"love art in yourself, and not yourself in art"

under the cut because there’s quite a lot

(via elauxe)

A self care list. I’ve been working on this. I promise it’s worth it.

me: “Fine, thanks.”

op-norbury.org — thanks to @sherlock-is-my-pressure-point, we’re working on creating a site via firebase hosting instead of wordpress for now (because firebase is free, haha). I should secure the domain in the next few days (p.s. if you’d like to contribute actual dollars to pay for the domain please message me directly.)

What we will need to launch op-norbury.org – contents, contents, contents! Here’s the site outline in case you didn’t see the previous post:

Our Mission

Holmes/Watson since 1887 - Queer reading in ACD canon - Homosexuality in Victorian literature

Queerbaiting in BBC Sherlock - Romantic Tropes used in Sherlock - Queer Coding in Film applied in Sherlock - Examining BBC/Heartwood Marketing Tactics (including Creator quotes) - Meta Collections: (this is where we need to be very specific - how did the narrative/filmmaking techniques/marketing lead fans to believe the eventual culmination of Sherlock/John’s romance – links to resources in the sections above)

Op-Ed

Calling for content creators, admins, researchers to generate submissions, and web developers to update and maintaining the site!

I’ve started a google group so we can coordinate directly – apology in advance that the UI of google group is atrocious, but I figured it’s likely the most accessible (only required a Gmail address) – if you have other suggestions please let me know. I’ve created posts highlighting tasks and positions needed - please check them out and sign up via reply.

Please message me so I can add you to the group, let’s get to work.

tags under the cut!

Extra Dry Skin King of Skin In-Shower Body Conditioner, Skin Drink Facial Moisturizer, Sultana of Soap Bar, Tender is the Night Massage Bar, Each’s a Peach Massage Bar

Acne Fresh Farmacy Solid Cleanser, Eau Roma Toning Water, Full of Grace Serum Bar

Thickening Lashes Eyes Right Mascara / Lash Milk

Edges R&B Hair Moisturizer (if you put this on your edges before wrapping your hair, they’ll be relaxer-straight when you wake up, lasts about 12 hours), Dirty Styling Cream (cream-based edge control with a matte finish, no more shiny or crunchy edges) 

FACE / HAIR STUFF

Magical Moringa Facial Moisturizer Oh my lordy. Let me tell y'all about this stuff. It’s marketed as a moisturizer but I use it as a primer because when you put this on your face, it’s completely matte. Like completely. All day. And it will lock your makeup in place like no other. You can sweat in it, swim in it, whatever. Shit won’t budge. Ever.

Jason & the Argan Oil Shampoo Bar Amazing for volumizing. It made the three bundles in my head look more like five when I used this thing the first time, I kid you not. Also gives your hair a really natural shine. I only use it when I really need a volume boost, otherwise it’s just too much.

No Drought Dry Shampoo If you have a weave, you need this stuff. Period. A lot of times, the natural oils in our scalps (referring to my fellow black women here) are too heavy for Brazilian, Peruvian, etc hair, and so it’s easy for weave to get weighed down between washes. Shake this stuff in your hair, brush it out - bam, flow city.

Honey Trap Lip Balm My favorite lip balm, ever. Really improves the texture of your lips and seals in moisture. However, this is not for fixing chapped lips - use Ultrabalm for that first, and then this to prevent them from chapping again. Also, pro-tip, if you apply it before liquid lipstick, your lipstick won’t crease or dry out all day.

MASSAGE BARS

Strawberry Feels Forever Smells like fresh strawberries! Has a much thinner consistency than the other massage bars, so it can be used every day, like a solid lotion.

Soft Coeur Smells like chocolate and honey, and is ridiculously moisturizing. More heavy-duty than the other bars, so I like to only use this one on spots like my knees, heels, and elbows.

From Dusk til Dawn The shape of this one is amazing. It’s shaped like a cone, so it gives a deep massage when you’re using it. Definitely recommend if you have any sort of muscle pain.

SCRUBS

The Rough with the Smooth This stuff smells soooo good. Like cotton candy. I use it before I shave because it really does an amazing job at removing any dead skin and it doesn’t leave a residue, so it won’t clog your razor. However, it’s a sugar scrub, so it melts super quickly.

