#today I offer you a post of me freaking out over my faves

[voodoochili]

My 100 Favorite Songs of 2021

2021 was a strange year for music–it was a year of dashed hopes, full of unmet expectations and unimaginable loss. There were some great tunes, though. There always are.

My listening was a bit all over the place this year, but as a result, my list is probably as geographically and stylistically diverse as any I’ve made in the past. Check below to read about my favorite songs from the calendar year, with a Spotify playlist at the bottom. Hopefully you’ll find something you like!

Without further ado, my faves:

25. DJ Black Low - “Jaiva Low” ft. Hapas Music, DJ KS & Patna: Amapiano, a style that dominates its native South Africa and is gaining steam on the rest of the continent, is first and foremost music meant for the bleary post-midnight hours of a crowded club. But if amapiano has a secondary function, it’s to freak out your friends and neighbors. “Jaiva Low,” by 20-year-old producer DJ Black Low, succeeds wildly on both counts. The insistent snare and wobbly bass keep you moving your feet, but the vocal–which rests halfway between didactic dancefloor direction and a summoning ritual–might have you running for your life.

24. Esperanza Spalding- “Formwela 10”: “Formwela 10” comes from Spalding’s Songwrights Apocethary Lab, a music therapy project and now full-length album that “seeks to develop a structure for the collaborative development of new compositions designed to offer enhanced salutary benefit to listeners.” I don’t know about all that, and many of the “Formwelas” on the album leave me a bit cold, but I definitely pick up some of those salutary benefits from “Formwela 10.” Divided into two distinct halves, “Formwela 10” starts as a minimal, yet theatrical vamp, Spalding singing tentatively and curiously as she plucks her harp like an upright bass and describes her aimlessness in life and love. The second half is a vocal tour-de-force, as she’s touched by divine intervention in the form of a dramatic grand piano that echoes her immaculate descending melody. A reminder, in Spalding’s words, to “make space and time for your elders,” “Formwela 10” is the perfect prescription to gracefully wind down from an overstimulating day.

23. Chubby & The Gang - “I Hate The Radio”: They’re known for their lightning-quick bursts of pub punk, but English group Chubby & The Gang is the rare hardcore group whose ballads are as strong as their bangers. Joining a growing list of heartfelt highlights that includes last year’s “Trouble (You Were Always On My Mind)” and “Grenfell Forever,” the closing track on their 2021 album The Mutt’s Nuts is a clever inversion of rock music’s most well-worn tropes–Chubby Charles knows that the conglomerated radio of today doesn’t quite compare to the power of the AM Jonathan Richman so joyfully sang about in 1972. Instead, the Gang bemoans the format’s calcification, only playing “the songs we used to know,” songs that evoke happier times in the life of the narrator and the world at large.

22. TisaKorean - “How i walk in the club”: TisaKorean is one of the most restlessly creative artists in the game today, constantly brainstorming new ways to get your body moving. His songs often feel like pop hits beamed in from another dimension, none more so than “How i walk in the club,” a mutating, low-key number brimming with hooks, tempo changes, and Tisa’s silly flows. In a fairer world, this song would’ve been at least as big as that Makonnen song about molly.

21. Wiardon - “Stay Down”: Austin, TX producer/rapper Wiardon is younger than Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl win, but he has the confidence and suavity of a man twice his age (to be very clear, twice his age = 38). On “Stay Down,” he initially stumbles over the opening words of his verse, before collecting himself and calmly intoning preternaturally wise bars about staying true to your roots. Wiardon helps his own case by layering pizzicato strings over one of the year’s finest basslines, creating an instrumental that begs to be blasted out of boxframe muscle cars.

20. Axel Rulay - “Si Es Trucho Es Trucho”/”Si Es Trucho Es Trucho” (Remix) ft. El Alfa & Farruko: This was a big year for dembow, and Rulay’s expansive breakout track showed just how much a determined artist can do with the genre’s signature riddim. “Si Es Trucho Es Trucho'' does away with any sort of song structure, eliminating verses and choruses in favor of clipped chants, children’s choirs, and organic percussion to supplement the relentless beat. The remix takes the track in a more traditional direction, adding verses from undisputed dembow don El Alfa and imperial reggaetonero Farruko, sacrificing some of the unpredictability for ratcheted-up energy.

19. Olivia Rodrigo - “deja vu”: Olivia Rodrigo hit the music world like a comet this year, armed with a knack for writing and singing about heartache with the kind of poise, skill, and relatability that only comes around once a decade or so (and as Adele and Taylor Swift prove again and again, this is practically a license to print money). She found a perfect partner in producer Dan Nigro, who complements her with tasteful arrangement touches, never repeating the same trick twice on her debut album SOUR. “deja vu,” to me, is the perfect blend of song and production, with militant percussion and buzzing guitars that evoke Nigro’s work with erstwhile indie star Sky Ferreira.

The song is less theatrical and outwardly emotional than many of the album’s other highlights, but Rodrigo’s delicate, almost sickly-sweet falsetto makes her words sting that much more. What I love about “deja vu” and Rodrigo’s songwriting in general: despite the worldly affect and venomous barbs, the song still manages to capture the uniquely-teenaged kind of naïveté that makes one think that they were the first person to discover Billy Joel (not really something to brag about, but I digress).

18. Rauw Alejandro - “Desenfocao’”: It’s time to stop messing around and state the obvious: Tainy is one of the best producers working in any genre right now. He’s a master of atmosphere, creating wistful compositions that inspire the world’s most macho reggaetoneros to express some vulnerability for a change. On “Desenfocao’,” he fills space with cavernous bass, open hi-hats, and underwater, out-of-time synths, creating an anthem that owes as much to Beach House as it does Bad Bunny (it feels like a spiritual sequel to “Callaíta,” another Tainy-produced jam). As great as he is, Tainy is only half the equation here–Rauw fulfills his side of the bargain admirably, toe-tagging the programmed percussion with mathematical precision and floating over the swelling production with his achingly pure tenor as he tells a story of unfathomable heartbreak.

17. Bawo - “Starts With A Text”: “I’m hard-pressed for a reason to come out tonight,” intones West London emcee Bawo on the hook for “Starts With A Text,” a half-asleep pronouncement that echoed through my head during a year where leaving the house was a proposition that fell somewhere between unappealing and unsafe. Accompanied by liquid keys from producer Daniel Ness, Bawo’s delivery is somehow both lackadaisical and technical, as he sets about navigating the world of digital dating, and exploring how intentions get obscured when communicated through blue (or, heaven forbid, green) bubbles.

16. New Pagans - “Natural Beauty”: How come there aren’t more songs about frenemies? Perhaps the liminal nature of that relationship doesn’t provide the same kind of emotional clarity that more straightforward relationships do, and are thus not as translatable to pop song form? If that’s true, then nobody told Lyndsey McConnell, the frontwoman of Northern Irish indie rockers New Pagans. “Natural Beauty” walks a fine line between envy and pity, between worshipful affection and blazing contempt. It’s these contradictions that make the song such a fascinating character study. It empathizes with the subject’s need to live up to the expectations of those who idealize her, but wishes that she weren’t such a dick all the time.

15. Loraine James - “Running Like That” ft. Eden Samara: Loraine James specializes in finding the beauty within harsh, glitchy, distorted digital landscapes. She manipulates her voice and the voices of her collaborators to create a dense tapestry of sound, taking a jagged and unexpected path towards transcendence. “Running Like That” is frenetic and propulsive, but also probably the most traditionally beautiful composition James has ever put to tape, largely thanks to the performance of guest vocalist Eden Samara. James weaves Samara’s angelic paeans and conversational banter into a dialogue about trying desperately to escape the urges of your worst self.

14. Young Dolph & Key Glock - “Aspen”: Listen to Bandplay’s soulful blasts of organ; to Dolph’s ad-libs, especially when he helpfully clarifies that Aspen is in Colorado; to Glock’s confident, career-spanning verse. Look at their wide smiles in the song’s incredible music video. It’s cruel that such a joyful and triumphant piece of art will remain forever bittersweet. Long Live Dolph.

13. Yaw Tog - “SORE”: It boggles my mind how drill music, a street style pioneered by Chicago teenagers, has made such a large and varied global impact. It’s both an inspiring bit of cultural connection and a depressing realization that such a bleak style can be so resonant in so many different locales. The Ghanaian flavor of drill is one that I still need to get more familiar with, but it’s hard to deny a banger like “SORE,” with its apocalyptic, yet danceable beat and invigorating, intimidating hook. I slightly prefer the original, but the UK-ified remix (released in Feb 2021) does a solid job of refining the song for mass consumption, confirming that Kumasi, Ghana's Yaw Tog has enough charisma to be the strongest presence on a song with Stormzy on it.

12. Isaiah Rashad - “Lay Wit Ya” ft. Duke Deuce: “Lay Wit Ya” is as grimy as the mud caked on old rain boots. It slithers along at ground level, powered by Rashad’s understated charisma, before Duke Deuce arrives halfway through and busts the whole thing wide open. Duke’s entrance is probably my favorite single moment from a hip-hop song this year, a jolt of cantankerous comedic energy that doubles as an irresistible urge to do your best gangsta walk.

11. Anz - “You Could Be” ft. George Riley: “You Could Be” combines an irresistible pentatonic synth melody (I was racking my brain to figure out what it reminded me of and it turns out, it’s a syncopated version of the stereotypical “Oriental riff”), yammering bass, and sci-fi percussion into the year’s most delectable dancefloor confection. Tapping into the production's playful vibe, George Riley occupies a flirtatious, almost taunting mien, scolding the object of her affection for not leaping at the opportunity of a lifetime.

10. Cassandra Jenkins - “Hard Drive”: Mesmerizing and thought-provoking, “Hard Drive” is what would happen if Kaputt-era Destroyer collaborated with Carl Sagan. The song is structured as a series of conversations, Jenkins matter-of-factly weaving the dialogues into a tapestry about the digitalization of the human body and mind–our brains are mere hard drives, with limited memory, prone to overheating. Guided by the ringing guitars and wailing saxophone, Jenkins attempts to reunite our overstimulated minds with our spiritual selves, and for five-and-a-half glorious minutes, she nearly succeeds.

9. Bankulli & Not3s - “Foreign”: An immensely joyful, cross-generation collab between an Afro-Rap pioneer and a smooth-singing Brit, “Foreign” is a glorious celebration of all things imported. The song is gleefully nonsensical: Not3s smoothly delivers his hook in one of the most-pronounced London accents ever put to tape (his only competition, and with a totally different kind of London brogue, is that guy from “Parklife”), while Bankulli complements with a rugged Yoruba verse. The victorious synth horn fanfare in this song makes me feel like I’m 100 feet tall.

8. Irreversible Entanglements - “Open The Gates”: It starts with Tcheser Holmes’ clattering percussion, a manic and invigorating jolt that awakens a higher consciousness. It continues with Luke Stewart’s bass, laying down a primal, impulsively danceable beat to add a bit of sashay to the song’s stomp. Conducting the affair is Camae Aweya, the poet and performing artist known as Moor Mother, authoritative as she utters incantations powerful enough to collapse the walls of Jericho. Answering her call is the horn section, Keir Neuringer on sax and Aquiles Navarro on trumpet, who oscillate between recognizable melodies (do I hear “Camptown Races”?) and free expression.

