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harsh or discordant sound: DISSONANCE -- bpal version

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12 Days of Christmas 2015

What are some of your favorite stocking stuffers?
Candy, nuts, lip balms (tinted and regular), little tubes of hand lotion, socks and tights, tea, small kitchen items (like measuring spoons, silicone baking spatulas, spices and fancy salts, etc.), bath indulgences, tiny liquor bottles, tiny hair ties, and inexpensive jewelry.

Is there anything in particular from another country that you can't get in your own country you'd like to get? What's most important to me: anything in particular from The Netherlands you'd like to get?
In general, I love to try candy (especially chocolate), teas, spices, packaged cookies, and dried fruit/nut/snack mixes from other countries. I'm more a fan of consumable items than of knickknacks. I’m not sure what is from the Netherlands in particular though!

Have you tried licorice candy before and do you like it?
I like black and salty black licorice, but am not a fan of red licorice. (Also not a fan of gummy candies.)

If you were to receive Christmas/Holiday ornaments or other decorations, do you care *when* you receive them in the swap?
Early would stand more chance of getting put on the tree this year. We usually put it up mid-December and leave it up until sometime between the 26th of December and the first of January depending on how lazy we are being and how quickly the needles are shedding.

Anyone like popcorn and what kinds?
I do like popcorn, although I will admit that we mostly cook the microwave stuff because we don’t have an air or stove popper anymore. I like butter + salt and pepper and cheese toppings. There is a place near us that does things like truffle salt and butter or Sri Racha Lime butter and it is amazing. For pre-bagged already popped stuff, salt, pepper, and cheese are best. Caramel sticks in my teeth…but gets eaten anyway.

Anyone a fan of http://www.cthulhulives.org/solstice/
I had never heard of it, but it looks entertaining. However, sheet music is not for me, and I don’t currently have a working CD player.

is there any kind of photo you'd like to have? Landscape, critter, flowers, other? If so, what size would be good for your environment? Or would you like a set of notecards instead of a print?
I am actually starting to run out of useable wall space in my house for art, which is a very odd problem to have! That said, notecards would be lovely. I like landscapes, foxes, flowers, really almost anything.

Would you be interested in anything from this site?
Maybe the disappearing Klingon mug? But really, my mug cupboard is already so full I've started having to stack things!

Would you be interested in receiving cards against humanity's "holiday bullshit"?
Maybe? I've never played Cards Against Humanity, but in theory is sounds fun. I don't have enough friends????

Would you be happy or annoyed or anything in between to receive a tentacle kitty?
They are very cute. If one came to me, it would immediately be claimed by my niece. She has already taken over my Nagini, which I don't mind because watching a 2 year old walk in the front door and shriek "My Nagini! Mine!" and hug the snot out of a stuff snake is pretty much unbeatable for cute.)

