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[sinceileftyoublog]

SILY's Top Albums of 2023

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Another year of settling into "the new normal" in the music world, for better or for worse, still brought us great records. The underground NYC hip hop scene burst with creativity. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers reinvented old songs. Stalwarts of experimental music, contemporary jazz, and modern-day blues released their career bests. Even archivists had their day. Below are 16 great albums released last year and 6 more honorable mentions no less worthy of inclusion--I just didn't have time to write about them.

Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips (Fat Possum)

It's all in the title: on their sixth album, billy woods and E L U C I D navigate through a society where not only is shit that should be free, expensive, but a secondhand market encourages hustlers to make a profit. Amidst capitalist corruption and individualism, the threat of an AI takeover and close calls getting caught with drugs, both emcees face the bleakness while occasionally imagining a better world. As always, the victories are small, but mighty: good weed ("Woke Up And Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die"), morally righteous laundromat owners ("When It Doesn't Start With A Kiss"), the freedom to bask in schadenfreude ("Niggardly (Blocked Call)"). And yes, it takes a lot for two slow lurching wordsmiths to rise above production from the likes of JPEGMAFIA, DJ Haram, and EL-P, always-inspired samples ranging from E-40 to Sun Ra and Japanese rock band Ghost, and features from Pink Siifu, Junglepussy, and Moor Mother. But they deftly connect the dots from centuries ago to now, presenting societal dysfunction as a core component of our country and world. "George Washington's heart a frozen river, boy / Opps in the backwoods, slave teeth in the mouth when he say ni**a," woods raps, as if to shock you out of complacency and make you numb to the horrors at the same time.

Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahzad Ismaily - Love In Exile (Verve)

It's hard to believe that Love In Exile, the first collaboration between singer Arooj Aftab, legendary jazz pianist Vijay Iyer, and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, was recorded live with minimal overdubs. Then again, it's clear there's something special brewing within the trio, who first performed together in 2018. That is, the way in which each performer enters and exits and weaves within another is as natural as it is stunning. On Love In Exile, Aftab sings in Urdu--the sound of her words mattering just as much if not more than their meaning--and Iyer plays piano and electronics, Ismaily bass and Moog. The result is an interplay between beauty and dissonance, minimalism and swells of noise, intimacy and grandiosity. Iyer's piano seems like it's increasingly sure of itself on opener "To Remain/To Return" as Aftab's smoky voice resembles a soulful, mournful reed. Ismaily's bass is slow-lurching and rounded throughout, the steady presence that only so much ripples on songs like "Eye of the Endless" as Aftab and Iyer provide contrast in timbre. Love In Exile is the type of album born out of a moment; yet, it gives seemingly endless pathways in which to get lost.

Arthur Russell - Picture of Bunny Rabbit (Audika)

Throughout Picture of Bunny Rabbit, Arthur Russell’s voice is as much of an instrument as his bowed cello, fading in and out on “Not Checking Up”, “Telling No On”, and “Very Reason”. The mysterious aura of Russell comes from both not knowing what’s out there and, on the music we do know exists, being unable to tell what he’s saying or what instruments he’s using. A rubbery whooshing pervades “The Boy With a Smile” and “In The Light of a Miracle”. The 8-minute title track sees dissonant cello disintegrating in real time, unfurling like tape over feedback squalls to the point where it sounds like a MIDI version of a guitar solo. At the same time, Russell always knew when to surface. The harmonica on “The Boy With a Smile” creates a rootsy tactility, the controlled chaos of his string playing yielding free percussion. Russell’s vocals rapidly shuffle on “In The Light of a Miracle”, though they’re as clear as ever, contrasting his sticky cello, plainly borrowing rhythms from Indian classical music.

Read the rest of our review here.

billy woods & Kenny Segal - Maps (BackwoodzStudioz)

The prolific billy woods’ second album with beat mastermind Kenny Segal is centered around touring, inspired by the idea that the road–or the lack of home–is, in itself, home. On Maps, places where people reside are as constantly changing as the landscapes that pass as you’re on the highway. It’s the perfect fodder for woods’ neuroses and pessimism, the low thoughts that occur when you have too much time on your hands but still can’t make sense of your surroundings. He’s constantly searching for stimuli–weed, food, drinks–to distract himself from the human condition. Like the titular “Houdini”, Woods escapes, even if temporarily.

Read the rest of our review of Maps here.

Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom (Columbia)

It wasn't just Taylor Swift rerecording their own catalog in 2023. As part of the soundtrack to Alma Har'el's 2021 film Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan, the Bard himself gave us his new versions of old tracks, mostly his Dylan's 60s heyday, save for a new instrumental. Notably, it's his Dylan's record with a band with no drums or percussion, and it's a mystery who played on it, as there are no official credits. It's also his first album of new studio recordings since 2020 opus Rough and Rowdy Ways, so naturally, he leads off with a reflective "When I Paint My Masterpiece". In general, his arrangements are more gentle, from the swirling harmonicas and trailing strums of "Queen Jane Aproximately" to the bluesy, tempo-changing "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". "Tombstone Blues" comes across like a spooky tale, slowed down, as opposed to the ramshackle stream of consciousness of the original, while the eerie and mournful "What Was It You Wanted" is a revelatory adaptation of the late 80's classic. And "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" shuffles along with a calypso groove, almost as if it's a tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett. He may not be doing it to regain the rights to his own songs, but on Shadow Kingdom, Dylan asserts that there's value in revisiting old friends.

Drive-By Truckers - The Complete Dirty South (New West)

The Complete Dirty South is us an opportunity to listen with 2023 ears to a 2004 album that’s truer than ever. The rich still get away with doing illegal things (“Where the Devil Don’t Stay”), increasingly intense weather patterns still devastate the poorest of communities (“Tornadoes”), and government austerity policies still force people to work longer hours, for lower pay (the incendiary “Putting People on the Moon”.) When Patterson Hood sings, “Motherfucker in the White House said a change was comin’ round / But I’m workin’ at the Walmart, Mary Alice in the ground,” it’s the much more realistic, downtrodden version of “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss,” a sharpshooting lyricist’s analysis of the devastating consequences of incrementalism, let alone inaction.

Read our preview of two Drive-By Truckers solo shows from December.

GOLD DIME - No More Blue Skies (No-Gold)

With No More Blue Skies, Andrya Ambro, the former half of No Wave-inspired Brooklyn indie rock duo Talk Normal has delivered the most distilled statement of her artistry to date. Combining her classical training and ethnomusicological studies as a drummer with the hammering intensity of her live performance, the album is a examination of contrast, an exercise in presenting ambiguous questions and smashing them to see if any answers lie within.

Read our review of GOLD DIME's career-best.

jaimie branch - Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (​(​world war​)​) (International Anthem)

Though the late trumpeter and composer jaimie branch’s third album Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) is a final statement, it’s even more effective as an eternal one. It begins with keyboards that sound like church organs, an eerily somber sonic manifestation of irrevocability. As Chad Taylor’s rolling drums enter, branch gives us one of her trademark trumpet blares, as if to announce, “I’m here.” She wasn’t one to spend much more time announcing her presence, though–the track segues into an Afro-Latin style jam, clacking percussion and horns in line with Lester St. Louis’ nervy bowed cello. ((world war)) from then on spends most of its runtime just the way branch liked it, in a groove, with some breaks along the way to remind us of the urgency of the moment.

Read our review of Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)).

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Weathervanes (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers)

Over the past few years, Jason Isbell’s had a lot of time to think. Pandemic and lockdown-induced isolation made us all spend a bit more time between our ears, and for Isbell, it was his experience on set for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon that yielded even more alone time. These spaces in between catalyzed the creation of Weathervanes. Like Isbell’s best records, Weathervanes tackles many areas of life, from getting older and grappling with regret and depression to existing in an increasingly fraught and vulnerable world. What makes it succeed most is the extent to which he relied on his collaborators to make it, purportedly inspired by watching none other than Scorsese seek out the opinions of others while filming Flower Moon.

Read our preview of Isbell & the 400 Unit's show in Joliet last March.

JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes (AWAL)

JPEGMAFIA's called SCARING THE HOES a “practice album,” made with the SP-404–no Pro Tools–after learning it for a year. It certainly has that loose quality you’d think, alongside the exact amount of chaos you’d expect from the debut full-length join-up from him and Danny Brown. Of course, Peggy finds kinship in the deep cuts and the underground, from the underappreciated Bun B to old soul and funk, Japanese pop, and gospel. The samples and production are inspired. At the same time, Peggy knows he’s your favorite Twitter follow’s favorite rapper, so the title itself, referring to something a Very Online Man would say who thinks his taste is too esoteric for women, is tongue-in-cheek. “How the fuck we supposed to make money of this shit?” Peggy asks on the title track. “You wanna be an MC? What the fuck you think, it’s 1993?” The only thing better than effortless tempo changes, switches on a dime from maximalism to dreamy instrumentation, is self-awareness of his own idiosyncrasies. Bonus points for “God Loves You”, which juxtaposes a guttural, spirited gospel sample with the filthiest lyrics on the album.

Read our preview of Pitchfork Music Festival 2023, containing JPEGMAFIA, here.

Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Five: In The Garden... (Constellation)

On the 5th of their 12 planned Coin Coin albums, saxophone master Matana Roberts tells the story of an ancestor who died after complications from a self-inflicted abortion. Though it's a tragic story, Roberts reclaims the narrative and casts it as part of a wider tale of institutional racism, sexism, and classism. Songs with spoken word are interspersed throughout instrumental expressions of sounds as tangible as tin whistle and as abstract as synth, structures at times free and at times delving even into rock, let alone jazz bops. Each detail of story included is clearly intentional, meant to paint a picture of Roberts' ancestor while portraying their story as not unique. Roberts' spoken word--closer to voice acting, even--is incredible, as they repeat in varying levels of genuineness, "Well, they didn't know I was electric, alive, spirited, fired and free / My spirit overshadowing, my dreams to bombastic / My eyes too sparkling, my laughter too true." Their saxophone is expressive, yet mournful, providing motifs of lamentation and hope at once. On the penultimate "for they do not know", Roberts layers and repeats the album's main refrain, "My name is your name, our name is their name / We are named / We remember, they forget," as if to emphasize the prevalence of their ancestor's story throughout history. And closer "...ain't i...your mystery is our history" juxtaposes Western and African traditions, pointedly demonstrating that the evils brought upon their ancestor are rooted in colonialism and Western hegemony rather than a standalone calamity.

Robert Finley - Black Bayou (Easy Eye Sound)

Seven years into his improbable comeback, Robert Finley views his role as a singer and entertainer as twofold: meeting the audience at the heart while simultaneously giving them advice, telling them the barebones truth when other authority figures won’t. On Black Bayou, he reckons with ideas of homesickness and loneliness, lust and love, selflessness and salvation. Buoyed by longtime collaborator Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Finley wrote all of the songs in the studio, and his familiarity with his supporting cast of musicians resulted in songs that were both efficiently recorded and emotionally acute. Kenny Brown’s guitar winces with longing on “Livin’ Out A Suitcase” as Finley’s tired of traveling. On “Waste Of Time”, a song that sees Finley taking pride in rural living even if it means missing out on opportunities provided by cities, the buzz-saw guitars and Jeffrey Clemens’ clattering percussion yield a perfect maximalism to go along with Finley’s claims that, yes, there’s still a lot to digest right outside your doorstep.

Read our interview with Finley about Black Bayou here.

Sunny War - Anarchist Gospel (New West)

Sunny War battles self-destruction throughout Anarchist Gospel; in the lead-up to its release, she spoke about her music representing a battle between that side of herself and the one trying to make things better. On “New Day”, she uses the language of addiction to wax on love, hurt, and obsession: “Believing in magic can be tragic / I’m love’s junkie, I’m love’s addict.” One of the record’s true standouts is “I Got No Fight”, where pained guitars and screaming organs exemplify Sunny’s desire for the days to end, depression that buzzes like a fly in her ear. On the gorgeous country tune “His Love”, she sings of an unhealthy relationship, “His love fades, my love grows,” and the timbres of her voice and the instruments similarly diverge, her lurking deep vocal register contrasting the spryness of the backing vocals, guitars, and pattering drums.

Read our review of Anarchist Gospel.

Various Artists - Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound) (Easy Eye Sound)

For the better part of the past decade, Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound recording studio and record label has showcased some of the best in contemporary blues music, from various regions across the country and spanning sub-genres. Tell Everybody!, the label's latest compilation, makes the case that a current crop of songwriters, vocalists, and instrumentalists are making essential wartime-style juke joint blues numbers. It's comprised of alternate versions of songs from past Easy Eye Sound albums (Jimmy "Duck" Holmes' version of "Catfish Blues", Leo Bud Welch's glistening "Don't Let the Devil Ride"), posthumously released offerings from idiosyncratic legends like James Gang/Pacific Gas & Electric/All Saved Freak Band guitarist Glenn Schwartz, and strong statements from up and comers like Detroit Dobro-drummer duo Moonrisers, Chicago's Gabe Carter, and Kentucky picker Nat Myers. Auerbach even finds room for new songs from himself and The Black Keys, who sound better than they have in years by embracing the drippy psychedelia of their early material on "No Lovin'". And performing the title track (and baring teeth on the cover) is Robert Finley, whose daughter Christy Johnson delivers smooth gospel backing vocals to contrast Auerbach and Kenny Brown's searing guitars, the multi-generational sound of past, present, and future.

Wednesday - Rat Saw God (Dead Oceans)

“Hot Rotten Grass Smell”, the opening track to Wednesday's incredible Rat Saw God, immediately juxtaposes country guitars with shoegaze squall. Songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Karly Hartzman references Smog’s “The Well” before turning inward to a bleak vision: “Your closet froze after you left / Except the people who took your shirts / Closed off your door with yellow tape / Saw myself dead at the end of a staircase.” The song ends with a sudden cut to field recordings of peepers. Heartbreak, anxiety, life, death, both the natural environment and the concrete depression of the South. It’s all there for Hartzman’s poetry, and no moment is too small or too ordinary for worship.

