Oh, and one last thing...

 

... I found the Blogger Portal. ;)

A Proper Explanation

I'm not even sure where to start... wow. Just... wow. I never thought I'd be doing this again. But here I am, in 2022, going back to my roots, back to where it all began for me. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well... hey there everyone. 

I know that most everyone I used to know through Animal Jam has grown and changed and moved away from the game and the blogs about it. Obviously, I have too. I know this post won't reach many people because of that reason. But I still felt the need to make it anyway, even if all it does it sit on the home page unnoticed. I needed to give a proper explanation, look back on my old memories, reflect on how far I've come, and finally write the official goodbye that I never got around to doing 4 years ago. 

To those of you who don't know me, or don't remember me, I'm Swirlshine (or Swirl for short), the creator and sole author of this silly little blog. I created this blog back in 2014, while I was still in middle school, a couple days after my birthday and around a year after I joined Animal Jam. For years, I used it to post about the game, and through doing so, I made a lot of great friends and great memories that will never be forgotten. My friends and I always used to say that we'd be playing AJ and blogging about it for forever, for well into our 20s at least, and I believed this statement wholeheartedly, because my passion for this game had outgrown anything I'd ever felt before. It meant so much to me. Obviously, as the years passed, interests changed, and we all ended up abandoning our blogs and AJ after all. But, I can tell you now, none of us have abandoned the memories we have of that time in our lives. Personally, I hope I never do, because this game, this blog... it quite literally changed my life.


This blog started off small, and I mean REALLY small. For my first year of posting, I'm pretty sure I typically got no comments and no views on most of my posts. Which, looking back, was understandable, because back then, this blog was just like all the other informative AJ blogs that existed and were popular at that time. I reviewed the updates, talked about the occasional glitch or funny comment I saw... and that was it. Truth be told, I never really expected it to go anywhere big anyway. I was just happy to be sharing my thoughts about something I loved. But still, I really wished for people, even just a few, to see it and enjoy it with me, and eventually, that did happen. I began to shape this blog into something that really represented me. It was chaotic, cringey, and disorganized, but it was me, and I loved it. And slowly, I began to find other people who enjoyed it as well.

Back then, I was having a lot of trouble with friendships. Friends I thought I'd be growing up with grew apart from me and found new friends, leaving me feeling lost and ashamed of myself for not being better. There was a period in time when I had no true friends, and I thought this was my fault, that I was nowhere near interesting or fun enough to continue being friends with. I figured that no one wanted to hear what I had to say or cared about what my thoughts and opinions were, and conditioned myself to believe that any friends I DID make were only temporary - they would leave just like the rest, they always did. Overall, it was not a good time. As dramatic as it may seem to say that middle school held one of the lowest points in my life, it's true. But when I started blogging, I realized that there were people out there who DID want to hear my opinions, who DID want to get to know me and who genuinely liked being around me. I made the cringiest, most annoying posts in existence sometimes, and still people would enjoy them and leave kind comments. I was, and still am, extremely grateful for the kindness of the community towards me during that time.

It was also around then that I met my best friends - Lost, Sarah, Ja, and Chloe. We were all Animal Jam bloggers, and we began to support each other through the comments on each others' blog posts, slowly getting to know each other in the process. Eventually, I held a birthday party in my AJ den, and that's where I got to meet them all in real-time. I still remember us all having such a fun time, jumping around with our animal avatars and screaming silly phrases, and I am so glad that I was able to have that experience, because our friendship only grew from there. We became best friends, and they taught me that there were people out there who appreciated and loved me for who I was, that I was worth being friends with and for the first time in a while, gave me a strong feeling that I wouldn't be abandoned, not this time. And I am so happy to say that I was right. We talked more and more, using Google Hangouts and writing lengthy, enthusiastic comments back on forth on our blogs, and never once did our friendship waver, no matter what happened. We stuck together and always stayed kind, supportive, and encouraging towards one another. And now, all these years later, I am happy to say that our friendship is still just as strong, if not more so. We've long since left our Animal Jam and blogging days behind us, and we don't talk for hours on end every day like we used to, but anytime we meet back up online to chat - whether it's been days since we've last talked, or months - it's as if no time has passed at all. I've never in my life been a part of such an incredible friendship, one that is full of unwavering compassion, trust, confidence, encouragement, laughter, and love, and I've learned so much just by being a part of such a group! I can honestly say that I am a better person now, one who knows her own self-worth and who has learned so much about being a good friend to others. Our childhood dreams of meeting up for real someday still last, and may even become a reality in the near future. And yet, all of that never would have happened had it not been for a whimsical animal game and a random webpage about it.

