#style influencer extraordinaire

[exsqueezememacaroni]

Like, it was exactly what he wanted to look like.

I think Mike's fashion choices, such as they are, might be either more influential than we know, or very representative of the California look.

Exhibit A:

Mark Ruffalo in Collateral by Michael Mann, set in LA

Please compare with:

Our Mike - honestly the first time I watched the movie, until I got to the credits, I thought it was actually Mike playing the cop there.

So our dear Mike is either the poster boy for the LA everyman's look, or he's a covert Hollywood influencer.

OMG that's hilarious?? love it. I mean - I do associate Mike's general style with Cali, and honestly kinda this mix of southern and northern CA (like he is!) My favorite is his outfits during interviews from like...maybe 2004-2008? When he was talking about Fantomas and soundtracks and such.....there's a floral pattern shirt he has that just screams southern california to me...

But I mean, overall a lot of his stage outfits are just full on costumes too...i was thinking in the shower that his very truest style sense is contained in his various necklaces and bracelets/cuffs

[eiloveir]

→﹐naruto hc! <3

‹𝟹 :: ⭑⭒  🗨 !!  naruto characters and their social media habits

warnings: rushed and out-of-character

note: this is just something I decided to create on a whim, though I was inspired by a post on a clock app. i imagined how these characters might use social media, so here it is.

characters: konoha 12

𓋭  ۫   ☔️ ﹒ ❊  ͚

uzumaki naruto

this guy’s the reigning king of shitposting. he’s got a knack for calling out anything he deems “overrated,” and he doesn’t hold back. his feed is a never-ending stream of complaints about everything from minor inconveniences to full-blown disasters. you might see posts about how his ramen was too hot or things like pineapple on pizza. he’s the kind of troll who wouldn’t hesitate to pick a fight with kids on roblox, turning every argument into a battle that leaves them in tears and scrambling to save face (konohamaru). he would also be the type to start internet beefs over the most mundane things. if you’re ever scrolling through your feed and see a heated argument about why a certain trend is lame, chances are he is behind it.

haruno sakura

the feminist and activist extraordinaire! she’s the type of woman who not only supports human rights in every way possible but also cheers on the LGBTQ+ community with gusto—because, spoiler alert, she’s part of it. she’s someone who’s fully aware of the impact social media can have and is determined to use it to amplify her voice and make a real difference. i also think she has multiple social media accounts like a pro—there’s her private twitter account where she rants about how messed up the government is, her ao3 account where she writes fan fiction with a side of social commentary, and of course, her tumblr where she’s a curator of memes, political discourse, and everything in between. (me)

uchiha sasuke

god, bruh. this dude is basically a social media ghost—he hardly ever posts anything, but when he does, it’s like the internet has just won the lottery. he’s that guy who seems to do absolutely nothing yet somehow manages to grab everyone’s attention. he’s not really into posting on social media, but when he does, it’s always so aesthetically pleasing that you’d think he has a personal stylist and a professional photographer on speed dial. he doesn’t even try to make his posts look good; he just rolls out of bed and somehow manages to be effortlessly cool. man could post a picture of his breakfast and it would still get more likes than your entire feed.

nara shikamaru

this lazy ass (me) would probably end up being a streamer, posting about his win streaks and achievements in every game he plays. despite barely lifting a finger to do anything else, he’d be all over social media, bragging about every victory and high score. he’s the kind of guy who’d stream his gaming marathons from the comfort of his bed, racking up followers while casually lounging around in sweatpants. If there’s a leaderboard, you can bet he’s at the top, and he’s not shy about letting everyone know it.

yamanaka ino

girlie is the famous influencer! she’s always buzzing with posts about the latest fashion trends, beauty tips, and social events. like, you know, the kind of Instagram girlie who’s always flaunting her ootd and setting style standards. she’s practically a fashion icon with every outfit she wears. she’s also the type to post inspirational messages like “wear whatever makes you feel good” or “your body, your choice.” she’s incredibly popular across all her social media platforms and has a tiktok account—she’s all about those thirst traps and dance covers.

akimichi choji

my boi would definitely be the type to either watch mukbangs obsessively or become a mukbanger himself. he’d spend hours trying to replicate recipes he’s seen online, turning his kitchen into a culinary experiment zone. and you can bet he’d be posting all about it—sharing his attempts, successes, and occasional fails. his feed would be full of mouthwatering food shots and videos of him devouring his creations, proving that he’s just as passionate about cooking and eating as he is about sharing it with the world.

tenten

she’d regularly post about her daily life, giving followers an inside look at her studies or work. her feed would be filled with a lot of photos showcasing her favorite books, snapshots of her workout routines, and candid moments with her for lifers. she’s all about fitness, making her social media a hub for health tips and personal growth. you’d see her posting everything from meal prep ideas to gym selfies. she’d be the type to inspire others with her discipline and positivity.

rock lee

lee would be the type to flood his feed with gym and fitness content, sharing everything from his daily workout routines to personal fitness goals. his posts would be packed with enthusiasm and motivational messages, like “don’t judge a person because of their appearance” and other self-improvement quotes. despite his positive energy, not everyone’s a fan—especially naruto and kiba, who might be more inclined to roll their eyes and make a shitty rant about his optimism.

hyuga neji

this dude, much like sasuke, is totally indifferent to social media. he doesn’t bother with frequent posts but when he does, they’re thoughtful and deliberate. you might see him sharing reflections on life, articles he’s stumbled upon, or insightful news about everyday occurrences. he avoids jumping into pointless online drama or trends, yet somehow, he’s always clued in. that’s thanks to lee and tenten, who can’t stop talking about the latest gossip and social media happenings. despite his apparent disinterest, he picks up on all the chatter and remains surprisingly well-informed about the buzz. so, even though he’s a low-key user, he’s never completely out of the loop.

inuzuka kiba

his socials would be about random rants and memes. he’d post exaggerated complaints about the most trivial matters. his feed would be a fucking mess of humorous and offbeat content—think sarcastic comments, goofy polls, and plenty of memes featuring akamaru. he’d frequently stir up controversies, posting impulsively and diving headfirst into debates. his online presence would be a whirlwind of arguments, especially with naruto, where they often argue over who’s the dumbest between them.

hyuga hinata

she’s the type to be a crocheter, the kind you see on tiktok with an account just for her yarn creations. her feed would be packed with posts showcasing her latest crocheting projects—everything from cozy blankets and stylish scarves to adorable amigurumi (crocheted plush toys). she’d share detailed photos and videos of her work. her account would also feature tutorials and tips for fellow crocheters, helping them improve their skills. she might post about her extensive yarn collection, offer free patterns, and give followers a peek into her crafting process. whether she’s showing off her latest masterpiece or sharing a behind-the-scenes look at her studio, her feed would be a inspiring hub for all things crochet.

aburame shino

the random entomologist on your feed. he would be all about his shit for insects and the natural world. his posts would feature photos of various bugs, often accompanied by educational captions about their behavior, ecology, and characteristics. his feed would include updates from his fieldwork, observations on insect behavior, and informative posts about conservation efforts. while he might occasionally share glimpses of his other interests or hobbies, the focus would remain firmly on nature and entomology. whether he’s showcasing a rare beetle he’s spotted or sharing insights on preserving insect habitats, his content would be a treasure trove of knowledge for fellow nature enthusiasts.

[centrally-unplanned]

FLCLick Noise - Archival Scan

We should be a go!

