made me feel so much.

I could feel something in me fighting back with every step I took. But I made it to the train and I stepped on. I turned my back to the opposite set of doors so I could still see the man and his upside-down metal bowl.

The buzzer sounded, signaling that the doors would soon close. My heart fluttered as I had the urge to run, to jump from the train and back onto the platform.

To do what, I don’t know. I just knew that I was meant to be there.

But I couldn’t move. Every cell in my body wanted to, but I just couldn’t.

I stood there, frozen, as the doors came to a close. The train jolted forward and my heart sank. The silent tears that had been sliding down my face, one at a time, were now spilling in a continuous stream as an immediate feeling of regret took hold.

My regret was more than the simple act of not jumping off that train — my every regret was present in that moment. I envied the hang drummer, who seemed so content in his music. I only wished that I, too, could become my craft as he had. To abandon all else for my passion, even when the stresses of the real world begin to close in. The worries of debt, bureaucracy and an overall lack of time, lost and forgotten.

I was stricken with fear, a fear of the unknown maybe? A condition, which Audrey Hepburn would so rightly call “The Mean Reds.” … Perhaps.

That moment seemed to sum up my greatest struggle in less than ten minutes — it was the worst instance to date of my inability to act, to move forward and do what I want to do, simply because I want to do it.

I have thought about that night so many times since — each time playing it over in my head, the regret growing deeper and imprinting itself into my mind.

I think about it now more than ever as I close in on the one-year mark since my trip. It’s a sign, and one I must follow. A sign that something must change. A sign to go after what I want.

So from here on out, I will jump off that train. I will jump off that train every day, for as many times as it takes to make up for the one time I failed to do so. I will listen to fate, and let instinct be my guide. Even for something as simple as a metal bowl with dents in it, transformed into a beautiful instrument at the hands of a young bohemian musician.

The post On the Topic of Regret: A Resolution from the Underground appeared first on Possibility of Change.

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