Read our review of Rat Saw God.

Willie Nelson - I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard (Legacy)

Part of me thinks living legend Willie Nelson would rather continue paying tribute to his forebears than do anything else. The late Harlan Howard essentially gave Nelson his first break after hearing some original tunes, signing him to the Pamper publishing imprint in the early 60's. Of course, last year, Nelson would go on to celebrate a 90th birthday and be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while Howard, who passed away in 2002, is still mostly known behind the scenes, writing songs that would become immortalized by Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, and Brenda Lee. So leave it to Nelson to present Howard's best songs, with minimal arrangements, to emphasize the brilliance of his songwriting, the devastating simplicity of lines like "I'm about as helpless as a leaf in a gale." Nelson leads a stellar backing band through blues stomps ("Excuse Me (I Think I've Got A Heartache)", a screaming version of "Busted") and plaintive and empathetic waltzes ("Life Turned Her That Way"), exemplifying a three chords and the truth philosophy appropriate for all moods and experiences.

Honorable Mentions:

Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17: Fragments - Time Out Of Mind Sessions 1996-1997 (Columbia/Legacy)

The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore (Merge)

Daniel Bachman - When The Roses Come Again (Three Lobed)

Danny Brown - Quaranta (Warp)

Gazelle Twin - Black Dog (Invada)

Lonnie Holley - Oh Me Oh My (Jagjaguwar)

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[skz-suki]

⭐️🍭….WHATS IN SUKI’S BAG !!

⭐️.. “suki! stay wants to know, what’s in your bag?”

☆ - TYPE OF BAG:

“okay so! my current rotation of purses/bags are all vintage and archived dior saddle bags by john galliano! these are some of my favorite purses like EVER because the designs and colors are so fun!!! so most of the time if i’m carrying a purse it’s going to be a saddle bag!! but i also collect other vintage designer bags so you never know. Right now i’m carrying this one from a limited edition collection made in 2007 which felix gifted to me!!

☆ - WALLET / COIN PURSE

“soooo first i have my wallet slash coin purse..*holds it up to the camera* its so cute, it matches the bag!!! um anyways yeah i obviously have to bring this with me everywhere because..you know..gotta pay for things. also felix got me this purse and wallet this past birthday so, thank you lixiecakes 🥺”

☆ - HEADPHONES

“next up we have my headphones! these are the tiktok famous sony wh-1000xm4, i paid a pretty penny for these. *giggles* jeongin also has a pair so we’re matching, although i have covered mine in stickers. i’m so fuc- *eyes widen* sorry. i’m so obsessed with these headphones! they’re literally the best things ever wah…they’re so loud and the noise canceling is next level. perfect for ignoring my 3 housemates, especially bin 😏”

☆ - CHAPSTICK/LIP GLOSS/MASCARA

“the next three things are probably my favorite things in my purse, i have no idea why…anyways i have this hello kitty x creme chapstick which is super duper cute because it’s hello kitty and i love sanrio! and then i have this lipgloss, it’s my fave, it’s the dior lip oil, *puts some on* look how pretty! the last of the three things issss my all time favorite mascaras! the first one is by too faced! it’s called… better than…can i say this on camera?? *looks to the production crew and smirks* um better than uh better than ES E EX….heh…anyways next i have this other one from a japanese brand called heroine make. *shows both to the camera*i have some on now actually *gets closer to the camera.* i like to mix these with the fenty beauty mascara!!!

☆ - KIRBY JEWELRY POUCH

“YOU GUYS!!! look how stinkin’ cute this is ohmahgaddd! it’s a jewelry pouch shaped like kirby like how adorbs is that!? anyways i use this when we go to schedules and i have to remove my jewelry and stuff, usually i’d just throw…my stuff…in the bag but it kept coming up missing??? so the stylist unnies gifted this to me, my besties forreal! i love them and this pouch 🥰”

☆ - CANDY/GUM

“lastly i carry candy and slash or gum around! i buy in bulk so whenever i run out of one pack i just restock! my favorite flavor of gum is anything minty, right now i have *pulls out gum packet* extra gum in the flavor spearmint! and as for candy i have these japanese candies called milkta! they’re milk flavored candies and they’re so so soooo good and remind me of my childhood. sometimes when i’m home in nyc i buy watermelon sour patch kids and keep those in here 😋”

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[fashion0030]

Beauty Rituals Around the World: Discovering Global Skincare Secrets

"Beauty Rituals Around the World: Discovering Global Skincare Secrets" embarks on a cultural odyssey, unveiling the diverse and time-honored skincare practices that span the globe. This captivating blog topic invites readers to transcend geographical boundaries and glean insights from age-old beauty rituals as followed by NYC Asian escorts that have been passed down through generations.

The blog starts by exploring the Japanese commitment to skincare as a form of self-care. It delves into the multi-step skincare routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, highlighting the emphasis on natural ingredients like green tea and rice bran. This meticulous approach reflects not just a beauty regimen but a cultural reverence for the ritual itself.

Moving to the Middle East, the blog uncovers the secrets of radiant skin in countries like Morocco, where argan oil takes center stage. The benefits of hammams, traditional steam baths, are explored, revealing their role in promoting smooth, glowing skin and relaxation.

India's Ayurvedic skincare traditions become a focal point, emphasizing the holistic connection between mind, body, and spirit. Readers discover the significance of ingredients like turmeric, neem, and rosewater in achieving balance and harmony in the skin.

From Scandinavia, the blog delves into the Nordic approach to skincare, where cold-weather resilience is achieved through hydrating ingredients like birch sap. The focus on simplicity and efficacy characterizes the Scandinavian skincare ethos.

The beauty secrets of South Korea, often celebrated for its "glass skin" trend, unveil the meticulous layering of products and innovative ingredients like snail mucin. This highlights the Korean commitment to achieving flawless and youthful-looking skin.

In essence, "Beauty Rituals Around the World" is a celebration of the rich tapestry of global skincare traditions as followed by New York Asian escorts. It inspires readers to draw from these age-old practices, recognizing that beauty is not only diverse but also deeply rooted in cultural heritage and the wisdom passed down through generations.

[edublogsworld]

New York's Most Creative Clothes Store: You Can Find Anything You Want!

New York's most innovative clothing store might be the perfect place to go if you're looking for a new wardrobe and a space that is elegant. The store is known for its affordable clothing and low cost of goods. However, be prepared to wait for a long time, particularly on weekends. Harold and Maude: The owners of this Brooklyn boutique source their clothes from all over the world. Recently, they've started a new collection featuring Japanese textiles. The store is located in Bed-Stuy and sells vintage college t-shirts and t-shirts. Another boutique that is cool in the neighborhood is What Goes Around Comes Around with locations on the Upper East Side and Soho. They are famous for their rare and vintage designer goods. Forever 21: This store has always been a popular choice for teens and young adults. Fashionable and bohemian styles are available. You will find some cute accessories and shoes here. The store is located on Broadway avenue, which runs between 45th and 46th Streets. If you're looking to buy new clothes This is the store for you. All your clothes are available for a fraction of the price. Sample sales They aren't a joke in NYC. Sample sales are an enormous deal for fashion-conscious women from the upper east. They'll fight for the chance to get their hands on Reformation dresses Rebecca Minkoff bags, Caroline Constas ' dresses, and Spiritual Gangster tees. These sales were frequented by some of Micheal's most close friends. Old Navy: Old Navy is another brand offering low-cost fashions. Old Navy's Time Square store has three floors. There's the clearance section, sale section and even a "Clearance" area in which you can pick up the best price on last season's fashions. The New York's Most Creative Clothes Market: Whatever you'd like, it's possible! New York City's shopping culture is unrivaled. In every neighborhood, you will find numerous shops to choose from. If you're seeking trendy clothes or a chic designer clothes, there's a shop for you. H&M: H&M is the most popular destination for hipsters. Located just from 42nd St., it offers 41 fitting rooms as well as many affordable clothing items. The brand sells anything from shoes to clothing to home products and beauty products. Some of the most affordable items are as low as $10! There are two locations for H&M: Times Square and West Village. The store is open Monday through Friday, from 10am until 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays between 11am and 8pm. Assembly New York specializes in Japanese brands, and its clothing line is distinctive and wearable. You can spend anywhere from $130-$700 on the item you want or an attractive accessory for just the cost of a few dollars. The jewelry at Assembly New York is also fashionable and the distinctive designs will be in your closet for many years to be. New York's Most Creative Clothes Store! From vintage furniture to retro clothing, you can discover what you're searching for in this store. The rack of new arrivals is one of the most popular locations to get bargains. The best quality merchandise is snapped up very quickly. You can also browse the record store for bargain vinyl records, as well as check out the cool artwork displayed on the mezzanine. It is located close to Union Square. The L train stops at Union Square. You can stroll into the store from any station. Think Closet - Located in Brooklyn, Think Closet is a vintage-style clothing store that's located near the 2 subway line. The store opened in 2006, and it has expanded to over $120,000 a year. It offers a wide assortment of vintage clothes at affordable prices that range from $5 to $30. Some accessories are also available. You'll find something to suit anyone, regardless of what your budget. The Meatpacking District A trendy retail area, is hip. The area was once a warehouse for industrial use however, it has become an exciting area that is filled with trendy restaurants and stylish shops. In this area, you can find the best designer clothes. You'll find the perfect gown for you, or exclusive furniture items for your home here.

Video source

#Fashion #New York Style #Clothes

[giles26willadsen]

Luxurious Vintage Bags

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According to the Hong Kong-based Apple Daily newspaper, the corporate was looking for a compensation of HK$25,000 (around US$3,200) and the publication of an apology in the form of newspaper commercial. The proprietor had sourced basic furniture and gear from the PRC for beginning his shop. Facing this accusation, the barbershop owner said he had no means to deal with Louis Vuitton and will have to shut down his shop which has been operating for one 12 months in a remote local district on Hong Kong Island. The controversy had triggered tremendous concern on Hong Kong news boards and viral protest on Facebook pages. On 19 November 2007 Louis Vuitton, in further efforts to stop counterfeiting, efficiently sued Britney Spears for violating anti-counterfeiting laws.

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[merrill90mohammad]

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X-Men Abridged: 1979

The X-Men, those globe-trotting mutants that have sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them, are a cultural juggernaut with a long, tangled history. Want to unravel this tapestry? Then read the Abridged X-Men!

(X-Men 117 - 128, X-Man Annual 3) - by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Terry Austin, George Perez

See Jean? Dark Phoenix is nothing: this is how you turn evil properly. (X-Men 123)

So, these things have been getting longer. Whoops.

Last year, plotlines tended to bleed over in one another, but this year is a lot more arc-based, jumping from location to location. This is basically X-Men: World Tour. After hitting Antarctica and the Savage Land, our team of merry mutants visits Japan, Canada, Egypt, Scotland and even a theme park! (And really, both Murder World and Disney Land are run by capitalist scumbags who pretend to be in it for the art, the only difference being that Arcade purposefully murders his guests.)

But, before we check in with the X-Men, we return to the Institute. See, there’s a mutual misunderstanding that wouldn’t be out of place in a Shakespearian tragedy: Jean and Charles think Beast and Jean were the only survivors of their fight with Magneto in Antarctica, while the rest of the X-Men believe they were the only survivors and Jean and Beast perished. Since the X-Men have been trapped in the Savage Land, nobody has been able to clear up the confusion.

With their grief driving a wedge between her and Charles, Jean leaves the mansion to deal with her feelings on her own. (She’ll end up on Muir Isle.)

This is adorable! And, if the whole "Empress of the known Universe "-thing blows up in her face, she can always become a barista at Starbucks. (X-Men 117)

Lilandra successfully persuades Xavier to leave Earth as her consort, now that there is nothing left for him. Xavier agrees, but not before having a flashback to the time he met another telepath named Amahl Farouk in Egypt. (The Shadow King isn’t relevant just yet, but he’ll become an important villain later on.)

The X-Men, meanwhile, cross a treacherous ocean on a raft and are picked up by a Japanese vessel. The Japanese do not allow them to call anyone, for some reason. Sure. When they finally dock in Japan - six weeks later - some arms dealer named Magnum Moses has put Agarishima is on fire. Like, literally an inferno of such big proportions that even Storm can’t do much.

What follows is an uninspired, slipshod adventure. For some reason, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing are there too, because the president needed American detectives to investigate Magnum Moses (?) and for some reason, Misty doesn’t know Jean thinks Scott is dead, nor does she mention she just saw Jean to Scott. AUGH. It will take almost a year for Scott to figure out Jean isn’t dead and it becomes increasingly more contrived. I get that Claremont needed to isolate Jean to make her susceptible to, er, a certain someone’s machinations, but holy fuck do I have to suspend my disbelief for all of this bullshit.

The only good things about this little arc are:

Sunfire is still a dick.

Wolverine meets Mariko Yashida, a Japanese girl who actually reciprocates his feelings, as opposed to Jean. I’ve mostly been ignoring his budding feelings for Jean, because I stopped finding love triangles interesting since I was 16 and watched The OC, so I can only applaud this development. Mariko brings out Wolverine’s soft side and it’s very adorable. Later on, she moves to NYC for some reason and they start dating.

There is something sweetly disarming about calling Wolverine ‘beautiful’. (X-Men 120)

Anyway, Magnum is holding Japan hostage: either they give him what he wants - I think that might be money, sorry, wasn't paying attention - or he sinks Japan by activating the fault lines and you guys, I am sooo bored. Unsurprisingly, the X-Men stop him and for once, it’s Banshee who gets to play the most important part.

It’s a good thing I was terrible at science, otherwise I might have to point out that earthquakes and sonic waves don’t work that way! I simply get to be entertained by little rascal Colossus, plugging his ears like a toddler, and Sunfire’s gritty determination to not be impressed by some silly screaming Irishman. (X-Men 119)

Banshee pays a steep price for the victory, however: his vocal chords end up damaged, leaving him effectively powerless for the remainder of the year.

