i need to kill the demon in my head that says i cant wear press on nails because people wont see me as masc. BOOOOO!!!!

London, San Marino, Toronto - October 2023

Just back from fabulous art viewing experiences abroad and in Toronto. Stopovers included: Frieze London, Frieze Masters and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London as well as the Philip Guston exhibit at the Tate Modern; La Galleria Nazionale in the Republic of San Marino; and Art Toronto in Hogtown. The whole, for the most part, was enjoyed in the context of a three week stay in Italy where the hilltop medieval village of Petritoli, located in Le Marche, served as home base, and offered spectacular vistas of land, sea and mountains, all longstanding muses throughout history. Without looking too hard, traces of Ellsworth Kelly’s curves, Jasper Johns’ crosshatches and Frank Stella’s grids could all be seen in the roofscapes and landscapes, providing a breathtaking backdrop to daily activities, whether art related or other.

London

The transition from bucolic and sunny Petritoli to chaotic and rainy London was drastic but exhilarating. Frieze Week in mid-October is the global launching pad for the all-important fall season in the art world. With summer days in the rear-view mirror, an intense focus radiated from the London art scene with the convergence of exhibit openings, important contemporary and modern auctions, and preeminent art fairs. While the weightiness of a challenged economy and ongoing wars was perhaps most evident in the squishy auction results, elsewhere, the mood and excitement were upbeat as fair venues and exhibits were flooded by art fans and aficionados.

Frieze London and Frieze Masters art fairs ran concurrently under the stars, so to speak, in separate tents in the wonderful greenspace of Regent’s Park. Frieze London’s defining focus is on living artists and contemporary art. This year’s edition, the 20th, included over 160 participating galleries with a strong contingent of 40 or so international exhibitors. Noteworthy was the caliber of presenting galleries and works on display. While remaining very faithful to the contemporary focus, large well-established mega galleries were ever so present along with their roster of anointed stars, perhaps at the expense of the more experimental flair historically more synonymous with Frieze. A walking distance away through a maze of outdoor sculptures, Frieze Masters hosted over 130 galleries that showcased an eclectic mix of art works ranging from archaeological finds dating to thousands of years BC to 20th century masterpieces. Fair highlights included:  Tabboo!’s “Desert Moon”, 2021, acrylic on canvas (60 x 50 in.); Simone Leigh’s “Untitled”, 2022, stoneware, 25.75 x 11.75 x 16.5 in.); and Anna Mark’s “R 1002”, 1968, synthetic resin, sand, pigment on canvas, mounted on wooden frame (20 x 20.25 in.).

Elsewhere in the city at Somerset House, the 11th edition of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair was in full swing with a line-up of over 60 galleries showcasing more than 170 artists. There, the excitement of discovery and seeing new things being done by emerging talents was palpable. Highlights included: Godwin Champs Namuyimba’s “Fathering spirit”, 2023, acrylic on canvas (90.5 x 78.75 in.); Emmie Nume’s “When we use to”, 2021, mixed media on paper (55.5 x 41.75 in.); and a pair of works by Theresa-Anne Mackintosh, “Walking with my body conscious” and “Comfortably dazed”, 2023, oil and acrylic on canvas (each, 34.25 x 39.5 in.).

Also in London, a captivating Philip Guston retrospective was being held at the Tate Modern. Spanning a 50-year career, the comprehensive survey included everything from the artist’s more classical early works to pieces depicting his fiery brand of abstraction and, most prominently, paintings and drawings featuring his iconic comic-like figures and imagery that captured the anxious and turbulent world around him. The whole made for an intense and sometimes unsettling experience. While the museum walls were bursting with large scale masterworks that chronicled the Guston story, it was a small self-portrait that was most memorable - “Untitled”, 1968, acrylic on board. Barely noticeable behind the artist’s gaze painted in the foreground were the remnants of an earlier work of a hooded figure. The effect hauntingly captured Guston’s lifelong nightmarish preoccupation with racism.

San Marino

The next art stop was an unplanned pleasant surprise that surfaced during a day trip to San Marino. Located on the northeastern side of the Apennine Mountains and surrounded by Italy, San Marino is the fifth smallest country in the world, and it boasts a historic center high up on Monte Titano at approximately 2500 feet above sea level that features three medieval towers dating back to the 11th century. There was almost a Vegas-like surrealness to the place with throngs of tourists making the pilgrimage to take in the spectacular views and medieval setting. Nestled in one of the few quiet corners of the historic city and a bit isolated from the many churches, palazzos and eateries was La Galleria Nazionale di San Marino, the country’s center of modern and contemporary art.Housed in the renovated Logge dei Volontari, the museum is dedicated to showcasing its collection of post war art which was amassed from international art biennials held in San Marino beginning in the mid-50s. It was totally surprising to come across fantastic works by lesser-known American artists, including: James Brown’s “Opera Contro Natura”, 2003, mixed media and collage on folded linen (59 x 98.75 in.); and David Row’s “B.N.I.”, 1992, oil on canvas (in three parts, overall, 66 x 85.75 in.).

Toronto

Returning back from the old world with only one viewing day left at Art Toronto, the opportunity was seized to cap off the art adventure with a visit to Canada’s premiere contemporary and modern art fair. While the corridors were filled with rumblings of challenging times, the viewing experience was fantastic. Over 100 galleries took to the floor of the Toronto Metro Convention Center and offered up works from over 1000 artists. As a bonus, the launching of Jack Bush’s catalogue raisonné drew out many of his works that were scattered throughout the fair, including two favorites: “Untitled”, 1962, gouache on paper (35.25 x 23 in.); and “Red, Orange, Green”, 1965, serigraph, edition 67 of 100 (25.5 x 20 in.). Other fair highlights included: Emma Kohlmann’s “Tulip”, 2023, oil on linen with cherry frame (14.25 x 12.25 x 1.25); Catherine Desroches’ “Déliason du corps contre le ciel”, 2023, bronze, pine, plywood, lost wax casting dust, foundry kiln ashes, graphite powder, charcoal on newsprint and on panel (84 x 49 in.); Marcel Barbeau’s “Iris”, 1962, acrylic on canvas (76.4 x 51.2 in.); and Jean-Paul Riopelle’s “Sans titre (1958.006P)”, 1958, oil on paper (25.5 x 19.75 in.).

Meanwhile, the sports scene in North America was frenetic with activity as all major sports leagues were in some state of play. In Dinoland, emotions were cautiously optimistic following a perfect pre-season and a home opener win. After that celebratory moment, however, reality set in for rookie Head Coach Darko Rajaković. Three losses later, the new system was being questioned, and all the ghosts of last year’s disappointing season were surfacing. A win against a star-laden Bucks team provided some glimmer of hope, but that too was soon quashed with a thumping courtesy of ex-Dino Head Honcho Nick Nurse and his 76ers. Can a Fredless team be so different? It’s got to be the system. It’s early, I know, but it doesn’t bode well. Up next, Wemby-mania in the Lone Star State. Ugh.

For more information on any of the artists or works mentioned, the fairs, exhibits, Petritoli and Coach Darko’s system, “Just Google It”.

There you have it sportsfans,

MC Giggers

(Https://mcgiggers.tumblr.com) Reporter’s Certification

I, MC Giggers, hereby certify that the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views and that no part of my compensation was or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific views expressed herein.

I also certify that I may or may not own, directly or indirectly, works of artists mentioned in this report and that I may or may not have a strong bias for such artists and, more generally, for “Pictures of Nothing”.

top five books u want to read but havent yet, and top five tips for beginner knitter/crafter type people!

aaaa. ok

i have 1.5 books left of the Realm of the Elderling series. and i am SO looking forward to the last one as much as i am sure it is going to D E S T R O Y me holy shit. cannot emphasise how much i know it is going to ruin me. i know 2 death spoilers (both of which aren't surprising. cant follow a whole life without...following a whole life. and the other one is Old lol) but i dont know specifics and im fully going to be a sobbing mess when i get there and i cannot wait

legends and lattes is...12th on my TBR but im rly looking forward to it! constantly seeing it at the top of cosy fantasy recommendations and there is a lady orc on the cover, im gonna love it

really looking forward to when i get around to the 3rd Bone Ships book! its a very cool series about giant sea beasts and ships made of bone and just. exceptional wordbuilding. loved the first 2 books a lot. bumping this up my tbr as i type this

have decided 2023 is the year i will get around to starting Wheel of Time. it's one of the Big Fantasy series i havent touched yet and i wanna (i think the only others are Dark Tower which im ehhh about starting and Mazlan which i think i will love if i go into at the right time, and hate if it is the wrong time lol)

hmmmm. god there are so many books im excited to read, this is difficult. i have 3 full amazon wishlists of books lol. just gonna put the next fantasy book Jen Williams puts out. i love her and i love how....maximalist her fantasy worlds are. she doesnt just go "ok this is a world with dragons" she goes "ok this place has mushroom forests and a giant tree that births mythological beasts and sexy vampire elves and life magic and WEIRD BUG ALIEN INVADERS and lesbians and gruff axe weilding gay men and so much more" (go read the winnowing flame series, people!!!!!!!!!!!!) and i will buy her next book without a milisecond of hesitation

ok. *breathes* im ok. promise.

CRAFTING.

[every craft] everyone tells you to start with something simple. fuck that. start with something COOL. you will be 10000% more motivated to work on something if its gonna look rad. garter stitch scarf is gonna be boring even if it is simple. i believe in u, u can google and learn and make that weird project

[knit/crochet] skip the cheapo acrylic yarn if you can. it is cheap but yr gonna stick a WHOLE BUNCH of hours into this, i promise it will be more fun if it feels NICE while yr doing it!! there are some really pleasant feeling yarns that aren't much more expensive, and it will just be a much nicer experience.

