@risquevintner
Notes in the margins of life. Literature, science, art & old things with stories. Queer trans woman. Sometimes unclothed. Always intentional. A private space lives here → https://discord.gg/2WRejs4X8K
Demure is an interesting word.
Quiet and reserved are often mistaken for weakness, but sometimes they’re actually a form of strength — the kind that doesn’t need to announce itself. #WordOfTheDay • #Language
• #Vocabulary
#dogs #dogsoftheday
Lately that idea shows up everywhere for me.
At the grooming table.
In my writing.
In my photography.
It’s all the same thread, just expressed through different materials.
Slow creative work has a different rhythm.
It’s not about chasing attention — it’s about building something that deepens over time.
Art, work, embodiment, identity… I don’t really believe these things belong in separate boxes.
For me they’re all part of the same life.
Slow burn. 🔥
Sometimes there is the animal and the human who loves it.
And sometimes there is simply the human and the animal, and we are less certain about the love.
A quiet truth from the grooming table. open.substack.com/pub/cassieso...
Notes from the Grooming Table
This morning I said,
“Rory, where are you? It’s time to get groomed.”
This is how I found her.
Apparently if you lie very still with your belly in the air, the groomer might not notice you. 😂
Notes from the grooming table:
Quiet parallels run between my grooming work, my embodied art, and my writing.
Patience.
Intention.
Trust.
Different mediums.
Still art.
Thankfully, wagging tails are still wonderfully simple.
Notes from the grooming table
Dreamy morning at the grooming table.
All “pick me” dogs today —
no resistance, just love, licks, and cooperation.
One insisted on full face-to-face hugs like we weren’t done yet.
Being chosen over and over again never gets old. 💛
These posts tend to move quickly here.
Some thoughts are meant to linger.
For those who prefer something more permanent and slower, I keep a growing archive on Substack. substack.com/@cassiesomas...
Purebred Yorkie.
Teddy bear request from a fluffier mix photo.
Silk ≠ fluff.
Art adjusts.
Client happiness wins.
That’s the discipline of this craft.
Rory has officially promoted herself to Executive Assistant.
She supervises all paperwork, insists on paw-approval for every decision, and takes her job very seriously…especially if snacks are involved.
Honestly, I’ve never felt so micromanaged but she does look pretty cute running the office. 🐾📋💕
Nails matching my Vineyard Vines sandals — because I notice the details. 🐳💙
Notes from the grooming table
Bath. Blow dry. Shape. Bandanna.
They glance at the bandannas when it’s time.
Then I lift the camera.
Working with bodies teaches you this:
Light shifts. Angles shift. Presence matters most.
Today’s lesson arrived with a wagging tail.
Just Beautiful. 🥹🥹
#saytheirnames
#pinks
Notes from the grooming table:
I worked 7 days a week because I love my craft.
But love shifts when it becomes constant output.
So I moved to 5 days and updated my pricing.
Fair exchange isn’t about squeezing anyone — including yourself.
When it’s balanced, everything feels lighter.
Notes from the grooming table
Mobile grooming doesn’t run on a rigid clock.
Dogs don’t operate on schedules.
Maintenance creates ease.
First visits require margin.
In this profession, time isn’t just a number —
it’s respect.
Wow 🤩
❤️
This is Rory 🥰
Yes, she’s a Bichon.
And no, the pink isn’t a fresh design — it’s just the ghost of a previous one growing out.
Even groomers let things fade naturally sometimes.
Still cute. Still iconic. Still my dog.
I’m still learning how to build things slowly in public.
It feels vulnerable.
It also feels right.
How do you decide what’s worth building slowly?
Obama wrote the book on cool!
Have a-great Saturday!
@rebelb1ue.bsky.social
@jules1212.bsky.social
@hopeful66.bsky.social
@raykwong.bsky.social @thewelshtaffy24.bsky.social
@bluestormcomin1.bsky.social
@seizeday.bsky.social
This video never gets old! 🥰
That’s honestly wild. There is nothing about that image that reads as solicitation — it reads as art. The lighting and composition feel intimate and contemplative, not explicit. It’s a beautiful, self-possessed photograph. Keep creating. 🥰
I’m still learning.
That’s part of it.
Slow doesn’t mean unsure.
It means deliberate.
On My Own Terms
It feels like freedom.
Like reclaiming my body.
Slow-burn. Intentional. Honest.
That’s not bizarre.
That’s embodiment.
Creating images on my own terms isn’t shock — it’s authorship of the gaze.
Does it feel true to me?
It does.
It’s honestly unfair how satisfying it is 😂 10/10 would recommend tiny sweater nails. And I’ll tell my tech she has fans across state lines.
Ooo thank you!! 🥰 I can’t take credit for the artistry…I have a ridiculously talented nail tech who brings my little winter visions to life.
& yes… the thumbnail is textured. It’s got that cozy sweater vibe and I may or may not keep petting my own thumb like a weirdo because it’s so satisfying. 😂❄️
💯
🐶😂
I love exploring cemeteries. The art, the epitaphs, the little details families chose… it’s peaceful, and sometimes you can almost feel the imprint of a life that was once fully lived.
