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She just sings whatever she's seen

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2010 Reading Analysis

This year may be the year that gets me to start tracking pages read; because while I did not come terribly close to 100 books (totaling 82 books in their entirety, 84 with the ones started before 2010, although 132/4 with the ones read with my son, but I typically don’t count those toward my own totals) I would be willing to bet that I came pretty close to my page totals for previous years, thanks largely to discovering Diana Gabaldon and rereading the entire Harry Potter series. I also did a lot of magazine and other non-tracked reading (I am not counting skimming through pregnancy and baby-care books, for example) and had a fair amount of external distraction (hello new baby and having not been totally alone in my house since May).   Just skimming, this year had fewer really short (>300 pages) YA and urban fantasy/paranormal romance sorts of books, fewer graphic novels which I tend to polish off in a few hours as most, and a lot more really dense, really long books.   Some quick totals:   82 books read in their entirety. 2 books finished from previous years. 50 chapter books read in whole or in part with my son. 4 books which I just could not finish – interestingly, all by authors that I have really enjoyed in the past and 3 of which were installments in series where I’ve enjoyed the other books.   Of the 82 books I read in full, they breakdown along my coding as follows:   Author of Color – 1 (wow, that’s pathetic) Fantasy – 44 (my most common genre this year with 5 more than last year) Graphic Novel – 19 (hum, actually 2 more than last year- but at least two of what I categorized as GN were fairly long) Mystery - 3 (way fewer straight mysteries this year than in the past – probably because I’m completely caught up with the series I read and haven’t introduced any new ones) Non-fiction – 1 Reread – 15 total rereads and 2 graphic novel adaptations where I’d read the original story, but not the adaptation Series –60 Science Fiction – 9 Short Works – 9 Vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my! – 25 (3 more than last year, maybe because I included the 7 HPs?) Young Adult – 16 (way fewer than last year and tending toward the longer end (i.e. 300 plus pages))   Interestingly, even with almost ¾ of my reading being from series, nearly half – 40 total- unique authors are represented, with 12 totally new authors this year. That’s about the same number of unique authors, although fewer new ones this year.
emzebel

emzebel

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Analysis of 2008 Reading

First off, hot damn, did I ever meet my goal of 100 books for 2008.   I did a couple of things differently this year - first, because my son is now super into having me read him chapter books - which have ranged from classics like The Wizard of Oz to insipid Transformers tie-ins, I started tracking those separately, instead of counting substantive classics that I might actually choose to read on my own as part of my own count (as I did with things like Roald Dahl last year. The second is that I gave myself permission to not read things that I wasn't enjoying. Which means that rather than having my "couldn't finish" list consist of one book that actively revolted me, if a book didn't engage me and I didn't care about picking it up again, I just didn't. It was kind of a lovely feeling, and I actually wonder if it contributed to my longer reading list, since I wasn't forcing myself back to things that didn't capture my attention. The third change was how I listed - going in order of reading, as opposed to alphabetically by author. I like all of these changes and plan to keep them for 2009.   Anyway, my totals: 117 books read entirely in 2008 2 started in 2007, finished on 2008 62 books read with the boy 6 books in progress (one of which I finished just this morning) 2 books in progress with R 9 books kicked to the curb   An interesting thing about those last 9, too - 5 of them were by authors that I've read before and liked and of those, I read and enjoyed books by 4 of them just this year. Three were books in series were I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, but just couldn't get into the second. Three of the 9 were books in well regarded YA series. Another was a television tie in for a show I enjoy.   Of the books in progress, one I've already finished, two are books of short stories or essays that I fully expect to finish in 2009. I suppose I should make finishing the other three part of my reading resolutions for this year, in addition to reading another 100 books in their entirety.   The reading with my son doesn't really take too long to look at - most were series books, most were at least mildly educational, either by design or by virtue of being classics.   Now, the meat. Breaking down the 117 that I read entirely in 2008: * 108 were new to me, 9 were re-reads (if you count the fact that I had already read the text of Stardust) * 20 were children's/ya books (I didn't count some things are are sometimes shelved as YA in the library, such as some of the manga/graphic novels which were not specifically aimed at these age groups, S. Myers "The Host" or the Juliet Marillier books, which while certainly appropriate to a YA audience don't struck me as being marketed as YA - so, this could potentially be about 10 higher) * 22 were graphic novels, 1 of which was a GN version of a book I've read several times, another of which was related to a book series) * 2 were non-fiction (1 book of essays, 1 true crime) * 10 were books of short fiction * 83 were installments of various series, of which 13 were YA, 17 were graphic novels, * I read 13 new authors, accounting for 37 of books read * there are 47 unique authors represented   I am rediculously pleased that I read way more than my 100 book goal - I want to read more of substance next year, though.
emzebel

emzebel

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2017 13 Nights of Halloween Notes and Queries

Updated as of 9/12 am:


Are you ok with homemade food?
Absolutely all the food (within the very broad limits of my questionnaire). I'll note that while I am intolerant of dill in most things, I do love me some pickles.

