Arctic Has Returned!!

Hello everyone I hope you all are doing-

You guys: ARCTICWHEREHAVEYOUBEENFOR *checks calendar* THREE WEEKS?

Hold on, I can explain-

You guys: YOU'D BETTER HAVE A GOOD ANSWER BECAUSE THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE

I know! I'm very sorry!

You guys: *starts throwing lemons*

Noo!! Wait!!!!

So! This past month has been crazy hectic for me. School has been EVERYWHERE with Final Exams coming up. The teachers have been loading us up with research papers, assignments, extra tests, and pretty much everything they can think of because the semester is almost over! The exams are in about a week and I'm very stressed out! In addition, new classes will be starting soon so I'm starting to shift gears over there as well.
School isn't all to blame though. I can usually handle school- there are other things going on too.

In addition to school, I've gotten involved in a lot more extracurricular activities lately. Long story short: First, I got involved in a Winter Camp over break for a Rock music program. Then, I ended up enjoying it so much that I signed up for one of their full time programs. Then THEY suggested that I auditioned for their prestigious Band program (the band tours and even goes to major music festivals in the summer!). So, I went ahead and auditioned and I made it in! This means I'll be having two 3-hour rehearsals each week, as well as an hour of piano, and half an hour of guitar (in addition to all my homework). That's alright though, I brought this upon myself, and honestly there's nothing I'd rather be doing!

To throw some more excitement into the mix, I performed a show am preparing for an upcoming piano competition, and got a new phone.

Lastly, I have been trying really hard to sort out some friend issues I'm having in real life. Someone I'm very close to is beginning to change a bit, and I'm having trouble dealing with it. Things are getting difficult, and I'm trying to stay afloat. Making friends can be really hard for introverts like me, haha - I just really want to try and sort out this whole friend deal. I'll manage, but it's been pretty tough.

All of those things combined made it so that posting on blogs and going online just began to slip out of the picture for a while. I found myself getting really overworked and posting didn't have a place to fit into! I'm really sorry about this. Telling people would have been the best thing, as I know everyone would be understanding if I needed to take a break. Things just got so hectic that by the time I noticed I should say something - three weeks had gotten behind me.

Worry not though! I'll be back on my regular posting schedule starting today. The first couple of posts on the various blogs I post for will probably be apologies like this one. I should have everything well sorted out now, and everything will be going back to normal!

Again, my sincerest of apologies to all the people that have gotten concerned over my sudden, unexplained absence. I'm back now, and I won't do this kind of thing again. I just didn't know how to handle all of this new, crazy stuff!

See you around!

Arctic is here!

Arctic's Post Mindmap!

Hey Jammers, Arctic here!

I am still completely unsure of what to post about. These past few weeks have been pretty un-inspired for me, so I don't know what to write!

So, to solve my problem, and potentially yours, I decided to post about ideas for when you don't know what to post about!

I've made this mind map (which I will also be posting on the AJAC in a couple of days) with options for what you can post about when you're stuck (like me!)

Feel free to use any of these ideas, or repost this on your own blogs (give me credit if you use this image!!). I know I'll be needing this soon, haha!

I haven't tried using this new mind map/flow chart thing yet, so I'm pretty excited to see if it helps me out! I'll have to try using it next week! In the meantime, tell me if it helped any of you out at all!

And now, it is time for this today's verse:\

Proverbs 18:13

"To answer before listening - that is folly and shame."

True, true. It is wise to give things a chance, and make sure you understand things before taking action!

That's all for this week folks, see you soon!

Send me a lemon at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Friday! (I have no post ideas!!)

Hey Jammers, Arctic here. It's been pretty hectic this week as I've been busy with driving!

But now that that's over, I have a bit more time on my hands (thank goodness!). So, let's get into the post, shall we?

For today's post I thought I'd do... I'd do... Ehmm... Honestly, I really don't know! I had a major brain fart when I was writing this and had absolutely zero ideas on what I should write about! So I finally decided to write a post... About writing posts?

Hold on, I'll explain.

I've been an AJ blogger for a few years now, and I've met a lot of fantastic people along the way. Through meeting these people I worked to improve upon my own skills, which is how I got to the position where I'm writing for three great blogs today!

Anyway, here are some tips and tricks for making better posts!

1. Work on grammar

Its easier too read someones writing when there grammar is correct and its really improves they're writeing alot by doing that.
Yikes, okay that was terrible grammar and flow. You get my point, though, right? While it might be annoying to work on at first, over time it will come easier. Grammar and proper mechanics of writing not only improves the legibility of your writing, but makes people want to read it more as well!

