#candles are a pretty universal present and it was a good quality item so that one was easy peasy

[disjenyamembra]

YAY!!! Finally rid off all of my cursed objects!!

[sebaekberry]

tag game 🌿

Rules are: answer the questions given by the tagger. write 11 questions of your own. tag 11 people.

thanks @cottonhyun for tagging me. I loved your questions, so creative!! might steal some of them for my questions too. I didn’t tag 11 people but if you want to do this, go nuts. tag me in it, too and I’ll happily read it. and if you don’t want to do it, no worries. 

your questions:

1. Least favourite fruit

huh I don't think anyone has ever asked me this?? it took some thought ngl. I like almost all fruits, I'm not at all picky. ok maybe except for green grapes. they leave a chalky after-taste. 

2. How would you achieve your own ultimate goal in life?

maybe this sounds sappy, but my ultimate goal in life is just to be happy. I've been spending a lot of time lately just figuring out what I want my life to be and how to achieve it and I keep coming up blank. but I've realised that I kept planning for ten and twenty years into the future instead of living in the present and focusing on what makes me happy right now where I'm at. and I think it's important to keep in mind that the future will happen whether you want it to or not so try to make the most of it in the moment. uh rant over, my bad

3. Describe the perfect day

oof it's missing the homies hours rn, big time. I want to be outside, having chill picnics with friends, playing games, and going swimming. or even just the little things, like going to my favourite reading spots, biking through the city, going to the movies, to the shops, to the museums !! if I could do any of those things freely, I'd be super happy.

4. Still or carbonated water?

oh still water for sure. carbonated water is like static in your mouth, don’t come at me 

5. Best childhood memory?

is it weird that I don't actually have one? like it's not that I had a bad childhood, not at all. I just...feel so disconnected from my childhood. I know there were things I enjoyed like swimming, picking wild strawberries, greek mythology, painting and climbing, etc but there is no one specific memory that I can think of.

6. If someone is visiting your country for the first time, what kind of activities / sightseeing would you recommend them? 

restaurants!! I live in stockholm and we have such a wide selection of food places, literally every type of cuisine you could imagine. a stroll through Gamla Stan is nice any time of year, maybe stop for some ice-cream, waffles or afternoon tea, a quick look inside the sci-fi bookstore there is always nice. there are waterways everywhere so I really recommend a walk somewhere along the water. stockholm is pretty small compared to other cities, so maybe bike around as many places as you can? part of our public transport is also by boat. museums and outside exhibits! bergianska trädgården. so many amazing cafés to get cozy in. late evenings on rooftop bars. the only con here is that everything closes pretty early. so if you’re touristing, keep check of the opening hours 

7. What’s your favourite song from the year you were born?

ok imma be honest and say I had to look up what songs were released in 1997 and bro..all the legendary songs: barbie girl, bitter sweet symphony, I’ll be missing you, candle in the wind, TORN. I mean the nineties isn’t even my favourite decade of music but damn...the bops. men in black came out in 1997, ain’t that iconic? and the spice girls wow “slam it to the left, if you’re havin’ a good time, shake it to the right, if ya know that you feel fine” indEED. don’t think I even can pick a favourite but everybody by backstreet boys is real contender, huh? 

8. Are you happy right now?

hoo boy, ain't that a loaded question...uhh not really? I mean there's a lot to be said about the issues currently surrounding us that are fucking miserable to think about as well as the future impacts but we're not gonna unpack all of that now...ahem. but as for myself, it's not that I'm unhappy with where I am, it just feels like I'm at a standstill. like am I on the right path, is it leading me where I want to go, should I pick another one? actually, this could get real ranty so imma just stop right here lol.

9. Who is your role model?

I don't really have one role model above others, but more of a list of people who I admire (family, friends, musicians, writers, artists and craftsmen), whose qualities all combined inspire me to better myself.

10. Ice cream or ice lollies?

I...would die for ice-cream. sweden and our ice-cream selection, a solid 9/10. it would be 10/10 but there are so few brands that sell mint chocolate. yes I am bitter about it

11. An item you value the most?

about two years ago, I made my own journal out of some fabric, sewed in all the pages and everything myself, and I think that’s probably the most valuable thing I own. I've only filled 15 or so pages in it but I plan on using it for a long time and maybe passing it on to someone else some day.

okayyyy this got way longer than I intended it to, uh sorry lol. if you read all of that, I am half grateful and half apologetic. dunno who I should tag tbh, I haven’t done tag games on here for ages, and usually not on this blog, but I’ll steal some people from my activity feed and tag: @younglingyoda, @bunny-jungkook, @zhangzjs, @fluffyhunnie, @chaichanyeol, @vroomvroombaek 💞💞

my questions: 

1. if you could be in any other place, where would you go? 

