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beyfantasy · 3 years

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Redesigned White Tigers from my BEYBLADE AU “Beyfantasy” in 2010.

One of the things I wanted to fix in the old 2010 art were the character poses. I made sure that the remake of the old artworks were more dynamic and having better energy! While Rai, Mao, and Kiki retained most of their designs- Gao had the most changes.

Champion Rai In the old art, Rai's front fist was covering one of the cool parts of his outfit- which was the pendant/neck area. I prioritized his punch over showing off the costume detail before, so for the new pose- the first goal in mind when illustrating him was to show off that area. I also designed gauntlets for him~

Another thing that bothered me were his pants. Back then, it was a fun idea to go all out on it. For the new design- I wanted to tone it down while retaining the Lion Dance pants element. I think the remade artwork has a better balance of the elaborate flair in his pants!

I wanted to keep his silhouette and scale as similar as possible in the old design so not much of the pose has changed. The way his hair flares out and the buff of his chest area were meant to show the strength and silhouette of a lion. His legs had to be spread apart to add to the lion impression, as well as match Lei's stance. His artwork is meant to be Lei's opposite and is drawn so that they look like a pair of brothers - Light and Dark. While Lei has a more fixed "perfect" stance, Rai has a more loose and wild stance. I also made sure to improve on his expression of rage as this says a lot about his story.

His Lotus motif remains- representing perfection, and the season of summer. It also represents inward emptying and outward splendor- this can also refer to his release of feelings about Lei.

Berserker Mao Mao's design has always been one of my favorite Beyfantasy designs. Her first design was well-loved by many people too and I was happy with the color combinations. Her silhouette was meant to give the impression of a cat- hence the back part being longer like a tail. I originally intended to make her hair a little pinker towards a cool color that was closer to Magenta, but I remembered that a lot of people appreciated her "redder" hair in this design. It was also similar to her first colored manga art. While I was coloring, I realized that the redder hair blended better with the kind of pinks, blues, and golds she had in her overall outfit so I decided to scrap the "pinker" hair idea.

Looking back, one thing that bothered me in her old design were her shoes. I remember putting those shoes for "comfort" and ease of movement, with the bandages there to hold the shoes in place so they don't fly around. Considering her fighting style, the shoes might still come off when she would spin because the friction from the ground will overpower the area covered on her feet by the shoe. I decided to give her shoes that covered her entire feet with appropriate socks in place for better stability.

Her claws were drawn better since in the old one- it looked like they would chip off or lift when she would scratch. This time, she can use them to punch, claw, or defend. The armor on her gloves reaches until just below her elbow, but her sleeves and bandages conceal that.

The blue part of her outfit was cute, but I wanted to soften the edges since they looked a bit block-y. The ends now have a cute petal-y design framing the Peony embroidery. I removed the leaves on her Peony clip and had the strings form a ribbon instead with tassels on the end. Having the leaves around would be overkill, and would take away the focus on her eyes. The ribbon is a nod to her trademark in the anime. The Peony motif is kept on her - an exquisite flower symbolizing nobility and value. It is also associated with affection and female beauty. The Peony is also a flower of spring.

Lastly, I was very careful with drawing her face. It was tempting to doll her up with vibrant makeup, but I had to hold back a lot. I reduced the amount of eyeshadow she had, added a simple blush, and kept the lipstick more nude. While she is beautiful and her design is elaborate, she was still not the kind of girl who would bother way too much with vanity.

Thief Kiki I had to redeem myself from how I drew his weapon in the old art so this was my chance! I wanted to show off his transforming weapon- the three sections and the chain. While the way it is wielded in the art does not make sense at all in combat action, it does well for his character art and silhouette. I tried to incorporate a monkey-like silhouette for this remake by having him raise his arms that way.

Not much changed from the idea of his design. I did want to make him look more of a "youth on the go" so I made the yellow cardigan have a hoodie attached to it. His shoes were changed to something that occupied more of his feet. The waist sash remains in the same silhouette like a monkey tail. I did consider giving him darker/blue colors to match the "thief" theme, but it didn't work out too well. His outfit is also what he would wear in the tournament where he's revealed to be a weapons master and not just a run-off-the-mill thief. I stuck with the same color plan.

I was debating on whether or not I should make his transforming staff glow or not. Glowing weapons were more of the All Starz's theme so I decided to express its specialty by adding Chrysanthemum designs on it and giving it an unusual color. His motif Chrysanthemum, can be found on his weapon, his purple top, and on his back. This flower symbolizes a life of ease and is often given in funerals. The Chrysanthemum stands for the season of autumn. This cold flower could express the fact that Kiki had feelings for Mao, but there doesn't seem to be any hope for romantic success between them because of Lei so he tries his best to put these emotions at rest. It's ironic that his colors are more tropical/summer-like, but if you look closer there's still a coldness to some parts of his color palette.

Grappler Gao Gao is the character that had a lot of costume changes. I started off by picking the elements in his first design that I liked best- which were the colors, the waist sash, and the fur. His old design was greatly imbalanced in weight. I could not understand if I was going for a cool or warm outfit type. For the remake- I decided to go for a warmer and heavier type of outfit. I worried it looked uncomfortable since just looking at it made me feel suffocated. But I imagined him in a winter setting and thought of the “heavy weight” element I wanted so it cleansed me of doubts to go for it.

The metal weights were changed to more practical/modern looking weights. This shift to a simpler design was to balance out the changes in his more elaborate top's design. A belt was added to match his boots and top's stitches. This new iteration has a lot of leather and fabric that gives a good amount of friction.

The old artwork's pose was his default stance and I found it too lazy for a remake drawing. I wanted to express his character better by adding a lamb chop he's eating from! I did my best to make it look tasty.

The Plum Blossom motif can be seen at the bottom of his waist sash. During the winter season, the plum blossom grows flowers from seemingly dead branches- representing new life at the end of the said season. The Plum Blossom also represents courage and hope. In the Beyfantasy, Gao was a child nomad who found home in the White Tiger village and he started living a new kind of vibrant life with Rai and the others.

Those are the designer's notes on the White Tigers Beyfantasy Remake! As with the others, I rewrote some parts of their character descriptions. I am very happy with how they turned out and am also satisfied that I was able to give their backstories and profiles better clarity and color compared to before.

Thank you for reading ^-^

#BEYBLADE #BEYFANTASY #White Tigers

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juleswolverton-hyde · 5 years

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It’s November, but I still want you part 3

Genre: Drama, romance, smut (eventually), werewolf AU, art school AU

Pairing: Artist!Jimin / Werewolf!Jimin x Reader

Warning: Mention of mating and knotting, toxic relationships

Summary: A first love is always bittersweet, but this time it is perchance the hardest pill to swallow. Especially when the aftermath can still be felt years after.

In the month of November.

Author’s Note: I sincerely apologize for the long period of waiting for this fanfic to finally update or announce it is discontinued. However, as you can see, the latter does, fortunately, not apply. Henceforth, I would like to say this fic is still up and running with this chapter likely being the second-to-last one. It is time to wrap up some old projects.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 (yet to be written)

Masterlist

Two autumns without sketching the falling dying leaves together, three winters without sharing warm beverages in the usual spot in the same coffee shop every day, three springs eyes beheld the fall of cherry blossom without him and three summers passed with so much as a word.