2. Be motivated!

An enthusiastic writer is the best writer. It's really great to read a post by someone who you can very obviously tell is passionate about writing. While there are definitely slow days (like today for me!), a little positivity goes a long way.

3. Don't be discouraged!

Some people might be quick to point out errors in your writing - that happens! While it definitely isn't fun to have your errors mentioned so directly, they really can help you improve. Other times, people can be just plain rude about your work. In such cases, working hard and rambling on is your best option! Just keep chuggin' along and you'll go far!

That's my little segment of wisdom for today! I sure hope it helped!

And now it's time for today's verse:

Hebrews 13:5-6 says

For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

That's all for this week my friends!

New signature!

Bison in Jamaa!

GREETINGSJAMMERSARCTICHEREIHOPEYOU'REDOINGWELLALRIGHNOWLETSGETONWITHTHEPOSTSHALLWEYESITHINKTHATWOULDBEANEXCELLENTIDEA

Whoops. Caps lock. And no spaces. Heh heh, let's get on with the post now shall we?

This week I wanna show you guys a cool picture! Have you ever wondered what a bison would look like in AJ?

Which also happens to be an edit. Heehee! *gets hit right smack in the nose by a lemon*

I'M SORRY 

*hides behind a shield*

That was just an edit I did for a contest on the AJA (Animal Jam Amino). Wish me luck!

Sorry about the recent hiatus of my story! I still haven't had any ideas for a while. I definitely promise I'll get to it soon!

For now, enjoy a horrible picture by me:

Why does it look like a toad? 

And now, this week's verse:

"Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." - Psalm 1:1-3

And excellent message!

Anyway... That's all for this week? I'M SORRY ABOUT HOW SHORT THIS POST IS. I'LL SEE YOU GUYS NEXT WEEK!

*runs away while getting furiously hit with lemons*

Send me a lemon at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Update Friday!

Greetings Jammers- Arctic here! Sorry about missing my post last week. I was convinced that it was Thursday, not Friday!

Anyway, with the new update being released a day late, I have the pleasure of introducing all the new features in Jamaa to all of you!

First page! Awesomesauce! Looks like we have a ton of graham items coming in for another wild weekend! I'm not a huge fan of Wild Weekends myself, but I'm glad Graham is getting more love. He's an underrated alpha that I'd love to see more of!

Next page! OOOH! A new den!! Graham's Observatory? Mm boy you'd better believe I'm getting one of these! I absolutely adore treehouses. It was my fondest dream to live in one when I was a little kid! Pick one of these up today!

Third page! Pet koalas? Excellent! I went right ahead and picked one up! And yes, all you Julian2 fans. The Spinny Boi outfit is an option!

Page four! Jamaalidays in July are back again (soon)! I can't wait- I absolutely love the AJ Jamaalidays!

Phew, chugging along here. Page five! A new adventure for all jammers! Looks awesome- can't wait to play it with all my buddies!

And finally, our speculations are ended. Flamingos are the new animal, coming soon to Jamaa! Woo!

And finally, the beloved mystical armor set is back! Did you know that the mystical gauntlets give some of the most damage in adventures? Also, otters are travelling soon so be sure to get one before they leave!

Phew! That's all for this update. Now for our daily verse!

Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

What a lovely verse! Very encouraging and true. Words to live by!

That's all for today, folks! See you next week!

Send me a lemon at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Writing Block and New Codes!

*dodges a lemon*

OKAY, I KNOW I SAID THAT I'D HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER OF TOUCHING THE HORIZON OUT THIS WEEK *dodges another lemon* BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY INSPIRATION THIS WEEK *gets pelted with lemons* I'M SORRY - I JUST DON'T HAVE IDEAS!! *gets buried in lemons*

WHERE DO YOU EVEN GET ALL THESE LEMONS FROM - WAUUUGHH *lemons start jumping on me*

I'M SORRRYYY

Ahem. That was... odd. In all seriousness, though, I'm sorry for missing two weeks in a row for this story. I'll do my best to come up with something - I really want this story to be a good one, and I don't have any acceptable ideas yet! Anyway, stay tuned for it!

I thought I'd let you guys know about some new codes there are for some awesome items!

wildbackpack
powerbackpack

These two codes will give you some cool new backpacks! If you have a play wild account connected to your PC AJ account, you'll get these backpacks in Play Wild too!

