#there was a shop that had lots of stuff but their art and stationery was really nice and I bought a few things there before

[wanderrlust0]

i hung out with snow and 2 of their friends for their bday (2 dozen anni celebration) and it was a lot of fun!

we got to the city around 3:15 and walked to ktown. we went to this bakery they all usually go to and they had so many tasty treats, i wanted to try them all! i got a strawberry bouchee & snow got us this strawberry refresher thats kind of carbonated but it was good! it had pieces of strawberries in it so it was cute. then we walked to kinokuniya which is this huge japanese store filled with books,magazines,manga, stationery, plushies,toys,collectables, &moreeee. it had 3 stories!!! there was soo much to look at & i def wanna go back!! i told the bestie about it & she wants to go! (i didnt realize how close it was to bryant park as well. like i totally wouldve went there last time i was in bryant park if i knewww.) we were in there for like an hr. i bought a spirited away japanese book & a cute pop up holiday card for myself bc i liked the art. i wanted a small spirited away book but they only had the big one and the book that shows miyazakis sketches. i feel like i shouldve just gotten that one, even tho it was more money..maybe on my next trip. afterwards, we went to muji, then the nintendo store. so snows friends are very much gamers. well, they allll are lol & theyre into kpop, conventions, etc so theyre quite diff from my friend group but they were very nice! & they were already talking about stuff like how i have to see their friends room bc she has cool things and how they’ll force me & snow to watch the live action.. demon slayer mugen train musical…lolll yes that. we then went backkk to ktown to eat at abiko curry, which is a spot they go to a lot. it was my first time trying it and omg it was sooo good, i ate it all. ive never had korean curry so i thought it was so cool that i could add a pork chop to it and it was crispy! it was so satisfying lol it was like our first real meal of the day at 8:30. im gonna be thinking about that curry for a whilee. afterwards, we were gonna go to this place called starbucks reserve, which is like a very fancy coffee shop/bar, but we realized we wouldnt have enough time so were saving it for some other time. we got gelato that was nearby and they had such cool flavors!! lychee, guava, plum.. i got a scoop of ube and thai iced tea and they went perfect together omg i want it again. i didnt know how thai iced tea gelato would taste but it tasted exactlyyy like the drink so it was so refreshing after our curry meal. after gelato we went back to the bakery to pick up things we wanted to take home with us. we didnt get on the train until 10:30 so we got home later than i thought & i was soso tired the next morning bc i had to wake up early but it was worth it lol. oh yeah! i forgot to mention but i gave snow their bday gift & card in the car so they opened the gift before we walked to the train station and !!! they loved it so much they criedddd D; it was sweet and also shocking and funny bc like!! i didnt mean to make you cry omggg loll for context, the gift was a framed drawing i made of inumaki from jujutsu kaisen and so they said thats its literally the best gift theyve ever gotten, mostly due to it being handmade and i was like WhaTttt no wayyy. the best gift youve ever gotten?!? they knew i was gonna draw something already bc they didnt want me to buy a gift & wanted something handmade like my art but ofc they didnt know what id draw & didnt really expect me to draw Him. they saved the card for our train ride home bc when they first opened it in the car & saw so many words they couldnt read it yet lol. when snow was on their way to my house they realized they forgot my gift (for my bday) and i was like MY Gift!!?! i really dont know what it could even be… it was fun spending time with them and i feel like its a nice change to hangout with a different friend group. idk like something about it feels fun and refreshing & just different. ofc it depends how comfortable i feel with everyone. but yeahhh, it was a good day & i got to try a lot of yummi foods

(my bracelet fell off and idk where it went:(( it could be somewhere in my room or my bfs room.. i dont believe it fell off at work.. or the shower..but i dont wanna think about thatD: it wasnt really a sentimental one i guess.. but it was like a good bracelet..& old.. &cute:( im hoping it shows uppppp!!!!)

[stickersgeorg]

HI I HAVE SO MANY

Here's my list so far of artists whose stickers I've bought from Etsy, Redbubble, their own sites/shops, etc (also a lot of these have pokemon themed stickers because I love pokemon)

More detailed lists

Artists on tumblr:

tumblr url - themes - website/store/where to get their stickers

@pikaole - cute animals, lots of marine animals - Patreon / Redbubble

@theshitpostcalligrapher - meme-y(?) and Canada/hockey - Etsy

@chick-it-out - chickens - Etsy

@spicymochi - cute animals, soft - Etsy

@daftpatience - animals, pokemon, gacha for other fandoms, OC - Bigcartel

@mamath - mythical creatures, pokemon, dragons - shop / Etsy

@afternoonfika - soft, cute animals - Shop

@wanderingmaskdragons - dragons, literally so many kinds of dragons!! - Redbubble

@cosmopoliturtle - pokemon redesigned, OC, fantasy - Redbubble

@shinonart - space/galaxy/cosmic, animals, pokemon - Etsy

@ariamisus - pokemon (lotad!! wooper family!! and more!!), chibi - Etsy

@zuccnini - pokemon, OC - Etsy

@fubinicrafts - bunnies - Etsy

@nyatche - cute!! animals, various fandoms (pokemon, animal crossing, anime, sanrio) - Etsy

@mahoukarp-official - sharks, chibi, pokemon - Shop

@lompyart - pokemon - Shop / Ko-Fi

@alcorchannel - pokemon - Bigcartel

@magentasnail - autism/adhd/anxiety creatures - Redbubble

@requinoesis - sharks, fantasy - Redbubble

Etsy (may have their own sites/shops but I found them on Etsy first)

KyariKreations - cute, animals, pokemon

TeamRocketWolf - pokemon, gaming

NickleyArt - cats

porterillustration - pokemon (quagsire!!)

fleacircusetsy - Poe the Pigeon (shop's mascot), animals, miscellaneous

PorofulDesigns - pokemon, cute, miscellaneous

TheSamSamShop - pokemon

RachelBardArt - the tiniest most scrunkly cats you've ever seen, animals

Shopkitschykawaii - miscellaneous cute things and animals

CommanderMittensCo - pokemon, final fantasy

HowlinWolfArt - various fandoms (final fantasy, MLP, Bluey, more), animals (my faves are SHORKS and sea animals as bread 🥺)

CookieDoves - SO many birds

HeathyDraws - pokemon, miscellaneous

Cremechii - cute, soft

BeneShopArt - meme-y, some pokemon

MarshmallowCafe - doodle pokemon

thousandskies - animals, I really like the colors they use in their art

mochamochicake - chibi and soft, various fandoms, lots of cute OC

emberdoodles - cats, Kpop

SugarDriftArt - animals, various fandoms (transformers, miku, full metal alchemist, more)

kamiaristudio - fantasy woodland animals

SketchMoose - assorted, planner-style stickers

HousecatArts - animals (my favorites are the yarn cats)

GellyRoise - pastel, pokemon, animals/food (like little animals with boba tea)

JunesGraphix - miscellaneous (I liked the Magikarp sticker they had)

sillyfriends - pokemon, food, miscellaneous

unicorneclipse - sparkly, journal-y aesthetic, I REALLY like the colors and all the kinds of stationery they have

MonaMauve - memes, like all the meme cats

teletelo - pokemon

starsalts - pokemon, everything is so VIBRANT and colorful, very busy designs

artbymandymeow - miscellaneous animals

smudgeandfrank - animals as foods (sea pancakes!!!)

TheKimchiBunny - animals with foods, planner style

paoriina - whimsical, glimmery, fantasy creatures

Redbubble

littlemandyart - chibis of so many animals

Digisprite - they're the company that made one of my favorite board games (Adventure Mart) and I think the art from it is cute in its own right, like little dnd/adventure-fantasy animals

KiraKiraDoodles - like an Adventure Time kind of style where things got the little dot eyes and that kind of cartoon look?

Other! (Artists I followed on other sites than tumblr and I don't think they have Etsy/Redbubble but rather shops of their own)

BirdieTamArt - animals! - shop

Stickii - this one isn't a single artist, it's a company, BUT they collab(?) with a bunch of different artists for monthly themes/bundles, so if you find a sticker or sheet that you like, you can look up that artist and usually find they have their own shops with more stuff - link

I've been so giddy, that ive been stopping in between making pieces lately. just giggling and kicking my feet excitedly (just bought myself a new Samsung tablet for casual drawing and it should be in by next monday o v o ) ive been saving up for it for a while and i've heard very good things about it, and it'll be a step up to one that i already have.

