Tag: lordoftherings

Rating My Childhood Obsessions

~ Brooke F. ~ 8 Comments

The title tells it all. I’m gonna do this on a 1-10 scale. This is 100% a whim but I figured it make a fun post. I am such a huge sucker for nostalgia and, when going through this list, I found that I still have a very warm place in my heart for all these things. For context, I was born in 2002 and, consequently, was raised in this weird era where I wasn’t quiiiite a 90’s kid but I still, largely, enjoyed 90’s kids trends. It’s a weird mix.

1. Horses

Or, more specifically, magical ones. I wasn’t quite a weird horse girl but I still greatly enjoyed wasting hours playing a horse themed trading card game called “Bella Sara”. Anyone remember that? The site has long since shut down but I ADORED this game and still have some of the trading cards to this day.

My horse love grew when I eventually came to own one. I live on a farm and when I was about 10 or so, my parents bought me and my sister a few horses. This hobby was something I greatly enjoyed however my favorite horse, Abby, died under not so unpleasant circumstances (she was an older horse and had some health problems as a result). This didn’t entirely ruin my love of horses but I think my horse phase really diminished after that.

I didn’t mean to dampen the mood….sorry. Here’s a Bella Sara mood board to lighten it!

But let’s not forget the rating! I’d still give this childhood obsession a 8/10 despite the traumatic horse death though that does bring it down a point.

2. Webkinz

Okay, full disclosure, I definitely have Webkinz installed on my laptop. It’s like the only other thing I use it for besides writing and college homework. This game has stood the test of time. It’s so much fun to play with my virtual pets and still enjoy a sweet air of nostalgia. The plush pets that this company sold were super cute too and I still have a lot of mine from my former years. Spoiler alert, this one is going to get a near perfect rating because I STILL enjoy it to this day. This obsession was entirely understandable. Webkinz is so charming, even now, years down the road!

This obsession obviously gets a 10/10 rating. Go play Webkinz right now, I dare you.

3. Fairies

Disney fairies especially. This obsession began when I got “The Tinkerbell Movie” for Christmas. These movies were so magical, my grade school self couldn’t help but admire them. I instantly wished I was a fairy and went about collecting tiny little fairy figurines. I would arrange these and play with them in my own little “Pixie Hollow” for hours on end. I still have this figurines in my closet, carefully tucked away as they are some of my most valuable possesions.

And since it seems to be an ongoing theme that these obsessions would be further kindled by online games, this obsession was no different. There was a little Disney Fairy themed MMO called Disney Fairies where you could create your own fairy, pick your talent, fly around and play games, and decorate your own house. It was an absolute tragedy when the site eventually shut down.

This obsession might be one of my favorites even if it hasn’t exactly stood the test of time as the franchise has been winding down the past couple of years. They stopped making movies and with the shut down of the website, I find it an awful shame that all that is left of this joy of mine are my little figurines which are definitely not manufactured anymore.

9/10. It was gone way too soon. You will be missed Disney Fairies.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia

Ahhhh… such a classic. I loved these books. Though I’d be lying if I told you the books were my introduction to “The Chronicles of Narnia”. It was but the Disney Movie “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” that captured my 7 year old heart. I wanted to be Lucy soooo badly. I wanted to stumble into a wardrobe and find a magical world where animals could talk. I wanted to fight in battles and go exploring and eat Turkish Delight (even though in real life, it’s actually not that good? The Narnian stuff must be something different because I swear it looked delicious in this movie).

It was such a shame when they stopped making the Narnia Movies. Despite not exactly being true to the books, I GREATLY enjoyed Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader though I was much older when these movies came out. Though if I’m being entirely honest, at age 20, I still want to find a magical world in a closet.

Maybe someday I’ll dedicate a whole post to these movies. They really deserve it. But, until then, I’ll just have to leave this childhood obsession with the rating of 10/10. Still a classic. Read the books. Watch the movies. Cry about your childhood lost.

5. DRAGONS

Alright, so originally that was going to be where I was going to end this post. But then I recalled a memory. A deep memory….

DRAGONS.

This was a relatively shorter phase than any of the others listed but it definitely still existed. I can’t exactly tell you how this obsession started but I think it was definitely punctuated by the books in the series called “The Dragon Codices”. Overall, this phase consisted of me wanting to find a dragon egg, hatch it, and ride it around How to Train your Dragon Style. I also drew a lot of dragon pictures. I mean, a lot.

I would rank this phase a solid 7/10. It’s lower than the others because it was so short-lived but I still enjoyed the world of dragons greatly. And I definitely wouldn’t say “no” to any merchant who offered my a dragon’s egg.

And there! I think we’ve covered the bulk of my childhood obsessions… *thinks for 10 seconds more* okay, that’s a lie. We still haven’t covered my Lord of the Rings phase or my Wizard phase (WIZARD phase. NOT Harry Potter, I must iterate). And there was my mini phase where I made Rise of the Guardian OC’s… ugh, cringe. Okay, I was lying. We’re not done. But I need to go eat supper so I think that will do it for today. Definitely be warned though… a part 2 may be in the future…. beware traveler. Beware.

