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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 13

Dark Academia novel: Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo (2021) Quote: “This is where it gets interesting. The second son loves this girl so much he decides to step onto an unholy path. Now the story varies, but in the one my mama told me, he makes a deal. He takes his youngest sister, goes to a crossroad on the property past the witching hour, and he waits until some evil comes to him. He looks that evil square in the face and offers it his sister in return for his wife.” … “He kills his sister,” Sam guessed. “Of course he does,” Mr. McCormick said.     ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 12

Dark Academia novel: Very Bad People by Kit Frick (2022) Quote: Tuesday morning, three classrooms have been ghosted. All over campus, there are whispers. It’s happening again. And I heard they make initiates drink blood. And it’s just a stupid hoax. The teachers talk too. I bet I know who is responsible. And at least they’re not defacing school property. And there are proper channels here at Tipton. Three students have completed their initiation rite. Which leaves seven of us. ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 11

Dark Academia novel: Shadow of the Lions by Christopher Swann (2017) Quote: The two lions crouched on top of their pedestals, frozen in preparation to leap. One was snarling, its stone teeth menacing in the late-afternoon shadows, while the other stared out with disdain at the broad sweep of empty soybean fields that lay just across the state highway, a disdain made all the more pointed because the lion was missing its left eye. The missing eye was their only major flaw. A myth of swift and terrible justice falling on those who harmed the lions had shielded them further disfigurement over the years. Blackburne legend had it that the student who chiseled out the left eye as a class prank in 1947 died that same week, drowning in the Shenandoah Creek when his canoe tipped over. Since then… the lions were left alone. ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 10

Dark Academia novel: My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham (2022) From the cover: You’ll never guess what’s watching in the dark… Quote: While all towns have their ghosts, Rainwater’s was special. They sank through its submerged sea caves and slithered up its cliffs. They bounced around its caverns and tunnels like electrical pulses in a brain, echoing memories of footsteps and laughter and screams through the ground and into the towering evergreen trees. The peninsula had a habit of keeping things long after they were gone. ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 9

Dark Academia novel: The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue (2020) Quote: The cabinet was filled with curious and bizarre items. There was a jar with a dead tarantula in it, a case of butterflies and one with insects, a chain made of teeth; there were stamps, an ivory horn, a photo of a two-headed calf, an old jewelry box, some gemstones, a miniature violin and other jars filled with liquid which was too murky to see what was inside. I chose a skull. It was small, like that of a child. Mr. Lavelle nodded as he handed it to me. And for what was not the first time, I felt like he was a seer and that everything that would come to happen he had already foreseen. I held the skull in my hands. I imagined, for a moment, I could squeeze it and it would shatter. I have not thought about this for many years, but now I wonder if I should not have chosen the skull. That perhaps if I had just picked a gemstone, things would have been different. I would not have become what I did. But then I remember the way I felt as they both, he and Victoria, looked at me, and I think perhaps not. It was all inevitable. ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 7

Dark Academia novel: The Cloisters by Katy Hays (2022) Quote: Death always visited me in August. A slow and delicious month we turned into something swift and brutal. The change, quick as a card trick. I should have seen it coming. The way the body would be laid out on the library floor, the way the gardens would be torn apart by the search. The way our jealousy, greed, and ambition were waiting to devour us all, like a snake eating its own tail. The ouroboros.   ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 5

Dark Academia novel: Promise Boys by Nick Brooks (2023) From the cover: Perfection. Excellence. Discipline. Murder. Quote: Sometimes what’s obvious takes a while to see – the person who pulls a trigger doesn’t just disappear into the dark. They are right here among us once we decide we’re ready to question everything we think we know. They’re always closer than you think. ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Two Upcoming Dark Academia Presentations