Oh, and here’s interesting fact about the above spread: you may or may not know that Chris Claremont and John Byrne were notoriously terrible at working together; this issue became a particular sore point between the creators. See, Byrne wanted to run the above panel without the sound of ‘Kra-Koom’, believing the art was strong enough to convey the destruction. He was livid when the finished product ended up containing a sound effect after all. I get your frustration, man, but if you want a writer who knows how to say less with more, you should maybe not work with Claremont?

(One of the reasons Claremont liked being so verbose and descriptive in his scripts was because otherwise, the artist would fill in the blanks using his own imagination. It’s no wonder these two found it hard to work together.)

On the flight to the US of A, Colleen Wing hits on Cyclops. It has to be the jawline, right? It can’t be the personality. All of a sudden, a snow storm causes their plane to be diverted to Calgary. The cause of this delay is Alpha Flight, who want their Wolverine back!

When even the narration is all “and they think they’re equal to any team of superheroes”, you know you’re a bunch of C-listers. Ugh. (X-Men 121)

Vindicator, previously known as Captain Alpha. He changed his name after accidentally shooting Moira that one time, which is exactly the kind of hollow gesture this dude would make. Ugh. If you think his new-found remorse won’t let him threaten an airplane chock full of innocent passengers, you would be wrong.

Shaman, doctor by day, magic user by night. Him and his magical little pouch are to blame for the snow storm.

Sasquatch, Canada’s answer to the Hulk. (Hilariously, the theory on why he turns furry instead of green is because he’s closer to the Aurora Borealis and this somehow messes with the radiation?)

Snowbird, a young Arctic goddess. Precious. To be cherished. Barely there for this adventure, sadly.

Northstar, an arrogant, hot-headed speedster, the twin brother of

Aurora, a lover, not a fighter. Together, they have light powers.

Vindicator and Shaman hog most of the spotlight, so Alpha Flight continues to be the ever-loving worst. They’re really wasting Northstar’s first appearance here. Here's why they suck:

Alpha Flight accidentally smashes a plane and keeps threatening to drag Wolverine back to the military against his will.

They push the cover price of the comic to a whoppin’ 40 cents.

Johnny fuckin’ Hudson even provokes Storm into an attack in the middle of a mall.

Shaman lets his blizzard get out of control.

After Storm fixes this mistake for him, Northstar has the gall to knock her out, “because she’s obviously the strongest”. Like, you’re not wrong, but damn, y’all a bunch of unpleasant superheroes.

To stop the fight, Wolverine decides to turn himself in. The X-Men leave, but while flying back, they already make plans to save their teammate. Wolverine saves them the trouble, casually sauntering into the cockpit while claiming that pulling a fast one on them was the easiest thing ever.

To be fair, I understand why you’d want to put a country between yourself and those bozos.

And finally, the X-Men are home! Xavier left them the equivalent of a Post-It saying “off to space”, so they try to pick up their life as best they can. None of them contact Jean’s parents, make an attempt to visit her grave or happen to see Beast on TV and by now, my suspension of disbelief is stretched so far that it could replace Reed Richards on the Fantastic Four.

Ororo, meanwhile, makes a little pilgrimage to Harlem, to the building she grew up in before she moved to Cairo.

I have failed you as a recapper, because I have absolutely no idea how to parse this scene. (X-Men 122)

I think I’d have to write a full-on thesis before I could properly analyse this, because so many things intersect here: poverty and racism, the boundaries of a superhero comic, confronting a (shared) past. I can’t even fully gauge if this is a clumsy, privileged attempt at tackling a serious topic or rather, a valuable moment in a comic that continually tries to expand on its themes of racism, exclusion and prejudice. One thing I will note is:

Luke Cage delivers the sort of trite conclusion that they’re superheroes: they’re better at fighting Galactus than at fixing the human condition. Point is, he kind of has to believe that, doesn’t he? It’s the sort of blind spot we all permit ourselves: you can’t fix everything. None of us have the power to fix the earth, or humanity, or the economy, or whatever: if you’re lucky, you can maybe tend to your own garden and leave it better than you found it, ensuring some happiness for yourself and a few loved ones.

Chasing bank robbers is easy. Superhero stuff. But here? Who do you attack here? These kids, or the system that failed them? You can’t really punch a needle exchange into being. Maybe that’s the appeal of superhero comics: there’s a clear villain, which is so sorely lacking in our day to day lifes. There, we are ruled by systems that are rooted in inequality, patriarchy, gender...

But Storm isn’t like Luke Cage, not in this regard. Before she became an X-Man, she used her powers to help people that came to her. And the whole point of the X-Men - other than beating up villains in colorful spandex - is that they want to change the system. They want to fix things, they want to fix a dark part of human nature, the part that hates which we fear.

Storm doesn’t really respond to Luke Cage here, but we know she’ll keep fighting the good fight, despite insurmountable odds. You can’t fix mankind, I don’t think, but you can sure as hell try.

*coughs*

Anyway!

Black Tom and Juggernaut hire Arcade… to kill the X-Men! I’m not sure why? I thought these two usually attempted to solve things on their own and Arcade’s fee is, like, a million bucks, so…? Maybe Black Tom asked his boyfriend what he wanted for his birthday and Juggernaut clenched his fists and said “I WANT THE X-MEN DEAD” and things escalated from there.

So, Arcade is a subtle villain. While Scott and Colleen Wing are on a date, this happens:

I can’t decide which is funnier: kidnapping people by sneaking up on them with A GARBAGE TRUCK or the fact that Spider-Man deduces this is Arcade’s doing by the noise alone. (X-Men 123)

Spider-Man doesn’t really figure into the rest of the plot, by the way.

Arcade successfully kidnaps all of the X-Men (and their dates: Colleen, Amanda and Betsy). Who is this Arcade? Well, he is an assassin who lets his victims run through a gauntlet of some sort, testing them with potentially deadly results in his Murderworld. He’s like a discount-combo of Saw and the Joker, except a lot less competent and a lot more spoiled rich kid. He barely kills anyone, ever, until maaaybe Avengers Arena, some forty years later.

Arcade veers heavily to the silly side of the silly-to-sinister scale, but he at least commits to a theme. Bonus is that trapping your heroes in a bunch of ricocheting balls fubars them ever-so beautifully. (X-Men 123)

This whole adventure is very silly and has very little bearing on the overarching plot, but it’s a fun enough romp: Cyclops nearly gets squashed by a hydraulic press, Nightcrawler gets attacked by bumper cars with chain saws attached to them, stuff like that. The absolute best part is when Colossus is hypnotized by an illusion of the KGB and becomes THE PROLETARIAN.

His insignia is Vladimir Lenin, y’all.

After various shenanigans, everybody is freed from their respective booby traps, everyone except Colossus. See, Piotr has been feeling down, torn between the exciting new loyalty to the X-Men and the more dutiful loyalty to his family and his motherland. (Also, he’s been feeling like a failure because he came up short a couple a times, aw.) Those feelings are exactly what Arcade has been abusing, but when Colossus comes in for the kill, Storm gives the most heartfelt plea:

I’m not crying, you’re crying. (X-Men 124)

Arcade’s all: “Eh, can’t win ‘em all” and yeets the X-Men out of Murderworld. The story has barely any other repercussions, except we stop seeing Colleen Wing and Betsy (Piotr’s date) after this. To be fair, being kidnapped by a super villain is a good reason to stop seeing someone.

Even more inconsequential is the adventure in the Annual. The only important thing to glean from there is that, when Thor is unavailable, Storm is a suitable substitution. Couldn’t agree more.

The quality of the comic has been steadily ascending throughout the year and ends on a supremely high note: Proteus. Because I think it might be Claremont’s best work so far, I’ll be dedicating a full post to that. (Man, that 10-picture-limit is a real bummer, huh?)

Ugliest Costume: I don’t care, I just want someone to cosplay the Proletarian.

Best new character: There’s actually a few options - Snowbird, Northstar, Proteus - but both Jean-Paul and Narya don’t really show their best sides this year, so I’m going in a different direction. My pick is the Shadow King. He is a very effective foil to Xavier, perhaps even moreso than Magneto. I know I rag on Xavier and his cavalier attitude to bending others to his will a lot, but imagine if you had his powers: wouldn’t you just make people do whatever you want? Just, like, all the time? The Shadow King is an effective reminder of what Charles would have been like, had he been immoral. (Well, more immoral.)

No matter how cool your psychic battle may be, this is what it looks like to the rest of the world. (X-Men 117)

Turns evil: Colossus, for the first time!

What to read: 117, 125 - 129.

#abridged x-men #x-men abridged #cyclops #phoenix #storm #colossus #wolverine #banshee #nightcrawler #Terry Austin #George Perez #chris claremont #john byrne #arcade #colleen wing #luke cage #lilandra #mariko yashida #the shadow king #alpha flight #sunfire #vindicator #snowbird #aurora #northstar #shaman #sasquatch #professor x

[kayliemusing]

42: top 3s

1: Top 3 ice cream flavors - classic vanilla, birthday cake/birthday batter, bubblegum

2: Top 3 Disney Movies - Mulan, Onward, Soul (but this changes frequently lol)

3: Top 3 vacation destinations - I've never been outside of my home country so I'll say my top 3 DREAM destinations: NYC, Hawaii, a random countryside in either France or the UK

4: Top 3 places to shop - Dynamite, Sephora, Winners/Homesense

5: Top 3 subjects of study/classes to take - English/anything creative writing related, Interior Decorating/Design, Communications?

6: Top 3 make up products - YSL Touche Eclat Foundation, literally any Mac Lipstick but it has to be matte, & Fenty Beauty contour stick

7: Top 3 music artists - Taylor Swift - Of Monsters and Men - The Lumineers

8: Top 3 spices/herbs - Cinnamon - Nutmeg (literally tastes like autumn) - Paprika

9: Top 3 drinks - Diet Coke - Hot Chocolate - Vanilla Bean Frappe

10: Top 3 apps to use - Instagram - Pinterest -iBooks

11: Top 3 months of the year - May, October, December

12: Top 3 clothing items - My black/white turtle neck, high waisted jeans, plaid blazer

13: Top 3 binge perfect tv shows - Bones, Supernatural, Brooklyn Nine Nine

14: Top 3 romantic dates - (I've never been on a date but if I had, it would be this) Evening walk, late night drive, late night coffee date (tbh anything at night feels romantic)

15: Top 3 kinds of flower - Water lilies, cherry blossoms, roses

16: Top 3 christmas movies - A Christmas Carol (2009), Home Alone, The Polar Express

17: Top 3 OTPs - Nesta and Cassian from ACOTAR series by SJM, Manon and Dorian from Throne of Glass series by SJM, Casteel and Poppy from From Blood and Ash series by JLM.

18: Top 3 quotes to describe your life - "I write not to find, but to leave" by Scherezade Siobhan - "I want to be myself again. I want to be six. I want to stop knowing everything I know" by Catherynne M. Valente - "The truth is, I pretend to be a cynic, but I am really a dreamer who is terrified of wanting something she may never get" by Joanna Hoffman.

19: Top 3 characteristics you love about yourself - my kindness bc it's not surface level kindness, but actually something deeply rooted within me - my resilience even tho sometimes it doesn't feel like resilience - my loyalty bc it is a hard as steel kind of loyalty

20: Top 3 kinds of candy - Maltesers, Kit kats, smarties

21: Top 3 ways to exercise/ be active - Walking, dancing, mowing the lawn/shoveling the sidewalk

22: Top 3 spirit animals - wolf, hummingbird, tiger (i googled it bc i didn't know and i was scared it was a joke but)

23: Top 3 petnames - I like 'lovebug', 'love', 'sweetheart'

24: Top 3 books read outside of school - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas but viewers discretion is advised, Crush by Richard Siken

25: Top 3 most used websites - Youtube, Tumblr, Pinterest

26: Top 3 people you last texted - my mom, my bestie megan, and my sister bc they're the only people i text...

27: Top 3 hashtags you use - the only time i use hashtags is if i'm trying to promote some of my writing so I'll usually use writingcommunity, writersonig, poetryonig lol

28: Top 3 instagram accounts you follow - Trista Mateer, Griefmother, obviously taylor swift

29: Top 3 guilty pleasures - buzzfeed quizzes, early 2000s music, romance novels

30: Top 3 summer activities - Going to the zoo, long evening walks, campfires and s'mores

31: Top 3 things to draw/doodle - hearts, flowers, random swirls bc it's the only thing i can doodle...

32: Top 3 aesthetics - cityscape aesthetic, autumn aesthetic, rustic aesthetic

33: Top 3 things you'd buy if you gained three million dollars - a new car, a condo, another cat

34: Top 3 ways to treat yourself - facial, a large bag of maltesers, buying the makeup i really want but have been putting off

35: Top 3 celebrity crushes - Evan Peters, Matthew Daddario, henry cavill

36: Top 3 books from your childhood - Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl, and Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmens

37: Top 3 accents to hear - Australian, super poshy british accent, new zealand accent

38: Top 3 scents - Fresh rain, vanilla, sweet cinnamon pumpkin from bath and body works

39: Top 3 "Friends" quotes - "WE WERE ON A BREAK" -Ross, "Guess things were just going too well for me" -also ross, and "it's so exhausting waiting for death" - phoebe

40: Top 3 cupcake flavors - tbh I haven't tried that many cupcakes so your typical vanilla, chocolate, and Pink Lady Cupcake from Babycakes Cupcakery

41: Top 3 fruits - Pomegranates, Strawberries, Raspberries

42: Top 3 places you've had amazing pizza from - Pizzahut, Dominos, Pizza73

43: Top 3 sports teams to watch - i don't

44: Top 3 crayola colors - uh, i guess red, purple, and pink??