Ever since the young artist left, nobody closely connected to him has seen the lad. Classes went by unattended, fingers nervously and softly ticking a pencil against the table surface in the exact spot that would have formed the workspace of the one who walked away for the safety of the heart it hurt. However, what was not given a thought at the time, was that the flight inflicted more harm than when everything had been as of old and the night we first laid down as lovers remained cloaked in silence.

Stayed our forbidden fruit.

Even during graduation, the raven-haired creator was not there to celebrate the end of endless study hours stained with paint, charcoal and cramped digits. Not even the six guys with whom a group of brothers was formed had the knowledge concerning the whereabouts of the wolf boy. Nevertheless, something had tainted sincerity for the older ones’ attitude stirred up a deep-rooted sense of suspicion within, but it could also have meant nothing at all. Regardless of the truth, they tried to remain in contact and lighten the mood as much as possible, elevating the gloom left behind by the dear friend turned lover turned... away.

Limits were pushed too much, the warnings and pleads should have been heeded but the mind was too naive to notice the danger lurking beneath the mask of a familiar face, skin flushed with the anticipation to have fingertips grab it tightly and possessively by the small hands that had held even smaller ones throughout many sleepless nights. The animalistic behaviour that needed to be repressed was foolishly underestimated, leading us to ruin.

Jimin has never had to carry the blame for the situation because the mistake is entirely that of the individual who thought to be able to handle what clearly could not be. The mirror shows the reminder of devastating stubbornness daily, still adorning the neck in the form of two pieces of jewellery. The gift that has become the last physical memory of a beautiful moment in life. One thin bronze chain with a crescent moon pendant made of the same metal hanging from it and one chain that is a tad longer and made of a mixture between silver and gold with a handcrafted wolf pendant crafted from tiger's eye matrix.

Only once have they been forgotten, when it was the youngest among the broken band of comrades - Jungkook - who held a soul devoid of love and craving it so badly it gripped the first source of simulacrum tightly to have a taste of it again. The morning brought the shame of having used the sweet guy’s hidden sentiments portrayed by gentle kisses and careful movements between the thighs wrapped around a slim waist after coming undone twice before even starting in earnest. The whined and panted ‘I love you’s were already a vague memory when the sun rose over haphazard sheets partially concealing a thoroughly dishevelled dark bedhead and back engraved with scratches that likely caused more pain than pleasure. Nevertheless, perchance it is because of the guilt of having played a sick game with genuine emotions that the decision to stay by the youth’s side was made.

Eventually, the self-loathing blame turned to a non-sustainable yet believable form of affection reserved for lovers. Almost akin to what was only temporarily had with Jimin.

Until he, too, walked away for the same reasons.

Funny.

History repeats itself.

But not today after finding a pamphlet for an art exhibition near the marketing office where a fortunate job as a graphic designer was picked up soon after graduation, the grand opening of which is tonight. Normally, similar events would have been evaded since too many bodies occupy a space which cannot possibly handle them all at once and the gallery visited at a later date when the hype has died down enough to allow for calmly enjoying the art. However, the default course of action does not form an option in this case due to the artist presenting his piece of art.

Because it is the work of an old friend who gave two beautiful necklaces as a gift a long time ago.

A refugee lover who bound a reckless girl to him with the jewellery.

An onyx wolf to whom an apology is in order and the guilt more than justified.

Park Jimin.

The low heels of ballerinas click on the marble linoleum floor of the bare brick space after finding a sign outside pointing towards the entrance of the grand creative event, eyes wavering to the sides to observe the sketches of faceless women while also frantically searching for the grand master himself. Shreds of murmured conversation compose a rumbling radiating flood when entering the edifice, making the discovery of the wanted man that much more difficult since a familiar voice could not possibly be recognized in this chaotic mess of speakers.

The quest is halted when the gaze wanders to the side entirely, the attention of the panicked thoughts about coming in vain and being rejected from the beginning of the conversation suddenly focusing on a grand featureless portrait. To any other person, it might signify the blank canvas an individual essentially forms, smithing yet another temporary identity to go by until it loses its beauty like its predecessors and repeating the process each time. Withal, the shape of the face is undeniable and cannot be unseen as its familiarity is unavoidable.

Self-hatred, unintended hurt, past mistakes and various trips of guilt are depicted in the simple though meaningful drawing.

It is mine.

My face.

‘It’s the biggest piece of the collection. I wanted to give this person an expression yet couldn’t because I didn’t know what it should look like. Hence, I settled for this.’ The casual tone betrays not knowing who the listener is or the artist is beating around the bush because he, too, cannot handle the strangeness of the circumstances caused by a mayhaps unwelcome visitor in the way it perhaps should be.

‘Your lines are still off.’ A slim index finger points to the traced shape of the jaw, indicating inherently nothing although the turn to bad humour somehow seems a logical direction to take in the situation. Just as it has always been since it functions as a shield against overwhelming emotions. An old habit rooted in days gone by which dies hard, as those kinds of things tend to do. ‘I thought you’d gotten better at drawing by now, Park Jimin.’

‘Y/N.’ The manner of speech indicates having recognized the admirer far before the conversation even started, relieved delight mixed with agonized graveness.

The scars still hurt.

The fumbling digits reaching out brush against those of the individual who remains focused on the image in front. Eventually, they entwine with those that had to be let go after fully committing to the steadfast faith of being a wolf, but after more hesitation upon noticing the awkward gesture than had ever been the case in the past. ‘Can you look at me?’

‘I’m sorry, Chim. For everything. I push- pushed you too far.’ The burning tears slowly begin to create small brooks over the cheeks, the unoccupied hand wiping them away as the other tries to free itself in order to make an escape. A plan that already comes too late. ‘I shou- shouldn’t even be here. I have to go.’

But the fingers of the once intimately loved beloved remain strongly wrapped around the others, their counterparts coming to rest where frantic digits endeavoured to stop the water, thumb gently continuing the attempts with affectionate sweeps. Gazes meet by means of forceful albeit kind-hearted compelling, the palm on the face of an unworthy mistress turning the head to do so and fulfil the earlier disregarded request. ‘That’s not how you apologize to someone, Y/N. You’re raised knowing better.’

Jimin has changed, not only on the inside - if there has been no help in the form of therapy to drive the insane beast out - but on the outside as well. Onyx has made place for pale sandstone which resembles limestone if the light falls on it in a specific angle, paint-stained shirts and jeans are replaced by a stylish nightly black outfit of which the shirt lights up in the purplish lilac shades of twilight whenever it is illuminated directly. Of course, this style has merely been chosen to conform to the formality of the event, though there is a suspicion former characteristic clothes and their sentiments have been abandoned aside from the casual ones that were often worn during a happening like this back in college.

The past has clearly been endeavoured to be erased.

Good.

I was not the only one trying.

Nonetheless, the most obvious physical change makes eyes widen in astonishment due to the uncharacteristic feature.

Purple flowing over in sickly yellow on cheekbones, a scar marring the left side of a sympathetic expression as full lips speak so kindly in spite of the immense wrongdoing three years ago, the bottom split in the middle by a healing scarlet wound.

Hurt.

Actual clear signs of pain.

Afraid of the impact that may or may not still be felt, two small hands - the left one slipping easily from the grip weakened by oddly loving renewed feelings - languidly rise to remove those framing a face the artist idiotically seems to adore still and trace the trail of inflicted harm with a slightly opened mouth. ‘What happened?’

