DVD/Book haul
I had Juneteenth off and needed a pick-me-up after a dentist appointment, so I decided on a whim to check out the local Once Upon a Child. I'm so glad I did! I've gotten some good things there before but it had been a good month or so since I last visited. I picked up four DVDs and four books all for around $15. Not bad!
Starting off with the dvds, I got the movie Hachi: A Dog's Tale on Blue-ray. The story is about a man who befriends a dog (or perhaps the other way around) and they develop a deep bond that lasts even after death. Warning: this movie is sad. It's based on a true story. I remember watching the movie once when I was younger and loving it (I was quite the animal lover as a kid). One day I hope to visit the shrine dedicated to Hachi in Japan!
I found Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Blossom Festival on dvd as well. It was released in 2007. While my little sister and I were mainly obsessed with the Hub Network era of Strawberry Shortcake that began around 2010, I have come to love the generation just before it too. I love the character designs and the animation style. This is my third addition to my Strawberry Shortcake DVDs.
Next, I found two Bratz dvds: BFF Best Friends Forever and Kidz Fairy Tales. Any Bratz fan knows how cursed the animation is, but that's part of what makes it so memorable. Although, I don't mind waiting until I add the Bratz Babyz movie to my collection... that movie still gives me nightmares.
On to books! I got Bella Sara: Valkrist's Flight. It's the second in the series of six books. I've had Bella Sara in my periphery for a while now. It started as trading cards with magical horses, but it had a website and a movie at one point too if I remember correctly. I'll have to hold off reading this one until I find the first in the series, but in the meantime I may look into buying a couple packs of the cards off Ebay. As far as I know the franchise has been discontinued for some time, but there are still avid collectors out there.
I touched on Disney Fairies a couple times so far I believe, but I don't know if it's fully come across how much I utterly adore the franchise! The world of Pixie Hollow was such a source of escapism for me ever since I was little. So, you can imagine just how excited I get when I come across anything Disney Fairies related in the wild. Anyway, today I found the sixth and eighth books from the Never Girls series: The Woods Beyond and Far From Shore respectively. This series began when I was around 13 and is aimed at newer readers, so I never got the chance to read these books. While I already have the first, second and fourth books in the series, I'm waiting until I have the third before I start enjoying them since they will be shorter reads.
And finally, the book I was most excited to find today: Lily's Pesky Plant from Disney Fairies, the Tales of Pixie Hollow series. It has been at least a month and a half since I found any of them! While this copy is only the third in my jumble, I am so glad that my Disney Fairies section on my bookshelf has gotten some great additions today.
I am so happy with my finds! There's something cathartic about rummaging through books and finding things you love. This weekend I hope to visit my local library's twice-weekly book sale. I haven't had too much luck there the last few times I went, but fingers are crossed anyway for something good. The last time I went to the sale, I met this really nice old man and his wife. They run a local bookstore in town that reminds me of my Grandpa's library in his basement. I hope to see them again :)