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BPAL Madness!

gwynhwyfar

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About gwynhwyfar

  • Rank
    obsessive precious hoarder
  • Birthday 07/02/1972

Location

  • Location
    Lost Somewhere, PA
  • Country
    United States

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Profile Information

  • Pronouns
    Female
  • Interests
    My cats, my birds, literature and literacy, education, reading, writing, Too Many Craft things (sewing, quilting, wood burning, painting, crochet, beadwork, knitting, cross stitch, glass etching, etc, etc, etc), celebrating the completion of my Masters' degree and trying to get 9th graders enthusiastic about reading ... or at least trying to get them to not look like they're going to cry when someone tells them they have to read a book.
  • Mood
    weird

BPAL

  • Favorite Scents
    I love florals, many-many fruits (though not all), spices, honey, most herbs especially mint and eucalpytus and ... generally most things. :) I'm allergic to tobacco, civet or smoky kinds of scents and I've noticed that I'm having allergic reactions to the BPAL oils with wine notes so there seems to be something there that I'm allergic to. :( I'm also allergic to patchouli, amber and sandalwood in large amounts (though small amounts is absolutely lovely). This is just a list of the BPAL that I don't think I'd ever turn down more of -- there are a lot of others that I like enough to mildly hoard: Aeval, Anubis, Athens, Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, Bakneko, Bed of Nails, Black Cat, Blood Moon, Centzon Totochtin, Chiroptera, Coyote, Cracked Bell, Dragon's Eye, Dragon's Milk, Dragon's Tears, Eclipse, Eos, Frost Moon, Haloes, Hollywood Babylon, Honey Moon, Hunger Moon, Jacob's Ladder, Jasmine Cottage, Juke Joint, Kataniya, Lady Una, Les Bijoux, Lucy's Kiss, Mad Kate, Midnight on the Midway, Mouse’s Long and Sad Tale, Pepper, Poisoned Apple, Snake Oil, Sundew, Swan Maiden, Thalassa, Ultraviolet, Xanthe

Astrology

  • Chinese Zodiac Sign
    Rat
  • Western Zodiac Sign
    Cancer

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  1. gwynhwyfar

    When your favorite GC blends are discontinued

    I returned from the dead to find that my beloved Eos was discontinued while I was becoming a zombie. (Rising from the dead just isn't what it used to be.) Does anyone have any ideas at all for this one? I can't even find anything else with buttercup.
  2. gwynhwyfar

    Ares v3

    I acquired this through the generousity of Schackjj and I'm incredibly grateful for the experience! In the bottle: Mint. Overpowering mint with something else trying to come through. First on my skin: I had an 'oh, that's what that is!' moment as the mint resolved into eucalyptus. Drydown: Yum. Nummy eucalyptus and dragon's blood. 10 minutes later: *lolcat impression* I haz a smell and it iz bad! I'm not sure what happened between the drydown and a few minutes later, but my body chemistry turned this perfume into a retirement home. A lovely (for some definition of lovely) combination of a medicinal smell, something musty/dusty, and mothballs. I'm thrilled to have tested a prototype, I LOVE the way this one smells in the bottle and for those first moments, but I think it's a safe assumption that this'll be moving on to another home, unless my SO has different results.
  3. gwynhwyfar

    Strawberry Moon 2009

    I loved (and still love!) the first Strawberry Moon. When I saw that there was another one, I jumped on it and ordered two bottles without a second thought. Turns out... I really should have paused for a second thought. In the bottle, this is a bright, pure strawberry scent. This smells JUST like a fresh bowl of strawberries just waiting to be nommed. Then I put it onto my skin and for the first five seconds, it still smells like strawberries. Sadly, that passes. After a couple seconds, it gets darker and within minutes, it smells of nothing more than bitter dandelion greens. I can't see that this is going to age to a place of happiness for me, given the nature of aging and scents, so it's going to have to go find another home.
  4. gwynhwyfar

