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2012 Winter Solstice Swap Q&A

Newer questions towards the top!   11/15/12   24. Do you have a favorite animal (or breed of animal)?   The noble tree kangaroo! Also pygmy shrews. Also guinea pigs. And wrens are really special to me.   25. Do you like stuffed toys/animals?   Sorta! Okay, let me explain. I love stuffed animals, but I'm pretty much at capacity for them unless they're really special. Beanie babies = probably not something I need more of in my life. (My kid would steal them anyway.) A stuffed animal you made = omg awesome. Something unusual that you think I'd love = probably cool too.   26. Would you like/want anything Disney-related, or from Disneyland?   Can't think of anything! I like older Disney animated movies but that's pretty much it.   27. How do people feel about puzzles? Board games? Any particular ones that you might like or have and would like additions to?   I'm crazy for crossword puzzles, but that's about it. I like board games but rarely play then.   28. Is there anything under $10 that you've been wanting from World Market?   Not that I can think of! Though I fucking love Hob Nobs (oaty biscuits!!) and pretty much never say no to them.   29. If you answered yes to any beverage-related questions, what exactly do you like in tea, coffee, alcohol, cocoa, cider, etc.?   Did we already have a question about this? Um... hm. My general food answer is that I like pretty much everything that's vegan. It's true for drinks too. For tea, I mostly drink chais these days (but I like black, and green, and herbal, and roiboos), there is no coffee I don't like (I'm not super into flavored, and I will generally pick a dark roast over a light one), I like most booze (particularly fond of red wine and gin (not together of course), love craft beers, pretty much anything unusual or small batch gives me grabby hands), cocoa (if it's vegan I like it; I'm a bit disappointed by the Theo brand one), cider (hot and spicy).   29. Stones? What color/types of stones, precious, semi precious or otherwise do you like?   I like shinies! Amethyst is a favorite, and garnet, and labradorite, and agate. Shiny glass is okay too.   30. Anything small you need?   Small size or small price? I'd love a bottle of nail polish (see: sparkly!). Or a ball of rubber bands. Or plain black metal hair clips.   31. Would you like a scarf, or knitted dishclothes? If so, what colors?   Sure! For dishcloths, color doesn't matter, though not white because I will stain it instantly. I love dishcloths though; we don't use paper towels so new cloth ones are always welcome.   For scarves, I generally go towards darker colors (charcoal grey! dark brown! etc!) but anything other than rainbow multi-colored (I don't have the panache!), or bright orange or bright yellow or bright pink, I'm into it. Red, blue, green, dark orange, it's all good! Sparkly yarn okay too.     11/12/12   14. Socks? short? long? fuzzy?   sure! Handknit socks are sort of my dream gift right now, but storebought socks are okay too! I don't like velour or weird stuff like that... no novelty stuff or stuff that's too bumpy. Cotton or wool would be ideal. I've loved some of the socks I've gotten from SockDreams over the years but in general they tend to carry socks that are pretty thin and (this is awful to admit), my terrifying toe chitin tends to destroy them quickly.   15. Jewelry? Pierced Ears? Do you like necklaces/pendants? Bracelets? Rings?   I don't have pierced ears. I like necklaces, pendants, bracelets and rings though! My wrists are smallish, my neck is smallish, my fingers are sort of fat. I can give you more specific sizes if you need them.   16. Anything you're particularly wanting from the Lab/Post at the moment? How about GCs you keep meaning to get but never get around to?   I want all the Yules. What I really, really want are Yules from 2 years ago. (Nutcracker stuff.) Life got in the way and I missed all of those and have been mourning it ever since.   17. Do you have any fandoms?   Doctor Who, and Lovecraft! I love all things related to either, but I'm not socially part of any fandoms. (Know what I mean?)   18. Does anything from Two Timing Tart interest you?   I don't really like scented candles!   19. Does anything from Sock Dreams interest you?   See above re: socks. What I would love from Sock Dreams is another pair of the EG Smith space-dyed tights. I got a pair in a clothing swap and loved them so much that I bought another pair from there a few years ago... muy expensivo but so warm and so beautiful. It looks like they're out of stock right now though (maybe forever?).   20. Any movies (holiday or otherwise) that you want to see but never get around to?   I'm terrible about remembering movies. Nothing's coming to mind!   21. Do you need any smartphone accessories (case, skin, etc)?   Not really! I have an iPhone 4 and while I can't think of anything I really need for it, you're welcome to send something if you have a good idea! I have a bumper thingy on it currently but am not married to it.   22. Small samples of homemade booze?   YES PLEASE.   23. Is there anything from local farmer markets that would interest you?   I love food and I love local shit and I would love if you would send me local foods! Anything mailable and vegan works for me... nuts or jams or sauerkraut or whatever.   -------------------------------------- Where can I find your Q&A? Do you have a wishlist post/blog and does it link other things like Etsy/Amazon?   All links in my sig!   If you were to come into an unexpected windfall (a huge amount of cash), what would you get for yourself?   A nice hair cut and a trip somewhere I've never been before. And probably a shit ton of nice soap, heh.   Do you prefer votives, tarts, tapers or jar candles (if you are into candles)?   I don't really do candles (see: small people running full tilt around my house at all times). I also don't really like scented candles. (Isn't that weird? I don't like my house to smell like anything but a house.)   Any books you've been meaning to get for yourself but haven't yet?   There are some things on my Amazon wishlist! My husband and I have pretty similar taste in books (mostly SF with occasional jaunts into fantasy etc), and he tends to buy books he wants as soon as they come out. So most of my wishlist is stuff that only I like (vegan cookbooks, memoirs... I love memoirs) or that I want but am not desperate for.   Right now I *really* want a copy of Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero... not sure that's on my Amazon list yet.   Would you want something included for your pets? If so, is there anything they really like?   Ianto, my guinea pig, isn't really into toys or guinea pig treats or anything. Such things do exist but he could care less!   Is there any Bath etailer that you want to try? That you love? What do you want from there? What's your favorite bath item?   Oy. I love all things bath related and pretty much want to try ALL THE RETAILERS. You can never go wrong sending me fancy soap, even if it's from someone I've never heard of before. As for people I have heard of, I loooooooooove Paintbox Soapworks and pretty much anything new that shows up there, I instantly want.   Tea? Cider? Others?   I'm mostly a coffee drinker these days. I like tea, I just don't have time for it! Hot cider is great but I rarely drink it.   Recipes/Soup in a Jar?   Sure! I cook all the time and am always happy for new recipes. Soup in a jar would probably sit in my cabinet for a long time and then one day I'd be near starving to death and be like HEY GUYS LOOK SOME SOUP and get really excited.   Fiber Allergies?   Nope!   I will note though: I don't do silk generally. "Tussah" or "peace" silk is okay with me, but plain ol' mulberry silk squicks me out.   Likewise, anything else you have to kill the animal for (like bison fiber, sadly) doesn't appeal.   Colors You Like/Dislike?   For wearing: dark colors, but not necessarily black. Charcoal grey is probably my super favorite. Also browns. Red is my favorite color overall but I don't wear it a ton. (I like it, just don't seem to buy it much.)   I don't love pastels in general and I don't usually care for yellow. Otherwise, I am pretty easy to please.   Oh, and anything white quickly turns another color in my possession, so, yeah.   Sweet Solstice Sister, what color of nail polish would brighten your senses or make you smile? Glitter or no?   Glitter! Glitter! Glitterrrrrrr! Um, if it's sparkly, I like it. I have a 3 year old's taste in nail polish.   The one color of nail polish that I actively dislike is blue. A light sort of ice blue might be okay but mostly blue isn't my thing for polish.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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Fall 2012 SW Q&A