If you are ok with decorations, do you have a preference for table-top, wall hanging, or window decorations?
Tabletop or window. I don't really have wall space.

How do you feel about stationary and/or papercrafting supplies?
Not so much? I have a lot of random stationary bits and am honestly not even sure what papercrafting supplies consist of.

How do you feel about kitschy/silly Halloween jewelry?
Oh good gracious yes. ALL of the Halloween jewelry. Except zombies. Not really into zombies.

Would you like a Halloween wreath?
Absolutely, those are gorgeous.

What rares are you dying to try???
Most of my super-rare desires are also super old and in my wishlist, which I promise to make a concerted effort to update ASAP.

Do you like comic books and/or graphic novels?
I do! Most of what I have is in my goodreads, with the exception of a few things I've gotten recently. Another thing I should update. I would be particularly interested in picking up where I left off with Fables (I've read through Vol 13), or getting more LumberJanes (I've read the first vol). Oh and all of Bitch Planet.

Would you like to receive anything related to:

Disney?
Maybe if it's really super cool. My Disney fandoms tend to be ancillary - Nightmare Before Christmas, Star Wars, Muppets, some Marvel.

If so, any favorite characters?
Most anything related to the above, especially female characters and Droids for SW, Kermit for Muppets. In terms of Disney generally, the Angelina Joile Malificent, I guess. My daughter would love anything Moana.

And to be more specific about Disney: How do you feel about Beauty and the beast?
Belle was my favorite until I got old enough to look critically at the story. I have a vague interest in seeing the new one, but not burning.

And what about Harry Potter related items?
RAVENCLAW FOREVER. I mean, yes. Absolutely. If I had to pick one fandom to end all fandoms, HP is mine.

Pokemon? Any favorites?
My fave are the bats - I haven't opened Go in ages though and cannot remember their names. My daughter would love HootHoot or Snivy stuff.

Is there any thing, category, or brand from which you would absolutely NOT like to receive things (ie., you're overrun with candy corn, you don't do scents outside of BPAL, or if you ever see another Stephen King item, it will be too soon)?
I absolutely do not do perfume oil outside of BPAL. I can find uses for candy corn, so long as I open it early enough in the swap (one of the things I make for my kid's school Harvest Fest bake sale are bags of popcorn with candy corn mixed in. Easy, cheap and they go like hot cakes. Although the janitors probably loathe me.) In general, I really do not need any more candles or other home scenty things.

What kinds of art/art medium do you most enjoy, or would you most like to receive, in the context of this swap?
I would definitely be up for Halloweenie spooky things. And I always appreciate any sort of yarncraft because I just cannot get the hang of it.

Bath & Body Works - love them or hate them? If the former, fave product types?
I do like BBW shower gels and lotions, mostly, and their foaming hand soap. I probably have more of the first two than I could ever use and just placed an order, though.

I'm in Japan, is there anything specific from here you would be interested in?
Not anything specific, but I do love the variety of kit kat and other chocolate flavors you have available.

Is there anything from The Netherlands/Europe that you're interested in?
I love your licorice! And stropwaffles (which I probably just butchered), and of course, chocolate. <3

how would you feel about receiving a hand-painted container for your bpal and/or other treasures? if you are on board with that, would you want a big wood box (~50 bottles), a small wood box (~20 bottles) or a tin for carrying imps around?
I have a large cabinet that I keep things in and a few boxes as well, so I'm probably all set.

if you were to receive something hand knit, what type of item would you like? hat, cowl, handwarmers, etc. and what color(s)?
Handwarmers or a scarf would probably get the most use, but I'd love just about anything. For outerwear, neutrals like black or gray would probably be best. Handwarmers could be jewel tones of about any stripe, but I already have a couple of purple pair, so probably not that.

