Congratulations Dorm Decorating Winners!!!
Our 4 judges certainly had their work cut out for them - but, they did it!!! They have found the winners for the 5th Annual Best Little Dorm contest. So many amazing entries!
Each entry was scored by 4 categories: (1) Use of the 5 items (2) Paragraph One (3) Paragraph Two, and (4) Over All Theme. Thank you to all who entered! And to all our winners who put so much effort and talent into creating that perfect shop theme!
This year's winners!!
Grand Prize
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| Brianna Nightrider - Santa's Workshop |
Welcome to Santa’s Workshop! Santa's workshop is the magical place where workers are said to make toys and presents to give out at Christmas. So I thought we check in to make sure things are on track with all the toys Santa will needed this year! Looks like they are doing pretty good. There are all types of train engines and train cars going clickety-clickety clack as they go around the train tracks. There are locomotives, steam engines, boxcars and cabooses too. Santa's Workshop also has a few Globes, Teddy Bears, Nutcrackers, Snow-globes and prepackage presents in stock to make lots of young wizards happy come December. This is truly Santa's go-to place for the latest fun, creative, and unique toys as well as all of the favorite classics.
But wait that is not all, there is a wide selection of the best musical toys to fuel creative inspiration. There are Playable Trumpets, Lead Guitars, Bass Guitars and Percussive Drums. Ohh and lets not forget about the miniature Mushroom doll houses they are just to cute for words. Santa's Workshop also has a few Christmas trees along with some hanging Nutcrackers (Wand), Ginger bread men, and Christmas wreathes that will adorn the walls of unsuspecting homes so they to can enjoy in all the magic the season has to offer. Santa has placed a Snowman holding a single Pearl Orchid in the workshop to symbolizes peace in the spiral and good well to all. However nothing is more important to Santa than providing a safe working environment so Tallow Candle were added to ensure enough light is available both day and night. Looks like Santa will be all set when the time comes to load up his sleigh and visit all the young wizard both near and far.
First Place
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| Calamity Summerdust-Spells and Potions Shop |
Welcome to Calamity's Spells and Potions Shop. To make magic work spells and potions are the most commonly used tools. Spells and potions are intended to produce magic. Spells are rituals performed with powerful words to make magic happen and potions are concoctions made from herbs, roots, bark, seeds and other similar materials. Spells and potions are intended for a variety of uses, from practical applications as healing and cooking to falling in love or to make someone do something for no apparent reason. In my shop you will find the number of possible uses for spells and potions are limited only by your imagination. But like any other forms of magic, spells and potions must not be used with ill intentions in mind. They are dangerous for everyone concerned including the instigator.
To ensure the safety of our works and clients our shop uses a common purification technique for cleansing the space. This is done with the use of an anointing candle (small candle) and an aromatic pearl orchid. However, if you are looking for a purification technique for your place of business or home you might want to display the Golden Dragon Fear Banner as it easily fits into most decors. Whereas a restaurant might want to us a Jar of Mushrooms to accomplish this task. But if that doesn't work for you the ancient scrolls (Aquila Atlantea Theme) contain thousands of spells and potions that can be bought for uses around your business or home to attract or repel both positive and negative energies. All you have to do is stop by, request a spell or potion of your liking, and one of our Master Mixers will have it ready for you in a jiffy.
Second Place
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| Jack Night -Farm Fresh Market |
The Farm Fresh Market & General Shop's fruits & vegetables are fresh off the vine, the fish are straight from the pound and the eggs are gathered daily. That means the items you select are just steps away from the fields, ponds, and chicken coops which ensure you get the best tasting, most nutritional produce available. This week we have fresh strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, potatoes, oranges, sack of wheat, sugar, beans, mushrooms and onions. Additionally we have hand carved bowels, drinking cups, and water buckets.
