#blogkeeping

[yeoldenews]

It’s Dear Santa time again!

Every year since 2010, I have spent the month of December posting children's Dear Santa letters.

Publishing letters to Santa in the newspaper first became widely popular in the late-1890s, though scattered newspapers did so as early as the mid-1880s. I believe this sudden explosion in popularity was at least partially the result of the famed "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause" editorial which was published in The New York Sun in September of 1897.

In large cities Dear Santa letters often acted as a method of getting needed clothing and supplies to impoverished children when parents might be ashamed to ask for charity. Subscribers to the newspaper could choose a child’s letter and provide the items they asked for. The most common requests were shoes and coats.

Sometimes newspapers offered prizes for the best letter (which I suspect often acted as another clandestine form of charity as the winners were often letters asking for basic clothing and school supplies.) Though these prizes could range from the ordinary (a sled or a doll) to the extravagant (a $20 gold piece or a live pony.)

Often local stores would enter children in a drawing if they mentioned the store in their letter - which on occasion would result in children hilariously name-dropping every store in town just in case.

Writing Dear Santa letters was also commonly an activity done at school, often following some rough form letter. These letters are fairly easy to spot as they often hype up what a good student the child was and include effusive praise for their teacher (who would likely see the letter before it was sent.)

So why have I spent hundreds of hours of my life over the last decade reading tens of thousands of these letters?

Children's voices are largely absent from the historical record.

Dear Santa letters offer an extremely rare opportunity to see history unfold through children's eyes - in their own (often creatively spelled) words.

1914′s “Remember the children in Belgium” becomes 1918′s “Please visit my brother in France”.

During the Great Depression the very common phrase “I know you’re poor this year too Santa” gives a glimpse into parents' attempts to explain to their children why they might not be getting as much this year.

1939′s “Be careful flying over Europe” becomes 1945′s “Since the war is over you’re making bb-guns again right?”

Requests for toy flying machines become aeroplanes become fighter jets become space shuttles.

Dolls and wagons become Shirley Temple merchandise become Erector Sets become Barbies and Star Wars action figures.

But through all these changes one thing remains clear throughout 130+ years of letters to Santa, despite the rapidly changing world around them - children have always been children.

I hope you enjoy these letters as much as I do! (All decade+ of posts are tagged “Dear Santa” if you’d like to see more than just this year’s selection.)

Hapy Holadays and Marry Crimes!

#as always - your tags comments and questions make the season so much brighter for me #and oh boy have I got some good ones for you this year #blogkeeping #dear santa #christmas #history #children #kids

[antis-delete-your-blogs-pls-thx]

Further Statement Regarding Suspension

So, the more I look into the situation, the more it's clear this was a coordinated harassment attempt from F//ateCE//O and the rest of his unhinged transphobic mob. Someone I followed was outed as a MAP, a fact I had zero clue about. I had previously promoted her patreon before knowing about this. When Fate's cronies mentioned it, I said to please go to the police with any criminal evidence, and also not to link me to triggering callout threads full of MAP discourse, which I stay the hell away from. This person had literally already deactivated on twitter so there was no one to unfollow. Idk what the point of any of it was. I literally wanted nothing to do with any of this and told everyone to go to the police for real, this was way above my pay grade. Also, fun fact nobody likes to mention, MY MOTHER WAS IN HOSPITAL AT THE TIME. I had a lot to worry about, and what to do with a potential criminal case (again, very long and unhinged callout thread from known liars and transphobes, so I have no idea about the veracity of any of these claims based on an untrustworthy background) that I have no jurisdiction over (as an internet person??? And not the FBI??) was not my top priority at the time.

That is it. I did not defend them. I did not advocate for pro contact. I said be succinct with your evidence so I don't get fucking triggered and also I AM NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. Anyway, that entire l0lichud side of twitter has turned on me and frothed themselves into a rage without actually listening to a word I said. Typical word of mouth bs. If my account isn't reinstated, I honestly may not even go back. The fact that the proship community has been invaded by these bigots and trolls on twt has been a fact that has continuously exhausted me. I've spoken about it extensively so I won't go into it here, but let me tell you, these people damage our reputation beyond repair, spread disinformation and bigotry, and I want nothing to do with any of them.