Nail wraps - yay or nay? Would including a small manicure set to go with them help?
I would be all over a manicure set. The one I carry in my purse has seen better days. I would be interested in Halloweenie nail wraps as long as I opened them early enough for our party on the 28th.

Do you want wax melts?
No thank you. (Also, in case I didn't make it abundantly clear, ABSOLUTELY NO incense.)
emzebel

emzebel

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2018 13 Nights of Halloween Questions~

Here is where I shall keep my questions. I shall keep my questions here.

Updated 9/19/18

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?
I answered this pretty thoroughly in my survey, I think, but kind of everything. I love celebrating with my kids and being able to buy animal skeletons at Target and the flavors and just really kind of all of it, other than not being terribly into orange and brown. I'm more of a black and purple halloweenie.

Would you like a Halloween-themed cross-stitch piece of art done by your partner? If so, do you prefer something practical, like a cross-stitch dishtowel or table runner, or something to be hung on the wall?
I would love this - something useful like a dishtowel (or bathroom towels) would be most beloved, as I have a wonderful house with very little usable wall space.

Are you coveting something from the Lilith release? I've ordered everything I super duper wanted, but there are a few that I was on the fence about in my wishlist, but hey, I'll list them here too: Absurd Origin Story; Blue Blankie; Don't Tell Me Heaven is Under the Earth; Let Your Indulgence Set Me Free; Meditation Buddy; Scorched Marshmallows; Senator Barrial; Spontaneous Argumentation; Suffragium; The Queen of Hel; The She-Goat; The Storm; Theaomai;

Have you seen the Haus of Gloi Fall update? Does anything from that tickle your fancy? I am BPAL only for oils, but I would definitely be interested in trying bubbling scrub, pumpkin butter, hair oil (would probably use for either Mo and/or cuticle oil) or soaps in Apple Milk, Blood Orange Marshmallow, and Cozy Pumpkin! The Maple Vanilla soap sounds lovely too.

Enamel pins - yay or nay? Sure, but they will likely be stolen by my little hooligan.

Would you appreciate handknits? Any preference (socks, hats, cowls, mitts, etc)
Always. Socks and arm warmers would probably get the most use, although a cowl could be cool as that's something I don't have at all.

What kind of local goods do you like to pick up/try when you visit somewhere new?
I usually look for magnets, local honey or jams or other limited reach local foodstuffs. I also love trying regional alcohol specialties, particularly whisk(e)y.

Do you like to cook or bake, and if so, would you like any cooking accessories, mixes, or ingredients?
Absolutely! I particularly love silly holiday themed spatulas and sprinkles and such. There's a bit about this in my questionnaire as well.

Pumpkin Spice:
ALL THE THINGS!

Do you like Day of the Dead goodies? I love skulls and such, but I feel weird about the cultural appropriation aspects of a lot of Day of the Dead stuff as I have no cultural or spiritual connection. That said, I have received lovely items from folks who *do* have that connection in the past. Sorry for being complicated.

How do you feel about homemade edibles? Not just baked goods, but fruit butters, jams and such-like? Do you prefer savory or sweet or yes?
All of them nommy in my mouthy. I am a total sucker for apple and pumpkin and other butters this time of year. If you have a specialty, savory or sweet, I would LOVE to try it.

Quirky Socks: Goodness yes! I especially love silly Halloween themed socks, either ankle or knee length.

Stuff from Japan: Sure! My daughter and I both love Hello Kitty and Tokidoki and are suckers for any sort of mystery plushy sorts of things. I also adore the different flavors of kitkats you can get there and similar snacky goodies.

Yankee Candle: Sure, subject to the limits in my questionnaire. I do have a fondness for Yankee - my husband used to live close to their factory store in Western MA and we would go there all the time when he was in grad school.

Bath and Body Works: Another weakness of mine - I have a bad tendency to get matching shower gel and lotions there in foodie / fruity scents. I'd also love fall scents in their foaming hand soap.

Of the latest updates, Empress, Liliths, Jester, Emperor what are your wants and desires? Recent LES from this year, what are your wants and desires? My wishlist is up to date in this respect.

What about Disney? If you like Disney, what are your favorite characters?
I love Nightmare Before Christmas and the Muppets, but am not that into traditional Disney characters. I do like some of the Villians line, especially Maleficent and Ursula.

Star wars?
YES! Leia, Rey, Yoda, droids generally other than C3P0 who I find annoying. Also porgs were the most brilliant decision ever and I adore those little space puffins with all my heart.