    The Gaoler's Daughter

    So far, this has been the biggest testing surprise of the Yule oils that I've tested. After I decanted it, it was driving me insane because it just smelled SOOOO good. Since I think every BPAL oil with a note of 'cream' has turned evil on my skin, I was scared of what it would do. I shouldn't have been worried. Except that I definitely need a bottle of this, which might make the credit card sad. You know what creamsicles smell like? This is that, only with peaches and the addition of honey and neroli and a little hint of gardenia. Entirely too good, without being overwhelmingly foody. Sweet and floral and fruit and yum.
  5. gwynhwyfar

    Jacob's Ladder

    This has been one of my favorite Yule scents since the first year that it was released. I'd be embarrassed to admit how many bottles I have in various years. The scent is a rich land of amber happiness -- however, this year has been a surprise. Maybe I've forgotten what it smells like new or maybe there's some subtle difference with the 2008 version. This version is kissing cousins to what I have that's aged and well-aged, but it's more musky than what I was expecting. I don't know if it'll age to something as rich as what I have, but I suspect that I'll end up buying another bottle anyway. If only in the name of science. In any case, this is one of my favorite BPAL amber perfumes. Though it's far from straight amber.
  6. gwynhwyfar

    Winter Switch Witch Questions #5

    Anyone a fan of Goddess art? I love images of women, in beautiful poses, strong women, powerful women (No- Not Hilary ROFL) I like dark, vampire types too, not *too* dark- okay for general consumption type art too. There is some that I really love and some that I go 'it's okay' and some that I don't like at all. So it really depends on the individual piece. Anyone else a Luis Royo fan? I'm starting to sound like I'm a broken record, but ... some, yes, some not so much. It depends. What are your favorite websites (i.e., the ones you visit every day, or almost every day)? www.neopets.com (embarrassing, but there you have it) bpal.org, like that's a surprise livejournal.com gmail.com (hey, it's my webmail!) myembarq.com (ditto on web-based email) The website for the school I work at. www.kingdomofloathing.com (I'm so addicted) wgal.com -- local news/weather www.bigfishgames.com I know I'm missing some, but that's 'cause I use the magic of bookmarks and I'm at school, not at home. How do you feel about Lush? Anything you want to try? Eh. There are probably some things I'd enjoy and I've liked the things I have tried, but in general, I'd rather see the money go to the smaller etailers, most of whom have better products, anyway, IMO. How do you feel about home made lip balm, salt or sugar scrubs, soap, bath salts, etc? I make my own lip balm, but since I go through the stuff like crazy, especially in the winter, I'd probably use more. I don't use bath salts or most scrubs/soaps because they dry my skin out too much. Those I DO use are uber-moisturizing and pretty much melt when they have contact with water. if you were to receive a hand-knitted item, what color(s) would you prefer AND are there any types of yarn that you just cannot handle (e.g. wool, llama, etc.) I claim to be allergic to wool because it's easier than explaining, but I can handle some wools. Mostly the general rule is that the more expensive it is, the more likely it is that I can handle it, though there are exceptions. Acrylic tends to be safer all around since it's easier to care for and with all the pets I have, easier to keep the animal fur off and wash when Queenie decides that the mitten is her new best friend and carries it around in her mouth. Color-wise, I mostly tend toward fun things like varigated yarn and brighter colors, though I also like jewel tones and muted colors. White is a no-no, because it won't ever be white again. What is one REALLY expensive, completely outrageous thing you would LOVE to get but totally don't expect to ever get from anyone? A new harp, since my then-husband gave mine away to one of his other girlfriends. I know that this isn't one, but there's also a specific quilting frame that I've been lusting over for years. Oh, and a bass flute. And an oboe. Do you like coffee mugs? Travel or stay at home? How big? Do you like ones from Starbucks? I want a big, huge, giant travel mug that will sit safely in the cupholder of my car. Huge. Like, say, 32 ounces. 