#usually coloring backgrounds are a hassle but i really had fun with this one! the rain and the reflective surfaces were super fun to paint

[renpafh]

rain and sunshine 🌦

[bixbythemartian]

Masks: A Journey

Okay, let me preface this by saying I am well aware I could have just looked up a pattern that worked better. I didn’t need to do this. It was fun, though.

So, here’s the thing. I don’t go out that often and when I do I’m not gone long. I work from home, and so I mostly go to the store about once a week. Sometimes I go get a slurpee now that we have slurpees in Oklahoma. I made some masks for myself that are tie on, but I’m finding them to be kind of a hassle. I don’t like tying them across my hair, I don’t have a/c in the car so often I’m putting it on in a hot car before I go into the store, and tying my hair into it. It is TOTALLY a minor complaint, but it is also one I felt I could do something about, so I started tinkering with patterns.

This gets a lil image heavy, so we’re going under a cut. (There are image descriptions.)

As a note, all masks are made of some variety of cotton (some are cotton bandana material, some are quilting cotton) and the ties and loops are all t-shirt material- literally off a t-shirt I sacrificed to this cause.

This is my basic mask, I like the way it fits (more or less), I just wanted ear loops rather than having to tie it on. I knew from making a mask from this pattern for a friend who wanted ear loops that this pattern does a weird foldy thing at the ear with ear loops. I don’t want that, I am making these myself so I wanted them to look right. (Also, I know there’s wrinkling going on, I don’t own an iron at the moment. I’m making do.)

(Also also- I don’t use bridge wires, which would probably made some of this easier? But I want them to be rewashable and sturdy, and my experience with underwire bras tells me that wire and boning weakens fabric more quickly. At some point I’d like to come up with a jewelry type option that clips on the outside, but I don’t know how feasible that is and I can’t figure out where I put my wire so it’s gonna have to wait until I find or buy wire.)

I’m aware I could have just made pleated masks, but please understand that I fucking hate doing pleats. If they’re not even I get upset about it. They’re never even.

[ID: a white cut out of a mask pattern, the bottom right coming to a right angle and the front of the mask curved up to a point. Wood background.]

[ID: A light blue mask with a vaguely floral pattern and splotches of darker blue. Mask is held sideways by me, the black ties drop off the side of the mask off the bottom of the picture. White background.]

[ID: White person with long purplish hair in low side ponytail wearing mask in previous image, front on. The mask starts below the top of the ear and rises up over towards the bridge of the nose in the center, and tucks under chin.]

[ID: Side angle of previous image. Mask is clearly somewhat loose on bridge of nose, and tight under chin.]

[ID: Same figure and mask as before, from a top down angle over the forehead. mask is gaping somewhat near the nose, but fits the top of the nose and where it touches at cheekbones.]

I knew from making a mask from this pattern for a friend who wanted ear loops that this pattern does a weird foldy thing at the ear with ear loops. I don’t want that, I am making these myself so I wanted them to look right. (Also, I know there’s wrinkling going on, I don’t own an iron at the moment. It’s on the list.)

(Also also- I don’t use bridge wires, which would probably made some of this easier? But I want them to be rewashable and sturdy, and my experience with underwire bras tells me that wire/boning weakens fabric more quickly. At some point I’d like to come up with a jewelry type option that clips on the outside, but I don’t know how feasible that is and I can’t figure out where I put my wire so it’s gonna have to wait until I find or buy wire.)

My first attempt is not pictured, because by the time I thought to take pictures I had already started disassembling it to remake.

I made the mask as I usually would, with ear loops instead of ties, and then darted it after I sewed it together. It wasn’t great, tbh. It also made the mask non-reversable, and one of the things I like about these masks is that they can be reversable- I can put one type of fabric on side and another on the other side, so you can get more versatility in looks and colors. (I don’t always, but it’s nice to have the option.)

I thought that perhaps it would be better if I darted the pieces before I put the mask together, as I thought the bulging at the sides was the fault of darting last. So my second attempt was to insert darts before I put the whole thing together. This is using the same pattern piece as I started with.

[ID: Burnt orange mask held front facing down, with a dart in the ear side, black ear loops pointing up. White background.]

[ID: Same mask as previous image worn on white person with purplish hair in low side ponytail. Image taking facing front of person. Mask is bulging somewhat at the sides.]

[ID: Profile of same figure as prevoius image. Mask is bulging where the dart is evident, and clearly lifted away from bridge of nose.]

[ID: Top down from front of forehead of previous image, mask is clearly gaping badly around bridge of nose and cheeks.]

Not ideal, as you can see. The darts didn’t seem to help with the weird bunched look, it somehow ended up fitting too loosely at the bridge of my nose? Fit fine under the chin, so it wasn’t the amount of ear loop I had. I suspect it was because I set the dart so far towards the bottom, perhaps if I’d put it more middling that would have been less bad.

Also you can see that I’m about as good at putting darts in as I am at putting in pleats. Meh.

Next step was to take the pattern and alter it.

[ID: white paper pattern of a mask with a curved front and the side is at a right angle. There is a pencil marking visible starting about 2 centimeters from the ear side of the mask pattern to the bottom of the original front of the pattern.]

The pencil line at an angle near the bottom was the new bottom of my pieces. Reasoning that the shorter sides would make it adhere to the face better, I set about it.

[ID: burgundy colored bandana style paisley pattern mask is held with front facing down, back loops up.]

[ID: White person with purplish hair in a low side ponytail wearing the burgundy bandana mask facing the camera. The mask bulges towards the ears and fits loosely around the jaw.]

[ID: profile shot of previous image. The gaping at the ears and looseness around the jaw is more evident in this image.]

[ID: Top down of previous image, the mask fits around nose and bridge a little more loosely than the first mask but much better than the second.]

As you can see, I’m having the gape problem I mentioned the first time around. Not a great fit around the chin, either. I actually lost ground on this one, which is frustrating because it turns out that burgundy is very flattering with my eye color. Sigh. Okay, so my next move was a lil more extreme. Breaking the mask into pieces.

[ID: two pattern pieces cut out of white notebook paper. The fronts of the mask are curved and where they fit together would be a sharp angle.]

[ID: Multi color house and home themed fabric in the mask- the patterning is difficult to see due to the mask being pieced together in smaller pieces, but the coloring is as follows: white background with gray, teak, dark blue, burnt orange, and yellow. The mask is held front up with black ear loops pointing down.]

[ID: Front facing image of person with purplish hair in low side pony tail in mask described in previous image. the mask fits under the chin but seems looser around the bridge of the nose.]

[ID: profile shot of previous image, the mask sits notably lower on the nose and has a slight bunching/gaping issues towards the ear.]

[ID: Top down shot of previous image, mask clearly not touching the bridge or cheeks at all.]

okay so it fit really snugly under my chin but not at all on the bridge of my nose, plus it was honestly kind of a pain in the ass to make. The kind I normally make are easy, so that’s frustrating. (I know the ear loops look too long on this one, they’re actually being stretched out because it fits so snugly around my jaw that it was dragging the mask down my face.)

I felt like I was kind of onto something with the burgundy bandana mask, though, so I did the same thing at a more extreme angle (no image of the pattern because I honestly kind of winged it, but it was like an extra 1.5 inches off the ear side of the mask).

[ID: Gray mask held front up and black ear loops down. This mask has a much shorter side compared to other masks, but the front is the same as others.]

[ID: White person with purplish hair in low side pony tail wearing mask from previous image, facing camera. Bottom seam of mask is visible and clearly not tucked under chin at all.]

[ID: Profile shot of previous image, the mask is much more visibly going straight down off the face and not tucking under.]

[ID: Top down shot of previous image, the mask fits similarly to first mask around bridge of nose and cheekbones.]

It just points straight down. But it fits better at the bridge of my nose, and doesn’t gap at ALL on the sides by my ears.

It was at this point where I gave up for a few hours, complained about it to my roommate, made myself dinner, thought about the rest of the piece of chocolate cake I bought earlier today, ate some watermelon, complained about the masks to my roommate again, and then decided that I wasn’t done.

I really felt that I was onto something with the burgundy mask and the gray mask, but I needed to curve the chin in more sharply so it tucked underneath my chin.

[ID: mask pattern on white notebook paper, front side up. The front curves more sharply towards the right side of the image, what would be the chin area of the mask,  and the angle at the bottom right is fairly oblique.]

[ID: Multi-color pattern mask held, front side down with black ear loops pointing up.]

[ID: Front facing shot of person with purplish hair in a low side ponytail wearing mask.]

[ID: Profile shot of person in previous image, the mask clearly tucks under the chin at the front.]

[ID: Top-down shot of person in previous image, where the mask touches the bridge of the nose and the tops of the cheek.]

So, I did not run through the house screaming eureka because, again, I could have just looked up mask patterns and found sixty.

In my defense, however, the reason that I have been using this mask pattern is because it fits my weirdly long jawline. I chose it in the first place because my step-mother made it for my dad and it fit him. I came by this jawline honestly, so if it fit my dad’s face it would fit mine. (If you have been wondering if the angle is weird or if I do have a really weirdly long jaw, the answer is yes.) I didn’t want to grab a pattern that would work if I didn’t have an odd jawline, so I worked off a pattern that I knew suited my facial structure.

Now, this mask would not be ideal for wearing long term. Because it fits my chin tightly and the bridge bridge of my nose a little more loosely, it would migrate downwards. I am considering fiddling the curve towards the top of the pattern so it’s a little more curved and fits more closely to my nose. Now that it fits snugly under my chin, the looser fit at the bridge of my nose is much more obvious. I may drop the peak of the bridge and pull the curve in a little more sharply towards the top. I doubt I can do anything to keep it from migrating down without involving metal wire, but it’d be nice to close the gap a bit.

All in all, I have found this journey fairly satisfying. I forgot how much I enjoyed messing with pattern making. While I wasn’t starting from scratch, that was mostly out of a desire not to reinvent the wheel. I had a pattern that mostly worked and wanted to fit it better to the way I use masks. And because the pattern I ended on is smaller than the pattern I used in most of my other masks (except the 8 piece mask) I can pick them apart, re cut the pieces and sew them into the better fitting mask.

I may update this if I decide to fiddle with the nose a bit.

[matcheddani]

If I Dare || Dani and Morgan

When: July, 2020 Where: Dani and Morgan’s bedroom in their apartment Who: @matcheddani and @moedaugherty What: Morgan helps Dani complete her own dare for the 6th Matched Task, Let your match give you a makeover that you have to keep for three days”

Dani had been dreading this. Truthfully, she didn’t know what made her so nervous about the whole situation- it was certainly better than Morgan’s truthful alternative. There was no way she was even addressing that question. She leaned against the door frame of their bedroom, a smile on her face despite her anxious mood. “I’m pretty nervous about this, you know” she told Morgan, watching her wife for her reaction. She had given her free reign of her closet, though she knew that Morgan had gone out shopping anyway. “You can’t make me look like a whacko” she said, walking into the room. She draped her arms around Morgan’s neck, smiling playfully. Maybe if she distracted her, she and Morgan could do this whole makeover shit another day. She was a pro at avoiding things she didn’t want. “You sure you don’t want to spend our night some other way?” she asked, pressing her forehead against Morgan’s. “I mean, I can think of loads of other things we can do”.

______

Morgan sat at the end of the bed, bags of different stores by her feet. She looked up at Dani, standing by the door. “There’s nothing to be nervous about” she reassured her wife, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice. She was having a lot of fun. Honestly? She was the best at dares. She stood at Dani’s suggestion that she’d ever make her look bad. She approached her slowly, waiting for her to close the distance. “Honey, I’m just tapping into all that potential. That is sadly being wasted because you think hobo chick is a thing” she licked her lips, chuckling at Dani’s attempt at distracting her. She placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth, before turning around and going back to the bags. “Now—“ there was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she stared at her wife, “would you please undress for me? I wanna see what I’m working with” she explained with the most innocent tone she could muster. There was no reason not to have all the fun possible with it, right?

______

Softening at Morgan’s reassurance, Dani found herself blushing, just a little. It was hard not to when your wife was both complimenting you and insulting your style in the same sentence. Morgan was truly a gem. “I resent that. Flannels and leggings are not hobo chique. Don’t hate me cause you ain’t me.” Dani rolled her eyes, throwing her head back when it was clear her distractions didn’t work. She scoffed at her wife’s words, a playful smile remaining on her lips. “You’re enjoying this too much” she said, pulling off her shirt with a dramatic sigh. She tossed it over at Morgan, laughing out loud when it landed right on her face. “I don’t remember anything in your dare that said you got to enjoy the show <i>and</i> do a makeover”. She pulled her shorts off next, letting them drop to the floor below her before kicking them over to the side of the room. She looked at Morgan with a grin, giving her a little twirl along to the music they had paying in the background. She glanced at the bags, barely recognizing the store names on the front of them. “Where did you even find these places?”

______

“Hey!” Morgan let out a scoff when Dan’s shirt landed on her face. “New rules…I’ve decided. I can do what I want, it’s my dare” she shrugged, looking at wife undress. “Why wouldn’t I want my wife half naked in front of me? You’d do the same”.  She kneeled, rummaging through the bags in search of the item she had in mind. “Here and there” she shrugged the question off, hoping to avoid how much she had spent on everything. It wasn’t that much, for the record –she was pretty resourceful and knew the best places to get good quality at cheap prices– but every time they discussed money, Morgan just felt uncomfortable. “Okay, got it” she smiled, pulling out the blouse she had been searching. It was nothing that would scare Dani. Just a flowy, soft blouse with some checkered patterns, to resemble flannel shirts. She held it at arms distance, before handing it to Dan. “I’ll show you the real hobo chick, put this on” she ordered, turning back her attention, where the second item was.

______

Dani shook her head and rolled her eyes, still smiling. She watched Morgan carefully as she went through the bags, a little worried at exactly what she was going to pull out. She noted the non answer about the clothes, but brushed it off. When she thought about it, it was incredibly sweet how much though Morgan had clearly put into this. She scrunched her face, gently taking the shirt from Morgan and glancing at it. “Not so bad…” she said, turning it over to look it over. She scoffed and pulled it over her head, tugging at the bottom once it was on. Glancing in the mirror, it looked pretty ridiculous without her pants on yet. Clearly the look wasn’t done. Still, she couldn’t pass up a chance to tease Morgan. “Babe, maybe you’re over estimating your dressing skills… I mean, I know I have nice legs, but this just ain’t it.”

______

“You really thought I was gonna put you in some clow outfit or whatever, hun?” Morgan wondered, amused. She definitely could’ve picked something more extra. But the idea was to get Dan slowly into adopting a better fashion sense. Small steps were way smarter. Plus, what was the point of having her wife look like a fool? She rolled her eyes at the joke, ignoring it in favor of grabbing the pants and boots she’d picked from inside the bags. “Don’t worry, I’m not making you wear this one outside right now. You’re gonna melt” she warned, offering the leather pants she had bought for her wife, “but I’m totally forcing you on it next fall” she gave her a pointed look, opening the box with the boots on it. “I even found shoes big enough for those clown feet. Get everything on” she nodded, standing now.

______

“I wouldn’t put it past you” she teased. “No, honestly it wasn’t that I was worried I’d be in costume, just that I wouldn’t feel like me. Despite being incredibly happy and comfortable with Morgan, their relationship was still very new. And with strange situations like this, she didn’t know quite how to expect her wife to act. At the warning, she raised her eyebrows, wondering what was about to come. When Morgan gave her the leather pants she actually laughed, pressing her lips together. "Mo, leather??” she asked incredulously. “Haven’t you ever seen that episode of Friends? I’m gonna get stuck in these!” She rolled her eyes, pulling them on anyway, giving her thighs a slap for effect once they were on. “I look like a biker.” she said, sticking her tongue out at Morgan while she grabbed the boots. “These clown feet will be the things to help me save you need me to run somewhere.” She tentatively pulled on the boots, not quite believing that Morgan would have found the right size. “There”, she said, looking down at her new outfit. “Happy?”

______

Morgan stopped rummaging her other bag and turned to listen. She nodded slowly, a soft smile forming. “Trust, me I would’ve loved to put you on the most extra outfits I could think of…” she chuckled, shaking her head. She had far too many ideas that didn’t make it in the end.  “But it’s not about that, right? Looking hot is about confidence. You gotta feel yourself in these outfits, it’s the whole point” she explained, as if it was the most obvious thing. “Yes leather” she shot down the question with a short nod. She would not negotiate on the leather. With both hands on her hips, she admired the final result. Dani looked hot, obviously. It felt like an elevated version of her usual work outfits. She smiled proudly. “Well, do you like it?” she pointed at the mirror, waiting to hear Dan’s opinion. “Next one might be a little less you. But I think you’ll look great on it. And you will have to wear this outside” she warned. She expected her wife to start taking her clothes off before presenting to her the next outfit: A romper.

______

Dani smiled as she listened to Morgan, nodding her head at her explanation. “But what if I’m already confident in what I already wear?” she asked honestly, a little gleam in her eyes. “Tell me this, why haven’t you tried being a personal stylist. You clearly love it”, she said. She had been working on trying to offer different career options to Morgan lately, a sprinkle in their conversations here and there. Rolling her eyes again, she turned to look at herself in the mirror, giving herself a once over. It certainly wasn’t something she would have ever picked out, but it wasn’t bad. “It’s cute”, she admitted, tugging at the shirt. “Just different.” She couldn’t imagine herself wearing leather in real life, so she was glad she had a chance to make Morgan forget about it before the fall. She grinned, happy to pull off the boots and slide out of the pants, throwing them at Morgan once again, this time inside out. She grabbed the romper, looking at it curiously. “I really like the color!” she said, slipping it on. “But, you’re about to see that I look like a jolly green giant with things like this on. I’ll be sorry to disappoint you, Babe”

______

“Again, cause…potential” Morgan nudged her, “you’re dressing like a 6 when you’re a 10…that’s dumb as shit” she shook her head, her logic was flawless. Obviously she still married Dan and loved her, but there was nothing wrong with trying new things, right? She looked at Dan, a little surprised by the question. She wondered for a moment. She was good at it, and she enjoyed it. But taking a passion and turning it into a job sounded like a hassle. Too much pressure. She offered a weak shrug adding a vague “maybe I will one day”. She nodded, smiling when Dan said her outfit was cute before letting out a huff at the way wife handed back her clothes. “Right? Colors stunning” she pursed her lips in a smug smile. “And, it’s not that short, shut up. Pair it with those boots” she instructed, pointing at the box on the floor.