kakiphony

kakiphony

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13 Days of Halloween 2015

New Sock Dreams wishlist (I only just learned they had this function and I do love window shopping...): http://www.sockdreams.com/_users/wishlists/6167acd8de66b7b   Chaos Theory: Bottles/imps more than once (or ANY repeated items for that matter!) are with me. In fact, I think a little varied repetition can be fun. (Really, someone could just send me 13 different candy bars and I'd be perfectly content!) Sizes: I think I listed sizes, but in case not... Women's cut Ts in a medium, tights in s/m or a/b or one size or whatever, and socks in the size that fits a size 7 shoe (which is the bog standard size). Forearms size: My forearms are skinny. I think my wrist has about a 6 inch circumference. I had to have the jeweler take like 4 links out of my watch... Foreign items: Yes please to candy, cookies/biscuits, food, drinks, whatever (odd stuff is fun too!). I'm also kind of a fan of cozy British romance novels and mysteries. Yarn: I like wool, cotton... really everything. The thing I dislike is the yarn that pills the minute you wear it, but I am so craft challenged I don't even know what that is. I adore cowls, fingerless gloves, scarves (straight or infinity), cute little hats, and shawls. I don't wear those head/ear bands because they slide right off my head (my hair is super slippery!) Homemade baked goods/candy: Love. Not dietary restrictions. Pens: My daily pens are Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine (the kind with the little window in the size that shows the ink). I can always use more as my husband is a pen thief. I use blue and red, and would love to also have green and purple. Not so much black.   My question: If you are a tea lover, are there any companies or vendors that you would particularly like to try (etsy, teavana, republic, stash, adagio, etc)? I'm intrigued by a lot of the fandom blends on adagio (like the Magic Potions, Women of Comics, Sherlock, Game of Thrones, the female classic authors series, the Buffy series that contains Love's Bitch, etc) as well as the Harry Potter blends from easy vendor Worts and Cunning (which sadly, now seem to be unavailable). I am also a big, big fan of the Kusmi teas. I'd love to try tea by Dammann Freres (which I just heard is the brand served for High Tea at Bergdorf Goodman). But really, I'm always happy to try almost anything!!! (And I will add that single/a few bags of things are FINE for tea trying, especially for a days long swap. I know whole boxes can be expensive, so if it's something you have, feel free to just grab me a sample!)   Dearest swappee, have you seen the launch of this year's Yankee Candle Boney Bunch line as well as other Halloween items from there? Are there any you'd particularly like to get? The adorbs tart warmer? The taper candle holder, perhaps? Yankee Candle is a mystery to me, simply because I can't actually walk into the store. Too many scents in too small a space makes my sinuses go insane. However, this does not mean I don't like candles and tarts. I do! I just rarely shop for them in person in a store devoted just to them. Because this question came up, I actually went to the website to browse. The Boney Bunch decorations are not my cub of tea (see my questionnaire comments about not dusting), but the simpler votive holders (skeletons, witches, the crow and pumpkin silhouettes) are awesome as is the Steam Pumpkin Gears jar candle holder. Of the fragrances, Happy Halloween sounds good, and I know from past experience that I like: Balsam & Cedar, Harvest, Pumpkin Ginger Bark, Sage & Citrus, and Treehouse Memories.   I'm also a big fan of Archipelago Botanicals candles (which I tend to be able to find at huge markdowns at TJ Maxx), especially Havana, Milano, Stonehenge and Babylon, and I've been keeping my eyes peeled for anything and everything from the Wood collection on sale!   I don't remember if I have a candles/tarts section on my etsy wish lists, but if I don't, I should. I need to do an overhaul there at some point in the near future. I'll update here if I find the time...   In general, I tend to like candles and tarts that are either wood/resinous (but not patchouli), lemon/herbal, or spicy. I do NOT like musk or patchouli in candles, am not a fan of fruits, or florals, and sweet scents need to be ground with spice or resin. Thank clean, masculine, deep and subtle rather than rich, sweet, or lush.   What are your favorite tv shows, movies, topics of geekery, famous persons, specific objects (like tarot or harpsichords), memes, cultures etc. that you would like to receive items themed around? Wow! That is a seriously broad question which I will do my best to answer.   TV Shows/Movies: I still love Harry Potter and happily welcome Slytherin (my Pottermore house) and Ravenclaw (my Sorting Elite house) items. I love a lot of other media, but I don't think any of them would lend themselves well to items I would use, although subtle Wonder Woman items are great. My wish lists tend to gravitate more toward literary themed items like Poe, Shakespeare, children's books, etc. I like library and book themed items, as well as microbrewery stuffs (t-shirts, stickers, etc), and I have seen very few fox and tree adorned items I didn't like.   I don't think there are any particular cultures I am interested in, except to say that I am a fan of learning how to cook from MANY cultures, and international food tends to fascinate and inspire me.   If you've said you like coffee: Do you prefer whole beans or ground? Do you like flavored coffees? If you've said you like coffee: Do you prefer whole beans or ground? Do you like flavored coffees? I very, very rarely drink coffee any more as my stomach hates the acid. When I do, it's pour-over whole bean, not to be a snob, but just because it is less likely to make me ill.   Is there an item that you would like but you never seem to buy for yourself as other things often take preference (darn those bills)? Not in particular. I've been on and off no-buys for a while, so my perfume oil, bath and body, jewelry, and tights addictions have been very meagerly fed.   If you listed you like books: what kind of books? What are your favorites? Do you also like the "English classics"? Are there any books or writers that you really don't like? I am what might be described as a discriminating dabbler. That is, I read authors and books from a very wide variety of styles and genres, but I have a limited tolerance for bad writing, trite or formulaic plots, and bad characterizations. Of course, some things I love other people think fall smack into those problems so... The best thing to do is probably to look at the "What I am Reading Now" thread for my various posts (which give opinions on things I have read) and my (huge, crazy) amazon wishlist, which contains the stuff that at some point I saw in a blog and thought "Hey, I might like that" or is by authors I know I like.   