Switch Witch time again! WOO! I have answered about a million questions in my BPAL blog for past rounds, and much of that is probably still relevant if you're curious. But all new answers for this round will go in this post, with newer questions towards the top and older ones towards the bottom.   ONWARD!   Sept 30-Oct 3   10/3   What do you think of Shiro Cosmetics Halloween Collection? (www.shirocosmetics.com)   Pretty, but I don't wear eye shadow at all. (Super eye sensitivity = I'm a painfully red eyed zombie for 2 or 3 days after I wear ANY eye shadow.)   The Godiva Halloween Collection: http://godiva.com/gi...default,sc.html   I've yet to come across a vegan Godiva product, but if you find one, of course I'm gonna eat any candy you send me.   10/2   If you had a fairy for NYCC, what exclusive scent would you kill to own?   I answered this one in thread-- none of the NYCCs is a definite must have for me. Mrs. Lewis sounds lovely but not terribly unlike a number of other scents I already have. A lot of the others have killer notes in them... honey (tends to go crazy on me), patchouli (likewise), etc.   9/30   Do you want anything from Arcana's fall update?   Oh, probably. I loooove Arcana's soaps. Let me go peek really quick... Oooooooh shiny.   If I had a magic money tree, I'd pick it bare and buy: All Soul's Island soap Darkling soap Little Ghoulie soap Sleepy Hollow soap   Groooooan. So many good sounding soaps.     9/29   Would anyone like a witch pendant?   A pendant with a witch on it? This could be nice. I think i'd like a romantic sort of witch more than a cartoonish witch (does that make sense?).   What's a new company to you that you most want to try a product from or what would be a new product to you that you most want to try (make-up, perfume, or bath/body)?   I would like to finally try something from Haunt, but the timing never works out for me.   Hmmm... I often think I'll get into lipsticks some day but I'm not there yet.   If you like necklaces, what are some symbols or images that you would love to have a necklace depict?   I do like necklaces! Hmm... imagery that I like... well, tarot imagery (as explained in other questions), wrens, keys, leaves, the moon, the man in the moon. Geometric designs that are just pleasing to the eye.   Sept 25-29ish   Who here is going to be picking up JK Rowling's new book on Thursday?   I'll definitely read it eventually, but not rushing out to buy it at $40.   What do you do to take care of yourself when you're having a rough day (sick, life not going your way, whatever)?   I answered this in thread... left to my own devices, I'll curl up on the couch with a warm blanket, extremely stupid television or a favorite movie, my knitting and something good to drink.   favorite and least favorite baked goods?   Favorite is so hard! Maybe spice cake with a mountain of frosting on top. Or snickerdoodles. Or vegan Samoas. mmmm. Samoas.   Least favorite is also hard though because yeah, I like most things. Um... least favorite... while I like a good chocolate cake, I tend to find "death by chocolate" type desserts (a chocolate cake! with chocolate frosting! and chocolate sprinkles! and a chocolate unicorn! (okay, a chocolate unicorn would be cool)) a little overwhelming.   what size T-Shirt do you wear (standard AND babydoll)?   Women's t-shirts do not tend to fit me at all. I think it's a result of having really outlandishly proportioned boobs. (I'm currently rocking the 34H, to give you an idea.) Even if I get an XL, they tend to hit at a really bizarre length and end up being belly shirts on me. Yeck.   So I mostly wear men's/unisex t-shirts in a M. I find that after a wear or two, they'll generally stretch in the right places but not shorten the way women's shirts do. My belly stays covered!   Tissue tees do tend to work well for me though.   I found a fantastic little shop while traveling that had unusual jellies and jams. Would you be interested in trying something like Georgia Moonshine Jelly or TOE Jam (each letter stands for some kind of fruit, I don't remember which ones) or something similar? How about homemade jam in general?   YES to jam. I eat oatmeal with jam and nuts in some form pretty much every single morning, so jam never goes unloved in my house.   Would you be interested in homemade herbal remedies and tinctures?   I'd be interested in topical things (muscle rubs, etc).   Owls?   Girasol's answer to this in thread made me laugh so hard. I do feel that owls are kind of over-exposed... but I like them fine. No special affinity, but they're nice.   Do any of Villainness' Soap Box exclusive scents interest you, especially any of the Smooches/Whippeds?   It's funny, I was just over there looking around the other day for the first time in ages... Masala and Sol Bacio definitely appeal. Most of the other Villainess stuff that I'm into isn't the exclusive stuff. Cobwebs, Mango Spicecake, Slipdress, Autumn Gala (which I missed last year!), oooooh.   Puddin' just put a shitton of old Lunacy shirts on the BPTP Etsy! Any ones interest you?   Not that I see.   Witchee, do you want anything from the Haunt update coming up on 10/3? I know it might be too early to say, but if you could look at the preview on the night of 10/2 and let me know if you want anything...   Oh, I always drool over their stuff and I never buy it. I would love to try the glossing oils in particular. They had a Golden Pumpkin one a couple of years back that I wanted soooo much.   Gardening?   Pretty sure we had a gardening question already. I've been gardening this year! It's been fun! There's nothing in particular that I need right now... other than a couple more huge planters for tomatoes for next year (but it would be near impossible to mail them!)   Do you use or would like to try loose eyeshadow pigments?   No. My eyes are VERY sensitive and irritated by pretty much all eyeshadows.   Is there anything you might want from the latest update (Lab or TP)?   I'd be interested in decants of:   Beaver Moon Halloween in the Misk U Library Pumpkin IV Pumpkin V Witch Dance   Any of the 'Weenie bath oils - jeez those look good.   All the Pumpkin Flosses... especially black.   And the candies look way yummy. Mmm. Candy.     -------------------------------------------   Sept 20-24   I live in Japan. Anything you would be interested in from there?   Oh, I am a huge nerd for pretty much everything Japanese. Cute weird Japanese things = yes. Any kinda snack food that's both mailable and vegan (that can be tricky with Japanese food... milk powder in everything!). Stickers and stationary and all that stuff.   Candy Corn: yes, no?   It's one of those things that really messes with my blood sugar, so while I love it, I get really sick if I eat more than like one piece.   WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH YOUR ASS OFF!!! movies, comedians, black humor, your partner, a comic strip? what?   Oh, all kinds of things. I am pretty easy to entertain. Um... Jon Stewart/TDS pretty much always guarantees a laugh from me. And Hark, a Vagrant! by Kate Beaton. Those are the first two concrete things that pop into my head!   You are meeting up with someone on a casual lunch/early afternoon thing. This person is someone you want to impress/look good for (for whatever reason, not necessarily romantic, and not necessarily for business either). What would you look like, given the contents of your wardrobe/etc?   Ugh, almost nothing. My body's changed so much in the past couple of years that even though I'm now under the weight I started at before my first pregnancy, most of my stuff still doesn't fit because I'm just shaped so funny.   With what fits, I'd probably go for something nice and understated... I have an awesome calf-length wool pencil skirt in a subdued argyle (charcoal grey, dark brown, and camel) that would pair well with a form-fitting thermal t in charcoal grey (that I am wearing right now, though I am not dressed to impress anyone!). Used to have a nice curve-hugging beige jacket that went well with this ensemble, but um, my curves got a bit too big for it to hug.   You are to be let loose in a clothing store of your choice, to pick a full outfit, down to the shoes, the accessories, etc. and things would be altered to fit you if needed. What store would that be, and what would you look like?   What an interesting question. I'm really not sure. I love interesting style and fashion but I hate drawing attention to my appearance, so I'd probably try on all sorts of fun stuff and then leave in a grey t-shirt and skinny jeans.   Or a really fabulous dress. (The problem with that is you never know exactly what dress is going to wow you til you see it on your body! But in general, I like something tailored, not too body-conscious/skin-showy (especially not too cleavage-y, because I have a boob vortex), form fitting but breathable, shortish but not ho-y... oh, you know.   You open a box from the post office to reveal the 3 things you want most right now. What are they? (caveats: size doesn't matter, but they have to be tangible/buyable).   A cupcake with lots of frosting, some size 1 knitting needles so I can start something with the yarn I just impulse bought (on sale!!! 50% off!!! a yarn I have picked up about a hundred times and decided not to buy because I don't have a project in mind for it... yet...), a bar of fancy soap.   The end of this month I'm going to Scarefest, the big horror and paranormal con in Kentucky. (www.scarefest.com) If I were your witch, is there anything you would like from there (skull jewelry, art prints from an artist that catch your eye, etc), or anyone whose autograph or photo or such you would dig?   That sounds like a blast. I don't see anything from looking at the webpage that instantly grabs me though!   What is your holy grail "I'd kill to just have one drop in an imp" bpal scent?   Hmm. Nothing's coming to mind just now... I've been really fortunate in that I've gotten to at least sniff just a ton of things.   I'd love to smell Champagne and Roses again... I smelled it once somewhere (a friend's house I think) and thought it was great.   Are there any existing Weenies that you have your eye on, but haven't gotten around to getting?   I only skimmed them really briefly this year-- too broke to buy much so I was kinda relieved that none of them jumped out at me. Let me peek again and see if there are any I'd like decants of if the magic decant fairy were passing my house. ... Okay:   Lurid Library Sinister Salon All Souls' 1917 Autumn Coolness 2012 Fizzy jack O'lantern Ghost House Mango-Infused Pumpkin Chai Latte Suck it 2012   That's what I'd want decants of if I was buying decants. I'm not planning on getting any for myself this round though! Gotta save my monies for witchin'.   if you wear earrings, do you have pierced ears?   No pierced ears!   My new job is at a consignment store where we have all kinds of designer brands for very reasonable prices. Are there designer clothes/purses/sunglasses that you desire/love? (Give some indication as to your "style" as well. For example, do you like bohemian-style frocks in lavender? Crossbody purses in black? Sunglasses that are round and bug-like?)   Not really.   I realize that we had a similar question in the ?aire, but I need you Witchee-s to list at least 5 items, each ranging $20 and under from Amazon.com or Walmart.com.   There are a ton of < $20 things on my Amazon wishlist right now. Books always seriously delight me, and there's lots of nail polish on there too that's well under $20.   In the meantime, let me know what you like to do on the Internet to kill time. Flash games? What are your daily websites/blog visits, or favorite YouTube videos?   It's sort of funny because career-wise I'm a computer person, but I don't get a whole lot of free online time these days. When I do, I like to browse Flickr (and Instagram), read forums, fool around on Ravelry. I begrudgingly have a Facebook account primarily to keep in contact with family and friends who insist on it.   I pretty much never self-motivate on watching youTube videos, but my husband saves them up and plays them for me. I inadvertently got him hooked on reading Reddit a while back and he passes on the things he knows will make me laugh. We were recently dissolved into hilarity by: And of course living in hippie-central, I have a serious lol every time I think of:   And what are your favourite characters from your fandoms?   Oh, specific characters, hm. Well, obviously I love the Doctor from Doctor Who... that's kinda the point. I love Daleks too. Even though I know they're evil, they're just so cute.   My Little Pony... Cute or meh?   I don't collect the toys at all, but my older son LOVES MLP:FiM. We watch it together, and I think it's hilarious. Any pony thing you sent would be automatically confiscated by him. (Not necessarily a bad thing, just don't send anything valuable because we would not know how to enjoy it!)   Lip balm - tube or tin?   Either! I like tins just because I feel like they're less likely to end up in lip-balm-splosions.   Would you like to receive a journal or sketchbook? How about other pretty paper goods like post-its, notepads, bookmarks, letter paper/envelopes?   YES. Two things I can't live without: things to write with and things to write on. I'd love a journal/sketchbook/whatever.   Not super in to bookmarks (weird, all things considering, but mostly I just lose them), but all those other things would find a home here.   Are you interested in audiobooks? If so, any specific titles?   Not really.   Bar soaps with some scrubby bits, yes or no?   YES. I love scrubby bits.   Do you need any small electronic gadgets like flash drives and the like?   So earlier I'm having this conversation with my husband and joking about how if he didn't live with me, he would be a hoarder. Because his natural impulse is pretty much to gather up all the electronic gadget things and wallow in them. Even with my sobering influence, we are still a pretty gadget heavy household. I probably don't need anything!   Would you like a pair of knitted socks?   I would LOVE a pair of knitted socks. My shoe size is a women's 7.5 or 8, just on the edge between normal width and wide width.   Do you have any use for knitted dishcloths, facecloths, etc, especially if they were fandom related?   Sure! I love seeing patterns for them but I don't really like knitting flat things so I've never made one.   Do you subscribe to any sample boxes, and if so, which ones? Would you like to receive some samples?   No I don't. Samples of most cosmetics (lipstick, blush, eye liner, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation) wouldn't appeal to me. Mini nail polishes, lip balm, moisturizer samples would all be welcome.   do you have a problem with nudes??? If not, do you prefer male or female?   Nudes don't bother me.   Paintbox Soapworks: Interested in anything from her?   Pretty much all the things. I put the Weenie box on my wishlist on etsy. I am also kicking myself so hard for not buying a full sized bar of the lavender-vanilla one she had a while back... Man in the Moon I think. Didn't think I'd like it THAT much, but I LOVED my tiny tablet of it and now it's gone, long gone.   are there any other e-tailers you're desperately wanting to try? if so, any specific items/scents/etc?   Not desperately, not specifically. I love fancy ass bar soaps. Soap is really one of the only non-food related luxuries I engage in regularly! So new companies etc are always welcome.   ThinkGeek: anything interesting to you on there?   Oh, almost definitely. I burnt out on their t-shirts as an undergrad, but sheesh, I still like nerd toys. Also, I just saw TARDIS string lights on there. I would hang those up in my house.   What's one thing you want, right now, that you're having difficulty finding?   Pants that fit. You can't help with that, can you?     ------------------------------------------------------------------ Sept 17-19   Marzipan?   Vegan marzipan = win.   Would you be interested in washable/reusable muslin “paper” towels (basically muslin squares hemmed around the edge)? Maybe in some sort of box to put on your kitchen or bathroom counter?   We went totally paper-free in the kitchen about 3 years ago and have never looked back. We already have just a butt ton of dish towels, yet somehow the (huge) drawer is always down to the last 2 or 3 so yeah, I'm always happy to have more!   Do you drink alcohol and if so, would you be OK with your witch sending you homemade infused vodka?   Yes, yes I would be okay with that. Vodka might sit around my house for some time before I get a chance to try it (super busy + nursing an older baby) but that probably only gets better as it sits, right?   If you get me (or a fellow Aussie, if there are any playing this round) as a witch or witch's minion, would you like to try some Australian specialties, such as TimTams (delicious chocolately cookies), Caramello Koalas (koala shaped chocolates filled with gloopy caramel), Australian native spices or anything like that?   I forsee you getting very bored with this answer but: yes, if it's vegan, I am going to cram it into my gullet.   If your witch is a knitter, crocheter or sewer, is there a particular type of garment you would love to receive (hat, scarf, wrap, cowl, socks, fingerless gloves, arm warmers etc)?   Socks! Armwarmers! I would love a shawl (can you knit a shawl in a month? I can't!) but can never seem to finish one for myself.   Is there anyone else in your house (kids, pets, partner) that would really appreciate a small gift being included for them in the switchwitchy haul so they don't feel left out?   So basically anything you send me is going to be thoroughly pawed by my (almost) 3 year old son. I have just come to accept that he is going to co-opt some of anything that comes in the mail for me. He doesn't necessarily need anything JUST for him but it would probably thrill and delight him. During last year's SW I told him the postcards my witch sent were for him, and he loooved that.   My 8 month old won't know any better if you don't throw anything in for him. My husband will probably eat some of anything edible you send him but doesn't need anything of his own (unless you inexplicably have a lot of Soviet memorabilia you are looking to move along).   Since it's been mentioned several times, and I've also offered to nacho witch some, would you you like to receive wild rice and or maple syrup? I promise to include recipe ideas with the wild rice.   Wild rice: jeeez louise yes. Maple syrup: probably better sent to someone else, because while it would be cool, I have to admit I almost never use maple syrup for anything.   I have 5 bushels of tomatoes sitting in the kitchen right now that are supposed to turn into red sauce tomorrow, so would anyone like a basic red sauce (spaghetti sauce) to make its way to them?   Yes!   Would you be interested in having a bat adopted in your name?   I have no particular affinity for bats but I think this is a sweet idea.   How would you feel about a taste of (insert witch location here) box?   Ooooh yeah baby.   Some of your favorite artists? Classic and modern?   I have such a hard time with this question. It's like "what's your favorite movie?" I can never think of anything on the fly.   If this is a very important question to you, PLEASE hassle me more about it.   If you could have an image or certain subject painted for you on any type of "canvas" (on a box, on paper, on a canvas, and so on) - could you point your witch to some of these images?   Hmmm. I'm very into tarot imagery, especially images of The Emperor and The Magician (which are what I call my kids on the internet, and which are eerily accurate representations of their personalities).   Is there a GC scent that's been on your list for ages but keeps falling off your list   It'll break my heart if Veil suddenly vanishes. I've been meaning to get a bottle forever but it just never seems to happen.   I've been getting into indie nail polish brands recently. What's your favorite indie brand of nail polish? Or what's your favorite mainstream brand of nail polish? Or are you not big on polish?   I'm just starting to get into nail polish a bit lately. It started because my kid really wanted me to paint his nails, and if I'm going to paint his, may as well do my own too.   China Glaze does a number of colors that I like. I like some of the Butter London stuff (though the names are horrible) but haven't bought any because oy prices. There are lots of OPI shades I like too.   Mostly so far I've done a lot of looking and not a lot of buying.   Stuffed things: yea or nay?   A stuffed thing you made: yay. There probably aren't any random manufactured stuffies that I'm in the market for right now though.   New Question: mix-in-a-jar? How to you feel about cookie or cake or soup mixes that come in jars and you just add, like, an egg or water or what have you?   Not really my thing, because pretty much everything that comes as a mix in a jar, I can and do make myself.   Would you be interested in beer, wine, or other specialty beverages from your Witch's area?   Think we covered this further up but again - yus. Sure! I don't really like sweet drinks much (if you send me full-sugar soda, I will pass it on to my husband) but beyond that, it's all good.   Oh, I don't mind artificial sweeteners at all. I HUGELY prefer diet sodas over sugar sodas (whether it's HFCS or cane sugar or agave or whatever). I prefer the taste AND diet soda doesn't mess with my blood sugar.   (You probably weren't going to send me soda anyway but now ya know.)   Are there any crafts/skills you've wanted to learn but haven't gotten around to? And if so, would you be interested in supplies and tutorials?   Ugh, so many. I would love beginner info on quilting. I started a baby quilt before my younger son was born thinking I'd figure it out as I went along and yeah... a year later it's not done yet because I was just screwing it up so badly.   Who here would be happy to get a lil' sumthin sumthin from Adagio Teas?   I love tea but don't drink it often. If you get me something, better put the emphasis on little. Sample sizes of any kind of tea are welcome though! I love herbal stuff, and rooibos stuff, and black tea, and flavored black tea, and green tea. But not flavored green tea.   Do you Ravelry? And if so, what's your handle over there? Would you be interested in gift patterns from your queue?   My Ravelry username is stophittinyrslf   I usually put things in my favorites if I'm not sure if I want to actually make them or not-- usually if they're in my queue I've already bought the pattern. That said, I'd be delighted to have any of the patterns that are in my favorites (or any of the yarns that are in my favorites).   I'm not a great knitter... at all... but I ride the bus for four hours a week and it's critical that I have something to do with my hands in that time. So more knitting projects = good, heh.   I live near this very cool Retro store (retrodrygoods.com) (you can order online too) - are there things from it that would make you squee if your witch sent them?   Didn't see anything that screamed "buy me", but they have pretty dish towels and stuff.   Despite the fact that I'm always in the kitchen, I don't really wear aprons at all.   Who likes Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses?   Not me. I'd be interested in the combo of pumpkin spice + chocolate if you can find a vegan version though.   What does your kitchen look like? Colors/style?     It's kinda I dunno, kitchen colored. We don't have a theme or anything. It's a BIG kitchen though, so after living in a string of places with tiny kitchens, we've got plenty of room to spread our stuff out...   It's very sunny and lovely in the day time too.   Witchee, what are your favorite quotes?   Too many answers.   Put your iPod/MP3 player/what-have-you on random and list the first 10 songs it plays!   1. Alias - Well Water Black 2. White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground 3. Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock 4. David Bowie - Let Me Sleep Beside You 5. Destroyer - My Favorite Year 6. Brian Eno - Stedelijk 7. The Rolling Stones - Get Off of My Cloud 8. John Vanderslice - Numbered Lithograph 9. Robyn Hitchcock - Uncorrected Personality Traits 10. Clearlake - Trees in the City   What's one random thing you really like and one random thing you really dislike?   Really like: eating a really juicy piece of fruit over the sink and not caring$   Really dislike: going to bed with damp hair.   Are there any herbs that you haven't been able to lay hands on that I could send you? There's an herbal shop I really like here in NYC called Flower Power (flowerpower.net) that has quite a wide selection.   Not that I can think of.   If there are no "witchy" shops near you, is there anything I can pick up for you from Enchantments?   Not really into "witchy" things.   Hey Witchee! I want to send you a delivery. It could be cupcakes from a local bakery, it could be a singing hugging bear-a-gram, it could be a bouquet of flowers. But it will be something that you need to be there to receive.   a) Are you OK with "special deliveries"? *waggles eyebrows*   B..) Is the address in your questionnaire the best place to reach you for said deliveries?   c) If the delivery requires a phone number (as say, some florists do) would you be OK with that information being tracked down by your Witch or asked of you anonymously?   a) Sure! Yup c) Yup   What are some things you are OK with receiving gently used or homemade, and some things you absolutely do not want if they are gently used or homemade?   Homemade anything is good with me.   Gently used is fine as long as we're talking like, books, toys, clothing, etc. Gently used is NOT okay for food (ewww) or cosmetics (used lotion? noooo) other than nail polish which I don't suppose would bother me (nails aren't gross). Used perfume is okay!   And now a new question: I live near a Mast General Store (mastgeneralstore.com). It has lots of vintage-y toys, southern foods (jams, jellies, spices) and vintage candy. Is there anything I can get for you?   I see yummies on the food page.   Do you have any Fall or Halloween traditions?   I always dress up. I've only ever missed one year-- the first year after my older son was born. He was a month old and I literally forgot that Halloween was happening.   This year we'll go to the downtown Halloween parade and I might take him up and down our block for his first trick-or-treat ever.   Gotta have cider at some point in the fall. It's not fall if there's not cider.   Ninjas or Pirates?   Yarr, matey.   I have an extra room spray and 2 extra bath oils (one Cephalopod, one Exhibit Hall Fatigue) from Dragon*Con - would anybody like a decant?   I would *love* to smell Exhibit Hall Fatigue.   Witchee, would you like it if I made you a "mix tape" of songs that I think you might like? And if so, would you prefer mp3 or CD format?   Yes! I'd love that! CD format's probably good.   I know it is totally the wrong season (for most of us), but do you like/have space to garden? If so, what do you like to grow?   Yes! I just started this year. Not surprisingly, I use what limited space I have (about 8x3 ft of dirt in full sunlight, plus about 6x6 ft of concrete in full sunlight that I put containers on) to grow edibles. I had a blast growing tomatoes this year and definitely want to try that again next year with some interesting varieties.   I'm about to be near a Lush store next week, is there anything you might like from there?   I love pretty much all of their bubble bars. Those bubble-roon things are great. Really loved the rose jam one.   Songs that you keep meaning to buy but never get round to it?   I don't usually buy individual songs.   Movies that you love but forgot to put in your questionaire?   Can't think of any.   Any favorite Bath & Body Works scents/products?   I've never tried their stuff but I love fancy bath crap. Feel free to surprise me.   Haus of Gloi is offering custom perfumes - would you like one? What would your ideal blend be?   Sure. I have no idea what my ideal blend would be though. Lavender and something.   Any Bath, Body or nutritional type items you would love to try from a Natural and Organic food store (similar to Whole Foods) that you don't buy because they are a bit too pricey?   Ha ha ha... so many things. I often drool over Copper Moon Apothecary stuff at my local crunchy store... not only does a bunch of their stuff smell good to me, but I love the packaging too. They have my aesthetic nailed.   OK, so those of you who said you wouldn't mind receiving (sneakily packaged!) beer or wine: Tell me of your taste preferences. Dry/sweet? Red/white? Lager/ale/porter/stout? Fruit? Spice? Hops? Sour (brettanomyces, etc)?   Red wine, more dry than sweet. Hoppy beer, bitter beer, dark beer, mmmm porters mmmm stouts. Fruity bleccccch. Honey bleccccccch. Anything you send will at least be tasted though. I am actually pretty easily to please.   Witchee, will you be gone from your normal mailing address at any point during the round?   Not for even a little bit, alas.   Are you a Disney fan or does even thinking about Disney make your head hurt? If you're into Disney, would you like something from the Happiest Place on Earth ?   I'm decidedly neutral. I have good memories from my childhood and fully intend to rewatch some of my favorites with my kids. (Actually, my son already knows and loves Beauty & the Beast.) Beyond that, don't really care one way or another. Can't think of anything I want from Disney.   dear witchee, would you, could you use an electric candle warmer?   Candle... warmer? I don't even know what this means. Why would you warm a candle?   Do you lust after some new socks/tights?   I'd love some handmade socks or something but beyond that, I'm set for right now!   are there any of MeiLin's books (e-book or print) you'd be interested in?   Not that I know of.   Are you a gamer (of any sort - video, casual, tabletop) and are there any games you want?   Sigh. Yes and no. What I want is some free time to be able to play games in... I have had almost 0 time to play video games since my older son was born, and now that I've started full time grad school again, my free time is just decreasing by the minute.   So, don't need any games now, is what I'm saying. No matter how much I might *want*. Sniffles.   Would you be interested in BPTP CANDY?   If it's cool and vegan. Sure.   Do you like coffee? If so, what kinds? Flavored, fancy, basic? Beans or ground?   YES. I drink... a lot of coffee. I like a darker roast. Whole beans are better because no one else drinks coffee in my house so I grind as I go. Beyond that, I'm not choosy. I do try to buy fair trade coffee because I feel like it's worthwhile to pay a little bit more money to buy something that is a luxury for me if it makes it slightly less exploitative.   Would a Starbucks gift card make you happy or do you prefer your local place?   A Starbucks gift card probably wouldn't get used, at least not in a timely fashion. We have one in town, but it's my last choice after a ton of great local places and a very nice Peet's.   A Peet's card would get used-- but slowly. I received a $50 last year for Christmas and am still working my way through it!   CUSTOM-Made Pottery?? yea or nay? coffee mugs, rustic or more elegant? a set of bowls? soap dish? bird feeder? something alltogether different? and lastly, good colors for glazes...?   If this is your special talent, please, make away! I can always use another vessel to drink coffee out of.   Do you have a forum buddy? Someone who knows you and/or your tastes well enough to answer questions on your behalf?   I know strangemodegirl IRL and she could probably answer some questions.   If you are on Livejournal, would you appreciate LJ stuff like paid time, custom userheads, stuff like that? If you are NOT on LJ but are on other sites that have similar paid-for services (Flickr, for example?) would you, and what are those sites/etc?   Livejournal: not really.   Flickr: I use the HELL out of my Flickr account (username also coldandsleepy) though. I think I'm paid up for another six months or something already though.   A question, witchees: if you are into tarot, what is your favorite card?   The Emperor and the Magician for my sons. The Fool for myself.   And another question: would you like your own set of handmade rune stones or worry stones?   That would actually be really cool.   Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cider, or none of the above?   Or *all* of the above.   Gum, hard candy, soft candy, or none of the above?   I don't really do gum. But beyond that, I like pretty much all candy at least a little bit.   Loose tea or tea bags? Do you need anything for your loose tea? (Filters, presses, etc.)   Either! Usually loose!   If you like tea, what kinds?   This is a near repeat... like I said in the Adagio question, I like pretty much all tea.   Do you do Goodreads or LibraryThing or a site like that? If so, can I see your to-read list, please?   No. I should but I don't. *hangs head in shame*   Zombies; Yay or Nay?   Not really my thing.   If you have cats, do they like catnip toys? If you have doggies, would they like a super-reinforced canvas toy with a squeaker in it?   No cat, no dog. Alas.   If you have kids, what are they into?   My 3 year old loves: trains, Dr. Who, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, stickers, band aids, stickers shaped like band aids, and stamps (like rubber stamps).   My 8 month old is into chewing on things and cramming himself into small spaces.   How do you feel about wearable knitted lace? Shawls, wraps, and the like?   Very positive!   Looking at the warehouse, I notice that our lovely Greenwoodtree is able to do chart readings and/or forecasts at a very reasonable rate. Is this something you would want?   Not particularly.     ---------------------------------------   Sept 15/16:   Do you like s'mores and s'mores-flavored things?   Yes, with the usual vegan caveat. I loooove marshmallows, as long as they don't have gelatin or anything nasty in them.   What's the neatest freebie you've gotten? It can be cool or thoughtful or just totally unexpected, and not limited to BPALdom.   This is sorta sappy I guess, but after I had my first son, there was a vendor at our farmer's market who would always slip me some extra produce and tell me it was "for the baby" with this really shy smile. (He doesn't speak much English, I've come to learn.) A cauliflower here, some celery there... nothing big, but that kindness really touched me. And... I still buy stuff from that guy every week 3 years later.   Would you enjoy receiving cute but useful items like colorful kitchen utensils/gadgets, or bento supplies? (boxes, chopsticks, accessories, etc?) What about things like spice mixes (homemade, or Penzey's for example)   Cute but useful kitchen items are pretty much my ultimate objects. I don't really do composed bentos (these days! I used to!) but I do pack lunch & dinner for grad school two times a week, so lunchbox accessories still get used around here.   Also super yes to spices. Do I already have pretty much every spice on earth? Yes. Do I still want more? Yes. Please.   Do you like cute, seasonal or fluffy PJ bottoms? Like they sell at Target, Old Navy (they have had cute Halloween ones!) If so, what size do you wear?   Oh, I LOVE jammie pants but destroyed every single pair I had during my last pregnancy (because that was pretty much all I wore at home, heh). So yeah, that would be a pretty good present. I'm between a 10 and a 12 for pants, so I usually get an L for jammies. I like flannel more than fleece, but I'm not choosey.   What kind of chocolate do you like? Nuts, no nuts, white,dark, etc?   I like any chocolate that's vegan. I've never had vegan white chocolate but it does exist and it's safe to assume I would like it. I prefer a good dark chocolate over vegan milk chocolates, but honestly I like them too, just in a different way. Interesting combos of mix-ins always appeal to me... I get so mad every time Vosges comes out with a new variety that's vegan except for like one ingredient, because the always look so damn good.   I live near a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Penzeys! What does your little heart desire from any or all of these places?   I live down the street from a Whole Foods and a TJ's and do most of my shopping at TJ's... so I'm probably set for those. (Though if you send me a jar of Speculoos, I'm not gonna mail it back!)   Penzey's on the other hand... mmmm. As I mentioned a couple questions ago, I have a LOT of spices already and pretty much everything basic is already in my kitchen somewhere, but any sort of unusual or uncommon spice or spice blend appeals to me... Right now I'm cooking a lot of Indian food so India-specific spices would be nice... I keep seeing recipes calling for dried pomegranate seeds (?) and I haven't been able to find those anywhere near here. I want a good Berbere mix... and I'm looking for plain ol' sumac, which I haven't seen anywhere here.   Are home made foods acceptable or does the idea of eating strange mailed food disturb you?   Totally acceptable. Beyond acceptable. People who make me food are my favorite people.   I just gave you $20 and sent you into a "has everything" store ala Walmart and told you that you have to come out having spent it all, and none of it on anything you need. What would you buy? Be as specific as possible!   Um... right now I'd buy some nail polish remover, some new underwear (I'm all about the cheeky hipsters or whatever they're called), and a case of fizzy water. Well, you asked!   What kind of cuisines do you like? (I mentioned this in my ?aire but curious what my witch may like)And, what are your favorite restaurants?   The thing about me is that I like pretty much all food. Sometimes I joke that I HAVE to be vegan or I'd never be able to decide on what to eat when... even with my dietary restrictions there is still so damn much to choose from.   My very favorite cuisine is probably SE Asian... my mom cooked a lot of Thai food for me when I was a little kid and so it's both delicious and extremely nostalgic for me.   I think I have a list in last Fall's SW Q&A of local places I love to eat... just off the top of my head (and probably forgetting a ton), I love: Mobo Sushi, Engfer's Pizzaworks, Planet Fresh Burritos, Pearl of the Ocean, Dharma's, 99 Bottles, Seabright Brewery, Star of Siam, The Delmarette... I can keep going for a long time...   I'm from Canada - is there anything specifically a witchee might like that is only available here?   Interesting flavors of chips, and maple sugar.   what are your "fandoms" and would you like a t-shirt from TeeFury if an appropriate one came up?   Funny Doctor Who or Lovecraft shirts always have a place in my life. (Anything I said in last year's SW Q&A about not wearing t-shirts is now null and void as I kicked the no-tshirt job I had to the curb, heh.)   Do you have an eReader and if so which one?   No. I do sometimes read things in the Kindle app on my iphone.   Do you like candles, or tart burners, or something? If so, what's your favorite scent to burn?   Nope. I like scents, and I like candles, but I don't like scented candles. I don't really like my house to smell like anything in particular other than like, a house.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

0
 

Winter Holiday Fun Swap questions!