And what about Harry Potter? Whats your favorite house and/or favorite character? I am all about all the HP. I am a Ravenclaw through and through (Slitherclaw if we're talking hybrid houses). Fave characters are Luna Lovegood, Hermione and I am a total puppy shipper (Sirius/Remus). (FWIW, my family already owns a lot of HP stuff - scarves for every house but Slytherin, a Ravenclaw mug and water bottle, robes for me and my wee Hooligan Hufflepuff, a stuffed Hedwig and Pidwigen...which is not to say we wouldn't welcome more. )

Do you like honey/honey products?
​Would you like flavored oils or vinegars?
Answering these together because my answer is absolutely yes to all of these.

Do you have any interest in fun tees or other goodies either related to your fandoms or otherwise from TeeTurtle or similar sites (https://www.teeturtle.com/)?
Absolutely! I prefer women's cut, 2XL for tees. Generally, darker is better in terms of color.

Do you have a favorite musical, opera, playwright or other theatrical or performing arts interest for which you might like interesting goodies? I am pretty set on this score in that I have easy access to merch along these lines.

Do you have any desire/need for a new umbrella? I always need more small collapsible ones as my children seem to have discovered some sort of portal that devours all umbrellas in the immediate vicinity.

Any desire for mugs - travel or otherwise? How about water bottles?
I am pretty set for ceramic mugs. I can always use more travel mugs if they are both cool and diswasher safe. Same for water bottles.

Could you use any BPAL storage? Bottles or imps? I am set personally, but I did realize the other day that my little hooligan is developing a bit of a collection herself that is currently scattered across her dresser, so if you are feeling crafty and felt like making a bottle box in an Owl/MLP/HP-Hufflepuff theme, I would happily regift to her (otherwise I have to do it myself )

Do you like incense, palo santo, sage, etc?
Please no. Even smelling incense in the package these days can trigger my migraines, which teenager me would find tragic, but there it is.

I will be going to Son of Monsterpalooza this weekend. Anything look interesting?
I can't think of anything offhand, but if there are cool creepy jewelry vendors, that could be cool.

Wax tarts? No thank you.

How do you feel about literal pumpkin *spice* - i.e. cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger - as a flavoring (the inclusion of pumpkin is not essential in my plotting)? How about those flavors combined with chocolate in some mystery form?
I am all over this concept (literally).

If you like/want books, do you have a goodreads or other place where you discuss your favorite books? Would you be interested in a spooky Halloween compilation or a classic halloweenie/autumnal book like Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree or Something Wicked This Way Comes?
I would love a new weenie compilation (now that I think about it, that's not the word I want, but wev).

Hat with pompom or no: I don't have a strong preference, although without is probably slightly more likely to be worn on the regular. I definitely embrace the silly, so if the hat is just screaming for some sort of embellishment, go for it.

Top 3 Weenie Wants: In terms of things I did not already order for myself:
The Hag (I wishlisted this last year and it almost jumped in my cart this year, so this is def. a top wish)
The Goat and the Vine
Pomegranate Grove: Morocco
emzebel

emzebel

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2018 Samhain Seven Qs

Updated 9/19/18

Shortbread? Heck yes. I am up for just about any baked good.

Is there something you’d like from the UK? Pimms is probably out, but I love UK chocos and other edibles.

Do you like Lord of the Rings? Yes, but I"m not a huge fangirl. It is one of those things where I like the movies and such and have read the books, but have no desire to do so again.

Any ceramics you could use? I can always use trays and cups for jewelry.

If you like tea and I have opened tea as well as sealed tea to send would you mind some cleanly decanted and clearly labeled tea I think you would really enjoy based on your preferences? Absolutely!

Would you like anything from my etsy shop? (http://twinklentwilight.etsy.com)
I love a lot of the fabric choices - the dragon/bat (all of the bat options, really), ravens, galaxy, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter and Dr. Who. I want something the blinded me with science for my science loving daughter and the plush monsters are adorable. I don't really knit, so I wouldn't have use for bags as project bags, but I still wants them my precious.

Are you interested in a crocheted monster or unicorn or whatever? Colors?
I am all about the fun plushies.
Lavender Vanilla Bean or Rose Petal liqueur?
Both of these sound AMAZING.

Nail stamping plates
I have no idea what these are and google isn't giving me a good sense of whether I would actually use them. I'm guessing not, since I am fumble fingers with polish and usually go to a nail salon.

knitted things:
Yes please! I would be most interested in arm warmers or socks, or maybe a shawl or cowl.

cylindrical tins:
No thank you. I have a ton of these lying about myself.

