#waterlilies icons

[a-devious-route]

faceless, nature, water & waterlily theme

(( all my icons here ))

[dolybun]

I love blondes 🩷

[whitecerberus]

credit:whitecerberus

[wrathofrats]

Mushy May Day 22

long drives- rulti- swiss rain talk while cirrus sleeps in the back seat. Things are changing around the abbey, and rain looks to stop the ache in his bones.

As usual thank you to icon @forlorn-crows for the prompts this month

The street lights illuminated cirrus’s sleeping form in the back seat. Laid across the cushions with her hands under her head as a makeshift pillow, her knees scrunched up to fit in the confined space.

“Remind me to call dibs first next time” rain grumbled in the passenger seat, his own legs bunched up against him in an attempt to get comfortable after the long car ride.

Swiss tapped his hands on the steering wheel rhythmically, long miles of highway and nothing else in front of them. “Then who would keep me company up here?”

“Cirrus, duh.”

“Cirrus needs her sleep otherwise she gets irritable, I think you should let her have it” Swiss took a quick glance behind him to look at her. Her hair covered her face as she snored softly.

“I need my sleep, otherwise I get irritable” rain grumbled, throwing his head back against the head rest.

“I know tadpole” Swiss giggled.

The radio hummed softly in the background. A static station that played mostly old rock music, nothing Swiss or rain cared much about but it was better than silence.

They sat in a comfortable state of not talking for a couple minutes. Rain shifted in his seat a couple times to try and quell the dull ache in his hips while Swiss continued to keep his eyes on the road, side glancing rain and cirrus every once in a while just to be sure they were alright.

“I’m surprised she’s been asleep this whole time, usually she tends to get carsick” rain spoke after a while.

“She’s been stressed, I’m glad she’s finally been able to knock out for a bit” Swiss gave his own yawn, raising an arm above his head in an attempt to stretch in the small space.

“Has she not been sleeping again?”

“Na, she’s been in my bed most nights. Usually she has cumulus to calm her down but even with me it wasn’t much. I could tell she was still awake most of the night”

It was typical of cirrus to be a bad sleeper, but the stress of everything recently didn’t help. it was most of the reason she would slink into Swiss’s hotel room on the trip because she was sure he would be up at whatever ungodly hour she had decided to give up on sleeping alone. Even if he was asleep, she knew he would understand more than anyone.

“You’ve been stressed too, I can tell” rain moved to turn the radio down. The static was almost too much, both knowing that the changes around the abbey had been getting to them.

“I’m fine tadpole, things will blow over”

The passing lights created patterns on rains lap as he stared down in thought. Dancing shapes and reflections to distract his eyes as his brain continued to mull over the situation. Aether and Sunny would be gone, moved to where the older ghouls all stayed.

Sure they were still there in the abbey, but there was always a worry that they would move on and have fun with the older ghouls instead, or that the rest of their pack would embrace the new ghouls so much that aether Sunny would be left forgotten as he knows the other have been. Rain doesn’t remember the last time he saw River and lake.

“But will they be the same?”

Swiss sighed, chewing on his lip. There wasn’t a good answer.

“No, but nothing ever really stays the same does it?”

“No it doesn’t.” Rain sighed. A heavy feeling settled in his chest at the thought. Realistically nothing could ever stay exactly the same always, but the fear of the unknown was always present.

“You can’t stop time waterlily. Things will always work out, they always have. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it”

“It’s a bit too late for that”

“I know, but good things happen with change too. Just embrace it and we can deal with whatever problems arise together ok?”

Rain smiled, leaning back into his seat. The promise of together lessening the pressure in his chest. He turned to look back at cirrus, who had rolled over to face the back of the backseats.

“Ok”

[vomits0cutely]

My opinions on Marauders era ship names (my opinions no hate)

— Wolfstar - 7.5/10, I really like it it’s like a wolf howling to the moon but expect to a star, which is strange but beautiful. I’ve heard it sm it’s kinda normal for me idk, it doesn’t strike me that much. ~ Moonstar - 8.5/10, I love this also, I prefer this one tho. This one feels right and just seems more like engaging ig?

— Jily - 8/10, very cute name. Jily is the og name and I love it but.. ~ Flowerpot - 9.5/10 i love this name SM better, it sounds more iconic and rare idk, Flowerpot does different stuff to me. Gives me more love and home-y vides which fit them sm

— Pandalily - 9/10, it’s reminds me of a sunny day with rain: the perfect mix of warm and cooling down. It’s so cute ‘panda’ and ‘lily’ is such a cute mix and I love it

— Marylily - 5.5/10, very cutey I love lesbians friends to lovers. It’s such a beautiful fun name and I think the ship dynamic changes my opinion but I still love it

— Marlily - 6.5/10, sound smooth, I get kinda confuse this with Marylily cause they look similar but they’re still both very cute, I still like this name.

