Rabbits between the staves. Cambrai BM 125-128, c. 1540-50

Being the dork I am, I had to hunt down the source; it's from Chansonnier de 1542 - Cambrai, BM, 0127 (0124), page 63.

✨🤍Winter Breathe 🤍✨

Alternatives to Squishmallow

So as many of you have probably already heard, Jazwares, the company that produces Squishmallows, is donating to charities that support Israeli soldiers and the IDF. They’re also supporting Canary Mission, which has been doxxing people who speak out against Israel. BDS hasn’t called for a boycott against them, but I can’t in good faith spend my money on their products, and I would strongly encourage everyone who enjoys plushies to really think long and hard about if you want to give your money to a company that’s helping support genocide!

But the holidays are coming up, and lots of us enjoy plushies and were fans of Squishmallow, and were planning to give Squishmallows to friends and family this year.

Fortunately, there are a number of great plushie companies out there, and I want to promote some of my favorites in the hopes that folks will get their plushie fix from a source that doesn’t side with Israel. So without further ado:

Fluffnest

Fluffnest got their start on Kickstarter a few years ago, and I adore the round shapes of their PuffPal plushies! My favorite is Pete the Possum, which is probably the best possum plush I’ve ever seen. I’ve also got a beautiful moth from their Kickstarter and I’ve been wanting their bats for ages. They also recently had a Kickstarter for an Animal Crossing-esque video game featuring their plushie characters and it looks fantastic.

Squishables

I can’t get over the plague doctor plushies. They’re so perfect and cute, and they’ve released other variations of them called Alter Egos, like a ghostly version, an alien, or a really sweet cottagecore one! They’ve got a ton of variety, but what I like the most are the fantasy plushies. There’s a lich! There are dragons and demons! Cryptids! Biblically accurate angels! A lot of really fun stuff!

Also they do a lot of great charity work! Right now they’re doing an auction for the Food Bank of New York City.

AfternoonFika

AfternoonFika is a very small business of only three people, but their plushies are extremely cute. They tend to sell out fast, so I recommend following them on social media to stay on top of any restocks! They recently released a line of dinosaurs that are precious, and of course I love their iconic cactus cat and cinnamon bun bunny.

Jellycat

Jellycat has been around since 1999, so they’re the oldest of these companies. They’ve got great designs, a ton of variety, and a lot of their plushies are made to be cuddled on and not just displayed. All three of my tiny nephews sleep with a different stuffed dog from Jellycat. My mom has a sun and several succulents that she uses as decorations. There’s a little something for everyone who enjoys plushies!

If you have any other favorite companies I haven’t mentioned, feel free to add on! I’ve enjoyed Squishmallows for a while now and I’m sad to see their leadership coming out on the side that’s committing war crimes on a daily basis, but this is a good time to discover new favorite plushie companies! And remember, money speaks loudly. Even if BDS hasn’t called for a boycott of Jazwares, it sends a message when sales start dropping for companies that support genocide. It’s a small thing, but the little things we do can add up!

LittleSofts

Littlesofts started in late 2021 so a lot of their plush are in the preorder stage (the ones above were JUST announced a few days ago and I think is their biggest launch so far) I've been extremely happy with my ultra-snuggly trans raccoon !!! (preordered in june and received in october and can be ordered now)

The body itself is about 10 inches, not counting tail, which for me is perfect to hold. There are also weighted plush with a more dense filling (about 2 lbs) as well as pins of the plush. Love these guys!

If you're looking for the feel of a squishmallow, you're looking for mochi minky/pure plush fleece fabric and mochi stuffing

There's a ton of knock off squishmallows, but that'll potentially help with online shopping or making your own

As for promo, I commissioned a custom plush from Nightengale Needle a few years ago, they have ready made stuff, they're not mochi but they're great to work with and the team there could really use the support

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NightengaleNeedles

Jellycat also do toys with weighted elements and the like, so they're excellent stim plushies.

us in this storm

AO3 Top Relationships Bracket- Round 4

This poll is a celebration of fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.

Cmon crew 💪🏴‍☠️

AO3 Top Relationships Bracket- Round 2 Side 1

This poll is a celebration of fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.

I'm seeing a lot of folks in the notes claiming that OFMD wouldn't exist if it wern't for the "cultural impact" that Stucky had. As someone who has been a Marvel fan for a long time, but not really on Tumblr for a few years but still part of fandom spaces, could someone please point to what impact this specific ship had outside of Tumblr and AO3? Like I'm genuinely curious to know what actual, real world impact a fan ship could have had that would have had any influence on the creation of a queer romcom by an (ostensibly) straight man.

AO3 Top Relationships Bracket- Round 2 Side 1

This poll is a celebration of fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.