Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Delight”

Photo by William Britten

Delicately, large hands, warm hands

Cover the tiny eyes of curiosity and excitement

The sun is seen from within

And these warmed hands turn golden orange with the light

Unable to contain themselves, the curious child eagerly reaches up

Placing their own small hands atop the others

“Not yet, not yet,” their guardian laughed

They were close, just a few more steps

And as they halted, the child suddenly felt sand beneath their feet

Clumping and collecting between each toe as they wiggled eagerly

A whisper next to their ear gave permission to look

And the warm hands slipped away to reveal a cool breeze

An even cooler blue sky

Meeting like an old friend at the horizon with the vast sea

And the warmth flooded to the child’s eyes instead

Fueled by delight and gratefulness

Advertisements

Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Anger”

Seethe by berylsays

He was never quick to anger

Always choosing the path of least resistance

Hoping for positive outcomes even in dire times

His serenity was admirable

His peaceful expression, almost godlike

And his patience seemed impossible to achieve

It was a wonder how he managed

What with how the world always tried to put up obstacles

Still, he was calm

Never quick to react

And it made her seethe at his lack of emotion

Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Empty”

Shattered by GlauxBryonia

Hidden away in this small room

A cell, a prison of the minds own design

The realization that this is all there is

Four walls

You

And the empty space in-between

Prone on the ground

Blankly staring

Can you imagine there are shapes there?

Hidden in plain sight on bare walls

Invisible ink to most seeking eyes

Create your own reality in this emptiness

For even a gentle touch to these binding surfaces

Can shatter this small room into tiny

Individual

Pieces

Revealing a freedom that doesn’t exist

By taunting you with yet another barrier

Secure, but ever confining

Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Rage”

Fierce by Hengki24

Ragged breaths escaping from clenched teeth signal the calm before the storm.

Already the rage is at a boiling point, frothing and seething like a rabid animal.

Gauging the risk, is the approach worth the incoming onslaught?

Everything is more interesting with a little recklessness.

Unboxing – J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, March 2018

Happy Friday! Here we go again with a box from Loot Crate’s J. K. Rowling Wizarding World subscription series. Warning, if you are subscribed to this box and either have not received or opened it yet, there are spoilers of the contents below. And as always, this is not a sponsored post. This box was on time, so it’s a bit closer than usual to the last post about these, but let’s dive into it!

Image-heavy post inbound, and as usual, feel free to click on the images to see a larger view for more details! (And apologies for the formatting on smaller devices!)

The box was back to being nice and neat on the outside thankfully–last time because of how lazily it looked slapped together I was worried it had been opened en route or something, but this one was just fine. The sticker seal this time is a nice, nighttime silhouette of Hogwarts! As for the inside…

           

The first peek shows us another neat nighttime silhouette of Hogwarts on the box, and it looks like the t-shirt on top with a couple other items peeking out around it. Then the guide to the box shows us six different items for this box, and the theme of “Enchanting Essentials.” This one includes the t-shirt, a book, a pack of mini journals, a door sign, a magnet that varies on the house you pick when signing up, and the box-staple pin.

Our first item is a Loot Crate exclusive t-shirt with the Hogwarts crest on it. It’s neatly stylized and really soft, and the quality of the print feels nice, like it’ll last decently well. Downside to these boxes is a get more shirts than I can keep up with wearing, ha-ha.

Then we have the 4-pack of miniature journals. Perfect for popping in your purse/car/pocket for on the go notes or writing. The designs on all the covers are very different and unique, and go along with the ‘essentials’ theme well enough, I think.

               

The book this time is a lot more interesting to me. It’s modeled to be something like Newt Scamander’s scrapbook from the Fantastic Beasts movie, an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the film and what went into making it. It includes looks at making some of the graphic elements for the movie (which I really like!) and even some interactive aspects like hidden folds in some of the images.

                 

Next is the door sign, which features messages on both sides. So depending on how you’re feeling, you can be welcoming or bar others from entering if the world at large is offensive to you that day. Thankfully this is something that basically sits there once it’s in use, because it’s essentially a sticker on each side of a piece of thin wood with some twine stapled to the top. Not super durable, but fine for just resting on a doorknob or up on a wall.

