#{jokester mother of the star children: ic}

[hxroic-wxlls-rxvived]

“ Remember, folks! A mushroom a day keeps your hair from going grey. “

Just make sure not to have any poison mushrooms, though. They’ll turn your hair grey, make you lose about three feet of height…

And you could possibly die. But that’s one 1-UPs are

#{crack} #{jokester mother of the Star children: ic}

[duboissisters-pkmn]

Ok so we have the three sisters Honey, Weiss, and Bronte Dubois. The three are originally from Hoenn, though they’ve all moved since reaching adulthood. They’re all in their mid 20s. {Content may update occasionally}

First is the eldest sister. Stern and serious, Honey managed to complete her gym circuit (though defeated by the Hoenn champion) and had a successful run as a Pokémon Contest star, then settled into a career as a professor’s assistant and teacher at the region’s trainer school. Currently, Honey has settled into a job on @prof-peach ‘s Dōtaku Island, serving as a guard to prevent intrusion into the northern half of the island and to prevent poaching. Her team is as follows:

Janus - Girafarig (purebred). Honey’s partner pokemon. Brave nature. Is the leader of the team and unafraid of going toe to toe with much larger pokemon, favoring close combat unlike most members of his species. Very protective of children and small Pokémon. Keeps a chew toy for his tail. Big enough to ride on these days due to age and stored energy. Uses Crunch, Zen Headbutt, Return, and Thunderbolt. Has Inner Focus ability.

Plum - Crobat (Swoobat mix). Zubat!Plum was the first Pokémon Honey caught on her journey. Hasty nature. Enjoys racing more than fights, but in a battle is a high speed long-range nightmare. Swoobat ancestry results in a lighter color, some fluff, bigger wings and eyes, and a bigger focus on Sp. Attack moves and access to Psychic. Very cuddly and affectionate. Knows Hurricane, Leech Life, Sludge Bomb, and Psychic. Has Infiltrator ability.

Omen - Absol (mega). Contest winner and efficient battler. Impish nature. Met by chance while he was trying to warn people about an upcoming landslide despite being attacked by humans who didn’t understand. Asked to come along with her afterwards. Mega stone found by chance in mountains. Believed to have Mightyena ancestry, resulting in fur markings, bigger teeth and claws, and shaggier coat. Helps with classes that help break Pokemon myths and stereotypes. Knows Night Slash, Sword Dance, Shadow Claw, and Psycho Cut. Has Super Luck Ability.

Honeycrisp - Appletun (honeycrisp). Sweet old lady. Docile nature. Caught at an event held by farmers who raise apples and Applin line variants. Has a tendency to mother the other team members, even though 4/5 are twice her size or more. Honeycrisp variant results in slight color change and a sweeter aroma. Knows Apple Acid, Dragon Pulse, Recover, and High Horsepower. Has Ripen ability.

Glimmer - Sylveon (ruffled). Diva and contest superstar. Sassy nature. Raised from an Eevee and was VERY insistent on becoming a Sylveon. For some reason evolved to have ruffled ribbons instead of the standard. Knows Moonblast, Play Rough, Draining Kiss, and Mystical Fire. Has Cute Charm ability.

Lucky - Lapras (shiny). Last to join the team. Quirky nature. Found being stolen by poachers; quickly rescued and brought to local specialists for injuries. Ended up bonding w/ Honey during this time and decided to come along. Used to be a spokespokemon for Lapras conservation and anti-poaching. Knows Surf, Ice Beam, Body Slam, and Sing. Has Shell Armor ability.

Weiss is the middle sister. She immediately fell in love with Ice types as a child and became a Type Specialist. Yes, she does dye her hair that color for the Aesthetic. Earned all her gym badges in Hoenn but decided against challenging the Elite Four/Champion. Despite her type preferences she’s a very warm and friendly person, and loves to travel, though she’s settled in Alola now. She’s currently petitioning for a position in the Island Challenge, though has settled for writing about her travels in the meantime. Her team is as follows:

Yuki-Onna: Froslass. Bronte’s partner Pokémon since a Snorunt. Quiet nature. While not a species variant, the patterns on her and her Snorunt form were circles instead of the usual shape. Holds many Contest ribbons. Knows Blizzard, Aurora Veil, Shadow Ball, and Hail.

Wave: Dewgong (Walrein variant). Caught during a seasonal migration during her Pokemon journey. Careful nature. Walrein ancestry results in bigger fins, larger tusks, and a fluffy ruff as well as a predisposition towards melee combat; as such, he prefers to fight rather than perform. Tends to act like the leader of team. Knows Dive, Iron Tail, Aqua Ring, and Drill Run.

Jumbo: Mamoswine. Caught as a Swinub. Bashful nature. Has always been a shy Pokémon, despite his massive size. However, no one should mistake that for a lack of power; he is the team’s main physical powerhouse. Often helps clear fallen trees and such. Knows Earthquake, Avalanche, Ice Fang, and Ancient Power. Has Oblivious ability.

Flurry: Ninetales (Alolan, Shiny). Caught as a Vulpix when Weiss first moved to Alola. Calm nature. Is rather vain and likes to be groomed. Prefers to never let opponents get close, specializing in long range combat. Knows Dazzling Gleam, Ice Beam, Extrasensory, and Hex. Has the Snow Warning ability.