______

Dani blushed as she pulled up the romper over her shoulders. “Fashion is subjective. So you’re subjectively wrong.” It was strange, she was always aware that she was attractive- she never had a problem with the way she looked. Besides her height, maybe. But something about Morgan calling her a 10 made her feel bashful. She hoped it wasn’t showing on her face. She let out a tiny breath at Morgan’s dismissal of the job idea, feeling defeated. One day, she’d have to bring it up more forcefully. She shook her head, laughing at Morgan’s smugness. She let out a breath when she finally got the romper all the way up, it had been more of a struggle than she expected. She plopped on the floor, pulling the new boots on with a smirk. “Someone’s got a thing for boots”, she teased, thinking of Morgan’s own wardrobe. “Okay…” she said, standing up. She did another little spin for Morgan before turning to look at herself in the mirror, expecting to grimace. “Woah…” The romper that Morgan picked out managed to highlight all the things Dani loved about her body, all while not emphasizing the things she didn’t like. She turned different angles so she could see more in the mirror. “Wait, what?! This is…woah!”

______

“You know I’m not” Morgan scoffed. Fashion was probably subjective or whatever, but she was not wrong. Dan could do a lot better. She watched careful as Dani pulled the romper up her body. She was a little less confident she would like it, because it was out of her comfort zone. “Boots are the best, duh” she said, sticking her tongue out. Nodding in approval, she let Dani turn around to see herself in the mirror. She was surprised by her reaction. Despite being confident that it would suit her wife, she wasn’t sure it’d get positive reaction out of her. “Woah, yup” she smirked, letting Dan enjoy the view a little more. “See what I’m saying? you look so good!” she raised her fist to celebrate. “You looked so good, babe. I’m telling ya” she clasped her hands together. “So, is that something you’d actually wear outside?” she asked, softly “cause I do have more options, but if that feels comfortable…”

______

With a shake of her head, Dani stuck her tongue out at her wife, choosing to ignore her words. She knew she was the right one, regardless of what Morgan said. But this was fun, so she was willing to play along. She laughed as she looked in the mirror, giving herself another little spin so she could get the full effect. “I look good always, but” she said, holding her finger up as if to make a point. “Now I just look good, but make it fashion.” She did a dramatic pose in the mirror before fully turning her attention back to Mo. She walked toward her smiling. “I mean, I think the boots would take a little getting used to”, she admitted. “But, this romper? I’d definitely wear this out! Maybe to one of our events for the app, even.” She glanced at the bags, not wanting all of Morgan’s hard work to go to waste. “Maybe we should look at the rest and see if anything jumps out? You bought so much…”

______

Morgan crossed her arms over her chest, proudly admiring her work. Dani wasn’t that hard of a test really, considering she was tall and had a great body to fit plenty of styles, but she was happier to see her wife actually like it. She wasn’t that bad of a person after all, right? She chuckled, rolling her eyes at the dramatic twirl. She reached for her, placing her hands on Dani’s hips. “Yeah, we’re still gonna limit the boots anyway. Or I’m gonna end up with constant neck pain” she tilted her head all the way up, to make a point. She smiled, standing on her tip toes to kiss her wife’s cheek. “Now that’s what I love to hear” she nodded, following Dan’s line of sight. “Oh some of that is just for me” she shrugged, nonchalantly waving her hand at the bags. Who would go out for shopping and not come back with something for themselves? Certainly not Morgan. “We can totally look at those later. But there is one last thing, though” she revealed, slowly pulling away.

______

Dani laughed, looking down at her wife. “Yea, you look so small all the way down there”, she teased, wrapping her arms over Morgan’s shoulders. She played with her wife’s hair absentmindedly. “We wouldn’t want Queen Mo to have neck pain, would we? No, I’ll just have to sacrifice the fashion for the cause”. She leaned into the kiss with a smile, closing her eyes softly. “Oh!” she said, unzipping the boots and kicking them across the room. “Where are you planning on putting all of that?” she asked seriously, glancing at the closet. “Are we donating some of your old stuff?”. She raised her eyebrows, surprised that Morgan still had something left to show her. She really had gone all out for this. “I’m glad you had fun on your shopping trip, Babe. What’s the last thing you got for me, then? Is it a crown, because I’m the best?”

______

“No, no we wouldn’t. Though—“ Morgan kissed her wife back, “I can always do with a neck massage, y’know?” she quirked an eyebrow, a seductive smile reaching her lips. “Oh…uh—“ she rubbed her chin, trying to play dumb. “We totally have space for all of this, don’t worry babe” she reassured her. Why would she donate anything of hers? That didn’t make much sense. She still wore most of it. “Not a crown, but if I had one…it’d be for me, hun” she winked, walking over to the closet and searching for what she needed. “Now let’s sit, I’m about to finish your look. And for that…” she pulled up her makeup bag, tapping it excitedly, “I need to do your make up!” she pointed at Dan, then nodded to the bed. Without waiting for her approval, Morgan spilled all her items over the bed, ready to give Dan the fiercest of looks.

[ilovemygaydad]

part 3/? of punk!patton gets adopted by single parent logan

part one - part two - part four - part five - ao3 version - masterlist (includes asks)

pairings: one-sided pining moxiety, eventual logince, background pining remceit, mentions of past thomas/female oc

warnings: swearing, lots of emotions, anxiety, worry, sympathetic deceit (his name is DC), jealousy, sadness, one-sided pining, rivalry mentions, depression mentions, divorce mentions, being held back a grade, arguments, anger, crying, unhealthy coping mechanisms, embarrassment, like some angst (sorry buds but emotionally closed off patton is an angst fest), food mentions, possibly something else

***feel free to send me questions or comments! i’ll answer them to the best of my ability, and everything is tagged under “punk!patton au”

a/n: this one is.... so long

(a clarification: logan and patton aren’t really father and son--they’re more like legal guardian and child. neither of them were looking for a father/son relationship, so they agreed that it wasn’t for them. i just didn’t clarify)

a few weeks had passed since the whole clothes incident, and patton and virgil had actually become real friends

which was why patton was unnerved when virgil’s foot wouldn’t stop tapping in their first block class

patton scribbled out a quick “you okay?” on a piece loose leaf paper and nudged virgil’s leg to get his attention and passed over the note

a few moments later, the paper is passed back to patton, and virgil’s neat writing reads “yeah, just nervous”

“about what?”

“well... i was going to ask you if you wanted to join my family for our twice-monthly disney marathon on saturday. dad’s college friend comes with his son, dc. he’s a senior. everyone wears onesies, and we just chill and watch cartoons for the night. you don’t have to come if you don’t want, but i thought you might enjoy it.”

and patton’s like

oh

okay

this is... a thing

so he writes back, “sure. i think dc is in my photography class?”

and virgil passes the note back one last time, but the timing went poorly, and the teacher sees

she’s like “mr sanders. mr summers. are you passing notes?”

and patton rolls his eyes as he takes the paper and clips it into his binder “no, ms w. virgil thought that he’d missed some of the notes yesterday by accident, so i gave him my sheet so he could double check.”

and the teacher is like ,,,,,,, fine and goes back to teaching, but virgil looks over at patton and gives him this small, thankful smile

and if patton has some weird, fluttery feelings about it, then that’s fine

even though he doesn’t

(the note says “7pm--last house on zora lane downtown. you’ll know the one ;)” and patton finds it really cute)

so saturday rolls around, and patton picks out some pajamas to go in because he doesn’t have a onesie

logan had offered to buy him a onesie, but patton looked up one that he thought he might like, and it was nearly forty dollars. he refused to let logan spend so much money on something so stupid

he settles on a black muscle tank and black jogger sweats because there’s no way he’s going to break his aesthetic for a disney marathon

he does wear his glasses, though, because he doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of taking out his contacts before going to sleep and then putting them back in before anyone wakes back up, and he’s too blind to just go without

and he hates how the huge, square frames look on his face, and the lenses are so damn thick

but he wears them anyway because he has to

logan drives him to virgil’s house and it definitely wasn’t because logan was hoping to catch a glimpse of virgil’s dad what???

virgil was right--his house was so easy to find. it had a ranbow flag flying by the door, and about twenty little rainbow pinwheels stuck around the garden

it was either the sanders’ house, or it belonged to the world’s most excited five year old

the thing is, virgil didn’t mention that it was huge with gigantic fucking windows and a chandelier that was visible from the fucking street

patton gives a quick goodbye to logan and goes up to the door. he rings the doorbell, and almost immediately, the door swings open. there’s a tall man in a stitch onesie and round glasses smiling at him, and all patton can choke out is a small “hello”

and this man squeals

like

squeals

and then he says, “you must be patton! virgil has told us so much about you--come in!”

it isn’t like patton is just going to say no, so he walks inside and follows this stranger through the house, looking around as they go

the place is just as big as it looks from the outside. there’s a formal dining room to the right and a large office to the left

patton wouldn’t really call the dining room “formal,” however, since all the chairs and the table are random colors and sizes and styles

but that doesn’t even mention the vast foyer with floating stairs to the second level on the left side of the hall and bridging to the upstairs on the right

patton couldn’t believe he was somewhere so fucking nice

they keep going and patton gets a few glimpses of the shiny kitchen and lush living room as they head through a door to the basement

disney music filtered up the stairwell as they descended into the finished basement

it smells like cookies and popcorn

they round the corner and there’s a little entertainment area with a rainbow of giant, fluffy bean bag chairs and a very large flatscreen tv that was currently on the main screen of winnie the pooh

there was also a bookshelf full of disney DVDs (and even a few VHS tapes of the classics)

virgil, roman, and dc were sitting on a couple of the bean bags, but virgil immediately hopped up and threw himself at patton when he noticed that he was downstairs

“you actually came! and you have glasses!!!”

patton huffs out a laugh as he wraps his arms around virgil and hugs him back “yes, i did show up, v. i wasn’t going to stand you up. and, yeah, i do have glasses. i didn’t want the hassle of bringing my contacts and solution and shit, so i just wore my glasses even though they look stupid”

“that’s bullshit!” virgil almost shouts, but he quickly corrects his volume “the glasses look really nice, pat. i swear.”

and there’s that stupid fluttery feeling again

patton rolls his eyes as virgil releases him from a hug, and he’s actually able to get a good look at his friend

virgil’s wearing an eeyore onesie, which matches the disney onesie theme of roman’s mushu onesie and dc’s beymax onesie

patton almost feels left out in his regular pajamas, but he cuts that shit out right the fuck away

virgil gestures to the man who brought pat downstairs “that’s emile. he’s dad’s college friend, and you said you know who dc is already” he still points to the boy who was draped over his bean bag upside down and staring at them with his heterochromatic eyes—the gold one standing out against the darker birthmark around his eye. dc flashed a peace sign, and patton waved back

virgil turns his gaze to the cookies and popcorn set out in the middle of the floor by the tv “those are free to eat—just don’t get between dad and the snickerdoodle ones. he’s vicious. and, i’m only telling you this because i know for a fact that i’m speaking too fast for him to understand”

so they all sit down and watch the movie

patton decides to not notice when virgil moves from a pink beanbag to a purple one right next to patton’s blue one

the movie starts, and it’s all goofy and fun in the basement. the sanders and picanis are quoting the characters and singing along to the little songs

even roman, who signs along with a soft smile on his face

patton is kind of in awe at how relaxed everyone is

he’s also in awe at how freaking cold it is in the basement

he can feel himself curling up and shivering, and he totally regrets wearing a tank top

patton doesn’t know how, but virgil sees him shivering and hops up from his chair, whispering a hasty “i’ll be right back” before sprinting upstairs

when virgil returns, he’s holding a bundle of gray fabric that he tosses to patton

when the bundle is unfolded, patton sees that it’s a hoodie with cat ears and paws and a big pouch in the front

“sorry that it’s so cutesy,” virgil whispers. “it was the most black thing that i own...”

and patton just laughs a little because,,,, virgil’s thought process is really adorable and weird sometimes

like any hoodie or blanket would have done, but virgil absolutely had to get patton the darkest colored one

pat puts it on and instantly feels much warmer

after winnie the pooh, they change to black cauldron

roman whines for a little bit because “there aren’t even any songs!” but eventually concedes because it’s virgil’s favorite and he isn’t going to not let his son watch the movie on disney night

after that’s done, the adults decide they’re going to go to sleep

emile says it’s because they’re old, roman says it’s because he has yet to meet his prince charming in his dreams, and he is looking forward to it

as soon as the adults are gone, the teenagers move closer to the food in the middle

“so,” virgil starts. “it’s time for our gossip session. patton, you’re completely free to sit out if you feel uncomfortable”

“what, uh, does this ‘gossip session’ include...?” pat asks because honestly ???? he’s a bit afraid of what he might hear

dc decides to answer, saying, “usually it’s about what teachers are being shitty again, how classes are going, do we have any annoying group partners. that sort of fun stuff”

and patton just nods because that’s not bad at all

and then virgil does that cute thing like in the movies where he crosses his legs and rests his elbows on his knees and he puts his chin on his hands and he leans forward

you know

that thing

and he says, “sooooo dc. what’s up with that cute boy from school that you like? oh, what was his name? ryan? ray???”

dc rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, and his voice comes out clipped and low

“i don’t have a crush on remy sanders, who you already know because he is your cousin. first of all, stop doing that every time you bring him up. second, stop fucking bringing him up”

virgil just kinda goes “aw, bud, you totally have a crush on him!”

and dc flips out

“you fucking know how much i hate your teasing about crushes, and then you go and tease me in front of someone i barely know? at least i don’t do that! actually, you know what? maybe i will tell patton who you have a crush on because, fuck it! we’re letting all of our secrets out, anyway! virgil has a crush on—“

virgil cuts him off with a loud “STOP” and patton swears that time froze in that room as everyone stares at each other

“i’m sorry,” he continues. “it was so uncool of me to tease you in front of patton without your consent. i just—i think you and remy would be good together, even if it’s just as friends”

dc stands up and starts to march to the stairs “remy and i were nothing more rivals in school, and now that he’s out of the competition, we don’t have anything to connect us. just fucking drop it. i’m going to bed”

patton doesn’t really know what the hell is going on with this remy guy, but he knows some major shit just went down

he decides to focus on virgil instead of the twinge in his chest at the mention of virgil having a crush on someone

really softly, patton asks who remy is

“he’s my cousin,” says virgil “he’s technically the year above, but he got held back last year because of some personal stuff that messed with his school work.

“ever since we were kids, remy and dc were rivals in school. they were both smart and athletic and talented, and they wanted to be the best. they had a lot of chemistry despite the constant bickering, and i tried to get them to become friends instead of rivals. it never worked because remy spends weekends with his moms, so he couldn’t do disney nights, and on the days he was with his dad and could hang out, dc was busy with gymnastics.

“then, after rem got held back, they pretty much ceased all contact. i knew that both of them were hurting because they lost the thing that fueled them to be the best that they could be, but it was pretty obvious that they were missing each other, too.

“i just want them to be happy!” virgil ends, hunching in on himself

patton hesitantly opens up his arms

“do you... do you want a hug”

virgil doesn’t even answer; he just launches himself forward and pretty much tackles patton to the floor in a hug

he’s sobbing now, and patton doesn’t really know what to do, so he pats virgil’s back every so often and whispers nice things to him

eventually, virgil’s breathing evens out and he’s just sniffling into the soaked cat hoodie

patton slowly releases him and rubs virgil’s arms gently in a reassuring gesture

“i’ve never actually done this whole sleepover thing before,” pat says with a sheepish grin, trying to play up the act (even if it is partially real). “would you mind if i slept in your room?”

virgil looks surprised for a second, but then his face smooths out into a tiny smile

“yeah, sure. it’s getting kinda late.”

they pack up the leftover food and stick it in a cupboard by the stairs before going upstairs

virgil grabs patton’s hand as the make their way to his room because tbh he needs the comfort

patton doesn’t mind

virgil opens the door to his room, and it looks just how patton expected

the bed is straight ahead from the door and placed at the bottom of a large window with pink curtains. the blanket and pillows are floral patterned in pastel colors. there are tall, white bookshelves on both sides of the bed that are filled with books of all sizes and colors; however, they look to be organized by age and genre, starting with children’s books and ending with adult fiction and nonfiction. there’s a door that leads to what patton assumes is an en suite bathroom and double sliding doors to the closet. the walls are painted a very light purple, and the remaining furniture are all a slightly darker purple. there’s a wooden desk strewn with tons of office supplies and a vanity with a large mirror and makeup neatly organized in small plastic drawers

everything just screams virgil

while patton is busy ogling at the room, virgil had gone and grabbed a sleeping bag and extra pillow, setting them up on the floor

“i’m gonna go brush my teeth, so make yourself comfy in the bed!” virgil said as he walked into the bathroom

“woah, wait—i’m not sleeping in the bed! this is your house. you get your bed!” patton argues as he takes off the wet sweatshirt and looks for a place to put his glasses for the night

“nuh uh!” virgil sticks his head out the doorway, toothbrush in hand and toothpaste all over his mouth. “you sleep in the bed”

“you aren’t sleeping in that sleeping bag. i refuse to let you do that.”

“fine!” virgil went back into the bathroom, and patton assumed that the argument was over, but virgil came back out with the same fiery look in his eyes. “if i can’t sleep in the sleeping bag, neither can you. get your ass in that bed before i tackle you”

patton had never been so afraid of a 5’7”, 130 pound boy before

he quickly slid under the covers with virgil following after he flicked off the lights

within just a few minutes, both boys were fast asleep

there is so much warmth when patton starts to stir in the morning

he’s just so warm, and he loves it

he curls into the warmth, and for a second he thinks about falling back asleep

and then there was a soft giggle

patton jolted back, opening his eyes to see that he was face to face with virgil

he had been cuddling virgil

and virgil was laughing at him

“awwww, pat! you’re so cute when you’re asleep! you kept trying to cuddle me.”

“shut the fuck up,�� patton grumbled, putting his glasses back on and slipping out of the bed

“but it was so cute!!!”

“and if you tell anyone,” patton growls (although, there isn’t much bite behind it) “i will end you. I have a reputation to uphold, and i won’t let you ruin it”

virgil just laughs and follows patton downstairs, teasing him the whole way to the kitchen

roman’s already there, sitting on the counter and stirring a bowl of something

“morning, dad!”