Newest questions on top!!   11/12/11-11/21/11   Cthulu?   I am down with Cthulu! Yes!   Baking supplies?   Ingredients-wise, nothing's springing to mind... vegan white chocolate chips, but they're a pain to get your hands on. Maybe vanilla bean paste? Seasonal: maybe colored sugars like someone else mentioned?   Utensils etc-wise, I've been looking for a one piece silicone spatula for a while. I have one that I like but could use more!   I loooooove cookie cutters and am always happy to get more. I have basic stuff (circles, diamonds, simple stars, etc) but would love to get seasonal cookie cutters.   Anniversary Update!   I'm a little relieved to say that nothing in this one is an absolute MUST HAVE for me. All four of the time-of-days have death notes in them for me, though I'm still really interested in sniffing at Dusk & Midnight. I'd love a tiny sniff of Leather Phoenix but again, there's patchouli which I usually don't do well.   Plush microbes?   They're totally adorable, but I already have some! I think they came from my sister-in-law who works at Archie McPhee. Not really dying for any of the others.   Would you rather have an early reveal, or would you prefer one close to the end of the round?   No big preference! I think for a little round like this, it's probably the most fun to wait until the end, but if you wanna reveal December 1st or something, I'll still love you.   Geek Chic cosmetics: Nope... I love the idea but I don't really do makeup.   chile, yay or nay? (Example: I had a delicious dark chocolate bar the other day that had dried cherries and red chile....YUM! There are local cookies here that are shortbread type with chile. And of course, in NM we are famous for our chile ristras which are mostly decorative (though usually you could use the dried chiles if you wanted to).)   YES chile! I love all chiles, and in sweet or savory applications. Dried chiles are an ingredient I can always use more of... no matter how many dried anchos/pasillas/chipotles/whatevers I buy, I always seem to be out of them.   November 11th   Let's talk about fruit! Do you like dried fruit or h ate it? Like some but not others?   I like most dried fruit. I really, really love dried apricots. Not super into dried bananas (though my son LOVES them so they *would* end up eaten at my house). I don't like freeze-dried stuff in general-- freeze-dried berries are gross.   How do you feel about cherries? Prefer the sweet or tart versions? Dried? Jam? Salsa? Hot sauce? BBQ sauce?   I freaking love cherries. They're one of my top five favorite fruits, and when they're in season and I can afford them, I gorge myself silly on them... and then when they're not in season/are too expensive, then I eat cherry jam. Mmm, cherry jam.   I've never had them in salsa/hot sauce/BBQ sauce but am intrigued by all three.   What is your general philosophy about patterns for accessories such as socks, scarves, and tights? Do you like solids? Stripes? Polka dots? Weird patterns like harlequin-type stuff? Any of the above   Any of the above! I guess stripes are my favorite, then solids, then weird stuff (yay argyle!) and finally polka dots.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   11/11/11   November 9th   Sooo. Yules. Those just happened. What are you interested in, Bunny?   *cry* Everything. Okay, not everything. I did a post in the Oak Moon thread detailing my thoughts on each one if you're really curious. I also bought myself a butt ton of decants already.   Stuff I didn't already get decants of but would love to try: many of the returning scents. Egg Nog, Noche Buena, Boite en Diablo, Yule, etc.   Do you like coin purses?   Not really. I have a tendency to lose them. Which um, runs counter to their purpose.   Do you prefer dark or milk chocolate?   Dark dark dark! There are some vegan milk chocolates out there (Rice Dream makes one, and there are some others) and I like that sometimes... but milk chocolate mostly reminds me of the crappy chocolates I ate as a little kid. Dark's the way to go!   What are your opinions on traditional holiday cookie flavorings? I'm thinking anise and cardamom in particular.   Very positive! I love them both!   Do you like artisan oils and vinegars?   I do I do! Vinegars more so than oils, but really, ingredients to cook with are always a hit with me.   Bunny, could you use a 2012 calendar, and, if so, do you like big monthly ones or the page-a-day type?   Wouldn't mind a big wall calendar at all. I like having a little planner book on hand but my iphone has kind of taken over that purpose.   If your fox were to knit something for you, would it be a lacy shawl or a pair of socks?   Both sound so nice. Um... really, that's hard. The socks would probably get more use.   Would anyone else be interested in a soap dish or something like that?   Sure! Especially if you're painting it yourself or something.   Are you a Harry Potter fan? If so, which house do you identify with, and why? Would you want knitted things/replicas/accessories in your house colours?   I love HP but am not really part of the fandom per se. I want to be a Gryffindor but I'm resigned to the fact that I'd probably be a Ravenclaw. Going to grad school on a fellowship fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine, which was to get paid to go to school.   Are there any Yules from *PAST* years that you're interested in trying? Including past winter inquisitions?   2010 was a rough year for me financially and I missed out on ALL the Yules. There are a ton of Nutcracker scents that I wanted to try... I would loooove a decant or even a sniffie of some of those.   I'm pretty set on Yules from years before that, though there are some classics that I still haven't managed to try and would love to sniff.   ---------------------------------------   11/7/11   49. Do you like/need boxes for perfume/knicknacks?   Basically always, yes.   50. Coffee or tea? With caffeine or without? Flavors (if so, what?) or no? Whole bean/ground/loose leaf/bags?   I think this is a repeat question... but in general, yes to coffee (with caffeine), not huge into tea right now (though always open to chai).   51. Do you have a strong preference for any sort of bath and body product brands (i.e. etailer/etsy type cos, department store/specialty brands like Lush) or are you cool with anything that doesn't smell like Bunnybane?   I prefer etailer/Etsyish bath & body stuff just because they tend to be more natural ingredientwise and less like here why don't you slather this long list of unpronounceable chemicals onto your skin/hair?   52. A question: reveal, yes or no?   Reveals make me happy! But it's your call.   53. Any favorite cuddly characters?   No particular favorites. My son is CRAZY about Totoro and My Little Pony (really), so if you send anything Totoro-y or vaguely equine, he will freak out with happiness and try to steal it from me.   54. Charity gifts? Either fair-trade type stuff, or virtual type gifts, like vaccinations or school supplies being bought on your behalf, or something along those lines?   Sure, this is always a nice idea.   55. Bunny, are you interested in tarts from Two Timing Tart? What scents, if any, are you interested in?   Nope, I don't do tarts.     56. Do you need any holiday recipes? Is there something in particular that you'd like baked or made for you? And for those of you doing the no sugar/low sugar, etc. thing these days, how about savory things?   Do I *need* recipes? No. Do I *want* them? Always! There's nothing I can think of in particular, but I love food and I love cooking and you can basically never go wrong with a food related gift for me.   57. Speaking about candles, how much do you look forward to the BPTP candles that will be launched on Etsy? I don't know if there will be other scents than the Samhain and Pumpkin Cookie one, but is there a specific one you are longing for?   I'm sure they're lovely but I don't really do candles.   58. Does anyone have issues with gently used things like books, etc.?   Nope! Used is good! As long as we're not talking used soap or cosmetics.   59. Are you a big ol' nerd for any particular subject? Science, math, linguistics, etc? Or particular authors/fandoms?   Ha ha ha. I am a big ol' nerd for SO MANY THINGS. Science, math, anything computer related, languages, cooking, um... yeah.   60. Bunnies, how do you feel about lemon-flavored items, like lemon marmalade, lemon curd, lemon pound cake, or lemon cookies?   Very positive! I love lemon!   61. Fingerless mittens or full mitts?   I need things either with no fingers or with individual fingers. I can't do a mitten style all my fingers are trapped inside of this one bit and pressed together type of glove.     --------- 11/4/11   Does anything from Fusion Sweets interest you?   They don't have ingredients listed, so I can't say for sure... if the hard candies are vegan, I'd be willing to try them! They're so preeeetty!   Interested in anything from the Elements and Artifacts Yule update?   Think I was waaaaay too slow on this. The E&A stuff is really beautiful, I'd love to have one of her necklaces some day.   What was the best holiday present you ever got?   My sister was born on Christmas. That's hard to beat. (Awwwww *puke* I just grossed myself out with sentimentality.)   I am blanking on anything beyond that!   Bunny, what scent are you desperately wanting to be resurrected this year with the Anniversary update?   Hmmm... there's nothing that I would expect to actually see resurrected that I'm dying for. But I would love to someday see Sleepy Moon come back, and Fearful Pleasure. (I know FP is extremely unlikely as it was part of a specific themed Weenie set, but ah, a girl can dream!)   Groupon for Moxie Nouveau! Dear Bunneh, is this something that would interest you?   Hmmm... I'm not a big lotion person so that part of the deal would be wasted on me. Their Christmas scents look amazing though... so... maybe, if you can use the Groupon on those!   Bun-bun, what's your favourite colour?   Red! And grey. And well... I like most colors.   Your favourite gemstone?   Amethyst, labradorite, onyx, and that blue one I always forget the name of... um, I like gem stones.   Your favourite animal (real or imaginary)?   The noble tree kangaroo! Also, guinea pigs.   And do you have any intense phobias?   I don't like gore, am bothered by the grotesque, and am unable to handle death related things.   Other than that, I don't like actual bugs much but stuffed bugs/images of insects etc don't bother me! Oh, and I have a huge physically revulsion to mold. You weren't going to mail me mold, were you?   Facebook/twitter: I'm on Facebook under my real name, but dunno how you would add me while still being sneaky. I have a twitter account under coldandsleepy but I basically never use it.   -----------------------------------------------------   so...someone has gifted you a $20 gift card from walgreens to ONLY use on things for yourself. no necessities here. what do you buy?   Hm... I am really not much of a drug store shopper. The only thing I go there for (other than medication) are diaper wipes for my kid. That's not helpful!   I'll buy... $20 worth of dark rum!   I live near a brick and morter location for a really, really good spice store. would you use cooking spices and if you would, what would you need? (it's penzey's if you want to google it).   Penzey's! Cool! I really want some ground sumac, which I think they might carry.   Do you like knitted goods? If so, what would you like, what colors, and do you have any sensitivites or preference when it comes to type of yarn (ex: wool: yay or nay? do you prefer machine washable materials? do you not care?)?   Yes, I like them!   I didn't mention this in my questionaire so let me clarify here: wool does not bother me ethically. I don't want to go into a long discussion of this, but suffice to say, I'm fine with getting wool things if that's what you want to send.   hey swap partner...could you use a new mug?   I own more mugs than jesus. That's a lot of mugs.   ... but I'm still open to any really cool mugs. Like if you painted one yourself or something, I'd totally be on that.   Is there any sort of regional food/drink/treat you miss or have always wanted to try?   Hm... I'm from the east coast and I miss good bagels, gigantic soft pretzels, and hoagies. (None of those are really mailable, huh?)   Do you do a Christmas tree? If yes is it themed or specially colored or do you just have all different ornaments and such?   This is my first year not visiting my in-laws (who don't do a tree... they decorate the potted plants in their living room but it's not the same) for Christmas in EIGHT YEARS! We're staying home because I'll be like 38 or 39 weeks pregnant. Am I going to do a tree? I am going to DO THE HELL out of a tree.   There will probably be some very basic theme, just because we'll be getting ornaments all at once and not bit by bit over the years. Probably 1 or 2 colors of balls plus I'm thinking of making water/flour/salt ornaments with my kid. And lights.   Would you like a special ornament?   Totally, totally, totally open to a special ornament. Don't worry about theme.   Tim Tams. Yay or nay?   Nay, not vegan, alas.   I know some people are squicked out at the idea of eating things that other people make, or the thought of deep fried cookies sends them into cardiac arrest. If you were my fox, would you like to receive some homemade goodies, or would you prefer that your goodies came from the store?   Um, I am the opposite of squicked out by homemade foods. You could tell me that your cat licked the cookies and you coughed all over them and I'd still be like "awwww, that's so sweet, you baked for me!" Definitely prefer homemade.   Would any Bunny like to receive Holiday serving bowls, trays, platters etc...? Winter/Christmas or Thanksgiving/Fall themed?   Sure! I love fancy dishes. Winter/Christmas related preferred since we're never home for Thanksgiving, but I'm down with Fall themed too!   My lovely fluffy Snow Bunny, would you like a bodyscrub made by me? If so, what scent(s) would you like, if you had to think along the lines of essential oils? And would you prefer sugar or salt? A dryer scrub or one that's more oily/moist?   Sure! I dig simple scents... maybe lavender and citrus? Rose and citrus? Rose and lavender? Ooh, you know what I love? Eucalyptus! Sugar or salt scrub's fine, though I do like a nice moist scrub.   Dear snow bunny, do you like candles? if yes, then what kind? scented (what scents), unscented, what colors, do you like them plain/painted on the outside/with decorations attached to the surface/sculpted?   Not really. :/ I like candles but never have an opportunity to burn them. And as much as I like scent on myself, I don't really scent my atmosphere at all.   Also what do you think of little soaps? I know most people don't use soaps nowadays but I love the chocolate/vanilla/cocoa/butter/sugar combo scents that I see at beauty stores   I own a hilarously huge amount of soap. There's always room for one more.   Socks! Slippers! Do you love them or not really wear them? If you love them, do you also love Sock Dreams?   Love them! Wear them! Love Sock Dreams too!   Would you wear something like this if your Fox were to knit you one? If so, what color? (Cowl)   It looks like it might be nice to wear while biking in the morning, when I freeze my metaphorical balls off. I like a nice red, but really I am very easy going about color. No pastels, no bright yellow (unless it's part of a blend of colors), but otherwise, I'm good.   new question: talk to me of coffee. Whole bean? Ground? Flavored, not flavored? Decaf, whole caff? Favorite roasters? Drip, french press, keurig? BRING ON THE TEA?   Mmm, coffee. Whole bean is good and preferrable because I go through coffee pretty slowly right now (at a rate of a single 10oz cup per day). I don't mind coffee with say, cinnamon added (mmm, cinnamon) but I'm not really into flavored coffees. I prefer darker roasts over lighter roasts. My favorite roasters are all local guys... if you have local coffee roasters, I would LOVE to try whatever they have.   Who else here loves or would like to try Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics? If so, what would you like?   I don't really do makeup (aside from sheer lip tints, which I'm okay with) so nope.   Have you tried anything from Cocoa Pink and if so, what products and scents do you like or would like to try?   They definitely have stuff that sounds interesting to me... I have an answer to this in one of my SW questions blog and if this is particularly relevant to you, drop a hint somehow and I'll be happy to dig it up for you.   Anybody into nail polish? Any color or formula preferences?   I can't wear it to work, and am too lazy to apply it in general anyway, so no.   If you found a $50 bill on the ground and were to place a Lab order, what would be in it? (And shipping is free through the magical BPAL unicorn!)   This another one where I already have a detailed answer written up but... I would love to try imps of basically all of the newer Mad Tea Party scents. I would also probably buy myself a bottle of Ta-Ta because I am kind of crazy for it.   Is there any particular holiday DVD that you don't have that you would like to own?   Nothing's coming to mind right now... I already have How the Grinch Stole Christmas, that's about it. I like Christmas movies though and now that I have a kid at home, I'd be happy to rewatch some other classics.   How do you feel about superheros? Are you a Marvel or DC fan? Do you have a favorite hero?   Not a superhero fan really.   Would my bunny like anything in particular from Lush? I do have access to an actual Lush store, and also wouldn't mind ordering retro items online.   Like all of their vegan Christmas stuff appeals to me...   I am big into bubble bars. My 2 year old and I take a lot of bubble baths, so um, yeah, we can always use more. French Kiss is my favorite, but I'm pretty easy to please.   Also, question, dearest bunnies: would you like a Paintbox from Paintbox Soapworks? If so, which scents?   Groan. Yes. I want *everything* from Paintbox. Maybe a Paintbox with:   Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh The Man in the Moon The Englishman The Olive Tree   NEW QUESTION! - Do you have kids (or kid-like pets) who your fox may want to take into account, either in terms of a little extra goody or simple safety?   I have a 2 year old son who is pretty good about not sticking foreign objects in his mouth, etc. He would be delighted to receive a little treat, he thinks anything that comes in the mail is rightfully his anyway.   I also have 2 guinea pigs, Pingpong and Ianto, but they are pretty good about letting me have my mail.   How do you feel about honey/beeswax? Would you like any?   No thanks. I'm not terribly opposed to things that include honey or beeswax, but I don't search them out and wouldn't have any use for either component.   NEW QUESTION: Are you a Trader Joe's fan, who either doesn't have a store nearby or just loves their stuff and has a wishlist?   I like TJ's but have several in my area. (Oh, California.)   The Paintbox Soapworks Yules are up, or at least round one is (updates coming throughout the week). Interested in anything?   *cry* I want it allllll. I'm really drawn to Comfort & Joy and would love it either in a soap or sorbetto. Snoggin' too.   If I were to place ONE LAST Weenie order, (uh, which I will) what would you want me to include for you?   Hmmmm... maybe Gorobble? Or Pumpkin Latte? I adore Ta Ta but am almost definitely going to buy a bottle for myself.   Will you be away for any part of the round?   Briefly-- I'll be out of town from the day before Thanksgiving til the Monday after. Other than that, no!   What type of books do you like? Dying to read anything?   I'll read anything. I'm a book ho. Especially into memoirs and science fiction.   If you like Christmas music (or any other holiday music, for that matter), what kind of style do you like? Traditional? Modern and poppy? Indie?   This may make you laugh, since I'm like "oh I'm so secular", but I freaking love traditional religious Christmas music. Ave Maria? OH yeah! And many more. I sang in a Catholic choir in my youth and have never gotten over my love for that stuff, even if I got over the rest of it.   Do you enjoy things that taste like roses?/mastic?   Roses, YES! Mastic, I don't know but I'd love to find out!   i live in the city of the chicken wing. if i were to send you something savory, what's your heat tolerance (or sweet and heat for that matter).   Love spicy things, but I'm prone to acid reflux right now. (Pregnancy again.) So I have to limit it to moderate/mild spice at present. Sriracha-- still doable. Hotter than that? Probably too hot for right now.   If your fox/bunny were to gift you with a giftcard from anywhere, as in any store foodwise, music wise etc. what giftcard would you like?   Theo Chocolates in Seattle. I don't know why that's the first thing that came to mind but um, yeah.   If I were to send you chocolate is there anything I should avoid as in nuts, cherries etc.? Also, what are some of your favorite holiday candies?   Nothing to avoid but animal products! I love nuts, fruits, spices, etc. I'm a sucker for anything with candy cane in it around Christmas, and candied nuts, and um, anything else really...
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/30-10/3 (whew)

Note to my witch: sorry for being so slow to respond on some of these. I hope you weren't asking any of the time critical questions (like "do you want anything in my Sephora order?"). Still recovering from my in-law visit last week and a cold and I haven't had the mental energy to do a whole lot of question answering...   Oh, and also, the Vegan Month of Food has begun! So I am (food) blogging again daily, just for this month. I doubt it's terribly relevant to you, but if you're interested, my blog is here.   October 3rd   Does anyone else like collector Barbies?   Nope. Never a Barbie fan. The only interest I ever had in them (as a child) was making clothing for them.   What small everyday items would you like, that you keep forgetting to get?   See my post about 10 under $10.   Also, quart sized plastic baggies. Also, a ball of rubber bands. I thought of both of these yesterday and was like "I should put these on my SW wish list!" and then was like "that is crazy, my witch is going to think I'm a 90 year old woman who pays for everything with her change purse full of pennies." Let's not be silly. I don't have a change purse.   Tarot   Yes? I generally really like tarot themed imagery. I'm not particularly spiritual or superstitious, I don't believe that tarot cards actually tell you anything about what will happen, but I think they're a great tool for organizing your thoughts about a situation and/or having someone else help you think about your situation.   Tell me about something you like, and why you like it.   Heh. Isn't this what this whole questionnaire is?   The first thing that came to mind, probably because it's morning: I love snuggling with my kid while he's sleeping. There's just something so damn peaceful about the whole thing. Listening to him breathe so evenly, murmur in his sleep, feeling how warm he is (always like 10 degrees warmer than me), I find it impossible to think about or worry about very much at all. For someone who thinks about and worries about EVERYTHING too much, this is priceless.   If you're the MMU type of Witchee, what Geek Chic Cosmetics tickle your fancy?   No idea what MMU means in this context. I once programmed a virtual Memory Management Unit but you're probably not talking about computer architecture...   Would any witchees be interested in Quinn Popcorn?   Oh, yum. I don't actually have a microwave (strange but true) but that stuff sounds tasty as hell.   October 2nd   Who likes silly items from Archie McPhee???   My sister-in-law works there! I love some of their stuff but she tends to find the best things and give them to us for holidays, so I'm probably all set...   Nocturne Alchemy's NAlloween Pt. 2 update is live here! (And for a few days, last month's update too.) What do you want?   It's funny, I was just thinking about Nocturne Alchemy last night while falling asleep. They're one of the only perfume companies I've had much luck with other than BPAL.   I'd love to smell Sekhmet's Sorcery, Anubis Tabasheer pumpkin (blood carrot?!), Isis Sanatalum Pumpkin, Maat's Opal Pumpkin, Osiris Crimson Pumpkin, and Nine Bows. Probably don't need a whole bottle of them though-- while I've had good luck with NA, it's still a little hit or miss for me.   What are you drooling over from the Sock Dreams Halloween stuff?   Really digging: Pirate Skulls knee highs Kawaii Skeleton OTK in plain ol' white bones   I love the spiderweb fishnetty ones too but have no idea where on earth I'd wear them to.   Luck charms?   Not sure what the question is here? Witch, if this is you, please expand on your question...   Does anyone want anything from... here...?   Those are totally adorable, but alas, not vegan.   For those of you that like candles, do you like stuff from Yankee Candle? And if you had to choose, tarts or candles?   No! Actually, I generally find Yankee Candles to be the worst of the worst... tooooo strongly scented and too chemically for me to handle.   Would you be interested in getting a custom necklace fromhere? (Whimsey beading)   Sure! I love the style of necklace they have in the pictures for their gift certificates.   Is there a song on Itunes that you haven’t downloaded yet?   Well, there are always more fish in the sea... but there's nothing pending on my to-download list. Oh, I take that back. I'd really like a copy of Garbage's second album (Garbage 2.0) which I have purchased like eight times in various formats and yet do not seem to currently own.   Is there a rare book you’ve always wanted?   Not that I can think of, though I love seeing interesting cookbooks...   Is there anything you want to buy yourself but have been too embarrassed (R rated or pg)?   Hmmm. I think I'm pretty hard to embarass with purchases.   Have you seen the Lush holiday update? Do you like the look of anything from there?   I'd be interested in trying Glogg... I missed it last year and it sounds great.   And Gingerbread House bubble bar. *drool*   if you were my witchee, would you want some of my hot nuts my candied nuts my nuts covered in butter and brown sugar candied walnuts?   Heh heh. Hot nuts.   I love candied nuts, but of course, vegan. They're actually very, very easy to veganize.   October 1st   Is there anything you either didn't like or had never heard of that you're now curious to try thanks to the discussion in this thread?   Lots of things I hadn't heard of! But I think I've recorded them all in my various blog posts here...   Reveal?   Think I mentioned this in-thread, but I'd love a reveal. I don't care if you do a reveal package or not (always nice to get, but not a necessity) but I'd love to know who you are!   Would you be interested in the #occupywallstreet scent?   Naw. I think it's a really sweet idea but patchouli and chocolate... not great notes for me.   Do Paintbox Soapworks' Goat's Milk Hand and Body Creams sound like something you'd like to try?   Nope... no goat milk.   September 30th   Who's interested in Halloween: Montreal?   Sounds quite lovely to me. I'd love to try a decant.   You get a package in the mail containing 3 things you have really wanted more than anything else you've mentioned so far in this thread. (they are all reasonably priced of course! ~$20 or less apiece). What are they?   See: 10 under 10 again.   how do you feel about hemp? jewelry, soap, etc?   I'm fine with it. Assuming you're asking about hemp the fiber.   As for marijuana culture-- pot leaf symbols, etc-- I live in Santa Cruz and am totally inundated with that kind of stuff, which I never cared for anyway. Marijuana use (recreational or medical) doesn't bother me but I am annoyed by people who need to make a big deal about it.   Is there a magazine that you DON'T read because you can't find it near you, but wish you could?   French Glamour!   Describe your sense of humour.   Witty, dark, sarcastic, a little mean.   Do you like reusable grocery bags? If so, do you like the kind that fold up (ie Chico Bags?)   Love reusable bags. I almost always lose chico bags. Really, people give them to me all the time and I've probably lost a dozen or more.   I'm about to make an order from Sephora (nothing off of my wishlist, witch, so don't worry about that). Is there anything for you that you would like to accompany my order, if you're my witchee?   Have I mentioned I really love some of the Philosophy bubble baths? Especially the Cinnamon Buns. Sephora used to carry that, don't know if they do now.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/28 & 9/29

9/28 - 9/29ish   JONES SODA CO has LE soda packs for The Guild, Buffy, D&D, So Cute, etc. Would you be interested in these, Witchee?   No, I don't really drink sugary soda at all.   Is anyone interested in reading The Night Circus?   Sure! It's probably not something I'd buy for myself but it looks like a fun read.   Do you like lavender as a flavor as well as a scent?   I freakin' love lavender as a scent, a flavor, a flower... any way you please.   Do you have an Amazon wishlist or do you belong to Goodreads or LibraryThing?   My Amazon wishlist should be findable if you search under the name in my questionnaire.   Do you drink wine?   Outside of pregnancy, yes, yes I do. I'm mainly a red fan but will (happily) wallow my mouth upon whites too.   Like commercial socks?   Definitely! I don't know if I've ever had a pair of hand knit socks for myself. Without commercial socks, my feet would be so bare.   I know you've all heard of the julep maven monthly boxes.   No, I hadn't. BPAL constantly surprises me with niche sites I would never have seen otherwise...   Anyway, I think by now you've probably realized that I'm pretty much not stylish (hey! I can own that!), so this is not particularly up my alley.   Hershey's Pumpkin Spice kisses?   Notvegan. Alas. I'd be interested in trying a vegan pumpkin/chocolate combo though.   Broship of the Ring   This is glorious. Still don't know where I'd put another print, though.   Who here likes Stephanie Pui-Min Law's artwork?   Have never seen it before. (Three questions with three new things in a row!) Her tarot is nice. Did I mention I really like tarot related imagery? Oh, I do. FYI.   Is it just me who is nervous at revealing herself to her witchee, and finding out who her witch is?!   For me, a huge part of the fun is guessing at who my witch might be! So I'm not nervous to find out. I hope that I do-- no reveal would be sad for me (though I don't care if there's an accompanying package or not). I would loooove to know if my guesswork lines up with who is actually witchin' me.   I'm a little nervous about being able to put together a good reveal this time around. But I'm sure I'll have a good idea by the time it comes around...   Question. What kind of bear is best?   Hm. Would you believe that I don't have an instant bear preference? Maybe pandas. They're great.   I recently saw candy corn in non-candy corn flavors like CHOCOLATE and CARAMEL APPLE. It's not a fancy brand, I just saw it in the drugstore, but who here would like something like that?   Crazy! I want to say candy corn's not usually vegan (milk solids maybe) but haven't checked in years.   New Question: Witches, did you lament NOT getting one of the condom case/imp cases that got released with the courtesan series???   Would you believe that I didn't even know there were cases released at the same time as the courtesans?   Witchee, would you like anything from this particular Haunt update?   Groan. One of everything?? Burying Tree sounds particularly good to me... I'd be interested in it in any form, soap or otherwise. And Golden Pumpkin.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011, questions from 9/27

