#the foot pic market is quite big

[amyyscorner]

Tag rant/vent

[deathshallbenomore]

I'll be visiting Torino soon and I saw you post about it before so I wanted to ask, do you have some recommendations that wouldn't be found on a tourist guide? Grazie 💖

hiiiii (or, as the locals would say, cerea <3) :)

first of all, i'm so so happy you're visiting this beautiful city! i hope you'll love it at least half as much as i do (which is a lot. like. a lot)

under the cut!

as for my recommendations, i guess my biggest advice would be to just walk around and let the streets themselves guide you because a) the city centre (as in the very very centre and the neighbourhoods surrounding it) is not that big, so you could set some reference points, go for a long walk, and both see the main attractions and get to have a look at the city herself, b) because it's so worth it, torino really is so beautiful that even walking her streets is an experience by itself, c) torino is probably one of the easiest cities in the world to navigate because it was literally built like this:

in any case, here's a list of my favourite places/spots that oh my god you have to see/things you really need to do*

monte dei cappuccini (+ the church + the friars' back terrace in case they decide to open it to the public); the hill area is also really nice so i warmly suggest you get to the monte on foot

this is a classic, but the gran madre church - piazza vittorio - via po - piazza castello route is a must (and you can do it right after the monte dei cappuccini, to reach the city centre)

castello and parco del valentino (and especially the giardino roccioso) is beautiful (also psss the borgo medievale is fake lol)

close to the valentino, you can take a walk around the san salvario neighbourhood (my beloved) which feels a little bit bohemien and quite vibrant and lively. lots of beautiful churches, lots of interesting architectural styles, Thee synagogue (which you cannot visit, but it's breathtaking even from the outside)

close to piazza castello, the galleria subalpina is BEAUTIFUL and once you've seen it, instead of going back to piazza castello you can go straight to piazza carlo alberto, then piazza carignano and then reach via roma. you know. 'cause they're all beautiful and classy areas of the city centre

another galleria that i really recommend is the galleria san federico, which can take you from via roma to the embarrassingly beautiful piazza san carlo

the quadrilatero romano area might be a bit touristy (bc it's close to piazza castello) but it's so peculiar and i just love taking walks there. feels a bit like paris, but maybe let's not tell the locals. lol

the porta palazzo market is definitely An Experience; bonus points on saturdays and on the 2nd sunday of each month you will find the (gran) balon flea markets. definitely give them a go!

ah of course the mole, but that's like. Top 1 things you should see in torino so;

but! quite close to the mole, in corso san maurizio, go take a look at the "fetta di polenta". it's a building that literally looks like a slice of something

museums, duh

the lungo po is a great location for a lazy walk at sunset :)

for god's sake don't go looking for a pizza and a cappuccino in via po at 4pm but try to find a place that looks genuinely piedmontese because the local cuisine is amazing. you can also find quite a number of "piole" (they're called like that) that are supposed to be quite cheap but very good and "local"

bonus (totally out of context): piazza carlina (I’m so local now that I forgot its real name lol) and giardini reali superiori (if you’re lucky you might find the newly restored extra area open to the public, fingers crossed!)

eat a lot of gianduia, drink good wine and definitely try san simone (thee local amaro) [of course if you're into any of that, ça va sans dire]

just walk. fill your eyes, mind and heart with beauty <3

here’s some pics :)

[lubdubsworld]

Falling for you ( Falling from grace) Jungkook x OC

Rated : 18 +

Warning : . Fuck buddies? Or rather enemies that have sex. They just really hate each other but also can’t keep their hands off each other.

Chapter 1   Chapter 2    Chapter 3   Chapter 4   Chapter 5

Chapter 6

“Are you sure you want to head back to work today, Areum? Hoseok told me that he would give you the rest of the week off if you like... That bruise on your face is looking pretty nasty.” My sister commented mildly, her eyes worried as she watched me dab concealer on the mottled purpling skin on my jaw.

“I need to finish a couple of reports by the weekend. And Namjoon oppa told me he wanted me to be there when we viewed the CCTV footage later today. It’s going to help getting that bastard fired.” I flinched at how bad this side of my face looked. 

The bastard. 

“He’s not fired yet?” My sister made a noise of outrage.

“Of course he is. There’s a restraining order against him. But formally he needs to be terminated and Namjoon wants to do it in a way that it goes on his record permanently. Especially considering he’s already out on bond.” I wrinkled my nose. 

There wasn’t much chance of Junho going to prison over this but I definitely did not want him within fifty feet of me, ever again. 

“Jungkook’s busy with his practice is it? I haven’t heard from him...” My sister prompted and I nodded.

“His big match is coming up on Sunday. That's like four days away ...he’s probably cooped up in that gym of his.” 

“I know... Seokjin works out there too... its a great place...how come you’re never there?”

I frowned .

“He actually has me blacklisted. I’m not allowed inside the establishment. ” I muttered. 

My sister’s eyes widened.

“What? Why?”

I shrugged. The memory was a good one and worth reliving. In fact i relived it quite often when I was particularly horny with only my own hands for relief. 

“I seduced him against his favorite punching bag once and he had to get rid of it because the cum stains wouldn’t come off. He’s a petty jerk.” I grinned at my sister enjoying the way her eyes went wide as saucers. .

She stared at me slack jawed. And then she shook her head in disbelief. 

“You talk about him this way but you always look like you're half way in love with him. I don’t know what is going on in your head when it comes to Jungkook.”

I laughed.

“I love him. Of course I do.... I’m pretty sure he cares about me too, “ I remembered how warm and content I’d felt when he’d held me, how the police officer had immediately concluded he was my boyfriend, simply from the concern radiating off him, “  But, I’m not going to push for anything. I like how we are ...now.”

“Friends with benefits.?”

“I prefer the term enemies who fuck” I winked and she groaned. 

“Whatever you say. But remember, you’re going to have to DTR at some point and I hope you don’t get a shock if he isn’t on the same page. “ 

“Unlikely. Now go distract mom so I can slip out of the back door.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That looks pretty fucking bad.” Hoseok winced when he saw me and I groaned.

“Don’t remind me. I ran into Namjoon on the way up and he swelled like a bullfrog. Is Jungkook in today?” I asked him brightly.

Hoseok frowned.

“you guys are awfully chummy these days ....Need I remind you about the clause on interpersonal relationships in the office?” 

I flushed.

“We’re...not....I mean. We’re friends. “

“I thought the term was enemies who fuck.” Hoseok said thoughtfully and I jumped.

“What-?”

“Jungkook told me, you little brat. I asked him why he went over to the police station and broke Junho’s fucking jaw and he spilled...”

My own jaw came unhinged.

“ He what?!”

 “He posted the bond money for the bastard himself to get him out and then apparently punched him hard enough to land him in the hospital.”

“Oh my God...is he in trouble?” 

Hoseok sighed.

“Of course not... Mr. Jeon had it taken care off at once but I knew something was up . He’s too old to play knight in shining armor , unless there was something between you guys...” 

I sighed.

“We’re in a purely physical relationship yes with of course a splattering of affection for each other. But nothing that deserves a label or close scrutiny from the HR dept. Please Hobi oppa, just let me be. “ I fluttered my lashes and he rolled his eyes. 

“Just as long as you know that Jeon Jungkook is a chaebol. He’s not going to make a honest woman out of you.” Hoseok gave me a pointed look and I wondered if I really did wear my heart on my sleeve. 

Apparently, everyone could sense that my feelings for Jungkook ran deeper than just lust and I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. 

“Anyway, yo answer you question, yes. He’s in his office right now.”

I made to turn away but Hoseok grabbed my wrist.

“You have thirty five memos to answer and seventeen appointments to schedule. Your desk is this way, I suggest you head in that direction.” His eyes glinted in a way that told me he was incredibly serious. 

I pouted.

Fine... I’d wait for lunch to go meet Jungkook.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jungkook had a secretary of his own , the smitten Miss Lee and she gave me an angelic smile, telling me that Jungkook was out to meet someone in the marketing department. If there was anything important, I could leave it with her.

Declining the offer and thanking her, I made my way to the fireescape and the back stairwell. One of the doors opened to the emergency exit in Jungkook’s office and it took me a little bit of running around but I managed to locate it easily enough. 

Jungkook had left the door open and less than ten minutes later , I was in his office, staring around in mild awe. 

Weirdly enough, I’d never been here. before, mostly because Jungkook himself wasn’t in here all that much. But there was no mistaking that he actually did take his work seriously . I peered around the expensive drawing Tablet and the three or so monitor screens , the stylus tossed about. 

It was probably a huge breach of his privacy but I couldn’t help but click on the mouse, watching his monitor come alive. 

I blinked in disbelief when I realized what I was staring at. 

“Oh my  fuck...”  I

I felt my face flood with heat as I stared at the screen. 

It was a drawing of me. 

I was completely naked , reclining against what looked like a thick white fur rug , with countless plush cushions scattered all around me. The snow white fur set off the golden glow of my skin and I noticed the attention to detail, the tiny mole in the corner of my hip, the small half moon scar on the edge of my collar bone and of course an impressive collection of hickeys on my neck and my inner thighs. 

I looked the way I usually did when I was mouthing off at him, a little angry and rebellious, my eyes blazing with a challenge and my lips parted in annoyance . I had one hand resting right between my legs, two fingers pressed against the labia while the other two disappeared into me. The other hand lay on my breast, fingers tweaking one hard nipple . 

I turned away quickly, breathing harshly as I realized that Jungkook had literally drawn an incredibly accurate drawing of me masturbating , purely from memory.

Not entirely sure if i should be angry at this or not, I tried to clear the hazy cloud of arousal that was beginning to settle all over me. I wasn’t angry. 

I was just ridiculously turned on. 

And incredibly curious if he had other pics of me. 

I whirled back around to the computer and then nearly jumped out of my skin when I realized that Jungkook was leaning against the doorway, watching me with an amused smile on his face. 

“Oh, fuck...” I clutched at my heart which felt like it was going to give out. 

“Pretty sure your desk isn’t here, Areum. Are you lost?” He drawled, stepping away from the door and stalking over to me. 

I stepped back quickly, the action purely instinctive. 

“Did you punch Junho?” I asked sharply.

Jungkook gave me a small smile.

“That is a very mild way to put it yes. He’s gonna be eating through a straw for a couple of months , yes.”

I glared at him. 

“What if you got arrested.” I folded my arms.

He laughed.

“Baby, come on. fucker had it coming. Anyway enough about that loser. Why are you hovering near my desk. Corporate espionage is generally frowned upon baby... Am i gonna have to spank you, you naughty girl?” He waggled his eyebrows. 

I rolled my eyes before walking up to his desk and turning the screen around to show the lewd artwork . 

“how long have you been drawing me like that?” I pointed at the screen and Jungkook looked surprised. 

Surprised but not particularly bothered. 

“Ah... i love that one... Did you see the way I only drew four of your fingers between your legs baby, your thumb is supposed to be rubbing on your clit.... I was working on it when I got called away earlier....” He looked apologetic. 

I felt like I had turned the exact shade of the marron carpet under my foot. 

“Jungkook how long have you been drawing me naked...” I snapped. 

“ Oh... probably the first time you let me see you naked.” He said nodding lightly and I stared at him.

“How come I’ve never heard of this?” I hissed and he gave me a grin. 

“Because it’s for my own personal...use.” He grinned. 

I glared at him.

“How many....?” I demanded.

Jungkook shrugged.

“50...? 60? Definitely at least fifty.” He said casually. 

I stared at him.

“I wanna see them.” I said sharply. Jungkook sighed, like I was being a pain , which was so unfair it made me want to scream. 

“Areum, I-” 

“Jungkook?” A soft voice called from the outer office and I frowned when Jungkook startled. 

“Oh, hey... Sana..... Come in.” His voice had shifted into something mild and pleasant and I felt my hackles rise. 

“Oh..hello... Areum ssi...” The girl gave me a confused smile and I resisted the urge to fold my hands and demand what she was doing there. Instead , I moved away from behind Jungkook’s desk, grabbing a file. 

“Good afternoon Sana ssi.” I smiled.

“I’m sorry, I missed lunch, Sana.... I wanted to give you this. “ Jungkook pulled out a small envelope from his jacket, smiling an absolutely angelic smile at her. 

Sana looked suitably enthralled, her eyes trained greedily on his perfect face as she took the envelope.

“Oh.. are these--?”

“Tickets to my match on Sunday yes...” He smiled. “ I’m hoping you’ll be there.” 

I felt my lungs expand as I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The urge to screech like a banshee was increasing by the second. 

“Oh, I’ll be there for sure. I’ll be cheering you on from the front row, Jungkook !!” She all but bounced on her feet, looking positively giddy with excitement as she bowed to both of us and literally floated away. 

I waited till she was fully gone before turning on him. 

“There better be another envelope in there with my name on it.” I gritted out. 

Jungkook grinned wide at that, eyes dancing with mirth. 

“In my jacket? Not really. But there’s something much better in my pants with your name on it. Want me to whip it out for you baby?? “

He grabbed the edge of his belt buckle, tugging the leather out of the hoops and I glared at him. 

“You are out of your mind if you think I’m going to be okay with you letting everyone watch you fight but  me. That is just unfair and uncalled for.” I snapped. 

Jungkook was still tugging on his belt, but he paused to give me a look.

“What’s in it for me?” He said softly. 

I frowned.

“What?”

“I’m not going to enter a deal without an equitable pay off....Its obvious that you’re really turned on by the thought of watching me fight . So unless you give me something I’m thirsty for.... I’m not going to indulge you,” He said casually. 

I laughed in disbelief. 

“There is literally nothing I’ve denied you in bed , you're crazy to even suggest -”

“I haven’t fucked your ass yet.” He said casually. 

I could feel myself turning red.

“No.” I hissed. “ Absolutely not.”

“Why the hell not?” He frowned.

“Because it fucking hurts. I’m not going through that again.” I snapped. 

Jungkook groaned like he was in actual pain. 

“Baby, its hardly my fault you’ve never slept with a real man before me, is it? Why should I deprived the pleasure of fucking your ass just because those buffoons didn’t know how to do it right?” Jungkook’s voice was dangerously close to a whine and I resisted the urge to throw something at him. 

“I don’t fucking care...its a no. So drop it. ” 

Jungkook narrowed his eyes. 

“Fine. I’ll drop it. For now.” He muttered and then made a big show of thinking, “ alright fine. How about you let me tie you up.”

I stared at him.

“You literally do that every time we have sex.” I pointed out. 

“And I get to use my toy box.” 

I blinked.

“Your toy box.” I said , confused. He grinned mischievously. 

“You know the one...Big mahogany box  underneath my bed. The first time I showed you, you kind of screamed and called me a monster?” He grinned wide.

i had a brief flashback of an assortment of whips, floggers and gags. 

I shuddered. 

Nope. 

This wasn’t working. 

“How about this.... Either you get me those tickets or you don’t get to fuck me. At all.” I smirked.

Jungkook hummed.

“Why would you punish yourself like that love?” He drawled. “ You can’t live without my dick, the sooner you accept that the easier life is going to get for you.” 

The audacity of this bitch. 

I walked right past him , ready to stalk out,  but his hand shot out, gripping my elbow and pulling me into his embrace.

I struggled against his hold, but he brought both arms around my waist, flexing his muscles so I could feel just how futile it would be to try and break free. 

“Come on baby, walking out in the middle of negotiations...that’s just really poor etiquette. Think of the poor hostage....” He pouted , doe eyes wide and I nearly caved. He had no fucking business being sexy  and  cute. 

