#spruce woods farmhouse

[seniouesbabes]

Lily Maymac 🌸🍒💋🌸 l am so grateful to the previous generaton of powerful women who have paved the way for Change I love being a woman that inspires & uplifts other women to be happy in their Our skin. To all the divine women Out there, be prond + celebrate what we have accomplished. tappy Internatonal Women's Day! Lily May Mac Content Creator

[yekokataa]

Pale lore in Sacred and Terrible Air

I pulled together some of my favorite descriptions of the Pale from Kurvitz's novel. All excerpts are from the excellent fan translation by Group Ibex, which I think really nailed the style of the game in these quotes.

Warning: Full of SPOILERS and extremely LONG!

The Pale, up close:

The main characters take a road trip to the Lemminkäise zone of entroponetic catastrophe in Katla. They hire a racecar driver and drive to the very edge of the disaster zone, where matter is actively dissolving into the Pale.

The border point disappeared behind them, along with the invisible boundary of winter’s orbit, beyond which is eternal winter. The asphalt also disappeared over time; they encountered rural families on sleds along snowy gravel roads. It is their great privilege to have seen the pale with their own eyes, where it has towered behind the silo since childhood. 

Kenni sees the black mass of the forest slowly drifting into the sky. The earth crunches and cracks as the spruce trees tear themselves out of it, roots and all. The wood screams, and the frozen earth too, like they’re in a dentist’s chair. A cloud of limestone gravel flies into the air, and far above in the dark, the first trees are subsumed in the pale. 

Tereesz, Khan, and the mad Suruese driver look outside, their heads tilted back, as the pale approaches from behind the house. Inside, the bass drum thumps robustly, and outside, behind the silhouette of the building, the dark mass of the forest rolls up into the sky across the entire visible horizon. The pale rises vertically from the spruce forests like a wave, from the mountain ranges above the expanse of the world. Its horror moves slowly, humming over the world, but the world is made of matter, and matter is evergreen, ancient; it sustains itself with surprising dignity even at the moment of disappearance.

The pale can lift up entire houses! Holy shit! Our boys make a narrow escape from the edge of the encroaching pale as a house is torn away from its foundation.

In the yard, where the wheels of the motor carriage have drawn a loop in the snow, Inayat Khan looks up at a farm building that hovers above him like a ghost. Electrical wire entrails hang out of the rotating object, black against the expanse of the starry sky. It drifts on into the pale with a self-evident calm. Up above, a trail of its furniture and crumbling foundation remains. In the yard in front of him, Khan watches how a startled Tereesz and Kenni follow the object’s path, their heads tilting back until they hit the wooden fence behind them.  In a strange, panic-free concern, they all look in the direction of Ulv’s crumbling house. It seems as if every little crack comes from its limestone foundation. Soon it will rise up. But nothing happens. The pale freezes in place far away, behind the house; the creaking of the forest stops, and the music in the house also stops. Somewhere in the perceptible distance, on the edge of the frozen pale above, the farmhouse falls apart and disappears.  […] The engine revs up and the carriage’s wheels spin in the snow. The mass of the pale can no longer support its phantom weight. It breaks down. The vast clearings crumple under it in an instant, exploding with powder snow; a collapse like a shock wave whirls over the world. Spruce trees bow under the blow, and the pale blasts open the windows of the old decaying manor house. It arches around the edges of the house, as if hesitating for a moment, and then explodes together, encompassing it. The pale grabs the manor in its lap, and somewhere inside, in a room with a low ceiling, the young man puts on his headphones. He reads the sweeping pale like a magnetic reader reads a Stereo 8 tape. […] The pale blows across the fields, on both sides of the village road. Its avalanche crashes onto the gravel; the rumbling wall approaches, glowing crimson from the motor carriage’s tail lights. 

Travel through the Pale:

Floating magnet trains seem common, and they even go through the Pale. There's a brief mention that Tereesz once spent a week on a magnet train and was then told he wasn't allowed to travel for a year afterwards due to the dangers of pale exposure.

Outside on the platform, giant buffers are being pulled off the train. The umbilical cord is cut and thus, freed from the connecting bridges, the entire weight of the train with its five-fold carriage slats sinks onto the magnets. They howl at full power below the train cars. And then the flight begins.  The magnetic support splits the North Sea under it in two. It’s quiet inside, the generators humming as the train whizzes by fifty metres above the water. The three of them stand together, laughing. Tereesz extinguishes his smoke in a bronze ashtray, and they turn their back on the observation windows. Ahead, the pale awaits, and past it begins a big world. […] Through the windows, all that’s left of the city behind them is the light pollution, a golden glow in the distant darkness of the snowstorm. 

This floating train station has an illustration Rostov by the way.

For a historical travel example: the famous disappearance of the airship Harnankur. This airship was referenced in the game in the form of the 50-real vodka in the special edition commemorative bottle! Rostov's illustration from the novel is here, showing a model of the ship in Khan's basement.

One hundred and fifty years ago, on another isola—the Graad isola—it snows in the city of Mirova. It’s a midwinter evening, but thousands of people have gathered in the harbour. The quay bustles with them. In the background lies imperial Graad—church steeples and chimneys. The crowd is waving, bidding farewell to the airship rising into the sky. A swan made of wood and nickel rises into the blizzard, and the passengers of the world’s first interisolary flight wave to the crowd from its balcony baskets: well-dressed boujee people, with a never-before-seen adventure ahead of them. It’s the pale—terrifying, but at the same time such an upbeat and unforgettable experience. Modern technology, in the form of a luxuriously upholstered airship, now makes such an experience possible for an ordinary, if perhaps slightly better off, citizen. And on the other side of the pale—oh mystical pale!—the land of Katla awaits, with its royal capital of Vaasa.  […] Two days later, the interisolary flight enters the pale, and then, barely six hours later, a deviation occurs in the airship’s course. “Harnankur” has gone missing with fifteen hundred passengers on board. The flight is believed to have drifted into an uncharted entroponetic mass, the pale superdeep. 

Sound

The pale makes a hissing sound. Here Khan receives a phone call from one of the missing presumed dead girls, who may be a ghost or part of the pale, it's all left very ambiguous. It reminds me of the part in the game where you can call Slipstream SCA and hear a ghost trapped in the phone.

He picks up the receiver, and the hallway fills with the hiss of the pale. It grates in his ear.  “Hello?” asks Khan. But no one answers. “Hello, who is it? Please tell me who you are!” he repeats, more and more pleading each time. The hissing becomes louder and louder, until finally it deafens him, the pressure in his inner ear goes awry, and only that vibration from who-knows-where remains, its centre. The silence goes through his flesh and bones like waves. It’s cold. 

Later, we learn that the pale can actually come through the phone lines?? Creepy!

The speaker switches to a long-distance call; the pale seeps into the hall air from the fabric-covered ziggurat. The signal runs as an entroponetic sequence through the Great Unknown, from Katla to Graad. Relay stations clear the call from the noise of history along the way, but something always creeps into the wires—a ghost radio station. Its quiet voice in its unintelligible language reminds us what it’s here for. To end life. 

It's also similar to the sounds of the pale latitude compressor! During a long distance call through the pale, a voice is heard spelling things out using an “international alphabet” like the real-world NATO phonetic alphabet.

This is how matter degrades, drop by drop, like an analog rhythm running from red through the colourless world. The international alphabet is hidden in the low-frequency waves, “... Nadir-Ellips-Gamut-Azimuth...” and so on, to the border of the settlement. 