September 27th   What is something people are always surprised to learn about you?   Oh, there are a lot of surprising things about me. Almost no one would guess that I love to play sports, or that I swam competitively in high school and played rugby in college, or that I love to run and wish I had time to do it still...   So who else watched Babylon 5?   I love Babylon 5.   If you had to decide what your stripper name was, what would it be?   Patsy McPasty? Because I am a pale, pale thing.   Sooooo Witchees, have you ever taken that particular personality test? If so, are you an Analytical, a Driver, an Expressive or an Amiable?   Analytical. Both my highest score (38%) and the profile I relate to most.   Then Driver (32%), then Expressive (24%), then Amiable(6%).   Is anyone else afraid of or creepy out by dummies/puppets/Muppets/etc? Other things you're squicked/freaked by that's best left by the wayside?   I mentioned this before, but I'm not fond of the grotesque. No corpse imagery, no gory pictures, no sideshow "freaks" etc.   I also do not care for spiders and insects.   Puppets don't bother me.   Not into clowns.   what level of contact were you hoping for?   So I had thought that this was part of the questionnaire that got sent to your witch match but realized later it isn't. I was hoping for moderate contact and a package or two. I'm pretty low maintenance. I understand people have lives outside of SW and it wouldn't bother me if there was radio silence for a week or two here and there.   It has, however, been delightful to me to receive multiple ecards and a postcard from my witch already in this round! S/he is exceeding expectations, and it's sweet.   Your favorite restaurant or type of food to eat out. Would you use a restaurant.com voucher? Groupon?   Think this is a repeat question. Eating out: I like it. Groupons: there are rarely any for my area, but I like them.   Are there any local museums/attractions you keep never getting around to going to?   I'd like to go to Santa Cruz's Museum of Art & History at some point.   Is there anything you're wanting from LPMP?   Never heard of them before... I'd be interested in trying samples but don't feel certain enough to say that there's anything I'd want a full bottle of. Everything looks intriguing to me except the stuff with patchouli (my nemesis) in it and the things with added pheremones (the idea kind of wigs me out).   say you stumbled into Camp Half Blood (or whatever the Roman camp ends up being named <bounces in anticipation>), which god claims you?   I have no idea what this question means!
coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/23-9/26

September 26th   Is there any kind of international candy you love or would like to try?   Um, yes. See: if it's vegan, I'll eat it. I love all things foreign and I love candy, so it's pretty much a safe bet to send me international candy.   I used to really really love White Rabbit Candies... my mom would buy them for me at the Chinese market when I was a kid and though they're often stale, hard to chew, absolutely deadly to your fillings etc... I loved them. They're milky though. I would love to find a vegan equivalent but just haven't yet...   Ditto on the ever famous Pocky. I would kill a man for vegan Pocky.   I love Chinese New Year style crystallized ginger... can eat way too much of that stuff.   What is something totally random (yes, that thing that just popped into your head) that hasn't been covered by any previous questions?   Nothing just popped into my head! Aaaaaah!   I am really looking for something good to wash my toddler's hair with. He has a super super dry flaky scalp, and it SMELLS. He has never been a good smelling baby to start with* but lately his head really reeks by the end of the day. I've tried washing him with my tea tree shampoo but it's liquid so it often runs into his eyes, which he obviously does not care for. Do you know of a shampoo bar that works well for that kinda scalp maybe? (Not Lush's one, Sink or Float or whatever. Can't handle the scent of it.)   Solving his stinky-head would be an immense present to me.   *I have grown very skeptical of people who say their babies smell like cream and sugar or anything like that; my son has smelled like wet dog from day 1. When he primarily nursed, he also had constant yogurt breath. I like him a lot, but I would not say he smells _good_.   Is there any cheesy/non-cheesy Canadian stuff you'd be interested in?   Hm... I can't think of anything in particular that I want from Canada? I have heard that maple sugar is kind of amazing but am not sure what I'd do with it.   If you were to go here and create your very own chocolate bar, what might it have in it?   Hmm... dark chocolate with lavender & orange peel. Or dark chocolate with ground coffee & hazelnuts. Dark chocolate, basil, lemon peel, ooh.   --------------------------------------------------------- September 25th   Stuff you've been meaning to do:   You're kidding, right? Heh. I have a toddler, the list of stuff I've been meaning to do but haven't gotten around to in the past 2-3 years is longer by far than the list of things I've actually accomplished.   I've been meaning to: - get my hair cut (had it done in February but the stuff just keeps growing!) - organize my cookbooks - call my mom/sister/brother/other brother/dad/other relatives who I don't talk to often enough - match all the unmatched socks in my house, a feat that would take days I'm sure - go to the dentist to have a filling repaired & have a cleaning - have my cholesterol checked (expect it's normal/low after 5 years as a vegan, and 13 before that as a vegetarian, but high cholesterol runs in my family so you never know) - write thank you cards for presents people sent on the birth of my son, um, two years ago - update my BPAL wishlist...   I can go on like this pretty much forever.   Would you be interested in regional jams, jellies, or other preserves?   Oh yes! I have been in a bit of an open-faced PB&J for breakfast rut lately, and I am just burning through the jam. Not a huge fan of grape jellies generally, but other than that, I'm easy to please. Especially fond of cherries & blackberries in jams.   Do you have any bedtime rituals? Is there any particular product you have to apply or a certain shirt you wear or an act you perform to get you in the "bedtime" mood?   I am currently between pairs of flannel pajama pants. I tend to have 2-3 pairs I really love at a time and I wear the hell out of them. The last pair, like so many before it, literally fell apart after several years hard wear. It's been weeks now and I've been trying everything else... wearing sweatpants, wearing a pair of shorts, just wearing a long nightshirt... and I don't like it. Need more flannel jammie pants.   As far as ritual goes, these days, I generally sit on the couch leaning on my husband and watch an episode of something British (often QI, because I can never have enough Stephen Fry in my life) and fall asleep on him halfway through. Then I rouse myself enough to brush my teeth, complain about having to move out of my nice warm sleepy spot, and move into bed.   Are you interested in today's/any recent Tee Fury shirts?   Not familiar with the site. Today's looks like a nice drawing of HP Lovecraft about to be eaten (or perhaps hugged?) by Cthulhu. I like the design, but as before, I don't really wear t-shirts often.   Princess Bride? Yay or nay?   Yay! Yay yay! One of my all-time favorites, both in book and movie form.   What's your favorite classic fairytale, witches   I really love Hans Christian Anderson's Little Claus and Big Claus. It is really quite dreadful. Yet hilarious. Yet horrible.   Very fond of HCA's version of the Little Mermaid too. And Hansel and Gretel in any form has always delighted me. --------------------------------------------------------- September 24th   how do you feel about ethical animal fiber, i.e. wool and the like?   Think I've mentioned before that I'm generally not bothered by wool (have not been sufficiently convinced that it is unethical/exploitative of sheep). I feel the same about other non-sheep animals who give up their fiber through shearing.   So called "peace" silk or tussah does not bother me. I've also seen some really lovely yarns made out of recycled silk, and that I'm fine with.   What about little wee creatures for your desk or mantel?   While I think this unfortunately mostly falls under the knick-knack category for me, I wouldn't mind a small something for my desk at work.   Look down. What are you wearing, right now?   A pair of black corduroy pants which are just passably formal enough for work (which is good, as they are one of my only 3 pairs of maternity pants), a black tank top, an eggplant colored v-neck shirt with empire waist (not maternity but it works; was too big for me to start with), sneakers, and black socks with bands of thin red-yellow-blue-black-white stripes.   If you'd caught me five minutes ago, I'd have also been wearing a white lab coat with my name stitched onto it, which is absolutely one of the best parts of this job. A lab coat!   Kerchiefs?   I wear them sometimes!   It's the weekend, and you find yourself without a single chore or responsibility for a few hours. Right this very moment, what's the one thing you would do if you could do anything?   Take a bath, by myself, followed by leisurely self-grooming. Facial moisturizer AND body lotion! Flossing! Possibly TWICE! Maybe I'd even blow-dry my hair! Oh, the options are limitless... --------------------------------------------------------- September 23rd   I just noticed that Cocoa Pink has 5 ml Perfume Atomizers. Yay or nay? Scents you would like? Scents you would NOT like?   I do like foodie scents... I'd be interested in smelling Black Chocolate Pumpkin, plain ol' Black, Cake on Mondays (or Pumpkin Cake on Mondays), Lime Sugar, Naughty Gingerbread... lots of them sound good, hard to weed out which ones sound best.   Their ordering page for the atomizers is confusing to me, I can't tell if they're saying that their atomizers have alcohol in them (which makes it a no go for me, boo allergies) or not.   what's your favorite kind of pizza?   This is boring as hell, I realize, but I love a good old fashioned pizza margherita. Hard to get a good vegan one since a key element is the cheese.   More generally, I like a thinner (but not out and out crispy) crust, little to no red sauce (olive oil-garlic sauces are great), and not too many toppings cluttering up the slice. Kalamata olives are always welcome. Mmm. Kalamatas.   who are your style/fashion icons? post pics if you want!   Bwahahahaha hahaha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, oh jeez, let me catch my breath. I don't have fashion icons. If I did, I wouldn't post their names, because I'd be afraid they'd sue me for defamation.   Are there any food items you're craving/aren't able to find around your area?   Can't think of anything in particular this moment but as I know you know by now... food: I'm down with it.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011, (some) questions from 9/22

So, are there any online gaming witchees who covet purchasable in-game items or other gamer-y stuff? (yup, geek question)   Nope! I don't play any online games right now.   What is your favorite coffee blend at Starbucks? If you don't have one, what is your favorite roast of coffee?   I don't really do Starbucks unless we're on a road trip or something and there's no other option. Coffee is one thing that I absolutely try to buy fair trade-- it's a treat and not a necessity (no matter what I may tell myself sometimes) and I'll go a bit out of my way/pay a bit more to make it as non-exploitative of a treat as possible.   Phew.   Anyway, beyond that? I'm not too choosy. I like darker roasts more than light roasts, and am trying to avoid things that promise to be extra caffeine-y (is that a thing anywhere but here? we have a local place that sells this roast they call "rocket fuel" which is touted as being whooooa so much caffeine).   If you have local roasters, I would be SO interested in trying what they have! As for bigger brands, I love Equal Exchange Love Buzz.   Anyone doing anything cool for Mabon (or the start of fall, if you aren't pagan?   Eating a lot of apples, not much else...   Is there anything you'd like from the Mütter Museum Store? http://www.muttermus....com/merchant2/   Not that I see from a quick glance. Body parts in jars = not my thing.   What is your favorite word?   Since I can never point out anything as my absolute favorite of any category, you probably won't be surprised to hear that I can't pick a favorite word...   When I was a teenager, it was "incarnadine." Literally blood red. I laugh so hard thinking about what a goth-minded little person I was. Had I only met some other people who liked black clothing as much as I did, or perhaps liked industrial music more, my whole life might have been different.   Would you like a photo collage based around your interests/favorite colors/favorite themes?   Someone else in the thread mentioned possibly getting this sort of thing as a card, and that sounds perfect to me... a small collage, something I can put in my sentimental crap box, would be cool. (Or a collage on a functional object, like a box.)   If you're crafty, are you interested in spoonflower? And if so, what things there delight your eyes?   Wow. I've never seen that site before. As someone else said, absolutely stunning but those prices... oy...   I like this and this and this and this and oh boy, I could keep going in this vein for some time.   Colors! What are your favorite colors and what colors do you not like?   I feel like this question was either on the questionnaire or earlier in lioness' list of questions... either way, my favorite color is red. I have no least favorite color, except maybe pastel yellow... but even that, there's a time and a place for.   (Sorry, I know at times I must sound like the most maddeningly vague person ever. The truth is, I am just really easy to please.)   What are the feelings on arm warmers? Color, style, texture, length?   So, I bike to work at 5 a.m. every morning. It is cold and often somewhat wet-- and only going to get colder and wetter as the year moves on. I am dying for a pair of fingerless/half-finger gloves/arm warmers. They need to be able to withstand getting wet (so maybe wool is a good choice here?), not be itchy, and be warm but not so heavy that I can't move my hands in them. I don't care that much about color (see above) but something that shows dirt less would probably be good because... I would probably wear the hell out of them. Maybe fall colors?   Anyway, if you're interested in buying or making arm/hand warmers for me, please go for it! It's something I will probably get around to eventually myself but, you know...   Question: Do you like tarts? tealights? jar candles? votives?   Think this is a repeat too. I pretty much don't burn candles and don't do tarts either. About the only room in my house where I'd want to smell anything other than the room itself is... the bathroom? The rest of my house tends to smell good anyhow.   Question: What's your favorite flavor? Sour, sweet, bitter, salty?   Umami! But really, I love them all.   If you're interested in a handmade pouch/cover for an item you have (phones, tablets, books, keys, kettles...), what would your ideal pouch/cover have? Design, material, additional functionality/features like pockets or lights or secret hidey-holes?   So I have a tendency to throw all my important items into the front zipper pocket of my backpack. This is not great, because unimportant items end up in there too and it's a mess. A small pouch that would fit inside the zipper pocket would be cool. It's a normal ol' Jansport backpack, I'm guessing the pocket size to be... 6x5? Something 6x5 or smaller would definitely fit in it anyway.   Something that won't show dirt too terribly (because again, I would use the hell out of this and cram it into my bag and whatnot) would be good for fabric, beyond that, no big preference...   Haunt?   Last time (or maybe the time before?) that I played SW, I REALLY wanted to try Haunt's glossing oils. Then I kind of forgot about them until recently... I remembered that they had golden pumpkin glossing oil (years ago) and kept trying to do a google search on that and not coming up with the right thing.   So I was happy to rediscover them. While I've never ordered any of their stuff, a lot of it really makes me drool... more or less all the glossing oils, the Lady Grey especially. Would love to try some of their stuff.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/21

September 21st   Cthulhu: yay or nay?   I'm down with Cthulhu!   It's funny, I know I said in one of the earlier sets of questions that I'm appalled by the grotesque (and mostly I am), but it doesn't bother me in pure print form. I love Lovecraft, who delves into some serious repulsiveness at times, and I love Stephen King, who is also not afraid of the macabre... but show me a PICTURE of a cow with two heads or a human corpse or anything like that and I'm shouting no no no dear god no. Heh.   Is there something that you wish you could do, but you keep putting it off?   Travel to the east coast. :/ All my family's there and I haven't been there since I was ~7 months pregnant with my son who'll be 2 next week. The only family member who has come to visit me in that time is my dad. I really miss them all. :/   Put your current mp3player (I am the anti-apple, so no ipod ), winamp playlist, what have you, on shuffle, list the first 10 songs:   This is a fun idea! But I'm at work!   Witchee, have you made (or are you planning to make) any Lab or Trading post orders soon? And if you did (or plan to), you should share what you're getting   No orders directly from the Lab or the TP in months and months, but I do have decants coming via a livejournal circle. (Run by my very first witchee, in fact, who I adore!)   I performed a feat of extreme self control and limited myself to decants of:   Halloween: Las Vegas Autumn Cider La Calavera Catrina Nothing but Death October 2011 Pumpkin Latte Golden Apple of the Sun Glittering Apple of the Stars The Gorobble Wiley Grasser The Zoom   And a bottle of Sprinklecake.   This was suuuuuch an update, though. I had a really hard time not getting twice as many decants.   Do you have any interest in rocks? Not like, polished colorful stones.. but like... rocks. With geologic significance!   No! I took a geology class a million years ago and while it was fun, I immediately forgot all the pertinent information more or less instantly. (Except for the hardness scale, which I can still recite!)   If your witch were to knit you a scarf/shawl/cowl, which would you prefer, and what features would you want? Would you prefer something light and drape-y or thick and warm? What kind of colors would you prefer? Do you have any fiber allergies or preferences?   A shawl could be really lovely. A scarf probably wouldn't get used as much, and ditto on a cowl. A shawl I could at least wear around the house. (And I would, too! I wear blanket capes all the time.)   No fiber allergies, but I prefer things that are soft and nice to touch. Scratchy = bad no matter how pretty the yarn is. I'm a tactile person way more than a visual person.   If you have a pet, could you please post a photo of it? I really need to see what your pet, if you have one, looks like.   This must have been posted by someone whose witchee has an armadillo or something that they're dying to see.   My pets:   Love me! says Pingpong. by coldandsleepy, on Flickr   The chunky guy in front is Pingpong. Ianto is the little white one in the back. The adorable fluff ball in front of him is the late Captain Jack, who died about two years ago. He was the tiniest, cutest guinea pig with the biggest, bossiest personality. We named him Captain Jack because (wait for it!) he humped anything that moved.   And in case you're interested in, here's my human pet kid too:   Seal rider by coldandsleepy, on Flickr   Do you like/own/wear/want fairy wings or something of the like?   I'm not opposed to fairy wings, but as with so many things, I expect they would be quickly co-opted by the above little tyrant. (Which is not a bad thing. He'd be adorable in fairy wings.)   How do you feel about terrariums?   Um... neutral? I've had several terrarium dwelling pets in the past but don't have any now, so they don't enter into my life much.   What's your favorite horror movie?   Hm. I don't watch many horror movies. I really liked May and The Ring but saw both many many many years ago now.   If your witch was the practical type and wanted to include one or more of your everyday essentials, what would those include? I'm talking about the bath products, lotions, face lotions, teas, food, etc that you really use every day.   Tom's of Maine toothpaste - cinnamon clove - fluoridated. It irks me that I live in the hippiest place ever and half the time, I can't find this exact toothpaste. Sometimes I can find it unfluoridated, but I have TERRIBLE TEETH and our water is not fluoridated so yeah, that doesn't work for me.   Nice soap, for the shower and for washing hands with.   We're using bubble bath (in liquid and bubble bar form) almost every day now because my kid has started demanding bubble baths with great frequency and I usually just get in with him.   Um... not a lot else I use every day really... I should use a facial sunblock but haven't found one that doesn't bother my skin and/or smell funny and/or feel gross yet.   Jane Austen .. Yay or Nay?   Never read Austen. Really! I was in gifted English throughout my school years, and one of the upsides of this was that we often had very free reign of what we read for class... but the downside is that we mostly weren't made to read the classics. I haven't even read The Great Gatsby.   I put up quotes I love in my office and studio to get me going, They range from goofy to sarcastic to inspirational... Are you interested in a hand painted quote? Do you have one in mind, or a topic in mind?   This could be neat! But as usual, nothing's coming to mind. Maybe just a big plaque that says DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY, which is my work mantra.   At home, my parenting mantra is "It's washable/it'll dry". Words to live by.   Do you like period or period-styled paraphernalia? Stuff like postcards, notecards, jewelry, office supplies, what-have-you?   What period?   I like historical looking jewelry in general, and old looking things, and I could probably use a gigantic quill. (Again with the idea that the more ridiculous an office supply is, the less likely my co-workers are to walk off with it.)   If you like manga, comics, and/or graphic novels, what is it about them that you like, in general? The story, the art/style, etc?   Probably art style first, story second... hard though, they're both very important to me. I won't generally read something where I don't like the art (which rules out a LOT of manga and US comics for me-- hey DC reboot, you can go fuck yourself). A bad story I might start reading, but probably won't continue subsequent issues of unless I have some reason to think it might get better.   I dislike both the art style AND the story style of most mainstream comics. Superheroes are right out.   If you could choose a Smack, what would it have in it?   Hm... Redwoods & Bonfire Smoke? Sounds like where I used to live. (The scent of our old backyard was one of the only good points of the house.)   if you could have a salon scent made, based on any artwork(s) what would it be?   Maybe the Exploding Dog picture I linked yesterday-- though I suppose that'd be some sort of light florals and dirt probably, so not something I'd love to wear.   Salvador Dali's Persistence of Memory could be great. Desolate desert air, brass, maybe just a hint of the ocean in the distance...   Or Autumn Cannibalism... Swans Reflecting Elephants... hm, Dali has a lot of potential but most of them would have to be desert-y scents.   Are you scientifically curious and/or process-oriented? Would you like a project-type gift that allowed you do do something like make soap from scratch, take and (nontoxic-ly) develop photographs using a pinhole camera, use plant dyes on yarn or fabric, etc.?   Yes and sure! That sounds fun. I love having a project to work on.   What's 'your' song/your theme song?   Impossible question. Too many songs.   There's always Destroyer's English Music, which I often end up back at. Here it is on YouTube and here are the lyrics:   Soldier, you gotta get out more. There is life After property Everyone Has got a finder's fee, Find Something difficult to do And do it!   Write your english music, Write your english music, Write your english music. Run free.   She Tasted of the Christmas wine and said So many things have run through me. (I know.) The altar boys, they just want to do me, And that's fine. You gotta have faith. (Yeah, you gotta have it.)   Once again, it's a quarter to three By Ambleside-by-the-Sea And something's telling you, boy, It's time to take sides. And something's telling you, boy, It's time to take sides.   And write your english music Though you know it'll come to no good When brilliance has a taste for suffering And you're softer than the western world...   What would be your superpower?   Ability to move in time. Or ability to be in two places at once.   Witchee, would you like a gently used BPAL tshirt?   Not opposed to gently used shirts but as before, I don't wear a lot of t-shirts right now.   Do you like homemade snack mixes? I know Puppy Chow was mentioned in a previous question, but what about healthier and more natural type snacks like granola or trail mix? You can put a lot of delicious and fun things into trail mix, yeah? If you say "Sure, I'd love some!" what kinds of things do you like/not like in those kinds of snacks, ie coconut flakes, raisins, certain nuts (allergies??), candy, etc. Give us your list of DO's and DON'Ts!   I like trail mix, and I really like granola too. There are no nuts I dislike except for peanuts (which I don't hate, just don't love). Pistachios are my favorite. And almonds. I really like currants and raisins, dried date bits (though I sincerely had no idea they were the same thing as fresh dates until recently; I thought they were some mysterious type of raisin), cranberries. Other dried fruits are good too. I love dried apricots and they could be good chopped up in trail mix. Coconut's a favorite of mine, especially toasted. Chocolate chips (as long as they're vegan) are good.   Little rice crackers are good in trail mix though not necessarily with all the things I listed above, heh. I like dehydrated peas a lot too, but again, probably not with chocolate chips!   About the only thing I can think of that I flat out dislike in trail mix are freeze dried berries. Like freeze dried raspberries or blueberries or strawberries. Freeze dried berries gross me out.   Do you like charm bracelets? If you had a bracelet, what sort of charms would you want on it? Favorite hobbies, symbols, whatever?   I don't think I've ever had a charm bracelet. I like bracelets, but they're not the ideal jewelry for me because I spend so much typing and always end up taking them off when I do so. Which means they get left places...
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/20

