#tea posting art that isnt pairing art ?!

[tea-time221]

colon three

i tried a new style. idk how ya'll colour like this its tiring

inspiration down below giggless

[noritoshiikamo]

this is how you fall in love

pairing: kuroo tetsuroo + fem!oc genre: friends into lovers fluff with slight suggestive end tags//warning: nothing major // slight suggestive at the end if you squint enough note: the obligatory trio of mine: not well edited, lowercase intended, english isnt my first language im sorry if i murder it. o wow look ive been posting back to back, ive been writing nonstop lately watch me ghost my stories in few weeks guys my brain = rotting, plus lately ive been feeling emotionally abuseddrained so i need something fluffy

listen to this is how you fall in love by jeremy zucker + chelsea cutler for maximum feels

“you’re a lifesaver.”

kuroo huffed, eyes rolling back with a small laugh as he unlaced his sneakers and slipped the room slipper on. it was odd to see the gymnasium without any nets or balls sprawled around. the gym has been closed for a week now in preparation for the upcoming open school event and currently under the art club’s jurisdiction. under her jurisdiction with her canvases and paints and it pained him to see her ruining his sacred place. he carried two plastic bags and holding two boba teas in the same hand. he wasn’t sure which one she was more excited for; the boba, the paints she made him ran to an art supply shop or him. she reached out, the bobas in his hand exchanged as she settled it on the floor, and she squealed at the sight of the plastic bag. he frowned.

yup, not him.

tins of different colors of paint that she ran out mid painting that she forgot to buy had her dialing his number and now it’s all here. all thanks to kuroo tetsuro. she grimaced at the price tags; it was costly than her usual one. usually, she would’ve gotten her supplies online, but desperate measure calls for desperate solution. she could always claim her expenses with the club. typical kuroo, she huffed. he always preached about getting the best, not minding the price tags but she’ll be the victim of his nonstop complaining that he’s getting broke every single day. she tucked a stray hair back and mentally counted how much she owed the man as she arranged the tins on the table.

kuroo noticed that look; same look she had when they are in the math class and he clicked his tongue, “tch, you’re not paying.”

“i’m reimbursing you with the club money,” she shook her head and reached for her bag, “please kuroo, it’s so expensive.”

he reached for her wrist and she dropped the tote bag as he invaded her space. kuroo rested the palm of her hand right above his heart, his own around the waist and another under her chin as he tilted her chin up. his heartbeat was erratic, and she flushed. “it’s okay,” he said, softly. her lips formed into a small pout and he fought the urge to just kiss her.

their dynamic is something even kenma couldn’t figure it out.

they weren’t exactly dating. they are friends, close friends, and classmates. it has always been him, her and occasionally yaku; creating the chaotic duo/trio of class 5. they both played volleyballs, both captains while he’s the middle blocker, she’s their female team’s setter. they knew a lot of each other’s friends from other schools; he was the reason why she dated akaashi keiji from the first place. it was selfish of kuroo to admit to bokuto a month after they started dating that he disliked the idea of them together. typical kuroo is no longer snarky, he felt lost, felt like he was losing his other half. so, he confided to his close friend, the simpleton ace.

“you didn’t make any moves, kuroo, you can’t blame them.”

bokuto noted as them both stared at the two setters, playing around the fallen cherry blossoms. bokuto never seen akaashi smiled that much and kuroo could only wished that she smiled the same way to him. kuroo stared at the half bitten onigiri he’d been holding, suddenly every bite he took tasted bitter. every trace of akaashi on her gave him bitter taste. she liked wearing akaashi’s jersey; kuroo longed to see her in his own numbered jersey; she’s his number one after all. her own jersey number is as same as akaashi. it’s not like kuroo could hate anything he did; he treated her well. akaashi was a perfect boyfriend and everyone knew. that’s why kuroo hates him; he gave him no reason to hate the dude. it didn’t last long however, they drifted apart 6 months later, sending her to kuroo’s doorstep soaked in rain.

he stared at her soaked figure with no thoughts in mind.

“he dumped me,” she said, voice hoarse and shivering.

he was alone and was about to leave for kenma’s, but he couldn’t leave her alone. dropping his keys on the small table by the door, he threw his jacket back in the closet. “come in,” he whispered, pulling her figure in. dropping her bag on the floor, she clutched on his sleeves as she kicked off her soaking shoes. “i’m sorry, my mom isn’t home and i can’t find my keys,” she was a blabbering mess and he hushed her. he left her for a few minutes, coming back with a steaming towel and a clean shirt and pants. “it’s from the dryer. you can borrow my sister’s clothes,” grabbing her hands, they ran upstairs where he took her to the bathroom. she was too quiet, so he called her name. when she looked up to him, her eyes were red. she was no longer crying, more confused and upset. her cheeks flushed and he could see her teeth chattering. he wished nothing but to throw his fist at the man. finally, he got a reason to square up the stoic man; he always hates the way nothing could riled up akaashi.

“he’s stupid for doing you like this.”

she shook her head, “it’s nobody’s fault.”

“then stop blaming yourself,” he ruffled her hair, a small smile appeared from the corner of her lips as she watched him disappeared closing the door behind him. he left her with the hot water running, urgently grabbing the mop and bucket from the kitchen, and wiping the trail of her soaked feet has left before it could ruin the wooden floor.

cant come over, busy, ill tell u later

kuroo texted kenma. the pudding head left him on read.

they spend the night together, sitting on the floor with pillows pilling against the end of the bed as they sat in arms. he had his tv opened to one of the late-night game show. they sat in silence, her head rested on his shoulder and her lips pressed into a tiny line. at the corner of his eyes, he could see her phone’s notifications blaring despite being on mute. the number isn’t saved but it was familiar. she deleted his number already, probably out of rage, but it’s a good step.

tell me where you want me to drop your stuff im sorry i hope youre okay y/n? i heard it was storming did you make it back home? give me a call im calling you okay?

just as like what the message stated, the unknown number called her. it startled her which startled him too. she stared down on the screen, he noticed the grip on the phone and wondered how the phone did not break yet. “can you answer it for me?” she said, holding the phone out to the black-haired man. shocked, he took the phone and pressed the green button. he pressed the phone to his ear and heard her name being called.

“hey man,” kuroo cleared his throat, “listen-”

“she’s with you?” the voice- akaashi asked.

looking down on the girl who was pretending to not have any interest in the call at all, eyes focused on the gameshow, kuroo sighed.

“she is. listen, i think you should leave her alone.”

“kuroo, i know about your feelings. for her. bokuto-san told me about it. if you think that this is the proper way to get her when she’s vulne-”

kuroo bit the inside of his cheeks. he was offended that akaashi dared to call him out like that. “so, what? she made her pick,” the girl turned to face him, brows up wondering what they are talking about.

“that’s low, even for you, kuroo-san.”

their eyes met. he didn’t even realize how deep the cut on his palm where he had balled his fingers into a fist until she touched it. he calmed down. “you hurt her. you have no right to say what’s low or not. be a bigger man, leave her alone,” he muttered flatly, before ending the call. they didn’t break eye contact until he realized what he had done.

“i-i shouldn’t have done that.”

she shook her head, “stop blaming yourself,” a small smile on her face.

that was 3 months ago.

kuroo had made moving on easy for her. akaashi and her remained friendly, although kuroo noticed that she tended to avoid him when possible. the breakup was indeed mutual, but merely on the fact that he lost feelings. akaashi had fallen out of love with her and in love with some other girl but who was she to judge when she was falling in love with the rooster head in silence. they still hang out with bokuto and akaashi but rarely with the latter.

she made him apologized to the fukurodani’s setter too and they remained on friendly term, still practiced together whenever they have training camps together where akaashi had admitted one training night that kuroo and her looks better together. kuroo didn’t say anything, not that he knew what to reply to that (his mind scream fuck yeah we do) but shrugged at his statement. “i guess dating her made you less pain in the ass, kuroo-san,” akaashi joked as they resumed the game.

kuroo was pulled back to reality when he felt his lips brushed against something. his eyes widened when he realized what it was. a quick kiss from her. he blinked frantically, trying to comprehend what had just happened which caused the girl to laugh. “did you just?” he asked confused by what had just happened which she nodded. she bit her bottom lip to hold herself from bursting into a laugh. “god, you should see your face. it’s so stupid. and every girl called you the playboy captain huh?”

he huffed and rolled his eyes, “i am not. i’ve been loyal to one girl for many years now, she is the one who hasn’t notice me at all,” he faked his pout, refused to look her directly in the eyes, praying that she wouldn’t notice his reddening cheeks.

“she must’ve been so stupid,” she teased, her nose rubbing gently against his jawline as she rested her figure against his closer. his chin rested against her head.

“she is,” he looked down on her, his arms around her waist tighter, “i don’t think she knows this but if she leaves me, i think i’ll be so broken inside. is it selfish to say that?” a small frown appeared on her face.

“i don’t think she ever talked about leaving you.”

a grin grew on his face, “so you know who i’m talking about huh?” she fell into his trap. she rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out, calling him stupid. he studied her face, his grin softened into what yaku and his volleyball team called the kuroo is stupidly in love with y/n but refused to admit face. his fingers ran into her hair which she had been growing out in few months down to her shoulder because she thinks that he likes her better that way. the way she tried to subtly put on make up to look better that the other girls who’s shamelessly flirting with him. she was too stupid to realize that he had loved her beyond that.

he loves the rough pads on her hands from holding her paintbrushes and volleyball. he loves that she works hard for everything she’s doing be it studying, volleyball or arts, she would put her blood, sweat and tears into it. he loves that she would wait for him to buy lunch so they can eat together in class. he would buy her a box of milk which she insisted that she doesn’t need too; but he convinced it would be good for her. he wants the best for her.

he loves that all the missing clothes he’s complaining about is in the back of her closet or on her. his cream hoodie hanging behind her closet door, his random pile of t-shirts in a basket on the floor of her closet that he liked to left beside the mix pile of her shoes and his one big ass nike shoes. her room isn’t messy, it is because she kept the messiness in her closet. she also like to keep random stuff of him too. the one medal he won from a science fair hung on the headboard of her bed, the misshapen looking hand wax sculpture of their hands intertwined from a funfair where she rested a purikura of them on it and a lucky bamboo plant he gave on her birthday to compromise on the no gift rule.

