The Cursed Child Play London (No Spoilers)

In October of 2015 I woke up at 4am to buy tickets to a play I knew nothing about except that it was the "8th Harry Potter." I sat in an online queue for two hours and finally got my opportunity to buy tickets. I clicked for the next best date...April 2017!! I bought two sets knowing whatever I was doing in life 18 months later I would always drop for HP.

Flash forward to this month, it was finally here!! I will admit I was pretty nervous about seeing the play in person. When the play script came out I read it and didn't feel very connected to it. I would even say I was on the verge of not liking it. So what if I had spent all this money just to be let down!?  It turns out I was worried for nothing because the play was amazing, epic, and beautiful.

The script is split into two plays, each with its own intermission, so the show takes all day to see. Our first show started at 1:30pm and the second at 6:30pm. They tell you that you have to arrive an hour early to queue in line and I stopped by the day before to ask if that was really a thing. The ticket guy assured me it was and he wasn't lying. They check all your bags and the line went around the corner to get in. It was a very fast process so we got in quickly but then there was merch to buy so we had something to pass the remaining time.

I got a sweatshirt, a tote bag, and a patch. After the first play you're able to buy the behind the scenes book (it contains first play spoilers) so I did get that later as well. One small bummer I found with London plays is no free playbill, if you wanted it it was £5. I didn't have cash so I had to skip it.

They had drinks and snacks on every level and that was helpful because after sitting for so long you need something. Speaking of sitting...ouch. I'm sure no seat is comfortable to sit in all day but they were pretty tight on the leg room. If you go make sure you take every chance you get to go walk or stretch​.



Alright, to the play itself. I'm totally team #keepthesecrets so I won't tell you too much but the way they did the magic was amazing. You might read the script like I did and think the plot was lacking or weird but it plays out much better on stage. The actors themselves are wonderfully cast so if you can try to see it before they recast this year I'd highly highly suggest it. I don't want to spoil anything else so if you have any questions hit me up in the comments.



Helpful tips and tricks:
Chloe didn't have tickets so the ticket guy said her best bet was to wait for a return ticket the morning of the play. These are tickets people bought like me very early on and couldn't end up using. The ticket guy advised Chloe to arrive around 8:45am. She did and waited until doors opened at 10am and ended up getting better seats than even we had! She paid slightly more because it was floor level but she got tickets nonetheless. She said no one else was queued up until maybe 9:20am but I also don't know how many others got to buy return tickets.

Also you cannot pick up your tickets early from will call. It's sadly part of that "arrive an hour early" business. I tried.

You also cannot bring in food or drink. There was a large box of confiscated items at the bag check. It's a bummer but at least they have options inside (alcohol included). You can also pre-order food and drinks to be ready at intermission so you don't have to queue up!


All in all, I highly recommend the play to any Potter fans. You'll be glad you went =)

Till next time,

Maggie

Uppercase Book Subscription Review!

I've had good and bad luck with subscription boxes lately, but I think I've finally found one I love. 

Uppercase is a monthly YA (young adult) book box. With each subscription you get:

- Incredible Brand New, Hardcover Young Adult Book
- Signed Book or Bookplate Signed by the Author
- 1-2 High-Quality, Exclusive and Custom Bookish Items
- Uppercase Reading Experience with Exclusive Content
- Special Hand-Written and Personalized Note to You

Since I'm a little weary of boxes I had to really check out what they were about before I ordered. Luckily I was able to check out all their past boxes on their website. That's totally awesome because not all boxes let you see what they've done before for some reason. Uppercase has all of their past boxes that they've had since August of '14, so out of thirty something boxes a good majority were books I've read or have on my Goodreads to-read list! Plus the goodies they send are cute! I would totally buy some of the things they send so to have them included for basically free is awesome. Some stuff comes from publishers and others come from small businesses. Remember "Beautiful Book Quotes with Simini Blocker"? She put her art into a 2017 planner you got for one month, but you can also buy her stuff  in their store which is awesome. It helped that they had a first timer promo code for 10% off, which isn't a lot, but it was a nice touch.  Also, if you don't want the goodies, you can do a books only monthly plan which is cheaper and still comes with a signed book.

Other added bonuses, each email comes with a fun gif or pic that made me smile, like this month's your box has shipped:

adorable. 

One thing I like is that they recommend you don't buy any new new books before you get your box in case you buy the one they're sending, so it actually helped my horrible impulse book buying habit...at least until I got the book

So what did I get this month? Here was Feb '17's box:

Cute reusable bag!

Whats inside!?

It's "By Your Side"

 and it's signed! woot!

True love.

and for some reason a 221B Baker Street door key which I loveeeee.

 A friend was just telling me about Novelteas and now I can finally try it. 

OK So the goodies are awesome, but one of my favorite things about Uppercase is the reader connection. In the box, are codes to use to enhance your reading the book. You go to the Uppercase website, enter the code for the part of the book you're on for different awesome bonuses. Example for Feb, the first code gave you an exclusive Youtube video from Kasie West to start you off reading. Plus you get access to the Uppercase book club so you can talk about the book with other YA lit lovers. You can do it from home in your pajamas anytime and they'res no pressure to read it by any date. Lovely! 

A little about the book, via goodreads:

"When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?"




I found the book to be super predicable but well done. It kind of has the feel of a Sarah Dessen book...you know how it's going to end but it's short and sweet and sometimes you want that kind of story after a long dramatic book.

Overall I'm pretty happy with this box and I can't wait to see what the March pick is going to be! =)



Till next time,
Maggie

BBC Doctor Who Fashion Line Review

I have pretty much zero self control when it comes to epic nerdy things. In Community terms, i'm “a level 7 susceptible." A few days before Christmas, I was feeling extra broke when Hot Topic sent me this:

and I may or not have freaked out in the middle of the mall. My mom totally did not understand. The last thing I ordered clothing wise was the HerUniverse Marvel collection, which left me with mixed feelings. That still only made me hesitate for a total of two minutes before clicking "Complete Purchase."

So, here's what I got!

First up, the Eleven outfit. Annoyingly the "capelet" was sold separate. So dress ($74.50) and cape ($58.50) total $133. Yipes.

 The dress fit well and has pockets and adjustable straps. It was a tiny bit big, but I think it will shrink a bit in the wash. I'm not 100% sold on the capelet. It's well made and the lining is a pretty red silk with bow ties patterned on it, but when I wear it, it moves around all over. So I went online and saw a Eleven womens jacket, and I bought that to wear when I want to wear the dress and have sleeves. Ignore how cheesy that stock image is. The jacket is a BBC product also so it still feels like it matches the dress. 

I also got this epic, epic TARDIS coat ($98.50) Yipes again at the price tag, but the coat is pretty cool, and it sold out very shortly after I purchased it. The "pandorica opens" is the lining and it's so beautiful I hate buttoning it up. 

Here's the dress with the coat, you can kind of see the patterning on the skirt which is TARDIS blueprints =)

I also got on a different order the Galaxy Dress ($58.50). It's a nice dress and I love the collar and flying TARDIS, but I eventually returned it because I didn't love it as much as the Eleven Dress or Coat. If you had to choose one item at a lower price point I would recommend this dress, especially because it's almost always on sale.

Lastly, you always need the perfect accessories to go with the outfit, so I found TARDIS earrings and a bow-tie/fez necklace at Hot Topic. Check out that sweet coat embroidery! 

I've had good and bad experiences with Hot Topic womens clothing, but I would say this line was really well done. The prices could have been lower, but at least the items are great quality. 

Two thumbs up, and I would recommend these to any Whovian =)

Did anyone else buy some of the collection? What did you buy!? Share below!

-Maggie