What are your favorite musicians, favorite singers or bands? Anything or anyone you really don't like?   I'm not sure I have favorites. I listen widely and like a lot, although most of what I discover "new" tends to be at least a few years old because I am just not that hip. Lately, I've been seeding a Pandora Station with the Alabama 3 and that has led me to The Heavy which I really love. My other most listened to Pandora stations start with the B-52s (lots of fun 80s), Talking Heads, and David Byrne. I listen to a lot of alt-country, and I think if I can seed my personal station around a theme rather than a band it might be something like "Subversive gospel with ska, blues, punk, rock and electronica influences."   Do you like Japanese/Korean snackies? If so do you prefer sweet/savory or both? I have no idea? There are none out there that are tried and true favorites, and I'm not sure I've ever tried any Korean ones... I can say that I am a fan of Japanese Kit-Kats, but not so much of pocky (OK, not earth shattering) and seaweed crisps (pretty gross). I like both savory and sweet, although my sweet tastes tend to be more on the chocolate end than the fruity/gummy spectrum.   Do you prefer light lotions or thick butters and do you like scented or unscented? Both textures (thick is for hands, elbows and knees, light is for everywhere else) and I like both scented and unscented, although I prefer light scents to strong/wafting ones. Basically, I don't want anyone not physically hugging me to smell me. (This is also how I feel about my perfume and is why I am not, to date, a fan of hair glosses.)   Do you like small crossbody bags? I am really, really absurdly particular about bags, but yes I do like small cross body ones. They have to be big enough to hold my kindle, keys, wallet and phone, but not much bigger. And if there are separate pockets for each of those things, I am in love.   Do you collect anything? Not on purpose. I can't help it that scarves, jewelry, tights, books, and bpal follow me home! What are some of your favorite things about fall/Halloween, or what do you look forward to? I most look forward to cooler weather that allows me to start wearing tights and wool turtleneck sweaters again. Also the changing leaves, more days off with my husband after summer's rush, apples right off the tree, and not needing to run the AC (my bills go down!) But autumn is bittersweet for me. It's my favorite season weather-wise, but I'm all too well aware about what comes next, and winter can be hard for me physically (Raynaud's), financially (ancient house = crazy heating bills), and emotionally (something about the dark, cold nights makes me miss my husband more than usual). do you bake or cook & if so (or even if not!) would you want Halloween-themed kitchen stuff or sprinkles or similar? I love too cook and bake. Any kitchen stuff of any these, is always welcome.   Horror themes? I am OK with almost all horror tropes. However, I do not love gratuitous violence. I mean, if it's integral to the plot, sure, but I don't like torture porn or dwelling on those bits and I want stories where good triumphs in the end.   For bath and body products: do you have a bathtub or shower? Both! And I do use both.   Do you own a wax/oil burner? (If no, would you like one?) I have one, but it is missing. A replacement would be swell.   Would you like loose, fancy tea? Yes!   Incense, y/n? Yes, but I am picky. I mainly burn Fred Soll natural resin incense. The only ones of his that I do NOT like are Ceremonial Rain, Egyptian Musk, florals, hemp, fruit and the Patchouli blends. Everything else I love (but I am partial to the Pinon, Pine, and the cedar, sage, and sandalwood based blends).   What is your favorite fall activity? Being outdoors in gorgeous weather, drinking a beer, and playing with my niece and nephew.   I'm in Japan, anything specifically Japanese-y you want? Japanese Kit-Kats are the best.   Please briefly describe (color, style, preferred type of beads) or provide a picture of (if it is suitable), the type of necklace (if any) you would be interested in getting. If you do not like necklaces, what kinds of jewelry (if any) would you want to wear? I love necklaces and earrings. For things that are meant to be worn close to the throat (with open necked blouses, etc) I prefer a length of 16 inches. But I do appreciate some longer options (18-20 inches) which I can wear with turtlenecks and sweaters in the winter. My etsy has a wide variety of styles and beads/gems I like and you can get a great idea of my style there. (My etsy wishlist is MASSIVE because I love window shopping.)   What about hot chocolate/malt drinks? I like them, but am picky. I'm not a huge fan of powder unless they are really good. I love the kind of drinking chocolate that you melt in the milk.   How into the day themeing mentioned in the first post are you? All themed? A few maybe if they are fun? Not at all? I have no preference.   Speaking of DVDs - are you interested in receiving movies and if so, what sort? No DVDs unless you think I'd really love it. We're almost an all digital media family now.   Back to the books - if you said you would like books, would you prefer I send you, say, my favorite Halloween anthology or something else spooky/scary, or something off your wishlist/want-to-read on goodreads? Anything you love and think I would too (not already on my GoodReads list which means I have read it) is great, as is anything off my wishlist. Please note that "To read" on GoodReads means I already own it and it is in my stack. Amazon is the true wishlist.   Process question: Do you want to know who is sending to you right away, or would you prefer to be surprised on the last day, to the extent possible? Likewise, do you have a preference for specifically numbered packages or for reach in and grab according to your fancy? No preference.   Would you be interested in solid perfume? What about lip balm? Sure! I'm most interested in tinted balms/lipstick/stains at the moment as I'm trying to learn to wear them.   There was a lot of mention of not wearing costumes/not being allowed to at workplaces. Would you be interested in goth style or Halloween-themed(pumpkins, ghosts,etc.) normal clothes to wear instead, and what would be suitable? Jewelry or accessories are best.   Day of the dead/ Dia de los Muertos stuff? Sure!   