The Hart of the Sky Scepter, Lord of the Swamp's Scepter (staff), and the Ancestor Calling Drum (musical item) all contain the sprites of the past which bless both the farm and shop. A single Pearl Orchid adorns the welcome sign providing a splash of beauty & the Candle and Holder provides the extra light need to record the daily sales. Additionally I need to call attention to the Wild Mushrooms because they are on sale this week, so be sure to stop by Jack Night's Farm Fresh Market & General Shop.
Third Place
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| Michael ShadowLeaf-Pirate Shop |
Welcome to me shop for pirates and wizards who plan to become pirates. Here ye can buy all kinds of things for your pirate adventure. Wizards may join our fun and be prepared for the treacherous seas of Celestia and many other worlds! There be a few leaks, but the shop is first rate. We sell all sorts of goodies including maps, boats, food, medicine, pirate swords, chests, and many things for a great adventure. Ye can even stop by for a couple of drinks or enjoy games for ye to play with the other pirates. The shop even has a fish tank. We don't keep them fish in there though, we keep our beloved turtle there. If ye look on top of the tanks ye can find our choice of different chests to keep yer loot in. If you're a fan of site seeing there be a telescope next to the window ye can look right at the sea. Are ye feeling sick today? Our wide verity of medicine be right next to the fish tank. We had all sorts of medicine to make you fell better in a jiffy. Boats are bought in ship in a bottles, just throw one in the sea and watch the ship appear! Ships can be found on the shelves, ye can see them right when ye walk in. Our shelve have so many objects ye need for the trip. Items sold on the shelve include, globes, books of knowledge, pirate hats, pens, parchment,and telescopes. On top of the shelves is spooky candle stand. In the pictures below ye can see a customer holding what she found as useful medicine. The other customer is observing the tanks and weapons. We also have displayed a form of punishment they ruler breakers had to suffer for breaking the rules back then, in the second window that we blocked. Since ye now see how fantastic the shop is, don't even think of stealing. We have security cameras (Insightful Spyglass infused with magic) set up next to the door and around the room. Once ye found what ye need, proceed to the check-out. Also a very stern reminders to t' shoplifters, our pet Ruby is very merciless to ye, so be warn! So visit our shop and bring many friends!
For the first object, a mushroom and a jar of mushroom. Next to the tank I used the mushroom as medicine. I actually used two mushroom objects. A normal mushroom on top of a jar of mushrooms. Mushroom is the best form of medicine in me shop! Scurvy to poison, these mushroom will be the greatest asset in a dangerous ship! The second object, a candle object, you can find it those on top of the supply sections. I put the large candle holders on top of the dragon claw housing item. I put them there to give them more of a skeleton-pirate theme and to provide all of ye customer t' light they need. The third object, musical object, you can find them all over the store! Music greatly improves the mood and leisure of t' shop, especially when people eat and listen to the classical pirate music. The two instruments are an Upright Piano and a Violin and Stand. We even have a turtle orcarina used for security of t' treasure. For the fourth object, wands, you can find them along or near the walls of the entire shop. I used many of the wands for different uses. The 4 insightful spyglass wands I used for security cameras. For the wands being sold I used the Fusilier's Fireberry Saber and Winter palace Spikeleaf sword and the Color Guard Winterblade. Also used the Steelwielder's Mine Blade which are sold in a package and are also very high quality. And the last item needed, A pearl orchid, I used for medicine being held and about to be bought by t' beautiful pirate lady in red near the book shelves. Legends has said that Pearl Orchids bring luck in those dangerous ole seas! Our shop is located in the Grottos in Celestia, all wizards and pirates are invited to me shop!
Judges Choices
Judge A
I couldn't help but smile at this unique shop. Need Air? Paragraphs are fantastic!