That’s “Open The Gates.” Just listen, trust me it’s better than my silly description.

7. Armand Hammer - “Falling Out the Sky” ft. Earl Sweatshirt: The world lost producer Lee “Scratch” Perry and bassist Robbie Shakespeare in 2021, two dub masters who were directly responsible for a shocking amount of the best music ever made. Folks try every day to approximate the vibe created in the Black Ark, Perry’s studio, but few are able to capture the hallucinatory, haunted magic of its heyday. The Alchemist comes damn close with his beat for “Falling Out the Sky,” a reverie-inducing bit of ear candy that I could happily listen to for hours on a loop.

As an added bonus, we get three of the most thoughtful and philosophical rap verses of the year: Earl reflects on the loss of his father and reminds us that all life originated as matter from dying stars, Billy Woods harkens back to a summer he spent in a blissful haze of weed smoke before being rudely awakened by a state trooper, and Elucid makes sure we all recognize how the Isley Brothers paved the way for The Beatles.

6. Pa Salieu - “Style & Fashion” ft. Obongjayar: Pa Salieu has an uncanny ability to fuse African, UK, and American styles into an alchemy that is 100% his own. “Style & Fashion” isn’t really a mix or a fusion of anything, though, just Pa’s charismatic and darkly shimmering take on amapiano. An engaging master of ceremonies, Pa struts atop the syncopated snares like he’s the flyest person on the planet, while guest artist Obongjayar’s rasp arises from the ashes like an ancient voice heralding a very fashionable apocalypse. As Pa says on the hook, “welcome to the party.”

5. Mr Twin Sister - ”Expressions”: “Expressions” is a post-disco carnival, a glorious mess of bizarre interlocking parts that come together to create a well-oiled machine. You hear the disparate elements come together on the song’s intro, creating a groove that stops and starts but keeps pushing forward. My favorite touch in the song’s immaculate arrangement is the underlying current of acoustic guitar, which comes to the forefront during Andrea Estrella’s sighing bridge, adding a touch of ‘90s adult contemporary to mellow out the Chic Organization energy of the rest of the track. It seems chaotic and in lesser hands, it probably would be, but Mr Twin Sister specializes in taking what could be chintzy and making it sublime.

4. Burna Boy - ”Kilometre”: The ultimate heat check–can you make a banger about the metric system? Most can’t, but Burna Boy can, rolling the titular word on his tongue and releasing it like a missile targeted at the pleasure center of your brain. Produced by Chopstix, a regular collaborator of Burna’s who always seems to nudge him in a dancehall direction, “Kilometre” emphasizes the upbeat, punctuating Burna’s chatter with reverbed guitar strums and emphasizing his pugilistic boasts with perfectly-timed live drum fills. The dialogue between dancehall and Afrobeats has always fascinated me, and songs like “Kilometre” that exist halfway between the two are near-guaranteed bangers. Hopefully we’ll see more of this side of Burna in 2022.

3. PinkPantheress - “just for me”: I’m a natural curmudgeon, always skeptical of things that have 100% approval rating. It can’t be that good if it appeals to everybody, can it? PinkPantheress’s music is one of those things that is just suspiciously good, unlocking the secret sauce that unites ravers, indie kids, and TikTok teens. The earliest PinkPantheress tracks had lots of DIY charm, with their obvious samples and tender vocals, but she leveled up when she connected with Mura Masa for “just for me.”

Rather than using samples of songs by the likes of Crystal Waters and Adam F. as a nostalgic cheat code, Mura Masa creates a perfect homage to chill room UK garage, with backwards strings, record scratches, and an indelible guitar arpeggio embellishing the traditional 2-step percussion. The arrangement is complex, but not busy, and it leaves plenty of space for PP to lay down a sighing, oblique, and ornate melody that messes with meter and never resolves where you expect it to. The vocal is so soft-spoken that you almost miss how delightfully deranged the lyrics are, lines like “I found the street of the house in which you stay” and “I followed you today, I was in my car” (accompanied by the playful tooting of her car’s horn) eliminating the divide between devotion and dangerous obsession.

2. Remble - “Touchable”: Remble became a meme of sorts because of his crisp elocution. Lyricists of any genre rarely use such writerly syntax, and the combination of his precise enunciation and his songs’ gruesome subject matter provides the tension that animates his music. His style could come off as gimmicky if he weren’t so darn good at stringing together one-liners into the kind of song you want to memorize and recite. On “Touchable,” in particular, Remble rhymes like the very model of a modern major general, calmly attacking 10Fifty’s minimalist, bell-tolling horror movie instrumental and dropping more memorable lines than you can count: “I know a lot of demons, I can summon any one of 'em/Bodies holding bodies, it was as if they were cuddling”; “Put 30 in my chop', and then I turned him to a huxtable/Came a long way from Pre-K and eating Lunchables”; “Peter piper picked a pack of bullets, now they're touching you.”

1. Ayra Starr - “Bloody Samaritan”: There’s a certain type of confidence that only teenagers have, the absolute surety that there couldn’t possibly be anyone smarter or funnier or cooler than you and your friends. “Bloody Samaritan” takes that feeling and bottles it. Ayra Starr cannot fail, she can only be failed; her immaculate vibe unassailable, unable to be touched by the killjoys in her midst. When she’s not taking dead aim at bores and lames, she’s aggressively, almost confrontationally flirtatious, accosting the object of her intentions with a series of come-ons that beg to be IG captions: “I see you watchin' my stories/I see you gaugin' my lifestyle/I see you watchin' my movements/This bad bitch bad every day.” Listening to her tiptoe among mournful violins and slinky saxophone, you believe her every word–maybe the 19 & Dangerous artist is the coolest person on the planet??

Thanks for reading! HERE is the Spotify playlist of the full 100 songs in order.

And here's the rest of the list:

26. EST Gee - “Riata Dada” 27. Tokischa - “LINDA” ft. Rosalía 28. Casper Nyovest - “Siyathandana” ft. Abidoza & Boohle 29. Abra - “Unlock It” ft. Playboi Carti 30. DJ Manny - “Signals In My Head” 31. Monaleo - “Beating Down Yo Block” 32. Blxst - “Don’t Forget” ft. Drakeo The Ruler 33. Car Culture - “Sell Out” 34. Rio Da Yung OG - “Last Day Out” 35. Valee & AYOCHILLMAN - “HIMMYyimmy” 36. Tems - “Found” ft. Brent Faiyaz 37. Rx Papi - “A Man Apart” 38. Sybyr - “The Mill” 39. ComptonAsstg - “Colder & Colder” 40. The Goon Sax - “The Chance” 41. Key Glock - “Ambition For Cash” 42. Ethel Cain - “Michelle Pfeiffer” ft. lil aaron 43. Doja Cat - “Kiss Me More” ft. SZA 44. Duke Deuce - “Intro: Coming Out Hard” 45. Erika De Casier - “Polite” 46. Bandgang Lonnie Bands - “Glocks & Choppas” ft. Young Nudy 47. Low - “Days Like These” 48. The Peacers - Ghost Of A Motherfucker 49. Lucy Dacus - “Thumbs” 50. YN Jay - “Summer Time” 51. 42 Dugg - “4 Da Gang” ft. Roddy Ricch 52. Farruko - “PEPAS” 53. Peewee Longway & Cassius Jay - “Pink Salmon” 54. Really From - “Yellow Fever” 55. Maxwell - “Off” 56. Tiwa Savage - “Tales By Moonlight” ft. Amaarae 57. CEO Trayle - “Loose Lips” 58. Japanese Breakfast - “Be Sweet” 59. The Narcotix - “Esther” 60. Noname - “Rainforest” 61. SPELLLING - “Little Deer” 62. Wolf Alice - “Safe From Heartbreak” 63. BfB Da Packman - “Weekend At Solomon’s” 64. Heather Trost - “Love It Grows” 65. Cktrl - “zero” ft. Mereba 66. Natanael Cano - “Diamantes” 67. Faye Webster - “Cheers” 68. Tonstartssbandht - “What Has Happened” 69. Nao - “Antidote” ft. Adekunle Gold 70. Chvrches - “Asking For A Friend” 71. Kaytranada - “$payforhaiti” ft. Mach-Hommy 72. Bruiser Wolf - “Momma Was A Dopefiend” 73. Offset Jim - “Face Card” ft. Kenny Beats 74. Dawn Richard - “Bussifame” 75. Bad Bunny - “Yonaguni” 76. Moneybagg Yo - “Wockesha” 77. Sloppy Jane - “Party Anthem” 78. Tony Seltzer - “Joyride” ft. Eartheater 79. Magdalena Bay - “You Lose” 80. The Weather Station - “Atlantic” 81. Yg Teck - “Question For You” 82. VanJess - “Caught Up” ft. Phony Ppl 83. Lushlife - “Depaysment” ft. Dalek 84. Payroll Giovanni & Cardo - “Eyez Closed” 85. MAVI - “Time Travel” 86. 03 Greedo - "Liar Liar" 87. Babyface Ray - “Foreva” (prod. Top$ide) 88. Polo G - “GNF (OK OK OK)” 89. AG Club - “Noho” ft. ICECOLDBISHOP 90. Yves Jarvis - “Projection” 91. 30 Deep Grimeyy - “First Day Out” 92. Summer Walker - “Constant Bullshit” 93. Drego - “Dis Dat” 94. BONES - “TwasTheDarkestNight” 95. Shelley fka DRAM - “Exposure” 96. Surf Gang - “CINDERELLA” 97. Baby Keem - “Family Ties” ft. Kendrick Lamar 98. Billie Eilish - “Happier Than Ever” 99. Daemoney - “Moments Of Drugs” 100. Lou Hayter - “Time Out Of Mind”

#ayra starr #olivia rodrigo #remble #burna boy #mr twin sister #pa salieu #earl sweatshirt #moor mother #isaiah rashad #Spotify

[bowie-boy]

So, as to make you feel less lonely I have some questions: What led you to the "Peter Parker is trans" head canon? ( I've been very curious about how others got into it) ; What other characters ( cartoon, series, books, movies, etc... ) would you say could be trans? Do you like Gravity Falls? Do you also compulsively make trans head canons about every character you love?--- Now I have some more private questions : When did you stumble across the word "trans"? ; When did you figure yourself out?

Oh wow, tons of questions!! Thank you Lucas, I love you 💕

I discovered the Peter Parker trans headcanon on Tumblr about a year before I actually realized I was trans. I had a lot of internalized transphobia back then, so I’ll be honest and say it really freaked me out. All that year, I couldn’t stop thinking about it though. I wanted to find that post again. After I realized who I was, I went back and found the post again. It made me smile. Today trans Peter is one of my favorite headcanons.

Oh man, I think TONS of characters could be trans. Really any character at all could be trans, and I support all trans headcanons. If you’re curious as to which specifically I headcanon/make content for, I just made a post about it for a similar ask. Check it out!