A spark lights up the warm dark brown gaze of the lad who was thought never to even kill a fly, moved by the concern and showing this by the tiniest hasty smile. ‘It’s alright, Y/N. Just...’ Lashes flutter shut as the gesture is leaned into, briefly forgetting whatever coverup is created to not ignite any type of worry akin to the sort that has been tainting living in general since the first and last bittersweet night together. ‘Just business... nothing... serious.’

A warm teardrop slides down the wrist enveloped by the fingers which were good-naturedly removed, the narrow surface of skin snuggled against regardless of the barely audible pained whines the motions evoke. Teeth lightly grazing over the surface, just tangible enough to send shivers down the spine in a paradoxical mixture of pleasure and worry about the wolfish behaviour that essentially drove us apart. Furthermore, what circumstances could have asked for bodily harm, form the root for obvious pain? ‘Jimin, what’s going on? Talk to me.’

You never fought, bodily nor verbally. Did you get beat up? What happened to you? On the other hand, we both changed and know nothing anymore. Notwithstanding, just tell me. Tell me what caused this, what took place and of which the visible aftermath is so damn painful to witness without knowing the background.

The soft kiss on the pulse evokes a hitched breath, astonished by the blatant display of wishing for intimacy once more even though it brought nothing but misfortune in the past. ‘I still want you. I wish... I wish you could stay.’ The last word is a mere whisper, only audible to the ears of the listener and the speaker in the ocean of murmurs. ‘Stay with me, be mine again.’

More tears roll down the smooth skin of the forearm before watery solemn dark irises quickly turn from the former point of focus to two staring in wonder when the wrist manages to slip from the novel fairly firm hold, having made use of the temporary weak spot caused by sadness. Fast as lightning hands pull the artist into a tight embrace at seeing a quivering pillowy bottom lip, determined to keep the sobs dimmed as much as possible and to not lose face to any potential buyers or investors.

‘Don’t cry, Chim. You’re not at fault, never have been. You were right to walk away and I’m not even mad at you for doing it. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.’ Kindly, bleak sandy locks are affectionately stroked while nuzzling the old lover’s warm neck, growing drowsy, no, getting hypnotized by the heat radiating from the body still built like a dancer’s and the musky alluring scent containing hints of turpentine and summer flowers. ‘As I said, I pushed you too much and should’ve listened. But I didn’t. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.’

The hug tightens, star-crossed lovers holding on to one another as if the only way to stay afloat in the turbulent sea of life is by clinging to the buoy in the shape of the other beloved.

And just for a split second, all seems well. Exactly like the old days, filled with hope for a future together.

However, the girl who ruined everything might as well drown in spite of the lifeline because the blonde lad lets go too soon, arms untangling and keeping the adored soul at bay by creating a new distance with shaking hands, just enough not to touch directly. The voice has gained a ghastly tone, speaking as if this time the farewell is permanent. ‘Let’s agree to disagree.’

A foot sweeps uncertainly over the alabaster marbled linoleum, acting as if removing a stain on it as locked gazes are briefly broken up while a hand combs through the strands that were lovingly caressed a split second ago. Withal, like is the case with the entire body, they shortly find each other again afterwards. ‘I really wish we could have a second chance, Y/N.’

‘If- If you want, we can still-’

A solitary head shake cuts off the desperate argument that was about to be given, nullifying every spark of hope which had collected and started a grand bright foolish fire within. ‘We can’t. You’re better off without me. Vice versa it’s not the case, but even though I still long for you, I know that a part of loving you comes with sacrifice and the desire for you to be happy.’

‘I was with you! In fact, I was the most cheery whenever we went out to the park to draw the flowers in the flowerbed or to the coffee shop. The most restful nights were those when you were lying beside me. Now, all that remains of those beautiful moments are these.’ Fingers clearly display the thin bronze chain with a crescent moon pendant and one that is a tad longer and made of a mixture between silver and gold with a tiger's eye matrix wolf pendant. ‘A daily reminder of what we had. Of you.’

A melancholic grin carves itself onto full plush roseate lips, an almost invisible nod acknowledging the meaning behind the jewellery which clearly does not add any convincing nor credible reason to change a stubborn mind set on its own opinion. ‘You still have them. I’m glad because I thought you’d have thrown them away. Or, if not you... never mind, I don’t want to think about that.’

‘Think about what? Jimin, you’re not making any sense. The last time you spoke in riddles, there was clearly something going on.’ The old Self awakens, having pushed aside the pathetic contemporary ego out of the overwhelming determination to not let things remain unresolved upon being compelled to part ways like before. To leave behind loose ends. ‘At least honestly tell me if everything is alright this time. Or just the reason for why you look like you fought a war and lost. Anything. Don’t send me away without a proper goodbye, fill up the distance with making this fucking lingering concern about you I’ve been living with for the past three years a heavier burden than it already is. Yes, I understand you don’t want me by your side anymore. But, I beg of you, grant me this last favour.’

‘I never said that, that I don’t want you by my side anymore so don’t put words in my mouth. Besides, if I did I wouldn’t wish for you to be mine again, would I? I can’t tell you what happened when I was gone, merely that it has to do with what caused our goodbye in the first place. As for the wounds, it’s nothing to be worried about. I’m fine.’ Hands mould into trembling fists, the emitted heat turning to menacing rage.

The made point is justified because the used wording which is reacted to never had any valid worth, to begin with. Rashness can push one’s own opinion despite the nullifications which are or are not already present, making the individual solely focused on their hellbent desire to drive their own beliefs through.

The realization of this calms the raging storm within, knowing that more yelling and arguing will lead nowhere. Instead, a deep steadying breath is taken and a new attempt at making amends undertaken. ‘Chim...’

A careful step forward is rewarded with a petrifying glance, feet immediately stuck in the place of the last retraced track. Stare wavers for a moment to the spot which was nuzzled against and kissed longingly, imagining what could have happened had the gesture advanced. Memories of the first and last night as more than friends resurface.

Even the worst event is no longer regarded in a negative light, a hidden absurd persona craving for it to happen again.

Get knotted, feel him again.

He is not a senseless beast, but a caring young man. Why do I long for that side of him, thinking in such terms? Furthermore, how did I get so carried away by just hugging? That’s never happened.

Nevertheless, the contemplating train of thoughts inherently boils down to the same wanton wish.

To be his.

‘Go.’

Simply have him back.

Resume our tale.

‘Please-’

We can work this out. We can get you help. Therapy. You’re not an animal, Jimin. You don’t have to hold back because of it. Come back. Come back to me.

‘Go!’ The command is growled like a wolf grown sick with the obligation to wait for a dumb opposing party to leave and giving a warning shot that any further provocation has consequences. The sternness rapidly fades, softening into sweet stained nostalgia when realizing what the hurtful impact of the chosen attitude is. ‘Go, Y/N. Just go. It’s better for us. For you. I have nothing to offer, nothing to be better than the man you belong to.’

‘I belong to nobody. I’m my own person.’ It is weird to hear the statement of essentially being some individual’s property being said with so much certainty when the speaker initially was the one to say a person should never be subject to another. ‘That’s what we artists are, independent and stubbornly liberated.’

A weak bubbly chuckle, no extravagant motions that express amusement as per habit. Instead, composure portrays not wanting this outcome to the circumstances either and come closer to make resume making amends as intended by the graphic designer who was once a free-spirited artist like him, continue where the mutual story abruptly ended. Yet, behaviour obviously gives away that the alternate route is not possible if it ever has been. ‘Goodbye.’