45: Top 3 things you hope to accomplish in college - Certificates/Degrees in Copyediting and Creative Writing, and I think simply just deeper critical thinking skills when it comes to writing and books

46: Top 3 fanfictions you've read - I read more books than fanfics, I've read a couple on tumblr but don't remember the names sorry :/

47: Top 3 people you miss right now - my dad, my best friend bc she's in vancouver, taylor swift bc she's not on tumblr anymore rip

48: Top 3 fears - Failure, Loss, not achieving anything in life/not reaching my full potential

49: Top 3 favorite literary devices - Foreshadowing is always god tier, cliffhangers although evil i love those too, symbolism

50: Top 3 pet peeves - People dragging their shoes on the floor when they walk, when you tell someone your fav hobby/music artist/interest and they immediately go 'oh I hate X!', and people who go 'you're so quiet!!!' but in a way that draws in more attention and/or makes me feel more uncomfortable like i would literally rather die

51: Top 3 physical things you find attractive - Hands, nice hair, defined jawlines

52: Top 3 bad habits - Nailbiting, picking at my blemishes oops, lip biting

53: Top 3 pets you've had/wish to have - Cats bc they complete me, I've always wanted a Samoyed, and I've always wanted a turtle

54: Top 3 types of foreign food - Chicken Chow Mein, deep fried shrimp, japanese chicken wings

55: Top 3 things you want to say to someone in your lifetime - 'I quit', 'I love you', 'you changed my life'

56: Top 3 dog breeds - Samoyed, german shepherds, collies

57: Top 3 cheesy romance movies - You've Got Mail, How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days, 10 Things I Hate About You

58: Top 3 languages you speak/wish to speak - French, Sign, and maybe Japanese?

59: Top 3 series (book, movie, television) - The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (but literally only for Cassian and Nesta), From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

60: Top 3 pizza toppings - Mushrooms, alfredo sauce, pineapple

61: Top 3 youtubers you're subscribed to - Game Grumps, Charlotte Dobre, Megan Batoon

62: Top 3 tattoo / piercing ideas - I want to get a tattoo on my wrist of the last thing my dad ever wrote me, a hummingbird tattoo right next to it, and then a cross on my index finger

63: Top 3 awards you want to win - National Book Awards, Nobel Prize, and maybe even Goodreads Choice Awards lol

64: Top 3 emojis - Laugh/Crying emoji, the please sir emoji that kinda gives off those puss n boots eyes, and the stars emoji

65: Top 3 cars you dream of owning - 1970s Chev Impala, tbh a cute little Hyundai Venue, and maaaaybe the 1964 ferarri 250 gt luso (idk if that name was totally right but i had to do tons of googling to find it. i don't know a lot about cars and i don't really have a top 3 lol)

66: Top 3 authors - Right now I'm really into Sarah J Maas, Sally Thorne, and Holly Black maybe?

67: Top 3 historical figures - Jesus, Anne Frank, Vincent Van Gogh

68: Top 3 baby names - Ryder, Leila, Gracie

69: Top 3 DIYs - Candles, refurnishing old furniture (i.e. my mom and i painted our wooden garbage can), and really just any type of autumn diy

70: Top 3 smoothie combos/flavors - Strawberry/Banana, Mango, Strawberry-Mango

71: Top 3 songs of this month - Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish, Biblical by Calum Scott, and Visiting Hours by Ed Sheeran

72: Top 3 questions of this post you want to be asked - I did them all bc I made it a survey instead of an ask meme ;)

73: Top 3 villains - Regina/The Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time, Cruella De Vil, and Moriarty from Sherlock

74: Top 3 Cities you want to see - Montreal, NYC, Vancouver (honorable mention: LA)

75: Top 3 recipes you want to try - different kind of salad and/or burger bowls, Stuffed bell peppers, and homemade lemon loaf

76: Top 3 dream jobs - Bestselling author, the person who runs a companies social media accounts, youtuber/blogger

77: Top 3 lucky items - tbh don't have one

78: Top 3 traditions you have - Christmas Eve Service and if I don't go to that at least incorporating reading the christmas story on christmas day or eve, idk if this counts as tradition but going to the corn maze every fall, and whenever it's easter/christmas/thanksgiving we always have a big meal w/ family

79: Top 3 things you miss about being a kid - reckless abandon, dreaming about growing up with hopefulness and no dashed hopes, experiencing holidays like halloween and christmas as a kid

80: Top 3 harry potter characters - I've never read or watched Harry Potter rip (ok well i saw the first and second (and maybe third?) movie in the sixth grade I think) but I think I really liked Hermoine, Harry obviously and Dobby

81: Top 3 lies you were told - i don't have 3, but this one has a story but basically when my sister and i were in elementary school my sister got hit by a car and so the insurance thing was that she would recieve 10k when she was 18 and as a child i thought that was unfair so my dad told me that my sister had to split it with me when we were 18 lmao obviously that didn't happen (i think i realized that wasn't true in middle school)

82: Top 3 pictures in your camera roll right now - Pictures of my cat, one of my sister in a hilarious filter, and a picture of my rocking my TS merch

83: Top 3 turn ons - Kindness, defined jawline, easy going

84: Top 3 turn offs - arrogance, unkempt, super loud and obnoxious

85: Top 3 magazines/news papers/ journals to read - I don't read much of those so I'll tell you some sites I love for writing purpose's: there's Wellstoried, justwriterlythings, springhole.net (which is filled with generators if you're stuck and also tons of infomation and advice)

86: Top 3 things you wish you had known earlier - that toad in Mario Party was wearing a mushroom hat and that it is actually not his head, that immaculate means 'clean' before i misused that word like several times over the years, and that the one turn i always take on my way to work where i thought everyone didn't know how to drive was actually bc i didn't have the right of way rip me

87: Top 3 spongebob episodes - the one episode where spongebob and patrick find a ghost ship, that one episode where they form a bikini bottom band and perform it at a football game in a little fish tank, and the one episode where squidward has his first snowball fight

88: Top 3 places to be in the world - I'd love to be in NYC, Montreal, or Hawaii

89: Top 3 things you'd do differently - I would not have applied for RDC, similarly I should have just paid the 500 dollars to the one certificate program I wanted to do instead of overthinking it, and I wish I wouldn't have ended a friendship the way I did

90: Top 3 TV shows from your childhood - Spongebob Squarepants, That's So Raven, and Hannah Montana

91: Top 3 meals you love - Turkey Burgers, Chilli, and Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

92: Top 3 kinds of tea - i don't drink tea

93: Top 3 embarrassing moments - one time in sixth grade I tripped and fell right on my face in front of my crush, this other time like a couple years ago i opened the door to my car and only realized much too late while i was staring at this random family that it was not my car, and when i went to the gas station to get gas and couldn't get my gas lid on my car opened and this guy had to help me which was already embarrassing enough but then the gas pump wouldn't work so i had to go inside to pay just to realize i forgot my wallet and had to shamefully walk back to my car and then run back inside the convenience store and then pay and then walk back to my car and finally fill my tank.

94: Top 3 holidays to celebrate - Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving

95: Top 3 things to do in the rain - have an existential crisis, pretend you're in a music video, walk through puddles like you're six again

96: Top 3 things to do in the snow - Sledding, Build a snowman, shovel it even tho you don't want to

97: Top 3 items you can't leave the house w/o - phone, keys, wallet

98: Top 3 movies you'd like to see - Jurassic World 3, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania bc i'm a child, and the animation of the addams family

99: Top 3 art mediums - Writing fiction/poetry, painting, music

100: Top 3 museums you've been to - Royal Tyrell Museum, Canadian History one in edmonton lol, and heritage park in calgary

101: Top 3 school memories - Middle school dances when the popular kids would grind to the song "Low" which was always an interesting experience, in the twelfth grade at winter formal when we all shouted "SHUT UP AND DANCE!" at the same time when they played Shut Up and Dance, and the day i left

102: Top 3 things you don't/Won't miss - School, my sisters ex, 2016 bc she was a rough year yikes

103: Top 3 pick up lines - "My name is Will. God's Will.", "I'd like to take you to the movies but they don't like you bring your own snacks", "are you from tennessee bc you're the only 10 i see"

104: Top 3 sports to watch - none of them

105: Top 3 taylor swift songs - all too well - exile - coney island

#survey

[glenngaylord]

OUTFEST 2020 FILM REVIEWS:  The Rest Of The Fest

As the curtain closes on another Outfest, this one presented under extremely unusual circumstances, I sit in awe of the filmmakers and of the staff who put together not only a great group of films, but managed to creatively bring them to its audience online and at drive-in screenings.  Typically, you find yourself having to choose one film over several others, but with this new format, you have a great chance of seeing everything you want.  In past years, I found myself lucky if I saw 15 films.  This year I saw 23 features and 4 shorts programs out of the 160 on the schedule.  

As it’s impossible to get full reviews submitted for everything while the festival is still chugging along, I wanted to write capsules of the remaining films not covered at TheQueerReview.com .  Please visit the website for all the other reviews I wrote as well as those by my colleagues.

THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON ★★★★★

Melding a Groundhog Day-style concept with police violence against black people, this stunning film could not be more prescient and emotionally overpowering.  A black gay teenager relives his moment of murder over and over again, with slight shifts in the narrative taking us to someplace unexpected and earned.  Director Ali LeRoi directs his first feature as if he’s been doing it all of his life and has interpreted Stanley Kalu’s ingenious script with a great cinematic approach.  Gorgeously framed, beautifully acted, written, and directed, this is one of the most powerful films of 2020.

TWO EYES ★★★★★

I can’t form sentences here so I’m gonna vomit out words:  Instant classic. Glorious. Set over three centuries seamlessly melding a triptych of stories about gender identity.  I’m a blubbering mess.  Fantastic and very funny last line.  Travis Fine is a very gifted filmmaker who screams love child of Terrence Malick and Kelly Reichardt.  Heartbreaking. Inspiring. Unforgettable.  Montana is so beautiful.  Barstow is not.  A perfect film for anyone who wants to find their place in the world. I wouldn’t complain if TUNDE and TWO EYES both received Best Picture Oscar nominations.  

DRAMARAMA  ★★★★

Theater nerds rule in this incredibly endearing, early 90s set film about a group of high schoolers discovering themselves in one night at a ridiculous Murder Mystery-themed party.  Hilarious script, vivid and wonderful performances, and the opposite of a “Coming Out” movie in the best possible way.  Jonathan Wysocki has given us The Breakfast Club for air-kissing, mid-Atlantic accented freaks and geeks. 

CICADA ★★★★

What happens when a traumatized, bisexual man who has more sex partners than any standard montage can contain slows things down to concentrate on one kind but also traumatized young man?  This elliptically told film has a fun, flirty side but carries its heaviness with great ease.  A terrific feature debut for director/writer/editor/lead actor Matthew Fifer. 

THE STRONG ONES (LOS FUERTES) ★★★★

From Chile comes this sexy, moving story of two men at cross purposes who form a beautiful bond.  Set against some stunning scenery and mining the chemistry between its two leads for everything it has, I am half-jokingly calling it Brokeback Andes.  It’s so much more than that trite, hackneyed comparison.  

MONSOON ★★★1/2

Director Hong Khaou’s followup to Lilting sets its sights on modern day Vietnam as Henry Golding’s character visits to find a suitable place to distribute his mother’s ashes.  It’s a terrific mediation on a gay man finding a sense of belonging in a place he’s never been and Golding proves himself to be a subtle, compelling actor.  Perhaps a little too quiet and reflective, the film makes up for what it lacks in narrative drive with its awe-inspiring cinematography and immersive qualities.  

P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE ★★★★1/2

What an unexpected surprise.  Michael Seligman and Jennifer  Tiexiera’s documentary about a treasure trove of letters dating back to the 1950s brings us into the world of drag queens from almost 70 years ago.  With many of its subjects not only alive but in fine form telling their stories and the dishiest voiceover readings ever to grace a film, I was not only thoroughly entertained, but I didn’t expect to weep like Laura Dern at the end.  Oh, this is so so so so good. 

MINYAN ★★★★

Eric Steel’s feature debut has its own unique tone and a star making performance by Samuel H. Levine, a spitting image of a young Al Pacino/Sylvester Stallone hybrid.  With its 1980s Jewish Brighton Beach backdrop, this powerful yet subtle film about a young man coming to terms with his sexuality as well as his place within his religion, it’s a stunning debut.  Ron Rifkin is stellar as Levine’s charming grandfather and Alex Hurt (William Hurt’s son) has his father’s intensity.  Fantastic, lived-in production design which feels like its decade without resorting to the usual candy colored tropes and a evocative score makes this a memorable experience.  Reminiscent at times of On The Waterfront, this film puts a fresh new spin on a coming of age tale and finds so many moving moments from first sex to an elderly gay couple hiding in plain sight.  A must-see. 

SHIVA BABY ★★★★

Writer/Director Emma Seligman must have studied Rosemary’s Baby quite a bit with this angsty story set mostly at a memorial service.  Rachel Sennott is fantastic as a young lesbian who moves from one cringe-worthy moment to the next in an attempt to avoid as much conflict as possible.  The great supporting cast includes Polly Draper, Fred Melamed, Dianna Agron, Molly Gordon, and Jackie Hoffman, all note perfect.  Less a comedy and more of an emotional horror story, Seligman knows how to make the best of a cramped space and throw up an endless variety of obstacles.  You just want Sennott’s Danielle to get her goddamned bagel with lox and cream cheese, but the fates have something else, something better, in store. 

COWBOYS ★★★★

Steve Zahn gives a career best performance in this moving story of a father with mental health issues and his trans son escaping into the Montana wilderness.  Sasha Knight makes an impressive debut as Zahn’s son and Jillian Bell expertly walks that fine line between villain and empathetic character.  Its comparisons to Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid are not coincidental.  Not perfect by any stretch, it may feel fairly conventional, but it’s tackling a vibrant subject matter.  Extra points for giving Ann Dowd a role where we don’t hiss at her. 

