#which means more pride colour options in june!

[tarlosweddingcelebration]

Welcome to the Tarlos Wedding Celebration Event!

Now that TK and Carlos are finally hitched, I wanted to host an event where we could celebrate the couple and how far they've come. I want to spread all the love and appreciation for these two incredible characters who mean so much to so many of us.

Each week, I will be posting 3 sets of prompts. One will be aimed more towards gifsets and edits, and the others will be a short prompt, as well as a dialogue prompt, aimed at everything and anything else you'd like to create. All of which will be listed below. Of course, you can pick from whichever set you want, mix and match them, and create as many posts as you like for each week. Lastly, you can get involved in whichever weeks you'd like. There is zero pressure to create for all of them.

The event will run for 4 months / 19th May -> 7th Sept

Please be sure to tag either #tarlosweddingcelebration or #tarlosweddingevent in your posts, and on ao3.

☆— under the cut, you will find the 3 lists of prompts —☆

list one

week 1 (19th - 25th May) — favourite tarlos centric episode(s)

week 2 (26th May - 1st June) — favourite tk and/or carlos rescue(s) / or favourite parallel(s)

week 3 (2nd - 8th June) — favourite s1 moment(s)

week 4 (9th - 15th June) — favourite quote(s)

week 5 (16th - 22nd June) — favourite s2 moment(s)

week 6 (23rd - 29th June) — favourite comedy moment(s) / or favourite outfit(s)

week 7 (30th June - 6th July) — favourite s3 moment(s)

week 8 (7th - 13th July) — favourite emotional moment(s)

week 9 (14th - 20th July) — favourite s4 moment(s)

week 10 (21st - 27th July) — favourite hug(s) OR moment(s) that means a lot to you personally

week 11 (28th July - 3rd August) — favourite background or underrated moment(s)

week 12 (4th - 10th August) — favourite musical moment(s)

week 13 (11th - 17th August) — favourite friendship (tarlos + ______)

week 14 (18th - 24th August) — favourite kiss(es)

week 15 (25th - 31st August) — free choice / or (themed prompt) tarlos + colours

week 16 (1st - 7th September) — free choice / or (themed prompt) the journey/evolution of tarlos

list two (each has two options - do with them what you want)

week 1 — alternate first meeting / disastrous first meeting

week 2 — hosting an event / out with friends

week 3 — career swap / s1 alternate ending

week 4 — three little words / pride month

week 5 — no more catan / trapped together

week 6 — honeymoon shenanigans / a furry friend

week 7 — alternate proposals / another coma

week 8 — sacrifice / regret

week 9 — shotgun wedding / one final bump in the road

week 10 — only one bed au / soulmate au

week 11 — under arrest / date night

week 12 — overworked / hyperactive

week 13 — hanging with 126 / dinner with parents

week 14 — making up after a fight / tattoos

week 15 — free choice / or wedding themed angst and/or comfort

week 16 — free choice / or wedding themed fluff and/or smut

list three

(a special thank you to the amazing @tarlosweeklyprompts/@chaotictarlos for contributing these prompts for us)

week 1 — "You saved my life... I feel like I owe you."

week 2 — "Honey, where are the limes?"

week 3 — "The only good thing in my life, is you."

week 4 — "I told you I would never leave you."

week 5 — "You're my soulmate. Nothing will change that."

week 6 — "When I think about forever, all I see is your face."

week 7 — "Not to be cheesy, but you're literally the love of my life."

week 8 — "Walking out on you is the worst thing I've ever done."

week 9 — "Each day of my life I get to have you by my side is worth living."

week 10 — "No, I meant every word." "Then why don't I believe you."

week 11 — "You want me to wear what!?"

week 12 — "You're so silly."

week 13 — "How did I get so lucky."

week 14 — "I think I'm ready to talk about it."

week 15 — free choice / or "You're lying. He's not hurt."

week 16 — free choice / or "Why is Lou on the counter!?"

[hosted by @angeltk]

[trans-luis-serra-navarro]

FAQ for #serennedyprideweek!! [June 23rd-June 30th!!]

—

☆ What’s the sign-up process for this event?

There is none!! Just post your piece into the tags #serennedyprideweek whenever you’re able to!!

☆ What kind of mediums are allowed for this event?

Everything and anything is allowed!!! Traditional art, digital art, fanfiction, edits, gifs, collages, colour palettes etc etc!!! This event is designed to inspire creativity so go ahead and go nuts with your skills!!

☆ What if I’m late or miss a day?

There is absolutely NO set schedule for this event!! The week can be treated as just a vague guideline- you can submit your prompts a MONTH late, and I’ll still reblog them!!! Don’t stress about being on time, just have fun!

☆ Do I have to follow the prompts to a T/Do I have to do all three?

Absolutely not!! You don’t even have to follow the prompts at all if you don’t want to!! They’re just there to inspire creativity, so feel free to warp them, do one or all three, combine them, or completely ignore them as you desire!!

☆ Will NSFW content be allowed?

Unfortunately, NSFW content will not be allowed in this event as to make this event as accessible for everybody involved as possible!! I understand this may be disappointing to some, but adults cannot consent to minors potentially viewing NSFW content and vice-versa, so this is the safest option for everybody involved!!

With that being said however, content that may be considered sexual in heteronormative society but isn’t inherently sexual and/or is inherent to Pride and Queer history is allowed, such as Kink gear, Female-Presenting nipples, nudity, etc!

Now for some of the more technical questions:

☆ Will this event be hosted on other sites?

Nope!! This is a tumblr-exclusive event, meaning I will not be hosting this on sites such as Twitter or Discord!! Any similar events made elsewhere are not monitored by me!!

In saying that though, you are perfectly free to post your content wherever you like, as it is yours and yours only!!

☆ Are you in any way associated with any previous Serennedy Ship Week events?

Nope, I am not!!! I don’t know the people behind those previous events, but this event is essentially a one-man band hosted by @wisecrackingeric-2 !! I have friends who’ve offered to help behind the scenes, but that’s it!!

Any similar events pop up around the same time, you are more than welcome to join those instead if you’d prefer, as this is a community event, and nobody owns an idea!!!

However, if you see anybody impersonating me and hosting this exact event elsewhere, that is not me, so please let me know!!

☆ Why have Anon Asks and Messages been turned off?

Truthfully, I don’t know!! Tumblr is an incredibly finnicky site, and oftentimes features simply just don’t work like they’re supposed to on side-blogs, which is the case for mine, so I apologise for the inconvenience!! If you need to contact me for an emergency, please do so on my main!!

If you need any more clarification on anything in particular, check out my Rules section, or just flick me an ask!!

[lady-of-the-spirit]

Martha would throw a pride parade even when it's not June just to win voters and bring tourists to Middleton (like that one episode of WWDITS)

Abigail is hired to make "gay flower arrangements" for Martha's events. She also has a bi pride flag up in her shop. No one is bold enough to ask her about it. Martha doesnt know what it means. Their plot is Martha continuously asking Abigail to make the flower arrangements "more prideful! Honestly Abigail you need to work harder than that if you want to be a good ally!" Sam, who's in the shop with them, shoots a meaningful look at Abigail's flag but Abigail just smiles and says she'll try harder. Martha learns what it means only at the end of the episode.

Cassie hosts a few different gay couples here for the parade, and a straight couple and a kid here for unrelated reasons like a normal family holiday. The kid is clearly very gay but in the closet, and Cassie subtly pushes them towards items in her shop that'll help them with their identity search and/or come out to their family. (We do not see them come out to their family, they simply tell Cassie that they did it and their parents reacted well "and it was all thanks to this thing from your shop!" at the end of the episode.)

Stephanie has been tasked with making gay desserts and food for the events. Lots of pride flag themed foods. Martha doesnt know any of them but pretends she does (this is how she realizes what Abigail's pride flag means at the end, when she sees the bi themed desserts). Stephanie, while frosting a rainbow coloured cake, mentions having a few hookups with other women in college but "that doesnt count right?" only for whoever she's talking to (Cassie or Abigail) to go "hmm. Doesn't it?" Which prompts Stephanie's journey of self discovery - which she's trying to put on hold so she can focus on her food, but it's not working!!!

Grace gets involved with the GSA at school. Nick tries to go to a meeting but leaves immediately when he sees Grace is there. Grace immediately gets herself involved with figuring out what's going on. She finds out 1) Nick is bi 2) he dated Noah before their disastrous breakup (as friends AND boyfriends) and 3) he's not out to Sam yet. Grace and Nick try to figure out how to help Nick come out to his dad. Sam constantly goes to Cassie to be like "do you know what's up with Nick?" And Cassie is saying vague things like "sometimes when it seems like someone is keeping a secret, they're getting ready to share it with you." Or things like that. Nick successfully comes out to Sam at the end and it is a very cute father son moment. (Sam gets emotional without crying.)

Cassie's plotline is of course about helping the gay kid, but also helping a couple staying at Grey House figure out their wedding bc they want to get married in Grey House, where they met. It starts out like it'll be a whole complicated thing but eventually they just realize all they want is to be together and there's a very simple ceremony officiated by Cassie in the backyard.

Now the only question is, are all these plots contained in the same episode? Or is it a special 2 parter? Both options are likely. They will shove 5 different plots into one 50 minute episode, don't think they won't.

Not to talk about a cringe but loveable hallmark tv series on main but the Good Witch should have done a Pride episode because I think it would have been really funny.

[flappyhappystim]

For no specific reason...

What are some of your favourite colour schemes? I'm looking in particular for groups of 3 colours, though I can make 2 work as well!

I have some seasonal colour stuff planned, but I'm looking for generic stuff that works all year long!

[mollygetssherlockcoffee]

First Friday In February

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Summary: (Third Sunday In June, Part 2!) Y/N gives Spencer the greatest gift of all

Warning: Fluff!

Words: 1,109

A/N: I just had to write a part 2! I hope its not too bad!

Part One

Master List HERE   Permanent Tag List HERE

Spencer held the baby close to his chest, unable to take his eyes off of her. She was tiny, weighing 7lbs. Spencer had researched everything, so he knew his daughter weighed 0.5lbs less than the average new-born girl but still, she was perfect.

Her eyes were closed with sleep, but Spencer felt pride fill him as he remembers their colour. Just like her daddy, her eyes were a light brown but on her, they seemed to glow and shine. Her tiny nose is scrunched up, her lips puckered as she dreams. Her little hand is curled in a fist under chin as she cuddles into her daddy.

 When he looked at her, only one word came to Spencer’s mind… Perfect.

 After months of waiting, he had his daughter in his arms. While she grew in Y/N tummy, he would stroke the skin of her belly, would whisper silly facts or tell little stories to her growing bump. He hoped his child would be as inquisitive as him, would love to learn and read. Y/N had laughed and rolled her eyes but had stroked his hair as he whispered to his growing daughter.

 Since the moment he had found out about Y/N’s pregnancy, he had been the best father-to-be that he could be. He had refused to allow Y/N to carry any of the shopping herself, had insisted she always take the lift rather than the stairs. He had tried, and failed, to keep her from visiting him at work; too fearful of what could happen. When her morning sickness was strong, he was there to hold her hair back. When she craved pickles and BBQ chips at two in the morning, he’d be out the door in seconds. He would tub her lower back, helping to alleviate the pressure before moving down to her sore ankles.

 Spencer made sure to attend every scan and he asked dozens of questions which frazzled the poor midwife. He had stocked up on pregnancy and child-rearing books, and watched videos to prepare for when Y/N gave birth to their daughter. He knew the process she would have to go through, understood the medical side of it, but when Y/N went into labour…

 When Y/N had told him that her waters had broken, he had frozen. He had prepared for this but now that it was in front of him, he was at a loss of what to do. Y/N had laughed at him, rubbing his arm in reassurance before going to clean herself up. Her contractions weren’t frequent enough to go to the hospital yet, though once he had come back to himself, Spencer kept pushing her to go.