[every craft] ignore everyone telling you you need a billion accessories. most of them are completely unnecessary. you dont need the fanciest needles or fancy stitch markers or expensive whatevers. dont sink a bunch of money into something yr just trying out

[all] try out different methods!! i spent ages trying to learn continental knitting when i was starting, bc people said it was Better but. i tried and i didnt enjoy it. but i know more for trying it!

[all] if it works, it works. if u are making fabric and you like it, s'all good!! maybe yr doing it in a weird way but if it is comfy for you fuck what the internet says. things Do Not need to be perfect!!!!!!

[knitting] bonus one: google twisted stitches. this is a common mistake and itll fuck you over if you get used to making them when youre not meant to lmao

thank u for letting me ramble about 2 of my favourite topics lol. and if u want some fun beginner friendly knit projects lmk 💚

Coworker on the overnight shift: is it true that autistic people like to collect stuff?

Me, focused on sorting and stocking thread: yah. Or, often, anyway. Not everyone. Obviously.

Her: Huh. What do you collect?

Me, sweating, trying to thing of a normal answer that is also true: oh... you know. Things. Uhm... i collect uhhhh. Rocks? Like, crystals?

Her: oh cool, i like big colored rocks! Like the cut ones. The slabs.

Me, trying not to immedeatly infodump about how fucked up quartz classification is: yeah thats agate probably. Nice.

Her, so very unaware: do you collect anything else?

Me, thinking this is probably fine so far: uh. Uh. Nope.

So anyway heres the list of "collection habits i *have*":

Rocks (as stated), mainly trypes of crystal or gem

Round clear orbs NOT marbles with the little swirl inside ONLY clear ones with nothing inside.......

Miniature pieces. Like tiny things. Yes like tiny bread or tiny pots n pans. Yah those.

Pins. Like even bad ones that arent funny.

Scarves. I live in florida. I dont wear scarves. But i collect them. Its a mystery. I like them.

Littlest Pet Shop figures up until very very recently where i tooth and nail forced myself to give them up to give to my younger cousins who are actually young enough to, you know... play with them. Rather than just. Horde them.

Ink and colored inks. Crave more but expensive.

Acrylic Paints. Also expensive so i made myself stop buying it ezpecially since i dont actually paint all that often, but i continue to crave having enough paint to look like a fucking craft store in terms of paint hue options.

Plants. Specifically plants that produce edible product but pollinators are also welcome in my home. This has been a difficult thing to collect because every time we move they die and also it is very hard to keep plants in fucking florida sometimes.

Puzzles. The idle day dream the one day i will collect and put together every puzzle is not only impossible but yet still something i crave doing.

Game achivements. I soent two years tooth and nail trying to get a terrible awful achievement for minigolf perfect game in the fucking Dream Daddy game.

Notebooks. My favorite kind is grid paper notebooks. Spiral, bound, hard cover, sketch, lined....mm...delcious.

Qoutes. I have a notebook of favorite quotes.

My own art work. I have painted exactly 2 (two) ink canvases that i have willingly given away after painting them exclusively to be gifts. And i still fucking regret it.

Sharpies. I steal them if they are near me. I dont ever buy any. I only end up Taking. But i have MANY.

Old Toontown Cards. Im jot like a pricy collector but sometimes i find one at a yard sale and do not Hesitate to get it.

Board games. Want all.

Nail polish. I dont paint my nails: collect anyway.

Wrappers from werthers orginals caramel candies. I had to thrownmine away during the last move........ but i had like 3 boxes at some point.

G2 pilot pens (.7 mm)

(Edit: Dice. Lots of dice. Let the fact that i had to edit and add this prove that there are probably other things i collect that i also forgot to add lmao)

Things i WOULD collect if given free income and space for storage? Things i desperately want to collect?

A fucking craft stores worth of glitter.

Thread and yarn and string. All the colors. Just like acrylic paint. Just like glitter, too. I just want... ALL.

Books. Like the puzzle thing, it is absolutely impossible to collect them *all*. But my brain still wants to.

Food. Its an impulse thing. If one of every food existed in my possession i would be Happy.

Trees. Would need SO much space and land but t r e e s.

Thisbisba weird one, but... house styles? Want to slowly collect accents and designs from different types of archetecture into one house. Build and expand it over time.

Fragrance oil. All of them. Yaaaaa.

Broken glass. I do not collect this because i have common sense.... but i want to.

Ornate eastern hand fans. I do not know why, but it is a passive craving i have had since i was young.

Beads. Duct tape and decorative tape. Paper. Stickers. Whole collections if manga. Whole collections if novel series. Movies and dvds. Every single hard copy disk expansion for the sims 1, 2 and 3. Every single pet in wizard101 and every singly piece of clothing in loveNikki. YOU DONT UNDERSTAND. IF I HAD UNLIMITED MONEY I WOULD JUST DEDICATE WHOLE ROOMS TO EACH COLLECTION OF THINGS. I would have all the things, ALL OF THEM.

Papa Dlc! Any tips for thrifting a coat? What should I be looking for?

Know what you want and be patient are my TWO biggest tips. I spend Y E A R S looking for a piece that I want at a price I'm willing to pay for it. (Obviously, to a point, you have to be realistic about price. You're not getting a real leather bomber jacket for 40 bucks)

So, it depends on what you're looking for but I go wool over everything else on the planet. Wool is warm, it repels stains, and it lasts in a way non-natural fibers can only aspire to. I have a wool coat I bought when I was 19 that still looks good (I am 35. I did not buy a new wool coat until I was 31. That wool coat currently looks immaculate) A used wool coat is better than a new acrylic (plastic) one .

The second thing to consider is line. What sort of a coat are you looking for?

I didn't have GOOD picture of me in my wool coat but here:

It's a very femininely cut coat, to the knee, in a fit and flare peacoat style. This was what I wanted (full disclosure: I did not thrift this coat. I paid 300 American dollars for it. I expect it to last me as long as my old one did, and 25 dollars a year for a handsome coat seemed decent) and I looked for it pretty aggressively. Patience is key!

Remember you can get a coat tailored, just like anything else, though tailoring is higher for thick fabrics. Shoulders are far and away the most expensive to tailor and I don't fuck with it. Buttons are hideous? Replace them yourself! I prefer buttons over zippers for longevity.

If you're like, "I want it to be cheap and I want to be warm" BUDDY THE ARMY SURPLUS IS YOUR FRIEND. I have wool pants from there that I was genuinely hot in the other day and it was 15 degrees out. Mine currently has Navy peacoats. This works a little better, in America, for the less travel-sized among us--my army navy just shoots me a message when stuff comes in from the British military because its the only time they regularly have something that fits me off the rack (My pants are Finnish, but I had to hem them)

hi!! i was legit just wondering how long you’ve been doing digital art. i’ve been doing digital art for ~1.5yrs now but the longer i’ve worked at it the more frustrated i’ve become. i mainly do painting so i’ve been TRYING to translate that into my digital art but i just. cannot. did you have any similar frustrations by chance, or just any in general w digital art, and how did you get past them? im finally trying to dedicate some time to practicing over the summer. v frustrating tho 😔

Oh god, I got my first actual drawing tablet back in high school, I thiiiink in grade 10 or 11? So that would've been 2012-2013ish. But i had attempted (very badly) to do digital art on MS paint and Deviantart since Junior High. I was pretty new to the internet and most of my time was spent searching up digital art and printing them out to hang in my room, and I remember wanting to, but feeling like I'd never be as good as the digital artists I saw. But even when I got my first drawing tablet it took me a long time to even get used to! I know the feeling you're talking about. Its taken me multiple attempts at different things to realize what I like in digital art before I got better at it.

I still sometimes have doubts I'm even improving digitally now, but believe me when I say that even if it doesn't feel like it, you're always improving! I think for me, learning to draw better digitally can be improved by a number of things, namely by your tablet, the program you use, the brushes you use, the techniques you use to draw digitally, and then working at it to find what best works for you & keep working towards improving. My first tablet was a $50 one from amazon & I drew using FireAlpaca, and now I use a 5 year old Wacom tablet on Photoshop 2018. For your tablet, I think you just gotta get comfortable with the works of how to sit with it, hold it, finetune it, etc and it should be good! A more expensive tablet doesn't necessarily mean it'll perform better. Even my coloring/drawing style is different! I found that the way I do it now is better and easier for me, whereas before my art would take DAYS and HOURS for some unfinished, simple looking pieces, whereas now I can do much more detailed stuff more quickly. So I guess here's a few tips of what I personally did that made things easier for me:

Watch other digital artists do speedpaints, look at different tutorials, and try copy their process. You might find something that unexpectedly works for you, makes things less frustrating, and speeds things up while simultaneously making you a better artist! And experimenting with different techniques is just always a good idea

Find different brushes you like, download them, and experiment with them. You might find a brush that's supposed to be used one way, and is useful for another. Additionally, testing the brushes with lowered opacity or flow & different things could help! I used to take FOREVER shading things, lowering the opacity, etc, and then I started trying different brushes. Instead of using the hard round brush with lowered opacity, now I use a cloud brush, a pencil brush, a charcoal brush, a chalk brush, and the soft round brush for blending and shading almost seamlessly. I discovered they work well together by testing them out and watching how OTHER artists used them. There's actually some brush packs that are meant to mimic oil/watercolor/acrylic/etc painting strokes/brushes or palette knives, maybe trying these out could help!