BREAKING FAST ★★★

Solid romcom with a Muslim backdrop, this very tight, deceptively simple script provides just the right amount of sparks between its charming leads, Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy.  While structurally not breaking new ground, the entry point into a world we don’t see enough of on screen coupled with food porn for days makes this a fun, funny, goes down easy delight.

ASK ANY BUDDY ★★★1/2

Q: Daddy!  Daddy!  What were the 70s like down at the Piers in NYC?   A: Oh shut up and watch this movie.  

An experimental collage of vintage gay porn and archival footage from the disco, pre-AIDS heyday gives this film a mesmerizing, museum installation quality.  While technically without a story, you feel like you’ve gone on a journey nonetheless.  Would pair well with William Friedkin’s Cruising. 

DRY WIND ★★★1/2

Slow cinema meets voyeuristic gay porn in this one of a kind Brazilian exploration an arid small town, a workers’ union crisis, and a man obsessed with the Tom Of Finland drawing come to life who motors into his life.  Overlong and a little too obtuse as it goes along, it’s worth watching this Alice In Wonderland takes a quaalude, gets a very hairy back, and has a lot of sex in the dirt. 

NO HARD FEELINGS ★★★★

This year’s Teddy Award Winner at the Berlin Film Festival, Faraz Shariat’s film uses its backdrop of a refugee camp in Germany to tell the story of Iranians and Irani-Germans searching for a better life.  Its three leads bring a spark and youthful energy to a story with devastating undercurrents.  A wrenching glimpse into the emotional effects an oppressive culture has on its people, yet told with a driving pulse. 

LILY TOMLIN: THE FILM BEHIND THE SHOW ★★★

A look behind the scenes as Lily Tomlin and wife Jane Wagner workshop their legendary 1980s Broadway show, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe.  It’s great to see these two at the top of their game and get a glimpse of their creative process, but this documentary is almost devoid of incident and feels more like a sweet gift to the fans than a fully realized film. 

SHORTS: WHAT A BOY NEEDS ★★★1/2

A mixed bag here of people searching for excitement, I found a couple of gems here nonetheless.  Not to take away from the shorts I don’t mention, I want to single out two exceptional films. Ruben Navarro’s Of Hearts And Castles looks great, has a beautiful vibe, and shows us a lovely connection forming right before our eyes.  Kiko’s Saints proves highly original as we follow a female Japanese artist on assignment in France become obsessed with a gay couple who have a lot of sex on the beach.  Combining animation with fairly explicit sex, I loved seeing the male gaze from a female perspective. 

THE CAPOTE TAPES ★★1/2

I love Truman Capote. I grew up at a time when smart authors found themselves on talk shows and were treated like superstars.  I’ve read his books and always have been in awe of his ability to be himself.  Featuring never-before-heard tapes of Capote’s friends being interviewed by George Plimpton, unfortunately, I don’t think this repetitive documentary gave me anything all that new.  It’s still touching at times and for the uninitiated, this is a great overview of his life, but I was watching the clock. 

OUT LOUD ★★★1/2

A moving look at the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles as they prepare for their first public performance.  With its ticking clock storyline, director Gail Willumsen expertly interweaves storylines of its founder and members.  As such, you really learn what’s a stake and what it means to them.  I was lucky enough to see the chorus perform David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust a few years ago and basked in the power of its mere existence…and was also ridiculously entertained. 

TWILIGHT’S KISS (SUK SUK)  ★★★1/2

This quiet charmer form Hong Kong shows us something we almost never get to see on film - two elderly gay men meeting and falling in love.  The fact that both have been married to women doesn’t stop them from exploring their feelings.  A little to gentle by half, I still was in awe of this rarity.

[sparklyandchic]

𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕-𝕥𝕠-𝕥𝕠𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕖

 ✨ first, a disclaimer! this is a list of things which i have found to subjectively improve my own appearance. i’m sure there’s many more treatments i’ve missed, and you may also feel that some of these treatments aren’t for you- i’ve just included everything which i have enjoyed personally in order to inform you of your options, from which you can make your own decisions on which to take part in. also, little blurb; what society or others think of you doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things and it is not my goal to promote being concerned with these things here. these are meant to help you be more excited about your own appearance every morning when you wake up, and take more time and care for yourself. partaking in these activities should add to your life, not subtract. ur all cute and valuable already ✨

also second disclaimer: i initially tried to make an amazon storefront as i thought i could put all the products i mentioned on one page so you could have access to them easily, but it turns out regular people can only get an amazon affiliation. this means that if you buy anything through the amazon links i provided, i’ll receive a very tiny percentage of the profits. this doesn’t benefit you, nor does it make the price higher for you, but if you’d like to support what i’m doing, it would be cool if you bought things through the links i provided. if you hate me or something, you can just search and buy them through amazon yourself! these are all products that i used and bought from amazon far before i signed up for the amazon affiliation, i’m just genuinely obsessed with amazon but i’m not affiliated in any way with any brand i mentioned.

✨ 𝕙𝕒𝕚𝕣  ✨

bleach/dye: personally i am a huge fan of foil highlights! tons of gals look amazing with dark hair or their natural hair color, but i have found that, for me, they really brighten the face and add depth to my hair. you could also darken your hair, do balayage, or tone it a different shade. i always recommend going to an actual well-rated salon rather than attempting to do it at home. they can ensure you’re getting the proper undertones and the correct volume developer for your hair. if you’re getting your hair bleached, look for a salon that uses olaplex or a similar bond builder in the mixture to avoid completely damaging the structure of your hair. at home, i tone my hair to remove gold/brassy tones with either this pravana mask, or a tiny amount of this semi-permanent violet hair dye mixed into my conditioner (you should only leave this in for a minute the first time as it can be very strong). i’ve found most purple shampoos are quite harsh, especially on fragile hair, so i always go for conditioner.

at-home protein treatments: if your hair is damaged from dying or styling it, i highly recommend using a protein mask on it at home once a week when you can to restore the structure of your hair. olaplex no 3 is a popular option but i really like this k-beauty collagen mask for a way cheaper option that works just as well in my opinion! many brands make protein and keratin masks though so feel free to order whichever you like.

cleansing conditioner: if you’ve used every “hydrating” and “repairing” shampoo + conditioner under the sun but your hair is still dry or fragile, i recommend using cleansing conditioner instead! shampoo, even sulfate free ones, can create friction and cause tearing in your hair, but cleansing conditioner cleans your hair without stripping or damaging it! i love this one from renpure and it’s a lot cheaper than other cleansing conditioners like wen, which i found to be less effective and weigh the hair down. if your hair does ever start to feel a little weighed down or oily, use shampoo to clean it more deeply- i tend to use it once every 1-2 weeks depending on how much i’ve been working out. cleansing conditioner will also help maintain a keratin treatment as it won’t strip the treatment from your hair, which brings me to this next consideration...

keratin treatments: keratin treatments are a semi-permanent treatment which help to make your hair quite a lot straighter, and much smoother, softer, shinier, and dry quicker! these help so much if you have frizzy or damaged hair, or your curl pattern is super irregular like mine! curly hair is beautiful too but if your curl pattern is tough to manage and make look pretty, then they’re a great option. a lot of people ask me if they're damaging but i find that they really help with my damaged fake-blonde hair and my hair stylist agrees, but he said to stay away from relaxers or japanese straightening treatments if your hair is fragile as those can be very damaging! if you’re in nyc, i recommend ‘hair bar nyc,’ their treatments are around $100 and last a couple months before they start to fade. i always go for their strongest solution, the 24 karat.

hair growth vitamins: personally i had short hair for a long time and loved it and still think it looks great on so many people! but i’m currently growing it out, so i’ve been taking hair vitamins daily to speed up the process. any brand works, but i love this brand ‘hair anew’ on amazon, or any store-brand which contains extra nutrients like zinc and pantothenic acid (not just plain biotin) as i feel that they work better and also clear my skin. they also help grow your nails longer and stronger, your eyebrows thicker, and your lashes longer and thicker!

hair extensions: these are less common/necessary, but for girls whose hair is much shorter than they want it, is damaged from bleach/dye/heat, or whose hair is quite thin, clip-in extensions can be a game changer. i’ve had tape-in extensions before and found that not only did they damage my hair and thin it out incredibly badly afterward, but they also truly were a lot of work to style and still looked bad after half an hour of trying to get it to work. a pair of clip-in remy extensions should also only set you back $60-100 while any sort of semi-permanent extension is far more expensive. i currently have this brand fullshine from amazon but it may also be wise to find a beauty supply store where you can match your hair to the extensions. this is also a great method of showing your hair stylist exactly what color you want your hair dyed to be! and pro-tip, never ever use shampoo on your extensions if you want them to last more than a month before they’re ratty and you need new ones. only ever wash them with plain conditioner, every couple of weeks!

shower filters: if you live in a place which has hard water, this can make your hair more brittle, dry, frizzy, tangled, and even make your hair a shade of green, due to the dissolved minerals drying in your hair. i installed this water filter in my shower to purify the water. it only takes 5 minutes; you simply twist off your showerhead,  twist the filter on, and then twist the showerhead back on. they also help with acne, eczema, and dandruff! i definitely noticed a difference in my hair softness when i got one.

leave-in treatments: i figure my favorite leave in-conditioners and serums are worth a mention here! i’ve been using the same 2-3 products for several years and i’ve never found anything that works as well as them. the two non-negotiables for me are it’s a 10 leave-in conditioner with keratin, and either biosilk or chi silk infusion. and if and when my hair is very dry or damaged from recent bleaching, i also put some moroccanoil on the ends. 

✨ 𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕤 ✨

brows: at-home tinting is a quick and cost effective way to make your brows more defined! i’ve used henna dyes before, which also dye the skin beneath the brows and make them look extra thick, but i found that lighter colors were always more orange than “light brown.” instead i love and use this brand of lash/brow dye. i don’t buy their developer- i just followed a reviewer’s instructions to mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and dye, and it works great! and obviously choose the color which suits your hair color. also worth mentioning, the light brown can be quite light or quite dark depending on how long you leave it on so start with 5 minutes and go from there! 

also, of course always keep your eyebrows well-shaped! if you’ve never had them shaped before, it’s a good idea to get it done professionally first and then maintain it at home with tweezers. i’m a big fan of benefit brow bar for waxing! they have stand-alone locations or smaller bars in a lot of ulta’s.

lashes: getting your lashes done is a great way to feel more done-up even without makeup! lash extensions are amazing at defining your eyes and making them look bigger and more awake, but they’re also a lot of money and upkeep. personally i love lash lifts as i have long lashes (from hair growth vitamins woo) but they just don’t curl very well and are super blonde; a lash lift dyes and curls them and lasts far longer than extensions with no bi-weekly touch-up appointments! if you're not opting for any treatments, i’d still recommend hair growth vitamins to grow your lashes longer!

you can also dye your lashes at home! i’ve tried at-home lash lift kits several times and i found them all messy and completely ineffective, possibly due to my lack of skill, but i couldn’t personally recommend them as of yet. i would recommend at-home lash tints though! if i don’t currently have my lashes curled and tinted from a lash lift, i will use this dye, which is the black version of my eyebrow tint, and use the same hydrogen peroxide formula as described above, to dye my lashes black. it’s great if you’re lazy with makeup, going swimming, or wanna look a lil extra cute when you're at home.

✨𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖 ✨ 

professional facials are a great option if you want to feel pampered, get extractions from someone who knows how to do it properly, or get an intensive peel or mask. but they can also get incredibly expensive, while some of their treatments can be done entirely at home! 

physical exfoliation: this is pretty important for basically any skin type, in order to remove dead skin cells! you should avoid harsh scrubs, like those with walnut shell, as they can create microtears in the skin. sugar-based scrubs are safe, but personally i use either of these two items:

-facial brushes! i got a clarisonic years ago, and i love it! if i remove my makeup, then wash my face with my hands, but then wash my face with the clarisonic, there's generally still makeup that comes off on the brush. i would recommend a clarisonic but there’s now highly rated much cheaper versions on amazon so i don’t think i’d recommend spending $100-200 on one when this $33 version with similar sonic vibrations is available.

-microdermabrasion is a great, more advanced option, for removing dead skin cells and helping to clean out your pores. the ‘diamond’ tip runs along your skin to exfoliate dead skin cells, while a vacuum pulls off the skin cells and unclogs your pores. they are a bit more expensive- i got this $90 one for christmas and love it, though there are also similar ones which run around $60 and also have great reviews. i only use this about once a week.

chemical exfoliation: this is great for brightening up the skin. whenever my skin simply looks tired, dull, or congested, i opt for a chemical exfoliant. there are tons of chemical exfoliant options, but my go-to has to be these pads by dr dennis gross. they consist of 2 pads- one with the acids which will exfoliate your skin and one with a neutralizer- and only take about 5 minutes total to use! they are an all time favorite, as i see a difference in my skin right away, but aren’t so harsh that i get any redness or peeling afterwards. the ordinary is also a great skincare brand for all kinds of acids and oils for really cheap! they make a peeling solution which one of my friend uses and she loves it, and i’ve tried a lot of their products over the years and loved them too.

general masks: there are tons of different masks to help with different skin problems and skin types. basically, you've got clay masks for oily skin, hydrating masks for dry skin, and undereye masks for when you're tired as hell.

radiofrequency machine: i first found out about this from stephanie shepherd’s top shelf interview. it’s somewhat commonly used in high end facials, and my friend who is going to cosmetology school said they're great for acne and skin tightening! to my understanding, it works by killing bacteria in the skin, and stimulating blood flow and collagen production. the one i have is only $40, which makes it seem too good to be true, but apparently studies have shown they’re effective in wrinkle reduction, and i’ve found it really helpful for making breakouts heal faster.

other products: i haven’t actually found many other products that i think are a “holy grail” item, besidesss the embryolisse lait creme concentre. i have really dry skin, especially in the winter, and actually bought myself the smallest jar of la mer available this past christmas to see if it could help, but i found it to help absolutely nothing. the lait creme, though, has made my skin actually look like normal skin again, when it used to be extremely flakey and irritated. it’s known for commonly being used backstage at a lot of couture fashion shows, which sold me on it initially lol.