32 ounces would be good. Since I don't actually drink coffee and can honestly say I've never been in a Starbucks, I don't know if I'd like the ones from Starbucks. If you drink coffee, do you like whole bean coffee or prefer ground? What grind? What roast (mild, medium, bold, extra bold)? Do you like flavored coffee? *giggles* I love the smell of really dark, rich coffee. But I can't stand the taste. Do you like tea? What kinds of tea (green, red, white, black, decaf, herbal infusions)? Feel free to get specific on brands and tea types. Loose or bagged? Do you need any kind of tea accessories? Pots/cozys/presses/strainers? I'm not too picky on teas -- I like iced tea and hot tea, herbal tea and straight up black/green tea. Ditto on liking loose and bagged. I'm pretty set on accessories, though I occasionally look thoughtfully at glass teapots/mugs, and the blooming teas, but I can't convince myself that it's worth the expense, since I can get a lot of Stash Chai Tea for that amount of money. And, yes, I ADORE Stash Chai and other chai. What is your favorite hot chocolate or drinking chocolate? Do you need Vegan or no? Chocolate and hot! Dark, dark, dark chocolate. Vegan isn't necessary. Do you need any decanting supplies? Pipettes? Vials? How about any wand caps? Roller bottles? Some spray bottles (for oils mixed with alcohol?) I'm pretty set, though I'd never turn down disposable pipettes since I run more circles than is sane. I'd love to get reducer caps onto all my bottles and I'm slowly working on that as the lab sends me extras sometimes with orders. I wanted to ask a question: are there any rare (or even uber-rare) scents that you'd really like to try? Try, no. Hoard, yes. Honey Moon. More Honey Moon, please. I don't know what I was thinking when I didn't order a dozen and a half bottles of this (oh, right, I didn't have any money at the time). I half about half a bottle and I'm very stingy with it, but this is close to my Holy Grail, or as close as someone as fickle as I am can get. I also have hoarding tendencies toward Cracked Bell, which is another of those scents that I didn't have enough money to hoard properly when it was available. Oh, and Crypt Queen because by the time I realized that I adored it more than was sane, it wasn't available any more. Does your forum name have a special significance? Refer to something or someone you admire? Reflect your interests? Come on, spill! Sure. Oh, wait. You actually wanted the answer, didn't you? *giggles* I've been obsessed with the Arthurian legend for as long as I can remember. Pretty much literally! When I was in high school, there were 8 other people with my first name in my graduating class (not even counting those in the other classes) and out of self-defense, we all adopted nicknames. Because of the obsession, I became Gwen and then Gwyn, since Gwen still sounded a lot like 'Jen' and didn't help with the confusion. What's your favorite texture? Soft? I don't think I have one -- I like textures in general. Even sandpaper! What's one luxury item you want to pamper yourself with but haven't yet? I think I covered this with the expensive item that I'd like to get ahold of. Maybe. Do you prefer arm warmers to the wrist, to the base of the fingers, or half fingered? All of the above, though mostly to the fingers and half-fingered. I even like the ones with the little thumb-cuffs. Any favorite cartoon characters? Disney, Sanrio, etc? Fairly Oddparents? Kim Possible? Have you (or maybe the younguns in your family) been exposed to the Webkinz craze? I hate to admit it, but, erm. Yes. Because I had to have the crocodile, because he looks like an alligator and since I had the code, I entered it and, well, yeah. I wasted a good bit of the summer playing with the alligator. I'm tempted by a couple of the others, but I'm resisting temptation like a good girl. Because I'm 36 and really a little too old to play with Webkinz. Really. Who's your favorite playwright? I don't have one. Anyone into physical activities? For instance- I'm training to become a Combat Archer in the SCA, and something I would use would be an Archers glove...is there anything you do as a sport/hobby in which you might need equipment? I do Dance Dance Revolution. Badly, but nearly every day. Does that count? I've thought about upgrading the floorpad, but I have yet to do so. Mostly because I can't decide which one would work best when I'm shopping online and nowhere has them for me to physically inspect. I think that's pretty much it at this point in my life.
  7. gwynhwyfar