I actually haven’t seen Gravity Falls yet! My plan is to start plowing through it over winter break. I’m really looking forward to it!!

Haha I don’t headcanon EVERY one of my faves as trans, or at least not in a hardcore way. For example, I don’t headcanon anyone from Glee explicitly, but I’m always down to accept new content for anything.

These next two questions are related so I’m gonna answer them together. The first time I really remember hearing the about transgender people was when I was around 5 playing with my cousin. I was, of course, always playing a boy character like him. In the middle of our game, he just stopped and told me, “Would you ever wanna become a boy?” And I was like, “Yeah, of course!” So he told me that they were offering a surgery to “become a boy”. That sounded like a dream to me. As I grew older, I became more and more aware of my family’s conservative views and how being transgender would never be okay with them. I suppose I buried that reality for myself, and I was okay with that for a while. And one day I just...broke? I was talking with a friend and suddenly it all came spilling out of me. It took a couple of months for me to really solidify things, but soon it was a reality for me. I was a trans guy. I realized who I was May 19, 2018, and I came out to friends December 8, 2018. I have yet to come out to any member of my family.

#asks #asks and answers #send asks #trans peter parker #trans headcanons #gravity falls #transgender #trans guy #trans man #coming out #trans stories #quiet down matt

[lololollywrites]

thoughts about being 29 on the internet that i just had in the shower...

...and had to write down. they were all basically just about how f**king - NEW. and surreal. the internet, its capabilities, and its fandoms can still be to me sometimes. i feel like i forget this a lot. but when i think about it, i can easily recall my wonder at discovering that it all existed in waves of smaller finds. and because i know there are others like me, i thought i’d share some of my own experiences. because honestly, i’ve had fewer years on tumblr and sites like it than some people much younger than me. i’m catching up and enjoying it.

firstly, i know i’m old to some of you, but i’m not really old. not really. i’m still a millennial, screwed over by student loans and old white men and viewed as part of the technological generation. i’m a phd student, and because i’m always on a college campus, i’ve been mistaken as a freshman. a few times. but it’s been fascinating to witness actual freshman and other college students and consider just how different things are for them and honestly? i’m sort of jealous. 

because...

i can remember when i first discovered that fanfiction existed. i was in third period tech skills as a junior in high school - 16 years old - and got a little off-topic and searched for spoilers for a new supernatural episode. this was in 2005 and the show had just come out (yes i still watch, i can’t escape).

and what did i find? somehow? fanfiction.net. i was, no exaggeration, shocked. i sat and read a full-length chaptered fic in episodic format. my mouth was hanging open. i saw thousands more fics in hundreds of fandoms and suddenly felt less strange for envisioning full-scale episode re-imaginings in my head as i laid in bed, dissatisfied with what i had just watched. (btw, i watched new supernatural episodes the sunday after they used to originally air on the wb on thursdays, at my mom’s house where i had my own room and own tiny tv, because no one at my dad’s house wanted to watch and streaming episodes wasn’t something i could even imagine. plus i didn’t have internet at my dad’s house. i know.)

not only that, but i was impressed as hell. here was me, not even aware that you could somehow upload your own text to the internet, and people were not simply writing polished stories in private but posting them somewhere that allowed for chapters. that allowed for people all over the world to read their words. that categorized everything into a huge virtual library. and, most incredibly to me, that allowed for reviews from people around the world.

i couldn’t believe that this new world was open to me. that people would be so generous as to offer amazing stories to me to read FOR FREE. that i had a limitless supply of content to read and review. i barely had functioning internet at home, so i had been sheltered. i told the people sitting next to me in class about it and encouraged them to check it out, mostly to blank stares. i may have even told the teacher, but no one cared. i didn’t understand. who wouldn’t be interested? i told my dad and my sister about it when i got home from school. i was mind-blown.

months in and many reads and written reviews later, i wrote my first fic. it was for smallville. 6 chapters, with updates every few days, that received 14 reviews in total. i read them all multiple times. i showed my sister. i checked the story stats every half hour. i cried. i wrote on the family computer secretly in the evening when most of my family had gone upstairs, because i was about half a year away from owning my first laptop. i wrote more stories sporadically for about 6 years, gradually getting better, but also gradually becoming more stressed and aware of negativity, online arguments, and the embarrassment and shame i suddenly felt about having an online presence. i found a supernatural forum at tv.com (the forums sadly no longer exist), learned about fandom, and immersed myself in posting and being part of a community that i thought understood me more than my friends. like a secret life.

during my first year of college, in 2007, i was in a friend’s dorm when he asked everyone if we wanted to watch an episode of scrubs. i laughed. surely he was joking. “how can we just watch an episode? it’s not on now and you don’t have the dvds.” i literally didn’t consider that there may have been a way. he excitedly told us that he had found some website that had episodes just... pre-uploaded. and that you could just click. i didn’t believe him. the stress of having to be at the tv at a certain time each week for fear of missing an episode entirely and forever was just part of being a fan, right? buying the tv guide and checking listings was necessary. but he found the episode. and clicked. it only took a few full minutes to load and there it was. again, i was astounded. this memory is so shockingly clear to me. it changed how i spent much of my free time, for one. just that moment.

sometime during this first year of college, i was home for break and came across a video on youtube, this new website i had started to use. it reminded me of ebaum’s world, which my friend would show me at her house sometimes because her computer was faster than mine. it was called “cat soup”, and by two guys that called themselves smosh. it had more views than i could comprehend - probably not much more than 5 digits, but still. they were just two kids i could have gone to school with who could create a funny video and get famous. again, i was shocked. mind-blown.

i showed my sister, my mom, and all my friends. they appreciated it a bit more than the fanfiction, but no one seemed to grasp how incredible and revolutionary it was. they all liked “shoes”, with the kelly persona by liam kyle sullivan (we still quote it today), probably because its budget and effects made it a bit more familiarly professional and it appeared less homemade (though it definitely was). but i couldn’t forget smosh. i was so impressed by them. i watched more videos and eventually found communitychannel and jenna marbles and eviliguana and shane dawson. i even found fan edits for my faves, buffy (maybe i saw one of phil’s, lol) and supernatural and smallville, and tried making my own. i freaked in 2009 or so when fred reached a million subscribers. a million. i couldn’t wrap my head around that. again, i told my sister and friends, expecting them to see the enormity of something so crazy happening, and they just... didn’t.

back in 2008, after watching “stick it” again, i recalled the name of a gymnast my cousin used to always talk about when we were kids - from the 1996 olympics - and looked her up on youtube. i realized that all gymnastics competitions imaginable had been uploaded. again - not to be repetitive - but i was shocked. there’s no better word. i gave myself a thorough education on the sport, traveling through time. i am still so grateful that i was able to do that.

sometime in 2009, my friends started pestering me to create a facebook account. i was a junior in college. 20 years old already. it sounded weird - pictures of me online? why? but i gave into pressure and made one. my mom had never allowed us to make a myspace; we were a bit young, and she hated the idea (now, she’s on facebook more than i am). around the same time i got my fanciest phone yet - an LG Env3. i figured out that it could access the internet and that i could use songs to create ringtones. again, sufficiently mind-blown. considering my first cell phone had been a flip phone with no camera that i shared with my sister during emergencies when i was 13, i felt that technology was coming along fast. 

smart phones were foreign to me for a long long time, until recently actually. i thought they were unnecessary for quite a while. i don’t even remember what phones i had at the end of college and through grad school, but i’m pretty sure they consisted of a series of cheap pay-as-you-go phones from walmart. in 2013, i went to china for a year to teach. i got a cheap phone there and used it for about 7 months. one day, a friend of mine gave me his old htc smartphone because he was getting a new one. i didn’t know how to use it, but i played one app on repeat before class and snapped some low-quality photos. after that, i almost immediately went to indonesia for another 9 months to teach high school (2014-2015). the htc phone died very quickly, so i used the nokia brick phone given to me by the organization. it was fine. i had never even used my old smartphone to access the internet, aside from wechat, thanks to china’s internet blocks. it wasn’t until i got home, in the summer of 2015, that i finally got an iphone. it was a huge deal and a big learning curve. it was also around this time that i found dan and phil and tumblr. i only got my macbook two years ago and finally think i have some things figured out.

so i may be old in some ways and remember floppy disks and the card catalog and using encyclopedias to write my middle school papers and huge computers with black screens and green text that displayed math problems in elementary school. i may be able to remember the sound of ancient, huge printers that used reams of paper with perforated, tearable strips down each side. i may remember aol red, dial-up, and not being able to connect if someone was on the phone. but i can also remember watching technology evolve in front of me, discovering fandom and the huge world of content and friendship that lay ahead. and when people try to say i’m too old to like dan and phil, i remind them that dan and phil can also remember. we’re the same age. i relate to them and their stories. to phil’s buffy obsession. to dan’s love of smosh. i’ve only had about 10 fully-cognizant years here on the internet, and only a couple in the world of tumblr and iphones and mobile apps. i’m young in those ways. and i look young enough that strangers sometimes think i’m a teenager. 

that’s laughable to me in some ways, because i’ve lived so much since my teen years. so much has happened. but in others, i don’t feel much different. there’s no age where you just feel grown up. that your interests vanish. that things suddenly seem childish and dumb. yes, i cringe about some things i wrote or did back then and i think i’ve matured, but my interests are all still relatively similar and i can finally explore them in ways that i just couldn’t before.

i hope that this has made sense. and i hope that some can relate.

#fandom #text post #sorry about this #i had to get it out #stories #me #dan and phil #kind of #well i mention them

[blueeyedbesson]

Taking You: Chapter 25

25: Never Know

Series Masterlist Masterlist

"I can't believe this is the end of the tour." Daniel pouted.

"One more show tomorrow night and we all fly home to be with our families for a few days." I smiled and rested my arm on Jack's shoulder.

"I don't wanna be away from you guys after spending all this time being around you." Belle whined.

"I know. I'm gonna be stuck with Jack for longer than I planned." I smirked at looked at my brothers face. "I love you."

"Have you and Jonah figured out how you're going to tell the fans about your break up?" he asked and looked up at me.

"It's been 3 weeks & we haven't posted anything about each other. I think the fans probably know already."

"I still think you guys should address it."

"I'll talk to him about it when he gets back. In the meantime, I am going to lie down on my bunk and listen to music." I sighed and climbed into my bunk. I grabbed my phone, plugged my ear buds in and put on my playlist. I started  closing my eyes and within seconds, I was asleep.

2 hours later, I woke up and noticed my earbuds had fallen out. The music was still playing so I shut it off. Then I noticed that the bus was unusually quiet. Just as I was about to climb off my bunk and check out why it was quiet, I heard someone's voice. I decided to be quiet and pretend I was still asleep as the voice got closer.

