This week I decided to take a break from the Shades and my musicmaking. The next weeks will be quite busy for me as a composer and for the Shades as a band. So I though a week of change would be good. But I am a person that likes to have something to do. So I was talking a bit with my bestfriend Lithia if we should do something fun for our friends in The Shades or our friends in The Shadows. We thought they deserved some special attention and something fun since they always are so lojal according to our band and work hard to keep the band alive. They are also so supportive and it's quite extraordinary to be blessed with such friends as them.
We decided to plan a party we will have tomorrow! Oh yes.. I am very very excited.. But the party will be something unusual, something extraordinary. Hopefully something our friends will apreciate, and find exciting too. So, we have announced a housing-competition this week, we made a poster that we placed on the wall in the kinship house of "The Shadows". We asked our friends to sign up their houses with their adress so we could visit the houses and judge them after some funny criterias we have made. And we hoped some would find it and sign up. Tuesday we visited the kinship house and we were totally suprised! 19 names! Oh my.. Perhaps my break this week wouldn't be so relaxing afterall. This would be much work! And much travelling! But on the other hand so exciting and so much fun!!
So lithia and I prepared for our little journey, and gather up some belongings we needed. My horse Dragoneye seemed excited to. Is been a long time he has been on an adventure. So there were 4 happy souls leaving Bree, Lithia and I, and our dear horses.
There were many houses to visit, and we made comments, and tried to write the comments constructive as we could, based on our opinions! I even tried to draw some of the houses. Is easier to remember how they look with the comments. Is important to have such detail reports afterwards, when we shall judge the houses afterwards.
*Looks at the pictures and the comments that were made*
Abergar
- Very nice, matching colours with green walls and brown floor, original colour in the bedroom, namely a dark purple colour that is seldom to see. Even though the bedroom has stone floor it is still a very warm room. Lots of lights all around.
In the main room there is a nice mix of furnitures, decorations and trophies. And there is no decoration that overweight something else so we are happy to see that.
There was something that caught our eyes at ones.. A table full of empty cups, some of them were halffull of ale aswell.. Seemed Abergar just had a party, whitch tells us Abergar is a social type that likes to be with good friends!
The table is a items we haven't seen before either. Looked very nice!
Bullborn
- The colour choices are quite similar to his brother Morbull. It's very well thought through. The Dwarven wallpaper in the mainroom contains a lot of colours and details. So we think it could be wise to not place to many things on the walls. Because the pictures and items on the walls may "drown" a bit.
- The decorating is nice. Though the first thing that striked us. That it is a very food-orientated home. 
- Bullborns food orientated home perhaps says a lot of Bullborn? Is quite charming with all the "food" items that is gathered. Lithia and me loved it!!
We have the Inn-leauge Bear, Festive-table with the pig, Breakfast table, Cheese on the floor so the pesky mouse also can have some food. In the little room we have the Beer-Keg! hihi
- Bullborns house is very much welcoming home. With all the food who wouldnt feel welcome!?
Whiteberry
- Is no doubt that Berry likes green. Is different shades of green that looks great together. The mainroom has a limegreen colour that is cooler colour, in the other room the green is a bit more warmer. Berry has chosen a neutral pattern on the floor that looks nice to the floral wallpaper. As we understand all hobbits loves green,so we think Berry have thought a lot about making her house as hobbit-like as possible 
- The decoration is lovely! We find fishtrophies, mushroom and all the little things that is cherished by hobbits. We especially liked the impressive fishtrophy with the group of fishes, never seen it before.
The little room with the fireplace is very cosy, though we didn't find any places to sit down. Perhaps Berry is a busy hobbit that don't have time to sit down and relax? 
Is a house that is decorated nicely and not decorated in a haste. Everything seems planned
We thought the house would do great justice to a hobbit. Is very sweet! just as Berry!
Sereor
- Sereor have chosen red and black as colour that is a very dramatic colour combination, but very nice to the style he has chosen. I think Sereor's idea with his decoration is to move people and put them in certain emotions! I think his intention is to make people think and reflect about their own life. And not complain about little things that don't mean anything, and be happy for what they have.
The colourful songbird is placed by itself in a cage as a contrast to all the items around. We thought it was perhaps a bit misplaced? But after we have pondering a bit we thought Sereor has putted it there as a symbol of life!
Somehow we thought Sereor's house were very exciting. So much to look at. Like walking into a museum! All the trophees showed us how much Sereor likes adventures! I guess we are quite right about that?
And with the dramatic music it really gave us a chill along our spine! Would recommend to see it. Can't really explain the feeling, has to be experienced!
Eovina
- Eovina has chosen some very nice, calm colours on the walls and floors. Some items has the same colours aswell, like the rug, flowers. It's very well thought through into every details. The florar wallpapers makes the house girly aswell.
- The decorating is nice. Perhaps there was some red elven furniture that we thought sticked out a bit, but it may be that Eovina have thought of her heritage aswell. 
- Eovinas girly style says a lot about Eovina. She is a girl obviously hehe. Loves flowers, pretty things, and like Kosei she thinks things very well through. It reflects the way she is in Real life too
.- Eovinas house has a cosy atmosphere. Very charming and romantic!
Favourite room here was the livingroom, it was very nicely decorated and had a warm feeling even with quite light and bright colours.
Mugendo
- We were very very excited to visit Mugendo's house, he is a colourful/creative person, so we sort of expected to see something similar in his house. And we weren't dissapointed. Mugendo's house is a little cosy house and it really really shows his personality. The colours are bright and the light from the fireplace gives it a warm effect.
If the decoration is placed correctly, a little house can be just as nice as a deluxe house. The little room is decorated with bookshelfs only + a table with books on, it really suit Mugendo that is well knowned as a storyteller!
