half agony, half hope

amanda. playwright, lyricist, freelance writer, editor. find me on instagram @scenesfrommyshelves

[amandaprahl]

my latest book embroidery project is one of my favorite books and favorite covers: THE WISTERIA SOCIETY OF LADY SCOUNDRELS by india holton with cover art by dawn cooper 💜 i spent a lot of time mix-and-matching thread shades and stitch techniques to really try to bring it to life. i loved building out the vines (chain stitches) and flowers and leaves (long and short stitches), but my favorite was bringing ned and cecilia to life. three shades of purple and three types of stitches for her gown; blending threads from two different skeins for ned’s suit; some of the tiniest stitches i’ve ever done for their pistols. this was a challenge in the best way and i’m so happy to share the results with you!

[x-whispers-of-october-x]

PERIOD DRAMA APPRECIATION WEEK 2022

Day 1: Favorite TV Show - SANDITON (2019 - )

“I think that by nature of this being a story inspired by characters that Jane Austen wrote, it is absolutely integral for the women in the show to have their own trajectory and exploration of character.“ ~ Rose Williams (Charlotte Heywood in Sanditon)

[theycallme-thejackal]

anonymous asked ↳ Luke and Lorelai’s Waltz or Midge and Lenny’s Rhumba  

[fashionsfromhistory]

“Vénus” from the Milieu du siècle Collection

Christian Dior, Authorized Copy by Nanty Frocks

Autumn/Winter 1949-1950

Royal Ontario Museum (Object number: 2011.53.1)

[amandaprahl]

i’ve been seeing the #matchyourmugstack challenge going around lately, so i thought it would be fun to make a stack based on my favorite rifle paper co mug!

[amandaprahl]

re-posting a couple of my favorite pictures from this past year in books!

THE BELLE OF BELGRAVE SQUARE by mimi matthews is a historical romance with a fairytale soul. it’s the story of how two introverts, with very different personalities on the surface, find the care they need in each other - a beauty and the beast retelling that keeps the best parts while reworking the troublesome ones. to escape her terrible family and an undesired match, shy, bookish julia agrees to marry jasper, a brooding war hero surrounded by dark rumors. as their marriage of convenience unfolds, they try to learn how to open up and to build a future that isn’t determined by their pasts, all with a lovely, longing slow burn 💙

join me on bookstagram !

[gifshistorical]

GREEK WORDS FOR LOVE · Mr Malcolm’s List (2022) Idea by: @mrmalcolmslist ✨

[amandaprahl]

for as much as i read (and write about) the romance genre now, i think some people might be surprised that i really started reading actual genre romance a few years ago.

i clearly remember browsing a bookstore one day. i had just finished an mfa program where I found myself constantly having to defend my pop culture and artistic choices against snobbery from my “edgier” peers, and that had an impact on even what i chose for myself. and then i saw this adorable, pastel, cartoony book, picked it up, and it had everything i love. a romance inspired by ren faires (and sexy captain hook from ouat), packed with lit nerd jokes and amazing banter? sign me up! and that, really, was my gateway into falling in love with genre romance, not just books with romantic subplots.

so as i start making these embroidered pieces based on book covers, it only seemed right to make on based on that book: WELL MET by Jen DeLuca, with cover art by Colleen Reinhart . cheers to them, to this series, and to the world of romance books everywhere 💕

meet me on bookstagram !

[ddesole]

ANDOR 1.11 “Daughter of Ferrix”

[rebeccapearson]

my otp tags: william darcy & lizzie bennet  ♡ otp: clear as day

God, for two such smart people, we can certainly act like idiots, can’t we? One might even say it’s our forte.

[userscully]

I wish you well, Mr. Thornton. NORTH & SOUTH 2004, Episode 4

[madebyancientomens]

shakespeare + polaroid movie posters

[runawaymarbles]

Happy thanksgiving to the best scene ever aired on television

[sarahmaclean]

The greatest Thanksgiving moment on TV.

[amandaprahl]

you pierce my soul. i am half agony, half hope.

[duchessofhastings]

Anne Elliot & Frederick Wentworth PERSUASION (2007) dir. Adrian Shergold

[queenage-deactivated20230404]

«Emma.» (2020) dir.: Autumn de Wilde

[librarianproblems]

When you hear someone say they don’t know what to read next and you have suggestions