Grace: Aurorus (caped). Acquired via wondertrade as an Amaura. Has a frill that extends down her back and smaller frills on the back of her front legs. Relaxed nature. Is a very zen Pokémon who is difficult to provoke and is very fond of naps. Knows Freeze-Dry, Ice Beam, Protect, and Flash Cannon. Has the Snow Warning ability.

Gloria: Frosmoth. Caught as a Snom while visiting Bronte in Galar. Bold nature. Is a social butterfly and likes to hang out with visitors. Took the longest to evolve, so occasionally forgets she isn’t a tiny Pokémon anymore. Knows Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz, Blizzard, and Hurricane. Has Ice Scales ability.

Bronte is the youngest sister. High energy with a loud personality, it isn’t any wonder she ended up as an Electric Type Specialist and a big Pokémon Contest star. Ended up moving to the Galar region and settling in the city of Jouleburough, home of the minor circuit Electric type Gym. She worked her way up the ranks to eventually take over as Gym Leader, and now has her eyes set on getting onto the Gym Challenge circuit, famous for her “Electric Terrain” and “Speed Demon” double battle formations. Her team is as follows:

Zeus: Raichu (Alolan, purebred). Bronte’s partner Pokémon since he was a Pichu. Evolved while visiting Weiss in Alola, resulting in his variant evolution. Part of Bronte’s “Electric Terrain” Double Battle formation with Beacon the Ampharos. Knows Electric Terrain, Psychic, Electroball, and Volt Tackle. Has Surge Surfer ability.

Leo: Luxray (brindle). Found abandoned as a Luxio in a power plant. Adamant nature. Has a brindle coat rather than the standard. Part of the “Speed Demon” Double Battle formation with Zap the Boltund. Is fiercely protective of Bronte and the rest of the team. Knows Thunder Fang, Wild Charge, Crunch, and Fire Fang. Has Intimidate ability.

Beacon: Ampharos. Caught as a Mareep. Quiet nature. Part of the “Electric Terrain” Double Battle formation. When not in Gym battles likes to wander the woods outside Jouleburough and use her tail light to guide lost people back to the city. Knows Thunder, Power Gem, Zap Cannon, and Dragon Pulse. Has Static ability.

Zap: Boltund (purebred). Acquired via Wondertrade as a child, inspiring her interest in the Galar region. Jolly nature. Part of the “Speed Demon” Double Battle formation with Leo the Luxray. Pure of heart, dumb of ass. Knows Play Rough, Thunder Fang, Bulk Up, and Psychic Fang. Has Strong Jaw ability.

Joulie: Galvantula. Acquired as a Joltick. Rash nature. Believed to have Ariados ancestry due to purple striping on legs. Is overly friendly, loves cuddles a bit too much for her size, and acts impulsively. Knows Electroweb, Bug Buzz, Giga Drain, and Thunderbolt. Has Compound Eyes ability.

Reverb: Toxtricity (amped). Gifted as a Toxel for rising up the ranks at the Jouleburough Gym. Quirky nature. On the rare occasion Bronte battles somewhere capable of Dynamaxing, Reverb is the go-to choice and can Gigantimax. Is a bit of a jokester and loves hanging out with the kids who come to the gym. Knows Boomburst, Overdrive, Toxic, and Venoshock. Has the Punk Rock ability.

#pokemon #pokemon oc #hi this is my main reference post

[cometsweepandleonidsfly]

Editor's note: Megan Rapinoe gave her brother, Brian, a birthday shout-out on national TV after winning the 2019 Women's World Cup, the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer and the Golden Ball as its top player. Here is the story behind their complicated relationship.

DAYS BEFORE THE first game of the 2019 Women's World Cup, Brian Rapinoe jokingly texted his sister, Megan Rapinoe -- co-captain and star midfielder for the U.S. women's national team: "Megs, breaks my heart that you couldn't fly me out for an all-expenses-paid trip to France." She shot back: "Oh yeah, so sad I couldn't pamper you for a month in France."

An hour before kickoff against Thailand on June 11, the rest of the Rapinoe family found their seats in the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims; Brian charged his ankle monitor and rounded up the other guys in the dormitory at San Diego's Male Community Reentry Program, a rehabilitative program that allows an inmate to finish the final 12 months of his sentence taking classes or working jobs outside of prison.

The MCRP common room might not be France, but it's a vast improvement over solitary confinement, where Brian has watched Megan play in the previous two World Cups. He sat on a couch in his red USA jersey, watching on a 60-inch flat-screen, and felt "f---ing great." He had accomplished a major goal for himself: to get out of prison in time to watch his kid sister play in her third World Cup.

Every time the U.S. scored, the room full of men cheered loudly. Nobody there thought the U.S.'s 13 goals against Thailand and exuberant celebrations after each were done in poor taste. "This is what soccer should always be like," one man said.

"It's the World Cup: There's no f---ing holding back," 38-year-old Brian says. "This is every four years."

And his sister didn't hold back. When Megan scored goal No. 9 for the U.S., she sprinted to the sideline, spun around twice and then slid to the ground for a foot-kicking celebration. As the camera zoomed in on her, one of the guys yelled, "Holy s---, it's Brian!"

