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    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
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invisible iris' Blog
 

Switch Witch Help Part 1

This is where I'll post answers to Switch Witch questions...   Preface: So many thanks for taking the time and effort to read this! While this page contains many specifications, ultimately it's the thought that counts and I will be deeply grateful for whatever it might please you to send my way.   MY SWITCH WHICH ?AIRE (slightly updated version)   Basic Info Pets: 3 cats, Saadya, Razi, and Lilleput ("Lilly"), all male. Children: Nope and never. Religious orientation: unaffiliated pagan. Favorite Holiday: Yule. Occupation/Major in school: I teach philosophy at a university and write fiction. Living arrangement: I live in a house with my husband (& cats). Livejournal/Blog/Website: I don’t currently have one. Organizations/Causes/Activities: I practice Iyengar yoga and am vegan for ethical reasons (I donate to Farm Sanctuary), other than that I don’t easily affiliate with any organized groups that I can think of.   BPAL Favorite BPAL oils: Anne Bonny, Banshee Beat, Banded Sea Snake, Mme. Moriarty, The Butterfly, Arachne of Lydia, The Coiled Serpent, Elephantine Colossus, Tree of Life, Philosopher in Meditation, Snake Oil, No. 93 Engine, Eat Me, this list is ever shifting & expanding. Favorite notes: patchouli, frankincense, golden amber, vanilla/tonka, honey, beeswax, myrrh, cake, tobacco, clove, moss, cedar, cake, red/black currant, plum, sandalwood, cedar, red musk, mandarin and bitter orange notes like bergamot or petitgrain. Favorite non-BPAL perfumes: I don’t wear non-BPAL perfume. Least favorite notes: Florals aren't really my thing, I often dislike vetiver, I usually can't wear leather, milk/cream, fig, blackberry, pomegranate. Fruits and florals are generally risky unless combined with something resinous/smoky/dark/dry. Also: NO NEROLI EVER please. Least favorite non-BPAL perfumes: Don't have any. If Beth made a custom blend for you, what would the notes be, and what would you want the label art to look like? Hmm… patchouli, clove, black vanilla, and black currant? Like a cross between Banshee Beat and Arachne of Lydia. Something simple and dark, with a scent that was difficult to place. The label would have on it something obscure and mysterious, like a magical or alchemical symbol.   Clothing & Jewelry Hair type: Long (mid-back), blonde-ish (natural color), straight-ish (depending on how it’s dried), fine with a tendency to go flat. Skin Type: Fair, sensitive, combination skin. Allergies (specifically B&B related): None that I know of. Other things to avoid: Synthetic chemicals (SLS, parabens, etc.) make me break out. I usually go with ‘simpler is better.’ Tub, shower or both? Tub! I love long, hot, luxurious, good-smelling baths. But sometimes I’ll shower if I’m in a hurry. Favorite bath & beauty products: I love scented bath oils & essential oils (either pleasurey-perfumey or aromatherapeutic, depending on my mood), bath salts, salt or sugar scrubs, scented soaps (BPTP and other small/indie/local companies), minimalist balms and oils like coconut and argan oil, lately I’m experimenting with organic (-ish) dry shampoos. Clothing Style/Fave garments: Casual-comfy-loungy while at home, like Alternative Apparel tees and yoga/sweatpants. For work, J-Crew-y (classic, simple, polished, pencil skirts and drapey cardigans) with a twist (shades of goth, punk, motorcycle, vintage, or hippie). I love scarves, linen, silk, or woolen, woven or knit, patterns and plaids. I also like handknits. I lust after expensive vegan footwear (OlsenHaus is my favorite brand), and occasionally wear heels but mostly flats (I'm kind of tall). Favorite clothing colors/colors to wear: Neutrals (black, greys, tans, browns, navy) with occasional flashes of saturated bright colors (blood red, deep magenta, forest green, marine blue, teal, mustard or yellow ochre). I like brightly colored or (tastefully done) animal-print accessories for mixing and matching. I don't really wear pastels or white. Type(s) of jewelry worn: Most of the time just my wedding/engagement ring, but I sometimes wear necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings. When I wear jewelry it’s usually simple or minimalist… but I’m totally into experimenting with bolder jewelry and accessories in interesting or unexpected shapes and textures. Ring/wrist/collar size: Ring size 4-7, depending on the finger (ring finger is 4.75). I'm not sure about my wrist size, I usually go to the smallest notch for women's watches... Jewelry - gold or silver? Either one, but I tend toward gold (I also like distressed or blackened silver and brass). Do you have any allergies to metal? No. Favorite gemstones: Anything with a deep/brilliant hue or earthy striations, hematite, moonstone, jade, quartz. Sock/Shoe Size: 8 to 8.5 (39 EU).   Lifestyle Style/home decoration style: Velvet, steam punk/industrial, occasionally art nouveau, turn-of-the-century or exotica antiques in the front of the house. And brightly-colored minimalist mid-century modern in the back. (I like both interior decorating styles and have trouble choosing between them---though to be honest, the mid-mod rooms are increasingly encroached upon by the eclectic vibe. ) In general, I like quirky things in my living space, where you look at it and can't tell where it came from. I love decorations that have to do with nature, or any kind of animals, including mythical or totem animals--like cobra-shaped candelabra, little sculptures of scarabs or spiders, Ancient Grecian or Egyptian relics, African tribal, archeological artifacts, fossils, anything old, textured, with historical or spiritual/ritual associations. I’m fascinated by 18th century science, I especially like vitalism and artistic works inspired by it (for example the drawings of Ernst Haeckel), also by what 19th century imperialist cultures thought of as exotic, any kinds of items that relate to these things. I'm always looking for antiques/curiosities to set on the mantle or hang on the wall. Favorite decorating colors: I love juxtaposing bright, rich, or deep colors with darker and muted neutrals, wood grain, rock-textures, and industrial metals. In general I like clever contrasty decor--for example, pairing a neon color yarn to make a traditionally crocheted lace doily. Things you collect: Other than BPAL, old books, including old technical manuals and steampunk or Victorian-era fiction. Also antique watchworks or other mechanisms, anything that could be put on display on a coffee table or mantle as a curiosity. Tarot cards/decks. Favorite music: I tend to like artists rather than genres--I love love love Kate Bush and Suzanne Vega, I really like Cocteau Twins, Siouxie and the Banshees, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave… I have a special fondness for Freddie Mercury (of Queen). I mostly like dark and ethereal, atmospheric shoegazey, or poetic songwritery type stuff. Least favorite music: Contemporary country, rap, hip-hop. Vegetarian/Vegan?: (Please be as specific as possible to reduce confusion!) I eat a vegan diet (no meat, fish, eggs, dairy, butter, whey, casein, etc.) with the exception that I *do* eat (and love) honey. I *do not* wear leather, but I *do* wear, and use, wool and silk. Other food restrictions: None that I can think of, I tend toward what I think of as “healthy” or “whole foods,” but at the same time I love (vegan) baking and have a ginormous sweet tooth. Favorite flavors: Chocolate, peanut butter, coconut, coffee, hazelnut, caramel, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, hm I love pretty much all flavors, as long as they’re natural flavors, and especially if they’re flavored with the real thing (for example I love banana bread, but dislike most banana candies). I don’t care for artificially flavored foods. Favorite foods/drinks: I love chocolate and nuts, all kinds of baked goods especially ones involving peanut butter, chocolate, and/or coconut. I like sour gummy candies in moderate amounts! I also love heirloom and Native American varieties of dried beans. I drink coffee everyday, and tea most afternoons, I like trying all kinds of coffee and tea including black, oolong, green, red, white, herbal, etc.--I like flavored teas, but I prefer natural-flavored instead of artificially-flavored teas. I don’t drink soda except for the very occasional high-quality root beer. Favorite authors/genres: Favorite fiction authors include Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Mark Twain, of contemporary authors I consistently enjoy Michael Malone, Philip Pullman. I like almost any genre of fiction, as long as the story is engaging and well-written and not too masculinity-centric. I’m very interested in smart women authors. I particularly love immersive, well-written fantasy books, because they seem best able to grab my attention and really absorb me. Currently making my way through GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire, which I like. Due to my schooling/work, I’ve spent so much time in the past decade reading scholarly or classical texts that I haven’t put enough time/effort into contemporary and fun/light fiction of all kinds, I’m behind everybody else who reads for fun, and I’m currently trying to remedy that… I love an author who can be clever/witty/funny but also serious/profound/poignant in the same sentence. I also love French & English poetry, favorite poets include Baudelaire, John Milton, Gerard Manley Hopkins, W. B. Yeats, Dylan Thomas, Wallace Stevens, Phillip Larkin. Least favorite authors/genres: I don’t have particular least favorites, but if an author takes her/himself too seriously, or is too contrived or pretentious (there are exceptions to this!), it’s kind of a warning flag that I won’t love their work. Books/authors you'd like to read, but haven't yet: I’m a bit curious about H. P. Lovecraft, never got around to picking up any of his stories and I wonder if I’d like them. I could also use a nice Edgar Allan Poe volume (have read, but don't own). In general, I’m open to suggestions. How do you feel about receiving gently used books as gifts? I’d like that! I prefer used books over new, as long as they're not underlined or highlighted. Favorite stores (including clothing stores): I prefer to stay away from corporate giants, but I rely on Whole Foods and Whole Body for staples. I love browsing local antique stores looking for funky/weird/quirky/exotic/curious stuff, including the book section of antique stores, and also used bookstores. Favorite online stores (including B&B stores): Other than BPAL?.. Amazon for pretty much everything, J. Crew for work clothes, Endless for shoes… I like browsing etsy for handmade and antique or vintage items. I prefer buying from people rather than companies, and in most cases I prefer simple/natural/handmade over complicated/artificial. I like old, weird things, and don’t mind ‘used’ at all, but I don’t have any particular people/stores that I frequent... Magazines you subscribe to: None. Magazines you like, but don't subscribe to: None.. I’m not a big magazine reader. Favorite movies: Parody comedies like The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap, MacGruber, silly stuff that makes me laugh no matter how foul my mood. I also like movies that are nostalgic or comforting like Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal (The Princess Bride scratches this itch too), random cheezy 90's movies that remind me of being an angsty teenager, Miyazaki films like Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Ponyo. I like BBC-style adaptations of English literature (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, etc.). I’m not a huge horror/gorey movie person, if I watch too much scary stuff I get anxious and can’t sleep at night. But I enjoy good psychological horror every now and again. Favorite TV show(s): I love, and love to talk in-depth about, Survivor. I also love HBO’s Game of Thrones, I like the TV show Community, and My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic, My So-Called Life (and also Huge), The Colbert Report. I’m a fan of Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse), although I think I have a bit of Whedonverse fatigue. Hobbies/crafts done: I knit and spin yarn (my Ravelry handle is bizbis, if you’d like to see things I’ve made). I prefer to work with (and wear) non-synthetic fibers (wool, silk, etc.).   Wishlists *Please note I do not expect to receive anything from my wishlists, they are mainly to give an idea of my tastes.