[Internet Archive Link]

FLCLick Noise is a book published in 2010 that is a deep dive into the production of and creative influences that went into the 2000 anime FLCL by Studio GAINAX. Framed as a conversation between FLCL director and series lead Kazuya Tsurumaki, and FLCL character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the two creatives watch the show together and record their thoughts episode-by-episode, alongside a prologue and a “bonus track”. It is in Japanese, with primarily text and screenshots from the show for use as conversational reference, though there is some art as well (almost all of which is available elsewhere).

FLCL is pretty infamous as a show for its free-wheeling compositional style and loose production process; everyone involved was able to throw in visual ideas, dialogue, plot concepts, and so on. Additionally, FLCL slots pretty clearly into GAINAX’s “Otaku commentary” oeuvre - it is very much anime, *extremely* anime, it would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise; but in addition to being anime it was also a vehicle for the creative team to put in ideas and influences that they believed the anime industry was not utilizing at the time, such as its rock-album concept soundtrack or its josei/seinen manga inspired-character designs.

It is this backdrop that makes a book like FLCLick Noise simultaneously more valuable for understanding FLCL than most other shows, and even possible to exist in the first place. Much of it is fun asides, many of the creative decisions are personal whims, but there is so much to those whims that it is worth reading a book about them. If you want to answer the question “why does FLCL exist the way that it does”, this book will answer that question in more detail than any other source will.

Alas this is a complex and large book - I will aim to translate it someday, but I cannot guarantee neither the timeline nor the quality of that translation as I am by no means a professional in that regard. If you want to get a sample of what the book contains, anime-youtuber-extraordinaire Hazel quasi-coincidentally just released a video essay on FLCL that has an entire section on this book and its contents (I learned of this book from her tweeting about it during research for the video, so the timeline is not pure kismet). If you want the highlights and so much more, it is an amazing video. Meanwhile, I do hope to post a “raw text” version of the different sections somewhat soon, to assist those who do want to read it themselves and would find that would help with the translation.

As always, I hope this is a valuable addition to the ‘akashic record’ of 90’s-era anime history, and gives something special to the FLCL-heads out there like me.

(I'll tag @flclarchives for the two-for-one this week, if they don't mind! And I apologize for the scan quality here - I wanted to do it non-destructively, as this is not a large print run book, which meant my typical flatbed was a no go and the new overhead setup I used was a comedy of errors. Fortunately this is a book about reading text, and despite the errors it's all perfectly readable.)

[jellysimbean-blog]

Sims 4 legacy challenge

~ Run the show~

This legacy challenge was solely created to play as the owner of different types of businesses

Rules

There is no set rules , just focus on having fun. Change this up or follow along, you choose.

You pick what Careers you want for each generation unless stated otherwise

Make money how ever you choose plus the ways listed for each generation.

Generation 1

*PetsCorner*

- Make money from selling puppies and or kittens

- Make money from pet shop

        Aspiration - Friend of the

          animals

       Suggested traits -  Cat lover, Dog lover, Loves outdoors

    

• Open a pet shop Brindleton Bay

• Adopt a stray

• Have at least 2 litter of puppies/kittens

• Sell puppies/kittens for profit

• Have twins/triplets

• Next gen sim Master pet training ( Optional )

Generation 2

                          *Veterinarian*

- Make money fishing 

- Make money from Vet clinic

    

           Aspiration - Your Choice

          Suggested traits - Overachiever, Generous, Proper

• Open a Veterinarian clinic anywhere but Brindleton Bay

• Master fishing

• Reach at least 4 star rating

• Have at least 1 child

Generation 3

*Music shop*

- Make money writing

- Make money through Music Media production

- Make money from Music shop

Aspiration - Musical Genius

Suggested traits - Music lover, Insider, Outgoing

• Start a Music Club

• Marry a music lover sim

• Have 5 children

• Write and publish at least 7 songs

• Get Music signed (Optional)

Generation 4

*Art Craft*

- Make money from art store

- Make money from flea markets selling arts and crafts

Aspiration - Painter Extraordinaire and Fabulously Wealthy

Suggested traits - Maker, Creative,

Art lover

   

• Master painting

• Only sell the artwork/Crafts you created and art supplies at shop

• Meet spouse at an art gallery

• Have at least 1 girl

Generation 5

*Bakery*

-Make money having Bake sales with sales table

-Make money from Bakery

Aspiration - Appliance Wiz

Suggested traits - Family Oriented, Perfectionist, Glutton

• Master Baking

• Enter pie contest at least once

• Have at least 1 child and Adopt at least 2 Child sims

• Have a Lemonade stand

• Have at least one Slumber party

• Get engaged but never marry to a sim with the Lazy trait

Generation 6

*GhostFuel Restaurant*

-Make money from restaurant

-Make money as a paranormal investigator

-Make money from side jobs

Aspiration - Your Choice

Suggested traits - Clumsy, Paranoid, Lovebug

• Have romance with at least 3 different

coworkers

• Be best friends with Parent(s) and or Grandparent(s)

• Marry a customer

• Sell your restaurant after reaching 3 stars

• Have at least 1 boy and 1 girl

• Become a paranormal investigator

Generation 7

*Clothing department*

-Make money through career

-Make money from shop

-Make money Knitting/Crocheting

Aspiration - Villainous Valentine

Suggested traits - Your Choice

  

• Join style influencer career

• Open retail shop at rank 3 in career, work at both jobs

• Never marry

• Have 3 children but all be half siblings

• Master Knitting

Generation 8

*Florist*

-Make money from shop

-Make money from flower arrangements

-Make money from Career

Aspiration - Soulmate

Suggested traits - Romantically Reserved, Green friend, Socially Awkward

•  Join gardening Career

• Master flower arrangement skill

• Have only 1 child less its twins etc.

• Have a Spring wedding

• Retire from career

• Plant and grow only and all types of flowers

Generation 9

*Farmers Market*

-Make money from Market

-Make money Canning

-Make money from stalls

Aspiration - Country Caretaker

Suggested traits - Rancher, Vegetarian, Animal Enthusiasts

• Open a Famers Market selling plant and animal products

• Own at least one cow and two Chickens

• Obtain the Golden treat

• Register as a Farmer with Ministry of Labor (Optional)

• Have 4 Children, 1 set being twins

• Win a ribbon from the Finchwick Fair

Generation 10

*Trailer Park landlord*

-Make money from renters

-Make money from Career

-Make money from woodworking, Flea markets( flip items there), and Dumpster Driving

Aspiration - Eco Innovator and/or Fabulously Filthy

Suggested traits - Recycle Disciple, Freegan, Cringe

• Join Civil Engineer Career

• Dumpster Drive, use any furniture found to decorate properties (Optional)

• Go to flea markets for used furniture, and decorate properties (Optional)

• Create furniture from woodworking , and decorate properties (Optional)

• Woohoo in a Dumpster

• Master handiness and woodworking

• Have 2 children

• Have second child before first child become a teen

[laiqualaurelote]

Some people have said they'd like to hear about the meta behind all the men and women merely players and I was like "oh god are you sure" because there's a lot of it, but here goes:

The Shakespeare

Each chapter of this fic takes its framework from a different Shakespeare play, which is signalled by the title of the chapter and the opening epigraph. In some chapters (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V) the influence is marginal; in others (Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing) it heavily informs the plot, motifs and atmosphere of the chapter. My model for this has been the Brexit seasonal quartet by Ali Smith, the four novels of which are each subtly patterned after a Shakespeare play (Autumn - The Tempest; Winter - Cymbeline; Spring - Pericles; Summer - The Winter's Tale). The way I went about it was to use the Shakespeare play as a scaffolding and let the story in that chapter grow up and around it like a climbing vine.