Not every single memory I have of my time blogging is good, of course. There were certainly times that were tougher, times that led to disappointing reveals, falling-outs, and lots of anger and confusion. I held a grudge against some people for a long time, still feeling betrayed and furious with their actions for years on end. I was overdramatic in some ways, yes - I was a kid and this was one of the biggest negative situations I had ever truly witnessed, much less been a part of. In some cases, I admit that I even let my naivety and hurt overtake me, causing me to say some nasty, insensitive things to a few people. I completely cut those people out of my life and wondered for years why I couldn't find it in my heart to truly forgive them. But more time passed, I learned and changed, and I eventually realized that I was no longer angry. I'm sure those people I'm referring to are long gone from this corner of the Internet, but even if only for my own sake, I still wanted to officially say that they are forgiven. They have been for a while now. I also formally apologize, with all of my heart, for anything I did as a kid that hurt anyone else. I was a sheltered child who didn't yet understand all the viewpoints that the world had to offer, a child who hadn't fully learned how to healthily work through her negative emotions. But even so, being young and dumb is simply an explanation, not an excuse, for how I acted. I hope the people I harshly turned away from all those years ago know that I deeply regret it. They did not deserve that, but they do deserve this sincere apology, and to know that they are loved and appreciated, regardless of what may have been said in the past. I regret not being able to properly tell them before I quit both the game and this blog, but I hope that, somehow, they know anyway. I hope they are doing well, that they too have grown and changed and matured, and that they understand that their past doesn't have to be their future. I really do wish them the best, and I'm sure that Younger Me would be relieved to hear that that weight finally lifts from her shoulders.

But overall, most of what I remember of my time running The Weekly Jammer News makes me realize how lucky I was. Everyone in the AJ blogger community, whether I had talked to them for years or had just met them, was always so encouraging and inclusive toward me. Every friendship I made felt genuine. Every time I wrote up a new post, I had fun doing so. Every time I held or attended a "party", I felt an outpouring of unity and kindness. This community was genuinely so, so incredible, so close-knit and built upon such good qualities, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am to have been a part of it at its prime. Everyone I met has a special place in my memories. I hope you know I never forgot you all.

This blog's last post, made in 2018 during my freshman year of highschool, talked about me returning from a lengthy hiatus. How school had been stressful and had drained my energy and motivation to post, but I would make an effort to continue posting again because of my sheer passion and love for blogging and the AJ blogger community. But, considering that was the last true post I ever made, I guess that promise was kinda empty, huh? I do apologize for that. I hadn't really expected highschool to affect me in the way it did. Freshman year was the roughest year I have ever experienced, and highschool in general was full of a lot of negative memories. I figured out that I had anxiety, and I fell into rut after rut of bleak hopelessness as I returned constantly to an environment that only made it worse. But, in the end, I made it through thanks to newfound interests and the support of my best friends, and I do feel as if I am a stronger person because of it.

I graduated highschool this year. I no longer play Animal Jam every day, but I do come back to it every once in a while, since I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the game that changed my life. I don't blog or really write much at all anymore, but I do still love to write and read, and I may possibly write a new story in the near future, after all these years. I have continued to improve in making digital art, and now I have an art style that I can confidently say I love. I'm also now able to share what I make proudly with the world on Instagram. I don't have the same interests, not exactly, but I've found new ones that mean the world to me. I'm no longer scared to share my love for those interests - the Internet has taught me to embrace what I love, and other, similar people out there will love it with me. I've got my own dog, my own driver's license and car, and I'm working towards getting a job this summer before I go off to community college later on this year. I've got friends, both in my own state and in other ones (and other countries too) that I love and feel loved around. I'm not done figuring things out about myself and improving, but for now, for the most part, I like who I am and who I've become. And at the root of it all, I honestly have this blog and Animal Jam to thank for it. I will always, ALWAYS be grateful for such an amazing childhood experience.

As I'm sure you know, this blog is abandoned now, and it will not be returning. I've moved on, and I'm sure everyone else has too. That's okay though - change is natural, and, although bittersweet, it should be acknowledged and embraced. So this is my official "quitting" post, the one that is 4 years overdue. But hey, I hope you know how much you all impacted my life. I hope you know that I wish you all, every one of you, all the best - that you're thriving and growing and loving yourself and your work and simply being happy. You deserve it, you really do. <3


I know this was a lengthy read, but if you read this far, thanks for letting me reminisce and tell my story! It's something I've really been wanting to do, and I'm glad that now, I've finally done it. This blog will stay up for everyone to enjoy, whether it's being looked back on or found for the first time, but I think it deserved a final post to wrap up its era. If anyone ever wants to get in contact with me again and see what I've been working on, I am extremely active on my art Instagram, @swirlofserendipity! I love talking with old friends, so just drop me a DM saying who you are and I'll gladly say hello again! And of course, you're just as welcome if you're new to this blog, too! I also post occasionally on my Twitter, @Swirlsfanart, and my Tumblr, swirls-fanart. :)


I think that's about all there is to say for now, huh? Once again, thank you. This is Swirlshine, signing out. :)

It's Been A While (And I'll Explain Why)

*Awkwardly wanders in and gives a sheepish small wave*

Uh... hi?

*Crickets chirp*

Ahem... uh, yeah. So uh, how has everyone beennnnn?? *Sorta sinks lower*'

*More silence*

*Blinks* Er... so... I, uh, take it you want me to get on with the post already, huh?