* BPAL Wish List (including SW/SF Help): here Other website Wish lists (amazon.com, etc): Amazon, Etsy   Random Questions: - On a scale of 1-5, how organized are you? Maybe a 4? I’m habitually messy, but lately I’ve been pretty good at keeping the house neat.. except for the kitchen, it's a hopeless mess. - Where, outside of the U.S. would you love to visit? (if you're international, this can be anywhere) Ireland, Scotland, Vietnam, Thailand, Athens, Egypt, Ethiopia, New Zealand, Antarctica. There aren’t a lot of places I *wouldn’t* like to visit, but travel is expensive and kind of stresses me out.. In reality I’m a hermit and a homebody, I take my cue from the cats and like to stay comfy in my own famliar territory. - Do people tell you that you act older, younger, or your age? Most would say older. People who know me well say younger. My husband says both. - What animal do you feel like the most? I identify most with the Wild Bactrian Camel. I think it would be my spirit animal, if I had one. But I also love bats, owls, and unicorns. And obviously cats. - Your favorite feature about yourself: Physically I suppose I like my… eyes? Or my hair, which is longer than I’ve ever had it, and I’m trying to learn to take care of it/style it better, but it makes me feel like a princess. - Do you live in a neighborhood or in the middle of nowhere? In a neighborhood. Kind of a quaint old neighborhood. - If you were a tree, what would you be and why? A weeping willow, because I think I look similar to one (my hair kind of… does that flowing weeping shape thing), it seems to me like a good tree for a quiet person (I’m pretty quiet, and can be kind of shy/softspoken/introverted), and weeping willows seem so peaceful and breezy to me… but weeping willows can also be sinister (like Old Man Willow from Fellowship of the Ring) and wise, and I like that about them. But sometimes I’m thorny, so I have non-weeping willowy moments where I’m more like a prickly shrubbery. -Have you ever thought, "oh, I'm going to get myself one of those one of these days" but then never do? List 1 under $10 and 1 over $10. For a while I’ve wanted a nice beeswax and/or scented candle (or more than one!), which could go for under $10, although it could also be over $10 depending on the quality/size. Also I always mean to buy myself some interesting hair accessories (barettes, combs, pins, headbands, hairsticks, jaws thingies), but I never get around to it--those could also be either under or over $10, depending. - Has a stranger ever told you that you did something really well? What was it? Hm yes, baking. - Do you like garage sales (boot sales)? Yes but I’m quite picky about what I purchase from them. - I like to slather my food in …: I love condiments of all kinds... Hummus, mustard, honey mixed with mustard, ketchup, sriracha, vegan mayonnaise, bbq sauce, vinegars of all kinds, kimchi, fancy salts, nutmeg, homemade vegan cheezy sauces, tahini, peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate, Braggs, nutritional yeast… the only (vegan) condiment I can think of that I don’t absolutely love is hot sauce, hot sauce is just OK. - State fairs or carnivals? Carnivals. Although in reality I find them a bit disturbing, human beings can be the scariest things in the universe, and carnivals are a visceral reminder of that.   Notes (Here's where you can add additional information you'd like your Switch Witch to know!):   -I’m quite picky when I choose things for myself, but when it comes to gifts, I value most the thoughtfulness put into it. I love when somebody shares something with me that they themselves love in whatever capacity (anything from a bath/beauty product they think is awesome and that I would like too, to a book/movie/artwork that is close to their heart, or something handmade, etc.).   -Also, I love details. Detailed things and just in general, details. I love things that are interesting in a subtle way, where you have to take a closer look to see.   -Despite my interest in unicorns and cheezy/nostalgic TV shows and movies, I tend not to go for cutesy home decor/personal accessories. But there are exceptions to every rule…   -I have kind of a dark/cynical/pessimistic view of the world, and so I love artwork/literature with dark themes. But I also appreciate levity.   -My sun sign is Cancer, Scorpio is my rising sign, and my moon is in Pisces. I have stubborn exoskeletal tendencies, and I'm very emotional. (Oh and also, interested in astrology!)   -I enjoy tarot also, I use the Thoth deck (although I think Crowley was pretty much crazy). I’m interested in Hermeticism and alchemical symbolism.     QUESTIONS FROM THE SWITCH WITCH THREAD...   Twitter/LJ/FB? I have no Twitter and no LJ account. I do have a FB account here. I never use it and don't keep track of anything on it, but I might end up using it to stalk, so... friend away! (just let me know you're from bpal.org.)   From the Weenie update, what are you most wanting to try? I ordered a crazyton of decants and the bottles I was already sure of, so I'm set on Weenies for now. I basically wanted to try any Weenie that seems not-too-floral, and is resiny, smoky, woodsy, or foody.   Who's into nail polish? What colors/brands? It's the sort of thing I don't often buy for myself, but would enjoy receiving as a gift. I have no brand preference, as I don't use it enough to have an expert opinion. Colorwise I'd probably go for dark colors (like in the black/almost black range, including dark browns, dark blues, etc.) and then deep bloody reds, and I'd totally have fun playing with other quirky neutrals, or even greyed-out colors or jewel tones.   Is there a quote (or lyric or part of a poem) that really resonates with you or is your favorite? Ha yes, count me in with people who could come up with a ton of these...   Nature loves to hide. (A Heracleitus fragment)   From my sig, Pantodapais memigme--na chroiaisin, a Sappho fragment that means something like shot with a thousand hues or in a million mixed hues.   Another Sappho fragment - Eros deute m'o lusimeles donei, / glukupikron amachanon orpeton, translated by Anne Carson - Eros once again limb-loosener whirls me / sweetbitter, impossible to fight off, creature stealing up. (I love Anne Carson's translations of and books on Sappho, and I don't actually own any, so...)   Any number of lyrics from Bob Dylan songs.. - I wanna be with you in paradise / And it seems so unfair / I can't go to paradise no more / I killed a man back there from "Spirit on the Water". - The entire song "Ain't Talkin'" is too amazing to extract a single lyric.. - The priest wore black on the seventh day and sat stone-faced while the building burned / I waited for you on the running boards, near the cypress trees, while the springtime turned / Slowly into autumn. from "Idiot Wind" (that whole song is one of my favorites, esp. the bootleg version.)   "Fern " by Dylan Thomas is perhaps my favorite poem I've ever encountered, extra especially the following bits: it was air / And playing, lovely and watery / And fire green as grass; it was all / Shining, it was Adam and maiden, / The sky gathered again / And the sun grew round that very day. And My wishes raced through the house high hay / And nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows / In all his tuneful turning so few and such morning songs / Before the children green and golden / Follow him out of grace. And the last three lines of that poem slay me dead.   Dream candle? Scent, color, type (tealight, votive, pillar, jar, tart, etc.), throw... I could go either for an unscented rustic kind of beeswax candle, or I'd love a scented candle, but I *am* a bit picky about scents... the Yankee Candle store gives me a headache, so I've never even tried YC and would steer away from anything strong in that way. Simpler and less synthetic/artificial is better for me in general, I'd go for similar scents as are in my favored notes esp. patchouli, frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood. I can always use tealights, otherwise pillars or jars would be best. I've never used tarts before & don't have a melty thinger.   Do you like knitted goodies? If so, what would you like and what colors? I do. I knit, but there are so many things I never get around to knitting for myself because I always knit them as gifts. Especially scarves, cowls, fingerless gloves, hats... I love me some handknit accessories! In undyed wool, neutrals, tweeds, bright or deep hues. Also... I love hand-dyed yarns (semi-solids, mostly).   What GC do you live in mortal terror of the lab discontinuing, but never get around to buying? Aureus, Cathedral, Fenris Wolf, Sin... My GC bottle stash hasn't caught up to my GC wishlist yet.   Would you be interested in homemade edibles that are NOT sweets? Any specifics? Absolutely! Bread or savory baked goods, spiced nuts or seeds, dehydrated snacks, homemade granola, canned/jarred things, vegetables, pickles, relishes, chutneys, jams. (As long as it's vegan, I'll probably like it.)   Yo, yarnies! Do you do Ravelry? I'm bizbis on Ravelry. ("bizbis" is how I pronounced my name when I was little.)   Do you have wishlists for non-BPAL e-tailers? No. I'll try to work on that though and update with a link...   PC or Mac? Mac.   What is your favorite animal? I'd still have to say the Wild Bactrian Camel. Also bats and owls and cats. But also whales, especially humpback whales... they're so awe-inspiring and wonderful. Oh, and I have a soft spot for pigs too. I like lots of animals.   What are you going to be for Halloween? I don't know yet, I'm dreadfully uncreative for Halloween! I'll probably dress up as a witch, I like witches. Or as Janet for a Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight screening.   If you could have a piece of oil painting jewelry (pendant, pair of earrings, or ring) with absolutely anything painted on it, what would it be? (If you prefer wall art instead, same question as above.) A camel (a Wild Bactrian one of course!) or an owl. Or maybe a curvaceous fern leaf of some sort, I like fern imagery. Or an octopus. I'd probably go for either a pendant or wall art.   How do you feel about nick-knacks? I like certain kinds (antique, vintage, curio, steampunk, industrial, natural science-y, ethnic, exotic, etc), but nothing plastic or mass-produced, and it should be heavy enough so that kitties wouldn't knock it over.   What traditions (family, holiday, or otherwise) are important to you? Observing seasonal holidays (solstices, equinoxes) but in informal ways, sitting around the wood-burning stove during the cold season, drinking hot toddies. Sitting on the screened porch when it's temperate, doing Yules-y things at Yules like decorating a tree and exchanging secret gifts. Lots of homey habits to go with the changing year. Oh, and we adopt a turkey every Thanksgiving from Farm Sanctuary, and the turkey's picture sits on the table when we eat dinner. That one's really special to me.   Do you like going to the movies? Not so much, I prefer to watch movies at home for $ and coziness reasons.   What are your favorite restaurants? There aren't many in my part of the country that can offer up a very good vegan meal... DH and I like a local Ethiopian restaurant, as well as a local vegetarian Indian restaurant.   Do you play any video games? Not really, although I enjoy rpg's when I have/take the time to get immersed in/addicted to them. But I kind of have an addictive personality, I got too addicted to WoW at one point, so I tend to avoid.   Do you like any anime? I like many of Hayao Miyazaki's films, but I don't avidly follow less mainstream anime.   Do you have an E-reader/iPad/something similar that you need a cover/case for? No, so far I haven't crossed over and still read regular old paper/cardboard books. Also, no iPad (not even a cellphone! yes I can be somewhat of a luddite )   How much do you like jewelry? like, if you were to get a shit ton of it during the round, how excited would you be? I like jewelry well enough, but a shit ton might be overdoing it for me, as I don't wear very much of it very often.   How would you like to receive some of your Witch's favorite recipes, tailored to your likes/dietary restrictions? And specific wants? Veganizing recipes is something it's taken me and my husband a while to learn how to really do well (there are certain tricks to upping the umami etc.), and vegan baking is a whole nother kind of chemistry (some recipes being easier to adapt than others). So while I'd love to get a recipe for a favorite food, I wouldn't really expect an omni witch to go to the trouble of tailoring.   Do you need any boxes to store your smellies in? What would you store in said hypothetical box--imps, bottles, supplies, all of the above? Not really, I have BPAL storage taken care of.   Muppets: yea or nay? Yea to Jim Henson studios, for the most part. I especially like muppets when they're being dark or weird or subversive or funny... But I prefer watching them on TV rather than owning muppet paraphernalia. And from a feminist perspective, I resent the character of Miss Piggy.   Do you have an affinity for Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, and other comic strips? If so, which is your favorite? I appreciate the humor of Cavin and Hobbes and The Far Side, and I like A Charlie Brown Christmas. But in general I'm not a follower of comic strips.   Favorite Mythological Creature? Unicorns. And Typhon. I love mythological creatures in general, monstrous ones and gentle ones alike.   Do you like hair things barrettes, headbands, flowers? Yes and I don't have nearly enough of them. I probably wouldn't get a lot of use out of those hair flowers though, they're a bit attention-grabby for me to wear to work. For hair accessories I'd prefer understated, modern, or folksy/natural in a clean/minimalist way.   Do you like to burn incense? If so, what are your favorite kinds...sticks? cones? resins? What are your favorite scents? Not so much. I like the idea of it, and the smell of incenses, but I don't really like the smokey delivery.   Harry Potter - a fan? If so, what house are you? I *thought* I was a Harry Potter fan, until I read the Pottermore thread and realized I didn't know what a HP fan was. I do like Harry Potter, the books more than the movies. If I were to be sorted, it's hard to say... I'd most likely be Gryffindor. Or Ravenclaw. Probably Gryffindor, if I'm being honest with myself.   If you were to receive a gift card, what places would you like to get one from? Amazon. A yarn store might be cool, either Jimmy Beans Wool, Webs (yarn.com) or Eat Sleep Knit, or some place like that. Sephora.   Is there a particular myth/folktale/legend/fairytale/godstory that you're drawn to? Leda and the swan. Theseus and the Minotaur. Other stories about monstrous offsprings of the human and the divine.   If you RP, tabletop, forum, or otherwise... Do you have any original characters you'd like to see art of? If so, please give information! Even if it's a link to a web page or a profile or picture! I don't RP.   