Try different art programs if you can, watch youtube speedpaints of artists using them, watch tutorials on how to navigate said programs, and then try it out yourself. There's links hanging around to get photoshop & other programs for f/r/ee, or you can do the free trials, but there's also always free art programs available too! One artist who greatly influenced my art style uses Paint Tool Sai, but I found that this program just wasn't for me when I tried the techniques she employed on the program she used, and discovered photoshop was most to my liking once I knew how to use it

Set up your digital art workspace the way YOU like it. Usually on most programs there's the ability to switch around or resize or even temporarily switch off/disable the different windows of your workspace within the program, so if you don't like something somewhere, change it! I actually don't like having the color palette window visible in photoshop, so instead I shut it off and just use the HUD color picker & color selection tool when needed. Doing this gives you a more cozy space to work in, think of it as setting up your painting area and adjusting your easel to your liking

So once you've been kinda testing the waters with some or maybe all these things, you start to get more comfortable with digital art, and you'll see yourself getting faster, better, and generally just improving. Also, and I know you know this already & its pretty obvious (otherwise you wouldn't be here lol) that digital art is MUCH different than irl painting. I have a hard time thinking of which is harder or takes longer for me because they both come with benefits and downsides! However, if you WANT to try emulating irl painting with brushes and how you use your layers, you can try that too. Experiment!! A lot of improvement and getting comfortable with digital art is testing different things, seeing what you think works for you, and then keeping at it. But also remember you can switch things up at any time, you might need to do things a few times before you realize you're actually pretty good at it or that you like it, and that you don't need to test all these things at once! Things'll get less frustrating and translate from your imagination better once you've set up a space digitally that you can navigate freely, and become more comfortable with how to use the tools & techniques available

And never give up, I promise you're always improving. I hope this is helpful!

Mystic Messenger - Interior Decorating Preferences (Living With MC)

— Zen —

Being a famous stage actor unfortunately doesn’t lead to heaps of cash, so even after establishing his career, Zen stayed in his garden unit for several years. You and him made the best of the place for as long as you could - brightening up the dankness with cheery lighting, making sure everything was clean - but eventually the tiny, cheap apartment wore out its welcome and the two of you decided that enough moldy air was enough. 

Your new place was larger, newer, and located in a better neighborhood. Rent was more than twice the amount, which sometimes puts a strain on the books, and Zen also had to rent a separate parking space for his bike. But it was just a cheerier place. Both you and Zen began feeling the effects of a better ventilated, better lit home, and it energizes the both of you. The extra money was worth it. 

While moving, Zen decided to dump most of his old furniture, keeping only the flatscreen and a table or a lamp. The new apartment was decorated with new couches and cushions, cabinets, mirrors, curtains and rugs. Zen had a surprisingly nuanced taste for interior decorating, and sought out decor with modern, smooth metal and muted grey colors.

Before, Zen lived with a mishap match of cheap furniture that clashed with each other and gathered dust as the years went by. Now, with a new place, you and Zen took the opportunity to really turn the apartment into a home. 

He loved keeping the house brightly lit. Curtains were almost always drawn to let in the natural sun, and there were multiple lamps in every room to brighten up every corner. Sometimes, if a production was generous enough, Zen was allowed to take home one of the props as a gift. So the apartment was eventually decorated with several unique pieces, all mementos from his work. 

He loves seeing the splashes of color dotting his brightly lit home, especially if you’re there to enjoy it with him.

— Yoosung —

It takes a while to move out of the dorms. He finishes his degree two years into you dating him, but before that point he had very little space to live in. His dorm didn’t have a kitchenette nor a shower, though luckily he didn’t have to deal with a roommate. 

Any decorations he had were haphazard and cheap - a character mug for his pencil holder, a bedding set from Target, and other things typical for a full-time college student. His furniture belonged to the dorm, and there was quite a bit of clutter scattered around. Whenever you came over to visit, you would trip over things like random plastic figurines from vending machines. 

After graduating, he moves back with his parents like many young people in Asia. But he really wanted a place of his own as soon as possible, mostly due to your influence. He didn’t want to awkwardly balance his family life with your availability. So after saving up from his internships, he found his first legit apartment to rent.

It was small, old, and the best he could find on such a small income. But it wasn’t bad, per se. Just needed some sprucing up. So that’s what he decided to do; actual decor, now, instead of cheap junk. Furniture from IKEA, legit bedding and curtains. It was important that you saw him as a budding adult, instead of some college kid.

He always loved bright colors and cheery imagery. Some of it kinda clashed, if you were totally honest. But he loved how it gave his home a slightly artsy twist. 

And he still enjoyed his character merch, just not as vigorously as he did before. His desk was no longer covered in old acrylic keychains and plastic charms, but the tissue box on the dresser was decorated with characters from one of his favorite animes. 

Above all, he loved how his space wasn’t an embarrassment to show you, anymore. Quite the opposite, in fact. Every corner held evidence of how much he’s grown. And you were there to share it with him. 

— Jaehee —

Before you came into the picture, her apartment was kinda threadbare. She spent so little of her time there, she couldn’t really decorate the space to her liking. Although her work at C&R earned her an impressive paycheck, you couldn’t see any real evidence of it amongst her home. 

Except for her technology, which she was happy to splurge on. A large plasma TV, the latest Kureig model, a snazzy smartspeaker. Plus, her furniture was brand-name. If it wasn’t for Jaehee herself living there, you could almost believe this apartment was some sort of photoshoot studio - perfectly decorated and sterile. 

After leaving C&R and starting a cafe with you, she finally had time to really invest in her home. And she took it by storm, not just buying tasteful wall art and coordinated throw rugs, but also contracting people to install new granite to the kitchen countertop and re-modeling the entire bathroom. 

She and you had a real eye when it came to decor. It took an entire day set aside to tour furniture stores when it came time to buy new floor lamps, or accent tables. You compared prices on your phone, she agonized over color swatches and metal finishes. 

And she switches up things pretty rapidly. She’ll buy these chic polished metal salt-and-pepper shakers for the kitchen, and two months later she’ll decide they’re too plain so she’ll bring home a dyed blue glass set, only to eventually think they’re too tacky.

All the colors are warm, sometimes dim and cozy, sometimes brightly lit. Antique gold and brass in the kitchen, warm pearls in the bathrooms, buttercup yellow decorating the bedsheets.

No longer was her apartment an oppressive, lonely place that money couldn’t fix. She had a home now; under her feet, and also within you. 

— Jumin —

Now, the images of Mystic Messenger don’t give us the full tour of Jumin’s skyline penthouse studio, but if they did we’d all be shook. ‘Cause his place is no fucking joke, its literally one of the top ten most expensive homes of South Korea.

 It’s located atop an 85-floor skyscraper, and takes up the entire floor with a 20,000 square feet span. It boasts four bathrooms, two kitchens, three separate lounge areas, and crazy expensive architecture. That vertical fish tank next to his Wyoming-size king bed is only the beginning of the luxury that surrounds this man’s abode. 

Even after months of living with him, Jumin surprises you by pointing out some decadent part of the apartment you had missed. Like the jacuzzi settings on one of the bathtubs, or how the massive span of windows can be tinted using a remote. He had lived the life of a millionaire for so long, he got used to these sorts of things. 

You, on the other hand, are constantly charmed and even overwhelmed by the decadence. Half the wine in his personal cellar cost more than your college tuition. You couldn’t help but just, lap up this ridiculous palace, at times. It was really something to wake up to carved marble tiles, crystal lamps, and designer furniture every day. 

When you moved in, Jumin soon began considering buying a larger place, because to him the massive studio was ‘too small for two people’ and you had to quickly stop him before he bought a literal estate. True, the interior decorating had already been carefully furnished with only Jumin as the sole resident in mind, but bit by bit, your personal touches began gracing his home. 

Like your closet became your closet, both lounges were slowly re-decorated with your own personal tastes in color and decor, your little knick-knacks found their way upon bookshelves and countertops, Jumin’s luxury dishware now included your favorite decorated mugs and cute kitten ramen bowl.

And those touches are what finally made Jumin feel like his apartment was a home. All the luxury in the world couldn’t buy this coziness. 

— Saeyoung —

The man is a dirty, rowdy boy who pays almost no attention to maintaining his habitat. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an aesthetic, though. He buys the top-of-the-line technology with colored LED lights and polished marble surfaces. There’s so much color surrounding his bunker, you can almost forget you’re twenty feet underground. 

Seriously, sometimes it’s like a rave. His triple-door smartscreen fridge is lit with deep blue blacklights, his bathroom mirror is backlit with a chrome rainbow spectrum that shifts colors, the ceiling light of his bedroom is this big circular fixture that mimics different planets with a push of a remote. 

But he only pays attention to decor he’s interested in. So when it comes to his couches, his dining table, his bedframe? He just outsourced it to designer brands and picked the most generic, modern-style ones they had. To keep it even more simple, it’s all a boring black color. And many of it is part of the same collection - you noticed that the dining chairs, the coffee table, and the barstools are all the same design. 

And no, he’s doesn’t clean after himself. He really doesn’t have the heart nor time to, especially before meeting you. So there’s food crumbs in the crack of his office chair, loose clothing in random places on the floor and tossed over chairs, and product bottles thrown haphazardly amongst the bathroom. 

When you came into the picture and saved him from the agency, his work racketed down by a huge margin. No more working 52 hours at a stretch without sleep, no more entire weeks spent fearing for his life if he didn’t finish a job. This left more time and energy to step it up a bit and stop being such a slob. Mostly for your sake, if he was being honest. 

Almost all of the fancy tricked up stuff in his apartment was his own doing. And once he had more free time, there was even more of it. So enjoy your voice-activated desk lamp with bluetooth and 30 different color settings, that was just an afternoon project and he’s got something even better for the two of your’s anniversary!