I strongly suggest you get these cute new backpacks - they're a lot of fun. I can't decide which I like better! What do you guys think?

I thought I'd talk about thankfulness for my post this week. It's the 150 Birthday of Canada this year (on July 1st!). I'm very grateful to be able to live in such a wonderful country! In addition, I know a lot of you guys are from America. The fourth of July came recently too, and I'm happy that so many of my friends are able to live in another great country! How are you blessed? What are you thankful for? Tell me in the comments below!

So, this week's verse will be about thankfulness as well!

This verse is from 1st Chronicles 16:34!

Give thanks to the lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

A simple, yet powerful message. You are cared for more than you know- and I think that's pretty awesome!

That's all for this week, my friends. Sorry about the post being shorter this week - I'll work on it! See you soon!

Send me a lemon at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Some Animal Edits and Touching the Horizon Chapter 4!

Hey guys, Arctic here. Hope you are all having an excellent day so far!

The last couple of updates (for me) have been rather... disappointing. This whole spike thing is kinda ridiculous - I'd really like to see some new cool things that aren't member-diamond items! Anyway, I thought I'd show you a couple edits I made with ideas for what some new AJ animals could look like. Please don't steak them or use without my permission. I worked hard on these and would be very upset if they were used wrongly!

First, we have what I imagine a beaver to look like in Animal Jam! It took me quite a while to get the shapes and sizing right, but I think I did a good job! This is an animal that I've wanted to have on Animal jam for the longest time. Hopefully, someday AJHQ will add them!

Next, we have a snake:

Snakes have been something that jammers have been wanting for a LONG time! I'm not quite sure how things like leg items would work, but I liked the idea so I made a snake edit as well. I think it turned out well! I'll probably keep making edits in the future, so if you guys like them, I'll probably keep posting them here too!

And now, it's time for Chapter 4 of Touching the Horizon! If you've missed any of the chapters, click the tag at the bottom of the post that says "Touching the Horizon" and all the chapters will come up. Pretty cool, eh?

Touching the Horizon

A story by Arcticstar8404

Chapter 4: Unforseen Circumstances

A smooth, cold darkness entered the corner of my eye, but only for a split second before everything went back to normal. The others sensed the danger too, because all three of them had the same look of concern on their faces.

"Are we going to get attacked?" Ja asked nervously

Everyone was silent for a second before Sarah yelled "NOT ON MY WATCH!". Staring directly at a strange dark patch that was forming in the void, she kicked one of her ice armor boots right into the center of it. 

With a loud crash, and a bright explosion, we all shot headfirst out of a growing crack in the void, unsure of where we were headed to next.

~~~

Not wanting to get separated, we all scrambled to grab each other before it was too late. Luckily, everyone just barely made it. There was just one problem: We had no idea where we were.

"Gracie, where were we supposed to be headed to?" I asked as I squinted into the bright light that we were engulfed in.

"Coolcat's den. I wanted to gather our friends to try and figure out what's going on... But we ended up here." she replied nervously.

"THANK GOODNESS!" cried a familiar voice from the distance.

"WHAT IS IT?" asked another familiar voice.

"IT'S OUR FRIENDS!!" exclaimed the first voice.

Our eyes had just begun to adjust to the strange light when two figures started running toward the four of us. Gradually, the figures revealed themselves to be Gfox and Frozen!
Sarah, Ja, Gracie, and I went to greet them gladly. How did they get here? And WHERE WERE WE?

"You guys too?!" We all exclaimed at once, resulting in laughter among all of us.

"We thought we'd be stuck here forever!" Frozen said sadly as Gfox nodded.

"We tried to teleport to Gracie's house as soon as we woke up in Jamaa. Something weird happened, though, some big crash - and lots of darkness..." Gfox shuddered "Also, Sarah, is this yours?" she asked, holding up a very scratched Ice Armor boot.

"MY BOOT!" Sarah exclaimed, grabbing it immediately and thanking her friend.

It was a time of great reunion between all of us. The only issue was, we were still stuck in some very bright land with glowing white grass and golden skies. It would have been nice, if we weren't seemingly trapped. As usual, it seemed that our happiness could not last, as no sooner had we all breathed sighs of relief, the same black cloud that was in the portal stretched across the land, inching closer to us...