2. drop your skincare routine

3. describe your aesthetic, use images if you want!  

4. what’s your favourite song from the year you were born? 

5. sour or sweet candy? 

6. tell me your favourite story, myth or fairytale

7. what is your favourite sound? 

8. a quote, lyric, or piece of advice that sits with you? 

9. pick two scoops of ice-cream: chocolate brownie, salted caramel, vanilla, mango swirl, strawberry cheesecake, mint chocolate, salty licorice, pistacchio

10. what motivates you, what keeps you going? 

11. if you could live in any fictional universe, which would it be?

[templeofulchtar]

Starscreamian Correspondences: Part One

This is Part One of a two-part series. The topic is so large that I couldn’t cover even half of it! This first post is a general discussion of correspondences as they relate to Starscream, while in Part Two, you will find an exercise to help you develop your own personalized set of correspondences for Starscream.

What are Correspondences?

Correspondences are things that people tend to associate with… well, other things. In magick, correspondences are used to evoke the power of certain entities, or weave certain energies into your ritual or spell. A correspondence can be almost anything, from plants, colors, weapons, planets, constellations, elements, musical instruments, animals, numbers, crystals, days of the week, and so on.

Roses, for example, are sacred to Venus. So are apples, copper, the color green, the number five, and Friday. If you were to create a ritual that taps into Venusian energy, you might have it on a Friday, Venus’ sacred day, and make an offering of five roses, a green apple, or five copper pennies; you might light a green candle and write your intention using a pen with copper-colored ink. By using these correspondences, you are anchoring your working in Venusian energy, which will help you realize intentions associated with Venus, such as love or abundance.

Starscream has correspondences too.

Quite a lot of them, in fact! His classic colors of Silver and Red are obvious correspondences, as is the Eagle, since his G1 alt-mode is that of an F-15 Eagle. Numerologically, his name equates to the number 36 (or 9), so I consider those to be his sacred numbers, and his signature weapon, the Null-Ray, and coronation crown are also very much associated with him.

In addition to these ‘canon’ correspondences, I also have a large set of personal correspondences for Starscream. Some I can back up with evidence, while others are idiosyncratic. For example, I can make a reasonably solid argument for why I think Starscream is a Scorpio, but my reasons for thinking of the Thistle as one of his plant totems are more personal.

Below are my thoughts on some of the more canon-supported correspondences for Starscream. These are just suggestions. Take what resonates, and leave the rest. Your path with Starscream is yours, and it's ultimately up to you, and him, to decide what's best.

Starscream’s Weapons

Starscream has a number of weapons, ranging from deadly (his cluster-bombs) to comical (the slingshot he uses in *More Than Meets The Eye, Part 2*). But of course it’s his signature weapon, the Null-Ray, that’s always held the greatest fascination for me. Marvel's *Transformers Universe* comic series describes the null-ray  as being "able to interrupt the flow of electricity in any circuitry... for periods of up to two minutes." 

How cool is that? Not only does it interrupt the flow of energy through circuitry, but it also appears to stabilize or neutralize energies that have become unbalanced. It has even been shown to have healing properties. In the episode Auto Berserk, for example, Starscream fired his null-ray at Red Alert, causing his logic circuits to stabilize. Magickally speaking, the Null-Ray has so many potential applications that I ended up writing a separate post for it, complete with a meditation. See The Null-Ray: Magickal Uses.

Starscreamian Colors

I love how colorful the Seekers are! They are like splendidly plumaged birds, each with his own vivid color scheme that's uniquely his. I have some headcanon regarding color in TFs. For example, I like the idea that a character's outward colors aren't paint, but are created by chromites—that is, specialized nanites that create the color and finish on the character's frame. I also like the idea that the chromites respond to the character's spark in creating his or her signature colors and patterns, and so there is often a correspondence between a character's frame color and the color of their spark. 

Color is a fun topic. There is no doubt that color has a potent psychological, and even physiological effect, on us, and I wear Starscream’s colors a lot. For this reason, it makes complete sense to use it in magick. It can be incorporated into your workings in countless ways (too many to list!), but here is a quick run-down of colors I associate with Starscream, and what their magickal associations tend to be:

Red: The color of human blood, red is associated with vitality, life force, passion, instinctual drives, survival and sexuality. It’s also thought to be the color of the Root, or Base Chakra, which is located at the perineum and is associated with survival and security.