“for luck,” he grinned.

unlike hers, he kept her item neatly in his drawer. your spare shirts that he borrowed and refused to return, extra towel and her toiletries, some of her drawing blocks and a small cat shaped pouch where she kept her allergies medication. mostly hidden because his annoying friends come over often and would accidentally talk about it in front of his grandparents. but, on his bedside table, he has a cup of pencils by the bed where he collected the art supplies she left behind, random markers and paintbrushes, a clay sculpture of a trinket plate she made from art club (she carved a tiny letter k in the corner beside the obvious looking genitalia drawing) and a fake plant which she was sure he will not be able to kill it.

he loves it when she wore his jersey. he lost his mind when he found out that her current season number is the same as his. he’s in love. the first time he saw her in his jersey, the number one jersey on her body was during their training. he lost concentration; mouth hung a bit. he got so flustered that he let lev served the ball straight to his head. usually, lev would be dead by now, but he doesn’t mind. his nose bled but to see her kneel beside him, clutching on his own shirt screaming how stupid he is, wiping the blood away with towel, he could only say how pretty she looked. all his teammates were startled, her included. she clutched on his collar angrily; her knees stung from when she leaped down to his side, but this idiot could only smile at her with a bloody nose. “you are fucking idiot,” she cried out angrily, pushing him away before throwing the towel on his face leaving the pleased third year laying on the floor.

he loves the way she would find a way to impress him, be it as ridiculous as the halloween costume idea she had where they’ll go as the front and end of a horse or as serious as the submitted college application to the same university he had gotten into. “you are not getting rid of me that easily, tetsu,” the evil look on her face as she clicked the submit button send shivers down his spine.

“if you leave, i think i’ll cry,” he confessed, his smile slowly died.

“kuroo tetsuro is going to cry after me?” she teased. he nodded eagerly. “does kuroo tetsuro realized that we are literally moving into the same university? i couldn’t catch a break from him,” she faked her annoyance which he playfully avenged by sending her on the floor laughing as he tickled her. tears trickled down her cheeks as she begged him to stop, screaming to get away from his grip. “please, kuroo, i’m going to pee if you don’t stop!” he obliged, tears prickled the corner of his own eyes from laughing too much. straddling her waist, he gathered her wrists in one hand over her head. “apologize and said that kuroo tetsuro is the best man in your life or i swear i’ll make you pee,” he threatened her playfully, wiggling the fingers of his free hand close to her waist. her eyes widened in fears.

“that’s not fair!”

“apologize first.”

“fine!” she pouted, “i’m sorry, i won’t make fun of you again. now get off me!”

he raised his eyebrow, “andddd?”

“annddd-” a teasing smile appeared on her face as she said the next 5 words that send him to mars and back; “i love you kuroo tetsuro.”

he froze in shock. he heard the words before but never in this way; never for him.

finally, i think i got the calculation, love you yaku! lev you’re adorable but so stupid, i love it! thank you for letting me borrow your game, kenma. you’re the best, love ya!

the grip on her wrists loosened. taking advantage of his shock state, she pushed him back, straddling him by the waist, pinning his own hands above his head, giving him the taste of his own medicine. “i’m not going to leave your sorry ass, tetsu. i hope you don’t regret it,” she leaned down, capturing his lips with a longer kiss. letting go of his wrist, her hand went immediately into his rooster hair while another cupped his cheek, deepening their kiss. she could feel his cold palm resting against her bare waist and she shuddered. between the kisses, he heard her whispering his name. “kuroo, do you love me too?” she asked so innocently with kisses between the words but the way she grabbed a handful of his hand in a fist felt so dirty, eliciting a strangled moan from the back of his throat. she pulled back, staring down on his eyes as his lips moved.

“i love you too.”

nothing in his hazel eye but sincerity. he groaned when she pulled herself out of his reach, missing her warm body as she laughed. straightening her sweater back, pulling her hair back up into a tighter ponytail before she picked up the paintbrush she dropped. the paintbrush left a white stain on the court. as if kuroo wasn’t here, whimpering underneath her a minute ago, she continued her work. “i need to finish the mural by this week and you’re not exactly helping me,” she warned him, pointing the wet brush his direction. through the corner of her eyes, he was propped on his elbows, still staring at her, causing her to blush profusely. it annoyed him that she would tease him, then leaving him high and dry. before she could crack open the new paint tin, he ignored her warning as he tackled her back into his arms.

breathless against her lips, he told her to continue later. the urgency and rawness of his voice made her putty immediately. looking up the man, she pouted her lips.

“kuroo-san,” she whined as he captured her bottom lips.

he elicited a soft moan from the girl. he grinned against her lips. a hand rested firmly beside her head while another snaked under the sweater. there will be bruise tomorrow, she was sure of it, he will make sure of it.

“it will be quick, baby. i promise.”

she has no objection.

[jello-fello]

For the ask meme- yes. The whole fucking alphabet. Any fandom of your choice for any of them -kipp

LMAO THE WHOLE THING? THIS SHOULDNT BE ALLOWED-

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

Honestly besides the Constant love for Mell and Kai, Ash and Eiji from banana fish, and Reki and Langa and Joe and Cherry from sk8 right now. Also i like Lawlight from specifically the 2015 death note tv drama. OH. AND ALSO. SEKI AND SHIMIZU FROM OYASUMI PUNPUN I LOVE THEM

(Side note ngl Detective Roberts and His Ex-Wife are v nice together i like them)

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

Ellspen from Self Aware. LIKE LISTEN. I KNOW I WRITE THE THING. BUT I NEVER CONSIDERED THAT UNTIL READERS STARTED SHIPPING IT

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will (be nice)

Uhhh idk I never thought about it. Ig i’m not really a fan of Aizawa/All Might? that’s the first ship to come to mind. oh and also Hawks/Endeavor. not my cup o tea, never will be

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t (again: be nice)

Any ship with Tanaka from haikyuu that Isnt him and kiyoko. like art of him and enoshita or him and noya are Cute, but i just dont ship it

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what

Does writing “Regenerate, Fate” count

I also have Goose Yagami meme and the yelling cat meme but it’s death note

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom

BNHA fandom has been since... november 2017ish

G - Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it

.........................................................................Klance.

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., tv shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)

(ngl i dunno what this Means so sorry if my answer doesn’t make sense but-) I really like anime and animation, but also i really like comics and manga, more so now that im Making a comic

I - Has tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why

I don’t think tumblr’s ever stopped making me like a fandom, but just like. stop going in tumblr’s tag for it. for example 15ish year old me was NOT ready to see the things in the undertale tag that i did. oh god the horrors.

J - Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over tumblr

i dont think tumblrs ever led me to starting a show/getting into a fandom, but pinterest has. most of my fandoms have been through seeing random things on pinterest ngl

K -Say something nice about someone in any of your fandoms

Vigilantedekus is The Best and I Love Them

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

Matsuda from death note might’ve been played as the “Funny because he keeps fuckin up” kinda chara, but i do like that he was the one to shoot light and that he had that kind of outburst about light’s dad. BUT ALSO MATSUDA’S THEORY IN THE END OF THE MANGA? RIGHTS.

M - Say something genuinely nice about a ship that you don’t ship (or its shippers, or anything related to you)

i dont have anything specific in mind, but all fandoms have DOPE artists

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

head empty no thoughts

O - Choose a song at random, which ship or character does it remind you of

Right now “The mind electric” reminds me of Jamie from SA, “Butterfly’s Repose” reminds me of Mell And Kai

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

uh uh uh uh Self Aware but without Aviancorp. That’s the only difference. The au is just what kind of ripple effect it would have on everyone and their lives

Q - A ship you’ve abandoned and why

nothing’s coming to mind

R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

Sobs. Seki and Shimizu from Goodnight Punpun. I only say them for this because theres So Little People who know them

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Athen (my oc, Choosing(02)) wants to see hatsune miku because he uses a voicebank to speak and “! she sounds like me!” 

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)

I’m going to do these with my OCs instead. because while im the author, they’re headcanons because most of them i cant Really make canon: 

Athen has a mothman pajama set. He and adam have matching “Humanfucker”/”Robofucker” shirts

athen Has seriously wondered if adam would leave him for mothman

athen gets a pet roomba named Hal

Jamie would be a good parent

Sam (one of the dead kids from Subject 402/SA-) would’ve been a soccer player if she lived

Letho (the Other dead kid) would’ve been an art student

if jordan(Kai) had a Normal Life and WASNT a human experiment, he wouldnt be very accomplished in school despite being a genius, he’d be kinda a delinquent and getting in trouble a lot

If mell had a younger sibling, people would probably think HE’S the youngest one. they would not believe he were older if they were close in age

U - 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms

Mob from Mob psycho

L and Light are tied

Aizawa and Shinsou and Deku are top faves ig

ash and eiji from banana fish. love them. AND SHORTER> LOVE HIM

i like punpun as a character but if i had the chance i would prolly throw hands

V - 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms

Mell and Kai - Self Aware

Shindeku OR tododeku - bnha

(Letho and (Redacted)) - Self Aware (but like. the au if letho Lived)

Ash and Eiji - Banana Fish

W - 5 favorite ships and 5 kinks you like best for said ships

I think we all know my fave ships from this post so far. no need to do this question lmao

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

MOB. WOULD KILL FOR HIM BUT I KNOW HE WOULD BE :( AT ME FOR IT

ngl there aren’t many Precious Babies. like I’d say Hinata is a precious baby but haikyuu ends when he’s like fuckin 30 so what counts as a precious baby hmmm

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

my dash gets so much TMA

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged)

this post is long enough,,,

[emptypringlescanister]

Sculpting

Pairing: All Might (Toshinori Yagi) x Reader

Oneshot

Warnings: None

Words: 1172

Summary: With Valentines day soon arriving, you work on your gift to Toshinori.

 Sculpting

           Being a hands-on artist was not something to sneeze at, you thought to yourself as yet another splatter of clay makes its way onto your face. Having to deal with messy things on the daily, trying, sometimes in vain, to get something to take the shape or form you want it to.

           Today was one of those days where your medium was not cooperating in the slightest. Clay was fairly easy to work with at times, but it was often finicky, and seemed to rely on the weather, the hour of the day, and whether you had seen a chicken that month or not. A groan of frustration leaves your lips and you smush the clay down into a ball for the fourth time.