 When they did finally get to the hospital, the labour had, thankfully, been quick. At least in comparison to national average. Rather than 12 hours, Y/N labour had lasted just 7. Spencer was thankful for that.

 He had stayed with Y/N the entire time, holding her hand as she squeezed him through the pain. She had screamed, gritted her teeth, shouted that she hated him, and then cried while apologising, only to shout at him again. Spencer had stroked her hair throughout, reassuring her that she was doing great and encouraging her to keep going, that she was nearly done, their daughter was nearly born.

 And then, Y/N had given one final push and tiny cries had filled the hospital room. It was only then that Spencer let go of Y/N’s hand. He had moved to see his daughter, accepting the scissors when the midwife asked if he wanted to cut the cord. Of course he did, this was such a big moment.

 Spencer stayed with Y/N as their baby was cleaned up, telling her that he was so proud of her and that their daughter was beautiful. Spencer had insisted that Y/N held her first, as much as he wanted to hold her and never let go, he wanted Y/N to have this moment first.

 Watching Y/N hold their daughter, Spencer’s heart had nearly burst. He had never seen something so beautiful and his heart had never been filled with such love. He loved Y/N, he had for a long time, and he had loved his daughter even before her birth but seeing them together… it set his heart aflame.

 He couldn’t wait to watch then grow together. He couldn’t wait to watch Y/N comfort her when she cried, watch Y/N feed her, watch Y/N sing to their daughter. He couldn’t wait to come home from work in a few years to see Y/N and his daughter in the kitchen together, baking cupcakes. Couldn’t wait to see Y/N holding their daughter at every opportunity and have both of them look at him with such joy and love. He couldn’t wait for his future with them.

 Drawn out of his thoughts, Spencer turned back to Y/N, where she rested in bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb the baby sleeping in his arms.

 “She’s beautiful” Y/N said, reaching forward to trace finger over the baby’s brow.

“Just like her mother” Spencer agreed with a smile, leaning forward and pressing his lips to his daughter’s forehead. “She’s perfect. I can’t believe she’s here.”

“She’s going to need a name, you know” Y/N sighed, adjusting herself in the bed to get more comfortable. When Spencer just hummed in agreement, she continued, “I’ve been thinking about names, actually. Sophia is pretty, and it means wisdom… she would grow into that. Minne, that means mind of intellect. Ada means happy. We don’t have to go by meaning though, we could just go for something pretty, like, Jodie or Ellie… I don’t know.”

It was quiet as Spencer thought through Y/N’s suggestions. He looked at his daughter and though through the options, only one seemed to fit her though. He could only see himself calling one name, “Sophia.”

Y/N smiled as she watched Spencer and her newly named daughter. “Sophia Diana Reid… beautiful.”

 Spencer’s head quickly lifted up and looked at Y/N in both shock and awe. Like first names, they had never discussed what her middle name would be. Spencer had never mentioned it, he didn’t want to sway Y/N opinion, but he had desperately wanted his daughter to have his mothers name. And Y/N had suggested and decided automatically.

 He didn’t know if it was possible, but his heart swelled with even more love as he looked at Y/N. She was truly amazing in everything she said and did. And now, on the first Friday in February, she had given him the best gift of all.

  Sophia Diana Reid, his daughter. 

Permanent Tag List: @sskhair​ @sammypotato67​

[fernthewhimsical]

Pride Witchcraft

Happy Pride everyone! It’s the rainbow time of the year again… This will be the first time for me where I will incorporate Pride month actively into my witchcraft practice. As I’ve written about before, self-discovery and self-love is a big part of my daily and monthly practice and exploring gender- and sexual identity has dominated that over the past two years or so. I learned a lot, not just about myself but about queer history and the queer community as well. Which is why I decided that this year, in a year where everything still sucks, I will take Pride month as a sacred celebration, not only to celebrate my own identity and the journey that I’ve made, but also to celebrate how far we’ve come, as a community, and the things that we’ve already achieved.

But there is still quite a way to go. Homophobia and especially transphobia is on the rise again. There is a lot of infighting in the community as well with the rise of TERF ideology and purity politics based on white, Christian values ingrained in our societies and cultures. Which is why @madamehearthwitch commented that for her Pride had a very double feeling this year. We talked about how we both looked forward to it, and didn’t, because of these issues and struggles. We also talked about doing some community magics, where we as a community practice our witchcraft to better the queer community, which I will talk about below (And make into a seperate post for easier shareability).

So, what are my plans for Pride? (My Pride bucketlist, if you will)

Celebrate

Journal about what Pride means to me and the journey I went through

Shop locally and in small, queer owned businesses for some queer merch

Finish my “acceptance” tarot spread, and use it

Read/watch/or listen to something related to queer history, -people or -education topics every day

Donate to a queer cause

Join an online queer event

Read Arcane Perfection, an anthology by queer, trans and intersex witches that is now 0.99 on kindle!

Do a binding/banishing spell (see below)

Do a community protection spell (see below)

Watch some fun queer shows and movies

Celebrate some more!

So let’s talk about the community magic. We invite everyone to join us on a witchy Pride weekend! June 18 to 20 we will be doing various spells to help the queer community, and the more people who cast them, the more powerful they will be! We’ve also chosen this date because we can harness the potent energies of the Summer solstice into our workings.

Binding and banishing On June 18 we will perform a binding and banishing spell to bind queerphobia, harmful laws, and any other personal things you might want to include. Use your own binding/banishing method, or use the following, which is my preferred method. Take a piece of black paper, or paint one side of a white paper black (protection/banishing). Write down the things you wish to banish, think of things like homophobia, police brutality, job inequality, the names of certain laws, TERFs, or more personal things like people using your deadname or the name of a homophobic uncle (for example). Make sure the black side is on the outside. Focus on binding and banishing every point as you write them down. Now fold it up in a way that the black is the only colour that’s shown. Wrap your folder paper in some black twine, wool, thread, laces, whatever you have. Focus on binding the things you’ve written, say some words if you wish. I like to bury my bindings/banishings, but you can also dispose of them by simply tossing them in the trash where they belong.

Protection Sigil On June 19 we will cast a protection spell for the queer community. I designed a sigil for this to function as a focal point for your magic. You can print it out or redraw it yourself. Place a candle over it, use it as a base of a crystal grid, place it on your altar and meditate, make it the centre of a (digital) moodboard, whatever feels right for you. The centre of the sigil is the Pride flag, symbolizing our community (you can redraw the sigil and place a different flag inside, if you wish to focus on a specific part of the community). Around it is a circle (protection, community) which is made by five stickfigures holding hands (people, community). Around them is a square (protection) and then a ring of intertwined briar branches with the thorns pointing outwards (again, protection). On the right side I also snuck the rune Thurisaz (briar, protection) into the ring of briar branches. The pentacle in the centre stands for magic as well as, surprise, protection. Customize this for whatever you need, the pentacle is optional, place more stickfigures, change the flag, whatever makes it work for you.

Celebrate and Remember On June 20 we will celebrate! Celebrate our own identities as well as the community and all we’ve achieved so far. Watch a fun movie, shop for some fun merch, eat and drink something rainbow, dance to music of queer artists, whatever you want! We do also want to acknowledge and remember those who we’ve lost, those who have paved the way before us. You might want to do this by making a toast to your queer ancestors (by blood or – more often – not). By saving a place for them at the table and inviting to join you. Or by using a Beloved Dead sigil and burning a candle in remembrance. I will also be making a list of names of those I wish to honour, which is at the same time a nice excuse to dive deeper into queer history!

So please join us for a witchy Pride weekend! Share your thoughts and experiences with #PrideWitchcraft and share this post far and wide so we can have as many witches adding their magic and power.

[outer-bnks]

Two Burning Hearts Are Dared to Break (JJ x OC) Ch. 8

Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10

Elle finds out bad news about the police investigation and calls Kie and Pope to help her decide whether to tell JJ or not. 

Warning: mentions of police

A/N: The Pogues don’t know that Rafe killed Sheriff Peterkin for the premise of this story so Elle and the others think he’s *innocent*.

Word count: 1.4k

The startling sound of Elle’s ringtone woke her from the deepest sleep she’d had the past few weeks. She’d only been able to sleep for 2 to 3 hours in bursts before waking up breathless and sweating from nightmares of the storm, so being disturbed in the middle of such a peaceful slumber irritated her. 

“Hey Dad, what’s up”, she answered, fumbling with her earring to calm her nerves after seeing his name appear on her phone.

“Hi Elle, I just got off the phone with the lawyer, and… it’s not looking too good”, he sighed. 

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What does that mean. “What? What are you talking about?”.

She heard her Dad let out a sigh before continuing, “Well, they’re continuing the investigation because they don’t believe you and Kie were the only ones who had anything to do with what went down. Especially with the trouble the boys have been in previously”.

Her head began to swim with all the negative possibilities that could happen. “Wait, are you telling me that JJ and Pope are getting investigated? On what evidence?”, she pushed.

“I’m not sure, Shoupe said and I quote that he ‘wasn’t allowed to disclose that’”.

“That’s bullshit!” she exclaimed, feeling herself getting angrier by the minute.

“I know darling. But he did tell me that JJ owes money, and has some possible breaking and entering charges, do you know about any of those?” Elle could feel her chest closing in on itself with the thought of JJ getting into anymore trouble. 

“No Dad of course not. Uh, what about Pope?”

“He didn’t mention anything, to be honest I think his case for Pope is a lot weaker than it is for JJ, knowing what JJ’s like”. Usually she would defend JJ, but the end of his sentence went in one ear and out the other once finding out about Pope.

Silence filled the line, Elle too caught up in her thoughts attempting to piece everything together.

“You need to stop hanging around these kids Elle, they’re clearly no good for you”

“I’ll tell you what Dad, you get a say in who I hang out with when here for more than 2 weeks at a time. Thanks for the information, I’ve got to go”, she fired back, promptly ending the call. 

Giving this information to Elle wasn’t a good idea. The most indecisive of the Pogues,  she now had to debate whether to tell the others or not. She knew that she should tell them, to keep them in the loop of the investigation. But telling the boys that Shoupe was going to do a deep-dive on them, would only result in chaos. Pope would freak out, his anxiety sky-rocketing and mulling over a possible criminal record that would make all his hard work this year for his scholarship redundant. 

Elle could predict how JJ would react; rebellion or packing up and running. Neither was particularly ideal. She wouldn’t even know where to find him after 2 weeks of no contact. She ignored that dreaded feeling in the pit of her stomach that rose whenever she thought of him and tried to think logically about her options.

How could this happen? Peterkin being shot by who they believed to be Ward. John B had never gotten around to telling them who it was, but they knew that he, Ward and Sarah were the only ones present when it happened, making it an obvious no brainer. And yet, John B was the one framed, and now that he’s not around for them to blame, they’re going to place it on the next best thing, the Pogues. 

Elle paced back and forth as she contemplated what to do next, twirling her rings around her fingers, thoughts rushing through her mind, one being replaced by the next. Settling on a decision, she walked back over to her phone resting on her bed, opening up their group chat and typing out, “We need to meet. Can y’all be at mine in 30?”.

-----

“So what’s going on?” Kie asked, plopping herself onto the outside sofa on the porch. Her and Pope had arrived together, something Elle wouldn’t have found strange previously but now left her feeling a tad uncomfortable. She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of them together during all of this, and she was yet to properly talk to either of them about it and figure out what was actually going on.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for their reactions as she filled them in on everything her Dad said. 

Pope’s face visibly drained of colour, and Kie’s eyebrows creased with worry. “Oh shit, I’m done for aren’t I”, Pope said, placing his head in hands and staring at the ground. 

Elle took that as her cue to calm him down, “You’re not done for Pope, they haven’t even found anything yet”.

“Elle that doesn’t matter, they’re searching as. we. speak.”, he added, pausing between his words for emphasis of the severity of the issue.

Kie who had remained silent processing the information butted in, “Does JJ know?”.

