#you too can experience the beauty of color. get some pencils or some cheap paint.

[theconceptofkidney]

did yyou know that if you mix yellow and black you get a beautiful* light green?

[ladykailitha]

The Caged Bird Still Sings Part 14

Hey guys! Welcome back! So this chapter is getting a little heavy on the angsty side, so just a heads up.

Things have been going great for all the stories especially the Christmas one.

This will be the story that keeps its usual schedule next week. Every other posting day will be finishing up the Olympic Swimmer one. So be on the look out for that.

Also super long chapter!

Steve tries out some hobbies, Joyce pushes, and Steve gets depressed.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

~

Steve would like to say he got right on the job search the next day, but he really didn’t. He woke up refreshed and feeling good about himself. After a run on the treadmill and big breakfast he had already talked himself out needing to.

But instead he decided that he wanted to learn new hobbies. He had the money and pretty much unlimited time so why not?

The first thing he tried felting. Yeah, he had a lot of money, but he wanted to start with something cheap in case he got bored with it.

Taking the kit out of the box, he already ran into a problem. The leather finger gloves were much too small. Like he didn’t have fat fingers or anything but they were much too tight to fit on even his pinkie fingers he turned them inside out to see if he could make them bigger somehow.

He only succeeded in ruining the finger gloves. He tried rubber thimbles as replacements but still the sharp tool would pierce even the tough rubber.

The kit sat abandoned in a corner of his hotel room until one of the porters saw it and asked if he could have it. His sister did the felting all the time and she was having trouble finding colors she liked.

So Steve let him have it. Three days later the porter came back with a bright yellow canary and a female robin. He proudly displayed them on his nightstand next to the phone and alarm clock.

Robin loved them, but refused to take the robin. She said they shouldn’t be separated at any price.

Steve loved her a little bit more when she said that.

The next thing he tried was painting.

That lasted all of six hours before they got handed off to Will. It was a beautiful oil, acrylic, and water color set, with all the paint brushes and pallet and metal wood-handled pallet knives.

It lasted that long was because that was the time it took for Steve to set everything up, including an old sheet Rosa let him have, start painting and promptly knock everything over. The water, the paints, the easel. Everything. He broke the easel, knocked a hole in the canvas, and smeared paint all over the apron he had bought just for the occasion.

Will was happy to receive the paints, but in turn he gave Steve a simple notepad and pencil and taught him how to draw.

Steve liked that.

It was just for doodling and making silly pictures so it didn’t make him feel like a failure. He went to the bookstore and bought a bunch of books on how to draw certain things. Animals, the human figure. He even found this great reference book on clothes sorted based on the English monarch who was in power at the time the were wore.

Which was all well and good, but it wasn’t exactly what he wanted.

One day while he was over at Will’s talking art and whether or not kneaded erasers were worth the pain they caused if you dropped, Ellie introduced him to a new hobby. Will was against the things, Steve was for.

Jonathan huffed, “That’s probably a class issue as Steve here can afford to replace them and Will can’t.”

Steve and Will stared at each other in complete shock, but had to admit that Jonathan was probably right.

“Yeah, okay,” Steve huffed, “that’s fair. I guess I really didn’t think about it because it’s not my money I’m spending.”

“Have you tried looking for a job?” Joyce asked. She didn’t like that someone was paying to keep Steve safe. As nice as it was, in her experience the well tended to dry up when you least expected it to.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mrs. Byers.” Which he had. Yes, he had been focused on trying to learn things that would keep his mind from atrophying, he had also been looking. “If they seen me coming they take down the sign or if they don’t get to it in time, they say it’s an old sign and that they forgot to take it down.”

Joyce’s shoulders slumped in sympathy. The rumor around town is that because Mr. Harrington was the landlord for a lot of the properties that the businesses were on, he had threatened to raise their rent if they gave Steve a job.

Something that all the adults promised not to tell Steve so that he wouldn’t get so discouraged as to not try at all.

But surely Clint Harrington didn’t own every business in Hawkins and she told Steve so.

“No,” Steve huffed. “But he’s friends with ones that he doesn’t. I’m going to try the mall next. Most of the them are franchises and have their main bosses outside of Hawkins.”

She let out a little sigh of relief. It showed that Steve was trying and actively thinking of these types of pitfalls.

Steve shifted uncomfortably. “What have you got there, Ellie?” he asked trying to shift the focus off of him for a moment.

Joyce was watching Ellie while Hopper was at work.

The young girl held up long satin strings of embroidery thread. She had three shades of pink, a white, and a red. She tied the ends to a safety pin that was pinned her leg.

“I’m making friendship bracelets for me and Max,” Ellie said proudly. “The pink is for me, and then I have these colors for her!” She held up blues and purples.

“That’s way cool!” Steve said scooting over to sit next to her.

Jonathan and Will shared a smile. Steve was lost to the shiny allure of friendship bracelets.

“I could teach you if you like,” she said with a smile. “I also have boondoggle!” She held up shiny plastic strips. “I make key chains and other things that need to last a lot longer than the thread.”

Steve really lit up, but then frowned when he saw out intricate it all was. “I’ll never be do anything that fancy.”

Ellie sat closer and pulled out a little paper that she had in her caboodle. “I couldn’t at first either, so I went to the library and took out a book on all the different ways you could plait and how to do boondoggle. Then I copied a couple of the pages I wanted to try.”

She handed it to him and pointed to the easiest. “That’s the one I started with and it will probably take a little bit to get the spacing right.”

Steve tilted his head. “Is this like braiding hair?”

“Yes!” Ellie said excitedly. “That’s right. I forgot you braid Max’s hair all the time. So then it will be easy for you.”

Soon they were off in their own little world.

Joyce watched with her arms crossed and a concerned expression. Jonathan spotted her and shook his head. He stood up and went to stand next to her.

“You’ve got to let it go, Mom,” he said gently. “You aren’t his mom and even if you were, he’s still an adult. As near as anyone of can tell, whoever is footing this bill isn’t in it to exploit Steve, just making sure he’s taken care of.”

Joyce breathed out through her nose as she tried not to snap at her son. She didn’t know that as a fact and Hopper’s reassurances weren’t enough. She hated having to take his word that whoever this was wouldn’t harm Steve. And that galled.

“It’s all the expensive gifts,” she tried to explain. “The car, the unlimited credit card, cash drops weekly, the gold necklace, the hotel. It’s just not right, it’s not decent.”

Jonathan shook his head. “What about all the non-expensive gifts? Things this benefactor thought Steve would like or get a kick out of? Like that little canary with top hat that he keeps on his dashboard? Or all the music tapes they send, thinking Steve might want to try something different. Hell, according to Steve until they left the country, they talked once or twice a day. That doesn’t sound like someone out to hurt him.”

She let out a shuddering sigh. Because Jonathan was right, that didn’t sound like someone trying to use Steve. “I know.”

Jonathan patted on her shoulder and then went into his room, probably to call Nancy. Another person like his mom who worried Steve was being taken advantage of. But even if he was, that was a lesson he was going to have to learn the hard way.

On his own.

Will had long since left to go hang out with Mike while Ellie and Steve made friendship bracelets. He made four. A black, red, and dark grey one for Eddie, a red, a brown, and a light grey one for Robin and two yellow, white, and black ones. So he could one each to Eddie and Robin.

“Those are really pretty, Steve,” Ellie congratulated him. “Those are some interesting color choices.” Spoken as though she was silently judging, but too polite to say so.

He blushed and held up the first one. “This is for my special friend, they are his favorite colors.” Then he held up the second. “And this is for Robin. The colors remind me of a female robin and the last two represent who I am now.”

Ellie blinked for a moment as she took in the information. “I can see that now. Thank you for explaining it to me.”

“I get my thread at Melvand’s,” she said serenely, “if you wanted to continue to make more, that’s where you would go to get your own.”

Steve kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, Ellie.”