September 20th   Would you like any ecotools makeup brushes? They're kinda one of my favorite things ever, and they're animal-friendly and the handles are bamboo. And to top it all off, they work really well for applying makeup.   I don't wear makeup, so they'd be wasted on me. They sound nice though!   Do you like Legos? Especially mini-fig key chains, Lego block keychains, small Lego sets, etc?   We have way too many legos at my house already, and I expect the number to only grow as my son gets older. A keychain would be cool though!   Since the previous question about "what would you buy from the Lab if you had unlimited funds, etc" left WAY too much to the imagination with no limitations (my answer was pretty much BUY ALL THE THINGS!), what would you do if you found a $50 bill on the ground and a nagging voice in the back of your mind told you that you HAD to spend it on BPAL or else face Death. Also, say they had free shipping (LOL) so don't factor that in. What would you get? And spend it all! Or as close to $50 as you can get.   Hmmm... maybe two imp packs? Newer Mad Tea Party scents and Marchen scents? I don't often buy big bottles of things unless it's really a love connection, so most of my orders these days are placed in decant circles and not via the lab.   Are there any characters that you love or identify with?   Hm... I'm kind of blanking on this one. Hard to think of a character who accurately depicts my life as it is now, though there were lots I identified with when I was younger.   Before the HP movies started, I really identified with Hermione-- too smart, kinda know-it-ally, not particularly pretty girl who seems to mostly be friends with boys. The movies killed that for me (though I like them, don't get me wrong); Emma Watson has been too pretty to be Hermione from the start, and she's grown up to be just plain old gorgeous.   A question! If you are crafty, what's your personal art style? I'm not talking just about what art you like to look at, but what kind of art do you like creating? Do you have a "process" while you're creating beauty?   Hard to say. I love to draw and paint and make things, but truthfully speaking, I'm not terribly good at any of it. I would never consider it "creating beauty", heh.   I used to draw auto-biographical comics when I was younger, especially in grad school... but that's sort of come to a halt.   These days I'm more likely to focus any art time I have into making something useful and more "crafty." Like right now I'm sewing a baby quilt for the guy who's living in my uterus.   Are there any Arcana Weenies that you MUST HAVE?   I really wanted to try the Sleepy Hollow soap last time it came around but didn't... so maybe that.   Hobeddy's Lantern sounds wonderful too. Again, I haven't really tried the Arcana perfumes (I think someone sent me a decant of Quim once?) but love love love their soaps.   So what say you? IS an "unexpected" visit/in-person witching OK?   While an in person visit would be fine and probably quite fun, "unexpected" dropping by is basically never okay with me, even if the person dropping by lives down the street or something. I am a pretty private person, and I have HUGE anxiety about people being in my house if it's not up to my personal standards of cleanliness, so I like a little advance warning.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/19

September 19th   What strange misc. items would you love to receive that you just haven't gotten for yourself?:   Oh, probably all sorts of things. My 10 under $10 post from yesterday is a pretty good example.   How do you feel about franken polish? Are you okay with all chemicals, or would you prefer 3 free? Would you want glitter or holographic glitter? What colors would interest you?   As with before-- no nail polish for me, please. No time/place to wear it to.   Dear witchee, how do you feel about lip balm? Favorite style (twist up tube, pot, tube with wand, etc.)? Favorite flavors? Flavors to avoid? Favorite brand? Do you need more right now or are you set? Are you one of those people who could never have enough lip balm even though you have a bowl on your dresser overflowing with them and 10 in your purse and an order for more on the way?   I'm not a fanatic but I do have constantly dry lips and almost never have a lip balm on me, so this is probably a great present, heh. Something that would definitely get used. No real preferences on container type, all are fine. Flavors: probably less fruity (reminds me too much of little kid lip balm), more spicy. Not minty please.   Beeswax does not bother me in lip balm.   Would you be interested in getting fountain pen inks or art supplies via JetPens and or DickBlick? (I know I have a wishlist on JetPens and just love using fountain pens in my artwork)   Sure, though I don't have a fountain pen so ink would only be pointful if you sent that too. I love drawing with a fountain pen but haven't done it, oh, I don't know, a decade?   -For those interested in watercolors, how would you feel about getting a palette filled with paint from my watercolor tubes but not getting the paint tube itself? (kind of like this but without the covers for the compartments and bigger http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream)   Sure, that could be cool. Watercolor is another thing I haven't done in several years. You may be surprised to hear (ha ha ha) that I really just haven't made much art since my son was born.   -How do you feel about getting art supplies in general? (copic markers, watercolor, brushes, paint, sketchbooks etc.)   Very positively! There are a few things I'm really set on (colored pencils, chalk and oil pastels) but other than that, I dig art supplies.   -How do you feel about Threadless tshirts?   Love to browse Threadless, almost never buy. See yesterday's response about t-shirts.   If you were turned loose in a basic drug store (CVS, Walgreens - a pharmacy with attached mini-mart, basically!) with a $20 bill, what would you pick up?   Hm, I dunno. I almost never go to the drug store. Probably diaper wipes for my son (he wears cloth diapers but I just can't get into cloth wipes), cough drops for me, and then Clif Bars with the remaining balance.   Darling Witchee, would you enjoy farmer's market pickled veggies (green beans, garlic, asparagus, etc) or fresh canned peaches or something of that nature?   Sure! I like pickled everything. I'm not as big on canned fruits (prefer most fresh) but I do love jam & preserves. Dried fruit is tasty too.   Do you prefer color or white photographs? Nature or abstract?   Black and white usually. I really like portraits of people.   would you be interested in something like this? https://lostcrates.com/how-it-works   Sounds kind of cool.   Amigurumi, yes or no?   Aw, I love amigurumi. So cute. Again, my kid will steal anything of that nature from me.   I have a question! What are some of your favorite paintings? (famous or undiscovered?) Feel free to link to examples!   I really like Van Gogh's later stuff. You can almost see him descending into madness, which is sad, but which I can relate to.   Not a painting exactly, but this is one of my all time favorite pieces of art: I eat them by the handful. I've always thought that the guy has paused mid bite and just wondered, how did I get here? What am I doing here? Why am I eating flowers?   If you could have an image painted for you - sky is the limit - what would it be?   I don't know. Sorry, I am very bad at answering these types of questions!   Name your 3 favorite scents for candles   Not really into scented candles. (And can't really burn candles, as previously mentioned.)   Name your 3 favorite types/flavors of tea   Chai, any Ku-ki cha Pu-erh (not fruit flavored, though, because that is a horrible idea)
coldandsleepy

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Switch Witch Fall 2011, questions from 9/16-9/18

September 18th   Do you wear t-shirts? Are there particular things you like on them? Would you like one designed by your Witch? And, if you don't mind saying, what size t-shirt do you wear?   Yes, but not as much as I used to. Between nursing (t-shirts generally not useful) and working in a business-casual environment (t-shirts not professional enough), I just don't have a whole lot of opportunity for t-shirts and probably won't until... oh... 2013? Sigh.   I am super large chested and don't like things particularly form fitting, so if it's lady-cut, I need an XL or even an XXL. In men's shirts, I can do anything from a M to an XL usually.   Most of my t-shirts are band t-shirts, but I like any sort of cool design... I'm not really into witty phrases on shirts though.   How do you feel about pumpkin scented things? Not perfume related, but soap, candles, etc....   Heh. One look at my Etsy list should tell you you're perfectly safe if you decide to send me pumpkin scented things.   Has anyone else heard of or does anyone else love Glamourkin?   Pretty, but probably not my style...   If you had an international witch, is there anything you would like from the UK? (Or Australia, Belgium, France any other country we have witches from.   Sure! International foods are always a win in my house, and any sort of vegan thing I can't find here is a treat... if my witch happens to be in France, I love reading French Glamour (I can't explain it, it's just much funnier than US or English Glamour) and would always welcome a copy of it coming my way.   Dear witchee, if you answered 'Mac' to the Mac/PC question previously issued by another participant, please tell me what kind of computer you have, what peripherals you own (like the wireless trackpad, wireless vs/wired keyboard and mouse), and whether you're interested in Apple-related items (stickers, keychains, other things with the logo, etc).   I have one of the early rounds of MacBook Pro, 15". I have a wireless mouse, but almost never use it... I actually really like the built in touchpad. Peripherals mostly seem like a pain to me with a laptop.   Apple paraphenalia is cool but I don't have a huge need for it.     SOCK PREFERENCES?   Would you like/wear a pair of these? http://www.ravelry.c...rary/yoga-socks If so, what color?   Is there anyone here who likes toe socks? You know, those socks with a place for each toe?   Toe socks kind of freak me out. Sorry! I love other socks though.   ---------------------------------------------------------- September 17th   Are you looking for a certain kind of DVDs to spruce up your collection right now?   I don't own a lot on DVD because I don't rewatch movies very often... however, there are a bunch of things on DVD that I'd love to have for my son. The Lion King, maybe Aladdin, Mary Poppins, that sorta thing... kid classics.   Does anyone like postcards? Is anyone willing to be a Nacho witch for postcards?   I like postcards and am always happy to get them.   Anyone going to see any good concerts this fall?   Argh, not me. The last time I saw live music was before my son was born.   Do you like Star Trek? Original TV series, films, spinoff series, etc? Favorite characters?   Yes! I lost interest around DS9 but loved the recent movie. Bones is my favorite from the original series, and I love all the engineers from TNG. And Tasha Yar. And Dr. Crusher. And even Wesley. I grew up watching TNG and it's very very nostalgic for me...   Witchee, would you like a framed photograph and of what?   Hmm... not really! I don't have much wall space open at home and have way too much stuff waiting to be hung up already.   ----------------------------------------------------------   September 16th   Are you more prone to order out or cook at home? Would you be interested in cookbooks, kitchen utensils, and the like? If so, anything specific?   Oh, I love both. (You may have gathered by now that I... I really love food.) But for my wallet's sake, we eat out/order in a max of once a week unless there are extenuating circumstances, like having out of town visitors...   I'm always interested in more cookbooks, especially vegan-specific ones. My Amazon wishlist (think you can find it by searching my real name) has some on it, and there are tons more I want but haven't added yet.   Cooking implements/kitchen utensils - also a resounding yes. Always on the look out for more containers (food-safe plastic or glass, or even tin or something fancy like that) that'll work for storing things like flour, nuts, lentils, etc. I buy a lot of stuff from the bulk bins and always need more containers... in basically any size you can think of.   Silicone spatulas - I'm looking for more single-piece ones. I had a lovely set that had wooden handles & silicon tops, aaand the wooden handles are really pretty gross after five years of heavy use.   Nice/interesting dishes... plates or bowls or whatever...   Chopsticks of any variety   Small cake pans... like < 9 inches... for making smaller cake tiers.   Um, I could keep going in this vein for a long time...   New question: How do you feel about maple syrup?   I feel pretty neutral about it. I don't go out of my way for maple things and it's not one of my favorite flavors, but I don't hate it either.   How do people feel about little pocket shrines, maybe something inspirational/motivational to keep in their purses/backpacks/whatever? (Like these: http://www.art-shrin...cketshrines.htm)   Cute! My kid gets into my backpack a lot though (anything that's mine is fascinating, of course) and would likely find and mangle it.   Do you like Star Wars? Original Trilogy? Prequels? Spin-offs? Favorite characters?   The original 3 are some of my all time favorite movies. I found the first one of the prequels so repulsive that I have never brought myself to watch the other two.   I've been hot for Han Solo since like, before I knew what a crush was... and am also a big Yoda fan.   Do you like beef jerkey   Nope.   I'm okay with vegan jerky but have access to a ton of brands here, so I'm probably all set on jerky!   Also do you like or racier ecards from time to time and do you need to be warned if something may be not safe to open at work.   Almost all of my computer use these days is at work, and I work in a cubicle where my monitor faces a busy hallway, so yeah... no racy e-cards please!   Doctor Who? Yay or nay? (please don't make me cry by saying nay)   Yay! A hundred times yay! I love old and new. I think Tom Baker was my first crush. (Either that or DeForest Kelley.)   I have a couple spare Doctor Who stickers. If my witchee is a fan, would they like a couple Doctor Who stickers in their package?   Sure!   Anyone love Buffy/Angel?   Nope. I have to confess I've really never gotten into either.   How would you feel about gummies? Like, gummy bears? Gummy werewolves? Gummy vampires?   So, two things... 1. Most gummies have gelatin in them, so they're right out for me. 2. I actually work in a gummy factory (really! gummy factories have computers that need support too!) where there are lots of vegan products, so um, I'm probably already way too spoiled with gummies.   How would you feel about a totally original Gela-skin for your laptop/iPod/phone? Stickers? Decals?   Sure!   Since this is a Halloween round, what's your Creepy threshold? Are you a cartoon bats and smily pumpkins person or a skulls-and-bones the-dead-are-rising kind of person? Are your fairytales dark or Disney?   I don't like grotesque or gory. A former witch sent me a pamphlet of pictures & descriptions of sideshow freaks, and it made me really uncomfortable. Please don't send me something like that. Not really into death imagery either, I am way too aware of my own mortality these days and just not into it.   As far as fairy tales go, though, I do prefer the original, darker versions of most.   Are your ears pierced, Witchee? Do you have any other piercings? Would you like to receive any items of jewelry for these piercings?   No piercings, no plans to become pierced. Thanks but no thanks!   How do you all feel about Whoopie Pies?   Positively!
coldandsleepy

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10 under $10

Hey there! I thought it might be fun to make a list of less expensive things that I would absolutely love to have in case you're looking at the $60 necklaces on my Etsy wishlist and freaking out. (Dear witch, I absolutely do NOT expect you or even want you to buy me expensive stuff... everything on my Etsy wishlist is there for aesthetic ideas and well, just in case I win the lottery or something.) So here you go, 10 treats under $10:   1. A bar of Arcana's Filthy Viking soap   2. A bar of dark chocolate, such as Vosges Enchanted Mushroom Bar, which I've been dying to try but always wuss out on... (If you could find one of the miniature bars of that mushroom one, that'd be amazing. I only ever see it in the huge bar.)   3. A reusable coffee filter for the Melitta cone I use for coffee at work. Something like this.   4. A bubble bar from Lush or elsewhere. I've wanted to try Ice Hotel for years but just haven't gotten around to it... I also think this one, this one and this one from Etsy sellers all sound lovely.   5. Wide satin ribbon in a mocha-y color, 5 or 6 yds. I don't have a link for this but I'm guessing that if you buy it online you can find this for < $10... I'm looking for some to finish a baby quilt with.   6. Clear glass ornament balls for making Christmas ornaments with, any size. (This is our first Christmas at home instead of with my husband's family in eight! eight! eight! years! So we have no Christmas decorations and I want to make some...)   7. A yard (or half a yard) of fleece fabric in a fun print, like this or this or this. I'm going to make Christmas stockings for my kids (really, ask me what holiday I'm most excited about this year) and am on the lookout for funky fabrics that aren't just red or green or Santa Claus printed... I might make matching hats with the fabric that's left after stockings!   8. Some tasty chai, like Zhena's coconut chai, which I've had and love dearly, Good Earth's Original (maybe decaf?), which is a long time favorite, or this one with rose petals from Etsy which I haven't tried but which looks really interesting...   9. A roll of reflective tape for augmenting my bike & helmet with... I bike to work around 5 a.m. every morning and am always looking to improve my visibility and snazz up my bike while I'm at it.   10. Some silicone cupcake liners. Another one of those things I've been meaning to get around to but just haven't...
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/14 & 9/15

September 15th   interested in anything from Lush?   Any of the vegan bubble bars. Blackberry or Waving Not Drowning bath bombs. Maybe other bath bombs too, but I mostly go for bubbly things these days.   Do you blog? Would you like a header for your blog, a layout, etc?   Not really! I only blog about one month out of the year (for the Vegan Month of Food, October this year).   Would you be interested in a handmade bookmark?   Sure! I can always use more bookmarks!   do you like chex puppy chow or muddie buddies (ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, PB, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, chex cereal)? would you want to get some from your witch / nacho witch?   I'd be interested in trying it (provided that the chocolate chips are vegan) but have to admit that chocolate + peanut butter isn't one of my favorite chocolate combos.   How would you feel about receiving a Groupon deal for something in your local area? If there is anything you WOULDN'T like, mention that also.   That would be cool! But I feel like most of the Groupons for my area are actually for up in San Jose-- where I go maybe once a month, max. ------------------------------------------------------------ September 14th   how interested would you be on somewhat personalized bottle cap labels? Like these that I did?   Sure! That's cool.   When you're miserably sick (*sniffle, cough!*) what are the things that comfort you the most?   Lying on the couch with blankets, watching either my favorite kids movies (Alice in Wonderland, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Totoro, etc) or horrible television, drinking tea, snuggling any human who will come within my germosphere.   What constitutes ultimate luxury to you? (go crazy!)   Traveling. Anywhere. Staying in a B&B or even a nice hotel. Taking bubble baths (in jacuzzi tubs, for ultimate luxury). Getting my hair cut by a professional at a nice salon, complete with that scalp massage-y bit. Going out to eat somewhere with interesting food. Going to the theater. And then sleeping in the next day after any of this.   What do you really NOT want?   Things with animal products. Candles & wax tarts. (Wouldn't get used.) Knick-knacks. Spray perfumes (allergies). Makeup (again, wouldn't get used).
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/13

September 13th   How would you feel about kitchen towels and other similar household objects, if they are pretty or a souvenir?   If they're usable (that is, not JUST decorative) then yes, I'm very interested! One can never have enough kitchen towels and I don't think that just because something's going to get used means that it shouldn't be pretty as well...   How did you dress up for your last party or compulsory-formal-dress occasion?   For a friend's wedding, I wore this dress in navy blue with these tights in Peacock and this necklace and some metallic gold/silver flats. This is possibly the closest to fashionable I have ever been in my life.   Alas, I will never be able to recreate it precisely; the dress was irreparably stained by my son rubbing melted chocolate into it. (Amazingly, his suit? Laundered with no problems.)   Do you enjoy puzzles/riddles? (Cryptograms, Sudoku, Crossword, Jigsaw, etc)   I love crosswords, particularly the NY Times daily (especially Sundays, though I rarely have the time to do them anymore) and the WSJ's Sunday puzzle.   Sudoku bores me... I'm a computer programmer by nature (though it's not what I'm doing for work right now) so I can't help but solve the same way I'd write a program to solve it... which is very repetitive and boring.   And jigsaws just lead to disaster in my house.   Other than that, I'm open to new puzzles!   Can you sum yourself (whether it be personality, life's goals, ethics, whatever) in 10 words or less?   For better/worse, not as young as I used to be.   How about little bottles of booze? Ya wanna? What kind?   Can't right now, alas. The fetus does not do liquor.   One of my favorite SW treats ever was a lovely tiny bottle of rum... I did savor that.   What are your views on fudge and brownies? (Also, if you live in a warm place, where the fudge might melt, that'd be helpful to know. Or, if you're diabetic and fudge is death, that'd be useful to know, too.)   As much as I love chocolate, I'm really not that into fudge! I have blood sugar problems-- persistent hypoglycemia which is actually worsened by eating high glycemic foods (my pancreas goes oh noes big sugar intake, here have MORE INSULIN when I already have too much, sorta the opposite of diabetes)-- that make many treats impossible for me even in moderation. Fudge is one of them... just makes my blood sugar go haywire.   Brownies are good though! Again, if they're vegan, I'm almost certainly going to be excited to see them pass my way...   Also, what about mochi? Love it, hate it, baffled by it?   I like it!   Does anyone like kimchi?   I freaking love kimchi. (With the vegan caveat as always. I know some people make it with fish sauce, but I rarely have trouble finding it without too.)   Not just because it's delicious, but because my brain can barely compute eating it. My eyes and my nose are saying "this is trash! DO NOT EAT GARBAGE FOOD" but my mouth is saying "aaaaaah, moooooore". I feel the same way about natto.   Would you be interested in a sample box (from somewhere like Birchbox or loosebutton)?   It would probably not be pointful for me, since I don't do makeup at all.   Paintbox Soapworks - anything you're interested in, in general or from the latest update?   Oh jeez Louise. I have really never seen their stuff before and... I think I'm in love. It all looks great. Smiling Jack and Guy Fawkes especially, and the Cicada soap, and... oy.   I am going to need to make an Etsy wishlist, and when I get around to that, I'll add specific things from Paintbox but suffice to say, you would be hardpressed to go wrong with anything I'm seeing on their site.   Do you guys have any sports that you follow obsessively? How about favorite teams and/or athletes?   Nope, I don't watch sports at all. I like to watch rugby, but not having a television or living anywhere that it's popular, it's rare that I catch it. Most sports bore the hell out of me as a watcher... I love to PLAY sports, but that's totally different in my mind.   You have to place a Lab and Trading Post order. Right fuckin' now. No spending limits. What do you buy?   A bottle of Eat Me (which I always forget about until I have One of Those weeks)   An imp pack with each of the Mad Tea Party scents I haven't tried: Alice's Evidence, All in the Golden Afternoon, Frumious Bandersnatch, Mad Hatter, Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat, White Rabbit, all of the Garden of Live Flowers, all of Moral Hymnody and Nonsense.   I haven't tried any of the Marchens but don't know which ones in particular I'd want, but imps of some of those.   An imp of Dragon's Reverie which I tried back in the beginning of my BPAL adventures and didn't like and very quickly swapped away, but which I've always wanted to try a second time.   Honey Pumpkin Stout bath oil or soap or both... drool...   Harvest Festival atmosphere spray, though I'd be a little concerned about the hay... I was so SO allergic to Hay Moon that I've been cautious ever since.   Lemurian Seaweed, Opium Tar, Tears of the Seraphim powders... oooh, shiny. I wonder if they make bubbles?   How do you feel about notebooks/journals/stationery? Anything you need or particularly like?   Positive! There's nothing I particularly need right now, but moar paper is always good. I like unlined paper, beyond that, no preferences really.   Does confetti/glitter make you angry or fill you with glee?   Mostly just makes a mess, and my two year old WILL try to eat it.   How do you feel about stuffed animals/plushies/general soft, cuddly things? If you like them, what kind of animals would you be interested in?   I love stuffed animals but my kid will take possession of any that come my way.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions from 9/12