Does anything from this shop catch your eye? I put a couple things on the wishlist, but much of it is too sweet/foody for me (or has musk which I tend to not love.)   Do you have aversions to any animals or insects? Nope. How do you feel about canned foods like jams and things along those liNES? Love.   How do you feel about stickers (and stationery in general)? Ambivalent.   How do we feel about fibercrafting (knit, crochet, etc.)? wearables? crafted critters? If you would like a scarf or something similar, would you like it to be themed, like fall colors, or have a skull or other halloweenie motif/border? I love all wearable. Fall colors that emphasize COLOR rather than brow/rust/goldenrod are great. Halloweenie motifs are fine, but so are plain or floral or whatever. I'm just in awe of people who can craft things with their own two hands. What makes you feel pampered? Quiet time with a good book (in my chair with tea or a drink or in the tub), delicious good, a great cup of tea, good beer/wine/scotch, having my hair blown out, dressing up, dabbing perfume on the inside of my elbows, putting on a pair of brand new tights, having someone cook for me, and brushing my hair.   We've covered what critters you don't like, but what about the critters that you DO like? What are your favorite animals/creatures, real or imagined? My favorites are ravens/crows, foxes, and serpents.   Canadian stuff: Sure. Paintbox Soapworks: I think there is a good bit of it on my etsy wishlist. s there is any TAZO tea you have a hankering for? None in particular. How about any Teavana tea? Any kind you think I would love. How about Starbucks coffee beans? If so, ground (and for what kind of filter) or whole bean? How about Starbucks coffee via (italian, columbia, anniversary, vanilla latte?) or Iced coffee via (caramel or regular?) Fruit flavored via (berry hisbiscus, cool lime, strawberry lemonade?) Pumpkin Spice Latte ? Starbucks K-cups or Verismo pods? No coffee please. I also don't use the syrups, and I think pods are the devil. But any tea or tisane is cool and I DO go to Starbucks for iced tea and scones sometimes while I shop (there is one in my grocery store).   Coffee/tea travel mugs or ceramic home mugs? Sure! Coffee maker (french press) or tea steeper? I'm all set thanks, although another tea steeper is always nice to tuck into bags etc.   How would you feel about a gently-used card game? For example, something I may have purchased several years ago and maybe played with my daughter *twice* before she became a moody teenager, and too cool for card and/or board games? Sure!   Alcoholic beverages in your goodies-- yay or nay-- if yay, what kind? Sure! I'm kind of a beer snob, but I LOVE trying things I can't get here. I love IPAs, Belgian golden and tripel styles (and Belgian IPAs... But not so much dunkels), porters, and stouts. I don't love sweet fruit beers, but like the ones that are more tart. I do like sour beer, including barrel aged varieties. I also like wine -- the dryer the better -- and scotch. My husband is a bourbon drinker, but its too sweet for me. CANDY CORN--- YAY OR NAY? Nope Name at least one thing that you really wouldn't like to receive in your package. I can't think of anything that any of you would realistically send me. Candy corn?   Does anyone especially like or want anything from cost plus/world market? I don't know what they have. Surprise me! Does anyone need any small kitchen items or utensils? I always need measuring spoons. They run away like stray socks. Also little mise en place bowls and tupperware are always useful. Dearest Pumpkin- do you have a preference of edible/drinkable vs. non edible items in your package? Would you prefer your package heavier on one side or the other? No preference. And now, a new question: to sort of piggy-back onto the question about small kitchen items, do you like to bake or cook, and if yes, are there any special ingredients, spices, or decorations for baked goods (like sprinkles in seasonal shapes or those decorative picks you put on top of cupcakes, for instance) that you would like? I love to cook and bake. Things like special salt varieties, spices, really nice oils, herbs etc are always useful. Sprinkles would give me an excuse to bake something for my nephew! Hey, Pumpkin! How do you feel about lounge pants/pajama pants? Love. Do you have long, medium, or short hair? What kids of hair accessories do you like to use? Should length. I use those tiny rubber bands for braiding bits back off my face, and I could really use some small clips to section it off for drying in sections with a brush. If I were going to the mountains tomorrow, for the apple harvest, would you wanted some dehydrated apple rings??? Sure. If you have an Etsy favorites list, are all of the things on the list things you'd be happy to get, or are some of them gift ideas for other people, or stuff that you've already bought and loved but don't need more of, or for any reason not something you'd want to get in this swap? It's all things I would be happy to receive. Do you like Hello Kitty? Not really.   Would you be interested in gently used BPAL tees going back several years and/or 80s/90s goth-industrial-generally morbid tees all in crew neck/Men's style, size M - L, all black or dark gray? Sure. Although I will say that I don't really wear any of the lab shirts if they have things like the imps in stockings or pinup girls or anything that could be classified as even slightly risqué. Creepy birds, antlers, florals, bees, etc though, I'm all in. I generally prefer women's tees, but I am saving up shirts for a quilt, and am also not above cutting necks and arms to make them more flattering. How do you feel about superheroes? I love them. In fact, my whole family wore Super Hero gear to my brother's wedding. Batman and Wonder Woman are house favorites, but I love many others too. How do you feel about Star Wars, especially extension universe comics? I like Star Wars, have never read the comics, but would like to do so. And my husband would think it was the coolest swap ever. How extensively have you sampled the Lab's Weenie wares? Any past releases you are dying to get your hands on? Years you missed? In years past I have sampled quite a lot. There's nothing I missed and long for (except that one long ago pumpkin with champaca). I tend to like Samhain, and loved Samhnainophobia to the point of hoarding before I went through a weird chemistry change and now amp patchouli in a dirty rather than delicious way. I'm sure I'll update my wishlist when they come out this year, and anything I missed and wanted should be there now.
kakiphony