He didn’t stay much longer than that, now that both of the other boys were gone, Joyce was keeping too close an eye on him with Ellie. He knew it wasn’t the gay thing as she didn’t mind Will being around her. And it wasn’t being a barely legal adult considering she would gladly leave Jonathan to look over her.

Nope.

It was entirely because she didn’t know who Steve’s mysterious benefactor was. And the thought of this unknown, probably male, person might hear about Ellie later? Yeah, that’s where she drew her invisible line.

Which was bullshit, like with Robin’s mom, Eddie wasn’t going to prey on little girls. He was freaking out about Steve might be underage when they met in the club. But it wasn’t like he could tell Joyce that. She might revoke his time with Will and Ellie if she learned he had been underaged drinking that night. The night Eddie saved him.

Steve went up to his hotel room and flopped face first into his bed. He was tired. Tired of all the questions about finding a job and getting out from under Eddie’s thumb. Like Eddie was financially abusing him or whatever.

He just wanted to bring people to his hotel room and show them all the little things Eddie sent him just because he walked into a gas station and saw something cute he thought he would like. The keychain from Kansas City with his name on it. The bright yellow shirt that said “I don’t take no shit” and had the Iowan state bird of the American goldfinch. That one came with a little note explaining that it was a canary, but the black on the wings reminded Eddie of the deliciously tight black leather pants.

Steve blushed for hours after that one.

He wiggled onto the bed and crawled under the covers without having taken off any of his clothes. Maybe he could hibernate until Eddie got back in America.

~

Steve managed to bury himself under the covers before the porter with the felting sister ripped the blanket off from over his head.

He stared blearily up at the porter. “Martin?” He struggled to sit up, but flopped back down on the pillow in distress. “Just leave me alone.”

“It’s Marty actually,” the porter huffed. “The only people that call me Martin are my boss and my mom. You’re not either.”

“Marty, I just want to go back to sleep.”

Marty pulled the rest of the blankets and yanked Steve off the bed. He went with a startled yelp. He leapt to his feet to fight him, but he saw that Bob and Rosa were standing by his bed with looks of concern on their faces.

“I have the shower running,” Bob said, “you will get in there and at least clean off the sweat you reek of. Then Rosa will change the sheets. Marty will bring up some food while you are showering, then the three of us are staging an intervention, because this isn’t like you!”

Steve opened his mouth to refute that statement, probably something about how no one called the whole time he as sulking.

Bob pulled out a stack of messages. “I have thirteen messages, and that’s only because the answering machine is full.”

Steve looked behind him and sure enough the machine was blinking complete with a full tape.

“Oh.”

He meekly went and did as he was told. He was only going to do a perfunctory wipe down because they were waiting for him, but once he got under the water it felt so good that he began to thoroughly scrub himself down. Normally going without a shower for a couple of days really didn’t do much, but because he had barely moved to pee, he was covered in thin layer of sweat.

He washed his hair and got out of the shower. He dried himself off and put on the long robe Eddie had gotten him. He opened the door and was instantly hit with enticing aroma of chicken noodle soup. He moved out of the bathroom to the main room, lured by the scent of real food.

The sofa was full of the hotel employees so he grabbed his bowl of soup and spoon and sat down on the armchair curled up as small as he could make himself.

“You frightened us, mi corazón,” Rosa huffed. “You weren’t answering your phone, you weren’t ordering food. The only way we could tell you moved at all is that occasionally the cup in the bathroom would be wet or you would be on the other side of the bed.”

Bob nodded. “We were told to look after you, money was no object. That’s what we were told, but you turned out to be kind and generous and frankly better than ninety percent of the patrons here. You treat us like we’re human, so it became our pleasure to serve you. So when you weren’t opening your door to anyone or answering your calls, we knew something was wrong.”

“Sorry,” Steve muttered into his bowl. “I just got so tired of everyone trying to find out who is bankrolling my life style and telling me to get a job that I just didn’t want to deal with it anymore.”

“It’s none of their business,” Rosa huffed. “They’re just jealous that they don’t have this life. I know your papa wants to hurt and all this for you protection, but it seems to me your friends just see the money you...” she snapped her fingers. “What’s the word?”

“I’d use ‘splash around’,” Steve said with a shrug.

“Ehhh,” she knew it wasn’t the word she was looking for but it would have to do. “They see the good. Not the bad. They see new car, but they weren’t there to see you give up your old car. They see the fancy hobbies, but they don’t see your big room and no one to fill it with.”

“She’s right,” Marty said. “I don’t think even the girl that comes with your gifts from Eddie Munson quite understands the crippling loneliness and isolation you have to be feeling right now.”

Steve sniffled into his soup. “Thanks, guys. I don’t know how to impress upon them how dangerous this all is for me. Like the only ones that remotely understand are the Hendersons and that’s because my dad showed up on their doorstep. But even then I don’t think Dustin quite grasps the enormity of it all, but then he’s thirteen so...”

“The only reason your father hasn’t penetrated hotel security,” Bob said with a grimace, “is that the owner, Dr. Sam Owens hates business men like your father. Otherwise, his hold over this town would have extended to here, no doubt about that.”

“So this is what’s going to happen,” Marty said, “if you need to sneak out and just go for a drive to get out of your head, call Bob and he’ll arrange it. If you need someone to talk to ring up Rose or myself. We’re here for you. We understand that Mr. Munson is out of the country right now and it makes it harder, but we’ve got you, okay?”

Steve nodded and said weakly, “Okay!”

~

Tag List: CLOSED

1- @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog @beelze-the-bubkiss @blondie1006

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @cryptid-system

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @sticknpokelightningbolt

9- @scoops-aboy86 @kurofuckingshi16 @watermelonmite @eyehartart @dreamercec

10- @little-birch-boy @yearningagain @micheledawn1975 @sadisticaltarts

[patchbadger]

Hello it's been 7 years on this website and I come with raccoon paws scratching at your window pane.

TLDR: I'm supporting 3- 6 humans, a mortgage, inflated electric bills, student loans, basic needs, and working as the sole provider and now I cannot afford my medicine that prevents my migraines. If you want cheap art I am here hi just remember I'm colorblind so colors won't be perfect.

I take many medications for my migraine condition. I take a daily preventative, an abortive when I have a migraine, and then I have a monthly preventative that is an injectable. I need all of these to get me down to 6 or 8 migraines a month. If it rains I have more but this is with medication. If I do not have one of these medications I have migraines daily and if I encounter a trigger like not getting enough sleep, the weather changing, smoking, etc I'll get knocked out.

Unfortunately I have brainstem migraines which impacts my speech and ability to move in my environment. I continue to work through my migraines because I have literally no choice. I basically look and sound drunk it's horribly embarrassing.

This impacts my ability to drive too. If it strikes at work I need to uber home because my coworkers won't drive me home and no one else has a license.

If I miss one dose of any of my medications it sets off a migraine conga line qs I like to call it and I begin having migraines every 2- 3days and the longer I am off it the more migraines I steadily have.

It's hell.

My migraine medication is 208$. I am currently the only working adult for a household of three and there will soon be three children here for the summer.

Unfortunately I had serotonin syndrome a few weeks ago as some of you know and that had me out of work for a week and a half. Meaning I lost a week and a half pay check. Which may not seem like much but we live in constant poverty and are food insecure.

Literally every dollar counts in our precarious position.

The electricity company in western New York is super charging its customers so a regular electric bill for a house using less electric than average is 300- 500$ a month. Which is just a little less than our mortgage

We currently owe over a 1,000 in back pay, there isn't any relief for individuals who cannot pay the inflated rates. It's totally crazy but I need my medication. I can call the electric company and beg but I can't beg for my medicine.

My field also experiences a drop in attendence in the summer and due to my health my boss I'd trying to reduce my hours to help my body recover. That's great and all but it doesn't help me get the money I need for my injection.

My student loans are 875$ a month and I'm on the lowest payment plan and the government just sold my loans to a private company so I will be paying additional loans soon.

As you can see I have a lot on my plate but I just need that migraine medicine so I can work through it. I do a lot of passive income through survey junkies but I can't do those activities when I'm migraining.