What about white witchy items (oils, sage, stones, etc).
No thank you.

What about reusable shopping bags?
If they are fun, from local places and such, sure! I don't need plain store ones and such as I have a ton, but I love getting ones from different locales.

Korean beauty items like sheet masks?
Sure!

Do you like Bath and Body Works and if so, what are your fave products/scents?
BBW is one of my guilty pleasures. I love getting shower gel/lotion combos and I love their foaming hand soap (although I have rather a lot of that at the moment, but I don't have any of their fall scents). I also like the C Bigelow nail and hand care products.

Would you like something from Walt Disney World?
I would love NMBC stuff, but other than that, I'm fine. I was just at Disneyland last December and am pretty stocked up.

So Shihaya & Co has a bunch of fantastic candles, bath & body stuff (from Paintbox Soapworks!), Arcana perfume, etc. Is there anything there you are interested in? Please list products as well as scents. (as an FYI, the Smiles by Wedelstaedt soap is make by Brooke who used to own Villainess.)
In terms of candles, Amber and Velvet, Autumnvale Cafe, Ember and Mallow, Full Moon, Gemini all sound delightful. In terms of other stuff, the Hocus Pocus soap and scrub, Bermuda Triangle soap.

What are your favorite products and scents from Paintbox Soapworks (that are in stock?)
Generally, I love her scrubs and soaps (not as fond of the lotions) I would love to try Abnoba, Indian Summer, Putney Road, Princess Pony Sparklebutt in sample sizes of either scrub or soap. I also adore the Rice Pudding hot process soap.

Fatherhood update desires? I've ordered a bunch, but have added a few that I'd still love to try to my wishlist.

Do you have any interest in fun tees or other goodies either related to your fandoms or otherwise from TeeTurtle or similar sites (https://www.teeturtle.com/)? If the answer is yes, what's your t-shirt size?
Absolutely! I prefer women's cut, 2XL for tees. Generally, darker is better in terms of color.

Do you have a favorite musical, opera, playwright or other theatrical or performing arts interest for which you might like interesting goodies? I am pretty set on this score in that I have easy access to merch along these lines.

Do you have any desire/need for a new umbrella? I always need more small collapsible ones as my children seem to have discovered some sort of portal that devours all umbrellas in the immediate vicinity.

Any desire for mugs - travel or otherwise? How about water bottles?
I am pretty set for ceramic mugs. I can always use more travel mugs if they are both cool and diswasher safe. Same for water bottles.

How do you feel about things like Halloween-themed blankets and throw pillows?
I feel great about them! We have a pumpkin pillow and spider blankie that are used year round. I'd be particularly interested in flying things - bats, owls, ravens, gargoyles in blacks and purples.

Are there any companies you've been wanting to try or would like to try more of?
I would definitely be interested in trying more soap and lotion products from Haus of Gloi and Arcana and Brooke's new stuff. I only wear BPAL perfumes, but am much more flexible with other products.

How do you feel about this: thevampstamp.com
This is pretty much the only way I could possibly attempt that sort of eyeliner, but honestly, I'd probably never use it.

Would you, or your swapee be interested in fall themed Yankee candle small candles?
Sure.

How do you feel about loose eyeshadow? (new of course)
Not really my thing. I have a bunch and while I love the colors, it's just to fussy for me to use much.

How does a scent of rose, mahagony, coffee and tobacco sound to you?
Probably not my thing (sorry!). I only wear BPAL perfumes and that's not a combo that really grabs me for bath stuff.

Is this something you, or your swapee might need or be interested in?
https://www.rekonect...ducts/rekonlife
(its a notebook with a magnetic spine and pages that can be removed and reattached) I have two that are totally unused.
No thanks.

Also, I am brewing my own kombucha now. Would you like a bottle or two?
Sure!


How do you feel about literal pumpkin *spice* - i.e. cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger - as a flavoring (the inclusion of pumpkin is not essential in my plotting)? How about those flavors combined with chocolate in some mystery form?
I am all over this concept (literally).

If you like/want books, do you have a goodreads or other place where you discuss your favorite books? Would you be interested in a spooky Halloween compilation or a classic halloweenie/autumnal book like Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree or Something Wicked This Way Comes?
I would love a new weenie compilation (now that I think about it, that's not the word I want, but wev).
emzebel

emzebel

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