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| Eric Soulbrand - AIR EMPORIUM |
Welcome, one and all, to Eric Soulbrand's APOCALYPSE-B-HERE: AIR EMPORIUM AND APOCALYPSE SHELTER!! Apocalypse got you down? Suffocating from all that nuclear fallout in your bomb shelter after your air tanks failed and your filters stopped working? What? Nothing has happened yet? Well, it will! Here at Apocalypse-B-Here, we've got all the air for your nuclear apocalypse needs! If not nuclear, then what about a Zombie Apocalypse? Don't let them bite you! Let us not forget the stray chance of a mutant gerbil invasion! I'm wasting my time? How dare you! We sell only the finest quality air for those dire circumstances! Stock up now or be the guy or girl who wished they had!
In case of an emergency, we even double as our own shelter for those in need! Space is limited. We aren't like those other apocalypse stores claiming to be prepared. We have a touch of class. With lead walls, ceilings and floors, that radiation won't ruin our day! All our wood is gorgeous cherry with silk rugs to match! Our patented Red Toadstool allows for a constant circulation of fresh air through natural means! I beat those other guys use "machines". Ha! Our Candle and Holder provides light for the blackout that is sure to come. We won't be caught in the dark! We offer the sweet melodies for a piano for those who will assuredly be the last of humanity. Does those other Apocalypse-Ready stores have a piano?! I think not! I bet they think piano is a vegetable! An axe adorns the wall for special cases, such as a breach, or if one of us really did get bitten by a zombie and lied about it, changing hours later and endanger those of us left. Not this time, Ted! Finally, rest your eyes on the gentle and soothing Pearl Orchid and forget those terrible memories the destroyed world outside our walls. Come in today! Say "I'm not infected, Eric! Put down the axe! Nooo!" for a special discount!
Judge B
Judge C
Great Imagination - Awesome use of the five special items and the way they were incorporated into both the story and dorm room.
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| Melissa- Sewing Shop |
Melissa's Magical Sewing Shop is the place to get your fashionable, trendy clothing that will make you fell fabulous for any occasion! Melissa's staff offers friendly personalized service from knowledgeable fashion experts, unique clothing, jewelry, hats, shoes and even a few special accessories. All clothing are crafted on site by the use of two magical sewing machines located in the back section of the shop.
There are 5 special items located throughout the shop which help to provide its magic. First off is a bolt of special fabric (Wide Drum) located in the bookshelf which is used to make all the outfits magical. But this fabric needs the glow of a rare mushroom (Glowing Mushroom) and the sent of a single pearl orchid to provide the strongest magic. Once a item has been sewn the seams are sealed with hot wax (Candle and Holder) and then a spell is cast using the Crystal Staff of Mirages to assure the magic stays intact. All wizards are welcome and I hope everyone enjoys visiting Melissa’s Magical Sewing Shop.
Love the Mooshu Look and Feel, Paragraph's are great. Loving the way how he uses nature for his shop
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| Nicholas Shadow -Gardening Emporium |
Welcome! To the, "Green-to-go Gardening Emporium!" In this magical Gardening shop we sell all you're gardening needs! Stop by for a quick seed refill. Or even for your gardening tools such as: hammers, shovels, mallets, buckets, and more! My Gardening Store provides the best gardening materials, Guaranteed for life! Not only are the quality of the tools and seeds in our store amazing, but the store itself is breathtaking! Enjoy our fine and fresh water spring, or even sit back and just enjoy the natural trees and flowers we tend to everyday. You will find that my store is a fun and inviting place to shop! Stop by and converse with the cashier Debby! She loves to talk about gardening and if you're up for it maybe even her fabulous green afro! The main structure is actually not the dorm walls, I put "House Stage sets" all around the walls except for where the tools are, to create a Mooshu themed store. You will find this store fun, inviting, helpful, and magical! Come stop by! We'd love to have you!