— Dorlene - 5/10, love this ship sm but this name is so weird, it doesn’t spell, sound or look nice. Just gives me weird vibes idk. The ship >>> the name

— Jegulus - 3/10, sick ship, the most known name even though I very much dislike the name. This name doesn’t sound or look that nice, it’s just weird to me but.. ~ Sunseeker/Starchaser - 8/10, much better, more iconic, more unique, more interesting. I like this sm better. It’s also real cause James be down bad for his lovers and is definitely chasing them. I think I like Sunseeker better tho, like Regulus seeking out James and making him fall inlove with him, makes me feels thing

— Rosekiller - 8.5/10, very luck fits their vides it’s just so perfect and I love it. I think it is kinda basic because it’s been around so long, but I don’t think anything else can fit their relationship so well into a name

— Bartylus - 2/10, I don’t really like this shop but the name just makes it worse, it’s just sounds dirty and messy and idk how to describe it idk ~ Starkiller - 8/10, that’s such a better name and is savage asf. I don’t really like this ship but this name is amazing, I don’t why but this name reminds me of flames for no reason and I think it’s real fitting

— Sunkiller - 6/10, sick name, sounds like something that would be a bad guy name like deadpool or smth. Like damnn, this ship is growing my and I think this name is helping. It’s a sick name and it kinda fits their vides, Barty’s part of his ship names being ‘killer’ always fits, and this is another one that shows it so well

~ Darksun - 5.5/10, savage, reminds me of an ellipse or like an apocalypse movie idk why but I ain’t complaining

— Moonwater - 8/10, I don’t like this ship cause I prefer them to be platonic but it sounds good. It’s such a great and smooth name and it’s calming and I just like it. Reminds me of the moon reflecting on water and it look so pretty and I like it

— Rosewater - 4.5/10, it sounds smooth and reminds me of rose petals in a bath with candles and stuff, but I don’t like the ship

— Rily - 0/10, so bad, sounds like that annoying boy that was in your class called Riley and ew ~ Moonlily - 3.5/10, sm better, reminds me of a waterlily and it’s so pretty. I don’t like them together but their friendship >>>

— Jeverus/Princechaser - 1/10, ew, that doesn’t look, sound or spell nice. It looks like it would be like green mold for no reason, I do like Princechaser a lot better than Jeverus tho, but.. ~ Stagposion - 8/10, like something that a person would drink and die from. Like a poisonous drink that you’d find in a bottle with the skull on it. Don’t like the ship, love the name

— Rames/Jamus — 0/10, also ew, I don’t like it at all. It doesn’t look appealing at all, it makes me feel gross. Just looks uncomfortable ~ Moonchaser - 9/10, 10x better, I love friends to best friends and lovers sm and they would be so cute together, I don’t really ship them tho. This name is very cute tho icl

— Jeter — 1/10, reminds me of that saying some white people say after something dramatic happens “jeepers!” Idk why but I think the J is throwing me off. It’s just a funky name ~ Prongsfoot - 5/10, much better, just give me a hella tall person with a tiny person for idk why. I don’t like this that much but it’s sm better

{idea from @jiangyanlissidepiece )

[sibylsource]

lilypad. a 65x65 icon border with a pink waterlily motif going for $3 USD. includes folders for your psds and images with an editable text layer. the font used is times new roman.

this is for personal use only, and visible credit is mandatory for use. please do not redistribute or resell this or claim as your own.

DM / message me if you need assistance with recoloring or customizing it!

[mogai-sunflowers]

i made a bunch of celestial versions of my favorite flags. if you’d like a celestial version of a certain flag similar to these, feel free to request one!!

starry midneirene flag-

[Image ID: The midneireine flag, a flag with nine equally sized stripes of deep purple, purple, pink-purple, orange, pastel golden, pale brown, purple, indigo, and deep indigo from top to bottom, with a starry sky overlaid on top. End ID.]

starry stellereni flag-

[Image ID: The stellereni flag, a flag with nine equally-sized horizontal stripes of deep purple, purple, hot pink, pastel red-orange, pastel golden, baby blue, blue, royal blue, and navy blue from top to bottom, with a starry sky overlaid on top. End ID.]

starry twilerenia flag-

[Image ID: The twilerenia flag, a flag with nine equally-sized horizontal stripes of mid purple, plum, red-brown, pastel orange, pastel golden, pale brown, pastel plum, mid purple, and deep indigo from top to bottom, with a starry sky overlaid over the top of the flag. End ID.]

starry romeacandela flag-

[Image ID: The romeacandela flag, a flag with nine equally-sized horizontal stripes of purple-grey, black, red-brown, black, golden, black, orange, black, and red from top to bottom, with a starry sky and a red rose meadow icon overlaid over the top of the flag. End ID.]

starry aqualistarrica flag-

[Image ID: The aqualistarrica flag, a flag with seven equally sized horizontal stripes of lilac, pale red-orange, pale yellow, light grey, pastel mint green, teal, and royal blue from top to bottom, with a starry sky and a waterlily overlaid over the top of the flag. End ID.]