Silver: The metal silver is associated with the Moon, with night, feminine forces, yin, intuition, the deep subconscious, wisdom and secrets.

Blue: The color of Earth’s sky, blue is also thought to be the color of the Throat Chakra, associated with mind, science, reason, speech, writing and other forms of verbal communication. It’s also the color most associated with water, and has connotations of purity and cleansing.

Yellow: The color of our Sun, yellow is thought to be the color of the Solar Plexus Chakra, located between the ribs and the navel on a human. This Chakra is associated with ego, will, drive and aggression. It's interesting that the only yellow part of Starscream is his brilliant golden-yellow cockpit canopy, and that when he's in root mode, it's located in roughly in the same location as the Solar Plexus Chakra would be on a human. It's as if his Will or Ego center is hugely overblown and exaggerated - which is actually true! In fact, his French name is Ego).

Gold: The color of Starscream’s crown is, as you might imagine, the color associated with extravagance, wealth, riches, and excess, though it is also associated with illumination, love, compassion, courage, passion, magic, and wisdom.

Purple: The color of Starscream’s coronation mantle is purple, a color which represents the sythesis of blue’s calm stability with red’s fierce energy.  Purple is associated with intuition, the psychic realm, royalty, creativity, luxury, power, pride, homosexuality, ambition, mysticism, independence, magic and… wouldn’t you know it… resurrection. (And, of course, Decepticons.)

The Mantle

Starscream’s coronation outfit. Le sigh.

Okay, confession time: I’ll admit that I felt embarrassed and vaguely uneasy the first time I watched the coronation scene, and as we all know by now, it turned out my sense of unease was fully justified. Whenever things go well for Starscream, it’s pretty much always because the writers are setting him up for a fall; and what a fall this was.

*pauses to sigh again*

But in seriousness, there’s a lot to be said about the symbolism of these clothing items. A mantle represents authority. In fact, when we say that someone is ‘assuming the mantle’ of something, it means they are taking on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilities.

Perhaps the presence of the mantle in the coronation scene was intended to underline the idea that Starscream was overstepping his assigned role in life, and that he was unprepared, or unfit, to take on the responsibilities associated with the role he’d just usurped.

There is, of course, another way of looking at it, one that is especially suitable for Ghost Season symbolism, which can be summarized by the saying, ‘fake it ‘til you make it.’ Our goals and ambitions *should* be a stretch for us. They should be a challenge, and they will almost certainly push us into taking on new roles and responsibilities for which we may feel unfit, or unprepared. That’s how growth is.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is brazen things out. Put on your mantle, wear it with pride, and prepare your acceptance speech. “Fellow Decepticons! As your new leader…” In time—and with practice—your new mantle will begin to feel as much a part of you as your null-rays.

Until then, my friend, fake on! (It looks so damn good on you.)

The Crown

Crowns, as you can probably guess, represent royalty. They correspond with the Crown Chakra, the energy center which connects us to universal energy (aka God), and thus symbolizes a monarch’s ‘divine’ right to rule. This is a very ancient idea. Throughout history, rulers have been viewed either as gods themselves, or as divinely appointed.

The Transformers series is fully on board with this notion, presenting the Autobot Matrix as a stand-in for the divine force that confers kingship upon those it deems worthy. In other words, those who possess a special, mysterious quality get divinely appointed to rule over the rest of us. Call it… the Touch. But Starscream, in refreshingly iconoclastic fashion, upends this whole paradigm.

Sure, he could wait around for a sparkly rock to decide he’s worthy to rule, or he could take matters into his own hands. Of course by doing so, he violated the established ‘natural order’ of the Transformers universe, and because of this, he was swiftly put back in his place. One does not simply appoint oneself king! You must stand around and wait until the sparkly rock chooses you. (Obviously!)

In light of what I’ve said above, you may already have guessed that you can invoke the symbolism of the crown as a means of activating to your Crown Chakra and connecting to the divine, especially your own divine nature. The crown can also symbolize the act of choosing oneself; of reclaiming one’s personal and spiritual authority.