I’m delighted to say I’ll be giving two presentations this autumn on Dark Academia topics at academic conferences. Both events have online options, and I hope to see some of you there! I’ll be giving the talk “A Vanished Student Leaves a Haunted Space: An Unsolved Mystery and the Gothic Imagination on the Dark Academia Campus” at Perilous Realms and Haunted Spaces: New England Moot 2023 sponsored by Signum University in October. I’ll be presenting the paper “Consumed by the Campus: Dark Academia, the Gothic Imagination, and the Missing Student" at the Consuming the Gothic Conference sponsored by Sheffield Gothic in November. ALT ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 4

Dark Academia novel: The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall (2023) From the cover: They say what the river takes never returns. They are wrong. Quote: The hours crawl by…. For me, it’s nothing. I have waited years…. Then the sun makes its slow way below the horizon. Even in the glow of electric light, I can feel the night’s approach. The dead aren’t meant for daylight. I’m more awake in darkness. Not more alive – it’s a fallacy to suppose I could become less dead. But I am different in the dark. More powerful.  ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 3

Dark Academia novel: Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella (2020) Quote: It was the place where Eric had eaten his last meal, dreamed his last dream, taken his last breath. The sight of the red brick dormitories, a picture postcard of collegiate perfection to so many, made her heart pound. For her, it wasn’t a college, it was a haunted house. ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 2

Dark Academia work: “Presentation of an Intact Specimen” by Premee Mohamed, from Wilted Pages: An Anthology of Dark Academia edited by Ai Jiang and Christi Nogle (2023) Quote: No. This one is mine. This museum is mine. I worked too hard for this, and it belongs to me and if he intends to take anything of mine, I will not show the restraint I did when we were students. No one is watching me now. Only God, so they say; and He will, I think, forgive me this. Surely it is not a sin to remove a sinner from the face of the Earth to prevent future sins. Think of everything Bainbridge has done. Think of the oceans of blood on his hands. And the tiny, tiny bit that would be on hers. ___ It was madness, it was all madness; but she examined the madness from every angle and it seemed good and sound, like an old tool of forged iron. She saw no weaknesses in it. It was merely the removal of something worthless from the museum — it was curation. She and Godfrey could find a more suitable assistant. It would only benefit the institution. ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween Countdown 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 1

So it begins! Each day of this dark and beautiful month I’ll be posting a different Dark Academia title with a haunting, atmospheric quote. I hope you’ll enjoy the recommendations! Dark Academia story: “X House” by J.T. Ellison, from In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan (2023) Quote: There was a bog near the bridge, on the other side of the forest. The things that disappeared into that place… Animals. Trees. People. Yes, it was beautiful, but it was dangerous. So many were lost over the years, women who vanished into the woods and never returned. Why someone would build a school in this desolate area was a forever unknown.   ALT
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia (Part 2) Is Coming Soon!

In 2021, my Halloween Countdown focused on 31 Days of Dark Academia. I enjoyed that so much that I’ll be back in October 2023 to spotlight 31 different and new works of Dark Academia! As in 2021, I will be using the #31DaysofDA tag. Each day I’ll be posting a different DA title with a haunting/atmospheric quote. I hope you’ll enjoy the recommendations! ALT In the meantime, here are a few links related to my own Dark Academia-related doings, FYI! In 2022, I had the great delight of teaching a graduate course on Dark Academia for Signum University. This experience led me to write the 2023 article “Teaching Shirley Jackson’s Hangsaman (1951),” which appears at Reading Shirley Jackson in the 21st Century. I continue to be fascinated by — and am working on a new project related to — the key features of Dark Academia literature. To my mind, these include the use of Gothic modes of storytelling (as I define Dark Academia as a subset of the Gothic), a focus on an academic setting and educational experience, the cultivation of a dark mood with an emphasis on death, and an interrogation of imbalances in and abuses of power. For a longer discussion about defining the Dark Academia genre (as opposed to the aesthetic), there’s my discussion of DA 1) in my “Looking Back on Genre History segment on Episode 671 of the StarShipSofa podcast and 2) in my essay "Dark Arts and Secret Histories: Investigating Dark Academia” in the forthcoming Potterversity anthology. I have a new project in the works, as well, and will be discussing that soon! Right now, I can say that I’ll be giving a related paper (“Consumed by the Campus: Dark Academia, the Gothic Imagination, and the Missing Student”) in November at Sheffield Gothic’s “Consuming the Gothic” conference. I hope to see some of you there (virtually)! For now, I hope you will enjoy my 2023 Halloween Countdown starting tomorrow! The most wonderful time of the year is almost here! ?
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Eldritchhobbit's Blog
 

Happy anniversary, Enterprise!

