Loose Tea: sure
Laptop Sleeve: no thanks
Vinyl: no thanks
Office supplies: I'm good (hoping to destash mostly)
Knitting: No thanks
Hellboy samples: testable sniffies of just about anything within the past 2 years is always welcome, I've been very behind on my BPAL as of late. Specifically, if it was possible, a testable sample of the beard oil for the Sith would be nice.
Decorative bowls/plates/chopsticks: I could always use a pair of pretty chopsticks, but not small bowls/plates currently. (for some bizarre reason, sis only ever runs off with *1* single chopstick, and she never uses the ugly/disposable ones, she always grabs my pretty sakura/floral ones, so now I've gone from having 5 complete very pretty sets to 3 random chopsticks. 😠
Mugs: I am swimming in them, thanks, I don't need more
Make-up: I have a ton, but especially if it's colorful/sparkly, I am almost always interested in new playful make-up (mostly eyes/lips)
chapstick: eh, I've got a lot, and unless someone's getting rid of some old Haunt lip lusts (I lost all mine!) or Haus of Gloi's fruity ones, I tend to have enough to have one in the pocket of every coat I own (and I hoard coats/jackets).
I am currently reading: The Name of the Rose... slowly... and Second Nature, at the office, so also very slowly.
Movies: I don't get to see many movies in the theaters (SOOO expensive!) but I did see The Spiderverse. It was fun, but no attachment to it. (The honest last was "Biggest Little Farm" documentary screening (was free), I did love that!)
Looking Forward To: Right now I am mostly looking forward to my upcoming vacation. May 14th - June 3rd I'll be bopping around South America (Bogota Colombia, Peru (Choquequiero and Machu Picchu), and then to Galapagos Islands)
Cookies: I have been having SUCH a craving for GOOD homemade peanut butter cookies lately!
Nail polish?
I have so very much, unless it's something really different or a total glitter-bomb, probably not.
I will be pruning both of my bay laurel bushes and will dry the leaves for culinary use (stews, casseroles, roasts, Mediterranean recipes). I will have A LOT, so could you use any?
Absolutely!
Do you mind makeup palettes that have been very lightly tested? (Definitely nothing lip related as that's just not hygienic!)
I don't mind, but I'm generally not a fan of makeup palettes - generally there's 1 or 2 I like, and the rest I ignore, it feels wasteful, so I tend to never get them.
Vintage glass items? - weakness! I have very little space for things like this, but I am a sucker for old glass, especially old glass vials/bottles, etc. The smaller or weirder the better!
And yes, can vouch for neptuneanblues baking!
NEW: I always ask - does anyone want/need/can use any type of loose crystals, minerals, or gemstones (I'm always destashing from my Izile's Oddities' jewelry days)? I've got a few raw, but mostly polished and/or cut, all sorts. So very .. very.. many..
And for myself, I'm moving more towards raw/uncut/unpolished specimens (mostly for altar or curio use), and I will always rehome strange raw crystals.
Do you have strong feelings about receiving a book from a series that is not the first one in that series? Does it matter to you whether each book can function on its own despite some backward reference? - Unless it's a book in the middle or further down the line in a series I've already begun (a la Discworld), this might make me twitch. I still largely avoid fiction series due to fear of never getting to the end (author dies, just doesn't publish it, it goes out of print...) Books in a series I'm already invested in (even if it's not "next") are totally welcome!
Men's cologne - oh no thank you!
Comic books: I do like comics, but it can be SOOO expensive to keep up with them I don't often buy them (except for I've bought the trade for Pretty Deadly 1&2, and I had trades of Fables 1,2,3(4?) from a swap and enjoyed that line, I used to collect JTHM and all spin-offs, as well as Poison Elves (I've tended to like small-batch weird comics over Marvel/DC (with Gaiman being an obvious exception), oh, and I'm currently working through Warren Ellis (I would take almost anything from Warren Ellis, honestly, whether I've heard of it or not).
OK, I've never done one of these before, so here goes:
Etsy Favorites: https://www.etsy.com/people/Izile/favorites?ref=si_fav
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/izile/
Amazon Wishlist - which is WAAY outdated - hopefully I can update it, *eep* - http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/7KANCDM0KO7J/ref=cm_wl_sortbar_o_page_1
Sockdreams wishlist - http://www.sockdreams.com/_users/wishlists/edc0bc670665758
My favorites on DeviantArt - nothing for sale - just to give you an idea of what I think is pretty - http://izile.deviantart.com/favourites/
BPAL Website wishlist: http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/my-lists/view-a-list/?wlid=4737
and secondary: http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/my-lists/view-a-list/?wlid=4730
More as I think of it...
ah, things I might have forgotten that might be important:
I do not own a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop or anything like that. I have a desktop PC and a dumb phone (flip, only does txt/calls) - this is an intentional choice to be less "plugged in", so "apps" or similar content aren't going to work.
Other answers from the SW thread to consolidate info:
"I've been trying to drink coffee again, but I'm so picky, and I only drink it at the office, so best to skip in in favor of teas. Teas, however, I'm becoming a bit of a fiend. I like white, green, black, herbals - I like to experiment with flavors - both hot and iced.
I do really seriously dislike anise notes in tea, though - but otherwise, most fruity or slightly floral blends are good. My current fav is from DryadTea on etsy (I have a big stash of it!) is her Persephone blend, which is black tea with notes of vanilla, pomegranate and rose (reminded me of BPAL Persephone oil) - but I also love my Adagio green tea chocolate mint tea bags! So I'm all over the place with office teas!"
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"Pumpkin:
I am generally not a fan of anything flavored/scented with "pumpkin"
That said, *some* pumpkin baked goods are very tasty, but I have to be in a very particular mood, and am still not over fond of them - I'd rather have apple spice baked goods than pumpkin spice.
My idea of decorating with pumpkins might be, if I found a really funky looking, interesting colored, real gourd... but nothing "in the shape/style/look" of a pumpkin.
I tend not to be a fan of anything scented particularly foodie, though, as well. I used to have this caramel corn lotion back when I first moved to NYC that I loved, and then one day, I took my a.m. break to the ladies' and caught a whiff of myself and was really hungry and knew it was over 2 hours til lunch break - since them, I just can't handle foodie scents - and I tend to find foodie candles too cloying. My favs are natural, no artificial scent added, beeswax.
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"Re: Companies I avoid - I try and stay away from most big industrial mega-corp companies as much as possible. If someone shared their favorite small etsy crafter something with me that I'd never heard of before, that'd be preferable to anything from Bath & Body Works (even though I like their co-opted C.O. Bigelow line). "
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Re: Cooking/Kitchen:
I am an avid cook - I love to cook and bake (and cocktail!)! - and yes, kitchen fun would be appreciated! My kitchen isn't very big, and I don't have a lot of space, but it's still one of my favorite places to be, and as it starts to get cooler, I'll be more willing to spend more time over a hot oven (and as it gets COLD, I'll be spending as much time as possible over a hot oven). - I should make sure to add kitchen stuff to my wishlists linked in my blog ... little things that I just never manage to pick up (like a knife honer/sharpener... )
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Do you like puzzles/riddles/treasure hunts and that sort of thing?
Yes! I have a subscription to Games magazine, and a crossword magazine, I tend to go in waves, and like having the little grey cells put up to the challenge. (I very nearly got a Lumosity account....)
If you were to receive music, would you want a physical CD or digital versions?
digital, last album I got was Beth Patterson's that she sold on a USB bracelet.
What’s a current problem/annoyance you have that could be remedied but you haven’t had time to address it?
Lots of little small things I never think about until they smack me in the face... I won't remember them until the next time something comes up.
How do you feel about having some sort of trinket to carry around for good luck/wishes? I.e. a small figurine, symbol, card, coin…
I don't tend to carry that kind of stuff with me, but tiny trinkets tend to collect on a special shelf by my bed. The weirder, more uncommon, and storied, the better.
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22. Are you superstitious about anything? Any things you can't have in your house for that reason – bad associations?
Not really - but I'm still dealing with rampant arachnophobia, so no spider-y stuff, and had a bad-ex who wore High John the Conqueror oil (not BPAL) all the time, and read Ayn Rand - so I now want all such things kept as far away from me as possible. Also, I find doll-stuff creepy as hell.
On the other hand, I have a really special family story that makes gold finches a somewhat superstitious but good/positive talisman.
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Question while my head's there (as I don't remember it in the questionnaire)
Do you have any fabric or skin-contact aversions? For example: I find pure wool, especially felted wool, itchy as hell and it drives me mad if it's against my skin, but I don't have the same problem with merino or cashmere, or blended fabrics that are only part wool. Also, I try and avoid rayon and acrylic due for environmental conservation reasons.
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Do you enjoy poetry? Who are your favorite poets and what type of subject matter do you like?
To an extent? I can enjoy it now and again when I'm in the mood. Had the usual(?) teenage obsession with Poe. I used to love seeing Taylor Mead before he died. He was hilarious. But I don't often seek out poetry much.
Would you enjoy receiving something related to a favorite Disney character?
No. No Disney (or Hello Kitty) or anything in that broader family.
How do you feel about cute things as decorations or accessories? (Example: Would you enjoy this stationary- or do you prefer elegant/creepy/neutral stuff?)
I've been given stuff like that, I never use it. Not into kawaii/anime/manga/cutesy. I do like odd bits, but I guess I would go call them elegant, eclectic, nature-oriented, and what I call "elfy" - or sometime fairy - but NOT tinkerbell kinda fairy, like Celtic mythology fae - more elves of Middle Earth, and things you'd find in an Irish goblin market than Disney in style.
What is something you'd really like to recieve from your witch? Please be as specific as possible - no, "Oh whatever she thinks is fine!"
I would like some long arm warmers. I've been marking lots of them on etsy and sock dreams to serve as a stylistic range/guide. I'm always so cold in fall/winter, and I have to be very particular about gloves because of my Reynaud's, so getting me gloves is rather moot, because the only gloves I've ever found that work for me are fur-lined leather (expensive!); but my gloves can go over/under any number of arm warmers layered over thermals and other sleeves.
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Tarot cards/rune stones: No for me, I have the Stephanie Pui-Mun Law deck, and it's lovely, but haven't taken it out of its bag in a few years. Don't really do divination or anything like that; but that once, aesthetics trumped.
Go to your music source of choice - on random or shuffle setting if possible - & share with us the 10 most recent songs/artists: (my zune set to random)
Dream Theater - Wither
Lacuna Coil - My Wings
Amanda Palmer - Do It With a Rockstar
Abney Park - Throw Them Overboard
Blackmore's Night - Written in the Stars
Tom Waits - The One That Got Away
Alice in Chains - Got me Wrong
Conjure One - Extraordinary Way
Shawn Colvin - These Four Walls
Beth Patterson - Steer by the Stars
yes, I'm really that all over the place.
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No crushes (celebrity or otherwise)
I love glitter!
Q: If there was another time period other than now that described your style/aesthetics, what would it be? (19th century Victoriana? swinging 20's? Mad Men 50's? Groovy 60's? Disco 70's? Bold 80's? .. or any other time...)
I think I'm mostly 20's with 40's as a close runner up - and I'd rather wear full ren-faire garb than bell bottoms or tie-dye.
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If you are ok with receiving t-shirts, what size are you, do you prefer tissue tees, normal crew tees, babydoll etc?
babydolls are OK, and I do like tissue tees, normally XS or S - though I have sooo many black and white t-shirts, I'd rather only get t-shirts if they are a color.
ThinkGeek:
I do - but almost nothing on that list is in stock because I haven't touched it in a couple of years - I've kind of gone off think geek a bit. :-/
Profanity:
Not really bothered as long as it doesn't get gross or incredibly XXX NC-17 rated. Not into "adult/racy" stuff (see: grey-asexual)
Hairsticks - Yes, LARPing - No
make up: short answer is YES! I'm always interested in new face masks, samples of treatments (I go for sensitive skin, moisturizing, and anti-aging) - I love to play with color so colorful eye makeup, eyeliners, shimmer/glitter are all good! I have 5 big stacks of True Colors shimmering mica stacks that I LOVE (I have the black diamonds, the blues, the greens, the purples, and the silvers that came out for the millennium - hey! Mica never goes bad!), and I LOOOVE lippies! Haunt lippies are fab, as are House of Gloi, but I also like tinted and full pigment, and pencils, and just about everything! So, skin care, eyes and lips, lots of color, not so much a drug store girl, but indie companies, even ones I don't know, are fine! - Oh, an I have terrible nails, so unless you can suggest a really great strengthener or vitamin fortifier or something... it's kind of pointless. Tiny stubby brittle nails that break all the time.
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Zombies: No!
Arm warmers: Yes! over the elbow or full sleeve are preferred - THESE are my absolute favorites that I already have in red/black.
In person? Most likely creeped out.
Ravelry: No
Paintbox has a discount code! SWITCH10 is 10% off! Anyone have any paintbox loves?
I was gifted an awesome rose slip lotion from them a few years ago. Don't think I've seen it since...
Animals?
horses, unicorns, dragons, those are the big three, though I also like cats and foxes and gold finches as runners up.
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Knitting: yes! I like knit stuff. I prefer natural fibers, love those multicolored recycled sari yarns! Also, I love red, but I seem to already have a LOT of red.. not a lot of greens/browns.. some blues, more teals though than really great true blue, or a fav color is kind of gunmetal blue? it's half way between royal blue and navy, but with a dose of grey to tone down the saturation. Hex color code: #545E9C is pretty close.
Incense: no. I have lots of scent allergies (BPAL was the first smelly stuff I could use without rash or sneezing)
Raw Milk: Fine by me! I'd drink unpasteurized milk straight if I could find it!
Spices: I have a pretty well stocked spice cabinet - but if you know some place that has good quality neat stuff, or hard to find/exotic spices, I'd be interested!
Stationary: I don't really use stationary, but a quill pen might be cool. I borrowed some calligraphy nibs from a friend for an art project, thought they were kinda cool...
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I like apple things - not so much for decorating, but I like the smell of apple (not too much cinnamon), and I like apple flavored things, especially baked goods (can have cinnamon).
LUSH - I like a lot of their bath stuff, I can't do their bar soap, though. Most of the bubble bars, bath bombs and bath melts are all big hits with me. Favs are You've Been Mangoed, The Comforter, and Amandapondo - and I haven't tried any of the new bath macaroons, but they all look good! Space girl, blackberry, and butterball are my fav bombs. Though, I'm up to trying new stuff! It's been ages since I've been in a LUSH. You snap the whip is also a repeat fav, though I normally use it in summer after gardening, so that season's just about over. And if there's anything you adore in the body care/foot care line, I'm always curious!
*Snacks/Candies from other countries/states - if it's something really local that I wouldn't have had or find in NYC, I'd love to try something really different, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head as far as foreign stuff goes. I know every spring I try and run down sakura flavored stuff (with minimal success), but wrong season... as stated above, not a huge fan of candies. I do like snackies, I keep a graze box subscription because I get snacky at the office, and I like having a little assortment of crackers, nuts, dried fruits, and surprising whatevers to snack on in small quantities.
*Canned Goods - my Mom keeps us pretty well stocked in canned goods, honestly. I don't normally eat salsa. I do like homemade dill pickles (not sweet or spicy), and homemade jams.
Spicy: low spice/heat tolerance.
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Gadget cases: none for me, I just have a ratty little flip phone. I do have a Zune of some sort with a ratty old case with a clip on it, but I don't really *care* about tech much, as long as it functions, so I'm fine.
Beauty Accessories: make up brushes! Talk about something I always forget about, always think "you should invest in some actual decent/new brushes" and then never do for I don't even know why. I have 2 kabuki brushes, one retractable and one just regular, and they're both so ratty and old that I have to pick hairs off my face when I'm done. This is a brilliant question that I never would have thought about! I really like retractable/travel style makeup brushes.