Culture, ideology

Zigi as a teen is a total edgelord when it comes to talking about the pale:

But above all, Zigi is still a nihilist. He reads dia-mat [dialectical materialism], says that animals are automatons, is a fan of behaviourism, and adores the pale and the nihilistic innocence of Mesque, Ambrosius Saint-Miro. […] The geography teacher sent him to the principal’s office, and Zigi stopped at the door, the zippers of his leather jacket jingling. “See you in the pale,” he said, and ran his index finger across his throat. Back when entroponetics was not discussed at school, many people gathered around Zigi during recess, and the corridor echoed with his half-truths: “The pale is made of the past,” he said. “All the lost things are jumbled up there, sad and abandoned. The pale is the world’s memory of the world. It accumulates matter and sweeps away everything in its path. This is what’s called entroponetic collapse.”  “But when will it happen, Zigi?" “Yes, Zigi, when?” “It will happen in your lifetime, little Olle. At least, I hope so. History swallows the present; the world of matter disappears, desaparecido... That’s why there’s no point in our generation going to school. There will be no future. When you grow up, don’t have children like your underdeveloped bourgeois parents did. You’ll get to see them die, and that’s it. Compared to the pale, there’s only a small amount of the world left! In the end, the isolas will sink, dozens and hundreds of square kilometres of land mass, can you even imagine? Like a ship keeling over into the pale. Fwooom...” Zigi makes a sinking ship gesture with his hands, the zippers of his leather jacket jingling; the children gasp. “Don’t worry, Olle, this will be the peak of humanity.” 

In the game, Zigi's brand of entroponetic nihilism gets two very brief (and kind of hidden) mentions, where it's named as entropolism. I've got those quotes saved in my post here.

Waves

The pale seems very wave-like in that scene where it lifts a house, and apparently it's also like a wave according to science:

“It’s an oceanographic myth. The Killer Wave.” Little Khan points in the direction of the body of water. The four of them watch from the safe warmth of a beach towel. Insects buzz in the dark, around the gas lanterns. “For a long time it was just that—a myth, a sailor’s tale. Arda even has a mythological name for it: ‘halderdingr’. But now they’re a scientifically documented phenomenon, they really exist, you understand? This explains the dozens, hundreds of missing ships. […] “And you know what’s the most fucked up thing about it?” Khan asks slyly. He wipes his diamaterialist glasses and then puts them back on. His almond eyes squint behind the magnifying lenses, filled to the brim with popular science mystique. “The same effect—don’t ask me how, I don’t know—but the same non-linear effect also explains the pale. They use it in entroponetics. This is how the pale behaves when it sweeps over the world.” 

Mold

I've heard that in Estonian the word used for Pale is Hall, meaning both frost and mold, like a pale gray film that covers the surface of things. As the Pale takes Vaasa, fruits begin to grow mold. Some people choose to stay rather than leave the disaster zone.

The panic has cooled. In the strange indifference of the evacuation, whole families stay behind in Vaasa. There they play board games, in their houses, in their spacious apartments. They love vitamin-rich food, and when the pale is only a few days away, it’s always signalled by the same beautiful event. Fruits go mouldy. It grows vigorously on them. Children listen to oranges crackling on the table. Spores sprout from the pulp, apples are hairy with it. If you try to touch them, they crack open. No one knows why it’s like that. But few can muster the energy to be afraid of that time, and that’s why I say it’s beautiful. 

And later, when Zigi is living in a forest that's been taken by the Pale, even the animals have been consumed by it although they're still alive:

And to the dark forest, to the museum of natural history, where mould grows on the horns of the males and puffs of steam no longer rise from the kids’ nostrils. They still breathe—not oxygen, but pure pale. 

Turning into a protein mass

The mother of the missing girls sits in her home, waiting for the pale to take her:

Ann-Margret Lund also sits there somewhere in her kitchen, in the middle of the pale; her rooms are quiet and clean. The former teacher wears a beige jacket and an above-the-knee skirt, and watches the moulding apricots. […] Like everyone else, she can’t do anything in this extended stay, where one’s sense of the present slowly drifts away. But whereas the others dissolve into their memories, she simply disappears. It’s as if her life had never happened. The past is not awaiting her return. She just wanders around the rooms, adjusts her grandmother’s lace doily and bedspreads, arranges the curtains on the rails. And thus, tastefully, she refuses to indulge in those ecstasies which visit the human spirit when the world is disintegrating. Nothing leaves her hands, and nothing returns.  When Katla finally sinks into the pale, Ann-Margret Lund turns, without the slightest pleasure, into a protein mass. 

Hanging out in the Pale with the ghost of Ignus Nielsen

Years later, as an adult, Zigi has become immune to the effects of the Pale, and even stays in the middle of it in a tent, hanging out with the cytoplasmic spirit of a dead communist.

Human speech sounds out of place in the silence of the pale. It echoes in the gloom of the trees as Zygismunt trudges through the snow. There’s an old trick coined by the great entroponaut K. Voronikin, that you have to shout in the pale. Otherwise, you start to feel gloomy, and the past comes up. But Zygismunt needn’t be afraid of that. When he first entered the pale, he discovered to his great dismay that he couldn’t return like everyone else. Or rather—he could, but not where he really wants. This makes him indispensable to Mazov’s idea. The disappearance of the Lund children has literally given Zigi special entroponetic powers. 

He goes hunting for pale-poisoned ibexes. The phrase ‘protein mass’ comes up again. It seems that any human or animal in the pale for long enough eventually turns into a protein mass.

The entroponaut shakes himself. Snow falls from the shoulders of the anorak coat. He goes on alone. An hour of frozen machine tracks and hoofprints in the snow run along in the flashlight beam. And when a herd of ibex finally emerges from the darkness, they are frozen in place in the middle of the road, like an exhibit in a natural history museum. Some of the females sometimes jerk in place, sneezing; this is a nervous impulse, a muscle tremor. The backs of the stuffed animals are already covered with snow, but their snouts are still steaming, they’re still breathing—some for a few days, some for a week. An anorak-clad figure moves through the herd with the indifference of a professional until the beam of his flashlight casts the alpha male’s crown of horns as a shadow on the wall of spruce trees. Zygismunt looks into the animal’s glazed eyes. Its sense of time has broken down. An automaton’s primitive fragment of a brain strays in the pale faster than that of a human. This is how hunters from the outskirts go hunting in the entrokataa. Of course, they’ll eventually go mad from it as well, and one day they won’t return. But not Zigi, he has special abilities. He takes a pocket knife from his belt and slits the protein mass’s throat. 

[fleurcareil]

South Manitoba

I left Winnipeg not too late in the morning and finally got myself into the Prairies proper driving in south-western direction. The flat landscape reminded me of the Netherlands, but in place of church spires indicating where the villages are, here it's grain elevators that tower above the horizon... conveniently with the name of the town written on them! 😁

Funny enough, one of the villages was called Holland, complete with a tulip-sign and a windmill 🤣

First destination of the day was Spruce Woods provincial park near the town of Glenboro, but Gmaps directed me initially to a farmhouse south of the highway rather than to its proper location 10 km north! The same happened a few more times in the following days for both Manitoba and Saskatchewan parks so that taught me to ask directions - something we don't do often anymore! 😜

The highlight of the park are the Spirit Sands; the remnants of what used to be an expansive inland dune area deposited by a glacial lake 10,000 years ago. Although the dunes still shift with the wind, most of the area is being reclaimed by vegetation as, contrary to a desert, it actually receives quite a lot of rain. Having grown up with dunes along the North Sea in the Netherlands, it looked familiar but rather than a cooling sea breeze it was scorching hot! There were luckily some hand-pumped water wells along the trail that friendly hikers operated while I put my head under the cold stream 😃, however once I had seen the "Devil's Punch", a little pond filled by underground springs, I cut the hike short and returned to the car AC.

Afterwards, I cooled down some more under a tree at a picknick area on an oxbow lake (I was too tired to walk down to the water & take a pic 😅).

Having anticipated that I might not feel my best the day after Harman's wedding 😆, I only had a short drive further to the municipal campground of Souris, which has a cute swinging bridge, at 604 ft supposedly to be Canada's longest suspension pedestrian bridge (?!?), the first one built in 1906. The town had also nice sculptures of a moose and peacock, of which apparently there's many in the village although I saw none. This was the first time that I had stayed on a municipal campground and although busy with a pool & lots of running kids, I had a nice spot on the river and it was actually quite good!

That's it for Manitoba for now as I would be driving into Saskatchewan the next day, but I'll explore the central/north areas on my way back.

Wildlife: lots of grasshoppers everywhere!