While each chapter has its own play, there are three plays that underpin the structure of the entire fic: As You Like It, Hamlet and The Tempest. They're all highly meta-theatrical and contain bad fathers (they are also my three favourite Shakespeare plays). As You Like It lays the ground in the way that Ted Lasso S1 did - it's a charming, relentlessly optimistic look at a form of exile and creates an idyllic bubble where any sense of wrongness is consistently subverted. Hamlet is the dark forest of S2, where nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so and everyone does too much bad thinking. The Tempest is S3, or what I had hoped S3 would be - a sea-change, in which the characters undergo a process of transmutation and have certain lost things restored to them or find things anew. They are respectively (to borrow the language of the magic trick) the pledge, the turn and the prestige of this fic.

If there is anything fantastic about this AU it is that everyone somehow seems to know Shakespeare by heart; that said, I think most people actually know more Shakespeare than they realise.

Station Eleven and Station Eleven

This AU draws very heavily on both Station Eleven the novel by Emily St John Mandel and Station Eleven the HBO TV adaptation. In terms of writing style and formal experimentation, I sought to be as Mandellian as possible, most notably in the CRIMM/LASSO interview sequence in Chapter 2, the "problem with the Richmond Players" run-on paragraph in Chapter 4 and the deserted theatres of London section in Chapter 8. Spoilers for Station Eleven ahead!

What I find most interesting about Station Eleven the TV show is that it is very consciously not a straightforward adaptation of the book; in fact, "adaptation" is one of the themes of the show, both in the sense that survival in the post-pandemic world requires adaptation, and in that it questions how adaptation occurs when a story is retold, restaged, reproduced or otherwise passed on. This fic is an adaptation of an adaptation of a novel which in its own way adapts old plays for a brave new world.

Another theme of the show is "connection/coincidence", and one such connection/coincidence is at the heart of the show's adaptation: the Kirsten & Jeevan storyline. In the book Kirsten and Jeevan pass each other like ships in the night. The show connects them, however, and their relationship and eventual separation forms the emotional core of the story - if they hadn't met by chance, if Jeevan had not taken Kirsten home with him, she would almost certainly have died that night. Trent and Miranda's relationship in the fic is based on Jeevan and Kirsten's - what could have been if they'd been able to stay together. ("You walked her home.")

Coincidental connections power Station Eleven. Miranda's graphic novel connects Kirsten and Tyler years before they meet, and each of them adapts it in their own way into a belief system, with drastic impacts on their lives and those around them. Miranda herself is a connector extraordinaire - she works in shipping and so her job is figuring out how to get a thing from point A to point B. She is on her way to safety when Clark's call about Arthur's death derails her; because of this, however, she makes the connection with the pilot of the Gitchegumee and convinces him not to let the infected passengers off the plane. Miranda would have lived if not for this coincidence, but she dies; everyone in the airport, including Clark, Elizabeth and Tyler, would have died, but they are saved because of Miranda.

It is no coincidence that Shakespeare relies heavily on coincidences in most of his plays. Funny thing, coincidences. Sometimes they just happen.

What I knew from the start

one of the very first scenes I wrote was the last scene where Miranda meets Henry on the beach. I knew from the beginning that this would be the endpoint, it was just a question of getting there

Rebecca had murdered Rupert to save Higgins and Bex

Nate was always going to be Hamlet

Nate's family, Roy's sister and Trent's father were dead. Jamie's mother's death came later

Rebecca would be reunited with Sassy and Nora at the Museum of Civilisation (where and what the Museum was was a different question which I only solved later)

What came later

my initial plan for this fic had petered out after the Much Ado About Nothing chapter - I did not know how we were going to get from there to the Museum of Civilisation, or what the Museum of Civilisation was (in earlier drafts it was an airport, a train station and even at one point an actual museum). Ted Lasso S3, for its many flaws, resolved this for me by, among other things, giving me a whole Dutch pilot and also Jade

this fic was not meant to be Roy/Keeley/Jamie, only Roy/Keeley. By S3 however the OT3 vibes were too compelling to be ignored; it also solved the problem of what to do with Jamie, whom I had left wandering the wilderness for way too many chapters

Roy's Sutton Hoo backstory, which came about entirely because one day I was at the British Museum looking at Anglo-Saxon stuff and thought "lol Sutton Hoo wouldn't it be great if somebody made a terrible movie franchise with that name". This has since become an unexpectedly popular headcanon

The Richmond Players

Plays the Richmond Players have actually performed include:

Hamlet (full cast list here)

As You Like It (starring Keeley as Rosalind, Jamie/Sam as Orlando. Bex as Celia, Zoreaux as Oliver, Roy as Jaques, Isaac as Charles the Wrestler)

Romeo & Juliet (starring Jamie as Romeo, Keeley as Juliet, Colin as Mercutio, Sam as Benvolio, Isaac as Tybalt, Sharon as the Nurse, Beard as the Friar)

Macbeth (starring Roy as Macbeth, Rebecca as Lady Macbeth, Beard as Duncan, O'Brien as Banquo, Isaac as Macduff, Bex as Lady Macduff, Diane as Baby Macduff)

Henry IV Part I (starring Jamie as Prince Hal, Roy as Hotspur, Keeley as Lady Percy, Beard as Falstaff, Sharon as Henry IV)

Coriolanus (starring Roy as Coriolanus and Isaac as Aufidius. I don't actually know who would have played Volumnia here - probably Rebecca or Sharon, but it'd have been weird as they're close in age to Roy)

Othello (starring Sharon as Othello, Dani as Desdemona, Rebecca as Iago, Bex as Cassio, Colin as Emilia and Richard as Bianca)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (starring Rebecca as Hippolyta/Titania, Roy as Oberon, Dani as Puck, Isaac as Bottom, Keeley as Hermia, Bex as Helena, Sam as Lysander, Bumbercatch as Demetrius)

The Tempest (starring Ted as Prospero, Miranda as Ariel, Jelka as Miranda, Colin as Caliban, Roy as Sebastian, Jan as Antonio, Beard as Alonso, Higgins as Gonzalo, Dani as Trinculo, Isaac as Stephano)

Pre-pandemic roles: Rebecca has played Katharine in The Taming Of The Shrew, Viola in Twelfth Night and Rosalind in As You Like It; Sassy has played Celia in As You Like It; Roy has played Hamlet; Bex has played Cordelia in King Lear; Colin has played Viola in Twelfth Night.

Dates

This fic begins on April 23, 2016 (Shakespeare's 400th birthday) and ends on April 24, 2028. Most of the fic takes place in 2021: Trent meets Ted again on April 23 and they reach Arden-by-the-sea somewhere in July, i.e. right about now! (Twelve years is the length of time that Prospero and Miranda spend in exile on the island in The Tempest.)

Geography

Everyone starts from London (Richmond, specifically, in Ted and Rebecca's case) but Trent meets Ted again at Mae's settlement around Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace) and they progress north through Warwick (Jamie has diverted to Manchester by this point) and then towards the coast. Arden-by-the-sea is near Liverpool.

Music

The playlist for this fic is one of my favourites I've ever made - I'm especially proud of the In The House, In A Heartbeat/We'll Meet Again/Hopeless Wanderer transition.

Bob Dylan features a lot - I would be listening to him a great deal in the apocalypse, I reckon - both original tracks and covers, because Adaptation. Most notable of these is the Girl From The North Country version of Like A Rolling Stone, which I had envisioned Rebecca singing in the karaoke scene from quite early on, and which also contains a snippet of To Make You Feel My Love, which appears in Keeley's flashback later on.

Some songs come from other apocalypse media - Don't Think Twice, It's Alright is from Station Eleven and In The House, In A Heartbeat is from 28 Days Later.