           Valentines day was fast approaching, and you had wanted to do something special for the hero in your life. All Might, known more to you as Toshinori Yagi had been a part of your life for a little longer than three years now, though you had only been a couple for a little longer than a year. It took a while for you both to muster up the courage to do something about your feelings. Toshi was the one who took initiative and asked you out via a cute handwritten note in an All Might themed bento box on your desk. A few halting dates had happened, each interrupted with fans and invasive reporters who wanted the scoop on why the prestigious hero was going out with a small unknown such as yourself.

           Outings turned into quiet nights at home. Either surrounded with takeout or something homemade, your dates were full of card games, movies, or just talking about anything and everything. It was comfortable and didn’t feel forced in the slightest. Of course, it was quite a shock when the hulking man beside you turned into a skeletal sight right in the middle of a particularly hard laughing fit. His frantic gestures didn’t exactly calm your racing heart, especially when you saw him wiping away blood from his mouth. A reluctant explanation came from him, but he was reassured due to your calm urgings that this did nothing to your feelings for him, except maybe increase them.

           Enough dwelling on the past though. Your tongue stuck out slightly as your concentration was trained on getting the pose of the sculpture just right. Your quirk was usually helpful towards your work. Named Lutumkinesis, your quirk gave you the ability to manipulate clay or similar materials. If your focused hard enough on the image of what you wanted to create. Due to your scatterbrained nature however, it was difficult to channel into your creations.

           Today was decidedly more difficult as your mind kept constantly switching between images that you wanted to represent in one piece of art. You had the idea about a week ago, after having gone to the store for more materials. The hobby store that you frequented sold many different models of heroes in a variety of poses, styles, and colors. The All Might collection was vast, of course. Having stopped to look through them one day, you had a sudden thought. So many All Mights, and yet barely anyone knew the true man behind the symbol. Inspiration struck you. An avid purchaser of his own merch, Toshinori was the first to know about a new product. This one however, you would have to slip past his radar.

           “Steady… steady...” You murmured to yourself, channeling your quirk into the clay, making it rise and fold into the shape you wanted. Hardening it with a breath, you sat back and looked at the figure of the true Toshinori Yagi standing upon your worktable. The figure was staring off into the distance, a small smile on its face. Hands were tucked into pockets, and the whole figure overall seemed to radiate peace and relaxation. You gave yourself a moment of victory before downing another energy drink and reaching for your paints.

             Valentines day was upon everyone and you eagerly awaited that knock on your door. The finished figurine sat wrapped in a box on your coffee table, along with two cups of tea. You heart jumped when the knock rang out from your door and you nearly tripped in your haste to answer it. “Hi Toshi!” you greeted the smiling man before you. “Hello dear,” Toshi pulls you into a hug, and you melt into him, breathing in the scent of just him. Pulling away somewhat reluctantly, you usher him inside and towards the couch. “Dear, what’s this on the table?” He asks, noticing the wrapped box. “It’s your Valentines day gift Toshi,” You chirp, handing him his tea. The silence stretches between you two.

           “… Oh, thank you my love! You truly didn’t have to get me anything.” He sputters out, sweating.

           You observe this silently, eyebrow raised at his sudden antsy movements. It hits you suddenly and you giggle, causing him to look at you with alarm. “You forgot that it was Valentines day, didn’t you?” you ask, clutching your sides with mirth. The anxiety seems to leave him in a rush, and he slumps back. Looking at you with smile-crinkled eyes, he chuckles along with you. “I’m so sorry. Young Midoriya has been taking most of my attention lately, so the days have slipped by my attention.”

           Sitting beside him, you take a sip of your tea. “It’s alright Toshi, I understand. But I do want you to see your gift.” He nods and brings the box to his lap. His long fingers gingerly peel away the wrapping paper and open the package. Silence stretches between you again as he lifts out the forearm sized figure of himself. You glance at his face to see it blank, and you start to worry silently. What if you made the wrong assumption about what he would like?

           A small gasp leaves your lips as you see a tear slide down his cheek. “Toshi...” you whisper, laying a hand on his leg. “I’m sorry if its not something you like... You don’t have to keep it if you don’t- “

“No,” he cuts you off. He turns to you, tears sliding down in earnest now. “I love it. You never cease to amaze me, my love. In all my years, “-You let out a small scoff at that- “No one has ever thought to truly capture me in this way.” You smile, a few tears of your own escaping. He fully pulls out the figurine now, showing delicate painting with minute details that truly capture the softness and sharp edges of the man you love.

           He gently places it on the coffee table before pulling you onto his lap for a searing kiss that takes your breath away. Pulling back, breathless, he gazes into your eyes with pure adoration. You blush, “If that’s the reaction I’ll always get, I guess I’ll have to make more.” He chuckles deeply, pulling you close to him and in for another kiss.

_________________________

And there we go! I know Valentines day isnt for a few more days but I had the idea and wanted to get it out. I hope you enjoyed!

I’m still open for requests! Go visit my requests posts to see what i’ll write for and send me a message! Love you all!

[emsartwork]

winx ask dump!

1. lmao right??? my info pages on the girls actually got reposted to insta(i got it taken down lol) and one of the main issues people on there had was that i made flora chubby (also one person got musa being partially carnivorous confused with being a cannibal which was incredibly amusing)  2. I’m glad! and yeah i have no problem if my designs aren’t some one’s cup of tea, i only have a problem when they’re rude about it haha 3. Thank you!! hopefully you can remember whats cannon and whats not lol @velvedessa 4. hmm... im partial to @prince-amethyst ‘s fic The Illumination but other than that im not totally sure.... i’ll have to look around lol or people can suggest things in replies!! @wafflelovingbatgirl 5.im not totally sure what you mean by lgbt ship, since if one member of a relationship is something other than cishet it would make it a lgbt relationship even if it’s a dude and a lady?? BUT I’m assuming youre asking about mlm and wlw so I’ll answer that lol. I, weirdly, started shipping roxy and macy together after drawing them both?? like it didn’t occur to me while watching but after designing them i just want them to be that cringy emo/scene couple that don’t give a shit what u think of them, i also sort of started shipping helia and timmy because of this post but in all honesty i don’t ship characters too much, even with the cannon pairings i can take’em or leave’em lol @kenjeffree 6. Yeah! I’m planning on getting to wow after i finish season 7 redesigns 7. yeah so in my version magic is a biology thing(i can go into why if people want but its weird and personal lol). A lot of men who use fairy transformations would be trans for sure! if they want to use more “gender affirming” magic (cus idk if every trans dude would be comfortable with fairy transformations and all) they totally could learn how to channel it the way sorcerers or wizards do. Tho the fairy and witch techniques are considered more feminine, they're both just different ways to manipulate magic. the fairy forms are just a vessel, they’re easier for biologically female people to use because the natural production of magic creates a loop with the external wings, letting them reach high levels of power with out a lot of training. trans ladies could use witch or fairy techniques, keeping a lot of stored magic on them at all times would be one way to do this, but they would have to pretty careful to make sure they don’t exhaust/hurt themselves trying to force magic once they’re drained. this is assuming they don’t have spells that can change a person’s sex or like, “magic” versions of hormone treatment.    8-9: Yeah I’ll be doing a set for the pixies and the fairy animals too!! 10. i actually only watched through all the seasons and movies after i first started drawing fan art, and boooooyyyy howdy is it something. I love up to season 4, and 5 honestly isnt that bad either! season 6 and 7 are a little....... hit or miss for me, like i love bloomix and tynix is pretty too, but mythix and butterflix are both boring af. plot wise, i think i like season 6 better than season 7, but i like kalshara and brafilius better than selina and acheron. I enjoyed world of winx (especially the nemesis!!) but didn’t understand where it fit into cannon or how a lot of the plot points actually worked( like neverland, how they got the two transformations, where tf roxy is, the whole talent show theme???) @divinelavellan

[nehaadad1002assessment2]

ADAD Sem 2 - Assessment 2

Artist Statement 

Contemporary art and design often looks at the idea of constructed binaries, such as man/woman, soft/hard, straight/gay, dirty/clean, organic/synthetic. Considering the history of these ‘pairs’, how can art and design interrogate these binaries and offers new insights?

The chronicle of the binary between cultural appropriation and appreciation can be dated back to thousands of years, ever since colonialists adopted conducts from traditional cultures, and it has now spread across the globe. However, within contemporary society, the perpetuation of this issue has increased more than ever due to social media and overall pop culture.

Cultural appropriation happens when a dominant culture takes things from another culture that is undergoing oppression, however this delicate issue has been confused for cultural appreciation or exchange, however, this appreciation and exchange are different as there is no supremacy involved. For example, tea, gunpowder and pasta have been shared between different cultures throughout history. These ‘borrowings’ aren’t the same as cultural appropriation, because they don’t involve power. When different cultures come together on an equal footing, exchange and appreciation happens. But when dominant groups take from an oppressed group without due recognition, we’re dealing with appropriation.1 Furthermore, it creates stereotypes such as when these dominant cultures dress as other cultures for Halloween, reducing something of cultural significance to a costume for fun.

Nowadays, society is seeing appropriation through our screens on social media, for example due to heavily publicised events that encourage this adoption of customs such as Coachella and The Color Run, as I explored in my last assessment. Social media has proved to be an essential part of people’s everyday lives recently. The world turns to social media for communicating, keeping up with news and events, subduing boredom, marketing etc.2 There has been this spamming of appropriation ever since social media encapsulated humanity's daily routine, and whilst many people critique the issue - not much is being done. This form of domination over smaller cultures has become so engrained into how cultures interact that there seems to be no way to end this adoption, especially since the perpetuators don’t see how it isn’t cultural appreciation or exchange.