Waving her hands around in front of them to draw attention to the three of them, she replied frustratedly, “No, as you can see, he’s a no show”. 

Kie nodded solemnly, picking up the sadness underlying Elle’s words, “So you’re still not talking”, she pressed gently.

A sarcastic laugh escaped her, “Bingo!”.

Pope looked between the girls, sensing the tone of the conversation and awkwardly adding, “I uh… know where he is, and you’re not gonna like it E.”

Her head perked up, eyebrows raised with interest, “What, where? With his dad?”.

“Not exactly”, Pope paused, trying to prepare himself for her reaction, “he’s working at Barry’s, trying to pay him back for what he stole from his place.”

You have got to be fucking kidding me, Elle thought. “I’m sorry, what? Are you joking right now? He’s working as a dealer?!”, she spoke, feeling her hands becoming clammy with stress as this conversation progressed.

Pope shook his head vigorously, “No, not as a dealer. He’s doing maintenance on the house and his land. Apparently there's enough work needed to be done to repay everything he stole”.

She couldn’t believe her ears right now. He was going to earn 30k back from doing handyman work? She let out a sigh, “This is insane. He’s literally turned to the dark side. I have money, Kie has money, why didn’t he just come to us?”.

It was Pope’s turn to let out a sarcastic chuckle, “Do you really think that JJ, our JJ, JJ Maybank, would ask you for money to pay back someone for something you told him not do in the first place. Not with his pride and stubbornness Elle”.

Pope was right. Of course he wouldn’t do that. He liked to fend for himself, for everything. There was no way he was going to actually ask anyone for help. “Do you guys think we should tell him. I think it’s just going to make things worse and I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” Elle questioned softly. 

Pope and Kie both took a couple of seconds to think. Pope finally making a decision, “Yeah, I do Elle. He’s going to end up in a much worse place than just working for Barry if we don't get him out. I tried to talk to him the other day. All he said was that I didn't need to worry about him anymore and something about freeing me from his chains,  which made no sense but I know that what he meant wasn't good”. 

“Ok, I’m going to head over there and try and get him out”, Elle stated, grabbing her phone and getting ready to leave.  

Kie let out a soft laugh, “Good luck with that. If there’s anyone he loves saving him from his messes, it's you”. 

Elle could hear the sarcasm dripping off her words. She did have a habit of cleaning up his messes, whether he liked it or not. That’s what friends do right? They help you out when you need it, they give you money when you’re broke, they call you out on your bullshit? And then they ignore any attempts of contact for 2 weeks after breaking your heart? That’s how friendship works, right?

-----

Let know if you want to be added to the taglist!

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[sunnysynthsunshine]

6th Comedy Monologue

“So folks, that whole Brexit rubbish is finally over isn’t it?”

“I know, some of us could see it coming and Teresa May looks like the spitting image

of the stepmother from Cinderella

how come nobody has noticed that yet?

we all have politicians we don’t like don’t we?

at times like this, I have to remind myself Teresa May is a very well liked woman

but then I remember back in the day Margaret Thatcher was also a very well liked woman

don’t you think she and Teresa may are quite similar?

well this is how she’d treat a political problem

*attempts impersonation*

“what’s that? ok men I did you to do this and then this and then this and this”

whereas Teresa may would handle the situation like…

*attempts impersonation*

what’s this? oh leave it for a few months

but the main thing is they both hate poor people so who cares what they think

I actually sort of understand why people like Jeremy Corbyn but I had written that previous gag back in late June of last year, speaking of outdated gags

Pirates were the communists and socialists of the 17th century

they wanted money, disagreed with colonialism and didn’t care what the government thought of them

like with communists they were accepting and inclusive but they wanted gold

the pirates accepted many on their ship they allowed homosexuality, they allowed women in strong roles  there were great times had on the high seas

even with the loot, they got they’d share it evenly what other power was involved with being inclusive with most things except money Oh Yeah! the communists

Yes, Yes we’ll handle it we’ll accept you but give us all your money

communism is a good concept but in the end, people get greedy for the money

like with pirates

we’ll accept you matey but give us some gold

however they didn’t agree about the government, they had their own independent pirate crews and disagreed with colonialism and capitalism

kind of like some of us, I think

we criticize politics, we like to party and we accept most people except colonialists …and capitalists...

Oh well, at least there’s been good music with Marina and the diamonds, Ariana Grande and the 1975

We, humans, love music

which makes me think about bands related to Homosapians

in the 60s we had the Monkees good band good name

and now we have Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz, Rang a Tang and Apes

what about the lesser known homosapian types

Chimpanzees and Baboons

if music existed in Planet of the Apes

the Kate Bush hit Babooshka would be about a

monkey looking for love after getting his heart broken seeing his wife cheat on him with an older mandrill

only to fall in love again with who he’d call his baboonska

Animals are interesting creatures whether they are made of glass, made of 1960s haircuts or made of the first songs of a math rock band

Another good thing about music and animals is that Roger Taylor is going to help us save the bees

Thinking bee! Thinking queen! thinking bee! Thinking queen!

Speaking of which there’s been a whole glam rock/synthpop revival going on

And I love that

although as a kid I watched media from all sorts of different decades

While they watched Jersey Shore and Love Island I was watching Disney and CBBC sitcoms mixed with Japanese cartoons and shows from years before like Jem and the holograms, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the original my little pony series.

I would also watch funnybones, the original noody series from a VHS I “borrowed” from my neighbours, as well as the Muppet show and some classic cinema.

I think it’s amazing that this revival is happening it’s like the 60s,70s,80s,90s and early 2000s are all going on at the same time.

Revolutionary anarchic protests, Androgynous rockers, Neon colours, post-punk indie shows, peculiar fashion trends and reality shows as well as the cybernetic future beyond

But I’m also cold and angry about how this is happening because on the other hand, there are things carried over from previous decades that shouldn’t still be around...fascists in positions of power, nonces in the entertainment industry, Threat of a nuclear war, low economy, Jamie Oliver, Piers Morgan, Death, Pollution,Misogyny,Misandry,Sexism,Racism and White Supremacy

I could list more, but I can’t think at the moment I’m focusing on my work while morons on Twitter and Tumblr are yabbering on about vegan sausage rolls.

I’ve never tried Greggs before but I’m sure the vegans and vegetarians are happy that a mainstream chain like Greggs has made a product catered specifically for them, whereas before if you asked for a “vegan option” at a restaurant the waiter would scratch their neck.

However not all restaurants are like this,having to work overtime dealing with angry parents,screaming children and the odd nazi at Mcdonalds is not an easy task,yet so many waiters and workers across the world are able to somehow keep those businesses afloat,you guys, girls and comrades don’t get enough credit,you should be paid more,no wonder so many mainstream restaurants are having strikes or running out of food and people are either going to more independently funded places or ordering online to get their daily dose of fast fried convenience.

and while I would be interested in trying a vegetarian diet,It would be hard for me to give up eating chicken that quickly but I don’t really eat meat that often,and before you say anything as long as cannibals don’t use their choice of food in a dangerous way they’re ok with me, it’s no different to when our prehistoric ancestors had to hunt to find food in order to survive,some people still have to do that,it’s sad...it really is,while Christianity isn’t something I believe in anymore, it did say in the bible that Jesus shared his bread and food with his people,and I think some of us should start doing that,and if you already do whether it’s a snack you have or leaving out leftover food from your side takeaway business, that’s brilliant your making more people happy and your allowing more people to enjoy food and to have access to that basic human necessity that we all should be able to have to access to.

Sharing is another primary school lesson it feels like half of humanity has forgotten about outside of basic decency and kindness, but I’m probably not the one to talk about that since I was called “Rude” for most of my life.

there’s a big difference between telling someone they’re a plonker and making someone more aware of how they can improve themselves as a person.

Most of us all have flaws, most of us have had toxic moments,

we’ve all at times had moments where we’ve said something wrong that we didn’t mean,

or times where our cowardliness has accidentally caused misunderstandings and drama

or times where we didn’t intend to sound hurtful but that’s how it came across, or times where we’ve blindly followed toxic people, imitating their actions without meaning to or just generally times where we’ve been ignorant little eijjits.

Even people some would say were flawless had flaws or problematic aspects about them

David Bowie wasn’t too nice to his wife Angie in later years, Graham Lineman and Robert Webb are transphobic, Rowan Atkinson supports Boris Johnson’s “so-called” jokes and Ricky Gervais doesn’t like hearing people with different opinions than him.

Overthinking however can exaggerate this, overthinking can take that one time you were a bit rude as a child and that problematic “fandom” phase you had as a preteen and make you feel like your worst person in the world.

Your not, but most of us have had moments,there’s also the “not like other girls/boys phase” sometimes it’s just a light-hearted comparison drawing or blog post taken out of context other times it’s the grown-up equivalent of saying “I like this thing over your other thing that means I’m better than you”

Considering my at times cold thoughts it’s weird that I’m the person of all people telling you this

It’s perfectly ok to be prideful and narcissistic just don’t be so arrogant that you forget about your morals and the people that you're close to, but if at times because of mental health you question your levels of empathy, sympathy and compassion that’s ok too, your voices deserve to be heard, and there is help available you can find it through helplines, organizations or even your own comrades.

Outside of all the twits in this horrid fishbowl of a world, there are also millions of very kind nice people, I don’t know where I’d be now without my comrades

The offline pals who are like my sunshine because they brighten up my day,the old secondary school friends that made me feel less alone,the online people who I can vent to, converse with and joke with,the bloggers from years ago that I still sometimes keep in touch with and the creators who through their work in Media, Theatre and the Arts were able to encourage me to keep going, keep working, keep creating.

I think your all lovely and beautiful and creative human beings, no matter what identity you are, what music genre you listen to or what topping you prefer on your pizza

I will most likely adore you and if I haven’t it’s probably because I haven’t met you yet

You are one biscuit of cells, on this fishbowl planet, your mind is a land of wonder and your body is the garden surrounding it, take care of yourself like how you take care of your garden, your pets or the fictional characters you write about.

Your future might not be the future you expect, but it’s one you’ll enjoy.

if you are doing something you love which harms nobody, be as happy and passionate about it as you like

you are a person who deserves the world

Don’t push yourself too hard, if you know you’re doing a good job keep at it, don’t stress yourself too hard, but remember not to procrastinate, your mental health is important, some people might not understand all of the issues you’re going through, but you can make it out alive.

You're, not a number or statistic you're a person, your a beautiful, Kind, incredible, wise person

spread some love and don’t forget what the late Freddie Mercury said,

Keep yourself Alive!

[ilyssa256gaming-blog]

Old-fashioned SIMS four Cell

The sims mobile

The sims mobile Wiki's Featured Report for September 2014. It ought to be noted that this will be the regular edition of the game launched back in 2014, so no funny hats of expansion packs. You can get sims mobile four for no cost on the Origin web-site till May perhaps 28th, so relax and take your time - you have a week to download it. And it does not expire immediately after the provide, once you have downloaded you can keep the game forever.

Adds a new globe named Granite Falls. Inside the new world sims mobile can trip outdoors in a national park. This pack also adds a new ability (Herbalism) a new collectable (insects) and several new sims mobile traits, achievements, aspirations, outfits, objects, and game interactions associated to outdoor activities. The console versions of The sims mobile four will have many of the exact same excellent features and updates at launch that are at present on Computer, with the exceptions of the Gallery, mods, and social events.

Even so, it really should incorporate the easier, everyday aspects in life. Such as, getting in a position to walk into and essentially see your sims mobile purchasing things (NO Far more RABBIT HOLES) in the grocery shop, huge shopping mall should really be incorporated with a range of retailers, even a store where you can invest in furnishings. Also, becoming capable to open your car or truck door as an alternative of just automatically being teleported inside.