At the time I put Hopeless Wanderer on the list, I actually had no idea that Jason Sudeikis had appeared in Mumford & Sons' music video, and that it was totally bonkers.

At least 10 of the songs were subsequently added during S3, including Spiegel im Spiegel, Everybody Knows (the Elizabeth and the Catapults cover), Bandits by Midlake, Strangers (the Feist cover - where the original by The Kinks goes "I see many people coming after me", Feist sings "I see many people looking out for me", which I think is more reflective of this AU) and of course Islands In The Stream, probably the most jarring song choice on the list, but we could not do without the Queen of Country and the Gambling Man.

If you've read all the way to the end of this ramble, I am amazed and thankful! please feel free to drop into my ask box with more questions about this fic, I will be very happy to answer them.

[ladychaos]

Sunset Corner Residents [cc-free]

~ Custom content (optional): Default Replacement: Pluto (skin) / Shameless Eyes / Aqua Eyes (Pets) • Skin Details: Prune Overlay / Roses Acne / Body Hair V5 ~

Ximena Yanez moved to Foundry Cove 2 years ago, trying to give her daughters a new life away from a father who doesn’t care for them. The O’Malleys have been here for 30 years. They’re not very nice, but their dislike of others is nothing compared to how much they reject their own working-class roots. The Gresham brothers couldn’t be more different from one another. Leon is a kind soul, always creating things. Marcel just sits on his porch, mumbling words while people walk by.

Magnus O’Malley • Adult

Pronouns: He/Him

Activity: Freelance Writer

Aspiration: Bestseller Author

Traits: Hates children/Hot-headed/Evil

Mabel O’Malley • Adult

Pronouns: She/Her

Activity: Business (3)

Aspiration: Villainous Valentine

Traits: High maintenance/Lactose intolerant/Kleptomaniac

Leon Gresham • Elder

Pronouns: He/Him

Activity: Conservationist (1)

Aspiration: Eco Inovator

Traits: Outgoing/Loves outdoors/Freegan

Marcel Gresham • Elder

Pronouns: He/Him

Activity: Food Employee (1)

Aspiration: Public Enemy

Traits: Hates children/Loner/Gloomy

Ximena Yanez • Young Adult

Pronouns: She/Her

Activity: Style Influencer (2)

Aspiration: Serial Romantic

Traits: Music lover/ Hot-headed/Romantic

Bryanna Yanez • Teen

Pronouns: She/Her

Activity: High School Student

Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire

Traits: Art lover/Creative

Ines Yanez • Child

Pronouns: She/Her

Activity: Grade School Student

Aspiration: Artistic Prodigy

Traits:Cheerful

AVAILABLE IN MY GALLERY

Origin ID: LadyChaosWorlds

You can download Sunset Corner here: [X]

You can download Sunset Corner Residents here: [X]

📁 TRAY FILES :  DOWNLOAD (PATREON)

📁 WANT TO DOWNLOAD THEIR HOUSE? [X]

💟 Please don’t re-upload. Please don’t share without credit.

~ Poses by Gladlypants, Katverse, Someone-Elsa and Ratboysims ~

[banana-sims]

The Bennett Legacy - update post!   

Hi! This is where I'm going to update stats for my legacy :) I'll also periodically update the family tree as seen above!

I'm currently on generation three, playing with Romeo as my heir (he's like 25 years old right now). It took me forever to decide who to choose but I've realized I love his little family so much that I can't resist.

I'm going to do a bunch of posts about everyone and everything that's happened to catch you up, plus you'll get a much better look at them :)

EXPLORE:

Aspirations

Friend of the Animals, Bodybuilder, Extreme Sports Enthusiast, Painter Extraordinaire (G3), Musical Genius, Bestselling Author, Master Actor, Master Maker, Lady of the Knits (G1), Successful Lineage (G2), Big Happy Family (G2), Super Parent (G2), Master Chef, Master Mixologist, Fabulously Wealthy, Mansion Baron, Renaissance Sim, Nerd Brain, Computer Whiz, Archaeology Scholar, Academic (G2), Serial Romantic, Soulmate (G3), City Native, Beach Life, Mt. Komorebi Sightseer, Freelance Botanist, The Curator, Angling Ace, Outdoor Enthusiast, Jungle Explorer, Eco Innovator (G1), Country Caretaker, Joke Star, Party Animal, Friend of the World (G2), World-Famous Celebrity, Inner Peace, Self-Care Specialist, Zen Guru

Artistic Prodigy (G3), Rambunctious Scamp, Social Butterfly, Whiz Kid, Mind and Body, Playtime Captain, Creative Genius

Drama Llama, Goal Oriented, Live Fast, Admired Icon

Careers

actor, astronaut, athlete, business, civil designer (G1), conservationist, critic, culinary, detective, doctor, education (G2), engineer, entertainer (G1), freelance writer, freelance programmer, freelance artist, freelance fashion photographer, gardener, law, painter, politician (G2), scientist, social media, secret agent, style influencer, tech guru, writer, salaryperson, interior decorator, any part time job

own/run a vet clinic, own/run a retail store, own/run a restaurant

Degrees

Art History, Biology, Communications, Computer Science, Culinary Arts (G3), Drama, Economics, Fine Art (G2), History, Language and Literature, Physics, Psychology (G2), any distinguished degree (G2)

Worlds

Brindleton Bay (G1), Britechester (G2), Copperdale, Del Sol Valley, Evergreen Harbour (G2), Henford-on-Bagley, Mt. Komorebi, Newcrest, Oasis Springs, San Myshuno, Sulani, Tartosa, Willow Creek (G2), Windenburg

Traits

ambitious, cheerful (G1), childish, clumsy, creative (G3), genius, gloomy, goofball, high maintenance, hot-headed, romantic, self-assured (G1), squeamish, unflirty, art lover, bookworm (G2), dance machine, foodie (G3), geek, loves outdoors (G1), maker, music lover (G1), recycle disciple, active, adventurous (G1), child of the islands, child of the ocean, freegan, glutton, green fiend, lazy, materialistic, neat (G2), overachiever, perfectionist, slob, vegetarian (G2), animal enthusiast, bro, cat lover (G3), dog lover, family-oriented (G2), good (G2), hates children, insider, jealous, loner, loyal (G3), noncommittal, outgoing, party animal, proper, self-absorbed, snob, socially awkward

toddler angelic trait (G3), toddler charmer trait, toddler clingy trait (G2), toddler fussy trait, toddler independent trait, toddler inquisitive trait (G3), toddler silly trait (G4), toddler wild trait (G3)

infant cautious trait (G4), infant sensitive trait, infant calm trait, infant intense trait, infant wiggly trait, infant sunny trait

good manners trait (G2), bad manners trait, responsible trait (G2), irresponsible trait, mediator trait (G2), argumentative trait, compassionate trait (G3), insensitive trait, emotional control trait (G3), uncontrolled emotions trait

Skills

charisma (G2), comedy, cooking (G1), fishing, fitness (G2), gardening, gourmet cooking (G1), guitar, handiness (G1), logic (G1), mischief, mixology, painting (G3), piano (G1), photography (G2), programming, rocket science, video gaming, violin, writing, herbalism, baking (G3), wellness, DJ mixing, singing, dancing (G2), bowling, parenting (G2), veterinarian, pet training, archaeology, selvadoradian culture, flower arranging, acting, media production, robotics, research & debate (G2), fabrication, juice fizzing, knitting (G1), rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, cross-stitch, entrepreneur

