Here at Chintz of Darkness we firmly believe that everyone’s favorite color should be BLACK and if it is not, one should simply lie about it while in our presence...HA! Now while we could go on and on about this exquisite and virtuous color in all of its glorious shades of pitch, coal and soot that would be merely overstating a rather obvious opinion. We are infinitely more intrigued by one’s SECOND favorite color because it tells much more about the devious interworkings of one’s mind… Burgundy and plum make lovely second favorite colors, while yellow and pink are totally unacceptable. The vast and spacious color BLUE shall be discussed at length in a later post, but be forewarned, IT MIGHT NOT BE PLEASANT. While we consider the colors of sapphire and lapis to be quite friendly, we have a rather hostile relationship with most of the other cheerful shades of blue. Lavender and periwinkle are considered to be downright enemies (for their constant fraternization with beige, among other things…) Several weeks ago Seraph + Splendor were abruptly confronted with the VERY LEAST OF THEIR FAVORITE COLORS and were forced to spend the better part of a weekend in its company. What led up to this color related altercation began simply enough by an invitation to join some friends on a road trip. (By the way, as soon as the term “Road Trip” is uttered anywhere in our Obsidian Halls it is immediately followed by jokes about leaving extra space for Splendor’s suitcases and the phrase “high maintenance” is usually said more times than is completely necessary… Now the destination of this adventure turned out to be an overnight stay a rustic Bed & Breakfast. And yes, Splendor’s luggage for the brief trip included a portable crystal chandelier, an oriental carpet and no less than three pairs of boots (in various heights and degrees of propriety) which she transported in a ratty black pillow case….Seraph on the other hand insisted on bringing his favorite flogger, a flask of whisky and a small library of Carpathian Forest CDs… This seems like as good of a time as any to state that we have probably been banned from all of the respectable B&B establishments in the continental United States...but in our defense it WAS Valentine’s Day after all and everything WAS put to good use…the incident with the rose pedals was totally beyond our control. At least that is the story we are sticking with for now. In retrospect we could sense the owners of the establishment looking itchy as soon as we pulled up in our BLACK DEATHMOBILE FROM HELL (OK, it is just a Pathfinder adorned with skull stickers…) and started unloading our menacing cargo bags and backpacks. Matters only got worse as we clomped through the quaintly appointed hallways clad in black hoodies, combat boots and t-shirts depicting various misanthropic ideals and philosophies. Again, it WAS Valentine’s Day after all… Our room was named the “Louisiana” (although we could detect no southern accent whatsoever…hmmm…) Upon opening the door we were greeted with a swath of WHITE eyelet lace curtains with frothy ruffled hems, an ensemble of WHITE wicker furniture and a bed full of shiny WHITE linens. Now everybody already knows what will happen if one is overexposed to an ABUNDANCE OF WHITE FURNISHING so no further explanation is really even needed… It is probably equally unnecessary to describe looks of shock and horror as we arrived at the breakfast table in the morning. Perhaps the walls were thin or maybe no one expected to have to share a meal with a herd of freaks. Firstly, we are not morning people; secondly we do not normally eat breakfast. Now if breakfast must be consumed outside of the comfort of one’s home we prefer to sit in high backed booths and scowl at the other diners behind our pitch black sunglasses. It seems that this is NOT APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR AT A BED & BREAKFAST…when our Warden, oh, we mean Hostess poured our coffee she stood as far away as physically possible from us with the coffee arching like…oh never mind…we are sure we have already disturbed you enough for one day… Tell us, dear readers, how does color affect you on your daily misadventures? The chatter of white noise is calling Enter the loathing of tortured souls With fear came thunder Where the soil is red as blood (“A Haunting Curse” by Goatwhore)

Art and gallery news, inspiration, modern craft, photography, and visual culture. Published daily.

When you're in a long-term relationship with someone, you make tons of decisions together, both big and small, but there's perhaps no decision more monumental in a relationship than taking the leap and deciding to get married. Marriage might not be…

By Dr Wendy Hall

Living with some toxic full of trials and tribulations. Here's how to live with a narcissist spouse without sacrificing your needs and regaining control!

The perfect sourdough snickerdoodle cookies are soft cookies, crisp edges, and lots of cinnamon flavor. This easy recipe is a great way to use up extra sourdough discard.

Looking for fun hand clapping games? Awesome hand clapping songs to teach kids, students or camp attendees, with videos and printable lyrics!

5 ways to create curb appeal

They are the girls of the World Wonder Ring Stardom 'puroresu' pro-wrestling company who fought today at Korakuen Hall, in Tokyo, known in Japan as Madison Square Garden of puroresu.