Ocean Salt This is a heavy-duty scrub. Really amazing if you have dry, flaky skin, and the healing properties of the salt are really great if you have acne. It’ll dry it up and heal it super quick.

Cup o’ Coffee Face & Body Mask I’m on my fourth jar of this already. The coffee beans are ground up just enough to give a deep, yet gentle scrub and the caffeine in the bar really does wake up your skin and make it look brighter. Great for the morning.

Buffy It smells like a vacation, that’s really the only way to describe it. It’s an exfoliant bar and body butter mixed together, so you rub it all over while you’re still in the shower, and then rinse the sand off. After, rub the oils in and pat dry. No need for lotion after because it seals in the moisture from your shower.

SHOWER GELS / JELLIES

Rose Jam Shower Gel Smells like roses and has a really bubbly lather. More cleansing than moisturizing. I like to use it before a more moisturizing soap because it’s great for removing dirt and oil from the skin.

The Olive Branch Shower Gel A long-time favorite of mine. Great for dry skin, as it has a really creamy lather versus a bubbly one. Also, the smell is very calming and lingers for a long time.

Needles & Pines Shower Jelly It’s a solid shower gel (consistency of jello), and it smells like Christmas trees! I like to store it in the fridge and use it when it’s hot outside, super cleansing and refreshing.

SOAPS:

Roses All the Way Personal favorite! Smells like roses & vanilla ice cream. Super moisturizing and so, so creamy. Definitely buy if you suffer from dry skin.

Yog Nog Very moisturizing and the scent lingers for a really long time. Smells like snickerdoodles and eggnog.

Bohemian Not at all creamy, as it’s an exfoliating soap. It’s great to use on dark spots like knees and armpits because the exfoliants soften the skin and the lemon juice evens out your skintone. Smells like lemons.

Karma Another favorite. It has a super thin consistency but is still very moisturizing, so it’s a good shaving soap because it won’t gunk up your razor. Smells like incense and patchouli.

Figs & Leaves Smells like dirt and grass, in a good way. Super cleansing. As in your skin will literally squeak after using it, so I recommend using an in-shower moisturizer like King of Skin after using it.

OTHER:

Atomic Toothy Tabs Solid toothpaste that you crush up in your mouth. It sounds weird but these things are phenomenal. They really leave your teeth squeaky clean, and are the sole reason my teeth are so white - I don’t use any whitening products. This particular kind smells like cloves and cinnamon.

Ultrabalm All Purpose Balm This stuff is amazing. It’s an all-over balm for rough spots. I use it in the winter time on my hands and lips, because they get dry. I also use it year round on my face where I get dry spots, as it doesn’t clog pores.

The worst was when I had customers saying that they were just looking because they didnt know a thing about what they were looking at. A lot of the products look identical on the shelves, but they are all specifically tailored for different needs.

Fun facts:

86% of all products are vegan, the rest are vegetarian

everything is ethically sourced, including the charcoal which comes from recycled forest fires

Lush will cut ties with their suppliers if they dont treat their employees nicely enough

Lush saves 10% of their spending budget for emergencies, like when a well broke down in one of their suppliers companies over in Kenya and Lush found out they were lowering women into the well, that money didnt just go to repairing the well, but for getting them a second well as well.

Lush even makes perfume but the scents are about stories instead of smells. There’s a little booklet for each one. My favorites are Dear John (about the owner, Mark, not knowing who his dad was) and Dad’s Lemon Tree (which he made after meeting his dad)

Lush also makes makeup, although they are working on getting more pigments

Lush is 21 years old and in 57 countries!

Charity Pot is a lotion that is low scent as not to mix with your other scents, is a lot of cocoa butter, and 100% goes to grassroots charities, they dont even pay people to make it, that’s how good it is

If you bring in 5 black pots (wash them please, they are dishwasher safe) you can get a free fresh face mask

Lush is the inventor of the bathbomb and most of them have essential oils in them and cocoa butter, so they’re not just fun, but they’re actually really good for your skin

There is a Lush Facebook page but more importantly is that there are local Lush facebooks. You can ask them if something is in stock and they’ll get back to you as quickly as possible (the Alderwood location takes only a few hours)

Anything that looks like a big brick of product is sold by weight. Just ask and they will cut you off a piece to fit your budget

FREE SAMPLES. Feel free to ask. They do NOT want to sell you something that is not right for you

Everything is handmade with commercial kitchen like equipment. This is why things don’t always look the same, because the recipe changes and different people are making it. Leave room for error and basically Guenivere likes adding more pigment than Brendan does but Brendan makes seasonal stuff that’s fantastic. It’s not that it’s gone off or is poorly made. There’s a little sticker that shows you who made it and it also has the expiration date on it

It the ingredient list is both green and black, the green is for natural ingredients and black is for synthetic.