[marculees]

I love how my family say they don't invade my privacy yet if I ever receive a letter or package, they will ask what it is and get offended if I don't tell them. Because not opening it obviously means they aren't being invasive. It's easier to tell them in advance what I am expecting, if anything, rather than not tell them and have them grow more nosy.

So with that said, I just woke up and heard my parents answering the door with my mum explaining to my dad that it's "Niamh's ****" that I won in a competition earlier this week. And my sister immediately came into my room to ask what it was too because? The lady said she would put it in an ordinary envelope to be as discreet as possible and not make any family suspicious, but that doesn't work with this household 😭

[the---hermit]

It's 3. something am but my brain is full of ideas and holidays are closing in by the second maybe on how to gift a journal or some kind of useful stationery for like folks who enjoy this form of art.... cuz let's be honest here this is art and its so damn personal I've never ever seen journals that look alike.

Hello! To do a very specific gift ideas post I would need more time to look for things and more references I think, and I wouldn't have enough time now (I am annotating this on my bujo for next year), but I can write down a few tips on here in case someone needs last minute help!

Gift ideas/tips for people who love journaling:

my top idea is to go in local stores, try to avoid super big chains of stores, this way you might find something unique that the person you are shopping for wouldn't have otherwise found. There's plenty of places with very cool journals, both handmade or just of smaller brands that you don't see everywhere.

if you know well the person you are getting a gift for you can go two ways: either get them something you know they use A LOT, or go the opposite and get them something totally out of their comfort zone. This could be a great challenge for them to try new things, sometimes we need a little push to try new stuff, and that's a gift itself in my opinion.

a personal favourite of mine are highlighters so I could never not recommend getting a nice pack of new highlighters to someone, I am particularly fond of pastel colours because they are amazing both for journaling and for school notes and book annotations.

maybe a nice pencil case could be a nice gift too, there's so many options out there you will surely find something for everyone's taste

a less common thing could also be a journal sleeve, there's book sleeves online that are super cool and protect your book covers from being damaged in your bag/backpack. You could pick one up with the purpuse of protecting the journal of the person you are shopping for.

this is more on the bookish side of things, but it was really appreciated by my best friend last year. I created for her a book annotating starter pack, to go alongside the custom reading journal I made her. I got her a nice pencil, an highlighter, some colorful post it notes and tabs and a tiny additional notebook to write all her favourite quotes on. I got everything in the same colour so it looked really thought out, but it was a quite cheap but effective gift.

going back to journaling, one thing I m considering for this same friend this year is a journaling prompt jar. You could also do this in another format, but it can be nice to just write down very random journaling prompts on pieces of paper for when your friend is out of ideas. You could do a themed thing, like self care prompts with a self care journal maybe.

talking about a self care journal, this is something you could do for a friend with very little effort. You get a pretty journal whatever you prefer, and then you can create different sections for your friend. Write in for them self care ideas, write inspiring quotes in it, create a spread in which they can write down compliments people give them so that they are "forced" to practiced a bit of self worth. When I created one in the past for someone who was really struggling at the time I had also wrote down a very random list of small things to appreaciate in life even in bad days, like the feeling of getting home when it's cold outside, all these little things you tend to forget about when your mental health is not at its best. There's plenty ideas for a self care journal (in the future I could do a specific post, although I don't keep one myself).

one last tip is to just go around stores without a clear idea and see what artistic tools make you think of this person. You see a nice set of pencils in coulours that remind you of them? Get that. Whatever you see that makes you think of this person is probably a good idea, in my opinion some of the best gifts are the most randm. And again always keep in mind that whatevr you get for this person you can probably custum in very easy ways to make it perfect for them. I personally really like to make things as much as I can instead of buying them because I think the time I put into crafting these things for people shows how much I care for them, it does not have to be perfect, in fact it has to be made with love and than believe me it will be perfect.

These are all the ideas that came to my mind right away, I hope it might be helpful for someone. I might do a more researched and structured post next year. If you need help with more specific things send me an ask and I'll do my best to help!

[daftpatience]

What do you like about stationary? I loved reading your analysis of Kim's notebook and it made me realize there's a whole world of stationary I had no idea about haha

ohh drawing is a big stim for me, i adore the sensation of writing instruments on paper. plus im very much an art supply hoarder and love love love having pencilcases and notebooks and pens and markers and erasers and all that stuff. stationery shops are one of my many happy places! i could browse jetpens for hoursss lol

also the process of papermaking is fascinating to me! ive done a little myself and it just makes me really appreciate what nice paper feels like, which goes extra for archival and fountain pen friendly paper. i love the glide of a nice pen on some good paper that doesn't feather or bleed, and as a kid i was super obsessed with finding the ~perfect~ gel pens and markers and stuff like that. i remember obsessively hunting down copic markers and gelly rolls and that one white ink gel pen people use for highlights on their drawings and stuff. most of my work is digital nowadays but i still do a lot of scribbling on paper!

i got into fountain pens as a teen when an old guy gifted my mom a bag of old pens and ink and stuff - there was one fountain pen in there, it was all dirty and clogged so i was using it just as a dip pen for awhile and i absolutely loved the writing experience! i tried to clean it and broke it (it was.... a two hundred dollar pen.....cries) so after that out of guilt and fascination i got really into researching about fountain pens and using them. now i have my little collection of babies, and that fancy old pen is in a box waiting to be shipped to the original manufacturers for repair someday when im super rich or something.

[lyanro]

~$5 and Under Gift Ideas (And Places To Find Them)

Since Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Yule and Christmas are coming up, here’s some inspo for small, cheap gifts that are still fun to receive for things like Secret Snowflake/Santa, stocking stuffers, little add-ons, etc. — Feel free to reblog and add your own ideas!!:)

(Some good places to *find* these kinds of things are also listed under the cut)

Storebought Gifts

- Lil pins or iron-on patches

- Scented candle(s)

- Pack o’ gum

- Their fav candy (if you don’t know their preferences/allergies maybe skip this one)

- Snacks (Their fav chips, a funky bottled drink, etc.)

- Cute stickers:•)

- Lil $5 gift card from their favorite cafe

- Jewelry

- Lip balm (normal, unique, 2-pack, fancy, whatever)

- Bath bomb

- Bath salts

- Bottle(s) of essential oil

- Scarf

- Cool book from a Little Free Library

- Nail polish in a unique color, a color you think would suit them, their favorite color, or a color you think would work well with their fashion sense

- Gloves

- A pretty mug

- Travel-size or mini versions of their favorite beauty/self-care products (Body wash, rollerball versions of their favorite perfume, hair products, etc.)

- Cheap(!!) T-shirt

- Fun socks

- Charging cable extensions or other cheap phone accessories

- Fun/cute USB drives

- Poster or print

- Little storage containers/organizational things

- Pretty soap

- Pretty tube of hand lotion

- Goofy lil prank/gag gift (yknow like the kind the sell in those little niche gift stores? that like always seem to have yellow cardboard pacakaging for some reason? yknow where its like. candy that tastes like soap or little fake gum packets that zap ya. you should probably be fairly close to someone if u wanna give them something like this tho) (mostly including this on here in honor of my dad’s family tradition of exchanging gag gifts during hannukah. ex: my goofy great grandfather giving my very prim and proper great grandmother a ‘gas-powered’ electric tooth brush) (...and ya ‘gas’ as in ‘gastrointestinal’) (............like it had like a vacuum tube coming out the bottom to ‘attach’ to the ‘power source’ and everything lmao)

- An affordable/cheap lipstick, highlighter, palette, gloss

- Cool temporary tattoos

- Cool old postcards to decorate their walls with (or actually send lol)

- Bandana, scrunchies, barrettes, headband, or other hair accessories

- Pretty, mini notebook or journal

- Stationery/Art supplies (Gel pens, rubber stamp/s, ink pad, stencils, a cute Japanese eraser, etc.)

- A box/tin of their favorite tea🍵

General Good Places To Find Some Nice Cheap Stuff

(I live in the Midwest of the US, so obviously this is by no means an exhaustive list, just what I have experience with. Again, feel free to add on!)