kakiphony

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J's natal chart (jarvenpa June 2008)

kakiphony's J was born November 15, 1972 at 8:59 in the morn in Sturgis MI (and we all deserve treats!)   J is a Scorpio with Sagittarius rising and Moon in Pisces.   His chart is strongly left sided, with a singleton Saturn in Gemini in the 7th house (singleton by virtue of being the only righthand planet in the chart). The Sun is in the 12th house, the moon in the 3rd house.   The Pisces Moon is at a vital point in the chart, focus of a t square; squaring Saturn and Mercury (and we'll babble more about that eventually).   Okay, this is so wrong, I think, but I look at this chart and the feeling I have is "oooh! This is fun!! yay!!!" Not, mind you, that the reading is fun--though these are for me--but I get this feeling of pure and kind of childish glee, and I can't really explain that. It's like "oh, goodie! this is fun, and I'm going to run away to the circus and feed circus ponies and eat candy cotton all day" That is, I must say, a very odd feeling to have about the chart of a guy I don't know. It would be odd about a guy I do know, for that matter. And it puzzles me (being egocentric I'm figuring--must be something in my chart being jogged by this chart? I mean--okay, I have a thing for Pisces, and there's a Pisces moon, but I tell you, the normal reaction of my soul to Pisces is not "yay, circus!! fun!!" Really strange. Well, there it is, I will try to read like a real grown up here.)   Sagittarius rising does give a very nice initial impression: something of a daredevil, yet intellectual, very fun, very much interested and interesting. J has his Mercury in Sagittarius right at the ascendant, so there is a feeling of "oh, wonderful, he is a story teller and a communicator, I could stay up all night chatting with this person"; there is a feeling of adventure (maybe that's part of what I'm picking up? but odd, I see lots of Sagittarius rising charts and I've never felt this).   (oh, okay--maybe it is that his Sun is at my Jupiter, or very close to that. But still not enough)   Mercury in Sagittarius is the seeker and questioner and communicator. Can be very blunt, asking the questions everyone else shuts up about, not satisfied with the easy answer, wants to know the truth and wants also the good story. Can like travel; doesn't want to be pinned down.   Someone with Mercury at the rising degree may come across as a wit, a very intelligent and fun person (given Sagittarius). Sag rising takes risks, sometimes takes risks no one else will (moms of Sagittarian rising children, like moms of Sunsign or moon sign Sagittarians, usually spend a lot of their time running, catching, and at the ER--the kid doesn't know much about "oh, that would be dangerous"; it is all about "yay, let me try this, and that, and this ..."). Wants to exceed the limits. Indeed, often Sagittarius doesn't know there are limits until someone clues him in "wait, I wasn't supposed to ask? I wasn't supposed to go there? Why not?"   Why not is a big thing for the Sagittarian Mercury; these people keep pressing, intellectually for sure, and often physically.   So he comes across as fun, and bright, and maybe not terribly tactful. (Mercury in Sagittarius tends to blurt things).   However the square from that very sensitive Pisces moon may mitigate a bit of the bluntness; so will the opposition from Saturn, which can trip one up. Usually half sentence, halfway through the bright question--realizes "wait, I...maybe I shouldn't ask this in public?" There is the ability to structure thoughts and communication, the ability to take words fairly seriously.   He has Jupiter (the ruler of Sagittarius) in the first house, but towards the end and in the sign of Capricorn. Jupiter in the first is supposed to make for a "big" person, but I believe it gives presence, whether of physique or of spirit. Jupiter in Capricorn excels at making something of the enthusiastic dreams and visions of the heart, of taking hopeful fancies and turning them into...something very real. This is the spins gold from straw position: can take very little and make it something amazing.   Capricorn is the sign on the house of what he most treasures, what is worthwhile for him, what matters, where he gains his self worth (and also the old time "house of money", 2nd house). His north node of the moon is here, which places the south in Cancer in the 8th house. Someone with a Capricorn/Cancer node structure is dealing with questions of compassion and structure, of tenderness and discipline; someone with a 2/8 node structure is dealing with the questions of values that are received, teachings that have been handed on to him, possibly material wealth that has been granted through others--and his need to claim his own values, to make his own way in the world based on his experiences, while understanding where he came from, what he draws from. The emotion and compassion of Cancer is very easy to him, he is a caring soul. He is reaching for the ability to gain distance (or discernment) and to stand on his own without surrendering the poetry of his heart.   So, the house of siblings, communication (very key to someone with Mercury at his ascendant) and those who feel as if they should be our kin somehow; our people--the 3rd house in J's chart has Aquarius as the cusp sign. And contains the beautiful Pisces moon. An Aquarian 3rd house is not going to communicate in...expected ways, and not going to have boring siblings (of blood or of choice). Big interest in big ideas, in new ways, in the odd, the eccentric, and the shocking. Very open minded. When one's moon is in the 3rd house one feels kind of emotionally compelled to communicate. To tell the story, to tell one's story, to make contact with the world as if the world were indeed just full of your brothers and sisters. The Pisces moon is one of the more romantic, poetic, sensitive, tender moonsigns one could have. These are souls washed with rainbows and moonlight. These are people who walk into a room and feel the vibes; who can pick up emotions from those around them, who do not like to be responsible for harm to others--even hurt feelings. They can be incredibly kind souls, beyond what other people think at all reasonable (one of my Libra friends just walked by--Libra sun, Gemini rising, Pisces moon. He recently adopted a stray dog I had on my hands because the friend who was taking the dog home temporarily "looked as if she were going to cry, and I couldn't bear that". Young Floristan (friend loves opera) is happily settled with Solita (a pup from a rescue litter of mine) and Hudson (a huge bear of a dog his rich brother's wife thought too unfashionable). That response of the heart--and instant action on it--is quite Pisces moon.)   People with the moon in Pisces may be deeply drawn to fairy-tale beauty, to idealistic visions that other people say are impossible or improbable--and yet the Pisces moon person will somehow make that impossiblilty quite possible. These can be the enchanters of the world, and when the Pisces moon is in the 3rd house there is a good chance the person is involved in writing, literature, maybe dance (since Pisces rules the feet). Imagination is greatly increased when you have a 3rd house moon (whatever the sign). Moon in Pisces people may feel emotionally better when they can be near the ocean, or at least near water of some sort; when they are feeling under seige and in trouble, just getting into a shower or going for a swim might momentarily gain them a little strength to get through things.   