ALT ALT Happy anniversary, Enterprise! On this day in 2001, Enterprise debuted. Happy 22nd anniversary to a chapter of Star Trek that has a lot to say and deserves greater attention. This year I was thrilled to put my essay on Enterprise out into the universe! Cue “Faith of the Heart”… ? ?
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NatCatz's Blog
 

Switch witch 2023

Anything of interest from Cellar Door? (They have candles and soaps.)
 Candle preferences are woody oud and resin Are you into wax melts, candles, incense, room sprays, or none of the above?
 All of the above Would you like anything from Luvmilk's Monster Mash?
 Im not sure those scents are for me
I dye yarn.  Are you a person who crafts with such?  What fiber, weights, and colors would tickle your fancy?  Would you rather have two different 100g skeins or enough of the same something for a bigger project? YES! My stash got ruined in a flood so all my good yarn is no longer good. A pretty devastating    loss to be honest. I tend towards the soft end and like silk and bamboo blends. Colours are faily easy, jewel tones, blacks and greys. DK, sock/4 ply would get the most use, 
 
Provided my experiments work, would you be interested in a bar of homemade tallow soap?  I promise I will not send you anything particularly suspect, so this is entirely contingent upon my competence. No thank you, I'm veggie
 
Do homemade caramels or shortbread tickle your fancy?
 Absolutely
 
9/8
 
because I’m a knitting kind of witch, would you appreciate a pair of hand knit socks. If yes, would you like them in a particular colour?  I have very particular sock needs because my ankles are large and swell, so it might not be a good idea without serious discussions.
 
What type of spooky season imagery do you like? (Ie. bats, ghosts, vintage Halloween, etc.)
I'm a spooky bitch, I love it all. Vintage halloween less so but autumnal leaves, witches, cats, ghosts bats.. Bring it on!
 
Astrid's Autumn Line and Anniversary Tea Party just dropped.  Anything you want?  
 I tried to look this up but couldnt find what it is. 
Homemade and preserved food goodies - Which of these things would you like my dear witchie? All are organic and grown or made by me.
sun-dried heirloom tomatoes
dried ancho chile peppers - can be whole halves or ground into a delicious powder
sugar-free candied pecans and walnuts or almonds
gourmet quality fudge in many flavors (formerly from my ETSY shop which I had to close until I have my own home again) please give me an idea the kinds of flavors you like. My more popular ones are Penuche, Choc & PB, Pumpkin pie, Forest fruit (with cherries, blueberries and cranberries), Vegan chocolate
dried italian plums (pitted)
sugar-free canned plum or logan berry jam
freshly dried rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley individually or in combo
almond flour baked goods (low carb, sugar free, and gluten free) - give me examples of savory and sweet things you'd like
  I'm nut free, and a spice wuss, so its really just the canning, dried herbs and fudge Might you like a witch hat?  Later this month I'm  taking a class at an area museum where I'm  supposed to decorate 2 hats.  Also I crochet wicked cute witchy hats.
 
ooooh yes!
 
9/9
 
Do you see anything here that interests you?  They have dry shampoos, whipped soaps, awesome hand cream, linen spray, sugar scrubs and perfume. https://www.etsy.com/shop/faefragrance/?etsrc=sdt
 
They all sound lovely. Id be unlikely to use any perfume but everything else
 
9/10
 
Anything you want from my favorite local tea shop? www.fridaytea.com
Harvest spice, second breakfast (I'm basically a spooky punk hobbit) 
 
How about from my skincare person? drjensbeautylab.com/
 I always need hyleronic acid.
How about from my witchy Chandler? https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeresaLynnsSimpleLux
Anything within my usual scent profile (woody, oud, resin, musk) or tea preferences (black or fruit)
 