End of the line.

Don’t. Don’t do this, you bastard!

But the tongue is rendered silent, paralyzed with grieving shock and the ability to speak abandons the mute girl with the leaving footsteps of a sandstone wolf clad in black like the starry night sky.

The same heaven above a lonely head wandering the street again after leaving the gallery, fighting to tune out the repeating material of the emotional conversation while low heels click against the concrete. Regardless, the words are resonating as if freshly spoken and fingers have the remnants of touches by other ones clearly engraved in muscle memory.

But they have to take a moment to remember the hand grabbing them now for, although more recent than Jimin’s, it seems a longer period of time has passed since it was held by this particular one. Even longer so for the voice accompanying it, containing a strange sort of confidence that would have been quite uncharacteristic up until last January. ‘He left you again, didn’t he?’

Raven locks partially shroud feverish yet trusted doe eyes above a cute nose, a paradoxical bunny-like smile playing on pale pink lips seemingly belonging to a predator. But the person in front after accidentally bumping into them after being pulled flush against a well-trained chest is known to be better than that, never having had the aura of cunning dominance. Henceforth, looking down is the kind gentle boy with the scratched back who disappeared because of the reasons another had already given three years prior.

But Time has the ability to evoke a transformation in every aspect of and being in existence and it forms the cause for this grown-up version of a shy comic artist whose creative persona is a pink muscly rabbit. Although all former anticipating illusions are forever erased by the reflection, it is still a grand comfort to see a familiar face which holds the credible promise of staying. Thus, there is a glad surrender to the intoxicating heat scented with a delicious potion of peppermint, blue ink, markers, lily and jasmine.

To the hands framing the face perfectly and body pressing against one drunk on the temporary happiness offered by the situation.

To Jungkook.

#BTS #BTS smut #BTS x Reader #BANGTANARMYNET #btsguild #BTS Werewolf AU #Werewolf AU #Jimin #Park Jimin #Werewolf!Jimin #Artist!Jimin

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merigreenleaf · 6 years

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World Building June 2018 - Day 25, Pockets

I think the best way to answer “What do people carry with them on a daily basis in your world?” is by answering for each of my main characters. Like with the “fun” prompt, my dorks are a good cross section of the types of people in Concordia. A quick note: I'd mentioned before that Concordians are big on pockets. Lots of pockets, even when it comes to someone like Firedrake who wears ball gowns and fancy dresses constantly. Most of the population is going to just carry things in their pockets, but my characters are a little different because they all spend their lives traveling.

Adair: Adair basically only owns what he carries on a daily basis. The most important is his favorite paintbrush which he usually wears tucked behind his ear; this is the focus for his magic. His pockets are crammed full of paint, brushes, sketchbooks, pencils, pens, snacks, bits of string for fiddling with, a yoyo or two, more snacks... He also has a sling bag with many pockets that he wears across his chest to hold the overflow. Adair's unusual for an Artisan in a lot of ways and one of these is that he travels a lot as a cartographer and only owns what fits into a backpack, at least until he moves in with Blythe and has more of a home, even if the home itself moves. His backpack has a few changes of clothes (that are in perpetual need of washing), some toiletries, more spices and cooking supplies than you'd expect from someone who doesn't possess a kitchen, oh look more snacks, and a small calendar. He uses this to keep track of his hormone healing, birthdays, when his map needs to be finished by (circled in bright blue ink, underlined three times...), and he tries to remember to put a list of things he has to do on it, but inevitably he forgets and just writes it on his arm instead. His cat always rides around on his shoulders or on top of his backpack, so I guess he carries her around on a daily basis, too.

Info about the rest of the characters is under the read more link.

Blythe: As a Protectorate she can carry weapons, but most of these she hangs on the wall of her wagon-home. Usually she just carries a dagger on her belt and a small knife for plant clippings. Adair and Etri eventually buy her a pendant necklace with compartments for holding seeds and plant bits that she finds. She always carries her healing kit, which is a large briefcase/hard box type thing that she wears on a strap over her shoulder. In this are herbs, pre-mixed healing pastes for common injuries and illnesses, a book of healing patterns (she uses this to record new ones she makes rather than looking ones up because she's well on her way to memorizing all of them out of sheer stubbornness), a mortar and pestle, and water. Sol contributed by placing a tiny sun-like light in there so that she can carry a growing plant with her at all times. If she ever carries something less practical, it would be a small skein of yarn and a crochet hook. Otherwise her pockets just hold things like money, a notepad and pen, a few keys (to her wagon, the lead healer's wagon, and the twins' wagon), and I'm pretty sure she also carries around small things that would get each of her friends out of trouble. Or possibly a squirt bottle to spray them with when they do something stupid. Hey, it got the cat to stay out of her yarn basket.

Firedrake: Dray always has their favorite props-- a pair of gold dance swords/long daggers with dragon-headed hilts-- strapped to their back. These are the focus of their magic like Adair's paintbrush is to him. These daggers are blunt, but Dray does wear a small sharp knife strapped to their thigh; this is less because of needing protection in Concordia, more because where they grew up they had more need of something like this and they feel safer with it. The pockets of Dray's skirts hold boxes of matches, maybe a book, some money, and a hairbrush. Like Adair, Dray lives out of bags when traveling, but owns more than Adair so Dray doesn't always carry all their possessions around with them-- generally Dray leaves most of their stuff behind in whatever inn they're staying at. These bags are full of dance/performance props, stage costumes, Dray's extensive wardrobe and makeup collection... and also a few books, some junk food, and a small stuffed dragon that their mother gave them when they were little.

Etri: He wears knives strapped under his clothing: on his thigh under his long coat, a longer one across his back also under the coat, one up his sleeve in a wrist sheath, one in his boot... probably more, but he hasn't told me where they are yet. He keeps these hidden because he isn't a Protectorate and also because they aren't normal knives. They're made of a special metal that's good for banishing malicious shadow elementals. Because he has worked as a reverse-thief who returns stolen or ill-gained art back to artists, he keeps a roll of lockpicks tucked into a pocket inside the front of his coat and usually extra lockpicks hidden in his hair in case he's in a tight spot or doesn't have the roll. He often has a book shoved into a pocket of his coat alongside the lockpicks. He does carry a messenger-style bag because he keeps hourglasses/timers in there for when he needs to cross over to the world of the shadow elementals. (Time doesn't exist there, so he uses sand timers to gauge how long time has passed in the real world because gravity does exist in the other world.) In the bag he also has another book or two or five, a notebook for poetry or observations (he got started writing these down when working as a reverse-thief to keep track of potential thefts), and some money. He wears the focus of his magic (a firebreathing torch) strapped to his belt and like the others he always wears the identification ribbons for his carnival troupe. In his case he's a member of two troupes and both ribbons hang off his belt alongside the torch. (Blythe ties her braid with hers, Dray wears one in their hair usually braided into a small section, and Sol wears his knotted to the button holes of his vest.)