Five Favorite Movies

~ Brooke F. ~ 8 Comments

Hey there! Aaaaand we’re still snowed in. But, on the bright side, that leaves me more time for blogging and writing and such. So here’s a little post about my favorite movies. It’s short and sweet because I limited myself to five movies (otherwise we’d probably be here for ages).

  1. Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

This one takes the #1 spot being my entire childhood. The only thing I love more than Lord of the Rings & Tolkien quotes is Narnia & C.S. Lewis quotes. In summary, these two authors made my childhood as did the director of this movie. Though I must clarify, the disney version. There is a British version floating around out there with a…. smaller budget resulting in a slightly… different cinematic experience.

To summarize, this Disney Movie is my most favorite move. I love everything about it. Everyone felt perfectly cast, the music in phenomenal, the animal characters are loveable, Aslan is grand, and the redemptive story of Edmund holds so much weight.

A solid 10/10 movie. I still want to be Lucy when I grow up.

2. The Lord of the Rings Movies

And here is where I sing the Praises of Peter Jackson. He did what seemed impossible- condensed down the enormous works of Tolkien into three wonderful movies that tell a cohesive and developed story that I find myself continually coming back to.

I sort of cheated here as these are technically three movies but I couldn’t pick a favorite among them as they tell one continuous story and each one is masterfully done and has its own strengths in their own rights.

These movies probably have my favorite soundtrack ever, my favorite fight sequences, and some of my favorite characters. My only complaints are Frodo’s character felt a bit off compared to the book and the Frodo and Sam parts sometimes felt like they slogged on too long (or perhaps that was the intention as we were supposed to feel the weight of their looooong journey with them?).

Overall a 9.8457/10.

3. Aladdin

The best disney princess movie that is not actually about the disney princess. Not really. Robin Williams is perfectly cast, the song “A Whole New World” is iconic and probably will be for a very, very long time and rightly so.

9.7/10

4. Star Wars: The Original Trilogy

Yeah, I’m going to cheat again. This is technically three movies but again, just like with Star Wars, its hard to pick a favorite out of these movies (though if you forced me, I’d probably have to say “The Empire Strikes” back but I could easily change my mind at any time. The ranking is that close).

Another iconic and phenomenal soundtrack. Lovably corny CGI effects and all, I love this movie. The writing is amazing and the story so full of hope. I know its simple in structure. A typical good vs. evil struggle but when you pair that with the sci-fi elements that, until that point, had never really been implemented on a big screen (with some exceptions with Star Trek but that was a show and was so stylistically and tonally different, I don’t really see them as that similar).

I grew up watching these which unfortunately led me to having a really high bar as to the level of writing I accept in my Star Wars films so I’m not a huge Disnified Star Wars fan. But, regardless, these movies continue to have a place in my heart.

9.68/10

5. Toy Story

One of Pixar’s crowning glory movies. Sure, this movies animation hasn’t aged that well. Their character models for humans were lacking (Andy may or may not look like a crackhead) but it makes sense for the time period it was in and definitely set a precedent for future CGI Animated movies. Woody & Buzz are THE iconic duo.

9.5/10

And that concludes my list although I could rant about my childhood movies for much longer. Thanks for reading and see you readers later!

Cities in My Name

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

Just a fun little challenge that I remember from my old writer forum days. It’s a challenge where you spell out your name and list lovely global cities that start with each letter and describe your thoughts concerning each one. It’s more of a fun game and blog writing exercise than anything. I was going to do a writing prompts post but, alas, a little germ decided to make me its home for the weekend where then my immune system proceeded to convince me that I was dying. What I’m trying to say is I’m sick. The week of finals too. And that is why you’re getting a short but sweet blog post this week that is more akin to a bullet journal entry than anything. Feel free to do the same sort of thing on your own blog! It is quite a lot of fun (especially if you have a long name).

So! Let’s start with my name.

Brooke. With an e. We do not forget the e around here. So let’s see what cities I can find in my name!

🇬🇧🇫🇷🇨🇦Allies + Canada Moodboard🇷🇺🇺🇸🇨🇳 | Hetalia ~ Amino

B – Beijing, China

Ahhhh yes. The lovely city of Beijing. One of the oldest cities in the world come to find out, with its history being traced back up to 3,000 years ago, which is insane to me. I’ve only lived for about 20 years now, and it feels like an eternity.

Apparently this place, as beautiful as it is, has undergone quite the identity crisis (though haven’t we all? Don’t lie, 2021 was a rough ride, don’t even lie), having been named various other titles before finally settling on the name of Beijing. Examples include: Jicheng (‘City of Ji’), Yanjing (Capital of Yan’), Nanjing (‘Southern Capital’), Zhongdu (‘Central Capital’), Dadu (‘Great Capital’), Beiping (‘Central Peace’) and so forth.