    Snow Bunny

    I love this, I really do. It's light and a little sweet and a little chilly and all around wonderful. The only problem, and it's a big one, is that my skin devours it and within a couple hours, I can't detect even the slightest hint of the perfume on my skin. So while I adore the scent, I don't really feel the need to acquire more of it. I wouldn't ever wear the poor thing.
  8. I was asked to post some answers and I obey! How big cage/perch does your pretty bird have/need? Macaw size/safe perches. He's a big bird! The cage itself is 24" across, both ways. A little bigger works because I can put it in at a diagonal. Also smaller if it only has the bolt at one end of it (the perch in that style is the only one still surviving, but that's concrete and he doesn't like sitting on it.) I want to get him manzanita wood, but I want to be able to pick them out myself to make sure that they didn't crack where the bolts were put in. The local petshop only has them up to the size for conures, which isn't nearly large enough for him. The pretty bird is, BTW, named Pistachio. He's a wonderfully talkative African Grey who wants to eat my fingers and adored my father. Favorite Herbs? To cook with or smell or for ritual use? Absolutely favorite die of squee food: Really really really sharp cheddar cheese. So sharp that it bites back. The sharper the better. The best I've ever had was aged for close to a decade and I considered crying when it was gone. I'm also a sucker for homemade baked cheesecake, made from scratch. Fresh from the fridge after it was fresh from the oven. Mmmmmmm. Would you like things for your classroom? Children's books, stickers, corny teacher store decorations, good job rubber stamps, things like that? I could definitely use more borders. Those are one thing that wasn't left by the teacher I replaced! I picked up some at the dollar store but they don't have much of a selection. Maybe your dollar stores have better selections! Those little 'dot' stickers are good -- the ones that have hundreds and hundreds in a pack and each one is only about the size of a fingertip? I use a lot of those. Stamps ... I'm okay with. There are a couple I want to acquire, but those are very specific things. Books I'm actually pretty good on for the moment. I inherited a lot of things and I tend to stalk used booksales obsessively. What is the circumference of Queenie's neck? I'll measure tomorrow, though really ... Queenie doesn't need any neck decor, but thank you. The only thing that she tolerates is the collar, and that barely -- she's determined to get rid of the jingling tags, somehow. It's actually kind of funny to watch -- but this is why the evil dog has a collar that snaps together rather than one that buckles. No ends for her to get ahold of, the imp. ETA: Queenie's neck is an impressive 18 1/4" around. At least, that's the size her collar is set at, which is tight enough to stay on and not so tight that it drives her completely insane. I'm sad. The dollar tree doesn't have any more of the collars like the one she has on, which I love. I'd decided to pick up a couple and stash them away but they're all out. Pets' favorite types of toys? Queenie loves Nylabones -- the ones with the larger ends on them, though not the flavored because I'm not going to encourage her to eat them. She also likes mismatched socks and shreds them into little pieces quite happily. Stuffies that she can carry around and gnaw on are popular, too. Stuffies that squeak are less popular with mom, though! Balls are ever popular and she has this amusing ability to play soccer with larger balls. Not such a good indoor/winter toy/game, but very entertaining over the summer. She doesn't like Kongs. They seem to scare her, poor baby. ETA: She really does love toys that squeak. And despite the 'driving me insane' factor, I keep getting them for her. The most recent acquisition is a rubber sandwich that looks like someone took a bite out of the side of it that I picked up at the dollar store. I had a hard time choosing between the sandwich, the pear, and the ear of corn! So cute! The cats are overly fond of bouncy balls and my toes. Also things that are catnip scented and shoestrings. Little balls of paper and packing peanuts are also popular. Also barrettes, hair elastics and BPAL imps that they find and can knock onto the floor. Evil brats. Oh, and empty boxes are GREAT fun. Stach likes anything he can chew apart and Tee loves baby toys -- seriously. The best toys for her that I've found are fun baby toys from yard sales. I tend to favor the large macaw toys for Stach because while he's only an African Grey, he's very smart and devious. One of his longest favorite toys is a long bolt with an assortment of nuts on it and an endnut soldered onto the end so he can't get it off and take off the nuts completely. He twists the nuts down and I turn them all back up and then he turns them down and around we go. ETA: The chickens don't seem to be interested in toys. Though I have heard that you can hang up a head of cabbage like a pinata and it'll entertain them for hours in the winter when there's less foraging to do and when it's too cold to really be out and wandering around. Glove/hand size: *holds a hand up* This big. I tend to end up mediums in women's gloves. If you want more specific, I can do some measuring. Wanna see the mittens I'm lusting at? They're here: http://www.theinsideloop.com/Issue4/Patter...ippocampus.html -- I want them more than I can even say, though in a Gwyn-friendly yarn, of course! They are so amazing. What was your father's name? I'd like to do something in honor of him... Stephen Allen. He was a huge fan of trees and a supporter of the Arbor Day Foundation. The family joke was that he was trying to plant enough trees to solve global deforestation himself. He was endlessly designing and building and planning and creating. I came by it honest, if on a different scale. He was -fascinated- with my knitting and would sit and watch me knit. I like to babble, sneaky GnomeWitch!
  9. gwynhwyfar