I laughed in disbelief.

“Hostage??....are you talking about your fucking ego....?” I stared right up at him , tilting my face when he moved to kiss me. His lips latched on to my jaw instead, tongue licking the skin there gently as he hummed . 

“No...I’m talking about my dick.” He grabbed both my elbows, swinging me around like I weighed nothing, one arm holding me in place as he pressed up against my back, hips rolling so I could feel the hardness of his dick right against the swell of my ass. “ Dude’’s feeling pretty darn trapped right now. Poor thing just wants to get inside you and ruin you baby, why you making it so hard for him...?” 

I elbowed him sharply, vindicated when the sharp edge of it caught something hard and fleshy. Jungkook grunted in discomfort but didn’t let go of me. 

“My little hellcat. “ He bit down on the juncture between my neck and shoulder, “You know why my dick is hard?”

“To match your cold unfeeling heart?” I snapped and he moaned in mock hurt. 

“Not fair baby...I have the kindest heart... Soft heart, hard dick....That’s literally my entire persona.” Jungkook nuzzled my neck .  

I fought the urge to laugh . 

“So why then? Because I’m within ten feet of you? Isn’t that all it takes usually?” I muttered, wincing a bit when his teeth sank in a little deeper.

Jungkook let out a soft chuckle.

“Normally I’d agree but today... I’m so fucking hard because you looked like you wanted to claw Sana’s face off when I gave her those tickets....” 

I flushed.

“Well, I just don’t think I should be the only one not allowed to see you fight.” 

“Or maybe you just hate the idea of any one else getting to touch my dick...because like I said...it’s got your name on it right baby?” Jungkook laughed against my ear and I blushed . 

“I still think its rude that you don’t let me come to your matches.” I grumbled. 

“And why do you think that is, baby? Why do you think I’m so adamant about you not being anywhere near me when I have something important to do...”

I didn’t reply, eyes fluttering shut when he suckled on the skin near my neck. 

“Its because I’ll probably lose..” He growled into my ear, “ Don’t wanna get knocked out in the first round because I was too busy staring at your pretty, pretty face and delicious fucking body... My only distraction, my  favorite  distraction.”

  I felt myself melt like an ice cream cone in the fucking sun. 

“Oh, fuck you....you honey-tongued son of a bitch...” I choked out, unable to fight the wide grin that was taking over my face. 

Jungkook chuckled in victory, hugging me tighter.

“So tell me.... Can I tie you up tonight? Get some of my favorite toys...Want to play in your sandbox....” He leered and I laughed despite myself. How could this man make the most innocent of phrases sound so fucking sexy.... 

“Only if you let me pick the toys.”

Jungkook let go of me and gently turned me around. He was frowning deeply. 

“Babe you don’t even know what their called.” He complained.

“But I can gauge how much damage they’ll do and that’s more important to me.” I pointed out. 

Jungkook gave me a thoughtful smile.

“Hmm....fine... But I get to offer the choices. “ He said softly. 

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Okay, in that case you need to let me see every single drawing you’ve made of me... right now.” I smiled.

Jungkook grinned, already grabbing my wrist and tugging me back to his desk.

“Deal...but I’m gonna need you to sit on my cock and keep it warm while I show them to you..... okay?” 

I glared at him but he was already moving to the wide , comfortable chair behind the desk. He sat on the chair, manspreading and unbuckling himself before wriggling the slacks down past his waist and tugging his boxers down. 

I watched him reach in to pull out his hard cock ,  pumping the hard length of it a couple of times before smiling at me expectantly. 

“Horny bastard.” I muttered under my breath, before letting him maneuver me into his lap, fingers slipping up my skirt and tugging my panties aside , before lining himself up against my center. 

“Ready baby?” He kissed my cheeks fondly and I nodded lowly. He pressed a couple of fingers against my slit, dipping in just enough to make sure I was wet enough. I wasn’t dry per se, but it still stung a bit when he drove himself in with one swift stroke. 

“Oh, fuck...” I groaned when he entered me , the rock hard length of him cleaving my insides and making my tongue go dry. I clenched down on him, thighs beginning to tremble already. I gripped the edge of the table in front of me. 

“Maybe I should call Sana in now.? Huh baby...that’ll show her who this dick belongs to, right , angel?” He whispered against my ear and I moaned, a gush of arousal staining my thighs at his words., Jungkook laughed knowingly, wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me still before rolling his hips gently and settling inside me. 

“So baby, which ones do we start with.... Solo shots? ones with me....? There’s one of me fucking your pretty pink hole, maybe that’ll change your mind about letting me take you in the back...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note : I’m stopping here because the next chapter is just like 5k of porn and I wanted it to be a standalone chapter. 

Comments are love , Feedback is really appreciated. Send me your thoughts, ideas or even just scream about how hot Jungkook is....anything works. 

taglist : @veronawrites @aamxxrii  @brooky95

@apollukee

@ladyartemesia

@yoongisdragon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ if you guys wanna be on the taglist just lemme know...

[pynkhues]

68 + 70 combo?👀👀

Combining a few prompts for this one, so I hope you don’t mind! It’s super long (13k!), so hopefully that makes up for it, haha. It’s also, err, pretty angsty.

#68: A Hoarse Whisper “Kiss Me” (kind of done, haha) + # 70: Starting With A Kiss Meant To Be Gentle, Ending Up In Passion

+ 

@ney999‘s prompt: fix req: I'd really enjoy scenes of Beth bonding or interacting with Marcus and/or Rio's other family members. But definitely some Marcus/Beth interactions. All your domestic pics have been highly entertaining, so thank ya!

+

Anon prompt: Idk if this will fit into the fluffiness that is the beloved Center and Circumference universe but here’s my prompt anyways! Can we get Rio struggling to balance Crime Boss Rio and Family Man Rio?? Like we all know he’s a great dad but he also runs his own crime empire and I’m sure sometimes he has to sacrifice one for the other ya know?

-

Set in The Centre and Circumference / Domestic Fic universe

“That’s fourteen hatchbacks sold so far, and three minivans,” Nora says, scrolling through her iPad and ticking off the orders. “Oh! Before I forget, Adam’s asking if we can get any more of the Kia Sedona’s before next week? He’s got another two potential sales.”

Beth flicks through the binder in her arms, struggling to get to the right page while she’s walking across the dealership floor, her secretary, Nora, on her heels. She probably should upgrade to the iPad too, she thinks, eyeing off Nora’s easy step with the thin, lean weight of the tablet, but it’s got all those buttons, and last time Beth had borrowed Annie’s, she accidentally deleted stuff, and just - - she likes paper, likes the physicality of it, even if she does feel like she’s about to break her wrists lugging this thing around.

She licks her finger, finding the right page, eyes darting as she reads it.

“We could probably get another five in? But only if he can promise at least one of those is already a guaranteed sale. They’re just too big to keep on the lot longterm right now,” Beth tells her, and Nora nods, agreeing, making a quick note.

“He seems pretty sure, but I’ll doublecheck.”

Giving her a quick thank you, Beth keeps walking back towards her office, glancing over at where the dealership is alive with energy, customers pouring into almost every corner, the laughter of children sounding loud from the childcare corner, and god, Beth can’t quite bite back the grin. The weekend sale had been fairly impromptu. Rio had suddenly needed the space for more of his (their) cars – not just ones full of pharmaceuticals, but a few extras with wrapping paper rolls of fake money stored in the car walls, and he’d told Beth to do what she had to.

So she had.

It had been a big job, working out the sales margins, organising staff, even bringing on a new marketing coordinator to help the manager send out a flurry of sales ads – online, on TV and in flyer drops, but all in all, it was going well. It had helped, of course, to have Annie and Ruby on site to talk up the family cars, and to have her kids at Dean’s, Marcus at Laura’s, to make her feel less guilty about letting this whole thing eat up her last two weekends.

Still, she thinks, frowning, even with the late nights she was pulling to empty the lot as legally as possible, she’d been getting home before Rio. Last night had been the worst of it. It had been almost midnight after all before she’d dragged herself in the door to find the house empty, and she’d been woken sometime around three to him collapsing into bed beside her. The fact of which perhaps wouldn’t be that unusual if she hadn’t hit snooze on her alarm clock at six to find him already gone.

Biting her lip, she closes the binder in her arms, trying to refocus on Nora beside her, who’s chattering away about the cars they’ve sold so far.

“I’m so sorry,” Beth says, yanking a sheet of paper out from her binder and uncapping the pen hooked in the front of it. “I was a million miles away. Would you mind running through that again?”

Nora nods enthusiastically, unoffended, starting again from the top, and Beth starts scribbling the math down onto the sheet of paper, using the binder as a makeshift desk, when suddenly her phone starts vibrating in the back pocket of her slacks.

“Jeez,” she says, fumbling a little, and Nora’s trying to help her with the binder, but Beth doesn’t quite want to let it go, so she just sort of one-arms it, finally yanking her phone out and blinking slightly when she sees Rio’s personal number blear up on the screen. She glances back at Nora.

“I’ve got to take this,” she says apologetically, and Nora nods, letting Beth stride off down the lot, hooking her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she awkwardly manoeuvrers the binder and pushes back into her office.

“Hi,” she answers, a little breathless after all the shuffling, and her first thought is that he must be calling for dinner. If it was work related, he’d have called the work line after all, and as soon as the thought hits, Beth’s stomach grumbles. God, did she even have breakfast this morning? She knows she’s skipped lunch. 

“’ey, you free?”

Maybe she can get him to bring her food from that Balinese restaurant he’d taken her to last month – maybe Nasi Ayam or those soy cake thingies or both. She practically moans at the thought.

“Right now?” she asks instead, offloading her binder onto her desk and briefly kicking off her pumps. She massages one foot with her free hand, and then the other. As tempting as the possibility of eating right now is, she’s got too much to do to slow down any time soon. “I think we need to get your memory checked. Remember how you needed me to empty the – ”

“You ‘right if Laura drops Marcus with you?”

Read the rest on ao3 here.

[xranker]

Why Organic Search Results & Leads Aren't Actually Free

Google's "People also ask" Suggestions: You could spend some serious time looking at ideas by doing this It's a good use of your time though Don't skip it! It's going to be a good way to find "long-tail keywords," that are pretty specific, but very helpful to those who are looking for that specific information It's a time-consuming process, but so important! How to Know What is a Good Key Phrase When you use something like Keywords Everywhere, you'll be able to see a few things at the right side of a desktop screen Volume - This is the number of searches a keyword gets per month in the US on Google - ISH It's not an exact science But a phrase with 2,000 searches vs one with 20 searches per month gives you an idea of what's popular You want to choose a keyword that people search for regularly If not, you won't get much traffic to your site, even if you did rank high on the SERP CPC - This gives a general idea of what this key phrase would cost in Google Ads Again, this is a broad stroke, but gives you some sense of how much competition there is for that phrase out there Comp (meaning Competition) - This is sometimes called Keyword Difficulty for organic search results It measures your competition, that is, other sites that use your target keyword The close the Comp number is to 10, the harder it is to rank for (Sometimes this on a scale of 1 - 100 where 100 is the hardest to rank for) And a big long list of other key phrase ideas - Some of these keywords, sometimes referred to as key phrases, are more specific than your average keyword For example, instead of using "shoes," you'd use "brown sandals for women" This is a more focused keyword and would satisfy searcher intent better than the other keyword Long-tail keywords are a good addition to your targeted keyword and phrases because, often, they give you a higher chance of ranking for a searcher that is looking for a specific result 2 Writing content to match the phrases Once you've spent a considerable amount of time identifying the right keywords to target, you will then have to spend more time writing content that includes these keywords in a meaningful way Content creators used to get away with "keyword stuffing" to make their page show up in the search results But now, Google can read things like a human It's not about how many times you can cram the same exact phrase into a page, over and over It's about crafting content that a human can read using a mixture of phrases We will get into more of this in the on-page SEO section below Side note: You can always have someone create content for you including ideas about what to write about This is an alternative cost to your time Finally, once you have your content and it's published you'll need to bundle related topics together using a pillar page format This is an ongoing process If you have questions about pillar pages you can read: What are Pillar Pages? 3 On-Page SEO There's more than just writing new content too You should also constantly evaluate the pages you already have Based on your keyword research, are you using relevant key phrases on your web pages? Does your page answer questions that people may be searching for? Part of the process for getting your website to rank at the top of organic results is taking long-standing content making it work harder for you Add more text 1000+ words is good 2,000+ is better Break it up so you don't overwhelm visitors And don't worry about scrolling. It's really not a problem Add videos that are related to the topic for that page And be sure your transcript is included for Google read it Make sure you haven't overlooked your Meta Title and Meta Description These elements are needed so that Google can understand what your content is about and at the same time, produce the most relevant results for searchers Meta Title - Read by Google, appears in the search results, and should be related to your key phrases. The title of the page isn't always good enough take some time to understand these and write them so that Google makes a good connection with your phrases Meta Description - Not so much about ranking but matters when your page shows up in search results. Make someone want to click your result with a good description Image alt-tags - Give those pics a name where Google can read it Most content management systems make this an easy task, but it can be time consuming if it wasn't done at the time your website was built Cross-linking - You also need to link to related content within your website. This linking action shows search engines that you are an authority in your industry, offering more than just one page on a specific topic. This increases your chances of ranking well Related Read: What You Need to Know About Your Website Content If you do want to run paid ads, SEO is important because it determines your quality score, which is Google's rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords and pay-per-click (PPC) ads The quality score affects how your ads appear or if they appear at all This is because Google wants content that best matches searcher intent, solves a problem, or answers a question The higher your quality score, the better your ability to satisfy searcher intent The better you satisfy searcher intent, the better your ad rankings will be at the lowest possible cost 4 Link Building So you've performed thorough keyword research, sprinkled those keywords throughout your content, and fully optimized your content for the search engines But if your website still isn't ranking, then it's probably because you haven't built any links And Google loves links Why? Because when there are many high-authority sites linking back to your website, Google sees it as a high-quality site with quality and authoritative content Link building takes quite a bit of time because you need to do some foot work and build relationships with other reputable sites Some people do email outreach and partner with other sites to get links. Others do what's called black-hat SEO and pay for links Google doesn't like this method and will penalize you for it. Mozcom has a great guide for link building. Whatever method you choose, just be aware that quality is better than quantity 5 Monitoring and Reporting When you put this much effort into getting your website's content developed around a specific set of topics, you have to make sure it's working That means someone needs to own this responsibility Along with some software, like HubSpot or SEMRush, you will need to consistently keep track of where your website is ranking NOTE: We don't recommend randomly Googling to see if you appear Google produces very specific results based on your geography, past searches, etc The software gives a much more objective overview of your ranking Be sure you know what you're looking at and what it means so you can provide reporting to the highest levels of the organization What Is "It" Worth to You? "It" - could be referring to the value of a lead generated from the website your time your marketing budget Or all of the above There's a direct correlation between your SEO success and the amount of time and/or budget that you invest. Ultimately, it's up to your company to decide how to allocate each of these, but if you want to rank in the top of the organic search results, there is a cost associated If you'd like an honest, unbiased opinion of your current marketing efforts and how your currently ranking in the organic results, let's talk We can spend 15 minutes with you to review your SEO strategy Read the full article

[entertainworldinfo]

Being A Motion Graphics Designer This guide will teach you a way to turn out to be a extraordinary 2nd movement pics fashion fashion designer and save you a massive amount of cash, time, and complications!