All the images below are works in progress

Basic pencil and ink illustration

Comic book pages 15- 30 depending on content and number of pages.

if you want a comic badly and feel OK with my abilities we can work on a manageable and low price to make multiple pages happen. So bulk pages will be cheaper.

Comic book featured custom outlets??? Just resin customized outlet covers???

Can do

Painting I mean I'm trying it but if you'd like one hmu man

I tinker around with a lot of stuff

I also like to find old toys/statues and remake them so if youre interested in my raccoon art that stuff is up for new homes that will appreciate their unique beauty and love them for who they are.

Thanks for your attention and happy scrolling!!

[wtfockinternational]

So guys I wrote a fic for what Robbe and Sander did for New Year’s. This is my first time writing fanfiction, I write a lot but only characters I wrote myself so this was a new experience. I’d love to hear what you all think. Should I write more fics?

Anyway sorry for the length I’m a very descriptive writer but I hope you enjoy it!

There were only thirty minutes left until midnight, and with each second the atmosphere got more and more anxious. Sander had planted himself on the couch where he could keep an eye on his boyfriend who was dancing with his friends at the opposite side of the room to the worst songs Sander had ever heard. He always thought he would’ve rather been alive in the eighties, when music was still good. But then he would have never had Robbe, his smiley brown-haired boyfriend. As much as Sander loved Bowie, he would not give Robbe up for him in a million years. He would rather listen to all the confusingly similar electronic music on a loop than lose Robbe. After a while, Sander decided he needed some privacy and went to Robbe’s room. As he walked away he felt Robbe’s eyes follow him. 

The room was relatively empty now, most of Robbe’s stuff had already been packed to move into his mother’s place in just a few days. The only thing still in its place was the bed, and the sheets Sander believed Robbe had never washed in his life, but that meant they always smelled like Robbe so Sander didn’t complain. He lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, very similar to the first time he was there on a fine Wednesday afternoon with Robbe. That was the first time he had ever felt at home in someone else’s arms. The door creaked open and a familiar voice said: 

‘Everything okay?’ Sander sat up to look his boyfriend in the eyes.

‘I was just in need of some alone time.’ Sander replied.

‘Do you want me to stay?’ Robbe asked. Sander smiled.

‘Always.’ He said. Robbe closed the door behind himself and sat next to Sander and gave him a small peck. He took Sander’s hand and interlocked it with his, and Sander rested his head on Robbe’s shoulder. They didn’t say anything, but there was no need to. All they needed was to be together.

‘We can leave if you want to’ Robbe suggested after a while of silence.

‘No it’s fine I don’t want you to have to leave your friends’ Sander felt guilty about thinking Robbe would need to leave his friends for him. The only thing he ever feared was Robbe suffering because of him - or rather Robbe suffering because of him again. 

‘Sander’ Robbe said as he took Sander’s face to look at him. ‘My friends will be fine without me, they’ll barely even notice I left. I don’t want to celebrate New Years with them, I want to celebrate it with my boyfriend.’ Sander smiled and kissed Robbe, the touch of his warm lips still gave him butterflies. 

‘Let’s leave then.’ Sander finally decided.

‘Let’s leave’ Robbe said as he smiled and gave Sander another small peck. He stood up, their hands still interlocked, and pulled Sander up from the bed. They went to the kitchen and put some beers in a plastic bag to take with them. They walked down the hallway together and put on their shoes and coat and as they are about to leave, Jens enters the hallway and sees them.

‘Where are you going?’ He asked.

‘We just need to be alone for a bit, we’re probably just going to cycle around the city a while.’ Robbe explained. Jens smiled.

‘Alright have a good night you two. Will you be back before the party is over?’

‘Don’t know.’

‘Well be careful with all the fireworks being set off around the city.’

‘We will.’ Sander said as he dragged his boyfriend out the door.

As they are unlocking their bikes Sander exclaims:

‘I know where we can go!’

‘Where?’ Robbe asks as they both get on their saddles. Sander grins.

‘It’s a surprise.’ He explains.

‘Oh no.’

‘What?’

‘Well, we’re not very good at surprises.’

‘You’ll love this one, I promise.’

‘Will you be wearing clothes this time?’ Robbe joked.

‘That’s entirely up to you.’ Robbe gave him a suggestive look and took off on his bike.

‘Let’s go then.’ He shouted as he was cycling away, Sander quickly followed. Sander led Robbe across the city while humming the occasional songs and drinking the beer they had taken from the fridge. Sander finally stopped at the door of a building. Robbe soon recognized is as the side entrance to Sander’s school.

‘What are we doing here?’ Robbe asked.

‘If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?’ Sander teased, Robbe tilted his head in the adorable way Sander always loved. Sander kissed him, took his hand and dragged him to the door.

‘Are we breaking in somewhere again?’ Robbe asked. Sander stared at him with a smug face and took a key out of his coat pocket.

‘It’s not exactly breaking in if you have the key.’ Robbe took the key out of his hand and looked at it.

‘Why do you have this?’ He asked. Sander quickly snatched the key back, placed it in the key hole and unlocked the door.

‘A teacher gave it to me once.’ He said as he dragged Robbe along with him into the building. It was extremely dark but Sander knew exactly where to find the light switch. The school was his safe space, he had been there many times, mostly when he just needed to be alone. Now that Robbe was just as much a safe space as his school, he felt that he should allow Robbe to see where he spends a lot of his time. He had already seen the studio Sander had to himself on that Monday morning, but there was more he wanted to show him. He dragged Robbe up the stairs with him. Stopping occasionally to exchange kisses.

‘Are you taking me to your studio?’ Robbe asked. Sander didn’t say a word. He just kept leading the way up the stairs, farther up than the studio. They finally reached the top of the stairs, they stood in front of a door.

‘You ready?’ Sander asked. Robbe kissed him.

‘Always.’

Sander opened the door and they were on the rooftop of the school. Robbe looked around, there was a beautiful view of the city from up there, which was one of the reasons Sander loved the place so much.

‘And now for the best part,’ Sander said as he dragged Robbe around the corner and showed him his secret rooftop hangout. Which, until this very moment, had been only for Sander. It wasn’t much; a very small couch he had saved from the dumpster that he liked to lay on to look at the clouds or the stars. A small cheap drawing table which he could sit at and look out into the city, which Sander had drawn countless things on, including Robbe. A chest which he used as a coffee table, but also contained his art supplies. There was a makeshift roof to keep everything from getting ruined during rainy days; a tarp connected to two wooden poles which could easily be taken down when the sky was clear and too beautiful not to look at. The wall was completely covered in spray paint which  he would paint over  quite often to adapt it to the mood he was in. It was currently covered in warm red, brown and orange colors, colors that reminded him of Robbe. The wall and wooden pole had multi-colored string lights all over them. It wasn’t much, but it felt like home to Sander.

‘Is this yours?’ Robbe said amazed.

‘Yeah.’ Sander replied as he walked over to the switch of the string lights and turned them on. ‘Do you like it?’ The broad smile on Robbe’s face already told him the answer.

‘I love it.’ Robbe said as he traced the chest with his fingers. ‘Do you come here often?’

‘It’s my favorite place. I come here when I need to be alone. Only one other person knows this is even here.’ Sander explained.

‘Then why are you showing it to me?’

Sander took Robbe’s face and turned it towards him, so that their eyes met.

‘Because I don’t want to be alone anymore, I would much rather be with you. And how can I not share my favorite place with my favorite person.’ Sander said. Robbe smiled and kissed him, wrapping his hands around his neck. Sander knew this is what he wanted. This is what felt right. Being there with Robbe was everything he ever needed. Robbe loosened his grip and Sander felt Robbe’s warm lips slowly let go of his, allowing the cold air to blow past them again. For a second the only part of his body still touching Robbe was his forehead, and they stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

‘So what’s in here?’ Robbe said when he finally pulled his entire body away from Sander, he pointed at the chest.