If you could see anything, what would it be? Can be a person, an event, a landmark or monument, an object, etc. And it doesn't have to be on this planet, or in this time period, or in this reality! Plato. I'd want to talk to him though, not just see him.   When you are having a really rough day, what do you like to do/have to make it a little brighter? To make it a little brighter? I put on Banshee Beat. For heavier comfort needs, I make peanut butter blondies to eat with (soy) vanilla ice cream, and sit myself down in front of endless episodes of past seasons of Survivor. TV knitting for after I'm done eating, and then a foot massage from DH completes that scenario. -   What are your thoughts on comics? Any you like? Any you have been wanting to try? Favorite characters? The only comic books I've read are Joss Whedon ones (Fray and Buffy Season 8), which I enjoyed. I'd be interested in trying some good graphic novels, especially classics like Maus, Watchmen, From Hell, etc.   Are you musical? Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? If not, what do you wish you could play or do? I play the piano, although I'm out of practice. I wish I practiced more consistently. I also like to sing, but in no official capacity. Just goofing off around the house I sing opera (Mozart is my favorite but also Bizet) and make up songs. I secretly aspire to write an opera, about being at a shopping mall during the holiday season. It would be all postmodern and atonal and, if successful, rather horrific and surreal. DH says I should try to write more earnest songs, and make an album, so maybe I'll try that one of these days.   Does anyone garden? And if you do, what do you grow? If not, would a starter garden kit be something you'd be interested in? I plant vegetables at the beginning of each growing season but am horrible at keeping up with the weeds! Tomatoes, okra, peppers, and squash so far have been our most successful crop. I'm not an awesome gardener by any stretch, but I don't really need gardening supplies.   Do you decorate for Halloween? Is your decorating taste elegant, kitschy and fun, or scary? I don't know, I haven't thought about it yet. It probably depends on what fancy strikes me... I could be swayed in any direction. Unfortunately, not too many kids seem to trick-or-treat at our house, so if we decorate it'll just be for me and DH.   Do you have any symbols or totems that have special meaning for you? A Hugieia pentagram like this. Also the Thoth deck's princess of wands has been meaningful, ever since my Saturn return.   Is anyone fond of programs like Adopt a Tree/Highway/Library/Manatee/Acre of Rainforest/bat etc? Sure! Any and all adoption or donation programs for animals or plants in need.   What #1 actor, director, author and/or musician are you obsessed with? I try not to get obsessed with other people, especially ones I don't know in real life. I'm probably slightly obsessed with Plato, and also Sappho. (Does it count if they're long dead?) Bob Dylan maybe, although I have a feeling he puts the best of himself in his songs, so I don't feel the need to know him personally. That goes for Plato too, actually.   Are you interested in anything from the Villainness Bad Apples update? I've never tried anything from Villainness before! But I'd love to try either the soaps or the little candles. And honestly, any of the Bad Apple scents sound nice. (As long as they're not too flowery, and the quality is high, I'm generally less picky about soap/candle scents than I am with perfumes...)   If you have a pet, would he/she/they like to receive a treat or a toy as a gift? Does your pet have any dietary restrictions or other preferences w.r.t. said treat? My 3 cats would appreciate either treats or a toy. We feed them a grainfree & mostly raw diet, but sometimes make exceptions for treats, but nothing with artificial flavoring or a ton of preservatives please. Also, they love catnip toys, kitty teases & cat dancers of all sorts.   What are your top three "I want to try them but I think I'll never get to try them" (or, "I've tried them and I want moar moar moar, but I don't think I'll ever get any") scents/bath oils/sprays? Storyville, Pinched With Four Aces, Elf v4--all ones I haven't tried ever (I didn't put East African Black Patchouli SN because that's laughable).   Is there a particular artist and piece that you would like a print of? If so, what is your max size that you could spare on your walls? Anything by Odilon Redon, print or poster. I have a lot of wall space so no size restrictions.   If you are in to beauty and makeup related stuff, what kind of stuff do you like? What is your skintone and hair color? Are there any beauty products you've wanted to try but just never purchase? I am not a huge user of makeup, partially because I'm a timid purchaser of it. I'm interested in experimenting more with lip and eye colors. I prefer natural/organic/mineral-based and my two current preferred brands are Bare Escentuals and Korres. I'm very fair with a neutral skin tone and blue-grey eyes. I've always wanted to try Tarte lip stains (probably matte, but I could go for any version).   Questions: Do you like coffee or tea? Would you be interested in trying some different types? Both and yes. Unground coffee beans would be preferred, as I grind my own.   Are there any CDs/Albums you've been wanting but haven't bought yet? What format do you prefer? (i.e. mp3, actual cd, record, etc) No, not really. But I would absolutely love to receive a mixed CD of songs that my Witch likes and wants to share.   Are you going away for any part of this round? Yes. I will be leaving town between Oct. 18-23. I'm going into the woods for a yoga retreat. Somebody will be checking my mail & bringing in packages while I'm away, but I shan't have access to internet. (lol "shan't")   If your witch were going somewhere on a vacation during the round, would you want a little souvenir? Sure! As long as it isn't plastic, please.   Do you enjoy any outdoor activities? Do you have a favorite form of "exercise"? I enjoy light hiking. In the past I've really enjoyed camping, but at the moment we don't have the necessary equipment. My favored form of exercise is yoga, although my practice is, in theory, primarily spiritual in its orientation.   Any witchees with a ravelry account have any favourited patterns that cost money that would be a welcome gift? I'm too spur-of-the-moment in my pattern decisions to make good use of a pattern given as a gift, so no thanks.   Witchee, are you a fan of musicals? If so, which ones? I love Steven Sondheim's musicals. I strongly dislike those of Andrew Lloyd Weber. I also deeply love classical opera, especially Mozart. There was a year or so when I was obsessed with Wagnerian opera, in particular Tristan und Isolde, but that was a sickness and I have mostly recovered from it.   I am fond of the thrift. Do you mind lightly used goods? Please be specific! I prefer to limit my thrifted clothing to outerwear or vintage wool skirts, things that aren't typically worn next to the skin. Or big (mens, usually) wool sweaters, for salvaging and reusing the yarn. I'm fine with thrifted books, decorative house stuff, etc.   Do you have an Etsy shop? Do you know of any Etsy shops that are Switch Witch friendly? No.   Would a gift or a postcard from Disneyland make you squee with delight or puke into your mail box? I maybe wouldn't puke, but no thanks.   What are your favorite types of Halloween candy? I stay away from Halloween candy, except for the fancy, yuppified "all natural" Halloween candy I get from Whole Foods, which is typically on deep discount by Halloween day. If I'm going to eat sugar, I want to get the best bang for my caloric buck. (Also, I have no clue which nestle or hersheys candies are vegan, so I stay away from them altogether.)   Do you prefer soap or shower gel? Please give examples of your favorite scents or brands. I like soap, creamy cold-pressed soap, as moisturizing as I can find it, and made with as natural/simple ingredients as possible. I'm leery of florescent or over-the-top brightly colored soaps, I prefer mine in more natural-looking shades. At the moment I mostly use this patchouli-scented soap from a tiny local company (probably owned by some TN hippies--there are a lot of hippies around here) whose name I don't recall. I would love to have some more complex or luxuriously scented soaps, I have been eyeing Snake Oil Soap for a while now, or Villainess soaps (Byzantium, Asphyxiate, Canaan, Dulces en Fuego, Jai Mahal, Killer Beez, so many) look divine. I'd tend to go somewhere in the earthy-resiny-spicy-vanilla-foody spectrum of scents. But then I'm not picky about soap scents, as long as it's not too floral or candy-fruity. If it's too "bright" a scent for me to use in a relaxing bath, then I'll use it in the shower. Or in the kitchen.   How do you like your chocolate? For example with nuts, mint, peanut butter, caramel? Obviously dark, since it's gotta be vegan. Beyond that I love it most ways, especially with nuts, peanut butter, caramel, coffee, or sea salt. I love salty sweet things.   Beads! Do you use them? Would you want some? What sorts of beads do you like? No, thanks.   Anyone like anything in particular from Think Geek? No thanks.   Anyone here like caramels? Sea salted caramels?!?! I love sea salt caramels (as long as it's vegan).   Would you like a hand dyed or hand painted scarf or wrap or other item? If so, what colors/designs/fabrics do you like? Sure, I love scarves and wraps! I like natural fibers like wool, silk, linen, hemp, etc. And neutral, bright or deep colors, saturated jewel tones. Or I'd go for anything with a bohemian vibe. I'm not big on flowery prints or patterns, but I like abstract, animal, Native American or African tribal, gothic, or any other sorts of exotic designs. Or anything symbolic.   Does anyone here like stones? Just pretty polished stones for use in whatever purposes? I suppose so. I'd gravitate toward larger ones (like, larger than a fist) that would make interesting display pieces.   Do you work/study at a desk and enjoy interesting or cute office supplies? No, thanks.   Pinterest, do you have boards you want to share or are you following anyone with great boards you want to share? No.   Would you like to receive e-books? And if so, in what format? No, thanks.   If you have kids, would you be interested in getting things for them? And if so, what are they interested and what sizes are the wearing now? No children.   Would you be interested in a felted handbag? Do any of these styles appeal to you?http://tinyurl.com/3o2epzl (there's at least one guy-friendly style, too!) I would totally use & love one of the hobo-shaped bags, with a longer shoulder-strap handle (the chevron one I think is kind of like this?), my personal tastes would tend toward using a shade(s) of undyed wool (like Eco wool or something), aiming more for a minimalist or bohemian vibe than an overtly craftsy one.   Are there are patterns, motifs, etc that you especially like? I think I answered this somewhat in the ?aire. Not big on florals, but I dig tribal, exotic, animal-print, um sometimes retro mid century modern sort of stuff. It also kind of depends on whether it's for clothes or home decor.   Witchee, would you be interested in having a special tea cup/coffee mug/glass to drink out of? Sure! I love hand-thrown pottery and ceramics, I treasure and use over and over again hand-thrown mugs and bowls that I've received as gifts in the past. Factory-made mugs with words, logos, or phrases on them aren't my style.   If you're a tea drinker, is there any specific tea you would like to receive, not just the kind/flavor but also the type/packing--i.e., tea bags, loose tea, compressed, etc? Any and all would be fine with me. I find loose or compressed tea is usually of higher quality, and it seems more special for whatever reason.   How would you feel about kitchen towels and other similar household objects, if they are pretty or a souvenir? I'm utilitarian when it comes to kitchen towels. I can always use more, but I'd rather they work well than that they look pretty.   How did you dress up for your last party or compulsory-formal-dress occasion? It took me a while to think of the last time I dressed up fancy. I prefer simple formal wear, minimalist black dresses, understated and elegant is (at least) the goal.   Do you enjoy puzzles/riddles? (Cryptograms, Sudoku, Crossword, Jigsaw, etc) I enjoy puzzles, but not really sudoku or crossword puzzles. Jigsaws are nice for relaxing, especially with family during the holidays. Otherwise I like math and geometry puzzles, creativity and problem-solving puzzles, strategy games that involve puzzles, etc. When DH plays video games we often switch off, he'll do the more fightery reflex parts, and I'll do the puzzley bits. (Is that grossly stereotypical of us??)   Can you sum yourself (whether it be personality, life's goals, ethics, whatever) in 10 words or less? Everytime I go back to this question it makes me laugh out loud. The short answer is "no," but since that feels like cheating, I hope it's slightly less cheatery to borrow from Basho: "I regret picking / and not picking / violets"   How about little bottles of booze? Ya wanna? What kind? No, thanks.   What are your views on fudge and brownies? (Also, if you live in a warm place, where the fudge might melt, that'd be helpful to know. Or, if you're diabetic and fudge is death, that'd be useful to know, too.) I love fudge and brownies! (vegan please.) I live in a warm place. I don't know if fudge would or wouldn't melt.   Also, what about mochi? Love it, hate it, baffled by it? I love mochi too.     Anything from the BPTP update? I'll update my wishlist.   Does anyone like kimchi? Yesss! If there's a way to ship it, at least..   Would you be interested in a sample box(from somewhere like Birchbox or loosebutton)? I don't think so.   