Being A Motion Graphics Designer

Being a 2D Motion Graphics Designer may want to make for a tremendous career. It combines creativity with the opportunity to make proper coins, and Motion Graphics Designers are in demand now more than ever.

Before you make the selection to pursue it, but, you have to understand that it’s a severe profession that takes an outstanding quantity of time to be excellent enough at and plenty longer to grasp. So, as with a few other massive choice in lifestyles, comprehend that you need to make certain it’s something you actually need. Know which you’re going to want to decide to it, in particular while instances get hard (like the first time you do a huge freelance venture and your customer goes out of agency earlier than they pay you — hooray). I can guarantee you, despite the fact that, that this international a notable one full of a laugh and adventure.

So take a look at on if this is nevertheless some thing that appears exciting to you!

Movement pics fashion dressmaker

Why this manual is so vital and useful for beginning movement pictures animators

The potential to create movement pictures from personal computer systems remains a cutting-edge one. 2D movement pictures have simplest been around for a short time, and there although aren’t many assets to be had for novices. It’s easy to wander away, take a wrong flip, and lose masses of time while you’re simply beginning out. My goal is that will help you avoid those pitfalls as a whole lot as possible.

Why I simply have evolved this manual for you

I’ve been in animation for greater than 10 years — essentially when you consider that round while it started becoming feasible for non-public computers to be able to do it. I’ve observed out many tips and tricks while making more mistakes than I can be counted variety alongside the manner. I realise how hard it's far to rise up and walking, and recognize how anxious it may be as a newcomer. Yes, you’ll nonetheless have your share of hard situations within the starting, however my desire is this manual will save you a big sum of money, time, and complications!

What precisely are 2D Motion Graphics, and what are they used for?

2D Motion Graphics are a fashion of digital animation that deliver movement (and life) to pix. These photos can come from any digital supply. They can be unique artwork, pictures, vectors — quite a lot shape of digital image can be used as a starting point. The magic is within the manipulation of the image(s) — turning a face proper into a shifting man or woman, a stock picture right into a dynamic video clip, and so forth. Using 2D Motion Graphics, a designer can create whole movies, advertisements, short films, and a whole lot greater.

What is the precept benefit of 2D Motion Graphics?

There’s a large advantage, one that didn’t exist until currently. You can do that every one to your very very own laptop. With just a normal PC with amazing specifications, you could create tremendous animations. There’s additionally a awesome gain that 2D Motion Graphics has over different types of animation. Traditional animation is time-consuming and a actual pain to convert to digital. And on the equal time as you could do 3-d animation with a private pc, it takes MUCH more time and processing strength to do so.

What industries use 2D Motion Graphics?

All of them. Seriously. It’s the maximum price-effective digital media choice for everybody trying to make an impact with video. 2D Motion Graphics are utilized in advertising and advertising and marketing, movie, explainer movies, tech motion pictures, tv commercials, and extra. Every media organization has a huge want for 2D Motion Graphics content cloth.

Where to Begin

An important selection that you need to make is which software application to look at. Most animators and influencers recommend learning the Adobe applications. I wholeheartedly accept as true with this. The Adobe Creative Suite is the company general and is an cease to quit solution for all tiers of 2D Motion Graphics Animation.

Don’t in fact Google “Top 2D Motion Graphics Animation” for hints

This is a flowery one and critical to apprehend. Google is exquisite, but it can’t do everything. As such, it doesn’t compare the fine of movement graphics or rank properly written articles as pinnacle effects. Instead, you’re going to get the results from those who recognise the manner to write search engine marketing. In one-of-a-kind words, you’ll get an expansion of clickbait and those who recognise search engine optimization, not examples of amazing 2D Motion Graphics. Because of this, you’ll get commenced out on the incorrect foot, wondering you’re seeing what you want to learn how to do, now not what you really need to discover ways to do. Instead of blindly searching, I’ll come up with a listing of wonderful belongings on the quit of this newsletter.

After Effects isn't “Motion Graphics” and vice versa

Some beginners (and beyond) assume that movement pics and After Effects are the same component and you could surely change one out with the opportunity. Guys — agree with me on this. You’ll sound like an newbie in case you interchange them. After Effects is a software. Motion photos is an animation approach. You should hold close each, but apprehend that one is a tool, and the other is an artwork.

After consequences and movement graphis

Don’t try fancy pointers and tricks from influencers for at the least the first 3 months

Tips and tricks are not solutions. Yes, they are able to paintings in positive situations. But earlier than you start attending to shortcuts, you need to investigate the basics and fundamentals. You need to have an know-how of what is surely in the back of the pinnacle or trick. Then you’ll get to the factor wherein you’ll be able to provide you with your personal guidelines and tricks! If you’re not affected man or woman, you may absolutely tip and trick your self into a nook that you may’t get out of because you don’t recognize the fundamentals.

Don’t begin freelancing proper after getting to know the fundamentals

It’s easy to feel such as you’re a seasoned while you prepare some splendid looking animations. Then you located, “Time to move make a few cash.” Take my phrase on this — don’t soar within the freelancer pool truely however. At that stage, you’ll simplest get low excellent projects from customers who don’t need to pay masses, or some issue. And continuously be in search of customers who say you received’t receives a fee, however you’ll get “awesome exposure.” No, you received’t. Also, publicity doesn’t pay the payments.

Don’t overrate yourself

Don’t try and examine from tutorials which have been made for advanced animators. You’re going to get beaten and dissatisfied and that’s even as you’re probably to surrender. You’ll be complete of simplest terrible feelings and want to give up because of the truth you acquire too complicated in advance than you had been geared up. Give your self time and be patient. It will come.

Don’t play with plugins and scripts an excessive amount of

Here’s some other complicated one. A lot of beginners will fall for this and overlook approximately the basics. You’ll expect plugins and scripts will assist you get the hobby finished rapid and in excessive remarkable. But the reality is, there may be no alternative for understanding the fundamentals. Even if the script enables you in some manner, don’t forget about that the pleasant, creativity, and answers come from your mind and the choices you are making. Now, this doesn’t propose you need to avoid all plugins and scripts, however you want to have your idea first and then search for a solution, now not vice versa.

After outcomes scripts Don’t be disappointed!

No depend how proficient you are, regardless of what number of tutorials you are taking in, you’re despite the fact that going to reduce to rubble sometimes. That’s how quite a whole lot the entirety works. If your first tries suck, congratulations, you’re within the identical league as everybody else. You should begin someplace. As I stated, 2D Motion Graphics is a completely excessive career and as any other it desires time and experience. Be affected character and focus on getting a bit better with each venture and the terrific will come.

Rules and Basics of Learning Motion Graphics

Practice. It’s the key. You probably don’t don't forget, however couldn’t even tie your shoe right the first 100 times you attempted. Practice makes perfect and 2D Motion Graphics isn't an exception. You need to workout, exercise, practice.

I have a look at a selection of novices motion graphics clearly watch tutorials. That’s ridiculous and it obtained’t artwork. It’s easy to look at films because there’s no work required. But make no mistake, you need to do the paintings. Practice whilst watching. You obtained’t hold up, and that’s incredible. Just hit pause and do the movement, or pass again and rewatch the factor you neglected. Use that approach. You studies by using doing, no longer looking.

Start With Adobe After Effects And Illustrator

You should begin with After Effects and Adobe Illustrator. These are the number one programs you’re going to apply to create your fine art work. And pay interest more on After Effects — allow’s say seventy five% / 25%. Learn best from the tutorials made for novices that manual from from zero, little by little. Again, the fundamentals are essential. Even if you have a few information, don’t forget about the beginner tutorials as you can have neglected something or discovered from lousy assets and that one little disregarded step may want to make the whole thing a bargain extra hard.

Where to take a look at motion pix online?

I suggest initially lynda.Com and skillshare.Com. You also can discover terrific tutorials on schoolofmotion.Com, however ONLY after gaining knowledge of the basics.

Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life

This e-book became created with the aid of the use of Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. The book covers the 12 basics of animation and became written prolonged in advance than motion photographs existed, but it’s one of the maximum critical books ever written for any animator which consist of movement portraits.

[adrenalineguide]

2020 Ford Escape Titanium Hybrid: Out of the Ballpark

Words and Pics by Michael Hozjan

I can’t think of a vehicle in recent memory that has gone through as big a transformation as the Ford Escape. Regular readers know that I’m a big fan of the utilitarian side of the suv phenomena over the cutesy crossover versions. In other words give me a boxy functional truck over a five-door hatchback sedan/crossover, (whatever the marketing departments call it this year) any day. But the Escape is the exception, for no other reason than Ford nailed it.

Coming up with a winning formula in one of the hottest contested automotive segments can be challenging at best of times. Add in an onslaught of fresh-faced contenders from Volkswagen, Subaru, Toyota and Chevrolet all vying for a piece of the pie and the stakes grow even greater. Ford has come to the realization that in order to be a success, a car is the sum of its parts, and with the Escape there are a lot of little details that push the Escape beyond the also rans. Throw in an expansive line of trim levels and powerplant choices and it’s safe to predict that the Escape will be a winner with buyers.

Beginning with all new sheet metal highlighted by a lower beltline and sleek headlights the fourth generation Escape appears smaller than it predecessors, when in fact it’s larger. Wheelbase is up 91.44 mm (3.6”) and it’s 190.5 mm (7.5 inches) longer in overall length than that square first gen utilitarian model that shared its design with Mazda’s Tribute. It’s also wider than the previous models, which pays off in dividends with an abundance of shoulder, hip and elbowroom.

The Escape's redesign culminates with an improved interior; from the larger glass allowing for excellent visibility to the rear seat legroom, the interior wins on all counts. Any question of rear seat legroom was addressed when I put a five gallon jug of water on the floor behind the driver’s seat. Now I measure six feet tall so the driver’s seat is already pushed back. The rear split bench not only reclines but also slides a full six inches, providing room for the tallest of passengers.

 The trim levels 

Five trim lines make up the stylish Escape model line starting with an entry-level tag of

$29, 549* for the base front-wheel-drive S trim model powered by the 1.5L, three cylinder EcoBoost (181hp, 190 lb-ft) and an 8-speed trans and 17” wheels. Even the base model comes with traction control.

The SE will cost you another grand and you’ll get an 8” screen instead of the S’s 4.2”, a 10-way powered driver’s seat, heated front buckets, and push button start with keyless entry.

The SEL comes in at $33,549* and rewards you with foot-activated liftgate, heated steering wheel, what Ford calls ActiveX premium seating material, a synthetic, durable, stain resistant material that promises to hold up under the toughest conditions.

Prices climb to $40, 149* for the top-of-the line Titanium edition 2.0L four-cylinder EcoBoost powering the front wheels with 250 horses and 290 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel -drive remains an option across all the trim levels.

 The Titanium Hybrid model starts out at $36,649* with go power coming from a 2.5L Atkinson-cycle inline 4-cylinder gasoline mill coupled to a 88kW electric motor delivering 200 combined horses through the continuously variable trans, placing it in the middle of the power race with the other two mills. The new hybrid’s battery is over 66% smaller than the previous model, which accounts for some weight saving while surrendering nothing in performance.

Inside

A handsome dash, comfortable seats invite you in to an interior that is less clogged and has a greater open-air character to it than most of the Escape’s competition. As I said earlier there’s a lot of room for a compact crossover.

My hybrid came with a heated steering wheel, dual zone climate control, wireless charging,

leather seats, and the optional sunroof. Aside from the usual wares of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (is there a vehicle that doesn’t come with it?) my tester came with a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and the 12.3” instrument cluster, head up display. The Escape’s steering-wheel controls and driver-information menus still are more cryptic than I’d like but I guess over time I’d get used to it. There is one feature though that I must address and have to send a great big thank you to Ford.

The OK button on the steering wheel cancels out the annoying beep when the back gate is open. Again thank you. You may not think it’s a big deal but when you have a driveway that’s several hundred feet long and you need to bring the green boxes to the curb you’ll appreciate the silence. Other manufacturers won’t even let you pull away with the rear hatch open, with an automatically engaging ebrake. Come on, just how stupid do they think they’re buyers are?  

There’s just over 33.5 cu.ft of cargo room with the rear bench up and 65.4 cu.ft. of cargo space with it folded down.

 On the road  

It may seem cliché and has been the slogan of many an ad agency but the Escape truly handles more like a car than an suv, or even some crossovers. The electrically assisted steering is precise; body roll is minimized and the wagon is well composed in turns and potholes. The ride is smooth and quiet. The 200 horses sprints the Escape down the road quite nicely with no apologies necessary while still netting me a combined city and highway economy of 5 liters per 100 kms. 

There’s the usual slew of safety devices including two new optional features, Active Park Assist 2.0 and Evasive Steering Assist which helps you avoid obstacles if the vehicle detects a hazard ahead, the steering ratio is adjusted to react more quickly to driver input, are also new. Ford’s Co-Pilot360 safety suite, includes a host of functionalities including its lane-centering system on the highway, as well as its optional adaptive cruise control. Now regular readers will know how I feel about some of these systems, the good news here is that unlike some systems, the Escape’s is not intrusive.

Above: A pint sized spare, not the most ideal spare when you are filled with camping gear hundreds of miles from home, but at least there is a spare instead of a can of compressed air. 

Conclusion

Ford has scored some major points with this latest Escape. If you’re not looking to haul 250 rolls of toilet paper along with your weekly groceries and don’t require a truck looking suv, then stop by your local Ford dealer and have look at the Escape. Two of my friends, that have the original Escape with the odometer getting up there are looking at it already. 

Price as tested: $40,949*

* All prices include transportation and dealer prep fees.

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/best-fantasy-football-waiver-wire-pickups-for-week-4/

Best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 4

After last week’s injury-riddled Sunday, fantasy football rosters stayed mostly intact in Week 3 (though there are still some injury fill-ins worth considering as free agent adds this week). That’s ultimately good news, but it makes our list of top Week 4 fantasy waiver wire pickups look a little thinner. Fortunately, several rookie WRs, including Justin Jefferson, Tee Higgins, and Brandon Aiyuk, broke out and teased fantasy owners with future stardom. Quite a few veterans, such as Rex Burkhead, Greg Ward, and Jeff Wilson Jr., also stepped up and might be worth considering picking up this week, though it’s unlikely any will require actual waiver claims (save for Carlos Hyde, pending the severity of Chris Carson’s late-game knee injury). Sorry — not every week features the consensus top-two preseason picks suffering serious injuries. 

Our full free agent list has a bunch of potential pickups, though most fall into the “stash” category as we get closer to the bye weeks. Guys like Hunter Renfrow, James Washington, Andy Isabella, and Cordarrelle Patterson could have some value because of injuries to guys in front of them. Others, like Myles Gaskin, Logan Thomas, Mo Alie-Cox, and Corey Davis, keep seeing a steady amount of work even if they aren’t necessarily putting up huge stats. It’s all about opportunities in fantasy, so pay attention to more than just the yards and touchdowns. We also have some potential D/ST streamers at the end of this list because we feel much more confident about favorable/unfavorable matchups. 

MORE WEEK 4: RB Handcuff Chart

Unless you’re really desperate for a receiver or low-ceiling RB like Hyde, Gaskin or Adrian Peterson, this doesn’t look like the week to use a high waiver claim. Some of these WRs look legit, if inconsistent, but they’re not worth top-five claims. It’s not a bad idea for owners with low claims to snatch these guys up before they hit the free agent market, but you don’t want to fall too far down the list because you know more serious injuries are coming this year. Hyde is the one exception if Carson is slated to miss multiple weeks. — Matt Lutovsky

Unless otherwise noted, only players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues considered.