*Still nothing*

Alright then... eheh...






So... uh, hello everyone, eheh! Remember me? Swirlshine? The blogger who kinda obviously stinks at responsibilities and hasn't posted since... *checks* August? Yeah, that's me. Eheheh.

*Fidgets nervously* So, uh, I take it you've all been wondering where I've been for 4 months?

I'll explain that now then. I hope it all doesn't sound like excuses to you - I'm speaking the truth, I promise you!

*Clears throat*


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Alright. So first off, you can see that my last post was on August 22. I'm pretty sure that was a few days before the new school year started for me.
So yeah, that makes sense, right? Yeah, totally normal - lots of people just need a few weeks to get used to school schedules again!
Except uh, yeah, I obviously was NOT gone for "just a few weeks".
But if you guessed one of the reasons for my unexpected "hiatus" was school, you'd be very much correct, so yayyyy, good for you if you guessed that, I guess! XD

Yeah... idk. School's been different this year, being in high school and all. Quite interesting, to say the least. Unfortunately, I can't say it's the good kind of interesting either.
I'm not trying to turn this into a vent post or anything, promise, but yeesh, I'm not gonna lie - this 2018 school year so far has been rough. *Shakes head* School's quite dumb in many ways, I can tell you that. And stressful. And discouraging. And disappointing. And infuriating. And dull. And- you get the idea.

But hey, I won't go into my strange personal issues. And besides, maybe the 2019 half of the school year will be much better!
... Okay, tbh, I sorta doubt it. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT YET SO I SHOULD BE QUIET NOW. C: XDD
And plus, I mean, 2018 hasn't been all bad! School-wise, yeah, it's been tough, but I did grow even closer to some of my friends, and I'm so grateful for that. <3

Anywho, yeah, school's been keeping me busy lately. After a while I ended up forgetting about blogging entirely, and if I remembered, I just... never really felt up to posting, if you get what I mean? Idk, I'm exhausted after school, I like to spend my time in the evening after homework doing other things online, and I just wasn't sure what to post about. All of those things contributed.

Actually, now that I think about it, it was much more me being distracted and irresponsible than school discouraging me. But uh... teeeechnially it all traces back to school anyway... so blame it. c:

Okay okay, no, you can blame me for this one. I'm the one who didn't post for months and months because I was not responsible whatsoever. I'm really sorry about that... gosh, I feel awful that I've left you all hanging for so long. I know a few of you have been chatting with me all this time anyway, but for the rest of you that wondered why I disappeared into the shadows of... hiatus-ness, I sincerely apologize - I really, really do. I missed talking to everyoneeee. And I hope me not posting didn't annoy/anger anyone or anything, ack! Sorry again, DX.

But I'm posting now because blogging has just been on my mind lately, and I really didn't want 2019 to come and the blog still be dead! That just doesn't exactly seem right to me - not quite sure why, honestly.
But yeah, I've been thinking about making this post for a little while now. So uh, here I am! XD
And actually, writing this, man, I didn't realize how much I missed writing posts! It feels good to do it again. c:


So I'm very glad to announced that I think I'll be coming back to the WJN at last! I've got some changes to make to the blog, some posts to catch up on, and I need to get back into the community! But I'm looking forward to it all. ;)



I won't be posting again until after New Year's, so I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your December, and that your New Year's Day is great as well! And merry/happy late Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you may celebrate, XD! I hope to see you all again very soon. <3



~Swirl



(P.S. What'd you guys get for Christmas? Or whatever you celebrate? I love hearing what everyone got, hehe! c:

Yayyy, a Tag! :D

Hello hellooooooo, everyone!

This post won't be super big and full of of content and all that, and I do apologize, but I DID want to try and do this tag! I haven't done one in ages!

And uh, idk if I was tagged for this - tbh, I don't keep up with quite a few blogs, even though I shoulddd - but I WANNA DO IT ANYWAY. XD

So, without further ado (even though that was only like, one paragraph anyway... XD), here's my answers to the "When I'm Older" tag! 

1. When do you think you will move out?

Haha... I'm not really sure! I do like being alone sometimes, but uh, LIVING alone... that's sorta a different story. Definitely doesn't feel as safe as living with others, at least to me.
I mean, I don't HAVE to move out and live alone. I can get roommates or whatever! But I suppose we'll just have to see how all this works out! c:
All I know is, I uh, probably won't be moving out at 18. XD



2. Do you look forward to getting married?

I do! I'm sure that's QUITE a long way away though... XD!



3. Do you look forward to having kids?

I'm not sure if I'll actually have kids (but I mean... I'm sure all of us don't know that for sure yet... XD), but I'd love at least one! I feel like it'd be nice to raise a daughter, hehe!