"What am I supposed to say, mom? That I'm in love with her? That I can't stop thinking about her? That I haven't stopped thinking about her since the day I met her?" I recognized the voice as Corbyn's. I smiled when I heard everything he said. He was talking about Angel and I wondered if she knew any of this. "Abby and I broke up months ago, mom. Yeah I know you loved her. I did too." There was a pause. "Sometimes I think I still do & it's killing me." he paused again. "But she hates me, mom. Which brings me to my question earlier. How am I supposed to tell her any of that when she hates me for breaking her heart?" Another pause came, this time it was a little longer than the others. His mom must've been scolding him for what happened. "Yes mom. I fucked up. Sorry about my language but it's true. And I'm still fucking up. I'm dating Angel but I'm in love with her best friend. I'm stupid." he paused. "I gotta go mom. I love you and I'll see you in 2 days. Bye."

"Yo, Corbyn, can you check to see if Abby's still asleep?" I heard Jack shout from the front of the bus. I quickly put my ear buds back in and pretended I was asleep when Corbyn opened my curtain.

"Yeah, she's still sleeping."

"Can you wake her? We're leaving soon."

"Sure!" he shouted back and sat on the edge of my bunk. His hand went to my shoulder and he gently shook me. "Abby, wake up. Jack says we're leaving soon."

I turned over and 'paused' my music, slowly taking out my ear buds.

"Alright. Thanks for letting me know." I offered him a smile and he returned one before climbing off my bunk and holding out a hand to help me down. I took it and climbed down slowly, making sure I grabbed my phone.

Corbyn walked to the front of the bus and I followed, seeing everyone on the couches.

"Where are we going?"

"An interview. You girls said you wanted to join us." Jack smiled and everyone  stood up. Tyler lead us all out the door and we got into the van that was supposed to take us to the building where the interview was being filmed. On the way there, Corbyn and Angel got into a heated argument so I tuned them out, not wanting to hear anything that was being said.

~~~~~~~~~~

"So, guess who broke up?" Angel sighed as she plopped down on the couch that Gabbie and I were on. Aubrielle and Belle were on the other couch but the sat up when Angel opened her mouth again. "Corbyn and I have officially called it quits."

"What? No. You two were so cute together." Belle pouted.

"We been having a lot of arguments recently and we felt it was better to stop it all and just be friends. We were always better that way."

"Sometimes, that's always the best choice." I smiled and thought about my recent relationship with Jonah. "I'm glad you guys are still friends though. Jonah would kill him if things were to end bad & that would honestly suck so much."

"It would. Then I'd only have one brother to annoy." Aubrielle smiled.

"I only have one to annoy." I replied.

"True, but he's cute." Gabbie giggled.

"He really is. I love the kid so much." I smiled.

"How is the friendship that you and Jonah have created?" Angel asked, changing the topic and putting her attention on me.

"I never actually thought Jonah could ever be considered as my best friend. But ever since Corbyn and I broke up, he's been so kind to me. Jonah is a great boyfriend but he's the best friend to have in a terrible sitiation."

"I love that you guys are close because of Corbyn."

"It's odd but I like it too."

"Me too."

~~~~~~~~~~

"So, Eben told me something interesting earlier today." Jonah smirked as we sat in front of my laptop, preparing ourselves for the YouNow broadcast we were about to do.

"Oh really? What was that?"

"He told me that you wrote the duet you guys sang & he told me who it was about."

"That bastard. I'm gonna kill him."

"He told me you wrote it about him." he told me, making me a most choke on my drink.

"Oh, Jonah, I'm so sorry."

"It hurts a little bit but I'll be fine." he smiled and signed into his YouNow account. "For the record, I had a feeling you were still into him." he smirked and clicked on the Go Live button.

"Hey guys." I smiled. "This is probably going to be a short broadcast because we have some news to share with you."

"Jonaby is no longer a thing romantically." Jonah began. I looked at the comnents and saw most of the fans freaking out. "But we're still friends."

"Yup. Best friends actually."

"We thought it'd be better this way & I'm glad we made this decision because I love her so much & I'd cry if i knew I hurt her and made her walk out of my life."

"Which he didn't. It was a mutual break up and it's made us both realize that we're happier with just being friends."

"So, please don't put the blame on Abby. She did nothing wrong and does not need everyone stressing her out right now. She's a human being who has feelings so again, please don't hate on her."

"We love you all so much & it's going to be hard for us if you can't find it in your hearts to support our decision."

"As always, I love you guys & I'll talk to you soon." Jonah said his goodbyes and ended the broadcast. "I hope they don't blame you now."

"Same. Thanks." I smiled.

"Anytime, dude." he returned the smile and looked down at his phone, as did I. It was silent for a few minutes before either one of us spoke.

"Hey, Jo?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, Ab?"

"Have you noticed anything weird between Corbyn and Angel lately?"

"Well, they broke up & told me it was because they kept arguing."

"Exactly. That's what Angel told us too. But, they were never left alone together. There was always someone with them. If there was arguments, one of us would've either heard it or seen it."

"Are you saying they made up the argument thing?"

"Yeah. Or that they made up the whole relationship so they wouldn't feel the pressure of the relationships around them."

"Hmm...that's a good point. Now I wonder if they were ever really together."

"Yeah. Me too." I sighed and thought about what I heard Corbyn say to his mom on the phone. Was it true? What if Corbyn knew I was actually awake the whole time & just said that stuff because he knew I was listening? A part of me really wants to tell Jonah but what if I'm wrong? I'd have to talk to Corbyn first & I don't think I'm in the right state of mind to do so. What am I going to do?

Liked by jackaverymusic, islastanford, darrinstanford and 282,976 others

abbyavery: quality time @ home with my 2 faves i love these 2 more than anything @islastanford @jackaverymusic

islastanford: i love you so much abby ❤️ jackaverymusic: @islastanford not as much as i love her 😉 islastanford: @jackaverymusic you're a liar abbyavery: @islastanford @jackaverymusic guys, can't you both just love me equally? 😉 islastanford: @abbyavery okay. love you  ❤️ jackaverymusic: @abbyavery  love you ❤️ fanuser03: this family's bond is literally stronger than anything & i love it so much imreeseherron: come visit as soon as possible. i miss you guys abbyavery: @imreeseherron we're coming by tomorrow, i promise 😁

Tags:   @ijustreallylovethem​ @samithepixie​ @averysgarl​ @jackaverybabe​ @trustfundshawn​ @lovableherron​ @beautybesson​ @jackaverx​ @scenteddanielseavey​ @beccagraceseavey​ @dolantwinmagconwhydontwestan-de​ @lilah-or-lily​ @dailydoseofherron​ @hales-a-bells @obsessedlittleangel-deactivated​ @zaddydaniel​ @brizzebesson​ @ramenavery@splendidseavey@smilingseavey@ilovejackavery@polaroidseavey @poutyavery @loveherron23 @sleepybesson

#taking you #chapter 25 #never know #why dont we fanfic

[lalainajanes]

kink list prompt: 39. klaus & caroline don't know how to react after engaging in some unsatisfactory sex.

+ andI have a prompt for you: Klaus and Caroline getting drunk at a bar and goinghome to have clumsy, drunken sex ;)

This one will be posted in parts (today and on Sunday) because I wanted to get something up before work. It’s a SUPER belated gift for the delightful @howeverlongs based on her fave trope gifsets. This is friends with benefits which I don’t think I’ve ever actually done!

You’re The Nicest Thing (Part One)

Caroline (11:28 AM):SEND HELP. I’M GOING TO SLAUGHTER THEFRESHMEN.

Klaus (11:31 AM):All of them? Surely there’s at least apassable paper or two.

Caroline (11:32 AM):I’m on the tenth. They’re all TERRIBLE.SOULSUCKINGLY TERRIBLE.

Klaus (11:33 AM):Soulsuckingly is not a word.

Caroline (11:34 AM):Neither was elbow before Ol’ Bill wasstaring at the bendy bit of his arm and thought hmmmmm while writing King Lear.

Klaus (11:36 AM):I’m screenshotting this text. The nexttime you call me egotistical I’m going to remind you of the time you directlycompared yourself to William Shakespeare.

Caroline (11:37 AM): You can’t remind me of anything if I’m inprison. Do you have lunch plans?

Klaus (11:38 AM):Meeting with an author at one. She likesmy portfolio but has some questions.

Caroline (11:39 AM):Klaus! THAT’S AMAZING.

Caroline (11:39 AM):Everything in me is DYING to send you astring of emojis but I’ll refrain since you hate fun and happiness.

Klaus (11:40 AM):No, just emojis.

Klaus (11:41 AM):And thank you, sweetheart. I’ll stop bywith coffee when I’m done. Try not to murder anyone before then.

Caroline (11:42 AM):You’re a lifesaver!

Caroline’s a veteran T.A. having accepted her first positionher senior year of college. Every year she tells herself not to be surprised bythe inept bullshitting the freshmen tried to sneak into their first paper butthe badly constructed arguments and ludicrous examples still manage to have hertearing out her hair.

Honestly, how hard was it to just read the freaking book?Some of them clearly hadn’t even bothered to do much more than skim Wikipedia.

She took a great deal of pleasure in scrawling semi-sarcasticobservations in red pen alongside the slashes and grammar corrections. It was apublic service, really. Caroline was graduating this year and her harshnesswould save another T.A. some aggravation. Assuming, of course, that any of theparticularly egregious offenders could manage to actually learn.

Experience had taught her that certain brands of dumb wereimpenetrable.

There’s a tap at the door, one she recognizes as Klaus’ andshe gratefully hops out of her seat to let him in. She grins at him when sheswings the door open, “My hero!” she croons, once she sees the red cup in hishands.

Klaus hands it over with an indulgent smile, “Yes, I heroicallybraved the crowds at Starbucks for fake pumpkin rubbish masquerading ascoffee.”

She eyes him severely over the rim of the cup, “It’sdelicious and only available for a limited time and I love it.”

“I know.”

“Seriously, Klaus, thanks.” He really was a kick ass friendconsidering he was a weirdo who didn’t even likeStarbucks.

He glances towards her desk, the neat stacks of paper. “Anylight at the end of the tunnel?”

“A very faintly flickering one. Do you want to come in?” Shetips her head towards the ratty couch that sits under the window. “My officemates are actually pretty cool this year.”

“You were likely due for a relatively normal set.”

“I really was.” She steps back so Klaus can come in, then walksacross the room and flops down on the couch with a sigh. “So, do you have good news? Maybe that you’re about to start an exciting new project?”

“I don’t know about excitingbut it pays better than the last few.” He shrugs off his jacket and helpshimself to her guest chair and she’s going to need a little more excitementfrom him.

“Woo hoo!” Caroline cheers, lifting her free arm in an exaggeratedfist pump. “So I might only have to bring oneextra sweater when I come over to this winter?”

“You never actually bringextra sweaters. You just invite yourself into my bedroom and raid my closet.”

Caroline looks away, studying her cup more intently that sheneeds to. It was just like Klaus to spoon feed her a great joke that shecouldn’t utter. All because of that one time Klaus had been doing the invitingand things had gone terribly awry. In the past she wouldn’t have hesitated,would have let her voice turn throaty and tease him about how an invitation intohis bedroom should really include something more exciting an offer of layersfor warmth. Klaus would have responded with something equally flirty. They’dhave gone back and forth, neither willing to back down, until Caroline’s earsfelt hot and it took a ton of effort not to look at his lips.