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Stores are putting out their halloween PJs and undies! Would you be happy to get any in a package? And if so, what size? For PJ pants, do you like cotton or flannel?
My Mom buys me new pajamas every year as a Christmas tradition, so I am awash in pajamas already. I think it's been answered, can't remember, but in general (in case of other issues) I generally take a Small in the bottoms and an XS in the top. If it's numbers, it really depends on the brand, but is normally about a 2, sometimes a 4, but if it's numbers, not XS, S, M, L, I'd generally suggest avoiding it.
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Lilith's I'm curious about:
Amicitia, Avunculus, The Hierophant and the Empress
(I'm already buying Blueberry Picking 'cause it's perfect, story and all)
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Music subscriptions: nope
Sugar skulls: Not really my thing.
Skin Care Routine: Olay Daily Moisturizer, I forget which one, but it's 30 SPF and anti aging, normally followed by a CC Cream for the office - I keep changing up brands on that. At night, Olay reginerist wash with the tiny beads, and Roc night moisurizer with Retin-A. Periodic use of various masks for cleansing, toning, firming, soothing for sensitive skin... I do love to pamper myself with a really nice face mask now and again. No toners. I use serums and eye creams when I get free samples, don't know enough/haven't found the right one to really warrant the expense. I love body moisturizers of all sorts, but am also swimming in them! And, yes, I love lippies. I had an insane amount of them, but as they're always disappearing into various pockets, coats and purses, and it's not like they're normally very expensive, I use that as justification to keep getting more... I LOVE Haunt's Lip lusts, and House of Gloi's.
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Spiders (as in cute knit kind) yes or no? no - I'm better about my arachnophobia these days, but best avoid all spider-y things, even "cute" ones.
Pillows (the mostly decorative type)? I don't really have the space, though I admit I'm always attracted to them when I'm at Home Goods, especially when they're really great colors/fabrics.
Any kind of bags - big, small, medium, purse, grocery, etc? I'm good with reusable grocery totes - maybe small bags? maybe? guess it depends, never been much of a purse person, and as we get into coat weather, I'm going to try and shove everything in my pockets rather than carry a bag - unless it's impossible, in which case I fall back on my leather backpack.
Anything special upcoming? Not for me, but the sith is turning 49 at the end of October.
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*New Question:*
If you had to choose one currently available book (used-but-obtainable counts if you do used) costing $20 or under for your Witch to buy for you, what would it be?
umm, I think all 3 of the new Neil Gaiman Sandman comics would be under $20 altogether. Though, part of me wants to wait and just get the trade paperback when the whole series is done.
Normally, I'd ask for one of my wishlist cookbooks - man I adore those - but it looks like the only one that's out now and has a used option under $20 is PokPok - which would be cool, but I honestly don't know how much thai cooking I would do in reality...
Not a very helpful answer.
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'Weenies: I'm pretty much safe from this update. I'd be somewhat interested in decants (even testable sniffies) of this year's Suck It (I liked first year, second year was cough syrup, this year??), Autumn Overlooked my Knitting (I love red currant, but the rest??), Visions of Autumn III (normally not my style at all, but neither was Peach VI... will probably just test this one at NYCC and file the results in the brain for later), and Pumpkin I (I normally skip pumpkin, but black tea, cardamom, spice, and ginger milk? might need a decant...)
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Chocolate: I don't really care for standard hershey bars and the like, but I do love chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate - though I prefer if it's not just straight white chocolate, that's a bit cloying and much for me, but the white chocolate coconut bar Lindt makes is lovely. Dark and milk chocolate are the safest bets - and which I prefer varies by mood, and type. I love trying new/weird combos - just no banana, or raisin, I really detest both.
Turkish Delights - no please, my sister brought some home from the UK years ago, and while the lemon was OK, the rose was like someone poured chemical perfume into my sinus via my mouth - TERRIBLE experience!
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Holiday LUSH:
So White Shower Gel
Hot Toddy Shower Gel
First Snow Dusting Powder
Star Light Star Bright
Dried fruits: I don't need any - I get Graze boxes at the office, and they're always at least half dried fruit (and I've got a back log because it'll be another week before I can eat any of that)
Do you need any travel mugs, coffee mugs, tea makers, rock sugar, coffee or tea syrups, etc?
the rock sugar in flavors I saw someone mention sounded interesting, otherwise I have lots of mugs for tea.
Etsy Favorites: https://www.etsy.com/people/Izile/favorites?ref=si_fav (I'm making a Switch Witch board, which is especially less expensive items, feel free to look at the main board as an idea of my style, but didn't want to make it look like I was expecting anyone to spend that kind of money on me!! 0.o nope nope!) - needs a lil more work
BPAL Website wishlist: best to work with my forum one. http://www.bpal.org/topic/127-wishlist/page-61?p=1239783&do=findComment&comment=1239783 - updated
I'll be updating all these wishlist soon - they all need it!!
Do you like colouring? I've been really curious, but haven't bought a book yet - when I was really sick and couldn't leave the house for so long earlier this winter, but was starting to feel good enough to not be in bed all the time, I took to printing out coloring pages, and I really enjoyed it. So if there were some small books with those really detailed intricate designs like I see, that would be cool. I don't need pencils, though, I've got a 120 prismacolor pencil set - so I'm good. (though maybe a nice pencil sharpener could be handy if you go this way)
If you like Lush, are there any UK-only things you're desperate to get? I'm not that familiar with what's UK only, I'm a rather casual Lush user - but looking at the UK website and seeing what doesn't look familiar: Ladybird Bubble Bar, Dreamtime Bath Oil, Milky Bath, Lover Lamp Bomb, Frozen Bomb, Coconut Scrubby Roulade, Cherry on Top scrub bar, curious about the "showders" don't think we have those in the US??
Crochet goodies yes or no? If yes, what kind of goodies? I do not do this craft myself, but I appreciate this craft, and like things like arm warmers, and leg warmers and cute things like that.
Do you have any allergies to animals/smoke/food etc? Dear Witch, please check ingredients carefully! I cannot have carrageenan (the worst of the worst) or guar gum, I try and avoid anything with tara gum, locust bean gum, or any of the others, just because there are sooo many and I haven't had the chance/inclination to individually test each and every one to see if they hurt my guts or not. Gelatin is totally OK. I'm also allergic to cigarette smoke, but that's never come up before - just don't send me anything that came from a smoking home and we should be fine.
Graphic novels: love! Lil picky - don't know if any are currently on my Amazon wishlist. Just read Sandman Overture, but also enjoyed Maus and Pretty Deadly, and others...
Nail Polish? I've been teeter-tottering between 3 different pink nail polishes from BPTP, but am waiting on swatches... I seem to have a lot right now, I've been buying more than usual... but no specific brands.
Crafty? Used to make jewelry, in theory I still would, just time... I also like sculpy, but same time issue, same with painting/drawing or making just about anything else... (miss it!) BPTP Products? I do like them, have a whole section about BPTP in my BPAL wishlist (sig) - I am also a huge fan of samples, so 1oz samples are frequently perfect for me.
Nail Wraps?? I just got into them in January, and it took me a few tries to get them to last more than 3-4 days - but now that I've figured it out and gotten the right top coat, I'm really interested - especially in Espionage Cosmetics nail wraps - I totally lust after the discontinued last unicorn ones, especially the ones where the unicorns are all coming out of the sea on the crest of the waves - but I'm not expecting my Witch to be a miracle worker - the perfectly normally priced in-stock tentacles, or baker street, or mermaid scales, or sheet music, or most ardently - any of those would be amazeballs awesome!
Teas/Spices/Spice Rubs/Specialty Ingredients from a local tea & spice shop? I'm becoming a bit of a tea fiend, even blend my own through adagio sometimes. - As for loose vs. bags - I mostly keep loose, though I do occasionally use bags for convenience, especially if it's at home and not at work. As for spice blends, I get so overwhelmed in those shops - I want EVERYTHING. I've got a fairly good basic spice pantry, but there's always these custom blends unique to each shop which are always so tempting... just, easy on the heat - I'm a mild/low-tolerance person when it comes to heat!
Speaking of spices - where's your spicy/heat threshold? (scale of 1 - 10 - 1 being nothing more than black pepper, 10 being ghost pepper+) I'm about 2-ish.
Preferred book format? Physical, PDF, Kindle, etc? normally physical, but there are some books I'd take as Kindle. Would you be interested in any handmade critters? Stuffed animals, knit or crochet beasties, or anything remotely similar? If so, please give an example or five - like amigarumi stuff? I've seen a rare couple that I thought were neat, but I can't think of them, and mostly the answer is no.
Since this is the Spring Fools' round, is there anything that goes with the theme of April Fool's Day or spring that might be fun to add to your package? Flowers (seeds, real, or handmade) prank-related items, a court jester's cap? Feel free to be creative and crazy with this one! no so much april fools, but I'm getting psyched for garden stuff.
Geek paraphernalia! Almost everyone here has SOME sort of geek-love, whether it is Harry potter, Horror movies, graphic novels, science, etc. So would you be interested in any kind of items related to your geek-ish interests? I have a few nerdy interests, but few geek-out fixations. Science-y stuff probably tops the list. Though things like the lab set bar ware take up an awful lot of space - but stuff like that, or periodic table themes or like that artist who spells things in molecules . Any yarn, plastic, metal, or fabric sensitivities? I remember having some cheap jewelry as a kid that turned me green, but nothing since, otherwise, no sensitivities, though I do try and avoid poly/rayon/synthetics as much as possible.
Any places you would like gift cards from? Amazon is always useful, or etsy, or sephora - all good! (oh, and Home Depot, for the garden stuff - see below)
Do you wear make-up? Any brands you like? Color preferences? I do, I don't have any particular brand loyalty - right now I'm using E.L.F. CC cream for my daily foundation, and I have Kat Von D's foundation for special occasions or all-day events with lots of photography like cons and such. I'm super pale, but also very pink, which makes finding the right skin-tone a PitA - it's like they don't think people can be really pale without being really yellow - I am not yellow-tone, my skin is transparent and I am full of blood, therefore, pink. I am an absolute lippie fiend. I have 5 Lipstick Queen lipsticks (probably close as a "favorite brand" as I get - and all over the place, Medieval, Ice Queen, Hello Sailor, Saint Red, Saint Wine), and am always grabbing a new tinted lip balm or new lipstick or lip liner - coral/orange/beige/browns are the only colors I steer far far away from in lippie-land. I'm working on eye-makeup, have several stacks of estee international's pure mica mineral powders, and a few pencils, eyeliners and mini-mascaras - but would be very interested in fun colors. I like to play!
Junk food and candy? no thank you - it's just not my thing. It's taken me over a year to get through last year's Christmas candy. Nice dark chocolate bars are fun, and homemade treats are nice, but I'm just never drawn to candy - if anything, my one occasional junk food splurge is chips, like cheetos and doritos - terrible stuff, I know, and don't even eat them every year, but that's also because I can eat an entire large bag in one sitting if I do give in - hurk... Witchee, regarding your fave TV shows, would you be interested in the associated DVDs? Fan books? probably not.
Do you need any items for your kitchen (linens, gadgets, cooking supplies, etc.)? The state of my oven mitts is a disgrace, seriously. I'm always up for fun kitchen stuff, though I just don't have a lot of space for gizmos and gadgets. Tiiiiiiiny NYC kitchen (I've seen boat gallies bigger). I'd like nicer hand towels, but it's also pointless, because my sister takes every single one I hang on the oven and moves it over to the couch to use as a napkin - seriously, I have hung 3 new kitchen towels on the oven door, and all 3 will be stuffed into the couch like a squirrel put them there by the end of the day - ALL THREE - it's insane, and she just won't stop. *sighs* - so, skip that. That's also how I feel about nice tea cups and good china - I would LOVE to have some nice plates or cute English tea cups - but they will be destroyed, if not by Shiva (sister), then by 1984 (clueless bro-dude, time-stuck roommate). I spend so much time wandering through the aisles of Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Fish's Eddy, Whisk... and just look at all the things I'd love to have but know my roommates will absolutely destroy. (some things I've started hording in my room - but then they never get used - and what's the point if they're just going to sit in a box on a shelf or under my bed? - this is obviously a big point of serious angst, dear witch, and I apologize for the novel here, but I do want you to understand.
Gardens/plants: I am dreaming of spring, dear witch: Do you like plants? Do you have any? Indoor potted plants? A balcony bed? A yard? Do you want/need anything? (I've marked some gardening books on amazon, and one of those hanging pouch planter things, was looking through etsy for cute things, and in the aforementioned gift card question, Home Depot would also be an option)
If I were to make you something based on one or more interests mentioned in your Q'aire/blog, would you prefer something you could wear, something that hangs on a wall, or something that sits on a shelf (or couch or wherever)? Probably wall hanging, though I'm running out of wall space, honestly, but my shelves are also getting crowded... what is a thing that could sit on a couch? like a pillow? Living room is pretty set for those...
Are you in need of BPAL storage? Not raw boxes, but I've been wanting some kind of imp-holding lattice thing to go in a box - like the ammo shell cases whatever that people talk about.
Do you like candles? Incense? Wax melts? candles, yes, but I'm pretty good on candles right now.
BAGS! Do you like/want/need any kind of bags? I'm getting to a point where I need to start thinking about a couple of needs in this department.. yes...
What style of bag from here (if any) would you like? You can easily narrow down the choices on the side menu - but I only want to know the style, not the pattern! not really into any of the shapes they showed, they all seem very flat/square - which I get is good to show off the patterns, but normally not the shapes I go for in bags. I prefer things that have long straps that can either go over a shoulder like a backpack or a cross-body sling - I don't want to have to hold anything in my hand all the time. And my wallet/keys is a freakin' brick, so it doesn't tend to fit in slim-line or envelope style purses; so I normally go for mini-backpack style purses, or might go for what pinterest is calling a "bucket" style... (speaking of, Witch, just in case, I should try and updated my Pinterest "Crave" board to try and give visual aids, just in case)
Here's a question. I make handmade journals/albums/smashbooks/junk journals. Would you be interested in anything like that? Yes!
If you like Harry Potter stuff, what house do you belong in? If you like Game of Thrones, what family? I'm a mild Potter fan - but enough so that I know I'm a Ravenclaw and think some Ravenclaw stuff might be cute! I'm much more into GoT and I am totally Dornish! Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken, baby!
What's your favorite animal/totem? Would you be interested in a small figurine of said animal from this etsy user? Favorite animal is a horse, though unicorn/pegasus/dragon are also huge if we include fantasy animals. Totem is a ladybug, and I have an undefined connection to foxes. and yes, I think that etsy seller's creatures are adorable!!
Anything exciting to you in PBSW's Spring Collection? Oh yes! I have plenty of bar soap, but I am getting low on lotions, and especially sample sizes of things, like sugar scrubs, are always welcome! The Sky Blue Sky sounds interesting, Bramble and Apple sounds really good!, and so does the April Fools one, too!
If you won a gift certificate for $100 (Or similar amount in your country) that could be used ANYWHERE what would you get? Oh, hard to say - right now, I might want to go on a spending spree at Home Depot to get all the things for the garden! I'm kind of fixated right now, and $100 could go a long way towards cement blocks, potting soil, fertilizers and some new hanging baskets and such...
Something that you look forward to each spring, or that when you see it (hear it/smell it/taste it, etc) you think "Yes! Spring is here!" or something along those lines! The first day I don't need to wear thermal underwear? LOL. Back home it was always Mom's row of daffodils popping up - lilac trees are a bit more common up here, them and the cherry blossoms - yeah, the first flowering trees in spring just make everything "spring-y" to me.