In order to understand how this issue can be translated into art and design, I started researching practitioners that did so, and I found an artist named Shannon Wright. Wright is an artist that comments on how ‘dominant cultures’ can take things from another culture that is experiencing oppression. She chooses to comment on the matter through graphic design, one of her most noticed works being Shared or Stolen: An Examination of Cultural Appropriation.3 She incorporates her graphic design talent and knowledge of how Western society appropriating elements of her culture to make a banner that illustratively depicts this naive oppression. Although my first instinct was to use acrylic paints and canvas for this assessment, her digital designs encouraged me to also explore that area of creating works. However, soon after experimenting there, I wanted to delve more into the area of social media criticisms as it relates more to current society. This pervasive force in our social lives has unsurprisingly become the subject of many contemporary artworks. My inspiration came from the works of Hannah Hill a.k.a ‘Hanecdote’ on Instagram, who uses the medium of needlepoint work as a form of social media symbolism.4 A recurring theme in her work is the representation of contemporary social issues framed within the screen of an iPhone. She comments on gender, body and racial issues within contemporary society through an iPhone template, as social media perpetuates these issues the most. Therefore, I thought of a way in which I could illustrate the same message.

Since social media is a primary form spreading information, a lot of influencers on the platform post images of themselves appropriating other cultures, not that they are doing so intentionally, but a lack of true understanding (appreciation) is evident. Therefore, my poster shows a regular ‘Explore’ page on Instagram as that represents the fastest way of finding images on the platform, with each square having someone adopting another culture inappropriately. The overlay image is how I wish for us to deal with the issue, to report it and continue speaking up about it even though the issue doesn’t seem to be subduing – unless we constantly express ourselves. The options on Instagram that allow this commenting is through reporting the content for being ‘inappropriate’ or for being ‘spam’. This is exactly what’s happening with this form of appropriation, it’s being spammed for society to constantly be observing and it needs to be criticised. I liked continuing the idea of having a poster to advertise a critique on society like with Assessment 1, now instead expanding the issue to show its actual influence, through using existing images and how we can speak up about it. If this was to be in a real world context, I imagine it being plastered in bulk across a street wall - I’ve seen many practitioners utilise this technique as a dramatic form of advertising. 

(Sorry Tumblr won’t let me annotate references properly with an Index) _________________________

1 "Why cultural appropriation isn't cool", in Au.reachout.com, , 2017, <https://au.reachout.com/articles/why-cultural-appropriation-isnt-cool> [accessed 14 September 2018].

2 "Six contemporary artists making a statement about social media — Acclaim Magazine", in Acclaim Magazine, , 2017, <https://acclaimmag.com/art/six-contemporary-artists-making-a-statement-about-social-media/#5> [accessed 14 September 2018].

3 S Wright, "Shannon Wright", in Shannondrewthis.tumblr.com, , 2016, <http://shannondrewthis.tumblr.com/post/134820711632/some-time-ago-i-did-a-piece-for-ink-magazine> [accessed 9 September 2018].

4 H Hill, "Hannah Hill (@hanecdote) • Instagram photos and videos", in Instagram.com, <https://www.instagram.com/hanecdote/?hl=en> [accessed 15 September 2018].

[drewbiedoobiedoobiedoo]

1 whats your middle name: Jasmin

2 how old are you?: 21

3 whens your birthday?: 27th March 1996

4 zodiac sign?: Aries (act more like a pisces tho)

5 favourite colour?: atm violet is my fave

6 whats your lucky number?: 7 !!

7 do you have any pets?: i have a cat and a dog

8 where are you from?: where the wild things are

9 how tall are you?: smol

10 what shoe size are you?: 7/8 depending on the kind of shoe

11 how many pairs of shoes do you own?: 5 ??

12 what was your last dream about: lmao that deserves its own special post.

13 what talents do you have?: errrr, im a good shot with a bow.

14 are you psychic in any way?: in some ways, i think i just have a really good intution.

15 favourite song?: thats impossible!!!

16 favourite movie?: Pans Labyrinth, short term 12, Nick & Norahs infinite playlist.

17 who would your ideal partner be?: someone who i never tire of, who can handle comfortable silences and knows how i like my tea. Idk.

18 do you want children?: uhhhhh idk id prolly adopt.

19 do you want a church wedding?: if the person i were to marry wished to have one i dont see why not.

20 are you religious?: i believe in past lives? I believe in the universe and i think its alive, i think it watches us. I dont really believe in things that come out of a book or something written by old men a million years ago. But i believe theres something more out there.

21 have you ever been to a hospital?: many many times i have.

22 have you ever been in trouble with the law?: once when i was 9 i prank called a place twice and they had caller ID and they got the police involved… my mum was fuming.

23 have you ever met any celebrities?: i met the twins from teen wolf and they were adorable :*

24 baths or showers?: showers fuck me uuup

25 what colour socks are you wearing?: none

26 have you ever been famous: lol no

27 would you like to be a celebrity: no thanks im so fine being normal.

28 what type of music do you like?: uhhhh i think im alternative indie trash but like also everything that bops is my shit???

29 have you ever been skinny dipping?: lol lets not go there

30 how many pillows do you sleep with?: 3

31 what position do you usually sleep in?: on my side … hugging the 3rd pillow.

32 how big is ur house?: not very, its one story and houses 3 ppl ^-^

33 what do you typically have for breakfast?: toast and a cup of tea.

34 have you ever fired a gun?: yea i have. Not a fan of guns tho

35 have you ever tried archery: yup, and that i am a fan of!!!

36 favourite clean word?: soap

37 favourite swear word?: cunt. Lol.

38 whats the longest youve ever gone without sleep?: probably like 2 days.

39 do you have any scars: yeah i have a few.

40 have you ever had a secret admirer?: not that im aware of.. but isnt that the point?

41 are you a good liar?: kinda but also i hate lying to people so i tend to not do it often.

42 are you a good judge of character?: i sure hope so.

43 can you do any accents other than ur own?: not very good but usually i just pretend to be scotish

44 do you have a strong accent?: i have no idea

45 whats your favourite accent?: Irish probably

46 whats your personality type: im type 5 if that makes sense to yall

47 whats your most expensive piece of clothing?: probably the fucking togs i bought last weekend 😂😂

48 can you curl your tongue?: i can maybe thats my one talent..

49 innie or an outie?: lol innie

50 lefty or righty?: im right handed :P

51 are you scared of spiders?: only if they jump on my face, otherwise no not at all

52 favourite food?: pastaaaaaa

53 favourite foreign food?: sushiiiiii or italian food is the shit

54 are you a clean or messy person?: im relatively tidy but cluttered.

55 most used phrase?: fuck if i know i never shut up 😂

56 most used word?: “weow” “mleh” “fuck” those 3 sometimes together or separately

57 how does it take to get ready?: an hour. Usually

58 do u have much of an ego?: idk how to answer this one

59 do you suck or bite lollipops?: yes.

60 do you talk to yourself?: yeah but only cause she never shuts up lol

61 do you sing to yourself?: it stops her from talking so yeh

62 are you a good singer?: no im terrible

63 biggest fear?: shutting everyone out and then ending up completely by myself, being replaced. Idk.. im afraid of getting older and watching my grandparents get greyer and forgetful. Clowns. Caring more about things or people than they probably do about me. Cliche shit like that.

64 are you a gossip?: no but i listen to it 😎👀☕

65 best dramatic movie youve seen?: kill bill 1 and 2

66 long or short hair?: on me i like having it short c:

67 can you name 50 states in america?: lol no

68 favourite subject: art / history

69 extrovert or introvert?: introvert 😩👌

70 ever been scuba diving?: nope thatd be fun tho

71 what makes you nervous?: ppl im not close with asking personal questions, ppl getting in my comfort zone, being late for something, family gatherings, people pointing out my nervous ticks like fidgeting..

72 are you scared of the dark?: kinda :/

73 do you correct ppl when they make mistakes?: sometimes but not if it makes me or them look like a dick.. i would only do it if it helped them.

74 are you ticklish?: no

75 have you ever started a rumour?: maybe in like primary school..

76 have you ever been in a position of authority?: yes im an older sibling so ofc

77 ever drank underage?: yes, thanks dad 👌

78 ever done drugs?: … yes.. thanks aunty 👌 i swear my familys semi normal

79 who was ur first real crush?: prolly my first best friend..

80 any piercings?: nope.

81 can you roll your R’s ?: not very good but yes i can

82 how fast can you type?: very very lelel

83 how fast can you run?: depends on whats chasing me.

84 your hair colour?: reddish brown atm

85 your eye colour?: hazel ^-^

86 any allergies?: none that im aware of!!!

87 do you keep a journal?: i do, i mostly doodle tho

88 what do your parents do?: my mum works as a gardener atm, my dad fixes pipes lol.

89 do you like your age?: yeah sure 21 is fine ^-^

90 what makes you angry?: people who try to take advantage of others just bc theyre family. 🙄🙄

91 do you like your name?: i do actually!

92 have you already thought of baby names?: yes kinda sort of only one so far i like the name Hazel its cute

93 boy or girl for a child: tbh i would want a daughter but a son is just as fine

94 strengths?: im optimistic i think, sometimes im funny, i can see thru ppls bullshit. There. So strength!

95 what are your weakeness?: im also the complete opposite of all my strengths listed above. Its too easy for me to get upset with myself, im very dramatic and sometimes its exhausting lol.

96 how did you get ur name?: my … parents??

97 were your ancestors royalty: i have no idea, i know most of my irish ancestors were coal miners and catholic so.. prolly not

[sleepykichii]

11 Questions Tag

i was tagged by @pinkheichou @tiny-heichou and @salbelni so that's uh...that's 33 questions holy shit this is gonna be forever long lmaoo

Rules: 1. Always post the rules 2. Answer the questions given by the person who tagged you 3. Write 11 questions of your own 4. Tag 11 people

idk if it’ll tag you guys if i put them under the cut so! i tag: @tokyo-ghouls-eat-rawmen @kingtatsunari @bertoltssweat @sluttttysurveycorps @piningmarco @lesliebruhleria @iviarka @softymir @dallyingdivergent @levi-nyanchou @noodlesforlyfe  don’t feel obligated to do this!! 

