Let the sunshine in!

Sunset

2025-07-31T18:13:59Z

Posted by: florianschild

The tents and rides are all dismantled, the ground is littered with peanut shells, and the natural quiet of the fairgrounds is overtaking the cacophony that had been ever present just a few days ago. It's a calm quiet as well all go about packing up and getting ready to set off on our next adventure.

It's hard to believe this is the very last day of July 2025. The month may be over, but hopefully you found enough summer vibes to carry you through August and well into September (you know it's technically summer until September 21st)!

I know I personally had an absolute blast this month. I got to read so many lovely posts, reflections, poems, and more shared by all of the wonderful participants. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who participated and to the entire mod team for the amazing, amazing job they did. If I can be a bit self-indulgent, I'd encourage you to comment below with your impressions of this challenge. We'll take all thoughts! Let us know what you liked, what could have been better, and whether you'd like to see this challenge happen in July 2026. Maybe you want to suggest a theme for next year? The Carnival will surely have moved on by then. :)

You might also choose to write your own wrap-up post for the Sunshine Revival. It's not an official challenge, but consider it a bit of a bonus prompt:

Which challenges did you participate in? Did you find any new journals to follow? Did you learn anything, either about yourself or someone else? How did you feel this month? Maybe leave a note for your future self reminding them of the little, everyday memories that sometimes get blurred out with the passage of time.

If you do write a personal wrap-up, feel free to link to it in a comment as well!

If you're just finding the Sunshine Revival, you can still participate in the challenges. Just drop a comment linking to your post. There's no deadline and no pressure. Also, don't forget to follow snowflake_challenge for the winter-themed big sister to this challenge. It's cozy and gingerbread-y and very fun.

Thank you again, everyone! I can't say it enough! It's amazing that you're here; you make this community really nice to be a part of. Have a lovely summer. <3

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SUNSHINE REVIVAL CHALLENGE #7

2025-07-25T09:55:44Z

Posted by: muscle_wizard

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme * Challenge #1 * Challenge #2 * Challenge #3 * Challenge #4 * Challenge #5 * Challenge #6

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.

( Sunshine Revival Challenge #7 )

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

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Sunshine Revival Challenge #6

2025-07-20T10:23:58Z

Posted by: tellshannon815

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme * Challenge #1 > * Challenge #2 * Challenge #3 * Challenge #4 * Challenge #5

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.

( Sunshine Revival Challenge #6 )

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

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Sunshine Revival Challenge #5

2025-07-17T08:33:03Z

Posted by: tellshannon815

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme * Challenge #1 > * Challenge #2 * Challenge #3 * Challenge #4

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.

( Sunshine Revival Challenge #5 )

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

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Sunshine Revival Challenge #4

2025-07-13T08:18:47Z

Posted by: endlesstwanted

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme * Challenge #1 * Challenge #2 * Challenge #3

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you’ve missed.

( Sunshine Revival Challenge #4 )

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren’t comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don’t. We aren’t keeping track of who does what.

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Sunshine Revival Challenge #3

2025-07-09T13:33:52Z

Posted by: abyssal_sylph

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme * Challenge #1 * Challenge #2

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.

( Sunshine Revival Challenge #1 )

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

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Sunshine Revival Challenge #2

2025-07-05T11:27:31Z

Posted by: florianschild

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme * Challenge #1

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.

( Sunshine Revival Challenge #2 )

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

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Sunshine Revival Challenge #1

2025-07-01T10:43:18Z

Posted by: abyssal_sylph

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme *

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.

( Sunshine Revival Challenge #1 )

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

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2025 Sunshine Revival Master Post

2025-06-30T18:27:31Z

Posted by: florianschild

Use this post to help you navigate your way through the challenge. Consider it your visitor's map of our cheerful sunny carnival.

Introduction Post * Meet the Mods Post * Friending Meme

The Challenges

Challenge #1 - Lights On!
Challenge #2 - Tunnel of Love
Challenge #3 - Snack Shack
Challenge #4 - Fun House
Challenge #5 - Carnival Barker
Challenge #6 - The Midway
Challenge #7 - The Ferris Wheel

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Friending Meme

2025-06-30T18:01:45Z

Posted by: florianschild

Maybe you struck up a conversation while you waited in line for the roller coaster. Maybe you and a questionably large group of friends all tumbled out of a van and walked in together. However it happened, you're now here at the Carnival with your friends. The best experiences are all the richer for having fun and interesting people to share them with. Let's all get to know each other and make some friends to hold our hands during the scary rides or split a basket of fries with.

Feel free to post your answers in the comments or on your own journal and share a link. See you around the fairgrounds!

Basics
Name:
Age:
Location:
Other blogs/socials:

Dreamwidth Stuff
What do you post about?
How often do you post
What communities, if any, are you involved in?
What kind of accounts do you like to follow?