Witchee, how do you feel about this type of garment? What color & size would you like? (keep in-mind it does say it runs one size big!) no thank you.
Are there any mythical creatures that you're really into and that you would enjoy gifts relating to? All of them! No really, I'm obsessed with all types of mythology, have been since I was a kid. Unicorns are a favorite, followed quickly by dragons, and then fairies - I self-identify as "elfy" so while I like elven/elvish-items, I'm not much on statuary or art of elves themselves, and fairies/mermaids are about on the same footing - mer-other-things (like hypocampus or seahorses/seadragons, probably trump mermaids a bit), but I also have a special place for phoenixes of all cultures, (not as much on Asian unicorns/dragons, prefer western - but for phoenix it doesn't matter)
Do you have a green thumb, my Witchee? Would you be interested in bulbs, seeds or other gardening paraphernalia? Do you have a favorite flower?
Somewhat? My thumb is green compared to most people I know in my generation, but nothing like the thumbs of my mother, or her friends. I am interested in garden stuff! And dear Witch, and can get *explicit* with details about my garden if you need to know specifics! I haven't done bulbs before, not sure how well they'd I mostly grow vegetables and herbs, things that have kitchen uses, though I would be interested in any small annual flowers that have pest-repellent properties (I usually plant low marigolds), but if there are other things like that, I'd love that! I don't get a lot of full-sun space, though, so that's something to keep in mind. Gardening paraphenalia - yes! I have a soil tester that tests for moisture and pH, but I'd love a soil tester or a kit to test other factors - I'm pretty sure my soil needs some serious nitrogen fixing at this point. Also, would love some beneficial insects, ladybugs bugger off pretty quickly, and obviously it's too early for aphids here, but have been thinking about a mantis pod! Would love predatory mites (after having spider mite problems), but they tend to be expensive. Some pretty little yard art could also be cute! Oh, and there's those clay pots they're doing now where you fill them with water and bury them, and they leech water slowly into the soil? Been curious about those, especially if I'm building above-ground beds... and also been interested in those hanging planter things, they look like shoe organizers like you hang on a door, but you hang them on a wall outside and they have little pockets for strawberries or lettuces... and my favorite flower is probably a rose - can't really grow them in my yard, I tried a mini once, it only lasted two years... :-( - I also love lilacs, and they do well up here, but again, I don't have the space - I have thought about foxglove now and again, I do love them, they tolerate shade OK, and they're only biannuals.
Dear witch, seriously, could go on forever.
(Things from 2015 Blog that have NOT Changed)
Pumpkin: I don't like pumpkin or pumpkin-spice flavored/scented things, but I like things made with real pumpkin, like pumpkin bread! (YUM) - Oddly, I liked the pumpkin stuff in Japan, not pumpkin-spice, more like pumpkin-custard. Alcohol: YES!! But I am a little picky in each area. I am the office lush, I am a big cocktail fan (of GOOD cocktails), my sister works for a local distillery and has her WSET-4 certificate. I love wine, beer, ciders, meads, spirits - LOVE ALL the big categories!
Wine: I prefer whites and roses over most reds, don't like heavy tanins, and do not like chardonnay! California wine is probably my least favorite area - like South American, and of course, French/Italian/Spanish. I don't tend to like sweet wine unless it's a dessert wine.
Beer: Would love to try homemade beer! I'm not a huge hop fan, don't do IPAs, but I love hefeweissens, porters, stouts, dubbles, triples, quads, barley wines, sours, lambics, and almost everything else! Just nothing tooo hoppy
Cider: LOVE ciders! I especially like dry sparkling ciders like the Foggy Ridge Serious Cider, lots of great ciders around NY! However, I am not a fan of ciders like Angry Orchard, Ace, and the overly sweet low ABV ones.
Mead: I get a little obsessive, even driving out of state to go on mead hunts, to host mead tasting parties (and write mead reviews on my blog sometimes) - again, I prefer the drier more complex modern meads, not so much the sticky sweet ren faire meads (I detest Carrol's and Chaucer's - so far I think HoneyMaker is my favorite meadery, but they're out of Maine and hard to track down sometimes! - but always looking for new ones!)
Spirits: sis works for a local craft distillery, and has really taught me a lot about the craft spirits movement, so I really get excited by new local spirits I've never heard of before, or don't get sold in my area. Vodka is my least favorite spirits, with Bourbon being my most favorite. I also love local cordials and liqueurs, and have a little obsession with running around trying to find good fruit eau de vie.
Sense of humor: weird? dry? british? lil dark? I'm not a fan of puns, but clever word play can be cute. My favorite comedians are Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Eddie Izzard... see, british... I like wacky (Monty Python) and somewhat surreal sometimes (Mighty Boosh), but it can go too far (Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy Hour).
Board Games: I do love games, but don't always have enough folks to play with. Currently most folks seem obsessed with the sith's bigger blacker box of Cards Against Humanity, and the new Exploding Kittens game. Wise & Otherwise is one of my favorite board games I never get to play (really need 5+ people to make it really fun! It's in the Balderdash family)
Is there anything that you specifically do NOT want to receive? Gloves, with my Reynaud's I have to have very particular gloves. Also bar soap - I can only use bar soap as hand soap, it's very harsh/drying on my skin.
Plain or fun socks? Fun socks! I have an extensive Sockdreams collection and wishlist - so I'm not hurting for socks in any way, but I'm kinda hooked on fun new socks.
Name one (or as many as you would like) thing you would like to learn more about? I'm interested in learning more about all sorts of new things, DIY books, like silver clay books, is something I've always wanted to play with, but never took the leap. Or a better guide to polymer clay sculpting, or with resins.... I also love general sciencey lay-person books like "Stuff Matters" (great read) and Michio Kaku's just about everything (halfway through his brain book) loved Dr. Oliver Sach's Musicophila book, and I am fascinated by neuroscience. I'm also always up for learning more about stuff I've got a good foundation in, like specialty cookbooks, or gardening books (lots of this is on my Amazon wish list, though).
What one thing would you like to do more of? I miss arting and crafting as much as I used to before the full-time day job.
What are some things that fascinate you? Or, What would you like to know more about? - I'm really all over the place, right now I'm fascinated by tiny houses, space saving tricks, and also doing a lot of reading on agricultural history and heirloom varietals
Would you like any cookie butter (just to be clear, store-bought, not home-made, and does contain wheat since it's, y'know, cookie butter)? No thank you, not my thing.
Is there any particular piece (or pieces) of art (painting, photograph, etc) that speaks to you in some way? I have a lot of aesthetic feels. I love Stephanie Pui-Mu Law (have her tarot deck, and some art), but classically I like impressionism and romanticism, but I can also get sucked in by modern art or the old masters. I also love really bizarre things, like Edward Gorey, S. Fischer Williams, etc.
Keep Putting Off: Sometimes buying small things in NYC is a pain in the butt, because you have to go to a specialty shop for anything, almost. I have a UtopiaArmory chainmail bikini top, and I somehow lost one of the black grosgrain ribbons that ties it together in the back (about an inch wide) - and I know it's a simple thing, but I just never get around to going and getting a new ribbon for my bikini top. Also, just got a new corset, and it's laces are basically just super long shoe laces, would love something nicer, like a black satin ribbon, strong enough for coresting, maybe 1/2" to 1" wide, and it doesn't have to be super crazy long because it's only a little cincher, but obviously long enough, and I do own scissors, so I can cut ribbon down) - but things like this, I never go to the fabric district, and they're such small things... ugh! That'd be great if my witch lives in a place with a Jo-Ann's or a Hancock Fabric, and could just run in and buy me a couple of yards or good ribbon.
Handmade vs store-bought: for me it really depends on the thing. Though I'd rather have homemade edibles than store-bought; but I don't know anyone who can make cool thigh-hi tights, or who makes their own tea bags - so things like that, obviously store-bought is perfectly OK.
Other Companies: for perfume oils, I'm pretty much just BPAL, though I do like my bottle of CB: I Hate Perfume, Just Breathe. Their stuff is pretty distinctive, and no itching/sneezing. I do love the gloss sprays and sugar scrubs and lip balms from Haunt, and I've only had a lip balm from Haus of Gloi, but it was great! Miss that one (used it alll up!) It seems a lot of my other favorite indie bath/body companies have shut down (Sideshow Soaps went to grad school, Latherati never got back up and running) - oh, and I am very curious about Villainess stuff, since I've liked what I've tried through BPTP, but I've only tried their BPTP stuff.. so.. unsure.
Digital/Analog: Both. I mean, I circle around the steampunk theme, though I don't belong to any groups, so I like that aesthetic and old stuff like that. However, I also have a zune for my mp3s, and I do like some podcasts, and would like to listen to more, have a kindle app on my ASUS tablet - though I tend to prefer paper books, some books are better as digital, especially if they're going to be train reading (or if they only come in digital download with no paper version available).
Kitchen Wants/Needs: I have a tiny kitchen so I don't have room for all the things I'd love to have. There's not a bare wall, or a place to even hang anything (very sad face), and also almost nil counter space (super duper sad face). And I think I've got a pretty comprehensive spice cabinet already.
Affinity for specific animals: lots of them, I have a ladybug totem, I have a very touching story about my grandmother that connects me to goldfinches, I have always been a horse-obsessed girl, and thus also unicorns and pegasi (to a slightly lesser extent) but fantasy also takes me into dragons, love love dragons, too - though in all these things, I tend not to like silly/cutesy/cartoony versions. (the last unicorn cartoon is a rare exception to the that, but so pretty!!) - I also have an inexplicable draw towards foxes, and I love cats. And phoenixes, forgot to mention phoenixes - bit of a personal symbol.
Scary Movie: I like the occasional scary movie when I'm in the mood, but it's nothing I get fan-girlish about, or can even really remember. If you count them, I guess the Evil Dead movies would be favorites, because they're one of the few movies I can watch repeatedly. I did really enjoy Crimson Peak - though it's not traditional horror, that's more my style of "horror" than say, Nightmare on Elmstreet.
Blu-Ray or DVD: DVD, would have to go to the sith's house to watch a blu-ray
Game Systems: we have a Wii (classic, not updated), and sis uses it mostly - me, rarely. Sith has an Xbox 360 and Xbox One, but both live with him and I barely ever touch them.
Talk to me about bags, what kinds do you like? Sizes and styles? I'm also picky about purses. Half the time, I run around with an old beaten up black leather backpack that can and has take a beating. The other times are mostly split between two purses, one is a black leather mini backpack with lots of pockets, though the lining is shredding all through it, so it might not be long for this world ( :-( - ), it's a good daily purse, plain, external and internal pockets, big enough to hold my brick of a wallet and keys, and my tablet fits in it, except it peeks out the top a bit. I also have a dark red leather mini-backpack (a bit flatter where the black one is a proper satchel, just in miniature), but I don't use it that much, I do love it, just holds less than the black one, so I've been beating the hell out of it, instead of the red one. Oh, and an olive green mini backpack (I sense a theme) with brown leather straps that tends to be my con bag - it's really mini, holds my wallet and small things, but tablet won't fit, doesn't have many pockets, and just doesn't have much volume (I can fit amazing amounts of stuff in old blackie, as I have suddenly named it. Tablet, no problem. Bottle of wine? watch this! I'm going to miss it when it dies. . . . otherwise, I have a tiny vintage (40s?) beaded velvet hand clutch from the sith's Mom I've never used (my keys don't even fit), and a silvery-grey eel skin vintage envelope purse from my Mom (close as I have to a "nice" purse) - I think, sometimes, I should get a small, cute purse that would look nicer for nights out than just dragging old blackie everywhere, no matter how rough it's starting to look.
Fandoms: I have many fandoms, but I'm not especially fannish - I don't really collect much from any of my fandoms - I have a couple of pieces of Dark Tower art I love, and a small shelf dedicated to a tiny delegation of plastic ponies that represent the horde that lives at my parents house (3 breyers, 3 G1 MLP, 1 MLP FiM mini set + 1 found loosie + 1 gifted tiny sparkling Rarity ('cause she's my pony if I have to go FiM, though I honestly prefer G1) and 5 tokidoki unicorns. - I really should make a TokiDoki list or something, there are a couple I would LOVE to have, but not so much that I'll risk that many blind boxes, or pay the ebay prices. (mostly: I always wanted Fumo (to represent my sith), Sakura, Bambu, or Choccinella). Tchotchkies in general, smaller is better, and maybe some should live at the office with me... I do also have Welcome to Nightvale stuff, but I think I have everything I want that they make (girl scout badges, the weird at last poster, a couple of t-shirts. ..) and for the record, star wars is the sith's thing (thus his nickname), I'm a medium level fan (I have a custom lightsabre, but it was a gift, and I've dressed up as a night sister, but only to match him)
Colors: blues, greens, purples, reds, all sorts of shades and saturations. I don't like beige, beige is death, and don't like grey - NYC is grey enough. I only do brown occasionally when it's a very dark rich chocolate brown.
Mall: Not a mall person, generally - I tend to only go these days when I need new bras/panties, and I need an Aerie. Here the Sephoras are stand alone, I go in them all the time.
Subscription Boxes: I am curious about these, I only get Birchbox, and the sith gets Lootcrate (but I get first dibs on anything fun, but haven't seen anything interesting in the last 2-3). There was a crowdsourcing page I can't remember where/which one anymore, but it was trying to start up a new goth box service, the DIY goth and Steampunk goth boxes looked cute, and you could get a one off...
IKEA: I live near one, so don't need anything.
The questionnaire asked about gold & silver jewelry, but how do you feel about copper jewelry? Do you like colorful jewelry, or do you prefer to keep it neutral? If it were something especially interesting, I think copper could be pretty - I do like rose gold colors, and they can sometimes be the same, and I love my copper rosebud hair sticks. I do prefer more colorful jewelry!
We asked about decorating style, but are you interested in receiving decorations for your home? Are you interested in things that go on the wall or things that go on shelves? Size is a big issue, because of the tiny apartment and space, I have limited shelf space, and limited wall space. But, things that are especially awesome, I make room for.
Office supplies hound? Pens, pencils, journals, any preference, or favorites? I already have an office supply hook-up, so I don't need anything in this department.
I live near a huuuuge candy store. What kind of candy do you like? Gummies? Caramel? Chocolate? Sour? Sugar-free? I'm not a big candy store fan in general.
How do you feel about animal products? Not so much animal toys or food, but more like furs, paws, bones, etc. I'm totally cool with just about everything, as long as it's legal, clean, and not super gross (not that I expect my witch to spend that kind of money on me... - however, if my witch is in a wooded, rural area, and just happens to find a shed antler, that is VERY AWESOME. I have a nice sheepskin I picked up from a green market in RI last summer, adore it, and I'm always looking in the leathers and pelts stall at the ren faire.
restaurant.com gift cards: never used it. Isn't it like g/cs for chains, though? I try not to eat at chain restaurants, so probably not. Opentable.com on the other hand...
"toys" like stuffed animals: I do like them, but I'm pretty much at capacity for stuffed animals - the sith is fond of squishables, and I keep getting more (thankfully just the minis) than I have room for.
Fanfic: no thanks
Height: I am 5'8" (don't know my arm span, but shouldn't it be just a bit shy of your height, if you go wrist to wrist? I only have a wooden ruler at my desk, but it seems like 24" from wrist to shoulder (if you count a high shoulder, like almost to the neck, like a ragland sleeve) )
How do you feel about the 4 elements? Or are you more of an Asian 5 elements person? Do you feel strongly about any of the elements, like a connection or a preference? Personally, I jive more with the Western 4, and I'm more earth, with a big side of storm, then regular air, then fire, and water's last at the bottom.
