Meet Shannah! A creative jewelry-making pen-pal enthusiasist from the South! She runs a great little blog, Write Before Your Eyes, focusing on her love for all things snail mail, including her newfound love for mail art ! (Which I must say, she is excellent and super creative!)
Location: Louisiana, U.S.A.
Tell me a
little about yourself.
Hello, my
name is Shannah and I am 21 years young! I was born and raised in “the toe of
the boot” in Louisiana and the scenery I grew up around is absolutely
breathtaking! Living in the country has taught me the importance of family and
finding a purpose for everything. I have been crafting all my life and my mind
is always jumbled with ideas of what I can make next.
I also enjoy
exercising and eating healthy. I believe that is a very important part of life
and can make all the difference as you age. In high school I lost about 40lbs
in 4 months when I made the dance team and later became dance captain. I still
exercise daily and don’t skip a beat!
I am a bit
old fashioned when it comes to most things. I feel like I could become one of
those wives/mothers who stay at home and cook, clean, sew, garden! However, I
do like to dress up and do it big when I go out to a restaurant or something.
;) Photography
is a major part of my life as well. I have done a few local photo shoots for
some families and students. I am hoping to excel further in that in the near
future! All in all I
am just a small town girl with more than one dream and I am trying to fulfill
them all!
What made
you start your blog “Write Before Your Eyes”?
Well, back
in January of this year I was actually searching online for penpal ads because
I wanted to expand my experience to other parts of the world. I stumbled across
other lovely penpal blogs along the way and thought they were so amazing! I
couldn’t believe so many other people out there still penpalled! I mean, hand
written letter writing is such a lost art. Though it is dying down, I decided
I’d make a blog as well to aid in its slow recovery. I want people to know how
fun and rewarding it can be to receive items from different states and
countries! It’s also very educational. Maybe one day my blog can inspire
everyone that stumbles across it to pick up a pen and paper and write a letter.
It could be to your mom, best friend, aunt,.. grandparents. Maybe send a note
to the homeless shelter or to a nursing home. You don’t necessarily have to
mail a letter in order to have a penpal. I started this blog for the
inspiration!
How would
you describe your blog?
Write Before
Your Eyes was hastily made, because I wanted to get started right away! It
mainly stays on the topic of penpalling, but sometimes I do venture off and
share pictures of my life or crafts that I’m working on. I try to keep it on
the penpalling track though, to fulfill my goal!
During your
time blogging so far, what has been the most rewarding?
The most
rewarding part is reading all the sweet and encouraging comments my wonderful
followers leave. I’m glad they have all been positive comments so far. I strive
for positivity in my blog posts. I never put down on anything or anyone. I also love
the participation my followers have on my blog. When I have a giveaway or a
project, they jump right in to join in on the fun!
When you
started your blog compared to now, is your blog going in the same direction & what would you like WBYE to achieve in the future?
Actually,
no. It’s doing even BETTER than I expected it to go. I know it doesn’t seem
like much, but going from zero to my (currently) one hundred twenty two followers in roughly 4
months is a big deal here in the “penpalling world.” As I said earlier, I made my blog to inspire others. If I have inspired just one person to pick up a pen and write a letter, I have accomplished something major in my book. I would also like as many people as possible to follow me. I mean, what blogger doesn’t like followers? J
How did you
get into Pen Paling?
Eight years
ago when I was 13, my grandmother showed me these penpal ads in a CountrySide
magazine and told me it’d be a fun thing to do. She said all 3 of her daughters
(including my mother) had penpals when they were younger and they loved it. I
immediately fell in love with the idea so I wrote to a girl named Gabrielle
from California, and she wrote back! To this day we are still penpals! <3
How many pen
pals do you write on a regular basis and from what states, countries?
Hmm, that’s
a tough question.. I write to roughly 30..ish lovely people. Let’s see, I may
leave off a few states and countries, but these are the ones I can name off
from the top of my head; U.S.A.-California,
Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan, Washington, Arizona, Kentucky,
Kansas, Texas, Ohio, Maryland…France, New Zealand, Australia, New Mexico, South Korea, England, London, Singapore, Germany
What kinds
of items can be found in your store?
My theme is
generally based on the country/Victorian/fashion theme. I am currently in the
process of brainstorming what I can make to build my inventory. I want to make
accessories that are so unique and one of a kind. That way you can go to a get
together and not be wearing the same thing as someone else and people will ask
you where on Earth did you get that. J
What do you
hope to add to your store in the future?
I hope to
add more wire wrap based jewelry. I have the cutest idea in mind for a
whimsicle ear cuff. Hmm, just keep your eyes peeled on what I may have up my
sleeve in the very near future! ;)
Favorite
Blogs?
I’m glad
that I stumbled across Something Like Glamour! Sometimes some of the best blogs
are found by accident. Your blog is now in my top favorites! .. It’s very hard
to pick favorites because I love all my follower’s blogs! I basically like the
penpalling blogs, DIY blogs, excersise and healthy eating blogs.. in those
categories.
Anything
else you would like to add just type it below !
I am so glad
for all of you who took the time to read my interview. I hope I didn’t bore you
too bad. I also have a new blog in the making called
morethanonedream.blogspot.com. It’s still under construction, but it’s about my
dreams of modelling, photography, crafting, health, exercise, and fashion if
you’d like to check it out! I follow back. J
I hope
everyone has a wonderful day. If you have the time, sit down and scribble a
little ink on that paper!
Toodles,
~Shannah~
She's such a great girl and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to interview her ! Make sure to check out her blog, let me know in a comment below that you did, include your e-mail address and you'll get a little surprise, shussh not telling ! Have a great day everyone !
~Amberlynn