He’s been her friend since the second semester of her firstyear in college, one of the most consistent. They’ve always had buckets ofsexual tension and, being a practical sort of girl, Caroline had always figuredit would, at some point, lead to more. Unfortunately, her racy fantasies aboutKlaus - of his hands and his mouth and his voice in her ear uttering tempting,toe curling promises – had been a total bust.

She really hopedthey got to the point where they could laugh about the worst sex of theirlives. Soon, if possible.  

She glances up to find him studying her, resists the urge tofidget and possibly make things awkward if he realizes her mind had flittedback to the sex that shall not be named. It had taken them half of the summerto get back to normal and Caroline had missed him terribly in the weeks wherethey hadn’t quite known how to be in the same room. She takes a sip of herdrink to cover the extended pause, “That’s just because you’re a good host.Unwilling to let your guests freeze to death even if you’re chintzy with thethermostat.”

“Unwilling to let someguests freeze to death.”

“It’s an honor to be included on the short list of peopleyou don’t actively want to die, Klaus. Truly.”

He smirks, rolling her chair closer to the couch, “Then you’llbe happy to know you’re near the top.”

Caroline lays her hand over her heart, sinks back into the cushionslike a swooning maiden in an old movie. It was another opening and she decidesto push a bit past the boundaries she’d been enforcing.  “Such charm! With sweet talk like that I haveno idea why you’re still single.”

“Really? I have apretty good idea.”

Huh. Not what she’d expected. Klaus had a healthy ego, wasfully aware of his own appeal and she’d seen him use it to great effect overthe years. A flash of his dimples, some careful space invading, many a womangot giggly and wide eyed, hanging on to his every word and not-so-subtlytugging at their necklines to bare a little more cleavage. She’s about to makea crack asking if he’s been watching self-improvement infomercials whilesketching again (Klaus tended towards late night productivity) when her phone’salarm begins trilling as it buzzes against her desk. A quick glance at theclock above the door tells her she’s got a class to get to.

Klaus has spent years teasing her about her rigidlyorganized schedule so he’s well aware of the alarms meaning. He tips his head towardsher phone, “Your ten minute warning?”

“Yeah. Sorry to have to dash out on you after you deliveredme the greatest of coffee based beverages.”

“It’s not a problem. My student days only ended last year. Whereare you headed?”

“Just down the hall,” Caroline tells him, standing andstraightening her skirt. “It’s my kid lit seminar so it’ll at least be fun. Doyou want to meet up at the bar later? I want to hear all about your project.”

“Sure. Seven or so?”

That gave her enough time to knock out a couple more papers.The alcohol would be a welcome balm to her soul. “I’ll even buy the first roundsince we’re celebrating.”

She’d have to remember to cap it off at three drinks. DrunkCaroline tended to say things she shouldn’t andwas a shameless snuggler. It had been the celebratory booze, and her wanderinghands, that had led to disaster last time.

Never let it be said that Caroline Forbes didn’t learn fromher epic fails.

#Anonymous #klaroline #klarolineauweek #klaroline drabbles #ytnt

[thepennydarling]

Happy HUUUUUMP Day, ya’ll!

Preston and I have had a VERY busy…month, actually, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon! Phew! Lots of work and things to do!

This is a VERY exciting Wednesday, if you didn’t know it!

My 27th birthday is next Thursday, May 23rd! And I am excited and a little nervous!

So I’ve teamed up to giveaway over $1,000 of giveaways with some of my favorite places to shop, my most requested items, and more! We’ve got Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, ModCloth, Unique Vintage, and more!

However, this is a SUPER exciting week (starting today!) with you all!

Let’s talk about the ruuuules!

Let me just sneak the boring stuff so we can get to the goods! Check me out on Instagram here!  I also have a selling Instagram page where I sell some of my old clothes/styles so that I don’t drown in my own wardrobe. I just listed a few new things – so check that out!

HOW TO ENTER:

All giveaways will take place on Instagram between 5/16 and 5/22.

Winners will be randomly selected & all be announced on 5/24.

You follow me, like the pic, & tag two besties to enter EACH post!

Each Instagram post is a DIFFERENT giveaway and will be listed in the description!

Follow the company who is sponsoring the giveaway! (they will be tagged!)

EXTRA ENTRIES OPPORTUNITIES

Throughout the week there will be LOTS of opportunities for extra entries! Keep posted to my Instagram stories, blog posts, and Facebook for announcing opportunities!

For extra entries ANY day, like & follow All-In-One Company on Instagram and comment your fave animal emoji!

For double entries ANY day, like & follow the shops listed at the bottom of this page!

  I’m kicking off this birthday week with a totally gorgeous tea party, hosted by Bigelow Tea!

Ya’ll know how much ya girl loves tea. I love it hot, iced, and spilled! Ha! So obvi, I knew I wanted to have a birthday tea party with Bigelow! I love to put peppermint tea bags in my water bottles for a refreshing twist, sleepytime tea for relaxing, or even sharing English Breakfast (Preston’s fave!) with him!

Check out Bigelow Tea on Social Media! You can check them out on Facebook here, and you can sip on over to the ‘gram to follow Bigelow here!

Bonus:

This skirt was CUSTOM designed by the INCREDIBLE Rachel Gray of Wishes & Wardrobes to look like the style icon: MINNIE MOUSE for the Surprise Celebration in Disney! Rachel makes totally custom and Disney Inspired garments!

Check Wishes & Wardrobes out on social media!  Instagram & Etsy  (double bonus: her Insta is TOTALLY adorable!)

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse don new outfits bursting with color to commemorate 90 years of magic in celebrations across Disney Parks. Beginning in January 2019 at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., guests are invited to Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration. The special party will feature new entertainment and decor at Disneyland park, plus limited-time food and beverage offerings and festive merchandise available throughout the resort. (Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)

  Giveaway #1: All-in-One Company

The All-in-One Company is a wonderful company & is our sponsor of the week! They make custom onesies for ALL bodies & EVERY body. One of their motto’s is that no one is different, but everyone is unique!

They prove their commitment to that motto with everything from custom fabric type (I’m more of a jersey than a fleece gal), patterns, pockets, ears, tails, and a million other perfect details! The All-in-One Company utilizes custom sizing, suggested sizing (from newborn to 5XL). Preston & I already have PERFECT onesies (that we look adorable in, BTW!).

These onesies are the most Snuggletastic delight to grace the Darling household since Charlie! They’re handmade by the The All-in-One Company team in the UK! Find out more about their story here!

FOLLOW THE ALL-IN-ONE COMPANY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER YOUTUBE WEBSITE

  Giveaway #2: Harvey’s of California

For this giveaway, I’ll be gifting one of these adorable Toy Story bags featuring the Pizza Planet aliens! This Harvey’s of California signature seat belt bag is a total exclusive!

These little alien guys were my favorite characters in Toy Story growing up (and my mom’s too!), so when I saw that Harvey’s had a new line inspired by Disney’s Toy Story, I knew I HAD to have one (and Harvey’s gifted me a second one to giveaway!). Shop the rest of this line here, partner!

Check out Harvey’s on Social Media

Facebook Instagram

  Giveaway #3: $200 ModCloth Gift Card

Ya’ll know that ModCloth are MY PEOPLE! ModCloth is actually what started my fashion obsession about five years ago! If I were Citizen Kane, ModCloth would be my rosebud. Ha!

ModCloth is a size inclusive, retro-inspired, & quirky clothing company is a total gem for finding about half my wardrobe! The total unique prints (both made in house & stockists of smaller boutique labels!) has something for every body from XXS-4X (or 0-30 approx.).

Check out ModCloth on social media here:

Facebook Instagram Twitter

Giveaway #4: $150 Curvy Couture Intimates Gift Card

So I wear a 44G cup. (is that TMI? I don’t care). It’s a big freaking bra. it has provided a never-ending amount of stress in my life. My bras are ALWAYS expensive, ALWAYS in boring colors, ALWAYS marketed to ‘slim’ me, and always a little uncomfortable somewhere.

When I found Curvy Couture – all of their bras WERE UNDER $60 (a thing that has literally never once happened to me). with some even being under $50, available in a millions colors and fabric types, and with an EXTENSIVELY awesome size selection!

Bonus: I have a promo code: ABBY20 for 20% your whole order! Baller. (so theoretically you could get a new bra for like $35) Shop my dusty rose set here!

Check out Curvy Couture on Social Media: 

Facebook Twitter Instagram

  Giveaway #5: $150 Unique Vintage Giveaway

This vintage inspired & size inclusive site is a RETRO dream! Unique Vintage has sizes XS-5x (with new size charts, if you haven’t checked it out!).

Unique Vintage has their site divided into ERA! How cool is that? They go from 1920’s-1970’s inspired clothing! I have pieces from almost every era-inspired line! Bonus: not only does Unique Vintage have adorable pieces & an exclusive label, but they also have exclusive collabs with brands like Disney, Barbie, & Pantone!

Check out Unique Vintage on Social Media

Facebook Twitter Instagram

  Giveaway #6: Vermont Teddy Bear Factory Hunka Love

Ya’ll know how much I lovelovelove The Professor….aka, my SIX FOOT TEDDY BEAR! He’s such a cute and spoopy addition to our home and he came all the way from the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory to live with us!He’s so soft, comfy, and cute and definitely a conversation starter!

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, in Burlington, Vermont, is a place that makes handcrafted bears with love and care in every stitch!

For this giveaway, I’ll be giving away a 4′ Big Hunka Love® Bear from the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. Your new friend will be a liiiiiiittle smaller than my bear, but equally as cuddly and fun!

Check out VTB on Social Media!

Facebook Twitter Instagram

  Giveaway #7: $150 Avenue Gift Card

Avenue is, as ya’ll know, one of my FAVE places to shop…because I like everything! I have work out gear, shoes, bras, panties, dresses, skirts, swimsuits, blouses, faux leather jackets, graphic tees and sweatshirts, jammies, and anything else you can think of!

This plus sized company has a varied selection for all different body types! Avenue goes from size 14-32 or 14-32 and is a big range for plus sized bodies!

Bonus: I wear Avenue undies literally every single day. 10/10 would recommend for a friend!

Check out Avenue on Social Media! 

Facebook Twitter Instagram

  Extra Entries!

Follow any of these AMAZING shops who sent me some awesome and lovely birthday gifts from 5/16-5/23 for extra entries for any post!

  Parks & Recs Candle Set by C & E Craft Co.

Ya’ll know how much your girl is totally a Leslie Knope type. I identify with approximately 99% of her quirks, lines, and plots! So these AMAZING-Knope-approved candles set (like Little Sebastian, JJ’s Diner, & Treat Yo’ Self) are richly scented and long burning!

I got this set from C & E Craft Company out of Pennsylvania! Check them out on Etsy here, and follow them on their socials here: Facebook & Instagram

  Recreational Pipes from MudHedz

These totally gorgeous, hand crafted, and adorable ceramic pipes from MudHedz are AMAZING. They are so perfect for some recreational needs and they are totally a show stopper! I got one for a friend a few years ago for Christmas and I’ve been obsessed ever since!