    Winter Switch Witch Questions #4

    Are there any witchy type supplies you're in need of, or would like to try etc.? Herbs, smudge sticks, resins, tarot/oracle cards, incense burners, pretty tools, stuff like that? No resins/incense, please. I have enough incense to last me four lifetimes. At least. I collect tarot decks (and should post a list of the decks that I'm currently lusting for) so those are always good. Mostly because I've found that decks tend to become topic-specific in my hands and get definite preferences one way or another. On nut intolerance - does it include things like almond/coconut oil bases and essential oils in perfume oils, skincare products, scented candles and the like? I can't eat most nuts anymore due to some fun with my digestive system as I've gotten older. Some are still okay and I adore pistachios (not the dyed kind since I don't want to turn my fingers red that way) and cashews. I can't eat sunflowers at all or use sunflower oil because of a fun allergy. I also ADORE roasted almonds and miss the organic place that I used to buy them from and eat them like candy. Nom. If you are a fan, who were your favorite Buffy and Angel characters? Tara. Willow before she went evil/ultrapowerful and even after she went evil, in a very warped way. Vampire Willow. Dru, in a demented kind of way. Faith. Kennedy. Giles. Do you like Shakespeare? Which plays? I used to and then teaching Shakespeare to high school students made me decide that I loathed it. Give me a few years to recover and this answer will almost certainly change back to love. Question for the Class: Favorite Musical? Um. I don't have one? Musicals really aren't my thing. Though I do enjoy the soundtracks for Wicked, Les Mis, and Phantom of the Opera. How do you like your chocolate? White, milk, bittersweet, as dark as possible? Plain, with flavoring, with chunks of stuff in? Fairly traditional, or weird and experimental? Dark chocolate. Dark, dark, dark dark. Almonds are okay, as are cranberries and blueberries and raspberry filling. Truffles rock my world. Favorite animals? Least favorite? All of them. Though I collect alligator items and seahorses and dolphins. I obviously love cats and dogs and chickens and parrots. I love sharks and have a probably unhealthy fascination with them. I'm not especially fond of spiders. Or millipedes. Way too many legs. How do you feel about Heifer International? Or do you have other favorite charities not mentioned in your application? Any charity that doesn't just hand people money but actually encourages them to make a better life is okay in my book. I tend to gravitiate toward the reading oriented charities, which probably isn't a surprise to anyone. So for all witches of the shimmying types- would you like tassel belts/jingle belts/ ect and if so, how big are your hips? I bellydance, badly, but I'm quite happy without any belts of the jingling variety. I'd rather have bracelets and anklets that jingle.
  10. gwynhwyfar