“morning, starshine. why does patton look so grumpy?”

patton slumps into a chair at the table all emo and grumpy, and virgil softly sighs

“i was teasing him, and he got a bit grumpy at me. i’m sure he’ll lighten up as soon as we have pancakes to eat.”

surprised, patton glances over at virgil. he was expecting virgil to completely expose him like the older kids at the orphanage had done, but virgil hadn’t. the smaller boy smiles gently and winks, sitting down next to pat

there’s this strong urge in patton to lean close to virgil, but he squashes that feeling down right the fuck away

“hey, has dc been down yet...?” virgil asks, and patton can see that he’s genuinely still worried and upset about what happened last night

“i am now,” dc announces as he walks into the kitchen

patton is Extremely uncomfortable right now

dc and virgil are just staring at each other when virgil speaks up again

“look, dc, i’m really sorry. it was super selfish of me to try and force your life a certain way based on what i wanted. i’ve always just wanted you two to be happy, but i let my own emotions get in the way”

there was a long pause, and for a second, patton thought that dc was going to throw hands or something

“i forgive you, virge,” dc sighs, and he sits down next to virgil. “i’m sorry, too. i was about to deal a low blow, and that was equally shitty.” he groaned and hid his face in his hands. “and you were right”

“right about... what, exactly?” virgil asked

“i have a crush on remy”

“oh. oh! oh my gosh, dc! that’s sweet! aw, i’m proud of you.”

patton has NO clue what’s going on, but he thinks it’s a nice family moment, so he decides not to intrude

dc and virgil chat for a few minutes, and patton stares at the table silently

it feels a bit like breakfasts at the orphanage where everyone else would laugh and talk and be normal kids

and he would just

sit

alone

all the while, roman had been cooking, and he shouts out, “alright, every-gay--i mean, except patton?”

“nah, i’m... i’m gay, too.” 

“sweet!” roman says with a sigh of relief. “every-gay, it is time for... cinnamon roll pancakes!”  

a huge--like, at least thirty--pile of pancakes was set in the center of the circle, and everyone immediately began to set pancakes on their own plates and slather the frosting on top

dc and virgil began to banter with each other and, against his better judgement, patton joined in

and it felt...

really nice

patton was getting to know virgil’s friends and family better, and it was so interesting to finally be part of some sort of family dynamic for the first time

then he looked over at virgil, who was stuffing pancakes into his face and

the feelings kind of hit him straight in the face

he’s in love with virgil

virgil, his best friend

virgil, who tried to defend him even after he’d been a total asshole

virgil, who... had a crush on someone else

patton almost drops his fork as a sick, sad feeling twists inside of his stomach

he can’t be in love with virgil because virgil doesn’t love him

for the rest of the morning, patton’s all fake smiles, and he keeps quiet

he says a quick goodbye to virgil when logan shows up to drive him home, and he sits silently in the car as logan chats with roman for a few minutes

he doesn’t turn around to wave at virgil

when he gets home, he immediately goes to his room and cries into his pillow

life was a lot easier when he stifled his emotions...

to be continued... in part four

asks are loved and encouraged 💖💖💖

tag list: @residentanchor @eeveeawesome @xionical @absolutesandersidestrash @stormcrawler75 @musikasworld @ironwoman359 @a-weirdo-with-a-computer @thegaypotatoroyalty707 @darkrainbow333 @ravenclawunicorn1 @noahlovescoffee @whymustibedraggedintofandomhell @romansleftshoulderpad @still-waiting-for-cookies @emounicorn2006 @lana–22 @angels-ofthe-sea @demonickittykat @lonelysoul43 @the-virgil-mary @five-second-cookies @noisywolfbatbakery @band-be-boss-blog @heck-im-lost@lamp-calm-sanders @patton-e @knightofbloodcancer @cloudchaser7 @really-sleep-deprived-nerd @era-eclipsed @khadij-al-kubra @anxiousmorality @are-you-really-sure-about-that @today-only-happens-once @notalwaysthevillian @backatthebein @sunshineandteddybears @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @emo-sanders-sides-loving-unicorn @dodos-in-damnation @some-lost-meme-boi @dead4sevenyears @spookyingarbageisland @the-poison-apple-of-art@radioactivehelena @the-melody-of-eliza @im-a-mess-aaaaaa @whycantihavemorethan32characters @broadwaytheanimatedseries @veryvirginvirgil @llamaavocado @unisaurioamorfo @caterpiller-tea @cornycornfriendo @simon-at-3am 

[lilpee-pee]

Hilda is even more obscure than I initially thought; a mythological masterpiece!

I’m not sure how many other people have noticed this, but here’s the list I’ve made from lots of research! This post will consist of no specific spoiler. But if you don’t want to know about anything yet, DO NOT READ THIS!!!

So after re watching the entire show, I noticed something rather interesting. Each episode features a creature or culture derived from ancient mythology. 

Episode 1;

The Elves: At first, I assumed this was about fairies. The tiny civilizations they must have. But after looking at the landscaping of the backgrounds, it hit me. These are based off of Iceland’s Huldufolk. This translates directly to hidden people. Said to be protectors of their good fortune, the government of Iceland made completely illegal any construction or interference with what is supposedly land that belongs to these small, invisible elves, who live in miniature houses called alfhols. Wait. Alf? Alfur? Coincidence? I think not. 

Episode 2;

Giants: The giants of Hilda are solely based off of Norse mythology. Legend tells of a tribe of beautiful giants, who once lived between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains. There were hundreds of species, living in hundreds of habitats. The Great Spirit, however, grew tired of their aloof and mighty behaviors toward each other, so he allowed their enemies to conquer them; the humans. Only two giants survived: Paiute and his wife. Sounds about right. 

The Woodman: This monotone cryptic of Hilda’s assorted friends took me quite a bit of research to track down the origins to. But finally, I found him. Based on Greek culture, he’s actually a dryad, or “oak nymph”. These walking, wooden creatures exist to look after the oak tree they were forged from. So let’s suspend some disbelief and assume Hilda’s ancestor used the Woodman’s tree in order to build the cabin Hilda lives in. Why else would he have stuck around, since he’s always minorly annoyed and yet indubitably shows up in many of Hilda’s childhood crayon drawings? Just a thought.

Episode 3;

Thunderbird: These birds originate from Native American beliefs. By flapping its gigantic wings, it creates thunder and lightning, controlling the storm season and bringing excellent harvest. With storms, come rain, so the arrival of the thunderbird was always a promising sign. Present in their dances, tattoos, and carvings, he protected them from the great horned serpent and it’s destructive tendencies, bringing whoever favored him good luck and prosperity. Slides right in with Trolberg’s annual parade, don’t you think? And it brings a whole new connotation to the city’s “statue”, when the Great Raven explains how he had sat on top of it; his symbol was always present at the very top of a totem pole. 

Episode 4;

Vittra: These stinky little onions are more than they seem to be. From Northern Sweden, these underground dwelling nature spirits are very aggressive, territorial, and hated humans. They’re also known to have invisible cattle, which they milk for food and commonly steal from mortals who have wronged them. Really explains the cows, huh? They’re known to make humans’ lives miserable, especially when they meddle with their tunnels, lifestyle, or even cross their borders. Even in modern day, people have moved their homes away from any nearby “vittraställe”, or vittra way, just in case. 

Episode 5;

Trolls: Another Icelandic folktale, trolls are said to have been dim witted, man eating creatures that turned to stone upon contact with sunlight. Even in Lord of the Rings, they used these concepts. So why wouldn’t Hilda? If you visit the beaches of Iceland, it is said that the huge boulders scattered about the shores, and in the water, were once trolls. They were caught by the dawn as they attempted to crush the ships returning to their homes, carrying fishermen finding food for their families. These “troll rocks” are their bodies, reaching out to the sea, now forever entrapped in stone. 

Episode 6; 

Marra: Originally known as mare, which eventually attributes to the word “nightmare”, the Hungarian marra are malicious entities that possess humans with certain amounts of negative energy. Teenagers with depression, mostly, which also helped create the possessed, creepy kid trope in horror movies. While you sleep, they perch on your chest, and expose your mind to its deepest fear. Eventually, the marra evolved into the legend of the boogey man, so in retrospect, they never actually disappeared. 

Episode 7;

The Bragga: These outcasted group of elves, who made a failed contract with the Aldric family over “No Elf’s Land”, aren’t just coincidentally donning beard braids and helmets, obsessed with fighting physically, drinking ale, spitting, and riding rabbits like they’re jousting horses. They’re based off of Nordic Vikings, their separation from Scandinavia, and the culture that they eventually developed. Their tendencies to favor combat over reason is made evident, too, however stereotypical it may be. This is pretty much the only example the show has used so far to allude to a historical period of time. 

Episode 8;

Tide Mice: Taken from Mapuche mythology, these voodoo rodents are actually supposed to be colo colos. Evil, rat-like creatures, they hide in your house to feed on your saliva while you sleep, eventually bringing about comatose states and long term memory loss. Once all of your life juice has been depleted, your soul is completely sucked from your body and the colo colo consumes it in order to go on living. Despite their complete irrelevance with wicca, the way the show manages to assimilate the two is genius. 

Episode 9;

Ghosts: I feel like this speaks for itself. They’re very commonly used, but the show does a good, unique job of connecting a ghostly presence not with a negative haunting that needs to be handled or else everyone will die, but with a helpful spirit, just hanging around a house because it’s linked to a specific item or object. 

Episode 10;

Wind Spirits: The wind spirits, which were based off of Roman Anemoi, minor wind gods that each represented a cardinal direction, are shown in Hilda as debaters who couldn’t come to a conclusion. Their fighting is what makes gigantic natural disasters. This is mocking a bit of fun of Roman philosophers, who were known to sit around in their forums, arguing until the entire town couldn’t stand it. The irritated citizens would call these prolonged discussions, “storms of the intellect”. 

Episode 11;

Cursed Cottage: I have no clue where this myth derives from, and I couldn’t find much else except Into the Woods songs, but this is basically adopting the enchanted cottage trope. The gingerbread house that actually houses a wicked witch, the lone hut that holds everything Goldilocks longs for except for its occupants; so many fairy tales center their setting around a manipulative house that tries to snatch you up and never let you go. So this one is probably just a primal usage of that timeless idea, combined with a cool twist of inter dimensional neurotics. Pretty cool!

Episode 11;

Nisse: Also fondly known as house brownies, nisse are Norweigian dwarves, living inside of your home. Sometimes known to mischievously steal your things, like socks, car keys, old toys, jewelry, etc, they make nests in your walls or your abandoned, most frequently forgotten to check spots. If you are kind to them, leave them food, and treat them well, they will go out of their way to do good things for you, like wash your dishes, dust your desk, or, yknow, purge evil energies from your body. But if you anger them, they can be quite a hassle; breaking things is a usual reaction. Either way, if you ever catch them, you have the right to forcefully evict them from your home. 

Episode 12;

Black Hounds: Black hounds, throughout the history of mythology, are always seen as a dark, ominous omen, warning you of potential suffering, struggle, pain, turmoil, chaos and death. So pretty darn bad. Seeing a black hound, or even owning one, is still a superstition, today. They’re literally called the “accumulation of everything that is evil on this plane of existence.” But, if you haven’t already watched Hilda, keep Sirius Black in mind, and his patronus, which reminds us, “don’t read a book by it’s cover.” 

That’s all I’ve got to say, gamers! There are some that I skipped, like the lindworm, water spirits, stuff like that. But all in all, Hilda is a mythological masterpiece. Watch it whenever you can if you appreciate lore in any way, because it’s not just a beautiful, naturally diversified show about a socially anxious girl assimilating into a new culture. It’s taking incredibly interesting and obscure pieces of mythological history and braiding it into a perfectly constructed storyline. Whether or not it’s educational is up to you. Not even including here how breath takingly gorgeous the animation, use of color, and backgrounds are. Just... please. Don’t sleep on it! 

[mysticsparklewings]

A Monster Trap

Happy Halloween! :D I hadn't originally planned on making a piece specifically for Halloween, or at least nothing more so than my Spoopy Kitty I did back in September. But one night a few nights ago, I was feeling artistically inclined but with no solid/good ideas to run with. After scrolling through some photos on my phone I'd taken or saved specifically for inspiration, I came across one I'd taken about a year ago, of a Halloween decoration one of my friends got from Michaels. A pretty gnarly plastic Venus Flytrap that I think very few of us would be eager to encounter if it was real and alive. That night I was just having a really hard time trying to draw much of anything--the want to make art was there, but evidently, something integral to the process was not, or was just very very off--so I struggled through a few preliminary sketches before managing to tackle one that I felt was half-decent. Still, but the time I got that far, it was late and I was tired, so I let the sketches rest for the night. I came back to them later, naturally. I'd had plans to draw this thing for so long and I had finally sort-of started; maybe something could be salvaged and turned into a final piece. Fortunately, upon coming back to it something had shifted back into place and I had a much easier time finishing up the sketch and decided what to do and where to take it afterward. Recently, I acquired some 400 series watercolor paper by Strathmore, which has seemed to be a little divisive among watercolor artists I watch/follow. Some use it as their standard, go-to watercolor paper, others say it's eh, okay but not great or their first choice and others swear it off entirely because it's not 100% cotton. I don't think I've ever seen one specific paper have so many wildly differing opinions among upper-tier artists. This is largely why I wanted to get some; I wanted to see what it was like for myself. And in general, I've been trying out different walks of watercolor paper to see what the best buying option for me is. I'm not going to do a super in-depth review like you might expect when I come home with some new pencils or markers or whatever, as I don't feel like I have enough knowledge of paper to do that, but I am here to tell you that I liked the paper just fine. In a way, I think it lands somewhere between the 100% cotton paper that I've tried (Canson L'Aquarelle Heritage) and the Canson XL that's usually "artists' first watercolor paper" because it's so accessible and cheap. It doesn't behave quite like the cotton paper--the paint dries a little more quickly and flows a bit differently--but I think it's close enough for my taste that it'll work just fine when I run out of my current cotton stash and am too frugal to spend $20+ on some more. (My current stash consists of lucky clearance finds that were like $5 each, for reference.) That is coming from someone that isn't a professional at watercolor and hasn't grown attached to using 100% cotton paper, though. So maybe take my thoughts with a grain of salt, depending on your situation? This was also my first time since I was a very small child in using a Micron pen (I don't know why I had one in my possession to use back then; I didn't even know what it was at the time, I just remember that distinct beige barrel and the various markings on the outside of the pen that define it as what it is). Hard to believe, right? Microns are such an artist staple! I've just had other options in my possession that work just fine for me before. But the same day I picked up the watercolor paper, I had coupons to use and decided to pick one up and finally try them out. And no complaints there; it didn't move at all once I started in with the water and paint, which is all I could really ask for. The real test is going to be seeing how it resists smudging with alcohol markers, but that's for another day.   Anyway. Point is, I chose to try out that paper for the first time here since I didn't think what I wanted to do with this piece would be a good fit for alcohol markers and I didn't feel like investing the time it would take to do it in colored pencils, either. I wanted something that was looser and quicker, which led me to watercolor. Well, sort of. Watercolor can be quick for me depending on what I'm doing. For certain projects, it's more time and hassle than I'm willing to put up with. And it also depends on which paints I'm reaching for too. This time I decided to revisit my Viviva watercolor sheets since I haven't used them much lately but by their very nature, they're one of the quick'n'easiest sets I have. I used them for the entirety of the plant/creature, including his pot. The colors aren't quite as they are in my reference photo, but I knew that wouldn't be the case going in. The colors might also be a little funky/shaded strangely because I didn't feel like dragging out a mixing palette, so I just used the colors straight off the sheets and any mixing was done on-the-fly. And by fly I mean paper. Which created some interesting things inside the mouth that I rather like.  The hardest part was getting the red on the leaves without the colors turning to mud, but even that turned out pretty alright. And after that, the plan was to be done. But it felt...empty. It needed more. Once I gave it some thought, I picked out a black, gray, and a metallic (though that part doesn't show up on the scan) pale spring green color in my Faber Castell Gelatos and scribbled in a few places in the background, then uses my watercolor brush to spread the color around and blend things together a little. Then I went back and forth on that process for a bit to get it all just right. I went with the gelatos because I wanted the flat, bright colors of my plant monster thing to still stand out, but I didn't think the soft look of adding some PanPastel in the background would suit the tone here.  Additionally, this was a test of new watercolor paper, and I thought using the water-soluble gelatos for some texture might be a good way to push its limits a little more. And yet even after that, it was still missing something. I'm not sure where the idea came from, but eventually, it came upon me to do a faux-blood-splatter, primarily stemming from the bottom right corner. For this, I ended up using one of my Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers, since I tried an Inktense pencil and it wasn't doing much of anything, and I didn't feel like dragging out a more involved form of watercolor to do it. It took some patience and trial and error (and a paper mask so I wouldn't get any on Mr. Flytrap), but I did manage to get pretty much what I wanted out of it in the end. And...I guess that's pretty much the end of the story of my monstrous venus flytrap  (Which is where the title came from; he's one monster of a venus flytrap!) He's not terribly complicated, but I like him. And it's something a little less conventional for a Halloween piece, which makes me happy.   My plans for today/tonight so far don't go beyond posting this and dropping by Krispy Kreme (because tonight if you go in-costume you get a free donut), but that's more than I had planned for last year, so I'll take it. Do you guys have anything fun planned for All Hallows this Eve? ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[fathertaurus]

Late Nights (Harry Styles)

You smiled softly to yourself as you watched your daughter close her eyes in her crib. It was hard not to watch her as she slept. She was quiet and looked at peace, like all of the things that had happen previously throughout the day didn’t even matter. They slipped away as she slipped into her dream state. And, to you, for some strange reason found that so intriguing. Your baby girl had been a quiet one ever since she was born and it was something both your husband and yourself had learned to truly appreciate it. A non-hassling baby was something of a necessity when it came to your careers.

You reached up to light mounted onto the wall and switched it off with the clasp of your fingers but not before turning on the small moon night light that rested on nightstand. It illuminated the room just enough to the point where she could sleep in content. Harry had gotten it from one of his trips to Italy, mentioning that when he saw it he instantly thought of Everly.

Nodding to yourself and brushing a finger over her cheek you exited the room with silent footsteps and closed the door to a rather large crack.

The overly large abode had now fallen silent. All of the workers were gone and your two German Shepherds were sleeping downstairs in their beds.

You didn’t like it.

Sure having a peaceful and quiet house to come home to after a long day at work was fantastic but their were other reasons behind your distaste. Firstly, the house was so large.

With the positions you and your husband had in your separate industries it made sense to have such a large estate with hallways that went on forever and too many rooms to count, but that didn’t mean you wanted it. 

There were times though, when you would step back and look around; It was too much space and the only time it felt full was during the day when everyone was here and awake, bustling about on the French oak wood flooring or the Aurora marble of the kitchen. It made the place feel slightly more alive than its normal ‘soft talking and classical music background’ vibes (Harry was set on only playing it since it was “Important for Everly’s growth and development).

But the second part was that Harry wasn’t here.