~~~

Another cliffhanger! I'm pretty sinister, I know. Sorry for making you wait until next week, but it must be done! What do you think will happen next?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

An excellent message! Times can be rough, sometimes they can be unbearable and you might wonder how you'll ever make it through. Just remember that even through adversity, you can face it with strength and come out all the better.

See you next week!

Send me a lemon at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Touching the Horizon Chapter 3!

Greetings Jammers- it's Arctic!


I've been studying for six days in a row now for my final exams and I think I'm slowly losing my mind, haha!

My last final is today (bless), so I should be more active now that summer is coming! So close yet so far... Because of this, this week's chapter of "Touching the Horizon" will not be as action packed, and will be a bit shorter. Just you wait though, soon it'll get more interesting!

So, without further ado:

Touching the Horizon

A story by Arcticstar8404

Chapter 3: Did You See That?

This strange set of circumstances was equal parts terrifying and exciting. It made me feel a bit better to have my friends around, at least.

"Weirrrrdddd" we all said in unison.

"So what now?" Ja asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"We're gonna figure this out the right way- with our friends." Gracie answered as she made her way over to her portal.

Hearts in our throats, we all held each other's paws as we stepped into the violet light.

~~~

The light was within us, and without us, just like before. A warm rush filled me once again, and I was in a state of bliss. I wish I could stay like this forever... I thought to myself. I looked over to see my friends all wearing expressions of similar states of relaxation. All except for Gracie.

I fought the urge to fall asleep, and called out to her:

"What's wrong, Gracie?"

"It feels like something is watching us. I thought I saw it a couple times earlier. I have a bad feeling about this." She answered hesitantly. 

Come to think of it, we had been in the portal for what seemed like a lot longer than my first time. Was this mysterious presence the cause of it?

A smooth, cold darkness entered the corner of my eye, but only for a split second before everything went back to normal. The others sensed the danger too, because all three of them had the same look of concern on their faces.

"Are we going to get attacked?" Ja asked nervously

Everyone was silent for a second before Sarah yelled "NOT ON MY WATCH!". Staring directly at a strange dark patch that was forming in the void, she kicked one of her ice armor boots right into the center of it. 

With a loud crash, and a bright explosion, we all shot headfirst out of a growing crack in the void, unsure of where we were headed to next.

~~~

MUHA, CLIFFHANGER. I'M GONNA MAKE YOU GUYS WAIT TIL' NEXT WEEK TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS! For now, though, feel free to tell me what YOU believe is going to happen! I'd like to see what you guys think!

Now, for the verse of the day:

Do to others as you would have them to you.

This verse is short and sweet, and can be found in Luke 6:31! A simple but excellent message on how to make your life better. 

See you next week!

Send me a lemon at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Touching the Horizon Chapter 2!

Greetings Jammers- Arctic here!

Sorry about not being able to post last week- luckily I found my phone, and all is well. How are you doing?

I've been a bit busy lately- my birthday was on the 7th, and it's been hectic with exams! Still not done school...

Alright! Anyway, it is time for Chapter 2 of my story "Touching the Horizon"
If you missed Chapter 1, you can read it here!

Touching the Horizon

A story by Arcticstar8404

Chapter Two: But What Next?

I eventually woke up. My vision was still blurry from having fallen face first into the grass, and it was impossible to make out what was going on. I realized that something had a tight grip on my shoulders, and three figures loomed over me, gradually coming into focus...

My first instinct, of course, was to panic. Everything ached, but I kicked and flailed anyway. There was no way I was getting kidnapped on my first day in Jamaa!

"ARCTIC, CUT IT OUT!" a familiar voice yelled

"At least she's awake - she's been out cold for at least an hour!" another voice replied

"THAT'S NO REASON TO KICK ME IN THE FACE!" the first voice replied angrily

"Arctic, stop kicking Ja, it's alright!" a third voice jumped in.

Ja? That meant that the second voice would be Sarah's, and Gracie must be the third! Relieved, I stopped my frantic self-defense, and sat up to see my three great buddies sitting there. Apart from Ja, who was still cross that she had gotten my heel to her face, they all looked relieved.

"We're so glad you're alright! You've been out for at least an hour now, after you came shooting out of that portal!" Gracie said

"Phew, thank goodness you're okay! Not going to lie, though, it was definitely funny to watch you fly out of the portal like that!" Sarah agreed

"You might be okay, but Gracie's lawn sure isn't. Just look at the crater you left!" Ja exclaimed

Sure enough, there was a raccoon shaped hole in the ground several metres away from a teal portal. The ground around it was scorched, and some steam was still rising from the centre of it.