    Winter Switch Witch Questions #3

    What are 3 places that you'd like to visit, or re-visit? Excellent question. I adore Chincoteague, Virginia. I used to say that I wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest, but that was before I inherited this house, which I have no intention of giving up ever, so since the desire to visit was a precursor to thinking of moving there, not so much relevant now. I'd like to take the trip to Egypt that my mother never got to take. And I'd love to go back to Ireland without the psycho ex-husband along. Literary erotica. Who doesn't love it? *raises a hand* Me. I'm picky. There is some that I enjoy but most of it makes me roll my eyes a little bit. Are you planning on buying anything off your BPAL wishlist during the round? Since my witchlist is woefully out of date (sorry, Witch!), I don't know. There are a couple Yules that I want to acquire, but I'll probably hold on them until the deadline is closer. There are also a couple CDs that I kinda want to hoard more of, but I'm not too worried about that since we still have a couple acts to go, so hopefully, they'll be around longer. Do you read graphic novels/comics? Which ones? I love Neil Gaiman. Also most of the Vertigo titles. There are some things that I have in my happy little hoard, and some that I didn't manage to acquire because of a lack of funds. And now I'm afraid of the amount that I don't have. Which witches would want Bpal boxes? Or imp cases? I'm pretty well set for imp and bottle storage. How about a short - or longer - piece of fanfic? Good question. I've never had fanfic written for me and I don't really like most of it, but I might be surprised. What is the weirdest and/or most practical thing you are not buying for yourself right now? The thing that you probably should be buying, but have been putting off in lieu of something else? A digital scale capable of weighing larger packages. New power cords for the two automatic litterboxes. A new cordless phone for upstairs. New perches for the perch-eating-parrot but since he keeps chewing through them, I kinda feel like it would be a lost cause and I can't find the really good hard wood ones large enough for his cage. I'm sure there are other things that should be on this list, but I don't know what right now. Would you like handmade piece of calligraphy as a gift? Oooooo. Prettttty. I also am a total sucker for beautifully done scherenscnitte. What jewelry are you wearing now? What jewelry do you wear everyday-or do you change jewelry all the time? Nothing, because I'm not really awake today. Normally, I wear a pendant, earrings, and at least one bracelet. When I wear skirts/dresses, I also tend to add an anklet. Often one of my belled anklets to annoy everyone as much as possible. The actual choices vary from day-to-day based on outfit and mood. I don't wear rings at all. Though if the boy ever gave me a ring, that might change. Boxes, baskets, etc.? Baskets are awesome. My mother's basket collection is largely hanging from the ceiling, though I keep pulling them down to use them for other things. Boxes are pretty but not always terribly useful -- Flat surfaces that aren't easily accessed by the critters are rare around here, so decorative boxes might be pretty but odds are good they'll end up put safely away because of the zoo. Chia Pet, do you need one? Probably not, though a catgrass/catnip garden or three might not be a bad idea. Houseplants and/or things to put them in: thoughts? I LOVE houseplants. I can't even guess how many I have but it's definitely a lot. I dream of acquiring those glass globes that you fill with water and put into the plant to water it automatically for awhile. Watering the plants is quite the production around here. Literally gallons of water a week! (Two large peace lilies, a large ficus tree, and a huge number of other smaller plants.) Do you like baskets, jars and other interesting containers? Filled or Empty? See above for baskets. Jars can also be a challenge. What I'm hunting for now is a nice set of plastic containers to store seeds for sprouting that are air-tight and pretty. Where set equals 12-15 containers. Who are your forum friends, person or people your witch can contact for ideas? Kythrynne, Bard, Loveandprozak, Greylen (my witch from last round). Probably others who have joined my decant circles repeatedly or swapped with me, since I tend to be chatty. What cartoons did you grow up watching? Any animated shows you still watch? Looney Toons, Bugs Bunny, Johnny Quest, Speed Racer. I've dated myself, haven't I? Smurfs. Simpsons, of course. Animaniacs. I still watch Simpsons. Also Fairly Oddparents. I loved Kim Possible. Do you like honey? Will you like to try creamy honey with black sesame or with cinnamon powder? I love honey. Though I tend to prefer the natural stuff, I'll try just about anything. Creamed honey is awesome (crystallized, not with the butter added to it). Even if I did read that as 'black pepper' the first time I read it, which led to me wondering how honey would taste with black pepper. I adore comb honey and the different varieties. I especially adore mint honey, heather honey, cranberry honey, and fireweed honey. Oh ... I do like chocolate honey of the kind you might get here: http://www.btschocolate.com/. I love the dark chocolate, orange, and raspberry. Nom.
  11. gwynhwyfar