4. What are some "dream rooms" you will have in your home?

Ooooh! That's a cool question! :0
Hmmm... thinking realistically here, I'd actually love some sort of office-room or something, with a few bookshelves, some chairs/a couch, a desk and computer, and a large window (just so it's light in there... I LIKE ROOMS LIKE THAT WHERE THE SUNLIGHT COMES IN OKAY. XD)! Sorta like a library, but y'know... smaller? XD
And I'm not sure if this exactly counts as a ROOM, but I'd also enjoy a large patio in the backyard! c:

NOT thinking realistically... I'd want an actual library room. SERIOUSLY. XD
Hehe... know what'd also be cool? If I had a bookshelf-wall that opened up into my bedroom!

You Guys: O.O

IT'S A REAL THING, OKAY?! LOOK, HERE'S PROOF!!

...
Okay, I looked for like 10 minutes for this one picture I KNOW I've seen before, and I can't find it anywhere. So nevermind. BUT IT DOES EXIST OKAY?! XD
I'll just say it's KINDA like this! Except you know... there's a bedroom back there. Instead of an office or whatever's in this GIF.
And the door-thingy opens differently.
And uh... the room looks way different too, obviously. XD
BUT HERE ANYWAY!

AAAAANYWHO. MOVING ON. XDD



5. What job will you have/want to get?

I definitely want to open a pet "resort", which is basically a pet boarding place, but a fun one? I've said most of this before on here, I believe, so I'll spare you my blabbering and not go into detail! XD



6. What would your dream home include (including the yard)?

Hmm...
I'd like an open and organized living room, a big kitchen with an island, some sort of... idk, unique bedroom for myself (I won't include kids rooms and all that, because uh, yeah, still unsure, XD), and a big yard with some trees, maybe a pool, and an organized patio!
Sensing a pattern? I LIKE BIG AND ORGANIZED ROOMS, OKAY. XDD



7. What pets will you have?

Definitely a few dogs - one of them being a greyhound, my current dream dog! I AM GETTING ONE. NO MATTER WHAT. XD
I may also get a cat as well, as I'm also a cat fan too! Honestly, the amount of pets I have right now (two dogs, one cat) is perfect! I totally wouldn't mind more dogs though...
I'm gonna be a crazy dog lady, aren't I. XDD
Something like a ferret or whatever would also be pretty cool, but I doubt I'll end up going through with that... you know, considering how many dogs I want. And that it's a weasel-thing.
Yeaaaah. :1
(Also, I'm not sure I'd know how to take care of one very well, or how long they live, sooooo yeah.)





Aaaand I think that's it! This was actually really fun - I don't think about stuff like this much, so it was fun to sorta imagine my future life (or maybe my DREAM future life... XD)!! Thanks for making this tag Sarah!! And uh... if anyone tagged me, THANK YOU, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T SEE! XD

Hm, this post went on for longer than I thought... XD!
Anywho, until next time, remember to party hard, be kind, and jam on! See you guysssss! ;)

Long Time No See!

WELL WOULDYA LOOK AT THAT! I'M DOING THIS, YOU GUYS!!!
Ahem. Don't mind my weirdness... XD!



Wow... it feel like it's been forever since I've typed up a post! I can't believe I didn't post for a whole MONTH... what a great "active blog" owner, am I right? :1

I want to apologize for that once again. I've had quite a few trips this summer, but that's no excuse, considering the time I had in between/after them. The main reason I haven't posted is simply because... well, I didn't know what to post ABOUT. I felt sorta unmotivated, and I think I can speak for a lot of us out there when I say that AJ started to get a bit boring. Not as easy to think of things to do when you've been playing for so many years. :1
A few of my friends and I were wondering what would happen if we all just... lost interest completely and started different blogs and all that. AJ hadn't really been interesting enough to post about lately, after all.
But after thinking about it... honestly guys, I could NEVER quit Animal Jam at this age. The game holds a lot of meaning to me, and I've just made a bunch of memories that I wouldn't want to leave behind when I quit. AJ may not be exciting all the time, but I feel like a lot of similar games are like that, and you just have to find ways to get back into the game again! So that's exactly what I'm working on right now, and I'm proud to say it seems to be successful so far!
Lost was actually the one who made me realize that, since she's gotten back into the game recently as well! (*Whispers* SORRY LOST, I DIDN'T MEAN TO COPY YOOOOOU! YOU'RE JUST INSPIRING SOMETIMES, I GUESS. XDD)

Anywho, I know I've already been blabbering for this whole post instead of getting to the good stuff... but... before we do that, would you all mind if I addressed an issue that's been on my mind? I just want to make everyone aware of certain things, so that problems can be solved and, y'know, our community stays a good one!
UH, IF YOU ANSWERED "NO, IT WOULD NOT BE ALRIGHT IF YOU DID THAT", THEN UM... I CAN'T HEAR YOU BECAUSE YOU LIVE SOMEWHERE TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN ME AND THIS WILL ALREADY BE POSTED. SOOOOOO... SCROLL PAST I GUESS. IF YOU WANT. XD (Sorry for all the caps, whoops. I don't wanna retype all that though, so uh... *shrugs* XDD)



Alright!
So, I'm sure most everyone knows already that our AJ Blogger community is a small one, but one that's rather close as well! By that, I mean that most bloggers are quite kind and friendly to the other bloggers out there, and a lot of us are good friends or at least share something with another blogger! All that is why I love the community, and I want to stay in it for as long as possible!

