National Princess Day
When I say princess, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a Disney Princess like Cinderella, Aurora, or my favorite, Ariel? Or is it more royal like Princess Diana or Princess Kate Middleton? Or is your first thought Marwa - PuzzledPrincessDiaries on Instagram? Well, whether you think of me, Disney, or royalty, you are not wrong! We’re all princesses!
Although, through the magic of puzzles, I would like to dedicate this blog to not only Disney princesses because they continue to spread joy across the globe, but also to non-traditional types of princesses. A princess doesn’t have to wear a crown. She can be an athlete, a ballerina, or a princess gone villain. She can also be human, sea creature, white, black, or Asian! A princess doesn’t have to be one type of woman. She can be anything she wants to be! So for National Princess Day (November 18th) I would like to share with you my different versions of princesses.
Let’s start with our Disney Princesses whom we’ve grown up with, and who I like to revisit often for nostalgic reasons.
This puzzle is a 150 piece Ravensburger called Disney Princesses and I absolutely love it! I love that all the princesses are in one picture. I love that it’s not just the original bunch, but the newer ones are represented like Mulan, Tiana, and Moana. Most of all I love that my favorite one of them is in the forefront - Ariel. Yes, I am exhibiting favoritism, but that’s ok! Can you tell I’m trying to make myself feel better here? But also, just look at her…
This next princess I fell in love with and loved her vibe the second I laid eyes on her. She exhibits grace, beauty, talent, and absolute strength and power. The box image won me over, but the finished puzzled image took my breath away.
This 550 piece beauty by SunsOut is called Princess with Pink Roses and when I think princess this is what I always imagine. Strength and power laced with grace and talent - like ballet - that never ceases to leave me in awe. I love this image and I’m so thankful Nene Thomas shared her artistic talent with us. I inhaled this image and will forever hold it close because, to me, this is stunning and absolutely perfect. Also, I NEED a pet dragon!
Next up, oh my! This vibrantly colorful princess was the most fun to puzzle ever! She also shows so much class and beauty and I want to be her friend SO badly! One of my favorite brands ever, Magnolia Puzzles always works with some of the most amazing and talented artists. This particular one is called The Brunette and its 1,000 pieces by Romina Lerda.
This was such a fun image to puzzle! Romina’s art predominately represents strong, fierce and powerful women, fictional and real. Her art is absolutely stunning and extremely fun. This one did not disappoint. I can feel this woman radiate through the puzzle with every piece I put in.
The details of her face were magical… especially her eyes. I loved her headpieces, her makeup, her one large earring… I just loved every single part of her and I know this puzzle will be a top 10 favorite of mine.
Last, but not least, I would be remiss if I did not represent the misunderstood villains. So I am going to circle back to Disney puzzles, and give Ursula her time to shine.
I truly believe Ursula was forced into her evil role. Could she have made better choices? Yes. But here we are. I love this challenging puzzle by Ravensburger called Villainous Ursula. It's 1,000 and it's not an easy one, but totally fun to puzzle. The Little Mermaid is one of my favorites and I still watch it to this day when I need a comfort movie or a little pick-me-up. Disney makes a good villain, and like anything in life, there are “good” princesses and “bad” ones as well. Although, even though she’s crowned the evil witch, I truly believe she is misunderstood and deserves a retelling of her story, just like Maleficent got.
I love knowing that there isn’t one kind of princess out there. They are as varied as anything else in life. Even Disney started changing the narrative by making princesses be warriors and fighters, not just damsels in distress needing a prince to save them. I have no problems with love stories, but I also want the girl who doesn’t need a prince to save her, and this is why I chose this blog topic - to show off all kinds of princesses. They’re all great in their own way!
Stop over at the good ol’ PuzzleWarehouse and find yourself a Princess to puzzle (or 10) to do on National Princess Day on the 18th. There are so many options from various brands to choose from. There's a princess for everyone. But don’t forget to share your choices with me! And while you’re at it, if you feel like doing so, share your favorite Princess and maybe even your favorite Disney princess/movie with me. Share it all with me in the comments. I love hearing from you all and what you love! It truly makes my day.
Happy National Princess Day to you all!
Marwa