He was on a business trip in Greece, meeting with some new possible partners that could only help to expand and endorse his company. He had another two or three days until he would be back in your’s and your daughter’s presence.

It still felt strange though, not physically having him here with you. Maybe it was the postpartum depression you were experiencing since it had only been a few weeks to a month after having little Everly Ryn. Or maybe it was just the fact that you were over protective of your husband and it made you feel 10 times lonelier than you let on. Whatever it was it nearly distracted you from the sound of an incoming Skype call on your laptop downstairs. 

Collecting your thoughts you darted down the stairs as silently but as haste as possible. The dogs (Hendrix and Iver) raised their heads at your quick movement, watching as your pink silk gown swiped the rooms. In seconds your eyes focused in on your Mac resting on the kitchen island, screen still open and a loud pinging emitting from it’s speakers.

You carried yourself past the living room and onto the cold floor before standing right in front of the laptop.

Harry’s name popped up the screen waiting patiently for you to finally press the button. A small smile filled your face at the sight of his name. Running a hand through your hair you cleared your throat and pressed the button.

“There’s that beautiful face.” Warmth spread over your cheeks.

“Well hello to you too.” You laughed shaking your head at the brunette on the screen. Your eyes raised and you stared at him for a moment, getting a good look at his exterior. His face read as “Drained” seeming a little bit more pale than usual, his green eyes with a grey haze over them and the bags under his eyes were more defined than usual. You furrowed your eyebrows together and went to speak.

“You look tired.” Surprisingly those words didn’t come from your mouth but from Harry’s. His head was turned slightly to the left like he was trying to examine you from a different angel.

“Me?”

“Yeah. Was Evs a hassle?” He asked taking a sip from a coffee cup. You smiled for a second at his nickname for her before quickly shaking your head.

“I mean it took a while for her to finally close her eyes but she’s alright.” You answered truthfully. You didn’t want to give him any reason to worry about anything back here because everything was fine.

“Good..that’s good. Y'know I miss–”

“I was going to say the same thing to you.” Your interjection made him stop mid-sentence his facial expression raising into curiosity once more.

“Say what baby?” He smiled lop-sided, rubbing the sleep out of the corner his eye.

“You look tired Harry. What time is it over there?” Your eyes drifted over to the clock to see it read only 9:25 which was pretty early but he was in Greece.

“Doesn’t matter–”

“Harold.” He flinched at your voice before sighing. You watched through the screen as he stretched from wherever he was sat at to grasp what you assumed what was his phone. He clicked it on and that’s when you heard another sigh.

“4:25.”

“Harry–” You began to drawn on until he stopped you.

“I’m fine Y/N, really. I’ve stayed up much later than this before–”

“Wait you haven’t even gone to sleep yet?” You questioned with wide eyes and furrowed brows. His eyes shut and lips tightened as he probably realized he shouldn’t have mentioned that last part to you. “Babe please get some sleep.” You pleaded. He shook his head and the sound of papers being messily put together sounded between the two of you.

“ ‘ave to finish signing these papers and emailing the other Company. They need certain documents by 12 to help get things up and running so I wanted to get them done now so I didn’t have to worry later–”

“Harry.” His tired moss colored eyes met your pixelated stare, almost looking like a deer caught in headlights. You sucked in a deep breath and took a moment before giving him a soft beam. “I love you.” 
It looked like he just melted at your words, his tight shoulders lowering, the worry line in between in his eyebrows disappearing, and his eyes falling and sparking.

“I love you too Y/N.” He grinned. You stayed like that for a while, smiling at each other like you did when you were teenagers. Admiring everything you could physically see at the moment. Harry was still as handsome as you remembered him to be with his pink cheeks and dimples, those eyes you fell head over heals for. Yeah..he was still the Harry you knew and loved. “Now, tell me how your fashion line is going.” His words interrupted your longing stare but you didn’t mind. You knew he asked because not only did he actually want to know, but because he needed to stay awake.

“And yeah those models should be coming in from Spain and Germany next week I believe if Lanny did the scheduling right.” You laughed as you scrolled through the notes on your phone. “This’ll actually be the first time we’ll have any models from Barcelona so I’m pretty excited.”

“ ‘Sounds like it’ll be lots of fun poppet.” Harry chuckled as he signed another document. The both of you had spent this time working, but the chatting seemed to be the best part because it made it feel like neither of you were actually as far away.

“Yeah maybe for my next shoot you could model.” You joked as you texted another employee about details for the sketches on an upcoming fall line.

“With this body? Give me a couple months to get back into shape first, yeah?” You both laughed once more but you shook your head looking up at him.

“Harry you’re only 26,” You giggled, “I think you’ll be fine.”

“ ‘Dunno babe, sitting at a desk 24/7 doesn’t have many health benefits.” He smirked reading another paper.

Just before you were going to turn back to your phone you noticed the brightness starting to illuminate the backboard of Harry’s bed. Glancing at your clock you realized that it was 10:30, which means not only had you talked for two hours, but it was 6 o'clock by Harry.

“Hey….babe?”

“Yes darling?”

“The sun is coming up.” His head shot up, making dead eye contact with you. You pointed behind him with a snicker and watched as he did double take to the window.

“Holy crap.” Both of you broke up in laughter at his shock and slowly he turned back to grin at you.

“Are you going to go to sleep now?” You ask teasingly. He sighs and shakes his head in a heap of chuckles.

“I’ll get a couple hours for your sake.” You cheered silently, extremely happy he finally listened to you. He began to collect the papers surrounding him and piling them into a manila folder. He mumbled a couple things to himself when he glanced over certain papers, separating them from others into a black folder. You watched him from the corner of your eye as you cleaned up your plate of leftovers, placing the dishes in the sink and the containers in the fridge.

You returned to the screen somehow at the same time, both looking equally as tired as the other you assumed. It had been a long day for the both of you.

“Alright, you promise you’re going to sleep?” You inquired with one raised eyebrow. He gave out another soft chuckle but nodded.

“Yes Y/N.” He spoke mocking. You rolled your eyes but flashed his another tired grin. “Okay…I love you.” You words were quiet but they were too meaningful for him not to hear.

“I love you more baby.” His voice sounded overly sincere. A pang hit your chest..hard. “Tell Evs I love her and that I miss her. Oh give her a kiss for me too.” He beamed.

“I will.” You simpered. He glanced at you once more with a sad “I love you so much I don’t want to hang up” look but you knew it was too late to carry on this conversation.

“I’ll see you soon Y/N.” You nodded to yourself eyes resting on your lap. You hated goodbyes so much, they were awful and gut-wrenching, made your insides twist to the point in which you felt dizzy. It was worse though..having to say goodbye to Harry.

“Hey.” You glanced at him the same smile resonating between his cheeks, “I love you.” A long pause.

“I love you too.”

“Goodnight babe.”

“Goodnight Harry.” With that you hung up and closed your laptop. Your heart felt heavy but you took in a deep breath. Everything was going to be fine, of course, you just needed to relax.

Climbing up the long staircase you took more breaths to yourself. Yes the house felt emptier than usual but you had to remind yourself that Everly was still here to comfort and love. And it would only be a day or so until Harry would be back. Besides it wasn’t like he hadn’t spent longer business trips away from you. During your first year together he once left for a whole month to stay in Japan and that was a test against your relationship.

Luckily this time he had only been gone for two weeks.

You pushed the double doors to your master bedroom open and let out a yawn before stretching your arms above your head. Stripping from the robe and hitting the lights you cross the room to your bed. Pulling the blankets back you crawled beneath the silk sheets and onto the pillows.

Just as you were about to fall asleep a buzzing noise broke you out of the trance. Groaning and reaching to your side you grasp your phone off the bedside table. It was a message.

From Harry.

“Stop worrying so hard and go to sleep. I love you ❤️” An overwhelmingly large smile filled your face and you hastily responded to the message.

“I love you too. Goodnight 💜”

Send Requests! Xx

[randyk1m-blog]

Whenever we buy a new rig we like to make it our own. With traveling in it full time it is our house on wheels so we want to make the RV feel like home. Normally we take months to do an RV remodel. But when we made this switch to a travel trailer we were ready for it to be all set ASAP. So 2 weeks later, lots of orders from Amazon and trips to IKEA we have remodeled our new rig into our home!

Below we share pictures of our RV makeover and also affiliate links to pretty much everything that we bought to remodel the rig. We did it all for under $2000. We weren’t really trying to save money or keep the budget under any certain amount and definitely had some just for fun purchases that made the total go up. . . but we are happy with the outcome! 

Luckily since it was a new rig and didn’t have any water damage or things like that to fix we could just jump in and have fun updating the RV interior. We did a lot of research online for remodel ideas and looked at a lot of RV renovations to decide what we wanted to do with ours. Here is a step by step guide on what we did for our remodeling projects. 

Before and After

We will kick it off with before and after pictures of the rig before breaking it down into detail for each section of the rig and what we did. 

Kitchen: Before and After

Living Room Before and After:

Bedroom Before and After

  RV Before and After

        Kitchen

Backsplash

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                  Video of Finished Travel Trailer Remodel

    In our last rig we did a bohemian tile backsplash which I really liked. But this time around all the RV remodel pictures that were callin my name were a much more white and basic look. My husband is also a fan of this so we went with a white subway tile look.

We purchased the white stick on tiles from Amazon and got to work removing the old backsplash and adding these tiles on. The hardest part about doing this in an RV is that none of the lines in the trailer are actually straight . . . everything is off by just a little bit.

Yet when you are installing tiles you want everything to line up! Please don’t look that close at the picture – from afar they look great but upclose I can notice everything that is off . . .

I bought 2 packs and thought I would be good to go. Of course not. I ran out so had to order a 3rd. Note: Always order 1 more then you think.

The tiles went up fairly easily thought some of them are coming off a little bit now. Maybe since I put them on and took them off to rearrange them too many times . . . but I just keep repushing/sticking them on the wall and it is all good.

Click the image to buy on Amazon:

Sink Window

One of the things I really don’t like about RV’s is those window valance things. It takes a away from the view out the window and they are just so big and bulky. Those had to go ASAP. Plus the shades that come with the RV always break so it just makes sense.

We took the valance around the window down and then went to IKEA to buy these low profile shades. My sister uses them in her rig and they have been happy with them so figured we would give it a go. So far so good!

Area Behind Sink

Shelf behind the sink

We usually move at least once a week. So everything in our rig needs to be functional and able to easily be locked down when we move. I saw a picture with a shelf across the kitchen window and loved the way it looked and the idea of having plants in our space.

I found a shelf on Amazonthat was about the perfect size. I am not sure if the wood color really works but for now we are going with it.

I haven’t secured it down to the counter yet but may do that with some mounting tape in the future. For now I like the flexibility to move it around back there based on if I want to put a bottle of wine back there.

Click on the image to buy on Amazon now:

Succulent Plants

I knew if we did plants they needed to be easy to maintain. These succulent plants are perfect! I bought the planters on Amazon and love the bohemian feel to them. And then went to Home Depot and my daughter picked out which plants we should get.

I really like the way they look and they are holding up well.

Click on the image to buy on Amazon now:

Globe

We travel fulltime so the globe has a strong appeal to us. We use to have a big one in our old house but obviously now we don’t have room. This small globe was perfect!

Picture Frame

I haven’t been good over the years in including pictures in our decorations but wanted to change that this time around. This cute little frame was from IKEA and fits perfect up there. You can even see the picture on the other side through the window.

Essential Oil Diffuser

I love this diffuser and it fits perfectly on this spot. I really like how you can smell the oils right when you walk in the door. Plus it can be a nightlight at night for the kitchen area. 

Click the image to buy on Amazon now:

Light Up Sign

Total random purchase but every time I see these in Target I love them so I got one. Not sure it really works here but it is what it is for now :). Here is a similar one you could purchase on Amazon:

Travel Days

On travel days I take everything off of the shelf and put it in the sink and for now store the shelf underneath the dinette. It isn’t too much of a hassle so I am OK with the fact I have to move it every time we travel.

Area By Stove

Spice Rack

In other rig we had a huge spice rack and it was so nice to have. However we realized we only use a few of the spices. So this time we opted for a smaller spice rack. We also got some of these glass containersso we can transfer our salt and pepper into them and everything fits great.

Click the images to buy on Amazon now:

Basket

Behind the stove we wanted a basket where we could easily grab the things we use a lot, coffee, sugar, oatmeal. This basket fits perfectly and theses containers are the right size to fit within the basket.

Click the image to buy on Amazon now:

Flour

We also bought a flour container that isn’t really a flour container (all the real flour containers were to big for the spot) but fits in the spot next to the basket. It has made accessing all of these things for making pancakes and other things very easy!

Click the image to buy on Amazon now:

Berkey

We have had a Berkey since we got on the road and highly recommend them to everyone! Ours sits perfectly right on the edge of the sink where it is out of the way but accessible by us and the kids.

You will LOVE your Berkey!! Order one today!!

Coffee

We have been making coffee with one of these contraptionsfor years now. The coffee tastes so good and has the perfect amount of caffeine so we normally only have 1 cup a day.

Click on the image to buy on Amazon now:

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  Cabinet Shelves

RV cabinets are always so big so you need a cabinet shelf or 2 to make the space more functional. These ones always work out well and are pretty sturdy.

Click on the image to buy on Amazon now:

Fridge

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I found out our fridge was magnetic!! We haven’t had a magnetic fridge in any of our rigs. I wanted to update the boring black so I ordered this peel and stick picture collage from Walgreens and it turned out great! Plus the fridge is still magnetic so we can stick up the kids artwork or any important documents we want on the fridge.

I went with a 24X36 size and it wasn’t a perfect fit with the fridge so we did have to cut the sides off. Note: When adding pictures push them more towards the middle and make sure you won’t be cutting anyone’s head out of a picture when you put it on your fridge! Also get the black background to match your fridge. Then you can’t tell that the size isn’t quite right. 

Magnetic Calendar

For the top of the fridge we did a magnetic calendar so everyone can easily see what date it is. The markers are also magnetic so everything is right there. It has been great!

Click on the image to buy on Amazon now:

Then we surrounded the calendar with magnets we pick up when we visit National Parks and Cities on our travels!

Envelope Holder/Key Holder

It was so annoying when we first got in the rig and there was no where to put the keys! We actually took the envelope holder from our old rig and mounted it pretty much in the same place and it is a great place to hang our keys and to put the campground map and other important documents we want to easily have access too.

The exact one we ordered is no longer available. But this one looks very similar. Just click the image to order from Amazon now:

Door Area

There was a good amount of white space around the door so I wanted to figure out how to fill it :)! This is what we came up with.

Time Zone Clocks

I wasn’t sure what to put above the door and then my sister recommended doing timezone clocks after I said I didn’t want to do a clock since we move across time zones so often so it would be annoying to have to change it.

Enter the time zone clocks! I got 4 6 inch clocks and now we have the time showing for each timezone in the US. I labeled each of them with a city that the kids know in that timezone. I love the way it looks and they have had so much fun seeing the times in the other locations.

I hung them up with these Command hooks so that I can still take them down and change the batteries when I need to. 

I ended up purchasing mine from Target. But you could get something similar from Amazon (click the image to check it out on Amazon):

I also got the gold letters from Target and you could check it out there or order something similar on Amazon (click the image to check it out on Amazon). Just be sure to measure your space and make sure you get the right size letters:

Decorations

We were at Target looking for something else and came across these fun decorations! I love animal print and they were gold and had a pineapple one. I did not initially start out with gold as a prime color and with pineapples as part of the theme but it basically evolved into that and I love it! Animal print, Gold and Pineapples!

One of the fun things when you are doing a remodel is your head is focused on what you are doing so when you are out and about you come across random things and then figure out YES that is perfect! So always be on the lookout and know things will ebb and flow as you find stuff that will work. 

Living Room

We wanted to have a Bohemian feel in the living room but also a clean feel so we went with white walls. 

Paint

Craig painted the walls with this color using the Behr Marquee Paint: Swirling Water. It is amazing what a coat of paint can do to a space! 

Futon

Who buys a brand new rig and then takes the couch out . . . yup we did just that. Those RV couches just aren’t very comfortable or big – it was pretty bulky with the arm rests which took away space for sitting. And the bed was awkward.

Tape measure out and off to IKEA we went. Nothing we found lined up perfectly and ideally we wanted something with a chaise lounge setup at the end that would work as a bench at the table. But we ended up with a huge Futon that we are really liking.

You can still sit at the end of the futon and use it as a bench for the table. Then the bench we bought for the table (that doesn’t fit there) we are using as a coffee table. It is working out great!

Eventually we may take out the other booth and move the table over so we can have 2 benches and the table but for now we are good with it how it is. You can check out the futon by clicking here.

Blankets

In the living room area I really wanted to go with a Bohemian look. So what does that mean? Lots of pillows and blankets! We got this huge blanket to cover the whole couch. Adds a touch of style and keeps the couch clean.

Click the image to order on Amazon now:

Yellow Blanket

Then we got this yellow blanket because Bohemain = lots of blankets 🙂

Click the image to order on Amazon now:

Pillows

Then we got all the pillows! On Amazon you can buy the pillow cases and then the pillows separately so we did that for a lot of them.

We got a large pillow and pillow case.

  Then 4 18X8 size pillows and pillow cases. 

  IKEA Pillow

I saw this Lion pillow and really wanted it at IKEA so we grabbed it up.

H&M Pillow

Did you know H&M sells home decor? I didn’t know that but now I do and that is where I got a lot of these pillow covers and ordered the pillows from Amazon.

We now have a lot of pillows!

Baskets

I got one of these large baskets baskets to add some style and because there is always something that can go into a basket! And a small basket for the kids to play with. 

  Charging Station

We ended a power strip below the table and a double basketto put the kids tables and phones when we want to charge them. I also got retractable power cords for their tablets and short cords for the phones so there weren’t cords everywhere! It is out of the way so works out well. I mounted the power strip to the wall using mounting tape. 

     Book Basket

We use a basket under the table to store all of the books so they are easy to get to. I have not idea where I got this – we have had it for a while. But possibly target?? Here is something else that would work. Just be sure to measure your space under the table to make sure it will fit past the table legs. 

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Dog Bed

We found this dog bed that works well for Indy and since it has a “back” it keeps her place pretty well.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Dog Food Bowls

These dog food bowls are great since they bring the food higher up to her level and ther is food storage under where the bowls are. Perfect!

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Booth Blanket

To reupholster the whole booth would take a lot of money since I would have to hire someone. So instead of doing that I opted to get a bohemian style blanket and just wrap it around the booth cushions. It falls down but is doing the trick.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Art Station

We must have an art station on the table to hold the kids paper, markers, scissors. And this table top one works out great. On travel days I just stick it under the table. I picked ours up at Target but this one would work out well too. 