#1

Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings

Jefferson was a non-factor through the first two games (five receptions, six targets, 70 yards), but he broke out in a big way in Week 3, catching seven-of-nine targets for 175 yards and a score. A favorable matchup against the Titans and a 71-yard TD helped him have such a big day, but he’s capable of being an every-week starter if he gets regular targets. The Vikings haven’t utilized their TEs this year, and as long as that keeps happening, Jefferson will have the opportunity for targets. He’s well worth stashing ahead of the bye weeks. —Matt Lutovsky

#2

Myles Gaskin, RB, Dolphins

The Dolphins utilized Gaskin early and often against the Jaguars on Thursday Night Football. He finished with 22 carries for 66 yards and five catches for 29 yards. Aside from Jordan Howard stealing very short-yardage touchdowns, Gaskin seems to be the main man in this backfield ahead of Howard and Matt Brieda. The Seahawks don’t have a great run defense, so if Gaskin continues to see touches, he’ll be worth using in a fantasy flex spot in Week 4, at minimum. –Billy Heyen

#3

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers

Aiyuk didn’t do much in his Week 2 debut (two catches, three targets, 21 yards, no carries), but his versatility was on full display in Week 3. The talented rookie caught five-of-nine targets for 70 yards and added 31 rushing yards and a score on three carries against the Giants. Deebo Samuel (foot) is expected to be out until Week 5, so Aiyuk will have another chance to establish himself as a trustworthy contributor in Week 4. Grab him now. —ML

#4

Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals

With A.J. Green looking like a shell of himself (despite getting frequent targets) and John Ross III being a healthy inactive in Week 3, a receiver other than Tyler Boyd figures to step up for the pass-happy Bengals. Higgins was that guy in Week 3, catching five-of-nine targets for 40 yards and two TDs. Higgins had six targets in Week 2, so he’s trending upward. At 6-4, 216 pounds, Higgins can do damage all over the field, making him well worth a bench spot. —ML

#5

Carlos Hyde, RB, Seahawks

Chris Carson exitedlate in Seattle’s win over Dallas and was seen limping on the sideline due to an apparent knee injury. We’ll certainly find out more about the severity throughout the week, but Hyde should be on everyone’s radar as a top claim if Carson is expected to miss any time. Travis Homer would also be a potential PPR flex if Carson is out against Miami. —ML

Ward found the end zone in Week 3 on one of his eight catches (11 targets). The converted quarterback has worked well out of the slot for the Eagles since he took on a bigger role late last season, and he did see seven targets in Week 1 before a quiet Week 2. He’s worth considering in PPR leagues as a player with a decent weekly floor, especially against an injury-depleted 49ers defense in Week 4. DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and Dallas Goedert (ankle) suffered injuries in Week 3, so that could raise Ward’s ceiling. –BH

#7

Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, 49ers

Jerick McKinnon was the primary back for the 49er in Week 3, but Wilson saw just about equal work to the shifty back. Wilson saw 12 carries, and while he only logged 15 yards, he did score on the ground. He also caught all three of his targets for 54 yards and another score. Kyle Shanahan loves to mix up his backs, so as long as Raheem Mostert (knee) is out, Wilson will be a solid flex play bordering on RB2 in a couple of good upcoming matchups against the Eagles and Dolphins.— Jacob Camenker

#8

Corey Davis, WR, Titans

Reports continue to indicate that the bone bruise in A.J. Brown’s knee could keep him out of action longer. That means Davis retains his spot as the temporary No. 1 WR in Tennessee for a bit longer. That didn’t lead to huge fantasy production in Week 2 (though he did score), but he did log five catches for 69 yards on Sunday against the Vikings. Davis is still a former top-10 pick playing with one of the league’s most underrated QBs, a combination that should work out more often than not. –BH

#9

Allen Lazard, WR, Packers

The Packers have one of the best passing attacks in the NFL helmed by Aaron Rodgers and they are taking on the Falcons and their turly awful secondary in Week 4. Lazard should have a chance to put up big numbers especially with top Packers receiver, Davante Adams, battling a hamstring injury.— JC

#10

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Packers

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The Packers have one of the best passing attacks in the NFL helmed by Aaron Rodgers and they are taking on the Falcons and their truly awful secondary in Week 4. Marquez Valdes-Scantling should have a chance to put up big numbers especially with top Packers receiver, Davante Adams, battling a hamstring injury.– JC

#11

Hunter Renfrow, WR, Raiders

With Henry Ruggs (knee) out, Renfrow stepped up. He saw a team-high nine targets (no other player saw more than four) and caught six of them for 84 yards and a TD (and was a few inches short of a second TD). Garbage time helped him pad those stats, but he should be added based on his potential PPR prowess. –JC

#12

Cole Beasley, WR, Bills

After John Brown exited against the Rams with a calf injury, Beasley emerged as Josh Allen’s favorite target. He led the team in targets with seven, catches with six, and he logged 100 yards even on the day. If Brown misses time, Beasley should be a WR3 and could be a very strong play in PPR against a porous Raiders defense in Week 4. –JC

#13

Rex Burkhead, RB, Patriots

Three-TD games will always draw fantasy attention, but it’s important to note that James White (personal) and Damien Harris (hand) will likely return to the Patriots backfield next week. Because of that, Burkhead might be a one-week wonder who’s not worth owning, but clearly he has big upside if one or both of White and Harris remain out. White is the key, as Burkhead soaks up a lot of his passing-down snaps that White usually gets (as shown by his seven catches on 10 yargets), but considering White isn’t injured, it’s fair to expect him back soon. —ML

#14

Damien Harris, RB, Patriots

Harris (hand) has officially spent three weeks on IR, and the Patriots could activate him soon. If he is active, the second-year back and former third-round pick could work his way into a rotation that could use a potential bell-cow back. Harris could qualify, so scoop him up based on his ceiling even if his floor is low. –JC

Gore is still getting volume as the Jets’ lead rusher. He handled 15 carries against the Colts despite the Jets trailing for a majority of the game. He’s not a sexy pic up, but he does have TD upside as he’ll handle most of the red-zone carries for at least one more week. —JC

#16

Adrian Peterson, RB, Lions

The Lions backfield is going to be unpredictable because Matt Patricia likes to keep opponents guessing, but Peterson looks like the leader back there. Peterson handled virtually all of the backfield work (22 carries) for Detroit and he was their most effective runner. He may eventually cede carries to Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift, but for now, the veteran should be the top back in the offense and owned in more than 52 percent of Yahoo leagues. —JC

#17

Andy Isabella, WR, Cardinals

The UMass product got a chance to play extra snaps with Christian Kirk out, and he made the most of it. Isabella caught all four of his targets for 47 yards and two TDs, and the Cardinals may opt to use his speed and quickness as a mismatch weapon in that red zone more often. He’s worth owning given his potential big-play ability. —JC

#18

Scotty Miller, WR, Buccaneers

Chris Godwin left the Bucs’ win over the Broncos with an apparent hamstring injury. It’s unclear if the Bucs were just being cautious with their receiver in a big win or if he suffered a soft-tissue injury that could linger. If Godwin misses time, that will open up an opportunity for Miller to step into the No. 2 receiver role once again. He caught a 47-yard pass from Tom Brady on Sunday, so he’s good to have around either way. —JC

#19

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles

Jeffery (foot) might finally be back in Week 4. He’s a shell of what he once was, but he’s still a big target who might be counted on in the red zone. If nothing else, it’s worth keeping him in mind as you make your pickups this week. It’s easy to lose track of players who have yet to play a game this season due to injury. –BH

#20

Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR, Bears

Tarik Cohen suffered a bad knee injury on a punt return late in the Bears’ win over the Falcons. Patterson will be the top backup to David Montgomery. Patterson with Cohen out, and although he’s not yet RB-eligible on some sites, that’s the position he’ll be playing. He saw four carries for 13 yards against the Falcons, and the converted receiver could do some damage as a pass-catcher out of the backfield if given more snaps.— JC

#21

James Washington, WR, Steelers

Diontae Johnson suffered a concussion in the Steelers’ Week 3 win over the Texans. Now, he’ll have to work his way through the NFL’s concussion protocol, so he should be considered questionable for next week’s game against the Titans, who just had trouble containing rookie receiver Justin Jefferson. Washington could have a chance at a big game as a result, as he ended up with a team-high seven targets and five catches for 36 yards helping to replace Johnson in Week 3. — JC

#22

Mo Alie-Cox, TE, Colts

Even with Jack Doyle back from injury, Alie-Cox was the Colts’ top pass-catching tight end. He managed to grab Philip Rivers’ lone passing TD of the day and has a strong rapport with the veteran quarterback. He will be a solid low-end TE1 given his nice upcoming schedule (Bears, Browns, Bengals, Lions). —JC

#23

Jimmy Graham, TE, Bears

Graham has had an up-and-down season so far, but he saw 10 targets and caught six passes for 60 yards and two TDs against the Falcons. He has more upside with Nick Foles now (likely) starting at quarterback, and he could put up more consistent numbers as a result. He may be more of a TD-dependent start at TE, but he’s worth owning as the potential No. 2 target in Chicago’s offense.— JC

#24

Eric Ebron, TE, Steelers

Ebron caught a touchdown in Week 3, which is where you’re going to find fantasy value from him going forward. The Titans are a favorable TE matchup coming up in Week 4, so if nothing else, you can stream Ebron if you’re dealing with a rough tight end situation. –BH

#25

Logan Thomas, TE, Washington

Thomas has racked up 24 targets through three weeks , and that included seven targets for four catches and 31 yards against the Browns. His yardage totals haven’t been particularly inspiring, but Thomas is a TD threat and could be a starter in PPR formats. As long as he’s getting volume, he’s a threat to produce. –JC

#26

Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jaguars

Shenault continues to see a handful of targets and multiple rushes each game, and he’s proving to be a powerful runner. The Jaguars could bounce back offensively against the Bengals in Week 4, and Shenault should continue to see a consistent workload, especially if DJ Chark (chest) remains out. –BH

#27

Preston Williams, WR, Dolphins

Williams bounced back from a subpar Week 2 to catch a touchdown on Thursday Night Football in Week 3. He’ll continue to be hit-or-miss as the third passing game option behind DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki, but he remains talented enough and a good enough red-zone threat to warrant a spot on fantasy rosters. –BH

#28

Braxton Berrios, WR, Jets

For the second-consecutive week, Berrios was able to reel in a TD from Sam Darnold. The Jets aren’t a very good team, but as long as Jamison Crowder (hamstring) is out, Berrios will see a lot of action in the slot and have a chance to catch TDs. And as long as the Jets are trailing, there will be plenty of opportunities for garbage-time points. –JC

#29

Dontrelle Inman, WR, Washington

Dwayne Haskins had four receivers that saw six-plus targets on Sunday against the Browns, and one of them was Dontrelle Inman. The veteran caught three passes for 38 yards but made a big fantasy impact by grabbing two TDs. He may not repeat this production each week, but he should be added given that Haskins seems to be looking his way in the end zone and Washington figures to pass a lot as they look to stay in games.– JC

#30

Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Falcons

Julio Jones missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and Russell Gage suffered a head injury and exited early. As a result, Zaccheaus ended up seeing six targets and catching four passes for 41 yards, all of which ranked second on the team behind Calvin Ridley. It’s also worth noting that Matt Ryan overthrew Zaccheaus for what could’ve been a big TD, so Zaccheaus should’ve done better. He should be added, as he could be a flex depending on the health of Jones and Gage. –JC

#31

Adam Humphries, WR, Titans

Humphries saw seven targets against the Vikings, good for the second most on the Titans behind tight end Jonnu Smith. As long as A.J. Brown (knee) is out, Humphries will continue to be a reliable slot target for Ryan Tannehill. His upcoming schedule looks solid, as the Steelers, Bills, and Texans have all had some trouble against slot receivers, so he could be a nice low-end WR3/high-end flex in PPR formats.— JC

#32

Curtis Samuel, WR, Panthers

With Christian McCaffrey out, Samuel took on a bigger role as a runner. Mike Davis was the top RB, but Samuel handled four carries for the Panthers. He only had seven yards on the ground, but the sure-fire touches are certainly a good sign. He also caught four passes for 45 yards, so he’s a solid bench receiver that can be a flex play in the right matchup. —JC

#33

Demarcus Robinson, WR, Chiefs

As long as Sammy Watkins (concussion) is out, Robinson will have more chances to produce in the Chiefs’ offense. He should be watched closely against the Ravens on Monday night, but he’s definitely a guy that could be a nice bench piece with flex upside while Watkins is unavailable. —JC

#34

Gabriel Davis, WR, Bills

Davis is distinctly a deep-league target, as the Bills have a lot of mouths to feed. But Davis showed off both his possession skills and his down-field speed in the first half for the Bills on Sunday. The rookie from UCF looks like he’ll be targeted often when he’s in the game, at least, and if he keeps making plays, he can at least push Cole Beasley for the WR3 spot in Buffalo or be a good fill-in for John Brown as he deals with a calf injury. –BH

#35

KJ Hamler, WR, Broncos

Hamler caught just three passes for 30 yards, but he did see five targets and one carry for the Broncos against the Buccaneers. In easier matchups, he should be a better play, and when Drew Lock returns from a shoulder injury, his ceiling as a deep threat could be as high as a WR3. —JC

#36

Justin Herbert, QB Chargers

Adam Schefter has reported that Tyrod Taylor is likely to miss Week 4 as he continues to recover from his punctured lung. Herbert gets a tough Week 4 matchup against the Buccaneers, but the rookie will continue to be worth starting in two-QB and superflex formats as long as he’s getting the starting nod. It’s also fair to expect that another good performance or two could keep Taylor on the sidelines even once he’s healthy, making Herbert worth considering as a backup in single-QB formats if you’re looking for one, as he does have consecutive 300-yard passing games. –BH

#37

Arizona Cardinals D/ST

Playing in Carolina would be scary most of the year due to Christian McCaffrey’s presence, but Arizona won’t have to worry about that in Week 4. That’s enough to fire this group up to chase after Teddy Bridgewater and likely force a turnover or two once Kyler Murray snags a big lead. –BH

#38

Philadelphia Eagles D/ST

There are streams better than this if the 49ers get Jimmy Garoppolo back, but if it’s Nick Mullens and one or more RBs are still absent from the San Francisco attack, the Eagles are a worthy stream. Mullens’ career TD:INT ratio isn’t much greater than 1:1, so the Philadelphia secondary could feast if the 49ers fall behind in this game. –BH

The Broncos are far from full strength due to injuries, but the perfect fix for that is a matchup with Sam Darnold and the Jets, who will still be without Le’Veon Bell and will rely on the ancient Frank Gore in the backfield. Turnovers and three-and-outs could be the order of the day for Denver’s defense on Thursday night Week 4. –BH

#40

Seattle Seahawks D/ST

There’s always a chance Miami breaks out Tua Tagovailoa for his NFL debut here after a 10-day layoff following Thursday Night Football. That means you’ll stream a defense either facing a QB in his NFL debut or facing Ryan Fitzpatrick, both of which are appealing enough to pursue this stream despite the trip cross country. –BH

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[skippers-adventures]

Origin Story

Hi! My name is Rebecca, this is a blog for my horse, Skipper. He is a 12y/o walking horse. He doesn’t show or anything, but we trail ride. He has quite a few issues, and I’m hoping that this blog will help me keep track of everything I’m doing, since there is ALOT going on.