The t square here completes in the 9th house, in Virgo. So part of the way the challenge of the squares from Mercury and Saturn to the moon may resolve for J is if he takes his imagination out, to the public, to higher learning, to spiritual search, to publication---or to travel (all those being 9th house things) and if he does so in a way that structures and grounds the flights of fancy into something actual, "objective" and tangible. Or something with the Virgo feel for authenticity: Here's the holy grail of goodness, let me show you it!   (okay, I've obviously been possessed for this reading by someone about 14 years old, sorry gang.)   The 4th house has Pisces as the cusp edge sign and then a bunch of Aries (which will then edge the 5th house). So the imaginative qualities of the moon, the emotional sensitivity and sentimentality and romanticism of heart that we find in Pisces are strongly manifest and nurtured "at home", wherever that may be. And this is a guy who stands on rainbows (or walks on water? nah, probably not)--that is, the imagination, compassion, and intuition are where he is grounded. And again, he will feel best near the water. It is, however, a mere shadow or sliver of Pisces that cusps the 4th house, and there is a hell of a lot of Aries here, including Chiron in Aries. So--when Chiron falls in the 4th house (oho, spotted a Mystic Rectangle!) (just wait)--there may be issues around the home, in the early life, particularly with --usually--the father. And there can be this sense of being a wanderer, being an exile in this life. "where is my true home?" no matter where or how one has found living space. The issues around the father (rarely the mother, sometimes another key nurturing person) are generally like those of a 4th house Saturn placement: the father was absent, was ill, was too busy to interact with the child, was too harsh...things like that. But the exile feeling--that sense of nostalgia for a home that one can just barely touch in one's dreams--this tends to be pretty life long for the 4th house Chiron. As they work through their sense of instability and whatever else drives that poignancy they may work to see that others have home, that no one is uncared for, that no one is lost. This will be particularly strong for J, who has Chiron trine his Mercury. People who have this speak for those who have no ability to speak for themselves; can be humans, can be critters, can be causes--but these people are crusaders with strong hearts.   Chiron in Aries is a fascinating Chiron, because the issues, the sense of loss or bewilderment, focus on the very identity of the person who has this. Who am I? How do I know I really exist as an independent entity? And yet these are the people who most encourage others; who lend to them a strong sense of "of course you can do anything you want; you are great".   Chiron is opposite Pallas. Again, I think this is about making clear the story; understanding and helping others understand: what's life about? What makes sense? What is the story here? Pallas is in Libra, so there is an artistic understanding, and also a sense of mutuality--but we'll get to all that when we reach the extremely crowded 10th house.   The Mystic Rectangle here is the two oppositions: Chiron/Pallas and Mercury/Saturn. (if you looked at the chart and drew lines between these points you would find...yippee, a rectangle). The thing about this pattern (it sounds really nice, doesn't it?) is that people who have it have an innate gift in reconciling and understanding opposites; in taking understanding to a higher level, a kind of unexpected place. The elements that J works with here are Air and Fire, despite his double water Sun and Moon (Scorpio and Pisces). So with lightness of thought and action. With sparkle.   The 5th house has an edge of Aries, no planets. (a lot of Taurus here too). This is the house of children, romance, fun and games, what brings delight, creative self expression. Aries would give the ability and tendency to just rush right in "hi, you're cute, let's go..." or "hey, I think I want to paint now *grabs brush and starts*" Very independent, very much Do It!! But with all this Taurus here as well, he is likely really wanting also some security and endurance; not a bunch of one night stands or fun that just--vanishes.   The 6th house, Taurus cusped, tells us that when need be he will work hard and he will work long, and that his health is basically very good, sturdy. No planets here (all the planets are hiding in the 10th 11th and 12th houses, mostly). Gives maybe skills with his hands in the work place, artistic ability, sensory sensitivity (like has a good color sense, etc).   The 7th house, house of marriage and partnership, has Gemini as its sign. Vesta is here, and Saturn.   Gemini as a 7th house sign...well, these people need to have a lot of variety and a lot going on with their partnerships, of whatever sort. Intellectual connection is key. Communication is vital. And being...free to move about, to not feel constraint or chains--this is crucial. And maybe even more vital to someone with Vesta in the 7th house, because these people just need to get the hell out of partnerships from time to time. No, that doesn't mean that they will not come back and be happy, but they need breaks from all the togetherness, they need the opportunity to act, live, and breathe on their own (and this for an Aries Chiron might be particularly important, because of the fears around being able to be whole and independent). Saturn in Gemini does not want to have many demands placed on him, needs to always feel the door is open, that he can leave at any time, that his schedule is on his terms, that he is not obligated. This doesn't mean that a Saturn in Gemini person won't be responsible or follow through on promises or stay in long term partnerships--but that he must do it of his own free will, that he must do it because it means something to him. He cannot be compelled. Communication is big for a Saturn in Gemini person, must feel free to move, free to say what he likes, free to be heard, free to experience all he desires.   The old truism for a 7th house Saturn is that these folks shouldn't marry before they go through their Saturn return. (a variant of that, which is kind of "fate dictates that..." is that 7th house Saturn people find barriers in the way of early marriage). (I'm still waiting to hear from a 7th house Saturn person who listened to early warnings).] The concept is that since we undergo testing and change in our Saturn return period, and that testing and challenge and change hits in the subjects or concerns of our Saturn's house, since the 7th house is about marriage and partnerships--well, marriage and partnerships are in for rocky times come the return. It is true--no matter where Saturn is--that some long term partnerships end during the Saturn return. And some start; it is not unusual to feel "must get married" or "must get serious about all this" during that time. (and it is also not unusual to have a child during or immediately after the Saturn return; happened to me, with my first house Saturn. Nothing like motherhood to change one's persona, eh?).   