SUPs: none

Hikes: one at Spruce Woods

[cheapoldhousesunder50k]

c.1900 Maryland Farmhouse For Sale 5 Min to Chesapeake Bay $104K

$104,000 Here is a Maryland farmhouse for sale on a half acre+ lot only five minutes to the Chesapeake Bay. The three-bedroom, two-bath home is less than 100 miles to Washington DC, so it could make a great weekend home. In the other direction, ocean beaches are about an hour and a half away. As a full-time home, it could use some sprucing up, but we love the screened porch and wood…

[ezplumbingandrestoration]

Get Ready to Upgrade: Kitchen Remodeling in San Diego

The heart of any home is its kitchen. It's where we whip up delicious meals, bond with our loved ones, and often showcase our interior design flair. But what happens when your kitchen starts to look tired, and the layout just doesn't work for you anymore? This is when the idea of a kitchen remodel in San Diego comes to the rescue. And it's not just an upgrade; it's an investment that can transform your entire home life. 

In this blog, we'll discover the benefits of kitchen remodeling, popular San Diego styles, layout tips, and how EZ Plumbing can assist.

Why Kitchen Remodel in San Diego is Essential?

1. Increased Home Value

One of the most convincing reasons to remodel your kitchen is the substantial boost it can give to your home's value. By sprucing up your kitchen with new features, rearranging the layout, and installing shiny new appliances, you're increasing the worth of your property.

2. Increased Functionality

A kitchen remodel isn't just about aesthetics; it's about making your kitchen more functional. You can redesign the layout, add extra storage space, introduce a stylish kitchen island, and optimize the workflow. All of these changes will make cooking and entertaining a breeze.

3. Energy Efficiency

Modernizing your kitchen can also lead to long-term savings on your utility bills. Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, incorporating LED lighting, and installing low-flow faucets can make your kitchen greener and more sustainable.

4. Upgraded Style and Design

If your kitchen feels like a relic from a bygone era or doesn't match the rest of your home's design, a kitchen remodel can give it a fresh and contemporary look. Say goodbye to outdated aesthetics and hello to a stylish, cohesive space.

5. Personalize Your Space

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of a kitchen remodel is the opportunity to personalize your space. This is your chance to align your kitchen with your unique tastes and lifestyle, making it a warm and inviting place for you and your family.

Popular San Diego Kitchen Styles: You Must Know

Your city has diverse tastes, and your kitchen should reflect that. Here are some popular kitchen styles in the area:

1. Modern/Contemporary

A modern kitchen boasts clean lines, sleek surfaces, and a minimalist approach. It often combines natural materials like wood, stone, and metal for a chic, urban feel.

2. Traditional

Traditional kitchens exude timeless charm with their detailed cabinets, decorative moldings, and warm color palettes. They offer a sense of nostalgia and elegance.

3. Transitional

Transitional kitchens strike a balance between contemporary and traditional styles. They incorporate modern features while maintaining a hint of classic charm.

4. Farmhouse/Rustic

The rustic charm of a farmhouse kitchen brings warmth and nostalgia. Think reclaimed wood, exposed beams, and vintage fixtures for a welcoming atmosphere.

5. Mediterranean

Inspired by coastal regions, Mediterranean kitchens in San Diego embrace earthy tones and textured surfaces. They often feature arches and natural materials like stone and wood for a warm, vibrant look.

Kitchen Renovation Layout: Quick Tips

When planning your kitchen renovation, the layout is a critical factor. If you intend to keep your current layout, the project is relatively straightforward. But if you're considering major changes like moving appliances or knocking down walls, prepare for a more complex task.

Here are some tips for redesigning your kitchen layout:

Create a Square/Rectangular Shape: Opt for a simple shape like a square or rectangle rather than odd configurations like an L or U shape.

Kitchen Triangle: Ensure a good flow between the fridge, sink, and range, often referred to as the kitchen 'triangle.'

Adequate Aisle Space: Maintain wide enough aisles (minimum 36 inches) to allow easy movement in the kitchen.

Counter Space: Include sufficient counter space for food preparation and other kitchen tasks.

Fridge Placement: Avoid placing the fridge right next to the oven/range to prevent temperature conflicts (hot vs. cold).

Kitchen Cabinets and Cabinet Knobs

As you embark on your kitchen remodel in San Diego, don't overlook the importance of cabinets and cabinet knobs. Cabinets play a vital role in both functionality and aesthetics. They provide storage space while defining the overall look of your kitchen. Choose cabinets that not only complement your chosen style but also meet your storage needs.

Cabinet knobs may seem like small details, but they can make a big difference in the overall appearance of your kitchen. Whether you opt for classic knobs or modern handles, make sure they align with your chosen style and provide easy access to your cabinets.

EZ Plumbing Company: Your Partner in Kitchen Upgrades

When embarking on a kitchen upgrade, EZ Plumbing Company becomes your invaluable partner. Our expertise extends beyond plumbing, making us the ideal choice for your project.

1. Plumbing Expertise: Our seasoned professionals are well-versed in plumbing intricacies. We ensure your kitchen remodel includes efficient water supply, drainage, and gas line systems. From installing new sinks and faucets to rerouting pipelines, we guarantee optimal functionality.

2. Appliance Installations: Trust us to safely install your new kitchen appliances, from dishwashers to gas ranges. Our technicians ensure proper connections and compliance with safety codes.

3. Energy Efficiency: EZ Plumbing is committed to sustainability. We recommend and install eco-friendly fixtures, including low-flow faucets and energy-efficient water heaters, reducing your environmental footprint and utility bills.

4. Emergency Support: Unexpected issues can arise during renovations. We offer 24/7 emergency services, giving you peace of mind throughout the project.

5. Comprehensive Solutions: Beyond plumbing, our experts collaborate with designers and contractors to streamline your kitchen remodel, ensuring a seamless, stress-free process.

Conclusion

A kitchen remodel in San Diego is a smart investment for multiple reasons, including increased home value, enhanced functionality, energy efficiency, upgraded style, and personalization. 

With popular kitchen styles to choose from and careful attention to layout and cabinet choices, you can transform your kitchen into the heart of your dream home. So, get ready to upgrade and enjoy the many benefits of a beautifully remodeled kitchen in San Diego!Contact us to upgrade your kitchen swiftly.

[cantonifurniture]

Console Tables: An Essential Piece of Modern Home Decor

Console tables are a versatile and stylish addition to any home decor. They not only serve as functional pieces of furniture but also enhance the aesthetic appeal of your living space. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the world of console tables, exploring their various styles and uses and how to seamlessly incorporate them into your home decor. Whether you're a seasoned interior designer or a homeowner looking to spruce up your living space, this ultimate guide has something for everyone.

What Are Console Tables?

Console tables, also known as entryway tables, are narrow and long pieces of living room furniture typically placed against a wall or behind a sofa. They are designed to be both functional and decorative, making them a popular choice in interior design. Console tables often feature a flat surface or tabletop, supported by legs or a solid base, and may include drawers or shelves for storage.

The Importance of Console Tables in Home Decor

Console tables play a crucial role in enhancing the overall aesthetics of your home. They serve as focal points, allowing you to display decorative items, artwork, and other collectibles. Additionally, console tables can serve practical purposes, such as providing storage space or acting as a convenient surface for keys, mail, or a lamp.

Choosing the Right Console Table

When selecting a console table for your home, several factors should be considered to ensure it complements your decor seamlessly.

1. Matching Your Style

Your console table should align with your overall interior design style. Whether you prefer traditional, modern, industrial, or rustic decor, there's a console table to match.

2. Measuring Your Space

Before purchasing a console table, measure the available space carefully. Ensure that the table's dimensions are appropriate for the area in which you intend to place it.

3. Materials and Finishes

Console tables come in various materials and finishes, including wood, metal, glass, and more. Consider the durability and aesthetics of each option before making your decision.

Console Table Styles

Console tables come in a wide range of styles to suit different design preferences.

1. Traditional Console Tables

Traditional console tables feature ornate designs, and intricate detailing, and often include wooden finishes. They exude elegance and timeless charm.

2. Modern and Contemporary Console Tables

Sleek lines, minimalistic designs, and a focus on functionality are hallmarks of modern and contemporary console tables. These tables are perfect for those who prefer a clean and sophisticated look.

3. Industrial Console Tables

Industrial console tables often incorporate metal elements and rugged aesthetics. They are ideal for adding an urban and edgy vibe to your space.

