5 Fun Things to Send Your Pen-Pal // DIY and Under $1

Writing letters back and forth with long-distance friends can be a great experience. Even if you already text, call, or email, letters are a traditional way to get to know each other. Plus, who doesn't love to get something exciting in their mailbox? I've made a list of five ideas that will make opening the mailbox even more fun.

1. Bookmarks // DIY

Whether water colored, drawn, or a clip, bookmarks are easy, small items to put in an envelope. I love making DIY bookmarks. There are so many methods out there.

2. Friendship Bracelets // DIY

Friendship bracelets aren't that hard to make, because there are lots of patterns and instructions for all skill levels. Just pick up some embroider floss and get started.

3. Balloons // under one dollar

I saw this idea on Pinterest, and had to include it in this list. Blow up a balloon, write your letter on it, then deflate it and put it in an envelope! Your pen-pal can then blow up the balloon and read what you wrote. I think this is such a unique idea.

4. Coloring Pages // under one dollar

There are a lot of coloring pages online that have printables. Dover Publishing has some here, and there are lot's on Hattifant and Trail of Colors. You can find more by searching for 'free adult coloring pages'. Or, if you have a coloring book you really like, you can tear out a page to send. 

5. Fake Mustache // under one dollar

This one is sure to make your friend laugh. Slip one of these in an envelope and wait for a response!

I hope you were inspired by these ideas!!

Adventures in Odyssey Fan Tag!

Hello! I'm excited for this post! So, I was browsing Adventures in Odyssey pins/boards on Pinterest and saw this image:

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The first thing I did was try to come up with my own answer. The second thing that happened (about 1.5 seconds later), is an idea for an AIO blog tag! I know of a few bloggers out there that love AIO, and there is probably more that do too. So, I came up with this tag!

Rules:

1. Answer the questions you are asked

2. Add one of your own questions
3. Include the tag image featured in this post in your own post

4. Nominate three bloggers to do the tag

5. Notify your nominees that they have been nominated

To start off the tag, I will answer my own questions!

If you could invite three characters from Odyssey for Thanksgiving, who would you invite? (but Whit is busy and can't come)

Since Whit isn't one of the options, I would invite Connie, Penny, and Olivia.

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Who is your favorite AIO character?

My favorite character is Penny! At first I wasn't completely sold about her, and I was still on the Connie wagon. But now she has been on the show since 2011, and there's plenty of episodes to get to know her. She is really kind and funny, yet sometimes acts on a whim and gets into predicaments! She's also a great friend for Connie to have, one that reminds her to be lighthearted. But I still really like Connie. And Jason. And Joanne. And Jack. And...

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If you could visit one location in the town of Odyssey which would you choose? (but Whit's End is closed for the day)

I would probably go to the Timothy Center! Being there for a camp or an event or even just to go horseback riding would be awesome. 

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If you had to spend a week staying at the home of a family from Odyssey, which would you choose?

I'd have to say the Washington family! They are so fun and always seem to be going on new adventures.

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Would you rather be on a case with Olivia and Matthew, be in a performance at the Little Theater directed by Connie, or in the computer lab at Campbell College with Eugene?

I think a performance at the Little Theater would be most up my alley!

I'm going to nominate five bloggers to get the tag started:

Hope from AGDollDreams

Gracie from Through the Eyes of Gracie

Zella from Dancing Among the Stars

Sassafras from Treasured Friendships with a Flair

Julia Rose from Dolls 'n All

If you're an Odyssey fan but I didn't nominate you, feel free to do the tag!

If you haven't listened to Adventures in Odyssey before, it's a radio-drama with Biblical morals for kids, but lot of adults love it too. It's been going for 30 years, and there are over 800 episodes. To get a free 2 week trial to see if you like the town of Odyssey, you can sign up for the Adventures in Odyssey Club here.

I also made a Pinterest board for AIO characters and bounding their outfits... If you want to check it out. :D

What do you think of this tag? Did you like reading my answers? 

Recent Reads 3 // Words and Such

I haven't done a recent reads post since December 19th! Well, anyway, here are the books I've read since then....

Heavenly Crowns by Heather Whitestone McCallum and Angela Hunt

Written by Miss America 1995, this book was pretty good. It talked about how God will give us crowns when we get to Heaven. The main point was that when we get the crowns, we will lay them at His feet because everything we do for His Glory in life is for Him alone. At least, that's what I understood. Along the way, there were many stories and examples. I would've liked more personal stories from the authors life, but I still learned through the examples that were used.