You have to place a Lab and Trading Post order. Right fuckin' now. No spending limits. What do you buy? BPAL: Bottles of every Halloweenie and Pickman's Gallery blend that doesn't contain more than 1 or 2 floral notes, and also a bottle of Le Lethe, plus bottles of Cathedral, Aureus, Fenris Wolf, The Coiled Serpent, O, and Sin. BPTP: One of each Halloweenie, one of each hair gloss excluding the fig & white sandalwood one.   Paintbox Soapworks - anything you're interested in, in general or from the latest update? No, thank you.   Do you guys have any sports that you follow obsessively? How about favorite teams and/or athletes Not a sports person.   How do you feel about notebooks/journals/stationery? Anything you need or particularly like? I don't need any at the moment.   Does confetti/glitter make you angry or fill you with glee? No glitter, thank you!   Fabulous witches and witchees, perhaps you all could note of you've received MeiLin's goodies? Or if you want? I'll just include all original written works in this question. As long as it's in paper form (not electronic), sure.   How do you feel about stuffed animals/plushies/general soft, cuddly things? If you like them, what kind of animals would you be interested in? I dislike stuffed animals in general. I'm basically the Grinch!   How interested would you be on somewhat personalized bottle cap labels? I don't label my bottles with stickers, so no thank you.   When you're miserably sick (*sniffle, cough!*) what are the things that comfort you the most? Emergen-C, miso soup, a wool blanket, mindless TV preferably of the cartoony variety.   What constitutes ultimate luxury to you? (go crazy!) Getting away from it all in a cedar cabin in the woods... while still having somebody skilled in the art of vegan cookery fix 3 meals a day for me and DH.   What do you really NOT want? Artificial flavors, artificial colors, anything tested on animals, anything containing animal flesh or products (other than honey), anything containing SLS or parabens, unnecessary plastic...   Witchee; interested in anything from Lush? I'm inclined to prefer other brands (due to artificial colors & SLS).   Do you blog? Would you like a header for your blog, a layout, etc? I don't blog.   Would you be interested in a handmade bookmark? Sure, the only problem is that I always loose bookmarks!   do you like chex puppy chow or muddie buddies (ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, PB, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, chex cereal)? would you want to get some from your witch / nacho witch? (note - I dont follow the recipe exactly...mine have more choc/pb yumminess) Sure! Puppy chow is one of my guilty pleasures, I make a batch every Yule. (However it can be tricky to source vegan choc. chips and powdered sugar, and I don't know the status of name-brand chex.. sorry if I'm high maintenance )   How would you feel about receiving a Groupon deal for something in your local area? If there is anything you WOULDN'T like, mention that also. I didn't know what Groupon was so I googled it and I'm pretty sure no thanks.   Are you more prone to order out or cook at home? Would you be interested in cookbooks, kitchen utensils, and the like? If so, anything specific? Cook at home! Cookbooks, kitchen utensils, and the like would all be appreciated! I think these sorts of things can be found in my amazon wishlist.   How do you feel about maple syrup? LOVE the real stuff.   How do people feel about little pocket shrines, maybe something inspirational/motivational to keep in their purses/backpacks/whatever?(Like these: http://www.art-shrin...cketshrines.htm) I think they'd take too much space in my already-crowded purse.   What about team Sugar Skull????? Meaning do you like real sugar skulls? Things with sugar skull designs? Sure!.. But I'm afraid they might not be vegan? I do like sugar skull designs, though.   I have a few things that I do every Switch Witch round, would you find that boring and unoriginal? Nope! That's cool!   Do you like Star Wars? Original Trilogy? Prequels? Spin-offs? Favorite characters? There were years when I loved the original Star Wars trilogy. Not so much anymore, though.   Do you like beef jerkey, I know some may be vegatarian, but where I live beef is a staple and beef jerkey abounds. If so do you it really thin, hard and crunchy or thicker and softer. No, thanks.   Also do you like or racier ecards from time to time and do you need to be warned if something may be not safe to open at work. I don't check personal emails at work, so no need for a warning... But I'm a bit leery of racy ecards?   Doctor Who? Yay or nay? (please don't make me cry by saying nay) I like Doctor Who, but I haven't kept up with the most recent seasons... (sorry!)   I have a question. I have a couple spare Doctor Who stickers. If my witchee is a fan, would they like a couple Doctor Who stickers in their package? Hm, they should probably go to somebody else who will really cherish them, so no thanks!   anyone love Buffy/Angel? I went through a HUGE phase.. but now I just like, not love.   Witchee: How would you feel about gummies? Like, gummy bears? Gummy werewolves? Gummy vampires? I LOVE gummies, especially sour ones, and have missed them since going vegan. If my witch could track down vegan versions of any variety of candies, that would be awesome.   Witchee: How would you feel about a totally original Gela-skin for your laptop/iPod/phone? Stickers? Decals? I use protective covering on my laptop that would prevent me from using it, so no thanks.   Since this is a Halloween round, what's your Creepy threshold? Are you a cartoon bats and smily pumpkins person or a skulls-and-bones the-dead-are-rising kind of person? Are your fairytales dark or Disney? Creepy but not gorey, the original dark and weird Grimm fairytales for me.   Are your ears pierced, Witchee? Do you have any other piercings? Would you like to receive any items of jewelry for these piercings? My ears are pierced, but now that I think of it, I don't really enjoy wearing earrings. They feel weird. So I don't think so.   How do you all feel about Whoopie Pies? I'd love a vegan version.   Who here likes to receive cosmetic, skin care, perfume samples (of the sephora sort-not just BPAL), makeup brushes etc etc. I'm not big on cosmetic samples, other than BPAL. Unless it's from a select few brands (without SLS, parabens, etc.), and it's ok for sensitive skin, I probably wouldn't use it from fear of a bad skin reaction.   Are you looking for a certain kind of DVDs to spruce up your collection right now? No, thank you.   Does anyone like postcards? Is anyone willing to be a Nacho witch for postcards? I'm "meh" about receiving postcards. I'd be willing to nacho witch some postcards, though I'm not going anywhere flashy.   Team Tofu? Yes AND Team Tempeh.   Anyone going to see any good concerts this fall? Not that I know of.   Do you like Star Trek? Original TV series, films, spinoff series, etc? Favorite characters? I like it ok but not a big fan.   Witchee, would you like a framed photograph and of what? I can't think of anything. I like photography in theory (and dabble in it some), but in practice it's not really my decorating style. Unless it's old-timey photos in a multimedia piece or something, that could work. *thinking outloud*   Dear Witchees, are you interested in sample boxes such as The Little Black Box or Sweet Diva boxes? Sample boxes just seem a little gimmicky for me. But if you can find something that you think I'll like based on my q's, then go for it.   Do you wear t-shirts? Are there particular things you like on them? Would you like one designed by your Witch? And, if you don't mind saying, what size t-shirt do you wear? I wear t-shirts around the house and to bed and to exercise in. I prefer tissue tees and the like, with scoop, wide, or v-necks, in 100% cotton. I could think of any number of designs... Symbols or iconic deity stuff, something ancient Egyptian would be really cool. I prefer not to wear slogans or words. I wear a size S typically, although it really depends on the maker and style (American Apparel and Alternative Apparel I go for M instead).   How do you feel about pumpkin scented things? Not perfume related, but soap, candles, etc.... As long as it's not too artificial, I love pumpkin scented stuff.   Has anyone else heard of or does anyone else love Glamourkin? I don't like to wear words, so they're not really my style.   If you had an international witch, is there anything you would like from the UK? (Or Australia, Belgium, France any other country we have witches from. Nothing I can think of in particular... Something folksy, indigenous, or otherwise historical/local would be cool.   if you answered 'Mac' to the Mac/PC question previously issued by another participant, please tell me what kind of computer you have, what peripherals you own (like the wireless trackpad, wireless vs/wired keyboard and mouse), and whether you're interested in Apple-related items (stickers, keychains, other things with the logo, etc). I have a macbook pro 15" and also a mac mini hooked up to the tv with wireless keyboard and mouse... but I'm not really interested in apple-related paraphernalia, I don't think. I'm pretty minimalist in my tech deco desires, I try to let the electronics disappear into the background so I can pretend they don't exist..   ALSO- who here is on TEAM SOCKS?? SOCK PREFERENCES? Sure! Especially now that the weather's cooling down, I'm getting in the mood for socks... warm woolen ones, good for wearing in boots or just around the house are always nice. I've always failed at handknitting myself socks (my tension always changes from the first to the second, and I'm intimidated by 2-at-a-time socks), so that would be awesome if my witch is into that.   Would you like/wear a pair of these? http://www.ravelry.c...rary/yoga-socks If so, what color? Sure! I haven't tried them before, for my practice I might want a narrower under-foot area, for more foot-to-mat contact. Or just legwarmers might be an interesting choice, for my witch's information I have longish rather skinny calves.   Is there anyone here who likes toe socks? You know, those socks with a place for each toe? Sure!   what strange misc. items would you love to receive that you just haven't gotten for yourself? Gee, um... I can't think of anything.   How do you feel about franken polish? Are you okay with all chemicals, or would you prefer 3 free? Would you want glitter or holographic glitter? What colors would interest you? Sure! I'd prefer 3 free. For wearing on fingernails my preferences are pretty boring (see above q), but for toes I could go for all kinds of glittery fun, I suppose...   Dear witchee, how do you feel about lip balm? Favorite style (twist up tube, pot, tube with wand, etc.)? Favorite flavors? Flavors to avoid? Favorite brand? Do you need more right now or are you set? Are you one of those people who could never have enough lip balm even though you have a bowl on your dresser overflowing with them and 10 in your purse and an order for more on the way? I love lip balm and can always use more. I go for the natural stuff.   Would you be interested in getting fountain pen inks or art supplies via JetPens and or DickBlick? No, thanks. I have all the art supplies I need.   For those interested in watercolors, how would you feel about getting a palette filled with paint from my watercolor tubes but not getting the paint itself? No, thanks.   How do you feel about getting art supplies in general? (copic markers, watercolor, brushes, paint, sketchbooks etc.) No, thanks.   How do you feel about Threadless tshirts? Not big on them.. Again, I'm super picky about wearing words.   If you were turned loose in a basic drug store (CVS, Walgreens - a pharmacy with attached mini-mart, basically!) with a $20 bill, what would you pick up? Something boring and practical that I was out of... mouthwash, maybe, at the moment.   Darling Witchee, would you enjoy farmer's market pickled veggies (green beans, garlic, asparagus, etc) or fresh canned peaches or something of that nature? Sure! As I've said elsewhere, if it's vegan, I'll probably like love it.   Do you prefer color or white photographs? Nature or abstract? Any and all could work, depending on the style. But as I said above, my decorating style lends itself more to surreal or multimedia-ized photographs than to realism... maybe sepia?   oh WITCHEE (not that i have you yet) would you be interested in something like this? https://lostcrates.com/how-it-works It looks cute, but I don't need any more pencils/notebooks/etc.   I may be going to the Chiles & Frijoles Festival this weekend. I'm not really sure what all I'll find (doesn't that sound promising ), but I'm guessing lots of chiles and pinto beans and related things. Interested? YES PLZ to chiles and pinto beans and any & all related things.   Ok, super cute or what? http://myfurrybones....34&cat=1&page=3 I honestly can't decide.   Amigurumi, yes or no? Quirky amigurumi works for me...   What are some of your favorite paintings? (famous or undiscovered?) Feel free to link to examples! At the moment I'm a little obsessed with Odilon Redon, e.g. "Saint John," the painting in my avatar.   If you could have an image painted for you - sky is the limit - what would it be? Either something kind of psychoanalysis/archetypey/surreal or something completely abstract, I think. It would depend on the style of the painter.   1. Name your 3 favorite types/flavors of tea - Earl Gray, Chai, Jasmine Green Tea (runner up, peppermint tisane)   2. Name your 3 favorite scents for candles - I don't really have 3 favorites. At the moment I'm craving something decadently foody... Or something fall-inspired.   Would you like any ecotools makeup brushes? Sure, I could go for that.   Do you like Legos? Espe
invisible iris