Sol: Remember the love of pockets I mentioned that people in Concordia have? Yeah, Sol takes this to an extreme. His vest is mostly pockets, his pants have tons of pockets (when he remembers to wear pants), his underpants probably have pockets, and if he wore shoes he'd probably have pockets in those, too. He fills these pockets with bits of trash he finds that could potentially be useful as invention parts, things that he finds that just look cool, snacks because he's almost as into food as Adair is, things he borrowed from his friends and meant to give back, things he found that he thinks his friends might like, a comb and hair gel, pencils and bits of loose paper for doodling invention ideas, glitter, and tools like screwdrivers and pliers and tweezers. His torch also hangs from his belt-- he learned magic from Etri, so they have the same focus even though a torch isn't something that's traditional back where they used to live. He always wears protective goggles often pushed up on his forehead. (Fun fact: Blythe told him that the goggles look good on him despite looking absolutely ridiculous because she was counting on “looking attractive” being enough of a draw that he wouldn't put them somewhere and forget about them. It worked. Sol is a little vain and kind of an idiot, but at least his eyes are safe from flying bits of metal.)

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Tagging my world building peoples. Let me know if you want on or off this world building list (I also have a separate list for short stories/moodboards if you’d want on that one) and please please feel free to tag me in any writing thing you share. I love seeing what people are working on! <3 @ageekyreader @lynnafred @worldbuildingwren @theguildedtypewriter @toboldlywrite @wchwriter @ghostsmooches @lady-redshield-writes @bluemartlet @reeseweston @dreameronthewind @forlornraven @pen-for-sword @homesteadhorner @shadow-maker @loopyhoopydrabbles @emptymanuscript @madmooninc

Day 1 (Intro to my writing/series) / Day 2 (Geography) / Day 3 (People) / Day 4 (History)/ Day 5 (Civilization & Architecture) / Bonus: Art Theft / Day 6 (Gender & Sexuality) / Day 7 (Economy) / Day 8 (Government) / Day 9 (Religion) / Day 10 (Holidays) / Day 12 (Elementals) / Day 11, 13, 14 (Language, Plants, Food) / Day 15 (Technology) / Day 16 (Magic) / Day 17 (Medicine) / Day 18 (Fashion) / Day 19 & 20 (War & Weapons) / Day 21 (Fun) / Day 22 (Work/Education) / Day 23 (The Sky)

#writing #writeblr #world building #world building june #worldbuildingjune #about my world #unexpected inspiration series #UI POV: All #my writing ramblings #I'm doing these a little out of order as I try to catch up #I'm so far behind with everything after being away for a week

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latestnews36024h · 3 years

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10 Home Office Ideas That Will Make You Want to Work All Day

Whether you work from home or have carved out a space for something you love like crafting, reading, or writing, your home office is a place that should inspire the flow of creativity and allow you to get down to business. But often, that's not the case. In fact, home offices can be the most neglected spaces in our homes—messy and unfriendly environments for inspiration, driving us to work anywhere but in the actual office, like the couch, or kitchen, or bed (guilty!). To help you create and update your own inspiring space, we asked experts—from designers to bloggers and editors—for their advice on the best home office updates and small home office ideas that will make you want to buckle down and get to work.

1. Think Chic Your space should inspire you—and reflect your unique personality. So don't be afraid to go all out.“We wanted to design a space that was fashionable, functional and reflected homeowner Desi Perkins’ personality. The black accent wall added some drama and depth to the space and we added a chandelier above the desk to add a little glitz and glamour. The wood tiled sideboard keeps the space organized, serving as a storage unit for beauty products and countertop for office supplies. The functionality of the space makes it possible for Desi to stay on top of the business side of her career while the chic decor provides the perfect backdrop for her videos and Instagram photos.” — Leura Fine, CEO and Founder of Laurel & Wolf

Get The Look: One way to glam up a home office is by refreshing your lighting. This eye-catching pendant lamp with gold detailing from Target will give your space a luxurious, yet professional feel.

2. Add Green Breathe some life into your space, so you'll want to stay longer. “I try to ensure a balanced home office which is practical, ergonomic, comfortable, and clean—if these elements aren’t in place I know I’ll end up working at the kitchen table! A lovely plant is said to help keep you feeling calm and clean the air—plus it looks pretty too. I like either a Snake Plant or a ZZ plant. Both look lovely, are good for cleaning the air, and are low maintenance!” — Niki Brantmark, Author and Founder of My Scandinavian Home

Get The Look: We adore this elevated cute little clay planter—perfect home for a snake plant—to add some dimension to your work space.

3. Get Artsy Decorate with images that speak to you. Even if you're crunching numbers all day. “Fill your office with vibrant art to energize your space and make you feel motivated. I create my own artwork and have it framed by Simply Framed, or I shop from Chairish and Society6.” — Dabito, Founder & Creative Director at Old Brand New

Get The Look: Dabito is happy to share his genius DIY instructions for his multi-purpose wall shelf/desk. (They're surprisingly easy to follow, phew!) But if you don’t want to spend your Saturday spray-painting and building shelves this wall unit from Ikea is a similarly chic option that can be up and ready fast!

4. Find the Rug Ground your space with a colorful area rug—for visual interest and soothing sound-absorption. “The multi-colored rug brings in other colors that accent the peach and green nicely, too. But you could also do a neutral gray rug with this color combo. Keep the furniture simple and clean to make it more sleek, and then add in some green foliage to give the room some texture!” — Joy Cho, Founder & Creative Director of Oh Joy!

Get The Look: World Market is great for beautiful, affordable textiles, and we're loving this multi-shaded patterned rug, which works with light blue, plum, apricot, or creamy white walls.

5. Practice Hygge Make it welcoming—but not too cozy that all you want to do is nap. "Neutral colors on your walls and floor, paired with natural wood, plants and some kind of textile, like blankets, throw pillows, rugs or a yarn wall hanging, create a simple yet cozy working space.” — Caitlin & Manda, Co-founders of The Merrythought

Get The Look: This soft space-dyed throw from West Elm is just what your home office needs. Create a DIY blanket ladder, and hang a few wool ones near your desk for keeping warm in winter; switch them out with thin, cotton ones in the summer.

6. Hang a Gallery Wall It's your space—crowd it with what you love. “Style a gallery wall against a neutral wall. You can arrange them on the floor first, moving the prints around until you achieve the harmonious look that you want. Use removable wall strips to hold your prints up. This allows for the flexibility of changing the look of the wall.” — Geraldine Tan, Founder & Editor of Little Big Bell

Get The Look: We love Minted for their huge, affordable collection of prints. They also provide a free service so that you can text a picture of your wall to their stylists, and they’ll put together a recommendations of art pairings for you. Matting and frames are a way to make art prints look more expensive and styled, but can be a pricey investment. Don’t rule out Michaels—they do custom framing in store!

7. Mix Old and New Don't be afraid to steal decor from other rooms in the house. A mix of vintage and modern makes a home feel warm and lived in and personal, instead of feeling like a showroom. “We paired a gorgeous antique rug that the client already had (hidden away in a dark spot elsewhere in the house!) and a pair of new red chairs. The art on the walls is limited to black and white images so that the color in the space doesn’t become too overwhelming. It is such a comfortable, beautiful room to work in.” — Melissa Mascara, Designer at Homepolish

Get The Look: Nothing in the attic? Shop antique stores, flea markets, and even Craigslist to find pieces for your office, whether it’s an aged roll top desk or vintage lamp, and pair these with brand new items, like a pair of vibrant chairs for guests to use when you’re hosting a meeting from home.