- Target: This time of year Target’s “Wonder Shop” brand usually has displays scattered around the store with items corresponding to the area they’re in, as well as a main hub in their seasonal section. Most of these items are designed to be cheap and stocking stuffer-like, which is just what we’re going for here: Depending on where you are in the store they feature things like cheap makeup, fuzzy slippers, candles, throw blankets, bath bombs, stationery, little kitchen gadgets or fancy seasoning sets, etc. The main hub usually has tons of regular candy as well as novelty treats like giant marshmallows, drinking straws made of candy cane, etc. They also have a (predictably) very small selection of Hannukah things:/ Year round, Target’s Dollar Section is awesome in general, lots of fun little decor things or craft supplies. Sometimes they also have cheap tech supplies there (extension cords, portable chargers, knock-off popsockets, headphones, even speakers) depending on the time of year. Their jewelry is relatively inexpensive for the most part, and their brand Wild Fable has a lot of really cute jewelry and hair accessories for pretty cheap ($5-15). In general, they are great for: Snacks, candy, candles, (some) craft supplies, jewelry, cosmetics, travel-size versions of beauty products, jewelry, socks, and even cheap DVDS (the ones they have at the front of checkout booths).

- T.J. Maxx/Marshall’s/Home Goods: Always have fun cheap stuff in the checkout aisle to try to lure you into last minute purchases (but again, that’s the kinda cheap stuff we’re going for here), especially snacks. Sometimes they have nice cheap stationery, depending on the store. Candles, super marked-down beauty products, home decor.

- The Container Store: A little more on the expensive side in general and can be harder to find but if you can get to one they often have tons of cool, relatively cheap gadgets (like cord sorters, little phone accessories like a USB minifan, etc.) and organizational supplies. A lot of their stationery is more regular-priced to expensive, but they can have some nice little things if you dig. One thing I really love is their Amac Boxes, these pretty little lucite boxes in a bunch of different sizes and colors that are great as little storage/organizational things and double as something you can actually put other gifts in. They only cost between ¢0.69-$1.09 each! (They also have tons of cheap cardboard ones as well as little tins too if you’d prefer not to buy plastic.) Again, the little checkout area is FULL of cool little gadgets and stationery supplies, and some of them are really cheap! (Side Note: They also sell a lot of those quirky Kikkerland-type novelty gifts if you like those kinds of things, although they’re typically on the more expensive side)

- Michael’s: GOD TIER. Mostly for crafty friends but you can get some non-crafty things there too (or just things that would appeal to pretty much anyone). They sell some candy in the front checkout area. Cheap things: Embroidery thread, yarn, stickers, candles, some home decor, some jewelry, washi tape, some little starter-kit type things, stationery.

- Jo-Ann Fabrics: ALSO GOD TIER. If you’ve never been, they actually sell a TON of crafty stuff besides fabric arts. They sell iron-on patches, candles, art supplies and stationery, some home decor, embroidery thread and yarn (obviously), some little cheap starter kit-type things, and some cool books and magazines. Stuff can be on the more regular-priced to expensive side on average, but you can absolutely find things for under 5-6 bucks.

- Half-Price Books: So good! Obviously reduced-price books, but often also other miscellaneous little things and some stationery. Definitely depends on the store, but would recommend.

- Goodwill: This one’s pretty obvious, but if you’ve genuinely never shopped there, besides clothes, often they have really good kitchen supplies and home decor for very cheap. Usually tends not to be super ~hip~ (although sometimes you luck out!), but often works great if you’re shopping for a friend with a kitsch or vintage ~aesthetic~. (I’ve gotten some of my favorite decor items there: An awesome antique-looking bookend with a spinning globe, a cool old Pierrot/Venetian clown doll, several antique books, and a pretty wire birdcage, all for super cheap!!) And then, obviously, you can also dig around for cheap cool shirts and dresses, and often can find rad things for as low as $5.

- Dollar Tree: I’ve noticed that Dollar Trees tend to differ vastly, but usually they tend to have some surprisingly awesome things. At various Dollar Trees, I have found: Candles, incense, lipgloss, nail polish, loose pigments (usually gold, silver, purple and pink), pretty vases, pretty or plain little notebooks, fun washi tape, various home decor things, pretty ribbon, small funky kitchen gadgets, hair accessories, wrapping paper, bubble mailers, gift tags and labels, stickers, flash tattoos, and snacks.

- CVS Pharmacy or Walgreens: Super useful. Cute little home decor things, candy, snacks, cheap (ish) makeup and nail polish.

- Papersource: A little more on the expensive side (think Kikkerland stuff again) but you can find some cheap stuff! Again, the small checkout booth items are often great. The Papersource near my house also sells various versions of these gorgeous posters by Cavallini for about $5. They sell lots of fun washi tape too, for relatively cheap. Their stationery tends to be a little more regularly-priced to expensive, though.

Best of luck! Happy Holidays<3

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Art therapy to deal with life's rotten lemons

Art has helped me in so many ways - and no I'm not exaggerating. It's literally something that keeps me going, helping me get through the day. I wouldn't say that art is my whole life, though it's been kinda more prominent in the past few years, but it's something that gives me a purpose.

That's not to say that I've been creating art all the time. Art blocks happen, lack of inspiration or motivation, or just the need of a break to step back and focus on other stuff. For me, creativity and inspiration are kinda like background apps that are running behind the scenes while I do other things. It's usually open so if inspiration strikes, then I have somewhere to put it to use for later.

Usually when I have an idea, I like to sit on it a bit before getting started - I don't know why, but that's how my brain works, though part of it's probably because I tend to procrastinate. That kind of creative process may not be practical if I plan to run a shop like Daisy Jane - who's usually consistent when it comes to creative output - but for me, it works out perfectly.

Since college, I've gotten into art journaling and now it's become kinda my thing as I've been doing it consistently for a long time. And by consistently I don't mean every day or on a regular basis, but it's something that's stuck with me throughout the years, even more so since I started running the camp. Even when there are days when I don't feel like journaling, it's still in the back of my mind, something to use for later when I do have the motivation to create something. Although I'm not creating content all the time, I'm always open to ideas and inspiration, and that's what keeps me going.

From going on adventures, getting into a new show or movie, reading something interesting, to just hanging around and not doing much - I find inspiration in all these things. I like trying out new and different things because it opens my mind to more ideas, more ways I can express my creativity. I guess that's why I've been journaling a lot more over the years - because there's so much I want to explore and expand on. It'll be interesting to look back on my journal entries in the far future to see how much has changed.

I wonder how future me will look back on these years. Hopefully it'll be mostly good memories.

The reason why I've been thinking so much about how art has helped me is because we've been making a lot of art at the camp. A friend of Daisy Jane has come to visit along with their sister and they're both in need of a break and some art therapy.

I've been following Ken at quillinkstudio since about last year thanks to Daisy Jane and I really enjoy their speedpaints and studio vlogs. Turns out that Daisy Jane knows Ken from college, which was why they gave a shoutout to Happy Floral Mail during a stationery haul video a while ago - and that was how I found out they know each other.

In recent vlogs, they've been opening up about mental health and emotional neglect following the death of their mother a few months ago. They have a complicated relationship with their parents and siblings, which was why they pretty much ran off after finishing college. The only family member Ken has the least antagonistic relationship is Carol, the one who has been constantly left to deal with everyone else's shit, resulting in her putting herself last.

Basically their family life's a mess. Their parents argued constantly - father was neglectful while mother was abrasive, and the siblings were selfish and snobbish - it's hard to believe that Ken came from a family like that. Being the youngest as a latecomer, Ken was probably spared most of the abuse as the father died when they were young and all the siblings except for Carol had moved out.

Carol's basically the neglected middle child who desperately seeks to please, only to be stepped on. Since the father's death, Carol stepped in to care for the mother in hopes of earning her love. While the other four siblings have their own lives, Carol was stuck trying to earn the approval of people who constantly put her down. It's pretty fucking sad and it's no wonder why she has all these problems now.

Ken says that they have mixed feelings about their mother. On one hand she kinda doted on them because they were the baby, often to the point where she forced them to fit into her image of what she wants them to be. They only visited her out of obligation because no matter how far they were, the mother still has strings attached. While she would brag about their success as an illustrator and writer, she also undermined them, pitting them and the siblings against each other.

After the mother died, Carol became lost. All five siblings were in the same room for the first time in years and as expected, it was a disaster. Later Carol and Ken got into a big argument in which Ken told her that if she continued with her self destructive behavior, then the next time they visited home it would be for her funeral. The two "had it out" as they described it, and it made them truly realize how fucked up their family was.