He has the same face as his sister.

The face, the charisma, the wit, the tendency to burst into song: In so many ways, Brian and Megan are alike. But they are also a study in contrasts: At 15 years old, Brian brought meth to school and has been in and out of incarceration ever since. At 15, Megan played with her first youth U.S. national team and started traveling the world. As a young inmate and gang member, Brian was inked with swastika tattoos -- an allegiance to white supremacy that he now disavows; as a professional soccer player, Megan was the first prominent white athlete to kneel to protest racial inequality.

Despite their different paths, the brother and sister have stayed close through letters, phone calls and texts. "I have so much respect for her. And not just because she's the s--- at soccer. It's her utter conviction in the things that she believes in and the stances she takes against injustices in the world," he says.

"I was her hero, but now -- there's no question -- she is mine."

Megan, right, "worshipped" Brian when they were children. Brian, who is five years older, introduced her to soccer early on.

GROWING UP, MEGAN and her twin sister, Rachael, adored Brian. He was their hero, the charismatic jokester who did Jim Carrey and Steve Urkel impressions and danced ridiculous dances. The girls had three other siblings, but he could make them laugh harder than anyone else could. He taught them how to catch crawfish in the creek, walked them to the patch of field across from the church and taught them soccer until his mother called them in with a two-finger whistle. In the side yard, he set up cones and showed his 4-year-old sisters how to dribble the ball -- with the inside of the foot only, with the outside of the foot only, left and then right. "And it wasn't like he drilled them. He let them do it their own way," says his mother, Denise Rapinoe, her voice cracking. "It was just the cutest thing, and we remember it so clearly."

In elementary school, like her brother, Megan was rough and tumble, and spoke her mind. Her second-grade teacher's aide pulled Denise aside to relay the following scene: Megan came in from the playground, walked into the classroom, stood with her arms on her hips and announced, "Brian Rapinoe is my brother, and I am just like him!"

"I worshipped him," Megan says. "He played left wing, so I played left wing. He wore No. 7; I wore No. 7. He got a bowl cut, so I did too."

So when Brian first started smoking marijuana as a 12-year-old, a 7-year-old Megan was confounded. Why was he doing that? Brian still doesn't know for sure. "Right from the start, I was hooked," he says. "One drug always led to the next." He was also attracted to the "fast life," he says, to getting high, to driving nice cars and to the "hype around this lifestyle." She wanted him to stop, and she was still young enough to think there was something she could do. Three years later, when her parents sat her and Rachael down and told them the police had arrested Brian for bringing meth to school, she cried. He was going to juvenile detention. She did not understand: What had happened to her big brother?

"For many years, Megan and Rachael were pissed as hell," Brian says. "They still loved me, they still let me know they were there for me, but they were like, 'What the f--- are you doing?'"

"My mother is the queen of the family," Brian, left, says of Denise Rapinoe, right. "I just love her so much. I'm such a baby when it comes to her."

BY 18 YEARS OLD, Brian had moved on to harder drugs -- heroin, specifically -- and he became more reckless. He was charged with car theft, evading arrest and a hit-and-run while driving under the influence of drugs -- and now, as an adult, his juvenile detention days were over. He was sent to prison. Within months, he aligned himself with the white prison gang and was inked with Nazi tattoos. A swastika on his palm; lightning bolts on his fingers, sides and calves

These tattoos devastated his family. "The prejudice, the racism -- it was so against the way he'd been raised," Denise says. "He wasn't that kind of kid. He was kind, his nature was so loving."

To Brian, the swastikas weren't about prejudice and racism at that point -- they were about heroin and survival. To support his addiction, he needed to be, in his words, "an active participant in prison culture." The California prison system was segregated. That meant Brian lived strictly among the white population. "You come in as a kid, and there are these older dudes you think you respect, spouting ideas, and you kind of listen," Brian says. "I developed a protect-your-own mentality."

He tried to explain that to his mother. The gang was a family, he said; it was a place to belong. "I told him, 'This is not who we are,'" Denise says. "'This is not who you are.'"

Megan was as heartbroken as her mother. "I thought [the tattoos] were horrible," she says. "I still think they're horrible. I could rationalize them: I understood that when he first got in there, he was searching for identity, trying to survive."

But the big brother she had worshipped? It felt like she had lost him.

As a young player on the U19 U.S. women's national team, Megan wore the No. 7 jersey. It was the number Brian wore when he played soccer.

BRIAN BECAME HEAVILY involved in gang life and racked up charges while doing time: possession of drugs, possession of a deadly weapon, three assaults on other white inmates. He spent eight of his 16 years in prison in solitary confinement for this behavior. By 2007 -- as he was turning 27 years old -- he was transferred to Pelican Bay State Prison in Northern California, the state's only super-max-security prison.

While general population is segregated, solitary confinement is not, and every inmate gets one hour out of his cell to walk the pod. Here, the protect-your-own thinking began to fall away for Brian. "You start relating to people beyond your hood, your area, your color," he says. "It doesn't take long before you start talking with each other, seeing how much you have in common. Back there, it's just you in the cell, and the man next to you is just a man himself."