✨ 𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕖 ✨

teeth whitening: i use crest whitestrips to whiten my teeth at home! i’ve found them really effective, but i’d recommend using them a bit less often than the instructions recommend. the kind i have recommends using them daily at first but, anytime i’ve used them two days in a row, my teeth were sensitive and in pain for a whole day afterwards. otherwise they’re great though, just space them out a bit!

also, of course, floss and brush your teeth morning and night! i’d also recommend adding a tiny bit of baking soda on top of your toothpaste, to help with whitening. i used to do this daily back in high school and started actually getting compliments on my teeth being white.

lip filler: as many of you know, i’ve had lip filler done, and I've received a lot of questions about them, so i thought i’d include the basic rundown here. these obviously aren’t something that you should feel ugly without. your lips can be beautiful whether or not you’re following this trend. personally, i never thought i would get lip fillers, but last year i did start noticing that when i smiled in pictures, my top lip would totally disappear. i was hesitant but went and got my lips done knowing that it would dissolve in time, and i ended up loving them and feeling totally glamorous with them! i must caution you to avoid getting too much “lip flipping” done if any. over time, my injector started putting the filler around the edges of my lips to flip my lips out and make them appear bigger. it’s okay in small doses, but some injectors start cutting corners and over-doing it, which leads to the “duck face” look, and my lips have started to look slightly pursed even at rest, but are also completely lacking volume in the middle. i’m getting them dissolved and re-done soon, but let this be a lesson to you to ask for little to no lip flipping, and ask for the filler to be more in the center of your lips. before lip flipping, no one ever seemed to notice i had anything done, then suddenly after two appointments with lip flipping, everyone and their mother started asking if ive had my lips done. so i’d highly recommend them, with that caveat in mind.

 ✨ 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 + 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕥 ✨

manicures: okay so you can do your nails at home if you’re doing regular polish, or even if you're using an at-home gel polish set. you should file them into a nice shape (i prefer them round as opposed to square, as they’re less likely to break), push back and trim your cuticles if needed, and paint them. but personally i love getting acrylics or dip powder! i always get tips added if my nails aren’t very long at the moment, and i feel that it makes my fingers look longer and more elegant and feminine. either way is cute though!

pedicures: okay so getting a pedicure at the salon is a great experience, but i also see no reason to get one given that i can just trim and paint my toenails at home. i would highly recommend ordering some peeling foot masks though- these are the ones i have. they’re these little plastic sock masks that you leave on for an hour, take off, and then ~3 days later an entire layer of your skin starts peeling off and your foot is baby soft. if it’s taking a while to peel off, go soak your feet in a bowl of warm water or in a bath/shower and scrub it off. i used to sit with a foot exfoliation machine for like 20 minutes whirring away at my feet but with these you can just chill on tumblr for an hour and then a few days later  your feet are totally renewed.

✨ 𝕓𝕠𝕕𝕪 ✨

self tanner: self-tanning is probably my #1 beauty tip. honestly i’d give up makeup, conditioner, whatever, as long as i could hold onto my bondi sands dark tanning foam. a good tan makes you look so fresh, healthy, glowing, and fit and toned. before tanning, you should try and exfoliate yourself in the shower. i use a scrubby mitt, specifically this one, which also comes with an actual tanning mitt and a mini facial tanning mitt for applying your tanner. afterwards, you’re going to want to apply some lotion on your knees, elbows, and heels, as these areas tend to be dry and soak up more self tanner and turn darker than the rest of your body. then just apply your self tanner all over with a tanning mitt, and blend well. i swear by bondi sands dark foam! st. tropez gives me an allergic reaction personally and a lot of other ones smell bad or have an orange guide-color, but bondi sands smells like coconut and has a really pretty cool-toned tan guide-color. (DHA is the active ingredient in self-tanners- its a clear chemical which reacts with the skin cells and turns them darker after a few hours, while the initial color that you see right out of the bottle is the guide-color. self-tanners will market their tan as “not orange” or something like that, but this only refers to the guide-color, not the tan itself, as they all contain DHA which turns skin the same color. regardless, i love that bondi sands has such a nice guide-color, so even when i’m pale, i can just throw some on and run out the door looking tan!) after a week or two, your tan is going to start getting patchy no matter how many layers you’ve added, so you’re either going to want to exfoliate as much off as you can and do a fresh new tan, or if i have time i’ll apply the bondi sands self-tan remover before exfoliating to get virtually all of it off.

glitter: this is a bit more out-there, but i love love love using shimmery lotions on my body. i feel like a fairy princess, but also it gets rid of that chalky flakey dry look my skin can get in the winter. before swim shoots or the victoria’s secret fashion show, models are always getting slathered in shimmery lotion or oil. there’s a lot of expensive shimmery body oils out there, but you can also just make your own with cosmetic mica and your favorite lotion (i use a gradual tanning lotion to keep my tan looking fresh). cosmetic mica is basically what they use in all the shimmery makeup you buy, and it doubles as an amazing highlighter or eyeshadow!

✨𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕦𝕡 ✨

basic tips: i’m by no means a makeup guru, but i do feel as though my makeup skills have strengthened a lot since i was a little hippie at 16 years old who just wore hemp lip balm and organic powder foundation sometimes, so here’s some tips i picked up since then. i did also take a one-day makeup masterclass in LA with a celebrity makeup artist who has done the kardashians makeup, which is where i learned virtually all these tips:

✰  let your moisturizer sit for a few minutes before applying foundation ✩ beauty blenders tend to be far better for blending liquid makeup into your skin than brushes  ✰  using just one shade of foundation on your face can make your skin look flat. either use a few different shades of foundation, or a light concealer and a darker contour stick, to add dimension to the face. also, use 2 or 3 different blush colors to add dimension  ✰  blend. more than you think you need to. your foundation, contour, blush, eyeshadow, everything. just keep blending.  ✰  don’t make your eyeliner too thick along the entire eye. this makes your eyelids and eyes look smaller. it should be thin until you thicken it at the outer corners of your eyes.  ✰  as for the rest, fill in and brush your eyebrows, wear a lip color that goes well with your skin tone, highlight the inner corners of your eyes to look more awake, use a setting spray if you want to look dewier and make your makeup last longer ✰

if you’re curious about my full makeup routine here are all the products i use:

✰  embryolisse lait creme concentre moisturizer  ✰  giorgio armani luminous silk foundation  ✰  tarte shape tape concealer  ✰  anastasia beverly hills contour stick in ‘mink’ ✰  too faced born this way setting powder ✰  wet n wild blushes in ‘mellow wine’ and ‘apricot in the middle’  ✰  huda beauty rose gold eyeshadow palette (this is pretty but doesn’t blend super well you should probably buy the abh modern renaissance palette)  ✰  stila micro tip eyeliner  ✰  too faced better than sex mascara  ✰  abh clear brow gel ✰  eyebrow powder, doesn't matter what brand but i got tamnova at the makeup course so i use that. thin eyebrow pencils are good for a natural look but my brows are too thick for them lol  ✰  this cosmetic mica for highlighter  ✰  glossier generation g lipstick in the color leo  ✰

makeup bag: a somewhat extensive list of on-the-go beauty products for you to consider carrying with you in your makeup bag:

✰ perfume. you can buy small on-the-go perfume bottles like these and fill them with your favorite scent ✰ lip products, such as lip balm, lip gloss, or lipstick ✰ lotion. i bring a small hand lotion bottle, and also carry a small container of my body lotion and cosmetic mica mixture ✰ mini lint roller ✰ tide stain stick ✰ downy wrinkle releaser fabric spray ✰ eyelash curler ✰ foundation powder ✰ mascara ✰ mini hairbrush ✰ mini dry shampoo ✰ mints, mint gum, or mini mouthwash ✰ mini deodorant ✰ summer’s eve wipes ✰ hydrating facial mist ✰ blotting papers ✰ 

✨ 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 ✨

no matter how manicured, tanned, and sparkly you are, if you act with jealousy, spite, and hatred, you will never be beautiful, on the inside or outside. live authentically, act with integrity, and be kind ♡

#prettyandchic #skinnyandchic

[empresstress13]

Ask Game

Tagged by: the wonderful @thevikingwoman , the fantastic @idrelle-miocovani , and the awesome @solverne-02

rules: answer 20 questions, then tag 20 bloggers you want to get to know better.

name:  Tress

nickname: Tress, Empress, Squid, and others nicknames! 

zodiac sign:  Virgo/ Sheep

height:  5′4″

languages:  English, Conversational Japanese & French but my French accent is amazingly bad 

Nationality: American

favorite season: Autumn

favorite flower: I love flowers, but choosing a single favorite is difficult! I love sunflowers, wisteria, honeysuckle, irises, and lots more! 

favorite scent: I enjoy spiced scents, woodsy scents, fresh scents, some citrus. I enjoy some floral scents but it depends. 

favorite color: Blue, Purple, Dark Red

favorite animal: Dogs, Bats, Wolves, Deer, Magpies

favorite fictional character:  Lirael, Princess Leia, Merrill, Felassan 

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: Yes, please and thank you! ;P  I love coffee and tea A LOT, and drink a lot of both 

average hours of sleep:  Recently it’s been really not good, about 5-6 hours per-night 

cat or dog person:  I love them both! I’m probably slightly more of a dog person, but I really love both! 

number of blankets you sleep with:  It depends on the season, but I always sleep with at least a sheet if it’s hot, but as it cools down between 1-3 blankets 

dream trip: World-trip with my friends!!! 

Broadway shows seen: So I am not sure if this means how many shows I’ve seen literally on Broadway - which seems like an extremely specific question that would apply to lots of people - or if this means like . . . “Broadway Tours”?  I’ve only seen one show literally on Broadway; I saw “Once On This Island” when I visited NYC and it was fantastic. I’ve seen a number of “Broadway musicals” on tour: Waitress, Wicked, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Dear Evan Hanson, Avenue Q, Spamalot, The Lion King, Beauty & the Beast  ��  I’ve also seen video recordings of the Broadway productions of: Into the Woods, Sweeny Todd, Rent, and Pippin 

favorite breakfast: . . . . This is difficult, but pancakes and home-fries would be high on the list.  

a random fact:  Most of the birthdays on the maternal side of my family are chronological month and then day ( for example my birthday is September 10th (9, 10), my mother is December 13th (12, 13), etc) 

Tagging: @palindromekomori  @zanidragon @scurvgirl  @ellstersmash @roguelioness @wardsarefunctioning @arfaise @minionripley @shiftyarchfey @winsbuck  @theladypirate @fibrochemist @playwithdinos @lavellanlove @lillotte17 @lycheejellytea @nordxz @dndapothecary-backup @buttsonthebeach @katalyna-rose

[sushihare-blog]

Sushi in Harlem

If you're in the market for a new way to enjoy sushi in NYC, try some of the places in Manhattan's East Village that specialize in serving sushi for lunch and dinner. These are some of the most popular places to enjoy Japanese fare. If you're looking for an inexpensive way to eat sushi, try some of these great options.

In addition to serving lunch and dinner, this location offers a nice lunchtime special where you can get three different types of sushi for just ten bucks. The varieties are salmon, tuna and sashimi, all of which are prepared fresh. Try one of these special sushi near me now selections on your lunch break or for dinner. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how good the quality of these selections is!

If you love sesame tofu, this restaurant is sure to please. Each dish on their menu contains a unique blend of sesame, wheat and soy products. You'll be able to find all sorts of different kinds of tofu on their menu.

Don't waste any time when you go here. The first thing you'll notice is the beautiful and unique view of Manhattan. Then you'll be able to experience the wonderful taste of the local fare. This restaurant is known for their delicious selections of sashimi and also for the many kinds of fresh sushi they offer.

If you're looking for an interesting and unique menu, check out this place. Their unique menu includes a variety of sushi such as work, octopus and tuna. They also offer a wide selection of raw vegetables that are grilled so that they are just right when it comes to flavor and texture.

This sushi restaurant in Harlem is located in a historic building that was once the first Japanese tea house in New York City. The building was destroyed by the Second World War, so the owner had the interior preserved, including the traditional Asian decor and fixtures.

If you're looking for unique sushi choices, this is definitely the place to go. You will be able to enjoy many different types of fish, as well as shellfish, maki and raw vegetables such as carrots and onions.

This is a perfect place if you want to enjoy sushi on a budget. They also have sushi rolls to help keep your cost down. If you have a sweet tooth, donuts are a must. You may even be able to order something that is made with caramel.

This is a special place for anyone who loves Japanese food. Here you'll be able to enjoy an array of sushi varieties such as the Shiso, which is made from garlic. They also serve tempura, which is a mixture of fish marinated in seasoned oil.

One thing you should know about this restaurant is that it's open 24 hours. So, if you're working or have a family, this is a great option for you. Plus, you can eat as much sushi as you like, anytime you want without having to worry about the temperature or the quality of the food.

In addition to the regular sushi, you can try the signature items on this restaurant's menu. If you love mackerel, you'll be able to get it in a variety of different forms. These include a tuna roll and a sweetened tuna. A variety of spicy sashimi is also available and a number of different seafood choices.

There are many other unique flavors as well. The chefs use different herbs and spices to give each dish its own flavor. This is a place that offers a variety of different items and this includes many different types of Asian foods.

It really doesn't matter what your dietary needs are, there's a good chance that you will find some kind of variety here. They have a number of different sashimi selections. They even make their own hot dogs, so you can enjoy a variety of Asian food on a stick.

[attract-mode-collective]

The Attract Mode Holiday Gift Guide For 2019, Part 2

Alright, there's officially one week left, seven days till Christmas! And if you're still looking for that special something for that special someone, time is running out.

Thankfully, options do still exist... kinda, sorta. Also, you might have to pay a premium.... but dems are the breaks. First up is Love Hultén's logical follow-up to the FC-PVM from earlier this year, the SNES-PVM! Here's some additional beauty shots...