"Eh... Whoops... Sorry about that" I mumbled

"Nevermind that" Sarah interrupted "We have other things to discuss! Did you suddenly wake up in your Animal Jam den too?" she asked

"Yep. The same thing happened to you guys?" I replied, as they all nodded.

This strange set of circumstances was equal parts terrifying and exciting. It made me feel a bit better to have my friends around, at least.

"Weirrrrdddd" we all said in unison.

"So what now?" Ja asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"We're gonna figure this out the right way- with our friends." Gracie answered as she made her way over to her portal.

Hearts in our throats, we all held each other's paws as we stepped into the violet light.

~~~

Hope you liked the new chapter! Sorry it got a bit cheesy with all the friendship stuff - I still think it turned out alright! Whose den do you think we're going to next? What do you think is going to happen? Tell me in the comments below!

I've gotta get going, but not before I give you the daily verse!

Our verse today is from Luke 6:42:

"How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

Now the whole thing with specks and logs might sound weird at first, but when you really think about it- there's a great message here. This verse encourages us to not be so nit-picky about others, but to realize that we all have issues. Become a better person yourself before trying to make others better! Words to live by!

See you next week!

Feel free to contact me at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Some Arctic Art, and My New Story!

Hey Jammers! Arctic here - hope y'all are doing alright!

First off - how do you guys feel about the new update? I personally think coyotes are quite cute, and I like them much better than the cougars and lynxes (both of which I'm not too fussy about). I especially like all the new western items!

A couple days ago, Karalee posted a wonderful drawing of many bloggers as little chibis! This got me inspired to do a kind of mini "self portrait" as well, of myself dressed up as my main animal. The idea credit goes 100% to Karalee - I only got inspired by her!

Hmm, I look a little bit like a boy here. Eh, that's alright. I actually have really short hair like that in real life, so sometimes people get confused! It was a lot of fun drawing this - I kind of just sat down and did it without really thinking!

When I told two of my buddies that I was planning to start a series of masterpieces featuring the minor alphas, they suggested that I did a masterpiece of Atlas, the lion alpha. This was a cool idea, so I went ahead and made a masterpiece of it! I'm planning to do more minor alphas sometime too. It's a ton of fun because they all have very basic designs, but so much is left to the imagination. What are their colours? Their personalities? What are they like? So many decisions!

Which minor alpha should I do next? I've gotten a couple people suggesting Amelia, the fox Alpha, but I personally want to do LaSalle (the raccoon alpha)

Alrighty. So, last week I made a tag that I shared with you guys. If you remember, I also mentioned that I had thought of a story idea based on one of the tag questions.

I didn't get any feedback from you guys, but I like the idea so much that I think I might go with it anyway! So without, further ado, let's get onto my story!

Touching the Horizon

A story by Arcticstar8404

Chapter One: This Strange New World

The gentle light filtered through the window, illuminating everything it touched in an early morning glow. Darkness was banished, and it was morning at last. Slowly, I stretched and woke up, watching the light make soft patterns on the wooden floor. It would have been a beautiful scene. Key word: "would" have.

The only issue was, as I quickly realized, was that this was not my room. This wasn't even my house. Resisting the urge to panic, I shuffled out of bed, and as soon as I stood up - my knees buckled on me. Apparently, I couldn't walk normally anymore either. I crawled over toward the wooden dresser on the other side of the round room. Looking in to the mirror, it finally clicked, and I knew what was wrong.

Staring back at me was not my own face, but that of a raccoon wearing an acorn hat. I lost it, and began panicking.

"Am I in... Jamaa?" I wondered aloud.

"No, no. Can't be. This has to be a dream. Yep, just a really far-out dream. Wake up wake up WAKE UP!" Doing everything from pinching myself, to staring at the clock, I tried to find any clues that this could be a dream. The more I tried to reason with myself, however, the more it dawned on me that it was this was reality... somehow.

Eventually, I stopped my hysterics and calmed down. What do I do now? I wondered, wandering down the stairs, and slumping into a chair beside the fireplace. Then it hit me. If I was in Jamaa, then this place must be like Animal Jam. In that case, there should be den portals! 

Surely I couldn't be the only one in this situation. If I travelled somewhere, perhaps, I could get some help and try to sort out my problem!

With a newfound hope, I bounded out the door of my mushroom house, down the garden path, and came to a stop at a small wooden frame in the centre of a flower patch - my den portal. The portal was dark, and seemed to be solid wood. How could I get it to work? Setting my paws on the smooth wooden edge, I mumbled the first thing that came to mind. Much to my shock, a bright teal light shot out of the middle of the frame!

"Do I just - WAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHH!!!!" I screamed, as a fell face first into the warm light.

The light seemed to be within me, but without me at the same time. A strange sensation filled my chest, it was as though the light was passing through me. Perhaps I have become part of the light, I thought. I was almost about to fall asleep, filled with this new warmth. And then I shot out of the other end of the portal.

"AAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH ~ OOF!" I screamed, landing with a thud on the ground. Spitting out grass, I was about to look around for a clue as to where this could be, when my acorn hat shot out of the portal, bonking me squarely on the head. I was out cold. 

I eventually woke up. My vision was still blurry from having fallen face first into the grass, and it was impossible to make out what was going on. I realized that something had a tight grip on my shoulders, and three figures loomed over me, gradually coming into focus.