At least some good came out of the whole blow up seeing that Carol's here with us now. The day after, Carol admitted that she wasn't okay and hasn't been for years. So Ken suggested that she come along with them, to leave home and start over. She had always spoke about leaving for as long as they could remember, only to be saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the mother.

Like her sibling, Carol aspired to be an artist. She also dreams of being an actress and singer. And of course, the mother shot her down, forcing Carol to suppress her creativity. At least now, she's slowly finding herself again.

It wasn't easy, but Ken managed to convince Carol to get away. She basically took off without a word, which was really the only way she could've left. There's a lot of unfinished business Carol has to deal with, but for now she has to distance herself, which she's still struggling with.

For now Carol's living with Ken, which admittedly hasn't been easy. They worked out a contract with each other, like promising to keep up with therapy and learning how to communicate in a healthy way instead of letting things blow up. Ken wants to help her as much as they can as long as Carol's willing to do her part. There's a lot to unpack as we can't undo years of trauma, but at least we can put the past behind us and move on to a better future.

Art therapy has been super helpful for Ken and Carol. Along with filming a vlog, Ken's also working on their graphic novel, which is about the stuff they've been talking about on the vlogs regarding their family life. It was something Ken had been working on and off for a while before shelving it because at the time it was too difficult to write about. Now with the mother gone, a weight's been lifted off their shoulders, thus giving the novel a more hopeful message as the initial reason why they shelved it was because it ended up being too bleak.

Carol's been trying out different art mediums, figuring out what calls to her the most. So far it's painting and art journaling, the former which she hasn't done in years, the latter being something new. She's also learning digital art, which she's picking up quickly and seems to be getting into. It's good to see that making art has been helping her a lot.

In between art sessions we've been enjoying the scenery as usual. Carol has been practicing digital art by drawing sceneries, something she found out she enjoys a lot. Having spent most of her life in the suburbs, being out here in nature has been a refreshing change of scenery for her. Seeing her and Ken fascinated by their surroundings feels like watching baby birds taking flight for the first time. The two have a tendency to wander so it's been kinda fascinating to see them get lost in nature.

It's sweet but also kinda sad, especially for Carol. I can't help but feel bad for her, for her wings have been clipped for so long that she's unable to find her way now that the strings holding her back have been cut. At least Ken's there to guide her as she tries to find her footing, to finally take back her life after giving everything to uncaring people who just take, take, take from her.

Healing's a difficult process - they will probably drag each other down more than lift each other up. Ken's been open about how hard things have been for both of them, and while it fucking sucks sometimes, they knew exactly what they signed up for by taking Carol in. Ideally, they want to save their sister, but realistically it's not gonna work out like that. Getting her away and giving her the help she needs won't magically make all her problems go away, but it's a start.

Today, we took a walk along the mountain trail, where we collected berries, moonstones, and maple fern leaves. I've never seen maple fern leaves before as they only bloom every few years according to Isabelle. Since they're rare, we decided to collect a bunch to save for a later project. I have no idea what to do with the leaves yet but I'm sure we can come up with something great.

We wound up staying on the mountains all day as we kinda got lost a bit at that fork in the trail where things kinda get confusing. There's a peak up there I haven't explored until today as whenever I try to look for it, I can't find it. The trail only shows up if we get lost but by then it's getting late so we have to put off exploring for another time. Finally, after years of trying, we finally got to explore the peak!

Getting up there was tricky as the slopes are super steep. We had to take the long way around so we could take short breaks and not risk anyone getting injured. It's a daunting climb, but the view was so totally worth it! Not only the view is breathtaking, I can see even more places to explore. That's what I love about exploring new areas - it's like unlocking a door leading to something bigger.

Since we worked so hard to get up here, it made sense for us to spend the rest of the day making the most out of our discovery. Now that I know how to get there, I now have to find a way to make this area more accessible with things like trail markers and ladders. Ken documented the whole trek for the vlog, an impressive feat as, like I said, the climb wasn't planned. As fun as the whole thing was, don't expect something like that again - in other words, don't try this at home, kids.

(Will that stop me from doing something like that again? Knowing how I tend to be a poor planner, probably not. Then again, I guess it's good to be aware because if things go wrong at least you knew beforehand.)

At the peak, we found a field of colorful pinwheel astras. The light breezes caused the petals to spin, which was fascinating to watch. Normally I don't like looking at spinning things for too long because I'm kinda prone to getting headaches but looking at the pinwheel petals was surprisingly calming. It was kinda funny when the four of us immediately pulled out our tablets/sketchbooks to draw the flowers. We also took a bunch of pics too and they turned out great.

After exploring around the peak for a while, we rested underneath a giant lemon tree. The tree was full of perfect lemons - it was like nothing I've ever seen before. Lemons are kinda hard to come by as they don't grow at the camp, so they're only accessible at the market box for me. Finding a perfect lemon is like striking gold, so to see so many at once is like hitting the jackpot. So of course, we collected a bunch and later made lemonade when we got back to the camp.

Speaking of lemons, Ken and Carol are taking the perfect lemons as some kind of a sign. Something about them growing up with a neighbor who always gave them crappy lemons from their tree that end up sitting in the fridge until they get thrown away. Ken says it's a really long story that's funny and interesting so it looks like they'll have to cover it in the upcoming vlogs about the camp. Seeing how the lemons seem to be a sign of hope for the two, I'm intrigued.

[kharismon]

I usually post everything like fun stuff, maybe a little lewd but from time to time even I need to be serious. The page is in italian, but I will give you a translation below: “End of 2019. For Venice, this has been a terrible year, due to the disastrous floodings of november and dicember. The 12 of november we had the second worst flooding of our history, 187 cm (73,6 inches) on the sea level.We are a small, family-runned stationery and art supplies shop in the historical centre of Venice. In front of the "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" pretended library, just sayin'. Our one sells stationery and paper from 1860, way before the unity of Italy. Our family runs the shop since 2000. We are a very small shop, the friendly neighborood stationery shop that many of you dream about. No Michael's here, no Papercraft: just us, and tons of pens, paper, and every type of colour you can imagine. Oil colours, markers, pencils, gouaches, acrylics, canvasses, stuffed like a turkey from the floor to the roof. The flooding of the 12 november devasted the shop. Inside, we had 42 cm (16,5 inches) of water. Lots of paper and other stuff destroyed, and our two great printers (devoted to all the Venice student's printings) ruined. It's not pure, clear water. It's salty and polluted water. We stay closed for ten days to clean everything, and worked half-service for the remaining days of the month (the insurance has been very slow to check the printers.)After that terrible night, other ten days of similar high tides were waiting for us. And after a small pause at the beginning of december, other ten days 'til the Christmas morning. Ruining all our hopes for some good Christmas sales.And Decemebr, in Italy, means taxes. Here we have a special tax for retailers, that make you pay in December the taxes for the earnings of the next year. Yes, you read correctly. We have to pay about something that is still not sold. Obiviously, after all the affirmations of help by the Italian government, Venice payed this tax like all Italy. Lefting us with barely nothing.We are worried. We are scared. We want to continue to work here, in a city that don't want to become an amusement park runned by great companies. Please, help us. Every coin is a blessing.“ If you can’t donate, doesen’t matter, just hit that sweet reblog button and help me spread the word!

[pizza-soup]

Man I remember my summers...

- I remember whatever I could fit into my makeshift cassette holder would be my backseat summer playlist, so I spent two days before the major trip deciding what to bring along. I still love the 4,000+ songs my MP3 player and phone can carry, but I still make summer playlists when I go somewhere.

- Trips to the museum was a big treat for me. I’ve always had a fascination for ancient life, as well as gems and minerals. I dreamed I’d find a dinosaur skeleton one day, I’d find gems one day. Little did I know I’d major in the geo-sciences and I would find fossils and precious minerals. My child self would be proud.

- My film camera was used only for the best shots, and there was an anticipation of getting it back from processing to see how everything came out. Some were duds, but many pleasantly surprised me. I love the convenience of digital photos today, I can take hundreds of them and it’s much cheaper than film, but I still miss the anticipation. So sometimes I take those photos anyways, don’t delete any and let them print. Let them surprise me.