— Saeran —

Unlike his brother, Saeran actually values cleanliness and a good living space. Partially due to his bad immune system and how a clean environment can make a big difference in his health, and partially because that’s just the kind of guy he is. He had his own room in Mint Eye, which was tastefully decorated under his own hand with antiques and art statement pieces. Decorating his room was one of the few opportunities he had to express himself. 

Once he escaped Mint Eye and began living with you, it took many months to regain some assemblance of a normal daily life, and one of the first steps was to retrofit his living space into a safe, encouraging home. 

With your help, the two of you planned out everything with the intention of creating a haven of sorts. He still wanted his antique aesthetic and romantic colors, but now there was technology that encouraged communication with the outside world. Now, the curtains were pulled to reveal an exciting, open world right on the doorstep.  

The antique interior complimented his flowers very well. ‘Cause flowers and plants are a constant fixture in the home. Sometimes, its cut flowers arranged in a Regency-era glass vase, but mostly they’re potted flowering plants. Huge ones in the living room, or tiny ones on accent shelves, or the several window planters you and he maintained with love and care.

As he regained his confidence, the apartment showed his progress. He began going out to buy things on his own, without needing you to accompany him. And the things he brought back were sometimes ... weird, but oddly charming, like a mounted authentic Viking drinking horn, or a framed poster of a map from a fantasy video game. 

He just ... enjoyed these odd things. His life was so free now, which meant he could go out and be weird and enjoy these weird things without anything holding him back. You proudly displayed all of these trophies, all evidence of Saeran’s healing.  

— Jihyun —

It’s canon that Jihyun’s apartment in-game was mostly fitted to Rika’s wishes, not his own. We don’t really see it, but if the photo panned out more we’d see pale, birchwood accents and light linen fabric. Everything bright, and lit with white lights. Almost all of it Rika’s influence.

When he and you found a new apartment, Jihyun wanted to take this opportunity to establish himself more, this time. So instead of that pure, untouched look, he added more color in washes of warm leathers, brushed metal, and natural lighting. 

It was worldly, for lack of a better term. Lots of mementos from his time traveling, all adding dimension to the living space. A woven Navajo basket from New Mexico, a large print replica of a page from the Book Of Kells, a bronze modern art sculpture from an emerging Indian artist. 

And the furniture themselves were uniquely artistic, too. Jihyun one day brought home new earthy-brown decorative cushions, bought from a company that produced textiles dyed using food waste scrap. He went to a warehouse auction for authentic, obscure antiques, and graced the living room with a richly red bubinga-wood rocking chair from 1950′s Germany. 

Funnily enough, as graceful of a man he is, he can sometimes be a bit too tacky in his choice for decor. He tried to argue for fake exposed-brick wallpaper as an accent wall, which you had to shoot down. More than once, he showed you a new art piece about to be sold at a new gala that he wanted to go bid for, and the particular piece was just ... too esoteric or even gaudy to be displayed. 

Jihyun just loved to feel like he could be himself. And he loved how you encouraged this new life of his. An actual home, now, free from his family or Rika. True love can only blossom under freedom, and that’s what this home represented for him. 

       - ̗̀ NOW INTRODUCING:  IVES ❝ IVY ❞ SERRANO !

( DANNA PAOLA, 24, CISFEMALE ) I just bumped into IVES "IVY" SERRANO the other day while walking down NORTH Kingsboro, where SHE lives. I hear they can be SEDUCTIVE and MANIPULATIVE, but when I think of them I immediately think about ROSE PETAL BLUNTS, STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE, AND SIX INCH STILETTOS.

hi hello it’s tay back again w another one of my demon spawn muses !! apparently chaotic bisexuals w fcs from elite is just my brand™️ but anyway ivy is probably my favorite oc i’ve ever made so i have A Lot to say abt this messy bitch !! if u go H E R E i have a very long stats/bio page with pretty much everything i could think of BUT i will try to summarize the main points semi-concisely

- ̗̀♡ — › background !

the main thing u need to know about ivy is that she is lying ! always !! her real name isn’t even actually ivy smh

she was born natalie rose serrano, to two working class parents in new york city. she knew from a young age that she was just supposed to be rich and famous, and that something had gotten mixed up somewhere and she was put in the wrong life.

in high school she got a scholarship to a fancy private catholic school, and that’s where she started to hone her craft of manipulating rich people. she would befriend all of the richest bitches at school and take advantage of everything that came along with it: vacations to far away places, stays in the family’s cabins and lake houses, even designer clothes that her friends no longer wanted and would gift to her, thinking it was their idea all along

as she grew up and got better at getting what she wanted out of people, her entitled attitude only got worse, driving a wedge between her and her parents, who kept waiting for her to develop a work ethic and kept being disappointed. a few months after she graduated high school, on her 18th birthday, her parents kicked her out of the house and cut her off, hoping that it would force her to grow up and take on any responsibility

but that plan backfired for them, her parents underestimating how truly stubborn natalie was. the day after her 18th, she wandered into a local strip club and got a job, figuring it’d be the easiest and quickest way to get some cash, and she took to it naturally and actually really enjoyed stripping

she started to embody an entirely new persona that she had created for herself, dancing under the name poison ivy and telling everyone she was a trust fund baby that had been cut off from her rich parents, needing to dance to supplement her income, and her lies just continued to spiral out of control until she almost started to believe it herself. she had never told anyone at the club her real name, not even the other strippers, just going by “ivy” for a while.

she had learned to weaponize the power she had over people by being pretty and charming, using her looks for absolute evil and doing whatever it took to get money—from straight up pickpocketing, to making men buy her expensive gifts, to blackmailing, to sugar babying, to getting patrons wasted and manipulating them into tipping her absurd amounts... she did it all, very quickly earning enough to live the life she had always dreamed of, that she felt she deserved for whatever twisted reason.

she started posting on instagram with the name poison ivy generally just flaunting her carefree, extravagant life, often exaggerating or down right lying just to really dazzle her quickly growing audience

as she started to go down the influencer route, she realized she needed to do something to hide the skeletons in her closet ( the fact that she didn’t actually come from money and was making far more than was normal for even the best of dancers, a couple of small possession / shoplifting charges, and just generally anything that could lead people to her real identity ) so she started to tell people her name was ives, fully taking on the new identity. she even went so far as to make some of the people that had been closest to her sign NDAs about her real identity, making sure that no one could sell info about her should her plan of being famous work out

and it did work out !! at first she was definitely buying followers/likes to boost her likelihood of brand sponsorships, but eventually she faked it until she made it and actually attained influencer status

she also started sleeping around with pretty much any famous person she could, having very public relationships and breakups and scandals to keep her name in the press, which ultimately lead to more exposure/people following her, if only to see what she did next, which lead to even more sponsorships

she’s probably been in kingsboro for a few years, living in a super fancy one bedroom apartment that she definitley doesn’t pay for ( she doesn’t even know how much her rent is tbh )

eventually she stopped dancing and just focused on her influencing or whatever, but she never stopped sugar babying and scamming rich stupid men, still very much using that as a means to keep up her lifestyle. she’s also done a few modeling things, but it’s mostly just like catalog work or being the face of a trendy campaign bc she’s way too short for the runway

she also recently made an only fans account bc she was bored one night and was mostly planning on posting once as a joke but then she made a bunch of money / got a bunch of subscribers and was like oh word ? i can do that ! so she will post on there from time to time but she’s not like... super serious about it ya know ?

so basically she’s jus here making money being pretty and pulling a long ass scam on... everyone

- ̗̀♡ — › personality !

she’s a real two faced bitch... she has perfected the art of becoming whoever she thinks other people want her to be, quickly adapting her personality to get whatever she wants

she’s usually pretty friendly actually, really charming and outgoing and just trying to have a good time

she has a pretty short temper tho and holds grudges like you wouldn’t believe, so once you’re on her bad side... good luck lol she is so ruthless

she’s like... deeply, deeply selfish and will always put herself first, but she’s so manipulative that she can make people do things that they think are their idea, but it’s really just something she planted in their head so it’s not always obvious

also very spoiled and will throw a mf fit if she doesn’t get her way or u say no to her

always going out !! always doing the most !! she’s the type to show up randomly at ur door at 8pm on a tuesday with a bottle of tequila and make u party with her whether u like it or not

she’s a lot smarter than she lets on sometimes, like she knows people expect her to be stupid and ditzy and shallow and she’ll let them underestimate her when it’s beneficial 

always looks perfectly put together— her nails are always meticulously manicured, usually w stiletto shaped acrylics, and you’ll literally never see her outside her house without makeup and a perfectly composed outfit. it’s also a rare occasion that she’s not wearing at least six inch heels, trying to make up for bein so mf short ( she’s 5’3 )

she talks A Lot but is really good at saying a lot of words without actually saying anything, like you can be best friends with her for months and then just be like “i don’t actually know a single thing about her”

always up to no good and sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong !! she’s always got some sort of scheme going or getting in to some kind of drama

v much a hoe and v much proud of it, will sleep w just about anyone especially if she can get something out of it

also a serial dater !! she’s always hoping in and out of relationships and being rumored to be with a dozen people at once

most definitely calls paparazzi on herself, especially when she’s around other famous ppl but will never admit it

compulsive liar, she will literally lie about the dumbest things like she doesn’t even need a reason to lie she jus.. does

- ̗̀♡ — › wanted connections !

hookups / flings / one night stands / fwbs all that shit !!

exes on bad terms ... gimme drama pls

enemies / ppl she’s stolen from maybe... she would definitely deny it and say they’re jus jealous of her or smth stupid but that could make the feud worse

party pals !! like i said she goes out a lot and always somehow manages to make new friends and drag them into her shenanigans

on again / off again exes... i want the Angst so bad..

unlikely friends !! like ppl who are nice and sweet and Pure, she could use a lil good energy in her life

neighbors ... mb they hate her for always being loud n throwing mini parties OR maybe they join in

mean girl rivalries !!

someone she’s taking advantage of / stealing from without them knowing .. oof

partner in crime !!!

one sided crushes or like someone she’s stringing along smh

sugar daddies mb 😇

someone to put her in her mf place JDKDKD like they call her out on her bs and are like “i see what ur doing bitch stay away from my friends” type thing

idk anything really !! gimme all the messy plots ok :~)

reckoning;

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝟐𝟏𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘.

you were wearing a blush ballgown so big you could hardly fit through the door. pink taffeta and lace everywhere, you felt more like a teacup or a cupcake than a respectable legal adult. you begged папа to let you change into something, anything less ridiculous than this my sweet sixteen monstrosity, but he was as stubborn and argumentative as you, plus he three times as long to polish it. like monopoly, you never won. 

when the picture-taking part rolled around, you sulked and scowled, making funny face after funny face, tongue out, eyes bulging when your father finally said STOP. he grabbed your hand, his eyes pleading. mischaya, please just one picture. i just want one picture where you look pretty. so you sighed, smoothed out your toddlers and tiaras nightmare and smiled. you looked beautiful. 