[vivantaweddingcost]

Joyous Celebrations at The ITC Sonar Kolkata Wedding

Have you ever imagined what destination weddings in Kolkata would be like? What will be the vibe, the decor, food, and how are the venues in the city? If you plan to get married in or around Kolkata, consider a grand celebration like Sonar Kolkata Wedding.

A similar wedding is a grand celebration that blends modern decor with traditional charm, offering a mesmerizing experience to all the guests. However, finding a gorgeous property, booking different vendors and planning the wedding can be overwhelming.

Read this blog to discover how you can plan your dream wedding in ITC Sonar Kolkata with the help of our experts, who have been doing this job for the last ten years. 

Sneak-Peak Into A Grand Sonar Kolkata Wedding Kolkata, the city of Joy, is famous for its heritage culture, arts and crafts, sweet people, Durga puja, culinary delights, and more. Between all these impeccable offerings, the city has some luxurious properties perfect for spending a holiday, hosting a business conference or organising a wedding ceremony.

One such luxurious property is ITC Sonar, situated in the heart of Kolkata. As you enter the property, you will be overjoyed to see that the hotel is nestled between lush gardens and water bodies dotted with waterlilies, creating a natural and floral ambience. As you move forward, you will notice that the natural elements complement the artful and minimal architecture of the property, offering an unusual luxury feel in this 5-star property.

This business hotel in Kolkata, especially its architecture and ambience, is inspired by Bengal’s golden era. Whether it’s its iconic water ponds, lush greenery, or gorgeous interiors, this ITC hotel meets all the standards and leaves no stone unturned in offering warm hospitality.

A Kolkata wedding is a series of ceremonies organised at luxurious event spaces decorated with modern themed decor, followed by a feast of local delicacies and beverages. The weddings at Sonar Kolkata will have a hint of Kolkata’s and Bengal’s touch of art, decor, theme, food, craft, and vibes, making your wedding truly magical.

So, if you wish to plan a wedding as magical as this one, here are some details about the property you might wish to consider. 

Perfect Event Spaces For Different Celebrations ITC Sonar offers exclusive and luxurious venues for different types of wedding requirements, whether an intimate wedding, a grand celebration, an indoor gathering or an al-fresco setting; the property has it all. The event spaces at the hotel include:

1. Pala: This is a luxurious, pillar-less banquet hall with an area of 651 sq mts. Featuring regal interiors and intricate architectural details, this hall can be divided into three separate soundproof portions for even smaller gatherings. While the entire hall can accommodate around 750 guests, smaller portions can accommodate 200 people. 

2. Sunderban Lawns: This 1579 sq mt rich landscaped garden is spacious for grand weddings with 1500 guests. Under the blanket of stars with the gorgeous backdrop of the estate, this lawn is perfect for magical weddings.

This is not it. The property also has conference rooms and foyers perfect for business meetings and events. You can also check out these spaces if you want a small space for a pre-wedding function like lagun, tel lagna, etc.

Curated Culinary Delights For Your Wedding

Our favourite part about a destination wedding is the addition of authentic food from the city to the wedding menu. For your Kolkata wedding,  the hotel’s talented chefs curate exquisite menus for your wedding functions that cater to your tastes and preferences. Whether planning an authentic traditional Bengali feast or a multi-cuisine menu, you get to choose one of the best delicacies available on their menu.

However, we always suggest adding some famous local delicacies to the menu to offer a rich and unique culinary experience to your guests. For example, adding mishti pulao, Luchi and Alur Dom, Rosogolla & Sandesh, Mughlai Paratha, etc., can excite your guests to try a new and rich taste of the city.

The best part about the property is that the chef focuses on sustainable practices and uses locally sourced ingredients to ensure that all the guests enjoy a memorable, delicious, and thoughtful experience.

Utmost Comfort in Ultimate Luxurious Rooms The ITC Sonar Kolkata wedding cost also covers accommodation services. The property offers 237 stylish rooms and suites, which are beyond perfect for your guests to relax and unwind during the wedding functions.

These rooms and suites feature rich decor, modern furnishings, and minimal aesthetics to offer a sense of calmness. You can choose from various room and suite options available to get the best deal according to your guests’ list.

With our customized wedding packages, you can book rooms and suites based on your guest list, preferences, and budget.

ITC Sonar Kolkata Wedding Cost The wedding cost at ITC Sonar depends upon many factors, such as the choice of venue, wedding size, guest accommodation, catering services, and all the included and excluded services. However, the average cost of a two-day wedding at this property can be around 70 lakhs to 1.5 crores and more. 

We still suggest ignoring this cost and contacting our experts to get the best estimate for your wedding based on your requirements.

Conclusion Kolkata, as a name of a city, brings joy to our faces. It is indeed called the city of joy as it is famous for its art, people, food, and festivals. To add a hint of Kolkata’s beauty to your wedding and make it extra special, you can plan a destination wedding here. 

One of the best wedding venues in Kolkata is ITC Sonar, known for its distinctive architecture, water bodies, delectable food, and impeccable services. Contact us today, and we will tell you more about this property, your dream wedding, and more.