‘You can open it.’ Sander said. Robbe smiled and opened the chest up. The first thing he saw was a gray blanket, which Sander would wrap himself when he got cold.

‘Oh good I was getting a little cold.’ Robbe commented and he wrapped the blanket around himself. As he took the blanket out of the chest it revealed all of Sander’s art supplies underneath. It was a very diverse collection; spray paint, pencils, charcoal, different types and sizes of paper. Robbe took out a stack of Sander’s reject pile out of the chest. Sander quickly snatched them out of his hands.

‘Don’t look at those.’ He said. ‘They’re not my best work.’

‘They look great to me.’ Robbe assured him.

‘Babe,I love you but you don’t know anything about art.’ Sander joked. Robbe put on an exaggerated sad face with puppy dog eyes and tilted his head.

‘You can look at me with those eyes all you want, you know I’m right.’ Sander said. Robbe laughed and stood up, he looked up at the ugly blue tarp above their heads.

‘Wait.’ Sander said. He unhooked the tarp from the wooden poles and the wall and folded it up so they could look at the beautiful starry sky. The tarp was keeping some of the warmth trapped, Sander shivered. Robbe noticed and wrapped half of the blanket around him so that they were now sharing the same blanket, and feeling each other’s warmth. Suddenly, fireworks started erupting all over the city. Sander had completely forgotten it was New Year’s. He took his phone out of his pocket and saw that it was, indeed, midnight.

‘Happy New Year.’ He said. He locked eyes with Robbe, who said:

‘Happy New Year. I love you.’ Sander smiled.

‘I love you, too.’

He kissed Robbe. Robbe looked around at the fireworks. Sander knew he’d love the view. But Sander didn’t look at the fireworks. Not even for a second. He spent the entire time watching his wonderful boyfriend’s overjoyed face. Those fireworks were there last year, and they’ll be there next year. But with Robbe, the only thing he was certain of was that he was there at that moment. In that minute. There were no guarantees for what would happen later. So Sander would have to be the dumbest person on earth to look at some boring old fireworks, when he could feel fireworks while staring at Robbe’s beautiful face, enjoying the fact that in that moment, Robbe was his boyfriend. At that moment, while in his favorite place in the world and with his hands interlocked with his favorite person in the world, Sander remembered what true happiness felt like. This. This was what true happiness felt like. 

[bottled-bliss]

birds as beautiful as these

At first, Karen had thought they’d never go through with it. Foggy and Matt could bicker for hours, but they always made up in the end. This should be no different. Except it was. They’d had one disagreement too many and now, she had to watch Foggy take down the sign from the door and shove it in a box with the last of the stuff from his desk. ‘Nelson and Murdock’ was no more.

“You didn’t have to stick around for this.”

“Don’t worry, Foggy.” She squeezed his arm and sighed. She was really going to miss working with him. “It’s not like you’re making me late for work.”

“Sorry you’re out of a job,” he smiled halfheartedly.

Ah, yes, there was that too. “I’ll find something.” Preferably sooner rather than later. Rent was cheap, but not that cheap, and she quite liked eating, so being able to afford that would be nice.

“I wish I had some suggestions for you,” he grumbled as she held the front door open for him and they stepped out in the street. “Apart from that one… Hey!” An idea lit up his eyes. “I know a guy who knows a guy!”

“Looking for an assistant?”

“Technically, yes.”

“Oh, wow, that didn’t sound fishy at all,” Karen frowned.

“No, listen,” Foggy insisted as he shifted the box from left to right. “It’s going to sound weird but it’s good money. At least until something better comes along.”

There was no harm in listening to his suggestion, especially if the money was good. “How naked do I have to get?” she joked.

“I’m not sure. Is partial nudity off the table?”

She expected him to laugh any minute now. Any minute now. He just kept looking at her, waiting for an answer. “Foggy!”

“I’m not talking about porn,” he clarified in a whisper. “I’m talking about art! An artist looking for a model and nothing else.”

Imagining herself posing with a sheet draped over her body seemed funnier than porn for some reason. “I’m not a model, Foggy.”

“But you’re model material,” he said and winked playfully.

“How well do you know this man?” Karen pressed. There were lots of weirdos in this city and prior experience with an art major she knew in college, had taught her that artists could be the weirdest of them all.

“He tried to sell me insurance some time ago, before he switched careers,” Foggy explained. “I would never mention this if there was anything strange about it, okay? My guy is solid. He’s as good as they come and he has assured me the artist is decent, if a little bit rough around the edges. Kind of a recluse.” Seeing Karen’s hesitation, he decided not to push. “Think about it is all I’m saying. Sitting still for long periods of time isn’t the worst job description.”

That was true.

Which was why she’d agreed to meet the artist, see for herself what kind of vibe he gave off and have him explain what he would expect his model to do exactly.

His house, which could be more accurately described as a small, modest mansion, could at least speak to his wealth. But even before she set foot inside it, she could tell it wasn’t a home. It was certainly decorated beautifully, but it lacked warmth that the sun coming in through the large windows couldn’t make up for. Not a great start.

“Miss Page, I am Curtis Hoyle,” said the man who had let her in, the guy who knew the guy. “We spoke on the phone.”

Karen was somewhat disappointed that he wasn’t the artist, because the vibes coming off of him were generous and kind. “Nice to meet you in person, Curtis,” she smiled as they shook hands.

“You too.” He smiled back. “My buddy, Nelson, spoke very highly of you and I was anxious to see if half of what he said was true.”

“It probably wasn’t,” she laughed as he led her down a long hallway. Her perusal of the paintings in the foyer would have to wait- they weren’t all that interesting and there was artwork wherever she looked anyway.

“So you’re not patient and caring?”  

“Well…” Karen bit her lip. She could be patient, if she tried. Was that going to be part of her duties though? Having her patience tested by the elusive painter? “I can be.”

“Hard-working and dedicated?” Curtis went on as if checking qualities off a list.

“Definitely,” she nodded.

“And I can see with my own eyes that you’re gorgeous, so it seems that Nelson wasn’t lying after all,” he grinned as she went around observing a couple of paintings, unsuccessfully trying to hide her blush.

She pointed at a small watercolor of a cathedral. “Is this his?”  

“God, no,” he laughed loudly. “Frank hates that one and I only left it here to annoy him. Something about the equilibrium of the colors rubs him the wrong way. We don’t really keep his stuff in the house.” He moved to stand under the painting of a garden. “Besides this and...” The other one, the one he shouldn’t bring up. “And his current projects, but those are all in his studio.”

She didn’t know much about art which meant she couldn’t appreciate the process of creation like a real connoisseur could, but she’d have loved to have seen how this painting came to be. The elegant, crimson flowers popping out of the green, the tree whose misshapen trunk revealed it had weathered several storms but still stood tall against the backdrop of the morning sky. And those two birds, soaring with their wings spread like they’d just risen from the ashes, the silk of their feathers glistening and shining under a sun just outside of the frame. She had never seen anything like them. “This is…”

“Surprisingly, not his best work,” Curtis told her, a hint of pride in his voice.

“If he’s that good, how come I’ve never heard of him?” she asked, very carefully running a finger over the frame.

“He’s very famous in Europe.” What he didn’t mention was that Frank had managed to upset the most important art critics on U.S. soil, making promoting his work here next to impossible. “His reclusive shtick helps a lot. They view him kinda like Banksy, makes them go crazy.”

“People love what they can’t have,” she whispered, almost like she hadn’t intended to say that out loud.

“Exactly,” Curtis beamed.

“Is that why he’s hiding? Marketing reasons?” An intrigued smile rose to her lips.

“Uh, no, he…”

He hesitated a moment too long and her smile fell away. “How terrible is he?”

“He’s not terrible, he’s just…” His eyes quickly flicked from her to the painting and back, and his shoulders lifted with tension. “Been through a lot. Hardened. Which sometimes translates to being-”

“Difficult,” she chimed in. “He’s difficult, I get it.” As long as he wasn’t rude. “Are we actually going to meet though? You don’t expect me to agree to work with a person I haven’t met, right?”