- I made and collected so many zines. I remember walking to the convenience store and scanning/printing them out in the back on cheap newsprint or colored paper with friends, then cutting them on the front of the store, trading them, decorating them with colored pencils while drinking slushes. If I could find them I’d love to read them again, see if my penmanship was as bad as I remember.

- I often wondered if I was the only one in class who looked forward to summer homework. I think it was because it meant I get to buy school supplies early. My obsession with stationery and office stuff started very early. Of course I need black paper and gel pens, mom! Of course I need glitter glue and pearly watercolors! I admit, I never lost my love for art stuff and Is still hoard it.

- Going to the harbor, spending money on taffy. Watching out for dolphins and whales. Going to the beach and body surfing. Sandy feet, gulls, tidepools, beachcombing, those cold sprayers we used to rinse off, then piling into the car, towels on the seat, good music playing, going to bed tired in a good way. can’t do that now, living so far from the ocean, but a shady creek is the next best thing, and it does have freshwater shells and fish.

- Walking to the fish market with my mom early in the morning. Picking out something we’ll be eating for dinner tonight with curry. Do I want halo-halo from the vendor outside? It’s hard to chose. Drinking barley tea while playing my NES hoping it’ll rain to calm the heat. Can’t go to a fish market, but I do still cook a lot of frozen fish, make curry rice, still drink barley tea and this year I bought a shaved ice machine to make halo-halo or kakigori a home. I still have my NES but these days I play on my old 3DS.

- Going to the mall with friends. Heading to the Print Club machine to get photo stickers to put on keychains and notebooks. Hanging out in front of the arcade, milk shakes in hand. Going into a soap shop and wanting everything in there, but also coming out with a headache. Going to Sanrio and picking up cute stationery stuff. There’s no mall or Print Club where I am, but there are apps where I can send it to my printer and make stickers if I want, but I don’t take photos of myself anymore, now it’s just my cats! All my Sanrio stuff is now vintage and can be sold for a small fortune...but I’m too sentimental.

[eldritchsurveys]

831.

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? >> I don’t eat cereal anymore, but from what I can remember, I didn’t really like having a lot of milk in the bowl.

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? >> Not usually.

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? >> On the occasion that I’m reading a paper book, if it’s my own, I just dog-ear it. If it’s a library book, I use the receipt that I got from checking out the book.

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? >> Black (or in the case of some teas, with a little honey).

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? >> I’m self-conscious of my entire face.

6: do you keep plants? >> I just have the one spider plant in my room. It looks pretty done for, but like... it’s not dead, exactly, so I have no idea what to do with it. Sparrow, on the other hand, has about fifteen plants on the balcony, two in her room, etc.

7: do you name your plants? >> Sparrow has named at least one of hers.

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? >> I just wrangle the written word the best I can.

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? >> Absolutely.

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? >> Side.

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? >> Sparrow and I have this thing where we just mangle words as badly as possible. Like “chicken” has become “chimkin”, stuff like that.

12: what’s your favorite planet? >> Mercury and Pluto, for completely opposite reasons (as I’m sure is obvious).

13: what’s something that made you smile today? >> I saw a random crop of mushrooms while walking. It was just... random! I don’t know what died there or whatever that made the mushrooms grow in that one little spot, but it was adorable.

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? >> ---

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! >> I don’t feel like it.

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? >> I don’t have one.

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? >> I don’t.

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. >> ---

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? >> I technically have one, on Dreamwidth, but I never bother updating it. This is my journal, along with my personal blog.

20: what’s your favorite eye color? >> ---

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. >> I don’t have one of those. I have three different bags for different purposes.

22: are you a morning person? >> Sure.

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? >> I usually have 0 real obligations (aside from ones I impose on myself), so I have no idea how to answer this.

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? >> ---

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? >> I’m not sure.

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? >> There are no shoes that I’ve had for forever. I only have two pairs of shoes, so basically both of them get worn with every single outfit (the boots in the cooler months, the sneakers in the summer and for walking).

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? >> Well, isn’t bubble gum only one flavour?

28: sunrise or sunset? >> Both are good. Although I like saying hello to the Sun more than I like saying goodbye to it.

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? >> ---

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? >> Sure.

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. >> I like wearing socks with funky patterns and designs on them, and sometimes I mismatch them on purpose for my own amusement. I do not sleep with socks.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. >> I can’t really think of one right now.

33: what’s your fave pastry? >> ---

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? >> I don’t remember what I kept as a child. I think I had a lion or two. I only remember that because my father is fucking obsessed with lions so of course I had lion plushies.

35: do you like stationery and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? >> I do like them, but I don’t have occasion to use them.

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? >> I don’t know.

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? >> I like keeping it tidy.

38: tell us about your pet peeves! >> I’d really rather not right now.

39: what color do you wear the most? >> Black.

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? >> I don’t really have any stories behind any of the jewelry I own.

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? >> Well, I reread The Phantom Tollbooth recently and I’ve been fond of that book for almost as long as I’ve been alive.

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! >> No.

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? >> I don’t remember.

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? >> Oof...

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? >> I don’t know.

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. Any burger of the day ever written on the board at Bob’s Burgers. I love them though. <-- I’m going to stick with that, those are just utterly shameless puns lmao

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? >> ---

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? >> I was afraid of thunderstorms and flying insects. I still have a reflexive aversion to flying insects when they’re flying around me (even though I actually like a lot of flying insects, like bees and moths and stuff), but I am definitely not afraid of thunderstorms anymore.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? >> I don’t buy CDs and I rarely buy records. I think the last record I bought was a deluxe copy of Pearl Jam’s Ten that I found at ALDI, of all places.

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? >> I don’t collect things.

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? >> ---

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? >> I don’t remember what memes came out this year.

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? >> I tried watching RHPS and Beetlejuice and didn’t like either one. Didn’t even finish them, in fact. Heathers was okay. Pulp Fiction was entertaining.

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? >> *shrug* What even is a true look of sadness.

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? >> I have no idea.

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? >> Meh.

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? >> Listening to Bohemian Rhapsody doesn’t really make me feel anything, but it’s fun to reenact sometimes, yeah. Especially in a car, Wayne’s World style.

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? >> ---

59: what’s your favorite myth? >> Oh god, that’s the worst question. I love so many different myths.

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? >> I can’t usually get into poetry, a lot of it is inscrutable in a way that’s just annoying to me instead of intriguing. There are some poems I like, though, but don’t ask me to remember them right now.

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? >> ---

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? >> Not usually.

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? >> I’m fussy about my everything. I don’t own enough books or physical copies of music to really warrant being meticulous about their organisation, though.

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? >> Pale blue.

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? >> I mean, sure, why not.

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? >> I used to have a really big one that someone on tumblr made for me a long time ago, lmao. That was good.

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? >> It depends on how I already felt. If I was having an okay day, then it’s just dreamy and ~goth~ and I will probably make 100 Silent Hill jokes. If I’m having an off day, then the fact that the Sun isn’t even out just makes me feel worse.

68: what’s winter like where you live? >> Cold.

69: what are your favorite board games? >> I don’t have one.

70: have you ever used a ouija board? >> No, never got a chance.

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? >> Ginger, peppermint, etc.

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? >> No.

73: what are some of your worst habits? >> Picking at my lips, mainly.

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. >> ---

75: tell us about your pets! >> ---

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? >> No.

77: pink or yellow lemonade? >> Either is fine.

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? >> I can’t stand them.

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? >> ---

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? They are the colour of Nothing and I did not choose it. I rent. <-- “the colour of Nothing” is exactly what the fuck it is.

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. >> ---

82: are/were you good in school? >> I was great as a child. Once puberty (and trauma) hit everything went out the window.

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? >> I don’t even know where to begin with this... there are so many album covers I like, but I don’t feel like expending all my survey energy on one question, you dig...

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? >> No, I’m not planning on it.

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? >> Sure. Promethea, Sandman, Preacher, Doctor Strange, various Lovecraftian comics, etc.

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? >> I do like concept albums. Dream Theater has done some pretty interesting ones, and so did Vanden Plas with Christ 0.

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? >> ---

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? >> I had been reblogging a lot of art recently that had a similar look and feel to it, and I was wondering if they were related, like part of a certain art movement... and then I was watching a Youtube video about the movie Silence the other day and I accidentally found my answer in that video! It was the Baroque movement. I really like the feel of some of those pieces, particularly the darker-hued paintings.

89: are you close to your parents? >> No.