[chloeunit6]

Final eight designs

This post shows my continuation of my final eight chosen designs from editing and merging some designs from my initial thirty designs I had created before. I had the inspiration to take elements I loved from my previous designs to make my final eight designs. For these four designs I had used the same concept from my designs below with using my final poses I had created from using poses from trendy Japanese Harajuku streetwear where they are cutesy and popular poses from my research. Additionally, I used the developed faces I made with the traditional Japanese Geisha style I did keep all the faces similar there are only changes with the eyes as I thought to make my designs have their own personality therefore the eyes are looking in different directions to try to reference some emotion for each design such as being mysterious and shy but some being confident. For the hair I kept the original concept from my initial design using the hair as well from the Geisha illustrations, but I had made them different for each design as I added some pearls, ribbons, tassels, flower clips, and some even has chopsticks in their hair for a finial addition to each look. Each of my final designs all has diverse range of shoes to complement their looks but they had one link to keep my collection together which was they all have platform shoes. I used this concept as many of the Japanese Streetwear looks, they had platform shoes to finish their look, so I kept this original concept but changed each platform design such as boots, heels, sandals, and slide on shoes and even trainers for example. I did not use these shoes in my initial designs as I did not have a clear idea and inspiration for the shoes until I started designing my final eight for my collection.  

Focusing on each design separately, from the first image above this design was inspired by lotus flowers, lily pads and Kyo fish. When I started designing my final eight, I used the concept from my first thirty designs with using the silhouettes of the Harajuku Japanese Streetwear. This is why I wanted a layered, but fun look for this design. I created a shirt underneath a dress as the zip up dress was worn on top of my shirt. I made the shirt underneath the strapped dress as I had to follow one rule for designing this collection which is in Japan shoulders must be covered up as it is seen as disrespectful, so I followed this to show my understanding of Japanese culture when designing my Japanese inspired collection. From this I had the idea for my shirt where I had created the lily pad print on the sleeves then I would topstitch around these for a decorative touch. I finished the sleeves with a flared cuff to add some flare and create a dramatic feature to a standard designed shirt. I did keep the original idea of using the shirt collar and the button fastening but I changed the design by adding a colour block effect to update the standard shirt to match my ideas for the Harajuku style as this style contains strong colours and patterns. From this I began to design the dress to layer over the shirt. I decided to make a strapped dress but for the skirt of the dress I thought I would recreate a ra ra skirt but keep an feature of the traditional Japanese garment the kimono as I used the element of the belt known as Obi (a wide belt made of satin or stiff material to secure the kimono) but I updated this iconic look and decorated using my waterlily textile samples on it. For the ra ra skirt, I decided to add another print with incorporating my Kyo fish print as I had made a lotus flower and Kyo fish print, but I had separated these elements for this design. I collaged the finish onto the skirt as it had the colour I wanted to use. For the bodice of the zip up dress I kept the bodice quite simple and made it an off the shoulder effect without the sleeves so you can see the shirt. I decorated the top with lotus flowers I had made from a previous textile sample I developed I even included this on top of the straps of the dress. To finish the dress, I added ribbons on each side of the skirt. To style the design, I added tights and leg warmers on some strap platform shoes. I had adapted this design from an initial design I had changed the style of the sleeves and added the thrill cuffs this is shown in the video below. For the layout of this design page, I used some teared pieces of colour block cards, magazine pages and my print of my lotus and fish design. I added my specification drawings to support my design, but I had to make a specification drawing for my dress, my skirt, and the finished look as these were all separated looks but styled as a one piece. 

For the second image this design is inspired by Kintsugi which is a Japanese technique to repair broken pottery with gold powder. I had an initial design using this idea however I wanted to adapt this design, and this is how I created this design for my final eight. As in my original idea I wanted a fresh look as it did have a nice representation of the Kintsugi, but I thought it needed a fresh look to match and connect with my designing theme of Japanese streetwear as I thought my first idea was not presented clearly. I had changed the waterfall skirt into a Chinese splice swing skirt at a Midi skirt length with high waist with jacquard buttons and a small bow to finish. However, I did use the similar pattern with on the side fronts of the skirt I had the Kintsugi inspired print as two panels on the skirt. For the rest of the skirt, I had added the flower print inspired from a pottery piece using Kintsugi from my research development. I scattered the print around but also showing the split of the skirt in my design as well. For the bodice of the dress, I had made it button up in the middle but these buttons to fasten on the top and had panels on the side front to match the skirt with the Kintsugi inspired print. To finish my look, I designed a cropped jacket to add a layer to this dress. For the front I had used the flowers from the pottery and made this in a textile piece to decorate the jacket. I added a stand-up collar and for the short / top bell sleeve I had used the print of the Kintsugi. For the fastening of the jacket, I went to use three buttons at the back of the jacket. For the skirt I had made a concealed zip for the fastening as I wanted a hidden and clean fastening for my skirt. For the specification drawings I had made three separate ones for the skirt, the top and the jacket I made the front and back version to help shoe my construction. To accessorize this look, I had created some platform boots laced up and socks to finish this look. For the layout of this design page, I used some teared pieces magazine pages, some fabric I photocopied which were blue cherry blossom patterned and my print of my lotus flower print but in the colour of Kintsugi by photocopying and changing the selected colour to blue to add the effect and represent Kintsugi. I added my specification drawings to support my design, but I had to make a specification drawing for my jacket, my top and my skirt, and the finished look as these were all separated looks but styled as a one piece. 