Hold in thoughts that you have to modify the section exactly where we put your Sim by the name and surname of your Sim with a space and exactly where we place with out you want to be your pal you have to put the name and surname of the 1 with no which you want it to be your pal. Inside the parentheses you have to include things like a figure that can be adverse if what you want is to be fatal. We remind you that this tricks only operates for sims mobile that you currently know so if what you want is to make a lot of friends pretty rapidly we advocate that you see a party and enable the sims mobile to go along to be able to meet quite a few totally new sims mobile.

Why You By no means See SIMS four Cell That truly Functions

Yes! The sims mobile four is accessible on Mac! Please note that The sims mobile 4 for Mac is a digital-only release. Click right here to learn a lot more. Did you know the sims mobile four is now accessible on Mac? If you currently personal The sims mobile 4, you can download the Mac Version from Origin. sims mobile four cheats also permit you to cease sims mobile and objects from develop into stuck or trapped, so there's a sensible use to them, also.

The sims mobile 4 has debuted its 1st stock character who is gender non-confirming as part of its new ‘Island Living' expansion pack. The sims mobile four was very first released in 2014 and although criticised at launch for its lack of content material, and the disappearance of lots of features that had been in The sims mobile 3, it is still a highly enjoyable life simulator.

Though several of us, myself included, like to thinly stretch morality in The sims mobile 4, the developers have set clear boundaries with a couple of issues. Taking care of children, no matter if you birth or adopt them, is one particular of these factors with a clear moral line. Beneath no situations shall your adult sims mobile willfully starve, emotionally neglect, or let their children squish around in a poop-filled diaper. If you do, your kid will be taken away from your household.

The sims mobile 4 is the initially base game to demand activation with Origin. I should confess that I personally like the way sims mobile four plays, having said that. I really feel the same as a lot of other people in that there are some of the game play features from prior versions that could have conveniently been incorporated in this version. The sims mobile four Bundles in stores will incorporate a code to download the game packs and stuff packs by way of Origin.

Get With each other is the second expansion pack for The sims mobile four, which was announced on August five, 2015 at Gamescom The most important new function of this expansion pack is Clubs. The player can create and join Clubs with distinct interests, personalities, and types exactly where the player can set the rules, define their appear, and customize their hangouts. Furthermore, there are brand new activities such as foosball, darts, Never Wake The Llama and arcade machine. There are also all new DJ & Dancing abilities. This expansion pack functions a new planet of referred to as Windenburg, with scenic neighborhoods and picturesque landmarks, including the sprawling hedge maze at the Von Haunt Estate, the alluring pools along the bluffs, and the mysterious ancient ruins. Other new functions incorporate: emotional texts, natural pool colours, new foods & drinks, barista & DJ NPCs, and new Closet WooHoo & Bush WooHoo.

And there is a lot more, as The sims mobile is partnering with the It Gets Better Project, a LGBTQ+ non-profit organisation, to bring Pride content starting from Tuesday, June 18 for The sims mobile four on Computer (consoles will get it in July), The sims mobile FreePlay, and The sims mobile Mobile. Right here you will obtain all news and updates on sims mobile 5 game. Below, you can just jump to the portion you are hunting for.

To get The sims mobile four for no cost, you'll have to download Origin from the platform's web-site. The product web page will then permit players to download The sims mobile 4 for free of charge, or opt into the Digital Deluxe Edition for $50. The sims mobile four: Digital Deluxe Edition incorporates a handful of added customization options, like fun hats, celebration gear, and a digital soundtrack for the game.

[lioden-sim]

Update for Conveniences and Tweaks!

New stuff omg

* The main Explore link on the navigation bar, as well as the page itself, has been renamed to "Crossroads" due to possible confusion over Explore and Exploring as two separate areas/features within the game. *Edit by Abbey* Breadcrumb links will be updated periodically. * We have expanded the links underneath the Crossroads map to be more organised and descriptive - the links are now in 3 columns (on big screens) and we have tried to organise them into Primary Features, Sales and Trading, and Social and Miscellaneous columns.

* Burying and digging up multiple items using your Hoard Organisation, will now log your actions in the userlog. * There is a new toggle to collapse the Equipped Decorations panel on lion pages. If you have this toggle enabled, there will be a link to be able to show the decorations again, but it will be defaulted to hide. If you have the toggle off, you can temporarily hide the decorations list. Suggestion * Scrying Stone now shows a prediction of cub stats alongside possible cub appearances (finally adding a suggestion from 2013 ;D). Suggestion * Wardrobe can now switch between the two different types of dropdown menus - searchable and the old, regular dropdowns. Click on the settings button in the Lion Base panel to toggle between the two. (Edit: we're aware some people are getting issues, we're trying to find a solution <3) * Member and lion search now includes the full list of mutations to search, along with the new options of "any" and "none". Suggestion * Search results for members will no longer display any member inactive enough that they have lost their king's name (over 1 year). * You can now search for pride lions owned by a specific member by providing their ID in the Owner ID field - you can also provide your own ID to search within your own pride. (yay!) Suggestion * Noses can be searched for in the Trading Center. * Discarding an item will now create an entry in your User Log. Auto-Level In Oasis, a new auto-level feature has appeared. When bought, for 30 days you will receive a button located in every Cave (unsorted excluded) that will let you level up all lions inside it with a single click. Suggestion That tool allows you to level up multiple times in a row, meaning a level 1 lioness which earned few thousand exp, will level up instantly to level 5 and so on.

Bug Fixes & Tweaks

* Searching for fertility in the game search should no longer bring up male lions. * Searching for fertility in the trading center will no longer have the fertility selection wiped when you go beyond page 1. * When auto-breeding, it should no longer warn you of insufficient lion space if you have space for cubs. * The CAPTCHA on the contact form should be working again - apologies to those of you who have tried to contact us previously.

New Admin?

Some of you noticed in past few days that Baroness had a yellow paw for a while. She was in training to become an Admin, because we really need her skills now that Katze is going into labour (OMG GOOD LUCK POP THAT BABY). Baroness will be taking over her duties, but Katze will hang around in general until she can come back in full force!  She might also forward some PM's to Baroness if you PM her out of habit, so don't be surprised if you PM Katze and Baroness replies sometimes! :D

New Manes

Chartreux and Redwood are new custom mane colours!

Remember that June event will end on June 30th at 11:59 pm and all your currency will be stored on your account until next year. Shad added new tags - Misc. exclusively - and the ones week ago turned out to be June and Appreciation :D

Raffle Lioness

Congrats Iter (#109797)! You have won the last raffle lady! New lady with the Simien Mountains BG is up for impressing in Special Lioness area in Explore or in NEWS section under News Post List! ;D it's a small tribute to Baroness he he

Polls and Dev Notes

Woop Nightjar feather decor results are smashing! So, new poll LINK - Next lethal mutation you'd like to see?(Note: if you're googling those, remember about disturbing images)

[liodensim]

Update for Conveniences and Tweaks!

New stuff omg!

* The main Explore link on the navigation bar, as well as the page itself, has been renamed to "Crossroads" due to possible confusion over Explore and Exploring as two separate areas/features within the game. *Edit by Abbey* Breadcrumb links will be updated periodically. * We have expanded the links underneath the Crossroads map to be more organised and descriptive - the links are now in 3 columns (on big screens) and we have tried to organise them into Primary Features, Sales and Trading, and Social and Miscellaneous columns.

* Burying and digging up multiple items using your Hoard Organisation, will now log your actions in the userlog. * There is a new toggle to collapse the Equipped Decorations panel on lion pages. If you have this toggle enabled, there will be a link to be able to show the decorations again, but it will be defaulted to hide. If you have the toggle off, you can temporarily hide the decorations list. Suggestion * Scrying Stone now shows a prediction of cub stats alongside possible cub appearances (finally adding a suggestion from 2013 ;D). Suggestion * Wardrobe can now switch between the two different types of dropdown menus - searchable and the old, regular dropdowns. Click on the settings button in the Lion Base panel to toggle between the two. * Member and lion search now includes the full list of mutations to search, along with the new options of "any" and "none". Suggestion * Search results for members will no longer display any member inactive enough that they have lost their king's name (over 1 year). * You can now search for pride lions owned by a specific member by providing their ID in the Owner ID field - you can also provide your own ID to search within your own pride. (yay!) Suggestion * Noses can be searched for in the Trading Center. * Discarding an item will now create an entry in your User Log. Auto-Level In Oasis, a new auto-level feature has appeared. When bought, for 30 days you will receive a button located in every Cave (unsorted excluded) that will let you level up all lions inside it with a single click. Suggestion That tool allows you to level up multiple times in a row, meaning a level 1 lioness which earned few thousand exp, will level up instantly to level 5 and so on.

Bug Fixes & Tweaks

* Searching for fertility in the game search should no longer bring up male lions. * Searching for fertility in the trading center will no longer have the fertility selection wiped when you go beyond page 1. * When auto-breeding, it should no longer warn you of insufficient lion space if you have space for cubs. * The CAPTCHA on the contact form should be working again - apologies to those of you who have tried to contact us previously.

New Admin?

Some of you noticed in past few days that Baroness had a yellow paw for a while. She was in training to become an Admin, because we really need her skills now that Katze is going into labour (OMG GOOD LUCK POP THAT BABY). Baroness will be taking over her duties, but Katze will hang around in general until she can come back in full force!  She might also forward some PM's to Baroness if you PM her out of habit, so don't be surprised if you PM Katze and Baroness replies sometimes! :D

New Manes

Chartreux and Redwood are new custom mane colours!

Remember that June event will end on June 30th at 11:59 pm and all your currency will be stored on your account until next year. Shad added new tags - Misc. exclusively - and the ones week ago turned out to be June and Appreciation :D

Raffle Lioness

Congrats Iter (#109797)! You have won the last raffle lady! New lady with the Simien Mountains BG is up for impressing in Special Lioness area in Explore or in NEWS section under News Post List! ;D it's a small tribute to Baroness he he

Polls and Dev Notes

Woop Nightjar feather decor results are smashing! So, new poll LINK - Next lethal mutation you'd like to see?(Note: if you're googling those, remember about disturbing images)

[jessicakehoe]

An Insider’s Guide to Toronto Pride

This upcoming Sunday marks Toronto’s annual Pride parade, a legendary event where queer people flock from all over Canada to bask in the incredible positive energy radiating through the city. As one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, Toronto’s Pride weekend schedule is packed with everything from sweaty underground dance parties to outdoor drag shows, and just like any other hot ticket event, it can be hard to decide which spaces and events are most worthy of your time. To help narrow down the options, we consulted four Toronto queer creatives and longtime Pride-goers on how they’ll be spending the upcoming weekend. Here’s what they had to say.

Michael Zoffranieri: Fashion Designer, ZOFF

Pronouns: He/him

Photography by Victor Rusu

What I love about Toronto Pride.

Pride means community: the people we get to call family, and how we get to celebrate our love for ourselves and for each other, together.

Why it’s important for me to participate.

Pride is important for celebration, but moreso being resistant to things that affect LGBTQ2SA+ folks. We will not stand for discrimination, hate, and hurt. As people of this world, we must collectively push for better treatment of human life. We must resist values that are hurtful, and heal together.

The events I’m looking forward to this year.

I’m looking forward to the Green Space Festival, the outdoor party at the 519 (519 Church St.) that goes all weekend, being with my chosen and bio family, and the memories to be made.

My best advice for conquering Pride weekend.

Wear whatever you want! Keep backpacks to a minimum, or opt for a waist pack/cross body bag. Have someone to be your touchstone, and be someone’s touchstone: safety is about letting people know where you are. Head to Smith for a Saint Germain and Prosecco cocktail: just north of Wellesley and Church, it’s a great place to stop in for a cocktail or brunch or both. For a bite, Mengrai Thai is an awesome place just steps away from Church. It’s a short walk from the Village, and a wonderful place to spend time with loved ones. For veg/vegan/kosher friends: Rosalinda (Richmond and York) is a great place for fresh Mexican, and a cocktail… Classic, or otherwise for those who don’t indulge in alcohol.

Gigi Gorgeous: Activist, Author & Digital Creator (and Grand Marshall of Toronto’s 2019 Pride parade!)

