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?

Recent Reads // Words and Such

I actually wanted to make this a post about my TBR books, but I'm reading them too fast. So instead, I'll talk about/mini review the books I've read recently! Judging by the books in this post, I read a lot of nonfiction, but that's partly because I need to find new material and a niche for fiction (I prefer historical fiction). 

These books are in order of when I read them, with the most recent at the end of the post. Also, these are just my opinions of the books and what they were about from what I understood while reading them.

(all images are from amazon.com unless otherwise stated.)

Nobody's Perfect by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney

This is a fiction book about a fifth grade girl who thinks the new girl at school is mistreating her because she is Deaf. I found this book interesting (even though it is more for young children) because I want to have a Deaf character in the story I am writing, and thought it would be beneficial to read a book with a Deaf character that was written by a Deaf woman. I recommend this book, especially if you want to learn about Deaf Culture, which is completely and totally unique. It may give you some insight on how to interact with Deaf people you may come across in your life.

 

Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris

I actually discovered this book after reading about it on Allison's blog. I totally recommend this book! If you're a teen (or whatever age you are) and need encouragement and inspiration to do "hard things" every day in order to fulfill your God-given potential despite the various expectations of society, you should definitely read this book. I'm currently reading (well, technically listening since it's an audio book 😁) the follow-up book called Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are.

 

All In by Mark Batterson

This book is thought provoking. However, I feel like it focused on money. I felt that one of the main messages I took away was if you give or are willing to give up all of your money/possessions, then you are a completely committed follower of Jesus. While Jesus should absolutely be first in your life as a Christian, I think more examples of other kinds could have been used in the book. That being said, I'm really glad I read it and it was definitely worth my time! It's a popular book, and I can see why.




not a fan. by Kyle Idleman

Of the books in this post, this one is my favorite. It talks about the costs that come with being a follower of Jesus, as opposed to an interested and adoring fan. The author says that following Jesus means saying no to a lot of things that society may want or push us to do, and making sacrifices. It says that followers "Die Daily" in the world, and sacrifice their worldly life for their eternal life in heaven. I thought it was interesting, because some of the same Bible stories/verses were used in both All In and not a fan.. However, they were used to justify and explain different points. I enjoyed contrasting the two books. There is also a teen version of the book.

photo from simonandschuster.com

Sensing the Rhythm by Mandy Harvey and Mark Atteberry

  

I first heard of Mandy Harvey, the jazz singer, a few months before she was on America's Got Talent. I'd wanted to read her book ever since it came out, and finally got it from the library last week. It's an inspirational type book. She mentions her faith and talks about the trials she's faced. I was interested to read about how she feels vibrations of music through her body in order to stay with the musicians in the band. If you didn't know, she is Deaf. Overall, this was a good book. I will most likely read it again in the future. (I'm a re-reader) I'm looking forward to seeing her perform in person next year.

In summation....

These were my thoughts and opinions of the books I read. I enjoyed writing out these mini reviews. If you've also read these books, you may or may not agree with my thoughts, but that's totally fine! I'm thinking of doing this type of post every two weeks, depending on how many books I read.

So... What's next on my TBR list?

Inside Deaf Culture by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries

This book is used in college courses I guess, but reviews of it suggest that it isn't dry and it is a good informative book about the history of Deaf Culture and American Sign Language. I picked it up at the library and think I will learn a lot while reading it.

What book did you finish reading most recently?