How do you feel about online classes? Like, say, craftsy or creativebug? Or even lynda.com? I love them in concept, and would like to do more, but I am unsure if I have the free-time/personal discipline to use them adequately.
How do you feel about bento boxes? Is it something you would use if you were to get one? like the Japanese lunch boxes? I probably wouldn't use it.
Scarves, shawls or cowls? Mittens, gloves, fingerless mitts or wristlets? I could dig a cowl.. I mostly have scarves (shawls? I have a couple of pashminas?) - and I tend towards gloves, but with the Reynaud's I'm very particular, I tend not to go for mittens, unless they're the kind that flip back to reveal fingers. I love arm warmers, and have wanted some long gloves, never a great way to cover up the wrists in the brutal NYC winter!
If I were to make you some art, would you prefer a frame that hangs or one that sits? And what color/style would you prefer? I prefer hanging frames, and frames, I'm all over the place, I have a huge ornate reclaimed frame I repainted in a Night Circus theme, to simple white, black, and copper metal frames. Whatever jives with the art, I guess.
How do you feel about gourmet marshmallows? I'm generally not a marshmallow person, but homemade marshmallows are so good! I've occasionally made marshmallows with booze as flavoring, and they are sooo good in hot cocoa once the winter turns! If the gourmet ones were fresh (not stale in the store for months, like regular ones) I'd love some!
Are you a slatherer or a dabber? depends on mood and oil - some oils I love to slather, but I'm more often a dabber.
Talk to me, dear witchies, about tea. I know we've covered this a little, but I really need the nitty gritty here- not just companies you like and don't like (Teavana? Adagio? David's? Some tiny place?) but I also want to know the other stuff: top 3 flavors, loose or bagged, the kinds of tea accessories you use- or have always wanted. Be specific. Provide links if necessary. I'm not fond of David's, they put a lot of artificial flavors and sweeteners in some of their flavored blends, and I try and avoid those. I try and avoid artificial flavors in general, but a I ABSOLUTELY avoid artificial sweeteners, because the sith is allergic, and if tea is going to be in the house, he's going to drink it - also, I just dislike the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. Teavana is fine, Adagio is my go-to out of the big corps, and I like DryadTea on etsy. Top 3 flavors are chocolate mint (green or black), and like that in teabags, and l prefer tea bags for my cold brew iced tea, but normally do loose leaf for my hot brewed iced tea. I also do loose leaf a lot for my morning black teas, which I like a variety of somewhat flavored, have been drinking a lot of pomegranate/raspberry vanilla rose black tea - could use a bit of a mix up there - getting colder, would like a ginger tea - always wondered if there was a ginger/coconut black tea, sounds good to me... I also try and drink really light refreshing green teas in the afternoon, and sometimes fruity bright white teas. Sometimes I do red tea, but normally not straight, something with more flavors, and vanilla goes well with a lot of red tea. I have all the tea equipment I really need/want.
ThinkGeek: I used to like them, but they've left a bad taste in my mouth after a few too many blatant etsy rip-offs, and sometimes less than stellar responses addressing getting caught red handed.
Are there any flowers you especially like? Yes! Roses, especially. My Mother's nickname for me is her rose, and when I was in China, the school children named me Mei Gui. If you could have a plant totem, mine would be rose. I also just really like lilacs, childhood obsession.
Would you be interested in any cozies or cases (yarn o fabric, not hard cases) for tech stuff (phone, laptop' etc) or for cups/mugs/bottles or anything else similar. I don't need anything in that department.
Duct tape crafts? I'm not especially sure about this, but dear witch, if that is your thing, I'd be interested to see your craft-fu in that area. Are there witchees who would like book related gifts like a booklight, bookmark, bookseat or something for your reading gadget,like a cover or a light for example. a book light might be interesting, as long as it didn't need a plug-in. And I always need more bookmarks.
I make handmade journals, mini albums and similar items. Would my witchee be interested in something like that? Yea, verily, yea!
Are you interested in leg warmers at all? no so much in the traditional sense, but the kind that are meant to stick out the top of tall boots look cute.
Portal board game: pass
The Martian movie: pass
Honey or beeswax products? Discuss. Oh yes, please! The sith consumes amazing amounts of honey - actually slightly worrisome - but I'm also a fan, especially of regional varietals (there's a man at the union sq market who sells 5-6 seasonal flavors of honey, depending on where his bees were parked - goldenrod has been one of my favorites the past few years, but when I first found him, he had raspberry rose honey! Yum! And the old man with the blackberry farm back home sold blackberry honey from his bees that he used to pollinate his huge fields. I also love beeswax products - beeswax candles are a favorite (rolled tapers and votives, mostly, though I also like some of the molded ones - like my last witch got me this lovely beeswax candle that looked like a bottle with a floral motif, it smells great, even though I haven't burned it because it's so pretty! So definitely yes to beeswax, too!
Phobias: spiders
Marmite: no thank you
Used nail polish: I wouldn't object to a BPTP bottle that had already been tried - as long as the texture hasn't started going off, and that it wasn't an obviously almost empty/half-empty bottle - but one you tried and didn't like? Totally fine with that.
Are there any DISCONTINUED (not LE) BPAL oils that you wish you had, or had a little more of? Prunella. I loved that one.
Would you like a postcard from the fancy schmantsy St Pancras Renaissance hotel that I'm about to stay in several times over the next month? Don't have a huge amount of space for keeping postcards, but it does look awesome!
Does anything catch your eye from Future Primitive, including oos things? I'm not a big bar soap person, but I am almost out of scrubs and low on whipped soaps, and body creams/lotions. Their clotted peach cream whipped soap sounds nice, as does the cracked coconut body cream.
Speaking of OOS/Discontinued - Are there any old favorites from no longer operating companies that you would like if either anyone had a stash OR could find a reasonable dupe? Yes. There used to be a company on Etsy I loved called SideShowSoaps, and one of their main scents was Ginger Tea with Coconut Milk (Sword Swallower), and I ADORED that scent, especially in fall. It was soothing and creamy, but a bit warm and spicy - perfect for a hot shower when the sinuses and cold-weather ickies gotcha down. If someone found a duplicate scent at a different indie company, I'd love it in a lotion, a whipped soap, a scrub - pretty much any incarnation!
Booze, yea or nay? Favorite kinds? I am all over this one. I'm big into local craft booze (beer, cider, wine, mead, spirits, ALLOFTHAT) - EXCEPT, I just don't get vodka, what is the point of vodka? I use it to make pie crusts... that's pretty much it. Also, anything neon, artificially flavored/colored/sweetened is a big NO.
Knitted stuff? Need/want anything specific? Colors? I've got a hoard of basic scarves, though I see some that are in interesting shapes/patterns that look very different and interesting. Not too bulky arm warmers could be good, or like those boot socks that aren't really boot socks, they're just a 4-6" long tube that LOOKS like the top of a chunky sock that sticks out the top of a boot? Colors, I like most colors, except I'm not a fan of greys/beiges/neutrals, with the exception of winter white and dark/warm chocolate browns. I tend more towards jewel tones, or darker/more saturated shades of red, purple, blue, and green. Not a huge fan of the gold-yellow-orange color specturm, except in weird occasions that I don't understand how to describe. (Confused yet?)
Feelings re: Lewis Carroll/Alice in Wonderland? Love it, hate it, meh it? I'm not obsessive, but I do really like Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass. I'd put myself probably just a little shy of LOVE IT! (Like, I think it's AWESOME that there is a double-decker London bus serving as a Mad Hatter's alcoholic Tea Party in my neighborhood all this summer. I've walked past it, I've read the website a couple of times... but I'm not paying $40 per person just to go inside... If it were $20, I'd be in there!)
Are you thinking of participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Any merch or pre-Nano supplies you might want? No. I have a hard enough time maintaining my blog writing, which is now down to once a week. :-P
I just recently discovered MoonMagic -jewelry with a focus on moonstones but also opals and labradorite. They currently have a sale. Anything that stands out to you? (moonmagic.com) I am a fan of those stones, and a lot of it is really cute. I just don't see anything that I'm sure I'd wear.
Are you interested in anything from Nerdlacquer (nerdlacquer.com)? I've been more into Nailwraps lately (specifically Espinoage), but I could use to refresh my polish stash, too. Antimatter, White Hole, Carrie (plain), Nazi Punks Fuck Off.
Let's get specific about this knitting thing! Do any of these items/styles appeal? Only the dragon-wing cowl is sorta my style. Also, my circulation is so bad (Reynaud's (idiopathic)) and NYC winters can get bitter and are ALWAYS windy, that things related to my hands need to be as wind/cold proof as possible - I generally stick exclusively to heavy-duty lined leather and sheepskin. I love arm warmers, though, and things that can go over my bulky gloves without further reducing manual dexterity. Hats are a close second with sheepskin and heavy felted wool being my go-to's most of the time. If the wind can blow through it, it's probably not going to do much to keep me warm. Things that go about the neck and shoulders being the exception because they just become a part of under-coat layering, and can be a fun way to add color and whimsy when I'm wearing 4 layers for 3 months of the year (and 3 layers for another 2 months on top of that).
If your witch was able to obtain digital media that you could not access (TV, movies, books, etc.), is there anything you have been in search of for quite a while? If yes, what devices do you use to play such (i.e. Windows, Mac, etc.; can you use a flash drive)? OK... yes... now if I can remember it all (ha! I may need to keep updating this question on my blog as I remember new things) - mostly mp3 or avi, I use Windows, and flash drive is great! Farscape, an album from a UK band called Chimera (90s, female singer?), digital sheet music from Tori Amos's Under the Pink would be awesome! (pdf) - I'll have to really think about this one for a while!
Is there anything you want from Japan? Some kind of food, cute stationary, fandom merch, maybe you collect lucky cats, anything! Yes please!! I know it's totally the wrong season, but I have a weird fixation with Sakura stuff, I have sakura essence, and I'm almost out of sakura sugar, but I've never tried sakura kit-kats! Aside from that, my one trip to Tokyo was just before Halloween, and WOW! is Halloween cool over there!! I like how their Halloween pumpkin stuff is actually pumpkin custard-y flavor, and not pumpkin spice like in the US. Only time I've liked pumpkin-flavored stuff was over there. I've also been kinda pinterest-researching mori and dark mori styles/accessories, and love all sorts of cute koi-themed stuff. I also am an Aggretsuko fan!
Are you witchy or like witchy things like incense, sage, palo santo, crystals, tarot, altar supplies, candles, etc.? Whatcha like/need? I'm like neptueanblues with the "low-key witchy". I love my Stephanie Law tarot deck, but I don't use it often, honestly. I love my candles, and do use them, though I currently have no anointing oils, and would LOVE decants of some TAL stuff (or non-TAL anointing oils) - but I don't use incense (cones/sticks) because the strong smell isn't always kind to my sinus. I used to have this loose-incense stuff I got from a witchy shop that I liked, and I have a special burner for it, though I'm out of the base (charcoal??) - I LOVE all sorts of rocks and minerals, have quite a bit, but am always drooling at others. I'm a little light on things that represent elemental Air, except stones that are associated with air. I've never used/had a wand or an athame. My alter tends to be very nature/fae centric. crystals, my candles are mostly honeycomb, a crystal bottle of melted snow that I collected during a major storm, found tiny bits of nature that attracted me like properly WEE pinecones, or giant acorns, bundles of herbs (got a couple of sage bundles drying currently from my own garden), etc... Hopefully that would give any Witchy-Witch some good ideas!
Practical Magic or Hocus Pocus? I like both, but probably Practical Magic more.
Does anything from either of these shops interest you? Close, but not quite.
Is there something (either a specific item, or type of item, like bath/body, perfume, candy etc) you're really looking forward to or hoping to get? Not so far, I always like to keep things a surprise, so I'm just trying to be open to all the possibilities :-D
What's something you want or look at, but always talk yourself out of buying (or for whatever reason never purchase)? Guh.. I do this a lot. I've done it for literal years over basic necessities (I finally caved and bought a non-broken hairbrush this summer after using a broken one for almost 2 years!) Off the top of my head, I only ever think about kitchen stuff. Our kitchen is tiny, I have no space, and my sister either breaks everything, or hoards broken things and won't throw them away even when there's a non-broken replacement... --siiiiggghhh- So I know I look at things like, a whisk with silicone wrapped tines so I can use it in a non-stick skillet, or the cute nessie ladle... there's normally a few small kitchen tools like that that I always look at and then just pass on...
What are your DISO BPAL dreams? Well, you did say Dreams, so... Champagne & Roses, Philommeides, Lovers in a Ricefield, Prunella, Mori Girl, Shy, Virgo 2016, Pinning up the Shimada HG, Spirit Board: Yes
Are there any subscription/subscription style boxes you have an interest in? I like the idea of subscription boxes, and I currently do Ipsy and Graze. Graze I've had for years and years for office snacks, and it's fine. Ipsy is kinda meh to me, it's better than Sephora Play, and Birchbox since they stopped doing all the point stuff so much... so, I haven't really found one that I really really enjoy regularly.
Is there any scents from the more current releases you have been wanting to try (Weenies, Motherhood/Fatherhood)? In my wishlist, for the Weenies/Liliths this year, I mostly only wanted to test decants, nothing seemed bottle worthy.
For those of us Switch Witches who ARE witches...….if you have a BoS would you like a page for it from your witch? I don't have a proper BoS...
What house were you sorted into? Totally Ravenclaw
There are some really awesome spice shops in NYC. Would you like/need any herbs or spices? I am good. I am a spice/herb hoarding fiend.
Coffee or tea? Tea pretty much exclusively. I'm a fan of Adagio, in particular, and mostly stick to black/green/herbal blends. Please nothing with added artificial colors/flavorings/sweetener (no stevia, either). Favs have include things like chocolate mint black tea, black tea with roses, pomegranate (or raspberry) and vanilla, and we are now entering the season of ginger/gingerbread, spicy black teas, and the like. I have two signature blends for fall that are Double Spice Apple and Ginger Morning II... not sure if they're searchable...
board games: I am a board/table top games geek of all varieties. However, I don't think there's anything I'm looking for at the moment. The sith has almost every expansion pack for Cards Against Humanity, and Exploding Kittens and Unstable Unicorns are both too new/unplayed to warrant even opening expansion packs beyond the NSFW decks (which I threw in immediately!)
ah, things I might have forgotten that might be important:
I do not own a smart phone, though I do now own a very basic ASUS tablet, but in general "apps" or similar content aren't going to work.
Other answers from the SW thread to consolidate info:
Pumpkin:
I don't like pumpkin or pumpkin-spice flavored/scented things, but I like things made with real pumpkin, like pumpkin bread! (YUM)
Alcohol: YES!! But I am a little picky in each area.
I am the office lush, I am a big cocktail fan (of GOOD cocktails), my sister works for a local distillery and has her WSET-4 certificate. I love wine, beer, ciders, meads, spirits - LOVE ALL the big categories!
(Also, seconeded: Foggy Ridge IS amazing! - especially their Serious Cider!)
Wine: I prefer whites and roses over most reds, don't like heavy tanins, and do not like chardonnay! California wine is probably my least favorite area - like South American, and of course, French/Italian/Spanish. I don't tend to like sweet wine unless it's a dessert wine.
Beer: Would love to try homemade beer! I'm not a huge hop fan, don't do IPAs, but I love hefeweissens, porters, stouts, dubbles, triples, quads, barley wines, sours, lambics, and almost everything else! Just nothing tooo hoppy
Cider: LOVE ciders! I especially like dry sparkling ciders like the Foggy Ridge Serious Cider, lots of great ciders around NY! However, I am not a fan of ciders like Angry Orchard, Ace, and the overly sweet low ABV ones.