invisible iris

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Dominique's Blog
 

Switch Witch Intro

Hi! I'm very glad you've been chosen to be my Witch.   I'll be keeping this blog updated with the latest questions and feedback, and I hope you have as much fun with this as I do.   The 'show recent visitors' option on my profile is turned of, so you can stalk without worrying about blowing your cover.
Dominique

Dominique

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Secondhand Rhetoric
 

Fall 2011 Switch Witch Help

Hi there! I'm so glad you got chosen to be my witch, whoever you are! I will keep editing this entry so that it's easy for you to see my answers to the daily questions and things!   Please know that I am super easygoing and love just about anything. I am a graduate student, so mail is love! This is my first SW, but I've done a few forum swaps so far and I just love 'em!   The only drawback that perhaps might put a kink in your plans is that I don't drink or enjoy tea or coffee. I make up for my lack of culture taste beverage appreciation with a heartfelt and enthusiastic love of just about anything and everything else, though! So no worries at all!   Here is my Amazon wishlist. Everything on there is something I want and would love to have!   I love and adore wax tarts. The only kinds I am not a huge fan of are blatantly foody ones. But anything else is fair game! Blow my house up with tarts and I would be just fine!   *&@- I do have one thing! The day my fiance proposed to me, we were sitting on a blanket on a mountainside, drinking in the late evening. He got down on one knee and proposed, and we toasted our new relationship status with two old-fashioned bottled sodas. I have the caps to these sodas - an A&W Root Beer and a Peach Nihi - but I am at a loss with what to do with them! If you are artsy at all and have some sort of great idea of what to do with them - or know a nacho witch who will - I will gladly pay to have them shipped to somebody so they can get them to you! I think that might mean more to me than anything else this whole round! -@&*   -- BPAL Wants -- BPAL Itself I really want 5 mLs of Quietude, Grr and Stardust. As for Weenies, I'd love Incubus Leaving Two Sleeping Women, Pumpkin Latte and Autumn Cider! I'll come back and edit this bit when I know some more!   BPTP I love, love, love TKO massage oil. We are down to our last bottle so any of this would be so appreciated! I'd also love a BPAL t-shirt (size 2X - just a men's tee, I'm chubby) and maybe even some yoga pants.   -- A lot of my daily products that I use come from Etsy, and I will always, always accept more! --   Paintbox Soapworks - I would love to try Gingermilk, Man in the Moon and almost any LE that is out! I have Smiling Jack and Indian Summer waiting in the wings. The fiance adores Avast!, though it might be taken down in the end of September. I have never tried a sorbetto, but would love to try one!   Dressgreen - I use their bar shampoo, and can never get enough! I'd especially like to try their Chamomile & Calendula blend! They also make my moisturizer, "Calming & Clarifying Facial Cream".   Bunnybutt Apothecary - This is where I get my deodorant! I can never have enough deodorant! You might think it's kinda silly, but please don't hesitate to send me deodorant! I have very sensitive armpits, and I love this stuff. Really! I'd like to try: East of Eden, Pirate Booty, Sucre Bleu, Hunnysuckle & Cherrybomb.   Two Timing Tart - I haven't tried anything from her yet, but gosh I want to. I would love to try some of her tarts! The ones I'd like to try most are: Silk Sheets, Tease, Peacock Plumes and Satin Sheets.   ---- Forum Questions! ---- Would you be interested in homemade edibles that are NOT sweets? Any specifics? I'm having a blonde moment and can't think of many edibles that aren't sweets! I do love homemade beef jerky!   What GC do you live in mortal terror of the lab discontinuing, but never get around to buying? My absolutely favorite is Dorian. I would weep buckets if it were ever discontinued.   Yo, yarnies! Do you Ravelry? If so, who are you over thar? I'm yewberry there, too. I'm not a yarnie, no worries there!   Do you like knitted goodies? If so, what would you like and what colors? I would love a Gryffindor scarf! Oh, and a pair of gloves! I don't own any and I walk to campus/work.   Who's into nail polish? What colors/brands? Nope.   Is there a quote (or lyric or part of a poem) that really resonates with you or is your favorite? My favorite quote is, "They say if you scratch a cynic, you find a disappointed idealist." - George Carlin   Dream candle? Scent, color, type (tealight, votive, pillar, jar, etc.), throw... I'm not a huge candle burner but I LOVE wax tarts. Love, love love them.   Weenies? The ones I want to try that I didn't buy are in my wishlist.   Which do you use, a PC or a Mac? PC.   What is your favorite animal? Lions!   What are you going to be for Halloween? I don't know! Last year, the fiance and I were Tetris blocks.   How do you feel about nick-knacks? I love them.   What traditions (family, holiday, or otherwise) are important to you? I love Christmas and Autumn because of the sense of community that comes out of the woodwork. I love giving gifts!   Do you like going to the movies? Yeah! We have an AmStar a town over and we go once in a blue moon. I adore it.   What are your favorite restaurants? Sylvia's is my favorite non-chain restaurant. The boything and I unashamedly love Chili's and Applebees.   Do you play any video games? Sure! Sims 3: Pets comes out in October and I am almost beside myself waiting for it. Haven't preordered it yet, but I will soon! I am a PC gamer - on Steam as "twystedfate," and my wishlist is there, though it's admittedly short at the moment. I also have a 3DS and love GameStop.   Do you like any anime? Not at all.   If you could have a piece of oil painting jewelry (pendant, pair of earrings, or ring) with absolutely anything painted on it, what would it be? (If you prefer wall art instead, same question as above.) I'd love wall art more than jewelery, I think! I'm not too picky. My bedroom is done in shades of blue and brown and our kitchen is red.   Do you have an E-reader/iPad/something similar that you need a cover/case for? All my gadgets and gizmos have cases.   How would you like to receive some of your Witch's favorite recipes, tailored to your likes/dietary restrictions? And specific wants? We cook primarily via crock pot, so if you have any of those recipes, feel free to share!   Do you need any boxes to store your smellies in? What would you store in said hypothetical box--imps, bottles, supplies, all of the above? I have a lovely box from CaudaPavonis!   Muppets: yea or nay? Nuh-uh.   Do you have an affinity for Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, and other comic strips? If so, which is your favorite? I love old-school Garfield. From the 80s, when he walks on four legs like a normal cat? I adore Garfield knick-nacks.   Favorite Mythological Creature? Unicorns or dragons.   Do you like hair things barrettes, headbands, flowers...? My kingdom for a hair band that doesn't pinch the crap out of my head. I don't use showy hair stuff, though.   Do you like to burn incense? If so, what are your favorite kinds...sticks? cones? resins? What are your favorite scents? Just wax tarts.   Harry Potter - a fan? If so, what house are you? I love HP! I am a Gryffindor consistently (both LJ sorting communities as well as Pottermore itself!). I love HP stuff!   If you were to receive a gift card, what places would you like to get one from? I shop at Kroger a lot, and as a grad student I could never say no to grocery money. For frivolous stuff, though? Barnes & Noble (for my Nook), and Amazon.   If you could see anything, what would it be? I really want to go to Disney with my fiance. He's never been and I haven't been without a small child in tow. So I want to see that. The fireworks at night with him!   When you are having a really rough day, what do you like to do/have to make it a little brighter? I like to melt a wax tart that smells like escapism (seaside or forest, not foody) and go somewhere else in my head, take a nap.   What are your thoughts on comics? Not a comic book fan.   Are you musical? Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? If not, what do you wish you could play or do? Nope.   Does anyone garden? I don't have the space, unfortunately.   Do you decorate for Halloween? I would love to!   Is anyone fond of programs like Adopt a Tree/Highway/Library/Manatee/Acre of Rainforest/etc? I have always wanted to adopt a lion. This would seriously warm my heart!   What #1 actor, director, author and/or musician are you obsessed with? Not really into any actors or directors, but I adore How I Met Your Mother! My favorite band is Counting Crows and I love Jim Butcher's novels.   Are you interested in anything from the Villainness Bad Apples update? No thanks.   If you have a pet, would he/she/they like to receive a treat or a toy as a gift? Does your pet have any dietary restrictions or other preferences w.r.t. said treat? I wish I had a pet.   What are your top three "I want to try them but I think I'll never get to try them" (or, "I've tried them and I want moar moar moar, but I don't think I'll ever get any") scents/bath oils/sprays? Midnight on the Midway, Faith and Comforting Plush Companion - a 5 mL of any of these would make me so happy!   Is there a particular artist and piece that you would like a print of? If so, what is your max size that you could spare on your walls? Magritte's "Homesickness".   If you are in to beauty and makeup related stuff, what kind of stuff do you like? What is your skintone and hair color? Are there any beauty products you've wanted to try but just never purchase? I'm very natural - I don't ever do anything to my face or hair.   Do you like coffee or tea? Would you be interested in trying some different types? I will amend my earlier statement to this - my mind can probably be changed, but I haven't seen it happen just yet. If you have a tea that you think could turn a tea-hater around, please include it with explicit instructions on how to brew it!   Are there any CDs/Albums you've been wanting but haven't bought yet? What format do you prefer? (i.e. mp3, actual cd, record, etc) Not that I know of.   Are you going away for any part of this round? Nope!   Would you like to receive a mix-CD from your Witch? Yes!   If your witch were going somewhere on a vacation during the round, would you want a little souvenir? Sure!   Do you enjoy any outdoor activities? Do you have a favorite form of "exercise"? I just like to go for long, meandering walks.   Do you work/study at a desk and enjoy interesting or cute office supplies? I. Love. Office. Supplies. Pens, pencils, sticky notes, I need a new pen(cil) cup for my desk!   Witchee, are you a fan of musicals? If so, which ones? Not so much, these days. I will always have a soft spot for Oliver!   I am fond of the thrift. Do you mind lightly used goods? Please be specific! As long as it's washed, but I'm an unusual size.   Would a gift or a postcard from Disneyland make you squee with delight or puke into your mail box? I would love one! Lion King is one of my all-time favorite movies - anything Lion King related would be great! (I dunno if a plushie Scar exists, but if he does, I want him!)   How do you like your chocolate? For example with nuts, mint, peanut butter, caramel? Mint and caramel are two favorites. Pretty much anything but dark!   What are your favorite types of Halloween candy? I do like candy corn. I am a big fan of the bat-shaped peppermint patties. Also Smarties, Rolos, Starbursts, and fun-size Hersheys!   Do you prefer soap or shower gel? Please give examples of your favorite scents or brands. I prefer bar soap. I mentioned my favorite brand up yonder, but if I am being honest - unless there's another Paintbox update - I guess Yules? - I'd rather have deodorant! Does that make me weird!?   Beads! Do you use them? Would you want some? What sorts of beads do you like? I don't have any sort of use for beads that I know of.   Anyone here like caramels? Sea salted caramels?!?! I love caramel!   Would you like a hand dyed or hand painted scarf or wrap or other item? If so, what colors/designs/fabrics do you like? As mentioned above, I would adore a Gryffindor scarf.   This was a question before, but does anyone here like stones? Just pretty polished stones for use in whatever purposes? I'm afraid I don't have a use for that.   Do you wear t-shirts? Are there particular things you like on them? Would you like one designed by your Witch? And, if you don't mind saying, what size t-shirt do you wear? I am a 2X in dude's t-shirts. I adore t-shirts. I stalk shirt.woot and Threadless regularly!   How do you feel about pumpkin scented things? Not perfume related, but soap, candles, etc.... Love.   Do you like Star Trek? Original TV series, films, spinoff series, etc? Favorite characters? Nope.   Witchee, would you like a framed photograph and of what? If you want to go down this route, I can provide you with several photos of me and my fiance that I'd love to own framed!   Are you more prone to order out or cook at home? Would you be interested in cookbooks, kitchen utensils, and the like? If so, anything specific? I would adore more crock pot cookbooks. We already own Slow Cooker Revolution.   New question: How do you feel about maple syrup? Yes please.   How do people feel about little pocket shrines, maybe something inspirational/motivational to keep in their purses/backpacks/whatever? (Like these: http://www.art-shrin...cketshrines.htm) That could be sweet!   Do you like Star Wars? Original Trilogy? Prequels? Spin-offs? Favorite characters? No.   Do you like beef jerkey, I know some may be vegatarian, but where I live beef is a staple and beef jerkey abounds. If so do you it really thin, hard and crunchy or thicker and softer. (OK that borders on obscene)- I like thicker, middle-softness jerkey. Not too spicy.   Also do you like or racier ecards from time to time and do you need to be warned if something may be not safe to open at work. Sure.   Doctor Who? Yay or nay? (please don't make me cry by saying nay) Nay.   How would you feel about gummies? Like, gummy bears? Gummy werewolves? Gummy vampires? I love Trader Joe's gummy bears. Love them. Would love you forever.   How would you feel about a totally original Gela-skin for your laptop/iPod/phone? Stickers? Decals? I have a Dell Studio 1537. Go for it!   Since this is a Halloween round, what's your Creepy threshold? Are you a cartoon bats and smily pumpkins person or a skulls-and-bones the-dead-are-rising kind of person? Are your fairytales dark or Disney? Disney with a dash of dark.   Are your ears pierced, Witchee? Do you have any other piercings? Would you like to receive any items of jewelry for these piercings? Yes! My ears are. They are very sensitive, though. I love earrings! Especially gaudy ones.   interested in anything from Lush? I don't like Lush.   Do you blog? Would you like a header for your blog, a layout, etc? I love custom LJ layouts   Would you be interested in a handmade bookmark? Absolutely!   do you like chex puppy chow or muddie buddies (ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, PB, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, chex cereal)? would you want to get some from your witch / nacho witch? Oh yes.   How would you feel about receiving a Groupon deal for something in your local area? If there is anything you WOULDN'T like, mention that also. My area doesn't have a Groupon.   How do you feel about notebooks/journals/stationery? Anything you need or particularly like? Love. I am a Post-It whore.   Fabulous witches and witchees, perhaps you all could note of you've received MeiLin's goodies? Or if you want? I have not!   How do you feel about stuffed animals/plushies/general soft, cuddly things? If you like them, what kind of animals would you be interested in? I really want one of those big smooshy round stuffed animals. I forget what they're called!   How would you feel about kitchen towels and other similar household objects, if they are pretty or a souvenir? Definitely!   Witchee, would you be interested in having a special tea cup/coffee mug/glass to drink out of? Sure! I am left handed.
rhetoricians

rhetoricians

0
MisaMisa01's Blog
 

Scarf swap Q's

Would you enjoy a novelty scarf? Sure! I’m a gamer, love Doctor Who (though my favorite show is probably Babylon 5), and I’m a Marvel girl   Delicate, tough, or it doesn’t matter? Doesn’t matter. I tend to forget to wear one, but when I do, I like it to actually help in keeping me warm.   How do you feel about ruffles/pick ups? They’re fine   What are your least favorite colors – I do not really like pastels or neon colors. Would not like a scarf that is made up primarily of orange/yellow (if it’s in a variegated yarn that’s fine)   Non-knitted scarves – why not?   What scarf types do you like? I only have plain straight scarves. Shawls or wraps would be fine, I’m not to sure if I’d like a moebius scarf (they look interesting but not sure how efficient they would be). Poncho-like items – not so much Cowls would be very useful I’ve never had a hooded scarf, but if it was cute, I would totally wear (my ears tend to get neglected so something like that would probably be really useful)   Lace? Lace looks really pretty and I don’t think I have any lace scarves or what not   How do you feel about art yarn? I think art yarn is very interesting (and some can be gorgeous) - not to sure if I'd like a scarf made entirely of art yarn, but if it's worked in, that would be fine. I always feel that art yarn needs to be made into an accesory like a purse or something similar.   How do you feel about mixing up textures? If the yarn feels good, I don't care how many textures are in the scarf as long as it's comfy.   Stripes - yea or nay? I love self-stripping yarn and straight up stripes are fine.
misamisa01

misamisa01

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killersandliars' Blog
 

Poison Apple redux (and a compliment of sorts)