Starscream’s crown has four prongs. In numerology, 4 represents stability, rationality, structure and rules. It’s linked to the Emperor card in the Tarot deck—which is interesting, since the Emperor, in Tarot, is the king of kings—and it’s also associated with the Death card. In some cultures, 4 is considered an unlucky number due to its association with death, but the Death card in Tarot is actually a positive card which symbolizes transformation. Starscream’s crown is an excellent symbol to employ if you are seeking to take charge of your life through your magick, or to transform it in a deep and powerful way.

The scarlet gems which adorn Starscream’s crown are another obvious bit of symbolism. We’ve already talked about the symbolism of the color Red, and we could speculate about what type of gems those are (rubies, perhaps?), but since this is getting long, I want to draw your attention to that central, hexagonal gem that sits directly on the forehead of the crown.

That is a Third Eye. It actually looks like one of Starscream’s own optics, but turned sideways—a classic depiction of a Third Eye. The Third Eye is the Sixth Chakra, which on humans is thought to be located on the forehead, above and directly between the eyes. It governs intuition and psychic abilities, making Starscream’s crown a wonderful symbol to employ in psychic development or awakening one’s intuition.

In the next post, I’ll give you an exercise for developing your very own, personalized set of correspondences. Keep reading!

[thecuriouscrusader]

The Perfect Gift

Pairing: Dean x Castiel

Word Count: 1963

Prompts: Antique Store + Mug

Tags: Alternate Universe, First Meeting, Fluff, Humour, Embarassing Idiots

Summary: Dean is searching for a present for Sam’s brithday when he stumbles across an antique store. He makes a great first impression by smashing a mug.

A/N: Written for @huntingandwritingthings SPN Cluedo Challenge 2K17. Congrats on 500 followers Amber! Also, thank you to @mrsgabrieltrickster for betaing x

Dean had never been great at buying gifts. Whenever Sam’s birthday came around Dean would usually present him with something impersonal that he had bought at the last minute, so this year Sam had told his brother not to bother.

Dean - despite knowing that his lack of skill at choosing wanted or needed items when it came to buying presents was a real issue - had taken offence and vowed to find his brother the best damn birthday present he had ever gotten. Sam had teased that he did not think anything could beat last year’s forest scented candles. 

So, the older Winchester had been scavenging around the streets of Lebanon for hours on his quest for the perfect gift.

Dean absentmindedly glanced in each store window as he rushed by until he saw a wooden rocking-horse staring back at him. There were all sorts of dated toys in the window along with a globe, and an old camera. 

He looked up at the sign above the store, ‘Novak’s Knick-Knacks’. The small shop was tucked away between two clothing boutiques and judging by the random items in the window, appeared to deal in a wide array of antiques; if Dean could not find anything for his nerdy brother in there then he might as well give up. 

Dean opened the door and a small bell jingled to alert the owner of his arrival. There was no one behind the desk as there were no other customers. He looked around in awe. There were rows and rows of shelves stocked with fine china, shimmering jewellery, and polished trinkets. 

He spotted a slightly worn looking wooden clown puppet dangling from the wall with a menacing grin. A sadistic side of Dean thought that he would enjoy the look on Sam’s face if he opened that on his birthday; his brother had various negative feelings about clowns.

Dean continued to wonder around until a brass telescope caught his eye. He leaned over to take a look through the lens, but he accidentally bumped the table behind him as he did so. He heard an ominous wobble and whipped around to try and steady the object he had hit. He turned too quickly, whipping his arm widely and knocked whatever it was off the table. 

Dean froze as a crash rang out loudly in the empty room. He winced as he peered down and saw the shattered remains of what he assumed was some kind of cup as there was a handle amongst the shards. 

“Hey!" 

Dean turned around and saw who he figured was the store owner looking at him in shock. He was a strikingly handsome guy with dark tussled hair and impossible blue eyes. 

"That was a tea mug handcrafted for the emperor of Japan in the late eighteen-hundreds; it costs eight hundred dollars!" 

Dean’s jaw dropped. "I-I, uh, oh crap. I-I’m so sorry” he stuttered out an apology. “I…you should put something like that in a safer place, dude!” he threw back, his fear and embarrassment giving way to anger before he could stop himself. “Sorry. I just…I don’t know if I can afford to pay for that..!" 

"No, please, it’s alright” the other man said as he raised his hands apologetically; he seemed worried by how much Dean had started panicking. “I-it was just a joke. It was mine from home; I bought it from Pottery Barn for seven dollars.” He quickly knelt down to pick up the pieces. 

Dean took a moment to process the information before sighing deeply; his shoulders visibly sagged with relief. “You’ve got a sick sense of humour, man” he said sarcastically.