#blogkeeping #update #the SITUATION (tm tm)

[katsigian]

Hiiii ♡ I'm going to try make a set tag list for all those oc edits/tag games/quizzes, so if you'd like to be tagged in these things when I share them, just like this post!

Alternatively, if anyone is still tracking cyberpunk 2077 stuff and sees this, please lemme know 🌚 I'm going to be sharing my VP again and I'm not 100% sure who is still good to be tagged for it. Or if you have a tracking tag and want to see Valen and the others, let me know, please and thank ♡

Edit as of 01/20/2024; my tag list is almost at capacity at the moment because tumblr allows only a certain number of mentions per post 😞 thank you to everyone who wanted to be on it ♡

#blogkeeping #katsi.txt #tag list #cp2077 #cyberpunk 2077

[norsesuggestions]

Swedes really should tell more nerdy jokes about our university point system being called: "hp"

Like:

"A masters degree is 120 hp, which is quite alot of hit points to defeat on your own"

#blogkeeping #modern swedish shitpost #the question is: is it the university course that got the hp #or is it the student? #or both? #do we defeat the course and absorb their health bar or WHAT?

[lotrladiessource]

Lord of the Rings Ladies Week is coming July 17-23, 2023!

Hello everyone! This year we are hosting a week dedicated to appreciating the women of The Lord of the Rings, from the queenly Arwen and courageous Eowyn to merry Goldberry and fierce Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. Prompts and guidelines for the event below!

Guidelines:

Tag your posts with #lotrladiesweek and mention @lotrladiessource

We’re focusing on female characters from The Lord of the Rings itself & ones with connections to it, such as second age characters like Tar-Miriel, and characters from The Hobbit like Belladonna Took. There are many other amazing women from the Silmarillion and such, but this is the LotR Ladies chance to shine!

Fanwork of all kind is welcome- art, fanfic, gifsets, graphic/aesthetic edits, fanmixes, headcanons, crafts, anything!

Per our usual policy, we will not reblog nsfw content

Bigotry of any kind will not be tolerated

Prompts:

(Note: the prompts are completely non-mandatory and can be mixed and matched however you would like to use them! They’re just meant to provide a range of creative inspiration and you don’t have to use them at all!)

Day 1: Hobbits | Warm colours | Resilience | Music/Lyrics | Fairytales & Legends Day 2: Women of the North | Cool colours | Love | Minimalism | Family Day 3: Dwarrowdams | Monochrome | Joy | Motifs | Language Day 4: Women of the South | Black & white | Courage | Typography | Parallels Day 5: Elves | Pastels | Grief | Portraits | Archetypes Day 6: Original Characters | Complementary Colours | Anger | Faceless | Textual ghosts Day 7: Freeform | Multicolour | Hope | Blending | Alternate Universes

Happy creating! Feel free to shoot us an ask if you have any questions ⭐ 

#please sb! #oneringnet #tuserosie #userindomiel #usersari #useremily #elvensource #tolkiensource #fantasycreatorsnet #userlyndeth #blogkeeping #lotrladiesweek #announcement #lotrladiesweek;info #lotredit #tolkienedit #lotr #tolkien #lord of the rings

[mokutone]

i'd normally post a new art but there won't be one on this fine testosterone tuesday—alas! summer is a busy season for me, and we're almost upon it now

#last year i was able to keep up daily posting during the summer which was WILD bc the year before i wasnt #this year might be a little slower overall. oh well! such is the way of things #blogkeeping #anyway. happy testosterone tuesday to all who celebrate and a merry hrt

[laurasimonsdaughter]

I've got a new original fairy tale up on my website!

Sometimes thoughtful young men should just get to have shapeshifting fox boyfriends, you know?

#blogkeeping #patchwork fairy tales podcast #but not just a podcast because I like to hoard all the full stories as transcripts on my website #maybe I'll start archiving other stuff that doesn't fit on ao3 there too...