Last but not least are the two smaller items, the magnet and the pin! The magnet is an image of the crest of whatever house you choose when subscribing to the crate. It’s not incredibly strong, so it probably couldn’t hold anything decently heavy, but sticks well enough to a fridge or something. The pin for this box is in the shape of a doe, meant to be Snape and Lily’s patronus in a gold pin form. It’s very petite and cute, and is a nice, subtle way of showing your fandom love without it being obvious what it’s from.

That was it for the box items, but this time Loot Crate also included a little promotional piece. When you subscribe to the Wizarding World crate you’re automatically entered to win a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter park at Universal Orlando Resort. I’ve been lucky enough to go a couple times and loved it. It’s always super busy there, but it’s lots of fun and has great attractions, food, and merchandise! (This is still definitely not sponsored by the way, ha-ha.) So if you’re planning on getting a crate anyway, and you’d like to visit the theme park, you get entered for a chance to go!

Now we’re at the end of the March 2018 Wizarding World subscription box! I think the theme was good, but I don’t know if necessarily everything in the box fit with it. I wasn’t disappointed to receive anything here, though.

Let me know what you guys thought of this box and post, and if you’d like to see more of these! And if you got this particular box, what are your thoughts? I’m happy to share things like this so more people can see and learn about the goodies out there for these subscriptions! Hopefully it generates some interest to get more subs to it–the more the merrier! (Plus with more people, we might get even neater stuff!)

Have a great weekend! Let’s get ready for April!

Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Zeal”

Sound Of Our Hearts by kyokosphotos

Specifically, this passion for a dream,

Whether attainable or not,

Fuels a desire to press for the potential that lies within

A zest for life, a zeal for the future and what it brings

Applying the knowledge gained

Continuing to learn even more

And taking a stand for these hallowed beliefs

This fervor burns brightly for change

Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Worship”

Hero Worship by jdrainville

Who else among us, feeble as we are, could hope to accomplish what they have?

Only they have successfully tested the odds

Returning, triumphant, to our praise

Such acts certainly deserve our complete and utter adoration

Hero is too soft a word to describe this modern marvel

Idolizing this figure of strength and security is a blessing

Perfection, supposedly impossible, stands here before us

---

Celebrate World Poetry Day and write a poem of your own!

Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Adoration”

embers by Nimbue

Ashes cooling in the pit of this old campfire

Daring to spark on occasion

Only wanting to keep burning bright

Rather like this warm glow between our hands

Applying the slightest pressure, reassurance

That they will always be there, and I

I will return the favor

Openly showing this overwhelming adoration

Now, all that’s left is eternity, just like this

Writing Prompt Wednesday – “Depressed”

Emptiness by elultimodeseo

Let me begin with a preface–
A jumble, a mess, a chaotic force of emotion and thoughts
Which, of course, houses no sense or security
And then, those moments of emptiness
An intense lacking in motivation and desire
Where a simple “are you okay?”
Can sound like the most grating noise
Where solitude seems to be the only solace
But loneliness is the bitter enemy

There’s no moon at night to see in the dark
And the day’s sun is hidden by clouds and storms
Or maybe the sun, bright and cheerful in a clear sky
Taunts with a happiness that seems impossible to touch
And, cursing at the inability to feel
This heavy blanket of non-emotion
Or, today (tomorrow, yesterday?), too much emotion
Smothers instead of comforts

That want of independence
To strike out into the world
Crippled by the fear of what lies beyond
For this fog across the eyes cannot be pierced
Back and forth, to and fro
No longer wanting to stay
But far too scared to go

This writhing mass of everything and nothing
Churning the stomach like tainted bile
Desperate to be purged
It craves escape, to see the outside
But letting loose this beast
Fierce and unpredictable
The consequences surely outweigh
Any other possible outcome

So, still here?
Doomed to suffer in silence
Futilely coiled and fetal
Clinging to this half-life
Too afraid to let go
But unable to move on
This stilted ending fights to persist
Despite itself

Unboxing – J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, January (Feb.) 2018

Happy Friday, and happy March! I’m back yet again with a box from Loot Crate’s J. K. Rowling Wizarding World subscription series. Warning, if you are subscribed to this box and either have not received or opened it yet, there are spoilers of the contents below. And as always, this is not a sponsored post. As far as it being the January box in February (March as of posting, but I received it at the end of February), like last month there was “an unexpected production delay” for one of the items inside.