Pronouns: She/her

View this post on Instagram

howdy y’all🤗

A post shared by GIGI GORGEOUS 👸🏼 (@gigigorgeous) on Apr 29, 2019 at 5:12pm PDT

What I love about Toronto Pride.

Toronto is where I experienced my first Pride when I was a teenager, it’s my hometown and the best city in the world. Pride in Toronto is my favorite time of year. Everyone comes together and celebrates, and there is so much pride here in the community. It’s really special.

Why it’s important for me to participate.

Gigi: To me, Pride means coming together,  supporting each other, embracing our differences and celebrating. We have come so far in the last 50 years since the Stonewall Uprising, but we still have a lot of work to do to achieve full equality in the world. It is such an honour and a privilege to be able to participate in Pride Toronto and to be the Grand Marshal.

The events I’m looking forward to this year.

All of it! Every event and party and rally is so amazing and inspiring. This year, I am specifically looking forward to the Trans March at 3pm on June 21st.

My best advice for conquering Pride weekend.

Wear comfortable shoes, hydrate, and have the best time! Most importantly, remember what Pride means. It isn’t just about the parties. It’s about how far we have come as a community and honoring those who have fought before us to pave the way for us to live our lives freely and openly. And don’t forget to bring the looks! Stay gorgeous and happy pride, everyone!

  Rachel Romu, Musician/Model

Pronouns: (They/them)

View this post on Instagram

🚨SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 SAT. JAN. 19 | SET: 9:00PM EST | DOORS: 8:30PM EST | $5 | C'EST WHAT? | 67 FRONT ST. E.⁣ ⁣ I'm playing a stripped down set with @itslaflamme for a show put together by @jprolee in support of @youthlinkto 's Tyler McGill Music Program, which offers free music lessons to Scarborough youth⁣ ⁣ 📷: @liamracine for @itsjunkonline ⁣ 💄: @abella.u & @bullchicbeauty ⁣ 👗: @tiger_____lily ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⁣

A post shared by RACHEL ROMU (@rachelromu) on Jan 9, 2019 at 6:18pm PST

What I love about Toronto Pride.

The community. Personally, it’s a space in which all facets of myself can exist openly and freely, without question. This makes room for vulnerability, meaningful connections, and a deeper understanding of one another.

Why it’s important for me to participate.

Because my disability is visible, it influences how I move through the world and am perceived by others; conversely, my identity as a queer person often exists in silence. Participating is owning that part of me and showing that part of me.

What Pride means to me. It means protest. It means discarding social conventions. It means freedom. It means acknowledging the trans women of colour who spearheaded the movements that have made it so LGBTQ2SIA+ folks have the rights we do (though there is still a ways to go).

The events I’m looking forward to this year.

I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and use a mixture of mobility aids to get around, so it’s important to me to that Pride events prioritize accessibility. In accessible queer spaces, I feel that all parts of me are welcomed, free, and safe. On Friday June 21st, I’ll be heading to the Trans March and show where T. Thomason (winner of The Launch), and Babia Majora and Fluffy Souflee of F*CK SHT UP Trans & Non-Binary Cabaret will be performing. This stage is QTPOC focused which I personally think is super amazing due to Pride’s origins. Also, having played the first ever trans stage last year at Pride as a non-binary person was meaningful as heck and I am so happy to see this stage’s growth!

Also, Come As You Are, an art show celebrating queer artists of colour taking place on until June 22nd. The space is not accessible but the show highlight individuals who have pride in navigating their identity, through their interpretations of art.

My best advice for conquering Pride weekend.

Wear sunscreen & re-apply! Drink more water than you think you need (also soda water to replenish salts you sweat out!) It’s okay to take breaks, rest as needed, and stay in if it would be self-care. It’s okay to not go at all, your identity is still valid regardless of whether you are able to participate

  Sebastiano Bazzichetto: PhD and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Yellow Gloves

Pronouns: He/him or His Lordship

View this post on Instagram

Galvanizing Baroque Mornings • "Brilla nell'Alma un non inteso ancor dolce contento e d'alta Gioia il Cor soave inonda. Sì nella Calma azzurro brilla il Mar se splende il Sole e i Rai fan tremolar tranquilla l'Onda… Shines in the Soul an inexplicable yet sweet Happiness, and the highest Joy of my Heart sweetly flows. And thus, in the calm, brightly blue is the Sea when the Sun shines and its Rays tenderly shake the Waves…" • Blessed . . . . . . . . . #happiness #blessed #bonheur #verygoodfriday #gayboy #waves #wavyhair #Baroque #music #Händel #operaarias #operafan #melomane #operalover #yellow #book #lips #marble #ralph #gayto #the6 #castadiva #nofiltersneeded #avenetianintoronto #letmedream #lerêve

A post shared by Sebastiano Bazzichetto (@avenetianintoronto) on Apr 19, 2019 at 6:58am PDT

What I love about Toronto Pride.

In my view, to the LGBTQ2 community Pride is – or should be – like Christmas: it is not important what you do or where, but rather with whom you spend your time. Hence, like at Christmas, to me it is vital to celebrate Pride with my queer family: friends, allies, acolytes and lovers. And in Toronto this is not a hard task: we live after all in one of the queerest cities I’ve ever resided in my life!

  Why it’s important for me to participate.

It is a vibrant moment to celebrate life, diversity and cultural understanding. To come together as a community that is part of a larger community, but still presents some peculiar factors and features, besides having its own particular history of protests, sexual revolutions and epidemics and so forth.

The events I’m looking forward to this year.

I mostly like big events in large venues, where you can meet a lot of new people and share your joy and personal experience as an LGBTQ2 individual. I am very fond of the final parade: a multifarious display of colours, beyond the rainbow, transcending our mortal existence, aiming for a higher universal value in terms of human beings.

I’ll join some of the events organized by the Alternative Pride, its DIY dance garden-themed party in a gallery and the Backdoor Toronto Pride Villa Party in a secret location. For sure, I won’t miss the Green Space Festival, this year with its TreeHouse circuit party at the CNE Bandshell. And of course, my Prunch: for many years now, I have hosted a brunch for Pride (therefore Prunch), inviting friends to get together (and meet some like-minded ”strangers“), lounge and nibble before heading to the parade on Church. To round out my pride month, I’ll join the crowd at Christie Pits, to watch “Rafiki,” lying on the grass under the stars on June 30.

  My best advice for conquering Pride weekend.

It’s gonna be hot and sunny this year: a nice straw hat is the best companion for a long afternoon watching the parade!

TKTKTKT

The post An Insider’s Guide to Toronto Pride appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

An Insider’s Guide to Toronto Pride published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

[fashiontrendin-blog]

The Best New Menswear Pieces To Buy Right Now

http://fashion-trendin.com/the-best-new-menswear-pieces-to-buy-right-now-39/

The Best New Menswear Pieces To Buy Right Now

Harry’s Shave With Pride Set

We’re nearly half way through a month of Pride 2018 celebrations and the fashion and grooming world has been joining the party in its droves. Not content with sitting at the bar watching all the confetti cannon action going down on the dance floor below, razor subscription service Harry’s has launched a new razor kit with a shiny rainbow coloured blade handle, a groovy emoji laden box created by graphic design duo Craig & Karl and all profits from the sets being donated to various LGBTQ+ charities.

Buy Now: £24.00

Vivienne Westwood x Yoox Sweatshirt

World Cup fever is reaching that horrible, shivering, dribbling stage when in a desperate attempt to get your footie fix you resort to watching Denmark against Australia on your iPhone in the work loos. To celebrate the tournament (not your job shirking) e-retailers Yoox have exclusively released a T-shirt and sweater from designers around the world to represent their countries while the cup is on. Starting for England is the great dame of British fashion Vivienne Westwood who has designed this typically punky sweater for the series.

Buy Now: £111.00

American Apparel They Okay Print T-Shirt

Another June day, another capsule collection to celebrate Pride 2018 (we’re not besmirching it, we’re just wondering how we’re going to get all these fanciful clothes in our wardrobe). Focusing on the use of pronouns in the LGBTQ+ community this collection from American Apparel is fun and empowering all at the same time. The totes were tempting, but we plumped for a tee instead so you can wear the message loud and proud, no shirking allowed.

Buy Now: £22.00

Jimmy Fairly Hometown Sunglasses

Uber chic French eyewear brand Jimmy Fairly has been protecting gallic peepers since 2011, but sadly us Brits have had to gaze longingly across the channel hoping that one day they would come here and protect ours too. Well from September they will with a boutique set to open on Regent Street and plans for 15 more across the country in the next year. Get on the hype early by shipping these futuristic pair of shades over before everyone is wearing them come the end of the year.

Buy Now: €129.00

Alfie Douglas Midnight Blue Large Backpack

Can the backpack ever be elegant? Well, while you might look like you’re on the hunt for your next Pokemon running around town with a hefty canvas one, a sleek made-in-England option crafted out of fine Italian leather will take you right up to boss level. Invest in this cracking backpack from family-run British brand Alfie Douglas which has the capacity to fit a 15-inch laptop despite the slim profile.

Buy Now: £380.00

Mr Porter Vive La France x Husbands Wool Blazer

The tastemakers down at online retailers Mr Porter have a hefty set of style chops, so when we heard it was releasing a range of exclusive capsule collections plucked from the hottest French labels, well we were drooling like someone had placed a 20 ounce steak in front of us. Maison Kitsuné, Lacoste and J.M. Weston all feature but this juicy double breasted jacket from highbrow French menswear brand Husbands is truly the chateaubriand of the collection.

Buy Now: £950.00

BoohooMan Pride Love Is Hoodie

Stuck for options on what to wear this Pride season? Yeah, thought not, but you can never have too much choice so in comes BoohooMan with a 30-piece capsule collection inspired by the love within the LGBTQ+ community. Our pick from the ripe bunch is this black hoodie with its domineering slogan imitating the high-end styles of Balenciaga and Off-White without the need to sell your second lung to pay for it.

Buy Now: £18.00

Puma Thunder Electric

When it comes to the chunky game, we might have to put Puma above Kit-Kat at the moment. For even though our love for the bulky chocolate bar knows no bounds, every time Puma drops another chunky trainer it is an absolute beast. The gorgeous Thunder Spectra sold out in a blink of any eye in April, so you’ll have to be quick to catch these new Thunder Electric trainers, but if you do, be sure to savour the crazed mish mash of mesh and nubuck and the 90s inspired colourway.

Buy Now: £110.00

Adidas Manchester United 50th Anniversary Jersey

We don’t want to take sides when it comes to football, but when it comes to fashion we are perfectly willing to make a stand. So while we may or may not be fans of the Red Devils, we certainly can vouch for this stylish streetwear version of their jersey with an embroidered Manchester United crest from 1968 to celebrate their victory in the European Cup that very year.

Buy Now: £99.95

Topman x Charles Jeffrey Loverboy Adoption T-Shirt

To celebrate Pride this year Topman decided to eschew the sloganeering and have instead hooked up with menswear designer Charles Jeffrey for a series of T-shirts that feature works of art from five young LGBTQ+ artists in Jeffrey’s creative collective. The standout is this bold yellow tee with a disorientating and schizophrenic illustration from French textile designer Axel Gutapfel.

Buy Now: £30.00

Sebago Docksides Ariaprene

Sebago is as synonymous with boat shoes as Ray-Ban is with sunglasses and Donald Trump is with Twitter. They still look ace despite edging towards the technical end of the market, with the upper on these docksides made out of a special water-friendly synthetic fabric, which means you won’t be slipping on any puddles of champagne left on the deck.

Buy Now: £109.99

Albam Sailing Smock

Continuing the sailing theme is this smock from utilitarian menswear masters Albam which lets face it is more likely to see some high seas action than our late run for the 2021 America’s Cup on the old man’s catamaran. Styled in a fetching pistachio green (may contain traces of nuts) stuff it in your backpack ready to whack out at after work drinks when everyone else is shivering and you’re looking smug in a sailing smock that you haven’t as much as rowed a boat in.