Mead: I get a little obsessive, even driving out of state to go on mead hunts, to host mead tasting parties (and write mead reviews on my blog), and just went to my first meadery tour this summer - again, I prefer the drier more complex modern meads, not so much the sticky sweet ren faire meads (I detest Carrol's and Chaucer's - so far I think HoneyMaker is my favorite meadery, but they're out of Maine and hard to track down sometimes! - but always looking for new ones!)
Spirits: sis works for a local craft distillery, and has really taught me a lot about the craft spirits movement, so I really get excited by new local spirits I've never heard of before, or don't get sold in my area. Vodka is my least favorite spirits, with Bourbon being my most favorite. I also love local cordials and liqueurs, and have a little obsession with running around trying to find good fruit eau de vie.
Yellowstone: - I don't generally do souvenirs for places I've never been to ... but huckleberry? I do like most berry-things
Penny Dreadful: never got into it
Tea/Coffee: I drink coffee very rarely, normally at work (there's a nespresso machine right by my desk) and when I do it tends to be caramel or mocha or some such, with lots of milk, lil sugar. I'm much more a tea drinker - I've tried to start an adagio tea wishlist, but I'm not especially brand loyal. Do like Dryad Tea on etsy. I like black, green, white and some red teas, herbal, fruity, iced, hot, sweet, unsweet. I am a tea fan. Just as examples, my favorites are: southern sweet black iced tea (do not need more of, though, have a bulk package of loose leaf just for that), the chocolate mint green tea from adagio (tried to make a chocolate mint black tea variation, is good), I've also tried to make a tea that's little creamy, little vanilla, lots of pomegranate and a little rose with a black tea base. Only no - I don't like licorice!
Sense of humor: weird? dry? british? lil dark? I'm not a fan of puns, but clever word play can be cute. My favorite comedians are Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Eddie Izzard... see, british... I like wacky (Monty Python) and somewhat surreal sometimes (Mighty Boosh), but it can go too far (Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy Hour).
Board Games: I do love games, but don't always have enough folks to play with. Currently most folks seem obsessed with the sith's bigger blacker box of Cards Against Humanity, and the new Exploding Kittens game. Wise & Otherwise is one of my favorite board games I never get to play (really need 5+ people to make it really fun! It's in the Balderdash family)
Is there anything that you specifically do NOT want to receive?
Gloves, with my Reynaud's I have to have very particular gloves. Also bar soap - I have a LOT right now, and I can only use bar soap as hand soap anyway. I think those are the big "I'm good" general categories. Can update later if I remember more.
Plain or fun socks? Fun socks! I have an extensive Sockdreams collection and wishlist - so I'm not hurting for socks in any way, but I'm kinda hooked on fun new socks.
Name one (or as many as you would like) thing you would like to learn more about? I'm interested in learning more about all sorts of new things, DIY books, like silver clay books, is something I've always wanted to play with, but never took the leap. Or a better guide to polymer clay sculpting, or with resins.... I also love general sciencey lay-person books like "Stuff Matters" (great read) and Michio Kaku's just about everything (halfway through his brain book) loved Dr. Oliver Sach's Musicophila book, and I am fascinated by neuroscience. I'm also always up for learning more about stuff I've got a good foundation in, like specialty cookbooks, or gardening books (lots of this is on my Amazon wish list, though).
What one thing would you like to do more of? I miss arting and crafting as much as I used to before the full-time day job.
What are some things that fascinate you? Or, What would you like to know more about? Isn't this kind of like the above question? I'm really all over the place.
Would you like any cookie butter (just to be clear, store-bought, not home-made, and does contain wheat since it's, y'know, cookie butter)? No thank you, not my thing.
Is there any particular piece (or pieces) of art (painting, photograph, etc) that speaks to you in some way? I have a lot of aesthetic feels. I love Stephanie Pui-Mu Law (have her tarot deck, and some art), but classically I like impressionism and romanticism, but I can also get sucked in by modern art or the old masters. I also love really bizarre things, like Edward Gorey, S. Fischer Williams, Gris Grimley, etc.
Liliths: I think I won't need 5ml of any of the Liliths. However, decants of Little Lady Macbeth, My Baby and a Baby Goat, maybe My Little Muse of Fire - I caved and joined a decant circle for My Baby and a Baby Goat and My Little Muse of Fire.
Knit/Crochet: I do neither, so I'm fascinated by both. I have a special attraction to the yarn made from old silk sari fabric that's all sorts of bright colors. There's also some yarns I look at at the Union Square green market once in a while, even though I don't knit, because they're so pretty and soft (the booth sells yarn in natural dyes, made entirely out of their sheep, they also sell skins, cheese, and meat from the same sheep). There's this gorgeous dusky cobalt blue, little lighter than gunmetal blue that is sooo attractive to me... but I have not the skills.
Keep Putting Off: Sometimes buying small things in NYC is a pain in the butt, because you have to go to a specialty shop for anything, almost. I have a UtopiaArmory chainmail bikini top, and I somehow lost one of the black grosgrain ribbons that ties it together in the back (about an inch wide) - and I know it's a simple thing, but I just never get around to going and getting a new ribbon for my bikini top. Also, just got a new corset, and it's laces are basically just super long shoe laces, would love something nicer, like a black satin ribbon, strong enough for coresting, maybe 1/2" to 1" wide, and it doesn't have to be super crazy long because it's only a little cincher, but obviously long enough, and I do own scissors, so I can cut ribbon down) - but things like this, I never go to the fabric district, and they're such small things... ugh! That'd be great if my witch lives in a place with a Jo-Ann's or a Hancock Fabric, and could just run in and buy me a couple of yards or good ribbon.
Lush: I like Lush's products, but I don't like their scents, with the very rare exception, all of their stuff smells off/funky/slightly spoiled or stale or just plain bad to me. I do love You Snap the Whip, though. And I do like about 1/3rd of their massage bars, but I currently have 5, and can't get the sith to use them (on me) as much as I'd like. I like things like bubble bars and bath bombs, generally, but again, don't like the way Lush one's smell most of the time. I do like the You've Been Mangoed bath melt, that one smells good.
Handmade vs store-bought: for me it really depends on the thing. Though I'd rather have homemade edibles than store-bought; but I don't know anyone who can make cool thigh-hi tights, or who makes their own tea bags - so things like that, obviously store-bought is perfectly OK.
SPICY! : I'll word it just about the same as I did last year, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "oh, that's a bit too much black pepper for me" and 10 being "ghost pepper? scorpion pepper? I laugh at these! I love as much heat as you can throw my way!" Where are you? I'm probably around a 2 or 3, very very low near nil tolerance of heat.
Holy Grail: - I'm not sure I have one, persay? I have some that I gravitate to more than other, Josie and Dawn: Maiden are two of my big-bigs. But one Holy Grail scent that displaces all the others? Couldn't narrow it down to one.
Other Companies: for perfume oils, I'm pretty much just BPAL, though I do like my bottle of CB: I Hate Perfume, Just Breathe. Their stuff is pretty distinctive, and no itching/sneezing. I do love the gloss sprays and sugar scrubs and lip balms from Haunt, and I've only had a lip balm from Haus of Gloi, but it was great! Miss that one (used it alll up!) It seems a lot of my other favorite indie bath/body companies have shut down (Sideshow Soaps went to grad school, Latherati never got back up and running) - oh, and I am very curious about Villainess stuff, since I've liked what I've tried through BPTP, but I've only tried their BPTP stuff.. so.. unsure.
Digital/Analog: Both. I mean, I circle around the steampunk theme, though I don't belong to any groups, so I like that aesthetic and old stuff like that. However, I also have a zune for my mp3s, and I do like some podcasts, and would like to listen to more, have a kindle app on my ASUS tablet - though I tend to prefer paper books, some books are better as digital, especially if they're going to be train reading (or if they only come in digital download with no paper version available).
Kitchen Wants/Needs: I have a tiny kitchen so I don't have room for all the things I'd love to have. There's not a bare wall, or a place to even hang anything (very sad face), and also almost nil counter space (super duper sad face). And I think I've got a pretty comprehensive spice cabinet already... there is that one spice organizer that's marked on my amazon wishlist - that might be the only thing if someone found brilliant space organizing (I have to fit pretty much my entire pantry on one shelf, and it frequently looks a mess, despite my best Virgo efforts at playing tetris with all the cans, boxes of pasta, and baking goods.)
Affinity for specific animals: lots of them, I have a ladybug totem, I have a very touching story about my grandmother that connects me to goldfinches, I have always been a horse-obsessed girl, and thus also unicorns and pegasi (to a slightly lesser extent) but fantasy also takes me into dragons, love love dragons, too - though in all these things, I tend not to like silly/cutesy/cartoony versions. (the last unicorn cartoon is a rare exception to the that, but so pretty!!) - I also have an inexplicable draw towards foxes, and I love cats. And phoenixes, forgot to mention phoenixes - bit of a personal symbol.
Scary Movie: I like the occasional scary movie when I'm in the mood, but it's nothing I get fan-girlish about, or can even really remember. If you count them, I guess the Evil Dead movies would be favorites, because they're one of the few movies I can watch repeatedly.
Weenies: I'm curious about all the Apples (though I just asked for decants of 1, 2 and 4) - also curious about Unquiet Grave and Liebeszauber
Blu-Ray or DVD: DVD would have to go to the sith's house to watch a blu-ray
Game Systems: we have a Wii (classic, not updated), and sis uses it mostly - me, rarely. Sith has an Xbox 360 and Xbox One, but both live with him and I barely ever touch them.
Halloween Costume: I haven't even thought about this yet.
Talk to me about bags, what kinds do you like? Sizes and styles?
I'm also picky about purses, constantly turning down the sith's Mom constantly trying to unload her old ones on me. Half the time, I run around with an old beaten up black leather backpack that can and has take a beating. The other times are mostly split between two purses, one is a black leather mini backpack with lots of pockets, though the lining is shredding all through it, so it might not be long for this world ( :-( - ), it's a good daily purse, plain, external and internal pockets, big enough to hold my brick of a wallet and keys, and my tablet fits in it, except it peeks out the top a bit. I also have a dark red leather mini-backpack (a bit flatter where the black one is a proper satchel, just in miniature), but I don't use it that much, I do love it, just holds less than the black one, so I've been beating the hell out of it, instead of the red one. Oh, and an olive green mini backpack (I sense a theme) with brown leather straps that tends to be my con bag - it's really mini, holds my wallet and small things, but tablet won't fit, doesn't have many pockets, and just doesn't have much volume (I can fit amazing amounts of stuff in old blackie, as I have suddenly named it. Tablet, no problem. Bottle of wine? watch this! I'm going to miss it when it dies. . . . otherwise, I have a tiny vintage (40s?) beaded velvet hand clutch from the sith's Mom I've never used (my keys don't even fit), and a silvery-grey eel skin vintage envelope purse from my Mom (close as I have to a "nice" purse) - I think, sometimes, I should get a small, cute purse that would look nicer for nights out than just dragging old blackie everywhere, no matter how rough it's starting to look.
Fandoms: I have many fandoms, but I'm not especially fannish - I don't really collect much from any of my fandoms - I have a couple of pieces of Dark Tower art I love, and a small shelf dedicated to a tiny delegation of plastic ponies that represent the horde that lives at my parents house (3 breyers, 3 G1 MLP, 1 MLP FiM mini set + 1 found loosie + 1 gifted tiny sparkling Rarity ('cause she's my pony if I have to go FiM, though I honestly prefer G1) and 5 tokidoki unicorns. - I really should make a TokiDoki list or something, there are a couple I would LOVE to have, but not so much that I'll risk that many blind boxes, or pay the ebay prices. (mostly: I always wanted Fumo (to represent my sith), Sakura, Bambu, or Choccinella). Tchotchkies in general, smaller is better, and maybe some should live at the office with me... I do also have Welcome to Nightvale stuff, but I think I have everything I want that they make (girl scout badges, the weird at last poster, a couple of t-shirts. ..) and for the record, star wars is the sith's thing (thus his nickname), I'm a medium level fan (I have a custom lightsabre, but it was a gift, and I've dressed up as a night sister, but only to match him)
NY Ren Faire: None for me, I'll be attending myself, this Sunday!
Graphic Novels: I do like graphic novels, the new Sandman Overture is the only thing currently on my amazon wishlist - though I often lose track of graphic novels I wanted to read... I really enjoyed Pretty Deadly.
Colors: sure, easiest way I know to do this is Hex code. Dear witch, if you don't know HEX code. going by that chart: sgi lightblue, sgi slateblue, sgi beet, red, red 3, firebrick 3, rosybrown1, mistyrose1, chartreuse 4, sapgreen, dark green, green4, darkseagreen3, seagreen3, aquamarin2, lightblue1 and 2, deepskyblue3 and 4, skyblue 1, 2, 3, lightskyblue 1 2 3 4, steelblue (all), cornflowerblue, cobalt, medium purple 1 2, darkorchid 3 4, plum 3, thislte 1,2
Mall: Not a mall person, generally - I tend to only go these days when I need new bras/panties, and I need an Aerie. Here the Sephoras are stand alone, I go in them all the time.
Subscription Boxes: I am curious about these, I only get Birchbox, and the sith gets Lootcrate (but I get first dibs on anything fun, but haven't seen anything interesting in the last 2-3). There was a crowdsourcing page I can't remember where/which one anymore, but it was trying to start up a new goth box service, the DIY goth and Steampunk goth boxes looked cute, and you could get a one off...
Contact Level: I don't need a constant stream of tiny things, especially as for a week+ I'll be out of the country and anything sent will either end up sitting at my desk at work or at home (depending which address my witch chooses to use, I gave instructions on when I think it's safe to ship to my apt., and when you would REALLY want to not risk anything and send it to work) However, I think I'd rather not just have one big box at the end, maybe a small box or two then a medium one? I dunno, I mean, I really guess it just comes down to my witch and what works for them, and I'd probably feel better about one box if I wasn't ninja-ed the whole time up to the one box, I did say I didn't really want a ninja witch.
IKEA: I live near one, so don't need anything.
Do you like tarts/candles/incense? - I prefer candles out of those 3, though I do have a burner for wax melts/tarts if my witch was a big fan of some company and felt like I needed to be enabled, but I haven't had tarts in years because they tend to be too strong and I have tiny NYC apt. I currently have 3 scented candles, 2 are BPTP (Spanish Red Carnation, and Mulled Cider), the other is a nice fancy orange scented candle I got from my job. I also love plain/no scent added natural beeswax candles, especially in rolled tapers, though dipped is fine, too. I just like the look/texture of the rolled honeycomb ones. If you wanted to get me scented candles, votives are my favorite size. I just tend to not like anything too heavy, too sweet or too foodie. Incense, I used to get hand blended incense packets at the local pagan shop sometimes. But I usually picked them by purpose, not smell. I have a tiny unicorn incense burner that's cute - but incense is my least favorite and the most likely to upset my sinuses.
Is there anything you wish you could ahve picked up from D*Con? I got what I knew I absolutely wanted. Though Peach IX turned out to be a bust (should have tried Peach X or XIV instead... ) A 1oz decant of the Still Life with Peaches Atmo would be good. I still don't know about the hair glosses, not been many reviews on the peach ones yet. I consider them all risky at this point.
Is there a GC you've been dying to try but haven't gotten around to yet: not DYING for, but the ones in my bpal wishlist I'm curious about.
The questionnaire asked about gold & silver jewelry, but how do you feel about copper jewelry? Do you like colorful jewelry, or do you prefer to keep it neutral? If it were something especially interesting, I think copper could be pretty - I do like rose gold colors, and they can sometimes be the same, and I love my copper rosebud hair sticks. I do prefer more colorful jewelry!