[bokkerijder]

okay I'm going into Bubble Mode™ again, which means:

I will be online and I will be reblogging posts

I will probably talk into the void and make posts to do so

HOWEVER I will not be talking to most people. I'll probably have the spoons to talk to one person per day

if I don't talk to you, don't take it personally. it just means I don't have the brain bandwidth to form sentences or to process text

I have no idea how long this Bubble Mode™ is going to take. but my nerves have become so frayed that I almost launched myself into an anxiety attack thrice this evening alone

#blogkeeping

[zrtranscripts]

I am currently in the process of both a) undertaking a long road trip and b) moving across the country, so unfortunately I will not be able to transcribe the new season 10 episodes until I arrive at my destination.

I will get the blog caught up and then stay current starting in August. I’m very sorry for this inconvenience!

#not a transcript #blogkeeping

[mysunfreckle]

So...we can boop, but, do any of you still have access to your sideblogs on browser?

#april fools 2024 #my side blogs still /exist/ I just can't access them #blogkeeping

[yeoldenews]

This is my 12th year posting Dear Santa letters on tumblr.

Over the last decade+ I have read more letters than I could ever count. This year alone I probably spent 50+ hours and read well over a thousand letters just to find the 50 or so I’m posting.

Publishing letters to Santa in the newspaper first became popular in the mid-1890s.

In large cities Dear Santa letters often acted as a method of getting needed clothing and supplies to impoverished children when parents might be ashamed to ask for charity. Subscribers to the newspaper could chose a child’s letter and provide the items they asked for. The most common requests were shoes and coats.

Sometimes newspapers offered prizes for the best letter (which I suspect often acted as another clandestine form of charity as the winners were often letters asking for basic clothing and school supplies.) Though these prizes could range from the ordinary (a sled or a doll) to the extravagant (a $20 gold piece or a live pony.)

Many local stores would enter children in a drawing if they mentioned the store in their letter - which on occasion would result in children hilariously name-dropping every store in town just in case.

Writing Dear Santa letters was commonly an activity done at school, often following some rough form letter. These letters are fairly easy to spot due as they often hype up what a good student the child was and include effusive praise for their teacher (who would likely see the letter before it was sent.)

Through Dear Santa letters you can see how Christmas traditions vary and evolve from place to place. Some places the presents go under the tree, others on it. Some place Santa brings the tree himself and sets it up.

Stockings were hung over the fireplace, or on the doorknob, or at the end of the bed, or by the kitchen stove.

In the Deep South fireworks are were the stocking-stuffer of choice, while fresh fruit, nuts and candy were popular everywhere.

The traditional milk & cookies left for Santa didn’t become popular until the 1930s, though that was hardly the beginning of leaving Santa something to eat. Popular choices prior to the 1930s included cake, donuts, “lunch” (it’s always lunch for some reason, never dinner), and “just help yourself to whatever’s in the kitchen.”

Dear Santa letters offer a rare chance to see history unfold through the eyes of children - often in their own creatively spelled words.

1914′s “Remember the children in Belgium” becomes 1918′s “Please visit my brother in France”.

During the Great Depression the very commonly seen phrase “I know you’re poor this year too Santa” gives a glimpse into parents attempts to explain to their children why they might not be getting as much this year.

1939′s “Be careful flying over Europe” becomes 1945′s “Since the war is over you’re making bb-guns again right?”

Requests for toy flying machines become aeroplanes become fighter jets become space shuttles.

Dolls and wagons become Shirley Temple merchandise and Erector Sets become Barbies and Star Wars action figures.

But despite all these changes one thing remains clear throughout 130+ years of letters to Santa - despite the rapidly changing world around them - children have always been children.

I hope you enjoy these letters as much as I do! (All twelve years of posts are tagged “Dear Santa” if you’d like to see more than just this year’s selection.)

Hapy Holadays and Marry Crimes

#every single note comment and tag I get on these posts makes my xmas brighter so thank you <3 #Dear Santa #blogkeeping #people have always been people #history #yes I was going to post before I started posting letters but I did not because I'm me

[antis-delete-your-blogs-pls-thx]

I have absolutely zero idea why my twitter account was suspended lmao. We'll see if I can get it back. I've got no damn clue

#blogkeeping

[katsigian]

Hiiii I'm sorry for the tag, this isn't super important, but I wanted to update my tiny bit outdated tag list because I know a lot of moots moved fandoms or aren't as active for irl reasons, etc etc. There won't be any hard feelings at all if you'd rather not be tagged anymore, I understand <3