“Sorry” the guy said sheepishly. “Humour just goes over my head sometimes. I confess I’m socially awkward and terrible at breaking the ice.” He placed the remains in a trashcan behind the desk. 

“Well breaking a mug isn’t a real subtle way to spark a conversation either” Dean said with a small smile, the other man responded with nervous laughter but Dean found it quite endearing. “Are you Novak?” He asked. 

“Yes, well, that’s my surname. You can call me Castiel." 

"Hey, I’m Dean." 

They shook hands. 

"What can I help you with, Dean?" 

"Well, it’s my little brother’s birthday and he always complains that I’m no good at buying gifts, so I want to get him something that will blow his freakin’ mind so he realises how ungrateful he is." 

"So, you want to get your brother an amazing birthday present not out of love, but out of spite?” Castiel asked with an amused smirk. 

“I hadn’t looked at it like that, but yes” Dean confessed.

 "Well, I’m afraid I sympathise with your brother" Castiel said. “I too have an older sibling whose choice in gifts is less than admirable. For my last birthday Gabriel had a stripper show up on my doorstep at two in the morning.”

“That sounds pretty awesome to me” Dean smirked.

“Not when you’re as socially awkward as I am” Castiel claimed. “I made him a pot of tea and we watched Game of Thrones." 

Dean could not help but laugh. "Seriously?" 

Castiel lowered his head and nodded bashfully. 

"That sounds like a pretty awesome night too” Dean said hoping Castiel would realise there was no need to be embarrassed. 

Castiel looked with surprise but was put at ease by Dean’s genuine smile; now Castiel was starting to blush for a whole other reason. 

“What sort of things does your brother like?” He asked to divert Dean’s attention from his embarrassment.

“Oh, well he’d really be into old crap like this” Dean said without thinking.

Castiel raised his eyebrow.

“Did you just imply that my livelihood is old crap?"  he asked. 

Dean froze again. "Uh…" 

"Because it is. I just couldn’t really put that on the sign” Castiel joked. 

Dean relaxed again. “Okay, so maybe I’m not so slick with the social talk either” he confessed. “What I meant was Sam likes history, mythology, stuff like that.”

Castiel hummed in response as he surveyed some of the shelves. 

“Why did your brother decide you were no good at buying presents?” Castiel asked curiously. 

“Well, one Christmas I bought him a new plastic G.I Joe action figure” Dean said. 

Castiel frowned. “I would have thought a child would love that." 

"Probably…but Sam was nineteen when I bought him that." 

Castiel laughed, it sounded like music to Dean’s ears. "I see, what birthday is he celebrating now?”

“He’s turning twenty two. I’m driving down to Stanford to see him; he’s studying law there. He’s a total nerd about it." 

"Really?” Castiel said with intrigue. “Well, in that case I may have something that will blow his freakin’ mind” he said with air quotes. “Was that the expression?”

"Yeah, that sounds like me.”

“I picked this up a few days ago” Castiel said. He ducked behind the counter and reappeared with a brass statue of a blindfolded woman holding a sword and a pair of scales. 

“Lady Justice” Dean said with a grin. “She’s a symbol of objectivity, weighing the support against the opposition. Like how Anubis weighed the ancient Egyptians’ hearts before they entered the afterlife." 

Castiel seemed a little taken aback by Dean’s outburst, so Dean quickly shut his mouth and hoped that the heat he felt rising to his cheeks was not visible. 

"Are you sure that your brother is the nerd in this situation?” Castiel teased.

“I like to read” Dean retorted. “Besides, you’re the one who owns an antique store! I bet you know the story behind everything in here." 

"True” Castiel conceded. “But you shouldn’t be embarrassed about being knowledgeable. It’s a very attractive quality” he added with a small smile. 

And now Dean was certain that his cheeks were glowing red. 

“H-how much?” He asked quietly. 

“For you, seventy dollars." 

Dean pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and thumbed through some bills. 

"I only have fifty dollars cash and a Biggerson’s gift card worth ten bucks” he claimed sheepishly. 

“You break my mug and then ask me for a discount?” Castiel asked. 

“O-oh…” Dean stuttered; he felt the embarrassment begin to consume him all over again. “I-I can pay for-" 

"No, please! That was just my bad sense of humour again!” Castiel quickly exclaimed. “I really don’t care about the mug. I’ll accept the fifty dollars because I like those fairy-tale green eyes and that goofy smile.” He looked mortified for a moment before bowing his head. “Dammit, Cas” he whispered under his breath. 