Since I bought a ding-dang full bottle of Poisoned Apple recently, I figured I'd try my imp again. I was getting ready to leave, my dearest husband was still laying in the bed but fully awake. He wasn't sure why I was putting the oil in my hair, but whatever, he's a man, he doesn't understand these things. Finally, as I was about to finish my beautifying rituals, he said "You smell like apple pie." Win! He's smelled some of my other BPALs and said "uh-huh." This time he actually committed to saying something about it, which leads me to believe he might like it. I take smelling "like apple pie" as a big time compliment, especially coming from him. He rarely notices nuances of fragrances, so this was something that kinda made my day.   It was weird that he associated the scent with pie and not just with apples. Apples are a food but I don't think of PA as a foodie blend. I don't really detect any kind of spice at all when I smell PA. I smell more of the apple peel and the opium note. Again, it's an accomplishment that he noticed, bless his heart.
killersandliars

killersandliars

0
despite_the_faerie's Blog
 

Tried and Tested! (updated on a regular basis)

I just want to keep a list of all of the scents I have tried so I don't get confused in the future. This seemed like a good place to do that.   Alphabetical and completely out of order as far as GCs/LEs/etc. Most of them have just been sniffed. Just looking at the clusterf**k of a list is already driving me crazy. I'll be organizing it soon when I'm not so sleepy.   51 #20 Love Oil A Game Called Yes and No A Howl in the Darkness Ahathoor Aizen-Myoo All Night Long Anne Beany Anne Bonny Arachnina, the Spider Girl Aremata-Popoa Aries 2007 Arkham Atlas Moth Autumn Cider Azathoth Baku Banshee Beat Baron Samedi Bat's Blood Bensiabel Bette Noir Bewitched Black Annis Black Butterfly Moon Black Death Black Heart Black Lace Black Lotus Black Pearl Blood Amber Blood Kiss Blood Lotus Blood Pearl Blood Bloodlust Blue Morpho Bonfire Night Boo Brahmin Moth Brimstone Brood XIX Burning Vulva Cake Smash Chaos Theory V Snake Oil (dunno which one) Chuparosa Clio Come to Me Coyote Creepy Danse Macabre Ded Moroz Depraved Desdemona Devil's Night 2009 Devil's Night (?) Dionysia Dirty Djinn Doc Constantine Dorian Dorian CTVI (dunno which one) Dove's Heart Dragon's Blood Dragon's Musk Dragon's Tears Drink Me El Dia De Los Reyes Endymion Enraged Groundhog Musk Epitaph Eris Ether Fallen Feeding the Dead Fire of Love Fledgling Raptor Moon Fortunato Geek Geek.Goth Ghosts in love Goblin Goliath Birdwing Golletes Gomorrah Grog Halloween in Las Vegas Halloween in San Francisco Has No Hanna Hellfire Hemlock Honey Hexxenacht 2005 Hexxenacht 2008 Hollywood Babylon How Doth the Little Crocodile Hunger Hurricane Hypothermia Inferno IO Moth Jack Jailbait Jazz Funeral Jezirat al Tennyn Johnathan Harker Juliet Kabuki Kathmandu Kroenen Kyoto La Befana La Belle Dame Sans Merci Lady Macbeth La Mano del Destino Lawn Gnome Lenore Les Bijoux Les Infortunes De La Vertu Licorice Bats Liz Lolita Love Me Lunar Eclipse Lune Noir Lurid Lust Machu Picchu Mad Hatter Madrid Maenad Malignant Dreams of Cthulu in Love Mata Hari Mictecacihuatl 2011 Midnight Kiss Miskatonic University Mme. Moriarty Misfortune Teller Monster Bait: Bloody Mary Monster Bait: Tokyo Stomp Montresor Moscow Mother Ginger Mother Shub's Toothsome Banketstaaf Mourning Cloak Mouse's Long and Sad Tale Muse Namaste Nightmare No. 93 Engine Nocnitsa Nosferatu Nothing but Death O October 2007 October 2010 Ode on Melancholy Odin Ogun Old Scratch Oneiroi Ophelia Osun Pa-Pow Paladin Pannychis Penny Dreadful Phantasm Poisoned Apple Purple Spotted Swallowtail Pussy Moth Queen Queen of Sheba Red Devil Red Lace Regina Erebi Robin Goodfellow Romanti.Goth Rose Red 2007 Rose Red 2010 Samhain 2011 Samhain 2011 (TAL) Samhainophobia Santa Eularia Des Riu Santa Muerte Scherezade Schrodinger's Cat Shadow Shanghai Shango Sin Slaugh Smokestack Smut Snake Oil Snap-Dragon-Fly Snow Blind (Revisited) Snow White 2009 Sonnet D'Automne Spanked (Revisited) Spirits of the Dead Sprinklecake Steam.Goth Sundew Symmakhia Szepasszony Tattered Lace Thalia Thanatopsis The Black Apple of Saturn The Death of Autumn The Forest Reverie The Hell-Gate of Ireland The Kingdom of Sweets The Lion The Masque The Premature Burial The Reaper and the Flowers The Sea Foams Milk The Spell of Amorous Love The Tell-Tale Heart The Vampire Bride The Wild Swans at Coole The Witching Time of Night The Witch's Garden The Zieba Tree Thunder Moon To a Woman Tombeur Tombstone Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat Two, Five, & Seven Undertow Vampire Tears Veil Velvet Velvet Nudie Velvet Unicorn Vicomte de Valmont VILF Villain Voodoo Wanda Werepuppy White Rabbit WILF Womb Furie 2010 Womb Furie 2011 Worm Moon Yemaya Yerevan Zarita, the Doll Girl Zombi #occupywallstreet
despite_the_faerie

despite_the_faerie

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killersandliars' Blog
 

It really sucks to be down one of your five senses.

I get these really gnarly sinus infections at least twice a year, usually right about the time the seasons change. Naturally, I would get one now. I'm pretty good overall but I'm very congested, so I can't smell a damn thing. I mean, I have been burning candles, sniffing stuff at Marshalls, smelling BPAL stuff, and nothing. I am using the NielMed Sinus Rinse, but I still can't smell. What a ginormous bummer.   I decided since I couldn't smell period I'd wear a BPAL that I was comfortable with and that I knew wouldn't be offensive if I accidentally put too much on, which was Emma from The District. I wish I could say how it smelled the second time, but...   I can only hope that my sense of smell returns sooner rather than later. I would like to go through some more of my imps that I haven't tried, even though I have made what I feel like is good progress. I was thinking of saving my bike money for my Weenie order, but now that it won't be up until next week I might take this opportunity to make a small GC imp order from the lab before they get the huge OMGWEENIESAREUP rush.
killersandliars

killersandliars

0
killersandliars' Blog
 

More trieds, SNOW WHITE '07, update madness, etc.

I finally found a BPAL that just plain ol' doesn't work for me. The Hesperides. Boo. The first of the many Greek mythology-named BPAL oils, and it's just not so good on me. The notes sound like what I would like: oak bark, leaves, twilight mist and crisp apple. I don't even know which note in it turns yucky, but one does. Too bad, because I was hoping it might be nice and autumnal.   I've also recently tried a tiny dot of Boomslang (verdict: too heavy for right now, will try again at night in the late fall.) Black Rose (verdict: nice rose with something else.) And Belle Epoque (verdict: fresh and green, loving the lily of the valley.) Belle Epoque and Black Rose are both scents I like a lot and I would like to explore a bit more; Boomslang is strong, so I need to try it at an appropriate time.   I purchased a full bottle of Snow White '07. She's one of the top oils I've wanted to try since joining, and boy howdy I'm so glad I purchased it here on the forums. It does smell like coconut, but IDGAF... It's freaking amazing. It's so soft and warm and womanly and alluring. I've read the reviews and I'm happy to have found '07 as the more recent years seem to be not as good.   I am waiting on pins and needles for the Halloweenie update. I really want to read about Pumpkin Princess, that sounds *so* like something I would like. I'm off for the next three days, so I am sure I'll be F5ing it all day and all night.
killersandliars

killersandliars

0
Clover's Blog
 

Neck-alicious Swap Questions & Inspirations

In-Thread Questions   -Any specific scents, which may be part of a fiber or attached to a fiber, that you can't deal with(i.e. wet sheep, cloth dye,wood)? most scents should be fine as long as it goes away when it dries. As for koolaid, lingering scent isn't a problem. (though since I live in a hot and humid place, make sure dye isn't gonna release while I'm out sweating or something lol)   -are you cool with the neck accessory itself decorated by me? that's fine with me, I like looking unique and that sounds pretty cool. I like embroidery, beading, I've seen lace applique that looked cool, painting can be totally awesome (altho hopefully not too stiff afterwards). Just not cliche, I don't really go for applique flowers or pompoms...   -patterns and fabrics I like for non-knit stuff I like silk, chiffon, jersey, fleece & felt can be really nice but keep in mind it can get pretty hot in HI! I like houndstooth, pin-stripes, checkerboard/plaid, and cool repeating prints (be it like the skulls or oranges below, or eyeglasses). When it comes to painting, it's kinda free reign i guess.. I kinda like stylistic foxes, bunnies, houses, deer/antlers, food, typography (ampersands are pretty), dissection/instruction/blueprint-like images, or kinda fairy tale-esque.... (here's a few etsy stores of art styles I like... ink and watercolor oddness cool topography red reding hood love this piece odd mix type & blueprint I'm not really into dots, paisley, floral (unless it's more geometric rather than realistic), rainbow, or classic tie-dye. here's a link to different items, i really like the look, feel, materials, and construction of these...   -Would you enjoy a novelty scarf? And if so, at what level? I have always loved the fox-shaped (white or red) scarves... but in hawaii it tends to come off too weird >_> but I wouldn't mind fox imagery (embroidery or something). I also like retro-y themes like skulls, eyeglasses, bows (embroidery.. not actual bows attached). I also do like text if it applies... but nothing comes to mind as far as what to write. In general, I like a good-looking crisp, clean scarf that has a cool/slight punk/young feel....   -Delicate, tough, or it doesn't matter? I would rather it not be SO delicate that I can only wear it to special occasions (b/c those are VERY few and far between). It's probably going to be worn as a fashion statement (or as an inside item to keep me warm) so it can be anywhere between somewhat-delicate all the way to rough and tough! (i don't mind handwashing)   -What scarf-types do you like? exs: Cowl (either the scrunched down kinds... or the tall ones that shield your neck while you wear a jacket), hooded scarves, shawls, poncho-like, skinny (or wide) and long (or short) normal scarves, wrap, fashion types (like necklace-like, or shawlettes), moebius?? I like cowls (probably more scrunchy as a tall one would probably be too hot!), shawls, ponchos, not really normal scarves so much, wraps, shawlettes, moebius! (a lot of them lol)   -what kind of non-knitted scarves/wraps do you like? Length? Style? I have some examples below in the "etsy" section of non-knit stuff... I tend to be attracted to the shape, pattern, and finishings of non-knit-neckwear... I like... -Cowls- kinda loose at like boob or higher length -shawlettes- fringe/no fringe is cool.. anywhere from slightly above boob to tummy length (for the point hanging down in the front). Also, maybe a way to button/clip the ends that wrap around the neck could be nice... -ponchos- any length... i'll probably be wearing it inside. It could be from the elbow (like capelet length), down to waist or past the waist length. Though the longer it is, it may be nice to have some buttons or something to open it on the front or side or something... -as for finishings, i mention it below...   -how do you feel about ruffles/pick ups? I guess I'm sorta kinda picky on scarf-finishings.... I am not a huge fan of the ruffles, no pom-poms, most crocheted flowers, tie-dye... I DO like buttons (snap and normal)(i tend to like being able to open/close things), those gold-pyramid stud thingies, fringe (if it's a shawlette), zippers, embroidery, tasteful beading, i do like the swarvorski/judith leiber purse/bedazzle-esque section, and painted stuff can be fun too! I like the different fabrics or sewn lines that can make stuff interesting, (like these kinds of items)   -what are your least favorite colors? No pastels, no orange, sorta not pink, not really black (i see all kinds of fuzzies and stuff all over it), or "faded" colors. I don't really like any color that's dark (so no forest greens, dark blues, wine-reds, etc); the only exception is royal purple/plum and gray. (i like brighter colors... not neon.. more like "vivid" lol).   Most colors I can deal with if it's part of a gradient or something, as long as it's not too much...   How do you feel about art yarn? it looks cool as a skein, but I wonder how nice it will look when it's knit up? some of the crazier-mixes seem like they'll look too weird.. (i like more of a clean look) but I'll trust your judgement if you're sure it's gonna awesome, it probably will   How do you feel about mixing up textures? I don't mind if it still looks nice (i don't love patchwork).. I think it may be cool if they're the same color but in different textures. Though I think it could look really cool in non-knit stuff (like the outside in 1 texure, lining in another... or something lol)   Stripes? I don't always love stripes, but there are def examples of very-nice looking ones! i like stripes if they come off more clean/modern-looking. (not a fan of self-striping unless it's socks). Noro stripes look awesome... plues this and this.   Do you have preferences for lacy scarves? like in my ?-airre, it depends on the usage. honestly I like both.. as long as it's pretty, I don't mind   is there any crafting related but non-scarf item that you would want as an additional gift? notions, needles, fibers, etc? any skill you want to be enabled in (spinning, knitting, crocheting, etc?). I'm still fairly new to knitting so things related to that would be fun. It's totally not necessary to get me anything extra, but any of these would be fun and greatly loved: yarns (any weight), a bit of roving for thrumming, stitch markers (with a very-thin loop), dpns and circular needles (anything above US6), tiny beads/crystals. Also plain jersey and/or fleece fabrics, and sheets of felt would be fun for sewing up some plushies!! Lately I've wanted to do some embroidery too; get a lil fabric, that wood loop, some needles and thread and work it lol. so... yea... I like LOTS of things lol     -How do you feel about scarf/shawl accessories, i.e. pins or brooches; would you use them? I would love it! I've seen very pretty pins that others have had and am a bit jealous   -are we talking just delicate laceweight lace or is a nice openwork pattern out of a larger gauge yarn probably more delicate and relatively tight... if I can stick more than 3 fingers in a hole then its probably too openly knit for me...   If you like to read, what kind of books are you into? I def don't NEED any books, but I do enjoy them. Like: funny, interesting information, historical fiction, slightly morbid (ex: books by Mary Roach)   If I add candy/tea/etc to your package what would you prefer? What would you rather NOT get? I don't mind any, but once again I don't NEED any of it. I like white/green tea... and chocolate is yummy!   Any favorite: animals, sports/teams, bands/singers, etc that I might include in my plotting? animals- I like foxes, bunnies, and mushrooms (yes I know they're not an animal but they fit into that foresty scene) and on that same vein I like hydrangeas/poppies/orchids/airplants sports/teams- not interested in any bands/singers- not any enough to warrant plotting. In general I like kinda popie-indie-rock   -What do you see as your "gender style" ie: Girly Girl, Sporty Spice or Tomboy, Absolutely Butch Girl, Sort of Femme Guy, Total Queen Guy, Man's Man. Let's see, I would kinda place between between girly girl to possibly metro guy? lol I like slightly nerdy (like computer or art-school nerdy), super girly (be it cute or sexy), and/or modern fashionable with clean lines     -------------------------------------------------------------   Ravelry Favorites here are a bunch of ones I've seen and loved! feel free to mix and match, or straight up use one of these patterns! I thought it was a nice mix of different techniques if you're knitting, and a lot of different styles if you're crafting in another way...(my super-top 5 are *-ed)   --outside types: cowls, moebius, shawls nice wrap coral-like scarf great in blues, beige, white, red.. Houndstooth bandana-scarf cowboy cowl *pretty pretty shawl airy cowl   NEW cool pattern/texture scarf *NEW clean and modern moebius     --inside types: wrap, capelet, shawls *comfy cool shawl love the red grey combo! big and whimsical wrap giant shawl with arm holes *insanely warm wrap clean and warm maybe even wider? lol   NEW 1 sleeve wrap *NEW sexy plaid wrap and i love the color combination! -------------------------------------------------------------   Etsy Favorites oops! b/c I knit, I kinda forgot that people may be using other crafty methods to make their scarves! So here are some cool etsy things (not knit) that may give some inspiration too (*-ed my awesome top 3!!)   jersey scarf felted scarf hand painted hand painted skulls scarf hand painted scarf screenprinted cool cowl *super cool convertible poncho not sure about the border design/color in the featured pic, but love the design! also cool convertible capelet also not sure about the design/color combo in the featured pic, but love the design! unique classy scarflette *assym poncho *cool capelet
Clover01