Check out MudHez here! Check out the pickle pipe here & the conch pipe here!

Follow MudHedz on Facebook & Etsy & Instagram

  Go-Go Gryffindor Glitter Candle

I fought it for years, pretending to be a Ravenclaw, but I’m totally a Gryffindor. This House Pride Candle from Geeky Girl Scents. This candle has a hazelnut coffee scent, is speckled with gold glitter, and is long lasting and delightful!

I got this set from Geeky Girl Scents! Check them out on Etsy here, Facebook, & Twitter, & Instagram!

  Check out these games from PlayMonster!

Preston & I lovelovelove board games and I was gifted a bunch of board games and now we can’t stop competing! Ha! (spoiler alert! I’m up!). Check out where to shop these here!

My faves are Utter Nonsense & The Game of Things! I am always laughing like a lunatic when I play these with our game group!

  May the odds be ever in your favor!

Thank you to all of the wonderful sponsors, companies, friends, and family that are making this possible! Be sure to check out the rules, how to get extra entries, and be following me & checking me out on social media!

  *This post is sponsored by the above listed companies with generous gifting as well! Thank you to all! However, all thoughts & opinions are my own!

SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!

If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page! I also do social media consulting and photography, so please reach out! Let’s work together!

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Subscribe for updates!

If you’d like to donate to help me keep Penny Darling going – click here!

Comment for topics you would like to see me cover! Like to help my self esteem! What do you think so far? More fashion? More lifestyle? Do you like the mix?

Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.

Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!

How Very,

Abby

Birthday Week Giveaway Kick-Off! Check out the rules & what I'm giving away & how to get extra entries! Happy HUUUUUMP Day, ya'll! Preston and I have had a VERY busy...month, actually, and it's not slowing down anytime soon!

[being-of-rain]

Who Movie Viewing #1009 and Thoughts

This got so much longer than I expected. Good.

-The opening of the film, with the music and the graphics and the voiceover and the logo... it’s just so incredible. It always gets me hyped and I unironically love it to death.

- “It was a request they should never have granted.” Did Eight really try to blame the Daleks right then. They did... the least... in this entire film... Doctor you just made a deal with the Daleks and the Master at the same time...

- “I was finally beginning to realise that you could never be too careful.” That is never gonna happen.

-Can you believe that I almost forgot how beautiful the gothic Tardis is???????? Don’t worry tho, my love has been reignited now.

-Lee is looking beautiful tonight.

- “Is he rich? Cause where we’re going he better be rich.” Ah yes, this is one of those eps where they go to a dystopian human colony. This time its called America and has awful health care

-The shot of running down the hospital corridor in full ballgown with opera over the top is one of my favourite things ever and is also the most iconic thing I’ll ever see.

-Grace is looking beautiful tonight.

-Brian is such a dick. @Grace dump him.

-Sylvester McCoy literally spent half his time in the film lying down playing dead.

-I haaate gratuitous operation/hospital scenes, and this is horrible, and the fact that I still like this movie so much is amazing.

-Who decided the goo snake was a good idea because its so freaking weird and i do not like it. They should have just made it Crispy crawling around. Then again if I had to watch Crispy crawl into Bruce I would die right here and now.

-Here’s my boy. Eight is looking beautiful tonight.

-The first words anyone spoke to my beautiful boy; “Oh my God. GOD NO!” @the universe, what is your damage

-omg for some reason I’m not sure I had ever noticed Eight was humming to himself before???? As he shambles around the hospital. Is it the same music he heard when he died?? That would make sense

-Eight is literally the most pure and innocent person to ever appear on film??and all I want in my life is for someone to wrap him in warm clothes and love him.

-What does he even do all night?? Does he go Tenth Doctor-esque catatonic?? In the middle of a soaking wet, shattered glass-littered abandoned hospital wing????? I REPEAT: SOMEBODY GIVE MY BOY A HUG AND SOME LOVE

-The dramatic music when Eight picks up the Nixon mask gets me every time. AU where he bonds with it and wears it as part of his outfit, and everywhere he goes people assume he’s a serial killer.

- “What would you like me to call you then?” “Master will do.”  Bruce’s wife does not deserve to be kinkshamed in her own home, so I’m going to kinkshame the Master instead who absolutely deserves it, no matter where the fugk he is, for choosing the name in the first place.

-Underrated Gem from the Movie #78001; *Pete is freaked out after having freaked out because he saw the Doctor come back to life* Pete: Y’know what? I’m going home. Grace: Hey Pete, stop off at a psychiatric and pick up more mind-altering drugs. Pete: *completely serious* okay sure. Grace: *looks incredibly concerned*

-I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again; Eight’s outfit looks so comfortable. I want it.

-What the heck is with the guy just glaring at Eight in the hospital waiting room. What is his damage.

-This hospital guy is is crazy, burning all the evidence so that the operation never happened... he’s straight up gonna kill all of those visitors who watched it. This is an episode of CSI in the making.

- “You’re tired of life but afraid of dying.” Eight you’re like 8 hours old, no one gave you the right to be this Real.

-Eight covering his ears when Grace shouts at him is still the cutest thing ever

-What was that one post that was like “Brian took the couch but not his shoes??” because big mood

-Eight and Grace are drop-dead gorgeous in the scene in Grace’s house.

-The Doctor’s apparent ability to know everyone’s future is something added to the movie that’s just as odd and out-of-keeping with the rest of the show as the “half-human” line. One of the EDAs mention that Eight has a special gift to see people’s timelines and stuff that’s unique to this regeneration or something? That’s pretty neat.

-The Master being in the TARDIS when Lee enters means that (a) he knows the Doctor so well that he knows where the spare key is (and had to get a box or hypnotise a passer-by to help him reach it) or (b) while Lee did that quick stunned walk around the outside, he bolted in and played it cool when Lee came back in. Either option is kinda hilarious to me

- “It took me a while with the walking and the talking” Same.

- Lee is looking incredible in this Tardis scene.

-Eight when he gets excited is the cutest thing ever.

-JKLDSJCOSDIVDSCJO The most underappreciated part of the “THESE SHOES” joke is that Grace stares right at the camera like she’s in the Office

-I love the conversation Lee and El Maestro have when they stick their heads in the holes in the Tardis pillars cause that’s a great use of set??? It is literally a crime that this set was never used again and I want an exact copy as my new bedroom.

-In case someone doesn’t know, according to the EDAs the bats in the Tardis are called Jasper and Stewart and they’re twins and adorable.

-So do all ambulance medics look like the Terminator in America or

-Has anyone else read the Wife in Space blog, because the TV Movie one has the line “is the Eye of Harmony making it rain chickens” and honestly #iconic

- “I can’t make your dream come true forever but I can make it come true today!” Like my favourite line in the movie.

-So the Master and Lee don’t do anything while Grace and Eight get the bike. The Master’s like “Scuse me, I gotta wipe this fire extinguisher guff off. You follow them.” and Lee is like “sure bro, just gotta wait for this traffic.

-Talking of #iconic, the music in The Chase.

- “I wish I had my sonic screwdriver” “What?!” Doctor please stop throwing scifi terms at poor Grace.

- “I told you it was small.” “What is it they say?” “Yeah they say that on my planet too.” I can guarantee you that poor Ace Eight does not have a single clue what Grace actually means.

-So the Master just throws up over everyone now huh. That’s his gameplan now huh. Someone please put him out of our misery.

-We’re back in the Tardis and, Those angles..... That lighting........

-Have I mentioned that I love Eight’s hair yet? Because I love Eight’s hair. Also it’s kind of red in some shots and kind of not in others?? idk

- “We haven’t got any time to waste.” “But time to change!” SPEAKING OF ICONIC; “I always” *snap to close up* “Drezzzzzzzzz, for the occasion.”

-Eight: Lee, this is my Tardis. This is my Eye and I'm in my own body! Master: *the fakest laugh I have ever seen* I’m sorry Lee but how did you ever fall for the Master’s lies.

- “In 700 years no one has managed to open the Eye. How did you do it?” I mean, the last person to open the Eye was probably the Master as well? In the Deadly Assassin? (another face wowee. Just goes to show; to enjoy Dr Who all you gotta do is ignore the logic and “science”)

- “What do you mean it won’t work?” *scientist shrugs*   Mood.

- “WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF LAST CHANCES” “MORE THAN YOU” I looove the camera shots for those lines, with both of their faces n stuff.

-Lee: YOU LIED TO ME!    Master: I can’t believe... my own son...

-Just How Necessary Was The Master / Grace Kiss Exactly 2k17

- “I’M BLIND!” (Oxygen, 2017)

-Grace just saved the planet by hotwiring an alien time machine she has spent 2 minutes on... when will your fave ever

-This climax never has and never will make any sense, but it sure is editted nicely! Very dramatic.

- “What’s a temporal orbit!” Same

-Eight, calmly: Your life force is dying, Master. The Master, the most dramatic shit you’ll ever meet: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-Omg where is that post of just Eight’s leg. Because #iconic

- “You’ve both been somewhere I’ve never been” Doctor you were dead exactly one (1) day ago.

-Grace, Lee and Eight are such a beautiful Tardis team, and between the “I definitely wouldn’t live through that again” scene and the final goodbye scene, they absolutely go on a bunch of adventures together.

-Lee could 100% have just walked away with that gold and Eight obviously wouldn’t have stopped him. But he chose to offer it back to him,, when will your fave

- “See you round Grace!” I bet Lee goes to meet up with Grace again and acts like they’ve been through a lot together, and Grace very quickly cycles from “yes we have” to “wait you straight up tried to get me killed” to “why do you even want to talk to me” to “okay wait I have no one to talk to about this, you can stay”

- “Thank you Doctor.” “No thank You doctor.” What a couple of precious cuties. btw they’re both looking gorgeous and beautiful in this scene, and so was Lee. Just in case you were wondering.