4. Rustic Console Tables

Rustic console tables embrace natural materials and earthy tones. They create a warm and cozy atmosphere, perfect for farmhouse and cottage-style decor.

Functional Aspects

1. Entryway Console Tables

Placed in the entryway, these tables provide a welcoming focal point and a convenient surface for keys and mail.

2. Living Room Console Tables

In the living room, console tables can hold decorative items, and books, or even act as a stylish TV stand.

3. Dining Room Console Tables

Console tables in the dining room can serve as buffets or display spaces for your culinary creations.

4. Bedroom Console Tables

In the bedroom, console tables can function as makeup vanities or bedside tables, adding both style and functionality.

Decorating with Console Tables

Top Decor Ideas

Place a statement mirror above the console table to create the illusion of a larger space.

Add a vase of fresh flowers or a potted plant for a touch of nature.

Display your favorite artwork or family photos in stylish frames.

Incorporate decorative trays to keep small items organized.

Mixing and Matching Decor Elements

Mixing textures, colors, and materials can create a visually appealing display on your console table. Don't be afraid to experiment and showcase your unique style.

Creating Visual Interest

Consider varying the heights of the items you place on the table to create depth and visual interest. This can be achieved through the use of tall candleholders, stacked books, or decorative sculptures.

Maintenance and Care

1. Cleaning Tips

Regularly dust and clean the table's surface to prevent the buildup of dirt and grime. Use appropriate cleaning products for the table's material.

2. Preventing Damage

Place coasters under beverages and use table runners or placemats to protect the surface from scratches and spills. Avoid placing heavy or sharp objects on the table.

Where to Buy Console Tables

Furniture Stores

Visit your local furniture stores to see and touch the tables in person. This allows you to assess their quality and match them with your decor.

Online Retailers

Online retailers offer a wide selection of console tables, often with detailed descriptions and customer reviews to guide your purchase.

Conclusion

Console tables are more than just pieces of furniture; they are essential elements of interior design that can elevate the look and functionality of your home. By carefully choosing the right style, decorating creatively, and maintaining your console table, you can transform your living spaces into inviting and aesthetically pleasing environments.

If you're ready to enhance your home decor with the perfect modern console table, explore your options at Cantoni. Our modern selection of console tables are functional pieces of furniture for any modern and luxurious space. 

[seniouesbabes]

Lily Maymac 🌸🍒💋🌸 Red day ♥️ @alo #alopartner

[designdekko]

Residential Barn in a Hamlet Zone in Switzerland

Be Architektur introduces its residential Barn project in a Hamlet Zone of around 15 buildings in a rural, mainly agricultural setting in Switzerland. This new home in the hamlet feels obliged to honour the area’s historical context.

Typical barn characteristics were taken up and reinterpreted in a modern way. From a distance, the residence discreetly blends into its rustic surroundings. The exterior facade is clad in glazed spruce wood – the same type of timber used on traditional Swiss barns. A pitched roof was designed in the same vein, with tile roofing typical to the local architecture.

Also Read | 10 kitchen design ideas inspired by farmhouse style

The building responds to the topography of the site. Building on a slope usually requires excavation behind the building and backfilling in front, but this approach was deliberately rejected. Instead, the ground floor is arranged in a series of levels at different heights to follow the existing slope.

Also Read | Beginners guide: Creative ideas for styling your new living space

A barn is typically used for storage and as a workroom for agricultural production. Although this new building is not a depository, its rooms – bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, etc. – are “stored” within it as closed volumes figuratively stacked on top of one another. This “stacking” creates a sculptural interior, which is a positive spatial volume within the building. A negative volume forms around these stacks, comprising a landscape of open living spaces that are interconnected vertically and horizontally. A generous interior unfolds with a sense of endless expanse.

Also Read | How to select a dinnerware set that matches your home decor?

The new building reinterprets the simple, unadorned nature of a traditional barn through its choice of materials. Exposed concrete slabs for the floor and a special plaster covering the walls ensure a raw, unfinished feel. Two different materials with a similar effect – concrete and plaster – are used throughout the interior to achieve an expressive effect.

The freestanding two-car garage in exposed concrete was created using the same timber formwork as that used for the house facade. A photovoltaic system was installed on the gently sloping concrete gable roof, with solar panels covering the surface like a carpet. The new home enters into a thematic dialogue with the surrounding agricultural buildings for a unique interpretation of the vernacular barn typology.

Also Read | Timber hybrid office ensemble EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin

Technical sheet

Client: Private owners

Commission: Direct

Living space: 215 m²

Volume (Swiss norm SIA 416): 1021 m3 + garage 106 m3

Completion: 01.08.2022

Civil engineer: suisseplan Ingenieure AG, Zurich

Lighting design: Lichtblick AG, Buchs

Building physics: Wichser Akustik & Bauphysik AG, Zurich

HVAC planning: Elsner Klima AG Adliswil

Photographer: Vito Stallone

Source Link

[donutholehole]

A Murder, A Nurse, A Case.[B.Blanc/Reader]

Part 1 of A Murder and A Motive

Summary: World’s greatest Detective and his second pair of eyes take on a difficult murder case of secrecy, disguise and revenge.

Pairing: Benoit Blanc [Knives out]/Reader. He/Him pronouns used.

Warnings: Descriptions of death, blood and wounds, abandonment.

Word Count: 1,946

Note: I am aware Benoit Blanc is canonically married but I am ignoring Hugh Grant in this story (rare for me - Paddington 2 is one of my favourite films because of him). Also! I am very not American so if words are off and it ruins the immersion, very sorry!

Not my gif!!

It was a remote farmhouse, far from any major roads and cities. Surrounded by seemingly endless fields and woods, though you could detect a small town nearby from the road signs. Usually, you would never notice a house like this. You would typically drive passed, but with the addition of four police cars, an ambulance, and P.I.‘s on the property, it was hard to ignore. It was a beautiful house still, architecturally stunning.

A chubby, older woman sat on the doorsteps of the house, unable to compose herself though police attempted to calm her. You closed the door to Blanc’s car and took in the stunning scenery and chaotic atmosphere. Another car pulled up swiftly after you, a young woman rushed out of the vehicle as soon as she stopped it and ran to talk to the police and comfort the woman on the steps.

“Blanc, good to see you.” A cop said. Officer West, she was present during a few cases throughout your time with Blanc. “Y/N…nice to see you again.” She said, a smirk on her face. Blanc had stated many times that she was utterly obsessed with you however you chose to ignore him.

“Officer West.” You nodded, and she nodded in return. You walked towards the house door where the two women sat consoling each other. Both women cried now.

“This is Marlene Edwards, James Lee’s primary nurse. She contacted us and told us of his death when she arrived this morning. This is Joanna Lee, the victim's only living relative.” Officer West introduced you to the women, who were obviously beside themselves but staying strong. Marlene Edwards was in her late 60's, she had her dark hair in a neat bun and wore her scrubs just as she usually would. She had dark circles around her eyes, perhaps from crying, perhaps from being an overworked medical worker. Nonetheless, she looked kind.

The other woman, Joanna Lee, was frankly the opposite. She had long ginger hair, which was in a messy ponytail. Her clothes seemed to be the first she picked out, it was only 7:15 A.M. anyway. Pain lined her tearstained face.

“Pleasure to meet the two of you. I’m Detective Benoit Blanc, and this is my assistant Y/N L/N. Perhaps we go inside and talk to you both?” He asked as he shook their hands. They nodded, opening the door and guiding you both through the house.

The house was even more beautiful inside. Each wall was an aged brown with lightly gold details on each corner, and the floor was a dark wood that had a slight creak in some places. It was traditional, simple but not too simple, and obviously an inherited home.

The two women sat in the lounge together, and you sat opposite them with Blanc. The couches were made of dark leather with sage green feather pillows. You enjoyed noticing the small details of the locations of murders, it showed some repeating patterns.

“Now, Marlene, is it? Tell me, when did you arrive here this morning?” Blanc asked her, the victim's daughter held the older woman’s hand tightly to comfort her. You opened your notepad and took a sleek black pen Blanc had gotten you for your birthday from your pocket.