We asked about decorating style, but are you interested in receiving decorations for your home? Are you interested in things that go on the wall or things that go on shelves? Size is a big issue, because of the tiny apartment and space, I have limited shelf space, and limited wall space. But, things that are especially awesome, I make room for.
Office supplies hound? Pens, pencils, journals, any preference, or favorites? I already have an office supply hook-up, so I don't need anything in this department.
Talk to me about socks! Is there anything, dear, dear Witchee, that I can get for you from Sock Dreams? Anything from another place? I am a sockdreams fiend, and have an up to date wish list from them in my blog.
I live near a huuuuge candy store. What kind of candy do you like? Gummies? Caramel? Chocolate? Sour? Sugar-free? I'm not a big candy store fan in general.
How do you feel about animal products? Not so much animal toys or food, but more like furs, paws, bones, etc. I'm totally cool with just about everything, as long as it's legal, clean, and not super gross (not that I expect my witch to spend that kind of money on me, but as an example THIS is kinda cool, THIS is gross.) - however, if my witch is in a wooded, rural area, and just happens to find a shed antler, that is VERY AWESOME. I have a nice sheepskin I picked up from a green market in RI last summer, adore it, and I'm always looking in the leathers and pelts stall at the ren faire.
restaurant.com gift cards: never used it. Isn't it like g/cs for chains, though? I try not to eat at chain restaurants, so probably not.
"toys" like stuffed animals: I do like them, but I'm pretty much at capacity for stuffed animals - the sith is fond of squishables, and I keep getting more (thankfully just the minis) than I have room for.
Fanfic: (I missed this one): no thanks
(I will answer my own question about the Eclipse): I did see it, couldn't see it from the back yard due to church in the way, but sis and I stood out on the sidewalk in our pjs sipping little cups of wine and watching the eclipse. I do like those sorts of things, very cool. However, I can totally pass on this month's Lunacy - both of them.
Height: I am 5'8" (don't know my arm span, but shouldn't it be just a bit shy of your height, if you go wrist to wrist? I only have a wooden ruler at my desk, but it seems like 24" from wrist to shoulder (if you count a high shoulder, like almost to the neck, like a ragland sleeve) )
How do you feel about the 4 elements? Or are you more of an Asian 5 elements person? Do you feel strongly about any of the elements, like a connection or a preference?
Personally, I jive more with the Western 4, and I'm more earth, with a big side of storm, then regular air, then fire, and water's last at the bottom.
How do you feel about online classes? Like, say, craftsy or creativebug? Or even lynda.com? I love them in concept, and would like to do more, but I am unsure if I have the free-time/personal discipline to use them adequately.
How do you feel about bento boxes? Is it something you would use if you were to get one? like the Japanese lunch boxes? I probably wouldn't use it.
Scarves, shawls or cowls? Mittens, gloves, fingerless mitts or wristlets? I could dig a cowl.. I mostly have scarves (shawls? I have a couple of pashminas?) - and I tend towards gloves, but with the Reynaud's I'm very particular, I tend not to go for mittens, unless they're the kind that flip back to reveal fingers. I love arm warmers, and have wanted some long gloves, never a great way to cover up the wrists in the brutal NYC winter!
If I were to make you some art, would you prefer a frame that hangs or one that sits? And what color/style would you prefer? I prefer hanging frames, and frames, I'm all over the place, I have a huge ornate reclaimed frame I repainted in a Night Circus theme, to simple white, black, and copper metal frames. Whatever jives with the art, I guess.
How do you feel about gourmet marshmallows? I'm generally not a marshmallow person, but homemade marshmallows are so good! I've occasionally made marshmallows with booze as flavoring, and they are sooo good in hot cocoa once the winter turns! If the gourmet ones were fresh (not stale in the store for months, like regular ones) I'd love some!
No cats for hats
Are you a slatherer or a dabber? depends on mood and oil - some oils I love to slather, but I'm more often a dabber.
Talk to me, dear witchies, about tea. I know we've covered this a little, but I really need the nitty gritty here- not just companies you like and don't like (Teavana? Adagio? David's? Some tiny place?) but I also want to know the other stuff: top 3 flavors, loose or bagged, the kinds of tea accessories you use- or have always wanted. Be specific. Provide links if necessary. I'm not fond of David's, they put a lot of artificial flavors and sweeteners in some of their flavored blends, and I try and avoid those. I try and avoid artificial flavors in general, but a I ABSOLUTELY avoid artificial sweeteners, because the sith is allergic, and if tea is going to be in the house, he's going to drink it - also, I just dislike the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. Teavana is fine, Adagio is my go-to out of the big corps, and I like DryadTea on etsy. Top 3 flavors are chocolate mint (green or black), and like that in teabags, and l prefer tea bags for my cold brew iced tea, but normally do loose leaf for my hot brewed iced tea. I also do loose leaf a lot for my morning black teas, which I like a variety of somewhat flavored, have been drinking a lot of pomegranate/raspberry vanilla rose black tea - could use a bit of a mix up there - getting colder, would like a ginger tea - always wondered if there was a ginger/coconut black tea, sounds good to me... I also try and drink really light refreshing green teas in the afternoon, and sometimes fruity bright white teas. Sometimes I do red tea, but normally not straight, something with more flavors, and vanilla goes well with a lot of red tea. I have all the tea equipment I really need/want.
ThinkGeek: I used to like them, but they've left a bad taste in my mouth after a few too many blatant etsy rip-offs, and sometimes less than stellar responses addressing getting caught red handed.
Villainess update: I also am looking at Gingerleaf and Honeyleaf, though the whipped and the smooched. However, probably wouldn't do the honeyleaf whipped, as I just got the Honey and the Moon lotion from TokyoMilk
Are there any flowers you especially like? Yes! Roses, especially. My Mother's nickname for me is her rose, and when I was in China, the school children named me Mei Gui. If you could have a plant totem, mine would be rose. I also just really like lilacs, childhood obsession.
Would you be interested in any cozies or cases (yarn o fabric, not hard cases) for tech stuff (phone, laptop' etc) or for cups/mugs/bottles or anything else similar. I don't think I need anything in that department.
Would you like Halloween or Day of the Dead themed ornaments or a "bunting" ? Day of the Dead themed ornaments or small decorations sound fun! Not much for "bunting" in general
Duct tape crafts? I'm not especially sure about this, but dear witch, if that is your thing, I'd be interested to see your craft-fu in that area. Are there witchees who would like book related gifts like a booklight, bookmark, bookseat or something for your reading gadget,like a cover or a light for example. a book light might be interesting, as long as it didn't need a plug-in. And I always need more bookmarks.
I make handmade journals, mini albums and similar items. Would my witchee be interested in something like that? Yea, verily, yea!
What songs/music/artists/CD's do you like to listen to around Halloween? Pretty much same stuff I listen to all year around.
Are you interested in leg warmers at all? no so much in the traditional sense, but the kind that are meant to stick out the top of tall boots look cute.
Is your Halloween style scary, cutesy, folksy, grotesque . . .? Unsure.... not cutesy... not grotesque.. maybe folksy/scary? maybe more old fashion kinda creepy, subtle suggestions of unease and "off-ness"??
Portal board game: pass
The Martian movie: pass
Honey or beeswax products? Discuss. Oh yes, please! The sith consumes amazing amounts of honey - actually slightly worrisome - but I'm also a fan, especially of regional varietals (there's a man at the union sq market who sells 5-6 seasonal flavors of honey, depending on where his bees were parked - goldenrod has been one of my favorites the past few years, but when I first found him, he had raspberry rose honey! Yum! And the old man with the blackberry farm back home sold blackberry honey from his bees that he used to pollinate his huge fields. I also love beeswax products - beeswax candles are a favorite (rolled tapers and votives, mostly, though I also like some of the molded ones - like my last witch got me this lovely beeswax candle that looked like a bottle with a floral motif, it smells great, even though I haven't burned it because it's so pretty! So definitely yes to beeswax, too!
Phobias: spiders
BPTP Weenies(!!!) Definite wants: A Fling in the Lagoon Bath Oil, October Claw Polish, Triple Dagger Pin (either) Maybes or decants/sniffies preferred: Dead Leaves, Black Fig, Cacao and Copal HG (maybe, like even just the tiniest sample), Delayed at Ingolstadt Air Field Atmo, Moonbathing perfume, Pumpkin Spice Everything Claw Polish (I know you can't really get a sample of nail polish, but it's still a maybe), same with Second Spring Claw Polish.
Speaking of nail things, it that time of year and I am doing my jamberry order, Would you want some Lovely Jamberry's for your nails? I have terrible nails (brittle, weak, thin, break all the time) - so I've never tried nail wraps, but I do get curious... so I wouldn't mind trying them. Jamberry specifically - looks like I'd like Snow and Ice, Silent Snow, Let it Snow, (maybe) Pumpkin Spice, or Kaboom, and would def do Into the North, Faux Fox, Fall Splendor, Fall Fancy, and Apple Cider would be my last pic
Marmite: no thank you
Used nail polish: I wouldn't object to a BPTP bottle that had already been tried - as long as the texture hasn't started going off, and that it wasn't an obviously almost empty/half-empty bottle - but one you tried and didn't like? Totally fine with that.
Are there any DISCONTINUED (not LE) BPAL oils that you wish you had, or had a little more of? Prunella. I loved that one.
Is there anything fairly basic that you're always running out of and need to buy more of? not off the top of my head...
Craft supplies: Between me and sis, we're all over the place. The things I don't have and could use would be the things I always forget about when I'm actually IN a shop, like a masking fluid for watercolor paintings, or add-ins for acrylics or even oils. I have tons of paints, but I never get the OTHER stuff most people use. Also, forgot to mention in my questionnaire. I was working on this one painting, and I was trying to find a paint pen, fine point, in a nice opaque white. Both Blick's I went to up here were sold out, and since Pearl Paint closed, I feel lost in the city's art supply world. Paint pens that I could use to finish details on paintings would be nice.
Fantasy Type Books: I'm all over it! Tolkien, Lewis, Gaiman, Pratchett, Moore, LOVE LOVE LOVE. If I don't know it, that's cool too. My old boss gave me a lesbian fantasy romance novel, totally something I'd NEVER pick up on my own, and I really enjoyed it! (more romance, less sex, and kinda like a badder-assed Sookie as a witch-lesbian). So, don't be afraid to throw me your old favorites. Also, don't care about paperback condition, as long as the last 5 pages of the story isn't missing, that'd suck.
Music: MP3s, I have an old zune, and mp3 player on my PC. - Please feel free to expand my horizons, EXCEPT, I -loathe- country music, and hardcore rap, so, go anywhere else, from Blackmore's Night to Opera, to George Crumb and Kronos Quartet, to Finnish Death Metal, and J-Pop, and everywhere inbetween - even blue grass is fine, just NO Country!
are you interested in preloved tees like BPTP ones? If so, styles and size? More than likely, yes! I have a (it has a tree on it?) tissue tee I adore, and standard bella babydoll tee for Candles Moon, a "Nice" tee and a Krampus tee. I really like their tees. I'm a size XS or Small (somewhat depends on which cut of shirt and from what producers. For the old bella babydolls, probably a Small, but the newer/thinner (or if anyone has an old tissue tee they don't want anymore) an XS is probably better.
Do you have a need for costuming pieces? Anything specific you’d like/ not like? Nothing I can particularly think of now. I mean, I could use a better chemise for ren faire weekends. I think mine was actually a child's, considering it barely comes down to the top of my hip, and the sleeves are barely long enough to tuck into the top of my bracers. Othrewise, I have ears, bracers, chain belt... if on a weird fluke anyone has kinda rennie style sandals in a size 7.5, that would be amazing, but seems highly unlikely.
Interested in vinyl art toys (kid robot & such)? I really try and avoid random pointless STUFF, I just don't have the room for it... that said, I have a deep weakness for Unicornos from Tokidoki. I already have quite a few. Would love to find Fumo, Bambu, Caramelo, Sakura, Yuki, Sirena, Honeybee, Prisma, Diamante, Hanako, Miso, Fuego, Galactica, Gaia, Summer, Adios & Caramelo.... (I'm not very good at my personal minimalism when it comes to pony-things.)
I have collected art faster than I can frame it. Anyone interested in prints from Independant artists or do you have a specific decorating scheme happening in the house? (Which is, of course, ok) I generally love independent art, but I don't have a lot of wall space left at this point, so I should probably pass.
Do you use K-Cups and would you like a variety of coffee/tea? - no K cups
How do you feel about cosmetic samples as long as they're "clean?" I'd love getting samples! Generally I'm super pale (and pink! or "clear and full of blood"), sensitive skin, love any anti-aging stuff, and I love trying out hair products, though I'm SUPER picky because I have long hair (trying to grow longer, always longer!) .
Do you have any use for holiday/Christmas ornaments? If so, what themes/styles do you prefer? - no thanks
Buying fandom related and "cute" items: I try to avoid - with the exception of a very few - IF THEY ARE VERY SMALL (I have an old printer's drawer hanging on my wall now, that gives me a place to put *TINY* things, so.. if you found something that was around 1-1.5 inches tall, it'd fit on that. I like Firefly/Serenity, MLP, LOTR, harry potter universe stuff could be cute, too - but the key is *TINY* Would you like to receive silver rings that are worn but still look like new? If so: what ringsize do you wear? And any specific styles that you like? Or silver earrings (brandnew)? No earrings, I don't have pierced ears (unless someone wants to get rid of some vintage rhinestone screw backs! I collect those!), and rings, I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but I do like tiny sterling silver delicate jewelry, and when it starts warming up, I'd be more likely to wear rings when I won't need gloves. I think my fingers range between a 6 and a 7, depending on which finger it is. Do you like animals? If so: any favorites? I do. I love horses (unicorns and pegasi) most of all, but also adore dragons, griffons, and in the "real world" (ha), wolves, foxes, cats, and the occasional raven, hawk, or owl. (bonus points for also fitting into the aforementioned "TINY" spectrum.
Fragrance oils other than BPAL: only essential oils please (and I have mint and sweet orange already)
Jewelry making supplies: probably not, I have a hoard of gemstones (for prong or bezel setting), but haven't been making jewelry a lot this past couple of years. It seems unlikely someone would be wanting to get rid of the kind of jewelry stuff I could use, as it'd be so easy to resell for decent money. And I don't do beading or stuff like that.
Lularoe Leggings? no thanks
Could you use Melitta filters for coffee? pass
Jewelry making addendum: Gemstones? I do have a literal hoard of gemstones (cut, polished, semi-precious, mostly garnet, amethyst, some quartz, topaz, mostly small pieces now) - does anyone do the kind of jewelry making where they'd be able to use something like that? Good to learn on in a jewelry making classes.
Cookbooks (or Magazine back issues) anyone? - Another thing I hoard, and I'm trying to clean up my stash. And if yes, do you have a kind you'd like or not like? Personally, I no longer need anything basic or beginner. But I'd be open to specialized or weird cookbooks like the cookbook from Hannibal (the tv show), (I LOVE my Feast of Thrones cookbook!) or specialty ones like ones on Japanese food, or something more specific like a little book of ramen or pho. (I don't have any non-Western European/US cookbooks that aren't fantasy worlds). I will also take old/used food magazine issues (I subscribe to Bon Appetit, so not them), but I will take old back issues happily, even in somewhat ratty condition. (I have a problem, I really do.)
Table cloths, placemats, runners, napkins, dish towels - no thanks
BPAL storage boxes - I don't really need any more boxes, if anyone had extra of those spent ammo cases that fit imps perfectly, I always need more of those
5 strange things, off the top of your head that you need? silicon coated wire whisk new cheese cloth new batch of super-sculpy (any amount really) silicon mold for filled chocolates matcha green tea powder
Travel books. - Guatemala? It's looking likely I'll have a work trip there in June. I know nothing.