Originally Lovely is a place to build your own slow fashion, Me-Made Wardrobe! Check out the free Perfect T-Shirt Knitting Pattern!

Learn how to turn a paper plate into a colourful woven bowl to hold trinkets and treasures. Easy step-by-step instructions and video tutorial.

A "hideous skirt convention" sounds kind of fun.

Have bored kids? Teach them how to play SPOONS! The spoons game is super easy to learn and so much fun. Perfect for large or small groups, and great fun at family get togethers.

Try this crunchwrap casserole for a very hearty dinner full of perfect bites. The exterior is lightly toasted and the tostadas inside stay nice and crunchy.

Here’s how to make a rainstick using a cardboard tube and some crafting materials. The kids loved making this homemade instrument and using it to explore sound! Follow our Crafts for Kids Pinterest board! Homemade rainsticks make a great craft for kids and a fun science activity too. The kids love the creative freedom of …

There's the time where a sentence makes sense in the context, like when someone is talking about maths *in* a maths classroom. Then there's times where it most definitely doesn't. Student or teacher, please share the strangest things you've overheard in a classroom!

Spoiler alert: Meet-cutes aren't always cute.

This chicken noodle casserole combines juicy, poached chicken with mushroom soup and noodles for a creamy chicken bake topped with buttery crackers.

There's a fine line between solicited and unsolicited input from others when it comes to matters of the heart. On the one hand, a concerned friend or family member with the best of intentions is probably just looking out for you. On the other hand,…

‘Des Chats-Dessins sans paroles’ (Cats- Pictures without Words) is a book of 1897 by Swiss-born painter and printmaker Theophile Alexandre Steinlen ( 1859-1923). Based in Montmartre, Paris, Steinlen frequented the Le Chat Noir cabaret. There he met Toulouse Lautrec, Adolphe Willette and Aristide Bruant. He was hired to create a lithograph for … Continue reading "Théophile Alexandre Steinlen’s Illustrations of Cats in Fin de Siecle Paris"

This free Easter Word Search printable includes 16 words about Easter to search for including treats you might find in your Easter basket, and is a lot of fun for kids of all ages. Download and use this printable Easter word search puzzle for free. Perfect for fun at home use, teachers, classrooms, and scout meetings.

Rumbledethumps is a Scottish side dish consisting of creamy mashed potato, with sliced cabbage and sometimes fried onions stirred through it, before it's topped with cheese and baked in the oven.

Exquisite little paper stars can be used for decorations, jewelry, craft projects, and gift-giving. They're very easy to make, and they're a fun way to recycle a bit of junk mail into something colorful and decorative. If you want to make...

The Elf on the Shelf can be very fun! Here are a bunch of funny, mischievous, naughty, silly, and creative things the elf can do.

Harsh realities of life you need to accept are - 1) Fix yourself. 2) Stop thinking about perfect. 3) You will always fail. 4) You can't change the past

History of block-printed cotton in Georgian & Regency Era Europe. Printed muslins in costume period dramas, fabric museums, reproduction historical textiles

The best and most fun pen and paper games to cure the boredom blues. Solo, two player and three or more player pencil and paper games for kids and adults!

These sourdough brownies are absolutely delicious, Fudgy on the inside with that typical crakly tops and a slight sourdough tang. The perfect chocolate dessert.

Take a look through the most-liked images from our 2023 Instagram feed, and find lessons to take away for your own interiors beyond the new year

My favorite homemade enchilada sauce recipe is easy to make with pantry ingredients, it only requires about 5 minutes of prep time, and it tastes so flavorful and delicious.

This cinnamon treat reminds me of baklava, but with only a few easy ingredients, it's a fraction of the work. It's my aunt's recipe, and I think of her when I make it. —Sue Falk, Sterling Heights, Michigan

Great and easy one pot meal which starts on the stove and finishes in the oven! Greek lamb meatballs and brown rice is a healthy, complete meal full of the flavors of mint and thyme and finished with a crumble of feta.

These simple to make sourdough lemon muffins make a delicious snack any time of the day. The zesty fragrance and flavor of lemon shine bright in these sourdough muffins.

There's something about having a genuine human connection with others that can make a day so much better. Whether you text your BFF or get coffee with your SO, maintaining relationships is important. But sometimes feeling isolated happens, and while…

These Sourdough Drop Biscuits are an easy version of the classic buttermilk biscuit! Made with leftover sourdough discard, they are a delicious addition to your favorite soup or breakfast meal. Best of all? NO rolling and NO cutting! Simply drop and bake.

I can't believe it's already getting warmer where I live. Trees are blooming, the grass is green, and it feels like spring is here. Of course, I know that we'll probably get another burst of rain or cold weather, but my brain is already thinking about all the parts of spring that I love. So,