“6:30 A.M, just like every mornin'.” She managed to choke out, Joanna rubbed her back. You scribbled that down in your notebook.

“What time did you find his body, would you say?” He asked, she took a moment to answer.

“Around 6:55 A.M, I don’t remember. I always spruce the place up a bit, make him a coffee and breakfast before he wakes up, then I give him his medicine.” She replied, thinking particularly hard to remember. "I hit a bookshelf when I went to the phone, it's a mess up there."

You wrote carefully and quickly so as to not miss any information. “And what medications was your patient on?” Blanc inquired. You loved the way he was so meticulous about what questions he asked, when to ask them, everything. He was incredibly talented in his work and took great care of the victim's family and friends.

“Lisinopril, a blood pressure medication. Hydrocodone, a pain medication. He’s diabetic, so I test his blood every 2-3 hours and inject insulin when needed.” She told you, she was cooperating perfectly. You wrote down what she had said.

“How many nurses or caretakers have been here in the passed few days?”

“There’s always 2 of us on sight in a day, Sarah, she comes and takes care of his bathing needs and everything like that around 4:30 P.M. Yesterday there was a trainee nurse, his name was, uh, Clark?” That was intriguing. You’d had some background information on the case beforehand and only two caretakers were noted. Marlene Edwards and Sarah-Jane Matthews.

“Tell me more of this Clark," He leaned forward, clearly compelled by this mysterious character.

"He was a young feller, fresh out of school, maybe late 20's? He said he was new and still partly training to care for the elderly. He showed me his work I.D...I didn't even question he could be lyin'. Oh, sweet Jesus." She covered her mouth and realised it was likely to be him, she couldn't help but blame herself for allowing him into his home.

"Don't blame yourself, love. You couldn't have known." You reassured her, sending her a warm smile before returning to your notepad and writing down a possible suspect.

"Thank you, Mrs Edwards. This information could be crucial. I'd like to speak to Miss. Lee alone if that would be okay?" He informed her, she nodded and scurried out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Miss Lee. I know it is a horrible situation. You’re strong." You prefaced before Blanc could begin. Blanc glared at you and gave you a smile. You took after him in supporting the victim's family members and friends.

“What was your and your father's relationship like?” Blanc asked, she composed herself and thought for a few moments.

“Strong, I’d say. We loved each other and talked every day after I finished work. We’d always have a game of Clue with Marlene and Sarah when I was there, I bet you’re really good at that game.” She laughed slightly, reminiscing on good times with her father.

“He’s terrible.” You mimed at her, and she smiled at that. Talking to people casually was a psychological trick you’d picked up. You used standard English, made jokes when acceptable and spoke to them like you would a friend. They open up and become more comfortable talking.

“Your mother, is sh-” Benoit began before he was cut off my Joanna.

“Margaret Lee. She died when I was 14. Car accident. It took a real toll on Dad. He had Survivor’s Guilt since that day. Always blaming himself. It hurt to watch. He was on Antidepressants for 3 years,” She said. She looked down at her hands for a moment. You sent her an empathetic look, your head bowed down and your eyes closed.

"That must've been very difficult," Blanc said. "Y/N, would you investigate that Trainee Nurse while I talk to Miss Lee?" He asked, you nodded, standing from the couch.

"It was lovely to meet you, Joanna. You're powerful." You shook the woman's hand before she left and gave her kind eyes. You wandered through the house, taking time to indulge in your surroundings. Though the gruesome smell of death lingered through the house, you doubted it was unfamiliar to it. It was aged, and the paint on the walls chipped away from where furniture and frames once were. You saw Officer West and headed towards her.

"Y/N! You alright?" She turned around quickly, two cups of coffee in her hand. "Here, I know it's cold out." She handed you one.

"Thank you. We need to get in contact with whoever is distributing carers here. We have a suspect." You ordered, she gasped slightly. "Clark, no other details other than a young, late 20’s, trainee nurse. He was here yesterday."

"I will get that info for you!"

After 10 minutes of waiting by the door, the tips of your fingers turning blue, Officer West approached you. "There is a Clark, trainee nurse, but he's 45. He was reported in an old folks home yesterday. But get this, when asked, he couldn't find his I.D.!" She told you enthusiastically with a smile. You smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Officer." You stormed inside, finally feeling warmth against your skin again. "Blanc!" You yelled towards the lounge room, which he was already leaving. "Bad news, the Clark that Mrs Edwards described isn't registered. But, the real Clark is a 45-year-old man whose I.D. is absent from his person. It was stolen."

"My, so we're on a hunt for an unknown individual?" He questioned, you took a pause before nodding uncomfortably. "No leads, nothing."

"Well, we haven't snooped around yet. That's my favourite part," You smiled, walking back towards the stairs. "Shall we?" You raised your hand as you stepped onto the first step. Blanc looked down at your hand and laughed, not taking your hand but walking up the stairs with you still.

"We're not snoopin', Y/N. We're looking for evidence," He reminded you, shooting you disapproving, teasing eyes.

"We're kinda snooping," You mumbled before getting to the upper floor. It was a slight mess, with books scattered across the floor from when Marlene ran to the phone. You kicked some out of the way to make a clear path. You knew which room was James Lee's. The metallic stench of recently shed blood and the linger of death surrounded the doorway. You entered the room.

His sheets were still painted with his blood. You couldn't help but uncomfortably cover your mouth at the horrific sight. It was clear the killer wasn't well-skilled. The walls and floor were splattered with blood. It was a horrific sight to witness. "My lord, they really wanted him dead," You heard Blanc mutter under his breath.

"Seems so. Get to looking," You ordered him, you weren't usually as clear and demanding to Blanc, but after seeing this you couldn't help but be angry.

"I thought I gave orders," He huffed before he put a pair of gloves on. You followed after him and began the search for something, anything that gave you enough evidence to have a lead.

You found nothing. There were pictures of his family, vacations, books, empty medicine bottles, clothes. That was typical for any room, you didn't doubt that they were there well before the murder had occurred. You looked at high shelves when you noticed a camera.

It was old. Clearly a valuable item for display only. You picked it carefully from its place. You coughed as dust entered your throat. Checking if it had film, you were met with nothing. You sighed, placing it back on the shelf.

A case. There was a case hidden behind the camera. It was sleek and untouched for many years, covered in dust. As Blanc searched under the bed. You slowly opened it. "Blanc. Look." He raised his head from under the bed.

"What? What've you got?" He asked, hitting his head as he tried to get from under the bed and yelping. Once he'd composed himself and stood, he dusted himself off and looked at the case. "Joanna's baby book? That's all? Did your parents not do that?" He asked. It was a small book, with a photo of a newborn baby on the front with the name Joanna Haf Lee written on the front in gold lettering.

"Blanc, there's two."

Part 2 <-

[hometoursandotherstuff]

While renovating their lovely rustic home, Jasmiina was already imagining what Xmas would be like. She and husband Matti turned it into a colorful, rustic farmhouse and currently have two Finnish horses, an Estonian riding pony, a mini pig, two giant rabbits, chickens, a dog, three cats, aquarium fish and a vineyard shed.

How wonderful is this? 

The living room is dominated by a group of plush sofas.

Of course an old house must have a rocking chair.

The bright red kitchen is the heart of the home. 

Jasmiina bought the red curtains too short, but not to worry- she added the white fabric strips to lengthen them- they look great, maybe even nicer.

The magnificent tiles of the Art Nouveau-style oven in the hall were bought cheaply before the house was renovated. A local mason assembled a fireplace from them, which is used daily as the house is heated with wood.

From the kitchen you enter the office. The computer and printer are very attractive on an antique desk.

The office also serves as a dressing room. The adorable Art Nouveau mirror table was painted light blue.

Jasmiina found the old sewing machine when she went to buy a slightly-used machine, but the metallic beauty completely charmed her.

SpongeBob Collien enjoys sleeping in the master bedroom. The wall has a  composition of family pictures.

The lovely rooms for the girls are upstairs. Orange curtains and a series of lights crafted by Jasmiina bring a warm glow.

This year, daughter Aretta chose a white spruce for her room. The elf has brought small advance gifts to its “roots” at night.

Aretta's room has a patinated wooden bed. On the bedside table shines a miniature world made in a small briefcase.