~~~

Heehee- sorry to end on a bit of a cliffhanger there - I hope you enjoyed it so far! Should I continue it? What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me in the comments!

Now before I go, I still have the daily verse to present to you. Here it is:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

This is very true! Sometimes it is difficult to not be selfish- everyone wants what's best for themselves - and that's not entirely a bad thing. However, it is also important to remember that there are other people around too, and you need to be kind to them! It's often hard to try to love others thus, especially if it doesn't seem like they deserve your kindness. It's important to realize, that they are all people, and that they should be treated how you want to be treated - to the best of your abilities!

See you next week!

Feel free to contact me at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Tags Galore and Story Idea?

Greetings Jammers, Arctic here!

Last week I was away and couldn't post because I was out of town watching an awesome concert! I spent the weekend there, and got back on Sunday at midnight. And I still went to school the next day XD

I'm so extremely tired, and I'm super bogged down with schoolwork. Thank goodness for the long weekend! Four days off- woohoo!

Just as a side note, today's returning item is the Stegosaurus tail. Instead, however, the old ones have become rare, and there are new colours being released. Be sure to buy one of these at the Summer Carnival!

Now let's get going, shall we?

First off, it seems I have two tags to complete because I've been tagged. I've never done a tag before ~ this should be fun! So... TAG! YOU'RE IT!

*crickets chirping*

Wait... That's not how these things work, is it? Alrighty, let's see here:

Firstly, one that Gracie tagged me in:

1. If you could speak any language, which language would you want to speak?
Awesome question - I think about this all the time, haha! I currently speak English and Japanese fluently, and I'm learning French in school. I've always thought that Italian or Gaelic Irish were super cool, so one of those two.
2. If you could teleport to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Anywhere? Oooh... I've always wanted to visit Ireland or Scotland. I have ancestry there, so I've always wanted to go ^.^
3. You have to choose to live in some fictional land, which one do you choose? (Narnia, worlds from Star Wars, etc.)
It's not really a separate world, but the Wizarding world in Harry Potter is amazing. *sighs dramatically with longing*
4. What's your favorite Bible verse?
You're trying to make me choose one?! You're crazy! Just kidding- it has to be Philippians 4:8, for sure. Ahem:
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. "
Lovely, isn't it?
5. If there's one thing in the world you could change, what would it be?
Class. I don't agree with how some people are so much higher up than others, while some people are left with next to nothing. We are all created equal, and I don't like how people see some as "above" or "below". That's not how we are born to be.
6. What mythical invention would you want? (The Blogger Portal, a time traveling machine, etc.)
Time machines freak me out, and so do wacky machines, generally XD
The Blogger Portal would seriously be cool though. Or maybe an idea my friend and I came up with- a portal within my backpack! The only limitation is that I have to have been to the place before to teleport there. You could just climb inside and go wherever you like, whenever you like!
7. You just inherited 10 million dollars. What do you do with it?
BECOME A ROCKSTAR AND MAKE AWESOME TUNES THAT PEOPLE WILL ENJOY FOR GENERATIONS! And give money to charity and my family, XD
8. Which convention would you want to go to, and why? (JamCon, Vidcon, etc.)
Hmm... I'm not really sure. Conventions aren't really my thing, but ComicCon, LeakyCon, or JamCon seems cool. I really don't know much about these.
9. If you could only have one book, which would it be?
Bible, probably. Or HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban for a fictional novel.
10. Who is your best friend, and why do you look up to them?
I have only one close friend in real life. I decline to state their name as that is private information XD
I look up to her because we have been friends for 11 years now, and she is always there for me. No matter what we go through together, we come out strong. She always makes me laugh, and I'm so grateful for her!
In AJ, though, I can't possibly choose. I love all my buddies equally!
11. What's your favorite hobby?
Playing/making/listening to music. Or reading!