8. Let Light in Stay connected to the great outdoors. "Natural light makes a space feel bigger—which is always a plus in a small space. For my home office I actually used fogged window film on all the windows so I could always have the blinds up. This allows enough light to feed the plants in the room and keep them, as well as myself, lively! And when you feel alive, you’re always more efficient.” — Hayley Francis, Founder and Blogger at Neon Doves

Get The Look: If you, like Hayley, have an office that also functions as a dressing room/walk-in closet, affix a non-adhesive frosted film to windows, to allow sunlight into your space while maintaining privacy.

9. Work in Color Choose colors that speak to you—not what's trendy. “I found this Stone Blue color by Farrow & Ball provided the perfect background for a productive day’s work. Having a bit of fun with the filing cabinets in a non-conventional turquoise meant that even the more functional elements of the room looked attractive.” — Emily Murray, Founder & Editor at The Pink House

Get The Look: Whether you’re painting office walls, shelves, and ceiling with one color to make the space feel larger, or using a filing cabinet like this one from CB2 for just a pop of color, working in a color-filled environment can make you more inspired to work from your office—and not the couch.

10. Optimize Your Space Organization is key—use every trick in the book. Nobody works well in a messy home office. “Don’t waste an ounce of space by tucking printers, filing, etc into corners and in drawers. Use all your vertical space, too, by putting cabinets up to the ceiling with varying types of storage and a wall hanging pin board to help organize supplies that might otherwise end up shoved in a drawer!” — Carly Callahan, Designer at Homepolish and Founder of Callahan Interiors.

Get The Look: This is one home office decor idea that's non-negotiable! Kick off your newfound commitment to organization with this rose gold wall grid.

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buildingshitwithcrab · 6 years

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I cannot believe I never noticed this before.

Last year, I bought this large figure/doll head from @pandollop because it was such a good sculpt to try making a[nother] Seph doll on a MH body (regular female Barbie heads fit great onto male MH necks, without modification.) The original blonde hair (it was a female western gunslinger, as I recall) had been removed, and even the eye paint somehow already looks like it has the slit pupils. It’s kind of been sitting in the hands of the Deuce doll I was going to put it on, as I never felt quite motivated to get the hair finished (and the hair needs to be done so I can put it on the body, so I can touch up the paint, etc. etc.)

But just today, while I knew the head was kind of smaller than a typical Barbie head, I noticed it was just about the exact same size as my SDCC She-Ra. And hot damn, IT IS. And She-Ra’s head is meant to pop off easily, to help in changing her outfits, so this head can pop on and off, too, which means it can be on a body--a GOOD body--even before its hair is finally done.

Since She-Ra’s body obviously has some pronounced boobs to work around, and since I already have a Ken Seph that’s just waiting on a superhero body someday, I can really leave this combo as-is for an all-out femme Safay. Unanticipated, yet great. There’s a noticeable skintone difference (the head is paler), but somehow in this picture, it barely shows.

This is really good motivation to keep going with this head, as I hit a fun-sucking wall a couple of weeks ago. Because shipping usually makes mail order too expensive to deal with for most things, I’ve been trying to think of/find alternatives to legitimate doll hair hanks. I have a lot of blue nylon, thanks to dollar store kids’ hairbands, but only a little silver left from rerooting Ken Seph. One alternative that seemed to present itself was embroidery floss. Inexpensive, lots of colors to blend, pretty much comes in the same lengths as long doll hanks. Silk might be better, but cotton floss is a nightmare to comb, even with metal teeth. It just wants to knot, as soon as you try to straighten it. I thought it would be worth going through with, anyway, and just smooth it by hand most of the time.

To root it, I’ve been using the anchor method of threading the next strand through the previous strand’s loop, crochet style. That was working great, until I had a strand pull out on me. All of the others are now pulling loose, and I have no way to see into the head to figure out where to “stop the bleeding” and fix it. So, I got halfway around the hairline and now have to pull out all of that work because ONE STRAND had to be a dick. No more floss, man. No more. Not on a head this small, anyway.

So, it’s great that doll!Safay’s head can come off easily without risking damage to the neck peg, since it will kind of have to now. It also means I can pose them in the meantime, which again, is going to be a whole lot more motivating to do something to finish them, instead of just looking at their head in their hands all the time and feeling overwhelmed.

In other smol updates: amid the March finds at the local thrift store was a 1997 brunette Holiday Barbie, with everything but her dress, shoes, and ring. I honestly don’t know how the rest of her jewelry survived, but it did. Brown hair and green eyes? Where was this doll, in my childhood?? I could always find brunettes, but it seemed never with my eyes, so I never really had a mini-me. This doll’s hair was a mess, but she combed out really easily, barely shed, has lovely waves, and omg the fiber’s so soft. I’ve decided she looks like a Katherine, and I love her to bits. She matches well to an arti-Fashionista body I found at the outlet, of all places (how did no one else find a not-broken articulated Barbie before I did??) If I don’t easily find a loose original dress for her, I’ve already figured I’ll just make her a new one, somehow. Maybe one just a little more folk-art-y Russian than the original, but still using some good, broad ribbon.

Fast-forward to the next Monday, and I found the same doll, in the same condition, at the same thrift store. ??? I honestly had to pause and remember that yes, I did clean one of these up already. Oh, well! I was only going to get Katherine for her jewelry originally, so that’s what I could do with this one. Holiday #2′s hair didn’t look worse, but it was. She must’ve lost half of it, to combing it out. She does look okay, but she’ll be a great candidate for rerooting later. But in order to fix her hair, I had to cut the threads holding on her tiara. I repurposed it earlier today, and made a necklace:

I’d like it to be just a little shorter (it does have a clasp in the back) but I’ve already shortened it once, and I’m done with it, for today. All of the ‘97 'gold’ pieces are metal, though, and the tiaras make really nice pendants.

I also had a look through my parts box of doll glasses, and found a suitable substitute pair for Sparky Dreamer:

I don’t remember the specific line, but these are MH Deuce glasses. They have a faint green tint (of course) but they’re mostly yellow, and they fit, so I think they’ll be fine for her, for a long time. She does look a lot more like she’s supposed to, with glasses, even if they’re not stars.

#dolls #custom dolls #dollsafay #sdcc she-ra #moon dreamers #wewantmoreshera

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jeremystrele · 4 years

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The Delightful Home Of The Design Files’ Managing Editor, Sally Tabart!