It's also that time of year where I make handmade soap (usually with calendula infused olive oil, tallow, oatmeal and honey) and candles (feel free to specify color and size, I don't usually scent them, but I do have a clover and apple scent I've been wanting to play with). I can also annoint and dress candles with TALs and herbs. Any interest? No tallow thanks
 
I also grow herbs which can be culinary or magical. I'd be happy to prepare a smudge or dry some herbs for your enjoyment. I currently have oregano (yellow and standard), mugwort, thyme, sage (purple or garden), tea peppermint, chives, lovage, plantain, comfrey, raspberry leaf, and yarrow. I'm probably forgetting something.
Any of these in raw form would be great
 
I also make salves! My go to in an arnica, calendula and comfrey mix for healing wounds or chapped skin. This can also be used on pet paws. We do have barely enough time that I could do a custom infusion.
  I have done this in the past especially arnica, callendula and yarrow, so I'm game.
 
9/11
 
Anything in the Paintbox Soapworks Halloween update looking good to you? https://paintboxsoapworks.com/new-limited-edition/2023-weenie-collection/
 
 Again, I'm happy to try anything that fits within my smell preferences.
9/12
 
If you have a furry friend living with you, what sort of treats do they like?
 
 My beep baldur is obsessed with hairball malt paste. Like totally obsessed. Freya likes grass and Holle likes freeze dried chicken bits. They love catnip and silvervine, and like stringy toys,feather toys and toy mice.
9/13
 
 What is your feelings on seasonal mugs?  Yes or, no?  Too many in your house or bring them on?? 
 I have a million all year round halloween mugs and am always happy for more (though I've banned myself from buying myself any more)
Are your wishlists - Amazon, Etsy, etc - up to date, and if so, are they all linked somewhere that I can find them?  They should be linked in my very out of date SW help page in my sig. I cant work out how to update the sw post but the lists are up to date and extensive.. The etsy is huge and I dont expect people to go through it all, its more there as a guide for my style and likes.
 
Do you have anything you use every day that you wouldnt mind getting more of?
Things I use every day that I'd happily have more of. Fortenam and Mason royal blend tea, any cat supplies, Skincare: Pixi glow tonic, Pixi milky mist, Liz earle vanilla cleanser, the ordinary The buffet serum. Reusuable face pads, muslin face cloths.
 
Anything you love or need to have from Adagio or Rishi teas?
 I could use one of their over cup tea strainers List here things you wish you would've added to your questionnaire   
9/14
 
Nocturne Alchemy just dropped their Halloween update! You like the looks of anything? https://nocturnealchemy.com/collections/limited-collection It all seems fairly heavy on the florals so not really for me.  Is there anything you would like from the Weenie update?
Palo santo and pachouli hair oil, a melancholy of goths  How do you feel about stickers?  If positively, are there any themes you'd rather not have stickers of? Yes absol
 
What about crystals, cool rocks, and gemstones?
 Ethically sourced please
 
9/15
 
How do you feel about Squishmallows and Squishables? (They have mini and micro sizes for those who like cute plushies but don't have a lot of space.) Halloween ones.
 
Would you wear enamel pins with chains that are meant to be put on lapels? (Something like this.)
 yep Speaking of enamel pins... The Pickety Witch's Autumn and Halloween collection just dropped. Has anything caught your eye? I've not looked butI do love their things.
 
I used to make mobiles out of paper cranes, would you appreciate something like this? if so, what size restrictions do you have, if any? ie., should it take up less space vertically or horizontally? color palette preference? 
 Oh gosh I have no idea.
 