Going by the product page, it's more or less identical to the predecessor, so the same 9" Sony Trinitron PVM-9042QM. It also appears to utilize the same 8BitDo driven controller mods as well; it's not listed on their made-to-order​ page, but I'm sure if you ask nicely... as well as offer enough money to make it worth their time... they might be willing to make a deal?

Though I do have an alternative, cuz even if there was a SNES-PVM ready to go, imagine how much guaranteed by Christmas shipping from Sweden would cost? Your next best bet is Bithead1000, who can build you a Super Nintendo Fish Tank made in the good ole’ U.S. of A....

For those of you finally pulling the trigger on a PlayStation 4 Pro this holiday, and are considering the Limited Edition Death Stranding bundle... but are a bit underwhelmed by the included DualShock 4... consider We Are Robot's alternative. Which costs about as much as the aforementioned system, oh well...

But if you're interested in something for the whole family, then how about a block of Bridge Baby cheese? Am sure this will be the centerpiece of this year’s Hideo Kojima Christmas gathering...

And guess what can be the centerpiece of your Christmas gathering? Why Hideo Kojima of course, or a 1/6 replica from @bayuarafat...

I myself am simply going to get a lil Ludens for my desk, to hold my glasses (seen here as part of Jean-François Rey's collab with Kojima Pro) which will pair nicely with my lil Venom Snake bionic arm (from the Metal Gear Solid V Collector's Edition), aka my wedding ring holder...

Am still kicking myself for missing out on this DS Lite covered with Swarovski crystals; suppermariobroth notes that it was on sale at the Nintendo New York in '07 for only $600 (I have no idea how I could miss that)...

Here's a motorcycle jacket from THUNDERBOX that’s supposed to evoke the Game Boy; would be nice if one could somehow hook one up to it & have the jacket be a controller of sorts, silly as that sounds...

As someone who could care less about Kirby (sorry everyone), I nonetheless adore the Shogo Sekine portion of Laforet Harajuku's PLAYFUL KIRBY line (be sure to check out miki800.com to see Converse Stars’s half, or maybe not, cuz it kinda sucks)...

Though miki800's Instagram recently reminded me of the one person/place/thing I absolutely need to visit when making my triumphant return to Japan: wherever VIDEOGAMETOKYO is at stationed at that moment, to finally obtain this Salamander/Life Force sweatshirt...

I’ll probably want to also track down whatever pop-up GAMES GLORIOUS is at during my stay, cuz I’ve long been interested in their Sega Master System/Mark III button-up...

Along wit their SEGA HARD GIRLS shirt; even with the detail of the pattern handy, I still need a closer look...

I previously showcased Eri Kitamura's work a little over a year ago; nowadays, not only does she draw pretty girls on Game Boys, but pretty girls with Game Boys as well, which forms the basis of her zine GAME GIRL...

For those who haven't heard, the latest release from Data Discs is the soundtrack to Radiant Silvergun...

As for myself, I've recently begun collecting old Japanese 45s, and as @marosahi19 demonstrates, I won't have any trouble finding a copy of Takahashi “16 shots per second” Meijin hit single while in Tokyo later this weekend...

This is what it sounds like, btw...

Hey, did I mention that I'm going to Japan? Cuz I am! Yup, the grand return is actually happening, again, in just a few days. Hence why part two of my holiday gift guide is so late. Anyhow, I'm also going to be on the lookout for the Famicom copy of Athena, cuz of the included bonus audio cassette (or I guess I could make an mp3 of Jeremy Parish's rip for YouTube)...

But yeah, this blog post is way overdue; if I had filed it in time, perhaps there would have been enough of a heads up for my buddy Joe Simko's Good Nite Fortnite! card, which was available from Topps for just 24 hours (perhaps a card collector out there might have one for sale on eBay or something)...

It's also why I didn't get to mention in time that Retro-Ko had not just one, but two pink Hello Kitty Dreamcasts available (hopefully you saw my mention on Twitter, but more importantly, following @retro_ko will guarantee that you'll know when they next have three in stock)...

Remember my mention of Read-Only Memory's Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works from, gee, two years ago? Guess what; it's finally here...

Here's an old Dreamcast jacket from Cobles in mint condition. For those interested, make James Mielke an offer...

Back to the subject of Death Stranding; if you regret not picking up that game's Collector's Edition... or simply couldn't afford to... you can still carrying around a BB, so long as you attach him to your coat zipper or the like: @mxgicdave's FUNKY FETUS Acrylic Charm...

Guess what else is super fashionable? Japanese arcade cabs of course; anyone interested in @VVCollectiv's Astro City inspired pins & keychains should send them a DM...

This holiday season, show your Switch how much you truly care by finally giving it a pair of legs, courtesy of... am not sure, to be honest. The problem with Instagram these days is how everyone basically swipes content from everyone else; saw it here in case anyone’s interested...

Hey, remember that girl with that Sega Saturn on her head that I wrote about a few years ago as well? Well, these days she's making art & designing apparel...

And here's a closer look via @miaumiauzmiau's Twitter...

If you'd rather adorn your love for candy cabs on your wall and not on your body, then SURUDENISE can help with that, with this super spiffy print...

My wife & I are always looking to furnish the apartment with things that reflect both of our interests; for myself it’s video games & for Ashley it’s cats. So this PixelEyeBat print from The Yetee seems right up our alley…

Actually, we recently got something along those lines, which was acquired at Anime NYC from loststreetkat.com…

She also had this keychain, which we naturally had to get…

Full-disclosure: my original plan for part two of my holiday gift guide was going to be a round-up of all my fave findings at the show, but since time was running out… guess that’ll have to wait till 2020. Cuz one again, I’m going to be in Japan in just a few days!!!

Though one last thing: if none of the above works out for you, remember, there’s always Mercari...

[caveatauditor]

Best albums of 2019

I am a strong believer in belated music lists. Hindsight! The past year was stressful for me even before COVID-19 broke, and my favorite music was on average noisier and more irritating than usual. I find comfort and excitement in a mischievous sensibility; if music as chaotic and unpleasant as Jpegmafia’s can hold together, maybe there’s hope yet.

1. 100 Gecs, 1000 Gecs

I’m addicted to everything that I see, yeah! Including screamo death growls, Auto-Tuned cackles, comically heavyhanded drops, pop-punk bangers in disguise, secretly tender love confessions, insanely catchy hooks, and flimsy guitar trash. This marvelous album throws every absurd pop trope of the past decade into a kaleidoscopic blender, spitting out a misshapen musical wind-up toy that never stops exploding and recoagulating, falling down a flight of stairs and revealing a new ghastly face with each bounce. Taken as some musical equivalent of shitposting by writers who think irony and sarcasm are the same, it’s a pop mindfuck that computes emotionally, as awkward kids and/or evil spirits of chaos Laura Les and Dylan Brady make their voices big and ugly and demented because that’s how they feel. Anyway, shitposting is its own species of rock & roll.

2. Taylor Swift, Lover

To be straight is for experience to confirm expectations. Taylor Swift has written about the delight of watching fantasies fulfilled (“Today Was a Fairytale”), renewed (“Begin Again”), or constructed (“Wildest Dreams”). Even when putatively rejecting conventional heteromance, she also sneakily reconstructs it by using its same vocabulary (“Speak Now”). Her best songs address not just desire but the stories we tell about desire, the moments when dreams and reality converge. But Lover is the first time she’s written about the delight of watching experience surpass expactations, the moment when fantasies are gleefully, unexpectedly discarded for something better (“I once believed love would be burning red, but it’s golden” is a lyric whose emotional force requires no familiarity with her catalogue). It radiates calm, a long exhaled breath after years of drama. She made a monogamous maturity move her queerest album, and the colorful electronic beats sound so pretty in the afterglow.

3. Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell

A quietly hysterical collection of observed Hollywood singer-songwriter fictions, played on the piano by a glamorous lady of the canyon who has just shooed guests out of her shag-carpeted parlor and drawn her nicotine-stained curtains after watching California tumble into the sea. In the same year hating boomers became mainstream, the year’s most critically acclaimed album was also a tribute to the most boomerific of rock critics. Greil Marcus, of course, whose taste has never before been so exquisitely pandered to, and I think that’s beautiful.

4. Blueface, Dirt Bag

Blueface doesn’t rap off beat, it’s the beat that can’t keep up. Or as Blueface himself puts it: “I’m literally talking in this bitch and it’s still knockin!” Or as Greg Tate puts it in “The Persistence of Vision: Storyboard P”: “At moments of revolution in artistic form, innovation frequently involves discarding flashy displays of technique. The reduction of ostentatious moves in favour of subtler ones is often read as laziness or limited ability (Flyboy 2: 86).”

5. Jpegmafia, All My Heroes Are Cornballs

Jammed up by jerky segues and pauses, constantly shifting to the next random thing in an endless procession of abrasive diversions, this experimental rap clusterbomb fashions a music of dynamic impatience, wrenching ugly harmonic convergence from the splattering of keyboard doodles, industrial crunches, electronic glitches, roaring guitars, death-factory sirens, repressed shrieks, goopy fusion keyboards, smears of electronic color. Jpegmafia’s rhymes compute mainly as yet more barrage, more proper nouns competing for your attention, but there’s a mischievous energy in his voice that adds a crucial smidgen of humanity. If this music seems the product of online information overload, it’s also the sound of working in the gig economy and/or the service industry, where “directed attention fatigue” has become a cautionary buzzword. My headaches feel like “Rap Grow Old & Die x No Child Left Behind”.

6. Otoboke Beaver, Itekoma Hits

Hardcore punk as hardcore comedy. Rage channeled into hyperactivity. Gnarled riffs and howled tantrums played at violent speed. Keening voices letting loose because they can’t hold the noise inside. Tension and release games crammed with sonic jokes. Tempo changes and dynamic jerks that seem tokens of the band’s impatience but in fact work as tension-building devices, with explosive kickback later--or now! Dissonance as byproduct of acceleration. In the playful intricacy of their group shout-singing I hear the Raincoats too. Angry giggles. Boom!

7. Kim Gordon, No Home Record

Lacking the guitars of her former bandmates, she threw a wall of synthesized barbed wire around some of her meanest basslines ever and made something unprecedented, for her and Sonic Youth--electroindustrial, basically, riding a bass rumble so deep it overpowers the music. The spoken pieces here (“Don’t Play It”, “Cookie Butter”) initially recall her willful avant-filler on A Thousand Leaves and NYC Ghosts & Flowers; then you notice how much more brutally these tracks bring the noise.

8. Kankyo Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990

Billed as ambient but sprightlier than the aesthetic that term suggests to an American audience, this two-hour set captures a moment in Japanese music history when the influence of Erik Satie and John Cage intersected with new ideas about architectural acoustics, inspiring a craze for minimalist electronica designed to peacefully fill a space (as in-store music for Muji, say). Lent contemporary relevance by the influx of chill lo-fi hip-hop beats to study to as well as the vaporwave-derived fascinations with banality and nostalgia, it’s considerably more beautiful than those lineages would imply, as tranquil and friendly as a book of nature poems. These pieces abound with cute tunelets, yet derive their spacious charm from nonmelodic elements--bells, pitched percussion, and the recorded outdoors: running water, chattering birds. Unlike most ambient music, they are not self-contained; when played outside, the synthesizers merge with the sounds of the city.

9. Teejayx6, The Swipe Lessons

By styling himself as an expert scammer, Teejayx6 invents a new internet-era edition of gangsta macho: he’s a master criminal, king of the deep web, fluent in cryptocurrency, relying on his wits to stay ahead of the online piracy brigade. Don’t cross him, lest he steal your grandmother’s social security number. Over darkly stylized beats, his chattering, perpetually surprised flow enters a realm of formal delight accessible to only the most playful. When he hits you with the requisite “All my fans, I really wouldn’t even scam you, I was just playing,” he acknowledges the figurative nature of the game.

10. Clairo, Immunity

A queer adolescent musical diary, tracing the highs and lows of a conflicted relationship that ends ambiguously. Rostam’s production lapses into self-parody exactly once, with the harpsichord flourishes on “Impossible”; otherwise the smoky bedroom-pop shimmer is flawless. “Sofia” exists for inclusion on romantic playlists. 