Extra Dry Skin King of Skin In-Shower Body Conditioner, Skin Drink Facial Moisturizer, Sultana of Soap Bar, Tender is the Night Massage Bar, Each’s a Peach Massage Bar

Acne Fresh Farmacy Solid Cleanser, Eau Roma Toning Water, Full of Grace Serum Bar

Thickening Lashes Eyes Right Mascara / Lash Milk

Edges R&B Hair Moisturizer (if you put this on your edges before wrapping your hair, they’ll be relaxer-straight when you wake up, lasts about 12 hours), Dirty Styling Cream (cream-based edge control with a matte finish, no more shiny or crunchy edges) 

FACE / HAIR STUFF

Magical Moringa Facial Moisturizer Oh my lordy. Let me tell y'all about this stuff. It’s marketed as a moisturizer but I use it as a primer because when you put this on your face, it’s completely matte. Like completely. All day. And it will lock your makeup in place like no other. You can sweat in it, swim in it, whatever. Shit won’t budge. Ever.

Jason & the Argan Oil Shampoo Bar Amazing for volumizing. It made the three bundles in my head look more like five when I used this thing the first time, I kid you not. Also gives your hair a really natural shine. I only use it when I really need a volume boost, otherwise it’s just too much.

No Drought Dry Shampoo If you have a weave, you need this stuff. Period. A lot of times, the natural oils in our scalps (referring to my fellow black women here) are too heavy for Brazilian, Peruvian, etc hair, and so it’s easy for weave to get weighed down between washes. Shake this stuff in your hair, brush it out - bam, flow city.

Honey Trap Lip Balm My favorite lip balm, ever. Really improves the texture of your lips and seals in moisture. However, this is not for fixing chapped lips - use Ultrabalm for that first, and then this to prevent them from chapping again. Also, pro-tip, if you apply it before liquid lipstick, your lipstick won’t crease or dry out all day.

MASSAGE BARS

Strawberry Feels Forever Smells like fresh strawberries! Has a much thinner consistency than the other massage bars, so it can be used every day, like a solid lotion.

Soft Coeur Smells like chocolate and honey, and is ridiculously moisturizing. More heavy-duty than the other bars, so I like to only use this one on spots like my knees, heels, and elbows.

From Dusk til Dawn The shape of this one is amazing. It’s shaped like a cone, so it gives a deep massage when you’re using it. Definitely recommend if you have any sort of muscle pain.

SCRUBS

The Rough with the Smooth This stuff smells soooo good. Like cotton candy. I use it before I shave because it really does an amazing job at removing any dead skin and it doesn’t leave a residue, so it won’t clog your razor. However, it’s a sugar scrub, so it melts super quickly.

Ocean Salt This is a heavy-duty scrub. Really amazing if you have dry, flaky skin, and the healing properties of the salt are really great if you have acne. It’ll dry it up and heal it super quick.

Cup o’ Coffee Face & Body Mask I’m on my fourth jar of this already. The coffee beans are ground up just enough to give a deep, yet gentle scrub and the caffeine in the bar really does wake up your skin and make it look brighter. Great for the morning.

Buffy It smells like a vacation, that’s really the only way to describe it. It’s an exfoliant bar and body butter mixed together, so you rub it all over while you’re still in the shower, and then rinse the sand off. After, rub the oils in and pat dry. No need for lotion after because it seals in the moisture from your shower.

SHOWER GELS / JELLIES

Rose Jam Shower Gel Smells like roses and has a really bubbly lather. More cleansing than moisturizing. I like to use it before a more moisturizing soap because it’s great for removing dirt and oil from the skin.