So, if you'd still like to be tagged for things like tag games, OC edits, and other creations, just like this post. And if you see this and would like to be added to the list, you can interact here too. Thank youu in advance <3

@rindemption @noirapocalypto @balverine2077 @westealtoys @spicyraeman @skelior @quickhacked @carlosoliveiraa @onehornedbeast @cloudofbutterflies92 @vvanessaives @hibernationsuit @dickytwister @aceghosts @nokstella @devilbrakers @gothimp @elvishbaby @nightbloodbix @opaleyedprince @florbelles @adelaidedrubman @hartsvale @ronqueesha @koda-shoulda-woulda-but-didnt @mercymaker @magicmissiled @baldurians @seluned @thefrostyshepard @vanoefucks @archonfurina @yharnams @hummingbirdsage @aggravateddurian @jerichoes @hiddenbeks @elvenbeard @dani-the-goblin @wormskul @cyberholic77 @lilacmox @strafethesesinners @vincentmatthews @sh00kspeared @saintemarvel @crookedvultures @elmknight @jaydenborn @theelderhazelnut

Thank you again!

#i apologize for the annoyance this might be ghfkdhds #blogkeeping #taglist

[norsesuggestions]

I am currently employed at a full time job at a store that sells second hand items which is why my blog been kinda quit. Been getting used to the job.

About selling second items i wanna say to 1970s swedens glas industry, stop making glasware with a pattern of leaves. I just wanna wrest the mold of that pattern from their hands haha

#blogkeeping

[lotrladiessource]

Lord of the Rings Ladies Week is coming up this July!

This year we’re hosting a week dedicated to appreciating the female characters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, from the queenly Arwen and courageous Eowyn to merry Goldberry and fierce Lobelia Sackville-Baggins.

Guidelines:

Tag your posts with #lotrladiesweek and mention @lotrladiessource

We’re focusing on female characters from The Lord of the Rings itself & ones with connections to it, such as second age characters like Tar-Miriel, and characters from The Hobbit like Belladonna Took. There are many other amazing women from the Silmarillion and such, but this is the LotR Ladies chance to shine!

Fanwork of all kind is welcome- art, fanfic, gifsets, graphic/aesthetic edits, fanmixes, headcanons, crafts, anything!

Per our usual policy, we will not reblog nsfw content

Bigotry of any kind will not be tolerated

Prompts:

(Note: the prompts are completely non-mandatory and can be mixed and matched however you would like to use them! They’re just meant to provide a range of creative inspiration and you don’t have to use them at all!)

Day 1: Hobbits | Warm colours | Resilience | Music/Lyrics | Fairytales & Legends Day 2: Women of the North | Cool colours | Love | Minimalism | Family Day 3: Dwarrowdams | Monochrome | Joy | Motifs | Language Day 4: Women of the South | Black & white | Courage | Typography | Parallels Day 5: Elves | Pastels | Grief | Portraits | Archetypes Day 6: Original Characters | Complementary Colours | Anger | Faceless | Textual ghosts Day 7: Freeform | Multicolour | Hope | Blending | Alternate Universes

Happy creating! Feel free to shoot us an ask if you have any questions ⭐

#tolkien #lotr #the lord of the rings #rings of power #rop #the hobbit #arwen #eowyn #galadriel #rosie cotton #celebrian #tar-miriel #blogkeeping #announcement #lotrladiesweek;info

[mokutone]

I have a Ko-fi!

okay so a little while ago I started building a Ko-fi so that if anyone liked my work and wanted to toss a coin my way, they could!

I also liked the idea of doing little informal thank-you doodles, so if you tip me $6 or more, i will try to do a little doodle of a character that you name (the guidelines for all this are written down on my kofi page)

the thank you doodles aren't commissions, they're just tiny little heartfelt little "hey! thank you for supporting me!" drawings

#blogkeeping #thank you doodles #image desc in alt text #i know i've been pretty quiet here! i'm working on some non-drawn projects at the moment #including maybe. HOPEFULLY. some useful sewing patterns + instructions at an absolute beginner level 👀 #i'm talking like “haven't used a sewing machine before” level beginner #naruto related. of course #but making stuff like that requires using a skillset i'm still developing so it's taking a LOT out of me