That was fun. Thanks for tagging me, Gracie! Now, on to the next one!

This one is by Sarahkey! I can't wait to begin:

1. What is your favorite book/book series?
*cough cough* Harry Potter *cough cough*
2.  Do you prefer a good book, or a good movie?
Ooh, a good book, for sure!
3. What would you do if you got hacked, and the hacker took every one of your items, and deleted your whole entire buddy list?
Step One: Panic and possibly cry
Step Two: Tell a parent and try to contact AJHQ
Step Three: Get into contact with buddies I talk to outside of AJ (through Blogger, Gmail, or the Animal Jam Amino) and explain what's going on.
Step 4: If AJHQ can't restore my stuff, I'll make a new account, sadly, and notify my buddies I still have contact with.
Step 5: Be sad, but try to move on
4. What is your favorite animal (IRL, and pictures are accepted XD) 
I like raccoons, coyotes, foxes, pandas, and owls! My favourite is probably...... Maybe the raccoon? I dunno- too hard to choose just one!

Taken from Buzzfeed

5. What is your worst injury you have ever had?
Not going to go into much detail, because I'm extremely squeamish. One time I split my knee open on the brick stairs to a music lesson. And another time, I crashed backwards into a pole at a ski hill (and I still have a scar on my back from it!)
6. Who 'introduced' you to blogging?
No one in particular, actually. I mostly was inspired by reading the Animal Jam Spirit blog. I started my own blog, but I wanted something more. I applied so many times to the AJS, but never got accepted, so it wasn't meant to be. However, soon after, my application to the Animal Jam Community blog got accepted by Slidoo and Pumaa! I've been blogging faithfully ever since!
7. Would you rather be blind or deaf? 
Difficult! I'd have to say, blind. I can't imagine a world where I couldn't hear music, laughter, kind words, or my friends voices. Silence terrifies me!
8. What  would you do if all animals suddenly died, and we only ate plants (or stuff like that that involves no meat) and we wouldn't have any birds, cats, horses, dogs, etc?
Step One: Panic and possibly cry
Step Two: Try to find substitutes to my favourite foods (like cheese, bacon, etc.)
Step Three: Generally be miserable, because I love animals, and I can't imagine a world without them!
9. What is your favorite animal in AJ?
Raccoooooons!

10. What is your favorite thing in Nature?
Beautiful freshwater lakes, for sure. One of my favourite places to visit to this day is Lake Louise.

banfflakelouise.com

11. What is your favorite 'storm' weather? (Light rain, big thunder storm e.t.c)
A light rain is my favourite! Light enough that I can go outside and see the entire world washed in a beautiful dew, but enough that I can enjoy falling asleep to the sound of it tap-tap-tapping on my window. So cozy!

Woo! Thanks for tagging me, Sarah!

Alrighty... Now it's my turn to make one? Okay!

1. What's cooler? Magic or superpowers? (for instance, would you prefer immense magical powers derived from a sacred magical stone, or a genetic mutation that causes a superpower?)
2. What's your second favourite colour? (caught you off guard there! Not first, but second!)
3. What do you prefer? A beautiful masterpiece, or an excellent beta?
4. You have to choose to remove one of these from the game forever. Would you: Remove your favourite item, your favourite animal, your favourite den, or your favourite adventure?
5. Quick! A phantom is destroying your things! What do you do?!
6. Would you rather improve at something you're already good at, or be really good at something else that you're not? (for example: If you're good at art, but suck at singing, would you rather improve more at art, or become a great singer?)
7. You only have 20 minutes before the world gets devoured by a giant slice of pumpkin pie. Don't worry, it'll be painless. What do you do in your last 20 minutes?
8. If you could only have one den item, one clothing item, one animal, and one den, what would you choose for each?
9. If you could be one animal (in real life) for a day, what would you want to be?
10. You're stuck on an island with plenty of fresh fruit to eat, birds to admire, wonderful plants, and water to drink! It doesn't sound so bad until you realize that there is a broken record player there. It can only play one song. What one song do you choose to take on the island with you to listen to?
11. If Animal Jam became real life (as in, you woke up in your Animal Jam den, and Jamaa became the real world), what is the first thing you would do?