Household

male heir (G2), single mom/dad heir, blended family (kids from both previous partners), queer heir (G2), have 1 kid in the generation, have 2 kids in the generation (G1), have 3 kids in the generation, have 4 kids in the generation (G2), have 5 kids in the generation, have twins (G1), have triplets, adopt a child (G2), one night stand pregnancy, broken engagement, marry a childhood friend, marry a coworker, marry someone who was once your enemy/rival, marry someone famous, never get married, have a cat (G1), have a dog (G1), have kittens/puppies

Extra things/collections

live in a tiny home, live off-the-grid for a season, live in an apartment (G2), live in a 3-storey home (G2), live on a farm, sell craftables on plopsy (G1), make/sell candles, have bees/sell honey, craft/sell fizzy juice, reach 5-star reputation for odd jobs

have a child do scouts, have a child do drama club, compete in E-Sports, compete in soccer, join cheer team, join chess team, join computer team, join football team

omiscan treasures and omiscan artifacts collections, city posters collection, snow globes collection, feathers collection, seashells collection, postcards collection, elements collection, mysims trophies collection

GENERATIONS:

______________________________________________________________

GEN 1 FOUNDER - Willa Bennett - Adventurous, Loves Outdoors, Self-Assured / Eco Innovator + Lady of the Knits

SPOUSE - Damon Napier - Music Lover, Self-Assured, Cheerful / Friend of the Animals

Living in: Brindleton Bay

CHILD #1 - Lyra Bennett - Creative, Foodie, Goofball / Musical Genius

CHILD #2 - Dawson Bennett - Cheerful, Neat, Bookworm / Academic

____________________________________________________________________________

GEN 2 HEIR - Dawson Bennett - Cheerful, Neat, Bookworm / Academic

SPOUSE - Jack Sanders - Good, Family-Oriented, Vegetarian / Friend of the World

Living in: Britechester, Evergreen Harbour, Willow Creek

CHILD #1 - Nora Bennett - Bookworm, Unflirty, Hot-Headed / Renaissance Sim

CHILD #2 - Romeo Bennett - Neat, Loyal, Foodie / Soulmate

CHILD #3 - Bea Bennett - Animal Enthusiast, Cheerful, Dance Machine / Friend of the World

CHILD #4 - Sage Bennett - Goofball, Genius / Musical Genius

____________________________________________________________________________

GEN 3 HEIR - Romeo Bennett - Neat, Loyal, Foodie / Soulmate

SPOUSE - Makenzie Thompson - Creative, Vegetarian, Cat Lover / Painter Extraordinaire

Living in: Willow Creek

CHILD #1 - Felix Bennett - ?? / ??

____________________________________________________________________________

If you want to play like this yourself, the template and info is all here!

[honeii-puff]

The Sims 4 Gemstone Legacy Challenge

This sims 4 legacy challenge is inspired by the Not So Berry challenge made by Lilsimsie and AlwaySimming. You are allowed to start with 1800 simoleons if you want it to be a bit easier. The sims must resemble the color of their gen in some way, whether its hair, eyes, or clothes.

Generation 1: Ruby

You have always been sheltered by your parents when you were younger, having no clue what is out there for you. But here you are, grown up and ready to take on what the world throws at you. You never really knew anything about who you really are, since you didn't really get to experience any wild things, but there was one thing for sure: you loved music. All types of music.

Requirements:

Sim must be Ya to start the challenge

Must have the traits Clumsy, Ambitious, and Cheerful

Must have and complete the Musical Genius Aspiration

Must be in the Entertainer Career and max the Musician Branch

Max one instrument-related skill (Violin, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Singing, etc.)

Must have two children minimum

Generation 2: Jasper

You were really close with your parents growing up, and it was hard to move away from them, once you ended up doing so, you quit your job mowing lawns for your neighbor and got into Sports.

Requirements:

Have the traits Gloomy, Active, and Neat

Must have and Complete the Bodybuilder Asipration

Max the Athleete Career in the bodybuilder branch

Max the Fitness and Charisma skill

Generation 3: Jade

Your Parents were busy. One was a full-time athlete out, and the other was a workaholic, always working 9-5. You usually spent time alone on your computer and with your aunt/uncle. That introduced you to the world of Hacking.

Requirements:

Have the traits Geek, Loner, and Bookworm

Must have and complete the Computer Whiz aspiration

Max The Tech Guru Career

Max the Programming skill and the Logic Skill

Generation 4: Onyx

You heard how your grandparents weren’t close with the family when they were younger, but now they are a part of your everyday life. When the rare time your parents were at work, your grandparents were there to stay. Soon enough, you moved out into an apartment in San Myshuno.

Requirements:

Have the traits Loves the Outdoors, Creative, and Erratic

Must have and Complete the Painter Extraordinaire Aspiration

Max the Painter Career

Max the Painting Skill

Must get married and have 3 kids at a very young age

Generation 5: Quartz

You were constantly tired of being outshone by your 2 older siblings, the oldest being a great academic, and the middle child being an amazing artist. Where did that leave you?

Requirements:

Must be the youngest of three siblings

Have the traits Self-absorbed, Perfectionist, Dog Lover

Must have and complete the Freind of the World aspiration

Get 5-star odd job rating

Get to level 5 of 4 skills

Cannot get married, but can have a boyfriend/girlfriend until next gen is born

Generation 6: Sapphire

You grew up an only child, with your single parent, dog, and cat, along with a few friends from school. You weren’t around your Aunts and Uncles, since your parent wasn’t close to their siblings. When you were a teenager, you decided to move out early to get a head start on life.

Requirements:

Must move out as a teenager

Must have the traits Cat Lover, Self-Assured, and Romantic

Must have and complete the Soulmate aspiration

Max the Style Influencer career in the Stylist Branch

Max the Charisma skill

Must have 4 kids, your sim wanting more kids since they were an only child (Adopting is allowed, but the chosen heir must be related to previous gen)

Generation 7: Yellow Topaz

You are the second oldest of 4 siblings, and can never be alone. The only escape you really have is the garden in the backyard. You grew all types of flowers and plants. Moving out was a struggle, mostly because your siblings kept barging in and bothering everything you do.

Requirements:Must have the traits Jealous, Vegetarian, and Childish

Max the Freelance Botanist aspiration

Max the Gardener Career in the Floral Designer Branch

Max the Gardening skill and the Flower Arranging Skill

Must get married as an adult

Generation 8: Emerald

Your parent was a gardener, and with that, you were in the kitchen a lot, making many different creations out of the things they harvested. After a while, you decided that this was what you wanted to do for a living.

Requirements:

Have the traits Foodie, Unflirty, and Hot-Headed

Max the Master Chef aspiration

Max the Cooking and Gourmet cooking skill

max the culinary Career in the Chef branch

Must only have two romantic relationships, and never get married

Must have a lot of romance novels

Generation 9: Pearl

You knew your parent never found much luck in the love department, and supplemented that with a ton of romance novels. Growing up while reading those novels made you fantasize about what the real thing is like, as well as sparking ideas for stories of your own.

Have the traits Romantic, Family Oriented, and Goofball

Max the Soulmate Aspiration

Max the Creative skill as a child and the writing skill later on in life

Max the Writing career in the Author Branch

Spouse must be apart of the Education Career either before or after marriage

Generation 10: Opal

Your parents were very well known in the area, especially since one of them was one of your teachers and was always shadowing you, trying to get you very well-rounded and around good influences. Lets just say, It both did and didn’t work. . .