However, I'm aware that there HAVE been some tensions lately. And I'm not trying to scold you like a mother or anything like that (XD), but... I don't know. I don't want our community being torn apart or anything because of arguments!
So basically, my message to everyone out there is rather simple.
Please, try to be respectful of others and their opinions, and if you disagree with an opinion and feel the need to say so, please do it politely. It really doesn't help to get angry and retaliate, especially continuously. I've found that only makes problems much worse. We all have our opinions for our own reasons, and of course they aren't always the same as others'! But please, if you want to voice your agreement or disagreement with something, please think about if what you're saying will hurt or anger others before you post it! Standing up for what you believe in is totally fine - I'm actually a huge supporter of doing that! But I'd suggest making sure that when you do that, you're not offending anyone else who thinks differently!
I wouldn't ever name names for something like this, but I'm sure if you haven't exactly been being respectful to as many people as possible lately, you know who you are. And I'm not technically blaming anyone either! You know in your heart which kind of person you are!



ALRIGHTY. *Dusts hands off*
Now that I've gotten THAT out of the way... how about we move along to some good ol' AJ? XD



I apologize for doing so many screenshot dumps lately, but uh... I STILL DO NEED SOME MORE IDEAS, OKAY? I'L THINK OF SOME AT SOME POINT, DON'T WORRY, XD!
But for now, here. Take some pictures. Because you can. XD

Now this species, everyone, is one that is quite rare, called the Glowing Bulbamoth.

It uh... has a bulb. As a head.

And it glows. 

And uh... I don't really know how it can see. Can it? WE MAY NEVER KNOW. XDD

(Okay, but yeah, it's actually just one of those Glow-Glo moths layered under this bulb-thingy I was carrying. BUT A NEW SPECIES WAS STILL BORN THAT DAY! XD)

 I took this a while back... well, just because! I thought it looked really pretty, and I wanted do a lil' photo-thingy just for fun! c:

 So uh, see that goat on the left? Yeah... the profile on the right is hers, XD.
No, she didn't just change her animal or outfit and I just kept the non-updated profile up! It literally changed her outfit by itself. Quite odd, if you ask me. XD

*Sighs*

Tobias.

You. Have. A. Pet. Moth.

DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE ELSE WHO OWNS A PET MOTH.

IT PROBABLY FLEW AWAY BECAUSE EVEN IT KNOWS YOU DON'T KEEP MOTHS AS PETS OR SOMETHINGGGG.

Actually... is your moth a Glowing Bulbamoth, by any chance, Tobias? 😏

 OH MY GOODNESS
A BLAST FROM THE PAST GUYS. XDD
Seriously though, anyone else remember the post this is from? Where I made as many pets as I could look super creepy? Yup, good times right there. XD
Actually, I was still pretty cringey at that age. Whoops. XD

"Time together is just never quite enough"

"When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home"
"What will it take to make or break this hint of looove"
"We need time... only TIIIIME"
O.O Ahem, uh... sorry guys. Listening to Saltwater Room atm. It's so cute. And pretty. And cute. Did I mention that. XD

ANYWAYS.
I doubt this glitch still works, but when flamingos first came out, I believe, there was a glitch where if you put a Heart Balloon on, it changed into a Clover Blanket of the same colors on the Change Your Look screen! Kinda like that old seal glitch, hehe!

 YOU HEARD THE PERSON. KEEP CLAM YOU GUYS. XD

Hehehehe... looks like Twilight from MLP is flyin' away! (I was a cheetah and did the Play action... XD)

 This was from just a few days ago, actually! Sarah, Ja, and I gathered up a squid army, hehehe. c:<

 An odd glitch I had a while back, where the phantoms somehow got past the grass into the spawning area in Battle For The Beacon!
Yeah... I respawned and then got immediately chased and attacked. Fun. XDD

 Another one from not too long ago! These are actually the Phoenix Armor, but when I put them on my cheetah and ran around, they sometimes changed into Peck's Alpha Armor, just in the phoenix wings' colors!

 *Laughs*
OKAY
SO I NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO SAY THIS IN A POST, BUT THE WAY THE DIREWOLVES SIT MAKES ME LAUGH, XDD.
Seriously, just look at the floofy dude! He looks so annoyedddd, XD!
Honestly, wanna know the first thing I thought when I saw this?
WEREWOLF. (And also GREELY. Come on guys. I think Greely's been a dire this whole time or something. XD)
But hey, I love the direwolves anyway! They can be quite cute and/or funny, imo (maybe that's just because I'm a fan of pretty much all wolves and dogs, though... XD)!

Again, not sure if this one still works, but when I first got a sabertooth (which I also actually like! C'mon guys, these extinct animals can be cute if dressed up the right way! XD), I put a Lei on and realized that a Beard of matching colors appeared as well! 