Homes

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

The living room. Secondhand daybed, brown leather couch, pink Murano glass lamp, three-tiered glass coffee table, rattan stool, and Featherston Numero chair all sourced by Pip Newell of Curated Spaces. Painting by Heath Wae, commissioned by Sally for Jeremy’s birthday. Big Monstera from eBay. Paper lantern pendant from Pop & Scott. Paper floor lantern from Ikea. ‘Simon Says’ stool from Dowel Jones painted in Dulux ‘Friends‘ from TDF Open House in 2017. Dari Camel rug from Jardan. Daybed cushions/covers from Ikea. Large ‘Bed Head’ cushions from GlamSwag. Striped fitted sheet (on Daybed) from InBed Store. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A collection of treasured objects and vessels. From left to right: ‘Dream Job’ poster by Ben Jones. Orb by Elke Kramer. Pink glass used as a vase from Ikea. Tall blue glass vase from an op-shop. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Pink glass carafe used as a vase by Maison Balzac. Flowers by Gina Lasker from Georgie Boy. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Sally and Jeremy in front of Sally’s pride and joy, the flower shelf! This beautiful arrangement is by Gina Lasker from Georgie Boy. ‘Dream Job’ poster by Ben Jones. Lino print drawing by Issy Beech. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Left- The flower shelf with an unbelievable arrangement by Gina Lasker from Georgie Boy! ‘Dream Job’ poster by Ben Jones. A treasured collection of vessels. From left to right: pink carafe used as a vase by Maison Balzac. Corrugated ceramic vases, small and medium, by Ella Reweti. Orb by Elke Kramer. Pink glass used as a vase from Ikea. Tall blue vase from an op shop. Amber small jug from HAY Shop. Orange teardrop vase from an op shop. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Green large jug by HAY Shop. Lino print artwork by Sally and Jeremy’s friend Issy Beech. Right – Sally’s beloved secondhand Hollywood Regency tiered swivel table. Pink carafe by Maison Balzac used as a vase. Dari Camel rug from Jardan. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Looking from the kitchen/dining room into the living room. Cast iron wiggle lamp from eBay. Secondhand gold-rimmed mirror (this used to be old wardrobe doors!) from Curated Spaces. &Tradition Verner Panton mustard VP1 Flower Pot pendant from Finnish Design Store (‘I first saw this light in my dear friend + TDF Art Director Annie Portelli’s house and totally copy-catted!’, says Sally!). Secondhand Temple + Webster dining table from eBay. Sage green ‘Ria’ dining chair by SBW. Natural ‘Halo’ chair by SBW. Ceramic bowl painted with green flowers by Sally and Jeremy’s friend Sally Krutsch. Wobbly vase by Sally and Jeremy’s friend Maddy Murdoch. Wall hanging by BFGF. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Jeremy’s amazing record collection! ‘Supplement To The Italian Dictionary’ poster by Bruno Munari from Metropolis Bookshop. Ikea storage units. Featherston Numero chair sourced by Curated Spaces. Dari Camel rug from Jardan. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Jez on the decks! Squiggly lamp from eBay. Secondhand gold-rimmed mirror. Natural timber ‘Halo’ chair by SBW. Dining table from eBay. Orange Featherston Numero chair from Curated Spaces. Paper floor lantern from Ikea. Painting by Heath Wae. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Vase in ‘Teal’ used as a fruit bowl from Lightly. Mirka Mora coaster from Heide blue tacked to the wall! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The kitchen – where everyone hangs out! Emma Currie x Amy Simpson collaborative stained glass artwork on top shelf – ‘I had absolutely no idea where I was going to put this when I bought it, but I thought it was so special’, Sally reflects. ‘Turns out we had the perfect shelf, albeit in a slightly unexpected spot!’. Lightly fruit bowl. Alice Oehr x Pan After checkered paper bowl. Baina hand towel. &Tradition Verner Panton mustard VP1 Flower Pot pendant from Finnish Design Store. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The kitchen. Emma Currie x Amy Simpson collaborative stained glass artwork. Lightly fruit bowl. Alice Oehr x Pan After checkered paper bowl. Baina hand towel. &Tradition Verner Panton mustard VP1 Flower Pot pendant from Finnish Design Store. HAY Shop pink dish rack and green rubber cutlery holder. Blue vase from an op shop. Blue fruit bowl from eBay. Vases above cupboards from various op shops. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Sally and Jeremy’s bedroom. ‘When we first moved in I could not figure out what to do with this funny molded over fireplace in our bedroom’, Sally says. ‘It seemed like a travesty to get rid of it! We tried all sorts of configurations for the room, and it actually works so well as a little shelf above the bed. I have grown very fond of the doggies watching guard over us!’. Another treasured painting by Heath Wae, which Sally and Jeremy had commissioned as a moving in gift to themselves. Lauren Cassar ‘Tiny Jug And Moon’ work on paper from TDF Collect. Anna Varendorff brass vase. Small painting by Stanislas Piechaczek. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Wave lamp from Neighborhood Studio, a gift from the TDF team for Sally’s birthday this year! I Love Linen doona cover in Marine Blue Stripe and Pinstripe pillowcases. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The bathroom, which Sally says ‘gets the best light in the house!’. Dusen Dusen hand towel from Coming Soon New York. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Painting by Heath Wae, which Sally and Jeremy had commissioned as a moving in gift to themselves. Lauren Cassar ‘Tiny Jug And Moon’ work on paper from TDF Collect. Anna Varendorff brass vase. Small painting by Stanislas Piechaczek. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Wave lamp from Neighborhood Studio. I Love Linen doona cover in Marine Blue Stripe and Pinstripe pillowcases. Hotel Magique framed print. Amanda Dziedzic glass sculpture from TDF Collect, a Christmas gift from Lucy to the TDF team. Travertine bedside table (actually the base of an old coffee table) from Gumtree. I Love Linen doona cover in Marine Blue Stripe and Pinstripe pillowcases. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Florist NYC tiny bag. Claire Johnson work on paper. Ceramic smiley face bowl by Ellie King. Glass sculpture by Amanda Dziedzic. Hotel Magique framed print. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The beautiful 1920s double-fronted bungalow drenched in the morning sun. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Ever since our managing editor Sally Tabart moved into this home last year, we’ve been so excited to see it evolve!

This 1920s double fronted bungalow in Thornbury was bought by Sally and her partner Jeremy, a primary school teacher, last year. They now live here with their friends, Fushia, who is marketing and partnerships manager at Schwartz Media, and Jack, a carpenter.

How Sally and Jeremy came to own this house is a story unlike most first homeowners, in that it all happened rather quickly! ‘We were both very lucky to have come into some money at a similar time and started to look at houses in a “what if, one day?” kind of way.’ Sally says. ‘I know lots of people love to scroll through houses for sale online but I found the whole thing very stressful and didn’t enjoy it at all!’ Luckily, it was only a few months into the process that they stumbled across their future home.

The back of the house had been renovated just prior to purchasing, resulting in an open-plan kitchen, living and dining space that opens up to a deck and a lovely little garden. ‘The previous owners did a perfect, modest renovation while they were here. I love that it doesn’t look super flashy or new… It has real soul and character,’ says Sally. ‘I would not have done anything differently!’

A few tweaks later, the house now feels like a true reflection of Sally and Jeremy – bright, warm and filled with personality! They’ve updated the carpet, swapped out the heavy drawstring drapes for white linen curtains, and installed a flatpack, built-in wardrobe customised with white glossy handles from Linear Standard. Light fittings in the dining and kitchen areas have also been switched to a pair of mustard Verner Panton Flowerpot pendants, and a 70s-style paper lantern in the living room.

The eclectic vibe of this house can be attributed to Sally and Jeremy’s collection of knick-knacks and art dotted throughout every space. ‘I’m no good at minimalism and really like to have special, personal things everywhere,’ Sally explains. ‘There hasn’t been any rhyme or reason to the way the aesthetic has evolved – it’s just a treasure chest of things that we love and that have meant something to us.’ Sally notes two Heath Wae paintings are amongst her most treasured possessions, having developed a ‘really nice friendship’ with the Byron-based artist since she first wrote about his work on TDF in 2018.

Almost all the furniture here has been sourced over the years from one of Sally and Jeremy’s closest friends and former housemate, Pip Newell, who runs the second-hand furniture selling platform Curated Spaces. One of their most cherished items is the three-tiered Hollywood regency swivel coffee table in the living room, which Pip found on eBay. ‘It was in our old sharehouse when I moved in – I was obsessed with it! She let us keep it when she moved to Queensland. It’s nice to have something that reminds us of that amazing crazy sharehouse we all lived in!’