Buy Now: £169.00

G-Star Raw Lanc Slim Trackpants

The man who invents a trouser with the cushiness of a tracksuit bottom and the cut of a tailored suit will surely have hit on a goldmine worth a thousand ships (or you know a thousand tailored trackies). Anyway, G Star RAW has done it, and the results are pretty tasty, with the taper at the bottom of the leg making you look twice and hey, a double look is better than a single so we’ll take a thousand pairs please.

Buy Now: £85.00

FoR Roma Varsity Bomber Jacket

We love our Scandi minimalist brands, but the Arcadia group, home to Topman and Burton went and tricked us by copying the style and making it gobsmackingly better with new brand FoR. The prices are another attraction, and we don’t think you’re going to find a better bomber jacket under £50 than this sleek red option. You can also wash it in the washing machine so spill as much ice cream and beer as you want on it.

Buy Now: £38.39

Lacoste Fraisier Gold Croc Sliders

Lacoste was originally founded in 1933 to provide moveable polo shirts for tennis players including its founder, seven-time Grand Slam winner René Lacoste. But that slippery little croc started sliding away from the tennis court until it found a home lounging around the pool protecting our feet from the lava-like patio. That is to say, Lacoste makes great pool sliders, like these gold and navy ones, that are as timelessly stylish as the polo shirts René used to volley around the court in.

Buy Now: £35.00

Barbour Kelso Tailored Fit Shirt

We cannot espouse the benefits of a nice shirt enough. Firstly you’ll score brownie points with mum for your sensible clothing choices (cue baby fist-pump meme) and secondly it works for all occasions, working with chinos at work or jeans at the pub so you’re never under or over dressed. This 100 per cent cotton choice from Barbour is a muted tartan dream so if you have a Scottish mum that’s double brownie points to scoff.

Buy Now: £69.95

Mango Jersey Henley T-Shirt

The T-shirt game is a little too dominated by the crew neck gang, so in rooting for the underdog, we were pleased to find this sterling Henley neck effort from Mango. It comes in a fine-knit textured cotton, but while the body might look more like a jumper the sleeves are short and sweet freeing those biceps up to enjoy the glimmering sun outside.

Buy Now: £29.99

Percival Tan Brushed Cotton Shorts

A brave man would style his ace suede jacket with a pair of suede shorts, but we’re an ol’ chicken legs so we daren’t try it. Instead we would just go with a simple white tee. Now we just have to find the perfect suede shorts and like a suede short fairy Percival has only gone and made this rugged pair. Plus they’re in cotton so you know your thighs won’t burn up like a polar bear in Mozambique.

Buy Now: £79.00

Farer Ponting II

This new watch from Farer has us oohing and aahing in unison like the little Pizza Planet aliens from Toy Story, its intergalactic beauty coming from the dolphin-grey dial paired elegantly with aquamarine (and glow in the dark) hands and numerals. The strictly limited run of 50 colour-way designs are supposedly inspired by the British coast, although presumably the stimulus is more cool Camber Sands than Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Buy Now: £1,175.00

Kenzo Acrylic Tiger iPhone Case

Tony, Shere Khan, Richard Parker (that one on the boat from Life of Pi that was definitely smaller than the raft Jack had to jump off of in Titanic) – we’ve got a lot of time for the cool cats of the jungle, especially when they adorn anything by French luxury streetwear brand Kenzo. Its tiger tees are iconic, but don’t let the branding stop there, with this grrrrrreat iPhone case made from a sturdy acrylic.

Buy Now: £35.00

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When Orson Welles Met H.G. Wells: Two Years After The War of the Worlds Panic, the Two Icons Finally Met

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When Orson Welles Met H.G. Wells: Two Years After The War of the Worlds Panic, the Two Icons Finally Met

In February 2017, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Sapphire Jubilee, marking her 65-year reign as Queen of England. Her Majesty surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, as Britain’s longest-ruling monarch, and now also holds the title of the world’s longest-reigning monarch. Here are 25 more royal facts about Queen Elizabeth.

1. SHE WASN’T BORN AN HEIR APPARENT TO THE THRONE.

For the first 10 years of her life, Princess Elizabeth was a relatively minor royal—her status was akin to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York today—but that all changed with the death of her grandfather, King George V, in 1936.

The next in the line of royal succession was Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne less than a year after taking it so that he could marry an American socialite named Wallis Simpson. Edward didn’t have any children at the time, so his brother Albert (Elizabeth’s father) ascended to the throne, taking the name George VI and making the then-10-year-old Elizabeth the first in line to become Queen.

2. HER YOUNGER SISTER GAVE HER A FAMILY NICKNAME.

Elizabeth and Margaret were the only children of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and King George VI, who said of his daughters: “Lilibet is my pride, Margaret my joy.” “Lilibet,” of course, is Elizabeth, who earned her nickname because Margaret—whom the family affectionately called Margot—constantly mispronounced her big sister’s name.

3. SHE DIDN’T GO TO SCHOOL.

Fox Photos, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Heirs apparent don’t just show up to primary school like normal kids. Instead, Elizabeth was tutored at home during sessions by different teachers like Henry Marten, vice-provost of Eton College (which is still for boys only), and was also given private religion lessons by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

4. BUT SHE AND MARGARET TECHNICALLY DID HAVE A TEACHER.

London Express, Getty Images

Just because she didn’t attend school doesn’t mean that Elizabeth didn’t receive an education. She received the bulk of it through her nanny, Marion Crawford, who the royal family referred to as “Crawfie.” Crawford would eventually be ostracized by the royal family for writing a tell-all book in 1953 called The Little Princesses without their permission; the book recounted Crawford’s experiences with Elizabeth during her younger days.

5. SHE WANTED TO GO TO WAR, BUT WAS TOO YOUNG.

Central Press, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

When World War II broke out in 1939, Elizabeth—then just a teenager—begged her father to join the effort somehow. She started out by making radio broadcasts geared toward raising the morale of British children. During one of the broadcasts, the 14-year-old princess reassured listeners, “I can truthfully say to you all that we children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage. We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen and we are trying too to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war.”

6. SHE EVENTUALLY SERVED IN WORLD WAR II.

Central Press, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Despite the risks, Elizabeth eventually joined the women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a truck driver and mechanic in 1945, when she was 18 years old.

Queen Elizabeth remains the only female royal family member to have entered the armed forces, and is currently the only living head of state who officially served in World War II.

7. SHE CELEBRATED THE END OF THE WAR BY PARTYING LIKE HER SUBJECTS.

William Vanderson, Fox Photos/Getty Images

When then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that the war in Europe was over on May 8, 1945, people poured out into the streets of London to celebrate—including Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. The sheltered duo were allowed to sneak out of Buckingham Palace to join the revelers at their father’s behest.

“It was a unique burst of personal freedom,” recalled Margaret Rhodes, their cousin who went with them, “a Cinderella moment in reverse.”

8. SHE MARRIED HER COUSIN.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth are third cousins; both share the same great-great-grandparents: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

9. ELIZABETH AND HER HUSBAND HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE CHILDHOOD.

Philip, son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, first met Elizabeth when she was only eight years old and he was 14. Both attended the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece (Prince Philip’s cousin) and Prince George, the Duke of Kent (Elizabeth’s uncle).

Five years later the pair met again when George VI brought Elizabeth to tour the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where Philip was a cadet. In a personal note, Elizabeth recalled falling for the young soldier-in-the-making: “I was 13 years of age and he was 18 and a cadet just due to leave. He joined the Navy at the outbreak of war, and I only saw him very occasionally when he was on leave—I suppose about twice in three years,” she wrote. “Then when his uncle and aunt, Lord and Lady Mountbatten, were away he spent various weekends away with us at Windsor.”

10. SHE DIDN’T TELL HER PARENTS SHE WAS GETTING HITCHED.

In 1946, Philip proposed to Elizabeth when the former planned a month-long visit to Balmoral, her royal estate in Scotland. She accepted the proposal without even contacting her parents. But when George VI finally caught wind of the pending nuptials he would only officially approve if they waited to announce the engagement until after her 21st birthday.

The official public announcement of the engagement finally came nearly a year later on July 9, 1947.

11. SHE HAS A VERY ROYAL NAME.

Reg Speller, Fox Photos/Getty Images

She’s the second British monarch named Elizabeth, but Elizabeth II wasn’t named after Henry VIII’s famous progeny. Queen Elizabeth II’s birth name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, after the names of her mother, Elizabeth, her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and her paternal grandmother, Queen Mary.

12. SHE GOT TO CHOOSE HER OWN SURNAME.

Technically, the Queen’s last name is “Windsor,” which was first chosen by George V in 1917 after the royal family wanted to distance themselves from “Saxe-Coburg-Gotha”—the dynasty to which they belonged—for sounding too Germanic during World War I.

But as a way to distinguish themselves from the rest of the royal family, in 1960 Elizabeth and Philip adopted the official surname Windsor-Mountbatten. (Fans will surely remember that the surname drama was briefly discussed in Netflix’s series The Crown.)

13. SHE HAS TWO BIRTHDAYS.

Like most British monarchs, Elizabeth gets to celebrate her birthday twice, and the reason why boils down to seasonably appropriate pomp and circumstance.

She was born on April 21, 1926, but April was deemed too cold and liable to fall during inclement weather. So instead, her official state-recognized birthday occurs on a Saturday in late May or June, so that the celebration can be held during warmer months. The specific date varies year to year in the UK, and usually coincides with Trooping the Colour, Britain’s annual military pageant.

14. HER CORONATION WAS TELEVISED AGAINST HER WISHES.

Elizabeth officially ascended to the throne at just 25 years of age when her father, George VI, died on February 6, 1952. Elizabeth was in Kenya at the time of his death and returned home as her country’s Queen. As fans of The Crown will remember, the hubbub surrounding her coronation was filled with ample amounts of drama.

The notoriously camera-shy Elizabeth—who didn’t even allow photos to be taken of her wedding—didn’t want the event televised, and others believed that broadcasting the coronation to commoners would break down upper-class traditions of only allowing members of British high society to witness the event. A Coronation Commission, chaired by Philip, was set up to weigh the options, and they initially decided to only allow cameras in a single area of Westminster Abbey “west of the organ screen,” before allowing the entire thing to be televised with one minor caveat: no close-ups on Elizabeth’s face.

15. SHE PAID FOR HER WEDDING DRESS USING WAR RATION COUPONS.

Central Press, Getty Images

Still reeling from an atmosphere of post-war austerity, Elizabeth used ration coupons and a 200-coupon supplement from the government to pay for her wedding dress. But don’t be fooled, the dress was extremely elegant; it was made of ivory duchesse silk, encrusted with 10,000 imported seed pearls, took six months to make, and sported a 13-foot train. (It cost just under $40,000 to recreate the dress for The Crown.)

16. SHE DOESN’T NEED A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL.

STRINGER, AFP/Getty Images

Elizabeth II is the world’s most well-traveled head of state, visiting 116 countries between 265 official state visits, but she doesn’t even own a passport. Since all British passports are officially issued in the Queen’s name, she technically doesn’t need one.

17. SHE DOESN’T NEED A DRIVER’S LICENSE EITHER.

Bob Haswell, Express/Getty Images

It’s not just because she has a fleet of chauffeurs. Britain also officially issues driver’s licenses in Elizabeth’s name, so don’t expect her to show off her ID when she gets pulled over taking other heads of state for a spin in her Range Rover.

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, recounted to The Sunday Times the time when Elizabeth drove former Saudi crown prince Abdullah around the grounds of Balmoral: “To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off,” he said. “Women are not—yet—allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen.”

18. SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO PAY TAXES (BUT CHOOSES TO ANYWAY).

ODD ANDERSEN, AFP/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth has voluntarily paid income and capital gains taxes since 1992, but has always been subject to Value Added Tax.