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. >> What can I possibly say about New Orleans that hasn’t already been said by more poetic minds than mine, tbh.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? >> I don’t plan on travelling this year, thanks to the whole pandemic business.

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? >> Er, somewhere in the middle...?

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? >> I only have one hairstyle.

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? >> Somebody on one of the Discord servers I’m in.

95: what are your plans for this weekend? >> We’re going to the Wayland house for the first time since... early March, I think. Besides that, just the farmer’s market and grocery shopping as usual.

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? >> My computers run on SSDs, so it takes like 2 minutes to do system updates and I’m right back in business. No point in procrastinating that.

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? >> I get a different result every time I take a Myers-Briggs test (which makes sense to me). My Sun sign is Gemini. My Hogwarts house is Slytherin, but being complex-natured like any other human being I know that I straddle both Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? >> I don’t remember the last time I went on a true hike. I would love to do that at some point, but aside from the M6 trail (which is just... parallel to a highway and not all that scenic), all the good hiking places in this region require me to be driven to the location first.

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. >> Death Is the Road to Awe by Clint Mansell, Walker by Master Boot Record, Ich dachte schon by Selig, Little Black Submarines by the Black Keys, Nothing As It Seems by Pearl Jam.

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? >> No.

[comecesario]

Hey guys! School’s starting again, and I figured I’d make a masterpost of resources for studying and general school life. 

stationery:

I’m a huge fan of buying new stationery for the new school year – there’s something about opening a new set of pens and notebooks that just makes me feel ready to start the year! Here’s some of my favourite brands/shops:

Paperchase: I love Paperchase! Their folders and notebooks are so cute! I don’t use planners (I’m more fond of using my own bullet journal), but if you’re a fan of them they have gorgeous planners as well. You’ll find physical stores all over England (and other countries, I’m sure), but their online shop is also here.

WH. Smith’s: I’m pretty sure this is just an English shop (sorry!), but their pencil cases and folders were too cute for me not to mention them! They’ve also got gorgeous lunch boxes and water bottles for a really decent price.

 Tokyo Pen Shop: this shop is exclusively online (and you can find it here). They sell mostly Japanese stationery, and all their stuff is super cute!

Aliexpress: so this website doesn’t just sell stationery, but if you’re after extremely cheap stickers and washi tape, you couldn’t find a better place! Their stuff takes a while to arrive (and it’s best to read reviews before you buy anything!), but honestly I can’t fault it! I’ve loved everything I’ve bought from there, and it’s all been super cheap. 

Kikki.k: This is a Swedish stationery brand that I just find so charming! They’ve got a really clean, crisp aesthetic that I really appreciate, and their stuff is always so pretty. They’ve got stores all over, but you can also shop online here.

school bags:

I’m super picky with my backpacks – they’ve got to have a laptop sleeve, be big enough to hold my music scores, laptop, and everything else, and be nice to look at. I’ve looked at quite a few, but here are some of my favourite brands:

Herschel: their bags are definitely on the pricier side, ranging from £40-£80, but they’re worth every penny imo. They’re sturdy, with padding on the back and shoulder straps, they’re roomy, with a padded laptop sleeve, and they’re super well built, so they’ll last a while. They’re also cute, which doesn’t hurt. 

Kanken: these are around the same price as a Herschel, and in my opinion they’re just as good. I took mine with me when I went interrailing, and it held up! They’re not padded, so I’d keep that in mind if you’re planning on taking a laptop into school with you. They are, however, super colourful, and definitely very sturdy!

UGRACE backpack: this isn’t a brand so much as a specific backpack I found on Amazon, but I had to mention it because it has a portable charge built in! As someone who’s always forgetting her stuff, I know I’d love something like this! It’s also a little cheaper than the previous options. 

Himawari backpack: like the previous point, this backpack is a little cheaper, and a super cute alternative to the Kanken if you’re on a budget.

study spaces:

If you’re like me, you’re not a huge fan of studying at home. I love using libraries, museums and cafes to study in, ‘cause it gets me out of the house, and often makes me feel a little better if I’m in a bad mood. Here are some of my favourites (all London based, sorry!):

Maughan Library: I’m headed to King’s in September, so I doubt anyone’s surprised this is on my list! If you’re not a King’s student, you can apply for a visitor’s pass when you enter, which I’m pretty sure is free. This library is gorgeous, and a lovely place to do some research or write your essay. There’s free Wifi, and plug sockets as well.

The British Library: You need a membership to access this library, but it’s free, and you’ll then have access to a huge selection of books and texts. 

The V&A Art Library: Again, you’ll need a membership, but this one’s also free! As someone who adores the V&A, I feel a little biased putting this one here, but it really is one of the prettiest places to work I’ve ever seen! When you’re finished working, reward yourself with a trip through the museums, or a walk through South Kensington.

The Barbican Centre Library: For a music student, this one’s heaven! It’s got a huge CD collection that’s free to browse, and it’s also spacious and right in the centre of London. I can’t say the building’s the prettiest I’ve seen, but it gets the job done.

The BFI Reuben Library: For film and media students, this is the best place to work. You’ve got a huge collection of films and books free to browse, plus you can reward yourself with a film after you’ve finished studying! (under 25s get £3 tickets!)

Timberyard coffee house: This one’s close to Covent Garden, and serves pretty good coffee in a really cozy setting. 

Yumchaa: With big tables and a late closing time, this one’s probably best for revising with friends, or those late cramming sessions close to finals (don’t worry, we’ve all done it!). It’s pretty close to Tottenham Court Road, so you’ve got plenty of places to go to if you need some retail therapy after your study session!

The Espresso Bar in Paperchase: This one’s perfect if you run out of pens! Like Yumchaa, it’s got large tables, and it’s got huge windows with lots of light. 

Gail’s: This one’s a little pricier, but the atmosphere is so cozy and lovely that I can’t fault it whatsoever! The sofas are soft as anything, and the coffee really is great. 

Picturehouse central: This one requires a yearly £30 membership, but you get some serious perks (£3 off cinema tickets, free access to their reading room, 20% off food and drink, etc.). The room is cozy and warm, and of course it’s on top of a cinema, so you can reward yourself with a film after you’ve finished your essay!

study playlists: 

I can’t work without something playing! If it isn’t the music I’m currently trying to learn, it’s one of these playlists:

lofi study

vaporwave study club

ghibli study no.1

ghibli study no. 2

pop study

study lofi

lofi hip-hop beats

apps: 

I’m on my phone all the time. So I try and make at least a little of that time productive. Here’s what I use:

duolingo: I love this app. I’m currently learning Russian, French, German and Italian using it, and it’s super helpful! The app is easy to use, and free!

headspace: I feel like it’s no secret that I struggle with my mental health. One of the apps that has helped the most with this is headspace. It’s a mindfulness app that has anywhere from 3-60 minute guided meditations that you can follow along to. It’s also got sleepcasts, which are visualisation exercises for sleep, and plenty other wonderful things. I can’t recommend it enough, honestly. 

I would list more things, but this list is long enough already! I might make a part two if there’s anything I feel I missed, though. I hope you guys have a lovely school year! 

[proeticshadows]

My National Bookstore End of Season Sale haul

[DISCLAIMER: This is a very delayed post.]

It’s an obvious fact that I am absolutely into stationeries and I hoard them quite a lot since 2016. I’m also a fan of sales. One store for me to always stop by when I have the time and when I’m in the mood (even) for window shopping is National Bookstore. Last December 2018 up to the half of January 2019, I went on several trips on some of the NBS branches nearby me when I’m at work - NBS Quezon Avenue and NBS Cubao. My haul included more of stationery stuff, some of which I was able to give to my friends during the holiday season.

Here’s a summary of what I got:

Platinum Brush pens

Since I wanna go back to my brush lettering mojo, I was constantly in search for affordable but in good quality brush pens for practicing. I’ve been hearing about this brand and when the NBS Season Sale happened, they were relatively cheaper than how cheap their regular price is! I was so happy I hoarded quite a lot of them in different colors, lol.

A Ben Cab lined journal

I love notebooks. Obviously. My love for lined notebooks is going back into my system and I’ve been looking out for good ones for quite some time now. I was blessed enough to score this Ben Cab lined journal for only 50 pesos (a dollar)! Its original price ranges around 400 pesos so imagine my delight upon seeing this! I didn’t let it go.