“In here.” He walked further down the hallway and knocked on a door at its end. “Frank, we have company.”

“Not now,” the artist boomed from the other side of the door.

Curtis turned to Karen with an apologetic look on his face. Then he twisted the door knob, pushed and entered the studio, while she stood back, wondering if this would be like what she did for Matt and Foggy; pretending she couldn’t hear them arguing, until the time came to bust in and act as a tranquilizer.

“When I say we have company, it means you have to stop being a hermit and talk to people,” Curtis spoke softly, only to spare Karen the awkwardness of overhearing a conversation that shouldn’t be happening at all.

“I’m not being a hermit, I’m busy,” Frank replied, his voice gruff and forbidding.

“Busy doing what? You were just looking out the window.”

“Jesus Christ, I’m busy in my head,” he grunted. “Go away, Curt.”

Yup, exactly like Matt and Foggy, Karen noted in her own head.

“Well, inspiration will come knocking again later, but Karen Page is here now and you will see her,” Curtis demanded.

“Another model?” he asked over the sound of shuffling papers. “She gonna be like the last one? Honestly, I’d rather go back to landscapes than work with someone who’ll struggle holding a pose for more than two minutes.”

“Frank,” Curtis blew an exasperated sigh.

Sighing was always her cue. She stepped into the studio. “Mister Castle, I’m Karen Page. Pleased to meet you.”

Ruggedly handsome, like a Roman sculpture that hadn’t suffered a limb deficiency, Frank Castle stood with his side to an enormous window, leaning over a drafting table. He straightened up immediately to shake the hand extending to meet his, and nodded. “Ma’am.” His eyebrows seemed to be perpetually knitted together in a scowl, complemented by the thin line his full lips were forming under his beard, while his ears blushed a bright pink.

He’s shy, Karen thought as she tried to suppress a giggle, watching him flounder with his pencils for a while.

“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but modeling isn’t easy money.” He turned to her with what, she imagined, was his most intimidating glare. “There will be times when your back will hurt and you’ll want to take a break, but the perfect shadow will have landed on your nose and you won’t be allowed to move a muscle, do you get that?”

She’d been able to sit very still during depositions of convicted criminals –one of them a murderer- even though her back, her head and her stomach hurt; and he believed this would scare her? “Uh-huh.”  

Something he caught on her face seemed to pique his interest and he held her gaze as he asked “How long can you hold a pose?”

“I don’t know. Let’s find out,” Karen said, dropping her bag on the floor. “Where do you want me?”

(ao3)

[moderncolors]

Artistic Date Night Ideas So it's date night and you're looking for something fun and unique to do with your sweetheart, am I right? Or maybe you're both a little bored and looking for something more exciting than another night on the couch watching Netflix? Guaranteed to get those creative gears a-turning for a night full of artsy fun, here are five affordable, creative and artistic ideas just for you and your honey bunch to enjoy.  Abstract paint together: All you need is a large canvas and paint of your choice. Fling paint about, smear it around and have blast! Don't try to be too structured in your painting or else your art might come out too boring. But don't get TOO messy and wild or you might end up with brown smudgy mess on canvas. To keep the balance while abstract painting with your husband, take your time, free your mind and perhaps have a little wine to help get those creative juices flowing. How to keep it frugal: Use poster board instead of canvas - especially if you're just doing this for fun and not very committed to making something that you'd want to hang up in your home. Also, you can find cheap water colors, poster paint or kid's finger paints at any dollar store. Better quality and affordable acrylic paints can be found at Walmart or any craft store. Small bottles of acrylics are very affordable (usually around $1 each) and come in hundreds of different colors. ________________________________________________ Learn to knit or crochet together: Learning to knit or crochet is not only fun, but it's a practical skill for both women and men to have. How awesome would be to sit down and make each other unique scarves and hats and so much more?? Do you already know how to knit or crochet? Then teach him! Is he the knitter? Then have him teach you! Having a knitter in the home is always great... but having two or more is even better! How to keep it frugal: Instead of buying instructional books, just simply browse the internet for great knitting /crocheting tutorials. There are also plenty of videos available to watch online for those of you who need a clear demonstration. If you're not sure if you're going to enjoy knitting/crocheting then simply borrow some knitting needles/crochet hooks and get a your yarn from an old sweater or scarf. Check out how to harvest yarn from old clothing HERE. ________________________________________________ Sketch each other's portraits. Sit facing each other and take at least thirty minutes to draw each other's faces at the same time. Don't worry if you can't draw - it's just for fun so be sure to go about this activity with a bit of humor. Don't get discouraged from your lack of artistic skill, but embrace it and have a good laugh if your sketches are horrible in the end. You never know, you might turn out to be better than you thought! Are you both good artists? Frame up the sketches when you're done and hang them up for all to admire when they enter your home. How to keep it frugal: There's no need to buy special pencils and sketch pads for this. Just a regular number two and some printer paper will work just fine. ________________________________________________ Write a story together...one sentence at a time. All you need is some  paper and a pen and write! Don't plot out anything - just write and see where the pen takes you both. Toss a coin or play rock-paper-scissors to determine who's going to write the first sentence. The next person follows up with another and so on... Make your story as long or as short as you want. Be funny, be absurd or be serious and romantic. If you enjoy this activity, get a blank notebook and keep the story going until you both feel it has come to an end. Tip to keep it super fun: each person should hide what they're writing until it's the next person's turn. How to keep it frugal: Write the story up on the computer to avoid having to buy a notebook. If you want it down on paper, a cheap composition notebook will work great. ________________________________________________ Take a pottery class together: This is a great for a weekly date night. You'll both have fun getting your hands dirty and creating beautiful art for each other. Pottery classes are usually offered at colleges and community centers. A quick internet search should be able to point you in the right direction. How to keep it frugal: Instead of signing up for classes, just take the very first intro class which should be free or low priced. If you know anyone who has a pottery wheel, they might be willing to show you both a thing or two for free.  Or buy some oven-bake clay from your local craft store and have fun sculpting in your own home. ________________________________________________ Tie Dye: Get groovy together and experiment with tie-dying. I know when you think of tie-dying you probably  think of loud crazy rainbow patterns but there's so much more to tie-dying than just that. With tie-dying you can use as many or as few colors you want in any shade or pattern you desire. If  you're not into the funky wild colors you can try a more subtle and natural dying method using indigo. Click HERE for a great indigo dye kit. Tie-Dying doesn't just stop at tee shirts - try dying scarves, curtains, dresses, neck ties and even bedding. Just follow the instructions on whatever dying kit you've chose and look up some unique design techniques on the internet. Indigo tie-dye How to keep it frugal: Instead or buying plain items to dye, just use what you already have at home. And a big money saving bonus: you can make your own dyes from fruit and vegetable juice, wine, food coloring, Kool-Aid and more! For a great DIY tie-dye tutorial click HERE. Other tie-dying methods can be found on the same page. Which activity sounds the most fun to you? Let me know in a comment below! Pin me plz! OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE: 20 Affordable, Hilarious, and Quirky Date Ideas for Adults 100 Funny & Random Questions to Ask Your Husband 50 Funny "Would You Rather" Questions for the Whole Family Gorgeous Unique Rings for the Nontraditional Bride 9 Ways to Woo a Bohemian Woman (Plus Bonus Tips) amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "mocotw-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = " "; amzn_assoc_asins = "0307463222,1617691518,0789327724,0470485914,B00OICLVBI,B003XFVSTG,B01EVJ8Q0G,B00ISEO4PW,B071JPJPX2"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "d3a83b842f7905c1b55429048360e7ff";

http://www.quirkybohemianmama.com/2015/04/5-affordable-creative-and-artistic.html

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Inside the Apartment of Refinery29’s Creative Director

http://fashion-trendin.com/inside-the-apartment-of-refinery29s-creative-director/

Inside the Apartment of Refinery29’s Creative Director

As with clothes, the way you decorate a room expresses your personality. In its most ideal form, it signals to guests how you interpret yourself. In this round of Real Cool People, Real Cool Apartments, we check out the London home of Piera Gelardi, the Executive Creative Director and co-founder of Refinery29 . Our intentions behind the creeping: to learn what she’s all about.