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋.

папа invited the italians, he said that parties and celebrations were a good place to make negotiations because everyone was drunk and happy. leave it to vlad to turn your birthday party into a business meeting. папа had also mentioned in passing that one of the higher ups had brought his son with him, 𝐃𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑. there was another one he said, younger, more charismatic, but he couldn’t make it for whatever reason and was the prodigal son anyways. too messy, too u n p r e d i c t a b l e. dagger was calculated and serious, focused and reliable, he would be ‘ a good match ‘.

but you didn’t care about any of that. all you did from the moment you woke up was text 𝑬𝑵𝒁𝑶, your precious little regular guy new york boyfriend. you adored everything about him, the way the world stopped when he smiled, the crinkle in his nose when he was thinking about something important, his irrational fear of the saddle club. you held his hand the whole time.

all you wanted to do was stop the sneaking around, the hiding, the pretending. you just wanted to have him meet the family like all the other girls did with their boyfriends, but it was too dangerous. and besides, the girl that lorenzo liked was 𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐀 :

a cool, bouncy international business major with a perfect american accent, ceo of messy buns, whiskey spiked pumpkin spice, winning the Finish The Hotter Than Hell Godzilla Ramen In Under 30 Minutes Challenge at Miso Hungry because you could tell enz really wanted that giant gudetama plushie but was full after three bites ( we love u baby a for effort! ) and being a single mom to one fluffy demon cat.

but you were not sasha pierce, named for the iconic beyonce album, you were 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐀 dostoyevsky, named for the unborn son of vladimir dostoyevsky, kingpin of the bratva, the brotherhood of the russian mafia and your adopted father. 

and guys don’t typically like girls with a lot of baggage.

--- now, you always hated the men your father set you up with, but this time it was different, this time it was PERSONAL. 

𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟕𝐭𝐡.

it had to be special. it had to be perfect. you picked a time you knew enzo would be out, broke in through his apartment window ( ok, it was ONE TIME ), arranged all the bath and bodyworks candles in what you hoped was a Sultry Manner, waited in your very flashy victoria’s secret lingerie for enzo to open the door in t-minus

3.

2.

1.

touchdown! as you practically tackled the poor guy. he made a surprised noise against your mouth as the oranges, the cereal, and everything he had just procured from the store went flying. now, it was time for the big guns. the mortal kombat FINISH HIM. you grabbed the collar of his shirt and ripped it wide open.

game over.

                                                      𝐋

your darling boy, the person you cared about most in the world, had a huge vicious L carved into his chest, the rough, jagged lines digging into the precious, vulnerable space over his heart. the heart that belonged to you. you remained silent. you wouldn’t ask. you never would. but still, you traced it with gentle fingers and gentle kisses, dressed him in your over-sized hot pink sailor moon tee-shirt and carefully tucked him in with the heater blasting and perogi sleeping soundly on his chest, hoping that the shirt and her cat were good enough things to cover up the evil underneath them. 

you bit your lip until it b l e d. scars like that, they weren’t killing scars, they were torture scars, they were scars that were left only by people who truly wanted you to suffer, who wanted you to to wake up in cold sweats and fear and remember over and over and over. the were left by monsters, they were left people who hated you. 

and looking over at lorenzo, finally peaceful after a long, horrible day, a tiny tuft of hair strewn across his tanned forehead, you wondered how anyone could ever hate him. your wonderful, beautiful, boy. you kissed him softly on the temple and left the way you came. 

you wrote i love you on the window, 

but the rain washed it away.

***

you didn’t sleep that night. you googled it. L SCAR ON CHEST. WHY DO PEOPLE GET AN L CARVED INTO THEIR CHEST? WHAT DOES AN L SCAR MEAN? a couple of people on reddit knew the answer. the L was for lucheesi and they used it to brand their victims like cattle. you felt SICK. 

criminals you understood but . . .lorenzo?!  your secret regular college student boyfriend who’s biggest crime was probably forgetting to put the toilet seat down sometimes? an enemy of the lucheesi? why? HOW? no. no, you didn’t care. it didn’t matter. all that mattered was that all those lucheesi bastards were going to die. 

ONE 

BY

ONE. 

you didn’t like that dagger kim. 

not one bit. he was just the type of man that you loathed. sucking on daddy’s thumb and trying to play god on a power trip. eugh. his voice made your skin CRAWL. he oozed slime and skeeze and reeked of a dark, twisted sort of evil that stank through the expensive cologne he doused his tailored suit in. 

“we can make the bratva great, if you comply. we could make an empire. i might even let you be my queen, mischa kim, what say you?” he boasted, full of hot air and toxic masculinity.

you rolled your eyes and laughed boldly in his face. his expression was grim.

 “i would never bend to a man. and even though you are more worm than man, i will NEVER bend to you, you filthy mudak bastard. our army is ten times yours, in men and in heart. the bratva is great, the bratva is GREATER and my name . . .”

 you dragged your nail along the man’s jawline until you reached his chin, harshly propping his head up with your acrylic nail, an angry pink crescent forming where it dug into his skin.

“ --- is 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐀 𝐕𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐍𝐀 𝐃𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐘𝐄𝐕𝐒𝐊𝐘, first of my name, sole heir of rossiyskaya mafiya bratva and i will NOT sign it away. not for you and not for anyone. YOU ARE NOTHING.” leaning into his ear, you bit his earlobe and whispered “re me, cagna.” before dropping your dainty hand and drink all over the first kim son with a soft, girly, woops! 

KING. 

ME. 

BITCH.

dagger kim was not the kind of man you rejected, let alone mocked. 

you would pay for your words, mischaya vladimirovna dostoyevsky,

𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐏𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄.

How to choose real estate led window display- top 5 notes you should be aware of

To buy or not to buy, that’s not question, but where to buy, that is not an easy decision - especially if you are new to building your office window with real estate led window displays.

Due I am a real estate window designer, and I usually buy the real estate led light pocket from on-line shop, in the past 5 years, I have ordered such display from more than 15 one line shops at least, well, I don’t want to write all here, due some of them are really a nightmare experience for me. I try to choose some big of them and with a good purchasing experience to enjoy with you.

Most of them are dealers, not the real producer, but I think it is better to buy from real producer, the price is the lowest of course and they can produce something according to your actual need, and the quality is really good, and it is very flexible. the most of important, those factories now accept the trial mini order below 100pcs.  and service is not bad. take Litplus for example, Litplus is a real producer from China and can supply 3 years warranty, and in fact, their display is really good performance, seldom need the aftersale service. I bought a parcel display 5 years before, they now still work without any problem.

Before buy from Litplus,  as I said, I also buy such real estate window displays from several big on-line shops. part of them like vitrinemedia.com , display2go.com , prodisplay.com , novadisplay.com , deesign.com , showcaseartanframing.com, during of them deesign is USA secondary agent for vitrinemedia. they locate different countries. they really can supply a good sale service for you if you are from their local market. but the price are really expensive. but the product quality are nearly same as product be produced Litplus,   that let me doubt if they all buy such product from Litplus, although the people from Litplus said no, and I think that should be their business secrets. and refuse to release any.

Vitrine media is one of big companies, they have sales company whole Europe. they supply a good sales aftersale service. and their price is really considerable. the display quality is same as display be produced by Litplus,  The real estate window led display produced by Litplus has soared in popularity in recent years, and boasts a ton of celebrity fans including vatrine media, meanwhile, powers a third of the real estate display market today.

They are both great supplier for real estate led window display, although Litplus are more pay attention to develop and produce new model to satisfy the diversity of market and vitrine media show importance on the marketing, their sales companies locate whole Europe. but they are actually very different:

The price of real estate display be produced by Litplus is more competitive, no matter what order quantity it is, even only 1pc display, also enjoy a wholesale price, due Litplus focus on the small and medium business, it is China factory directly without any middle-dealer, that can save lots during the business.

Competitive price not mean low quality product. all the display are made of high quality acrylic sheet and long lifespan led light strip, all the display and its parts with 3 years warranty.

Litplus pay more attention to produce new model to satisfy the diversity of market, from its led strip brightness to led light colors, display appearance(sharp corner or round corner, with or without transparent hem, display sizes) and its flexible hanging, if clients need, Litplus can do it totally. and their customize order can be delivered within 7-15days, the delivery for normal order is 3-7days.