Visit this home on any given weekend (and sometimes weeknights!) and you’ll likely find the household hosting a dinner party (when allowed!) while playing records from Jeremy’s extensive collection. ‘I hope that our house feels happy, safe and warm,’ says Sally. ‘We love having people over and have tried to make it feel as comforting and cosy as possible – the kind of place you want to drink wine, share meals and have dance parties all night, or hang out playing music, enjoying the light and looking at beautiful things all day.’

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lovemenowmr · 6 years

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Chapter thirty-three.

We decided to spent our fist day on the resort, after breakfast I had put on a white swimming suit, which has cut outs on the front and the sides, showing a little cleavage, and Marco and I went for a dip in the pool. I texted my family before that, too, to let them know I was OK and that we had arrived and were settled in. they were not very happy when they found out I was on holidays with Marco instead of going home with them because they had missed me, but I hoped they would understand it.

There was football on the TV so Marco switched on the TV so he could follow the European Championship, even though he could not play due to his injury he still wanted to keep updated, and he supported his teammates from the distance. I watched from the pool but Marco kept on going in and out in between the pool and the lounge area every time he heard the match was becoming particularly exciting.

And basically that’s how we spend our three first days: from the pool to the ocean, watching some football while we ate and taking naps in our built-in over-the-sea rope hammock. It might seem a little bit boring but we both needed to relax and take some time in peace, to rest from out busy schedules and have some time together.

My final exams had tired me out, since it was technically my last year they had been extra-hard, next year I would only do apprenticeships both in fashion and interior décor business. Marco had also been on the edge lately, he had worked really hard to get into this year’s European Championship and this last-minute injury had taken his plans down, destroying his dreams and hopes in the process.

The forth day of our trip we decided to get a boat trip to Puerto Rico and take a tour of the small towns along the shore.. It wasn’t like a cruise, it was just a little boat, sailed by a local fisherman in which we travelled over the archipelago and the nearby shore.

“Are you ready” Marco asked as I came back from the bathroom.

It was really hot in the Caribe – as you would imagine – so I had decided to wear a pale pink short playsuit whit a loose fitting and white sandals. I had also picked a small brown bag to fit my phone, camera and wallet in there and it was also a few space left for a watter bottle. I was also carrying in my right hand a big wicker hat and a pair of round rose gold tinted sunglasses to shield myself from the sun.

“Ready” I said looking up to him “Did you put some sun cream on?”

He was wearing a white top with bermuda-style jeans and a pair of white trainers as well. He had a pair of sunglasses hanging from the hem of his shirt and he hadn’t styled his hair for today and it kinda seemed like beachy hair, I loved beachy hair on him.

“I did, I’ve been really sunburnt before and I wouldn’t like to be again” he said making me laugh.

“You’re so German” I laughed hugging him.

“Am I?” he said arching his eyebrows “You look beautifull” he complimented before giving me a peck.

“You look handsome too” I said walking towards the pier.

The boat was already waiting for us at the shore, it was called “Santa Maria” and it was white with a blue trim. I took of my shoes and hopped into the boat with ease as I was used to it but Marco didn’t do it with grace at all and he almost feel on the water.

“Don’t laugh” he said as he sat down next to me.

“You’re useless in a boat” I said still laughing.

“I didn’t do that bad” he said “How come are you that good at climbing boats?”

“Dear god” I said laughing “I didn’t climb a boat!”

“You know what I meant” he said.

“I just went fishing with my grandfather a lot growing up” I said “Didn’t I told you I sometimes went to a hidden beach on a boat?”

“No, you didn’t” he said “That’s so cool”

“It’s lovely” I said “You would love it”

“You’ll have to take me one day” he said.

“Of course!” I said.

The sea was calm so we had a nice trip. The boat didn’t move too much and we were able to take pictures, we had spent the morning visiting small beaches and towns and now we were going to have lunch in a town called Boqueron. Marco had already learnt how to get in and out the boat so he didn’t embarrassed me once we got to the pier. We had three hours and we were both starving so we decided to get some lunch first.

We walked a little bit and we found a restaurant, it was small and it gave a family vibe. The walls was painted white and they were decorated with a nautical theme. The floors and the counter were dark wood and there were ropes hanging from the ceiling, on top of the counter. The stools and the chairs were made in the same wood as the counter and the tables and there was a navy blue cushion.

We sat at a wooden table and a soon after a while a girl came with the menu. There was a white tablecloth on it and navy blue napkins, in the middle of the table there was a beautiful squared glass vase with blue and grey pebbles in it and a single blue flower in the middle. Once we ordered our food the waitress brought two white under-plates with a blue trim, matching the walls.

“It was nice to get to know all that places” Marco said while we were eating.

I had picked raw fish with vegetables and Marco had picked a fish casserole with baked potatoes, we had also picked rice with scrambled vegetables and soy sauce to share.

“I loved them” I said sipping my water “Though you must be tired of taking all of my pictures”

“No” he said “It’s funny”

“I want to take as many photos as I can because I want to remember it once we go back home” I said.

“Don’t worry” he said “I don’t mind. You look lovely”

“You don’t need to flatter me anymore” I said feeling my cheeks go red “You know I don’t like it”

“I’m not flattering you” he said “I say it because is true”

“Stop it” I said certain I had now became a tomato.

“Why the hell are you blushing?” he asked laughing.

“I don’t take compliments well, you know that. Now stop it, you’re embarrassing me!”

“You’re so cute” he said laughing. “But I’ll stop, where do you want to go after lunch”

“I want to go to that market we saw before” I said “Maybe I’ll find something to bring to my mother and my niece”

“OK” he agreed “I’ll have to find something for my family too, you can help if you want”

“Of course I want!” I said excitedly “You know I love buying presents”

The town was beautiful, with bright colours and markets down the street, there was a lot of noise but it was nice not deafening. The market had so many beautiful things on sale, most of them handmade, so it was really an unique present and we had almost bought most of our presents.

I had bought a beautiful bracelet for my sister-in-law Sandra, it was made of wooden trinkets and it had a few pendants with her initials, and one that had the country’s name. I had bought my mum three porcelain serving trays with colourful motives which represented the country and the town it self. My brother had been bought a small wooden ship which was named “Puerto Rico” and I had bought a doll dressed with the typical clothes of Puerto Rico.

Marco also had most of his presents already. He had bought a bunch of drawings for Melanie, who liked quirky art pieces and a watercolour of the pier for his parents. He had bought a leather notebook for his brother-in-law and some plates for Yvonne that matched my mother's trays. We only had left Nico’s present, which was a bit dificult.

We had almost went through the whole market when I found the perfect present for him, it was a collection of small traditional games made of wood

“Marco, what about that?” I said motioning towards the pile of games.

“Yeah” he said “Ask him about it please”.

“Hola!” I said to the buyer picking up Nico’s toys “Cuánto es?”

The fact that Spanish was one of my two mother tongues among with Galician had been pretty useful in this little shopping adventure. I had asked for the prices of all the stuff we had brought today and also at the restaurant.

After we bought Nico’s present we continued to walk among the market, which was so beautiful. We took a few pictures as well and Marco, who didn’t care about his phone bill, sent them to his family. We also spoke with them for a while, promising them to skype them the next morning and told them how we were doing.

After that we walked peacefully to the pier, where our boat was waiting for us to take Marco and I to our next stop.

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