“Thank you” Dean said with a small smile; he could not help but feel a little smug. “You’re awesome." 

Castiel shot him a grateful smile before he ducked behind the counter and grabbed a box. He filled it with some packing peanuts so that the statue would sit safely inside and taped it up. 

"She’s all yours” Castiel said as he exchanged everything with Dean. “I hope your brother likes her." 

"Well if he doesn’t I’m getting him underwear for Christmas” Dean said. “Thanks so much, Cas. And, uh, I am sorry for breaking your mug.”

“You’re welcome” Castiel smiled. “And don’t worry about it, really. I hope that you’ll come and see me again soon. I-I mean that you’ll come to look around the store and obviously, I’ll be here-’" 

"No, yeah, I get you” Dean assured him. “I’ll definitely come and see you…the store, again. Okay. Bye.”

“Goodbye, Dean." 

As soon as he was back in his car Dean called Sam. He could not stop grinning and although it made him feel like a clueless teenager again Dean had to tell someone. 

"Hey, Dean. What’s up?” Sam answered. 

“I just bought your present, but that’s not important-” Dean started excitedly.

“Wow, Dean that makes my birthday feel real special-”

“Shut up, Sam. This is serious!” Dean stressed. He took a deep breath. “I think a boy likes me." 

Dean re-visited the antiques store the day after he returned from Stanford.

When he arrived Castiel was serving another customer so Dean pretended to be deeply engrossed in one of the window displays so that he did not appear too desperate to see Castiel again.

"Hello, Dean” Castiel said with a smile after the other customer had left. “Did Sam like his gift?" 

"Yeah, he loved it!” Dean grinned. “I think I’ve finally redeemed myself; he even called me a jerk.” Castiel frowned. “Oh, no, it’s our nicknames for each other!” Dean quickly explained. “He calls me Jerk, I call him a Bitch, it’s a whole thing” he said with a dismissive hand wave when he realised he was rambling.

“Dean, relax” Castiel laughed. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon…but I’m really happy I didn’t have to wait too long." 

"I’m glad you said that” Dean replied with a crooked smile. “But I did have an excuse in case I seemed too…desperate.” He placed a small box he had been carrying on the counter. 

Castiel opened it and pulled out a blue mug which had 'hot cup of awesome’ printed on it in silver lettering. 

“I figured since I broke your other mug buying you another one would be a good excuse to come and see you again.”

“Well, I love it” Castiel smiled. “You certainly have improved your gift giving game. I think you’re pretty awesome and hot too.” He visibly flinched and closed his eyes. “And there goes my awkward gene again." 

"It’s okay” Dean laughed. “I haven’t exactly been smooth either." 

"Well, how about I close up the store and we can try to make a fresh start somewhere else” Castiel said. “Hey, how about pancakes at Biggerson’s? I just got a voucher” he teased. 

Dean smiled softly. 

“Yeah, sounds good." 

[notatreeblog]

*post contains affiliate links which means NAT receives a small commission for each sale made

Universe Bound is a monthly book subscription box. Today I’m reviewing their “Sound Chamber” Audiobook Subscription that is $30 monthly. Additionally they have an original book subscription box and a deluxe book subscription box as well as a read and relax box, so there is a plentitude of options that fit both your wallet and lifestyle. The Original Book Box is $32.99 and the Deluxe Book Box is $45. The Read and Relax Box is just $20 monthly. The best part is that Universe Bound ships INTERNATIONALLY, rates vary! Use code IWANTTOEXPERIENCE to get a special discount at checkout. NAT received this package at no cost for review purposes.

Subscription Box Unboxing

Subscription Box Review

Everything that I received in my Universe Bound “Sound Chamber” Box. This is really packed full of items as all their boxes are!

  So what is all this stuff? 

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The box insert. This tells us about each of the items that we received in our box.

  Pillow

I was really surprised to open my box and see a pillow inside. This is really cute – i love the print and the shape. It’s the size to wedge in a seat and is the perfect shape for a headrest. The pillows that were included in these boxes were made in house by Universe Bound staff!

I thought it was cool how the bottom had this fun and bright print.

Here is a side view of the shape of the this pillow.

  Plutonian Mist with Lavendar Seed Candle

Next up in our box we have this bright blue dish shaped candle. I love that they spread lavender petals along the top and it smells amazing! This is great staging for a relaxing evening curling up with a great book! This was also made in house by the staff at Universe Bound. One of the things I love most about this box are all the handmade bath and body items that they include. They all have fun names and smell amazing!