Fandom Stuff
Fandoms:
Favorite Characters:
Ships:
Things you're into but not fannish about:

I Designed This Meme So I Get To Ask Weird Stuff
Explain your username:
Favorite season (it's ok if it's not summer):
What's your vibe?
What is your summeriest fandom? (You can interpret this however you like….):
Opening song on your summer mixtape:

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Meet The Mods

2025-06-29T17:34:31Z

Posted by: florianschild

Take a peek behind the curtain: beyond the bright lights of the carnival midway are the mods keeping the rides running and the queue's orderly. Today we want to feature the mods so you know who you'll be hearing from throughout the month and give them each a little shoutout. \o/

abyssal_sylph:
Hi! I'm Abyss & am excited to let the sunshine in with everyone here this July :3 Young-adult, queer mess, but most of all, a fandom brained person how adores seeing ppl be excited about their fannish things. Hope that there'll be lots of sunshine this year!

endlesstwanted:
Hi, I'm Chase — your typical nerd who started writing fanfic in a gym while skipping PE practice and never quite escaped. I collect cinematic traumas like they're Infinity Stones, ship rarepairs like it’s a paid job, and attempt to fix canon like I’m duct-taping the bumper cars mid-collision. Also, very hyped to be part of Sunshine Revival this year! See you in the comments (while I possibly discover my next hyperfixation) ^^

florianschild:
Hi, you can call me Flori! Summer is my favorite season BY FAR so I'm incredibly excited for this fun way to combine my love of summer with my love of Dreamwidth. <3 As far as my own journal goes, I mainly post about books I read and lately I've been trying to analyze why I love angsty pretty boys so much. No conclusions have yet been reached. :D

muscle_wizard:
I'm Toki o/ A long time hobby writer, lover of fic, food, and queer media. Journal sites have always been my fandom home base and I'm happy to be apart of this challenge. Looking forward to spreading joy and sunshine through the power of comments <3_<3

tellshannon815:
Hi, I'm tellshannon815, writer and occasional icon maker (especially for the less often ficced characters) for many years now. Looking forward to being part of the revival of the challenge this year, to hearing all about everyone's fandoms and maybe discovering some new (what do you mean, I have too many fandoms already?), and to getting to interact with new people!

Thank you mods!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's friending meme...

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Welcome and Introduction Post

2025-06-28T15:41:07Z

Posted by: florianschild

Come one, come all! Step right up to the very first Sunshine Revival challenge!

Is that popcorn and funnel cakes that I smell? And if you listen carefully you can hear the cheerful notes of the Calliope in the distance. You may have noticed we've got some summer carnival sounds and aromas in the air. Which is fitting, since that is our theme this year! Prompts will be inspired by elements of our summer carnival, but don't worry: the prompts themselves are very open-ended and you can write about whatever strikes your fancy.

The format of the Challenge posts will be a little new. Each challenge post will have two prompts: one will be for general journaling (for example, reflecting on personal experiences or sharing thoughts about a topic) and another will be asking you to create something (such as a written or visual work) based on a theme. You're welcome to choose one or both prompts and they are very flexible so if the prompt says "write a story" you can of course write a poem, share a plot bunny, make a mixtape, draw a picture, or do anything else you want; it's up to you how you want to participate!

The Sunshine Revival will kick off with the first prompts on July 1st, but I wanted to say hello and get everyone acquainted before we get started. We'll have a few "pre-challenge" posts over the next few days. Here's the schedule if you need it:

June 28 - Introduction Post
June 29 - Meet the Mods Post
June 30 - Friending Meme
July 1-25 - Challenge Posts every 4 days (7 in total)
July 31 - Wrap up post

I encourage everyone to take some time over the next few days to shake the dust (or pollen perhaps?) off your journals. Clean up your sticky post, add new interests to your profile and remove old ones, consider adding a Transformative Works policy or an AI policy to your profile, and my own special request: Please consider linking to your blog from your AO3 profile! Encourage your friends to do it too! It's fun to find an author you like and then follow them to see what they're reading and doing.

I think that's all for now, but stay tuned for lots more. I'm really happy to be reviving this celebration of summer for the community. I hope it's a lot of fun for everyone!

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Summer is Icumen In

2025-06-12T18:01:51Z

Posted by: florianschild

I hope everyone is having a lovely June and looking forward to the official start to summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Behind the scenes we are getting ready to kick off the Sunshine Revival Challenge starting on July 1. There will be an introduction and friending post ahead of the start to the challenge so we can all gather and get to know one another. Here's a tentative schedule to mark on your planners, if you're into that:

2025 Sunshine Revival Schedule

June 28 - Introduction Post
June 30 - Friending Meme
July 1-25 - Challenge Posts every 4 days (7 in total)
July 31 - Wrap up post

In the meantime, please feel free to promo this challenge anywhere you can! Here are some graphics and icons to help you spread the word if you're so inclined. Feel free to use any and all that you like!

( Icons and Banners under the cut! )

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It's Happening!

2025-05-09T17:24:23Z

Posted by: florianschild

Since the sunshine_challenge appears to be defunct and unavailable for posting, I've created this new community with the intention of reviving the Sunshine Challenge. If you didn't already know, the Sunshine Revival is a companion event to the snowflake_challenge - challenges will be posted throughout the month of July for community members to participate in and share.

If this sounds interesting, please follow this community now to keep up to date with news as we get closer to July. I also have a mod community and I'd love to have a few volunteers join me to help run the challenge. If you're so inclined, go ahead and request to join sunshine_revival_mods. And please, grab a banner from below to help promote the challenge anywhere you can! <3

( banners under the cut - icons to come! )

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