For the third image, this design was inspired by Japanese Samurai armour. I had an initial design using this idea however I wanted to adapt this design, and this is how I created this design for my final eight. As in my original idea I wanted a fresh look as it did have a nice representation of the Japanese Samurai armour, but I wanted it to connect with my designing theme of Japanese streetwear as I thought my first idea was not presented clearly as it did not have many layers. I did keep some initial design ideas such as the pleated loose fitted trousers and the Obi belt. Areas I changed from; this design was mostly the top. I had changed the sleeves from a short sleeve to a waterfall sleeve with top sleeve like the design of leg of muton sleeve however I did keep the same textile technique to decorate the sleeve. I made the top in a style of a corset but on a panelled top. But it had a high neck blouse finish. I had decorated it in my embroidered flower textile sample along the high neck. I used the original concept from the Samurai armour with the shapes along the top just above the chest. Back to Obi belt I had added the stitch design again original from the Samurai armour and I added three buttons along the edge. For the pleated trousers I updated these with the gold print original from the armour where I made a textile sample from this, I used this on the waterfall sleeves as well. I added inside pockets to the trousers as well front and back. I added combat pockets to the front with a button closure and my embroidered flowers to decorate the pockets. For the shoes I designed strapped up platform shoes to finish this design. For the layout of this design page, it was my first page to show my final eight designs, so I included the title I used some words from my wooden titles and collage the rest of the title. I used some teared pieces magazine pages which just included text, and some fabric I photocopied which were blue cherry blossom patterned and my print of my lotus flower print but in the colour of red by photocopying and changing the selected colour to red. I added my specification drawings to support my design, but I had to make one specification drawing as it was a one-piece look. 

For my fourth image on this post this design is inspired by dragon spirals from my research development page on a gate design I found interesting to create samples and designs from. I had formed this design by using certain features of my initial designs such as the off the shoulder sleeves. For this design I had designed a blazer and a dress. For the blazer, I kept the original look of a blazer, but I changed the sleeves to an off the shoulder sleeve. Following this I had used my sample pieces of the dragon spirals and decorated the sleeves. For the lapel of the blazer, I had the left side decorated in a textile piece some dragon scales I had used the same idea for the blazar side fronts. I had also made a dragon scale in a row to hang from the left shoulder. I had made the fastenings three buttons from the lapel at the break point of the blazer. To finish the front of the blazer I added some spirals textile pieces to match the sleeves at the left next to the buttons. For the back of the blazer, I wanted a middle panel at the centre back seam and added the dragon scales for a decorative technique to finish my blazar look. For the dress inside I kept the bodice simple scoop neck with no sleeves this will be supported with lining inside and interfacing. I will have two colour blocks for the front bodice but one colour for the back as the fastening will be a concealed zip. For the skirt of the dress, it is a circle skirt with the side seam panels and back centre and front centre panel decorated in textile made dragon scales to finish the skirt. This design is accessorised with calf fitted platform boots with leg warmers to finish. For the layout of this design page, I had to make an extra pull up to show all my specification drawings as I had three specification drawing. These were back and fronts views of the blazer, the inner dress and the two pieces together. For the background I only used tiered pieces of a magazine page.  

These are all my final eight designs for my collection "Blossoming into Japan". My next step is to start and experiment with my media experimentation and get my eight designs finished for my design boards. 

-This video shows all of my eight designs together and shows my sketchbook pages as well as I had elements where you can move and turn them where I could not showcase this clearly with images.

[cherishyne]

OMG do u not know that song its great ..... iconic ..... youre so creepy by ghost town :33 grew up listening 2 it x_^ can sing it by heart ....... beloved - lotus/waterlily

ACTUAL HAVEN’T LiSTENED TO iT !! :o

CHER CAN SiNG KARKALiCiOUS BY HEART …. HAHA SiLLY HOMESTUCK SONG

[paramedicabroad]

Royal Botanical Gardens Kew

Today, let's take a virtual stroll through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the United Kingdom. Join me as we explore this green oasis where biodiversity, conservation, and beauty converge in a harmonious botanical symphony.

Step into the historic roots of Kew Gardens, where a passion for plants has flourished since the 18th century. Established in 1759, Kew has evolved into a global center for botanical research, conservation, and education.

Wander through the iconic Palm House, a Victorian glasshouse that houses a tropical paradise within its elegant iron structure. Marvel at towering palms, exotic orchids, and vibrant blooms that transport you to distant corners of the world.

Explore the Temperate House, the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world. This architectural marvel shelters a diverse collection of temperate-zone plants, showcasing the rich tapestry of global flora in a breathtaking setting.