Huh. I actually don't own a Beard item, so... are they head items? Or neck ones? Anyone know? XD

And lastly, this gorgeous lion with Rare Dreadlocks. XD

I feel like I've posted that one before...

DON'T GO LOOKING FOR THAT PICTURE IN MY OLDER POSTS GUYS. SHHHHHH, IT HAS BEEN MADE NEW. OR SOMETHING.

Or maybe I'm just saying that because I was just listening to Meteor Shower... eheheh...

Alright guys! Man, it feel good to be posting again! I hope to get back on schedule, although, uh, with... *glances around warily and whispers* school... starting up again soon, it may get a bit inconsistent.

Man, I really don't want to go back to school. Like, REALLY. I'm terrified, honestly.

BUT THAT'S MY PROBLEM, NOT YOURS, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! XDD

Until the next postttt, remember to PARTY HARD, MAKE A BETTER OUTRO THAN MINE (seriously. Please. I need a new one. XD), AND JAM ON! ;D

I'M NOT DEAD, GUYS.

I promise you, I'm not. Just busy, and forgetful, and uh... unmotivated?
I'm more motivated than before, though!

You'll get a post soon, I promise. And I apologize for my unexpected hiatus-thingy.

My blog has been dead for quite a while now - for over a month, in fact. I promise that'll change soon, and I'll give you guys my stupid-sounding, but real, excuses, and uh... yeah!

Expect a post in the near future! May be today, may be tomorrow, may be next week. But one's coming. ;)



~Swirl

Shelter Pics!!!

Me: *Mumbles super fast* Hey guys so yeah technically it's been like a week or two since I came back from camp but I didn't exactly have any posting ideas so I just didn't post but um yeah sorry. ANYWAYS! I NEED HELP.

You Guys: With what???

Me: *Falls over and hits ground with a thud* HELPPPPPPPP MEEEEEE

You Guys: O.O HOW?

Me: I'm DYING OF A CUTENESS OVERLOAD. CALL 911 OR SOMETHING.

You Guys: Oh boy.

Seriously, guys. I'm in critical condition.

XDD! Anyways, HELLOOOO EVERYONE! Hope you all have been doing well! And if you haven't, well, I mayyyy have something in store that will turn your day around! 😉

A couple days ago, my sister and I, along with our mom, went to go volunteer at our town's animal shelter! And let me tell you, we took a LOT of pictures! XD!

So, since I really wanted to share those pictures somewhere, I figured a blog post with them would be perfect! And who doesn't love cute animals, right? XD

SO LET'S GET STARTEDDDDDD!!! XDD

First up, meet Toast, XD! He's a sweet lil' puppy who I'm surprised is there (although I doubt he'll be for long! Who can resist a puppy?)! I actually got to go into his kennel and hold him, and AHHH, HE WAS SO ADORABLE!!! Hehe, he sure seemed to think my hair was a toy... XD! 

This is one of my favorite pictures I took that day - the way he's sticking his nose through the bars is so sweet! Hehe, he really wanted lots of attention! 

One more of little Toast, for a different view of him!

Okay, so, uh... I forget names easily, guys. So I forgot most of these dogs' names, eheheh! But whatever - I do know this girl was super sweet (actually, they all were, XD)!

This guy was a bit older, but he was still super sweet!! Seriously, I love him. XD

YAAAAYY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE DOGS THERE, XD! I believe her name was Pancake - I personally think she needs a different name, but hey, I'm not in charge of that, XD!

Anywho, although she was mostly lazing around, I could just tell she was a super sweet dog! I'M GONNA STEAL HER AND RUN GUYS. XDD

 And here's the other puppy who was there - Penny (why am I only remembering the puppies' names. XD)!! I actually got to take her out and hold her too! She was very wiggly, XD! But seriously, she was such a sweetheart - I hope she gets adopted soon!!

Credit to my sis Velvetglimmer for this pic!

 (Hey look Lost! She looks kinda like Mocha! XD!)
A YORKIEEEEE!!! I'm a huge sucker for yorkies, guys! XD!
Her name was Iliza, and although she was a bit shy, I still love herrrrrr, XD!

Taken by my sis!

When I saw these two (yes, two! There's one in the back if you look, XD!), I was so happy, because I love Malteses and Bichons, XD!
Okay, well, the one in the back is actually a Poodle mix, not a bichon... but CLOSE ENOUGH!! They look super similar anyway, XD!
Anywho, these two were adorable (I believe their names were Floof and Fluff, XD)!! The one closest to the camera in this picture, who I think is Floof, was pretty hyper (surprised she sat still for this picture!), and Fluff back there was more laid back, XD!

And now for a couple cats!! This one was named Trixie, and, once again, this is one of my favorite pictures I took there, because the way she stayed put and looked straight at the camera made it turn out really good, imo! Now if only I could remove those bars... XD!
Anywho, I loved her because she seemed very curious, but still quiet and rather shy! I probably like shy animals because I'm shy myself... XD!