A set of Superior brush pens (gray tones)

The local calligraphy groups on Facebook has been crazy about these brush pens that’s why I became curious about them. This set is actually the first purchase that I had for this sale. I must say that they’re easy to use because they glide softly when I write with them. I’m excited to utilize them more in my future brush lettering works.

A pad of foiled and vellum papers from Rosie’s

I’m curious about the fuss on special papers from the planner society, both local and international. Rosie’s is a brand that is quite expensive for me so when I found that this pad was on sale, I did not hesitate to buy it. Let’s see how I can mix this with my planner and journal spreads.

I also went to Art Bar beside the NBS Q. Ave branch because I was told by my artist friends that the Touch markers are on sale. I’ve been eyeing them since I started lettering but they were too expensive for me (they cost 189 per marker on the regular price) so when I heard that they’re on sale, I grabbed the chance already! Since it’s intimidating to use these markers, I only got two for myself. The selection was also limited already when I visited Art Bar. They were valued for 79 each per marker, I believe. I love them but I haven’t been using them that much yet.

I can’t really remember how much I paid for all of these but I was really happy I scored these journaling materials for such low prices. I mean, what a steal they are, really!

I’ll be having a blog round up of the NBS book sale (Cubao branch) soon. I’ve hoarded quite a lot there. Haha!

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[dausy]

Not my greatest purchase lmao. I had literally just ranted on some online groups about why disney doesnt have stationery stores and voila, I walk into World of Disney and find stationery/craft supplies. I did not pick up the other craft kits they had as I was trying to ration my $$. I really wanted all the Bambi stuff but ugh, so expensive. If I had a paycheck coming in that'd be different.

The things I do for art social media though

Look at these beauties. I honestly want to know how I get employed by disney to make the same thing? I think I can do a weeee bit better.

Otherwise, we didnt actually go in Disneyland just to the shopping district and I felt a bit rushed. I wish we could have done Disneyland but we didnt know a couple months ago if we'd even be able to go to families for Christmas. For all we knew we would still be house hunting and homeless. But everything turned out fine. We had a nice Christmas and I got a lot of really nice and useful gifts. We visited Knotts Berry Farm as well and Ill probably use my Knotts footage in a next video.

But we are back home now but still waiting for furniture. I was trying to put out something artsy before I stopped to do boring real life stuff. Im trying to get my old laptop to work. Ive been applying for jobs but it is really difficult on a mobile device without a keyboard. I brought my laptop with me incase something were to happen to our furniture (and it did, got pushed back 2 days) but the old girl is a good 8 years old and the struggle is real.

The next art thing Id like to do is Id like to make watercolor illustrations that match my bathroom showercurtain and frame it/hang them. I still have another diamond painting to do too. I am probably killing my fledgling illustration portfolio by doing random craft shit but I also want to do an original crossstitch and Im going to take that one twitter user up on that offer to make one too.

P.s. my new house is super nice and probably way too big and my back hurts from poor posture from sitting on the floor.

[printstudies]

8/5/18

Today was a stress (I am currently a bundle of nerves so I apologise in advance to anyone I meet) but since it was my teacher’s birthday I decided to walk to 6km round trip to buy him a 75p (lol) cake and candles!! He loved them and it really helped us to relax before the moderator arrives tomorrow morning.

ANYWAY,,, the May challenge that I have been neglecting...

3. What are your goals for this month?

To not be in pain from this shoulder injury and also get back to the gym although that is going to take a while to get my shoulder back up to scratch.  Also, to get through my upcoming BTEC exams in one piece and alive.

4. May is AP Exam season! What are your tips for studying for tests?

Try to Pomodoro technique with 20 minutes studying then 5 minutes away from the desk as this reduces burnouts.  Also, health always comes first so if you cannot study then that is not the end of the world even if it feels like it at the time.  Get better and then carry on through.  Furthermore, TALK TO YOUR TEACHERS!!! I cannot stress how much having a strong bond between a few teachers has changed my life and respecting all teachers means I too am respected so when I come into college with yet another disaster or emergency (which is literally weekly) then someone will always help me.  Also, they are human and have funny stories to tell so listen to them.

5. How do you sit while you’re studying? What’s your chair like where you study?

I have a plain black spinny desk chair which is a hand me down from my brother so the chair slowly moves down as I am studying.  But it gets me by and I usually sit cross legged on it lol.

6. How much of your stationery and study materials travel with you to class? How much is left in your study space?

  In my bag, I take my fineliners, felt tips and general pens/pencils/pastel highlighters but at home I have SO many pens.  Basically, this guy we know used to hoard stuff from tv shopping so I’ve ended up with a ton of sharpies/gel pens/brush pens and paints and any art materials really from when he moved to a care home.  When people see how much I have they think I am rich but actually it’s just accumulation.

7. What is one good experience you’ve had within the last week?

  Seeing how much the kids at forest school have progressed in only 5 weeks but particularly this one girl who has a lot of learning difficulties and often refuses to talk or struggles through stammers but on Saturday she was chatting away to another kid the whole time and even spoke in the group circle time.  They are all fabulous and it is an honour to teach them.

8. Have any teachers changed your life?

YES. I won’t name them fully but Clare, Carol and Andrew have honestly saved my (and a friend’s) life in the past and for that, I will never be able to repay them.  I’m not quite ready to fully explain what happened but one day I’ll probably go public with it.  Also, Clare has been a total rock during the past 3 years and will literally argue on my behalf (and has had screaming matches in the staffroom in the past but she is also a great person to chat with.

  Also, Melanie who runs the forest school and is also my old woodwork teacher has helped me grow as a person so much and is now a dear friend since we stayed in contact.

  Finally, Andy has brought my graphics on leaps and bounds and although he is an annoying teacher most of the time, his soul is in the right place and I forgive him for his mistakes. (He is the guy I bought the cake for today).  His enthusiasm is contagious and he cares so much about us that unfortunately, he gets ill frequently, but we try to help him not do that.

[marias-studyblr]

Hi! Do you use a planner/can you recommend one? I'm looking for one, preferably something not too pricey but still cute and usable. I tried bullet journaling but I'm kinda obsessed with making everything perfect and I just spent too much time on it. Thanks :) x

hey yo!

At the moment I’m using a cheap blank notebook for my bullet journaling and a dollar store daily planner… so…

I can’t really recommend a specific brand because I can’t buy pricey stuff either so I always look for cute stuff that normally doesn’t have known brands. Of course having something everyone knows and loves is awesome but I don’t care enough to do it that often or spend a large amount of money on just one item when I can buy something that works just as well and even looks nice for 80% off the price.

(for example, I would never buy one of those Kanken bags. I saw one in a store one day in a mall and got excited and then I looked at the price tag   (o´ω｀o)    and I just quietly walked away. not saying AT ALL i have something against Kanken bags, I would love it as a gift, but I wouldn’t personally give away that kind of money for a bag - the ones that i saw were 100€ i think)

So personally, I either roam around stores that have cheaper stuff or save up and invest on a planner.

It depends on where you live. I had some people contact me saying I was lucky to have a Flying Tiger around. I am because that place has really cute weekly/daily planners for around 5€-10€. I bought the cutest year wall calendar for 3€.

Normally bigger supermarkets (the ones like Walmart in the US, whatever that corresponds in your country) have cheap planners in the stationery section. Explore your options wherever you can.

But saving up and investing in a planner on a more expensive price tag range (not completely obnoxious but high enough there are more options for you) is always an option like I said.

I can’t help it but to address the “i need to make everything perfect” issue. Planning is 100% about getting your life on track and to soothe your mind. It’s a nice hobby, necessary for me, but please keep focusing on checking of your tasks instead of “is this line straight enough”.

Nothing is ever going to be perfect. So pay attention to your thoughts and mindset when planning and keep reminding yourself… it’s all good. :)

With that being said, I make my blank notebook look pretty with art journaling. I don’t know if this is what you used to do in your bullet journal, but it’s basically printing off pictures and designing with them. And it’s really simple and easy.

I do my spreads exceedingly minimalistic so to me, they all look good. here are two examples from my current bujo (i’m sorry for the low quality, screenshotted them from my ig):

Here are other examples better than mines: x / x / x / x / x / x / x / x / x / x / x / x / x

if you have your own printer, I highly recommend it. Minimalism and printing makes things a lot quicker and easier, no matter what you use.