Saturn in the 7th house often brings older mentors, sometimes older partners, including but not limited to marriage partners.   So, the 8th house here has Cancer as the sign. And the south node, in Cancer, is here. This is the realm of mystery, of sexuality, of death, of rebirth and regeneration and remaking, of inheritance and connection to traditions, of what we gain through others. With Cancer as the sign, it may be that particularly through women's influence or through maternal gifts, J has benefited. And he is keyed it well to nurturing and tenderness, to compassion, to personalized affection. It is as if he is in some way one of the blessed ones of the mother, if that makes any sense whatsoever, and under stress he can rest in that feeling, in that knowledge. But he does have kind of a--quest laid on his soul--to discover his own truth, and to make that manifest. Materially as well as in the mind or in pretty words or whatever.   The 9th house is Leo cusped. (and holds a bunch of Virgo too). Affinity with drama, with learning that has a dramatic edge, with being admired for his mad skills as a student/teacher/storyteller. The Virgo here will give some attention to details and to putting things in order, but the heart is where there is a lot of flash, a lot of nobility; education, spiritual search, travel of any sort--needs to be done on a wide screen, or with big brush strokes; doesn't take to being all confined or restricted to the bare facts and numbers.   Yet, with a certain paradoxic quality, Virgo is his Midheaven sign and the cusp of the house of career, calling, public image. So he's seen as a devoted, careful, meticulous person who knows what's good and wants to do what's good. Sometimes a Virgo midheaven can give a public image that is kind of untouchable--sexy, but untouchable. The knight in shining armor, the dedicated but ever so attractive young monk (not that Virgo is not sexualized; it is simply that there is this quality of "I hold myself apart a bit" or "I am whole within myself"). But his 10th house is packed with Libra energy and with some pretty heavy planets at that: Pluto, Pallas, Venus, and Uranus in Libra. Venus and Uranus are conjunct, one degree separating them. Pallas is part of the Mystic Rectangle. Pluto makes a sextile to Neptune and a square to Jupiter. whew.   So, to tease this out: Pluto near the midheaven is often associated with healers (not necessarily doctors of medicine; healers of the spirit) and with a lot of transformative energy in the public realm. Pluto in Libra has a new vision of beauty, partnership, harmony, justice--all the Libra obsessions. Pluto sextile Neptune brings in imagination and intuition in a big way to the public life, and it may be a question of "I heal through showing you a new vision". Pluto square Jupiter...well, this one is full of transformative energies, but the challenge is...how do I control this? And there is a sense in which the ideas in the life are real and vital and important. Other people can be all "oh, maybe I believe this, or that, hey, what's the difference?" Someone with Pluto and Jupiter working together (even if they are struggling in a square aspect) is very--well, ideas and beliefs are key. They take them very seriously. And often there is a tendency to change from whatever belief structure the person was brought up with. These people tend to be catalysts for change in other people as well, and should be aware of that.   Pallas in the 10th house--these people are thought by those they meet in public to have the answers. To everything. "where's the best place to get bread?" "what is the meaning of the universe?" "should I marry her?" Strangers will come to them for guidance, and in their career they are the problem solvers (again, at all levels). Pallas in Libra is very artistic, or at least has a sense of good aesthetics, appreciates and understands line and structure and harmony and color and such. For J this skill/perception is increased, because Pallas is so close to Venus (4 degrees) in Libra, and then again it is kind of tweaked, because Uranus with all that originality, eccentricity, verve and delight and change--comes into the picture as well. (I have to tell you I am still wondering about the circus ponies and jugglers; still not sure what is going on with this chart in that way)   (and I should know by now; true, I have a lot of Libra energy and all this Libra energy is kind of dancing with mine, but that isn't enough to explain the sense of glee).   Venus in Libra is elegant. So charming, so adept at the right gesture, the perfect gift. So appreciative when someone else is as perceptive and charming. Everyone thinks Libra is sooo romantic, and--well, Libra doesn't mind the pretty things, but Venus in Libra actually has a kind of intellectual appreciation. Good taste (maybe not so good as a Virgo Venus, but still good--the thing with Libra Venus is that sometimes she gets swayed but surface prettiness and elegance and charm; can be dazzled by the pretty surfaces). A guy with a Libra Venus is going to be a sucker for beauty and charm (sorry, of course J will also have great discernment, and so on--and I'm pretty sure kaki is pretty, so no harm). Venus in the 10th house grants the gift of looking great in public. The public just falls in love with a Venus in the 10th house person; they can't help it. Art or something "artistic" is often the career of choice for a 10th house Venus (but this 10th house is so crowded J has a bunch of choices going on).   Uranus in Libra sees beauty in the oddest places and strangest things. Takes a very open and unusual approach to partnerships, to marriage, to harmony, to justice. Quite eccentric.Can be artistic and at a kind of genius level. When Uranus is in the 10th house the career has big changes in it (and this is reinforced by Pluto here--we are talking changes maybe outside the personal will and effort--like the place one works suddenly gets swallowed by an earthquake. Sounds odd, but...yeah, like that.) (doesn't have to be all loss and destruction though--could also be "and I was walking and I bumped into this person and he owned this place and he said 'hey, you are wonderful, I'll give you a million to come do interesting things in the park with the circus ponies' watching" (I want circus ponies, sorry).   Uranus in the 10th house looks unusual in public. "You are so strange" "You are a genius" Sometimes a career that involves electronics, new tech, etc can be indicated. Also sudden fame.   