And now, I think I'm supposed to tag people! Hmm... I tag:

Karalee, Ja983, Coolcat8952, Sarahkey8, Graciepopstar91, and YOU! Go ahead and respond in the comments! I wanna hear your answers!

Going back to #11 on the tag I just wrote, I just got a pretty cool idea for a story from it. I might start writing it sometime, and I might post it here. I'm not sure yet- tell me what you think!

WAIT DON'T GO! Ahem... Sorry. I just needed to tell you guys the daily verse!

Philippians 4:13 says:
"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

A simple, but powerful message. See you next week Jammers!

Feel free to contact me at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

The Sinister Chicken Strikes Again

Greetings friends, Arctic here! I'm happy to say that I am feeling much better, and I managed to get through the cold quite quickly. Thanks for your kind support!

It's been a crazy week for me - I've had a LOT to do! Next week gets even crazier >.<

Speaking of crazy... I'll be heading out of town for a rad concert next Friday, so I'll have to remind myself to ask Gracie to find someone to cover for me! I'll tell you guys all about it when I get back!

Enough about my adventures, though. This is about AJ! So let's get going, shall we?

Not gonna lie, I'm not entirely sure what the new item for today is. With all these items on sale, it's getting tough to figure out what's new and what's not! I'd like to point out that all hats are for sale in Jamaa now, so if you want a hat - now is the time to get one!

Be sure to check out the four new hats in the Diamond Shop (here for only another 3 days!). I'm not sure how I feel about Top Hats returning. On one hand, it's great that more Jammers can have fun with them, but on the other hand, it's killing the rarity system and it's getting harder for artists to do commissions with! Depends on how you look at it, I suppose.

How do you feel about the returning items lately? Do you think it should stop, or do you want the older items to keep coming back? Tell me in the comments below!

The return of the Ol' Barn den is an exciting one! I must admit, though, that I never realized it was gone... Whoops. Anywho, AJHQ has released yet another one of their seasonal den preview things. I went to check it out when I noticed two things.

Firstly, the secret item is the Small Nest. Hidden cleverly above some crates on the second floor, this is a smaller counterpart to the previously released large nest! I'm pretty sure this one is the perfect size to hold a single egg. Very cute!

I'm afraid another... ahem... Situation happened in my den:

I'm beginning to get concerned by this chicken... Anyway:

The second thing that I noticed in the den was a small statuette of a fox:

This fox looks pretty familiar. Do you think it could be Amelia? The fox Alpha is pretty popular, so I could understand why this little fox would be here. I wonder if this item will get released in the future, or if we'll be seeing some more of this fox in the future. Food for thought!

I'm nearing the end of my post, but not before a small bit of wisdom for today!

Through some experiences I've been through lately, I've been realizing more and more that you should treat others with kindness. You never know who is going through a tough time. People are often very good at acting, and their real situation might be different than it appears on the surface. I strongly advise that you all try to make someone's day - a bit of kindness can go a long way! Hey, that rhymed!

Proverbs 12:25 says: Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Happy Jamming!

Feel free to contact me at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !

Fantastic Friday (though Arctic is sick)

Hey Jammers, Arctic here!

I'm currently at that stage where it seems like I'm about to get sick. I have a sore throat and my nose has been running, and I just generally feel icky. So, I'll have to keep this post shorter than my last few!

Today, we have three new items and one returning one. Behold:

Unfortunately, I don't have the sufficient energy to go into depth about these. I do like the beak though - I might try making a griffin with it later! The Sunflower Lamp is the returning item, and the Diamond Tiara is in the Underwater Diamond shop.

I'm pretty happy with the update from yesterday- how about you guys? The oceans are finally getting more love- something that was way overdue, and being able to display masterpieces underwater too? Sick! What's your favourite part of the update? I think I like that people are finally appreciating underwater more!

I've had another weird glitch occur a while ago. I was in my den, changing the music when voila:

This is not an edit folks, it actually happened! Every time I changed the music, the AJ melody icon moved a bit. Weird, eh?

I have to go soon to get some rest, but I hope you all have a great day! Sorry about how short this post is - I hope I don't get any worse. By next week the post length will be back to normal, worry not!

Before I go, here's a daily verse:

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4

See you in Jamaa!

Feel free to contact me at arcticstarjamaa@gmail.com !