Aaaand HERE'S A KITTENNN, XD! I know it's a bit blurry, but I couldn't resist this little guy's expression in this! I somehow got him meowing, XD!
He was a very cute but VERY talkative kitten, XDD!! Sadly, we weren't allowed to take him or his cage-mate out to hold them!

And lastly, a couple more kittens! I remember the black-and-white one was called Fluss or something... but I can't remember what the orange one's name was!
Anywho, these guys were cute, but MAN, did they act like siblings (although I don't think they are?), XD! They kept purposely annoying each other and getting mad, but it made me laugh, because come on, they're kittens! XD!



*Taps computer thoughtfully*
Hm... uh...
So this post didn't have much of a... er... important... point, did it?
*Shrugs* Oh well. I wanted to share some pictures, and I did! XD


Anywho, I hope you guys liked all these! Sorry for this mess of a post - I promise I'll try to get something better up soon!
Until next time, remember to party hard, be kind, and be unique, and I'll see you guys (hopefully) soon!!!
Hehe, testing out some new outros - don't mind me!

Done!!! (But Taking A Short Trip!)

I'M DONE YOU GUYS
I'M OFFICIALLY DONE

YESTERDAY
WAS
MY LAST DAY OF SCHOOOOOOOOLLLLL!!!
I'M ON SUMMER BREAKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!


Ahhh, I'm so excited! This summer's gonna be awesome, I just know it, XD! There's so many things I want to do, and I hope I get to do all of them, or at least most! Posting more and finishing Larry The Bunny (AT LASTTTTTT, I know) are two of them!


However, I won't actually be here for around a week, starting this Monday! I'll be away at church camp, and we're not allowed to use devices, so therefore I won't be able to post or see any of you guys at all until Saturday afternoon, when I get back, DX! I'll miss you guys, but I'm super excited about camp this year, and I hope I learn as much as I did last year! Plus, I'll hopefully be receiving some daily updates about what's been happening that I can read before everyone goes to bed (we can have our phones out for a short time before "Lights-Out", as they call it), hehe! ;)


I doubt I'll have time to make another post before Monday, so I suppose I should say goodbye now! Don't have too much fun without me, XDD!
Okay, nvm - have as much fun as you want, XD!

SEE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOONNN!!!

I'm Back?! (With a Screenshot Dump, Hehe!)

...

Eheheheh...

Hi?

OKAY, OKAY, WAIT

BEFORE YOU GUYS START YELLING AND THROWING THINGS AT ME OR DOING, UH WHATEVER, LET ME EXPLAIN!

I guess you could call this an unexpected hiatus of sorts, and I apologize for it being unplanned! I've been kinda busy trying to finish up my last few days of school, but if I'm being honest here, it's mostly because I really ran out of posting ideas for a while there, and I didn't quite feel like posting. I don't know WHY, exactly - I just didn't.

But anyways, I just needed a bit of a break, and now that I've had one, I'm back and ready to post again!

I figured I'd clear out some more pictures that have been rotting in my files today, so let's go ahead and get on with that!

*Clicks through files* Let's seeeeeee...

AHA! HERE'S SOME, XD!

 First, an odd glitch - I put a Lei on, and it gave my sabertooth a matching beard?! I found it kinda cool, XD! Although I dunno if it showed up after clicking off of Change Your Look, though...

 A while back, my deer was able to sit completely off any platform right here in Sarepia! Lemmie see if it still works...
*5 minutes later because I got distracted XD*
Yup!! It still does! With any animal too, XD! Gosh, I guess AJ animals can levitate now!

 Wow. That's a, uh... good comeback?? I really dunno what these two were arguing about, XD!

 I get they meant "I got scammed my long, :(", but #1. Why type out "sad face", and #2. It almost sounds like they said their long sad face was scammed, XDD!
WAIT WAIT, I'M GONNA MAKE AN EDIT FOR THIS!

I dunno guys, I think it looks pretty legitimate! XD

 Mira is mean to you? I thought no one in Jamaa knew where she was. But hey, maybe she secretly is rude to this person in, uh... dreams or something? XD

 OM, I JUST LOVE TEENSIES! MHM, I'VE HEARD ALL ABOUT THEM! THEY'RE SO... TEENSY!

 I took this one just a few days ago, because I noticed that the gizmo pattern (and maybe others too) doesn't seem to disappear underground when the dire wolf's snout does! Guess they got left behind, XD!
Also, WHY is that dirt so RED-LOOKING.

 Yeah! Cmon, stop fishing!
I really dunno what was trying to be said here. XD

 What animal... OH, RIGHT, MY RED PANDA!
I put this item on my red panda when I first got it to test it out, and, uh... the flame isn't even attached? I mean, yeah, my tail isn't getting burned, but, uh... every other animal's tail IS? And plus, IT LOOKS COOLER ATTACHED! XD

*Laughs*

Okay, yes, I get it - "new barn" = "newborn". But new barn looks hilarious, XD! Almost as if they're asking for a daughter who's a barn?