Nightlight. - no thanks
Could you use any spices, herbs, or salt? Sure, I don't think I've got any dill weed or fennel seed, no curry powders, dried chilies, and I believe I'm out of nice dried thyme (I normally dry my own, but I messed up my last batch right before winter and had to throw it out :-( )
What about reusable totes or bags? I am overflowing, so no thanks.
Discworld books: YES! My collection is a bit spotty, I'm up to Wyrd Sisters (haven't started it yet, and it's a library book, so would totally take a paperback copy). But I already have (ahead of the game thanks to an auction lot my Mom won): soul music, eric, thud, lords and ladies, carpe jugulum, unseen academicals, raising steam, and the discworld companion
Least favorite scent? myrrh, musks, resins, spices, incense, foodie
Nail polish colors? I have a pretty epic stash, and have been doing more nail wraps as time goes by. I think I have a few BPTP examples on my w/l.
Bathtub? Bubble Bar? I do have a bathtub, but I don't use it often in the winter, because there's a window in the bath and it makes it super drafty, but once it warms up a bit. I also do lots of foot tub soaks, so I could use it!
how do you feel about knitted things?? More specifically washcloths or scarves?? Colors you love/hate? And fibers you like or don’t like?? I have plenty of knitted things, so I'm probably good. But it's a good place to remind that I don't like synthetic fibers, I try and stay away from polyester, acrylic, and rayon (unless it's certified green bamboo rayon - gotta protect the orangutans!) and I'm all about strong colors, but loathe greys/beiges/neutrals
Do you have a preference for more fitted women's style tees, or are you fine with a basic crew neck? I prefer a more fitted women's style tees, v-necks preferred, but not a deal breaker otherwise.
If you were given a choice of a top that was navy and tan stripe vs a more cobalt blue base with a jewel tone stained glass pattern, does one or the other sound preferable? Neither? Both? No stripes, no tan. Stained glass pattern sounds pretty, though, and love jewel tones.
Are you okay with receiving a book that is completely within your areas of interest, but that is in the middle of a series? (Assume a standalone storyline that might reference events in prior books but that is not dependent on them.) Please no. I approach series very carefully (I was "traumatized" as a kid by only being allowed to buy the first Secret of the Unicorn Queen book, loved it, and it was promptly discontinued. 30-cough-years later, I still can't get book #6 to finish the series without paying an outrageous amount (so I won't do it). And I lived in fear of Stephen King never finishing the Dark Tower the whole while I read it. Would you be interested in graphic novels within your areas of interest? Yes! Love graphic novels! I have the last Sandman one, and have kept up with Pretty Deadly trades and Injection.
Would you be interested in new or very gently worn shoes, if so, what size? Possibly? It seems unlikely they'd fit. I have very narrow feet with a very high arch, in sandals I can wear a 7.5, sometimes a 7, rarely an 8, and in boots almost always an 8, and other closed-toe shoes varies between 7.5 to 8, rarely 8.5 - shoes are crazy man.
Do you enjoy Tokidoki? Unicornos, I have the list/first answer in my link
Would you like fabric with one of your favorite fandom on it but chibi/cute style characters? No thanks, sis does the fabric arts, not me.
I have a bunch of baking ingredients in my pantry that need to be used up. Would you be interested in receiving any baked goods (like cookies or scones)? if they're gluten free No thanks, also a baker (but not gluten-free)
Any interest in books about learning other languages? maybe? Been trying Duolingo with Japanese, but it's a beta, so a book might help.
Any interest in reading poetry or plays? I can be into poetry if it's funny, quirky, or has a historical cultural twist to it (Southern or Irish/Scottish mostly)
Do you enjoy audiobooks? Not really
Any of this year's Lupers you still need/want to try? Check my wishlist. I *STILL* haven't gotten any of my decants yet, so I'm kinda getting frustrated over here. There were so many in this great update, I couldn't dare do blind buys, but last I checked the website, my decanter hasn't even gotten a CNS yet!
Could you use any tealights? Sure!
I have an extra book light. Could you use one? Yes!
Any BPTP swag you would like or are in search of (stickers, bumper stickers, pins, etc.)? I always like stickers and buttons, but I've got a pretty good stash.
Would you like any unused tins for tea storage? I'm good, thanks
Would you be happy to receive homemade jams/jellies? Yes! I hate how commercial jellies and jams put so much crap in there - I like almost all jams, not too big on marmalade, but my favorites are blackberry, plum, and (dare I dream... muscadine/scuppernong)
Gardening stuff and or seeds?? yay or nay? If yes, whats your climate/zone? Sure! 7b
Yay or nay? accessory scarves? yknow, the sheer or silky kind? colors, length? no thanks, I never know how to wear them.
Tabletop gaming stuff? Board games? Yay or Nay I do like games.. why not!
Answers....
Future Primitive: oooo Four & Twenty Blackbirds Body Cream or whipped soap, or Witch Cake, or maybe Tythe Barn
Do you like smallish knitted stuff (hats, fingerless mittens, scarves, toys, etc. -- be specific!)? Yes, but I'm covered up in hats and scarves, but arm warmers (especially long ones) or the possibility of hinged/flip-top mittens could be cool!
Easy Fingerless Mittens pretty cute
Pfeilraupe Asymmetrical Scarf cute, but no thanks
Odyssey Shawl OK, I know I have too many scarves, but this shawl is awesome!
Close to You scarf no thanks
Rikke Slouch Hat no thanks
Simple Yet Effective Cowl no thanks
Knitted Pumpkins No thank you
Little Bear Stuffy No thank you
NEW Question: How do you feel about thrift store finds (assuming they're in good condition and have been thoroughly cleaned before shipping)? (I'm totally fine with a great thrift store find!)
*I may have bought several full size Rituel de Fille makeup items in a frenzy over their whole vibe. If I tested something once or twice (and it can be sanitized), would you be interested? Sure, I don't mind things that have been cleanly tested a couple of times.
*Are you interested in trying different skincare products from higher end, clean brands? Yes! I've been slowly creeping into Korean skincare, but WOW there is SO MUCH to learn!
*OH, and any interest in anything from Torrid, noting their "fangirl" and Halloween collections are updated? No thanks, I'm not in their size-range.
*What on the following list would you like to receive something related to (or have something donated to in your and Joni's honor?)
· animal rescue
· pie
· dogs
· bears
· turtles
· inappropriate candies (either in shape or in contents—ex., boozy candies, creatively shaped peanut brittle…)
-- I'm good with donations being made towards animal rescue, dogs, bears, and turtles. If they find a way to ship me pie, I'm also good with that, though that sounds like a lot of trouble! and I am DOWN for inappropriate candies (especially boozy!, but not offended by "creatively shaped" either, as long as it tastes good!)
*I'll be going to Seattle, London and Paris during this round- anything you'd love to have from any of these locations?
-- I'm all about local/regional specialties! Like, Seattle has a crazy lot of local distilleries, and I don't think ANY of that stuff makes it to the east coast! If a sample dram or pint made of a local whiskey or liqueur (I hear Sound Spirits has a great cacao liqueur!) that would be epic! Or I know that the EU has cosmetics that the FDA hasn't approved (like sis is currently in Paris and is picking me up a daily facial sunscreen that is not only 1/3rd of the cost as the US version, but has the EU-approved sunscreen in it that the FDA won't let in the country) - stuff like that you can just get at a Monoprix is great! For London, I haven't been in nearly 40 years, and am largely clueless, but similar ideas? I know there's no more REAL Cadbury in the US anymore, it's all produced by Hershey and re-branded (and not anywhere near as good). I also have been told that there are certain London-based "biscuits" that beat the pants off any cookies in the US.
*Is there anything you would particularly like from Japan? Stationary, bento supplies, a particular snack, etc. The fall flavors for kitkats this year are Chestnut, Sweet Potato and Apple Pie.
-- I've developed a strange interest in the creatively flavored KitKats. Would also be interested in cool Japanese skin-case, like facial masks. I have also just heard about "retro osuimono" (?? It looks like someone made dried soup mix impossibly adorable and tasty).
*Thinking about really good natural food stores like Natural Grocers or Whole Foods, if you could have ANY bath and beauty or body care items, what would you love?
- - I don't know those brands/lines well enough to be specific, but I am out of a nice smelling, deeply moisturizing body lotion and/or creme.
*Also what kind of treats, snacks, foods, condiments, bulk items, teas, housewares from the same natural food stores would you love?
-- I am low on office snacks and teas! (and my Graze box has been discontinued!), so while I'm not generally a fan of your usual "trail mix" blends, I do generally like to keep dried fruits and roasted nuts around the office for mild "healthy-ish" snacking. Some all-time favorites are sunflower seeds (especially chocolate coated), dried mango, pineapple, and coconut flakes (all without sugar on the outside), honey-roasted any-nut, but LOVE pistachios, peanuts, pecans, walnuts.. will eat almost any nut, though if roasted and/or lightly salted. As for loose leaf teas, I have an Adagio Tea wishlist (it's a good guide to see what kind of flavors/combos I'm into).
*Also, are there any particular sustainable kitchen or household items you would love to receive?
-- I've been really curious about those reusable beeswax wraps/covers that are supposed to replace plastic wrap.
*Did anything catch your eye from the Liliths?
-- Nothing bottle-worthy, but I wouldn't mind a decant of Bits of Birnam Woods, an maybe sniffies or partials of Justice for Mary, You're a Daisy if You Have, and Con Questions.
*Would you like anything from Lush?
--Note a huge Lush fan these days - but curious about these new naked shower oils, like Coco Loco, and I did used to love the Rose Body Conditioner
*DragonCon carpet earrings* - thanks, I’m into D*Con, but I don’t have any piercings at all.
Do you have an Etsy/Goodreads/Amazon or anything else wishlist you’d like to share? Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/7KANCDM0KO7J?ref_=wl_share
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/people/Izile?ref=hdr-fav
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/southeatsnorth/
Adagio Tea https://www.adagio.com/wishlist/295335/
Think that's most of them.
And what’s your preferred wrist/necklace size? don't wear bracelets much, necklaces I take anything from a choker (14") to a drop (18")
Does anything from Bird & Blend take your fancy? I do lurves me some fancy tea! Can use the Adagio list and see if there's anything that lines up similar in flavor. I just got over a cold so I have majorly depleted almost all my tea stores except for the utilitarian/basic blends.
Knitting questions have have been asked, but how about wash cloths, anyone need any? What colors?? No thank you.
is there anything from World Market that tickles your fancy? I don't think I've been in there in years, so no idea.
There's a special thing happening over at Rituel de Fille this weekend, where some gorgeous makeup items are coming back for just a couple of days. I'll be placing an order Sunday or Monday- anything that might strike your fancy, either from the special sale or from the site in general? (https://ritueldefille.com) - tempting, but I really have waaaaayyy too much make-up already!
How do you feel about tarot or oracle decks? Would you be interested in any (for artwork or for mystical purposes)? New or used? I have been gifted 2 over the years (the Stephanie Pui-Mun Law deck, and just recently the Last Unicorn deck) so I feel like I've got plenty of decks at the moment.
Would pigment samples from companies like M.A.C. or Notoriously Morbid tickle your fancy? If so, what colors catch you eye? No thanks, I have more than I can ever use right now.
Spicy foods: I am a pansy when it comes to heat, I've literally had too much black pepper be too hot.
Coloring books: Some of the really intricate adult ones look really nice, I had a postcard coloring book that is almost full. I don't it much, but sometimes it's a nice relaxing way to be "creative" when I feel like I'm completely blocked up.
Do you have a favourite saying or quote? A few, I'm a quote-fiend. "For I have loved the stars to dearly to ever be fearful of night" is definitely in the top 3, as is "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd." - Flannery O'Connor - I am generally a fan of wit and quips as well. (and almost anything ever said by Anthony Bourdain, esp. “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”
A few questions have been asked about knitted items--are crocheted equivalents acceptable? (crocheted fingerless gloves, shawls, etc.) Any fiber issues? Yes, equivalency is acceptable, and no fiber issues (though I prefer to avoid things like polyester and acrylic, unless their recycled/repurposed).
Nail Polish: Do you need or want some? If so, what colors and brands are you interested in?
-- I'm doing more nail wraps these days than nail polish (Espionage Cosmetics, specifically. Like my nerdy manicures!) I've been eyeing We Envoke Thee, Orion (or Eagle) Nebula, Faerie Lace, and Headmaster's Phoenix.
Does anyone else do nail wraps?
What about postcards? Postcards from cool places (whether I've been there or not - just not NYC please) are very welcome!
Weenie Wishes: - I'm mostly safe, but if my Witch had ordered decants or 1/2 decants or sniffies and wanted to pass them on, these are ones I'm curious to test.
Song of Autumn V - curious, maybe decant
Song of Autumn IV - curious, maybe decant (or sniffie)
Dead Leaves, Green Cognac, and Tea Roses - curious, maybe decant
Dead Leaves, Cacao, and Sandalwood - curious, maybe partial decant or sniffie
Dead Leaves, Blue Lilac, Black Currant, and Black Orchid - maybe sniffie
Voluptuous Wantonness - curious - maybe decant
The Sleeping Draught - curious - maybe decant
A Look of Peace - curious - maybe decant
Popcorn Ball Snake Oil - just a sniffie or partial decant maybe
Les Heures de la Nuit - curious, decant
Fall, Leaves, Fall - curious, maybe a decant
Dusk in Autumn - curious, maybe a partial decant or sniffie
Nocturne Alchemy: no thanks
I am infamous for baking (shortbreads savory and sweet, poundcake, various cookies and bars), butter caramels (flavored or plain), and catnip. Are any of these relevant to you or your household?
-- Yaaaaasss! I love all the baked goods, sweet and savory shortbreads, poundcake, butter caramels.. all of it.. probably not the catnip though.
Do you like to cook and do you need/want any spices for such pursuits?
-- I LOVE to cook, I write my food blog and I am a cookbook hoarder. I do keep a pretty thoroughly stocked spice cabinet, though. I have not been able to find Aleppo (or aleppo-style) pepper, however! It was a favorite, I used it all up, and now (for obvious reasons) it's a bit hard to track down.
Would you wear any of these? (because I'm that nuts that I would try to make one in a month)
Fern , Nuada, Manannan, Duleek Abbey or an infinity scarf or tube cowl tall enough for a hood (like this scarf or this cowl for shape example)?
--Oh, a couple of them are cute, but open-weave knit stuff isn't very warm for me (and the winters here are cold, and the wind is very strong (I work right by the river, too)), and I have sooo many hats already.
Do you have any utilitarian needs for everyday life? Things that would help or that you've been needing or wanting for work or whatever?
-- boring stuff... more silky (good for hair) pillow cases, a table runner for the kitchen table (that I can FINALLY eat at!), a 20oz (or larger!) cup with lid/straw for work (we have a Bevi machine and I drink ssooooo much seltzer now! The 16oz cup I have right now makes me get up to get refills way too frequently. Also, one of those over-the-faucet kitchen shelves. Like a plank of wood with legs, 22" wide, 4" deep, 7-12" high.. I've had a helluva time finding anything remotely similar anywhere! I've also had a really hard time finding a simple/plain 6"x9" picture frame for a piece of art.
Gotta ask: What kind of vegan snacks do you like? And vegan chocolate...favorites?
-- Not really into the vegan thing, unless it's something that's naturally vegan, like dried fruit/nuts. I don't have any favorite vegan chocolates, though I have had some high quality chocolate from South america that doesn't contain dairy just because it has like 3 ingredients, and it's like 85% dark.