Name:

Piera Gelardi

Neighborhood, # of rooms:

Williamsburg-Greenpoint, 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms

What do you do?

If you mean for work, I started Refinery29 (with three other co-founders), and I now act as the Executive Creative Director. That means overseeing the creative vision, leading big brand initiatives, working to shape our company culture, being a spokesperson and mentoring all the super talented creative people who do the real heavy lifting. In my personal time, I love living a big, expressive life full of friends and family, collage nights, dancing in subway cars, adventuring, and appreciating art in all its many forms.

How long have you lived here?

On earth? 37 glorious rotations. In NYC? 20 years. In my current apartment? Five years.

Who do you live with, animals included?

I live with one human man and 15 odd ceramic figurines.

What do you like about the neighborhood?

My favorite thing about the neighborhood is that there are so many entrepreneurial spirits and emerging businesses popping up and a cornucopia of cultural happenings going on at all times — from new restaurants and music venues, to parking lot radio stations, galleries, eat-in movie theaters, and boutiques. Just generally lots going on, lots to discover. The best thing is wandering around on a summer weekend, weaving into different scenes and people-watching. I always come across something new.

What’s the best thing about your home?

I love looking out at McCarren Park. There’s always something going on there… breakdancing, soccer games, toddler birthday parties, drum circles, snowball fights. There’s a magic to watching the leaves change, and the snow come and go, and people’s lives passing by at the park. Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a Pixar movie, especially when an old Italian lady passes by with her little dog and makes all the pigeons fly away.

Do you ever work from home and if so, what’s that like?  

When we started Refinery29, we often worked out of my former apartment (which I shared with my “roommate” Philippe. who is also my husband and co-founder). I found it hugely distracting to work from home. I never want to fold laundry but when I worked from home, I found myself constantly procrastinating by doing otherwise-dreaded household chores. I remember doing all sorts of random things when I should have been working, like making arancini out of leftover risotto for lunch with my co-founder Justin. Getting our first real office was a huge blessing for my focus and productivity.

Now, I usually work at home for an hour or two in the morning over coffee and some fried eggs — it’s my most peaceful time of day when I can really concentrate. But eventually I have to get the fuck out of the house or else I’ll find myself organizing a sock drawer.

What did you think about when decorating? What was the process like?

Growing up, I was fascinated by my Nonna’s house where I spent a lot of time. She lived all over the world and had so many objects in her house that had a back story and memory attached to them. I similarly like to surround myself with art, tchotchkes and furniture that reminds me of people, places and experiences.

I guess I decorate like a collector, adding as I go. A lot of things in my house have come from family and friends, like my dad’s tool cart, my Nonna’s camel stool, a poster from my childhood bathroom, artwork from my college roommates. Most of my other art and objects are from my travels or from creative projects I’ve worked on. I’m a maximalist at heart and being surrounded by things makes me happy and reminds me of all the life I have lived.

Did you have an overall vision in mind when you started decorating? What was it and where’d you get it from?

There is a shoot from World Of Interiors magazine that I’ve always loved that inspired me a lot. It’s from an art collector’s house in Venice, a house that feels at once modern and eclectic, chock-a-block with art, intrigue and painted with beautiful colors. It also had a giant red canoe suspended from the ceiling which looked surprisingly great.

My ceiling isn’t high enough for a hanging boat and we only have three rooms, not a whole house — also, our place isn’t directly on a canal — but otherwise, I feel like I’ve created a similar vibe to that Venice house in my Brooklyn apartment. A storied space.

What are your favorite home “scores” and where are they from?

My favorite objects in my home have a soul that perhaps only I can see. They’re objects that haunt me in the best way, that have drawn me in from dusty corners of thrift stores, or lurking behind the counter at a market, or as the sole object of interest in an otherwise cheesy tourist shop. Some of my besties: a mask from Mexico depicting the most benevolent being on earth, a $1 pencil drawing of a woman with beautifully sad eyes, and a wild, cross-eyed ceramic deer with golden hoofs and a tulle tutu that I swear I could put on a shelf at MoMA and no one would be the wiser. I like to think about the artists who made these objects and hope they can sense that their creations are being doted on.

For someone young and trying to nest, what are your top three tips when it comes to finding /buying items for the home?

Put all your favorite things all over your walls! You can find old frames for cheap and put art or magazine pictures you like in them. I once found a gold, baroque frame on the street and put a picture of Björk and her son in it. We had it on our mantel as though they were part of our family. If you don’t have frames, you can use T-pins — they look chic, like an architect’s office. If you’re a maximalist and visual person like me, having lots of images up is a great way to be surrounded by the abundance of life.

Paint your walls a color. It makes a huge difference and can completely change the mood of your space. If you don’t have any art, you can paint shapes onto your wall. In my old apartment, I used tape to paint stripes on a wall and it looked rad and everyone thought it was so super fancy.

Mix old and new together. Old things have the most character but sometimes IKEA is the most convenient to meet your needs. Having pieces that look brand spanking new next to patinated vintage things can look very intentional and keep your IKEA stuff from looking generic.

Get creative. A coat of paint or a switch-a-roo of drawer handles can totally transform the furniture that you have access to. I’m all about the hack.

What are your favorite household goods/home decor stores?

I love thrift and vintage stores most of all. There are so many treasures — I have fun imagining their backstories. Also, I find that the things I buy that are vintage stay with me a lot longer than any of the generic new things I’ve purchased. The vintage stuff has so much more mojo. Housing Works and RePop are some good brick-and-mortar spots in NYC (also Brooklyn Flea). For vintage finds online, my go-tos are eBay and Craigslist. On the pricey side, 1stDibs has super exquisite things worthy of a museum.

My favorite contemporary home store is my friends’ store Coming Soon on the Lower East Side. I just like to go hang out in there because it smells really good, they’re friendly and funny and have the coolest taste. The store is full of gems on gems on gems. Another beautiful home store is Mociun in Williamsburg. The store is so beautifully designed, I want to move in. Both places work with a lot of super-talented emerging designers too. Oh, now that I’m rambling on about under-the-radar designers, I also want to add Tictail Market into the mix! It’s great for affordable art. They all have online stores, too.

I’ve also found things from all the usual places: Muji, Urban Outfitters, CB2, West Elm, Anthropologie, Target, Etsy. It’s all in the mix.

Most unexpected place to find great things for the home?

The street! People throw all kinds of awesome things away… Craigslist Curb Alerts are a good place to preview what’s being tossed but you often find the best things when you least expect them, wandering around the night before trash pick-up. Now everyone is so paranoid about bed bugs, though, that they’ll probably hate this idea (or worse, sue me).

What’s the one thing every home should have?

Art!

Anything else you want to add?

Like you, your apartment is a work in progress and will change over time.

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Photos by Heidi’s Bridge;@heidisbridge

[cakesandcries]

A big hello to all reading this, and a happy December to you all! Twelve days have already passed, and there’s quite a lot to do before the year ends. I have been absent on my blogosphere for a while now, and I can explain why- vacation time!

I was living it up in Kauai last week with my husband, and we were in vacation heaven! Look for detailed blog post on our Kauai vacation super soon, and you’ll be in the know too. 😉

Now, winter is the best time to experiment with makeup and wear more of it. While summer calls for light base and fresh makeup, winter is all about bringing out those heavier foundations and deeper colors to life.

Most women, from what I’ve seen, favor one makeup item a hella lot from the other ones. Yup, that’s lipstick I’m talking about. They are easily versatile to experiment with, can add brightness to a bare face, and can make a statement without relying on other accessories.

Here are two Pinterest pictures that play up the power of lipstick as an outfit’s accessory-

White tee, blue jeans and.. a statement red lip as Gigi Hadid’s killer accessory.

Kate Hudson, at the premiere of Kung Fu Panda 3. Light blush gown with a va-va-voom vampy lip as her commanding accessory.