The People of Sparks by Jeanne DePrau

This book is the sequel to City of Ember. I appreciate when sequels pick up right where the previous book left off, like The People of Sparks did. The book's tone was very similar to the first one. I thought it was quite odd though that Lina (the main girl) was taken aback by the cluttered homes in the city of Sparks. I recall from City of Ember, the detailed descriptions of the homes that were floor to ceiling odds and ends families had collected over generations. Despite this mild, brief indiscrepancy, this was a good book. I have to say my favorite character was Maddy, a young, wise, and kind roamer. I plan to read the fourth book in the series, The Diamond of Darkhold, next, as the third books seems to be an oddly placed prequel to the entire series??

The Blackgaard Chronicles: Pawn's Play by Phil Lollar

Based on an Adventures in Odyssey radio drama saga, this book really fleshes out what you only hear on the radio drama. You get an idea of how people look, what the characters think of each other, and how they feel inside. This is great! As for the book itself, it's an easy read that follows two main stories. You get to see different sides of the stories from different characters' points of view. It was never confusing for me, probably because I am familiar with the audio drama series. I would definitely recommend reading the first book in the series before this one if at all possible. The book is clearly also meant to be followed by another... I don't think another has been announced yet though so I'll have to wait :)

not a fan. daily devotional by Kyle Idleman

I got this book for Christmas, and have already read not a fan. by Kyle Idleman, of which this is the devotional version. I didn't read one a day, I just sort of read it in spurts. Several devotionals were quite similar to points made in the book, but I didn't really mind. I enjoyed the practical applications after each lesson, and each lesson used a Bible verse and a real life story. 

Shouting Won't Help by Katherine Bouton

I came across this book because it popped in my library's "related" sidebar of a book I was looking at. This book is basically a look at psychological implications of losing your hearing later in life and the science of cochlear implants and hearing aids. This book was really interesting to me. It went so far as to describe what happens during a cochlear implant surgery. The angle of the drill and all. I learned a lot that I didn't know and found this book really interesting.

Thanks for stopping by! What have you been reading recently?

My Bedroom Wall Decor DIYs

I was wondering what I was going to post today, when I remembered that I had taken pictures of the things I had made and put on my bedroom walls. So today I'll be showing and talking about it!

I love to DIY stuff to go on my walls; usually it's paintings that I make. 

Above my desk I have a hexagon shelf I made from jumbo popsicles sticks, and then painted.

I made a shelf that has a few shells on it.

There's another, lower shelf that currently doesn't have anything on it. Also, I painted some mini clothespins gold and hot glued them. I clip notes from friends here.

To the left of my hexagon (we shall call it that), is a small painting that says "Die Daily" in gold lettering.

Similarly, to the right, one says "Soli Deo Gloria".

Next to that, is a larger canvas with a "ILY" American Sign Language hand shape. This sign is interpreted in English as "I Love You", but, as with any interpretation, the English words don't entirely match the meaning of the sign. I feel like this sign is more like the equivalent of hugging someone. It seems to represent acceptance and warm feelings, at least to me it does.

I need to come up with a similar painting idea to put on the other side of the hexagon so the wall is symmetrical, but I haven't had any ideas.

On a different wall, I have a large canvas that I painted and wrote the Fruits of the Spirit on in gold letters.

To the right, I put up a little cross that has Philippians 4:13 on it. It was given to me by a friend, and seemed to go with my décor :)

To the left is a watercolor painting done on a 5x7 canvas.

Finally, on this wall I have Disney things! The "Disneyland" sign canvas I painted a few years ago. In 2016, I went to Disneyland and took an empty canvas that I drew a Castle on and wrote the year beneath it. On the trip, I had all the characters sign the canvas. My brother and I used the Disney Parks app  and were able to meet over 40 characters! The Mickey Mouse canvas is actually a duct tape creation that my friend made and gave to me for Christmas a while back. In the center, I taped up an old Thunder Mountain Fastpass ticket :)

I hope you enjoyed taking a tour of my bedroom walls! Which wall is your favorite? Any ideas for the painting I need to do to complete my hexagon wall?

PS I never know which is right and less confusing, text for the pictures above or text below? What do you think?