    Winter Switch Witch Questions #2

    What is the biggest problem or sad thing in your life? Of course, I mean the saddest or worst thing you can confess here. My father passed away this summer. Since my mother passed away 8 years ago and my brother is working on his Professional Weasel certificate, this leaves me essentially orphaned, in respect to blood family. I'm coping with it, but I don't expect that this is going to be a fun holiday season for me. I have friends that I'll see (and friends that I won't see) and the same goes for the extended family, but that doesn't change the fact that there are family traditions that are just dead now. Unless I do them alone. So I'm going to stop here so that I don't get too rambly or self-pitying. What fashion item or style do you like, but never wear? Er. I tend to wear the things I like, even when the things I like might end up making me look a little unusual. I'm pretty content with looking unusual. Do you like to cook? if so, what? Would you like things like spices, cookbooks, recipes, tips? I love to cook, though I don't have the time for it that I generally have. I tend to be overly fond of my crockpot and frequently wish that I had a larger one. I like being able to dump stuff in there and have it be food by the time I wake up in the morning or come home from work in the evening. Cookbooks -- yes. Particularly cookbooks that are written for people who like yummy food but have little time to prepare meals and don't eat much meat. (I eat chicken and fish, but no red meat and very little pork.) Ditto spices. And crockpot recipes, especially for fun cheesey and veggie dishes, are always appreciated. Do any of you like puzzle books? Variety puzzle books, logic problems. I don't need any more suduko books or kukuro books since at this point in my life, I have enough of these books to do a puzzle a day forever and not run out. I love Christmas music even though I'm pagany -- how about you? Honestly, no. Normally, yes, but this year I'm very much the Grinch/Scrooge. I take comfort in knowing that I should be back to normal eventually, but this year, I'm finding that every time I hear a holiday song, I feel compelled to immediately make it go away. Anyone else have a sudden and unexpected favorite BPAL lately? Nah. They're all my loves. I'm such a fickle girl when it comes to scent. It's cold outside - what are your favorite drinks to keep yourself warm and cozy? Tea. Caffeinated and herbal. I wish passionate for a HUGE travel mug that won't spill and will fit into my car's cupholder. I also look at the blooming teas and the large glass teapots on a regular basis, but I can't decide what I want to get so I don't. I also adore hot chocolate and when it isn't a 'school morning' drink, I tend to add a little peppermint or raspberry schnapps to spice it up. Again, I wish for a larger travel mug that didn't fall over in my car because it actually fit in my cupholder. Would my potential Witchee be up for some music stuff they'd never heard before if they couldn't understand the words? Absolutely. Especially if it has a good beat to bellydance to!
  12. gwynhwyfar