There's no radio, no television in the individual cells in the hole. Sitting in a cement box, counting the number of holes in the perforated door is "hard; it's definitely hard," he says. "But you find a way to escape. You've got books, you've got writing, some guys draw. And you develop these relations with other people, these connections."

Three times a week, inmates also get three hours outside, albeit in his own cage. "In the yard, you start talking [to other guys] -- sports, music, my sister is always a big ice-breaking conversation. You say [to them], 'When we go back in from yard, you can look at my pictures,' or you say, 'Here's something I wrote.' Maybe you become good friends -- like me and Monster did."

Monster, also known as Sanyika Shakur, is a black nationalist and the author of the bestseller, Monster: Autobiography of an LA Gang Member. He and Brian were on the same pod for two years. Using a line and a weight, they'd send each other long letters from cell to cell, fishing for them beneath the doors. Brian shared the song lyrics he wrote; Monster let him read drafts of his articles and essays. For years, Brian had been a serious reader, consuming everything from the classics, to books about social issues. He'd read The New Jim Crow and learned about how police disproportionately search black men and arrest them for nonviolent drug offenses, and how the War on Drugs decimated communities of color.

"He taught me what it means to be racist," Brian says, "and he taught me what it means not to be racist."

By 2010, the now 30-year-old had a new understanding of what the white supremacist insignias represented. He had his face tattoos lasered off. The swastika on his palm became a spider web; the Nazi lightning bolts became skulls. He did not want any racial insignias on his skin. They did not reflect who he was. But he was still using heroin -- and the next year, he was arrested for selling it.

Brian was behind bars once again -- this time at Donovan State Prison in San Diego.

When Megan scored in the 2011 Women's World Cup against Colombia, she seized the moment and sang Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" -- something, people say, Brian would do.

IN JUNE 2011, Brian had something new to talk about during his hour walking the pod: His little sister was playing in her first World Cup -- and he was going to get everybody to watch.

The 15-inch television was at the other end of the hallway, some 50 yards away. He built a tower out of 60 books and tied them together with torn sheets. Sitting on top of it, he could just see the TV through the window in the door. In an early game against Colombia, Megan roped in a goal, then immediately sprinted to the corner flag, grabbed a cameraman's mic and sang Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." The guys got a kick out of this because Brian was the singer on the pod, and this flamboyant corner-flag serenade was so like him.

Days later, ahead of the quarterfinals against Brazil, all 30 cells on top and all 30 cells on bottom were watching, everybody perched at their doors. Megan -- young and audacious with her signature short blonde hair -- subbed in at the end of the game, and in extra time, sure enough -- boom! -- she sent a 50-yard cross-field ball to U.S. forward Abby Wambach, who headed it home to tie the game. "We were going wild," Brian says. "We were yelling and pounding on the doors."

Later that night, on the prison pay phone, Brian talked with his mom. She described the end of the game, how Megan, having just experienced the craziest, most awesome moment of her life, walked to the stands and stood there, searching through the some 20,000 faces for her mom's. Denise put her two index fingers in her mouth and let out her trademark whistle -- the same whistle she had used when they were kids. She had to do it a second and then a third time before Megan could hear her. Megan tapped her ear. "She was letting me know she heard me," Denise told Brian at the time, choking up -- which made Brian choke up a little, too. He could imagine it.

"Not being there -- it hurt," Brian says.

Another four years passed. This time he was in solitary confinement because of his violent record at the Vista Detention Facility, a lower-security prison, in San Diego County -- and Megan was headed to Canada for her second World Cup. The women would end up winning it all, the first time the team had done so since 1999.

"That was the hardest," Brian says. "I was super happy for Megs and super sad for myself. I fricking love my family so much. They were all there. It was like, f---, man, I'm like not really even a part of this. Yeah, I got a lot of support for her in prison, but when the game is over and the ruckus has died down, I'm sitting in my cell. I'm not there to give her a hug, I'm not there to witness it, I'm not there to be a part of it. It's just another thing in their lives that I'm missing out on. What the f--- am I doing with my life?"

Brian was almost 35 years old. He had spent more than half of his adult life incarcerated.

After Megan kneeled during the anthem in 2016, a former prisonmate called Brian to commend her actions. "What your sister is doing -- it means so much," said Sanyika Shakur, a black nationalist. "She is standing up for people who don't have a voice."

ON SEPT. 1, 2016, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial profiling, Brian was briefly out of prison -- although he was still using heroin. Three days later, Megan kneeled in support while playing for her club team, the Seattle Reign. Then, while playing for the U.S., she did it again.

Brian saved the newspaper article with the picture of her solemn, angled-down face. He watched the YouTube videos of the coverage. He thought, Hell yeah. He also read the comments: "If she was on my team, I'd knock this idiot out. She should be banned from the national squad for life. Such disrespect." He understood that she would anger people, understood the impending fallout. He knew that enrollment in her summer camps and sales of her clothing brand, Be Your Best You, would go down. He thought, My sister is brave; my sister is bad ass.

Like every time before, Brian's freedom proved to be short-lived. By July 2017, he was back up north in Pelican Bay. Back to the regimented, day-to-day prison routine. Where tomorrow is the same as today. His whole life had been a habitual rut; Megan's anthem protest felt like the opposite of that. Her stance showed him there is a way to put a foot down on something in life, in spite of the fallout that will come.