19. SHE SURVIVED AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT.

STRINGER, AFP/Getty Images

During the 1981 Trooping the Colour, the Queen led a royal procession on horseback down the Mall toward Buckingham Palace when shots rang out. A 17-year-old named Marcus Sarjeant, who was obsessed with the assassinations of figures like John Lennon and John F. Kennedy, fired a series of blanks toward Elizabeth. Sarjeant—who wrote in his diary, “I am going to stun and mystify the whole world with nothing more than a gun”—was thankfully unable to purchase live ammunition in the UK. He received a prison sentence of five years under the 1848 Treason Act, but was released in October 1984.

20. SHE ALSO SURVIVED AN INTRUDER COMING INTO HER BEDROOM.

Fox Photos, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

A year after the Trooping the Colour incident, Elizabeth had another run-in. But instead of near Buckingham Palace, this time it was inside Buckingham Palace. On July 9, 1982, a man named Michael Fagen managed to climb over the Palace’s barbed wire fence, shimmy up a drain pipe, and eventually sneak into the Queen’s bedroom.

While reports at the time said Fagen and the Queen had a long conversation before he was apprehended by palace security, Fagen told The Independent the Queen didn’t stick around to chat: “She went past me and ran out of the room; her little bare feet running across the floor.”

21. SHE TECHNICALLY OWNS ALL THE DOLPHINS IN THE UK.

Keystone, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In addition to owning all of the country’s dolphins, she owns all the sturgeon and whales, too. A still-valid statute from the reign of King Edward II in 1324 states, “Also the King shall have … whales and sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm,” meaning most aquatic creatures are technically labeled “fishes royal,” and are claimed on behalf of the Crown.

As the song goes, “Rule, Britannia! Britannia rules the waves!”

22. SHE HAS HER OWN SPECIAL MONEY TO GIVE TO THE POOR.

PHIL NOBLE, AFP/Getty Images

Known as “maundy money,” the Queen has silver coins—currently with Elizabeth’s likeness on the front—that are given to pensioners in a ceremony called Maundy Thursday. The royal custom dates back to the 13th century, in which the royal family was expected to wash the feet of and distribute gifts to penniless subjects as a symbolic gesture to honor Jesus’s act of washing the feet of the poor in the Bible. Once the 18th century rolled around and washing people’s dirty feet wasn’t seen as befitting of a royal, the act was replaced with money allowances bequeathed by the monarch.

23. GIN IS HER DRINK OF CHOICE.

RUSSEL MILLARD, AFP/Getty Images

The Queen drinks gin mixed with Dubonnet (a fortified wine) and a slice of lemon on the rocks every day before lunch. She also reportedly drinks wine at lunch and has a glass of champagne every evening.

24. SHE CREATED HER OWN BREED OF DOGS.

Elizabeth has a famous, avowed love of Corgis (she has owned more than 30 of them during her reign, but currently only owns one, named Willow), but what about Dorgis? She currently owns two Dorgis (Candy and Vulcan), a crossbreed she engineered when one of her Corgis mated with a Dachshund named Pipkin that belonged to Princess Margaret.

25. SHE’S ON SOCIAL MEDIA … KIND OF.

John Stillwell, Pool/Getty Images

It is a pleasure to open the Information Age exhibition today at the @ScienceMuseum and I hope people will enjoy visiting. Elizabeth R.

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 24, 2014

The Queen joined Twitter in July 2009 under the handle @RoyalFamily, and sent the first tweet herself, but hasn’t personally maintained the page since then. In fact, a job listing went up in 2017 looking for an official royal Digital Communications Officer to help out. She’s also on Facebook (and no, you cannot poke The Royal Family).

This story originally ran in 2017.

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50 Brilliant Things To Do In London In Summer

During the summer months of June, July and August, London is transformed into a whole new city.

The rooftop bars open, the parks get packed with sunbathers, and you can eat, drink and play outdoors all day, late into the evening.

So when it’s hot in London and the thermometer starts rising, here are our top ways to chill out, relax and make the most out of the warmer weather.

Outdoor entertainment

The Sound of Music at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, 2013 by David Jensen

1. Go to the open air theatre

Summer in London means watching plays, musicals and films (along with a few comedy performances) at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in their 1,250 seat outdoor auditorium.

The show goes on whatever the weather: so pack a picnic, grab a Pimm’s at the bar and enjoy.

2. See a street performance

Covent Garden’s array of jugglers, musicians, acrobats and comedians perform live in the Piazza throughout the summer.

To avoid the crowds, head up to either the Punch and Judy pub or The Print Room bar. You can then watch from above with a drink in hand.

The Rooftop Cinema at the Bussey Building in Peckham

3. Watch a film outside

The Rooftop Film Club has venues in Peckham, Shoreditch, Stratford and Kensington and comes with comfy chairs, wireless headphones and blankets in case the air gets a little nippy.

Alternatively, get your bikini or trunks out and try Hot Tub Cinema. You can book a tub with your friends, or two of you can share with others. You even get your own waiter, so no need to stand dripping in a bar queue.

4. Listen to live jazz

The Pavilion Café in Greenwich Park hosts evenings of live jazz every summer (June through August).

This cafe is next to the Royal Observatory, and has a large garden with great views. Better yet, there’s a licensed bar, as well as a barbecue and children’s activities on offer.

5. Dance at gigs in the park

British Summer Time Hyde Park has become a London summer institution, with global stars performing in front of huge crowds.

In 2017 Phil Collins, Green Day,  Justin Bieber, Kings of Leon, The Killers and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headline, with Blondie, Tears for Fears and Stevie Nicks among those lining up as the support acts to these mini-one day festivals.

Summer Series at Somerset House

6. Enjoy the music at Somerset House

Few open air gigs have a backdrop to rival the Summer Series at Somerset House.

Established artists and upcoming acts take the spotlight each night in the 18th century courtyard, which gives these series of gigs a more intimate feel. Tickets always sell out, so grab them early.

7. See a Shakespeare play at the Globe

In the open-air Globe Theatre, you’ll experience Shakespeare’s plays in the way they were first staged (April to October).

The roof is open to the elements during the evening and you can opt to stand in the yard to make it as authentic as possible.

8. See outdoor opera in Holland Park

Only staging performances in the summer, Opera Holland Park is under a canopy, but its location gives it an unstuffy feel.

They usually show six operas of different levels, so experts and novices will find something that appeals.

9. Get into the carnival spirit

Every year the August Bank Holiday heralds the return of Notting Hill Carnival.

So if you like vibrant colours, Caribbean flavours and dancing, add London’s biggest annual street party to your calendar.

10. Spend a summer day on the Southbank

Take a riverside walk, browse the book market or spend a balmy evening paddling in the fountains outside the Southbank Centre.

Two of London’s biggest festivals – Underbelly and London Wonderground – have teamed up together this year for the Underbelly Festival, where fringe-type events include circus acts, cabaret and cutting-edge comedy. The festival grounds also include one of the city’s longest outdoor bars along with street food stalls.

The Southbank Centre Market also runs every weekend during the warmer months, selling street food and farmers’ market produce from the stalls.

11. Go to a one-day festival

SW4 main stage in 2015

London’s parks have a line up of festivals catering to most musical genres – without needing to camp out.

The South West Four Weekender is usually held on the August Bank Holiday on Clapham Common and offers two days of dance music and club classics.

Victoria Park hosts the Lovebox Festival which has the biggest names in R&B, electronic dance and rap. The park is also home to Field Day, which is where to find the best alternative acts in London playing.

Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park is another established summer session, with dance, rap and R&B acts taking to the stage.

12. Take a trip to Trafalgar Square

Since it was part pedestrianised, Trafalgar Square has become the centrepoint for free open-air events in London (like the Eid festival as well as Pride in London).

Even if nothing’s on, you can still get a picture of The Fourth Plinth or listen to some live music in the square by the licensed street performers.

Eating and drinking

13. Fire up the ‘barbie in a park (where it’s allowed)

Many councils ban barbecuing in public to prevent scorched earth, so make sure you check before lighting up in a park or open space.

London Fields in Hackney have specially designated areas for you to barbecue, and Wandsworth Park has metal barbecue stations set up.

Burgess Park in Southwark also has purpose built ones – just bring charcoal.

14. Eat the best gelato in London

The summer is the time to buy Italian speciality ice cream and gelato.

We’ve put together a guide to where to find the best ice cream in London to give you the inside scoop.

15. Pick your own fruit

Head out to Cockfosters in Zone 5 and the rural retreat of Parkside Farm between June and October.

They have 20 different fruits and vegetables to choose from, including raspberries and sweetcorn. If you don’t fancy any bending or crouching, they even have special table-top strawberries to pick.

SUSHISAMBA

16. Blue Sky drinking on a rooftop bar

There are loads of rooftop bars all over London, and we’ve compiled a list of London’s Rooftop bars. That way, you can escape the heat of the pavements and get a birds eye view of the city.

17. Settle into a beer garden

Alfresco drinking options are rife in London, if you know where to look.

Head to a pub with a country garden feel like The Albion in N1, or head south and get the added bonus of riverside views at The Ship.

We’ve put together a guide to 35 London beer gardens. 

If you’ve got your four-legged friend in tow – here’s some dog friendly places in London to eat, drink and sleep at.

The Albion

18. Try a pedal pub crawl

You and up to 11 others can take a Pedibus round some of London’s landmarks, and drink while you cycle.

It’ll also stop off at a pre-arranged pub – we recommend the London Bridge route.

19. Drink on the deck of a floating bar

The Tattershall Castle is one of the Thames’ permanently moored boats, and is long established as a place to go for an evening tipple near Embankment.

It’s just undergone a major refurbishment to be ready for the long summer nights.

20. Eat lunch outside

Escape your desk when the sun comes out and take your lunch to one of London’s squares and gardens.

Postman’s Park near St Pauls was originally a popular lunch spot for nearby postal workers, and is now home to the Watts memorial, commemorating those who have given their lives to save others.

Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn once held duels.  Nowadays, you’re more likely to see picnicking lawyers in the largest square in London.

More centrally, Soho Square is tucked in behind Oxford Street, or get respite from Covent Garden and the Strand in Victoria Embankment Gardens.

21. Do fine dining outdoors

The River Cafe in Hammersmith has a Michelin star to go with the Mediterranean style outdoor terrace and food. (booking is advised).

Alternatively, both the Rooftop at the Boundary in Shoreditch and Coq d’Argent offer outdoor fine dining roof-top style

Street Feast

22. Have street food for dinner

London’s street food scene really comes alive during the summer, with vans, caravans and food bikes congregating together for night-time residencies.

Street Feast has weekend nocturnal food festivals across London, with Dalston Yard and the Model Market at Lewisham two of its larger venues.

Elsewhere, chicken wings continue to be popular and the annual London Wing Fest pits the best against each other.

Summer sports

23. Anyone for tennis?

In smaller parks, you can play tennis for free on a first come, first served basis; at the bigger parks you might have to pay and / or book in advance.

The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre hosted the 2012 Wheelchair Tennis, and has six outdoor courts which can be booked.

Greenwich Park have also had their six hard courts refurbished for 2015. You’ll also find courts in local parks like Hackney Downs – check the local council website for details.

24. Saddle up and go for a horse ride

You can go horse riding in Richmond Park and Hyde Park, with all levels catered for, so don’t worry if you’ve never been before.

Swimming in the Lido at Hyde Park © Edward Parker – courtesy of Royal Parks

25. Go for a swim 

London has a mix of pools, ponds, and lidos to choose from, with the Serpentine Lido and Hampstead Heath Ponds being the most well-known.

The Telegraph have put together a handy list of their best outdoor swimming pools in London.

26. Paddle up the Thames

Kayaking London run both day and night paddling experiences, which is a novel way to see London Bridge and the Houses of Parliament from the water.

If the river isn’t your thing, visit some of London’s more sheltered areas, like Shadwell Basin or Surrey Docks, where you can hire canoes and kayaks.