1. Is there a book/movie that you’ve read/watched many times? Which one? i usually dont like rewatching/rereading things but my guilty pleasure is snk, i love to watch the dubbed episodes and compare it to the subbed episodes, i love going back and noticing details i couldnt bc i was reading subtitles, comparing manga panels to anime scenes, yknow, lil things like that 2. What do you love most about your friends? they try their best to cheer me up when they know i'm feeling down~ 3. Ever been a witness to someone doing something hella embarrassing? (You don’t have to tell anything about it) uh yeah, my best friend irl fell and literally slid down her stairs when she was drunk after prom last year and wanted to do it again 4. A fandom you didn’t think you would ever be a part of? tbh danganronpa. on my old blog, before i got back into watching anime, i thought their hair was rly...unique, to say the least, and didn't think i would ever give it the time of day 5. Do you have a “trash character” you like? komaeda :') and ouma, i know a lot of ppl rly don't like him lmao 6. Pastel or Black? black, i love pastels but i look rly good in black lmao 7. Pet peeves? when ppl ignore/interrupt me, unneccesary loud noises, lack of privacy, AND WHEN PPL CHEW WITH THEIR MOUTH OPEN OH MY GOD 8. If you had one free wish what would it be? (Wishing for xx/endless wishes is not allowed) i would wish to bring immense joy to myself and every person i crossed paths with! 9. What are your favourite tropes/AUs for your ships? holy SHIT im a slut for AUs. i lovelovelove actor AUs, zombie/post apocalyptic AUs, high school/boarding school AUs, college AUs, summercamp AUs, band AUs, coffee shop AUs, apartment AUs...i could rly go on but i'll stop lmaooo 10. Are you an emotional person? VERY 11. Are you more attracted to popular ships or rare pairs? i dont rly have a preference, if i see a ship i like, it's popularity doesn't concern me c:

1. Whats your favorite book? i rly don't know, i haven't read a book in forever fml i've already read all the books on my shelf and they're like...8th grade reading level :-// my most recent read was more than this by patrick ness and it was pretty good! 2. Do you collect anything? stickers!! i love stickers so much lmao what else...cute pins, and i'm slowly building a collection i call 'roadside paintings' where -- you guessed it -- i pick up deserted paintings on the side on the road. i currently have two hanging up in my room! 3. The last Song you listened to? sir sly - high 4. Do you like Tea? If yes whats your favorite kind of tea? fuck yeah!! tea > coffee, all day every day. i rly love blueberry acai green tea and papaya passionfruit black tea!! 5. Whats the first Anime/Manga you ever watched/read? if u wanna get technical, sailor moon was the first ever, but naruto is the first one i went out of my way to watch. the first manga was shugo chara! i would probably still read it bc the characters are adorable and the plot is interesting! 6. Whats your favorite childhood movie? pokemon 2000!! 7. Your favorite poem? the universe took its time on you crafted you precisely so you could offer the world something distinct from everyone else so when you doubt how you were created you doubt an energy greater than us both -rupi kaur 8. Your favorite Painting? i don't rly have one!! 9. Whats the most amazing thing that happened to you? still somehow being alive right this very second 10. Whats the Title of the last Fanfiction you have read? i wanna say it was something simple like 'roommates' or along those lines, i honestly haven't read fanfiction in a couple weeks;; 11. Write 3 Book, Fanfic and Manga Title that you totally recommend! i have the comprehension skills of a potato so idk if you mean three of each or three total so i'm just gonna do three total book: more than this - patrick ness (rly good, rly weird. makes you think about our reality a little more. worth a reread when you're finished so you can piece all the information together) fanfic: blue bear - afishoutofwater (snk/eremin - i was in tears by the end of this, it's so sad but very well written. major character death & angst, just a heads up!) manga: killing stalking (hoo boy. this isnt for the faint of heart, lots of dark themes along the lines of torture and murder. not everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay!! <3)

① What are you most proud of? this is probably stupid to be proud of but it's the first thing that came to mind even though i wasnt that good, i made it into my eighth grade talent show playing the keyboard i got up there in front of the entire middle school and fucked up tremendously BUT I DIDNT CHICKEN OUT! so!! +1 point for tay woohoo ② Have you ever been so impressed you were left speechless? if you mean impressed by someone's level of stupidity, yeah lmaooo, otherwise not rly ③ What’s your favorite time of day? 10AM - 2-3PM, i'm the only one awake during these hours (unless my mom has work) and the house is completely silent for once ④ Is there a certain song that gives you goosebumps everytime you hear it? history maker from yoi gave me goosebumps for a while but no song has consistently given me goosebumps lmao ⑤ Is there something, let it be a hobby/food/movie/book/song/etc., from your childhood that you still love today? i still collect stickers and i still rly love beanie babies...i also don't mind watching the berenstein bears/dragon tales with my niece bc those were my faves when i was a kid ⑥ What never fails to make you happy? my morning solitude and fluffy art/fanfics of my otps!! ⑦ Do you dream? If so, which one was most memorable? i dream sometimes, but my fave reccurring dream is where everything is neon, like the saturation has been yanked up 100%, and i'm just walking down a sidewalk minding my own business, and then it starts raining acid and everything starts melting away until i'm just kinda floating in the void lmao i usually wake up right after everything disappears ⑧ Who’s your favorite tumblr artist/writer/editor/etc.? Feel free to name/tag more than one! the first one that came to mind was @glassesgirl0401, rarepair mom for life ; v ; ⑨ What’s your favorite fanart? Could you please link to its source? omg i love every piece of fanart tht i reblog i cant pick just one!! i rly love how everyone has their own art style and ways of drawing certain things differently, the individuality is what makes art so amazing! ⑩ What’s your headcanoned sexuality/gender identity/romantic orientation of your favorite SNK character? omg there's so many tht i like aaaaa if i had to pick just one, it would be armin and he's hella gay :3 ⑪ ^May I draw them with their pride flag’s colors for you? AAAAAA PLEASE?? that would be so great?! thank you!!! <3

here are my questions, i tried to make them interesting! 1.) If you had one, what was your 'stereotype' in school? (jock, nerd, goth, etc) 2.) What are your favorite and least favorite foods? 3.) Who is your favorite character from your current fandom and why? 4.) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 5.) What are your favorite hobbies? 6.) Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter? 7.) What's one obstacle you've overcome recently? 8.) Yes or no: Pineapple on pizza? Fries dipped in mayonnaise? Ketchup on eggs? 9.) What is your most resourceful skill? 10.) If you could pick three fictional characters to bring to life, who would they be and why? 11.) What is the end-goal for you; What do you want to do with your life?

thanks for reading this far lmao sorry that took a lot longer than i thought it would

[votingdog]

hi im leigh and im a slut for oversharing so have another ask thing about a year later

1: Is there a person in your life? yes, id say there is 2:Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them? no. 3:What do you think of when you hear the word “meow?” some selfies i posted a lil while back 4:What’s something you really want right now? c u d d l e s 5:Are you afraid of falling in love?  no. im scared of falling out of it 6:Do you like the beach? in small doses 7:Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else? yes 8:What’s the background on your cell? some weeby shit 9:Name the last four beds you were sat on? mine, addison’s, my grandmother’s, and my friend’s 10:Do you like your phone? it gets what i need it to done 11:Honestly, are things going the way you planned? lmao nO but that’s okay 12:Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts? xavier 13:Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler? rott 14:Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain? both 15:Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? zoooo 16:Are you tired? 24/7 17:How long have you known your 1st phone contact? first as in first added or top?? shrugs top has been since since the middle of last school year  18:Are they a relative? try my ex 19:Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes? yes 20:When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with? i talk to him every day now 21:If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today? no, marriage is scary 22:Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? you bet ya sweet ass 23:How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? none 24:Is there a certain quote you live by? “don’t pop pills popcorn” 25:What’s on your mind? what isnt rn 26:Do you have any tattoos? no but i want some 27:What is your favorite color? orange 28:Next time you will kiss someone on the lips? i ?? dont know ?? hopefully soon bc im needy 29:Who are you texting? no one as i type this, but noah before 30:Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch? yee 31:Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right? i felt super shitty one day from the moment i woke up then when i got home from school i learned my dog had died so 32:Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to? yes 33:Do you think anyone has feelings for you? i know a couple people that do 34:Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? yes and it makes me melt every time 35:Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you? good for him!! i was probably aware of it beforehand if it was right in front of me so im a-ok with it 36:Were you single on Valentines Day? nope 37:Are you friends with the last person you kissed? yeee 38:What do your friends call you? leigh or a weird nickname 39:Has anyone upset you in the last week? myself bitch wtf 40:Have you ever cried over a text? lmaoooooo  41:Where’s your last bruise located? my arm 42:What is it from? i think i hit a wall 43:Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad? i was here while my step dad and his girlfriend were fighitng yike 44:Who was the last person you were on the phone with? xavier 45:Do you have a favourite pair of shoes? i only have one pair of shoes?? 46:Do you wear hats if youre having a bad hair day? nah every day is a bad hair day and i dont have enough hats 47:Would you ever go bald if it was the style? probably not. the only reason i think id go bald is because of everyone tellign me how much they wish i hadnt cut my hair short  48:Do you make supper for your family? i help make it a lot 49:Does your bedroom have a door? yes 50:Top 3 web-pages? tumblr, ourworld, facebook?? 51:Do you know anyone who hates shopping? probably 52:Does anything on your body hurt? my back jesus fucking christ mY BACK 53:Are goodbyes hard for you? i don’t think goodbyes are ever really easy for anyone 54:What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself? tea probably 55:How is your hair? he’s going through a hard time since his breakup, but he’s hanging in there. thanks for asking. it means a lot to him 56:What do you usually do first in the morning? try to go back to sleep 57:Do you think two people can last forever? i think that two people can last in each other’s lives until they die, whether that be romantically or platonically. it just takes work  58:Think back to January 2007, were you single? dude idk i was 6 59:Green or purple grapes? grEEN 60:When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug? shrugs. i’ll probably get sad and hug my sibling 61:Do you wish you were somewhere else right now? yes 62:When will be the next time you text someone? right after i finish this 63:Where will you be 5 hours from now? still here 64:What were you doing at 8 this morning. sleeping 65:This time last year, can you remember who you liked? yeah it was some dude i had a fling with that i,,,cannot remember the name of  66:Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? yesyes 67:Did you kiss or hug anyone today? no someone come hug mee 68:What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? probably about the person i like because when am i not daydreaming 69:Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? yes, but that;s life. not everything lasts forever  70:How many windows are open on your computer? three 71:How many fingers do you have? ten, unless you don’t count thumbs then 8 72:What is your ringtone? shrugs 73:How old will you be in 5 months? 17 74:Where is your Mum right now? your guess is as good as mine 75:Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love? Shr uG s i still talk to him though aaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA 76:Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days? yes 77:Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago? yep 78:Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7? that’s like, sixth grade i think?? so yeah, and i used to sit pretty close to him in algebra 79:Is there anyone you know with the name Mike? my grandpa 80:Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms? many times 81:How many people have you liked in the past three months? oh jeez. uh. seven? i think? three were relationships, two were kind of relationships, and two were/are crushes. there were also poly experiences in that so i mean 82:Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days? yes 83:Will you talk to the person you like tonight? i talk to him every day 84:You’re drunk and yelling at hot people out of your car window, you’re with? noah probably. i feel like id drunk text him and he’s come make sure i was okay and then id pull shit like that 85:If your partner was into drugs would you care? nah 86:What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie? i?? dont remember the last time i saw a movie in theaters? 87:Who was your last received call from? technically noah but he called my old number  88:If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you? i don’t like butterflies but still no omg 89:What is something you wish you had more of? affection, friends, love, positivity 90:Have you ever trusted someone too much? hoooooboi yes 91:Do you sleep with your window open? no 92:Do you get along with girls? i tend not to yikes but i try 93:Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? probably 94:Does sex mean love? no 95:You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? nah man. i mean, the fact that we’re locked in may be a problem bc idk who locked us in there or why, but we’d be fine 96:Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring? no 97:Did you sleep alone this week? not the entire week 98:Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you? yesyesyes 99:Do you believe in love at first sight? i believe in fascination and curiosity and attraction at first sight, but not love 100:Who was the last person that you pinky promise? probably my ex because we pinkie promised a lot