  Death Wish Coffee This “World’s Strongest Coffee” will awaken your inner rebel with it’s blend of Arabica and Robusta beans. This coffee has double the strength of average coffee but it doesn’t contain any added caffeine. This is 100% organic certified as well. This was included in a past box we received from Universe Bound and I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not but I found it to be very tasty.

  Clementine Sunset Tea from Jasmine Pearl Tea Company

To balance all the caffeine that is in our coffee from this box we received an herbal tea. This blend contains rooibos, orange zest, citrus essential oils and chamomile. which is fruity and bright. You can serve this hot or iced and I love that the chamomile makes this mild and relaxing.

  Fig Newtons

Every package from Universe Bound includes a variety of snacks. This month we received 2 packages of Fig Newton cookies. Each package contains 2 cookies – I think these will be great to add to my kids lunch boxes! I love that they have no corn syrup and contain whole grains, making them a much healthier option!

  Iced Animal Crackers

The next snack that was in my box are these iced animal crackers from Mother’s. I’m going to be completely honest… a long time ago when my metabolism was much more forgiving I was addicted to these. I’d buy a big bag and eat A LOT of them. I try to stay away from them but getting this small snack bag.. is pretty great. I enjoyed them and now I’ll just have to forget they exist again!

  Riesen Candies

The final snack in our box for the month are three of these delicious Riesen Candies. Who can say no to caramel covered in dark chocolate. I shared these with the kids who also really enjoyed them!

  Rock Sugar

This is the second time that Universe Bound has included Rock Sugar in their boxes. You can enjoy these small bits of sugar alone or add them to your tea to add a pop of sweetness. I love the little bottle that these came in. I may use these to top a baked good, they seem like they’d look really cool presented that way!

  Dead Wrong Audiobook by Helen H. Durrant

And finally we get to the heart of this box, one of our two audiobooks that was included in our package. This book by Helen H. Durrant is a murder mystery that involves police partners D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss who are tracking down a killer before he has the chance to strike again! This is the first in a new series of Ruth Bayliss and Tom Calladine.

This book sounds really interesting and suspenseful. The book is performed by Jonathan Keeble.

  Invisible Hand Audiobook by Miles Holmes

Our second audiobook for the month is Invisible Hand by Miles Holmes. Invisible Hand is the beginning of a saga that focuses on arcane technology, empires and conspiracy. This story follows Zekh and Gaur a novice pilot and neanderthal that is set to be delivered by the pilot. Traveling deep into untamed territory the pair discover an old evil that will alter human history if it is not stopped.

This book sounds like it’s going to be really good and I can’t wait to listen to it. It is performed by Eric Martin.

  So in summary

Presentation: Everything arrived to us perfectly in our box from Universe Bound and I do love that the insert had a wax seal on the envelope!

Quality: Both of our audiobooks are brand new and in excellent condition and the other items are handmade and great quality which makes this such a neat box!

Curation: I was really surprised to see how much stuff was included in this package, I feel like they really do their subscribers a great service of including many and varied products along with their books!

  Subscribe to Universe Bound

                              Universe Bound Sound Chamber Subscription Box Review + Unboxing + Coupon | August 2019 *post contains affiliate links which means NAT receives a small commission for each sale made Universe Bound…

[babuljiya-blog]

What Everybody Ought To Know About Flowers To Be Delivered Today

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[allthingsgene]

Pouts and Fluffs Loot Box

Hello there! I am happy to share with you guys that for the first time since I started being interested on bookish subscription boxes, I finally decided to order a bookish subscription box from the country I live in. I settled on having my first order at Pouts and Fluffs Loot Box.

Pouts and Fluffs Loot Box is a monthly Young-Adult Book Subscription Box that is based in the Philippines. To know more about the story of the subscription box, click here. Inside the subscription box is a YA book, bookish merchandise, and other printed bookish items.

  May 2017 “A Sparkle of Hope”

“Don’t ever think that you are just a speck of matter prancing across he universe. You’re worth it. You can shine more vibrantly than the brightest star in the galaxy. Don’t lose hope. Everything’s getting better if you chose to see the light and slowly get off from the darkness.” – Mr. Pouts

Mr. Pouts and Ms. Fluffs gave us a lot of sneak peeks so it made me more curious about what’s inside the box. And instead of having 8 items inside the box, they decided to add 2 more so it’s a total of 10 items!