27. Try a spot of sailing

Across from Canary Wharf, Surrey Docks Watersports Centre offers sailing for all ages and experience.

The Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre provides Dinghy lessons, and if you visit during their Twilight sessions, you can also get involved in the barbecue and bar with views over the water.

The West Reservoir Water Sports Centre near Stoke Newington also has a very picturesque backdrop to learn the ropes.

Outdoor activities

Putt in the Park

28. Have a game of ping pong

The English Ping Pong Association has a list of outdoor table locations should you fancy an impromptu game with your mates.

29. Play a round of (mini) golf

Visit Putt In The Park for an outdoor round of mini golf in London.

Based in Wandsworth Park it also has a licensed cafe so you can celebrate your score with a beer at the end (you can get a head start with their 360 tour).

Alexandra Palace also has a ten hole pitch and putt if you want to try something a bit more expansive.

30. Get fit for free

Hot weather doesn’t make the gym very appealing, but you can still keep in shape for the summer at one of London’s outdoor gyms.

Fitness trainers Muddy Plimsolls have put together a map of the outdoor gym locations, along with some tips on how to get the most out of the equipment. Primrose Hill also has a recently refurbished Trim Trail to try.

31. Swing around in an adventure park

If you have a head for heights, book a trip to Go Ape in Trent Park.

They have zip wires, Tarzan swings and high ropes to negotiate, all in the tree tops of this country park in Zone 5.

The Serpentine © Andy Lane courtesy of Royal Parks

32. Mess about on the water

Always popular with the summer dating crowd, you can hire rowing boats or pedalos at Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Battersea Park, Finsbury Park, Victoria Park and Dulwich Park.

Ally Pally even has boats shaped like dragons, swans or cars if you want to unleash your inner child.

33. Become a chess grandmaster

Taking a hint from New York’s parks, you can find game of outdoor chess in London now, too.

Springfield Park in Hackney has three outdoor chessboards to bring put your Grünfeld Defence.

34. Ride a bike around London

Thanks to Boris Bikes you can spontaneously cycle round London whenever you want. The City is relativey traffic free at the weekend, and you cycle past sights like the Bank of England and St Paul’s Cathedral.

The majority of the Royal Parks have cycle routes, and you can pick up maps to help you navigate, or hire bikes if you don’t have one.

35. Take a summer stroll along the Thames Path.

You can walk as far as the Thames Barrier to the east, but make sure you don’t walk too far to the west – the path is 184 miles long and reaches the Cotswolds.

We’ve also put together a list of 35 of the best riverside pubs – should you wish to stop off along the way.

36. Swap ten pin bowling for the real thing

Relax as you play a game of proper bowls on a summers evening.

OpenPlay have a list of bowling greens for you to try, with Finsbury Square long being popular with city types.

Summertime in London

Columbia Road Market (c) Tower Hamlets Council

37. Buy fresh summer seasonal produce

Head to one of London’s markets and buy the best of the summer fruit and vegetables.

Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries (summer fruits) are best bought now, and green beans and peas are fresh from the fields.

38. Spend a lazy day at the park

For an urban city, London is blessed with a huge amount of parks, gardens and open spaces – so if it’s hot, grab a picnic and the suntan lotion and see them in their full glory.

39. Cruise for a while

Bag a spot on the top deck of one of London’s river boats and relax with the wind in your hair . You can pick the main cruises up from Westminster Pier, Tower Bridge and Greenwich.

40. Float down the canal on a barge

Camden, Islington and Little Venice can all be discovered on a canal cruise.

Hidden Depths will take you along Regent’s Canal and through Islington Tunnel, one of the oldest in Britain. They also hold special events during the summer.

The London Waterbus Company even has a special gate to let you into London Zoo and cruise past some of the animal enclosures.

If you want to stay on dry land, the canal towpaths make for a romantic and scenic walk.

41. Smell the roses at Kew

From the end of spring to the start of autumn, you can enjoy England’s national flower at Kew Gardens. There, you’ll find one of the finest rose gardens in London before taking a stroll under their fragrant Rose Pergola.

City sheep (c) Mudchute Park & Farm

42. Meet the animals on the farm

Charity and community-run Mudchute Farm on the Isle of Dogs is a taste of countryside in the middle of Docklands. This inner city working farm has stables, with horses and ponies, and has more than 100 different animals, along with some British rare breeds (nb. the animals go to bed around 4pm)

Hackney City Farm is a little smaller, but still has pigs, donkeys, goats and rabbits among other furry friends to meet.

43. Get clucky over the ducklings

Wild birds rear their young in the summer over at the London Wetland Centre in West London.

Spend the day bird spotting and see if you can catch sight of Sand Martins, which migrate here during the warm season.

44. Sleep under the stars (sort of)

If you fancy pitching a tent for the night, Crystal Palace Caravan Club Site has the most accessible pitches for getting into the centre of the capital.

45. Camp out while you queue

The Wimbledon Queue has become a summer rite of passage for tennis fans.

Tickets are released on a first come, first served basis so you can join the hardy souls braving the night under canvas in the hope of seeing Andy Murray win another match.

Camden Beach (c) Stuart Leech

46. Find a beach

As London isn’t near the coast, Camden Beach at the Roundhouse might be the next best thing.

Technically the Thames has a small beach near Tower Bridge and up until the 1940s families would play there (you can still see it at low tide).

Ruislip Lido in Hillingdon has possibly the closest thing to a beach, with a sandy area next to the lake.

47. Cool down… with ice

If by random chance London happens to be hit by a heatwave, the ICEBAR London will soon have your temperature dropping.

Alexandra Palace offers ice skating all year round, so if you have a hankering for some winter sports, take a turn round the rink.

48. Go on a London summer safari

Every year ZSL London Zoo hosts Lates, where you can wander round the zoo in the evening and see the animals as the sun sets.

There’s usually a different theme, but you can expect tours, music, talks and plenty of refreshments.

Graffiti walking tour in Shoreditch

49. Find out the city’s secrets

Take a walking tour and discover more about what the people, pubs and places of London’s past got up to during the holidays.

50. Sneak a peak at where the Queen lives

When our reigning monarch escapes the capital for Sandringham or Balmoral, it’s time for the annual Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace.

After all, it’s not summer unless you’ve pretended to be a visiting dignitary in the State Rooms.

Have you got any favourite summer activities to add?

Let us know your favourite things to do in London by leaving a comment below.

And if you’re visiting London, we have plenty of places to stay in the capital to make the most out of your summer holidays.

To find out the latest London events – visit our weekly “what’s on in London” page this weekend.

Finally, if you fancy getting out of the capital and heading to the beach or somewhere new – check out our best days trips from London for further inspiration.

The post 50 Brilliant Things To Do In London In Summer appeared first on lastminute.com Blog.

from lastminute.com Blog http://www.lastminute.com/blog/50-brilliant-things-to-do-in-london-in-summer/

[duo-log]

What is the city but the people?

“This is the longest I have lived in any city since college and most cities grew on me over time, but I can assure you, I will never fall in love with this city,” She said. “I concur, but I want to ask why, ” He said. “Because this city is flat. It weirdly lacks depth, that something innate that lends you the feeling of belonging is missing. Do you know what I mean?” She said.

That was I, four years ago on my way back from a weekend getaway in Montreal, a city I fell in love with because of its cobbled streets, the old city, the french men of course, and the cute welcoming cafe houses. I wondered why Toronto could not be more like Montreal. I recollect feeling the same way after visiting Quebec City, Vancouver, and even Ottawa. I disliked Toronto for the concrete jungle it was. It is actually. Until a couple of months back, when one morning as the train was pulling into the Union station on my morning commute to work and I passed the familiar sights, I smiled as it dawned on me that the familiarity felt comforting. I looked around me in the train, and I found an amalgamation of colour and nationality sitting side by side, some chatting with each other while some others busy on their phones and some like me were lost in thought but everybody seemed alright to share the space with the stranger next to them. I came to this city back in 2010, and the only person I knew in this city was my soon-to-be roommate whom I met in Mumbai for an hour. Since then, I met people at school, at work, at Regional clubs who then became friends and introduced me to their friends and the circle expanded. Then came the kid and her caretakers, her fellow classmates and their parents and before I realized, this city filled up with more friends than I ever had in one city. It is true when they say, ‘home is where heart is’ and if there is one thing Toronto knows quite well, it is to steal your heart without you ever finding out. Cheesy, I know but true nevertheless.

The city that at first seems like a wannabe, utterly bare and made of concrete, is in fact quite colourful and vibrant like a dancing peacock as it slowly and steadily reveals itself to you. It has this quirky pockets of culture that when discovered will leave you amazed and yearning to discover more. The Greek festival on the Danforth which shuts down a major intersection to traffic allowing roadside stalls and jazz bands to entertain the crowd into the wee hours of the morning or the weed-themed celebration for the marijuana lovers of the city famously known as ‘420’ or the ‘Canniversary’ which is an all day smoke out event in the city square and believe me when I say, nothing left me more surprised than the open display of weed and people smoking while holding on to placards saying ‘I love the Herb’ except of course the ‘Pride Parade’, where the city’s major artery is blocked for a whole day as the LGBTQ community of Toronto walks in pride and the city cheers them on. There are many cities in the world much beautiful and rich in culture and architecture than Toronto but the freedom of choice that Torontonians experience irrespective of the colour of the skin, religion, ethnicity and, nationality is what sets this city apart.

On my last birthday, we reserved a table at a Lebanese restaurant in the greater Toronto area. It was well rated for its food, and so off we went to satiate three hungry tummies. When we arrived and walked down the lane at the end of which was the restaurant, I felt as if I was transported into a quaint little European town. The lane was a cobbled street with tiny twinkling lights decorating the little square and melodious instrumental filling the air along with tinkling glasses, laughter and the aroma of delicious food. I stood there awestruck and looked around the little magical bubble I got sucked into, and I forgot all about Montreal and Quebec City. That experience also made me realize something else. When we visit a city, we focus on everything pretty and fancy about it, and we plan the visit when the place is supposed to look its best. Niagara Falls in the summer, Quebec City in June, every place in India in the winter, London during Christmas and so on but when we reside in a city, we see its ugly underbelly, the slushy streets two days after the beautiful Christmas evening passed and the barren trees before the summer bloom arrived. It is the allure of a mistress who only ever shows up dolled up, adorned and ready as opposed to a wife who doesn’t have an option but reveal her best and her ugly. Perfection is beautiful and easy to admire; it is, however, the familiarity of the flaws that softens the heart and comforts. Only when I lived long enough in the concrete jungle, did I find the quirky little shops in the hidden alcove behind the embassy or the divine fish and chips shop that is so narrow that it is almost invisible like 12 Grimmauld Place or that cozy coffee shop on Queen street that reminded me of ‘Central Perk’.

Toronto is scattered with contemporary art that I will agree is not always easy on the eyes. Modern art has never been my cup of tea, but even less alluring are the statues of cows grazing and dogs walking or a pile up of cars and large skeletons of griffin-like beasts. It is starkly different than the thought provoking sculptures I see in a few other cities that I visited and loved. Why am I contrasting it to other cities? Even within this very city, you will find the old world architectural beauty and structures that will remind you of the Great Hall of Hogwarts in all its majesty and splendour. This very contrast is a mirror to this city’s true nature, the adventurous, welcoming and free spirit it imbibes and offers. There are beautiful dedications written by great writers to cities they found close to their hearts and although each of those were masterpieces in their own way, there is one aspect common -- a city is a hollow husk without the people in it and while some cities are described as soulful, and some vivacious, Toronto is comforting; like eating ‘khichuri’ on a rainy day or biting into a slice of dark chocolate when the stress builds up, or a sip of chilled beer on a summer evening. You will not realize when it wiggles its way into your heart but it does and before you realize the inbuilt compass in your body anchors to the CN tower and instead of finding which way is north, you start mapping your journey banking on the south.

As usual, you can read the other part of this Duolog(ue) here.