Also, do people still roleplay as a newborn anymore? They wouldn't get to do much... XD!

And lastly, taken just a few minutes ago, my glitchy Jammer Wall Masterpiece, which for some reason decided it was staying put! XD!

Anywho guys, I hope this post satisfied you all for now! I'll try my best to come up with some new posting ideas and post more before I'm off to camp for a week! Stay tuned, and remember to party hard, be kind, and jam on! (Man, I need a new outro... XD!)

I'm Back- With Some Tags!!

*Sighs* Okay, I promise guys, my period of inactivity will be over soon! 

I've been super busy with my school play, but the performances of it are this week, so after that, I'm officially done!! I'm quite excited to be going home 3 hours earlier than I have been, XD!

That will also mean that you'll be seeing more posts from me!! YAAAAY, XDD!

Anyways, I saw that a couple new tags have been made recently by Violet and Ja, and I've been wanting to do them for a while now! So let's do those now, XD!

First up, the Official AJ Blogger Tag, made by Vi!!

1. Oh, hehe, well, that should be obvious! It's STRAIGHTDU- I MEAN... SWIRLSHINE! XDD

2. I started blogging on September 26th, 2014! (I need to remember that... I always forget to celebrate 

my bloggerversary, XD!)

3. I write for this blog, The Weekly Jammer News, of course, and I'm also the Saturday author on the Animal Jam Artists Collaborative!

4. Hehe, well, yep, this is my own AJ blog, of course! I'd like an IRL blog as well, but I usually post what goes on in my life on here anyway, XD! Plus, I'm pretty cautious about what I put out there!

5. I've been blogging for about 4 years now, I believe! Goodness, I've come a long way, XD!

6. If I'm being entirely honest, I first started blogging because younger me had seen how popular the Animal Jam Spirit Blog was, and wanted some fame of her own. Over the years, though, my way of thinking changed, and now, I continue blogging simply because I love writing and meeting new people online!

7. The story behind this blog is basically what I put in #6, and I was hired as an author on the AJAC because of my passion for art!

8. I've been playing since September 2013! 

9. My favorite thing about blogging is the community! It's an amazing group of kind writers with lots of similar interests, and I found my best friends because of it!

My least favorite part would probably be how time-consuming writing a post is, XD! It takes me quite a long time!

10. Just growing up and changing my style is honestly something memorable to me! I'm glad I'm not as cringey as I used to be, XD!

And talking with the other bloggers is super fun as well!! I love being crazy and joking around with people, XD!

11. My intro? Well, I don't really have a specific one! I use the "Swirlshine Intro" a lot, though, which is the intro style with all the "You Guys:" and "Me:"'s, XDD! 

And my outro (which I've been thinking of changing, XD), is always some form of the phrase "Remember to party hard, be kind, and jam on!" It's from my early days of blogging, but it stuck with me for some reason, XD!

12. I do not! Every blogger's blog and personality is unique, and I love that! Plus, I'm just a person who really doesn't pick favorites!

13. All of my amazing friends, and just the fact that I love writing about my life and ideas with a purpose!!

14. Anything, really! I do enjoy making stories, though! (Speaking of stories, I WILL get some more Larry The Bunny chapters out soon, guys! I haven't forgotten!)

15. I'm with Lost on this one- if the blogger likes posting it, then I like reading it!!

*Reads through all of that*

Did I even use ONE period in this WHOLE post so far?! I'm not seeing any! Goodness.

Thereee we go, XD!

Anywho, thanks for making this tag, Vi, and Lost as well, for convincing me to do this tag because of your post!

Last but not least, we have Ja's Instrument Tag! I thought this was a really cool idea, so I decided I'd give it a go!

1. I do! I play guitar, and I'm currently in the "advanced" group! Can't say I'm super amazing yet, but I really love playing songs on the guitar!

2. My favorite instruments are the guitar and piano!

3. The guitar is great for upbeat, happy sounds, and pianos are beautiful for slower songs!! Since I like many genres of music, I enjoy different instruments a bit more at different times, XD!

4. Oh goodness. No hesitation on this one. 

THE KAZOO.

5. Can the kazoo even be considered an instrument?! I swear, it just hurts my ears every time I hear it.  I CANNOT. STAND. KAZOOS. XDD!

6. I'd go with piano! It seems hard to finally become an advanced piano player, but I would absolutely LOVE to know how to play such a wide variety of songs on that instrument!

7. Oh goodness... do I have to choose?! I love so many piano songs, aaaah! XDD!

I seriously can't pick just one song, but I can say that I'd absolutely love to try Be Brave by Owl City on piano! Of course, I can't do the electric guitar parts, but quite a lot of the song is piano, XD! Plus, it's just overall a breathtaking song, in my opinion!

And there you have it! My answers to two awesome tags!! 

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and I'm looking forward to making more in the near future!! So, until then, remember to party hard, be kind, and jam on, and I'll see you all soonnnnn!! Byeeee! ;)