Litplus have a professional after-sales team, if there any question on display and its installation,  can directly feedback and their people will deal with it sooner. they also make clear installation video to make the installation more easy. no need to hire a electrician with additional cost.

Vitrine media company show importance on marketing, their sales companies locate whole Europe, they are really a big company, and more powerful than Litplus, but that mean requires more cost on everything. although they are same quality display as Litplus.

Think you already know which one’s right for you? check out some more specific reading below:

1. Thickness and quality of acrylic led panel - who is the best?

As we all know, the acrylic light panel quality and its thickness decide the window display lifetime and effect. high quality acrylic led panel will not very easy to bent and yellowing when meet heat, and high quality acrylic sheet with high lighting transmittance rate, can reach above 90%, the whole window display will more bright and vivid.

Litplus display with 6mm thickness acrylic light panel, those acrylic panel are top grate quality. so the whole display with very good light effect and can guarantee 3 years warranty.

Some other competitors also produce such display, but their display just look same from appearance, the inner content are great different, they make a plastic shell with 6mm thickness around the display to make the whole window display and inner of it with only 2mm thickness acrylic led light panel, can only use half year at most, but they give you a 1 year warranty, their price is very very low, but can you dare to buy?

2. The technology of frame color are also very important.

All of Litplus faceplate are silk screen printing, very smooth and uniform in color, it can better hide the led light strip. the metal pieces for magnetics are sticked tightly in the right place with 3M sticker. to make sure the metal pieces not fall down when meet the heat that generate from the electrical power, I saw some competitor make display frame color with oil printing, not smooth and uniform, the printing oil leak out from the frame edge, can be seen everywhere.  and smelly.

3. What brightness the led light can reach ?

All Litplus display led lights are customized with cool white color(around 6500K) , the brightness can reach above 4500lux. Litplus also have high light display and the brightness can reach above 7000lux. except for the cool with color, Litplus also produce other color temperature window display, one of clients ordered a parcel display with led light around 3000K, a warm color.

Litplus also make special cooler inside the display to reduce the heat from the electronic power to prolong the lifespan of display.

Some competitors only design a single side led light into display just to decrease the heat from the electronic power, they choose a normal white led light, such led light usually not very stable performance in color temperature, so such window display always appear blue led color,  they have no other cooler technology, thus the whole display look dim.

4. Workmanship and monthly production are also one of important element.

With 2000 Square Meters Plants, More Than 20sets Advanced Machines And Comply With ISO9001:2008 Management Keep Us Produce 50000pcs Qualified Real Estate Displays Each Months. Litplus make sure every displays be produced with good workmanship.

It is great different from those competitors who make the display with hand-making only.

5. Aftersales and supports

As to the after sale service, Litplus insist 2 "R",that is "repair" and "replace", for all display, they supply 2-3years warranty, thier engineer will supply you a detail guiding for you to self-check the product problem within 3days once get your detail problem report, most of them can better get resolved, if unlucky, they will replace it. and they will responsible for the shipping. they will not responsible for the problem that caused by any mistakes human making.

If you are for the first time to import sth from China, not quite clear the import affairs, like the import tax and vat, please don't worry, their stuff will guide you, they will better help you with better service with their rich experience.

Other competitor also promise a 12month after sale service, in fact, their display can not last to 1year. how could they supply aftersales service for you?

Above all, if you are really looking For Professional Manufacturer With Good Trust, Contact with them Now To Benefit their Qualified Products, Competitive Price And Good Service.their website is https://www.ledwindowdisplay.com 

Composted by Jessica 

Real estate window designer 

A simple project: Dungeon Tiles

Step 1. A simple start of a 3 by 3 by 1/2 inch thick insulation foam (xps foam). Can get it from Home Depot, Lowe’s, or other hardware stores that sell that sort of stuff. You’ll want to look for extruded polystyrene. Expanded is the white stuff that breaks apart and sends all the little pieces everywhere. This stuff is more rigid and a bit denser. Cuts like a dream with either a hobby knife, utility knife, or safety knife. Though I tend to use a hot wire cutter for it.

Step 2. Slap some grid lines on that bad boy. I go by a 1 inch grid pattern. Some folks do 1.25, but that makes for a larger tile that hogs storage space. Though if you want, by all means, go big! If you lack a hot wire cutter to mark out the tiles, use a ruler and a metal tipped mechanical pencil to dent the surface. You can also follow up with a Sharpie. Sharpies eat away at the foam and will make nice tile breaks. It’s up to you if you want to extend the lines down the side of the tile or not. I like the look of the tile being seen as a whole unit.

Step 3. Texture! If you want your tile to have some irregularities, say from rough stone surface, or weathering you’re going to want to texture that sucker. You can use a lot of different things. I crumbled up a ball of tinfoil and rolled it back and forth with some force to create this texture. You can also get bigger rocks and roll them around on it. What I do now though is get some hefty gravel and toss it in a box and shake a bunch of tiles around. Make sure to hit the sides too so you get the feeling that the whole tile is one piece. Not just a top texture.

Step 4. MORE TEXTURE! Gouge that puppy, tear out big chunks. Carve out some cracks and or fissures along it. The more weathered you want it, the rougher you should treat it. Got some pent up anger or frustration? Work it out on this. It’s creative destruction. No bad move can be made here. Over do it? Save it for later for that extra destroyed tile to show that something really bad happened here.

Step 5. Base coat! XPS foam, though rigid, is a bit squishy, so I like to grab some Modge Podge and slap a few layers on my projects to firm them up and make them a bit more durable. Don’t worry about the underside, just hit the tops and sides. If you’re like me and want to cut corners, mix some black paint into your Modge Podge so you can combine the protective hardening step and the base coat step together. You’ll want Matte Modge Podge. After all, you’re going to be painting over this later. Side note, if you don’t want to mix paint into your Modge Podge I wouldn’t blame you. Black base coats are great for stone work. But if you want to do other things like earth or grass or something then you can keep the Modge Podge untainted and clear of any corrupting influence of paint. I don’t bother since I just put another base coat of earth color or grass color over the black and have no issues.

Step 6. Choose some grey colors you want for the stone work and do some passes of dry brushing. Dry brushing is basically loading your paint brush with paint and then swiping it a bunch of times on some disposable paper. Like old newspaper or magazines you get in the mail that you’re just going to pitch anyway. Or paper towels. Experiment and test out how much of one color you want your tile to pick up. Me I just smacked it with a dark grey first fairly heavily, then picked up the very tops with a light grey. Try to vary your brush strokes and hit the tile from different angles so as to make it look more natural. Nothing worse than having the immersion spoiled by obvious brush strokes. If you want to hit the very top of things with the faintest amount of paint, test your brush on your hand. If you can barely see the paint on your hand, that’s probably good enough. Remember, it’s easy to add paint, hard to take it away. Worst case scenario? Base coat it again and start over. After applying my dry brushing I then dipped my brush in a home made wash. Pretty much just used watered down black paint in a lot of water with a touch of dish soap to help it flow into all the little nooks and crannies. This will dull down your dry brushing considerably. If you want dull and dingy you can leave it go at that. If you want to pick out the highlights again, feel free to do a little touching up after. I didn’t bother for my tile set since I was aiming for dull and grimy.

Step 7. If you want, add some moss for vines or roots cracking up through the rocks. Or don’t, you’ll find that if you don’t make the moss flush with the tile your models might sit a bit funky on them. If you’re not bothered by that, then have fun! A side note, the supplies I used? Pretty much all from Dollar Tree and Dollar General. The only thing not from those two places was the XPS foam. I picked up a small tube of Modge Podge, an x-acto knife, a locking safety knife (basically a slimmer box knife) and some moss from Dollar Tree. I’d already bought some tubes of Acrylic paint from Dollar General and a bunch of cheap brushes from there as well. If you can’t find grey, just mix black and white. All said and done I spent maybe 5 bucks at Dollar Tree and maybe 5 more at Dollar General. The most expensive thing was the sheet of XPS (Owens Corning FOAMULAR 1/2 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. R-3 Square Edge Rigid Foam Board Insulation Sheathing, specifically) from Home Depot. That was 15 bucks and change for a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet. You might have some issues getting that in your car, so I suggest bringing a box knife with you to cut it up into chunks. I cut mine in half and stuck it in the back of my van. That being said you can make a lot of tiles and other projects with one sheet. I didn’t get all of it in one shot either. So it can be done on a tight budget like mine. Regardless, I hope this was helpful to some of you who want to get into prop building for your Table Top Role Playing sessions. Cheers! ~F’nor Azril the Feldritch World Builder

My Word/Writing Initiative #1

Word: Ce·ru·le·an

Origin: Latin Caelum ---- Caeruleus ---------- Cerulean   Sky                            Sky Blue                                 mid 17th century Mid 17th century: from Latin caeruleus ‘sky blue’, from caelum ‘sky’.

In Use:  adjective: cerulean deep blue in color like a clear sky. “cerulean waters and golden sands”

noun: cerulean a deep sky-blue color.

HISTORY:

In classical times, the word caerulum was used to describe blue pigments. These early attempts to create sky blue colours were often less than satisfactory due to a limited saturation and the tendency to discolour in reaction with other pigments. The pigment Cerulean blue was discovered in 1789 by the Swiss chemist Albrecht Höpfner. The primary chemical constituent of the pigment is cobalt. The precise hue of the pigment is dependent on a variable silicate component. The pigment is very expensive. When the pigment cerulean blue was discovered, it became a useful addition to Prussian blue, cobalt blue and synthetic ultramarine which already had superseded the prior pigments. It is particularly valuable for artistic painting of skies because of its hue, its permanence, and its opaqueness.Today, cobalt chromate is sometimes marketed under the cerulean blue name but is darker and greener than the cobalt stannate version. 