9/16
 
ordering bulbs from https://oldhousegardens.com and was wondering if my witchee would like some.   
No thank you
 
Would you like something like "sock arms" if I find time to craft?  (Sometimes I make a pattern called Toast or Toasty {one has a thumb the other is just a tube} http://www.afriendtoknitwith.com/2008/09/toasttoasty.html.   here are other photos from my blog:  https://www.elkaknits.com/?p=845 )
 -- If so what sort of colors?  
No thanks
 
Witchee, what's your take on seasonal-themed Washi tape?
I love it What about seasonal treats from Trader Joe's?
I dont know what they have I make gluten-free biscotti this time of year, lemon and also cocoa varieties: does this sound good to you?I like the non nut ones I've tried before Would you like me to make a music mix for you? I kick it old school with a burned CD. If you're into this, name at least 3 to 5 genres of music you already love, or are interested to explore more of!
 Awesome
 
9/17
 
Anything here you like? https://bserway.com/
 
Theyre all really cool Anything you'd like from my Ren Fest?  There is an outstanding garlic based shop I'll  be going to next weekend, for my annual stock up of their spice blends & garlic oil blends.  Any other Renny stuff that you like? Anything cooking or treat related. Im fairly well stocked on most things like that, as an occasional larper.  know we are looking at a lot of candles, but if you are into looking at more (and it is ok to say you are not), do any of these strike your fancy?
https://www.lakewoodwax.com/candlesforacause
(Feel free to take a look at their current and signature scents too but I wanted to highlight these fundraiser scents first!)
 
Anything that fits myscent profiles is good by me.
 
9/18
 
none
 
 
9/19
 
f you are a person who appreciates tarot and oracle decks, do you have a strong preference about receiving new ones vs gently/barely used? I am and have no issues with used ones, but if I'm honest I have a dozen decks and really use two of them
 
Are you a Studio Ghibli fan, and if so, what are your feelings about fan made art featuring characters? I love ghibli. Especially kiki's delivery service, howl's moving castle and sprited away
 
Want anything from LUSH? Here's the link specifically to their Halloween drop (https://www.lush.com/us/en_us/c/halloween) BUT, feel free to peruse all of it.
 
I enjoy lush and I use a lot of Buffy and lord of misrule
 
9/20
 
Part 2 of the Autumnal/Halloween drop from Haus of Gloi is coming this weekend- take a look and see if anything is compelling! https://www.hausofgloi.com  (fall part 2 is live on Sunday, here is a list of what is coming:  https://www.hausofgloi.com/blogs/haus-herald/fall-part-2) Apple milk, hex, kitchen witch though I dont know what products because I've never tried them. Also, I live in Philly and will use ANY reason to spend time at the Mütter Museum- anything of interest (including, but not limited to, the well-loved BPAL exclusive for the museum, Ü?) https://www.muttermuseumstore.org
oh, interesting! Maybe! 
If you are so inclined, do you want or need any natural items or ingredients for spellwork that could be collected from forests, ocean, fields or stream?  I also have access to oak gall ink and various other esoteric substances.
Theres nothing I specifically need.
 
Are you a fan of the show Cobra Kai?
 Not really
Do you enjoy any of the scented items from Victoria's Secret?
 No
Would you be interested in receiving a silver locket with papyrus and herbs inside, as a protective amulet?
 Sure!
9/21
 
So Witchee mine, are you a spellworker? - any interest  in acorns from a tree known as The Mother Oak at my Ren Fest grounds.  It is the biggest tree I've ever seen in MI.  It is cared for by tree scientists  from MSU.  It is the mom to every other oak on the grounds.   Saturday is Mabon & I will go & gather acorns before the park opens to patrons as I do each year.  But this time it's  actual Mabon.  So Witchee dearest, would you like some?   Thank you but I have my own old oak.
 
Witchee, do you like anything from Lenny Mud?   
 No thank you
 
9/22
 
From previous questions you've answered, I know a lot about the teas you'd like from specific places, but I want to know your more general tea preferences.   Black, green, white, rooibos, oolong, herbal?
      -  Japan is particularly big on their green tea and hojicha (roasted green tea), any interest?
      -  My partner has given me an extraordinary amount of rooibos from South Africa. It's amazing and I'd like to share, so would you like some? Black tea, berry or apple based fruit tea. I dont like white green or gunpowder.
 
NatCatz

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