I’ve got my five lip color picks for all the warm-toned beauties out there (cool-toned girlies would look amazing in them too!) Dishing out the lipstick details from my stash in 3..2..1.. Go!

  Five Lipsticks For Warm Skin Undertone

#1- Orange Red Lip Color

L’Oreal Paris Pure Reds Star Collection-Pure Brick

A classic red lipstick is a no-brainer for any makeup connoisseur out there- it is a holy grail makeup item. While cool undertones are said to look best in blue-based reds, warmer undertones are advised to pick orange-based reds. This is because it highlights the underlying golden notes of our skin beautifully.

This particular L’Oreal lipstick is a winner for warm skin undertones, because it is a subtle red that any person can carry off well. Whether it is for work, a day or a night out, this orange-brick red lipstick has got your back. It is not a bam-in-your-face red, applies very creamy and pigmented, feels very comfortable and does not make the teeth look yellow. The only con is its staying power, which fades away easily after a meal.

I would say that this lipstick would look amazing on fair, medium and dark warm skin undertones. I have worn in it during the daytime to the movie theater, and didn’t feel like my lips were super stark in attention (something red lips can do). It is the perfect festive red for the merry season ahead.

#2- Dark Terracotta Lip Color

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil-Walkyrie

NARS, once upon a time, was a brand I thought was very exclusive and expensive looking. But with the launch of minis, the dream to own a lipstick from their brand became reality for me. I got the velvet matte lip duo with “Walkyrie & Damned” a few months back, and have been loving them ever since. Walkyrie, in particular, is a wonderfully wearable dark lip color for warm skin undertone.

Though the shade is described as a warm coral red, NARS’ Walkyrie is a warm, dark terracotta rose lip crayon. The formulation is velvet matte as the name suggests, getting more matte by the minute as it dries down. It is a little drying, to be honest, so applying a lip balm is a necessity in this case (don’t forget to remove the lip balm before applying the lipstick). But it has quite good staying power, and doesn’t budge so easily from the lips. I think this is the perfect fall and winter shade, tailor made for those who like dark lipsticks without too much of the overpowering dark color.

#3- Fuchsia Pink Lip Color

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick-Heartbeat

Pink lipsticks are super feminine, easily flattering shades to wear and the most wearable ones on an everyday basis. But hot pink lipsticks are not everybody’s cup of tea, because hot damn, they scream “Honey, I’m hereeeeee!” But if it is precisely head-turning that you desire, smear some of this bright, vivid pink lipstick and go forth. You will surely get everybody’s attention, and you can own it with confidence.

Rimmel’s Stay Matte liquid lipstick in ‘Heartbeat’ is not for the faint of heart. It is a vibrant, deep-fuchsia pink which warm skinned women can pull off very beautifully. It doesn’t have any neon undertone to it, which I think aids our yellow-tinged skin. Out of all five lipsticks mentioned here, this one is surprisingly the most long-wearing one. Also, think one-swipe whopping pigmentation in a frosted plastic tube- this Rimmel lipstick packs a punch on a super cheap price note.

#4- Coral Lip Color

Tarteist Lip Paint-Bounce

I was introduced to Tarte’s Lip Paint by a friend, who said she loved the ‘Tbt’ shade from this brand. I remember going to Ulta, and swatching many shades from the range. I loved ‘Twerk’ a lot, but didn’t know how often I would wear a bright color like that. And so, I made a beeline towards the more nude shades, and found my winner sitting right there.

Her name is Bounce; she of the nude-coral-rose family. Bounce goes on smooth, pigmented and has a thin liquid formulation. She can be a little demanding with her out-and-out matte attitude, and so you need to coax your lips beforehand with exfoliation and a lip balm. But expect her to stay for long, and she might elude you that way. Food with oil in it will get Bounce to literally bounce off of your lips. But if it is a vegan and cruelty-free liquid lipstick you seek, Tarteist Bounce is a good shade to try.

#5- Nude Pink Lip Color

MAC Satin Lipstick-Twig

You can’t pick favorites among your children, but I have made an error and picked mine- MAC’s Twig. This lipstick has been going places with me since September, and has consistently been my most used lipstick when I go out.

MAC’s Twig lipstick is comfort in a lipstick for me, and my safety net because of its muted, warm nude brownish pink color. The packaging is minimalist and compact, meaning I can carry it in my small crossbody bag as well as in my jean’s pocket. It goes on creamy, settles down to a satin-matte finish and does not fade away unevenly after 6 hours of wear. It would be my first pick for formal interviews and conducts, passport photographs and casual days spent with families. It blends in easily, but enhances my look in a natural manner. This is the best nude pink lipstick for warm skin undertone, and gets a star on its forehead each time from me.

NOTE: None of the product links are affiliate or sponsored. All opinions and purchases are my own.

What is your skin undertone, and what are your favored lipsticks? Do let me know in the comments section below. 🙂 Until next time, see you.

Five Lip Colors For The Warm Undertone. A big hello to all reading this, and a happy December to you all! Twelve days have already passed, and there's quite a lot to do before the year ends.

[studiobowesart]

Plein Air Painting With Bill Robinson

by Cory Godbey

Plein air painting is one of those things I've been interested in but truthfully never really tried. 

The reality is, for me, painting is enough of a challenge without the whole natural world getting involved. I'm envious of those artists who can set up shop seemingly anywhere and pull together a painting! Bill Robinson and I go way back (we first met in 2009 when I was curating a Maurice Sendak tribute art blog called Terrible Yellow Eyes). He has a decorated career in children's books and animation and currently works as a visual development artist at Sony. I thought I'd invite Bill over to share a little of his experience and expertise with plein air painting. Enjoy!

How and when did you get started plein air painting?

A little over a year ago I moved to Los Angeles and was working at my first job in feature animation with some very talented painters. When I started nosing around and asking them how they got so good, they mentioned that they go plein air painting as often as possible. I had seen plein air and even done a couple of workshops years ago, but the practice never really cemented for me. Lucky for me, we formed a little group of people who would go painting every day at lunch, setting up on the streets of Santa Monica near our office. Being able to see the gear, subjects, handling of paint...and doing it every day finally got me over the feeling of, “I have no idea what I’m doing” and made the whole process much more enjoyable.

What makes a good location for plein air painting? Do you decide where to go and then choose a spot or is there something in a particular landscape or place that you set out to find first?

I find myself more attracted to nature than architecture or cityscapes, which for me comes down to where I like to paint and what I like to spend hours staring at. I would usually rather be out on a sunny trail or near a stream than in a busy industrial area, though there is plenty of beauty to be found in factories, train yards, etc. and I think it’s a good idea to mix it up every now and then. When I head to to my general location, the first thing I look for is the lighting. If there’s a really beautiful shadow pattern or the light catches my eye and holds it, I will stop and consider that place for a painting. Subject matter itself doesn’t matter all that much, I’ve found that a tree or a rock or a flower or a mountain can all be painted in beautiful ways. When I’ve been to an area enough times I start to keep a mental log of spots I want to paint, which makes it easy the next time I’m there.

What sort of materials do you take with you on locations?

I’ve found that everyone has a different plein air setup, but the main thing for me is finding stuff that is lightweight and very portable. Here’s a look at my current setup:

Paper Towels, Spray Bottle, Artists Tape - These seems like add-ons, but they are essential! Paper towels especially, for getting the right consistency when mixing gouache. Too much water on your brush and you’ll be struggling. Spray bottle is good for keeping your palette wet.

Brushes - I mostly use 2-3 brushes on a painting. Mainly a 1” flat and then maybe a ¼” flat for details. Once in awhile I use a round for smaller details. I love my cylindrical brush carrier, which keeps them from getting bent bristles in my backpack.

Palette - I use a Sta-Wet palette for and it changed my life. I used to hate working with gouache because it dries out so quickly, especially in heat or direct sunlight. The Sta-Wet palette has a wet sponge and a special palette paper that keep your paints full of moisture, even days later. I also use a small spray bottle of water to refresh the paint if necessary.