[arplis]

Arplis - News: 8 Reasons to Visit Astoria, Queens

If youre in New York City, Astoria, Queens should definitely be on your radar. Heres why.

Im not sure how scientifically sound such a statistic is, but in a September 2019 feature by Time Out, Astoria, Queens was ranked 8th in an article entitled The 50 Coolest Neighborhoods in the World, making it number one in New York City and second in the United States at large. For many of us who call Astoria home, a first response to such a claim was perhaps, Well, DUH, followed immediately by, Hey, SHUT UP Time Out!

No but really, we residents of Western Queens are happy to share what makes our neighborhood great, or rather, cool, especially if it means we get to lord it over all of Brooklyn, who has gotten the lions share of that reputation for far too long.

Located just 15 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Astoria is a vibrant neighborhood worth a detour during your trip to New York, worthy of being a travel destination unto itself, or frankly, worth moving to, in my humble opinion. Here are 8 ways in which Astoria is every bit as cool as Time Out says it is.

Old World Vibes

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Spread the love today. #tzatziki #skordalia #tarama #tyrokafteri #spreads #tavernakyclades #tavernakycladesbayside #tavernakycladeseastvillage Photo Credit @costapetrovas

A post shared by tavernakyclades (@tavernakyclades) on Aug 18, 2019 at 11:09am PDT

While incorporating the young creative types that started calling the neighborhood home over the last decade, Astoria gracefully did something that few New York neighborhoods have managed to do, which is to maintain the immigrant community that gave it personality in the first place.

Largely influenced by the Greek population, you can find frothy frapps and spirited, gesticulated debate at any time of day at cafes such as The Grand, Avenue Cafe, or Omonia. (Insider tip: check out the proud poster at the bakery next door to Omonia that had the distinction of making the wedding cake for My Big Fat Greek Wedding.) Certainly a cure for any winter malaise that ails you, steep yourself in garlic at exemplary Greek eateries like Taverna Kyclades or Bahari Estiatorio.

Even new restaurants promoting old world flavors find success in Astoria, with newcomers Akrotiri, and Lokanta, catching the attention of The New York Times and the Michelin Guide respectively, right out of the gate.

Really Old World Vibes

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Inhale. Exhale.

Posted by Layaly Cafe onFriday, January 25, 2019

In a stretch of Steinway Street known as Little Egypt you can find Middle Eastern dining and shopping, and better yet, the highest concentration of hookah bars this side of the Atlantic.

(Oh, right, Steinway Street. Yeah, all of their world class pianos for the Western Hemisphere are made in Astoria, so we also have that. No big deal.)

Its hit or miss as to whether or not you find yourself in a more traditional, cultural club that doesnt serve alcohol, or one of the contemporary spots that feature rebirthed, kitschy 80s cocktail classics, but figuring it out is part of the fun. If youd like your puff with some of the stronger stuff try Fayrooz or Layaly. For the tea and smoothie approach try Rotana or Jasmin.

Music: Its Alive!

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#tonight AND #everythursday #thursdaynight #livemusic #openmic @thequaysastoria / signup 8:30 / #music 9pm / 2 #complimentarybeverages per #performer #nocover hosted by @notoriousmignyc of @astoriamusiccollectivenyc #astoriaopenmic #astorianewyork #astoriamusicnow #astorianightlife #astoriaqueens #thirstythursday

A post shared by Astoria Music Collective (@astoriamusiccollectivenyc) on Jun 6, 2019 at 8:23am PDT

In an era when gritty, iconic music venues seem to be closing their doors on the daily, Astoria managed to build a grassroots music scene from scratch to showcase the incredible talent that had moved into the area. Built largely on the wherewithal of Astoria resident Miguel Hernandez, who went door to door convincing bars to host music nights and pay musicians, a diverse lineup of live music is available every night of the week in Astoria, with a couple of yearly festivals thrown in for good measure, care of Hernandezs Astoria Music Collective.

You can get your live band fix with a side of suds at breweries such as Singlecut and LIC Beer Project; with cocktails at cozy, modern bars like The Bonnie and Sweet Afton; with a proper Guinness draught at classic pubs such as The Shillelagh and The Quays; or simply with personality at old school venues like The Letlove Inn and Q.E.D.

Arts and Crafts

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Museum admission is free today for the final day of #OHNYwknd. No RSVP required; just come on by. Today at the Museum . 2 pm: Educator-led tour with an introduction to the life and vision of Isamu Noguchi, exploring select works in the Museums collection and exhibitions. . 3 pm: Curators Tour Dakin Hart, Noguchi Museum Senior Curator, leads a tour of the Museum and special exhibitions. Photo @nicholasknightstudio The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum/Artists Rights Society (ARS) #IsamuNoguchi # #NoguchiMuseum #NoguchiGarden @openhousenewyork

A post shared by The Noguchi Museum (@noguchimuseum) on Oct 20, 2019 at 6:55am PDT

You dont need to traipse up and down 5th Avenue with the rest of humanity during your trip to New York in order to get your visual arts fix. Astoria also has you covered in that department.

The Museum of the Moving Image is a tribute to the film and television industry, something that Astoria has just a little claim to, being the location of Kaufman Astoria Studios, NYCs only production studio with a backlot, and the filming location for none other than Sesame Street. (Who are the people in YOUR neighborhood?)

The Noguchi Museum is a building designed by the artist himself to showcase his work, and the result is a serene, austere space that takes the traveler out of the New York bustle for a moment to immerse her or him in sculpture and light, and a peaceful, courtyard garden. For some art out of doors of a more peculiar persuasion, you can go from your Noguchi visit right across the street for a riverside stroll in the quirky Socrates Sculpture Park.

Beer Culture

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Our beer & cheese pairing combo matches a beer flight with a mixed cheese plate. Pro-tip: Its a great way to start off a date night! by @davidavisuals. #beerandcheese #beerpairing #datenight #astoriaqueens #weloveastoria

A post shared by Astoria Bier & Cheese Broadway (@abcbroadway) on Sep 6, 2019 at 7:41am PDT

Proof positive that the universal divine favors Queens over Brooklyn: Astoria Bier and Cheese. Full stop. No but really, this combination bar, cheesemonger, and bottle shop is as close to perfect an eating and drinking establishment as I have ever found, with its suds and curds-forward menu, and airy market vibe.

In addition to the aforementioned breweries Singlecut and LIC Beer Project, no beer tour of Astoria would be complete without a visit to Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, a Czech cultural club complete with the requisite sausages and liter draughts. Grabbing a table in its expansive, tree-lined backyard will have you wondering whether youve somehow entered a portal to the Bohemian countryside, but the friendly rattle of the subway just a few blocks away will remind you that youre still in New York City.

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction

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Rainy days & cookie dates Snickersdoodle is on the menu TODAY chocolate peanuts caramel yum

A post shared by Chip NYC (@chipnewyorkcity) on Dec 9, 2019 at 9:09am PST

Along with a robust Greek and Italian population comes bakeries of the pay-by-the-pound variety. Baklava seekers should visit Marthas Country Bakery or Omonia Cafe Next Door, whereas disciples of the cannoli can find refuge at Gianpiero or Rose and Joes.

An eight-block stretch of Astorias 30th Avenue has seen such a recent emergence of sweet eateries to have earned the unofficial nickname of Dessert Row. (If youre not convinced by this, alone, I cant understand what moves you.) Feed your sugar need at Chip for cookies, Ample Hills for ice cream, T-Swirl for crepes, No for cakes, or Paris Oven for getting your French on.

Lo-Fi Shopping

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Tbt to Record Store Day earlier this year. When the sun was out and the only thing you had to worry about was your vinyl melting on the train ride home. Ah yes, a simple time.

A post shared by HiFi Records & Cafe (@hifirecordsastoria) on Dec 9, 2019 at 7:09am PST

Who other than the coolest neighborhood on earthsorry, I mean coolest in New Yorkcould support opening a record store in the past decade? Well, Astoria did. And not only that, but in a culture where all kinds of single concept stores have gotten bulldozed by big box establishments, Astoria has birthed not only Hi-Fi Records, but Gamestoriafor gamers, Astoria Bookshop for literary types, and Lockwood Paper forother literary types. Theres apparently even enough business to support Uke Hut: a damn ukulele store. I mean, how cool is that?

Not to mention the European-style food shopping where meats, seafood, baked goods, and cheeses all have their expert, specialty purveyors, for those who choose their New York City AirBnbs on the basis of the kitchen.

Not Trying to Be Cool, or Rather, Trying to Be Not Cool

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Come enjoy a cold beer or Rum Punches @ outdoor seating. Its Off the Hook!