I bought Skipper almost 11 years ago when he had just turned two years old. I was 14 and a complete n00b. I had always wanted a horse, but I didn’t have any money or anywhere to keep him/her. My mother, on the other hand, had a horse growing up. He was a beautiful Arabian thoroughbred cross named Dennis. As a kid, I was so jealous that my mom was just given this horse by a man her father knew. I just knew I had to get one too. No matter what.

When I was around 11, my mom got a job as a supervisor for a company called Service Master. She oversaw the cleaning of fire and water damaged houses. The work was easy enough, and her employees weren’t the greatest, so she employed three of her best cleaners she knew. Her children. I didn’t mind working. After all, I was saving up for a goal. She started me at $5/hr. Which looking back, I should’ve asked for more but I was 11, so I couldn’t complain. I mean, how many 11 year olds do you know that have a job? Unfortunately, being that young, I wasn’t very good with the money I earned. I’d save up a bunch and then blow it all on littlest pet shop or Bella Sara trading cards (I still have to this day).

Fast forward two years, I finally got my shit together and saved every penny I earned. I had since been hired on, by my mothers boss, to come help out after school. I was bumped up to $10/hr, and it was all under the table. I was starting to get discouraged the closer I got to my goal. I had the money but still nowhere to keep a horse if I had ever gotten one. My parents knew that was my ultimate goal in life, but they didn’t seem to take me seriously.

Then one day, I came downstairs to my mom looking at horses online for sale! You can imagine my excitement. She found a beautiful grey(pure white) gelding near us, but the owners wouldn’t answer the phone. (Looking back I’m so glad I didn’t get a grey horse) then, we asked about a 10 year old mare. The owners kept raising the price everytime we talked to them, then wouldn’t stick to a day for us to go look at her. So we moved on to a horse a few counties down. He was black and very sweet, his name was Rebel. I liked him well enough, but he had a gash in his leg so we politely told the owner we would have to pass.

I was getting concerned I’d never find the right horse. I wanted that instant connection people talked about in books. Like love at first sight but deeper. A few nights before, I had prayed to God to help me find the right horse. Being 13, I was very specific. I wanted a horse like Sonyador, or Dreamer from the Dakota Fanning movie. After work one day, we were driving home and I was pretty depressed. Which for me, is pretty noticeable. I talk a lot, and I have a very big personality. So, when I stop talking and stare out the window, you know something isn’t right. My mother, the wonderful person she is, noticed. She looked back at me and said, “Hey, I think I saw a ‘horses for sale’ sign up the road. Wanna go check it out before we go home?” I was skeptical, but thought “what the hell” so we passed by the house and went down a road we only ever went on to go to the flea market every now and then.

Sure enough, there was the sign. “HORSES FOR SALE” The second I saw it, I got butterflies. Mom pulled over, called the number, and after a brief conversation, she pulled down the driveway. It was a beautiful little brick house, with trees surrounding the yard. As we pulled down the drive, mom said “it sounded like I woke him up from a nap, or he’s drunk.” So my first thought was a fat man around 40.

The man that met us at the gate, was not at all what I expected. He was very old for one, and very thin.He walked with a cane, so slow you thought he didn’t want to mess up his neatly combed grey hair. Watching him walk was almost painful, it seemed as if every step hurt him. When we got to the gate, he slowly opened it, and waved us through. As we passed through, he told us to go on up to the barn to meet everyone.

The barn was an old pole barn. Bright red with a newer white tin roof. All the horses were there waiting for us under the trees to escape the hot sun. When we got out of the car the old man had somehow caught up to us, and an old woman was close behind him. If I spoke to them that day, I can’t remember. The man’s name was Dale and the woman was Penny. Dale had the kindest eyes a human could have. Penny stayed back but she seemed a very kind person.

They walked me over to the pasture, opened the gate and told me to go in. The first horse that fought my eye was a tri color horse named Drummer. He was a tall bay horse with big white spots and a black and white mane that looks like a Halloween wig. He turned out to be their son’s horse. Disappointing but oh well. I turned my attention to the next horse, a chestnut mare with a white blaze and stare, named Cricket. She was the sweetest one. Kept nuzzling my arm so I’d pet her. We decided on her since she was so sweet, and I went home extra excited because it was finally happening.

A few days later, we get a call from Dale, saying he won’t sell me Cricket. His son went to ride her and told us, “I would’ve sold tickets if I had know she was gonna do that! So I can’t sell her to a yougin in good conscience. I’ve got another young horse, he just came back from training with his brother Drummer. He should be a good fit.” So we went down, since they lived down the road a bit, to look at the third horse.

When mom and I got there, Dale waved us down to the barn. He was watching someone riding a sorrel horse out in the field. He told us that his son, Stan was riding the horse he wanted us to look at to make sure he wouldn’t do anything crazy like Cricket. As they got closer, I noticed how small he was. He was just barely 14 hands. His coat was bright red and he had one white foot in the back. He had a small, gentle face with a white star and snip. He was beautiful. As soon as we made eye contact, I knew.

I walked up to him and pet his nose. The butterflies got worse then died as soon as I touched him. He was the one. I found my horse. I didn’t speak, I only looked at him. Then I heard Dale say, “His name is Skipper.” The rest is ancient history.

This is our origin story. It only dawned on me a few years later, that he in fact, looks like Sonya from Dreamer. (Not trying to get religious but that’s pretty cool if you ask me.)

So, fast forward to a few years ago, I moved 45 minutes away from him and I haven’t been riding near as much as I should. And last year I found out my spine is broken, then when I started getting better I got fourth degree burns in a grease fire. That’s a story for another time though. I was bed ridden for half a year due to my back and burns. This is the first time in a long time that I am physically able to seriously take care of him. He is EXTREMELY sensitive to bugs, gets itchy scabs on his legs every summer, and has SERIOUSLY bad thyroid issues. I start getting serious today. I’ll post a pic of him after I finish up at the barn to show just how fat he is 😖.

This was us in 2012. He grew to be 16 hands.

[laurenetuttle]

Europe Christmas Market Trip Day 10- Budapest

Today was amazing! Budapest was definitely the city that I was looking forward to the most, and it did not disappoint! We were supposed to dock into Budapest pretty early this morning, around 8:30. So we had gotten up and ready pretty darn early. But, there was some issues with low water levels and the locks last night, so we didn’t end up getting docked until around 10:30 am. Which was def a bummer. Instead of doing anything productive this morning, like packing, we napped hahaha. At 10:30, we were finally docked, and decided to skip the tour today to do our own thing! We had a taxi take us across the river, up the hill, to the Buda castle area. We wandered around for a bit taking lots of pictures from Fisherman’s Bastion. It’s supposed to have amazing views of the Pest side of the city and the Parliament building. But, the whole city was under so much fog!! It was such a bummer. You could sort of make out some of the buildings. We went inside the Matthias Cathedral. It was amazing! Every church we’ve seen has just been beautiful. We then were a bit hungry, so we got some hot chocolate and the Hungarian chimney cake (see picture above). They are quite delicious. My mom had hers covered in cinnamon sugar! We were then going to take the metro to the other side of town for the baths, but we had such a late start in the day, we decided to grab another taxi! They drove us about 20 min away to the famous Turkish baths! Natural mineral water baths and pools. Sort of like a Glen Ivy! They had all sorts of spa packages, but we just opted to hang out in the pools. We rented towels and robes and changed in the little cabin we rented. My mom realized she had packed to right-footed sandals! It was hilarious. But not very comfortable. We bearded the frigid temperatures outdoors to snap a few pics. My mom then went inside for some of the pools. I stayed outside for about a half hour in the ‘adventure’ pool. It had bubblers and an actual whirlpool. I floated in circles in that for a bit. I then hurried my butt inside to warm up! We stayed for about 2 hours or so. I wish I could have stayed all day!!! We then changed and caught another taxi downtown to the Basilica. Again, it was amazing!! Such beautiful design inside. It was so cool to see all the churches have their Christmas trees up too! We then went outside to the Basilica Christmas market, which has been voted the best Christmas market in Europe! And it was quite amazing! With a large tree and ice skating rink and lots of vendor and food booths. We warmed up with some goulash soup. We then watched the light show that is projected onto the basilica once the sun goes down (see instagram story). We then walked to the other big Christmas market in Vorotomy square. They had live music and tons more vendors and food. The Budapest Christmas markets were amazing! Tons of local goods and handicrafts. Definitely not as much of the imported, mass made things we saw in the other big cities. We bought a few more souvenirs and then headed back to the ship for our final dinner on board with our new friends we made! We have then spent the rest of the evening packing! Both of us are a little delirious from the travels. My mom accidentally unpacked my souvenir bag looking for one of her souvenirs and we both were dying laughing (too long of a story to post here, but ask me about it). My mom isn’t feeling too well (maybe coming down with a cold). And we both have to be up super early tomorrow morning to start our long trip home! So we’re going to bed now! Wish us luck for tomorrow! We have to have our bags ready by 5:30 am and we have to leave for the airport by 6:45! We are flying a short flight to Zurich, and then the long-haul flight to LAX! It’s going to be a long day. And we’ll be lugging so much stuff around! So many souvenirs!!

[intheheartofthematter]

Not that anyone cares anymore, but these both arrived today. 

The shadow box was supposed to be here Monday. It arrived in one day instead. Not that I’m complaining. I decided it’s best not to put it together before I move. I opened it, checked it out, no damage, looks like a keeper. So, it’s back in the box for now. And, I’m probably going to just take it easy this weekend, watch movies or Twilight Zone on Netflix. Yesterday morning, realizing too late, my left foot was weak and partially numb. I went to step off of my bed and it gave out on me, and twisted under, mostly the outer side, with my full weight coming down on it. I have a big goose egg right next to my ankle bone, but have been using an ice pack and taking 800mg of Ibuprofen every 4 hours, which is pretty much my norm as prescribed anyway, and the swelling is much improved today. I couldn’t walk on it yesterday. Any slight pressure on the foot and it would send shock waves through it. Well, pain radiating throughout my entire foot. Crutches would have come in handy. But, like I said, the swelling has decreased, so I don’t think I broke or fractured anything. But, quite possibly I ripped a tendon. Anyway, it’s best to stay off of it as much as possible this weekend, at least. I guess packing/things will have to wait.

Besides I don’t think Alexandria wants to move out of state now. T seems a little frustrated by it, too - when here and discussing everything. Her two sisters live in Palmdale and have been trying to convince her to move there. I don’t see why she’d want to when one of the pros of moving out of state was because of her sister’s dependence and use of her. She wanted to create some distance (as well as survive more easily with the cost of living). I keep telling her that if they don’t want to move out there now, let me know, so I can make it happen on my own. Then she reassures me they want to and will keep looking and working with the lender (he’s a dick). The lender keeps jacking her around, later only offering 1/3 of his initial guarantee as lowest, now he’s saying they won’t approve a purchase of a condo (cheaper than any house), and for some reason she won’t move on finding someone else. If we could get a little more we could look in a slightly higher price range with better luck... afford a decent house, a chance to actually find and purchase one because the investors tend to go for the ones in our current price range over slightly higher. And, I’m kinda disappointed that Alexandria didn’t call on a little house I asked her to call the realtor about yesterday, and it’s pending now, for the second time. It went back on the market Tuesday, and when they were here Wednesday night I told her about it, to call right away because a nice, ready to move in house, in an affordable price range for us poor folk, is hard to come by and that it would go fast! Sure enough... and all others in the price range are junk and I’m talking bad roofs, ceilings falling down, holes in walls, no appliances, no flooring or dirty carpet! This place has new tile flooring throughout, tall ceilings with skylights, a fireplace, newly remodeled kitchen with new appliances, a garage with a new washer and dryer, a big yard with a fire pit. It was only a 2 bed, 2 bath, but for the price, it was a nice starter house... with property space to build an addition later when we save or a nice investment to sell later to find a bigger home. I knew it would go faster than we could jump on it, but I thought we’d have half a chance if she called her realtor right away. Closely watching the market, I’m noticing that the nicer places are all being snagged and monopolized by investors to turn into rentals. It’s depressing. Everything.

Everything I say to her, to help, to advise what to say to the lender and realtor... I get a response like this, but she doesn’t. I’ll post some pics of the little house I’m talking about in a few. It’s not my favorite, but it was for what we could get right now! The yard could easily be weeded, etc. or pretty landscaping stone fill-in for the time being. The bedrooms have different new flooring. The garage could hold any storage, T’s weight machine, become an extra room of sorts. I should look for pics of the other houses in that range and share here. You’d be shocked by the difference. I prefer staying away from condos, because of pet policies, HOA dues, etc. But, if living alone, it would be okay. There are cute one bedroom condos in nice communities that I could get on my own. Two bedroom would be better, but more expensive, and I have to have some of my savings left over for living expenses, and furniture, a reliable used car (I sold mine after it was stolen/recovered damaged), and just getting set up before I figure out what to do to acquire income (could get a loan then). Like I said, I’d prefer something a little larger and nicer together, but with my share and their (current) minimal share combined, this is the Cadillac.

Approximates: Currently, property taxes out here for same size home is 10K. Out there only 1K. 1/10th the cost & home owners ins is low.

Oh, and on Wednesday, Alexandria’s lender also changed it up further (I think he’s doing it because she’s stalling, and can) saying that not only will they not approve a purchase of a condo now, but he would have to take my share, and add it to the total, charge interest on it combined! He is out of his mind! I know it can be worked out differently. I told her to talk to her realtor, because she’s been most helpful, and will probably help with a different lender for their share (seems their interest rates are just as low) and do up the paperwork right, where my basically 50%+ share/down payment doesn’t incur interest, too. That’s what I mean by he’s a dick! 

When we were first looking at the market, we were searching for places even higher in cost than the slightly above current affordability we’d like to get now. He told her to start looking with an estimate three times more than he’ll approve now... and nothing’s changed in between. In fact, they have more in their savings again from student grant money that just came in (tho he won’t count it, reasonable), but I understand a sudden increase in financials can look like a second loan and make it questionable... but, it’s not. They cut back on extra spending to save towards the move and received this semester’s student GRANTS, not loans, GRANTS! (He’s a dick!)

And T’s worried about me living out there alone. Yeah, it’s not ideal, but what choice do I have? I’m not going to end up desolate if I can help it! I need healthcare now, too! Moving to Palmdale will cost around $1500+ in rent, I still won’t have healthcare so I’ll be paying out of pocket, I’ll go through the money with no means to afford a home later, unless I can start a profitable home business, but that usually takes time to develop and get to that level, if successful... and I have no ideas right now. There’s just so much! I'll ask T to drive out with me, to help with my two cats while traveling, and to get set up, then fly back. I’ll pay the airfare. Cat-friendly one bedroom apartments are as low as $580. Hope to find one on a month-to-month basis, buy a reliable used car (I don’t want to tow one and plan to drive a small moving van out there.), then shop for a 1 bed condo with low HOA fees (most are between 38-55K), once I really know the different neighborhoods. I feel like I do now. I’ve researched, and scanned so many street views, and read up on all the info about everything of each neighborhood. There’s one neighborhood that I’d like to get into that’s affordable, but most residents stay put, and don’t sell. And, there’s one other nice neighborhood, hard to get into, that has a 3 bedroom townhouse for sale, still on market, and the HOA is only $100. a month. It needs touch-up work, but nothing major. It was just newly painted, with what they call designer colors, lol. But the kitchen cupboards need to be painted and I’d probably buy a new washer and dryer. But, pretty flooring, and new carpeting on the stairs and carpeted areas. It has a nice little fenced in yard with a covered patio, that has a back gate that leads to a sidewalk between townhomes, to walk to a path to a big, green park only a few blocks away. But, it’s considered a condo. It’s a little small... smaller rooms than the one above, but it would only be temporary if we all stick to our plan to work, save, and sell. But nothing’s working in my favor.