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Storage Bins

We found storage bins at IKEA that fit perfectly under the futon which works out great for storing games and extra toys. They don’t fit with the lid but without they are perfect. Always remember to measure!

World Map

I loved having a huge world map up in our other rig. This one didn’t have as much space to put one but I found the perfect size for the slideout wall! You just peel off the countries or continents and stick them up on the wall. I am sure it somewhat off of scale but it is giving the kids a good enough idea of what the world looks like.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Adventure Awaits

I love this Adventure Awaits quote stickerand the idea that the arrow is pointing out the door – since yes Adventure does await!

Make sure to measure your space then click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Pictures

I had a couple of our favorite pictures blown up and put into frames so we could stick them on the wall. I recommend looking for really cheap and light frames so you can easily put them on the wall with mounting tape. 

Life Is For Adventures

This white space under the window kept calling out to me so I had to find something to go there. This mountain stickerwas perfect! It was a bit of a hassle to get up there but I am glad I did it.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Pineapple Planters With Air Plants

I was super excited to add more greenery into the RV and check out these adorable pineapple planters! They are perfect for these air plants!

Good Vibes Only

Me and my family need to hear this regularly so we put it front and center on the wall in gold! I ordered this Good Vibes Only print and then purchased a frame to put it in.

Click the images to check it out on Amazon:

Dr. Suess quote

This is by far one of my favorite Dr. Suess quotes so I know I wanted it in the rig. If there is one thing I can instill in my kids this is it!

It fit perfectly above the slideout! Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Dream

I love these 3 words and love that Dream is in gold glitter! It rounded out the top of the slideout perfectly. I picked these up when they were on sale at Hobby Lobby.

Hanging Decorations

To continue with the bohemain theme I got a few random hanging decorations that we could add to the side of the slideout. Cost Plus World Market has a great selection to pick from!

Floor Pillow

We got this big floor pillow at Cost Plus World Market as another place to sit either at the end of the table (though it is a little low for that) or just to sit in front of the TV or next to the couch. It has been nice to have. Now that I found this one on AmazonI might have to replace ours! 

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Twinkle Lights

Gotta love the twinkly lights! We ordered a pack of these to add some fun lights throughout the rig.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Hanging Flags

We had these in our old rig as well and I really like what they stand for so we ordered 2 sets so they could go across the whole slideout. We picked these up at Cost Plus World Market. 

Light up Decorations

Wanted to add a fun touch so went with an R for our last name and these light up decorations. And look at that the pineapple showed up again :).

Click on the image to check them out on Amazon:

Coffee Table/Bench

I am really happy we stumbled upon getting a “coffee table”. It was suppose to be a bench for the dinette but we ran out of room. So it transitioned to a coffee table that gets used all the time! We got this one at IKEA. 

Coat Hooks

We went some heavy duty command hooksthat so far have held up well to hang 1 coat per person.

Leash holder

How fun is this doggy butt leash holder. We picked this up at IKEA.

Rug

We already had pretty nice vinyl flooring so it was great we didn’t have to do anything major with the floor! To keep adding some color and flare we went with a bohemian runner rug from Amazon. It fits well in this spot and for the most part stays put. 

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

TV Mount

The TV can not swivel out which just doesn’t make sense to me since you can’t really see it from the couch . . . luckily Craig found a company that makes an arm and swivel for the TV that fits right in the mount we have! Check them out here. 

Peel and Stick Wallpaper

I love this gold cheetah print wallpaper. I ended up having to order 2 additional rolls to cover all the places I wanted it! I also made myself not put anything up on these walls since I felt the wallpaper made it such a great accent piece.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Bedroom

It has been a few rigs since Craig and I have had a bedroom so I was super excited to decorate this one! We actually started out with the bedroom being bohemian and then it quickly fell out into the whole rest of the rig. I don’t know why I tried to change it. I have always liked the bohemian look and feel.

Cheetah Print Gold Peel and Stick Wallpaper

This is the first place that the Cheetah Print wallpaperstarted. I have a thing for animal prints and this one was gold and available on Amazon – it was like it was meant to be!

Night Sky Peel and Stick Wallpaper

I wanted to go all out in the bedroom so we did a peel and stick wallpaper on the ceiling. This was so not an easy thing . . . don’t look closely the paper is all creased . . . we hit a point where it was like just put it up there whatever!! But I do like the way it looks!

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Baskets

I wanted to get matching baskets that had a variety of textures so I got 2 of these from Target and the other 3 from Amazonand they fit perfectly and we use them for our clothes.

Click the image to check them out and all the different colors the basket comes in:

Pineapple Hanger

Look pineapples again :). I found this at Cost Plus World Market and knew I wanted to add it to the room. It is perfect for putting my headbands and scarfs on.

Baskets next to the bed

I wanted a basket for both Craig and I to go next to the bed so we had a good place just to throw our stuff but it didn’t look like a crazy mess. The baskets work great for that! I picked these up at Target. Me sure to measure your space and bring the measurements with you to the store. 

Guitar Stand

We never really had the right place to put Craigs guitar so finding a guitar standand setting it up in the corner was perfect!

Click the image to check out on Amazon:

Windows

The valances came down again and up went the IKEA shades and then a curtain rod around it with curtains I had made from a Bohemian sheet. I don’t have a sewing machine with us so I stopped in at a dry cleaners and they were able to make them for me. This was the perfect window treatments for our bedroom! 

Floor Basket

I got a huge floor basket to put next to the bed for when we don’t want as many blankets on the bed. It is so nice to have a place to put the blankets instead of the floor. I picked this one up from Cost Plus World Market.

Comforter

I wanted a bohemian style comforter and this one had great reviews for being really bright and it is! It is actually a comforter cover that I just put around my old comforter. It also came with 2 pillow cases.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Pillow cases

We ordered these 2 additional pillow casessince we have 4 pillows in our bed.

Click the image to check out on Amazon:

Throw Pillows

Bohemian = throw pillows. So we got more throw pillows for our bed :). We basically rotate between the ones on the couch and the ones on our bed. 

Christmas Lights

We went with the Christmas lights instead of the twinkle lights in here. Craig just likes them better. He bought these clips to hang them with. 

Back Pillows

We got these huge back pillows and they work great for when we want to sit up in bed and read, look at our phone or watch TV. We picked these up at Target a year or so ago. 

TV

There was already a mount for a TV and we ordered another one of the arm swivel things so we can bring the TV out and sit comfortably and watch it in bed at night when the kids are sleeping.

Paint

We painted the walls this fun blue color: Thai Teal – Behr Marquee paint from Home Depot.

It was super easy to paint the walls so I am glad we did it!

Bunkbeds

For the bunkbed area we wanted the kids to do what they wanted in there so they bought some posters they liked at Walmart, a white board and a peg board and so far have just decorated their areas that way.

Stuva

The 3 younger ones also have a Stuva at the head of their bed where they can put all of their toys. It fits perfectly and did in our other rig too so thinking maybe that is a thing??

They have some baskets in their stuva and know that all of the inside toys they have needs to fit into the Stuva and it works out great.

Fans

We also got these battery or plug in fans. Perfect for when we are boondocking and can’t plug them in. We have been really happy with these fans. Don’t forget to get batteries!

Click the image to check out on Amazon:

Curtains

We added this bohemian fabric to their curtains to change it from the boring brown color they come in. I also brought these to the cleaners and paid them to sew the fabric on. 

Print for my daughter’s wall

I got this print for my daughters wall. Because this quote is awesome!

Check it out on Amazon here:

Bathroom sink area

We wanted to make this area as clean as we could. Yet have a few things really easy to get to that everyone uses every day.

Basket

We have a basket on the counter that keeps all of the things we want easily accessible. Brushes, hair gel, lotion, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J7ZAHM4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Nightlight

It is the perfect spot for a nightlight by the kids bed. I found this cute mason jarone.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

To match the nightlight I had to get the mason jar soap dispenser :).

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Be You, Be Bold, Be Brave

I wanted to put a good saying right behind the sink that was at their level. They can’t miss it. It says BE YOU and the you is gold!

The other 2 sayings go on the bathroom wall above the towel.

Click the image to check out on Amazon:

Sayings

I couldn’t decide what saying I wanted in the Living Room so got both of these, bought frames and used mounting tape to add them to the bathroom wall.

Click the image to check them out on Amazon:

Paint

We painted this area the same as the bedroom walls to keep bringing everything together: Thai Teal Behr Marquee paint from Home Depot. 

Mirror

We always buy the cheap long mirrors from Walmart. They are super light and can be stuck on the bathroom door with mounting tape and usually stay put when we are traveling.

Over the Door Hangers

We us an over the door hanger for all the hats. It keeps them organized and out of the way. We picked ours up at Walmart I believe. 

Bathroom

National Parks Map

We hang this National Parks Map right in front of the toilet so the kids have something to look at when they are going. It works since they tell me about the National Parks and where they are all the time! I did have to cut the poster for it to fit. 

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Digestive System Poster

We also have this digestive system poster that goes on the bathroom door so they can learn all about what is going on when they are goin.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Letter Board

Craig is in charge of putting fun sayings up on the letter board for when the boys are peeing. Ha! Always finding fun ways to make our “home” a cool place.

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Shower curtain

We use the bathtub for storage so the shower curtain is a perfect way to add some color and close in that chaos!

Click the image to check out on Amazon:

Shower curtain rod

We took out the shower curtain they had and replaced it with a shower curtain tension rod we picked up at Target.

Laundry basket

I love that this big laundry basket fits right in the bathtub and it would be easy enough to move out if someone wants to use the shower (we usually use the campground showers). We picked this up at Target. 

Vacuum

Our friends from yTravelBlog have this vaccuumin their rig and it works really well! It does have to be charged so we are getting better at remembering to charge it!

Click the image to check it out on Amazon:

Other things that go in here are the broom, shower bag and laundry soap.

Shower Hooks

These hooks are great for hanging a wet bathingsuit and a place to put our shower towels to dry.

Paint

We went with Power Gray in the bathroom and figured the shower curtain brought a lot of color!

So there you have it! 2 weeks later and a whole lot of work we are done with the inside and ready to roll and we have a great RV! You could easily do these remodel ideas in a trailer, 5th wheel, motorhome, class C, really any of the rigs out there!

We will do a future post on the solar setup and outside gear.

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The post 2 Week Complete RV Remodel For Under $2000 [Video Included] appeared first on Crazy Family Adventure.

[seriouslyhooked]

Wedded Bliss and Asterisks (A Modern CS AU) Part 21/?

Emma Swan is an enemy of love who just happens to be an up and coming wedding dress designer. She’s convinced that a fairytale kind of romance is nowhere in her future but when she meets Killian Jones, whose magazine is covering the opening of her new boutique, things change. Suddenly Emma finds herself drawing up new plans for her life, ones that seem to all be leading towards her own form of wedded bliss. Rated M.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six,Part Seven.Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen,Part Seventeen, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen, Part Twenty. Also onFF Here.

A/N: So finally after six months of working on this story we are at the promised land so to speak. This AU I started about a romantically skeptical wedding dress designer gets the wedding it deserves today and I am so glad this moment is here at last. It will bring the cute and the smuffy and all my usual wedding elements in one fluff-filled installment. I hope you all enjoy and thank you so much for all your support through this journey!

In all the time Emma had been building her career on the foundations of new love and breathtaking weddings, she’d never really taken to the details or the planning.

Emma’s vision for what would make a perfect ceremony simply didn’t match up to what most of her clients wanted. Big crowds would never be her thing and while there were picturesque churches and venues all across this city, Emma had always thought that a wedding outdoors was the way to go. A cool breeze on a sunny day with blue skies was her ideal for when she was exchanging her vows, and when she closed her eyes and allowed herself to picture a ceremony she was always standing out in nature with a pleasing sort of quiet all around.

That of course was easier said than done given their location in the city. Arguably Emma and Killian could have made this a destination wedding outside of the metropolitan limits, but that kind of hassle coordinated in just a few month’s time seemed an impossible feat, so Emma had resigned herself to something beautiful indoors. She needn’t have bothered though, for Mary Margaret and the rest of her friends had achieved the impossible, supplying Emma with a picture perfect place she’d always loved but never imagined could be used for her special day.

“I still can’t believe you guys managed to shut down the gardens for the whole day just for me,” Emma said from her spot under a great, pitched, white tent where she and her friends had been getting ready. It was a ways away from the actual processions, which would be held in the rose garden, but this patch was beautiful too with its fall perennials blooming up in the last mild wave of heat before the autumn chill would come.

“We would do so much more, Emma. You know that,” Mary Margaret promised as she came to stand beside her, her eyes filling with tears yet again though they’d been misty all day since they’d first arrived.

“I do,” Emma agreed nodding and taking her friend’s hand in hers. “It just… it feels like a fairytale or something. I almost can’t believe it’s real.”

“Pinch yourself,” Elsa said gleefully from where she was fixing the last bit of her golden hair into the long, elegant braid she’d decided on. “I’ve been doing a lot of that these days, scared it’s all just some wonderful dream.”

Emma laughed at Elsa’s suggestion, loving that her friend was so happy with everything going on in her world too, but then she yelped a bit when she felt a sharp stinging prick. It was from Ruby who’d snuck up on her from behind to get in on some of the fun and no doubt make a witty, sarcastically inclined joke.

“This is real, Emma, but if you need continued reminders they can be provided. It’ll just be a little strange to explain to Killian when your wedding night comes why you’re black and blue all over.”

The mere mention of her wedding night to Killian made Emma’s blood hum and her spirits lift even higher than they already were. She wanted to get there so bad, and part of her wanted to just be man and wife all ready. At the end of the day, that union was what she wanted more than everything else, and if they’d just had a quickie wedding at City Hall that would have been fine by her. Emma would still be married to the man she loved and that was what she wanted. But then there was also the part of her that realized just how lucky she was to have a day like this one and that counseled her to take in every tiny detail. Emma wanted to remember all of this to carry with her always, and she knew before so much as setting a foot in the direction of that aisle that this would always and forever be one of the best days of her life.

“Speaking of Killian, I’m kind of shocked we haven’t seen him,” Elsa said looking around as if he’d pop up somewhere.

The thought of that made Emma laugh, seeing as she’d born witness to Mary Margaret’s not half-hearted threats of Killian breaking with tradition. It had been made very clear that should Killian break protocol there would be a problem, and though Mary Margaret was small and from the outside not terribly scary, Killian had the good sense not to mess with Emma’s feisty and opinionated friend.

“Oh you have in a way,” Mary Margaret said. “All these flowers? They’re from him.”

“They are?” Emma asked, not having realized that was the case. She’d loved them the second she entered the tent, immediately adoring how these ones were more wild and vibrantly colored than any of the ones she and Mary Margaret had chosen for the bouquets or the ceremony itself, but Emma also knew Mary Margaret and she thought her friend would love splurging on these beautiful blossoms to keep Emma’s spirits up as she was pampered and readied for the ceremony ahead.

“Yeah, didn’t you see the note?” Mary Margaret asked and then she looked to the central bouquet and there, clear as day, was a letter in an envelope with Emma’s name on it in Killian’s scrawl.

“That’s my bad,” Elsa admitted a little guiltily. “When we were walking in here I distracted everyone with croissants, remember?”

“How could we forget?” Ruby asked, running her hand along her stomach and across the stunning full-length dress she was donning. “You got any more of those lying around somewhere?”

“I might,” Elsa stated primly. “But you have to promise no more mishaps. You nearly ruined your dress last time and all for the sake of chocolate. Emma’s dresses are way too beautiful to be risked that way, staining it would be downright criminal.

Emma absentmindedly smiled at the compliment of the work she’d done on the gowns in the very limited down time she had at the shop, recalling how each friend had a slight difference in style so they wouldn’t feel so uniform. They were done in a soft, rose-kissed bellflower color that was at once elegant and still vivid enough to convey the sense of romance Emma wanted and each dress symbolized the personalities of Elsa, Mary Margaret, or Ruby in some tangible way and was then highlighted even more by the arrangement of white and pink flowers that tied each friends’ hair back. Curled and styled to perfection, they all of them looked sleek and pristine enough for a photo shoot, but the flowers imbued just a touch of wildness and magic to the feel, just as the arrangement of flowers holding Emma’s hair did in their purely ivory shade.

But truth be told thoughts of flowers and dresses couldn’t hold a candle to the crisp white envelope in her hand, and soon everything else faded away as Emma fixated on her note, which was more than welcome after a full day of being apart from her husband to be. Eagerly she devoured every word, feeling their thoughtfulness and caring as she did, and allowing that sense of peace and rightness that always came with Killian to infiltrate her heart and make an already wonderful day that much more lovely.

My Dearest Emma,

To say that I am ready for this perfect day is an understatement. Truth is I have been hoping it would come for so long I’ve lost count of just how much waiting there has been, but knowing that the wait is nearly over means everything to me.

Today you and I will stand up in front of our loved ones and our friends, exchanging our vows and sealing this love that we’ve found together in a way that can never be broken. I fully intend to make use of this opportunity we have today, Emma, and there are plenty more promises to come, ones you deserve to hear and feel and be certain of every day for the rest of our days. But for now I will simply say this: everything I have and everything I am is yours, and it has been since I first saw you as a stranger on the train.

Perhaps I didn’t realize it in full then, and maybe the visions of making you my wife and putting my ring on your finger hadn’t bloomed completely all those months ago, but I was halfway in love by our first date, and the rest of this journey – the rest of this blissful fall  – has been the best thing to ever happen to me. You, Emma Swan, are the best thing in the world and I will love you always without question and I can hardly wait until the moment comes when I get to say ‘I do.’

Holding that note close to her chest when the words were read with tender love and the utmost care, Emma felt the tears prickling at her eyes. Her heart was so full in the face of Killian’s professions, and though he’d made these sentiments known many times before, their power was in no way diluted. Instead, between Killian’s clear and unyielding love and the almost tangible magic of their surroundings and the general aura of today, Emma felt like she was floating through this picture perfect moment that was almost too good to be true.

“What do you think he wrote to her this time?” Elsa asked in the background, though Emma didn’t look up to where her friend was not so quietly trying to get answers.

“What he always writes – something wonderful that makes him the one person in the world Emma could ever happily marry,” Ruby said, sure of both Killian’s goodness and his rightness for Emma. That certainty was touching too, gracing the already happy buzz inside Emma’s heart with just a bit more joy and that was it, the tears were falling, and Emma couldn’t avoid her friends anymore, looking up at them with a big smile on her face.