September 12th   Would you like to receive e-books? And if so, in what format?   Sure! I was resistant to e-books for a long time but it turns out I love them. I read them on my iPhone, either in the Kindle app or the google books app.   If you have kids, would you be interested in getting things for them? And if so, what are they interested and what sizes are the wearing now?   Sure! My son wears a size 2T (though 3T things are appreciated too, since he's GOT to move to that size sometime, right? he's been 2T since he was 9 months old ) and is interested in a pretty wide variety of things. His favorite things in the world right now are his play kitchen & play food, his doll, a little red matchbox car, coloring, and trains.   (Can't remember if I mentioned it in my questionnaire, but I'm pregnant right now too, expecting another boy mid-January. You don't have to send anything for him, though, heh.)   Would you be interested in a felted handbag? Do any of these styles appeal to you? http://tinyurl.com/3o2epzl (there's at least one guy-friendly style, too!)   Those are beautiful but I have to admit that I'm really not a bag person.   Are there are patterns, motifs, etc that you especially like?   Nothing's springing to mind...   Witchee, would you be interested in having a special tea cup/coffee mug/glass to drink out of?   Sure! I actually already own more coffee mugs than anyone rightly should but um, that's an indicator of how attached I am to them.   If you're a tea drinker, is there any specific tea you would like to receive, not just the kind/flavor but also the type/packing--i.e., tea bags, loose tea, compressed, etc?   When I do have tea, I prefer loose. (I also love the little compressed bricks of pu-erh.) As for kinds/flavors, like I mentioned in yesterday's set of questions, I don't drink much black tea these days... mostly chais or tisanes.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011 questions, 9/9-9/11

In reverse order...   September 11th   I am fond of the thrift. Do you mind lightly used goods? Please be specific! For instance, I'm a little squicked by used clothing, but I don't mind any other used goods (i.e. books, glassware, games, DVDs, whatever.)   Fine with most used wearables, other than like underwear and socks. I used to be weirded out by used shoes but became more accepting of them when I went vegan and wanted to stop buying new leather shoes. (When you have weirdly shaped feet, sometimes used leather is the best veg compromise you're going to get.)   Books & other media, I am more than fine with used. That's the way to go!   Kitchen stuff is a-okay used too.   Used cosmetics and soaps and stuff weird me out a little more. Pre-used bar soap would absolutely not get used in my house. (I have trouble sharing bar soap with people I'm related to!) Used perfume would obviously be fine though.   Do you have an Etsy shop? Do you know of any Etsy shops that are Switch Witch friendly?   No! I love buying on Etsy though.   A friend of mine makes wonderful jewelry that she sells partially through Etsy. Her shop is Lush Beads on Etsy. I feel like her spider jewelry might be perfect for some 'Weenies witchees...   Would a gift or a postcard from Disneyland make you squee with delight or puke into your mail box?   I am ambivalent about Disneyland! A postcard might be nice!   what are your favorite types of Halloween candy?   Hmm... peanut chews? When I was a kid, those mini heath bars were my favorite, but I've never found a vegan equivalent. Used to also love candy corn (and those little pumpkins made out of candy corn) but again, not vegan.   Oh, you know what else I really used to love? Those super cheap tasting milk chocolates in the foil shaped like pumpkins etc. That's actually what I think rice milk chocolate tastes like... kinda waxy and strange and yet oddly alluring.   Do you prefer soap or shower gel? Please give examples of your favorite scents or brands.   Hmm. I like both. In terms of what I own... I own way more bar soap. So much bar soap. Arcana soaps are almost always a hit with me-- Filthy Viking is my absolutely favorite thing in the whole entire to wash with.   I really do NOT love most of Lush's bar soaps. Though, it's been years since I tried a new one... the last new Lush soap I tried was Lily Savon when it first came out. (And boy did I hate that soap.)   How do you like your chocolate? For example with nuts, mint, peanut butter, caramel?   If it's vegan and it's chocolate, I will eat it. I have no sense of discrimination.   Dark chocolate + sea salt + anything else is basically always a particularly big win for me.   Beads! Do you use them? Would you want some? What sorts of beads do you like?   I flirted with beading at one point, actually due to another SW round. It's not a strength of mine and I probably wouldn't actually use beads you sent me, though I love beaded things.   Anyone here like caramels? Sea salted caramels?!?!   Caramel is something I adore, but it is rare to find it vegan. I've made it before several times and it's really not that hard (basically sub coconut milk for dairy cream, vegan margarine or coconut oil for butter, and presto) but I guess there's not much of a demand for it in the world.   Would you like a hand dyed or hand painted scarf or wrap or other item? If so, what colors/designs/fabrics do you like?   Sure! A scarf might be nice, assuming we're talking some light fabric here and not like painted wool. (For wool things, see my answer to knitted goods.) Like I said before, I'm pretty open about colors... earth tones, jewel tones, basically anything that's not sugary pink or white works for me.   This was a question before, but does anyone here like stones? Just pretty polished stones for use in whatever purposes?   Not really!   -------------------------------------------------------------   September 10th   What #1 actor, director, author and/or musician are you obsessed with?   Hm. I don't trend towards obsession! At least not as far as celebrities are concerned. Really, I thought about this for like twenty minutes and the only person I can come up with is Stephen Fry. Man, do I love Stephen Fry.   are you interested in anything from the Villainness Bad Apples update?   I'd love to try the soaps of either Discord or Just Right. (Chances of me buying them for myself are exactly 0 though!)   If you have a pet, would he/she/they like to receive a treat or a toy as a gift? Does your pet have any dietary restrictions or other preferences w.r.t. said treat?   My guinea pigs don't really do much in the way of treats or toys. We've tried a couple of things that were supposed to be guinea pig specific (fruit twigs, I forget what else) and they're just totally disinterested.   What are your top three "I want to try them but I think I'll never get to try them" (or, "I've tried them and I want moar moar moar, but I don't think I'll ever get any") scents/bath oils/sprays?   So I checked my wishlist for an answer to this and realized I really, really need to update it... my most wanteds are all things from the Weenies update of '08, which I decanted and tried all of. Doh!   I really wanted to try a lot of the Nutcracker & Scrooge scents last year but just didn't get my act together in time... those aren't really unobtainable but that's what comes to mind.   Is there a particular artist and piece that you would like a print of? If so, what is your max size that you could spare on your walls?   The sad truth of the matter is that I already have so many prints that I could paper every bare inch of wall in my house twice.   If you are in to beauty and makeup related stuff, what kind of stuff do you like? What is your skintone and hair color? Are there any beauty products you've wanted to try but just never purchase?   I'm not into makeup at all.   I am, however, really looking for a light moisturizer that also has sunscreen in it. I'd like to try Origins' Brighter by Nature moisturizer but haven't worked up to shelling out the money for it yet. I have notoriously sensitive skin so would really like to try a sample of it before making a decision.   Do you like coffee or tea? Would you be interested in trying some different types?   Coffee: I freaking love coffee. Coffee is my happy place. Right now I only drink 1 cup a day (and no one else in my house drinks it at all) so if you send any, smaller amounts are probably better than larger amounts.   Tea: I used to be a big tea drinker but it's fallen by the wayside somehow. I still love a good chai, but don't really care for straight up black teas anymore. You know what I am up for lately though? Tisanes. I'm trying to limit my caffeine (pregnancy and whatnot) but get bored of sucking down water all day, so non-caffeinated stuff is welcome...   Are there any CDs/Albums you've been wanting but haven't bought yet? What format do you prefer? (i.e. mp3, actual cd, record, etc)   Hm. Not that I can think of. I usually buy music by artists I love more or less right away.   On the other hand, I am always, always looking for new music, so don't feel like you can't send me any just because I can't think of any in particular.   MP3s or CDs are best. I love records but really don't have the room to store any more of them than I already have.   Are you going away for any part of this round?   Not sure if it falls quite within the confines of the round, but I am planning to be out of town for a day or two around Thanksgiving. Other than that, probably not!   Would you like to receive a mix-CD from your Witch?   Sure!   If your witch were going somewhere on a vacation during the round, would you want a little souvenir?   Magnets & postcards are always welcome.   Do you enjoy any outdoor activities? Do you have a favorite form of "exercise"?   Yes! I love just walking outside and spend a lot of time visiting state parks, etc, with my family. I'm also a bike commuter (~8 miles a day) and would really like to expand that into a bigger hobby because man do I love riding my bike.   Pre-babies I used to run a lot, and I miss that, but I really can't find the time these days.   Any witchee's with a ravelry account have any favourited patterns that cost money that would be a welcome gift?   No ravelry account!   Do you work/study at a desk and enjoy interesting or cute office supplies?   Sure! Especially pens. My workplace is really tight fisted about giving out pens. (Isn't that weird?) And notepads. And like, I could use a pen cup or something too. Um... pretty much any cute office supplies would go to use around here. (The cuter the better, so my two very male cubicle mates don't steal them.)   Witchee, are you a fan of musicals? If so, which ones?   Yes! And I'm not choosy. I love them all, from the classics like Fiddler and Annie Get Your Gun, etc, up to more contemporary things like RENT and well... I guess RENT's not contemporary anymore, is it?... whatever is contemporary now, I probably like it.   ------------------------------------------------------------- September 9th   Do you like to burn incense? If so, what are your favorite kinds...sticks? cones? resins? What are your favorite scents?   Incense (and indeed, anything that makes smoke) tends to cause respiratory sadness for me. :/ Which is a bummer, because I love incense. My mom used to make her own when I was little and so I have a lasting fondness for it. I like cones because, well, they're cute, and I like more or less the same scents I like in perfumes... resinous things, dragon's blood and such, lavender, some florals, no patchouli, etc.   Harry Potter - a fan? If so, what house are you?   I'm a fan. Probably Ravenclaw.   If you were to receive a gift card, what places would you like to get one from?   Hmm... probably boring ol' Amazon, or if you could figure out how to buy one online, for my local bookstore, Bookshop Santa Cruz.   Is there a particular myth/folktale/legend/fairytale/godstory that you're drawn to?   Not really any one in particular. I love European fairy tales (Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian etc) and Greek & Roman mythology and am lately fascinated by Russian fairy tales.   If you RP, tabletop, forum, or otherwise... Do you have any original characters you'd like to see art of? If so, please give information! Even if it's a link to a web page or a profile or picture!   I don't, but what a cool idea!   If you could see anything, what would it be? Can be a person, an event, a landmark or monument, an object, etc. And it doesn't have to be on this planet, or in this time period, or in this reality!   I'd love to just see the future, near or otherwise. What will things be like in a hundred years? A thousand? I hate the idea that I'll never know how the story ends, so to speak.   When you are having a really rough day, what do you like to do/have to make it a little brighter?   Take a bubble bath with my two year old. That sounds weird, but it's the best thing ever because a. I get to take a bath, something that almost never happens if I try to do it solo, and b. my kid is so cute and funny in the bath. It's really just sweet and funny and calming, and plus we all smell nice afterwards.   What are your thoughts on comics? Any you like? Any you have been wanting to try? Favorite characters?   I was a big comic reader in college, then came to a screeching halt somewhere in my senior year and never picked up again. Some of my old favorites were Fables, Transmetropolitan and really most things by Warren Ellis (when he's not totally phoning it in), anything anything by Ariel Schrag...   Are you musical? Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? If not, what do you wish you could play or do?   I sing, and that's about it. I've sang in various choirs, which is fun, and in musicals, which is the best thing ever and which I wish I could do again. (I'm not a great singer by any means, but I sound really good in a group and am l-o-u-d, so I am an excellent chorus member!)   I adore music but have just never really known where to start with instruments. Someday I'd like to play an instrument-- ANY instrument-- but though I've tried things here and there, I haven't shown any aptitude for it at all.   Does anyone garden? And if you do, what do you grow? If not, would a starter garden kit be something you'd be interested in?   I'm very interested in gardening, but haven't ever succesfully done it. (Once I grew marigolds for my mom, but that's it.) What I'd really like to grow are vegetables and/or herbs, edible things. Right now I have a tiny postage stamp back yard though with seriously maybe 8 ft x 2 ft of soil in it, so anything I tried to grow would probably have to be in containers....   Do you decorate for Halloween? Is your decorating taste elegant, kitschy and fun, or scary?   Not really! My decorating style trends towards "extremely lazy" so seasonal decorations are something I basically never get around to. Anything that was meant for outside would have to be more elegant, less kitschy.   Witchee, do you have any symbols or totems that have special meaning for you?   Nothing comes to mind. Hmm, I'm kind of striking out on this set of questions!   Is anyone fond of programs like Adopt a Tree/Highway/Library/Manatee/Acre of Rainforest/etc?:   Yes!
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 2011: questions from 9/8

September 8th   From the Weenie Update....what are you most wanting to try?   Oh sheesh. There are so many I'm interested in this time around. I already ordered decants of the ones I most most want to try, but am still longing for but probably not ordering decants of:   Nocturnal Reverie Devil's Night Elegy IX Ghosts in Love Le Revenant Mictecacihuatl (the original is one of my all time favorites) Pumpkin Princess Samhain 2011 Sonnet d'Automne Vampire Bride Nymphae Avernales Silver Apple of the Moon Black Apple of Saturn The Changeling The Ta Ta   The scent I'm most, most excited about is Apple Cider. I have a decant (an extra from a circle I ran) of Fearful Pleasure from a million years ago. Originally I thought I'd swap it on-- wasn't really to my taste-- but about a year later I stumbled upon it and realized I'm totally in love with it. I'm a dabber and almost never run out of any scent, but I'm down to my last couple of dribbles of Fearful Pleasure, which seems more amazing every time I put it on.   Who's into nail polish? What colors/brands?   Not me! I was never a big nail polish wearer, but now I can't wear it to work (really! they'll make me take it off!) so it has no place in my life.   Is there a quote (or lyric or part of a poem) that really resonates with you or is your favorite?   I'm a huge words person, so there are so, so many lyrics/quotes/parts of poems/etc that resonate with me! There's no way to pick one...   Right now I'm revisiting a favorite album (both musically and lyrically) from many years ago. The whole thing basically resonates with me from start to finish... lyrics here: Full Force Galesburg.   Dream candle? Scent, color, type (tealight, votive, pillar, jar, etc.), throw...   My two year old's favorite activity, hands down, is running through the house at full bore, back and forth and back and forth. You will not be surprised to hear how infrequently I burn candles.   Do you like knitted goodies? If so, what would you like and what colors?   I love them, but living in California kind of limits which ones are useful for me. A hat could be great, and I'm sort of in the market for arm warmers/fingerless gloves. Oh, and socks. Always socks.   Colors: blues, greens, purples, greys, blacks, reds (especially darker reds), browns... if it's not white (in which case I'll be terrified to wear it because I'll just stain it instantly) or bright pink, it'll work for me!   Would you be interested in homemade edibles that are NOT sweets? Any specifics?   Yes! Can you make pickles? Pickled ANYTHING? If so, do you want to be best friends?   What GC do you live in mortal terror of the lab discontinuing, but never get around to buying?   Oh, that's a hard one. I think... Veil or Voodoo Lily. Those are two of my very, very favorites (and interestingly, very firsts) but I've never moved past the imp with them.   I always forget how much I love Dragon's Heart and never even think about buying a bottle. That would probably so sad to see go.   Yo, yarnies! Do you Ravelry? If so, who are you over thar?   No! I don't even know what this means!   Social Media?   I have a facebook account that I use sporadically. I don't know how you would add me without outing yourself, but if you can figure out a way, you can find me by searching under either my email or my name, both should turn me up.   That's about it! I also have a defunct Twitter account and will probably at some point start a G+ account but ugh so lazy.   Do you have wishlists for non-BPAL e-tailers? And if so, could you provide a link or a list?   Not really. My kaboodle wishlist is YEARS outdated now. (I should probably take it out of my sig.) I could start one though!   Witchee, do you use a PC or a Mac?   Oh jeez. I have fewer computers right now than I have in a long long time, and um, I still have a PC AND a Mac. I prefer my Mac by far though!   What is your favorite animal?   The noble tree kangaroo!     And then guinea pigs.   What are you going to be for Halloween?   Not sure if I'll dress up this year or not-- my rapidly expanding uterus is making it hard to dress up as anything other than a pregnant lady.   I'm thinking of dressing up my kid as a hobbit, though, so maybe something in keeping with that.   If you could have a piece of oil painting jewelry (pendant, pair of earrings, or ring) with absolutely anything painted on it, what would it be? (If you prefer wall art instead, same question as above.)   What an interesting question! Maybe a ring... with a... wren on it? I can't explain at all, that's the first thing that popped into my head.   How do you feel about nick-knacks?   Nick-knacks are the bane of my existence. I've never been much of a stuff person. My husband is a bit of a pack rat. In the past 8 years of living with him, my nick knack tolerance has utterly plummeted.   What traditions (family, holiday, or otherwise) are important to you?   Hm. I like to be with family on holidays. It's weird, I'm not religious, and holidays don't tend to be particularly significant to me... but if I'm not with some family... ANY family, my blood relatives or my in-laws... then I'm utterly morose.   On a more daily ritual sort of level, it's important to me to eat dinner with my family, and to read my kid a book before bed. Can't explain why either thing is so important, but they are.   Do you like going to the movies?   YES. I freaking adore going to the movies. I almost never do it these days. (See: ownership of two year old.)   What are your favorite restaurants?   Just keeping it down to ones on the same coast as me...   Millennium in San Francisco Back to Eden Bakery in Portland The Bagelry in Santa Cruz Dharma's in Capitola 99 Bottles of Beer in Santa Cruz (and I admit that this is more about the beer than the food, but shut up, I love and miss beer so much right now that it's making it onto the list) Green Cafe in um, Milipitas (I think) Malabar in Santa Cruz Source in San Francisco (jeez I would like an excuse to go there again) Cafe Delmarette in Santa Cruz   Do you play any video games?   I used to be an avid gamer but I rarely have time these days. The only thing I've really played in the past year is Plants vs Zombies, because my kid likes to watch it and because it's awesome.   Do you like any anime?   Yes! Not as much as I did when I was younger (and VERY into anime), but still happy to watch most things.   Do you have an E-reader/iPad/something similar that you need a cover/case for?   Just an iphone.   how much do you like jewelry? like, if you were to get a shit ton of it during the round, how excited would you be?   So I think I mentioned this in my questionnaire... I own almost no jewelry. This is not because I dislike jewelry. Actually, I like it a lot. I am just one of those people who has a hard time buying nice things for herself. I would be delighted to receive jewelry (a shit ton or other quantity) in SW.   How would you like to receive some of your Witch's favorite recipes, tailored to your likes/dietary restrictions? And specific wants?   Sure! I collect cookbooks (one of the only things I have a hard time getting rid of) and am always looking for new recipes.   Do you need any boxes to store your smellies in? What would you store in said hypothetical box--imps, bottles, supplies, all of the above?   Hmmm... I currently store my bottles in a jewelry box, which is nice, except I have to put them on their sides which makes me nervous. I wouldn't say no to a box that I could stand them upright in.   Muppets: yea or nay?   Not a big muppet fan these days, but I don't dislike them either.   Do you have an affinity for Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, and other comic strips? If so, which is your favorite?   I kinda love the strip Apartment 3-G just because it's so... bad.   Favorite Mythological Creature?:   Hoo, a favorite... that's hard. Maybe... Baba Yaga?   Do you like hair things barrettes, headbands, flowers   If they're smallish... things that are too big/exciting looking make me feel self-conscioius. I have more hair than a hair farmer, though.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Winter 08... more questions!

12/14   Anyone a fan of Goddess art? I love images of women, in beautiful poses, strong women, powerful women (No- Not Hilary ROFL) I like dark, vampire types too, not *too* dark- okay for general consumption type art too.   I like lady art in general.   Anyone else a Luis Royo fan? My dad is! I'm not really.   What are your favorite websites (i.e., the ones you visit every day, or almost every day)?   BPAL, nytimes.com, livejournal, and a couple of misc video game news sites and web comics.   How do you feel about Lush? Anything you want to try?   There's stuff I want to try on my kaboodle wishlist. I don't buy much Lush for myself these days, though... it's kinda moved out of my price range. :/   How do you feel about home made lip balm, salt or sugar scrubs, soap, bath salts, etc?   EXTREMELY POSITIVE   if you were to receive a hand-knitted item, what color(s) would you prefer AND are there any types of yarn that you just cannot handle (e.g. wool, llama, etc.)   I'm not really hot for animal fibers, and I prefer good ol' cotton over acrylic. Red's my favorite color, but really, I'm not choosy.   12/13 What is one REALLY expensive, completely outrageous thing you would LOVE to get but totally don't expect to ever get from anyone?   A nice custom corset. I have almost bought myself one on several occasions but these things cost money and I balk at spending money on myself.   Do you like coffee mugs? Travel or stay at home? How big? Do you like ones from Starbucks?   Mugs are nice, but I have a lot already. I'm way set on travel mugs, but wouldn't say no to more stay at home ones... especially big ones. Oh, I also don't really like plastic mugs.   If you drink coffee, do you like whole bean coffee or prefer ground? What grind? What roast (mild, medium, bold, extra bold)? Do you like flavored coffee?   Alas, I never drink coffee at home.   Do you like tea? What kinds of tea (green, red, white, black, decaf, herbal infusions)? Feel free to get specific on brands and tea types. Loose or bagged? Do you need any kind of tea accessories? Pots/cozys/presses/strainers?   I might have mentioned this in my questionnaire... I love tea, but can't have too much in the way of caffeine these days. (It interacts badly with medication I take.) But luckily, I love herbal teas as well as others. No specific brands to mention really... I LOVE everything I've tried from TeaNoir on Etsy, though.   What is your favorite hot chocolate or drinking chocolate? Do you need Vegan or no?   Yes to the vegan question. I usually just make my own at home out of baking cocoa and almond milk.   Do you need any decanting supplies? Pipettes? Vials? How about any wand caps? Roller bottles? Some spray bottles (for oils mixed with alcohol?)   I'd love some wand caps. Other than that, I am set on supplies.   12/12   I wanted to ask a question: are there any rare (or even uber-rare) scents that you'd really like to try?   I was really lucky and got to try a bunch of rare sniffies via a contest dpoulsen21 had over the summer. I think that hit most of the ones I really wanted to try.   Other than that, I'd really like to sniff the Champagne scents. And I'd like to smell Snow Maiden. And... well... I'd like to smell La Primavera and L'Estate too.   Does your forum name have a special significance? Refer to something or someone you admire? Reflect your interests? Come on, spill!   Mine's obvious. I am ALWAYS cold or sleepy and usually both.... hence, coldandsleepy.   12/11   What's your favorite texture?   SOFT! Soft is the best texture. Not fuzzy necessarily... just soft. Cashmere is the best feeling thing on earth, I think.... which's sad, because I don't do cashmere anymore.   What's one luxury item you want to pamper yourself with but haven't yet?   I am really intrigued by the... what is it called... body gloss? I think? By Haunt that's on the Soap Box Company website. All of them sound amazing... allll of them. But they're like $10 a bottle and I'm not sure I'd use them and and... still. Sounds soooo good.   Do you prefer arm warmers to the wrist, to the base of the fingers, or half fingered?   Half fingered!   Any favorite cartoon characters? Disney, Sanrio, etc?   Oddly nothing comes to mind.   Have you (or maybe the younguns in your family) been exposed to the Webkinz craze?   Heh. My five year old niece LOOOOVES them.   Who's your favorite playwright?   Probably August Strindberg.   Anyone into physical activities? For instance- I'm training to become a Combat Archer in the SCA, and something I would use would be an Archers glove...is there anything you do as a sport/hobby in which you might need equipment?   Nothing in particular right now.   Are there any witchy type supplies you're in need of, or would like to try etc.? Herbs, smudge sticks, resins, tarot/oracle cards, incense burners, pretty tools, stuff like that?   Not really.   Do you like Shakespeare? Which plays?   YES! I love a great deal of them... but my favorite will probably always be A Midsummer's Night Dream... closely followed by Much Ado about Nothing.   12/10   Question for the Class: Favorite Musical?   Ha! I am a secret musical nerd. I LOVE musicals... watching them, being in them, listening to their soundtracks. My favorite might be Fiddler on the Rooftop... no matter how many times I see it, I always enjoy it and come away thinking about something new.   How do you like your chocolate? White, milk, bittersweet, as dark as possible? Plain, with flavoring, with chunks of stuff in? Fairly traditional, or weird and experimental?   Vegan and weird. Mmmm.... weird flavors.   Favorite animals? Least favorite?   I am physically repulsed by insects. Other than that, I like most animals. My top two are probably tree kangaroos (google them!) and guinea pigs.   How do you feel about Heifer International? Or do you have other favorite charities not mentioned in your application?   I have a list of favorites in one of my blog posts from last round. While I respect what Heifer International does, I feel really ambivalent about what they do, so I'd prefer donations made in my name to be to something else.   So for all witches of the shimmying types- would you like tassel belts/jingle belts/ ect and if so, how big are your hips?   Hee. I don't really shimmy, but I like this question.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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Winter 2008 SW questions! Round 1, fight!