How do you feel about salt? I don’t mean, like, salted nuts or potato chips. I mean straight-up salt, like alder-smoked finishing salt or Hana Flake sea salt.
I love me some fancy salts! I have a small/dwindling sampler set I bought in Barcelona, and I have long-ago used up my lemon salt. Not so much into smoked salts, though.
How would you describe your crafting style? Whimsical & Cute? Elegantly modern? Totally Traditional?
-- Eclectic? I don't do cute much, though I like it in some others (Dragons & Beasties like), but I guess all my fantasy art that's NOT cutesy would fall under whimsical? I don't really fit well into categories, I don't think? elfy-elegant, cottage-traditional?
So....we are about to process a metric f*ton of green tomato relish, which is basically bread and butter pickles but with sliced green cherry tomatoes. Is this relevant to any witchees?
No thank you, not a fan of bread and butter pickles (or any of the "sweet-ish" varieties, more like a classic kosher dill, or maybe dill-garlic pickle-person)
How do you celebrate Halloween/Samhain? Do you dress up? Would you like something for your costume? And am I the only person left on the planet who wears socks?
We don't have trick-or-treaters, but I like to dress up, maybe go out to some bar/party, and I love my witchy plant socks from Sockdreams (I've nearly worn out my Belladonnas and Devils Breathe!) Hoping to head up to the Great Pumpkin Blaze up the Hudson River at some point this fall (having a hard time getting sith to commit to a date...) - something for my costume? I dunno... I haven't even figured out which costume I might be doing. Probably depends on how cold it will be.
Are you interested in anything from Art Of Tea or Adagio Teas?
Yes! I am low on the tea front these days, all varieties. I have an Adagio wishlist (in blog), but am not brand loyal. I'm all over the place for styles, though mostly do black, green, herbal, and blends (not so much into rooibos/red, or many white teas). I like both classic whole leaf green varietals, but also things like "chocolate mint" (in green or black tea), or fruity/floral (pomegranate rose was a fav a few years ago), or chai-like or spicy for fall/winter - not a huge fan of bergamot or earl grey though.
I make light-weight hairfalls, doll-style, using a variety of fun stuff, like ribbons, lace and soft batting. Would you be interested in receiving a set in the colors of your choosing?
Tempting.. but I honestly don't think I'd wear them anymore at this phase in my life.
And a quick question here--I'm going to this amazing looking event on Saturday--does my witchee see anything they might be interested in? https://www.facebook.com/events/903999316607440/ (the Oddities Market)
I love an oddities market! I've always dreamed that one day, if I ever own a home, I'll have a "wizard's study" which will be a mix of real natural items (porcupine quills, antlers, maybe some bone or bone-replicas) with really realistic gaffs (like Sarina Brewer's taxidermy griffons and capricorns, or what look like butterflies in shadow boxes, until you get up close and see the thorax is a fairy) - so that people who visited wouldn't know where the line was between real/fake. I obviously don't have the space for the larger items right now, but if my witch found me a cool thing like some porcupine quills, or an inexpensive/small butterfly in a box, or a cool looking bit of shed antlers (prefer that kind to the kind with the skulls attached 0.0), something like that - that would be awesome
Enamel Pins: I like them way too much, they are becoming a problem, I am running out of hats and jackets to put them on. I have a lot of the BPAL ones, a couple from Unstable Unicorns (game), and just got an Asexual Pride Unicorn head at D*Con as a gift from a friend. - I've seen some cool witchy ones on etsy, too! (I also like small buttons and patches).
Sockdreams: https://www.sockdreams.com/wishlist/shared/index/code/fRHVFxuY0opntpPmq9d2XTCa8A67sXJz/
What is your T-shirt/shirt of choice Size?
I normally prefer t-shirts that are specifically woman-shaped (not boxy unisex, they just hang on me all wrong, and I have enough sleep shirts), though baby-dolls are tricky because I am long of torso and baby dolls almost always end up showing 3-4" of midrift. I mostly take Smalls these days, though occasionally if something runs REALLY small/tight I could do a medium. re: preferences, when possible, I like v-necks, and any color other than black (I just have SO.MANY. black tees). (The old tissue tees of BPTP in Small are *PERFECT* I have a Bitches Love Unicorns tee in small, and it's nice, but still a little droopy/baggy where I rather it wasn't on my long-lanky frame)
OCTOBER LUNACY! I know turn around time is unlikely, but just saying (JUST SAYING), dear Witchee, did anything catch your eye?
Moonflower & Orris was the only one I'm digging
If I was to donate to an animal rescue on your behalf as the "lucyboo" component of this swap, is there one in particular that you would choose?
I am particularly fond of Hooved Animal Humane Society, (HAHS), I learned about them as a kid collecting Breyer Horses, and they're still going. And internationally a UK friend tipped me off to Prince Fluffy Kareem (I know, funny name). Not domesticated, but I also have supported International Animal Rescue (especially their work in Indonesia with Orangutan).
NEW! Will be the place for a history of my Q&A answers.
In the meantime, I realized I didn't get all my wishlists (I'd forgotten I had so many): - and yes, I have issues with etsy and amazon as businesses, but it's a good reference place for wishlists; etsy and pinterest are mostly "style guides" than specific items)
https://www.etsy.com/people/Izile?ref=hdr-fav
https://www.pinterest.com/southeatsnorth/_saved/
https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/7KANCDM0KO7J/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/147827015?ref=nav_mybooks (Though I use GOODREADS more for what I HAVE read, and a reminder of what's next on my library list, not a "next book to buy" wishlist. That's more Amazon. But Goodreads shows you what I have read (also, ignore stars, if I read it and didn't hate it, I gave it 5.)
QUESTIONS!
1) Does anything, scent and / or product-wise, catch your eye from the Haus of Gloi summer drop? (https://www.hausofgloi.com/collections/summer) [you're free to pick stuff NOT from Summer as well, of course! ]
Curious to try a Summer Refresher Spray: Buzz Off, maybe U-Pick; 2oz sample jar of Pumpkin Butter: U-Pick or Zazz; Soft Bubbling Scrubs: maybe Beguiled or Marshamllow Rose; Whipped Soaps: Blueberry Tart, Lemongrass Ice Cream, (where are those smells in the other products! Ah, those sound like the best!)
2) Yes, the rumors are true- I'll be in Paris this summer! Tell me up to five things you'd be happy to get from there, including any specific teas from Dammann Freres, my favorite french tea shop! -
I don't need any more tea, but OMG, PARIS! I miss you!! I would love a stop by Monoprix to get La Rorche Posay Anthelios XL fluid SPF 50+ for sensitive skin - (the EU SPF formula is different from FDA (EU is better)); similarly, Nuxe Huile Prodigeuese (available in US, but for 2x the price!); I'd also love any kind of caramel au beurre sale; sadly, I don't think you could transport the really good stuff (cheese, wine, eau de vie, cured meats.. nom nom nom...)
3) I recently discovered Khamilaluna and plan to place an order soon to get a present for my roommate. Is there anything you'd like from them?
I'd be curious to try the body creams - either baby bee, or maybe clover & aloe; and from the scrubs, mango & coconut, or coconut lime verbena, or green tea cucumber all sound really good.
4) My question - wildcrafting/MS woods = N/A
5) My question - ring sizes, obviously fingers are all different sizes, even on the same hand - do you wear rings on all your fingers? how about a range smallest to largest? (like, for me, I can't do thumb - rest are fine, though I don't tend to wear much on my pinkie, pinkie would probably be a 5.5, then 6.5-7, and index is probably 7.5-8)
6)If your Sprite were to gift you magical items or workings... a) Would you be interested in that? b) If so, what intention(s) would you appreciate most?
Yes, interested. As to what... mmm... I've really been struggling for a long while to get the creative juices and general love of life rebooted and flowing again. Been in therapy, on meds, and it'll be a year in August; and there's been progress, but that connection to playing music/painting, overflowing creativity, it gets drown out by exhaustion and anxiety way too often. It'd be nice if something could help give that part of me a fresh battery.
7) Would you be interested in a set of (rpg) dice? If so, what colors/aesthetic?
- no thanks, we are loaded with dice!
😎What's your favorite creature?
SO HARD! - Horses all-time favorite, with of course unicorns and pegasi being right up there. But Dragons also very big yes.
9) Do you like reading comics? If you haven't really read 'em, would you be interested in receiving a few that match your book genre preferences?
I do! I'm a bit picky these days, just because I can't afford to dive so deep into mainstream comics - I was trying to corral all the new Sandman/Dreaming books because at least there were only supposed to be 16 (see Amazon wishlist for where I left off) - otherwise, I have the first 3 of Injection, I had some Fable, but that series ran too long; and I have the two Pretty Deadly ones because Beth/BPAL recommended so much. But yes, long answer, if you have some that you think I'd like, feel free to pass them on to me!
10) I'm headed to Puerto Rico in July - anything particularly interesting you would like from there?
Good Rum? Is that possible? - I don't know what else PR is known for that is transportable (the ponies in Viequas, clearly not portable X-D )
11) Would you be interested in receiving a small bottle of home infused whiskey aged from commercially produced moonshine? Any particular flavors you might enjoy (examples include orange chai or cinnamon chocolate or hot peppers)?
Hmmm, I'd be curious. I generally do not care for flavored liquors (as opposed to liqueurs), but since it's a home infusion, maybe?? Not sure what infusion though (def NOT apple pie - I know everyone's crazy about homemade apple pie moonshine, but I cannot abide it)
12) Would you be interested in homemade shortbread that fits your flavor preferences?
ABSOLUTELY! I like plain, or maybe chocolate, I've seen some really nice ones that have a touch of flowers on top, that always sounded nice.
13) If your bday is during the swap, how are you planning to celebrate? - it's not.
14) Likewise, how do you celebrate relevant spiritual holidays in this time period? - mostly with food, I can't light a fire in my backyard 😞 , and with no car, camping is difficult
15) Anything you want from the UK? - I can't think of anything specifically off the top of my head, know the man-thing would go crazy over real UK Cadbury - I'm assuming shipping gin/whiskey is out of the question.
16) - Seeds, y/n? - y? bit late in the season to plant more seeds, but always yes?
17) Are you interested in skincare/shampoo/conditioner? - skincare, not shampoo/conditioner
18) Are you interested in tights? If so, what thickness, style, and size? - no, too many already
19) Do you use tarot decks? Would you like to receive more - and if so, can you list the ones you already have? - I do, I have Shadowscapes by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law; and the Last Unicorn deck. Two decks is possibly my limit, unless it's really special and incredibly beautiful art - if it speaks to you, I'll listen.
20) What do you think of the art on this website? https://www.printisdead.co.uk/ - I like it! I'm not into the super goth stuff (skulls/coffins) but the bird, crystal, moth, witchy stickers are super nice!
21) Is loose leaf tea good, or do you prefer bagged? - I prefer loose leaf, but I am currently drowning in tea.
22) New question...PBSW Summer collection is live
No thanks, I love the texture of their lotion, but none of the scents right now seem to line up for me.
23) Would you be interested in items from any of the following?
The Rod Homestead (I love this one I helped fund her commercial kitchen) - no thanks,
Working Class Coffee - no coffee please
Philly Nuts - no thanks
222 Creations - the barrettes are cute!
Carol's Epiphany - no thanks
24) Would you possibly like a simple hand embroidered piece? sure
If you would like this is there a simple favorite flower or summer symbol, like a bee? - I like bees, I like a lot of flowers (roses, morning glory, lavender, red clover... )
What kind of sprite would you prefer? A ninja or to know the ID right away? I like both styles for different reasons. - no preference, have had both 🙂
25) Are you ok with shunga label art (bpal?) - yes
26) - miss something?
27) Are there any Korean or Japanese food/craft/self-care items you would be interested in in receiving? - love K-beauty, masks, used to love the peripera peach milk blurring liquid. And all about Japanese snacks!
28) Is there anything for your garden or houseplants that you need, or would like (tiny, hand thrown cachepot for a prized astrophytum, etc.), or are you proudly black thumb and shun any plant that isn't resin? - I think the garden is well underway. The kind of things I'd need, probably not good gifts, and hard to ship.
29) How many books is too many books? - infinity?
30) plushies: I like plushies, but they take up too much room. I am full up!
W/L links I may have forgotten:
Etsy
Amazon
Pinterest - somewhat out of date, but good "look book"
What is your favorite Easter candy?
This actually came up this morning. I have no idea if they even exist anymore.... Those tiny solid chocolate eggs with a speckled matte candy coating so they looked like robins eggs; also, the Whopper's version of same. Love Cadbury Creme Eggs, and caramel eggs, too. Reese's is also a safe bet (though always been fonder of pieces, but cups/shapes are good). Not a peeps fan.
Do you like Jelly Bellies?
yup! Big nostalgia trip for me as I never liked jellybeans as a kid until there was a jelly belly stand at the mall as a tween/teen. I mostly like the fruity ones, but buttered and caramel popcorn are good too! I actually liked doing the combo "recipes" - no licorice anything plz.
Are you interested in some of my homemade brown sugar shortbread
I am a sucker for Sakura (cherry blossom) stuff! Otherwise, plain is always good!
For everyone else: Do you have a preference for plastic eggs, treat bags, paper, or no preference?
Glad someone else said it! I didn't want to out myself, but I'd been trying to figure out non-plastic options. I, too, would prefer plastic-free
Spring Chick o' Mine, I have a question about mugs! What are your general feelings on mugs/drinkware?
I feel similarly picky about mugs/drinkware. I have almost no space for mugs/drinkware due to the. .. shall we say ... "collector" tendencies of my roommate and the sith. Plus the sith broke my one good tea mug a month or so ago, and I haven't been able to find a proper replacement. I don't like the standard coffee mug shape, or anything that's too sculptural (like molded faces or animals in 3D). I've been using my company logo mug, but it's more of a larger camp-side mug shape, which means it's too big, too wide and too short, so my tea gets cold really fast; but my only other one has metallic lining inside, so I can't microwave it. ugh. My favorite shape looks like a slightly thinner ceramic/bisque(not glossy) pint glass with a handle. As for glassware, we have so much that I keep my nice floral rocks glasses in a box in my room. (sorry, a little touchy on this one, sith just bought himself yet ANOTHER mug, and the cabinet really can't hold all the mugs we have, which is 60% his and 30% the roommates. 😠
Dear bunny, what are your thoughts on these?
So very cute!! I like a lot of them! (just steer clear of any rodent that's not a rabbit or a chinchilla, please 🙂 )
Dear chick, would you be interested in any of these baked goods?
Matcha shortbread - yes! Love matcha.
Hojicha shortbread - prefer matcha
Lemon scones - oh yes!
Lavender scones - no thanks
Lavender lemon scones - yes
Chocolate chip scones (made with Guittard chips) -yes
Actual flowers - I have no allergies and love flowers
Dear chick, would you be interested in any cute Easter/spring-themed cookie cutters?
I don't guess there's a difference between a cookie cutter and the ones for pie crusts? I don't normally make cookies you cut, but I do sometimes like getting fancy with my double-crust pies, and some flowery-type cutters for that would be super cute!
Spring Tea:
I'm generally not an edible glitter fan, or teas that come with added sweeteners or "flavorings", but the Strawberry snap looks interesting, and it only lists granulated honey as the sweetener. Other ones, Daughter's Rings looks interesting. Green Ginger Mint is generally a favorite flavor in other brands, can't go wrong with that. I'm also almost out of matcha.
Extras (updated)
I just ran out of black garlic salt, that's always nice to have around. And I was seed shopping in Territorial Seed Catalogue and was considering some mixed flower seed blend, like beneficial bug mix, bee feed mix, fragrant mix, or the shade mix, as I don't have a lot of full sun areas in my yard.