Generation Requirements:

Have the traits Kleptomaniac, Geek, and Mean

Max 2 Toddler Skills and 3 Child Skills

Max The mischief skill

Get to level 5 in Photography, Logic, Research and Debate, Piano, and Gardening

Complete the Whiz Kid Aspiration and The Cheif of Mischief aspiration

Complete all scout badges

Cannot have a job, but main source of income must be from stealing.

I hope you guys enjoy this challenge, and tag me in updates on how it goes!

[thefinerarts]

Bettie Page - Pin Up Queen, Influencer Extraordinaire

April 22, 1923 - December 11, 2008

Happy 100th Birthday, from a world that has never been quite the same since your profoundly seductive style left its indelible mark. Your influence still felt to this day, may your alluring beauty be ever remembered. Lots of love, to the remarkable Miss Bettie Mae Page.

TheFinerArts Archive

[ciaossu-imagines]

Can you do the ‘Who would be the best Actor in general? ’ for Fairy Tail?

C

Know how I said Haikyuu!! has a lot of characters? Oh boy, does Fairy Tail have it beat by a long shot! Again, narrowing down what is hundreds of characters into one definite gave me huge decision anxiety, so I just made a choice from each Guild and I hope that satisfies!

WHO WOULD BE THE BEST ACTOR IN GENERAL?

From Twilight Ogre, it’s Mattan Ginger. However, I see most of her work being commercials and such. It’s enough where her ego can say she’s an actor and her quirky personality really does help sell some of the more out-there brands, especially with the younger crowd.

From Cait Shelter, it’s Carla. She’s serious about her work, disciplined, and brings presence to all the scenes she’s in.

From Orochi’s Head, it’s Bluenote Stinger. He often gets cast in mook roles in action films.

From Titan Nose, it’s Bora. He’s been a big name in a long-running soap, though his off-screen antics and entitled behaviour makes more headlines than his acting.

From Raven Tail, it’s Flare Corona. She’s made a name for herself playing unhinged women in a number of horror movies.

From Mermaid Heel, it’s Arana Webb. She gets tapped to play a lot of action-y style, superhero roles and is known for being very flirtatious and coy in her interviews promoting her movies and such.

From Crime Sorciere, it’s Jellal Fernandes. Nobody does brooding and handsome like Jellal and because of that, he has a huge cult fan following, normally of the teenage, early-20’s variety.

From Diabolos, it’s Suzaku. He’s normally cast as a leading hero style character, often in historical or samurai influenced films or television shows.

From Phantom Lord, it’s Gajeel Redfox, super action star extraordinaire. He made a big name for himself by doing all his own stunt work.

From Quatro Cerberus, it’s Goldmine. While having a successful career in his youth, he mostly makes cameos in things now that people get wildly excited and enthusiastic about.

In Lamia Scale, it’s Lyon Vastia. He starred in a series of vampire movies, during which time he was stalked so hardcore by ‘Team Lyon’ fans that he had to have 24/7 security during the entirety of filming and had to relocate in between filmings to safe locations.

In Sabertooth, Sting and Rogue are a duo for a bunch of successful, and hilarious, action comedies. They’re so famous for them that fans think it’s a bit odd to see just one of them act in anything else.

From Fairy Tail, Laxus and Lucy both make it big in separate ways. Laxus has a really hot string of movies but then mostly retires into voice-work, while Lucy has a couple of movies where she’s ‘Final Girl’ that have a cult following, before she ends up stepping behind the camera to try directing and acting.

[a-whispering-echo]

Dont mind me, just posting my own sims challenge here to remember it lolol

Gen 1 - Fish and a rice cake

Angler ace Aspiration

Handiness skill

Fishing skill

Fish collection

Frogs Collection 

Gen 2 - Shakespeare

Writer Career, have a partner in the freelance writer career

Writing skill

Bestselling Author Aspiration 

postcards collection

Gen 3 - Da Vinki? 

Painter Extraordinaire aspiration 

painter skill

Logic skill

Charisma skill

painter career, any branch

mysims trophies 

Gen 4 - How to be a heartbreaker

Villinus valentine Aspiration

Serial Romantic Aspiration

Charisma Skill

Mischief Skill

Out live 5 spouses - Black widow achievement 

Woohoo EVERYWHERE

Woohoo with a ghost

Acquire the ‘speed dating’ achievement 

Gen 5 - The best parent

Successful Lineage Aspiration

Big Happy Family Aspiration 

Video Gaming Skill 

Metals collection

Decorative Eggs collection

Gen 6 - Reach for the stars

Astronaut career, any branch

Fitness skill

Logic Skill

Rocket science skill

Aliens Collection

Space prints

Space Rocks

Join the 50 mile high club. 

gen 7 - Hats off to the Chef

Culinary Career, both branches - you and your partner

Cooking Skill

Gourmet Cooking Skill

Mixology Skill

Holiday Crackers collections

Gen 8 -  Musical Genius

Guitar Skill

Piano Skill

Violin Skill

Comedy Skill

Entertainer Skill, musician branch

Busk! - If City living, use busk stands, if not, play in public for tips! 

Gen 9 - Bill nye the Science guy

Secret Agent career

Microscope prints

Elements Collection

Sugar Skulls collection

Gen 10 - Filthy Rich

Mansion Barron aspiration

Fabulously Wealthy aspiration

Business Career

Have 1000000 simoleons in your family savings.

Gen 11 - Fashion Icon

Style Influencer Career

Crystal Collection

Photography skill

Make 20 Best friends 

Gen 12 - hard working tec

Tech Guru career

Programming skill

Fossils Collection

listen to all radio stations and watch all TV channels

Gen 13 - Unlucky for some

Grilled Cheese aspiration

Mischief Skill  As a teenager!

Criminal Career

Have a ghost in your household, and later resurrect them.

Gen 14 - Back to your roots

Gardening skill 

Gardening collection

Magic beans collection

its still a wip but im pretty sure i tried to make it base game? or at least mostly lol - the whole point was to at the end of the challenge, to have EVERYTHING marked as done

[postalninja]

for the writing ask, X and R :>

I answered X already, but if I were to pick another victim (lol) I suppose the runners-up for characters I enjoy making suffer would be Auron and Lulu, because their circumstances already involve so much tragedy and so they lend themselves well to angst. I guess I can't really imagine writing pure fluff for them - it doesn't seem like it would fit. R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence? This is hard, because I'm not necessarily fully conscious of things I've read having had a specific influence on my writing style. One I could point out, though, is somewhereapart, aka Outlaw Queen author extraordinaire - I know this because I reread Baker's Dozen once a year, and in more recent readings I've found myself going "Oh! That's where I got that turn of phrase!" Completely unintentional, but hers is some of the first fanfic I was actively reading, so it's not really surprising!

[fashionbooksmilano]

Gaetano Savini the man who was Brioni

By Fernando Morelli, Lella Della Cagna and Michelle Finamore

Preface by Gigliola Savini Perrone

Assouline, New York 2015, 202 pages, 24.13 x 30.48 cm, ISBN 978-1614284543

euro 85,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

In the age when Savile Row was synonymous with men’s style, an innovative Italian, Gaetano Savini, put his country on the map, forever reinventing menswear. From the first men’s fashion show at Florence’s Palazzo Pitti in 1952 to his craftsmanship influences still evident in today’s styles, Savini was truly a creator on the cutting edge. His legacy as the visionary and designer extraordinaire behind the Brioni luxury brand is celebrated in this spectacular illustrated edition. Highlighting examples of Savini’s innovative cuts, bold colors, and the psychedelic patterns that led the Peacock Revolution of the 1960s, The Man Who Was Brioni includes sketches and newspaper articles illustrating how the man became the legend. Replete with letters, photographs, and personal anecdotes from Savini’s daughter and Brioni heir, this volume details the brand’s far-reaching influence, and how it came to be known as “the Dior of menswear.”