A post shared by Off the Hook Raw Bar Astoria (@offthehookrawbar) on Jun 21, 2018 at 2:01pm PDT

I have long held the belief that Astoria is the coolest precisely because it isnt trying to be cool. (See, ukelele store, above.) On the contrary, one of its peculiar delights is noticing the prevalence of puns and dad jokes in businesses whose mission seems to advancing the antithesis of cool. Maybe its just me, because I live here and I notice these, but I salute them for their unapologetic wordplay: Off The Hook, The Teapsy, Enthaice, and Something Catchy. With you in our corner, Astoria will never become too cool for school, thereby earning the right to stay cool forever.

(function(){if(window.instgrm)window.instgrm.Embeds.process()})() Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/8-reasons-to-visit-astoria-queens

[therealestatesparkblog]

What Being a CPA Has Taught Me About Becoming a Millionaire

Usually my articles are all about taxes and how real estate investors and business owners should approach various scenarios and apply sets of tax regulations. I always try to share my knowledge to help you improve your bottom line. What Ive come to realize through speaking with and advising hundreds of real estate investors and having a front row seat to their financial lives and mindsets is that Ive learned quite a lot about wealth over the past two years. Ive learned about creative and unique means to generate wealth. Ive learned about market niches that are rarely brought up in the BiggerPockets Forums that turn out to be quite lucrative. Ive learned about ways to mitigate exposure to various financial and market risks. However, one of the most beneficial thing that Ive learnedand the topic of todays postis how millionaires build their wealth. Im not talking about the mega-millionaires. While Im sure everyone would love to be in the mega-millionaire category, frankly its unattainable for most. Im talking about the Millionaire Next Door type of millionaires. This type of millionaire is, as Ive found, relatively easy to become. Full disclosure: Im not a millionairenot even close. However, I have been lucky enough to interact with and advise many homegrown millionaires. Hopefully, youll still be able to take away something of value from my article. So what does the everyday millionaire do differently than the rest of us? They develop key habits, defer their gratification, and treat their passive income like the most important business theyve ever run. The #1 Non-Money Habit of Millionaires The number onenon-money habit that will make you a millionaire is waking up earlier than the rest of the world. I know its hyped up and over-sold. I always rolled my eyes when I heard about this habit, too. Im not a morning person, and the thought of waking up before the sun was dreadful. But that was before I got into the business of advising successful real estate investors and business owners. That was also before I established this habit for myself. Waking up early has plenty of benefits;however, the two that stand out the most when Im conversing with clients are that it gives you time to work on projects you never have time for and it jump starts your productivity. Related: Building Wealth: What Key Practices Separate Millionaires From the Middle Class? The difference between people living mediocre lives and people living successful lives is that the successful people create time to work on the projects that the mediocre people dream about. Dont have time to review three real estate deals a day? Wake up early! The projects dont have to be real estate-related; in fact, they dont even have to be business-related. Maybe you dream about starting a podcast or writing a book about the tea and food pairings. Maybe you just want to paint more often or get in shape. When interviewing my clients, other investors, and business owners, Ive realized the most successful ones have some sort of cool project theyre working on. As I noticed the trend, I began inquiring not only about the projects, but also about how they have time. The answer almost all of these successful people provided was that they wake up early. Its that simple. And think about itwhen you wake up early to work on the project youre always putting off, do you think youll be excited to wake up? Not only will you be motivated to get out of bed, but your entire day will essentially see a jump start in productivity. You will create this sort of productivity momentum, which will result in you performing better throughout the day at your job, business, real estate, or whatever it is youre working on! I dont have scientific data. I dont know the neurology behind it. But I do know that almost all of the successful investors and clients Ive collaborated with wake up early to work on their various projects. I was skeptical at first, but I tried it. I read Miracle Morningfor some motivation, and Ive now created a habit of waking up early. My productivity has exploded, and Ive seen the benefits spill over into other areas of my life life business, investing, relationships, and overall health and happiness. Best of all, waking up at 5:00 a.m. isnt bad at all after a week or so. Im used to it and have a routine that motivates me to jump out of bed every morning. If you get nothing else out of this post, I highly recommend trying this for 30 days. The benefits will exceed your expectations. Deferring Gratification and Value-Add Spending All, let me repeat, ALL of the successful people Ive spoken with understand the art of gratification deferral. The thought process goes like this: That purchase will make me happy, but is it necessary today? Do I really need that product or service? Will it help me reach my goals? Oftentimes, the answer is a simple no. So they put off buying the new shoes, fancy dinners, and concert tickets. They buy used vehicles rather than new and expensive cars. They focus on saving and investinggrowing their dollar and paying their future selves. This allows them to get out of the rat race and snowball their investments into financial freedom territory. Buy the Tesla once your net worth reaches $1,000,000. Your future millionaire self will thank the present you for waiting. Another key trend semi-related to this topic is that the successful investors and business owners focus on value-add spending and savings. For instance, one of the investors I know built up an enormous amount of wealth by simply owner-occupying multi-family properties and slowly rehabbing all of the units. He would buy a four-plex, live in one unit for a year, rehab it, then move to the next unit and rinse and repeat. While he was flipping the unit, the other three would be rented out, covering his mortgage and then some. He used this strategy for two four-plexes, and it took him about eight years to complete. He was able to 1031 exchange those properties into a much larger apartment complex, which is valued at over $1,000,000. Related: 5 Habits of the Wealthy That Helped Them Get Rich One of my clients spends tens of thousands of dollars each year on seminars and trainings. However, she has a high net worth and has determined she can do this without it negatively impacting her financial position. Her business is centered on building a network of people, and shes quantified the value of every $1,000 she spends at these seminars and found that she will eventually earn revenue about twice the size of the cost to attend. But it wasnt always this way. Had she spent thousands of dollars going to a seminar while her business was trying to get on its feet, she may not have succeeded at all. In the early days, her money was better spent creating content, advertising, building a local network, and implementing business systems. She understood that while the seminars may be valuable, there were better things to spend her money on at the time to grow to a level where it was financially feasible to attend these larger events. Treating Real Estate Investing Like a Business One of the more eye-opening conversations Ive ever had was with a gentleman who invests in apartment buildings. I was showing him a property I thought was a good deal, and before he even looked at the deal, he asked me how the local economy was. The investors that see large-scale success analyze real estate in a completely different way than the rest of us. The successful investors start by analyzing economic conditions of various cities, towns, etc. When they find one they like, they narrow down their search and identify the best locations and neighborhoods in the area. They dont start with Realtor.com. They also dont necessarily start by contacting a real estate agent. They want to understand the macro and microeconomic conditions that may affect their investment performance to determine if its even worth their time to continue looking in the target area. Then they worry about building relationships and getting boots on the ground. And when you think about it, that simple reversal of the typical methodology many of us employ makes complete sense. Why invest in the best neighborhood in a city that has declining economic conditions? Its backwardlogic. On top of that, before they even attempt to identify a property, they learn all they can about the competition in the area. If they want to invest in apartment buildings, they will find out exactly what the other apartment buildings in the area have to offer. If they find a value gap, they exploit it. For instance, the gentleman I briefly mentioned above told me that his apartment building has washer and dryer hookups, and no other apartment building near him has washer-dryer hookups. Something that simple can give you a huge competitive advantage over all the other investors in your area. Thats how businesses are run. Theres a constant jockeying of positioning to have the best value-add offerings. The investors who understand and can identify competitive advantages will win every time. The Wrap-Up Being a CPA has allowed me to peer into the financial lives of many successful real estate investors. Though Im not a millionaire myself, Ive identified habits, mindsets, and logic that I believe can make anyone a millionaire if they are all applied. I find wealth a fascinating topic, and I hope you are able to take something away from this article. Until next time! Were republishing this article to help out our newer readers. Which of these lessons strikes a chord with you?What would you add? Leave your comments below! https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2016/01/31/cpa-taught-millionaire/

[alisonfloresus]

Growing Long Hair Isn’t Rocket Science. Follow These Steps To Grow Your Lengths

The Science of Hair Growth

First, you must understand that we cannot beat science. Science is governed by facts and hair is not exempt. The rate of growth is pretty consistent for each individual. Hair grows at the rate of .5 inches per month. Without factoring in a regular trim of the ends, your hair will grow 6 inches per year. Many of us would like to think that our hair is “just not growing” but that is not so. If you find that your hair is not growing that is because your hair is breaking.

What You Can Do

While you have no control of the speed your body produces hair, your part of the job is making sure you get to keep all of the new hair that you grow. To give your hair a fighting chance at a long life, feed your body with healthy nutrients for strong hair. These nutrients will feed the new hair growth that springs from your scalp, what a great healthy beginning for your strands. When you do not eat healthy, you produce weak hair that doesn’t have a fighting chance against the friction of the elements of daily life. Feed your hair from the inside out. After the hair has grown from your scalp, the only way to keep it strong is through topical products like conditioners and other nourishing products

After you get the hang of eating healthy to produce strong hair from the root, be sure to take care of the new and old hair by protecting it. The opening to your hair is through the ends, the most delicate section of your strands. The art of mastering how to protect your hair is the art of growing your hair. They are one and the same. When protecting your ends, be sure to:

Coat them in rich oil daily; choose your oil based on the density of your hair. Thicker hair requires heavier oil while thinner hair requires light oil. The best oil for fine and thick hair is the Champagne and Caviar Curl Elixir, an organic curly hair product. This particular oil is light yet long lasting, packing powerful moisture. This can be used every night or every other night with your nighttime hair routine and in the morning for restyling.

Wear your hair in protective styles 90% of the time. For example, cover your ends throughout the week and let your hair down on the weekends. This will shield your hair from the elements of the world including sun, wind, and blowing debris. You also need nightly protection. Before retiring to bed, wrap your hair in a silk scarf after applying moisturizing oil. The next day, style your hair gently, being sure to cover those ends.

One Final Note

The final piece of the hair growth puzzle involves using the correct maintenance products. Choose a gentle shampoo made with organic curly hair product ingredients to enhance your hair and keep it healthy, moisturized and strong. CURLS Creamy Curl Cleanser has just the right about of cleansing for your curls. Pair this with the Coconut Curlada Conditioner. Finally, you should deep condition your hair once a month with Curl Ecstasy Hair Tea Deep conditioner. This regiment is a winner for long luxurious hair. Happy Growing!

from JournalsLINE http://journalsline.com/2017/05/18/growing-long-hair-isnt-rocket-science-follow-these-steps-to-grow-your-lengths/ from Journals LINE https://journalsline.tumblr.com/post/160787609745

[israfelart]

hey uh, i hope this isnt rude but, do you ship lori and mae? loris still in grade school, shes not eighteen, and maes twenty, so...

