“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”~Joseph Campbell, American writer
Wow. This makes two mostly-satisfying OwlCrate boxes in a row. I think it’s the longest streak since my subscription began with “Spooky” in October 2015.
Welcome to OwlCrate June2016
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I like suspense, but it’s hard to keep the book kit theme a mystery when OwlCrate splashes “Royalty” all over their social media. I think back to the November 2015 kit, “Myths and Legends,” that included a tin of Cinderella pumpkin spice tea. I hold my breath that this is not a repeat. The six items are not duplicates of that box.
Let’s dive right in.
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Belle: the best Disney figurine!
Disney minifigure
I got Belle! She may be my fave Disney princess. She’s creative, smart, resourceful and rejects having a man in her life rather then being a distressed damsel. Not only was Beauty and the Beast a great story, strikingly animated, but the film major in me swooned during the swooping chandelier scene, the first and still the best use of computer animation. She’s perfect. There are some seriously disappointing figures of the 16 options available. I would have been happy with Jasmine or Arielle, too, but any other figure and I’d be one cranky customer again. Score!
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Once upon a time….
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Bracelet
This adorable jewelry item comes from Rich Love Shoppe, which may be a new vendor. I don’t know if everyone got the same design, but I adore mine that reads: “Even in the future the story begins with once upon a time.” I’d wear this.
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Page flags
Crafted Van, who we’ve seen in these kits before, created a princess, prince and carriage set of magnetic bookmarks. They have designs on the front and the back, and I appreciate that. The detail makes it look complete, but these feel flimsy. I’ve used scrapbook paper thicker than this. The magnets aren’t the strongest and don’t easily snap together. It took me a few tries to secure them and I had to press hard to make them stick. These would be okay to mark a page that has a quote or favorite passage on it, and I’d consider using them that way, but it would be quicker to use a paper bookmark.
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Speaking of bookmarks…
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Bookmark
How cheesy!
The oversized bookmark from MyBOOKMark reads: “Your personal discount for the most unusual bookmark.” The company makes bookmarks with feet sticking out, which is definitely unusual.
USE MY CODE! I won’t! Save money!
The designs include Wizard of Oz, Hobbit and zombies. The dog ones are really creepy; I don’t want to read a book with a dog butt sticking in my face. The bookmarks look sturdy, but they may be too heavy or awkward for the thinner paperback books I tend to read. Still, the C-3PO was cool, and I figured I’d get a great deal for being an Owlcrate subscriber.
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Nope.
The code gives you $10 off a bookmark, all of which cost $25. That means I pay $15 for an item after I already paid $37 for the OwlCrate kit. That $15 doesn’t include the shipping. Really? If you want one, go to this site. Here’s my code. It expires on September 1st and I won’t be using the code. It’s good for one use, so the first person who reads this and wants one, go for it.
Print
Once again, the monthly box includes a cardstock print, always good quality cardstock. I used the print from the January 2016 kit as a dashboard in my Happy Planner, so I figured I would do that again. This way, I enjoy looking at the print more often than if it was hanging on my wall. However, the quote by Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen is deflating to a writer: “Words can lie. See beyond them.”. Not only that, it’s a creepy, bloody pic, reminding me of horror movies. Only a snippet is pictured in this post; I don’t want to be responsible for anyone else’s nightmares.
The Book
My Lady Jane by a trio of authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows.
The Main Attraction: a book with a happier ending than real life
I’ve heard of collaborations between two writers, but three? Interesting. I wonder how well they do that? The inside book blurb is boring, but the handwritten letter-print is friendly and wants me makes me want to read the book!
“Jane Grey was simply awesome…loved books…became Queen of England for nine days and then was beheaded. That was less awesome. So we decided to give Jane a better ending….” which includes jokes, magic and a transforming horse. I immediately thought of the Xanth book series by Piers Anthony, which I absolutely adore, so bonus points there. It comes with a paper crown. A cute touch.
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This month’s verdict:
I am satisfied with what I received in the June 2016 OwlCrate. Seriously, Belle set the tone for the unboxing.
Items to keep: Belle, bracelet, book, crown and maybe page flags.
Items to regift: None, but I will toss the BOOKmark code (PLEASE USE IT!) and the print.
Overall: success.