05/07/23

orders to:     booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

ordini a:        booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

twitter:@fashionbooksmi

instagram:         fashionbooksmilano

                         designbooksmilano

tumblr:               fashionbooksmilano

                         designbooksmilano

[michaelespositostatenisland]

Michael Esposito Staten Island - Unlocking the Secrets of a Master of Influencer Marketing

In the fast-paced realm of digital marketing, where trends emerge and evolve in the blink of an eye, influencer marketing stands out as a formidable force. Michael Esposito Staten Island: an Influencer Marketer Extraordinaire is a prime example of leveraging the power of social media personalities to promote products and services, which has become a cornerstone strategy for brands aiming to connect with their target audience authentically. But what sets apart the true master of influencer marketing from the rest? Let's unlock the secrets behind their success.

1. Authentic Relationship Building: At the heart of effective influencer marketing lays genuine relationships. Masters of this craft understand the importance of forging authentic connections with influencers whose values align with their brand. Instead of viewing influencers merely as a means to an end, they invest time and effort in building trust and rapport, fostering long-term partnerships that yield sustainable results.

2. Strategic Selection Process: Not all influencers are created equal, and recognizing this fact is key to success. Masters of influencer marketing employ a meticulous selection process, meticulously vetting potential collaborators based on factors such as audience demographics, engagement rates, and content relevance. By carefully curating their roster of influencers, they ensure that each partnership maximizes impact and resonates with the intended audience.

3. Impeccable Content Integration: Seamless integration is the hallmark of effective influencer marketing campaigns. Rather than treating sponsored content as a mere advertisement, masters of the craft prioritize authenticity and relevance, crafting compelling narratives that seamlessly weave the brand's message into the influencer's existing content style. By aligning the brand message with the influencer's authentic voice, they create an immersive experience that captivates audiences and drives engagement.

4. Data-Driven Optimization: In the world of influencer marketing, data is king. Masters of the craft leverage analytics tools to track and analyze campaign performance meticulously. By monitoring key metrics such as reach, engagement, and conversion rates, they gain valuable insights into what resonates with their audience and refine their strategies accordingly. Whether it's tweaking content formats or adjusting targeting parameters, data-driven optimization allows them to continuously improve campaign effectiveness and drive tangible results.

5. Community Engagement: Beyond individual partnerships, masters of influencer marketing understand the importance of community building. They foster vibrant online communities around their brand, leveraging influencers as catalysts to spark conversations, drive user-generated content, and cultivate brand advocacy. By nurturing these communities, they create a sense of belonging and loyalty that extends far beyond the confines of a single campaign.

6. Adaptability and Innovation: The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and masters of influencer marketing are adept at staying ahead of the curve. They embrace innovation and aren't afraid to experiment with new platforms, formats, and trends. Whether it's harnessing the power of emerging social media channels or embracing immersive technologies like augmented reality, they constantly push the boundaries of what's possible, keeping their campaigns fresh, relevant, and impactful. Final Thoughts, mastering the art of influencer marketing requires a combination of strategic foresight, creative ingenuity, and relentless dedication. Michael Esposito: Staten Island’s Master of Influencer Marketing, exemplifies this by prioritizing authentic relationships, strategic selection, impeccable content integration, data-driven optimization, community engagement, and adaptability. True masters of the craft, like Esposito, unlock the secrets to driving meaningful connections, fostering brand loyalty, and achieving lasting success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

[historyhermann]

Beauty, dress codes, and fashion: Examining twenty fictional White female librarians [Part 3]

Continued from part 2

Screenshots taken from fandom gallery of "Through the Looking Glass Ruins" episode of The Owl House; a Dutch nun in 1992 and a Hungarian priest in 1935

Even more simplified is Amity Blight in The Owl House, who is directly shown as a librarian in the episode "Through the Looking Glass Ruins". As she travels into a dangerous/forbidden section of the library to help her friend Luz Noceda, she wears a library employee card in a lanyard around her neck, a black short sleeve dress, black point shoes, and orchid leggings. In the episode, she ties up her hair in a typical librarian style, as shown in the image above. She looks similar to those working in religious libraries, especially a nun or even a priest.

Reprinted from my Pop Culture Library Review WordPress, where this post was published on Nov. 29, 2022.

When I saw what she was wearing, it immediately make of something religious. Wearing the color black can express self-confidence, sensitivity, an attempt to impress someone, could indicate someone has a rebellious nature that doesn't accept authority, exudes a person's feelings of power and influence, and building walls to protect themselves. It doesn't necessarily make you "part of a suspicious sect" or anything like that. Rather, wearing black-colored clothes can be classy, mysterious, or distinguished. More specifically, some have argued that wearing black can be slimming, elegant, sexy, chic, or even overbearing and evil. Most of the positive qualities are the reasons that Amity is watching it, as the wearing black-colored clothes can signal "a desire to reclaim one’s power." [13]

Inter-related with this is the fact that librarian and library perform a specific role "in the language of fashion," employed in phrases like librarian chic, conjuring imperatives and fantasies on librarians, their labor, and recognition. This centers "class-privileged white women" as the stewards of librarianship and space of the library itself. Furthermore, cuteness can compel viewers to place value on what is cute, worthy to be desired, protected, and cared for. As such, if Whiteness is seen as cute, it is devoid of its "power to inflict violence" and is not threatening. The latter is the case with Amity, as often seen by fans, as she is clearly attractive, delightful, appealing, or even clever and mentally keen, and is White. [14] In that sense, the styles of Amity and Kaisa are somewhat similar.

Amity is also a lesbian, something which I mentioned back in October. Like everyone else, lesbians internalize societal standards of appearance and weight, even though they were more critical of "traditional social norms" when it came to roles and rights of women. A large number saw physical attractiveness as "important in a partner," even though such attractiveness was functional rather than a concern for looks like straight women. Not surprisingly, there is even a fashion style known as "lesbian chic." [15]

Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, argued that librarians are marginal due to enduring values just as lesbians are marginal, noted that lesbian is a sexual orientation and a "constructed political identity." She also said that all lesbians may not be "equipped to be librarians" with a lesbian "subject specialty." [16] Amity may not have that specialty, nor may she know nothing about lesbian herstory, lesbian separatism, or lesbian feminism, but she would provide service of a high caliber to patrons and fight lesbian erasure at the same time.

Like Amity, other librarians also have their own style. This includes Mo Testa in Dykes to Watch Out For, public librarian Myra in The Public, Sabine in Sabine: an asexual coming-of-age story, Desiree, Sara, and Sarah, her two work colleagues. The latter three characters are in Too Loud, an animated web series. Starting with Mo, a lesbian feminist and reference librarian, is described as a "worrier and kvetch extraordinaire" on the comic's official website, she has a "penchant for striped clothing" just like the comic's author, Alison Bechdel. This means that Mo is falling into the style of being "overly conventional," and not as colorful as, let's say, drag queens. [17] The same can be said about what Desiree, Sara and Sarah wear while working at the library. Their clothes falls into typical wear like cardigans, dresses, brown pants, and sensible shoes. However, when Desiree finally dresses up in more girly clothes during the episode "Slumber Party," it makes clear what the now defunct Misfit Librarian's Style Catalog blog tried to prove: that librarians are stylish people despite some a perception of the opposite. [18]

Myra and Sabine also wear simple clothes, but nothing that could be called "dated" or "conservative". Sabine, even more than Myra, exudes a level of coolness as she is also a student as well as a part-time librarian at the college library. This is something that even the New York Times recognized years ago, noting that emergence of hip and cool librarians in a profession described as "nerdy" and a haven for "left-wing social engagement." More than any of the other librarians in this post, Sabine is more trendy and fashionable, although not as dedicated to fashion trends as those like Sam, Alex, and Clover in Totally Spies! to give three examples. Very few of the librarians I've described in this post are those are either wear hair in a bun, wear glasses, or a cardigan, with librarians getting a bad rap for the latter. [19] Rather they tend toward being more stylish, especially in terms of Amity, who dyes her hair green (her original hair color is brown) and later lilac, and Kaisa, who has put purple streaks in her black hair.