Pin on Gods Among Us - Hera & Zeus

R – Rome, Italy

Rome! The city of the coolest ruins that I could ever dream of seeing. And good heavens, the ARCHITECTURE. I COULD GUSH ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE ALL DAY. And maybe I will in another post. But that is for another day when I have more than one brain cell available to do the leg work. No, instead I choose to entertain you with tasty little fun facts. And since Rome is generally a pretty popular city, I’m going to try and dredge up some of the oddest (but interesting) facts about Rome.

For example, did you know they have a pasta museum??? Yeah, didn’t think so.

And that women who lived in Rome during ancient times used to actually dye their hair with goat fat and beech wood ashes? Yeah, if they wanted to be a blonde or a red head, they didn’t have to wait for L’Oréal to be invented.

Also, cats are allowed to roam there by law. Like it’s literally decreed that these cats are cool with the government to just be chillin’ on the ruins. And I love this thought. Aaaand now I desire an animated Disney movie about the cats of Rome. Surely the cats are up to SOMETHING.

in your lover's eyes

O – Osaka, Japan

The more I look up pictures of this place, the more I want to go here. Fun fact, I’ve just always wanted to go to Japan. I know that’s a very basic location to have on your traveling bucket list, but there’s a reason it’s such a popular getaway. The place is gorgeous, especially during the spring.

Osaka is known for a lot of things, one of the most prominent being its food. So, you’ve already got me there. I’m ready. Brb, packing my bags.

I thought I'd give moodboard-making a try, so I made one for...

O – Oslo, Norway

Yet another gorgeous place I wish to visit once I’m a millionaire authoress with a secret identity, an unquenchable thirst for travel and no husband (but maybe like, 2 cats in a cat carrier?). Norway is one of those places that I see pictures of, and I’m immediately mad I’m not there. Which is kind of funny considering I generally have an aversion to cold weather. But I think the immense beauty of this place makes up for that, not to mention I’ve vowed to see the Northern lines burn up the night sky at least once before I die. And this seems like the perfect place to fulfill such a wish.

Pictures, Moodboards, Aesthetics, Oh my! — Disney Princess Aes - Moana (Moana)

K – Kahuku, Hawaii

Oh, yeah, I’ve seen Moana. And I am ready.

Wanna know a startling fact? I have never seen the ocean.

Yeaaaah, I know. Tragic really. But oh, I so want to see it. I want to go on a boat. Maybe see a dolphin. I’m not too picky honestly. I might even settle for a jellyfish or a trout or something. I just want a little bit of Hawaii. And considering its December right now, that urge has only grown.

Merida moodboard | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs | Tumgir

E – Edinburgh 

Yeah boooy, I saved the best for last. I am aware I have basically gushed over every location covered thus far, but I mean it when I say that this place is the one I desire to travel to the most out of all cities I have listed. For as long as I can remember, I just loved the thought of going Scotland. I loved Celtic music so much growing up. In fact, I think that’s one of the things that really sparked my interest in the place. That and my World History chapter on the Celts and how they’d run into battle naked and covered in blue paint. Something my 9 year old self never forgot.

I think its the thought of foggy cliffs and woods that drives me to it. And castles. I adore castles. The mix of nature, old things, and mystery is just pure magic to me.

And that concludes my wanderlust filled post. I’ll be honest, I haven’t been to any of these places. In fact, I purposefully chose cities outside the US because maybe its really the intrigue of the unknown that drives my desire to want to see these places. The deep need to tread previously un-treaded ground. I think that’s maybe because there’s a little explorer in us all. A kid that didn’t grow up and just wants to see that big world out there. ‘Cause there’s so much to it. And it’s just sitting there, waiting for us.

Wait… do I sense a befitting moment to quote J.R.R. Tolkien??

I think I do.

Ahem.

‘Cause you see it’s like this…the world isn’t in your books and maps.

It’s out there.

Tips on Writing like Tolkien

~ Brooke F. ~ 5 Comments

★Know your world. Know it well. Explore every corner.

★Immerse yourself in every type of writing. Especially poetry.

★Take your time. Quality over quantity.

★Take pride in your work.

★Have inherit values that can shine through your work.

★Write what you believe in.

★Write about the magic of the mundane as well as the bigger events and ideas. Regular people and regular events occur even when something historical is taking place and don’t be afraid to focus on that every now and then.

★Show the beauty of the world your hero is saving.

★ Seriously immerse yourself in your work. Pay close attention to the details.

★Remember that no character is infallible.

★Have a deep lore to your work that shines through, even if its not directly talked about or addressed. It is part of the backdrop of the story and will contribute to the depth of your world.

★Take time to describe things in your story from buildings, to meals, to scenery. Don’t shy away from describing something in detail every once in awhile.

★Have faith in your reader’s attention span.