The Olive Branch Shower Gel A long-time favorite of mine. Great for dry skin, as it has a really creamy lather versus a bubbly one. Also, the smell is very calming and lingers for a long time.

Needles & Pines Shower Jelly It’s a solid shower gel (consistency of jello), and it smells like Christmas trees! I like to store it in the fridge and use it when it’s hot outside, super cleansing and refreshing.

SOAPS:

Roses All the Way Personal favorite! Smells like roses & vanilla ice cream. Super moisturizing and so, so creamy. Definitely buy if you suffer from dry skin.

Yog Nog Very moisturizing and the scent lingers for a really long time. Smells like snickerdoodles and eggnog.

Bohemian Not at all creamy, as it’s an exfoliating soap. It’s great to use on dark spots like knees and armpits because the exfoliants soften the skin and the lemon juice evens out your skintone. Smells like lemons.

Karma Another favorite. It has a super thin consistency but is still very moisturizing, so it’s a good shaving soap because it won’t gunk up your razor. Smells like incense and patchouli.

Figs & Leaves Smells like dirt and grass, in a good way. Super cleansing. As in your skin will literally squeak after using it, so I recommend using an in-shower moisturizer like King of Skin after using it.

OTHER:

Atomic Toothy Tabs Solid toothpaste that you crush up in your mouth. It sounds weird but these things are phenomenal. They really leave your teeth squeaky clean, and are the sole reason my teeth are so white - I don’t use any whitening products. This particular kind smells like cloves and cinnamon.

Ultrabalm All Purpose Balm This stuff is amazing. It’s an all-over balm for rough spots. I use it in the winter time on my hands and lips, because they get dry. I also use it year round on my face where I get dry spots, as it doesn’t clog pores.

The worst was when I had customers saying that they were just looking because they didnt know a thing about what they were looking at. A lot of the products look identical on the shelves, but they are all specifically tailored for different needs.

Fun facts:

86% of all products are vegan, the rest are vegetarian

everything is ethically sourced, including the charcoal which comes from recycled forest fires

Lush will cut ties with their suppliers if they dont treat their employees nicely enough

Lush saves 10% of their spending budget for emergencies, like when a well broke down in one of their suppliers companies over in Kenya and Lush found out they were lowering women into the well, that money didnt just go to repairing the well, but for getting them a second well as well.

Lush even makes perfume but the scents are about stories instead of smells. There’s a little booklet for each one. My favorites are Dear John (about the owner, Mark, not knowing who his dad was) and Dad’s Lemon Tree (which he made after meeting his dad)

Lush also makes makeup, although they are working on getting more pigments

Lush is 21 years old and in 57 countries!

Charity Pot is a lotion that is low scent as not to mix with your other scents, is a lot of cocoa butter, and 100% goes to grassroots charities, they dont even pay people to make it, that’s how good it is

If you bring in 5 black pots (wash them please, they are dishwasher safe) you can get a free fresh face mask

Lush is the inventor of the bathbomb and most of them have essential oils in them and cocoa butter, so they’re not just fun, but they’re actually really good for your skin

There is a Lush Facebook page but more importantly is that there are local Lush facebooks. You can ask them if something is in stock and they’ll get back to you as quickly as possible (the Alderwood location takes only a few hours)

Anything that looks like a big brick of product is sold by weight. Just ask and they will cut you off a piece to fit your budget

FREE SAMPLES. Feel free to ask. They do NOT want to sell you something that is not right for you

Everything is handmade with commercial kitchen like equipment. This is why things don’t always look the same, because the recipe changes and different people are making it. Leave room for error and basically Guenivere likes adding more pigment than Brendan does but Brendan makes seasonal stuff that’s fantastic. It’s not that it’s gone off or is poorly made. There’s a little sticker that shows you who made it and it also has the expiration date on it

It the ingredient list is both green and black, the green is for natural ingredients and black is for synthetic.

If you are reading this, you are probably screaming. So are most of us. But some hope remains! This masterpost and theory table collect the fandom’s last hopes—and they’re less crazy than you’d think.

 The main takeaway is that the episode contradicts the rest of the show and real-world events far too much for it to be just a mistake. In fact, the evidence suggests that there will be a fourth episode.

“What? That’s ridiculous!”