Find serenity in the Waterlily House, where aquatic blooms grace tranquil ponds. Discover an array of waterlilies and aquatic plants, creating a serene escape within the heart of the gardens.

Ascend the Treetop Walkway for a bird's-eye view of Kew's arboreal wonders. As you stroll above the treetops, you'll gain a new perspective on the diverse tree species that call Kew home.

Step into the Princess of Wales Conservatory, a modern glasshouse that showcases ten distinct climatic zones. From arid deserts to lush rainforests, this conservatory offers a captivating journey through the world's varied ecosystems.

Kew Gardens, along with its historic landscapes, received UNESCO recognition in 2003. The site's unique blend of scientific importance, historical significance, and aesthetic charm contributed to its designation as a World Heritage Site.

Learn about Kew's vital role in global plant conservation. The gardens actively participate in international efforts to safeguard endangered plant species, making Kew a crucial hub for preserving biodiversity.

In conclusion, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, invites us to connect with the wonders of the plant kingdom. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it stands as a testament to humanity's fascination with and commitment to the preservation of the world's botanical treasures. When you're ready for a virtual escape into a world of greenery and blooms, Kew Gardens promises to inspire and captivate. 🌿🏰🌟

[wildatitsbest]

Monet in real life

[modernizor]

Claude Monet, 1923 #claudemonet #portrait #artist #master #painter #vintage #blue #1920s #french #masterpiece #modernizor #inspiration #art #artiststudio #posing #waterlilies #classic #iconic #monet #legend #applause

[smallgodseries]

[image description: Water pours from the eyes of an ancient stone head in a layered headdress, and fills the bottom of the picture. Waterlilies grow in the pond that covers the face up to its nose. Below the waterline, a fish swims over the statue’s submerged mouth. Above it, jungle plants grow wild. Text reads, “68, Rania ~ The Small God of Nourishing Tears”]

When humans come into the world, they breathe, they blink, they cry. Everything is surprising and new, and glorious and terrible and so much, so much that tears become the only possible response. Cry for a world so big and beautiful that it can never be contained in a single human lifetime, a single soul’s experience. Cry for everything that’s yet to come, and everything that can never, thanks to the vagaries of fate, come to pass. Rania is with them when they take that first breath and unleash that first plaintive wail. She is in every baby’s bawling and every banshee’s song of mourning. She is with all who weep, whatever their reasons.

Whatever their sorrows or their joys.

Almost everyone belongs to her when they are children. They cry so freely, and they understand the power and the healing potential of their tears. She gathers both them and those tears close to her, offering a calming presence in the dark, a soothing shoulder to weep on. But as they age, too many of her faithful slip away, convinced by outside voices that tears are “weak” or “manipulative” or even, somehow, “unfair.” She loves them even when they cannot cry, but she can’t reach them anymore.

Every bruise endured in silence, every peal of laughter swallowed, she is there, watching and wishing she could do more than stand witness to the unchangeable, wishing the world were kinder. Wishing she had more power.

She is, after all, only a small god. But when the eyes of society glance away, when the old conditioning fades and the earliest instincts return, she is still there, ready to take them in her arms, kiss their tears away, and let them heal in peace and comfort, or laugh with a friend who will not judge the tears in the corners of their eyes.

She is always ready, in the end, to guide her faithful home.

............................

Join Lee Moyer (Icon) and Seanan McGuire (Story) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a guide to the many small deities who manage our modern world, from the God of Social Distancing to the God of Finding a Parking Space.

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[birdlord]

Everything I Watched in 2020

We’ll start with movies. The number in parentheses is the year of release, asterisks denote a re-watch, and titles in bold are my favourite watches of the year. Here’s 2019’s list. 

01 Little Women (19)

02 The Post (17) 

03 Molly’s Game (17)

04 * Doctor No (62)

05 Groundhog Day (93)

06 *Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (86)

07 Knives Out (19) My last theatre experience (sob)

08 Professor Marston and his Wonder Women (17)

09 Les Miserables (98)

10 Midsommar (19) I’m not sure how *good* it is, but it does stick in the ol’ brain

11 *Manhattan Murder Mystery (93)

12 Marriage Story (19)

13 Kramer vs Kramer (79)

14 Jojo Rabbit (19)

15 J’ai perdu mon corps (19) a cute animated film about a hand detached from its body!

16 1917 (19)

17 Married to the Mob (88)

18 Klaus (19)

19 Portrait of a Lady on Fire (19) If Little Women made me want to wear a scarf criss-crossed around my torso, this one made me want to wear a cloak

20 The Last Black Man in San Francisco (19)

21 *Lawrence of Arabia (62)

22 Gone With the Wind (39)

23 Kiss Me Deadly (55)

24 Dredd (12)

25 Heartburn (86) heard a bunch about this one in the Blank Check series on Nora Ephron, sadly after I’d watched it

26 The Long Shot (19)

27 Out of Africa (85)

28 King Kong (46)

29 *Johnny Mnemonic (95)

30 Knocked Up (07)

31 Collateral (04)

32 Bird on a Wire (90)

33 The Black Dahlia (05)

34 Long Time Running (17)

35 *Magic Mike (12)

36 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (07)

37 Cold War (18)

38 *Kramer Vs Kramer (79) yes I watched this a few months before! This was a pandemic friend group co-watch.