P.S. And I say two cats because Marozi is old and really sick, and no way I’m going to make him travel. I don’t want to have him put down, but it’s much closer to that time now, actually past time. It’s going to have to happen soon. I’m dreading it.

He has an autoimmune that won’t stay in remission now...

Happy #Caturday

[ri0tdude]

Arkansas Traveler 100

I had the pleasure of running the Arkansas Traveler 100 this weekend near Perryville, AR.  What an amazing experience and well organized race!

Jen, Autumn and I arrived on Friday in time to check in, eat, then walk around Perryville for a few.  Turns out they were having a Goat Festival that weekend featuring a fashion show of goats in Lingerie!?  Glad I would be busy running a race!  After buying a couple things from the local flea market we headed back to Camp Ouachita for the pre-race meeting.  We got all the particulars of the race, rules, markings, etc. and met up with a few friends from Tulsa area and met some new friends.  Since we don’t partake of carbs much, we decided to forego the pre-race spaghetti and go check into our motel and hit the local steakhouse, Colton’s.  It didn’t disappoint!  We returned to the Super 8 motel and I went through all of my gear and checked it twice.  Like the party animals we are, we were in bed by 8PM.  I slept well until about midnight, then I was up and down until about 3:15 when I decided it was time to get up.  I had my coffee, ate my turkey sandwich and took a shower(yeah, for some reason I like to do that before I spend 20 something hours in my own stank).  We were about 30 minutes away from the start/finish so we left around 4:45 to be there for 6AM start.  I still had to get my race bib and do the morning check in.  

My parents, who were taking a week of vacation nearby, came to help with crewing.  They’re pros with helping crew me by now.  They joined us at the start/finish and we reviewed driving, supply and logistics.  By then it was close to starting time.  My friend Scott Smaligo came by echoed my thoughts, “I’m just ready to start this thing!”  We took pictures next to the “Arkansas Traveller 100 sign” together, I hugged and kissed my family and I joined the runners on the road for the start!

Autumn is having a good time while we plan.  

I ran back to Jen for one last kiss and was back with the other runners shortly before the gunshot(literally).  I think we were all surprised when it went off.  We took off down the mile of pavement before we entered the rocky, dirty, and often foot-hurtiness that would be the rest of the race.  We all settled in and almost immediately started separating.  My A goal was to finish in under 20 hours, but with the much warmer weather than I anticipated I would just take what the course gave me.  The morning was cool and breezy so I decided to try to get some good mileage in before the heat.  I ended up running with a strong runner named Sam for a little while.  We chatted as we made our way down the packed gravel road.  He was a principal at an elementary school from Michigan.  Nice guy.  I heard he ended up falling and having to drop later on.  I looked him up but haven’t been able to find him online.  It looked like he was doing great until he fell.  Praying he’s fine.  

After about 8 miles, we ended up on the Ouachita trail which was really rocky, but really fun.  About half way through the roughly 8? miles of trail I hit the Brown’s Creek aid station for the second time.  I remember telling the lady, “That was fun!” while pointing at the trail I just dropped out of.  She pointed to more trail across the street and said, “Well, go get you some more!”  I grabbed a strip of bacon, as I had the first time I hit this station, and took off.  However, this part of the trail was not as fun.  It felt like at least 2 miles of ascent.  Very rocky.  There were definitely still some fun parts before we dropped out of the trail and back onto the jeep and gravel roads.  I opted to wear my Altra Timp trail shoes on this first section due to the trails.  It was a good choice for this part.  Great shoe!  Because so much of this course was so rocky, I ended up switching to my Altra Olympus around mile 48 to finish out the race.  They provided more cushion and gave my feet some relief.  

For some reason, I seem to hit my lows in the early stages of these races.  Around mile 30 as it was heating up, I was running on some parts of the trail that provide little coverage.  My stomach was getting a little funky.  I slowed down.  I power hiked all of the uphills and gave my stomach time to recover.  I was having trouble keeping up with my hydration and slowing down helped.  I knew I was hovering around the top 10 runners, but I just wanted to run my race.  I’d meet my day pit crew (my parents) every 16 miles and we’d refill what needed to be refilled, I’d lube what needed to be lubed, and change what needed to be changed.  My daughters joined the crew at mile 48.  It was so good to see them!  Kayla flew in from California and Kristin drove up from Louisiana with their husbands and we used the race as an excuse for a mini reunion of sorts.  Seeing them certainly gave me an extra boost!  Kristin ran with me for a bit from Copperhead aid station.  Loved it!  Also, at this section, I could see the other runners coming back from the turnaround.  Some guys were missing….and I was 7th!  Nice!  Evidently, I had passed a few guys who needed more time at one of the crewed aid stations and didn’t even realize it.  Shortly after, I crossed them as they were still running to the turnaround. A couple of them looked like they were struggling.  As always, I encouraged them and ran on.  It was encouraging crossing the other runners and seeing the smiles, getting high fives, and seeing their determination.  You feel and see a full range of emotions when running an ultra.  Excitement, pain, sorrow, determination, joy….

I was a bit behind pace to get my sub 20, but I’d press on with what my body gave me.  I had lost quite a bit of time in the heat but the night was coming and along with it cooler temps.  My brother was going to join me for the final 16 miles so I was just doing what I could until then.  I’d also get to see my Jen when I picked him up.  I was really anxious to see her.  She was supposed to meet me and take over earlier, but my dad was worried about her on some of those messed up roads at night with just her and Autumn(she’s 5) so they stayed on a little longer.  

Running in the dark, just before my second crossing of Bahama Mama’s aid station at mile 72.6 I almost stepped on a copperhead.  I had seen 3 other snakes on the trail but they weren’t poisonous.  This guy, though he wasn’t huge, would have ended my run.  After i left the aid station, I was so paranoid and watching the ground for snakes that I tripped on a rock, hit my knees, hands, and rolled.  Side note:  Judo and ju-jitsu prepare you for all kinds of things.  Due to my training, when I fall on the trails, my body knows whether to just eat the fall or roll.  Rolling saved my knees and hands big time on this tumble.  Once I was back on my feet, I did inventory.  I had a few little gashes on each knee, my palms were scratched and bruised, and my right wrist hurt.  I made sure I hadn’t busted my hydration bladder and took a few steps.  Everything felt fine ok.  I sped up….still no hurting.  Awesome!  I kept cruising until I fell again a few miles later!  Grrrr….  This time, I didn’t roll and jammed my right wrist again.  Ouch.  Might have to check on that after the race.  One other time, I twisted my foot on a rock and hit the top of it really hard.  That’ll leave a mark.  I’ll post a post race pic.  It left a nice bruise.  

Throughout much of the race I had been leap frogging with a nice guy, and strong runner named Steven.  This was his 10th 100 miler and he had only been running them for about 3 years.  We’d cross on the trail and meet at just about all the aid stations and encourage each other.  It’s hard to explain to non-trail-runner-ultra people the dynamic of encouraging and helping people you are technically competing against.  I love it.  I love seeing people accomplish this stuff and if my encouragement and competing against them helps spur them onto greater achievements, then that’s a really good thing.

I picked up my brother for the last 16.  We ended up hanging with Zack and Daniel, his pacer and doing some leap frogging with them too.  They were broth from the Tulsa area and I had met Daniel before on a training run.  It was Zack’s first 100 miler and he was killing it.  Though he was struggling with some leg issues, he was still moving well.  My brother is a really fast hiker so he would pass me power hiking the inclines and I’d catch him on the flats and downhills.  He told me to go ahead and go if I felt like I could and wanted to take off.  When we finally reached the last aid station and I realized that I had 6.6 miles to go.  It was on.  I was ready to be finished.  I was ready to see my wife again.  I took off.  With about 6 miles to go I met up with Zack and Daniel again.  I told them I was ready to be done and I may blow up shortly, but I was cruising.  I ran almost the entire 6.6 final miles at a really good clip.  I power hiked one short incline and had to squat under a tree over the trail (it was hilarious because I could hardly squat!)  When I came out to Crossroads check in, I was 2.4 miles from the finish!  I ran harder.  

When I got out on the road for the final mile I was so pumped.  I knew there was a final uphill coming so I backed off a little. A woman who was on the side of the road with a headlamp said, “You know there’s a runner not far ahead of you and they way you’re running, I think you can catch him.”  I said, out loud, “It’s ON!” and dropped the hammer.  With about ½ a mile to go I saw 2 headlights, the runner and his pacer.  They were fast walking.  I thought about turning off my headlamp for the sneak attack, but didn’t.  I should have.  I could tell the moment his pacer saw me.  His headlamp spun around and their headlamps started bobbing fast.  I ran harder….still closing the gap, but was running out of gas and running out of road.  Strava shows that I actually got below a 7 minute mile here.  This uphill was killing my legs and they were still moving fast.  I tried, but I couldn’t catch him!  When I crossed the finish line, I found out that I was chasing a guy by the name of Daniel(another one) I had met at the Full Moon 50K.  Good guy and very strong runner.  He said, “Dude, where did you come from??”  He left the last aid station (Pumpkin Patch) at 1:06 and I left it at 1:43 and in 6.6 miles I almost caught him.  It made for a fun, competitive ending.  I finished in 20:24:45 and he in 20:24:10.

This was a great race on a challenging course.  The aid stations were top notch and everything was well organized.  There was definitely a great atmosphere out there.  I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.

On a side note:  I had my phone loaded with music and audiobooks for this race and planned on using them when I felt like it.  Well, I never felt like it.  I thought about it during some of the low times when I was questioning why I was even doing this crazy thing….or to distract myself from the pain, but decided to just stay in the moment on this one.  It was a good journey in my head as well as on my feet.

Once again, thanks to my parents for their help and unwavering support.  Thank you to my kids who came out to help and cheer me on.  And a BIG THANK YOU to my wife who puts up with my training, my hyper-organized race prep, and grouchiness when I’m spent.  I love being on this journey with you. Last, and most of all, I thank God for the ability and freedom to enjoy doing this thing that I enjoy so much.  

On Sunday evening, my parents cooked a big gumbo at Maumelle park.  We all hung out as a family and had a great time.  

[lethaderr-blog]

As we drifted down the Canal du Midi, a collection of red roofed houses materialized in the distance. At their center, a stark set of pillars towered over the town. “Wow, what’s that?” I gasped to my fellow passengers on Athos, the hotel barge that I was fortunate to call home for a week. “That’s our next stop, !” someone explained.

As we rounded the curves and turns of the canal, we sailed into town where I encountered the most bustling port of our trip. And by “bustling”, I mean that there were a row of small boats on each side of the river. We typically docked where no other boats were in sight. While I adored the solitude of many points along the riverbed of the Canal du Midi, it was great to walk off the barge and right into a little village. While can be a lively spot, it’s not touristy by any stretch of the imagination. There are quiet spots around town where it’s easy to find peaceful solitude.

Do you want to know what makes such a special place to visit? Here are 5 reasons why it’s one of the most beautiful towns in , and why you need to head there as soon as possible.

It’s Right on the Canal du Midi

overlooks the Canal du Midi, and it’s a popular docking spot for many water vehicles. In fact, there’s a very narrow opening in the bridge right in . If you can drive your boat through this section, you can navigate anywhere on the Canal du Midi.

The Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a 360 km network of waterways linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures, including locks, bridges, and tunnels. It’s home to one of the most fascinating lock systems in the world, like the Fonserannes Locks (9 staircase locks) near Béziers.

If you’re renting a boat, you can stop in to explore the town from the Canal du Midi. If you’re making the trip to spend the day or night in , be sure to walk down to the canal. You can walk along the paths that follow the entire canal from start to finish. It’s also a really popular place to go for a bike ride. I suggest walking beneath the trees of the Canal du Midi, soaking up the wonderful scenery.

Many of you won’t be staying on a hotel barge like I did. I suggest booking an accommodation in so you can spend the night and experience the town waking up in the morning. Be sure to read reviews of hotels in the area to make an informed decision.

Saint Etienne Collegiate Church

The Collegiate Church of St. Etienne was constructed on the site of an old Roman church in the 13th and 14th centuries. The same group who built the cathedral in Narbonne also built this church. And similarly, the church remains unfinished to this date. It had potential to be the largest church in the region, but sadly is not complete.

Despite the fact that it’s unfinished, the church itself is a brilliant architectural work. Not only is the exterior of the church absolutely stunning, but the choir of the church is decorated with beautiful stained glass windows. If you have the chance, climb the stairs to the top of the bell tower for brilliant views of and the surrounding countryside.

Visit the Castle in

Take a tour of the Castle of the Archbishops of Narbonne while you’re in . This gorgeous palace was the summer home for the Archbishops of Narbonne. It is right in the middle of town ( is not that big, so you’ll be able to walk everywhere quite easily). Unfortunately, we were visiting late in the day and barely squeaked in before closing. We only had time to view the highlight of the palace: the painted ceilings of the castle from the 15th century.

You aren’t allowed to take any photographs of the painted ceilings, most likely due to their fragility. But, it’s worth going to marvel at these antique works of art. You’ll see imagery of religious scenes, themes of love, animals (both real and imaginary), and more. It’s very amazing that these painted ceilings are still in tact after all of these years.

Enjoy the Lively Town Square in

At the center of town, there’s a bustling little square with restaurants, cafes, and patios. I saw many families and groups of friends enjoying a meal or a drink out on the patio. This is the perfect place to sip a glass of wine or savor a cup of coffee, watching the world go by. There are many restaurants offering traditional meals. I didn’t dine in so I’m not sure if there are any vegan-friendly restaurants, although I am sure you can request a plant-based meal without any issues (even if it’s pasta, pizza, or a garden salad).

If you love local markets, be sure to visit on a Wednesday or Sunday morning. The market is right in the main square, at the foot of the church. It happens from 7:00am to 1:30pm. You’ll find fresh and local produce, clothing vendors, and even a book seller. I hope to return to someday so I can experience the local market.

Wander the Village Streets

Out of all the things to do in , my favorite was simply wandering around the streets. Venture off the main street with the palace, or duck down one of the narrow alleys near the church. As you walk up and down each quaint street, you might not see another person in sight. On my jaunt around town, I saw one older gentleman walking slowly with a cane, and an adorable cat.

I love how many homeowners paint their doors and shutters in a variety of pastel colors. There are also flowers blooming everywhere, especially when I visited in late May. On your walk around , you’ll come across a beautiful painted mural that spans an entire two story wall. There are other memorable features around town, like beautiful water fountains.

.kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap {background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);padding:20px 20px 20px 20px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover {border-color:rgba(238, 238, 238, 1);background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);} .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 10px 10px 10px;margin:0px 15px 0px 15px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color:#444;background:transparent;border-color:#444444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color: 0px 0px 0px;margin:5px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:4px 8px 4px 8px;margin:10px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: <div id="" class="wp-block-kadence-infobox"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-top kt-info-halign-center"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-container kt-info-icon-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-inner-container"><span style="display:block;justify-content:center;align-items:center" class="kt-info-svg-icon kt-info-svg-icon-fas_camera"><svg style="display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle" viewbox="0 0 512 512" height="80" width="80" fill="currentColor" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M512 144v288c0 26.5-21.5 48-48 48H48c-26.5 0-48-21.5-48-48V144c0-26.5 21.5-48 48-48h88l12.3-32.9c7-18.7 24.9-31.1 44.9-31.1h125.5c20 0 37.9 12.4 44.9 31.1L376 96h88c26.5 0 48 21.5 48 48zM376 288c0-66.2-53.8-120-120-120s-120 53.8-120 120 53.8 120 120 120 120-53.8 120-120zm-32 0c0 48.5-39.5 88-88 88s-88-39.5-88-88 39.5-88 88-88 88 39.5 88 88z"><div class="kt-infobox-textcontent"><h4 class="kt-blocks-info-box-title"> Want to see more photos of ? <p class="kt-blocks-info-box-text"> Check out my whole collection of pictures from . You can buy prints, canvas art, housewares, and more of my photos. Click the “buy” button by any pic! <div class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore-wrap"><a class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2F-2019%2F&sref=rss">Learn More <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-47KsCWs%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-47KsCWs/0/eaccc667/XL/P1380592-XL.jpg" alt="Sunset in at the Canal du Midi"/> <p>I hope that you get to also experience this delightful little village in the South of . It’s certainly one of the most beautiful towns in and you can easily spend hours alone simply wandering the narrow streets. Along with other small villages near the Canal du Midi, <strong><a href="https://justinpluslauren.com/minerve-france/">Minerve, <strong><a href="https://justinpluslauren.com/pezenas-france/">Pézenas and <strong><a href="https://justinpluslauren.com/marseillan-france/">Marseillan, it’s not really on the busy tourist circuit. 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If you click one of them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. <h4>Have you traveled to the South of before? <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://justinpluslauren.com/capestang-france/"> : 5 Amazing Reasons to Visit this Delightful Village on the Canal du Midi appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://justinpluslauren.com">Justin Plus Lauren.

[patchsing3-blog]

The Truth Behind Fashion Nova's Kardashian Knockoffs Reveals How the Brand Became a Global Powerhouse

When Kylie Jenner celebrated her 21st birthday in August, the beauty mogul toasted herself in a pair of pink looks: a satin mini dress by Peter Dundas and a sequined strapless romper by LaBourjoisie. The second ensemble, the one that looked as if a tube top and biker shorts took a bath in bubblegum sparkles, was custom, naturally. But if it had hit retail racks, it would have cost $8,000, according to the Kuwait-based eveningwear label.

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Encrusted with 70,000 Swarovski crystals, the bodysuit took 10 days to create—and just hours to knock off.

Less than a day after Kylie posted pictures to her Instagram account fast-fashion retailer Fashion Nova shared a $34.99 dupe on its feed, pairing it with the reality star’s birthday pic. The model even mimicked Jenner’s downward gaze and right-foot-forward pose. “Coming Soon!” the caption read.

But how?

Kylie’s birthday looks epitomize the brazen, blatant new frontier of fashion fakes. Fashion Nova recreated both of her outfits, as well as the fluorescent pink Yeezy cutout mini-dress Jenner’s sister Kim Kardashian wore that evening, and posted pictures of all three less than 24 hours after the party. “The devil works hard but fashion nova (sic) works harder,” read one viral tweet with screengrabs of the listings. It was punctuated with laugh-cry emoji—and liked by nearly 96,000 people.

So did Fashion Nova have some sort of head’s up, a sartorial equivalent of insider trading? Or was there a design team on standby, yards of glittery polyester waiting to be cut? And is any of this legal?

Fashion Nova has been around for more than a decade but grew in popularity in recent years, flooding the fast-fashion zone with several hundred new styles each week. The clothing is revealing—tight, barely-there streetwear and club attire—but the company is not. Founder Richard Saghian largely avoids the spotlight. A spokeswoman declined or did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

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Fashion Nova boasts more than 13 million followers on its Instagram feed and an army of 3,000 influencers, known as #NovaBabes, promoting its clothes. That group drove $54.1 million in earned media value, or the value of the publicity it receives via posts and engagement on social channels, from the second half of last year through the first half of this year, according to Tribe Dynamics, a San Francisco-based marketing technology firm. “They run one of the most sophisticated influencer programs that we track,” says Conor Begley, Tribe’s co-founder.

Kylie’s birthday looks epitomize the brazen, blatant new frontier of fashion fakes.

Among those influencers are big-name, well-paid celebrities. Cardi B is rumored to make $20,000 a month with Fashion Nova and has a capsule collection coming this fall. Kylie also has a relationship with the retailer, and Saghian once told The Cut that a post from her can result in $50,000 in sales.

Like many fast-fashion retailers, Fashion Nova offers a healthy share of “inspired by” pieces. Knockoffs are nothing new, although the way Fashion Nova presents them is. Most brands merchandise their recreations discreetly, leaving shoppers and fashion fans to draw their own conclusions. U.K.-based competitor PrettyLittleThing is still selling its recreation of Kendall Jenner’s 21st birthday outfit from 2016, a barely-there silver sequin mini also by LaBourjoisie. But its listing makes no mention of the model.

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Fashion Nova, however, connects the dots. Its e-commerce listings for some knockoffs have the Fashion Nova version posted with a picture of the celebrity in her designer outfit. A high-necked white dress on sale for $49.99, for example, is paired with a picture of Cardi B on Saturday Night Live in a strikingly similar Christian Siriano gown. In an e-mail, Siriano told me the knockoffs are “not ideal” due to the potential to dampen his sales—but “flattering at the same time.”

What’s particularly confusing is that original Fashion Nova designs worn by celebrities are merchandised in a similar way. With a knockoff, the celebrity is on the right in the side-by-side pic; with an original FN design, the star is on the left. Shoppers who aren’t paying attention may not notice the difference.

Further complicating things is that not all Fashion Nova recreations are presented with pics of the celeb. The brand knocked off the purple La Perla dress Kourtney Kardashian wore to Kylie’s party with no mention of her. The same is true for the recreation of the black PVC mini Kendall Jenner wore and Khloé Kardashian’s sparkly three-piece ensemble.

Seems so. Clothing is considered a “useful thing,” meaning it serves a purpose (in this case, it literally covers your body). Useful elements of creative things are largely exempt from copyright laws, says Julie Zerbo, an attorney and editor-in-chief of The Fashion Law. Only design elements that could exist on their own, like a print, are actionable, says Zerbo.

What would be grounds for legal proceedings is using the stars’ pictures alongside the knockoffs without permission. Celebrities get to decide how their image is used for selling stuff. “They alone have the right to control how their image is used in a commercial way,” says Zerbo, pointing to the 2014 case when Katherine Heigl sued Duane Reade after the pharmacy used her picture in a tweet. (Heigl later withdrew her suit after the parties came to an agreement.)

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With a knockoff, the celebrity is on the right in the side-by-side pic; with an original FN design, the star is on the left. Shoppers who aren’t paying attention may not notice the difference.

Kylie and Kim’s pictures being used to sell knockoff versions of their designer ensembles—in tweets, on Instagram, and on Fashion Nova’s site—as well as their prior sponsored posts on behalf of the brand—would suggest that there's some sort of relationship. It’s possible their contracts allow such a thing, Zerbo says.

You have to wonder: Would Kris Jenner watch quietly if someone was using her daughters’ images to sell something, and they weren’t getting a cut?

Kylie’s reps declined to comment.

Adding up the evidence—Kylie’s picture on the Fashion Nova site with her duo of dupes, which were advertised less than 24 hours after the designer debut, plus the known business relationship she has with the line—it seems quite possible that Kylie or someone on her team was in cahoots with the retailer, giving it a peek at her sartorial plans before they hit her Instagram feed.

“Woaw,” wrote one reviewer on the product page, three days after it was first advertised. “How in the world did they make this so quickly. You'd think they called her asking what she was wearing for her birthday.”

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Kylie or her team definitely tipped off at least one party before her, well, party: the cake baker. The five-tier cake was topped with a platinum-haired Barbie doll, face down into a tiny toilet, wearing a similar pink jumpsuit.

Yet Kylie’s stylist, Jill Jacobs, insists no such fashion arrangement took place. “While in the process of designing the bedazzled jumpsuit with LaBourjoisie, I jokingly said that Fashion Nova was going to have a copy in a week. I was wrong—they had one made within 24 hours,” Jacobs wrote in an e-mail. “There was no heads-up given to anyone; all of the fast-fashion brands were simply on their game.”

You have to wonder: Would Kris Jenner watch quietly if someone was using her daughters’ images to sell something, and they weren’t getting a cut?

Kylie’s reps declined to comment, but even if the team had leaked, Zerbo says there would be no legal issues with that kind of tip-off.

The only risk might be a designer souring on a star and perhaps refusing to dress her in the future. But really, if Kylie comes a callin’, who is going to say no to her and her 118 million Instagram followers? LaBourjoisie founder Antoine Salameh said in an e-mail that dressing Jenner results in a surge of inquiries and new followers.

“For us to be able to dress someone of her stature provides us an unparalleled amount of exposure,” he says. He graciously acknowledged the inevitable high demand for a lower-priced version with this caveat: “We do hope that we are still credited for the conception and creation of the original design.”

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So if Fashion Nova truly did this on its own, how did it pull it off?

The most impressive thing it did was post a pic of its rapid-fire recreations so quickly. One-off samples for that purpose are easy to come by, a former high-ranking executive at a Fashion Nova competitor told me. You can make one of just about anything in a day, or even three different styles, as long as you have the staff on hand. Kylie’s birthday celebration was a pre-planned event, meaning Fashion Nova could have had the date it on its calendar (the way eveningwear makers often watch the Oscars red carpet). The brand also has a full-service in-house photo studio, making it painless to have a hair-and-makeup-ready model waiting for a quick shot.

Saleable quantities of a garment—the first 1,000 or even 10,000—is a trickier pursuit. Making a pattern would be easy enough, given that all three of Kylie’s birthday recreations are Fashion Nova style specialties. It practically mints cutout mini dresses and strapless bodysuits (Kylie herself has previously worn a plain black one in an Instagram ad). It’s not a stretch, design-wise, to think that they had those patterns drawn up and adapted them to match the sisters’ looks.

Access to the right, undyed fabric is helpful, too, says Felipe Caro, a professor in the operations management group at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Fashion Nova’s suppliers could have had loads of the nylon-spandex stretch fabric just waiting to become Kim’s pink mini dress.

The biggest time savings comes from producing goods close to shoppers, eliminating transportation time from Asia or even South America, Caro added.

It’s not a stretch, design-wise, to think that they had those patterns drawn up and adapted them to match the sisters’ looks.

Fashion Nova declined to comment on its manufacturing process, but Saghian told WWD earlier this year that its buying and design team works with more than 1,000 manufacturers. Many are based in Los Angeles. Indeed, all three of the earliest Kylie recreations are listed as “Made in USA.”

The most revealing tell of all of this may be the actual selling timetable. Fashion Nova first posted pictures on August 10, the day after the party, saying they were “Coming Soon!” But it took more than three weeks, until September 3, for it to advertise two of the three dupes for sale. “The Wait Is Over!” the Instagram caption read. The pink bodysuit was promoted five weeks after the original post.

So yes, Fashion Nova is fast—just maybe not as fast as everyone has been led to believe. But, when you’re spending thousands of dollars less than your fave to look like your fave, does it really matter? Maybe not. As one Fashion Nova reviewer wrote about her Kim lookalike dress, ”This dress is everything! I got so many compliments on it!! I want to wear it everyday for the rest of my life lol.”

Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/a23555906/fashion-nova-kylie-jenner-knockoff-clothing/

[marketingcourse-blog1]

Digital Marketing Course

Digital Marketing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide

Digital marketing. Just another one of those new, fancy buzzwords you should use to sound smart in meetings or is it the real deal?

Maybe a better question is: What is it?

This digital marketing guide will show you what’s what.

First popularized as a term in the early 2000’s, digital marketing has actually been around much longer.

Like, WAY longer. About 100 years longer, to be exact.

Here’s a pic of the first digital marketer in history:

(Image source:

His name: Guillermo Marconi.

What? Marconi?

Yup. In 1896 he was the first human to demonstrate a, “public transmission of wireless signals.”

This dude invented the radio.

Shortly after his little demonstration in England, mores signals were transmitted across open water.

And, while it would take another 10 years for the radio to reach the general public, it sure didn’t take the creators long to realize they could use it to sell stuff.

The first live broadcast was from an opera performance at the Met and guess what people did after it?

They bought show tickets!

Digital marketing strategy was born.

I bet you’re surprised. I didn’t mention smartphones, apps, Facebook ads or blogs at all.

That’s because digital marketing has nothing to do with the internet.

Definition

As usual, Wikipedia does a crappy job at explaining: Digital marketing is an umbrella term for the targeted, measurable and interactive marketing of products or services using…

Ugh!

I want an easy definition that I can remember! Here’s one: Digital marketing is any form of marketing products or services that involves electronic devices.

That’s the reason it has been around for decades (because electronics have) and why it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with content marketing, Google ads, social media or re targeting.

Digital marketing can be done both online and offline.

And, both kinds matter for a well-rounded digital marketing strategy.

Why digital marketing matters

Remember billboards?

I do.

As a young kid in California, my experiences from the back seat of our car mostly alternated between: “Mom, when are we there?” and “Uh, look, McDonald, can we go?”, whenever one of those 10 foot billboards popped up on the side of the road.

Growing up with Indian parents, the answer to both of those would, most times, be the same: “Not yet.”

Sometimes, big brands would even start a billboard war, like this one between Audi and BMW, which got quite a few laughs:

(Image source: BMW blog)

In 2015, a ton of my clients still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on billboard advertising.

Unfortunately or fortunately, it’s dead.

The reason why billboards, like the ones above, die, is perfectly illustrated in a single picture of a Volvo.

Because, frankly, the future of driving will look like this:

Not a single passenger will spend their time looking at the road.

Do me a favor, the next time you drive and are giving a friend a ride, take a peek at the passenger seat.

Just for a second.

Even now, chances are they’ll be looking at their phone.

Heck, in a world where 9% of all drivers are on the phone one way or the other (texting or calling), at any given moment during daylight hours, how can we think billboards have a future?

If not even the driver is looking at the road any more, who’s supposed to see those advertisements?

And, that’s not even considering self-driving cars, on which both Apple and Google are working (you know it’s going to happen).

Elon Musk suggests that they’ll be here around 2020.  That’s in only a few years.

That means you don’t have much time to figure out this digital marketing stuff before you can power down your old school printing press and close up shop.

The share of people spending more time using electronic devices is only going up from here.

With Americans spending 11+ hours on electronic devices, every single day, there’s not much left. That is, until we spend ALL of our time in the digital world.

And, while yes, online marketing is the reason that 25 year olds can now sit in their living room and earn 2 million dollars a year playing video games, offline marketing still has its place.

Let’s take a helicopter and circle around to get an overview.

Overview

The 2 main pillars of digital marketing are online marketing and offline marketing. That said, since I’ll talk about online marketing in a separate guide, I’ll only mention the different areas of online marketing here, for the sake of completeness.