Continued in part 4

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[13] Maria Hakki, "Here is What Wearing Black Says About You (and the 5 most common personality traits of these people)," iheartintelligence, May 28, 2020; Cassandra Sethi, "How to Wear Black," ehow, Feb. 21, 2022; Ada Polla, "5 Rules for Wearing All Black Clothing," HuffPost, Dec. 6, 2017; "What does black clothing symbolize?," Colorbux, access date March 22, 2022; Cameron Wolf, "Study Confirms That Wearing Black Clothing Makes You Appear More Attractive, Intelligent, and Confident," Complex, Aug. 28, 2015; bethany, "In Defense of Wearing All-Black," College Fashion, Jan. 31, 2019; Ellie Krupnick, "14 Reasons Black Is The Only Color Worth Wearing," HuffPost, Dec. 6, 2017; Brianna West, "The Psychological Reason Some Women Love Wearing All Black," Thought Catalog, Jan. 30, 2022.

[14] Vani Natarajan, "Nostalgia, Cuteness, and Geek Chic: Whiteness in Orla Kiely's Library" in Topographies of Whiteness: Mapping Whiteness in Library and Information Science (ed. Gina Schlesselman-Tarango, Library Juice Press: Sacramento, CA: 2017), p. 122, 132; "Cute," Dictionary.com, accessed March 22, 2022.

[15] Karen Heffernan, "Lesbians and the Internalization of Societal Standards of Weight and Appearance" [Abstract], Journal of Lesbian Studies, Vol. 3, No. 4, Oct. 12, 2008; "How to Dress Lesbian Chic," Wikihow, Jan. 31, 2022.

[16]  Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, "Lesbian Librarianship for All: A Manifesto" in Reference Librarianship & Justice: History, Practice & Praxis (ed. Kate Adler, Ian Beilin, & Eamon Tewell, Library Juice Press: Sacramento, CA: 2018), p. 298-299, 301, 304. I'm not even getting into the somewhat problematic and strange idea that all librarians can be "lesbian librarians" even those who aren't lesbian. I think she just chose the wrong term for it. Maybe "social justice librarian" or something like that would have been better.

[17] "Cast Biographies," Dykes to Watch Out For Official Website, accessed March 22, 2022; Janine Utell, "The Comics of Alison Bechdel: From the Outside In," University Press Scholarship Online, Sept. 2020; Michael Rhode, "Alison Bechdel at Politics and Prose bookstore," May 4, 2012, Wikimedia Commons; Elizabeth Fernandez, "It's just a drag, darling, but this is a big election," F.M.I.: Female Mimics International, Vol. 20, No. 1, #57, 1990, p. 41. My favorite part of this quote was this: "Other critics offer a more unusual complaint: The contest has become overly conventional. Candidates nowadays resemble librarians more than drag queens, some say." It made me laugh a lot as it says a lot about what people see as librarians.

[18] Molly Wetta, "What makes a work wardrobe?," Librarian Style, Jun. 1, 2021.

[19] "Bookworms' backs up," Sunday Star Times, Jan. 31, 2009; Kara Jesella, "A Hipper Crowd of Shushers," New York Times, Jul. 8, 2007; Brytani, "A Study of Librarian Fashion," The Intrepid Nerd, Oct. 6, 2011; Heather Slania, "Welcome to the Librarian Fashion blog!," Librarian Fashion, Mar. 22, 2011. Slania is now the Director of the Decker Library at MICA and was formerly the Director of the Library at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

[isfjmel-phleg]

May 2023 Books

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

I really liked this one! The style felt classic, the atmosphere was intriguing and eerie, and the plot sucked me in.

Moongarden by Michelle A. Barry (reread)

This one is kind of sort of a sci-fi retelling of The Secret Garden, and while I like the concept, I didn't love it the first time I read it. The reread helped me pinpoint why: the arcs and themes of the original were absent. There's a prickly heroine and a secret garden (of sorts), but the emphasis of the narrative is not on healing from emotional neglect, or even healing in general. It's a fairly standard tale of a girl who is frustrated by having to live up to her parents' lofty expectations and who comes to realize what her true talents are, along with some dystopian sci-fi conflict. Despite the interesting concept of the world, it feels like a bland version of a tale that's been told many times.

The Well-Wishers by Edward Eager

Light and fun in the typical Eager style.

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny--Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath (reread)

My youngest sister read this one years ago and some of its details ended up in our bank of references (smartcars driven by rabbits in platform shoes! The Marmot ordered the most expensive thing on the menu! it makes sense in context). The reread reestablished that it is indeed hilarious, albeit odd.

Anyone but Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp

Goodness knows I love insufferable literary children. But I couldn't stand rude, brazen, self-centered, grandiose Ivy. I could understand where her behavior comes from, but that didn't make it any less painful to read about. The fact that she is a maid and acts like that made the behavior difficult to swallow; although the story didn't seem set in any particular era, it seems intended to be vaguely old-timey, and in those days a smart mouth from the domestic staff would never have been tolerated. But what made her particularly difficult to like was that she is utterly incapable of character growth, the thing that makes insufferable literary children endearing rather than loathsome. Someone like that could function as a minor character, but in a protagonist that just doesn't work.

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

My first foray into this series! I enjoyed it, although I was frequently confused. Not sure that I'm ready to return to the series soon, but this one was indeed amusing.

Home by Sarah Prineas

...I had to look up this title in Goodreads to recall what it was.

The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy by Diane Stanley (reread)

I read this as a teenager and recently picked it up at a library booksale out of nostalgia. It may not be Great Literature, but I still found it entertaining.

Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr (reread)

I had a hankering for this book and others like it again.

Noel Streatfeild's Holiday Stories by Noel Streatfeild

The highlight of this one was the short story that included Harriet and Lalla from Skating Shoes / White Boots, whom it was a pleasure to encounter again.

The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud

The second book in this series dragged for me, but this one restored the breezy pace. The characters and prose continue to be delightful.

Mystery of the Hidden Hand by Phyllis A. Whitney

Not one of her stronger mysteries. I had to look this one up to remember it.

Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde

These vacillated between heartbreakingly beautiful and wow-I-am-not-on-board-with-this-philosophically.

Bellwether by Connie Willis

I loved this one more than I expected. It spoke to me. It's a brilliant examination of how our lives and decisions are influenced by inexplicable fads and what it takes to get out of that mindset and I know putting it like that doesn't do it justice but it's just really good. I even liked the romance. (And this has nothing to do with the story itself, but it's set in the Denver and Boulder areas and the protagonist goes to my old town to buy a McGuffin, and that makes me irrationally happy.)

I also read various Wonder Woman 1987 comics specifically dealing with Cassie in order to get a sense of her background. She's a supporting character and gets less development than she does in YJ 1998, I think. And she's the only child on that team who does not have a heartbreaking backstory. Good for her. Somebody in this group has to be kind of normal. Why not the girl who has superpowers because she talked the actual Zeus from Greek mythology into giving them to her.