Not long after, he had a breakthrough. His cellmate was helping him inject heroin into the back of his neck when the needle broke. "I freaked out on him, really lost it," Brian says. "And he said to me, 'Look at how you are acting right now.'" And for whatever reason, those words torpedoed into Brian and transformed into personal questions he asked himself. Your whole happiness and peace of mind is focused on this dirty-ass hypodermic needle: Is this what you want? Do you want this cell and this bulls--- powerful persona to be all you are?

He thought about the seven murders he'd witnessed out on the yard. He thought about his own knife fights -- about everything he'd done and been a part of -- just so he could continue to do heroin. He thought about Megan. Look at all she's done with her life -- look at what you've done with yours.

That's when he finally decided he was ready for change. He enrolled in the new self-improvement and rehabilitation classes the California prison system had begun to offer. Each completed class reduced time from his sentence.

Most importantly, after using and selling drugs for 24 years, Brian quit -- and he's been clean for 18 months.

"If I do drugs," he says, "I will go back to prison. I didn't believe that for a long time. Now, I believe that -- I don't ever want to go back."

Shortly before his first day of school at San Diego Community College, Brian met up with a friend from Pelican Bay, Cesar, who is also taking classes. "From the Bay to the books," Brian says. "I am so stoked to begin."

TODAY IS BRIAN'S first day at San Diego City College. As part of the Male Community Reentry Program, he's taking classes to finish up the final year of his sentence, and he has some butterflies. "It's been a long time since I've gone to school -- even when I was in school, it was juvenile hall -- I've never taken anything except regular math. I've never even taken algebra.

Plus, he says, it's a little unnerving to sit in a classroom with 18-year-olds whose experiences have been drastically different from his own. He's self-conscious about his tattoos -- particularly his neck tattoo, SHASTA, inscribed in large gothic letters, the name of the county in which he grew up. "These tattoos, I freaking hate them," Brian says.

But he also knows those tattoos could matter again in the future. He wants to get involved in the juvenile delinquency program, wants to talk to anybody who might be about to jump off the same ledge he did. "These tattoos, it's gonna get their attention," he says. "It's like, dude, you don't think I know what I'm talking about?

"I want to make a difference," he says. "I want to be like Megan."

He had "a really fricking deep conversation" with her about two months ago. They talked about racial profiling; they talked about police brutality; they talked about what Megan's kneeling meant to both of them. Megan saw that in spite of their very different paths, they'd arrived at similar conclusions.

"My brother is special," Megan says. "He has so much to offer. It would be such a shame if he left this world with nothing but prison sentences behind him. To be able to have him out, and to play for him, and to have him healthy, with this different perspective that he has now: This is like the best thing ever."

While Megan is in France, she and Brian text daily -- with game thoughts, encouragement and shared excitement.

"This is one of the most exciting things I can even remember ... just everything really, you, the school, the program," Brian texts.

She replies: "People always ask me what got me into soccer ... your wild ass of course."

"Luckily I played a cool sport. What if I'd been into arm-wrestling or something."

"Oh lawd, yea you really set me up."

"Get some sleep -- love you."

"Lovee you Bri! Let's f---ing go!"

-- Freelance writer Gwendolyn Oxenham is the author of Under the Lights and in the Dark: Untold Stories of Women's Soccer.

#megan rapinoe #espn #uswnt #us women’s soccer #women’s world cup

[tastefullyinspiredblog]

Design Event: Oh What a Night it Was...A+ for Designerlebrity

When Barbara Viteri of Designerlebrity throws a party, she throws a party!  And who wouldn’t want to partake in an event featuring a pre-Thanksgiving Day dinner with some of the most amazing designers around and an equally amazing chef?

Hosts from Showcase Kitchens along with featured designer Marlaina Teich, Barbara Viteri of Designerlebrity and Chef Rudy Straker

I was invited to cover Barbara’s event at the lovely Showcase Kitchens in Manhasset, NY and it did not disappoint!  From the gorgeous table settings on display to the amazing deep fried, Cajun turkey prepared by celebrity Chef Rudy Straker, and of course, Showcase Kitchens’ stunning showroom, the evening was a night to remember.

Chef Rudy Straker hard at work and with a smile!

Our friends David Santiago, Vice President of Interior Design Society and owner of Casa Santi, Marlaina Teich, premier designer featured in publications such as Traditional Home and Better Homes and Gardens among many others and of course, our own Designerlebrity star and hostess with the most-est, Barbara Viteri, brought their own unique table settings.

one of the amazing kitchens by Showroom Kitchens

What fun it was to hear a little about each one; from the china, the sumptuous linens and even accessories, each had their own story.  Of course, Barbara, being the jokester she is, fooled us all by pulling out a tray of dollar store goodies to break the ice and get us going!

Barbara’s dollar store setting – lol!

David’s setting featured china that his mother had given him.  He added some sparkle with a fun costume bracelet as a napkin ring and completed the setting with a gold theatrical mask and flower.

Luxurious gold accents provided by David Santiago

Marlaina used a deep, rich plum color, pulling in hints of nature as seen in the twig-inspired gold flatware and even real pinecones that her children foraged for.