The 7 big categories of online marketing are:

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Search engine marketing (SEM)

Content marketing

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)

Affiliate marketing

Email marketing

Bounce created a great info graphic that sums up all kinds of online marketing in one neat chart.

(Image source: Unbounce)

The beginner’s guide to online marketing, on Quick Sprout, is a great place to get started.

Okay, that said, what other digital marketing is there? There’s plenty, actually.

Here are the 4 big categories of digital offline marketing.

First, there’s what I call enhanced offline marketing. This is a form of marketing that is entirely offline, but enhanced with electronic devices.

For example, if your restaurant uses iPads for your customers to create their orders on, then the offline experience of say, eating Thai food, is enhanced with this electronic device.

People have been using digital media to enhance their marketing for decades (you’ve only forgotten in what ways, as you’ll see).

(Image source: San Diego Tribune)

Next, there’s radio marketing. The next time you hear an annoying, over-enthusiastic car dealer shout every word of his or her commercial, thank Mr. Marconi.

Of course, we can’t forget television marketing. TV ads have been around for more than half a century (and since 1953 also in color, nationwide – Yes, there was a time before color TV).

Finally, the biggest and fastest growing area of offline marketing, with admittedly also a lot of flops, busts and failures: phone marketing.

Let’s look at the 4 areas in more detail.

Enhanced offline marketing

What’s the difference between a billboard somewhere in the desert of Arizona and a billboard in New York City’s Times Square?

The size? The product?

3 letters: LED. Light emitting diodes.

All of the billboards in Times Square are electronic!

(Image source: Adweek)

Why? Because in the desert of Arizona, no one’s competing with you for people’s attention. If you have a billboard at all, you win.

But, in Times Square, attention is probably more valuable than anywhere else in the world. Over 330,000 people cross through it each day.

If you want to be distracted, there’s buses, taxis, promoters shouting and then, of course, the electronic billboards.

Some of them are even interactive, showing live feeds of the people on the square or pictures of customers.

Renting a billboard space on Times Square, for a year, will set you back a whopping $1,000,000 to $4,000,000.

Sounds expensive? Wait until you hear the prices for Super Bowl commercials.

What other forms does enhanced offline marketing take?

What do you see when you walk into an Apple Store these days?

(Image source: Wikipedia)

People leaning over i Pads, Mac books and i Phones.

If you have any type of electronic product, any product demo is an important part of your digital marketing strategy.

Okay, the next one’s a good one. If you remember this, you can consider yourself an extremely lucky kid:

(Image source: Emuparadise)

This is a demo disc for the original PlayStation and several of these were handed out with other games or sometimes even magazines.

It was the same with PC magazines.  Remember when they came with CDs (and later DVDs) and you couldn’t wait to throw them into your disk drive and see what samples were on them?

A little different than a demo, these are product samples in digital format.

People still do this.  Think of all the wannabe rappers or rockers in your hometown, handing out mix tapes and CDs and now probably USB sticks, to get you to listen to their music.

Alright, time to take a look at the category of digital marketing that’s probably been around the longest.

Radio marketing

Over 100 years have passed since that original first live broadcast of the opera performance at the Met and guess what – radio is still here.

Since radio did fairly well in transitioning to the internet, it hasn’t taken as big of a hit as TV.  And, even old school radio still matters.

Some facts:

Radio still reaches 85% of the US population every week

Listeners listen 2 hrs per day, on average

40% of all radio advertising expenses worldwide comes from the US

About half the population of the US listens to internet radio at least once a month

Now, while profits have shrunk, radio isn’t dead. Thanks to Pandora’s 80 million users, there are still about $4 billion in profits made each year.

But, aside from creating a kick ass, creative radio commercial that will do well, what else is there?

Recently, internet radio made a good move, doing what most podcasts do:advertise at the beginning of shows.

If you host a show revolving around a certain topic, like coaching, you can plug programs and products in, right before and at the end of the show.

Since social media is the marketing darling these days, it should be fairly easy tofind a local radio station, get on a show, be interviewed or negotiate a deal with them.

Once you do, be sure to get some sponsorships, to make sure that you’re a prime candidate for the station and that they give you the premium slot and the best air time possible.

In most cases, doing well on radio means being entertaining.

Cadillac and Dairy Queen are two brands that come up with solid radio commercials on a consistent basis.

You can listen to some examples here.

TV marketing

Television marketing is such a Goliath, it’ll likely never go away. It’s also easily the industry where the most money is burned each year.

Ever since Google Video turned into YouTube, the efficiency of TV ads has gone down rapidly.

Who wants to watch a crappy MTV show host review a game that they have no clue about, when they can join 40 million subscribers (!) watching PewDiePie not only rock video games, but also deliver hilarious comments.

All, free of charge, of course.

So, why are TV commercials nearly worthless, when the average American still watches 4 hours of TV each day?

They aren’t specific.

TV ads are unspecific. In a world of search engines, re targeting, social media and email marketing, we are so used to being marketed around products we already care about, that we blatantly ignore everything that’s not remotely relevant to us.

If we can even be bothered to watch a movie on TV, because it’s not yet on Netflix,a company making $5 billion in revenue annually by now, then what do we do?

We record it and we fast forward through all of the commercials.

We’re used to being in total control.

Marketers have to be smarter and smoother.

TV commercials just hit everyone across the board.

You could see a hemorrhoid cream commercial, followed by an Oreo ad and a burger spot, all while being overweight, diabetic and 22 years old.

Such a person would be a horrible target to be viewing these ads.  But, with TV, you never know who you’re going to reach, only how many eyeballs you’ll get.

So, apart from a few insomniacs who watch infomercials late at night, ensuring that Dr. Ho still sells a few of his de-compression belts, is TV advertising dead?

Not entirely.

There is still one type of TV ad worth running, but it’ll cost ya.

Remember I mentioned that renting a billboard in Times Square, for a year, will set you back a million?

A 60 second commercial aired during the Super Bowl costs $4.5 million.

Thanks to their cross-pollinating effect, the often viral and memorable commercials still pay for themselves.

Roughly 10% of all TV commercial-related shares on social media come from Super Bowl ads. So do about 8% of all views on Youtube that go to TV commercial videos.

If your commercial makes it to the blacklist (commercials the network decides can’t be shown on TV), the viral effect is usually even stronger, like this one, from Carl’s Junior, that caused a lot of noise this year:

(damn you, Charlotte McKinney)

Super Bowl commercials have the highest retention rate, as this infographic shows. Over half of the participants who were asked remembered the Budweiser “Puppy Love” commercial.

What’s more, these commercials become online assets, generating millions of views over time, such as the famous Star Wars commercial by Volkswagen, which has generated 62 million views, to date.

[therealestatesparkblog]

6 Types of Rental Property Add-Ons (& a Look at Whether They’re Worth It)

Generally speaking, adding additional living space to a property is not advisable unless its in a particularly high-end neighborhood. But as with anything, there are exceptions to this rule. Certain homes naturally lend themselves to easy additions, such as bedrooms or bathrooms, or present opportunities to convert already existing space into living space. Consider the following ways to not only improve your property but also add value to your investment. Bedroom or Bathroom Addition Sometimes you dont even need to add any square footage to a home in order to create an extra bedroom or bathroomeither of which can substantially increase the value of a property. (This is especially true if the house only has two bedrooms or one bathroom.) A third bedroom is advantageous to property owners because most families who are looking to move wont settle for any fewer. Families typically intend to stay in place longer than single tenants; therefore, they can be easily turned off by what they consider inadequate space. In certain situations, its even worthwhile to add a fourth bedroomespecially if the addition is easy to do. But it is rarely beneficial for homeowners to add a fifth. Oftentimes, especially with older homes, floor plans are far less than optimal (think large hallways and other poorly utilized space). Wasted square footage can present an opportunity to throw up a few walls, build a closet and install a door. Boom! Youve got another bedroom. As an alternative, maybe you could cut one large bedroom into twobut be careful with this. Heads of households (like parents) tend to like bigger master bedrooms, so avoid dividing one room into two if its the only large bedroom in the home.

Related: 7 Creative Ways to Add BRs, BAs & Other Value-Adds to Your Rental [With Pics!] Heres a final note on bedrooms: they must be at least 10 feet by 10 feet. They also arent legally deemed a bedroom if: they dont have a window to the exterior;dont have a closet; orare solely accessible by going through another bedroom. Bathroom additions dont require as much space, but they are more expensive to build. Remember, you will have to run plumbing, so the closer your new bathroom is to the main stack, the better. If there is a basement (or at least an easily accessible crawlspace), this can make it a lot easier to install new plumbing. Houses that are built on a slab foundation, however, are pretty much a lost cause. To add an extra bath would require cutting into the concrete to lay the plumbing, which is (needless to say) quite expensive. If a floor plan allows for it, there are several instances when adding a bathroom is a good idea. One key opportunity is when you are dealing with a large housesay, approximately 1,500 square feet or bigger. When possible, the extra bathroom should be connected to the master bedroom. (Again, parents love privacy.) As a space-saving option, a shower stall can be installed instead of a bathtub. And if there isnt enough square footage to add a full bathroom, a half bathroom (just a toilet and vanity without a bathtub) is still a significant improvement. Another instance in which you should try to add a half bath is when youre dealing with a large, multistory home with no bathroom on the first floor. Nobody wants to go all the way upstairs to use the restroom, and most people wouldnt like to send guests up there either. If you can squeeze in a half bath on the main level, its usually worth it to do so. That being said, preferably a house will have a bathroom on every floor. Worst case scenario would be a multistory property with all of the bedrooms upstairs and the only bathroom downstairs. Having to go down a flight of stairs every time nature calls in the middle of the night is not only less than ideal, but also dangerous. Theres no size requirements with regard to bathrooms, but they should be big enough for people to comfortably do anything they might need to get done in one. Unfortunately, bedroom and bathroom additions are not always practical or financially feasible. Whether or not the property is begging for one or the other (or both!) should factor into your decision to purchase the property in the first place. Related: 12 Creative Ways to Add Major Value to Apartment Buildings Garage Conversions More often than not, garage conversions arent worth it. Certain situations, however, make sense. First of all, recognize that by converting the garage into, say, a bedroom, you are quite obviously losing a garage in the process. Secondly, the garage will probably need to be insulated. And thirdly, it can be tough to match a homes siding or paint color if the conversion requires you remove the garage door. (For that reason, garage conversions are easiest when you also intend to update the homes exterior.) Garages are also often built on slabseven when the rest of the house is built on a crawlspace foundation or basement. Sometimes those slabs have settled, creating an uneven surface, which can make remodeling that much more difficult. Regardless, there are times when it does make sense to pull the trigger on a conversion. The most obvious instance is when you have a relatively small house (like a two-bedroom, 800-square-foot home) with a two-car garage. Its unlikely tenants need both garage bays, so using half the garage space to create a master bedroom and bathroom could add a lot of value while also retaining one garage spot. In some lower-end areas, I have seen investors carve out most of the garage to build an additional bedroom, while leaving the very front of the garage as basically a small storage locker. The purpose behind this? Section 8 pays more for additional bedrooms. So, these investors increase their income even if it makes the house feel a bit awkward.

Basement Conversions Whereas garage conversions are usually a bad idea, basement conversions are almost always a bad idea. I encountered countless half-finished basements when exploring properties shortly after the crash of 2008. Apparently, an unfathomable number of people thought it would be a good idea to refinance their house in order to finish their basement. Needless to say, they chose unwisely. Basement conversions can have a variety of problems. For one, many appraisals dont consider any finished space below grade (underground) to be countable square footage. Ive witnessed appraisers not count bathrooms when they were part of a finished basement. This means that the upward adjustment post-conversion will be rather small even though the cost can be substantial. But a bigger problem is water; a lot of basements leak. Most are vulnearble when there is a torrential downpour. And it can be an essentially endless and fruitless battle to prevent this from happening. Mold can form when water gets into a basement. Then, the property owner has to tear out the affected drywall and reinstall it, assuming theyve actually been able to seal the source of the leak. Its another metric of which Ive lost track. I cant count the number of finished basements Ive seen that are missing the bottom foot or two of drywall because of water damage. Rental properties with finished basements can introduce further problems. If a tenant has property in the basement and its destroyed by water issues, well, theyre not going to be particularly happy with you! Yet, there are times when basement conversion do make sense. The first instance occurs when additional bedrooms are at an extreme premium. The most obvious example of this isstudent housing, which rents out by the bedroom in hot markets. My dad is the master of finding ways to carve out bedrooms for his student rentalshe fills every nook and cranny. These extra bedrooms are often built in basements. Another instance when it makes sense to convert a basement is within a house where you can do a cheap finish. Best case scenario are homes with walk-out basements. With this type of property, only one side of the basement is underground (maybe due to the fact the house is on a hill). With these, I recommend simply painting all the walls white and the floor gray with an oil-based paint (so it wont scuff when people walk on it). Perhaps add a few lights, too. Voila! This finishes the basementsort ofand can make the space more appealing to renters, buyers, and appraisers. The best part is its cheap! Attic Conversions Attic conversions are rarely possible, but can make sense in certain circumstances. There are three major conditions that need to be met for an attic addition to work: The stairs to the attic need to be in good shape and not overly steep.The ceilings need to be tall enough.The area must be properly ventilated. Attics can get really hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Without an additional attic on top of your attic conversion, there wont be much insulation. So, you need to make sure the space can be heated and cooled sufficiently. Oftentimes, even if you have central air, you will want to provide an additional window unit. Steep stairs can turnoff buyers and renters, as well. The International Residential Code recommends that for a rise of 7.75 inches (vertical part), there should be a run (horizontal part) of 10 inches. Older homes may be grandfathered in with a steeper rise, but it shouldnt be too much steeper than that. Building codes vary by the region, but most require at least a seven foot ceiling. The 1994 Uniform Building Code requires a ceiling height of at least seven feet, six inches. Check the building requirements in your municipality, but anything less than that most likely cannot technically be considered living space. Regardless, very few people would want to have a bedroom with ceilings lower than that anyways. If your property meets all of these criteria and there is substantial value to gain by adding more living space, then (and only then) should you consider converting your attic. Enclosing a Porch Rarely is it a good idea to enclose a front porch in order to add on to a house. Back patios, however, can be a different story. It sometimes makes sense to enclose, insulate, ventilate, and convert back patios into an additional bedroom or living space. There are a few questions to ask yourself before embarking down this path. First things first: does the house needs extra living space to begin with? Next, keep in mind that people really like having direct access to their backyard. So, if you are planning to turn the porch into a bedroom, make sure theres another door to the backyard. (At the very least, ensure you can add a new one elsewhere.) Finally, just like with garage conversions, acknowledge that youre losing something when you enclose a porch. People like outdoor spaces, especially in cities with pleasant climates. Weigh the pros and cons before making the plunge. Is the cost of converting the porch actually worth the trade-off? Building an Addition Building an addition is somewhat like building a small house that attaches to an existing one. Maybe the foundation is already there, but its rare. Youll likely be starting from scratch. Anything like this requires permits. (Full transparency, much of the above does, as well, depending on the municipality). For this reason, adding an addition is rarely worth it unless property is located in a high-end area. Conclusion Adding additional bedrooms and converting non-livable space into livable space can be a huge value-add to real estate. But its not without costs, both financially and to the property itself. There are times when it makes absolute sense to pull the trigger, and others when it does not. This should provide a helpful guide for making such decisions.

When was a time you had to make a decision on value-adds for your properties? Comment below! https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/rental-property-add-ons