In this Gardening store I used all 5 of the required items. I used a diseased mushroom to show that my store is rooted with nature. In a gardening store it only makes sense to have everything nature filled and appealing to the eye. This mushrooms may be diseased but they add that sense of nature to the store, which I thought was greatly needed. The candle I chose was "Candle in Pagoda Base" I felt this was the perfect candle because my dorm is Mooshu themed and it fit perfectly. However you don't see the whole candle, it is right near the tree and cash register. It provides light and it adds an extra flare to the check-out counter as you purchase your magnificent Gardening supplies. The music item I chose was the music scroll. I chose this because it is actually a supply you can purchase! Now you may be wondering, how does that have anything to do with gardening? Well, it does! It teaches you all the music notes and songs you're going to need to know once you become a plant expert! I used the harp wand. It is located right behind the cashier. It provides the store with tranquilizing music that will set your mind at ease when you stress out about your needy plants. Yes I said needy. As much as I love to garden, they can and will be a pain. This music will help you enjoy your shopping time, plus it looks great! And last but not least, the Orchid Flower. It was placed right in center of the check-out center. It was actually the first plant to ever be planted in this store! It not only symbolizes the start of a great and hopefully fortunate business, but it looks great and is sympathizing to the eye. I feel like I used all 5 items to the best of my ability and hope you felt so too!
Judge D
An extraordinary entry earned an extra Judges choice award!
I loved the outdoor look and the gypsy feel to this room! You really get the feeling that this wizard could quickly pack up and be on the road to his next stop, providing wizards of the spiral with items they need
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| Reed Dragonheart- Traveling shop |
This is my exotic shop on wheels. I am a traveler and i sell exotic and rare stuff from all around the spiral. In my shop i sell everything from rare and exotic pets, reagents, clothes, weapons, musical instruments, flowers and much much more cool stuff. When the weather gets rough i just pack up everything on my wagon and i am good to go.
Mushroom is one of the rare enchanted reagents i sell. The candle in pagoda base is a rare Mooshu antique which i sell. For the musical instrument i have few kinds of Zafaria and Azteca drums which include the talking drum, ancestor calling drum, ornate drum, and the blue top drum. Weapons, i sell all kinds of one of a kind wands from Zafaria and Avalon.The Pearl Orchid is one of the exotic flowers which you can find for a very low price in my shop.
An extraordinary entry earned an extra Judges choice award!
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| Keena Ironweaver - Ninja Shop |
I decided to create a "Ninja Shop" because although there are ninja-related items sold through shops, recipes, and packs, there is no single place in the Spiral known to wizards that specializes in ninjas. This hidden market offers food, scrolls, weapons, disguises, camouflage equipment, stitching, bobble-heads, treasures, training lessons, and a highly-trained ninja fish to stalk/catch fish or raid treasure chests for you. Having both water and dry ground allows the ninja pigs and fish to work closer as allies as well as being able to personally receive or hand something to a customer. The fish can go through a door in the tank that leads to the open water, but prefers to stay in its secure tank while making a deal with a client. Located in a highly dense bamboo forest near water, stone was carved into stepping stones, wood was used to build the shop, and reeds were turned into fencing. It all makes the shop appear more natural along with the koi pond and plants growing around it, inspired by real ninjas being resourceful. In fact, Ninjutsu isn't only about martial arts. It's about gaining benefit through any form of useful knowledge, including knowledge of plants, sharpening senses/skills, combat arts, chemistry, anatomy/health, and even house-building. Although there's a story of 3 pigs building houses from straw, sticks, and brick, this trio of ninja pigs built a shop with mostly reeds, wood, and stone. They also make deals with a fish instead of dealing with a wolf.