That’s what I thought at first, too. But things in real life don’t add up, and they can’t be explained by bad writing. At this point, a rug pull is simply the most logical explanation. And if we’re wrong, well…it can’t really get any worse, can it?

This pack has 6 parts:

Issues: Everything within the episode that makes TFP not only a dumpster fire, but a (literally) unbelievable dumpster fire.

Clues: Real-life weirdness such as cast quotes that don’t fit, scenes missing from filming, and strange new promos that hint at a fourth episode.

Descriptions of the two main theories

Theory table: Compares which theories explain which issues

Resources: Links to meta that explain specific issues or the episode’s weirdness as a whole

Conclusions: What it all means, and why we should hold out a little longer.

Enjoy!

-soe

  Disclaimer: Everything in this post is speculation. If you don’t want to get your hopes up, by all means skip it. However, I’d suggest at least waiting until January 29th before going full-out against Mofftiss (reasons below).

=============== Issues ================

Everything weird about that episode. With over 70 nontrivial plot holes, it’s hard to view the episode’s quality as an accident.

(The bolded phrases are descriptions, not the actual titles.)

Within the episode:

67 Questions by @a-very-fine-hat

This Masterpost by @autumnfricker

The Reappearing Coat, submitted to @love-in-mind-palace

Sherlock’s Inconsistent Memory by @myspecialhell​

Eurus’s Inconsistent Motive by @studyinpink

Unresolved plot holes and narrative problems:

Breaking The Princess Bride’s Rules by @thepineapplering

“Get the hell on with”–what? by @skulls-and-tea​

John’s Letter by @heimishtheidealhusband​

Destroying the Narrative and Any Positive Message by @xistentialangst​

=============== Clues ===============

Real-World Inconsistencies

Fourth Episode Listed on Yahoo and TimeWarner by @shag-me-senseless-watson with many additions

The “Penultimate” Problem by @inevitably-johnlocked

Earlier References to 4, Clue, and Rug Pulls by @london2go

Rug Pull Quotes by @the-7-percent-solution​

Creator Silence after TFP by @the-7-percent-solution

Newer Hints of a 4th Episode by @marcespot​

Missing scenes

This promo

Filming John and Mary at a restaurant

Sherlock driving in the tunnel

“20 pages of dialogue”

The scene Martin wanted to do alone

Scenes that were filmed but that we’ve never seen? Quotes that make no sense with TFP as the finale? Something is up.

==============Theories================

It’s in Sherlock’s Mind

Everything in Season 4, since either the end of TAB or Mary shooting Sherlock, is in Sherlock’s mind as he is comatose. This theory requires all three episodes to be at least partly imaginary. A main variation is that John is talking to him as he is comatose, and that what John describes influences what Sherlock imagines.

For meta on variations of this theory, including EMP and John’s alibi, please see the TST Survival Pack.

It’s in John’s Mind

Everything in TFP is in John’s mind after John is shot. Variations include:

TST and TLD also took place in John’s mind.

Mary shot John, not Eurus.

This one is starting to gain more ground, particularly because it would make the whole season an adaptation of “The Three Garridebs”, leading to canon Johnlock, etc.

==============Theory Table=============

Green = Completely addresses this issue

Yellow = Addresses this issue somewhat plausibly, but not the best solution

=============Resources===============

Sherlock’s POV

Death in Sumatra by @the-7-percent-solution

Sherlock is the East Wind by @shawleyleres

John’s POV

This (Amazing) Meta Video by @marcespot​

TFP is John’s TAB by @jenna221b​

TFP Matches John’s Style by @reichebach

TFP Fits What John Knows by @fkngerlocked

The Whole Episode as Mind Bungalow by @may-shepard

More Evidence by many people

The Whole Season is in John’s Head by @toxicsemicolon​

Why Eurus Showed Up Earlier by @heimishtheidealhusband

Addressing Problems with this Theory by @marcespot

On Issues in the Episode

Chronologically:

Meta on a single issue that specifically support one theory are labelled [John’s POV] or [Sherlock’s POV], respectively.