“How the heck did I become this person?” Emma asked half mocking and half serious in her inquiry as her friends all came over to circle around her. “I always thought the whole crying on your wedding day thing was so cliché…”

“That’s because you were a cynic, and if Granny’s take on life can be trusted it’s the cynics who fall hardest in the end,” Ruby attested and Emma laughed, totally believing that to be true because she was living proof of such a theory.

In the years leading up to the moment she met Killian, Emma had never actively engaged with the idea that she would fit this script. She wasn’t looking for a wedding or marriage or someone to complete her, and she didn’t fit the mold of what so many other people seemed to want. She’d always denied that she was lonely or that she needed any kind of man in her life at all for more than a one night stand, and love, nice as it may seem in stories of old, was just a way of losing all that she’d worked for and then losing herself too. What Emma desired more than anything was to be her own person and find her own path on no one else’s terms but her own. She’d craved independence for her peace of mind, and the only exceptions she allowed were her friends who all understood that she would be there for them always but that she had to remain true to herself no matter what. 

What she hadn’t realized though was that loving someone, or really loving the right person, didn’t have to change that. She could still be the Emma that she wanted to be with Killian and somehow she could be more too because Killian saw her as more and showed her day in and day out that she was the most important person in the world to him. With that consistency and earned trust in someone who was there for her and who would stay no matter what, Emma had come into her own, and the last barriers between her and really understanding herself and what she needed had been conquered. Now Emma could honestly say that she was walking down the aisle with no fears or qualms or worries, and though she might not be able to see the future exactly, she had faith that wherever life may take them, she and Killian would be more than all right.

“I never could have gotten here if it hadn’t been for you guys,” Emma whispered to her friends, watching as each of them accepted that thought and knowing that they’d heard it from her before. But though they might think they understood, Emma didn’t think anyone ever could. Unless they had grown up in the same way as Emma, with that constantly gnawing feeling of having no one who cared and no one to turn to, they couldn’t truly comprehend what finding family meant, and before romance had stepped into her world Emma had found family with the three best friends anyone could ever have.

“None of us would be where we are without you either, Emma. We needed you just as much as you needed us,” Mary Margaret promised while taking Emma’s hand in hers as Elsa took the other.

“And we always will, Emma. No matter what happens, we will always have each other.”

Emma laughed more to let out the bubbling sense of emotion gripping at her than at any humor and she looked across to Ruby who was still standing there with a teasing smirk in typical form. That was for the best though to be honest, because if they all indulged in much more of this, they were all going to fall into that state of sappiness Emma pretended to dread but clearly didn’t mind so much. Nevertheless she wanted to uphold at least some of her reputation and when Ruby cracked a joke, it helped tremendously in that effort.

“So is this the part where we pinky swear to always be best friends?” Ruby asked, playfully. “Because I was kind of hoping we could be that adventurous, bad ass friend group that has a way more hard core means of cementing our bond.”

“Where the heck did you get the idea that we’re totally ‘bad ass?” Mary Margaret asked through her happy tears. “Two weekends ago we watched a marathon of Judy Garland movies and there wasn’t a dry eye in my living room, so you need to reevaluate.”

“Touché,” Ruby said knowing when she was beat and finally giving in and coming to join them, pulling all of them in for a hug. “All right fine, we can have one minute – maybe two - of this mushy stuff and then we’re getting Emma married. Deal?”

The friends all agreed that it was to be so before laughing together and embracing each other in a slightly weepy way. After all emotions were high, and today was a big day, but the most prevalent feeling Emma gathered from her circle of chosen sisters was support and hope, hope that she would find everything she was looking for with Killian, and that she’d continue on this path where she chose love and reaped the happy benefits of that choice each and every day.

“I hate to break up this moment, my dears,” a voice that Emma recognized as Mrs. Hubbard’s called from across the tent, pulling all of their attention in that direction. “But it’s time to get this show on the road. Emma’s got an awfully handsome and wildly impatient man out there waiting for her, and I think you’ve got sixty seconds at most before he comes and carries her down the aisle herself.”

“That sounds about right,” Ruby said at Mrs. Hubbard’s words, and Emma found herself grinning and laughing again at the summary of where they were as her friends all pulled back and grabbed their bouquets readying themselves for the march down the aisle.

In that moment all of it became even more real to Emma. She could feel herself standing at the precipice of this next big step and after a life spent mostly believing that love just wasn’t going to be in the cards for her she was ready to prove her past suspicions wrong. As such she took her own bushel of flowers in hand, thinking to herself that there should have been something like nerves in the picture right now, but there weren’t any. There was no sense of questioning, only the real and vibrant feeling that this was about to be one of the happiest moments of her whole life.

“Are you ready, Emma?” Mary Margaret asked, pulling Emma from the daydreams of what it would be like to walk down that aisle and tie herself to Killian forever, and without any kind of hesitation Emma nodded.

“Definitely,” she affirmed and with that there was one final hug between the friends before they were descending through the greenery in their single file line to arrive at the rose garden.

The march itself, though winding at the start, wasn’t very long, but there was time for Emma to imagine so much about what it would be like and how Killian would look waiting for her at the end of the line. The Universe couldn’t have granted them a prettier day for a ceremony like this, and as someone who had seen so much of Mary Margaret’s gift for creating an atmosphere, Emma could only fantasize about how fantastic it would be, but her dreams never could have given the real thing justice and at the sight of the start of the official procession, Emma was amazed, taking in the splendor of Mary Margaret’s imagination for a brief time before the pinnacle moment came, the one where Emma was finally in view of her fiancé, and the rest of the world faded away.

In that instance, while gazing upon a man who was not just handsome and loyal and loving, but kind and thoughtful and sexy all at once, Emma felt in one of those all too rare ways that this was a moment she was destined to face. Walking down this aisle to Killian with their loved ones looking on felt like her spectacular fate, and it also felt like a critical spot in the tapestry of her story over all. Everything that had come before this, good, bad, and in between played a role in who she was right now in this flash of time. She was the product of the life she had lived, and in many ways the woman who made it to the end of that flower petal covered walk way and took Killian’s hand in hers had been shaped so much by the love of this man and the friends in her life who had all shown her that she was so much stronger than she knew, and that she deserved to be this happy.

“God your perfect,” Killian whispered to Emma, breaking that charge between them slightly and causing Emma to laugh. She wondered if he even realized he’d said that aloud, but in those crystal clear blue eyes of his there was nothing like regret, only a love so strong it commanded to be embraced fully and forever.

“Good thing you’re marrying me then,” she teased back, and while the grin Killian sported at her sass was enough reward to have Emma cherishing that tiny display of wit, the kiss he stole that broke with custom and expectation was even better. It was quick and fleeting, but its impact was pure, and as Killian pulled back and whispered that he loved her before looking to their justice of the peace, Emma felt more tears stinging her eyes.

The ceremony, gorgeous and expertly crafted together as it was, was both intimate and moving and there were more than a few times when Emma felt the beauty of the most important parts of her life all being tied together. Her best friends in the world were all standing there beside her cheering her on (or rather happily and mostly quietly weeping about this lovely union), while other friends sat throughout the crowd, filling the space around them all with well wishes and hope as Emma took that final leap of faith and went through every motion just to promise to the man that she loved that she would be his and he would be hers all the days of their lives.

“Today Emma and Killian have chosen to prepare their own vows. Killian, would you like to start?” The officiate asked, and with a nod that never dared to break the eye contact between him and Emma, Killian indicated that he would.

“Emma – before I met you I was living a life I thought I wanted, one that I fought hard for, but that ultimately wasn’t everything I hoped. I fancied myself content with work, with friends, and with the idea of success I carried with me always, but what I didn’t realize was that none of that mattered, at least not nearly as much as love. The world was black and white to me, and I was right there with it, going through the motions but lacking that spark of something that makes life truly all it can be.”

As Killian said the words, gifting them to Emma in front of a sea of people who loved them, Emma felt them reverberating through her. They were so relatable, a real expression of how similar they were, and how, crazy as it was, they had lived very similar lives. All the drive and determination and the boundless work ethic was something they shared, but that dedication at the expense of a real love life had also made this that much more of a risk for them. Both Emma and Killian had had to change a little bit to really let their relationship thrive, but it had been worth it, and Emma knew she felt just as Killian did, that she would never go back to that old life for anything.

“Then I met you, and though it took some time for me to make my move, you brought me the magic my life had been missing without even trying. You were the light in a universe I hadn’t realized was dark, and the color when I needed it most. In you I have found so much, Emma, and I’ve learned even more about what it means to love and be loved and how success is more than the business you build or the people you impress.”

“Amen, brother,” Liam proclaimed from behind, and though Killian and Emma’s eyes never wandered from each others, there was a rumbling of laughter that emanated all around them that both of them shared in as well.

“The truth is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life is love you, Emma Swan, and I vow to always love you, to have and to hold you, all the days of my life and ever after. I promise to build toward that life you want – the life we both want – a little bit more every day until we have everything and more. And whatever happens, whatever life may deem fit to throw in our way, I want you to know there is nothing I wouldn’t do to see you happy, and there is no trial or test we can’t withstand now that we have each other.”

It would have taken a stone cold heart to resist the pull of those vows, and Emma had anything but a hardened heart now. As such, she could feel the tears streaming down her face, but they were eased away as Killian’s hand came to cup her cheek and brushed them gently. In his blue eyes there was all the love in the world and an element of truth that could not be denied in any way, and the peace and hope that came with their expression melded so beautifully with the exhilaration Emma was experiencing knowing that this was actually happening and that she wasn’t going to wake up to it all having been some marvelous dream. This was really her life, and it had never ever been better than it was in this moment.

“Hot foreign guy,” Emma whispered. The slip of words must have been incredibly random because they had Killian’s brow furrowing and confusion reading all over his face, but when she realized what she’d said Emma laughed before shaking her head and continuing on. “There was a time, back when you were just a stranger on the train, when you were once only known to me as hot foreign guy.”

“Let me guess,” Killian said as a smile warmed his face and his hands came to take hers again. “Ruby had a hand in that particular moniker.”

“Guilty as charged,” Ruby said, causing Emma, Killian, and the rest of the crowd of attendees to laugh yet again.

“Yes. Before I knew you, Killian, you were just a man, a man I was scared to know or approach or classify as anything but ‘hot’ because with my track record I needed things tidy and clean and neat. It was the only way I knew to protect myself and keep myself from getting hurt, and with everyone else it always worked, until you. I tried to make you small in a way because even then I knew there was a risk: my gut was telling me that there was more to you than the attraction I was feeling and that… well it was pretty freaking scary.

“I had no proof of that of course, there was no evidence that you could be the one to heal the heartache of my past, but somehow I knew. I knew that you were different, and when the timing was right and we really met and got to know one another you proved me right while blowing away everything I thought I knew about love altogether. I wasn’t ready for you, Killian, and in some ways I still feel like that. I can’t believe we’re really here and that love like this can be real because life always taught me otherwise, but you show me every day that it can be and that what we’ve found, rare and amazing as it is, is the best thing in the world and the surest way to the purest kind of happiness a person can have.”

The look in her very soon to be husband’s eyes told Emma so much of what he was thinking, and as raw and exposed yet still willing and hopeful as she felt, Killian was just the same. It was beautiful to see and to know that as she said these words he was hearing her in just the way she needed to be heard. With Killian there was no judgment, there was just an understanding of who she was that was more intimate and thorough than anyone else in the world, and a love that wasn’t going to dull in any way come what may.

“I love you, Killian Jones. I love you with my whole heart and once upon a time that would have been enough to have me running, but now I’m stronger than I was and I’m surer in myself and what I want because I have you. You’ve given me freedom from my past like nothing else ever could and you’ve shown me that I am enough and that I always was and always will be. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that, but I do promise to love you forever and to always chose love for this day and the rest of my days, no matter what comes.”  

It was so incredibly hard when all of that was said not to just pull in her man for a kiss to seal the deal after laying out her vows, but somehow both Emma and Killian resisted. Yet no sooner had they uttered those two fateful words, ‘I do,’ then that kiss was had and their union was cemented there in front of all the people they loved. And though it might have been called a little too heated for the audience, and a little more risqué than the run of the mill wedding embrace, Emma didn’t care. Because at the end of the day it was perfect and more than befitting of a happy couple who loved as truly as they did, and who always would, forever more.

…………….

In the aftermath of a wedding ceremony that Killian could only describe as perfection itself, the tangible high of fully belonging to Emma was still more than present in every way.

Killian had spent the last few hours here at their reception mingling amongst their family and friends and feeling the real joy that came when so many people were invested in him and Emma and in their love’s success. But easily the best part of all of it was Emma herself, and Killian knew that if all of this had happened with just the two of them and none of the accompanying fanfare he’d have felt just as much. What was most gripping about today was the union they’d formed and the promises they’d made to stand together now and always, and the rest of it lovely and awe inspiring as it might be, was just a bonus for what mattered most.

“There have been more than a couple of times tonight when I’ve thought to myself ‘I need to stop smiling so much,’” Emma confessed, pulling Killian’s thoughts from where they’d wandered back to where she was now tucked into his arms as they danced in the middle of the ballroom where their reception was being held. “But then I look at you and at least I know I’ve got company in the whole over the top happiness thing.”

“Well, my love, this ‘thing’ as you’ve so eloquently put it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. I’ve a sneaking suspicion we’re in for quite a time of similar feelings.”

At his words, Emma melted further into his embrace, her smile warming all the more and making him feel totally complete. It was tantalizing and amazing and a more entrancing feeling Killian did not know, but there was this thought in the back of his mind that had been there all day: all of this was a moment in time he’d remember forever, but it was hardly over, and half of the anticipation of the wedding wouldn’t even manifest until they finally got out of this place and back home for the night. Tomorrow they’d be leaving on their honeymoon, but tonight… well Killian planned to remember each part of tonight with just as vivid detail as he would everything that had come so far.

“Thoughts like that will get you into trouble, Killian,” a voice that proved to be Liam’s said from beside him and Emma, and though the arrival of his brother halted Killian and Emma’s dancing, she didn’t step out of his arms and Killian didn’t dare to put any more space between them. “Much as you might like to, you can’t just run off from all this, at least not yet.”

“Definitely not,” Elsa agreed from her spot alongside Liam. “We’ve still got cake to eat and then there’s the pres- I mean, um, you know... more toasts and stuff.”

“Aye, the toasts and stuff,” Liam parroted a bit unevenly, casting a bemused expression at the woman he loved in what was hardly a look of censure despite her nearly giving away a crucial secret.

“Speaking of cake, now might not be such a bad time to have some, don’t you think Els?” Emma asked, sneaking a sly look at Killian and conveying to him in that moment that this was purposeful. With her fleeting glance Emma essentially made it known that she was eager for cake not for the treat itself but for the fact that it would be getting the show on the road, and it did Killian’s heart good to know that as lost in yearning for more privacy with Emma as he had been all evening, Emma was just as eager to get onto that part of the night too.

“Totally. But I might need some help… that thing weighs almost as much as me,” Elsa said, feigning as if she wouldn’t have an army of helpers from the staff hired tonight as she batted her eyelashes at Killian’s brother.

“I’m at your service, love, as you well know,” Liam promised, and Killian and Emma watched as Emma’s friend giggled happily before pulling Liam down for a quick kiss and leading him presumably to wherever the cake was waiting in the wings.

“So what do you think the present Elsa was clearly not suppose to be talking about could be?” Emma asked when Elsa and Liam were out of earshot on their way to the ivory colored confectionary monstrosity Elsa had created for this special day.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, my love,” Killian said casually, but despite his belief that he had a good poker face without any real tells, Emma saw through him immediately, looking a little accusatory though still happy at the same time.

“You’re totally in on it!” she cried out poking a finger into his chest as she let out a low and throaty chuckle, sending a flutter through Killian’s heart and sparking a grin at his lips he couldn’t contain.

“Perhaps, but you’ll enjoy this, Emma, I promise you that.”

And in the end that claim from Killian was proven to be true, for no sooner had the two of them cut the cake swiftly brought forth by Elsa and her staff, sharing the first bites together before the rest of the party had their share, then the moment of truth for the gift came and Emma discovered what had been done.

After weeks of planning and a fair amount of maneuvering on the parts of both Killian and Emma’s friends at Bliss, they’d managed to secure a honeymoon for Emma that wasn’t just the week away from the all the noise of the city they’d first planned, but three weeks spent visiting three separate places Emma had always wanted to see since she was a girl and that Killian was more than willing to show her. Together they’d be jetting off to France, Italy, and finally England, and though it would mean a fair bit more travel, Killian knew it was what Emma needed and that it’d give her not just the reprieve she required from her continuously hard work at the shop, but also adventures she’d been denied so far in life that he wanted her to have desperately.

“Wait, I don’t understand. This isn’t – I mean – I thought – we can’t go away for three weeks… can we?” Emma asked, her eyes turning to Killian showing her need for answers but also that almost childish sense of wonder that they might actually be able to do this given the busy nature of their lives.

“You can and you will,” Ruby proclaimed firmly. “It’s all arranged, Emma. We’re going to hold down the fort at the boutique while Will and Belle cover at the magazine for Killian. Meanwhile you’re going to go on that European adventure you’ve always talked about but never went on with your hot, foreign husband in what can only be described as the most romantic of getaways. There’s even a castle involved and you’re staying in it, princess.”

“There’s a castle?!” Emma asked, her eyes jumping back to Killian’s and they were wide with shock and more of that exuberant sense of delight.

“Well technically it’s a rather large villa but -,” Killian’s words were interrupted before he could set the record straight.

“It’s a castle!” all of Emma’s friends affirmed and then Emma was barking out a laugh and biting her lip before breaking into a smile and aiming it at him.

“I’d ask you how you did this, but it doesn’t matter. I love it, and I love you.”

Before Killian could say anything himself Emma was pulling him down for a kiss there in front of everyone, and though it was hardly the first they’d shared as husband and wife in front of this crowd today, there was whooping and hollering and cheering all the same. It was likely all out mayhem from what Killian knew about the loved ones they’d invited today and how frequently they’d all enjoyed the open bar, but he barely heard it because he was too wrapped up in Emma and too bloody glad for her approval of this rather risky gift (three weeks was almost an eternity in Emma’s estimations when it came to work) to pay it any mind. Instead he allowed himself to feel this glorious moment with the woman he loved, and then found himself wishing they could have so much more when it was over.

“What do you say we get out of here for a little while?” Emma asked, her voice dipping low and her fingertips tracing a soft line along his neck that had Killian’s blood pumping and body tightening. Then she licked her lips and he was damn near hopeless, finding it harder and harder to resist her always successful attempts at seduction.