#my posts #long post #dream tardis #doctor who tv movie

[vaczine]

Walt Cessna

You may think you know or understand me from the suggested and often misunderstood visceral & visual tone of my posted work. You MAY, but you will never ever actually come to any sort of conclusion unless you choose and succeed at looking deep into the self polarizing pathos and DIY till I die determination that informs every facet of my creative & hopefully thought provoking artistic, political and personal stance. If your spending an overwhelming period of better utilized time questioning the purpose, passion and correct point of view of those you deem .not on your side and couldn't actually care less about their indifference and non inclusion of your world anyway, it is perhaps time for you to social media disconnect and redirect the inspirational sparks and shared creative synergy that your on-line presence not only inspires, but informs anyone seeking some deeper meaning and lasting purpose regarding the manner and socially awkward mayhem of your experiences and the at times long hesitation of wait and see the final destination of our daily life experiences that we over emphasize through bullet point rifled personally potent postings promoting our self delusional appreciation and understanding of the self stating shared synergy that fuels our current creative desires and the never ending search for a perfect new medium in which to showcase them. Picture frames ans pretty much any type of visual not displaying itself correctly on some sort of screen set at a 3 second shift of images that leaves the pictures haphazardly etched into our conscious. It;s been slightly amusing seeing the often incorrect re-appropriation of my past works that when originally presented labeled me a pornographer of dubious and damaged integrity blithely showing off my ex-hooker, forever a junkie, AIDS relate-able personal drama and self persecution laced presentation of what polite people refer to as my artistic work. Autistic twerk is more like it. It all starts to make sense suddenly and my personally motivated switch of creative mediums comes across casually and gives no hint at others poorly perceived notions of how to maintain, manage and virtually manifest the clearest and most accurate version exactly how, where, when, what & why I am initiating a long awaited and previously posed with move from digital photography to digital film. It's not that photographs or random still images no longer incite inspiration within me, but i have a renewed creative hunger to tell my visually rich, moment caught in time pictorial perceptions of the world as I continue to come upon it in personally nuanced and arresting pictures that often wear their intensity like a much maligned and majorly misconstrued social handicap of frankly preposterous and selfishly painful decrees decrying ,owns own carefully and life long curated correctness. I'm 52 and I've been pretty much taking photographs since I was just dropped out of high school and living part time in the Chelsea Hotel as anti- fashion terrorist and 7th Ave knock off re-designer self publishing the first of 5 indie publication The Key. Al it took was an unsolicited paragraph of self reverential praise to take it from a Xeroxed & hand stapled $1 a copy fast food fashion inspired teen dream novelty to fashion designer approved & super supported legends in their own lifetimes hyper surreal 80s shooting style stars like Norma Kamali & Way bandy introduced Stephen Sprouse to secure is a publishing deal literally on my 18th birthday in what would come to be the best realized and inspired 1984 year of my life. I got to work with the essentially inspired likes of Teri Toye, truly the first notable and visually inescapable Transgender fashion cult level model courtesy of the two other points of a supremely inspired and inspiring collaboration between the three of them as downtown designer, muse & Nico - model, aspired, casually confrontational It girl 80s hybrid that paid due homage to Warjol;s Edie now known as Sprouse & Meisel's fashion franken-weenie of perfect for rthe times sculpted androgyny that wore its scandalous reputation like a badge of maybe it just might be true dis-honor. The late 80s defining Avedon Vogue covers just as world famous make-up artist as his oft times super model before it was deemed hashtag worthy Brooke Sheilds. Way was very approachable, much like most of the pop art world of culturally correct pre-internet celebrities that never had to fear with cell phones and social media to further distract from whatever way out wild and personally soiled to random extinction proclivities of all too often misunderstood or simply ignored, looked on as unnecessary critiques on those who call their arts performing. The 70s / 80s gold plated period of utter pop(t) culture perfection has never been replaced or more relevant. it continues to inform a host of style servers and visual vanguards who set the tone for all we deem fashionable, fierce & transformative. Going back to the good time girl prohibition era flappers and their self professed need / desire to dance their cares away and have the best time of their life till death to the current state of street style inspired rebooted and redefining world of Haute Couture once again inspired and defined by Saint Laurent, Dior and Gucci albeit each famed and style setting house now under radical redefining fashion focus that manages to respectfully pay nu rage homage to the brands history, but seek ways to incorporate the often awkward proportions of urban influenced street style that when seen through the eyes of the Vetements infused mind rewerking the always sublime mod style proportion savvy design mind helming an extremely personal and stylishly over wrought almost radical re-imagining of the deeply respected and ultra icronic experimental & visionary couture house Balenciaga..There were skirts fashion from actual and completely randomly sourced car mats deftly shuffled into a collection that closed with 9 over the top and way over-sized almost to the point of unwearable proportions that instantly achieve Avedon photo moment in fashion history correctness as they unapologetic-ally praise the design notion of ultra future modern vintage retro photograph of culturally current creations that take inspiration from bold silhouettes and a generous, almost overly lavish attention to cut and proportion that in some cases requires the pop kulture class-ism of 60's Irving Penn influenced and perfectly posed presence of the cult model of Funny Fave infamous-ness Dovima to pull off with a level of panache and a heightened sense of strictly amplified drama punctuated by perfectly arched eyebrows framing equally attentive and slightly rich bitch super vixen fierceness that can't be faked unless it;s Evita moment Mario Testino in his 90s Vanity Fair primed for all time Madonna. People who talk shit about the should hsve known better bitch i'm Madonna. Looking at the aggressively fearless proponents of radically almost unwearable proportions executed in a modern assimilation of not always unawkward siljouettes that altrhough not as gar out and frankly unbothered by anything other than it;s own correctness Comme des Garcon, rather a redefined riff on the retro notions of business attire and women wearing versions of men's tailoring, sparked by YSL in his properly Helmut Newton 70s style blip of his Le Smoking tuxedo influenced suits further pushed into androgyny by slicked back short hair cuts that forever set the standard for Bowie pioneered gender bending ensembles that were majorly loathed or deeply loved when first introduced. The insane radical yet pop culturally relevant instantly pop cult classic correctness of Ziggy Stardust seamlessly morphed into YSl man tailored sexually ambiguous models mane even more infamous in their provocative, often sexually charge/d photographs often shot in dark Parisian alleys and dramatically street light lit lending an air of instant style reformation of perfectly potent only werked correctly in the 70;s mix of lady like femininity mixed with an elegantly irreverent masculine tailoring that too easily wrought to mind the gay disco dollies not yet commonly referred to as lesbians, yet unflinchingly setting the style trend that made Helmut Newton dangerously exotic and first introduce the idea of super exclusively expensive made by hand atelier attended Haute Couture that today seems more Ready-to-Couture with it;s street styled leanings and brave style assertions that are elegantly askance. The often classic attention to cut and uber refined measures of stitching that further accented the carefully crafted couture cut that is nothing like your basic, badly cut and boring boxy jacket. The New Look symbolized and introduced Christian Dior's legendary post war arrival that stirred a full on fashion freak out for bucking war time fabric restrictions with liberated and lavish for the times over indulgences of fabric measured by multiple yards and a retro regal stance when wearing the often sharply pinched and flared waist suit jackets that had a multi gored and just above the ankle length skirt that every designer in time since had offered their own version. Print Vogue is a bore, but vogue.com gives you every single look shown during global fashion week and to the point well worded break downs freshly devoid of attitude and detail driven to blogger extremes. This just finished past season was over loaded with a plethora of just the right dose of retro inspired vintage sportswear taken to wryly ironic or deathly drastic extremes. Which is probably why I love it and have actually been inspired to write fashion inspired posts in over a decade. - Walt Cessna

Balenciaga Fall / Winter 2017

[bonniejstarks]

BLACK FRIDAY BEAUTY SALES TO MAKE YOUR WALLET…SING? SOB?

Image borrowed from Getty Images until I can find another

According to the Retail Council of Canada, 43% of Canadians are planning to purchase something on this borrowed-from-the-USA day, Black Friday. It’s also the biggest shopping day of the year in Canada, and although its craziness makes me want to stay in bed, it makes so much freaking sense: it’s exactly the right time to do all your holiday shopping. Not only does it mean you save on gift-giving, you’ve got a month if you need to return or exchange anything. (Props for knowing all that already, US-based friends!)

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Actually, if you’re Canadian, has this all-in-on-Black-Friday phenomenon fully caught on with you? Have you shifted your holiday shopping habits to participate? Or, as is for many of us with Boxing Day sales (apparently 34% of Canadians expect to shop those), is this retail extravaganza more about stocking up on necessities with a side of luxuries-at-a-discount?

And just for fun, did you know that for the last seven years NASA’s nod to Black Friday has been “Black Hole Friday,” a day of sharing black-hole images and info?

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where to shop black-friday beauty

Some of these sales are Friday specific, but many will go through into Cyber Monday, whether they say so now or announce it on the weekend, so it’s worth checking the sites again for more deals at the start of the week. (So many of us shop online now… do we really even NEED Cyber Monday any more?)

AMAZON CANADA has all kinds of Black Friday deals as they always have on Black Friday, and they’ll definitely have Cyber Monday sales as well. But I find the site so frustrating to navigate that I just look for what I want, and if it isn’t on sale, I don’t buy it right away. That said, I did notice that this year the Philips DiamondClean Classic Rechargeable Electric Toothbrushe ($139.99 CAD at amazon.ca) is $100 off – that’s a 42% discount, and pretty amazing. I’ve had one of these toothbrushes for years (it’s still going strong) and I love it.

Of note is that Amazon Canada is helping the Toronto Fire Fighter’s Toy Drive and the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada by facilitating the no-effort donation of gifts and toys to less fortunate kids this holiday season. While you shop, stop on this page to select the charity and something to purchase as a donation. Easy!

BITE BEAUTY is continuing with their 75%-off business, except for Black Friday it’s a sitewide discount with the code BLACKFRIDAY. They’ve also added a 5-piece GWP (with a great lip-print zippered pouch) for orders that hit $40 or more.

The Body Shop and The Body Shop Canada – no advent calendars, but there’s a Black Friday tote…

THE BODY SHOP is offering 40% off everything (except holiday gift sets) in store and online; holiday gift sets are 25% off. And no, you won’t snag an advent calendar, unfortunately. They’re all sold out on the Canadian and US websites. However, do check out the Black Friday Tote ($49 CAD and $49 USD at thebodyshop.com), which is stuffed with $141 CAD/$128 USD-worth of stuff.

CHARLOTTE TILBURY has added new products to the 30%-off sale on the brand’s website. Many are sets, duos or trios; a couple of them include four or five items. Also on sale is a variety of accessories, including cel phone cases and totes.

DYSON CANADA is offering free accessories and (in Canada) a very cool stand with each Dyson Supersonic ($499.99 CAD at dysoncanada.com and $399.99 USD at dyson.com) purchase through December 2nd. Specifically for Black Friday weekend, Dyson is also offering up to $200 CAD/$250 USD off certain vacuum cleaners, fans and humidifiers.

GLOSSIER is offering 20% off all the things, and up to 35% off all its sets. I mention it because I want to try Brow Flick ($22 CAD and $18 USD at glossier.com) and may already have put a Black and a Brown in a virtual cart. (Yes, it’s much more expensive than the Ardell Stroke-A-Brow Pens, but Glossier won’t charge shipping if I spend more than $40. Shipping from Sally Beauty Supply in the US makes my Ardell expenses about the same as my potential Glossier spend. At least that’s what I’m telling myself today, because the Glossier discount means I have to buy a third item or pay $8 CAD to get free shipping.)

INDEED LABS is offering 50% off everything online until midnight, no code required. Worth trying if you aren’t familiar is Hydraluron hydrating serum (I’ve been a fan since it first came out); Exfoliator II Facial Powder Exfoliant (powder with a decent amount of biodegradeable scrubby ingredients), a new formula that replaces the previous version that contained microbeads; and the Hydraluron+ Volumising Lip Treatment, one of my favourite lip balms.