Natural inspired elements by Marlaina Teich

After the humor wore off from Barbara’s dollar store items, she pulled out a beautiful gold tray complete with a coordinated ensemble of fine layers and textures, fit for a king (or a Hampton mansion. )

Barbara’s real table setting

Chef Rudy Straker, famed chef to stars from Ben Stiller to Taylor Swift and owner of OMG-Lato, an exciting line of gelatos available at Madison Square Garden and restaurants throughout NY, treated us to an intriguing Cajun-inspired Thanksgiving meal.

with my new friend, Chef Rudy Straker

Delectable turkey, stuffing, coconut squash and collard greens were the star of the show amidst the incredible smart kitchen designed by Showcase Kitchens.  And to top it off, that pumpkin pie gelato must have been made in heaven!  Chef Rudy, you’re a culinary genius or an angel, or maybe both!

The lovely and gracious Barbara Viteri of Designerlebrity

So, all in all, being surrounded by great people and eating great food in a gorgeous setting, it was the perfect evening.  Hats off to you Barbara and cheers on another amazing event hosted by Designerlebrity!!

Design Event: Oh What a Night it Was…A+ for Designerlebrity was originally published on Tastefully Inspired | Interior Design | Hospitality Design | Home Decor Blog

#design event #interiordesign #designer #interiordesigner #AD100 #designtip #housebeautiful #architecturaldigest #elledecor #homedecor #furniture

[dat-town]

A love story to tell the kids

Characters: Changkyun (Monsta X I.M) & You

Setting: college au, slice of life

Genre: fluff

Words: 3048

Summary: You have always dreamt of falling in love with the One in such a unique way so it would be a love story worthy of telling your kids. But you didn’t quite imagined it like this.

Totally inspired by that kindergarten episode of Monsta X-Ray. (And the mall in my town that holds all kind of exhibitions from time to time.)

Dedicated to @restlessmaknae because she deserves all the fluff in the world♥

Babysitting isn't the way you pictured you would spend your first free weekend of summer holiday. University has been stressful and all you wanted to do after you finished with your exams is to relax. Preferably alone, watching k-dramas and eating all those yummy summer food you love so much. Everything was perfectly set up for your lazy plans. So when you aunt barges into your parents’ house at seven in the morning when you are still in your pyjamas you are not happy. Not at all.

You are alone because your parents usually leave for work early in the morning, although it depends on their shifts. You mother is a nurse and you father is a doctor in the same hospital. They met there during their resident years and it’s history since then. A true love story, you believe. It’s the closest thing to love you witnessed first-hand and not in books, movies or sad love songs. The feeling itself avoided you like plague ever since college started. Or maybe you just have been oblivious to the signs.

Since there’s nobody else home, you open the door for your aunt. You are still half asleep while you listen to Bora so you barely comprehend what she says. Something about a last-minute business meeting she has to attend and that she has nobody she could leave Minho.

Your four year old cousin looks at you with just as sleepy eyes as yours and you force yourself to smile. Lucky for your aunt you adore the little guy. He’s the cutest kid you’ve ever met and you don’t even like kids. They are noisy and whiny and have the weirdest ideas about life. Okay you had your own phase when you thought you can travel back in time so you can pet a dinosaur. Still, it proves your point: dealing with kids isn’t a piece of cake and you are definitely not a mother material. You are awkward with anyone younger than ten because you can’t talk about music or books with them.

"Don’t worry, Aunt Bora, we will have a good time. Right, Minnie?" you lightly elbow Minho who seems to fall asleep on the couch in any minute.

"Thank you! You are really a sweetheart! I will come pick him up around four! Please take him to the mall, I promised him he can see the Star Wars lego exhibition. But don’t let him eat ice cream. He has a sore throat ever since the last time I let him," your aunt kisses both you and his son on the cheeks before heading out with a wave.

You plop down on the couch with a loud sigh. That’s it about your plans for the day.

Minho does fall asleep in the end but you can’t sleep in anymore. You try to act like a reasonable adult and look out for the kid. Hopefully he won’t hurt himself or di anything stupid like choke on his food. You got through your first-aid course but you wouldn’t like to perform the learned things in action. Lucky for you, you both survive breakfast and you can wash the plates in peace while Minho watches a cartoon in the television.

You play games later, hide-and-seek and car racing but the little boy gets bored of everything quite quickly. Around 10am he whines about R2D2, his favourite Star Wars character and you have no choice but to take him to the mall downtown. You only give in because your aunt said so, otherwise you'd rather be the firm but good role model for your cousin than the one that spoils kids too much.

As soon as you arrive at the shopping mall, Minho is so jumpy he can’t stay put for god’s sake. You hold his hand so that he cannot run away in the crowd. It looks like Star Wars is still popular these days. Last month’s surrealist painting exhibition didn’t attract near as much visitors. Minho pulls you from one lego statue to another and you have to admit you're quite impressed or maybe there’re coupon days now. These lego figures and spaceships look kind of cool... until the 4th round around the corner. Your little cousin seems to believe he can find new exhibits if he goes around again and again. It makes you dizzy.