The mainroom has a fireplace with a lonely chair in front of it. And we think Mugendo often sits here pondering about different things.. Thinking about new stories to tell or new fishing adventures. Lithia took the liberty to try the chair, and with it's placement in front of the fireplace it was a chair for thinking and pondering about stories and what one experiences in Middle Earth.
On the wall there is mainly placed fish trophees and pictures of children, it says a lot about Mugendo. He loves children and his fishing adventures, just look at the location. He picked a house next to a tree with a storyteller and little children.
Is difficult to decorate a little house, but we think Mugendo has managed it very good. Perhaps the bed could be placed differently?
Mugendos house is a very personal home. It suits him very much and it gives the house a soul, witch is just as important as a fancy house with lots of trophies.
Thori
- Thori love lots of patterns and colours. At once me and Lithia entered his house we just said: "ohh". It is so many things that happens at the same time and so many things to look at. You will never get bored in Thori's house, is like an adventure in time.
He have gathered a lot of trophees, festival items during his time in Middle Earth and we especially liked the wallpaper, never seen it before.
Even if the wallpaper is nice, we thought it was quite dominant and perhaps it took away some of the attention from all the items that was on the wall.
- The decorating is various, not especially focused on dwarven furnitures, but a mix of everything.
- I think Thori likes to have a home filled with memories.. Perhaps that reflects Thori as a person too? that he likes to tell stories and things that has happened?
The house does makes you wanna visit it again, because there is so many things to look at, and when we left we were wondering if there was something we missed? We would say is a very welcoming and exciting house
Tingilinde
- This is obviously a house owned by a female.
When we enter the house the wallpaper is all pink, with little flowers on. A pink dream! Very beautiful! It looks nice with the toned down floor to go well with it. Tingilinde has chosen a totally different colour on the little room and the bedroom. Is a lavendel colour we think whitch give the rooms a calm atmosphere. The colour is lovely with the light from the fireplace aswell.
Lots of elvish furniture, beautifully decorated downstairs. Perhaps some bigger furniture would be nice aswell? The elven houses are quite big, so to avoids to much space, big furniture would be better for the house. (is just us beeing to picky)
Overall impression. Just like Eovina's house. Is a very romantic-style house. Very nice garden, flowers and elven decorations, just what girls loves! feels very welcoming. We think Tingilinde has decorated the house with care and used a lot of time with it. Is very beautiful. Not only inside, but outside aswell! Just like Ting.
Malthalras
- Now it was time to move to Falathlorn and our next visit is Malthalras. We were so excited to see his house, our great leader! We expected a giant house with a huge garden!! But when came to his house, we saw something else, it was a little house all by itself..And the Balrog-sword looked a bit huge comparing to the house, so the house somehow looked a bit smaller than it was. We thought it could be wise to use smaller decoration with a natural size, to give an illusion that the house isn't that small afterall. But somehow we found it very cute!
When we were about to enter his house we saw this lovely goblin(statue) right around the corner. We think Malthalras has placed the smiling goblin by his door to make the visitors feels welcome. 
Malth have chosen brown colours on the walls and the floors, earth-colours that suits well the nice and cosy atmosphere. There is lots of bookshelves which is appropriate for a leader. It seems Malthalras likes to grow mushrooms infront of the fireplace..
And there are also a few trophies, even in the bedroom, but after all..he is a leader, A huge teddybear is placed by his bed, watching over Malthalras when he sleeps.
Neutral and earthly colours on walls and floors, but the rooms are still feeling warm and nice, and it is light in there.
Also he has chosen the Tom Bombadil theme as music theme which gives a cheerful impression. Overall impression is that the house is very cute, warm and funny. Some adjectives that suits Malthalras aswell!
Surma
- The colours on the walls and the floor matches in both of the rooms. The main room is blue, and the bedroom is grey/pastell colours. The pattern on the floor and the wall are quite discrete so we thought it worked out really nicely!
We especially loved the bedroom and the colours there, is very dwarvish and elegant!
- We really don't mind trophees in the house, but we wouldn't choose to have a monsterhead in our bedroom.
Surma has thought of a own tropheeroom, whitch we find very very clever. The trophees will be more attractive to look at + the rest of the house will be more like a home.
- Surmas house is very charming. You have pictures that tilts. And a Bear that is about to eat the elk trophee. It's very much Surma that also is a charming person with lots of suprises!
The bedroom we thought were just beautiful! Also Surm had music that was very cheerful, which made a very nice contrast to the dwarven house.
Zorbin
- White is Zorbin's colour, the walls and the floor matches perfectly! Is a little house too, so we are sure Zorbin have thought of using a colour that gives an illusion that the room is bigger!
- Because of the little house Zorbin has chosen a minimalistic style, which Lithia and I found very clever! To make the room even bigger, Zorbin has placed a turtlehead alone on the wall that create some poison in the air, so we see things double! 
The mainroom has a lot of items that we thought was placed randomly in a haste. But after putting some thoughts in it. It might be very well thought through. We just haven't found out yet what it is..
But we guess there much fun you could have with a drum, Beer-keg and a sculpture.
The house is "down to earth" is not a "show-off" house. And it shows how Zorbin is like a person too. Very nice and has his feet on the ground indeed *nods*
The garden is lovely though. Is a lovely location. And the view are really nice. We recommend to see it!!
*look up from her comments and drawings and laugh*
Ahh well I have written the other comments on the rest of the houses someplace else, this were just a couple of them all. Is so difficult and choose from the 19 houses, they were all lovely! A nice home is not the only criteria, we also have to look at them and think of how personalized and original they are aswell! very difficult.Tomorrow we must decide! oh how I look forward to announce the winner! And then there will be music, food, games and lots of fun and laughter!