Son Otso's room has a convenient loft bed.

Every morning, there’s the happy and bustle of feeding the animals. 

https://www.meillakotona.fi/artikkelit/heppoja-minipossuja-ja-jattikaneja-ahdin-tunnelmallisella-jouluaatto-on-taynna-vilsketta

[joelsrifle]

GRIEVE

CHAPTER I

The Guilt

parings: implied Joel x FEMALE!reader

warnings: angst, sad Joel, Joel grieving, character death mentioned, mixed emotions, nightmares/reliving that terrible day at the start(written in italics), ghost activities

notes: first chapter of the Grieve series! I’m excited to share the first real chapter, the last was the prologue which I’ll link below! I do advise you to read the prologue to understand by his chapter and what I mean as implied! But enjoy and happy reading link: prologue

word count: 1.5k

February 6th 2037

Joel sighed, pulling the beer from his lips, his hazel eyes focused on the open field. Next to him—her grave. Neat and pristine. Grass plucked from the spot she laid in and around the headstone. Flowers in a green wooden vase. The one he had made her not but a few years earlier. Her favorite—white lilies and phlox’s. They’d become his favorite too. They smelled like her—just missing that sweet cherry scent. A scent that would daze you every time you walked through the door. A scent that still stained her side of the bed, her clothes. It wasn’t just the scent he missed, he missed her embrace. Her soft skin against his own callused skin. He missed her smile. The way her eyes would light up at the smallest things, that now, no one would ever take for granted.

Joel missed waking up to her sleeping face. He missed hearing her complain about her graying hair, that he found to be the most beautiful thing. Joel missed everything about her. Joel Miller missed being loved. He missed the feeling he had in his stomach around her. The one that made him feel like a teenager again….

He missed being loved.

He inhaled another sharp breath. The more he thought, the more and more his blood boiled. How could someone just take her away? A loving woman who caused no wrong. They squashed her like a bug. Like she was nothing. But she was something. She was something to him. Now she was just a memory, a memory that floated around the farm.

He blinked again his head drooping down. Brows furrowed. Jaw clenched. “I’m gonna find ‘em.” He hissed. Turning his head to look at her grave, “I’m gonna find who did this to you darlin’ and their gonna regret ever laying their hands on you.” Joel swore, he promised.

Joel Miller—over these years in Jackson, after everything he’s done and been through, he found his humanity back. But in this moment, the love of his life buried six-feet under, one thought consumed him. The thought of revenge. Joel wanted revenge. Every time he thought about her, thought about that day, thought about her unrecognizable face. Thoughts about wrapping her in a white sheet and tucking her under a blanket of dirt for an eternal sleep. He’d think of finding who did this to her. If he couldn’t save her. He could avenge her. Avenge the life she did and could have lived. A life of peace they were building. That’s exactly what he’s gonna do. No matter how long it took, how far he’d have to go, he was going to find who did this to her. Take some part of what they took back.

He sat in this endless silence, thinking on what to do. He rolled his lips together and stood up. Turning to head back to the house sparing a final glance at her grave for the night. He wanted to say goodnight and how much he missed and loved her. Say a word he’d barely—verbally say—but would show it greatly. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it as his throat grew tight. Joel headed back towards the white farmhouse, beer in hand, painful thoughts consuming him.

As Joel walked away, the sun began to set, leaving a glow to radiate on his lovers grave. Her headstone glittered in the golden light. Her name perfectly carved into wooden sepulchre. One he hand carved for her. The flowers ravished against the spruce wood, preserving her life. Preserving the beauty and hope she had weaved into her life even in this terrible, gut wrenching world that had surrounded her for so many years. No matter where she was now, that beauty and hope would possibly follow—

Or maybe, it’d become something more, something no one would ever think of…

[ ]

February 7th 2037, 3:00am

Joel grunted under his breath, tossing and turning in the queen sized bed in the master room of the farm house. It was hard to sleep. Each time he closed his eyes, imagines of that day came back, it kept him awake most nights. He’d stay up. Questions running through the back of his mind. But tonight, he’d fallen asleep, reliving that day again in a course of a nightmare. Joels eyelids twitched and his brows furrowed, “No. no,” he pleaded through his deep sleep. “Please.”:

He was coming back from the supposed to be short hunting trip, lunging a pretty good sized elk behind him as he approached the farmhouse from the back. He didn’t see it at first. Oh but when he did, his gut twisted as thinking the worse, he dropped the elk. “No. No,” he pleaded with a gulp, “Please.” Letting his feet hurriedly carry him through the rest of the field and through the front door. He didn’t study the screen door that was busted in, that was forced opened by human hands. With widened eyes, his face fell and paled in color, “Baby?” He muttered heading for the corpse that laid on the ground, the face unrecognizable, but he knew it was her.

As Joel laid still on the bed, his voice croaked, “God..please don’t—”

“God..please don’t do this. Baby.” He cried. Now on his knees, hands getting dowsed in blood as he cradled her head. He tried his best to push matted hair from her face, even when he did, her eyes were swollen, teeth missing, chunks of flesh and blood covered her. Her own flesh and blood. He gently laid her back on the ground, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he moved to lay his head on her still-born chest. Praying it didn’t happen ——

in a flash of darkness, he was now dizzily looking at his hands, covered in her blood, some scotches decorated his sleeves. His hands were shaking, then he looked around hurriedly, catching a glimpse of someone—

Joel gasped, bolting up, his hand flying to his chest as it tightened. He swallowed thickly, eyes darting to windows, searching for a lick of sunlight but it was just darkness that bled through the blinds. Joel tried easing his breath, but it still shook with a unknown feeling, the endless darkness didn’t help. Flipping on his side, he pulled the string of the lamp illuminating the bedroom before he pulled himself to sit on the edge of the bed. “Fuck,” he said hoarsely, rubbing his hand from his eyes to his jaw.

Joel Miller was used to nightmares, yes. But this was different? It wasn’t him just reliving the moment. It was like this dream wanted to—wanted to tell him something at the end?

He gripped the edge of the bed, knuckles white as he reran the scenes in his head, sweat collected at his brows and dribbled down his back. It still felt like he was suffocating. Trying to breath wasn’t working. It felt too hard to even try, it felt exhausting. He felt panicked. His heart beating none stop to the point his ears rang. He felt eyes on him. Even with nothing else in the room, it felt like he was being watched. The large room felt so small and cramped. It felt like he couldn’t escape. It felt like he was still in a nightmare. A living nightmare.

Joel’s head whipped back to the windows once the feeling grew to strong. His eyes widened as he froze and grew pale. A darkened figure stood at the window. It looked like—it looked like her silhouette. Just standing there at the window. Staring back at him. He thought it was just a sleeping haze that made him see something that wasn’t there. But then—then he heard it.

“…Joel,” her voice croaked. His stomach dropped. Eyes stinging with tears as he tore his eyes from the figure, turning his head to face the wall in front of him again, soon dropping his head down and closing his eyes. Telling himself it wasn’t real. That he was just seeing things. The pain still stung him deeply. His chest was still in a coil and his ears continued to ring, but it got louder and louder and louder. Like his head was gonna explode.

It felt like the—her figure got closer and closer to him. The air in front of him cooled, drastically, he squeezed his eyes tighter. Then a soft, freezing touch graced his cheek, and her face felt like it was right by his. Her light breath fanned the side of his face until she uttered, her tone too quiet to be heard, all he did hear; “They did this.”

Then everything disappeared suddenly, the heat in the room rose again, his chest started to ease itself as the ringing in his ears slowly degraded. Joel slowly opened his eyes, letting out a shaking breath when he seen nothing was there.

He sat there for a moment, his hand running down his face again before he pushed himself from the bed. He needed fresh air. He needed to figure out what the hell was happening. Who were they? How many were there? Would this—would this happen again?