Helloooo! I am taking a break from an insanely busy study schedule (huge exam on Monday) to reply to the first batch of SW questions. Woot! I can't wait for the winter round to start. This will probably be oddly justified, because I'm pasting it out of pico (it's almost dinner time, no time to fuss with line breaks). Here we go, then:   12/5 What kind of candy/sweet treat would you like to receive?   There are these cookies at Trader Joe's... they're called Candy Cane Jo-Jos. They're apparently like vegan crack. I never ever ever go to TJ's, but... I would like to try the Candy Cane Jo Jos.   Other than that, sweets are really one place you can't go wrong with me. I can't indulge in them too much (blood sugar problems), but I love them more or less uniformly. Hard candies, dark chocolate, and vegan caramel are all made of win.   I also love the combination of salt + sweetness always. I... I love salt a lot.   Would you personally rather get handmade jewelry or the beads to make something yourself?   Oh, that's tough. Either would be really wonderful.   12/4   It seems like there are quite a few knitting witches, so I assume they are on the Ravelry forum as well. If so, what are your names on there so I can stalk you?   No Ravelry!   Speaking of which, how many Browncoat witches do we have?? And if you are, would you be interested in getting a Kaylee parasol? If not, would you be interested in getting a paper parasol hand painted with your favorite colors?   I don't even know what this means, so I don't think it applies to me! In general, though, a parasol would be lovely-- it's never not sunny here (more or less), aaaaand I could take a parasol to Burning Man next year.   Is there any time during the holidays (or the rest of the round) when you'll be away from home for a significant period and it'd be best not to send anything by mail?   I'll be out of town for maybe two weeks for Christmas, visiting my in-laws in Oregon. Dates are still tentative because my spouse STILL hasn't asked his boss when he's allowed to leave (despite me hassling him about it for literally months), but I'm guessing we're looking at about December 21st-January 3rd or 4th.   You can still send mail to me during that time, though-- we have a very secure mailbox (as in, it locks) and I'd also be happy to supply the in-laws' address if you for some reason want it.   And I'll have email access throughout the whole trip, though my forum time will probably be limited.   To make up for the fact that I probably won't be able to send my witchee homebaked goodies, will Tim Tams in any number of varieties be an acceptable replacement?   Alas, I am fairly certain Tim Tams aren't vegan.   Hand beaded jewellery, yay or nay?   Yes! I love shinies!   Which witches would like hair accessories: clips, scrunchies, hairsticks, headscarves, etc?   I have no haiiiiiir! Well, not much hair. I think it's about two inches long now. So most of these things wouldn't apply to me. A headscarf could be nice, though!   On a similar note, who likes yarn? What kinds/colors/weights/fibers? Handspun? Glitter? Funky art yarn made from shredded jeans, fake flowers, lace, sequins, and the tattered souls of your enemies? Other craft supplies you desperately want more of and can't live without?   This all sounds awesome (esp. souls of enemies), but I don't really do much with yarn at this point. I absolutely LOVE to knit, but aside from the fact that I've never figured out how to do things with circular needles (socks, etc), knitting makes my carpal tunnel flare up like it's nobody's business. And I can never remember how to crochet.   As for craft supplies: I made beaded jewelry for my witchee last round and, to my surprise, had a totally BLAST doing it. Just think, you could send me beads this round, and then I could work 'em into jewelry for my witchee, and it'd be like this whole circle of awesome. Heh heh.   Anyway, aside from yarn and beads, I love more or less all craft supplies, which is funny because I'm not really crafty. Prior to college, I did a LOT of art stuff and am well versed in just about every media there is other than pen and ink... I still find it intensely relaxing and engaging to make art, even though I know I'm not very good at it.   Oh yeah: I would love love love pen and ink supplies, because like I said, I've never done it before... and I'm dying to.   Anyone else a total nerd like me and would like DnD/Roleplay stuff (Dice, minis, books, corny tees, etc.)?   Ha ha ha. Again, this is something my dude would love. I like funny tshirts, but beyond that, I don't do much DnD-y stuff these days. I am a big ol' nerd though.   How do people feel about unusual ornaments? As in, for holidays other than Christmas?   I don't really decorate for holidays other than Christmas. And, in fact, this'll be the first time I've put up a tree in five or so years. (I'm never home for Christmas, but I love decorating the tree, so I think I'm going to get a fake one and deck the hell out of it this year before I leave town.)   If you sent me an ornament for another holiday, I'd uh, probably put it on my potential Christmas tree. Or I'd hang it on the fridge.   Which brings me to a totally random point: I LOVE fridge magnets!     Question: who would like a pair of handknit socks? Size? Color preference? Cabled, ribbed (for your pleasure), stranded colorwork, etc.?   If you are a sock making person and really want to make my day, knit a pair of socks for my husband. He has size 11ish feet and no real color preferences (his favorite color is blue, for what's worth) and really genuinely adores big fuzzy handknitted socks. He is NOT vegan and is tooootally happy to indulge in lamb's wool, alpaca, etc.   I'd love knitted socks too, but I prefer less bulky ones! And I really love knee socks. (Can you knit knee socks? I suppose one must be able to.) I rock the 7.5 shoe size.   How does everyone feel about steampunk?   Generally positive! I'm not as in to it as many other people here, but I do like it.   Since we're talking about warm winter wearables, who likes hats? Mittens? Arm warmers?   Hats = yes! Mittens = no, my hands always get too hot when I wear them. (They even did back in Massachusetts, the land of ice and snow.) Arm warmers could go either way. And... I know this is probably too big to do in the span of a SW round, but just in case this is your secret burning desire... I loooooove sweaters.     If your witch were to send you cookies, what kind of cookies would you like?   What kind of cookies WOULDN'T I like? Seriously, if it's vegan and it's a cookie, I'm gonna love it. I'm a shameless cookie ho.   Who likes tshirts? What about homemade tshirts? Like with transfers I made myself....   YES! Me! Pick me! Like I said before, I wear tshirts more or less all the time.   12/3 Would you like to receive ATCs (artist trading cards) or would you prefer something more usable, like bookmarks or something?   If you sent me an ATC, I would um... probably use it as a bookmark. Sad but true. I love bookmarks, though!   12/2 What witch would like a cloak?   You know, while a cloak would be totally awesome, I would probably never wear it. I feel extreeeeeemly self conscious when I wear anything other than tshirts and jeans... comes of being in a field that is populated mostly by men, I think.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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Sheesh... even more questions!

It's a little after 2 a.m. and the mysterious heartburn I've had for over 24 hours for noooo reason is keeping me awake. So... it's time for questions!   ***9/25*** Favorite cartoons or animated films?   Oh, I like so many animated things, it's really kinda too hard to pick here. As long as the cartoon is either hilarious or at least a little bit thoughtful, I'll probably watch it. Really.   Your take on the election? In other words, would you enjoy campaign related gifts, or prefer to stay neutral?   Obama all the way. I'm not really into campaign related gifts, though.   Villians you sympathise with, or are interested in boinking?   Londo from Babylon 5. There's just something about him that resonates with me. He's so proud and imperious, but he's really rather silly and under the pretty frock coats and face powder, he KNOWS it. Everything he does, he does because he genuinely thinks he's helping his people. And he wants to help them because he wants to be liked. He just... gets sucked down a very wrong path. Poor Londo.   Your stance on the all important peanut butter issue: crunchy? creamy? allergic? chocolate? maple? go directly to nuttella, do not pass go?   Largely disinterested! On the rare occasion that I want to eat it, I go for crunchy, though.   Who here likes to read historical fiction? If you do, what eras/people/countries intrigue you the most?   Not a huge historical fiction person, though I'll read basically anything.   ***9/24*** What sort of colors do you currently wear? Do you want to branch outside that? What would you like to try?   Is this about clothing or makeup? I don't wear makeup, so let's assume clothing. To my mild chagrin, I've come to realize that almost all of my shirts are either red, black, or brown. Oh, sure, I have one or two baby blue ones and one noteworthy green shirt (one!), but really... I don't get around much when it comes to clothing colors.   I don't know what colors I'd like to wear. Not yellow. Not orange.   ***9/22*** About incense: do you like sticks or lose incense? Have you got one of those devices to burn lose incense over a bit of charcoal?   No burny things! No incense! Alas!   What's everyone's favorite fairytale and what are your favorite versions of it?   Probably The Tinder Box, sometimes called The Magic Tinder Box. It's... well, you'd have to read it. It's full of all sorts of horribleness, and dogs with eyes like saucers! In browsing the internet, I found about seven different versions of it that're the same up until the end. But the weirdest thing about the endings is that they are always varying degrees of happy. What! This horrible man gets a HAPPY ENDING out of this all! ... Still, it's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of fairy tales that I enjoyed reading as a child.   Also the one where the guy kills his grandma and sells her. You know, the one where the guy sees someone do something similar and gets confused and is like hurrah I shall be so rich if I only just kill my grandmother! And then he kills his grandma and tries to sell her and is like driven out of town and dies a sad and lonely exile. Um... I had NO luck finding this via Google, and I've long since lost the book it was in, so I have no idea what it's called or anything.   So how many imps/decants is officially 'you have gone overboard and your Witchee is going to expire from scent overload'?   Haw. As if! I guess that if my witch did something INSANE like send me a hundred imps, I might be a little overwhelmed... but I'd catch up eventually. (On the other hand, I'm perfectly happy with the two she's sent so far!)   Who needs a recipe box?   I don't need one, per se... I'm perfectly happy sticking recipes into other cookbooks! And to be honest, I rarely print out or copy down recipes these days.   ANYONE ELSE want a home-made cookbook?   Cookbooks are one of my favorite things, so yes, I'd be open to this!
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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And a couple more SW questions...

I'm still feeling hugely under the weather today and all I want to do is sleeeeeeep. But I've discovered something amiss with my financial aid package for this year to the tune of, uh, $15000 dollars. As in, they're supposed to pay me this money as part of my fellowship, but it's not showing up on my financial aid record at all. I've emailed the financial aid people about it and hopefully it'll be sorted out soon.... but it's left me too nervous to nap. Ugh. But I'm still so tired and woozy that I'm useless at anything else. So I'm here babbling on about SW questions. Hooray!   ***9/11*** If you are into the original Nintendo system, what 3 games would you want that you don't have? Hmm. I don't own any NES games anymore, because I gave my NES away before I moved to California. (At least I think I did. Hmmm.) There are lots of NES games I still like to play from time to time in emulation, though. One I really like that I have been unable to get my hands on is Hillsfar. Also Pool of Radiance. And Yo Noid!, my favorite pizza related game of all time.   There was also a Mickey Mouse game that I can never remember the name of that I really liked and wouldn't mind playing again. But... I can't remember the name.   What is your favorite category of the GC?   I've had the most success with Mad Tea Party and am pretty close to through that entire category, which was one of my big goals when I got into BPAL. Wanderlust may be my favorite idea out of all of them, but of course, the category is so huge that I haven't really even made a dent in it. Aside from Dragon's Reverie, which I was sure would work for me and didn't, I've loved everything from the Ars Draconis category. (And actually, I'd really like to get another imp of Dragon's Reverie to give it a second try.)   ***9/10*** Stance on Joss Whedon and his enterprises? I've seen about 1.5 episodes of Buffy ever and wasn't super impressed by it. That's my entire knowledge of the Whedonverse.   What other perfume companies (besides bpal) have you been curious about? Hum. I'm not really interested in other perfumes, because I still have SO MUCH BPAL that I want to try. I've had great success with Arcana's soaps, though, so maybe someday when I've got less BPAL at my finger tips, I'll give Arcana's scents a try.   Does anyone here do anything with grave rubbings? Not specifically grave rubbings, but I like to do rubbings in general. I don't think I've made any in awhile, though.   What's in your Netflix or Blockbuster queue, do you want any new Netflix/Blockbuster friends, if so how do we find you on there? So many things are in my queue! I have noooo Netflix friends currently but am not opposed to the idea. If I understand it correctly, you can add me via this link: http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P7iROVJJgAOG24ZLwlFC   ***9/9*** Do you play a musical instrument? No! I'd really like to, but I don't.   What do you think of Irrelevant Disturbing and Surreal Crawdad Dream? Love it? Hate it? Kicking yourself for not getting a bottle? It's a fabulous concept. It doesn't smell great on me-- something somewhere goes a bit weird. But I love it in the bottle, and I'm keeping it around for the time being.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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Even more Fall 2008 SW questions

Now it's so cold that I had to turn the heat on for awhile. Sheesh! And they say California doesn't have weather. I just pulled the second batch of cupcakes out of the oven and now they're sitting to cool with the first ones... my kitchen (where I'm sitting) is still nice and toasty from the oven and it smells DELICIOUS, so all is well in the world. Time to answer some questions!   ***9/9*** How do you feel about trinkets? You know - tiny toys or doodads that serve no purpose than to be cute, take up space and make us smile. Love them or waste of money? Hum... on a sentimental level, I love them. On a practical level, I hate them. My spouse is a huuuuuge packrat, so our house is full of clutter to start with, and the more little trinkets we get, the more potential there is for clutter. I'm the clumsiest person on earth, so clutter = catastrophe for me, not to mention it just makes me plain anxious.   When I do get little trinkets (and they do drift into my life through lots of sources), I usually put them in my sentimental crap box. The SCB is a box of... well... sentimental crap. I sift through it now and again to feel all nostalgic and stuff, but the rest of the time it lives in a closet. If you send me little notes with anything, they'll almost definitely end up in the SCB-- I love collecting notes and they're so small that they don't make a dent in the box space, and they're great to reread later.   I'm rambling... anyway... trinkets: great in theory, not as great in practice.   Can melty things be shipped to you, or will they be in puddles by the time you open the package? Yup! Even in the dead of summer, the inside of my mailbox seems to stay shady and cool.   Who likes pirates? Everyone likes pirates! I'm not as in love with pirates as many people, but I am fond of them.   What are your feelings about Dia De Los Muertos? On the part of the east coast I'm from, we don't really do DDLM at all. I think it's a cool idea, though, and I like the imagery that goes along with it.   What do you think about the Nightmare Before Christmas? Back before I took ADD medication, I used to fall asleep during movies all the time. ALL THE TIME. I think I fell asleep during Nightmare Before Christmas something like six times before I actually saw it all the way through. It's a good movie, though, and I do like the art style a lot.   If candy is sent, would you prefer small amounts to a Halloween sized bag? Yeah, sadly, due to my blood sugar issues I can't really sit down and eat a big ol' sack of candy anymore.   Do you like floral bath soaps, shower gels, etc? If so, what florals work on you and what don't? Yes! I am fortunate in that my skin actually likes everything except mint. (I don't like some other notes on my skin, but that's another story.) Florals mostly behave beautifully on me. I'm particularly into lily, lavender, rose, ylang ylang... I'm not at all into jasmine, even though it does stay true on my skin. I like (and sometimes even love) violet, but sometimes it smells like pickles on me. Seriously, pickles... I wish I was kidding but I'm not. Neroli tends to smell bland to my nose. I love cherry blossoms. Hum... that's all I can think of to say about florals right now.   ***9/8*** How do y'all feel about honey and maple? And different flavored honey, not just the standard kind? Honey: I think I've mentioned before that honey is one of those things that vegans fight over. I don't seek it out to eat it and wouldn't really want you to send me a big ol' jar of honey. If it's in something else that is otherwise 100% vegan, I will probably eat it anyway.   Maple: yes please. I like me some maple.   What is your favorite thing to do on a cool fall day? It used to be jumping in leaf piles, but those don't really form around here. I guess now it's to cuddle up with a blanket next to a window and read a book. Ooh, or take a bath. I might just be saying that because it's dark and gloomy out today and those're the two things I really want to be doing.   ***9/7*** If you have pets, is there a SPECIFIC toy they like to play with; brand and size? Is there a treat/cookie they eat? What brand and size? Guinea pigs are notoriously difficult to entertain with toys, and my dudes are no exception. For awhile, we had little bells that they could ring... Mister B loved his and would ring it fairly frequently, but Pingpong seemed to be TERRIFIED of his and would just sneak up to it, touch his nose to it, and then jump backwards in terror. In like two weeks, they totally forgot the bells existed. My theory is that they don't like toys because toys aren't food, and well... food is what piggies like.   The one thing that they DO always enjoy playing with are paper towels. Seriously. Give 'em a paper towel and they'll be amused for about an hour as they shred that puppy into pieces bit by bit. It's fun to watch and I do let them do it every now and again. Um... you probably don't need to send me paper towels though.   Oh! The one thing that they ARE in the market for are new tunnels. I used to have big cardboard tubes for them which they loved hiding in and running in and out of... but after about three months, those things were NASTY, so I had to chuck 'em. I'm sure they'd be pleased to get new ones. They need to be fairly big for the guys to get in and out of them... if you can put both your fists in at once, that's probably big enough.   What's your ringtone? Fun fact: I have NEVER heard my cell phone ring. It's always either on vibrate or silent, which is how I like it. So... I have no idea what it sounds like.   Just to throw a silly question out there...Munsters or Addams Family, y'all? Addams Family. I only dimly remember seeing the Munsters when I was very very young. The first Addams Family movie, on the other hand, was the first thing I personally ever bought on VHS. People used to call me Wednesday all the time when I was in middle school and early high school, which irritated the hell out of me then but is pretty funny now.   What think you about receiving tea accessories and/or miscellany (like mugs, cups, saucers, strainers/filters, honey, natural sweeteners [like stevia])? Tea accessories are swell! I'm sort of up to my ears in coffee mugs right now, so those might not be the best idea... on the other hand, I can always use more cups and saucers. I don't do honey in tea and have thus far been unimpressed by stevia, but maybe you know something I don't know...   How do you feel about copies of music or dvd's that your witch might have that you might enjoy? Not just mixes, but whole copies? That's fine with me.   Say, witches, I have a question about birthdays. do you expect/rely on other people to plans birthday outings and activities? Oh ho ho. Story time! (But isn't it always?) I'm the third of five kids. My mom had a definite sorta... season... for having babies. Our birthdays all fall between mid-November and the end of February. Guess who is at the tail end? Yup, me. Combine that with the fact that three of my siblings are born on holidays (so easy to remember!) and the other one is just a couple of days after the one who is born on Christmas (hard to forget due to proximity) and... yeah... I've got the least easy to remember birthday in the lot. Naturally, this means that everyone in my family forgets my birthday every year. (Well, not quite. My dad's birthday is three days after mine, so he always remembers it. He's the oooonly one, though.)   As a result, I'm used to doing more or less nothing on my birthday unless I make it happen. It'd be nice for someone else to sort it out, but it's not something I rely on or expect.   Tarts? Yes/no? Nope... no way to burn them, aaand I'm not supposed to have stuff like that in my apartment per my lease anyhow.   Woot! I bet the cupcakes are cool enough to frost by now. Awaaaaaaaay I go!
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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More SW questions!