What are the items inside Pouts and Fluffs’ MAY 2017 Loot Box?

A magnetic bookmark by @camlin_ph ; exclusively designed by Mr. Pouts for #pandaofthemonth

A bookish Button Pin by @poutsandfluffs.ph

A Pouts and Fluffs lootbox main quote button pin

Magnetic bookmark, bookish button pins, I’ve been dying to have these bookish items. Finally, they are now in my hands!

A Beauty and the Beast’s “Rose in Dome Glass” Replica

A Beauty and the Beast-themed Temporary Tatto

Have you watched the movie? read the book? IT WAS MAGICAL! Though the temporary tattoo is beautiful, it’s big, and I don’t know if where am I going to use it.

An ACOWAR-themed Poster designed by Mr. Pouts

A galaxy-inspired bathbomb by @balneumph

A BATHBOMB! I wouldn’t use it yet, for the reason that we don’t have a bathtub. Might as well go to a hotel again! AND OMG LOOK AT THAT POSTER! MR. POUTS HAS TALENT. IT IS A M A Z I N G!

An ACOWAR-inspired Bookish Scented Candle “Starfall” by @thebookflame

If you are a friend of mine, a personal or a social media friend, you must know that I badly want a bookish candle. HERE IT IS NOW! I ALREADY HAVE ONE! And it was inspired by my most anticipated read this year!

A Geekerella-themed bookmark designed by  @poutsandfluffs.ph

A FEATURED Young Adult BOOK: “Geekerella” by Ashley Poston

Seeing the featured book made me jump in joy! Literally! I was just thinking about reading this book and now it’s here! Please click this or the book’s title above so you will be directed to Goodreads. Though to be honest, I kinda expected ACOWAR hehe. Anyway, NO REGRETS! I TRULY LOVED THE FEATURED BOOK! I can’t wait to read it.

and for the final look…

Pouts and Fluff’s MAY 2017 Loot Box:

“A Sparkle of Hope”

**A star-themed vial keychain made by Ms. Fluffs is also included in the box, unfortunately, my youngest cousin decided to take it and bought it home. I screamed at her over the phone. Thankfully, I managed to take a picture of the items inside the box before she stole the vial.** I have to be honest, though I felt ecstatic aboutunboxing lootbox, I was a bit disappointed with regards to the quality of the items inside. I can’t see any reason why the lootbox has almost the same price as the ones that has high quality stuff inside them (like OwlCrate, FairyLoot) I’m sorry for comparing but I have to.  Another thing is the presentation of the box, I think the owners want a simple yet attracting box, I have to say that the design is a bit dissatisfying too. Overall, for a starter, they did a pretty well job, especially when it comes to interacting with their customers.

I want to thank Pouts and Fluffs Loot Box for making my experience of unboxing a siubscription box worthwhile. 

I really had fun sharing the lootbox with you guys! ‘Til my next unboxing!

Pouts and Fluff’s JUNE 2017 theme is

“Down the Memory Lane”

Do you love that rustic vibe? The aura of the cabin in the middle of the woods? How about some vintage stuff? Well, this box is for you! Join us as we go back to the past and travel time with our June 2017 Box theme “Down the Memory Lane”. This box is also perfect for Potterheads as you will see maybe 1-3 Harry Potter merch inside this wondrous boxes. You might want a sweet treat straight from Hogsmead 😉

Order your box now at our website (link in bio). As of this month, we decided to collaborate a book or movie fandom merch every month alongside our book boxes’ theme. This May 2017 you will see two book/movie fandom merch inside our boxes (BATB and ACOWAR). So what book or movie fandom do you want next? Comment down below.

We do apologize for the delay on some updates for the last few days. We have a very hectic and crazy schedule lately between the preparation of the boxes’ contents and our work. We hope you guys understand 😞 Going back, shipping of May boxes this weekend! Who’s excited? I AM. 😂🙌 I can’t wait for my box haha 😍 Should you have any questions and inquiries, feel free to DM us. Stay tuned for more good news, sweethearts! 😊💕

For more information, please do visit Pouts and Fluffs

also, for information regarding the above mentioned shops, you can just click the usernames.

THANK YOU!

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UNBOXING: “A Sparkle of Hope” Pouts and Fluffs Loot Box Pouts and Fluffs Loot Box Hello there! I am happy to share with you guys that for the first time since I started being interested on bookish subscription boxes, I finally decided to order a bookish subscription box from the country I live in.