That’s a legit question, it’s not rude at all :)

I have a headcanon where they are friends all the way until Lori finishes college (and then goes to Italy to intern and shoot a film of her own in the little free time she gets from her job). So they’re just train track friends, with the occasional party and band practice, until Lori turn 21 and is kind of more mature than Mae at her 26 at that point (I think she works construction in that scenario, I’m still thinking about that).

The thought of shipping a minor with a 20 yo never even crossed my mind so I didn’t think to warn anyone. And everything I posted with them so far is a friendship thing. If the pairing is not your cup of tea it’s fine, but I love their friendship and I don’t have any explicitly romantic art so far :)

[lorandunnrealtor]

6 Advantages of Living in the City

Cities are energetic and diverse cultural centers all across the world. Living in the city may not be for everyone, but there are certainly some universal observations and benefits of doing so. What makes city living so exciting and convenient? Here are just a few common reasons. Culture Cities are vibrant, thriving centers of culture that offer a wealth of opportunities to engage in and experience the local community. Youll find a ton of great options to choose from: restaurants, art galleries, museums, theaters, concert venues, clubs, festivals, parks, etc. Theres certainly no shortage of activities that can match your personal interests or hobbies and allow you to enjoy your time living in the city! Convenience The convenience of city life is another point in its favor. You have everything within easy access via public transportation, a short drive, or even walking distance. You wont need to drive for long stretches in order to get to work, go shopping, or see a show. Its also a lot easier to enjoy nights out, as you dont have to worry about a long drive home or missing the last train or bus. And perhaps best of all is avoiding getting stuck in traffic on a long commute to work! Public Transportation Public transportation is a great benefit for those living in and around the city. Trains, buses, and subways are all efficient and cost effective methods of getting to and from your home and other destinations. The costs are relatively low for these services and the amount of money you may save from not having car-related expenditures will make city living more affordable. If public transit isnt your cup of tea, most cities are bike friendly! More and more cities are now adding bike-share programs as an eco-friendly option for transportation. Shopping Just like dining, shopping in the city presents a range of options. Youll find the classic, larger brand stores to smaller, artisan craft shops all within a relatively small radius. You can get your groceries at your favorite big box store or shop small at a neighborhood market offering locally grown produce and other goods. Clothing options can be found at stores like Target or perhaps a small thrift store specializing in handmade, bespoke fashion. Dining Dining options in the city are both plentiful and diverse. Whether youre looking for a coffee shop, a delicatessen, or the best fish tacos in town- city dining has it all. Youll typically find craft breweries and food trucks paired together for a cheap, delicious meal with your favorite local beer. Delivery service is also an added benefit of living in a metro area. Of course there will always be the chains you know and love, but cities are diverse places. Chinese, Mexican, Ethiopian, Thai, and more the local restaurant scene will generally reflect that diversity and offer something everyone will love! Opportunities/Careers Finally, an excellent perk of living in the city is the sheer amount of education, career, and volunteer opportunities available. Whether youre trying to earn a bachelors degree, graduate degree, seeking full-time [...] The post 6 Advantages of Living in the City appeared first on Homes.com.

[therealestatesparkblog]

What Being a CPA Has Taught Me About Becoming a Millionaire

Usually my articles are all about taxes and how real estate investors and business owners should approach various scenarios and apply sets of tax regulations. I always try to share my knowledge to help you improve your bottom line. What Ive come to realize through speaking with and advising hundreds of real estate investors and having a front row seat to their financial lives and mindsets is that Ive learned quite a lot about wealth over the past two years. Ive learned about creative and unique means to generate wealth. Ive learned about market niches that are rarely brought up in the BiggerPockets Forums that turn out to be quite lucrative. Ive learned about ways to mitigate exposure to various financial and market risks. However, one of the most beneficial thing that Ive learnedand the topic of todays postis how millionaires build their wealth. Im not talking about the mega-millionaires. While Im sure everyone would love to be in the mega-millionaire category, frankly its unattainable for most. Im talking about the Millionaire Next Door type of millionaires. This type of millionaire is, as Ive found, relatively easy to become. Full disclosure: Im not a millionairenot even close. However, I have been lucky enough to interact with and advise many homegrown millionaires. Hopefully, youll still be able to take away something of value from my article. So what does the everyday millionaire do differently than the rest of us? They develop key habits, defer their gratification, and treat their passive income like the most important business theyve ever run.

The #1 Non-Money Habit of Millionaires The number onenon-money habit that will make you a millionaire is waking up earlier than the rest of the world. I know its hyped up and over-sold. I always rolled my eyes when I heard about this habit, too. Im not a morning person, and the thought of waking up before the sun was dreadful. But that was before I got into the business of advising successful real estate investors and business owners. That was also before I established this habit for myself. Waking up early has plenty of benefits;however, the two that stand out the most when Im conversing with clients are that it gives you time to work on projects you never have time for and it jump starts your productivity. Related: Building Wealth: What Key Practices Separate Millionaires From the Middle Class? The difference between people living mediocre lives and people living successful lives is that the successful people create time to work on the projects that the mediocre people dream about. Dont have time to review three real estate deals a day? Wake up early! The projects dont have to be real estate-related; in fact, they dont even have to be business-related. Maybe you dream about starting a podcast or writing a book about the tea and food pairings. Maybe you just want to paint more often or get in shape. When interviewing my clients, other investors, and business owners, Ive realized the most successful ones have some sort of cool project theyre working on. As I noticed the trend, I began inquiring not only about the projects, but also about how they have time. The answer almost all of these successful people provided was that they wake up early. Its that simple. And think about itwhen you wake up early to work on the project youre always putting off, do you think youll be excited to wake up? Not only will you be motivated to get out of bed, but your entire day will essentially see a jump start in productivity. You will create this sort of productivity momentum, which will result in you performing better throughout the day at your job, business, real estate, or whatever it is youre working on! I dont have scientific data. I dont know the neurology behind it. But I do know that almost all of the successful investors and clients Ive collaborated with wake up early to work on their various projects. I was skeptical at first, but I tried it. I read Miracle Morningfor some motivation, and Ive now created a habit of waking up early. My productivity has exploded, and Ive seen the benefits spill over into other areas of my life life business, investing, relationships, and overall health and happiness. Best of all, waking up at 5:00 a.m. isnt bad at all after a week or so. Im used to it and have a routine that motivates me to jump out of bed every morning. If you get nothing else out of this post, I highly recommend trying this for 30 days. The benefits will exceed your expectations.

Deferring Gratification and Value-Add Spending All, let me repeat, ALL of the successful people Ive spoken with understand the art of gratification deferral. The thought process goes like this: That purchase will make me happy, but is it necessary today? Do I really need that product or service? Will it help me reach my goals? Oftentimes, the answer is a simple no. So they put off buying the new shoes, fancy dinners, and concert tickets. They buy used vehicles rather than new and expensive cars. They focus on saving and investinggrowing their dollar and paying their future selves. This allows them to get out of the rat race and snowball their investments into financial freedom territory. Buy the Tesla once your net worth reaches $1,000,000. Your future millionaire self will thank the present you for waiting. Another key trend semi-related to this topic is that the successful investors and business owners focus on value-add spending and savings. For instance, one of the investors I know built up an enormous amount of wealth by simply owner-occupying multi-family properties and slowly rehabbing all of the units. He would buy a four-plex, live in one unit for a year, rehab it, then move to the next unit and rinse and repeat. While he was flipping the unit, the other three would be rented out, covering his mortgage and then some. He used this strategy for two four-plexes, and it took him about eight years to complete. He was able to 1031 exchange those properties into a much larger apartment complex, which is valued at over $1,000,000. Related: 5 Habits of the Wealthy That Helped Them Get Rich One of my clients spends tens of thousands of dollars each year on seminars and trainings. However, she has a high net worth and has determined she can do this without it negatively impacting her financial position. Her business is centered on building a network of people, and shes quantified the value of every $1,000 she spends at these seminars and found that she will eventually earn revenue about twice the size of the cost to attend. But it wasnt always this way. Had she spent thousands of dollars going to a seminar while her business was trying to get on its feet, she may not have succeeded at all. In the early days, her money was better spent creating content, advertising, building a local network, and implementing business systems. She understood that while the seminars may be valuable, there were better things to spend her money on at the time to grow to a level where it was financially feasible to attend these larger events.

Treating Real Estate Investing Like a Business One of the more eye-opening conversations Ive ever had was with a gentleman who invests in apartment buildings. I was showing him a property I thought was a good deal, and before he even looked at the deal, he asked me how the local economy was. The investors that see large-scale success analyze real estate in a completely different way than the rest of us. The successful investors start by analyzing economic conditions of various cities, towns, etc. When they find one they like, they narrow down their search and identify the best locations and neighborhoods in the area. They dont start with Realtor.com. They also dont necessarily start by contacting a real estate agent. They want to understand the macro and microeconomic conditions that may affect their investment performance to determine if its even worth their time to continue looking in the target area. Then they worry about building relationships and getting boots on the ground. And when you think about it, that simple reversal of the typical methodology many of us employ makes complete sense. Why invest in the best neighborhood in a city that has declining economic conditions? Its backwardlogic. On top of that, before they even attempt to identify a property, they learn all they can about the competition in the area. If they want to invest in apartment buildings, they will find out exactly what the other apartment buildings in the area have to offer. If they find a value gap, they exploit it. For instance, the gentleman I briefly mentioned above told me that his apartment building has washer and dryer hookups, and no other apartment building near him has washer-dryer hookups. Something that simple can give you a huge competitive advantage over all the other investors in your area. Thats how businesses are run. Theres a constant jockeying of positioning to have the best value-add offerings. The investors who understand and can identify competitive advantages will win every time.

The Wrap-Up Being a CPA has allowed me to peer into the financial lives of many successful real estate investors. Though Im not a millionaire myself, Ive identified habits, mindsets, and logic that I believe can make anyone a millionaire if they are all applied. I find wealth a fascinating topic, and I hope you are able to take something away from this article. Until next time! Were republishing this article to help out our newer readers.

Which of these lessons strikes a chord with you?What would you add? Leave your comments below! https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2016/01/31/cpa-taught-millionaire/