[ ]

tags: @misspearly1 @extraneous-trip @tiredbeebo

[gendernivata]

FLAG 1: Rowosian ☉☉-☽☽-☉☉-☽☽-☉☉

a gender connected to typical autumn and countryside things (like farmhouses, wood storage places, fireplaces, barns, etc.), and rustic, agrarian, and autumnal aesthetics. It may be a gender that only lasts for the autumn season, or it may persist into winter and, possibly, spring. A Part of the Rusticarian Group

Etymology: Proto-Italic, “*rowos” meaning “country, countryside”

☉☉-☽☽-☉☉-☽☽-☉☉

FLAG 2: Rowestikosian ☉☉-☽☽-☉☉-☽☽-☉☉

a gender connected to pine trees, spruce and pine forests, rural homes in the forest, forest creatures scuttering around the forest floor, the colors of the sky, clouds, and rustic, agrarian, and autumnal aesthetics. It may be a gender that only lasts for the autumn season, or it may persist into winter and, possibly, spring. A part of the Rusticarian Group

Etymology: Proto-Italic, “*rowestikos” meaning “rustic, rural”

☉☉-☽☽-☉☉-☽☽-☉☉

[elindae-writes]

megatron hires interior designers for the nemesis

"Babe, where is this Megan Ron woman at? And where is her house?" Corbick asks as he stares at the blank patch of land in the middle of the suburban neighborhood.

Taelynn hums. "Uh, no clue. She contacted me on Facebook and practically begged me to refurnish and design her home so that it could be an entertaining space worthy of 'conquering.'" Taelynn sighs. Megan insisted that there was a nice classic condo in need of some "glam" right at this address. Megan had even sent a blurry picture of it. But now Taelynn had doubts. Maybe Taelynn had been sent some stock picture of another house.

The watermarks should've been a clear give away.

A giant green portal roars to life in the dirt lot.

Megatron steps through the bridge and removes his yellow wig. "surprise. i am not the middle-aged suburbanite woman you were looking for! it is your lord! i want the nemesis to have a farmhouse aesthetic." Megatron stomps up to the two frozen home designers. "what are you waiting for? i want a consultation."

Taelynn gulps. "Uh? What?"

Megatron scoffs. "it is i. megan ron! the woman who needs design advice on how to spruce up her condo. perhaps i was a bit dishonest. the condo is a spaceship. it is at this address but it is above." They look up and the Nemesis is blocking the sun. "anyway, come along."

Megatron grabs the two screaming designers and shuffles through the portal onto the bridge of the Nemesis. He plops the two of them down onto the floor and gestures around.

"conquering spaceships. revamping suburban neighborhoods. same thing."

"I think I-I'm going to faint," Taelynn says.

Megatron gasps. "how can i transform my warlord space bridge into a fantastic space to entertain? anyway. i want beachfront property, tasteful kitchen backsplash, and five bathrooms."

Corbick scratches his head. "Well. What is your budget, my Lord?"

"lots."

"...Okay."

Megatron picks them up again and takes them into an intersection in the hall. He growls at how empty it is. "how can i be expected to entertain in this space? why do people not like it? everyone flees from it. it is inexplicable. is it because of the gratuitous amount of spilled blood?"

There is indeed a gratuitous amount of spilled blood.

Taelynn blinks. "Well, uh--"

"god! you're right. it's because it needs exposed salvaged stained woodbeam rafters."

Megatron gestures at some nearby computer consoles. He shoves a drone at work off to the side and smacks the countertops "i need to replace these countertops. CORBICK. give input."

Sweat beads on Corbick's forehead. "Uh, l-laminate could be good."

"laminate?" Megatron hisses. "i need marble. how can i be expected to host my party with laminate? also i need a barn door." Megatron shoots at the hinges of a nearby door. Smoke and fire booms out and the door creaks as it clangs onto the ground.

Corbick and Taelynn stare.

Megatron smacks the wall. It makes a hollow clang that echoes through the hall. "is this load-bearing? i need my spaceship to be open concept. i want to conquer more planets and take captives and they need to be able to freely flow and mingle here. so. also i need to make my home more stylish than optimus's." Megatron claps his servos together. "ha! soon he will be the one sobbing over how the homes on pinterest are more chic than his own home is!"

Silence.

Megatron clears his intake. "ah. i should add a chalkboard barn door. chat? what do you think?"

He stares directly at the camera. The chat is spamming barn! barn! barn!

"i can write wholesome quotes on it in cursive with multi-colored chalk. captive autobots can also write pleas for mercy there. i would also like a bowl of oranges in a bowl that is on display. it is the ideal statement piece. people like bowls of fruit. it fits the planet-conquering mood. it shall be placed down on a marble counter or perhaps upon a driftwood coffee table in order to increase the welcoming ambience."

He pulls oranges out of his armor and several hundred of them fall down. The oranges topple and roll everywhere. Megatron instantly swears and drops into a crouch as he frantically tries to gather them together again. They get stabbed onto the tips of his talons and he shakes them off. His sword unsheathes and he uses it to nudge them together.

"god. why is this happening. pinterest misled me."

Taelynn shakily speaks up. "It's r-recommended that you use toothpicks to keep them stuck together to, ah, prevent them from rolling off and leaving."

"the same way orion left?!" Megatron wheezes.

He is silent for a few moments. Then he clears his intake.

"toothpicks," Megatron says flatly. "you desire for me to stab my lovely display oranges with picks of wood? i will take things a step further." He begins to stab them with his sword. "now i am the lord of both earth and home design. the oranges are upon my frame and i can carry them with me wherever i go. can we do a mid-century modern rustic farmhouse glam look with a dash of warlord thrown in? thank you. you are being held captive until then. get to it."

[crowfootwrites]

December 1st from my Stardew Valley December Drabbles List!

Kinda felt like getting started with just setting the vibe, no pairing, just the farmer! Also, these drabbles are all going to be limited to around 100 words!

The majority of my work up until this point has been for the Mayans fandom. If you'd like to be tagged in my Stardew Valley work, or even just in the Drabbles, let me know! ✌🏻

❄️

Wreath (no pairing; GN!Farmer)

You shivered as you stepped over the threshold and into the biting winter air. You knew it was cold, but your wool coat and thick jeans were still no match for the chill on the farm. Blessedly, you weren’t going far. You hooked the gold hanger over the top of your front door and, with fingers already stiff with cold, settled the Winter Star wreath, fragrant with pine, spruce, and holly berries, against the wood. You took a step back to admire your handiwork, an eager smile forming on your lips as you booked it back into your cozy farmhouse.

[wittykitty21]

Falling Together

//Shanexfarmer HarveyxFarmer Sebastianxfarmer??

TW !! Talk of self harm, suicide, drinking, abuse!!

Chapter One - Escape to the Past

As I got off the bus to my new home, the fresh mountain air filled my lungs. It smelled sweet like wisteria and honeysuckle. Everything was so green here, mossy, grassy, leafy, flowery. I missed it so much. Lewis and a ginger haired woman were waiting for me smiling brightly. I almost broke into tears seeing a familiar face. They both welcomed me with a warm hug, and Lewis introduced me to the woman. Her name is Robin, and she’s the town carpenter.

“I’m so happy you chose to take over Destriu Farm. You’ll love it here in Pelican town, everyone here is friendly. Your grandpa would be so proud of you-”, Lewis stopped when he looked into my eyes.

“Oh my. You have his eyes. You look so much like him, -- I mean! You don’t look like a man! I just see the family resemblance stronger in you than your mother.”

I I did, I had the same dark brown tousled hair as grandpa, along with the same exact reddish brown eyes with golden rings around the irises. And the biggest tip off that I was his granddaughter, one of my eyes was lighter than the other with a hint of green in the lighter colored iris. 

“It’s okay Lewis, I get it, you think I’m manly” I chuckled.

“What? No!” he exclaimed, not catching onto my sarcasm.

“I’m just kidding around, I know. I’m a walking mini female version of my grandfather.” I smiled gently. Robin was chuckling at my satire.

“It’s nice to know the old farm will be carried on instead of being turned into Joja Corp land.” she said as she helped with one of the suitcases. 

“Man, I hate Joja Coperation. I worked for them for 3 years. “ I grimaced at the thought of the long hours, passed promotions I deserved, and workplace animosity. 

Lewis and Robin both looked at me in surprise.

“You did? What did you do?” Robin asked quizzically. 

I nodded, “I was a regional department head for Zuzu City. Lots of money, no ethics, no personal time and shit people.”