#favorite albums #best of 2019 #100 gecs #taylor swift #lana del rey

[karlsencrosby3]

Louis Vuitton Purses

The manufacturer was utilizing centuries old Japanese designs in its goods, the same ones that had initially impressed Louis Vuitton. The Sarah pockets design particularly resembles bag designs which have been used for lots of of years to contain jyuzu (strings of beads used in funeral ceremonies - see Japamala#Japanese Buddhism). There has been touch upon Japanese social media concerning how the corporate administration appears to have forgotten the origins of Louis Vuitton's designs. The Shoso-in archive has a biwa lute with marquetry patterns to which some Louis Vuitton's designs bear an in depth resemblance. Adjust the shoulder strap to search out your most comfy match and you’re able to go. This Limited Edition Bluebird bag from Louis Vuitton's 2009 Spring/Summer line is a beautiful bag that has been created to exude the best of luxurious trend. This superb Keepall Bandoulière 45 bag is all made in leather-based with a Damier checkerboard pattern in turquoise blue and white. Its leather-based prime handles, aspect bands, and nametag are als... Each Louis Vuitton crossbody bag is embellished with the signature LV look. On-trend, playful, charming, versatile—these bags are comfortable, practical, and statement-making. Often extra exaggerated and complicated than the gathering items, show baggage stand out for their intricate materials and craftsmanship. They are typically numbered and at all times marked with the season and assortment for which they were produced. Perhaps crucial of these is the 2001 Graffiti, adopted by the 2003 Multicolore. [newline]The Tabitha is an on-trend, ‘90s-inspired shoulder bag with a contemporary really feel. A zipper closure and numerous organizational compartments hold your on a regular basis necessities secure. Gone have been the times of lugging round a heavy, cumbersome suitcase; this classic duffle bag was made to be light-weight, durable, and prepared to go at a moment’s discover. If there’s one type that Louis Vuitton is thought for, it’s undoubtedly the traditional Speedy. Originally launched in 1930, these baggage were designed in response to the advances in public transportation. Closely packed crowds and long commutes called for a bag that was compact and lightweight, but massive sufficient to carry all requirements. From there, Louis Vuitton continued to broaden and, finally, reinvent the women’s handbag, prizing comfort and compact type in his designs. Maybe you want a mini clutch for a wedding, or possibly you need a larger tote bag for traveling? It doesn't matter the occasion, now you presumably can rent an LV handbag for any occasion. This NYC-based luxury resale retailer has been in enterprise since 1993 and has since gained an enormous celebrity following. Because of its recognition and demand, What Goes Around Comes Around also opened up stores in Miami, Beverly Hills, and other parts of New York. Thankfully you'll be able to shop for Louis Vuitton luggage at WGACA online. Go on any of those five department stores' web sites, name their customer service telephone quantity, and point out that you just would like to buy a Louis Vuitton handbag over the cellphone. One of the costliest luggage from this assortment is a whopping practically $49,000 Capucines MM black crocodile top handle. On the decrease side of this assortment is an cute Twist MM epi-leather, child pink, mini shoulder bag, costing about $4,400. If you need an various choice, you possibly can actually rent a precious Louis Vuitton purse for a fraction of the retail price. Frankly I don’t understand how they can produce such large portions without having China somewhere within the production line. wikipedia handbags I suspect they do lots of slicing there, particularly the coated canvas elements for the cheaper merchandise. They should produce millions of Speedys, Neverfulls, key pouches, pouchettes, wallets, etc. Hmmm… I surprise if those consumers who need on their purchases made in France and are offended by luxury products manufactured in China will react to that. Each merchandise passes by way of a rigorous evaluate from a team of skilled authenticators with years of expertise buying and selling pre-owned luxurious objects. https://calsmedia.nl/blog/post/get-the-best-louis-vuitton-replica-bags From the materials and craftsmanship all the means down to the minute details of the stitching and serial numbers, if an item is reviewed and approved, it's one hundred pc genuine. Now your Alma stands prepared to hold all of your 21st-century requirements. All merchandise featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, whenever you purchase one thing by way of our retail links, we might earn an affiliate fee. Who might have predicted that this design, scattered over the surfaces of numerous, seemingly infinite handbags, totes, and trunks, would become as immediately recognizable as, say, Chanel No. 5, Coca-Cola, and Mickey Mouse? Adored by everybody from streetwise musicians to grumpy dowagers, the Vuitton bag has been worn by shining stars including, to name only a very few, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O, Angelina Jolie and Lauren Bacall, Riri and Kim K, and you! For generations, it remained coveted, revered, and virtually unchanged. On 13 February 2007, Louis Vuitton sent a cease-and-desist order to Danish art pupil Nadia Plesner for using an image of a bag that allegedly infringed Louis Vuitton's mental property rights.

#louis vuitton replica #best replica louis vuitton bags #replica louis vuitton

[waterpolice11]

The Four Kinds Of Catering

You can study extra concerning the varied kinds of chafing gasoline in our chafing gasoline buying information. From marriage ceremony catering, to summer BBQ's and family parties, here at Bristol Event Catering, we're proud to assist native, independent enterprise. Featuring beautiful feast menus which encourage human interplay, and conversation are solely sourced from inside a 50 mile radius and are guaranteed to depart your friends full of happy reminiscences. We are the unique meals service associate at NYC’s prime cultural, nonprofit and company institutions including The Plaza, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Brooklyn Museum. Today, numerous types of meals and beverage service outlets have come up out there. They offer a variety of meals and beverage services that the purchasers can avail. The extent of service relies upon upon the type of service outlet. They embrace drive-through service of quick food where the shoppers should purchase their favorite food without having to go away their cars and pick-up points where meals is delivered in minutes. You can place a number of totally different finger meals in there and it makes an especially nice theme tie-in for a wine tasting or vineyard event. For a little crunch, attempt adding sliced, breaded tomato. This is considered one of the easiest catering ideas you'll find for serving your occasion visitors something simple but elegant. It's definitely a meal that'll go away your visitors gushing about it after the event is over. When it involves your show, tying the theme or meals choice into the idea can yield cool results like with this sushi boat. Purchase a Japanese whetstone from highly rated brands corresponding to Kitayama or Sharp Pebble. Have separate cutting boards and utensils uncooked food, cooked meals, and fresh produce. Thoroughly wash all slicing boards and utensils with scorching, soapy water before and after you take care of any animal products. Also, change gloves when switching between these categories. Most individuals will take much less and won’t continue to go as much as the buffet over and over. Buffet Thankfully, we’re finding new methods to remain linked and spend time together. Times have changed, however the celebrations haven’t stopped. With social distancing, masks and other important measures in place to keep our community safe, micro-events have become a popular way to get together. Whether you’re planning an intimate out of doors ceremony or a yard movie night with associates, Caviar and Banana Catering is right here to add some flavor to your festivities. Here at Caviar and Banana Catering & Events, there are tons of options for service that set the tone in your occasion and create an environment for your visitors. We have detailed a few of the main traits that should outline every buffet type wedding ceremony to hopefully give you a broader overview of this fabulous wedding reception fashion. Guests are in a place to match their dinner choice to particular person tastes and appetites. Buffets work well with standing receptions or “dinner by the bite” occasions. Overall, plated meals present a uniform expertise for everyone. Our professional staff of waiters and bartenders will exceed your expectations by going beyond what’s required and delivering nice results. For a served meal you might choose for everybody to obtain the identical entrée or maybe have friends select from a restricted selection once they RSVP. A popular choice for served entrees is a twin entrée course containing two protein options. We hope you’ll find this assortment of tips useful as you start the planning process! Learn more about their Sacramento event venue and catering options right here. If you don’t see any particular listings, verify that is the case. While it’s not best to get them this late, better now than at the desk. Don’t annoy attendees by asking them for the same info each time however at all times give them the option to inform you if their wants have modified. Most caterers are conversant in the most common venues. However, there’s a pattern in course of using inventive spaces these days. If you’re going with a unique venue or dry rent, ensure your caterer is conscious of exactly what to anticipate. Catering Lunch Concepts For The Office Give your attendees the liberty to order from anyplace that delivers to your venue through the use of Hoppier virtual cards. And we'll present you the 7 steps to create a advantages and perks program that helps your remote group. Dinner typically offers three to five appetizers, soup or salad, a 7-ounce main entrée and two to 3 facet dishes. Cost effective options regardless of how huge or small your occasion is. Flexible staffing and tools fashions that meet the needs of even probably the most complex events. Some staff may have a family historical past with alcohol, select to not drink it, or are recovering alcoholics. If you’re trying to put a spin on breakfast catering, strive a espresso or hot cocoa bar. It’s a recent different to serving up store-bought pastries and filter espresso for occasions that happen early within the morning, or on chilly or wet days. We love the idea of serving mini variations of basic hits — like slider burgers, grilled cheese, tacos, fries, and mac and cheese bites. Switch these menu choices up based mostly on the theme of your occasion, and you'll maintain your visitors satisfied with out tying them down at a particular location or time. Roberts Centre is residence to the region's largest conference heart, an expensive Holiday Inn resort, and Max & Erma's Restaurant. It's also necessary to notice that no one wants to see their colleagues wasted. It can harm working relationships and foster resentment, which is the other of what lunch catering is intended to do. If you wish to call it early on Fridays, what a few enjoyable informal end to your workweek? Dessert and drinks are a lightweight lift in relation to catering but can go a long approach to make workers feel appreciated. Concept Of Recent Expertise In Catering Business Stock Photo Throughout history, consuming has all the time been seen as a social exercise. Families gather across the table and share stories, whereas they enjoy a properly ready meal. With the growth of Social Media, what we eat has only become more public. Small restaurants shortly realized that the phrases of third-party delivery services had been unreasonable. Uber Eats can charge as high as 30% to the restaurant on every order. About84% of restaurant house owners mentioned that the fees that ate into their earnings weren't worth the increase in business. Many middle on a theme that is included into their menus and décor. Fine Foods Catering shall be a member of local enterprise associations such as the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. By being a member, Chef Dominic will attend all networking capabilities and pay for promoting space in their publications and at their occasions. One of the primary purchasers he'll target is the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and supply to supply discounted catering service at their next annual gala. When Chef Dominic wows the association and its members with great food and service, the funding is sure to pay off when a number of businesses rent Fine Foods Catering for their subsequent event. Menu Keeping it easy is an effective tip to help you keep calm in the kitchen. Even although roasting a whole chicken might take a while, it couldn’t be any simpler. I like to use chicken breast or floor hen or, if I want plant-based protein, I will add chickpeas. Then prime it with a store-bought or selfmade dressing, or keep it easy with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. You might imagine that getting ready healthy, scrumptious dinners at house is an advanced process, but I’m right here to inform you that it doesn’t should be. Bringing green smoothies to work is a straightforward method to take pleasure in a nutritious snack on the go. Color groups of meals could help the physique in the following ways. Develop healthy meals and snacks for you and your loved ones, according to MyPlate, USDA’s latest meals guide pyramid. It reveals that foods from all teams are wanted daily for good health. Collect several low-cost, nutritious recipes for main dishes to put in your rotation, and serve them typically. Include quite lots of lean beef, poultry, and fish and no much less than one meatless dish. Fill store-bought crepes with shredded rotisserie rooster, ricotta cheese and herbs. Every part of the green cruciferous vegetable — from stem to florets — gets used in this protein-packed hen and broccoli dish. The stems turn out to be a no-carb rice, and florets are gently steamed. With a wonderfully cooked chop seared on all sides, then finished in the pan with a mixture of apple, onion, carrot and cabbage, this dish is tough to beat. Walnuts aren’t simply scrumptious, they also make you good. Research shows that the neuroprotective compounds present in walnuts not solely support mind well being, however may also enhance inferential reasoning in younger adults. These issues don’t have to face between you and smoothie bliss when you could make a delightful smoothie bowl. These Georgia beauties are an excellent source of dietary fiber and a treasure trove of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, and more. 200 Contemporary New Catering Concepts Appetizers A laid-back barbecue marriage ceremony would simply be incomplete with out some tried and true pulled pork. Turn them into finger food by sandwiching them between miniature-sized buns and serving with cups of barbecue sauce. Serve mini corn dogs on skewers with your favourite dipping sauces. Each of these ideas comes with a price tag. While we may love the room-sized chocolate fountain, if that eats away your whole occasion meals and beverage price range, you may have some hungry and disgruntled attendees . This distinctive catering concept is from the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. Here you see they provided several sorts of potato chips. Since salty and candy are great accompaniments, they added some sweet. Original occasions are born from collaboration, enthusiasm, and a passion to create impeccable, one-of-a-kind experiences. Taste and character will form each detail from the menu to the desk settings. Look at the menu recommendations below for prospects. Mexican, Indian, and Thai dishes are scrumptious and inexpensive. Or, if you’re internet hosting an occasion during the day, serve brunch and breakfast objects. Those meals sometimes aren’t meat heavy and can embody delicious produce like recent berries, grapefruits, and bananas. Glass floating displays place all the curiosity on the meals because everything else fades into the background. They have an ethereal quality since you don’t discover plates, tablecloths, or other arrangements. There’s at all times one worker with the candy stash and they are virtually as in style because the water cooler. There’s one thing about sweet and snacks that draw folks to congregate. It doles out small portions and provides whimsy to even essentially the most serious business occasions. If you have an out of doors or rustic-themed event, this concept might help you add height to a buffet table shortly and with stuff you probably already have available. On Premise Vs Off Premise Catering, St Louis Caterers, The Christy Our business is solely catering and personal chef dinners, giving the utmost consideration to your particular occasion needs. Whether you are planning a meeting, employees celebration, milestone celebration or buyer appreciation occasion, we can help you make a robust, optimistic statement. 外燴 provide company catering for corporations that will assist you give attention to the occasion's different particulars while we deal with the food. We constantly enrich ourselves with pleasant reviews and deal with ideas because the areas demanding extraordinary improvisation. If you are reviewing what the previous clients needed to say about a caterer, you're on the right path. The caterer who strives to generate illustrious examples via a immediate service will surely get the right critiques. Most reviewers pay gratitude to the specificity of the service provider. Employers usually look for candidates with a couple of years of expertise working in restaurants or as a Caterer. Many Caterers gain experience by completing an internship or an apprenticeship, and a few increase upon their cooking skills by working in eating places in the entrance or back of the house. Any quantities the caterer pays to rent momentary help to work as cooks, bartenders, or wait employees are not taxable. When a buyer rents a room from a banquet facility but hires a separate caterer to conduct the event, the room rental charge isn't taxable. We consider that people ought to have access to luxurious catering wherever they stay. Red Maple Catering was established to fill a void that we perceived within the area from Park City to Dallas. Culinart Catering Service Curtis was a staple at the Washington Avenue Grill having worked there for 9 years and labored his method up to Sous Chef for the previous couple of years. ABOUT Tastes Catering – Tastescatering.co.uk gives business taking into account associations in focal London. We are located in SE1 and have been doing enterprise for a long time. Tastes supplies a scope of offering meals administrations from our 24 hour kitchen to London associations conveyed in our refrigerated vans. Experience and eminent notoriety are vital while selecting a prepare dinner. These smooth black stones make for unusual serving plates. Their deep shade locations the give consideration to the meals and should you warmth the stones up, the food will stay warm on them for a brief while. Just be careful they’re not too scorching to be handled. Create trash can-shaped nachos for a fun and delicious centerpiece. This display isn't only colourful it tells us how every shade makes us feel. We have included donut walls and bagel partitions earlier within the post. Use rows of similar-sized apples topped with glass to create a surprising particular shelf for your buffet. Add lighting within the middle of your ice blocks or around them. It not solely adds drama to the table however gives the look of chic glass blocks.

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