After you get bored, it takes at least ten minutes to convince him to do something else. Luckily, he finally agrees with that cute pout on his face to go to the bookstore so you can finally buy that book you've wanted for yourself for so long. However, it was a crucial mistake on your part to think that he would stay put if you leave him alone in the kids’ section to read some picture book until you go to the cashier’s desk. You only let go of his hand literally for five minutes to pay for the novel but he isn’t there where you left him when you go back. It makes you panic, the oxygen seems to be too little in your lungs as you gasp for air.

"Breathe! Okay, breathe, everything will be fine. He’s just playing hide-and-seek for sure," you try to calm yourself when both the cashier and the assistant in the shop say that they didn’t see where Minho went. You ask them to keep an eye on a little kid wandering around alone in case they saw him.

You try to call your aunt what to do but she doesn’t pick up, probably because she’s still at the meeting. You are on verge of crying while you are walking back and forth on the hallways checking each store, asking strangers about your cousin's whereabouts but there’s still no sign of him. You’re about to call someone, anyone, the police or whatever children protection associations exist when someone touches your shoulder gently. You jump at the lightest touch and turns on your hills to face him just to get taken aback by the familiar face.

You definitely didn’t expect to meet him of all people on a casual Saturday in the mall. The cute guy from your Economics class who is now smiling at your startled expression faintly  and steps back not to invade your space.

"Hey, are you okay? You seem a little out of it," he comments carefully forming the words, not at all offending or anything like that. He seems genuinely interested. He must have seen that you were kind of nervous and decided to be so nice and ask about your problem. On any other day you would have brushed it off saying that everything's just fine, that he could mind his own business but hey since we met what are you doing here? However, this is no ordinary day at all and you’re desperate. Even if it means telling your problems to a university classmate who you have never even talked to before.

Im Changkyun isn’t intimidating at all but he’s a very reserved person. He seems a little distant and cold at first because he doesn’t really like strangers. But when he’s with his friends, he can be carefree and a real jokester. You had the chance to see it yourself just before your Economics exam when he tried to calm down the worrying Minhyuk with doing impersonation of their professors.

"I lost my cousin," you reply without thinking, in a pitched voice an octave higher than usual as you take in the guy’s appearance. He’s dressed casually in torn-kneed jeans, a plain tee and a pair of nice sunglasses on the top of his head. Even though his hair is a little messy, he still looks great.

"What do you mean you lost them?" he furrows his brows in confusion and even if it’s frustrating you can understand why he’s baffled. Like how can one lost a child?

"He was there one minute and not in the next," you gulp burying your face in your hands. You feel so helpless and stupid. You had one job, why can’t you do it right?

"I will help you find him,” Changkyun offers so casually like it’s the most natural thing to do. But it isn’t. So far nobody whom you talked to offered help and you can’t name any other guy from uni that would willingly spend his precious alone time in the mall to find a lost child. So to say you are taken aback by his offer is an understatement. You peek out in between your fingers to glance at his boyish face and big chocolate eyes.

“Where did you look?" your classmate inquires while he fishes out his phone to search for the mall’s online map. You are still dumbfounded how prepared and professional he sounds. Maybe it’s not the first time he does this?

"Everywhere,” you sigh so exhausted. “I have no idea where he went. Like I was in the toy shop, at his favourite Star Wars figure and... Oh my god I can't believe it. I promised Aunt Bora I will look out for him. I'm such a terrible person.”

"Shh... don’t say this. You are just human! Don’t take it to your heart,” he tries to soothe you. His voice so caring and deeper than it should be for someone his age.

“What if someone kidnapped him?" you blurt out, your thoughts running a mile a minute. Okay, you know the possibility of such thing is low but you tend to exaggerate in emergency situations and you are not amused that Changkyun lets out a low chuckle at your absurd idea.

“I’m sure he just saw something interesting and followed it. We will find him," he flashes a reassuring smile at you.

"I have no other idea where to search anymore," you shake your head because you feel like the world is crumbling around you. The hope of finding your cousin and Changkyun’s voice are the only things that keep you going.

"Then search where you did already. He can always go back, right? We should split, so we can cover a bigger area. Do you have a picture of him?" he asks as collected as one could get and you feel silly for not thinking about it.

"Yeah, of course. Uhm... I can send it to you,” you tell him, uncertainty straining your voice. But Changkyun takes your phone without hesitation and puts his number in it while you keep talking. “His name is Minho, he’s four year old, around this tall, wears a Superman T-shirt and be sure not to startle him, because he’s a real scaredy-cat."

You send him one of your favourite selfies with your cousin: the one that was taken last Easter. Minho smiling widely, his cheeks covered in Nutella while he sits in your lap. Changkyun doesn’t comment on it but he smiles briefly then he goes back to concentrate on the more urgent issue.

"Okay so we can call each other if one of us finds him, otherwise let’s meet here in about half an hour," he says and you are so grateful that he’s the one assigning the tasks because you couldn’t do it in your current mental state.

"Alright."

"Good luck and don’t worry too much! I’m sure he’s doing more than okay."

"I hope so," you agree but you can’t seem to shake that anxious feeling off of you.