“I can imagine that and worse from that place. We have a Joja Mart trying to take over land here, hopefully with the farm back up, the local economy will boost and Joja will leave.” Lewis said as he hauled one of my suitcases down the path.

 The trio of us walked down to my grandfathers old farmhouse, errr, well, my farmhouse now. A sense of nostalgia and comfort overwhelmed me as we neared the log house. The land was overgrown and wild, but still recognizable. The old log farmhouse still made out of spruce wood, and while it was definitely a fixer-upper it wasn’t unsalvageable. Robin and Lewis offered to help fix up the house a little bit, help with minor repairs until I was settled. I thanked them and told them I’d pay them back with some of my grandfathers famous apple preserves. 

“You should come down to the Saloon tonight and introduce yourself to some of the town, they’ve all been waiting to meet the new farmer and Thomas’ granddaughter. I think you’ll recognize some familiar faces. Sam and you used to play together as children, he’s still here. So is Emily, and Haley. Oh! Marnie will be so happy to see you.” Lewis rattled on excitedly.

I stopped him, “Marnie?? She’s still here? Oh my god, I’ve missed her cooking so much. She was like an aunt to me when I was little. She always made my birthday cakes and they were the bomb. Didn’t she have a son or something?” 

Robin and Lewis looked at eachother, “No she’s never had a son, she used to let her nephew visit her farm a lot though. He’s here too, I’m sure he’ll be at the Saloon.” The tone in Lewis’ voice changed to something of contempt, but I thought nothing much of it. 

“Really? I can’t remember his name because of some memory loss..... but i remember we were almost inseparable.” I said. 

“Memory loss?” Lewis asked.

“Uh, yeah, a lot happened. I’m not one to want to really talk about it. Just excuse me if I’m a little air headed. “ I smiled, hoping he wouldn’t notice the bruise I covered with makeup earlier. 

Robin nodded with an understanding that was deep, she noticed. She saw my bruise, but just didn’t say anything about it. “If you ever get bored or lonely,” She said, “you’re always welcome to my home. I have a son about the same age as you, and a daughter who’s probably a few years younger. I think you and Sebby would get along super well. Seems you two have the same style.”

“I’m sure we will. Say, Lewis? Is there a doctor’s office in town? I should probably get set up with everything to do with that.” I asked.

“Ah yes, Dr.Harvey Smith is one of the best doctors. He’s right next to Pierres as soon as you walk into town. Can’t miss it, big blue cross above the door. Well, we’ll leave you to get settled. Will we be seeing you at the Saloon tonight?” He smiled. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I just have to get a nap and a shower in. And make myself look decent haha.” I noted my ragged appearance, I had on plain black leggings, and a large band shirt with a black jacket on. 

“We’ll see you then!” and off they went.

I sighed as I entered the house and plopped down on the old green, white and plaid couch. I stared at the ceiling fan for what seemed like forever before dozing off. I woke up a few hours later around 5 pm. I hopped in the shower and then picked out an outfit. I wanted to cover my wrists where my injuries were. I didn’t want my first impression to everyone to be a weak and mentally ill cutter. I put on a light long sleeve grey shirt then a large black guns n roses shirt over it. I paired it with a pair of ripped black shorts. I put on a minimal amount of makeup, just enough to cover the bruise on my eye, and used purple eyeshadow under both my eyes to make it appear as if it was on purpose. 

After I was satisfied with how I appeared, I braced myself to meet the town. 

-------

Okay guys, like and reblog if you want me to continue writing more to this story. I’m going to try to put a part two up this morning. This is my first time writing a fanfiction so bear with me! <3 

[jodybouchard9]

‘Farmhouse Facelift’ Reveals the Biggest Farmhouse Decor Fail of All

Hulu

With farmhouse style being all the rage, Hulu has hopped on the bandwagon with a new show, “Farmhouse Facelift,” featuring brother-sister renovators Carolyn Wilbrink and Billy Pearson.

In this series, Wilbrink, a designer, and Pearson, a carpenter, fix up old country houses in Canada, giving them modern comforts while keeping their classic charm. And in the premiere episode, “Make It Ours,” married couple Kristine and John need a whole lot of help making their 1885 colonial farmhouse feel like home.

As they explain, their farmhouse has been in the family for five generations, and while the property is certainly special to the couple, they don’t necessarily want to be living like their grandma (or great-great-great-grandma) did.

Here’s how Wilbrink and Pearson turn this run-down house into a home any country lover or city slicker alike would envy—a transformation packed with plenty of tips you might be inspired to try in your own home.

New-looking floors are a huge farmhouse fail

Before: There’s an odd line running down this dining room floor where the wood changes.

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As soon as Wilbrink and Pearson walk into this home, they notice the floors need replacing. The problem? New floors often look new—and in a farmhouse, that just won’t do.

To keep this home’s antiquated look, they decide on a flooring that has a lot of imperfections.

After: These boards are imperfect, but now they look intentional.

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“Skip dress flooring is basically a rough finish,” Pearson says. “It’s been planed, but very minimal, so you still have saw marks.”

Made from joists, trusses, and wall studs, this flooring features plenty of distress marks and age.

The flooring will be truly unique, says Wilbrink. “It’s going to be perfectly imperfect.”

In the end, this flooring gives the home a classic feel and looks like it could have been there the whole time.

A bold color can quickly update an old kitchen

Before: With dated features, this felt like Grandma’s kitchen.

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The biggest problem with this house is that it feels old.

“This still feels like, when I come in here, it’s my mother-in-law’s kitchen,” Kristine explains.

Wilbrink solves this problem by replacing the old cabinets with new ones in a more modern color—denim blue. The kitchen still has that traditional farmhouse charm, but now it looks fresh, bold, and uniquely Kristine’s.

After: New cabinets really spruce up this old farm kitchen.

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“I love mixing old with new, and with these new cabinets being loaded in, this kitchen will no longer be Kristine’s mother-in-law’s,” Wilbrink says.

“But it still honors the history of their family home,” Pearson adds.

Wallpaper can look old and new all at once

Before: Without any color, this bathroom looked old and not necessarily classic.

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Wilbrink continues the old-meets-new theme in the bathroom when she decides to add wallpaper.

Wallpaper was once thought to be very dated, but this material has become trendy in recent years, and many patterns look fresh and modern. 

After: This wallpaper gives the bathroom a classic feel.

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“It just brings back the traditional feel of wallpaper.” Wilbrink says. “But we’re going to give it a modern touch.”

Wilbrink chooses a pattern that evokes a classic farmhouse feel, but the crisp white and dark blue style presents a contemporary aesthetic as well. It’s classic-looking, but the colors make it feel new.

Recycle that old cabinet

Before: This cabinet is a bit too dark for the bathroom.

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To finish this bathroom, Wilbrink and Pearson find an antique cabinet that Pearson can turn into a vanity. However, when it’s delivered to the farmhouse, they realize that the piece is a bit darker than they remembered. Unfortunately, it may be too dark.

“I really need a softer finish so it’ll work better with the wallpaper,” Wilbrink says.

After: After a whitewash, this vanity is the perfect color.

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Wilbrink decides to strip the cabinet down to its natural finish, then whitewash it. Her plan works perfectly, because once they’re ready to install the cabinet-turned-vanity, it looks perfect with the wallpaper.

Porcelain floors make a mudroom easy to clean

Before: The mudroom floor used to be concrete with black mats.

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Wilbrink and Pearson want to make the mudroom a warm, welcoming place. But as it stands, it just feels like an extension of the cold, dull garage. John even complains about the mudroom, saying that he’d find his boots frozen on cold days.

One way they make this room feel more homey is by changing up the floor.

“I didn’t go with brick because it’s porous,” Wilbrink explains. “I needed to use a porcelain, which would make it more functional and easier to clean.”

After: This porcelain flooring is unique and lovely.

Hulu

Then, to make this flooring look unique, Wilbrink comes up with a plan to add a diamond-shaped pattern in the tile, using a different color.

“It’ll add a bit more interest to the floor,” she says.

To finish this flooring, Pearson adds heated coils under the tile so John will never put on frozen boots again. This new flooring is a game changer for the mudroom, turning the space from practically unusable to a beautiful part of this farmhouse.

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