Image-heavy post inbound, and as usual, feel free to click on the images to see a larger view for more details! (And apologies for the formatting on smaller devices!)

Like I mentioned last time, I try not to spoil anything for myself in the box until I receive it, but the delay again had Loot Crate mentioning the theme, “The Ties that Bind (Us),” in the email they sent out about it. That’s pretty open to interpretation though, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The box itself was much smaller this time, and really beat up (but that of course could have been in shipping). Was a little disappointed and worried at the lazy way the usual sticker seal was just slapped on the box (twice–there were two for some reason, and not even over the edge) and the packing tape slathered all over it, but thankfully nothing was missing or damaged!

                           

Looking inside for the first peek, we can see a couple of the items and the box interior, which actually looks really cool! It looks like the clock face in the Weasley home that shows what/where the members of the family are at any given time. I like that it’s not just a copy of the one in the movie, too. It’s very uniquely stylized and rustic looking.

Then for the commonly seen guide to the box, it looks like only four items this time. Kinda explains the small box size. This round we got a tie in a specific Hogwarts House depending on which you choose when purchasing (in this case mine is Ravenclaw), a shawl/scarf, the iconic pin seen in all the boxes, and a book on wands.

The first item is the tie, somewhat stylized after the ties the students wear in the Harry Potter films. It has a little version of the house animal on it as well, and the tie is really nice quality. Sadly I’m not really someone who wears ties, so it’s not going to do me much good, ha-ha.

Next is the shawl/scarf, which is huuuge. Holding it up to myself it’s just a bit longer than I am tall, and I’m about 5’7″. The design on it is pretty neat too, as it looks like the family tree/wall mural in the Black house from Order of the Phoenix. I’m not much of a scarf or shawl-wearer, but I like the design on this one, and it’s nice and soft.

 

Next is my favorite item in the box, and not just because I have a pin obsession. This box’s pin is in the shape of the diadem of Ravenclaw. It’s really detailed and pretty looking, and while hard to read, even has the philosophy of Ravenclaw written on it: “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.” Despite this being my favorite item, I’m a little bummed about the quality of it. The little diamonds are very dull/scuffed looking, and while the quote being on it is a nice touch it’s extremely hard to read. I’d be worried to wear it for fear of it getting scratched up easily.

             

Lastly is the wand book, showcasing the different wands from characters in the Harry Potter films. I like the idea of this item, because I’m always really into the lore of books/movies. The wands of the Harry Potter universe, because of the many different types and versions there are, are really neat to look at and explore.

There’s a couple of pages that interested me more than others, and they were basically blueprint-esque pages on the make-up of wands/materials. In particular was Harry’s wand (actually the only one, if memory serves), and the breakdown of the wand itself is interesting to see. It’s not just a film BTS but also for the lore of wands themselves in the Harry Potter world.

Otherwise it was primarily pages for main, secondary, etc. characters in the films and their respective wands. In the example I just opened up to the middle of the book and found Professor Sprout’s page(s). You get a description of the character, their wand, and an image of the character and an up-close view of the wand. The quality of the book is really nice, as well. It’s a neat collectible item, but I hate to say that it’ll probably just end up on a bookshelf and not get much use or perusal.

             

That’s all for January’s (February/March) 2018 Wizarding World subscription box! I think the theme was good for the most part, but I’m a little disappointed in the lack of items, and the item types aren’t really anything I can find much use for this time. After having the box delayed this was a bit of a letdown, personally. Hopefully the next one will make up for it.

Let me know what you guys thought of this box and post, and if you’d like to see more of these! And if you got this particular box, what are your thoughts? Were you happy with the items this time, disappointed? I’m happy to share things like this so more people can see and learn about the goodies out there for these subscriptions! Hopefully it generates some interest to get more subs to it–the more the merrier! (Plus with more people, we might get even neater stuff!)

Have a great weekend! It’s time to welcome March!