Clover01

0
Siberia's Blog
 

Stash

My Bottles   BPAL   Anne Bonny Antikythera Mechanism Athens Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand Banshee Beat (3) Beaver Moon 2010 Bengal Black Butterfly Moon Black Lace Resurrected Black Pearl Boo! 2009 Cake Smash The Changeling* Countess Willie Crib Girls (2) Dark Chocolate and Pepper-Smoked Caramel Door Dorian Falling Leaf Moon (3) Feast for the Greatly Revered Ones First of the Three Spirits Gennivre (2) Halloween: Las Vegas* Heroine Hope (2) Hygeia The Illustrated Woman Katharina The Last Unicorn Lawn Gnome Les Bijoux Liberty Lilith Victoria L'Inverno Madame Moriarty The Magician (Vampire Tarot) March Hare The Midnight Carnival Midnight Kiss Mircalla Mother Ginger Mother Shub's Pfancy Pfefferneusse Nocnitsa No. 93 Engine (2) Okayaki Paduan Killer Swarm (2) Pallas Athene Pickled Imp (2) Pink Snowballs The Priestess (Vampire Tarot) Priala Pumpkin Latte Pumpkin Princess 2011* Pumpkin Queen 2006 Red Lantern 2011 Rose Red 2010 Shanghai Skytyping with Chemtrails Smokey Moon (Tristesses de la Lune) The Soldier Snow White 2009 (2) Snow White 2010 Sonnet D'Automne* Sunbird Tamora Temple Viper Tree of Life Waltz of the Snowflakes The Wiley Grasser* Zombie Apocalypse     Conjure Oils:   Adoration de la Terre The Azure Dragon Black Cat Crossed My Path Evocation des Ancetres Jeu du Rapt Khosrow and Shirin Midnight Chai with Kali Ma Nuit Vajra (2) The Vermillion Bird The Yellow Dragon     Violette Market   Antoinette's Tea Cakes Baby New Year 2010 Calaveras Chocolate Chocolate Antlion* Chocolate Fire Ant* Chocolate Horse Lubber Grasshopper* Chocolate Mallow Pumpkins* Chocolate Snout Beetle* Chocolate Vampire Bat* Chocolate Honey Chocolate Forest Chocolate Magi Hestia (2) The Lion and the Lamb Lost Woods of Killarney Lydia's Firefly Lanterns Miss Susanna West Smoking Plum Sophia Peabody The Spice Islands Sun Bear Honey Co. Bass Wood Honey Veronica's Chocolatier* Custom 1: Chocolate, Incense, Woodsmoke, Cardamom   Nocturne Alchemy   Bastet's Crystal Pumpkin* Bes*   Possets   Archangels Cherubim Dangerous Oil Dominions Cri de Couer Dangerous Flossing Hearts and Flowers High Tea Isabella Limoncello: Giardano Rosmarino Madame X Perpetual Motion Machine The Scent of Angels Seraphim Silver Carnations Silver Ginger Tisane of the Witch Silver Neroli Tisane of the Witch     Arcana   Devilish     Blood Drop   Dixie Elouise Adelaide Deschamps Perfectly Legal and Innocuous Kiss Cake     13 Gypsies   Cauldron Smoke Which Witch   * = waiting on this
Siberia

Siberia

0
killersandliars' Blog
 

Two more additions to my "tried" BPAL oils

Yesterday I sold my bike (an Electra Townie 3 in metallic fucshia.) I was sad to see it go, but since I never ride it, it was time. And I got moneys.   I wore Blood Amber yesterday, which was one BPAL I felt kinda iffy about. I like amber as a note, but making it bloody just seemed a little unappealing to me. Surprise, surprise but I actually *really* like Blood Amber and I think it's a scent I'll be coming back to in the fall. It lasted really well on me and it smells divine. Another winner. When will I start smelling oils that I hate?   Today, I purposefully picked one that sounded rather like a "no" to me: Eat Me from Mad Tea Party. In general I don't like foody scents (with the odd fruit or well-done vanilla being the exception.) The "three cakes" note just really turned me off. I don't want to smell like a teeny bopper or a cupcake, so Eat Me was seeming like something I'd hate. In the vial it smells vanillaish and sweet, but I decided to keep an open mind and tried it on my skin anyway. Lucky for me, the red and black currant notes really come out on my skin. Eat Me turned in to a lovely berry-vanilla that doesn't smell synthetic or sticky (which is what I had expected from reading the notes.) Eat Me was a big surprise winner for me, which shows me that I should always try the oils on my skin before passing judgement.   All in all I've at least liked all of the oils that I've tried, and I love several of them. I suppose I'm lucky that it takes so little product each day, otherwise I would have a hard time narrowing down which scents to buy in full bottles.
killersandliars

killersandliars

0
killersandliars' Blog
 

Working on my wishlist (and waxing poetic about Poisoned Apple)

The sheer amount of BPAL stuff out there is overwhelming. I don't really need to smell everything, but there's still so much that I want to try. Should I just pick a scent family (ie rose scents, green scents, etc.) or one of the Lab's collections (Marchen, Sin & Salvation, etc.)? How exactly does one *manage* their obsession?   I didn't smell a new imp today. I wore Poisoned Apple all day. Lemme say, the second bite is as good as the first. It doesn't smell as dirty to me today, but it does still smell very dark. I did get a better whiff of the opium smoke today. A lot of the reviews say this is a straight up sweet red apple, but I don't get that much. It smells a bit green to me, and there's the darkness from the smoke. I get apple, but it's not fake or terribly sweet. As a matter of fact, I think that the sweetness is nicely tempered by the other elements. The only thing I don't get directly is the oleander, which is odd. There's tons of oleander around here (it lines the streets and freeways in so many places in CA), so I should know what it smells like. Or maybe my nose is just so used to it that it doesn't register. The official notes from the lab are red apple, opium, oleander and hemlock.   Tomorrow I do plan on trying a different imp. I feel a bit guilty for planning a Lab haul soon with so many imps to go through (upwards of 20 that haven't been tried or even sniffed.) Perhaps I'll do a few more days of testing and then order. The Halloween update should be happening soon, and there are already a handful of scents that I really want to try from that. Wallet, be damned.
killersandliars

killersandliars

0
killersandliars' Blog
 

THREEFER today, including one of my top wish-sniffs and new obsession revealed

Last night before bed I decided to try another of my RAOK frimps. Again, I grabbed at random and ended up with Kiss Amongst Discarded Tissues, which according to the label was from Novel Ideas 2010. I don't know the notes because I'm having a hard time locating the review. It's a light floral to me, very pretty. I still suck at picking out particular notes. It's not as sweet as Desdemona, but it's not overly rosey either.   Today I had a long day of classes, getting my car serviced, and dinner with my husband's (boring) family. I wanted something daring and fun. I chose Black Opal from a recent forum imp purchase. The Lab doesn't list the notes on the main site, so I might have to look it up in the reviews. If there ever was a way for something to smell both sparkly and black, this oil does it perfectly. It smells so smooth and luxurious, it's a total winner. It's definitely the first imp that I've smelled that I would look for a full bottle of. I even put some in my hair, and good god I smelled so sexy and wonderful all day long.   I also received yet another forum imp purchase, and this forumite was kind enough to include one of my top wish-sniffs, Poisoned Apple. Naturally I had to try it as soon as I could, and I am just so in love. In the course of one day, I have tried two imps that I now need full 5 ml bottles of. Poisoned Apple does smell like, well, apples, but there's something kinda dark and wet that comes across too. Earth isn't one of the notes, but this one pulls a bit dirtish on me. Like just the barest hint of dead leaves or dirt. It's amazing. It's very complex and beautiful, and I am so grateful to the amazing girl who sent me this. I was going to purchase a 5 ml of Snake Oil, but I guess that one will have to wait.   Finally, my husband has now seen my new BPAL obsession. (He already noticed the Paypal transactions, but he hadn't seen or sniffed any imps or anything like that.) He doesn't *get* it, but I did know he wouldn't. At least I can ask him for imps and bottles for Christmas without feeling like a total fool.
killersandliars

killersandliars

0
killersandliars' Blog
 

Day two (still on the RAOK package)