It's roughly as hot as hell here and I'm not getting any work done at all... so... time for more SW questions!   ***9/5*** Do you wear a watch? If so, what kind/style? Nope! My husband is a huge ol' watch nerd, so I have a couple of nice-ish watches, but I never ever think to wear them. Part of the issue is that I spend about 90% of my waking life in front of a computer (yay grad school), and I find it very distracting to have something noteworthy on my wrist while I type.   The only watch I've ever been able to wear consistently was a dopey pink Power Puff Girls watch that my mom loaned me for a period of several years. It stopped dead in the middle of the AP Physics exam just to spite me. Alas.   How do you feel about having a donation made in your name to something? If you like that idea, what types of organizations/groups would you want the donation to go to? This is a wonderful idea! There are so so so many good things to donate money to as well. Here're just a couple of places I stand way the hell behind: Planned Parenthood Project Bread (Massachusetts) SOS Children's Villages Doctors Without Borders Burners Without Borders (jeez, I hate borders!) Covenant House (I'z not a Christian, but I have huge respect for their work) Habitat for Humanity (likewise) Joseph's House (in DC. This is yet another Christian organization, but this one is extra special to me in that a friend of mine is a full time volunteer there. It's a long term hospice for otherwise homeless people dying of terminal illnesses.) Farm Sanctuary ASPCA   I'd be psyched to have you donate in my name if you wanted to, but if you do want to donate somewhere, I beg you NOT to donate to PETA. I really, really, really do not like PETA and believe that they are overall detrimental to the animal rights movement. Seriously.   ***9/4*** Do you have a case for your mp3 player/digital camera? If you would want one, what size is your digital device? I've got a teeny tiny ipod-- one of the nanos from back before they got all chunky and gross looking. (No offense to the zaftig ipod lovers out there.) It already has a variety of storage socks.   I don't have good cases for either of my two favorite cameras, but they are both pretty big (a Pentax K1000 film SLR and a Pentax K10D digital SLR) so I'm not sure how feasible making/finding a nice case for them would be.   For tea drinkers, do you bag it or prefer loose? Loose, but I'll definitely drink bagged too. I'm not too choosy.   Does the weather change where you are, as in, does it get cold in the winter? Anyone need homegrown scarves, hats, mittens, etc? YES. One of the most common misconceptions about California is that we have no weather here. We have weather in my part of the state! Winter is cold and rainy, and look... they don't call me coldandsleepy for nothin'. I am ALWAYS cold, even here... thus I'm totally receptive to warm weather gear. I'm particularly hot for hats and socks, but I'd never say no to scarves or mittens.   Who are your forum buddies? People you know well enough online or IRL to help your Witch pick out stuff for you? strangemodegirl is definitely your best bet-- I know her IRLz, AND she knows my husband. Plus she's a kinda sneaky lady and I wouldn't be at all surprised if she agreed to snoop for you.   My witch from last round, cuervosueno, also has an EXCELLENT grasp on what I like... so I bet you could pick her brain too if needed.
coldandsleepy

coldandsleepy

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SW Fall 08 questions

Thanks to scotchgrrl for collecting these! I'll be answering them periodically as time permits!   ***9/3*** My questionnaire is chock-a-block with ideas for Witching me on the cheap, and without sending "stuff for stuff's sake". And I just came up with another one--make me a Pandora, Finetune, or Last.fm station you think I might like! What manner of affordable Witchery might you covet? Cheapy used paperbacks are ALWAYS welcome in my life, as are mix cds. I'd be touched if someone made me a MuxTape or something similar. (It's worth noting here that I use a Mac, so any sort of streaming media that will only go through Windows Media Player or RealPlayer may be impossible or at least annoying for me to get to.)   Does your cell phone have a place to attach charms? I'm not sure... aaand my phone's been lost since early June. Well, sorta lost. I know where it is, I just haven't gotten a chance to go pick it up yet.   If you drink coffee (and make it yourself) do you use a French Press, regular filter basket coffee maker, Espresso Machine, Percolator? At this point, I mostly avoid caffeine, and I swear that decaf coffee just doesn't taste the same. When I do have coffee, I just use a normal ol' coffee pot.   What movie soundtracks (or scores) do you love? The Juno soundtrack! The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack! Basically any musical soundtrack ever... I am secretly a huge, huge, huge musical nerd. Lost in Translation has a lovely soundtrack as well. There's probably more, but I'm not great at remember what music is tied to what movie.   How do you scent yourself? Do you layer soaps, moisturizers, etc. or do you go straight to slathering your bod with BPAL? Soap smells rarely last on my skin. I only moisturize occasionally, and between being vegan and being allergic to aloe (damn you, aloe!), I can't use very many commercial moisturizers, so I usually just slap plain ol' coconut oil on. I've made BPAL scented lotion bars with great success in the past. Mmmm. Uh, where was I? Oh yeah. Anyway, soap doesn't last on me and I rarely use scented moisturizers, so yeah, I generally just go straight to BPAL. I'm not opposed to the idea of scent layering, though!   Do you/how do you scent your world? Candles, incense, diffusers, potpourri? None of the above? My lease forbids burny stuff, so no candles or incense here. Even aside from that, I'm allergic to stuff in a lot of commercial scents and I share a living space with my dude who is easily overwhelmed by heavy scents. So, mostly I don't scent the house at all. Lately I've been fortunate enough to try two of the Lab's atmospheric sprays (Down the Rabbit Hole, via a delightful goblin squirt from my last lovely witch, and L'Inverno)... those don't seem to bother my nose at all, so I've been spraying my clothing drawers and bathroom and the inside of my laptop bag with them. Down the Rabbit Hole smells SO good inside my laptop bag, and one little squirt has lasted forever. Um, I digress.   BPAL is such a scent-ual experience. What are your other tactile, aural, or olfactory pleasures? Back in high school, I had a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful teacher for gifted english. She's probably one of the best teachers I've ever met at any level of education. She's really keenly interested in the process of learning and how it varies from person to person, and how teachers can help facilitate these differences. She had us take a series of little tests to figure out what kind of learners we are, and I came up as tactile. Tactile?! All my friends were getting like, linguistic or interpersonal or spatial or or... I was a little miffed at first, until the teacher made me read about what tactile learners are. We're the people who can't buy clothing on the internet because we can't TOUCH it first. If our t-shirts have tags at the neck that are itchy, there is NO way for us to possibly sit still and learn something. We do best with hands on learning. So on and so forth. It's weird, because prior to this conversation, I had never really realized this about myself, but it makes SO. MUCH. SENSE.   Anyway, point being, I am ALL ABOUT physical sensations. My very favorite thing is food. I like the process of eating-- the feeling of chewing, the feeling of food as it goes down one's throat, the feeling of fullness as it hits one's stomach. And of course, I love flavor. Unfortunately, I have blood sugar problems that keep me from eating a lot of the food I like these days. Did I mention this in my questionnaire? What I have is called reactive hypoglycemia, and it's kinda like the opposite of diabetes in that eating food with high sugar content makes me release too MUCH insulin, such that my blood sugar DROPS. It's pretty irritating, and means that I have to eat basically the same way as a diabetic person, though not usually to the same extreme. I've had it to some extent since I was 12 or 13 and it's gotten better and worse since then... for some reason, it took a turn for the WAY worse this winter/spring and basically made me pretty miserable. This is actually a big part of why I got into BPAL-- I needed some other sort of instant gratification thing to occupy and titillate my senses.   Other than eating and smelling, I love listening to things, love touching soft things, love looking at nice things... I'm really pretty much a sensory ho.   Jeez, I'm wordy, too.   ***9/2*** How do people feel about receiving baked goods/kits to make said goods? Baked goods - oh yes! Kits - if you put it together yourself, I'd try it! I feel somewhat guilty admitting that despite the fact that several of my relatives give me baked good kits (like, boxes of fancy muffin mixes, etcetera), I NEVER use them. It just doesn't occur to me. It's probably because I like baking from scratch so much.   Or other cooking items? In general, I give a big thumbs up to any sort of cooking items!   Would you enjoy oil or vinegar flavored with herbs grown at home? Strange and exotic spices with recipes to try? Cookies made with carnation petals? Oh, good heavens. YES, YES, and YES! These are all insanely wonderful things.   What are your pet's names, and what are they named for?   Pingpong - he's a guinea pig. When my dude agreed that we would get piggies, I decided instantly that mine would be named Pingpong. I had this idea in my head of what a Pingpong would be like... he'd be white and orange with splotches, and he'd be an energetic little bundle of fluff, and he ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT HAVE RED EYES. I could give up the white and orange splotches, I thought, but the eyes... red eyes are scary, I could never do that. ... And then when we went to get the piggies, there was one there that was the perfect Pingpong... but with red eyes. I didn't care, he was too loveable. We brought him home, and he really has been the perfect Pingpong ever since. He's a neurotic, twitchy, hyper little man, and a wonderful ball of fluff and love.   Mister B - my dude named Mister B. Originally, he was called Bashful, because for like the first ten minutes he was in our house, he seemed really pretty shy. He's ended up being the least fearful, most bossy guinea pig either of us have ever met. So, he became Mister B instead of Mister Bashful. We sometimes make up new things for the B to stand for, like Bitey, Bossy, Beautiful... and so on.   Mister Fish - he is a betta fish that our former somewhat batshit insane neighbors left with us when they moved out in a hurry/were evicted. He had another name prior to meeting us, but Mister Fish seemed much more appropriate.   ***9/1*** Who here is a complete, over the top, Alice In Wonderland fanatic? I do love me some Alice in Wonderland, but after going to Burning Man and seeing Alice themed rave camps and dance parties, I know I'm nothing compared to many other people out there.   Are you a Trekkie? If so, which series do you prefer? Do you have a favorite character? Oh, dude. I grew up watching TNG in a bad way. I'm probably the only person on earth who genuinely liked Wesley Crusher... I related to him in a big way. (Wil Wheaton is STILL a totally awesome dude, by the way.) I also watched and loved the original movies, though we don't talk about the modern films. McCoy was one of my first celebrity crushes, when I was like... 8. Yes, really. I haven't actually seen the original series and would kinda like to, though I understand there's a lot of SF cheez whizzery to be had in there.   Do you have phobias? BUGS. (Spiders count as bugs.) Also heights to some extent. I had huge social phobia problems when I was younger, but I've learned to mostly work around them, so... not really phobia level anymore.   How do you like your mix CDs? Random? Stuff you know you'll like? Random! I'd rather get a mix CD of interesting stuff I've never heard before than one of stuff I already have.   Would you rather get food or jewellery? Oh, sheesh. This is a hard one! Probably food, but it's close... I mean, I'm just going to eat food and then it'll be gone. On the other hand, I don't wear jewelry all that often, so I'd probably just drape it on my dresser and coo lovingly over it in the morning. (This is what I do with most of the jewelry I own right now.) Which's not to say that I wouldn't enjoy it... because I would!   Do you like children's toys, such as jacks, those little things you tilt around to get the ball in the right hold (wtf are those called?), the aforementioned caplet dinosaurs, cap guns, etc? Sorta. At this point, there are SO MANY tiny toys in my house (my mother-in-law and husband both love these things, so she sends us them all the time) that they basically just form clutter. So... while I don't mind receiving them, they're probably not the best gift in the world for me.   English candy/tea/marmite or other stuff that you love and can't easily get outside of England? Having never been to England, I couldn't say for sure. I'm a vegan, too, so that kinda cuts it down.   Fanfic as a gift* - yay or nay? Your fandom? Slash preferences?*well, a virtual gift obviously. You know what I mean. Alas, I've never been able to get into fanfic.   Any beaders here? Need beading supplies? Not a beader, though I'm interested in trying.   Do you like making up your SW packages around a theme, or prefer to mix it all up? This is only my second round of SW, so I'm not sure yet! Last time I managed to do one theme package and a couple of random ones. The theme package was fun to do, but I don't think it was a totally integral part of my experience.   Band-aids: do you like the fun and funky ones? Of course!   What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you? Jeez. There're so many to choose from. What's really weird is that things have happened to me that I objectively KNOW should be higher on the scary-o-meter-- things that were vaguely life threatening, etc. But you know what the thing that always jumps into my mind is? (Spoilering this because it could be triggery for some.)     ***8/31*** What is everyone's favorite Halloween song?! Wait, there are Halloween songs? Am I... am I just blanking on this or do I really not know any? I do like the Danse Macabre.   How many of mah fellow witchies play video games? Platform? Do you like used games? Oh hell ya. I have access to, uh, most non-current gen consoles and to a lovely xbox360, as well as a contemporary PC that is still new enough to play just about anything and an Intel Mac that will play... uh... Mac stuff. I do like used games!   What kind of music (genres, please) do you like? I will listen to basically anything other than modern country music (is it pop? is it country? either way, it's shitty!), teenage girl pop/boy bands (gag me with a spoon), and gangsta rap (I just can't relate to putting caps in people's asses, sorry). Seriously, beyond that, you're welcome to try me. I'm not terribly into electronic music, but I'm trying to get better.   Have any of you ever received a book from a Witchy and loved it so much you ended up buying a copy for a later Witchee? No books, but there're some presents from my last witch that I'd be thrilled to find copies of for my witchee.   What kinds of eye shadows do we all like? Absolutely NO powder eyeshadow-- I have insanely sensitive eyes, and even the littlest bit of eyeshadow near them will cause my eyes to itch and weep and goo up for days. I wish I was joking, because I love glam eyeshadow and would love to be able to pull it off every now and again... but powder eyeshadow just doesn't work for me. Some cream shadows are fine... it kinda depends on whether or not they dry into a powdery mess or not. Honestly, the thing I've had the most success with is using a little bit of lipstick/lip gloss on my lids. I know, I'm a classy lady.   Do you like lip balm? If so, do you like tinted, glossy, sparkly, pearly or just plain lip balm? Yes to all of the above. I will put basically anything on my lips that isn't made out of animals or full of aloe. (Note: I AM open to beeswax. This is a huge source of debate among vegans, and I'm not really decided on it one way or another.)   What are some of the SW gifts/finds from past rounds (or you can just name a gift in general that you found for someone if this is your first round!) that you are the most proud of in terms of your sleuthing skills? SW - I was really insanely happy with the second necklace I got for my witchee, edenssixthday, last round. I had felt nervous about sending her a second necklace and wasn't sure if I should send it... but when it arrived at my house, I was just taken aback by how beautiful it was and knew it would be perfect for her. She seems to have really liked it, so I count that as a good thing! Said necklace was made by a friend of mine, so that's an additional bonus.   Non-SW - many years ago, before I went from vegetarian to vegan, my husband (then boyfriend) mentioned that he was really interested in learning how to make cheese. This was circa July or August that he mentioned this. He did a little research on the internet but was daunted by the cost of it and was like siiiigh I'll never get to do this... so he just forgot about it in a couple of weeks. Me, I remembered about it until Christmas and bought him a cheese making kit. I've never managed to top that one, I think-- he was really touched that I'd remembered and facilitated his desire to learn how to do this thing. Also, I got to eat lots of excellent cheese because of it.   And, secondly, what is something you've been searching for but just can't find? Hum. I don't know. I'm generally a pretty content little person. The only thing I've been trying to obtain and failing at lately is, uh, a baby, and I don't think you all can probably help me with that.   ***8/30*** Do you knit/crochet? Do you need any supplies? Not anymore... I have carpal tunnel and knitting used to make it flare up in a HUGE way. I've considered trying again lately, because I haven't done it in a few years and my wrist problems are generally much better now that I use a touchpad instead of a mouse (really!).   Who here has an etsy shop? Not me, says the flea!   What are your two favorite etsy shops? Lush Beads - that's the friend of mine who made my last witchee's necklaces. I really love her stuff, though I don't think she's listing many of her new things on Etsy right now. (She's in the middle of moving both her store and her home, which is as big of a pain as you can imagine.) Zygopsyche - picking a second place store is just this side of impossible for me, so I'll pick one that's fresh in my mind. Zygopsyche is a lady who makes stuffed piggies and bunnies. My lovely witch from the summer round, cuervosueno, bought me one of her guinea pigs and it is the most beauuuutiful thing ever. I'm thinking about getting one for my mother in law for Christmas.   Are you active on any other boards/forums? If so please specify where and your username there. I'm on again off again active over at the Post Punk Kitchen (ppk) forums! My username is the same as here. Other than that, I don't do many forums anymore.   ***8/29*** What would you tell yourself 6 months in the past about 2008 so far? You're going to face a lot of disappointment re: the baby thing. It's harder to conceive than health class would have you believe. You're going to finally make two great local friends whose first names both start, incidentally, with A. This will help with the loneliness a lot, so just hang in there. You're going to learn how to ride a bike all over again! Isn't that exciting? Your strange little plan to try one imp pack of BPAL every month for a year is somehow going to turn into you trying something like 400 scents in seven months. Good luck!   If you had one minute of fame, what would you do/say in the spotlight? I dunno. I don't really like being in the spotlight a lot, which is funny because I love acting and public speaking and stuff. I guess I'd just say thanks.   Robots versus zombies: who wins? Robots.   What would zombie say? Braaaaaaaaains.   Where are a few of your favorite places? Bed, Burning Man, the local arboretum, Oregon, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA, the Exploratorium in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and Scotland (though I haven't been there yet).   Out of curiosity, all the fall babies who are celebrating their birthdays during the round - who are you, and when is your bday? I'z not a fall baby.   What is one (only one) object that you collect, that totally goes against your personality or beliefs? Uh, perfume. Every time I tell anyone about the perfume thing for the first time, they're like, WHUT. I'm about the least frilly person you'll ever meet, and I'm freaking cheap too, so BPAL seems pretty at odds with the rest of me.   Are you a soap addict? Anything you like to avoid in soaps (goat's milk, lye, dyes, etc...) or any particular scents you like or brands you want to try? Yes, I'z a soap addict. I don't do animal products, even in soaps. This means all milk soaps are out for me. I'm also allergic to aloe, so aloe's right out there. Right now I'm really hot for Arcana soaps, and also for Magic Hands... and, well, Villainess, of course... and I'd like to try more BPTP soaps... yeah, I'm in to soap.   Do you like kilts and would you wear one? Of course I'd wear one! I'd kill a man for a Utilikilt.   What's your favorite book? Isn't this on the questionnaire? If it is, I probably said I can't really say for sure, which's true. Ender's Game is up there, as is Last Call by Tim Powers. There are so many other wonderful books though that I just can't really pin it down.   What size socks do you wear? How about hat size? I am only barely aware of the fact that socks and hats come in sizes, so uh, go from there. I have medium feet for a lady... I wear 7 or 7.5 shoes. My head seems to be normal head sized.   Do you read comics? Which ones do you love and which can't you stand? YES! In terms of print comics, I love most things by Warren Ellis (provided that they don't turn into people shooting people and nothing else... damn you, Warren). Also big into Fables... loved Promethea... loved Y: The Last Man until I eventually got bored of it and just wanted it to end... love all things by Jeffrey Brown... Owly... and uh, I read Shojo Beat every month basically cover to cover, even though I can't stand some of the series therein. On the manga track, I'm big into Skip Beat, which I'm trying to read in Japanese because I like stabbing myself in the eyes it's a learning experience.   Online comics: Anders Loves Maria is probably my most favorite online comic, followed shortly thereafter by Questionable Content. I read some others off and on, but those're the two I'm really into.   Comics I don't like: X-men other than the original X-men (which I love)... anything superhero-y... many web comics.   Symbols that are meaningful to me? Hum. Nothing's springing to mind other than the Burning Man symbol, which's fresh in my mind after a week on the playa.   By nature are you a morning lark or a night owl? Kinda both. I would say I'm more of a morning lark right now, but as a life long insomniac, I often see both ends of the evening.   What's your favorite type of music to hear live, rather than recorded? My favorite person to see live is John Vanderslice, followed by the Mountain Goats. I've seen each of these gentlemen something like twice a year every year for the past four or five years. So... I guess we're going to have to go with indie rock.   What is your favorite autumnal-seasonal drink? HOT cider. It has to be hot. Cold cider is sort of an abomination.   Hot cider is best if you drink it outside in the freezing effing cold out of a paper cup, but being that I live in California now, my chances to do this are few and far between.   ***8/28*** Crossword puzzles? Other pencil puzzles? I am mildly addicted to crossword puzzles. When I have the time, I do about five daily puzzles, though if I don't have as much time I'll just do the New York Times and maybe the (vastly inferior) Washington Post. I love to do crosswords in the bath, especially Sunday sized ones. The Wall Street Journal has my favorite Sunday puzzle.   I like other wordy sorta pencil puzzles okay, but I'm not really interested at all in Sudoku-- too easy to do if you know the basic method and have time to crunch numbers out.   Favorite artist? Like art artist? That's hard. I've always had a soft spot for Van Gogh-- I like that you can almost see him going insane throughout the course of his painting career. There are a really insane amount of contemporary artists whose work I love, but I never remember names.   Favorite poet? Hard to say. Maybe e.e. cummings, because the stuff of his that I like I really love... though admittedly, I can't stand about fifty percent of what he does.   Halloween. Do you like it kooky or creepy? Either!   Reserved or Raunchy? Halloween can be raunchy? I had no idea.   Earth, Wind, Fire or Water? Water or Earth.   Tea or Coffee in the morning? Neither, lately. Tea more often, though.   Fruity snacks or chocolate? Chocolate. Mmm.   Would you accept art? Of course!   Antiques or Brand New? Antiques!   What keywords do you use when searching for items for yourself on Etsy? Vegan - annoying because a lot of times non-vegan things are labeled as vegan. Recycled - I like recycled art and jewelry a lot.   Are there any of y'all who are allergic/sensitive to having natural fibers on your skin? Not me, though I don't do wool for personal reasons.   What was your favorite ghost/scary/campfire story growing up? I'm blanking.   Bugs? Do you like 'em or not? n-o!   i haz no imp storage. do you? I have four 100 imp ammo boxes, of which about two and a half are full. I'm open to more.   ***8/27*** If you have a garden/planter box, what do you grow? I tried to grow lilies this summer but after thriving for weeks, they SUDDENLY DIED. The same thing happened to my rosemary, though it took longer. Sigh.   What incense scents do you prefer? I don't do incense (see higher up).   Do you decorate for Halloween? What sort of decorations? Dress up for Halloween? I dress up, but have never actually decorated. I wouldn't mind having like a light up cat to put on my porch, though. Or some sorta flag.   Bats, cats, skeletons, monsters, vampires, witches or what other ghoulies do you prefer? I have known and adored a great many black cats in my life, so I love black cat decorations. Monsters are fun, especially if they're kinda cute, too. I like little cute ghosts and skeletons. I... I guess I'm a cutesy Halloween person. Hadn't realized that before.   Do you like horror flicks? Yes, though they do tend to genuinely scare me.   Who here prefers stylus and ink to ballpoint? Anyone invested time and effort into calligraphy or proper Victorian writing? I WANT to very much, but I've never had a chance to try.   What about stationery? Need some? What styles do you like? I always need more stationary. Basically, if it's anything other than plain white printer paper, I'm interested. I especially like little tear-off notebook pads-- like little hand sized ones. I use them to write notes on.   ***8/26*** What is one item that you've wanted forever, could have afforded, but have never gotten and why (haven't you gotten it!)? Hmm. I don't know. I'm bad at buying stuff for myself, but I also don't tend to want stuff very much. I guess one thing I've always really wanted is to leave the country, even to go to Canada or Mexico. There have been plenty of times where I could've afforded it (though it would've been a scrimp at some point... it always is) but I've just worried too much about spending the money. Travel in general is something I love to do but rarely treat myself to.   What Halloween scent are you most looking forward to? Oh, sheesh, I'm not sure. I broke down and bought a bottle of Huesos de Santo this morning while picking up the Lilith scents (yay! baby! yay! baby scents!), so it's probably that. Basically all of the Sleepy Hollow scents are also screaming my name.   Tattoos! Do you have em? Do you want em? Whatcha got or getting? None yet. I'd like to have one, but I've never been sure what exactly I want. Ursula Vernon has a picture of a riding guinea pig that I love that I might see if someone could put on me at some point.   Reduce - REUSE - recycle. Do others feel the same? Yes'm.   What is your favorite crafting supply? Watercolor paper. Paper in general.   Weigh in...Are you right or left-handed? Righty.   Any period of time that you love? Oh, lots. I even kinda like now.   ***8/25*** What's your favorite part about Fall? Rain!   It used to be jumping into leaf piles (and overall, the turning of the leaves) but we don't really have that over on this heathen coast.   Do you like office/school supplies? If so, what is your favorites? Yes! New pens and lead for my mechanical pencil.   What's your favorite Halloween candy? Alas, there is little left that I can still eat in the way of Halloween candy. I DO like candy corn, despite the havoc it wreaks on my blood sugar.   Will you be participating NaNoWriMo? If so, is there anything you'd like to have for that? I don't know if I'll do it this year or not... maybe. I've done it successfully before and really enjoyed it. If I do it again, I'll want a good notebook and a special pen to write it with... I found I had much more luck in just getting it done if I wrote it out by hand first and then typed it up.   ***8/22*** Where does everyone like shop for witching goodness? I'm about fifty fifty internet and local brick and mortar stores.   What is your favorite pumpkin goodness? PIE   Phew. I'm fiiiiiiiiinally done!
coldandsleepy

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