You check the mall from shop to shop once again searching for a boy around waist-height and your heart takes a leap every single time you see someone who has anything in common with Minho. You have no luck this time either and when you check your mobile you can see it’s already past twenty minutes since you part ways with Changkyun. You are so out of ideas you’re thinking of asking one of the security guards if you coul check the cameras or something when the shopping mall’s tannoy system announces in loud, clear voice:

“One lost boy in Superman T-shirt searches for his pretty cousin and tells her not to worry too much. He’s waiting at the front desk. I repeat: one lost boy...”

At first, you don’t pay attention but the second part of the sentence piques your interest and you practically run to the front desk when you put two and two together. Why does he have to be so extra? Couldn’t he just call you like you agreed? You fume but the moment you see Changkyun holding your little cousin’s hand, your heart immediately softens.

“You found him!” you squeal loudly and crouch down to pull Minho in your embrace. You kiss him on the forehead telling him that you worried so much and check for injuries but he seems completely fine. You are so happy that you almost forget about your classmate standing next to you until he speaks up:

“Yeah, he was near that colourful ice cream place,” he says while bending down to ruffle up the kiddo’s hair and Minho who is usually really shy with strangers smiles at him widely. “He is a smart boy. He didn’t want to come with me until I showed him the picture you sent me.”

“But now it seems like you are getting along well,” you remark and both of you stand up to talk more casually while you doesn’t let go of Minho’s hand, not even for a second.

Changkyun shrugs, his hair falling onto his forehead. “It’s easy because he’s adorable. But I worked at a day-care last summer so I’m quite good with kids.”

“I can see that,” you nod and can’t stop the smile forming on your lips as you imagine this well-grown baby-faced guy in midst of pre-schoolers. The sight is too cute.

“Noona...” Minho singsongs as he tugs at your dress and points at the ice cream shop’s neon lights where he was found. “I want it!”

“No you can't,” you shake your head no and Minho gives you a sulky look before turning towards your classmate with pleading eyes. Oh hell, no! They have become best friends in the last five minutes or what?

“Why not?” Changkyun furrows his eyebrows in confusion, not quite taking the little boy’s side but still therefore you explain diligently:

“His mother said so. She doesn’t want him to get sick again.”

“Then what about frozen yogurt with only a small amount of the actual thing and lots of toppings? It can be fun, too. What do you say, buddy? Do you want to eat something better than ice cream?”

You have to admit his idea is pretty decent and Minho loves putting all kinds of sweets - chocolate, caramel crunch, M&Ms, gummy bears etc. - into the big colourful cup he chose. He calls it the ‘rainbow dessert’ and it’s pretty accurate. Changkyun is tagging along with you without a word and he discusses the Star Wars cartoon with your 4-years-old cousin while you pay. The cashier gives you weird looks but you’re not sure if she’s judging you or she’s just jealous. Since Minho holds onto both your dress and your classmate’s hand it might look like that he’s your child even though you both are really young.

While you’re eating each of you laughs a lot and it seems so natural that the reality of the inevitable ending of this morning scares you. But it’s midday already and you have to take Minho home to make him lunch. Even if he can’t eat anything until 2pm because of all the sweets he just ate. But every good thing has to end.

“Thank you for helping me with him today. Not just finding him, for which I owe you big time but everything else too. You made it fun, it didn’t feel like babysitting at all.”

Changkyun’s eyes look like the universe full of bright stars when he answers.

“Anytime. I had a great time. Lot better than spending my time in the arcade alone actually. Thank you for letting me tagging along.”

“Anytime,” you copy him and as you stand there you don’t know what to do with yourself. What should you say? You have no idea but luckily for you, he does.

“Hey buddy, take care of your pretty cousin, okay? I trust in you,” he crouches down to shake hands with Minho and you blush at his words. You are not so sure though that you cousin  understands what’s going on but he nods anyway and based on his sad pout he isn’t happy about going home either. Or he will probably miss Changkyun, too. Because you will, that’s sure. It’s unbelievable how feelings change under only a few hours, isn’t it? A day ago Changkyun was barely an acquaintance, just a cute classmate. But now? You are pretty sure you are developing a crush on him. You have to catch your breath when he stands up and turns to you with a cute, nervous expression on his face.

"Hey... would you like to repeat it someday? But without Minho this time?"

You blink. Did you hear right? Just the two of you? Are you dreaming? You have to make sure he’s thinking of what you think so you ask hesitantly:

"Like a date?"

"Yeah... like a date. If you’d like to," he bits down on his lower lip shyly and laughs a little.

"I’d love to," you answer maybe a little too eagerly but you can’t seem to regret it as Changkyun’s dimples are showing when he smiles.

“Then I’ll text you,” he promises, beaming.

“I’ll wait,” you can’t stop smiling either as you wave him goodbye. Who would have thought that you will leave the mall with planned date? It would surely make a love story worth of telling your kids one day... Woah, slow down girl! Already thinking about kids? What is wrong with you?

You shake your head, clearing your mind when your phone rings and you see Bora’s name on the screen.

“You called me, sorry I couldn’t answer. Is everything okay?” she asks in worry when you pick up. You look down at Minho while you walk side by side and you think of Changkyun’s smile.

“Yeah, sorry I bothered you. Everything is perfect.”

It couldn’t be better.

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