Paper/Pencils/Eraser - I work on a variety of surfaces, but mostly either cold press watercolor paper or hot press illustration board. I have started to prefer illustration board, mostly because you don’t have to worry about buckling or warping. I’ve always got a pencil and kneaded eraser in my kit for laying in quick sketches. The boards in the photo are from Cottonwood Arts.

Water - I use an old pill bottle with a screw on cap to hold my water. It’s tiny, lightweight, and watertight.

Masonite board - If you are using a small painting surface, it’s good to have a board to tape it down to.

Pochade Box - I bit the bullet and bought a fancy STRADA easel. It’s lightweight, strong, super portable, and easy to use. No complaints. There are definitely cheaper options (including many homemade ones) for people just getting started.

Tripod - I’m using a cheap old tripod I had lying around the house, but it would probably be a good idea to use something a little more sturdy. Just be careful of how heavy it might make your pack.

Travel Toiletry Hanger/Paint - I had this old toiletry carrier and found that it is perfect for holding my supplies. It has a hanger hook up top, which I can hang on to my easel for easy access. I use gouache for my plein air paintings, mostly because it’s waterbased, opaque, and dries quickly. Also, the tubes are very small and easy to transport! I am fond of Holbein and Winsor & Newton, though there are other good brands out there.

Backpack  - This Kelty Redwing bag is huge, with tons of zippers and pockets for all your supplies. It’s a serious backpacking kit, so you trade off a little more weight to use it. Sometimes I switch this out for a lightweight gym knapsack if I don’t need all the gear.

Current setup in action:

Walk us through your process.

Step 1: Once I’ve selected a subject/area to paint, I take a few minutes to think about composition. This will depend on the format of my painting surface (sometimes it’s square, or wide, or tall, etc) but I tend to work rather small. This particular painting is about 5" x 7”. Once I’ve got a composition in mind (considering the rule of thirds, focal point, etc) I will do a very quick sketch. This is going to get covered by paint in a moment, so I keep it rough. I just want the key things like the telephone pole, the house, and the wall at the bottom in their basic positions.

Step 2: Basic Block-In. I do this as quickly as possible, mostly working wet-in-wet. Don’t expect this phase to look good - if it does, you’re probably getting bogged down in detail. Sometimes I will work on white, other time I will ground my canvas with burnt sienna or something similar. In this case I kept it white for the sky. The thing about gouache (and watercolor) is that you will never get a paint as white as the original paper...so be careful with preserving it when you need to!

Step 3: Tightening Up - Here I’ve got my colors blocked in and am paying more attention to local color. I want the greens to have the right temperature and the browns and yellows to feel like they are in either light or shadow. It still looks very rough.

Step 4: Values: Now I’m starting to pay more attention to value. I lay in some of the darkest darks and try to get more key details locked down. I pay more attention to color variation, like adding in some purples to the dirt trail and some blues to the sides of the house.

Step 5: Finished! Here I’ve added the fine details, the lines on the bricks, the fence posts, the telephone wires, small leaves and flowers. It’s amazing how much these little details bring a painting to life, but they would not work if the rest of the foundation had not been laid down.

I'm curious, do you find that people want to see what you're up to or do they give you space?

I have gotten pretty mixed reactions, depending on where I am set up. Most people are very friendly and just excited to see what you’re working on. I’ve painted in big cities, where people have made jokes about how they wish they could spend their day painting instead of working. (Reconsider your life choices!) I’ve painted at Disneyland, where kids get super excited to see an artist doing something. Mostly I paint out on nature trails where I get to meet dogs and chat with their owners!

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us, Bill! Where can people find you online?

My pleasure! I share my plein air paintings and a lot of my process shots on my Instagram:

http://ift.tt/2omqcZg

I’m also on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.

Also, I understand that you have a show coming up as well, where can people find that?

Yes! I am very excited to announce that I will be having my first solo show of my pleinair artwork at the Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis. It opens April 21 and goes through May 20. The artwork will also be available online after the show opens. 

Check out http://ift.tt/1m7FPeY for more info as it becomes available!

from Muddy Colors http://ift.tt/2p2DnN1

[josephstryhm-blog]

How Crafts And Arts Can Enrich Your Daily Life

Expert Consultancy On Getting The Best From Arts And Crafts

Having the capability to create beautiful works of art makes your hobby enjoyable. Whether you design dresses or jewelry, you’ll find something you love. For additional details on the enjoyment of it, please reading the subsequent article.

Maintain your arts and crafts storage space as clean and organized as you can. Many craft projects rely on lots of little pieces. These pieces are really easy to lose as you may shuffle through all of the items in the area. Having some form of organization can certainly make your life a lot less anxious when considering time to really make something.

If you’ve got a young one with small hands, try using a q-tip being a miniature paint brush. Big paint brushes could mean big messes with young kids. A q-tip however is the ideal size on their behalf. In addition to the cotton end acts almost like a pencil to get with. This really is a really cheap but functional solution!

Let children be imaginative when it comes to their projects. Crafting is approximately using your creativity. This will not be accomplished in the event you constantly nag and correct them as to what they are trying to do.

Collect items from around your yard to your arts and crafts collection. There are many natural things which might be around that’ll may be found in very helpful to have an upcoming project. Probably the most popular things you’ll find outdoors include pine cones, smooth pebbles, and even colorful leaves.

Try setting aside a craft job you can do while doing crafts and arts projects along with your kids. Should you be really into arts and crafts, and you don’t do that, you might start hovering and seeking to control what your young ones are going to do. They should certainly do their own personal thing while you do yours.

Brick and mortar stores are great when searching for crafts and arts supplies. Among the largest retailers is Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby carries fabric, home improvement characters beading supplies, yarns and floral supplies. Additionally, these are perfect go-to retailer for art supplies using the wide range of canvases, paints and brushes.

To obtain your kids ready for several fun watercolor time in the kitchen table, put down a layer of newspaper or possibly a plastic tablecloth first. This protects your house table and lets your kids’ creativity go wild, and you’re not stressing out about paint staining the table for years.

Don’t force certain materials with a kid when doing a craft project. Not all the kid enjoys using materials that you or another kids like using. Some kids may like simply using glitter. Some like using sparkles. Your kid might not like glitter or sparkles. Should they do not, you should not push them into liking them or utilizing them.

Never recycle or get rid of newspaper if crafts and arts are performed at home. Old newspaper may also be a craft material in itself for many projects. It really is more often valuable as something to pay surfaces with. Thick newspapers distributed more than a table provide you with a work area and protection for the table.

When looking for new arts and craft ideas, have a look at the internet site of your favorite craft store. The majority of them offer affordable training sessions at nighttime and weekends. These represent the perfect introduction to a craft which may have previously taken your fancy however you were too afraid to try out.

When selecting crafting items online make sure to calculate shipping and handling costs. Often you will find you can easily cut costs by buying locally rather than online because of the handling and shipping costs. One way to avoid these fees is to only use online retailers who offer free shipping and handling.

If you’ve learned that you’re very good with crafts and arts, consider turning it into a business. You can sell your wares at a number of flea markets and native events. It’s a thrilling time turning the things you love into something that makes you some extra spending money!

Sandpaper will help you make any object look used. If you are searching for the unique vintage look, polish your object with some sandpaper. You may create interesting textures through the use of different grains or perhaps not polishing the object evenly. You may also make use of the sandpaper after applying a coat of paint for the unique look.

Experience your arts and crafts materials on a monthly basis or more to make certain that there is no need anything available that is not usable. Toss out everything which you have no use for and will also make your craft space free of clutter. It will likewise make it easier to get the materials you want when you start a project.

Now. you might have some terrific ideas about making use of your creativity. Continue your vacation and get the most of your respective hobby. In no time you will be prepared to create gorgeous art in your leisure time, all thanks to this article.

Source : http://souheganparanormalinvestigators.com/how-crafts-and-arts-can-enrich-your-daily-life/