39 *Burn After Reading (08)

40 Last Holiday (50)

41 Fly Away Home (96)

42 *Moneyball (11) I’m sure I watch this every two years, at most??

43 Last Holiday (06) the Queen Latifah version of the 1950 movie above, lacking, of course, the brutal “poor people don’t deserve anything good” ending

44 *Safe (95)

45 Gimme Shelter (70)

46 The Daytrippers (96)

47 Experiment in Terror (62)

48 Tucker: The Man and His Dream (88)

49 My Brilliant Career (79) one of the salvations of 2020 was watching movies “with” friends. Our usual method was to video chat before the movie, sync our streaming services, and text-chat while the movie was on. 

50 Divorce Italian Style (61)

51 *Gosford Park (01) another classic comfort watch, fuck I love a G. Park

52 Hopscotch (80)

53 Brief Encounter (45)

54 Hud (63)

55 Ocean’s 8 (18)

56 *Beverly Hills Cop (84)

57 Blow the Man Down (19)

58 Constantine (05)

59 The Report (19) maddening!! How are people so consistently terrible to one another!

60 Everyday People (04)

61 Anatomy of a Murder (58)

62 Spiderman: Homecoming (17)

63 *To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (95) Of the 90s drag road movies, Priscilla is more visually striking, but this has its moments.

64 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (92)

65 *The Truman Show (98)

66 Mona Lisa (86)

67 The Blob (58)

68 The Guard (11)

69 *Waiting for Guffman (96) RIP Fred Willard

70 Rocketman (19)

71 Outside In (18)

72 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (08) how strange to see a movie that you have known the premise for, but no details of, for over a decade

73 *Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country (91)

74 The Reader (08)

75 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (19) This was fine until it VERY MUCH WAS NOT FINE

76 The End of the Affair (99) you try to watch a fun little romp about infidelity during the Blitz, and Graham Greene can’t help but shoehorn in a friggin crisis of religious faith

77 Must Love Dogs (05) barely any dog content, where are the dogs at

78 The Rainmaker (97)

79 *Batman & Robin (97)

80 National Lampoon’s Vacation (83) Never seen any of the non-xmas Vacations, didn’t realize the children are totally different, not just actors but ages! Also, this one is blatantly racist!

81 *Mystic Pizza (88)

82 Funny Girl (68)

83 The Sons of Katie Elder (65)

84 *Knives Out (19) another re-watch within the same year!! How does this keep happening??

85 *Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (10) a real I-just-moved-away-from-Toronto nostalgia watch

86 Canadian Bacon (92) vividly recall this VHS at the video store, but I never saw it til 2020

87 *Blood Simple (85)

88 Brittany Runs a Marathon (19)

89 The Accidental Tourist (88)

90 August Osage County (13) MELO-DRAMA!!

91 Appaloosa (08)

92 The Firm (93) Feeling good about how many iconic 80s/90s video store stalwarts I watched in 2020

93 *Almost Famous (00)

94 Whisper of the Heart (95)

95 Da 5 Bloods (20)

96 Rain Man (88)

97 True Stories (86)

98 *Risky Business (83) It’s not about what you think it’s about! It never was!

99 *The Big Chill (83)

100 The Way We Were (73)

101 Safety Last (23) It’s getting so that I might have to add the first two digits to my dates...not that I watch THAT many movies from the 1920s...

102 Phantasm (79)

103 The Burrowers (08)

104 New Jack City (91)

105 The Vanishing (88)

106 Sisters (72)

107 Puberty Blues (81) Little Aussie cinema theme, here

108 Elevator to the Gallows (58)

109 Les Diaboliques (55)

110 House (77) haha WHAT no really W H A T

111 Death Line (72)

112 Cranes are Flying (57)

113 Holes (03)

114 *Lady Vengeance (05)

115 Long Weekend (78)

116 Body Double (84)

117 The Crazies (73) I love that Romero shows the utter confusion that would no doubt reign in the case of any kind of disaster. Things fall apart.

118 Waterlilies (07)

119 *You’re Next (11)

120 Event Horizon (97)

121 Venom (18) I liked it, guys, way more than most superhero fare. Has a real sense of place and the place ISN’T New York!

122 Under the Silver Lake (18) RIP Night Call

123 *Blade Runner (82)

124 *The Birds (62) interesting to see now that I’ve read the story it came from

125 *28 Days Later (02) hits REAL FUCKIN’ DIFFERENT in a pandemic

126 Life is Sweet (90)

127 *So I Married an Axe Murderer (93) find me a more 90s movie, I dare you (it’s not possible)

128 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (67)

129 The Pelican Brief (93) 90s thrillers continue!

130 Dick Johnston is Dead (20)

131 The Bridges of Madison County (95)

132 Earth Girls are Easy (88) Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum are so hot in this movie, no wonder they got married 

133 Better Watch Out (16)

134 Drowning Mona (00) trying for something like the Coen bros and not getting there

135 Au Revoir Les Enfants (87)

136 *Chasing Amy (97) Affleck is the least alluring movie lead...ever? I also think I gave Joey Lauren Adams’ character short shrift in my memory of the movie. It’s not good, but she’s more complicated than I recalled. 