WRITING INITIATIVE

When depicting the word cerulean I would like to use materials that accurately represent aspects of the words meaning. Due to cerulean being known for its opaquness and rich pigmintation I would like to explore materials with transparent qualities. Materials such as acetate, clear acrylic, velum, and glass all interest me due to there transparent quality and their ability to be coloured and re worked into different shapes and forms.    

Citation:

“Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic Revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720. Https://Doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

This record classifies specialty chemicals market right into two sections, specifically, target applications and also functions (such as antioxidants, biocides, and drivers). For bulk chemicals the atom economy is not as crucial so much less versatility in production is needed.Manufacturer's focus plainly towards using personalized and also cutting-edge item offerings for the target applications, hence to provide the customer specific demand financial investment in research and development have substantially expanded over the past years, driving the development of cutting-edge chemicals and also significant development of product profile on the market.

1% from EUR3,525 billion in 2018 to EUR3,669 billion in 2019. The fundamental manufacturing goal of mass chemical plants is to generate bulk chemicals on a large enough scale that costs are kept as reduced as possible, to make the maximum quantity of profit.One of the top 10 are EU27 producers generating sales earnings of EUR617.Some remarkable instances of these chemicals acetone, acrylic acid, biodiesel, castor oil, glycerine, and white spirit. Based upon the quick description over, these products can be specified as ingredients utilized based upon their performance or function.Furthermore, we are always searching for brand-new basic materials with terrific potential for our customers.Based on a mix of different chemicals, this products are designed and manufactured to be used in particular applications. Many speciality chemicals are organic chemicals that are utilized in a large range of daily items made use of by consumers and industry.This makes fluorine-and other halogen gases-quite important in the production of specific specialty chemicals.Chemists have the background knowledge-the understanding of all the various buildings of each element-that allows them to create specialty chemicals that have the wanted properties.social media, blogging, social groups, UI/UX, e-mail checklists, etc. Several of the groups of speciality chemicals are adhesives, agrichemicals, cleansing products, shades, aesthetic additives, building and construction chemicals, elastomers, tastes, artificial additive, fragrances, industrial gases, lubricating substances, paints, polymers, surfactants, and fabric auxiliaries.Excluding PetroChina, which reported chemical sales for just 2018, chemical companies in the top 50 incorporated for $926. Electronics chemicals, Specialty polymer, construction chemicals, commercial cleansers are the biggest segments as well as account for greater than one third of the general market.We offer Market Development Services for service companions in the graphics, finishes, electronic devices as well as paints, polymers, fibers and also adhesives as well as industrial specialties sectors. 1 million devices as well as in the 3rd quarter was 52. This adversely impacted various markets, like construction, mining, vehicle, cosmetics, food as well as beverages, and other industries.1 systems, declining concerning 23. specialty chemicals industry of specialty paper chemicals helps in reducing intake of energy, water and resources in the paper production procedure; as well as likewise improves visual high quality, toughness, water and also opacity resistance of paper.5 percent. They are much more expensive to produce than bulk chemicals, because of their facility and transforming the chemistry.Today specialty chemical companies are under boosting pressure to generate a larger series of distinguished items, more quickly and also at a better earnings margin from the very same manufacturing assets.Some significant instances of these chemicals acetone, acrylic acid, biodiesel, castor oil, glycerine, and also white spirit.These are chemicals that are made on a large range in order to please global markets-- which is why they are in some cases described as product chemicals. Hence, the development of the end-use industries in developing nations as well as a broad application base of specialty chemicals will certainly propel the market breakthrough in the coming years.Safer uses of money include, share repurchases, special payouts to investors, and also normal returns hikes.It reviews ingenious techniques in feedstocks, R&D, technology, manufacturing, resource monitoring as well as the supply chain in addition to the significance of the bio-based chemical economic climate in enabling lasting value production in the fine and also speciality chemicals industry.Moreover, the growth of the automobile market in China as well as India, as a result of peoples rising non reusable revenue, is helping with the marketplace growth. At the time, we didnt have a target market as big as this one.Finally, most specialty chemical solutions are patent secured as well as not simple to resemble, which gives them far better prices power.Chemicals in the bulk petrochemicals and also intermediates are mostly made from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas, and unrefined oil.All this and more makes the specialty industry more appealing than simple old product chemicals. China holds a strong placement in exports as well as imports of chemicals at an international degree and rates 8th in exports and also 3th in imports at international level (excluding pharmaceuticals). In addition, agrochemical is expected to account for around one-eight market share.This is just one of the major factors that drives the growth of this market. 1 million devices and in the 3rd quarter was 52. This adversely affected various industries, like construction, mining, auto, cosmetics, food as well as beverages, and other industries.1 devices, decreasing concerning 23. The usage of specialized paper chemicals aids minimize intake of energy, water and raw product in the paper manufacturing procedure; and additionally enhances visual top quality, opacity, stamina and also water resistance of paper.5 percent.

How R&D is essential for a business?

What is R&D?

Research and development – R&D – is the process by which a company works to obtain new knowledge that it might use to create new technology, products, services, or systems that it will either use or sell

Stages

Basic Research

Basic research aims to give a company a better knowledge and understanding of a specific problem and how to tackle it. It provides the first steps in developing a strategy and finding a solution.

This type will provide you with the wide knowledge necessary to understand the Big Picture of one or several recognized practical problems within your organization. It is the first necessary step allowing you to find solutions and resolve these issues. It can also enable you to ensure a continuous lookout of the market trends and eventually to take advantage of it.

Applied Research

Applied research is about the investigation work necessary in acquiring new knowledge to create commercially marketable products and services. This type of research can provide to your company methods to address specific customer and industry needs/requirements. It is therefore the second step in the process allowing you to find solutions and resolve any issue you may have observed and also on how to take advantage of any detected trend.

Development Research

Development is when findings of the research are utilized for the production of specific products including materials, systems, and methods. Design and development of prototypes and processes are also part of this area. A vital differentiation at this point is between development and engineering or manufacturing. Development is research that generates requisite knowledge and designs for production and converts these into prototypes. Engineering is the utilization of these plans and research to produce commercial products

These three types presented above are different stages of R&D activities implemented as a linear system of investigation. They all contribute in their way to find an innovation to commercialize or to bring in your organization

Sounds Expensive? – is there any government help towards R&D?

Yes, there is

The government provides various schemes for the support and promotion of R&D

The graph shows how other countries are funding R&D.

By the following schemes, the government of India aims to promote and support R&D.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) provides CSIR Research Grants by which people working in Private sector research labs are eligible for the grant that awards stipends up to Rs.30,000 per month as research to a sme or a laboratory.

The Department of Science and Technology provides Global Innovation and Technology Alliance To facilitate collaborative activities between countries, GITA offers soft loans and grants for joint R&D efforts to the Indian applicant.INR 1.50 Crores grant available to the Indian company for joint co-development of collaborative. Industrial R&D and innovation project with duration up to 2 years.          

The Department of Electronics and Information Technology provides SIP-EIT. According to this program financial assistance up to Rs. 15 lakhs per invention or 50% of the costs required in filing and processing the patent applications.

The Department of Electronics and Information Technology provides an R&D funding scheme according to which Grants-in-aid are available from DeitY for undertaking research projects relevant to electronics and IT. The amount may vary depending on your research.

The DeitY also provides a Multiplier grant scheme according to which the government will provide financial support up to twice that provided by the industry for the project. Indian companies that create a consortium with academic partners are eligible to apply.

The Department of Biotechnology offers a Contact research scheme, which aims to foster collaboration between academia and industry by enabling the validation of biotechnology academic research that has commercialization potential. It aims to do this by funding projects that involve participants from academia and the contract research and manufacturing industry. The scheme supports 100% of the project costs and is given over 5 instalments.

The Department of Biotechnology offers Industry Innovation Programme on Medical Electronics. It aims to offer a mix of loans and grants not exceeding Rs 100 Lakhs for the early stages of research and development at Indian companies. All the companies that have Indian promoters holding 51% of the company’s share are eligible to apply.

India’s gross expenditure in R&D has tripled between 2008 & 2018

The Gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) in the country has been consistently increasing over the years and has nearly tripled from Rs. 39,437.77 crore in 2007- 08 to Rs. 1,13,825.03 crore in 2017-18.

India’s per capita R&D expenditure has increased to PPP $ 47.2 in 2017-18 from PPP $ 29.2 in 2007-08.

India spent 0.7% of its GDP on R&D in 2017-18, while the same among other developing BRICS countries were Brazil 1.3%, Russian Federation 1.1%, China 2.1% and South Africa 0.8%.

India as a country can expect a huge rise in R&D development because of the ample opportunities. The SME’s should take advantage of such a scenario, the following graph shows that the total number of patents in our country has doubled in the last decade.

According to the World Bank’s enterprise Survey information, it was discovered that 46% of Indian SME’s attempted inner R&D rather than outside help. This is for the most part because of the astounding expense of outside R&D. The organizations are just ready to take a shot at inward R&D to settle a current issue.  

R&D is not only reserved for big corporations

There is a misconception that R&D is the domain of big corporations in the high tech and pharmaceutical sectors. There are a lot of examples of SMEs that have been amazingly innovative. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were nothing than a big corporation when they came up with the first Macintosh. Amul started when farmers of Kaira went on strike against the Polson unfair trade practices and started delivering products in the area by themselves. Havells started with  Qimat Rai Gupta dropped out of school and founded an electric trading operation in the electric wholesale market of Old Delhi and started with manufacturing rewireable switches and changeover switches. When VKC Hawai came into the market, its first sale was a production of 600 pairs per month. Asian paints came up with crackproof, elasticity, and waterproof paints as a result of R&D by using compounds like Rust-Oleum Mathys Murfill Waterproofing Coating. It is formulated with select elastomeric and resilient acrylic polymers and reinforcing polyester fibres. You can, and have to find alternatives and creative ideas to guarantee your company’s innovation capabilities.

