#it feels a bit surreal

[schnaf]

.

[codgod]

if this is a dream, i’m never waking up

[spiralshells]

You were not meant to see the mess inside

[tetzoro]

was officially selected as a team lead for a company wide project :’)

[janewindsorcollage]

Crimson and Clover

10x14

Hand-cut, mixed media collage

2024

[wingedshoes]

all we imagine as light by payal kapadia saying what needed to be said: mumbai is a city of illusions, you feel at home, you don't think it's real, it's too full of light, you can't imagine light when it's already dark, the day never ends here, the train lulls you to sleep, the train never stops swinging you back and forth: you're on it everyday

[majouartings]

found some some farcilles in my doodle folder that I still kinda like so here you go 💖 lesbian aragorn and arwen you will always be famous

[beyoursledgehammer]

My birth story that no one really asked for but I'm sharing anyway because it was kind of a lot:

At 32 weeks, literally an hour after I had a checkup with my OB, my water abruptly broke as I was getting into my car. A lot of info about water breaking emphasizes that it's not as dramatic as it is in the movies. Except when sometimes it's just as dramatic as in the movies and it feels like someone has dumped a giant cup of water in your lap. For the first time in my life I hoped I had peed myself. Readers, I had not.

Another hour later after contacting relevant parties for instructions, and continuing to hope I'd just peed myself, I was told to get to the hospital as soon as possible. For some reason we assumed we'd just get confirmation that my water broke and be sent home. I literally only brought a pair of shorts and some underwear to change into. This is absolutely not what happened.

I was then admitted for monitoring to make sure I wasn't actively going into labor. Fortunately I wasn't. Baby was fine, I was doing fine, so it was decided that I was going to remain in the hospital until she reached 34 weeks. I was able to avoid any infections and other complications until 34 weeks exactly.

On Monday, June 17, at 9:22am, Irene arrived squalling into the world after a surprisingly very chill scheduled C-section. She was 4lbs 11oz and 17.5 inches long, slightly squished in the way that newborns tend to be since they're 95% cartilage at this point. She arrived 6 weeks early, a late term preemie and overall very healthy and whole.

She's now living it up in the NICU and doing exceedingly well. She'll likely stay there until her original due date of July 28th, but it depends on her meeting certain milestones. I'm recovering at home and we visit daily. It sucked leaving her at the hospital but after being there for nearly 3 weeks, I was ready to go home.

I definitely did not expect my pregnancy and birth to go this way (not that I had any firm plans other than 'have a baby') but here we are.

[sydney-carton-of-sour-milk]

For this week's post, I have a very special announcement:

As of the minute of my posting this,

this blog

is officially

A DECADE OLD!

To mark the occasion, I've gone back to my old sketchbook and (at long last!) made a scan of the first drawing I ever posted here...

...which I've used as reference for a redraw🥹

I've been through a lot in the last decade (as you can imagine), and, consequently, the nature of my love for and appreciation of the novel has changed so much through those years; with each subsequent time I've read it, A Tale of Two Cities has meant a different thing to me and held a unique place in my soul, tailored to its shape at that point in time.

That's part of why it has been such an immense, immeasurable joy to have this blog as a constant, a place for me to capture those shapes (and their changing over the years) by providing the good people of Tumblr's A Tale of Two Cities fandom with posts of all varieties. What a wonderful and rewarding place it has been for finding community in which we can all share our collective appreciation for this incredible novel. So if you're reading this, thank you! And I hope this blog has been able to provide for you anything like what it has for me!

Now this post is done, why don't we call a health, dear reader; why don’t we give our toast?

Many more posts - and years - to come, then!

[elvenbeard]

Sneaky morning snuggles :3

Upcoming poses by @humberg 💜

[theright2quack]

A passing hope…

A fleeting wish…

A small thought…

+++

That's a wrap! Whether you read part of the story or the whole thing, thank you everyone for reading and showing your support 🦆

[kurooscopy]

a little birdie died in my hands this morning :((

[darthyolk]

I've finally finished my first boss for my demon hunting game Judgement Nights! A guard dog for a much stronger demon, Grub keeps their secret safe and hidden from all mortal or demonic eyes

[northssketchbook]

-Forest Shade-

I wanted to challenge myself to draw something comic-like, and without knowing the context of this scene, 'twas fun :3 Inspired by a scene from a friend's ffxiv fic.

Don't use my work/art without permission! Thanks!

[elegyofthemoon]

☺️

[orcelito]

Appointment went fine. Got everything sorted out & got confirmation that I should be able to graduate in the spring.

I also officially applied to graduate.

Got so overwhelmed by this & my grief over the fact that my dad won't be there for it that I ended up crying in the bathroom over it. 👍 but it's a good thing overall. Just. You Know.