“From my estimations there’s still about two more hours of festivities, my love. I’ve been told multiple times by Mary Margaret herself that us leaving this building any time before midnight simply isn’t an option.”

“Do you trust me?” Emma asked, her green eyes lit up with humor along with that mix of love and need that shone so brightly all evening long.

“Without question,” he replied instinctively and Emma beamed up at him before taking a look around the room and finding that many of their friends had returned to dancing or retreated back to the wedding party table, lost in their own worlds and conversations. Then when the coast was clear as it would be given the wandering eyes of the room, Emma made her move, and the two of them hustled out of the space with as little attention as they could procure as the two honorees of this reception.

Once outside of the ballroom itself, the sounds of music and party going were far more subdued than they had been inside, and the farther they walked, the quieter it became. It was a peaceful quiet too, one that allowed Killian to hear the thumping of his own heart that was still racing from the highs of the day, but the best part was the feeling of Emma’s hand in his, leading him through the corridors and up to an elevator away from the public eye that led somewhere Killian knew not, but that he couldn’t wait to see.

“I gather that my wife has had a plan this whole time,” Killian stated smoothly, pulling Emma back against him as the elevator doors closed, his lips coming to graze against her ear and eliciting a tiny shiver that he could feel through the fine fabric of her gown.

“Consider it a gift for both of us,” Emma quipped easily and Killian found himself chuckling as his hands traced lightly across her waist.

“Couldn’t stand the thought of waiting so long to get me alone, love?” Killian flirted and Emma rolled her eyes, but Killian saw through it and he felt the way her hand clutched his just a little tighter and the way her pulse fluttered against where his thumb ran against her wrist.

“I just figured that the all of five minutes we had together in the limo from the park to here wouldn’t be enough, and if my memory serves, I was right about that.”

The mention of their drive from the botanical gardens to here immediately sparked heated memories for Killian. In his mind he replayed that impassioned exchange as if he were living it right now and not exiting the elevator on one of the tallest floors of the hotel. Those precious few minutes hadn’t been nearly enough to satisfy his craving to have and claim his lovely bride, but it had been rather enlightening, and between the kisses and the teasing they’d both partaken in Killian learned some critical things, one of which was that Emma’s dress wasn’t just stunning but practical as well. His lovely and ever brilliant wife had actually designed this piece of wearable art in a way so that he could have easy access to her without tearing the garment from her body, and since she was too beautiful for Killian to even think about restraining his desire now that he had her alone, that was a godsend to both him and the dress itself.

“Nothing short of a lifetime with you will ever be enough, my love,” Killian whispered, taking Emma’s hand and raising it to his lips as they finally made it to the door of their destination and Emma hummed out a happy sound before slipping a keycard from where it had been hidden in her dress and opening the room to them.

“Good thing that’s what we spent today signing up for then,” Emma said as she pulled Killian in by the front of his shirt before he closed the door behind her and boxed her in against the hard wood. “But in the meantime we have this. Mary Margaret may or may not have given me the same scolding about leaving the premises too, but I figured technically this is a loophole since we’re still in the building.”

“You’re a bloody genius, Swan, you know that?” Killian asked, not bothering to look around a room he was sure was immaculate, but only caring about reveling in the pleasure of having Emma for a wife after all this time dreaming of when this day would come.

Emma laughed at Killian’s praise before running her hands up along his body lovingly, and when the melodic sound of her happiness faded, there was still every trace of it along her gorgeous features that made her look young and carefree. Though she was dressed in a stunning gown that was formal and elegant and every bit befitting of royalty itself, Emma had never looked more open and unguarded. The joy in her expression was tangible, and it so keenly matched Killian’s own sense of elation, that it was impossible for his own smile not to grow wider.

“So you’re still going to call me that now, even though I’m legally Emma Jones now?” Emma teased, and Killian growled low in his throat, loving the sound of his surname attached to her. Perhaps it was a tad bit possessive of him, but he didn’t care. It meant the world to know Emma had chosen him, and that even if her name in the public sphere would continue on as Swan so as to preserve the brand she’d steadfastly created, she was still his wife who’d loved him enough to take on the family Jones and to secure that someday the family they made together would share that name too.

“Always.”

With that promise, the thin line they’d both been walking of control seemed to snap and they were both in motion, arching together as close as could be for more kisses as their hands roamed and their hips sought out each others. It was heaven itself to have Emma in his arms like this and away from prying eyes, but in some ways it was also agony, for the one thing Killian wanted most was to take his time with her. This was their wedding night, and he wanted his woman to feel ravished and cherished in the way she deserved. Emma was a goddess amongst mere mortals, the best part of his world, and truly his everything, and Killian had always found that his best way of making her see and feel that was showing her, but right now he couldn’t illuminate his love for her the way he might like. After all there was still a party full of people downstairs waiting for them, and at most they probably had twenty minutes that they could afford to be gone before a search party was called and everyone noticed the prolonged absence of the happy couple.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Emma murmured as they came up for air, her breathing ragged with the passion between them and her eyes now darker with that undeniable sense of wanting that Killian too felt. “Tonight when we’re home again we can have everything, but right now I just need you, Killian.”

Even after all this time it was amazing to hear words like that from Emma, and the truth was they overwhelmed him even more now than they had at the start of their relationship. Yes, it had been a gift each and every time he took a new step towards trust and love and forever with her, but tonight, when everything had been said and an understanding had been reached in front of each other and God and everyone they loved, Emma’s words were even more powerful. Somehow, someway, this woman who held Killian’s whole heart in her hands had found fit to love him too and to want him back just as fiercely as he wanted her, and Killian would never deny her anything, not when in his heart of hearts he wanted all the same things and in the same ways.

“As you wish.”

Those three little words sealed their fates so to speak, and as Emma worked tirelessly to free the buttons of his dress shirt so her fingers could graze against the searing heat of his skin, Killian made quick work of utilizing the cuts in her dress to reveal her to him. What he found though stunned him and had his mouth watering too, for Emma in a wedding gown was one thing, but Emma in tiny white scraps of lace put on only for the purpose of being peeled off by him was something else all together.

“Killian,” Emma whimpered when his fingers grazed through the thin cut of her already soaked panties. “We don’t have time for teasing.”

“No teasing, love,” Killian ground out as her hands came to unzip his pants. “Just have to get you ready.”

“I’m ready now. Totally, totally ready,” Emma claimed as Killian knelt down before her, pulling one of her legs to come over his shoulder to open her up to him as his hands came up to do something less than gentlemanly that couldn’t be avoided. With one strong tug he tore the lace from her body, revealing her waiting sex and sending his hunger into full affect as he did, and then he looked back up at his waiting bride to see if she’d refuse him, but the unabashed desire in her eyes and the flush against her creamy skin said he’d find nothing like resistance and that was all the encouragement Killian needed.

As soon as his mouth was on her all thoughts of wanting something else evaporated from Emma’s mind and from Killian’s too, and as had often happened before Killian felt himself growing more and more addicted to making her writhe beneath him. Every sigh and moan and movement to get him closer turned him on, and Killian was unrelenting until the last possible moment when he knew that just one last swirl of his tongue against her clit would send her spiraling. Only then did he pull back, carrying Emma from where she’d been to the massive couch the room provided and releasing himself from the confines of his slacks to take his bride.

“I know what we promised today, Emma,” Killian said as he thrust inside her fully, almost losing track of everything when they groaned from the blinding pleasure at once. “God knows I know, but I need to hear it again, love.”

“I love you, Killian, and I’m yours forever,” Emma replied as her eyes met his, understanding already what he’d needed though he hadn’t had the wherewithal to put it into words himself. It was a testament to their connection and the bond they had to each other, and Killian vowed the same things between kissing her as they both rode that blissful high to total completion.

When relief finally did come it was fantastic and sublime, shattering that tension of ever growing need and easing the ache for a little while, but after they’d taken a few moments to come down from their peaks, Killian knew it wasn’t nearly enough. What he wanted right now was to whisk this miraculous woman back to their home and make love to her a hundred ways before jetting off on their honeymoon and having her all over Europe, but that couldn’t happen, not without disappointing their friends and by extension disappointing Emma too.

“I have an idea for how we make it through the next two hours,” Emma whispered, smiling against him and bringing an immediate smirk to Killian’s lips as well.

“And how is that, Swan?” he asked, pulling back to look at her and brushing away some fallen strands of her golden hair that had fallen out of place.

“We keep telling ourselves that we’ve got three whole weeks to make up for it with no interruptions from our meddling friends, and no responsibilities to get in the way.”

“Damn I love the sound of that,” Killian confirmed as he pulled Emma up to stand against him. “I love it almost as much as I love you, Mrs. Jones.”

And with that and a few final kisses, Emma and Killian headed back downstairs to dance and laugh and celebrate the joining of their lives with the people that they loved, knowing that they had years and years ahead of them to linger in this joy and to build a real and lasting happily ever after side by side.

Post-Note: So hopefully you guys will have enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it, and though it’s bittersweet because the end of this lovely fic is coming shortly (there’s just an epilogue or perhaps two left I am sorry to say), I feel I’ve matched my standards of going out with the happiest of endings and so much fluff it’s almost criminal. Anyway thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a lovely rest of your day!

[undertale-refuse]

500 FOLLOWER CELEBRATION

so! very soon i will be hitting FIVE HUNDRED FOLLOWERS. (right now i’m at 436, and i tend to get 5+ with every update and sometimes a few in-between.) i can't thank you guys enough for this - your faith in me while i am still such a new comic is humbling and inspiring, and i hope i can draw you a story worth the wait. thank you so, so much.

i promised awhile back i'd do something nifty for 500, and since i'm doing it for you guys, i thought i'd let you pick the event!

the three ideas i had were:

a request stream. downside: since i'm a slow artist, i wouldn't get to very many, and not everybody wants to make a twitch account. but maybe i could just sketch the request in stream, and throw some doodle-style lines/colors on it later :D upside: many "winners" so to speak, as long as they were willing to make a twitch account, especially if i did a stream as long as my usual thursday ones (which are usually 6-8 hours). in addition, these prizes would be awarded almost INSTANTLY, whereas any prizes from a giveaway (see below...) might take me some time to complete, especially if there’s a lot of winners. 

temporary ask blog. for a to-be-determined period of time or number of asks, this blog would temporarily become an ask blog, and you could ask the characters of REFUSE anything you liked! of course i wouldn’t be able to spoil anything about the plot directly or get to every ask, but ask blogs have always looked like a lot of fun to me (but something i don’t have time for...) so i think it’d be pretty neat. downside: my plot hasn’t advanced too far yet, but upside: it’s got some really heavy backstory that clever questions might dole out some hints for.

a giveaway, probably with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner. kudos to @bunnikkila for helping me brainstorm some of these potential prize ideas:

an undertale fanmix - considering the ~700 mixes i have sitting on my hard drive, that'd be pretty easy. i could do a themed one (examples: 1 2 3) or a one-track mix (multiple remixes of the same track - examples: 1 2 3). these would come complete with the very simple “sprite art” you see as these covers.

a custom undertale human child sprite (examples: 1 2 3) (i can’t do teens/adults, sadly, since i need a base to work off of) or other sprite manipulation (examples: 1 2). i can’t make a sprite from scratch but i could alter any sprite in the game!

a sketch/doodle/scribble thing of any undertale character(s), including OCs (examples: 1 2)

a physical copy of a sketch/drawing of any undertale character or OC. i don’t have the means to color art traditionally, so it would be without color, but i would mail it to your house! (this assuming you don’t mind giving me your address)

i could color your lines - i do collabs with friends, and what happens is they draw the lines and i pour on the colors/shading and sometimes the background as well. (examples: 1 2) so if you’re the type who likes drawing but not coloring, i could color one for you! upside: i could do this for literally any drawing, not just undertale-related stuff.

a full illustration of any undertale-related thing, whether you want scenery or a poster or whatever (examples: 1 2 3 4 5)

fic! i am a writer and have TONS more writing experience than drawing experience. only problem is i'm a little picky about what prompts i'd accept, so i don't know if that would make it too much of a hassle to be a good prize. i’d definitely be willing to chat it out with whoever won, though. if you’d like check out my writing to see an example, my AO3 is here, but unfortunately i don’t have any undertale fic up and some of what’s at this link is VERY NSFW, so minors, please skip it!

a little 1-3 pg minicomic (if that was the case, this would probably have to be the ONLY prize, bc i'm already really really busy and it would take quite a bit of time - no example needed here, you guys already know what my comic pages look like lol)

a cameo in the comic with the character of your choice, be it your original character or a character from another work. if i did this though i would be very tricky - for instance there could be no humans, because this entire story takes place before the monsters meet them. also, i probably won’t get to any random bg characters for quite awhile so the prize-winner would have a long wait lol

another possibility is dividing ALL of these prizes up into tiers and letting the winner choose their own prize from the list (first place winner can choose an illustration OR getting their lines colored, second place winner could choose a doodle OR a sprite, etc), the upside to tiers is i could offer more extravagant prizes and more winners for more notes - should the giveaway post only get a few, i’d be okay doing simple prizes, but if there was a lot of interest i could potentially offer something like the mini-comic ALONGSIDE other prizes. i actually like this idea quite a lot (along with the idea of getting your name put in the proverbial jar more times for doing things like reccing the comic or drawing art for it), but i’m worried that it might be needlessly complicated or confuse someone and lol i don’t want to be confusing!!

anyway, since this is for YOU GUYS, i’ve decided to set up two polls to let all of you decide - one to say whether you’d prefer a request stream, an ask blog, or a giveaway, and another to see what types of giveaway prizes everyone likes the best (you can choose multiple answers for this one, otherwise everyone would easily pick a nicer prize over the little ones hahaha). these will stay open until a day or so after we hit 500 followers - which could be a few weeks from now - so you should have PLENTY of time to mull it over and make your choices. i’ll warn you before they close. (or you could speed it up by reblogging more comic pages >D after all, the more people who see it the more likely i am to get new followers!)

final last note: whatever i wind up doing for the giveaway, my basic rules are: AUs, undertale OCs, gore, canon ships = OK! non-canon ships, character-bashing (this includes yandere murder-loving chara), NSFW, or frisk and chara as boys or girls = NOT OK. also, of course, only followers would be eligible to win! just stuff to keep in mind when you’re voting.

thanks again to everyone! i’m excited to see what you decide!

[crystalcell]

Old Ch1 wip

This is an older version of my first chapter that I plan on revamping in the future.

Enjoy!

---------

The world was a dark and empty place. It was because only so much could be filled at a time, and that made the world both serene and lonesome. Sometimes I dreamt about simply floating through the void like I was just some asteroid myself. 

But the nothingness around me would probably be soul-crushingly lonely, so the dream almost always implodes on itself as my mind begins to think about all the things that could happen in empty space.

———————

My day begins with the tune of flutes coming from my alarm clock speakers, the gentle sounds both sudden enough to wake me and soothing enough to, ironically, not be too alarming.

I reflexively hit the 'snooze' button as I finally begin to process my surroundings. When my brain catches up with my body, I turn my alarm off properly, but the bed's too comfy to leave. I don't really attempt to break free from the soft embrace of my bed covers, sinking further into the synthetic fabric. It's only when I hear the louder sound of a bell that I begin to actually wake up.

"Rise and shine, Aóde!" The cheery synthesized voice almost seems to vibrate through the walls of my room. "Don't want you to be late for school!"

Ah yes. School.

It is indeed a school, but at the same time, it really isn't.

It was originally my idea to attend an actual learning facility, but it's recently become more of a hassle than it's worth. My parents aren't too keen on me abandoning my only real chance to interact with the world outside our house and the doctor that easily, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready to experience the world outside like others do.

I found myself finally out of bed, stumbling towards my bathroom as I prepared to look alive. When I make it to the bathroom, I take a good look at myself in the mirror, to see if I looked like a disaster or not. My membrane is a bit foggy, making it a grayer shade of blue than it should be, and my cilia are all out of place. But with the help of a brush, I  can get most of it under control.

I start to run the water to the shower, washing away grime and flakes with liquid soap and a brush. The water dribbles out from the showerhead, running over my head and off my body. I intently watch it go down the drain as I'm lost in thought, and yet my mind is empty. When the time finally comes back to me and realize I need to actually leave, I dry off and get dressed, and prepare to eat breakfast.

Sitting at the table was my meal for the day, as my parents had already left for work sometime before. Today, breakfast is a sweet fiber bake and carbohydrate spread with eggs and a glass of dihydrogen monoxide, or water, for those not in the mood to be facetious. I eat it up like I hadn't had anything in cycles, down my immuno-suppression pills with a heavy swig and prepare my supplies for school. I wave goodbye to my parent, but I know it'll only be a few hours 'till we see each other again.

I turn on my comm, and class begins.

"Hello, class! And welcome to today's lesson: Anatomy!" Prof. Derad's cheery voice bursts from the speakers, dripping with enthusiasm. The screen itself displays the colorful caricatures of a homon person and various recognizable organelles like the nucleus and mitochondria, all dancing to the upbeat tune that plays in the background.

[yay] one of my classmates, named Erec apparently, comments with more dubious amounts of enthusiasm. Perhaps the jaunty music already got to that one.

"Yes, it's very exciting, isn't it?" Prof. Derad says with a laugh before continuing with the lesson.

"Now we all know that every living is made up of cells, just how you and I are cells ourselves. But what's inside all of us? Well..."

It goes on to talk about the various organelles and parts within a given homon body, though leaves out a bit to still have material for the week. We're treated to class activity similar to jeopardy that isn't super hard but still pretty fun. My team gets pretty far, but our competition wins by a landslide near the end. It was all in good fun, though I'm sure others are at least a little salty about it.

When its time for the first break of the day, I get up to make myself a sandwich, cutting several slices of protein filament and a few bits of lactose while I watch an episode of something I've been hooked on for the past week.

The classes are, as usual, somewhat dull lectures bolstered by much more engaging labs about what we're currently learning about in biology, such as how much cytoplasm a given homon has, a more complex lesson on the function of various important organelles, and we even watch a little video on the complexities of Homo ambiguus biology.

When the day is over, we're given homework to label and name the organelles in the homon body and state their purpose. It's not particularly difficult, but I check my books just to make sure I didn't mix the vesticles with standard vacuoles and get it done within an hour. Most of the work was done by a computer, but it's not like they could tell. Hopefully.

When I'm finished, I go downstairs to clean up the 'debris' left from me snacking all day. It's as soon as I've put away dishes that the home phone begins to ring.

"Hello!" I say as I answer the call

"Hey, Aode!

M. Sahline: "Hey, Aode! How's your day been?"

Aode: "Yeah, it's been good."