The diseased mushrooms, candle in pagoda base, playable sound generator, Jade Oni's amethyst blade(stitched with candle wand), and pearl orchid each play a role in representing the ninja-theme in the shop. The diseased mushrooms camouflaging within the clusters of plants represent a ninja's hidden dangers as well as their knowledge of plants. To sharpen the sense of hearing, ninjas used to stare into the flame of a candle while listening to their surroundings. The ninja fish often stares into the flame of the candle in a pagoda base to improving its hearing ability while waiting for a client. (Despite being in a tank filled with water, it must be able to hear its client clearly.) The playable sound generator being sold in the shop is a valuable tool for a ninja on a mission. Ninjas often had to mimic sounds such as rain, create a distraction to get past security, and camouflage their own sounds to go undetected, like releasing a box of noisy crickets into a building so that they wouldn't be heard sneaking around. (Sure, it looks too big to carry since ninjas travel lightly, but a ninja-wizard could just fold it up into their backpack...) The wand displayed above the tank was originally a Storm-school wand, but it "changed ownership" and became Ice. The ninja fish overheard an Oni talking about a sword and decided to snatch it at the right time as a proof of worthiness to belong in the shop with the 3 ninja pigs. Being stitched with a candle wand changes the plaque from Storm to Ice, matching the school of the ninja fish while ironically relating to its sharp sense of hearing that paid off for staring at the flame of the candle in a pagoda base. (Perhaps the Arctic ninja pig camouflaging in the water by the candle helped with stitching. Maybe the candle's flame has secret magical properties as well.) The pearl orchid can be viewed as a pearl by the fish and as an orchid by the pigs, uniting their perspectives as both shells/sides of a clam/view. (Yin and yang or below and above surface. A symbol of 2 worlds/species of ninja working as one.) To a wizard, the flower may represent a goal to be reached after questing and entering many dungeons through sigils, especially with all the sigil leaves growing on the koi pond.
15 Honorable Mentions
Heather Rainbowfinder
Julia Sand
Lucas Dragonrider
James DragonBane
Diana Rosestone
Corwin Frog
Blaze Shadowrunner
Mason Earthstrider
Gavin Stardust
Chelsea
Mary Winterweaver
Autumn Moon
lucas silver
Cori Lotus
Angel MythCaster
Heather Rainbowfinder
Julia Sand
Lucas Dragonrider
James DragonBane
Diana Rosestone
Corwin Frog
Blaze Shadowrunner
Mason Earthstrider
Gavin Stardust
Chelsea
Mary Winterweaver
Autumn Moon
lucas silver
Cori Lotus
Angel MythCaster
30 Random Draws(valid entries only)
Caitlin Darkshard
Isabella Rainwhisper
Eric Greenleaf
Jeremy ThunderEyes
Rowan SpiritWalker
Autumn DawnRiver
Flint Thunderflame
Mason
Issac Moonshard
Kimberly StrongFountain
Lucas ThunderRider
Roslyn
Sophia Star
Edward mist
Alexandra Shadowhunter
Wolf Stormflame
Christina Fairybloom
Eric Battlerider
Jennifer Wildflower
Tasha Skywalker
Edward SandShade
Ian Skullmask
Thomas DragonRider
Angel Fire
Roslyn Roseheart
Scot Sunblade
Duncan Soul
Fallen
Monica PixieHeart
Amber Wild
Isabella Rainwhisper
Eric Greenleaf
Jeremy ThunderEyes
Rowan SpiritWalker
Autumn DawnRiver
Flint Thunderflame
Mason
Issac Moonshard
Kimberly StrongFountain
Lucas ThunderRider
Roslyn
Sophia Star
Edward mist
Alexandra Shadowhunter
Wolf Stormflame
Christina Fairybloom
Eric Battlerider
Jennifer Wildflower
Tasha Skywalker
Edward SandShade
Ian Skullmask
Thomas DragonRider
Angel Fire
Roslyn Roseheart
Scot Sunblade
Duncan Soul
Fallen
Monica PixieHeart
Amber Wild
I want to thank everyone who entered, we had so many amazing dorm rooms you really made it hard for us to judge. Special thank you to KingsIsle. Without everyone this contest would not be what it is today! See everyone next year!!
Winners are being mailed. Thank you for your patience. All prizes have been sent out.