R&D is not just mere innovation or creation of new products, new technologies

It concerns research for a specific vulnerability of an SME, a particular area of their working where they might be lacking and should work on that and get some necessary changes in motion to work. All of this can be a significant action for their SME to grow, be better than others. That’s what a business should aim to do. Researching and Developing new ways to push and grow forward. SMEs of India is very essential for our country, it provides 45% employment, provides export service of about 50%, the total list of items which come in this category is about 6500. When during these covid times the PPE kits, masks, and rapid testing kits came from China were all faulty, the SME’s of India saw this as an opportunity and started producing their equipment. According to the stats India is producing a total of 2 Lakh N-95 masks and 2 Lakh PPE kits per day respectively and the numbers will sooner be hitting 4 lakh per day. This is how an opportunity can be converted into a profit.                                                                                

Advantages of R&D

Implementing and managing R&D activities within your business offers tremendous advantages for your company. Overall, it allows you to create an environment within your organization favourable to questioning your processes and products, encouraging, therefore, your company’s flexibility and its ability to integrate new concepts and processes. Some other main advantages include the following ones:

Patents: It can help you gain sustainable competitive advantages and position your company in an extremely comfortable situation within your market and therefore benefit from long term profits.

Costs: if you are driving your R&D activities to reduce manufacturing costs and improve your processes it can provide you with less costly processes to manufacture your product and therefore provide them at more competing prices to your customers or increase your profit margin.

Financing: when you are looking to raise funds your R&D activities are a good theme to prove your company’s vision to your potential investors. Investors are looking to invest in companies having a proactive approach to manage their business; your investment in R&D will prove to them you are one of them.

Recruitment: top talents are also attracted to innovative companies doing exciting things. With successful R&D activities, qualified candidates will be excited to join your company

In conclusion

Research and development is an exact path to accomplish every one of the objectives for an SME. They have hidden cleverness and flexibility inferable from their dynamic nature and quickness to endure a few difficulties. R&D activities are essential by essence as they embody the overall process leading to innovation. And as you know, innovation is key today to beat the competition. Knowing these facts you should start wondering how you can bring R&D activities within your company and what strategy to implement. If SMEs somehow happened to consolidate these characteristics with action-oriented R&D projects and government support, the rewarding result would surely contribute to India’s economy.

The market is full of people trying to make it big in the game. And since there is a ton of competition out there you better want yourself to be ahead of others. That is why research and read as much as you can.  We at insellers, have been doing a lot of research and carrying out the implementation with our clients. We tell you the not so often talked about inspiring reverie to real stories of SMEs and startups, to inspire the Entrepreneur in you. All you have to do is Log in for more.

Now the market is overflowing with the business people who are in race to become famous in the game. hence, there is a huge load of rival rout there you better need yourself to be in front of others. We at insellers have just done all the examination and going around for you. We disclose to you the not all that regularly discussed moving dream to reality accounts of SMEs and new companies, to move the Entrepreneur in you. And we insellers are read to share your stories and experiences just Contact Us and be first.

Agilenano - News: My Favorite Home Gear.

*Heads up: Today (November 12th) only, Boll & Branch is offering 20% off sitewide! Discount is applied at checkout. I mention my beloved sheeting AND bed blanket below — great opportunity to buy for yourself or as a gift.

Like all of you, I have spent far more time at home than I have in my entire life this year, and it has given rise to some intense organization projects as well as a new appreciation for the absolute best gear at home. Below, sharing my favorite items for a comfortable and well-maintained home:

MIELE VACUUM // Trust me when I say this is the place to invest. I had been getting by with a cordless option and with a dog, children, and heavy foot traffic in our tiny apartment, an upgrade to a proper Miele was the absolute best thing I could have done for everyone. It is so powerful, has multiple settings (for rugs, upholstered furniture, hardwood floors), and is brilliantly designed. These are built to last. Absolutely worth every penny. I also remember doing a lot of research to figure out the difference between their various models/lines, which are very confusing and unnecessary in my opinion, and this is the exact model I landed on: the perfect balance between utility/versatility for different floors and price.

SIMPLE HUMAN RECYCLER (ALSO AVAIL ON AMAZON) // A well-designed and sleek-looking divided recycler big enough for all the glassware, plastic, and cardboard we go through in our busy family. I specifically love the plastic “liner” bin that enables me to easily lift that piece out and carry it to the bigger recycling bins in our building. It also opens with the tap of a foot, the lid can be clicked into an upright position when removing the bag/bin, and the brushed stainless steel exterior means that it’s fairly resistant to smudges and fingerprints.

RUG PADS // These extend the life of your rug, protect your floors, add cushioning, and — most importantly — prevent rug slippage/movement. When I finally bought these for all of the rugs in my home, I felt like I’d crossed a new threshold into adulthood. (My favorite rugs here.)

PHILIPS HUE BULBS // We have, over time, as bulbs have died, installed Philips Hue bulbs in most of the lights in our home. These are controlled via our smartphones (and Siri, via our HomePod), where we have them configured to turn on and dim on a schedule that mirrors our lifestyle. It feels like the future to walk into a room and say: “Hey Siri, turn on the lights in the master bedroom,” and suddenly they are on. Or “Hey Siri, dim the dining room lights to 30%” and all of the lights go down to a romantic candlelit effect. You can also change the warmth/color of the lights. Often we like really bright light in the morning, but warm yellow tones in the evening. The starter kit might make a great gift for a new homeowner or a tech-loving friend.

EERO WIFI MESH NETWORK // Has given us the gift of faster, more reliable, and easier-to-monitor Internet. This replaces your old WiFi router and includes an app that enables you to track Internet speed, which has been handy whenever there has been an issue with the provider. (We can just show the discrepancy between the speed they promise and the speed we are getting.). Bonus: it looks good and the beacons double as nightlights.

O-CEDAR SPONGES // These are the best sponges I’ve ever used. They are thick, sturdy, absorbent, non-scratch, and they also bend/give nicely. Can you tell I spend a lot of time washing dishes? (We cook A LOT at home!)

OXO SHOWER CADDY // A strange thing to love, but this is just so well-designed! It never slips/slides around, has shelves at the perfect height (tall enough for most shampoo bottles), a hook for a loofah, and a soap tray.

TOSCA STORAGE BINS // J’adore these (dare I say it?) elegant bins for housing bulkier items in our pantry section.

UNDERBED SHOE STORAGE // Fellow women short on closet space: these have been my saving grace. The thing I love best about them is that they are very shallow in height, and my bed affords the slightest of underbed clearance! This was one of the only models I could find that would actually fit under the bed. I like that they keep all my beloved shoes dust and debris-free!

WHITE UTILITY BINS // Used for countless purposes in every closet I have. Great for organizing spices, holding dog gear, housing “backstock” lightbulbs and batteries, etc. Inexpensive, easy to clean, waterproof. (These are great for under-sink areas for that reason, too.)

MICROFIBER CLEANING TOWELS // I bought these begrudgingly when, after we’d fully moved out of our former apartment, I returned to supervise a crew of housekeepers to conduct a deep clean of the emptied apartment, per our lease. When I arrived, after unpleasantly schlepping a ton of gear and supplies on the Subway, I realized I’d forgotten rags to clean with. I dashed out to the local Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and they only had these. WOW. What a happy accident — these are a fantastic tool to clean with. I love that they dust even delicate surfaces (like porcelain, TV screens, Mr. Magpie’s expensive acoustics equipment) but can also be used with cleaning products on wood, marble, glass, etc. They are also deceptively absorbent without ever becoming sopping wet. I don’t understand where the liquid goes! Anyhow, they are fantastic!

BROTHER LABELMAKER // I use this vigor and joy. So handy for spice jars (label the tops!), drawers of the acrylic cube I use to organize first aid and medicine, and even the white bins above (i.e., LIGHTBULBS, DOG GEAR, etc.). No question about where things belong. (If you’re not a labelmaker kind of gal, these pre-written tags covering many common pantry items might be your ticket.)

DRAWER DIVIDERS AND SHELF DIVIDERS // These empower me to keep clothes super-tidy. This underwear drawer organizer also wins my respect — keeps everything so organized and forces me to properly fold and roll my undies. (My favorite undergarments here.)

ROWENTA IRON // Just the absolute best. I thought I was “bad” at ironing until I bought this iron.

BOLL AND BRANCH SHEETING AND BED BLANKET // I know this feels more “design” than “utility,” but these sheets truly enhanced our sleeping experience. They are cool and ultra-soft, and the blanket is one of my absolute favorite items I’ve bought this year. Ultra-soft and warm and just the perfect weight.

FEATHERED FRIENDS DOWN COMFORTER // Deliciously fluffy with just the right amount of heft. Like sleeping in a cloud.

XTREME COMFORTS MEMORY FOAM PILLOWS // Just try it. It is like heaven! You can remove the fill to your liking, but this pillow never gets hot and always feels like a dream.

STORI PLASTIC ORGANIZERS // Love these in my cabinets and drawers for keeping everything organized/jumble-free.

P.S. My favorite gear for small spaces and little luxuries for even the tiniest of homes.

P.P.S. Recent tabletop and home decor finds for under $100.

P.P.P.S. Thoughts on mom guilt.

The post My Favorite Home Gear. appeared first on The Fashion Magpie.

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