IT COSMETICS is more generously offering 25% off with the code FRIDAY2019 on its Canadian site; spend $100 or more and you’ll get four new samples worth $64 CAD. In the US, the brand is offering 20% off with the code THANKFUL. The It Cosmetics CC+ Cream SPF 50 (comes in 12 shades now) is still my top go-to for foundation. I know a few lovely friends of Beautygeeks experience disappointing on-skin oxidization with this formula, but it stays pretty true on me and always, always makes people think I have a nice complexion.

Shoppers Drug Mart Black Friday beauty deals

NYX COSMETICS in Canada and the USA is offering 30% off everything online (except holiday stuff) and 50% of select items, plus a GWP of mini lip colour, mascara and makeup sponge when you hit $40.

L’OCCITANE is featuring 50% off their two Doorbuster Beauty Sets: each set of six travel sizes comes with a very pretty zippered case, all for $25. Gift sets appear to be 30% off, too. On top of that, if you spend more than $100, you score a gift-worthy 7-piece Beauty Essentials set, and if you spend more than $190, you’ll get instead an even-more-gift-worthy upgraded Bestsellers set.

RIVERSOL is a Canadian, pH-balanced and fragrance-free skincare line designed by dermatologist Jason Rivers for people with rosacea. Details on the line and its key ingredients plus info on how to get a free 10-day trial kit are in this post. If you’ve tried the products and like them, you need to know that until midnight you’ll save 30% on your next order if you use the code 2R83CT7S​. The site serves Canada and the USA; shipping is free when you spend $69 or more.

SALLY BEAUTY is offering a bunch of different ways to save, including deals you’ll get with the use of various numeric codes; I find it a bit dizzying, actually. I only buy Ardell Stroke-A-Brow pens there because shipping-to-Canada costs sting so much. (Haven’t found a Canadian online retailer yet. Probably worth checking on now…)

SEPHORA Canada has a variety of little sets available for $25 or less each, plus an up-to-50%-off sale section that hopefully is as robust as it looks (if only you could tell without clicking on the image whether something is sold out!). The Lanolin 101 Ointment Fruities Duo ($22 CAD at sephora.com; not available as a duo in the US) is great; the formula is lanolin + lanolin oil so it’s a bit less sticky than pure lanolin, and worth trying if you’re currently traumatized over the tragic demise of Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask (R.I.P.).

SEPHORA in the US has a $15-sets thing, plus the up-to-50%-off sale section.

SHOPPERS DRUG MART applies only to Canadians – apologies to our US-based friends. But they’ve got good stuff and they’re everywhere here, so it’s worth mentioning that with a spend of $75 or more on makeup, skincare or fragrance, you’ll get 20X the PC Optimum points. The rest is a variety of deals specific either to the brands or to particular products. For instance, there’s a 25% discount on Clarisonic tools – it’s a great time to buy the Mia Smart, my fave because it fits the Clarisonic massage-head. (I only use my Clarisonic Mia Smart for facial massage.) As well, you’ll find a Biotherm 24-day Beauty Advent Calendar that is now $79 CAD, down $20 (value $225CAD).

ULTA is another one that offers a whack of ways to save on Black Friday. It also carries the Ardell brow pens I like; I don’t know why I’m not buying them here. Oh wait, I remember: they were out of one of the shades I wanted, Soft Black or Medium Brown. *curses*

Vichy Mineral 89 is on sale at vichy.ca right this minute

VICHY CANADA is included here because I’m so fond of Vichy Mineral 89. The sale is $25% off sitewide with the code FRIDAY, plus you’ll get a 9-piece gift worth $91 and free shipping if you hit or pass the $75-mark. As for Vichy Mineral 89, the 50 mL ($29.96 CAD down from $35.95) and the 75 mL ($37.46 CAD, down from $49.95 CAD) are both on sale. Today only.

VICHY in the US offers a personalized 5-piece GWP + free shipping with a $49 USD spend.

WELL.CA offers 75% off more than 1000 items, and various deals on various products, including a 30 mL Consonant HydrExtreme Hydration Booster ($64.80 down from $72) and a Consonant Skin Renewal Set ($26.38 at well.ca) worth $70. Damn, I wish they carried Ardell Stroke A Brow pens! They ship to the US, btw, free over a certain amount.

over to you

Are you shopping or have you shopped today? Online or in person?

Did you hit any beauty sites that I haven’t included here?

shoppity shop-shop

affiliatelinks✓ *dysoncanada.com, itcosmetics.com, sallybeauty.com (today) and shoppersdrugmart.com are non-affiliate links ©2019BEAUTYGEEKS imabeautygeek.com

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[foolishbelievers]

apparently my sales manager gets overwhelmed with big stacks of papers so I’ve been instructed to give him the invoices he needs to go over on small stacks. So today I gave them to him and he’d give them back and I’d give him a new stack. I almost put a post-it on the last stack to assure him it was the last one lmao. He came out with it (before checking them) and just stood next to me and held them in front of me and was like “I swear. If I see another stack of these on my desk, woman,” jokingly, and, “how many freaking stacks of these do you have???? Jeez!!!” And walked away 😂😂 hey man I only enter them I don’t make them or authorize them

The business manager randomly complimented my handwriting???? But I didn’t give him any messages today or anything and I’ve literally been at this place like 6 months why is my handwriting so great all of a sudden lol

Someone brought in bagels from Panera and I actually managed to get one before the salesman and business manager devoured them like they do

We were insanely busy today yikes

This one dude who’s been calling the past two days called literally like 30 times today, refusing to leave a message, just bc the payment plan he was offered wasn’t good enough for him and like. Yo. It’s not gonna change lol

Fave sales guy keeps purposely doing random little things to try and make me smile or laugh whenever I look kind of down and it honestly makes my day??? Also we talked Preds again today and the starting taking in depth about the Yankees bc he was trying to go to the game tonight and man now I really want to go to a game haha

#erin works

[katysthoughts]

its been a while since i posted on here i think. and quite a bit has happened. the day after i last posted (friday) i didnt go into school because moving was too painful and i was physically EXHAUSTED. i argued with my mum a lot that morning too and what she said still hasnt been removed from my memory. i wont go into detail but she as good as called me selfish and said that i dont want to get better because i dont make the effort. i dont really know what to say about that. but basically, i slept the ENTIRE day and it made me feel a bit better over all. i also finished your lie in april that night and wow i cried. over that weekend i watched an entire kdrama (16 episodes) and went through a whole wave of emotions. it was great though, 10/10 would recommend weightlifting fairy kim bok joo. monday hurt like a bitch and i basically had to care for a girl with alcohol poisoning when i could barely move my own limbs so that was fun. 👨‍👦 has gone back to practically bullying me even though he stopped for a few days. now if anything he has gotten worse with the constant asian jokes (which piss me the fuck off. he makes it out like i have a fucking asian fetish when no, i enjoy south east asian entertainment. thats all. i dont say "ill only date asian guys/girls" or "asia is the best" bla bla bla. i listen to kpop, watch kdrama and watch anime. is that a fucking crime? i was bullied all though primary school, and to this very day im hated on for my own interests that literally have nothing to do with other people. apparently its a crime to like things. and GOD FORBID i ever find somethign that ACTUALLY makes me happy. because whenever i do (kdrama/pop and anime) i get bullied the shit out of and made to feel like its a crime until im too scared to fucking like anything) that bracket was long im sorry. i had an art trip on wednesday which was shit, apart from the fact i spent the entire day with ☀️ and i feel like i got a lot closer to her than normal, and we were both really relaxed where as things seem to be forced and awkward in school. we really clicked and idk... she really seemed like a best friend then. like, really. and thursday 👨‍👦's shitty jokes got worse to the point i nearly fuckign cried and i remember the exact one thta did it. i was sat in the corner in the practice room, and 👨‍👦 was saying something about being depressed and shit. then he said something along the lines of (context: was previously talking about self harm)"... youll make me do what katy does" *me and 🐋 instantly snap our heads towards each other* "sit in the corner and listen to asian music" *me and zoe half sigh* "which is way more depressing than self harming" i. nearly. cried. i instantly pulled my shirt into my hand and started fiddling and jfc tried not to cry. like. why the FUCK???? would??? you??? say??? that??? especially about someone you knew has anxiety, depression and wants to kill herself. and he isnt even nearly close enough to make those sorts of jokes about me. how dare he. and what makes it worse is that ive been shing since i was 12 years old. ive stopped and started a lot and yaknow... i do it now. touchy subject mate. please dont make jokes about it. thursday was parents evening and basically all of my teachers just told me to revise revise revise. it was pretty boring apart from my mum FALLING IN LOVS WITH MY RE TEACHER. she flat out told me that yeah, im capable of an a-a* in re, and only achieved a b in my mock which was disappointing, but she told me it was because of me missing so many lessons because of my anxiety. AND THEN TOLD ME THAT MY MENTAL HEALTH COMES BEFORE EVERYTHIGN ELSE. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE CARES MORE ABOUT MY MENTAL HEALTH THAN MY GRADES AND SAID THAT IF EVER I NEED A TIME OUT I CAN SIT IN HER OFFICE OR IN A CLASSROOM COMPLETELY ALONE, EVEN WITHOUT TEACHERS NS WHERE NO ONE WALKS PAST AND GET ON WITH STUFF IN THERE. SHE PROMISED SHE WILLL DO WHATEVER SHE CAN TO HELP AND SAID SHE HAS NEVER OFFERED THAT TO ANYONE EVER BEFORE. NO OTHER TEACHER GAVE A SHIT ABOUT MY MENTAL HEALTH BUT SHE WAS LOVELY AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH SHE IS MY FAVE WHAT AN ANGEL. but my mum fell in love with her and although the rest of parents evening (and that whole night) was pretty shit, that made me feel not useless and unwanted so yay! then friday wasnt too bad apart from drop down re day all afternoon but it was whatever. this morning was just weird bc i woke up to a man in my room fitting a sky box but whatever lmaoooooo. and today me and my mum watched loads of BTS videos, did bts quizzes and then went to watch fantastic beasts again bc we wanted yo do something together. i was incredibly anxious the whole way through and needed to pee, but the movie was still great 10/10. DID I MENTION I LOVE MY BEST FRIENDS?!?!?!?!?! I CHANGED MY PROFILE PICTURE ON FACEBOOK TODAY AND 🐋&🎏 COMMENTED AND WERE REALLY NICE AND I NEARLY CRIED WHAT DID I DO IN MY PAST LIFE TO DESERVE SUCH ANGELS AS MY BEST FRIENDS FFS I LOVE THEM SO MUCH JESUS. 🎏 also messaged me just saying "ur freaking gorgeous" AMD I STARTED TO TEAR UP FOR REAL WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO. IVE BEEN FEELING SHIT AND WANTIGN TO DIE AND SHE COMES ALONG JUST COMPLIMENTING ME AND OMG.... SHES THE KIND WHO COMPLIMENTS AND MEANS IT BC SHES HONEST. AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH. I MISS HER. I NEED TO MEET HER SOON OMGGGGGG 🎏🎏🎏 but yeah, idk what else to say... urm... i left a lot out bc its been a loooong week but yeah no one reads this anyway so whatever. bye~

#personal #school #parents evening #re #🎏 #👨‍👦 #🐋 #☀️ #sh