Aode: "So, how soon 'till you're here?"

M. Sahline: "Probably in twenty minutes."

Aode: "I'll be ready by then. See you then!"

M. Sahline: "See you then. Goodbye."

---------------

"Doctor's visit?"

"Doctor's visit."

With a sigh, I begin to put on my personal shell, it's uncomfortable tightness and chill hugging at my membrane as stick on each plate. I put on my favorite white sweater and blue shorts over my protective black gloves and tights. As someone who could kill with a single drop of cytoplasm, I and my parents aren't willing to take any risks.

------------

I wait in my room for the time being, staring out at the blue sky watching the tails of ships coming into orbit and far away satellites dance around the planet. The window is just slightly open, letting in some fresh air I was long overdue for.

Their car comes along just a bit later than usual, but the weather is perfectly fine—a gentle breeze lets the long sleeves of my sweater sway in the wind, and rays from the sun warm the cilia strands on my head.

------------

As we drive, I absent-mindedly watch the people that drive by us and that traverse the walkways. I even see somebody who looked like the most conspicuous person I've seen outside of movies. Maybe they're filming something nearby.

—————

The clinic isn't a particularly large building but is extremely well-staffed. But even though I've been going here for years, I was never that close to any of them. I think I was back when I was younger, but they kept talking down to me like I was five even when I was fourteen and the closeness just faded from age eleven onward.

—————-------------

"Now I'm taking a cytoplasm-sample."

I barely even cringe as the needle penetrates my membrane. I watch the blue fluid enter the syringe as I have countless times before with a detached interest. But underneath that boredom is a primal fear that I can never truly escape from. All it would take is enough of my bodily fluids to come in contact with another person's surface, and death would surely follow.

Though as I watch Dr. Kana work, I can't help but notice something is off.

"Are you alright?" I ask tentatively, trying to overcome my desire to at least give the doctor a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"No, everything's fine," Kana says quickly, "It's just been a long day's all it is."

-------------

The injection by the doctor is rougher than the one from before, stinging slightly.

I hold my arm tightly, though I let go after a few moments to let the doctor bandage it.

But the moment never comes.

I begin to feel tired, and the last thing I see is the face of Dr. Kana tearing up before everything goes black.

[terryblount]

Toki Review

Once upon a time during the arcade golden era, numerous games were releasing at a constant pace, each one aiming to captivate young players with pockets full of coins. With so many games to choose from, companies had to distinguish themselves through the latest technologies, custom arcade cabinets, colorful creativity, and other innovative methods.

During this time of wonders, arcade and home console companies like Namco, Nintendo, and Sega fiercely fought to stay on the cutting edge of glory. It was during this time that a small company called TAD Corporation created a surprise hit platformer; a game called Toki.

The glorious Toki title screen, coming at you from 1989 to 2019!

Here’s a little history of the company. TAD Corporation started making games in 1988 and had immediate success with its arcade hit Cabal. This success allowed the next year’s release of Toki; a curious game and a bit different from the competition.

Toki was another sudden success thanks to smart design choices and over-the-top humor. It kept some of the clichés from that era (such as a damsel in distress and an evil wizard), but Toki subverted the concept of the hero. Usually you’d play as the super-muscular and attractive main character, but in Toki you played as Toki, the somewhat ugly protagonist.

The story goes that he was an unlucky Tarzan-like fellow that, while saving his beloved Wanda, was transformed into a hairy primate. He became a sort of antihero, and his new powers (shooting magical spheres from his mouth, obviously!) allowed him to go on a quest to save his love and do battle with the forces of evil, ultimately confronting the wily wizard.

Here we see Tarz…ehm, Toki being transformed by the big baddie!

Given the story context, the game was set in the winning choice of a colorful jungle rather than the common industrial or fantasy settings of the era. Hence, the characters contrasted wonderfully with the nicely detailed backgrounds of each stage, attracting the eyes of wandering arcade-goers.

The nicely drawn world map. A whole jungle world to explore, stage by stage.

The gameplay itself consists of basic platforming by today’s standards. Various jumping patterns and enemy movements can be learned as you go. There’s power-ups to improve Toki’s abilities, including new skills like fire shots and gear like an American football suit to protect him (quite humorous looking).

Even with all this creative and colorful design, the arcade version of Toki unfortunately didn’t become a household name. It was successful, meaning lots of players loved the game, but the Toki brand and mascot never hit the mainstream.

On a personal note living in Italy, the game was quite well known because it was available at so many beaches and camping sites, where all the old arcade games were sent (probably because they were cheaper to rent or buy than the fancy new cabinets).

The first level’s always easy. Notice the use of one of the ‘old school’ video filters.

Thankfully, though, Toki did find more notoriety upon entering people’s homes. Over the next few years after release, the game became available on numerous home systems and computers. Some compromises did have to be made on certain versions in order to make the game run on less powerful systems, creating various levels of quality.

For those who are old enough to remember, one of the biggest publishers and porting houses was a company called Ocean Software which, thanks to its French division, created the best ports of Toki for the two most powerful gaming consoles of that time: the Amiga and Atari ST. With these excellent versions, finally eager players could enjoy the game at home without the hassle of the coin-eating arcade life.

Despite the success of their first two games, in just 1993 TAD Corporation closed its doors, and Toki was relegated to the distant memories of many players, only occasionally being remembered through old cassettes, discs, and random beach bars and arcades.

Under the sea, Under the sea! Nice goggles, Toki!

Then, in 2009, something happened: for its 20th anniversary a team from France–including some of the original Ocean Software people who created the Amiga port–decided to remake the game for modern platforms, thanks to their in-depth knowledge gathered at the time of the original port. Unfortunately, for various budget or publishing reasons, the game never came out and, apart from a few discussions here and there and sparse news, the game seemed to be vaporware.

This finally brings us to the present, with another French company, Microids, announcing a full remake of the game would come out close to the game’s 30th anniversary. First released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, finally Toki has made its glorious return in 2019 to various modern platforms, to the joy (and surprise) of many.

The remake process has been handled very faithfully by reconstructing from scratch all assets, including redrawing all characters with high-resolution cartoon imagery, while painting the backgrounds in a semi-watercolor style. There’s also a fully re-orchestrated soundtrack that works well to enhance the charming and zany humor of the game.

The first boss! Remain calm and don’t get stomped!

On the technical side, the game plays at a high framerate and is so much smoother than its old school roots. Apart from a few moments of lag (probably my PC’s fault), the game runs great. Other nice features include various video filters to recreate the old-fashioned monitors of our childhoods, a speedrun mode, and a jukebox option to listen to the tunes both old and new.

Being originally quite hard, this modern Toki also allows players to change the difficulty. If you’re like me–platformers aren’t my strong suit–you may have some problems finishing the game even on the lowest difficulty because of tricky platforming and placement of many enemies in some stages.

The second level begins to make you struggle if you’re not a platforming expert.

In conclusion, even if it is a simple game–easy to describe and hard to master–thirty years on Toki remains a work of art thanks to the loving of remake treatment it has received, giving new life to this great old game. We’ve seen this done in recent years with other games like Wonder Boy, and hopefully the trend of quality modernizations of classic games at a budget price will continue.

As a reviewer, it’s hard to review Toki simply because it feels out of time, coming from another age. However, I really hope you’ll love Toki as much as I have loved it. If you’re looking for a fun lower-priced game to play with old school platforming and timeless charm, this new Toki is likely for you.

Beautiful recreated art

Lots of neat new features

Runs well on old PCs

Faithful to original

Budget price

Developed by some of the original porting team

Platforming isn’t for everyone

Simplistic gameplay but sometimes very hard

No option for the original pixel graphics

  Playtime: 10 hours total (and counting). Mathieu has not completed the game, but he’s still playing it (and dying lots of times!).

Computer Specs: Windows 10 64-bit laptop computer, with 16GB of Ram, Nvidia 1050Ti.

The post Toki Review appeared first on DSOGaming.

Toki Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[mysticsparklewings]

Roses in Your Eyes

Oh look, a not-Inktober thing! So after my first dive into The Realm of Gouache, I really wanted to play with the medium a little more and try doing some different things with it. More accurately, I wanted to try using the gouache more opaquely, since last time I took a more transparent/watercolor approach. Full disclosure, I actually had the sketch for this done before the gouache set even arrived to me. My original plan was to do the rose part of the "glasses" in the watercolor style from my In Bloom Le Plumes piece, maybe the leaves too, and then do the hair and possibly the skin in the more opaque gouache style. That was the plan so that I could try to get the most out of both sides to what gouache can do. But after I got the gouache and swatched it out, I wanted to try something a little more experimental before I jumped into this drawing so that I'd have a better handle on what I was actually working with. So that's where the first gouache painting came in. So it was after that when I made the decision to commit a little more closely to using gouache in it's more opaque form. The concept for the drawing is something of a play on the phrase "looking through rose-colored glasses," (or whatever the full version of that phrase is, you know what I mean). The original expression, as I'm sure we all know, means seeing something as being better than it actually is, usually because of personal bias. This idea takes it to a bit of an extreme; the glasses aren't just tinted in a rose color, they're straight-up roses. Instead of just viewing something as better than it actually is, the person is willfully ignoring or otherwise blinded to seeing things as they really are entirely. And possibly hurting themselves in the process, if the roses have thorns. (I didn't draw any but they could be there, unseen.) A couple of other notes on the drawing design before I move on: I went with buns in the hair since I usually draw loose/down hair and wanted to mix it up a bit, and to "close off" the drawing I added the leaves at the base of her neck, which also kind of double as a shirt-collar in terms of appearance, which I thought was neat. The leaves and the bit of vine across the nose, as may be obvious, are supposed to represent the frame and bridge of glasses. I transferred the lines from the sketch to piece of Strathmore mixed media paper since I didn't think I'd be using enough water or watercolor techniques to warrant breaking out some 100% cotton paper, but I wanted something thick enough to handle paint, and I thought the smooth-ish texture would suit the gouache based on what experimenting I'd already done. The roses for the eyes had no lines, and admittedly I probably could've gotten away with even fewer lines than the ones I did transfer since the gouache is opaque. I actually had a fair number of hairlines drawn in that got totally covered up since that was way easier than trying to carefully work around them. Anyway. For all the gouache parts, I started with a darker base color, since it's usually recommended that you work from dark to light in gouache, and then I'd go back in with 2-3 lighter colors on top to add shading/depth. The main issues I ran into were when the gouache color wasn't totally opaque, such as the rose base color (which is actually called "Rose," believe it or not) which gives me mixed feelings because on the one hand, it can look kind of interesting in giving you less structured, more unpredictable shading based on how you layer it, but also...well, it's not as opaque, so you have work with it slightly differently compared to the more opaque colors. The other issue was that I really struggled to have enough paint on my brush, particularly when doing tiny details, to get the full opacity and smooth color that I wanted, without leaving a glop of paint where it didn't need to be. Especially in areas like the hair that had a lot of fine tapering lines. I'm not sure how much of the problem is me and how my is or isn't my brushes or what, but this is something I occasionally have issues within acrylic painting too, but it felt way more prevalent here. I did manage to fix some areas that got away from me by layering darker colors back on top of the lighter ones, but then you also have areas like one of the loose hair strands around her chin that got away from me and I had to make noticeably longer than it originally was in order to fix it. (You can probably guess which one it was without me having to point it out for you.) I also had an "issue" in that it was seemingly very easy to mix up way too much of custom color, but that's more of a me problem than a problem with the paint. (And admittedly the above aren't necessarily paint-specific problems either.) Speaking of which, I'm still not sure if my "Titanium White" and "White" got mixed up or not, but since I suspect they did, I used the one I felt like looks more like the mixing white to do so. (Although admittedly I probably could've tried some mixing tests with both to see if I noticed a difference there whatever, perhaps some other time.) And I specifically avoided using black, since I thought it would be too harsh in mixes. For the hair, I just used one of the pre-mixed browns for my darkest and then used lighter colors and made my own lighter mixes to go over it. For the leaves, I actually mixed some of the Prussian Blue into one of the greens to make it darker. I think I may have benefitted from going a little lighter on how much of the blue went in, though. The roses were actually one of the more fun parts since they didn't have to be so precise or specific to make the look work. I started with a base of the Rose/hot pink color, mixed a lighter pink to make sections that probably should've been a little less light in color and slightly larger in shape, and then a slightly lighter pink than should have been lighter to layer on top of the already lighter pink parts. Partly because of some the issues I mentioned earlier and partly because I was just kinda going for whatever with only a minimal plan, I did have to go back and forth with the lights and darks in some areas on these, and I still don't think they look quite alike enough, even though I never intended to make them perfectly symmetrical. I also decided to not totally abandon gouache's watercolor properties with the background, since at this point I was thinking I didn't want to leave it plain white, but I also didn't want to do anything too complicated or intense that might take away from the rest of the art and the concept behind it. So I watered down some of the pink I used for the roses' base color and just kinda went over the background to my heart's content until I was happy with what the textures were doing since I knew it was unrealistic to expect to be able to get the background totally smooth trying to work around the rest of the drawing. Now, originally I was planning on painting in the skin with the gouache, however, I made the grave mistake of not thinking about it until after I'd pretty much finished with all the other painted parts, and I really did not feel like trying to paint around everything. And, honestly, I really did like the contrast of the white skin against the other colors. I did acknowledge that I could have mixed a gray from the gouache and shaded the white skin with that, but it felt like too much of a risk and still like too much of a hassle, so I conceited that I could bring other mediums into this since I'd already done my gouache-exclusive test piece. I grabbed a couple of very, very light gray Copic markers and added some very careful, very subtle shading to the skin. And you guys haven't seen the first time I used this mixed-media paper just yet (it's coming down the pipeline, I promise!), but for the second time I'm kind of in love with how it handles alcohol markers and I really need to try a more marker-heavy illustration on it sometime.   After all that though, it was still missing a couple of things. I ended up breaking out my white uni-ball Signo gel pen to line around the girl just so she really would pop off the background, opting for it instead of the white gouache because, again, that seemed like too much of a chore to try and do. And my white Sakura gelly roll tends to be a little more transparent compared to the Signo, and I really wanted the stronger, stark white look. Then after some thinking, I added the rose lines in the background using a pink and a green Sakura gelly rolls and the stencil I've toyed with using on other projects before. And overall it, it has its faults (especially if you look at it too closely), but I really like how the whole thing turned out. It has almost a surreal vibe to it that I think drives home the initial concept really nicely, and just, in general, it's very sweet colors but has a more eerie feel to it. (At least when I look at it, anyway.) It also very vaguely gives me Luna-Lovegood vibes, so of course, I like it for that alone. I'm not sure what I'm going to make with the gouache next, as so far it seems its planning requires a slightly different thought process than I'm used to, but I have some ideas and all this has succeeded in doing is making me want to use the gouache more.  This definitely isn't the last we'll be seeing of it, that's for sure! ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[sdconnection-blog]

By Ken Williams | Editor

For most of his 48 years on this planet, Chuck Donk didn’t think twice about wearing caps or beanies.

“I’ve never really been a ‘hat’ person,” he said.

Charles Donk

Donk — who has a house in Julian and a condominium in North Park — decided there must be a demand for logo-free headgear.

“I’ve always noticed people wearing beanies and caps, usually with big logos of some kind on them, and they were expensive,” he said. “I’ve always remembered one of the first monthly clubs in the world, the Wine of the Month Club. Seems now that there is almost every variety of monthly clubs out there. With that in mind, I thought up the Beanie Cap Club, an online store for people who like to accessorize their wardrobe at a reasonable price and logo-free.”

Customers can choose a color palette or click the “surprise me” button.

Here are five questions with Donk:

What is the Beanie Cap Club, and why did you launch this internet business?

Beanie Cap Club is a fun, economical online store to accessorize your wardrobe. Each month a beanie and/or cap is delivered to your door. The styles and colors of the beanies and caps change monthly — that’s where the fun comes in. All beanies and caps are logo-free, which means they can be worn in any setting.

I launched this store as an online store, because I like beanies and caps. When I go out shopping, I mostly see expensive hats with huge logos on them. I wanted to offer an easy outlet for people to get beanies and caps, logo-free, and at reasonable prices.

What is the Beanie It Forward Project and who benefits from it?

A couple of friends mentioned, “What if I don’t like the beanie or cap?” and I thought, “Well it’s just a beanie/cap. It’s not the end of the world! ” I said they could “Beanie It Forward” to a friend or family member and then wait for their next month’s shipment to arrive.

During this thought process, it also came to mind all of the homeless people I see in San Diego and across the nation, especially with the long winter we just had. In keeping with the “Beanie It Forward” theme, I tested it out with some sample merchandise I had picked out.

Two examples of caps (Courtesy of Beanie Cap Club)

One night I ventured out carrying a few beanies and some people asked for handouts. I said, “I’m sorry I don’t have any cash for you tonight, but I have a brand new beanie that I would like to give you.” It was gladly accepted and appreciated by those in need.

With that outcome, I immediately wanted to have the Beanie It Forward Project to be a crucial part of my business. Since there is a lower overhead with an online store, I am pledging 10 percent of net profits in the form of beanies that can be taken to shelters or by volunteers in certain neighborhoods and handed out.

My goal for 2017 is to take several hundred beanies to be handed out with Thanksgiving meals.

What kind of commitment does a customer have to make to join the club?

Joining the Beanie Cap Club is easy: Visit BeanieCapClub.com. You can give us a try for a month, or sign up for a monthly subscription. You can pause or cancel, hassle free, anytime.

There is also an option to sign up for two months up to six months, ending automatically. Based on the color palette you choose, the beanies and caps are handpicked each month and sent out for you to enjoy.

Do you have a day job, and what is your professional background?

My day job is at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center in Mission Valley. I’ve been in the hotel industry for over 25 years in just about every department.

Two examples of caps (Courtesy of Beanie Cap Club)

What do you like about living in North Park?

I just bought a condo in North Park and have been a resident of San Diego for over 40 years. I love the diversity in North Park and the welcoming of different businesses.

Beanie Cap Club will be having a booth at the SDCCU Festival of the Arts in North Park on May 20.

—Ken Williams is editor of Uptown News and can be reached at ken@sdcnn.com or at 619-961-1952. Follow him on Twitter at @KenSanDiego, Instagram at @KenSD or Facebook at KenWilliamsSanDiego.

The post Let them wear caps appeared first on San Diego Uptown News.

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Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

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Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

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Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

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Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

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seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

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banker hill walk

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: SDUptownNews.com Let them wear caps By Ken Williams | Editor For most of his 48 years on this planet, Chuck Donk didn’t think twice about wearing caps or beanies.