    Winter Switch Witch Questions #1

    What kind of candy/sweet treat would you like to receive? Dark chocolate, sweet-tarts, smarties, licorice of the black variety, reese peanut butter cups, anise candies. Would you personally rather get handmade jewelry or the beads to make something yourself? Either! I like fun jewelry and I also like playing with beads and wire, even if my actual wire-wrapping skills explain why I love to barter with Kythryne. Also, I love the little itty bitty seed beads to do loomwork with because I'm a little psychotic. It seems like there are quite a few knitting witches, so I assume they are on the Ravelry forum as well. If so, what are your names on there so I can stalk you? Gwynhwyfar. I know that comes as a total surprise. Speaking of which, how many Browncoat witches do we have?? And if you are, would you be interested in getting a Kaylee parasol? If not, would you be interested in getting a paper parasol hand painted with your favorite colors? I've never watched Serenity or Firefly. So if I am a Browncoat, I don't know that I am. Is there any time during the holidays (or the rest of the round) when you'll be away from home for a significant period and it'd be best not to send anything by mail? Nope. With the animals, I'll actually never again get to go on vacation. Say it with me -- one dog, two parrots, one budgie, four cats, seven chickens and a snake in a pear tree. Well, maybe not the pear tree. To make up for the fact that I probably won't be able to send my witchee homebaked goodies, will Tim Tams in any number of varieties be an acceptable replacement? I don't even know what a Tim Tam is. Hand beaded jewellery, yay or nay? See above. As long as it's well-made and sturdy. Which witches would like hair accessories: clips, scrunchies, hairsticks, headscarves, etc? Small barrettes and clips are awesome, as are fun elastics of the kind that you would typically see in the hair of an elementary child. (Or a teacher who never grew up.) Large barrettes won't get much use as I tend to prefer my hair down and when I do put it up, I have a butterfly barrette that I'm in love with. On a similar note, who likes yarn? What kinds/colors/weights/fibers? Handspun? Glitter? Funky art yarn made from shredded jeans, fake flowers, lace, sequins, and the tattered souls of your enemies? Other craft supplies you desperately want more of and can't live without? *makes grabby hands at the yarn* Wool isn't a great idea -- there is SOME that I can use but it's very hit-or-miss. Right now, I'd probably be thrilled with more batts to play with -- I decided that I need a new hobby so I'm teaching myself to spin with relatively-inexpensive-silk-batts. Also, I'm insane. Anyone else a total nerd like me and would like DnD/Roleplay stuff (Dice, minis, books, corny tees, etc.)? No, thank you! How do people feel about unusual ornaments? As in, for holidays other than Christmas? Probably not, unless it's something specific that catches my attention. Which makes this hard for someone else to shop for me for! Question: who would like a pair of handknit socks? Size? Color preference? Cabled, ribbed (for your pleasure), stranded colorwork, etc.? No, thank you! Being able to knit makes this kinda silly. Being allergic to wool, which seems to be the most popular homemade sock fibre, makes this especially silly. While I love the look of homemade socks, especially the really complicated and pretty things that would look awesome with my sandals, since I wear socks-with-Birkenstocks all the time, this isn't practical. But if you find a way to make it practical or like being insane .. I love toe socks like I love chocolate and my cats. Also I love fun patterned socks and just plain silly socks. Seasonal socks make me happy-dance. Seasonal toe socks would result in loud squeeing. How does everyone feel about steampunk? Generally, I can take it or leave it, though every now and then something jumps out at me and I go 'giveme.' Since we're talking about warm winter wearables, who likes hats? Mittens? Arm warmers? I love gloves and tend to pick up the inexpensive kind every time I see them because I also lose gloves. I would love to have a NICE pair of those mittens that are gloves, too -- the convertible ones. Scarves, no thank you. Please. They are taking over my life. Fingerless gloves that are stylish enough that I can get away with wearing them to work, especially in a variety of colors so I can be color-coordinated, would be awesome. Those are on my 'make for me' list. If your witch were to send you cookies, what kind of cookies would you like? Chocolate with peanut butter chips. That was a hard question. Not. I also like oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and raisins. Who likes tshirts? What about homemade tshirts? Like with transfers I made myself.... I'm hard on transfers -- I like the idea, but they don't survive long with me. The parrot finds the edges and peels them off slowly or not-so-slowly, for one. Would you like to receive ATCs (artist trading cards) or would you prefer something more usable, like bookmarks or something? Probably bookmarks. Even if I do lose them like I'm scattering deciduous leaves around. What witch would like a cloak? I don't need another one -- this would be why I'm pondering making one for MY Witchee -- I'm antsy to make a cloak and need a cloak-victim.
  13. gwynhwyfar

    Blood Moon 2008

    I loved the first Blood Moon, which was a great 'dried hay and blood' scent on me. I was disappointed a bit that this one wasn't more harvesty, but I still got a bottle. OMG. I should have gotten more. This one is a little sweeter and a little lighter -- a little more floral, but still has that blood note running through it. It's too incensely in the bottle, but luckily that clears up on my skin very rapidly. I may like this one better than the first. Maybe.
  14. gwynhwyfar

    Autumn Coolness

    Wisteria and lotus and bamboo. I love this oil. It's light and sweet and floral and not at all overpowering. I wish that I got something more complex than I do, especially since there isn't a lot in the way of base notes that I'm getting, which makes me worry about how it'll age, but for the moment, I love it. The drydown makes it slightly powdery, but not at all unpleasant. ETA: This smells lovely with Fearful Pleasures. Just sayin'.
  15. gwynhwyfar

    To Autumn

    This made me want to cry. This was in the top-five for oils that I was looking forward to sniffing. Unfortunately, something in it or some combination of the notes means an instant headache for me. And not a little one, either. Decanting this was an interesting experience (I actually ended up wearing a mask to do so). It's very strong, but that's the best that I can offer, I fear.
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