137 Blackkklansman (18)

138 Being Frank (19)

139 Kiki’s Delivery Service (89)

140 Uncle Frank (20) why so many FRANKS

141 *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (89) watching with pals (virtually) made it so much more fun than the usual yearly watch!

142 Half Baked (98) another, more secret Toronto nostalgia pic - RC Harris water filtration plant as a prison!

143 We’re the Millers (13)

144 All is Bright (13)

145 Defending Your Life (91)

146 Christmas Chronicles (18) I maintain that most new xmas movies are terrible, particularly now that Netflix churns them out like eggnog every year. 

147 Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse (18)

148 Reindeer Games (00) what did I say about Affleck??!? WHAT DID I SAY

149 Palm Springs (20)

150 Happiest Season (20)

151 *Metropolitan (90) it’s definitely a Christmas movie

152 Black Christmas (74)

THEATRE:HOME - 2:150 (thanks pandemic)

I usually separate out docs and fiction, but I watched almost no documentaries this year (with the exception of Dick Johnston). Reality is real enough. 

TV Series

01 - BoJack Horseman (final season) - Pretty damned poignant finish to the show, replete with actual consequences for our reformed bad boy protagonist (which is more than you can say for most antiheroes of Peak TV).

02 - *Hello Ladies - I enjoy the pure awkwardness of seeing Stephen Merchant try to perform being a Regular Person, but ultimately this show tips him too far towards a nasty, Ricky Gervais-lite sort of persona. Perhaps he was always best as a cameo appearance, or lip synching with wild eyes while Chrissy Teigen giggles?

03 - Olive Kittredge - a rough watch by times. I read the book as well, later in the year. Frances Mcdormand was the best, possibly the only, casting option for the flinty lead. One episode tips into thriller territory, which is a shock. 

04 - *The Wire S3, S4, S5 - lockdown culture! It was interesting to rewatch this, then a few months later go through an enormous, culture-level reappraisal of cop-centred narratives. 

05 - Forever - a Maya Rudolph/Fred Armisen joint that coasts on the charm of its leads. The premise is OK, but I wasn’t left wanting any more at the end. 

06 - *Catastrophe - a rewatch when my partner decided he wanted to see it, too!

07 - Red Oak - resolutely “OK” steaming dramedy, relied heavily on some pretty obvious cues to get across its 1980s setting. 

08 - Little Fires Everywhere - gulped this one down while in 14-day isolation, delicious! Every 90s suburban mom had that SUV, but not all of them had the requisite **secrets**

09 - The Great - fun historical comedy/drama! Costumes: lush. Actors: amusing. Race-blind casting: refreshing!

10 - The Crown S4 - this is the season everyone lost their everloving shit for, since it’s finally recent enough history that a fair chunk of the viewing audience is liable to recall it happening. 

11 - Ted Lasso - we resisted this one for a while (thought I did enjoy the ad campaign for NBC sports (!!) that it was based on). My view is that its best point was the comfort that the men on the show have (or develop, throughout the season) with the acknowledgement and sharing of their own feelings. Masculinity redux. 

12 - Moonbase 8 - Goodnatured in a way that makes you certain they will be crushed. 

13 - The Good Lord Bird - Ethan Hawke is really aging into the character actor we always hoped he would be! 

14 - Hollywood - frothy wish-fulfillment alternate history. I think the show would have been improved immeasurably by skipping the final episode.

[mogai-sunflowers]

🌻dawnaquilia!🌻

dawnaquilia- 

a gendie in the scene system that’s like being outside in a meadow-like forest clearing at dawn. there’s a dirt path cutting through the soft green meadow which is surrounded by various trees, and feels closed off, like a secret haven, a hideaway, in the middle of a forest. you’re right next to a peaceful pond, and you’re lightly swinging on a swing that hangs from a tree branch. it’s dawn- the sky is still a delicate, pale pink, and beautiful white morning doves are flying around singing. in the pond, beautiful waterlilies are blooming softly and radiantly in the dawn, and you take it all in- your soul being soothed by the fairytale, dreamy state you’re in- simply letting yourself sit back on the swing, feeling the breeze from the willows sweep through you, watching the waterlilies float peacefully, feeling the dawn’s aurora lull you towards happiness, this gender is pure, breezy, light, pale pink, and flowery with dreamy, sing-songy euphoria

[Image ID: A flag with nine diagonal stripes, all of equal size except for the central stripe, which is 6 times as thick as the other stripes. From the left top corner to the bottom right corner, the colors are periwinkle blue, blue, sky blue, bright turquoise, pale pink, yellow, yellow-orange, red-orange, and red. There is a large, pink flower icon in the center of the flag. End ID.]

term and flag by me :3