Today was my second day of *my* personal BPAL madness, as I would like to call it. I sorta grabbed something at random, which happened to be Emma from The District. This is one that I actually smelled when my RAOK package came. (Some of the others I still haven't sniffed because I want to be surprised. I also haven't read the notes for almost all of them. Look what a weirdo I am.) That's not the point though. I'm talking about Emma. Prior to trying this, I would have said that in general patchouli is a note that I'd most likely avoid (with the main exception being Chanel Coco Mademoiselle.) Patchouli isn't the main thing that I get from Emma, but it's definitely there. I get a greenish-pepperish-patchoulish-sweetish sort of feeling from this particular oil, but it ends up being pretty awesome all combined. (Per the Lab, the notes in Emma are vanilla bourbon, tea rose, jasmine, pink pepper and patchouli.) I find that the pink pepper and the patchouli are really softened by the florals and the bourbon kinda adds this nice sensuality to it. I like Emma a lot, and I look forward to revisiting this oil in a couple of weeks after I've tried some more.   On a not-even-related note, I painted my nails neon yellow (like a highlighter) and I want to add some crackle polish to them. Fun times!
killersandliars

killersandliars

0
mxtine's Blog
 

The Stash--for tracking purposes

BPAL/BPTP 5mL A Bachelor's Dog A Blot Upon The Earth Anne Bonny (2) Amaterasu v2 (2) Amaterasu v3 Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand (11) Banshee Beat Bastet Bengal Black Forest Black Lace (original) Black Moon Blood Kiss Blossoms In Springtime Blue Pumpkin Floss v3 Body, Remember Boo '09 Boo '10 Boomslang Bordello Butter Arsenic Cabaret.Goth (2) Cake Smash Cake Smash v6 Candy Phoenix '05 (2) Cat Allingham Cathedral (2) Celeste Chaos Theory IV: Edge of Chaos MCCLXV Chaos Theory VI: Vanilla #426 Chaos Theory VI: Vanilla #543 Cheshire Moon Chimera v5 Chrysanthemum Moon Crowley Crypt King (2) Death Adder Devil's Night '11 Dia Dia de Los Muertos '04 Dionysia Dorian Dreadful Lies Eat Me Eat Me v6 Elf v4 Epomophorus Monstrosus Faiza, The Black Mamba (3) Fetish.Goth Fledgling Raptor Moon Giant Vulva Ginger Skulls Glitter '06 Glowing Vulva Goblin Gothabilly Grand Guignol v4 Gun Moll Gypsy Moth Habu (v low partial) (2) Half Elf v5 (2) Halloween: Las Vegas Halloween: Montreal (4) Haloes Heavenly Love & Earthly Love Hexennacht '05 Hod Resurrected Hod v2 In The Forest (2) Inez Invasion of the Flesh Eating Reindeer from Uranus IXHV4 (2) Ivanushka Jacob's Ladder '05 Jacob's Ladder '10 Joyful Moon Kali Kitty (2) La Mano Del Destino (2) Lady Una L'Essence De L'Engouement L'Essence De La Passion (3) Loli.Goth Loosening of the Obi Luna Negra Lune Noire (2) Luperci '11 (3) Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller Marshmallow Poof Mead Moon Metal Tiger Midnight Mass ‘10 Midway (original) Minotaur Misfortune Teller v3 MB: Bloody Mary MB: Bones Trombone MB: Closet MB: Underbed (2) MB: Underpants Mouse's Long and Sad Tale Mr. Jacquel Nepthys v11 O (2) #Occupywallstreet Odd Portents Orange Phoenix v6 Osiris v4 Paduan Killer Swarm (2) Panther Moon Penumbra Phyllocrania Paradoxa v1 PRC12 PSX54 Pumpkin Princess (2) Raven Moon Red Lace Samhainophobia Saqqara v2 (2) Senelion Schwarzer Mond '08 Schwarzer Mond '11 Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues Silas Ruthyn Silver-Haired Bat Smut '06 Smut '10 Smut '12 (2) Snake Charmer Resurrected (2) Snake Oil Snow White '04 Snow White '08 (trunk show label) Spanked '11 (2) Spellbound Spicebush Swallowtail (2) Sprinklecake Stardust Sugar Skull '05 Sugar Skull '06 Sugar Skull '10 Sybil (2) Temple Viper (2) The Anti-Saloon League (2) The Antikythera Mechanism The Arabian Dance The Candy Butcher The Coiled Serpent The Crumpet Rebellion The Elephantine Colossus The Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair The Illustrated Woman (5) The Infernal Lover (3 heavy red musk, 1 light red musk, 1 no red musk) The Unheavenly City Thirteen (10/06) Thirteen (2/09) Thirteen (8/10) Thirteen (6/11) Tiki Queen Tombeur Tombstone (2) Touched Twice Triple Benevolent Conjunction UOH2 (2) Vamp.Goth Velvet Nudie Velvet Panther Velvet Pink Kitty Velvet Tiki (2) Velvet Unicorn White Chocolate, Marshmallow and Coconut Truffle WILF (2) Womb Furie ‘10 XCDL13     BPTP BATH OILS (2) Bittersweet Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla Frankincense & Myrrh Glowing Vulva L'Eau De L'Engouement L'Eau De La Passion Looking Glass, Looking Glass (~3 oz decant) Snake Oil Spun Sugar Spectre Tricksy   BPTP HAIR GLOSS Frankincense + Clove Snake Oil     BPTP ATMO SPRAY Aphrodite Kypria The Ghoul-Haunted Woodland of Weir     TAL OILS Anechoic Chamber Benevolent Triple Conjunction Samhain Yule     OTHER ETAILERS Haunt Blood Orange Cacao 5mL Solstice Scents Sandalwood Vanilla roll-on
mxtine

mxtine

0
killersandliars' Blog
 

Virgin no more!

Yesterday, I got my first package of imps from a very generous RAOK. There were a lot of scents to choose from (many of which I will post about as I get around to trying them.) But I chose one that I thought would be semi-safe as my first real foray into wearing BPAL oils instead of traditional mainstream perfumes.   The one I chose to start with was Desdemona from Illyria. I tend to like floral fragrances, though I can safely say that things like sweet pea are usually kinda... not good on me. (The other notes are carnation and water lily, and I do like both of those.) Also, I'm an English major and today was the first day of classes, so I thought that made it all the more fitting. In spite of my initial misgivings about Desdemona, it actually smells really pretty on me. I completely suck at describing scents, but it is very sweet and soft and floral with just the barest touch of sensuality. In a word, I would describe it as feminine. It lasted pretty well on me, and I am still getting little whiffs of it 15 hours after applying. I'm not really sure that I'd buy a full bottle of this one yet, but I will come back to it soon and decide. For my first time, I'm pretty satisfied.   I'm not sure if I'll try something more daring tomorrow. Time well tell.
killersandliars

killersandliars

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Aracose's Blog
 

BPALs tried

And here's a list of the BPALs that I've tried (though don't necessarily own). Again--if I've reviewed any of them, I'll likely link to the review (at some point...)   Aelopile Bliss Calico Jack Dragon's Blood Eat Me Eve Fenris Wolf Galvanic Goggles Good - RPG Series Gremlin Cake Grog Hellcat Kitty Miskatonic University Nyarlathotep Phoenix in Autumn Red Lantern 2007 Schrodinger's Cat Strawberry Moon 2009 Thanatos Vice Whoop Yggdrasil
Aracose

Aracose

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Aracose's Blog
 

BPALs owned

Here's a list of the scents I currently own. And if I can figure out how to work this blog, I'll probably make links if I've reviewed them anywhere...   In generally, there are all imp-sized. For one or two I might have a bottle. Except for bottles, I'm pretty willing to trade just about anything, so if you see something you're interested in, just ask. There's a good chance I'd be willing to trade for it. And if I'm not--then you just managed to stumple on to the rare scent that I've decided to attempt to hoard all for myself!   Aelopile Antikythera Mechanism Ave Maria Gratia Plena Bliss Calico Jack Cthulhu Dee Dragon's Blood Eat Me Eggnog Eve Fenris Wolf Galvanic Goggles Good - RPG Series Gremlin Cake Grog Hellcat Kitty Kyoto Minamoto no Yorimitsu Cuts at the Earth Spider Miskatonic University No. 93 Engine Nosferatu Nyarlathotep Perversion Phoenix in Autumn Rat King 2010 Red Lantern 2007 Schrodinger's Cat Shoggoth Shub-Niggurath Smokestack Strawberry Moon 2009 Thanatos Tin Phoenix Tintagel Vice Whoop Yggdrasil
Aracose

Aracose

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Aracose's Blog
 

Wishlist

I'm sure this will get larger as time goes by...but currently there are only a couple of scents on my wishlist. Don't judge me!   Beatrice - sample Liz - sample FOUND! Phoenix in Autumn - bottle FOUND! Weeping Branches Moon - sample
Aracose

Aracose

0
LisaNut's Blog-O-Matic
 

Fall SW 2011 notes (?)

This is being written IN CASE there is a Fall 2011 round & I manage to enter it DESPITE being on vacation & away from the internet for a whole week in early Sept.   I will be updating & condensing previous blogs for the aid of my dear witch, who ever she may be!   Big (new) stuff around here includes:   - Daughter now loves pandas and penguins ALMOST as much as turtles.   - We hope to start house hunting sometime Feb/March!   - I hope to make some extra income for the family via etsy.   - daughter starts preschool this September   - I've started knitting! But am working on stuff for everyone in the world EXCEPT me, so feel free to knit me anything if you are so inclined! LOL   - I'm trying to loose what's left of my "baby weight" before we start trying for number 2 (which may be soon!) Green & Oolong teas are supposed to help with that . . . I'm exercising whenever I can, . .. anything helpful you know of is great. **ahem** this doesn't, however, mean that I don't want any chocolate, brownies, cookies or the like. One must splurge now and again, regardless!   I think that's it for now . . .
lmfaith

lmfaith

0
Forspecial Plate's Blog
 

Fille en Aiguilles...Serge Lutens

Finally got a bottle of this, one of my favorites! Gave myself a pretty intensive application today to get the full experience, as before I only had a 2.5 ml sample.   Well, what to say, how to describe this. It's a very 'me' scent, woody, spicy, kind of sweet, also deep, dark and....almost smoldering. Not really an incense, but it has a quality of incense about it. The notes listed are "pine needles, vetiver, incense, fruit, spices, fir balsam, amber". So yeah.....there is a feeling of pine but in no way sharp or cleanser-like. Add to it sugary fruits, but not candy-like....more of a sweetened boozy fruitcake with pine and resins, maybe frankincense? I dunno it just smells damn good.   I applied pretty heavily and this seems to be a scent that stays close to the skin. There aren't any "high pitched" notes. According to the box it is eau de parfum strength and in my experience, the stronger concentration of scents seem to stay closer to the skin. That's what my Bois des Iles does, anyway. It's somewhat closer to the way perfume oil behaves on the skin and in the air around me. I love this so much and it just hums in a quiet way....I can't imagine ever feeling like I put on too much. I don't think I'd fill up a whole room with this one, sillage-wise.   Anyway, so glad to finally have a bottle! Just in time for late summer going into fall. Beautiful.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

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Forspecial Plate's Blog
 

Kouros by YSL

Ah yes.....the legendary Kouros. I bought a small bottle, totally untested, just based on the infamy of this fragrance. It's a love-it-or-hate-it scent, those who love it praise it to the high heavens, and those who hate it invariably mention bodily waste (human or animal, often cat) when describing it. It's pretty cheap and apparently being discontinued, so I went for it.   First try was.....alarming. At first, I smelled a sort of dated men's fragrance, something from the eighties, nothing too earth-shattering. Then, as it warmed up and dried on my skin, I smelled......the elephant house at the zoo. There's a large part of men's cologne, and up close, there is a large part of elephant dung. Interestingly, this didn't totally turn me off the scent, but I didn't think I'd be wearing it again. Very animalic if I understand the term correctly.   Well, fast forward to tonight, and I'm just sitting at home doing laundry. I wanted to try something unusual and it doesn't get much more unusual than Kouros, so I gave it a second try. Yep, the elephant house is still there. But, what's this? I am liking this? Wow, I can see how this fragrance can be addicting, and I think I actually like it! The scent hasn't changed, it's just so.....intimate? I don't know, just compelling and weird, and I am now glad I have a bottle. I think I'll have to try Body Kouros too.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
Ciao's Blog.
 

Notes I like, Notes I don't.

Hmmm. Here it goes!   LOVE Patchouli, Vanilla, Red Musk, Milk/Cream, Leather, Lavender, Violets, Carnation, Snow, Lemon, Sandalwood, Peach, Apricot, Apple, Rosewood, Snow, Sugared Incense and Incense in general, Orchid, Chamomile, Rose, Pear, Benzoin, Tobacco, Grass, Resins, Sage, Herbs, Pine, Dirt and Damp Soil, Woods, Pink Musk, Cake, Ginger, Amber, Saffron, Golden Musk, Pink Pepper, Sugar Cane. I also love Forest, Woods, Green, and Foodie Scents.   LIKE Plum, Mint, Beeswax, Sarsaparilla, Berries, Soft Florals, Ho Wood, Sake, Muscadine and Grape scents, Moss, Cocoa, Vetiver, Pumpkin, Salty Air and Ocean kind of Scents that aren't too aquatic, Dragon's Blood.   QUESTIONABLE Milk Chocolate, Orris, Coconut, Clove, Jasmine, Honey.   NOT A FAN Nutty Scents, Caramel, Hazelnut, Overly Boozy Scents, Orange Blossom, Rum, Aquatics, Black Musk.
CiaoBonefish

CiaoBonefish

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