fairy skeletons.: A Very Pinteresting Birthday: Winners!

It's time.

—time to announce the winners of my birthday Pinterest contest, that is.

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I'm going to be up front with you all and say that picking the prize winners was a straight-up agonizing process. Every single board entered was a gorgeous open door into the wondrous stories that you all are pulling out of your heads. I knew that this blog was lucky enough to be surrounded by a strong base of incredibly inventive storytellers and pinners, but this contest really hammered that home. From pirates to petrichor, monsters to moonlight, your entries amazed me with their originality, strong tones, and beautifully arranged pictures. I'm honored that you all were kind enough to give me a peek into your inspirations and ingenious worlds. 

You all are writers, and you have creative brains on your shoulders that have left me awestruck, and you have tales to tell that will make the world lighter on its feet. Never forget that.

So please, even if you didn't win, know that I would gladly make prizes for each and every board if I had the time. Know that your entry was appreciated and carefully considered. Know that the lineup below comes from completely subjective deliberation and my aesthetic trash sensibilities.

Without further ado, here are the winners of the first-ever Fairy Skeletons Pinterest Contest.

First place

hail the pumpkin king | Samantha Chaffin

Judge's Comments: This board pulled me into the unsettling, dark-toned world of Hail the Pumpkin King faster than I could say "spooky". I loved how even the littlest details in different images were pulled together to form the masterful aesthetic gathering that is this board. There are contrasts everywhere—between pale faces and dark clearings, between the magical and the mundane, between what is real and what may or may not be. As I scrolled down this board, I couldn't help but feel like the magical, frightening woods in this story were calling my name.

Second place

The Foxmont School for Boys and Girls | AnQi Yu

Judge's Comments: This board is so ethereal and lovely, and yet in terms of aesthetic it's very direct and enthralling. It definitely knows what it's doing, and I loved how it could instantly transport me to this near-otherworldly school. But it's clear that while the setting is quaint and bursting with natural beauty, not all is as it seems—there are just enough hints of ominous twists that I'm curious to see what's behind all these faded trees and flowers. This board is, without a doubt, a study in light and shadow, and the story that it tells through pictures is fascinating.

Third place

Fragments of Aurora | Topaz Winters

Judge's Comments: This board did something incredibly refreshing with the frequently-used concept of Aurora/Sleeping Beauty. Its take on this fairytale was especially lovely to me because I'm a total sucker for girl/wolf and girl/monster archetypes (I love writing poetry in that vein, and I'm even planning a WIP with girl/monsters). The main character is painted through pictures as a girl at once deadly and vulnerable, with lots of magic involved to boot, which makes this Pinterest board lovely, dark, and intriguing. Also, particularly suited to my tastes, haha.

Honorable mention

Witches Black and Silver | Alyssa Carlier

Judge's Comments: This board's careful attention to its black/white/gray color scheme (with perfectly placed accent colors here and there), as well as the danger, sweeping lines, and subtlety that characterized its overall vibe, made it stand out. That, combined with the killer character pictures all around (I do not know why IU and Yuna Kim are on this board but they're Korean and I adore them so BONUS POINTS) and frequent reminders of dance and yin/yang, gave this a rhythm and grace that set it apart and made me fall in love with it. 

Honorable mention

Thorn Among Fleas | AnQi Yu

Judge's Comments: I loved how this board created an entire world through pictures—a diverse, colorful, rich, magic-laden, suffering world—and yet maintained a cohesive, gorgeous aesthetic throughout. The bravery and sadness of the characters is almost palpable, and though it's unclear what exactly the story centers around—it always is with Pinterest boards—it's obvious that this is a story with gravity and beauty. I love sweeping, well-built fantasies, so this board was a pleasure to scroll through and observe new things in. 

And that's a wrap! Congratulations to the winners (expect an email from me soon about your prizes)! Here's to writers and their Pinterest inspiration/procrastination instincts.

To everyone who entered: thank you, thank you, thank you for doing so. I can't say that enough. It meant the world to see so many people helping celebrate my birthday and the Fairy Skeletons community. If you ever want to talk writing or Pinterest or anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out. Much love to you all.