John Wasn’t Shot with a Tranquilizer by @librarylock

Mycroft at the Movies by @jenna221b

“Honey for Tea” is Satire by @jenna221b

Mrs. Hudson’s Song by @femlocks

John is Eurus [John’s POV] by @the-7-percent-solution and @jarlie86art

Sherlock is the Girl on the Plane [Sherlock’s POV] by @jenna221b

John is the Girl on the Plane [John’s POV] by @fkngerlocked

Why Mycroft is Out of Character [John’s POV] by @jenna221b and @nottoolateforthegame

Lady Bracknell by @impatient14

Links to The Importance of Being Earnest by @heimishtheidealhusband​

Queen is Satire by @jenna221b, @cupidford, and @holmesguy

It’s John’s Coffin, Not Molly’s [John’s POV] by @writemeastoryofsolitude and @loudest-subtext-in-tv

The Coffin is John’s Love by @marcespot

Molly Mirrors John by @thegamesafucky

Literally Breaking the Fourth Wall by @jenna221b

John is Nemo by @jenna221b

Missing Lines in the Musgrave Code by @writemeastoryofsolitude

Shooting the Wall=Unsolved Case by @kinklock

The Letter Stabbed to the Mantel by @just-sort-of-happened

John’s Letter is “Waltz for John and Mary” by many people

On the Whole Episode:

TST, TLD, and TFP are “Mirror Episodes” by @toxicsemicolon

A Decoder Ring by @toxicsemicolon

“The Final Problem” and Its Canon Purpose by @heimishtheidealhusband

Horror Movie Tropes by @kayjaykayme, @fuckwitjulite, @fleurdelisandbees, and @may-shepard

Links to “The Retired Colourman” by @redpeacoat3 and @the-7-percent-solution

The Thirteenth Hour by @jenna221b

Links to Brokeback Mountain by @a-speck-in-the-grand-scheme

This is the Play by @dancingwdinosaurs

This is Our Reichenbach by @meta-lock

We Are Charlie Wellsborough by @thegamesafucky and @bbcatemysoul

We Are the Geek Interpreters by @the-7-percent-solution​

We Are the Girl on the Plane by @impatient14

TLD and a Fourth Episode by @ladymacphisto​

============Conclusions==============

They broke every rule of writing unless it’s a rug pull. The filming, cast and crew quotes, promotional material, and subtext within the episode make no sense unless a fourth episode reveals that it took place in John’s or Sherlock’s mind. The reputation of the whole show relies on them successfully revealing the real season finale.

So when would they reveal this fourth episode? When would it air?

Theory 1: They’ll interrupt the US inauguration on 20/1 to announce it and air it on 22/1.

Theory 2: They’ll announce it on 22/1 and air it on 29/1.

“The Final Problem” is either sheer stupidity or utter genius. Either way, let’s enjoy one last conspiracy.

The game is on.

I will be updating the table and theory list regularly.

If you have theories, issues, or meta to add, please comment.

If you think a theory does address an issue that the table says it does not address (or vice versa), please comment.

If I described your theory inaccurately or you just want to add something, please comment.

If I tagged any of your meta above: I would love to add any other work you’ve done that I haven’t seen.  If you’d like to add something, please comment it and I would love to include it in the next update.

“ the seemingly dismissal of the fans by the creators is little irritating. You can’t bait the audience and then get mad when they don’t get what they were expecting. There is a reason Sherlock Holmes books and this show are at the center of queer media critique, and there should be a level of respect for that type of decades-long scholarship. “

Kudos for this writer, and her comprehensive review of the so many faults in this episode and season. Plz thank the writer on her twitter account: @moniqueblognet and the online magazine tumblr account @colorwebmag  

Blue’s Clues, 1996:

The screen is black.  A woman’s voice cuts through.  It’s Molly’s voice.

“Forward? Or Backward?”

A blinding white light floods the darkness.  A pulsating heartbeat. 

“Backward,” sighs Sherlock.

White noise stings as scenes are replayed backward. Sherlock and John running backward.  John’s fist recoiling from Sherlock in the morgue.  The christening, backward. The birth, backward.  The plane glides into the air, tail first. Magnussen’s limp body jolts into standing position, Sherlock puts the gun back in John’s pocket. The flashdrive jumps from the fire, into John’s hand.  The gun drops, the coin falls back into Mary’s fingers. Sherlock raises from Magnussen’s floor, the blood-stained shirt turns freshly white. Mary stands across from Sherlock, gun drawn.

Roll Title Credits.