You can still do art journaling with any kind of planner so this might help you or someone else who is reading. reaching perfection is impossible, don’t forget. you got this :)

quickly expanding on this idea: I create aesthetically pleasing spreads according to my feelings/current mood. for example, in january I had a blue theme for my weekly spreads. in february i’m doing pastels and beige. and you can use any pictures from tumblr, google since you’re just using them privately. you can print cute things, pictures of coffee shops, make colour themed spreads, minimalistic empty spreads or full more complex spreads.

partnered with the flexibility of a blank canvas that is a blank notebook, it really fits me well.

anyways, I hope this helped! good luck finding that planner. anything else lemme know

lots of love ♡ take care! Xx

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Sandwiches and charming little huts 

Walking the trails of Charm Villa is like stepping into a bright, colorful, and cute notepad. Rolling hills with vibrant green grass and colorful flowers scattered all over. On the tops of the hills are rustic and whimsical little cottages and huts, as well as shops, cafes, and a library. Take a picture and you’d think it was from a stationery set!

After sleeping in until around eleven we met up with Gutsy and Livvy at Coffee Studios for a tour of Charm Villa. Gutsy’s a college friend of Daisy Jane who just moved to the village a few months ago. Livvy’s her niece - first cousin once removed - and she and Jack - her dad/Gutsy’s cousin - own Coffee Studios. The cafe was founded by Gutsy and Jack’s grandma, then it was passed down to Jack’s mom, and after she retired her son and granddaughter now run the place.

The cafe’s best known for their sandwiches and every few months they set up a contest for a new sandwich to add to the menu. Livvy was the one who started that tradition and it got popular so it stuck. Guess what today happened to be? While Lolly, Pancetti, Biskit, and Lyman prepped for the contest, the rest of us hung around the village before meeting back around 3 for the contest.

I’ve only met Gutsy a handful of times over the years and she always leaves an impression. The name Gutsy - short for Augusta - fits her to a T. She said that she never thought her impulsiveness and wild imagination would make her a good detective and yet there she was solving crimes and saving the day. Gutsy really does remind me a lot about Jamie, except a lot more extroverted and bold. Honestly, I’m surprised that they haven’t crossed paths yet.

So far Gutsy’s enjoying the peaceful village life. It’s a huge change of pace compared to her old life. Gutsy grew up in a boarding house that also ran a stable so her life revolved around horses since forever. Her father died when she was seventeen, opening up a can of worms that led to her getting tangled up with an embezzling scheme that he was involved in and indirectly caused his death. After exposing the crime, Gutsy joined a task force dedicated to investigating crimes relating to shady underground practices involving horses like racing and such. 

Daisy Jane and Gutsy met in college when they became roommates. At the time Gutsy was considering studying to be a veterinarian but ended up dropping out a year later because the task force was starting to take over her life. In retrospect, the whole being a vet thing wasn’t meant to be for her.

Being a detective was an unexpected turn for Gutsy, one that no one saw coming - and yet, at the time, it made sense. For a while, she felt that she found her calling, especially after being betrayed by what her dad and his friends had done. Maybe, in a way, she was trying to absolve him of his misdeeds. Solving mysteries and working with horses, what else can she ask for?

But then around last year things went sour. Investigating crimes has its dangers, which Gutsy knows all too well. She can handle being a target, but when loved ones are in the line of fire, that’s where she draws the line. The birth of her daughter Lulu led to Gutsy reevaluating her life choices. Eventually she decided that it was time to move on and give Lulu a stable childhood.

That’s why she decided to settle in Charm Villa. Other than her cousins and a small handful of relatives, Gutsy doesn’t have much family. With Lulu to take care of, a journey of self discovery was out of the question so she opted to stick close to family for practical reasons. With Livvy in college and only coming home every other weekend and Jack having experience as a young single parent as well as needing help with the cafe, Gutsy knew she and Lulu would be in good hands. 

While she finds herself much happier and less stressed in Charm Villa, Gutsy does miss being around horses. As far as she knows, the nearest stable is about two hours away so she hasn’t had a chance to visit yet. Maybe when Lulu’s a little older, she says. For now, Gutsy and horses are taking a long break. 

The way she describes it is like a close relationship that has gone a bit too codependent. All her life she grew up surrounded by horses so she related to them more than people. Her views on the family she grew up with, especially her dad, have been clouded in recent years. When she put together the pieces, she didn’t want to believe it, but at the same time, it all made sense. While being a detective gave her a sense of purpose, it also showed Gutsy how deceiving people can be. She always - and still - find horses more trusting than people, so in a way she relied on them as a crutch. Do it for the horses - that was her mantra whenever she tackled a case that would push her limits. Then that led to her letting the task force take over her life to the point that she had nothing outside of that. 

Eventually it got to the point where all she cared about was getting the truth out. Right and wrong, black and white, collateral damage was unfortunate but it didn’t matter as long as what’s done is done. As a result, Gutsy ended up burning a lot of bridges, which in turn made her question if she did more harm than good.

Lulu was her wake up call, the one who turned Gutsy’s life upside down and forced her to reevaluate her future. Being a parent wasn’t in the cards for her but in the end she made her choice. While the idea of raising a kid is still terrifying for her, so far it seems to be the best thing to happen to her. After spending most of her life jumping headfirst into danger and chasing thrills, Gusty realized the weight of her actions and how one can’t always jump to conclusions or make poor judgements just to get ahead of everyone else.

Maybe it’s another attempt to right her dad’s wrongs - that’s still something she struggles with - but Charm Villa, the cafe, Lulu, her cousins, it’s been doing her a lot of good. There’s still a lot that Gutsy’s uncertain about, but getting herself out of a bad place is a good first step. After everything she’s been through, I hope she finds that peace of mind she deserves. From the looks of it, I think she’s finding her way.

Around 1:30 we headed back to the cafe to help set up for the sandwich contest. When we were done, we had time to kill so Jack and Livvy gave us a tour of the kitchen. Then we made lattes and bread, which was a lot of fun. By the time we were able to master latte art, it was time for the contest to begin!

Candy Fruit Sando by Lolly A super sweet take on the cute Japanese fruit sandwiches! To kick things up a notch, the fruits are coated with a sugary syrup for an extra crunch! Fresh ripe fruit candied to perfection, freshly whipped cream that feels like eating a cloud and a soft and pillowy brioche to tie it all together - it’s the perfect addition to any bento box! Rod - Candied fruit?! Genius! 9/10 Snooty - I just wanna take pictures of it and make my friends jealous over how pretty it looks! 10/10 Sylvana - Strawberries and cream are a winning combo! 8/10 Audie - Aesthetic and yummy - that’s a win for me! 9/10

Spa Day Sandwich by Pancetti In need of shaking up your skin care routine? No need to swap out your face mask or moisturizer when you can have a sandwich instead! All the freshest veggies guaranteed to give you a healthy glow like cucumbers and seaweed seasoned with a zesty citrus glaze on a slice of lightly toasted pumpernickel. Snooty - My skin’s already feeling great! 7/10 Sylvana - This kinda reminds me of a salad, but in sandwich form! 6/10 Audie - This was definitely inspired by a spa! 6/10 Rod - Skip the moisturizer, go for the sandwich! 7/10

The Ultimate Dessert Sandwich! by Biskit What happens when you mash a pie, cake, and pudding into one? Well, we’re about to find out with this sandwich! The bread’s kinda like a pie crust/brioche hybrid and the sauce is a rich caramel custard. In between are thin slices of red velvet cake, blueberry-ginger pie filling, and slices of yellow cake. Sylvana - If this doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, I don’t know what will! 8/10 Audie - Talk about indulgent! 6/10 Rod - Perfect for a cheat day after an intense workout - but only in moderation! 7/10 Snooty - Are you sure this is a sandwich? 5/10

Take a Bite of Nature! by Lyman Need a palate cleanser after having too many sweets or processed foods? Nothing like fresh organic veggies to put your body back in balance! Green, leafy veggies, rustic roots, and crisp, sweet fruit on sprouted bread - all the flavors of nature in one tasty package! Audie - Crunch, crunch, crunch! 7/10 Rod - I wonder if this will make a good post-workout shake… 7/10 Snooty - Turn the bread into croutons and add some dressing and it’s a rustic salad! 8/10 Sylvana - This is probably better than some of the stuff they sell at health food stores 7/10