Venus and Uranus are only a degree apart. (Liz Taylor has this conjunction in her 7th house I think, in Aries. ahem.) So, when Venus/Uranus are living together there can be a tendency to love the strange and the unusual and the eccentric, both as an intellectual matter ("the court poetry of the 14th century is so fascinating") and as a preference in lovers. Relationships and people who are too...ordinary, calm, secure, unchanging --are paradoxically unlikely to endure, and when they end they end suddenly. What endures is sort of a dance. A partner who can keep up with the dance--well, that will endure. But it is likely going to take a very unusual person (and I'm waiting to check out kaki and see--I remember she had an unusual chart herself, which bodes quite well). Now, since this is the 10th house, this could all be more about the public image and the career than about tender intimacies, but wherever Venus is, intimacies are kind of implied or promised. The pair is trine the 7th house Saturn, so--if the communication Gemini Saturn needs is there, then there are likely strong partnerships, and they help the career tremendously. Saturn will tend to stabilize the scattered energy that we'd otherwise expect from this pair.   Libra is the sign, barely, on the 11th house--house of wishes, house of groups and friendships and those barely whispered life goals we hope don't haunt us at the end (deathbed scene: "I always really meant to be an artist". So much better to do it now.)   So--omigod. How did I not see that? *gathers self together*. What a chart. Okay, the Scorpio Sun, which we are going to be meeting soon, in the 12th house, is unaspected. Well, la la la, I don't see that right now, we'll deal with it tomorrow. Or, um, later.   Back to the 11th house. Libra as a cusp sign is going to give, you betcha, charming friends. Mars in Libra leads off the 11th house, quickly followed by Ceres in Scorpio and much later by Juno in Scorpio (lots of Scorpio in the 11th house, Libra is only the sugar coating and the engine of power here.) Mars in Libra is a strategic thinker, a debater. Sees all the possiblities. Actually, Mars/Uranus/Venus (working backwards there) are kind of a triad of energy. Let me see..yeah, maybe. We might be dealing with some of that interesting charms birdies out of trees and makes people just fall at his feet energy of Venus/Mars. It is complicated by the wildness of Uranus in the middle; this is--I don't know, I keep getting this odd flashes of something--the magician, the enchanter. Energy with an air sign Mars tends to be used mostly in intellectual ways (though also in moving about a bunch; there can be restlessness, physical restlessness while the mind is working). Mars in Libra is generally pretty sweet; people think "oh, not a confrontational person"; if there is even a hint of injustice happening those same people will be amazed, because Mars in Libra is a warrior when injustice is happening. Especially, here, to his friends, to those under his protection (very protective energy here). The conjunct to Uranus might give a temper that, although usually held well in control, can snap instantly (again, in the face of injustice, unfairness).   He is well nurtured in groups, when he is in touch with those goals of his, when he is with friends. (Ceres in the 11th house). Ceres in Scorpio is well nurtured by mysteries and sexuality and power, and he is likely to encounter all those nice things in the context of groups, friends. He draws natural allies from within his groups of friends, or in the context of his goals, and they are likely either actual Scorpios or people who have a very strong Pluto (and/or Mars) in their charts; people who aren't afraid of the depths, of passion, of authentic connection, of power. (Juno in Scorpio, 11th house).   Okay, 12th house. Scorpio cusp. Scorpio is a pretty comfortable sign on the 12th house, given the fact that this is the house of secrets, the hidden, the denied, the repressed--and Scorpio would love to uncover all those things. When the sun falls in the 12th house we usually discover that the person has a need to find out--needs to understand more than the surface, really feels uncomfortable if his intuition says "something is hidden from me". And that will be true no matter what the sign, but will be kind of increased by a Scorpio Sun. However, this is an unaspected Sun. People with the Sun unaspected (and the other Scorpio who immediately comes to mind with an unaspected Sun is Hillary Clinton--in her case I think the sun is in the 4th house, but I seem to recall there being controversies about her actual time of birth)--unaspected Sun people sometimes have this...need to really prove themselves. In conjunction with an Aries in Chiron this would come out in terms of who am I? And perhaps, being a 12th house sun, in terms of "aha, I will fool everyone and not be fooled; I am the one behind the mask" (very--Scarlet Pimpernel or something like that, if you know the old story). Sometimes the energy of an unaspected planet just floods the rest of the chart; with the Sun there could be an abundance of energy and "hey, I'm here!!" and yet perhaps a lack of focus. The Scorpio (or Pluto colored) allies would help with this, quite a lot.   J's inner "female" energy is quite Scorpio as well, with the Black Moon Lilith here--so there is an abundance of sexual energy, passionate commitment, emotional authenticity--and possibly a slowness to trust--that he can tap into within his inner soul as well as in that elusive "self" that he keeps thinking he...maybe gets, and then changes. Neptune is here as well, though in Sagittarius and quite close to the ascendant. In fact, Neptune is conjunct Mercury, those the rising degree comes between them; the mind is quite fanciful and mobile, very intuitive. Yet the imagination and intuition is...focused quite deeply, into dreams, into other realms (sometimes 12th house Neptune people are actually psychic).   The Lilith in Scorpio placement gives an ease with--well, an ease with death and life; this is a very courageous sort of Kali energy. Guys who have it can cope well with extremely strong women who scare a lot of people; they enjoy that strength and honesty and passion.   Neptune in Sagittarius is of course the draw to animals, lost souls, kittens, wild critters from the woods, lost children, anyone. (I just had another Neptune in Sagittarius customer today; yep--all the kitties appeared as if summoned and my rescued pitbull fell on her feet (across the customer's feet--a method of claiming and controling. Some find it charming. I try to discourage it, but laughing and asking someone's birthdate isn't the best dog training). (maybe I should post a sign: If you were born between this date and this date, please note: animals within will love you a lot; proceed with caution. Dog cookies optional.)   Because Neptune aspects the rising degree, J may have some of that mobility, that chameonlike quality and glamour that Neptune gives. Probably not the "oh, you will do everything I want you to" that a first house Neptune gets--but an ability to shapeshift in someway. (this reading is downright odd, I must say.). (and I'll be back in a bit, if not tonight, then hopefully tomorrow. transits, comparisions, more bits and pieces.)   *****   (heh, terrible of me--here I am with an impatient Aries moon requesting patience from others. But I appreciate kaki not bursting into the middle of the reading going "no way!" or "how did you know?")   So--I have kakiphony's chart (I looked at it 2 years ago, how time flies) and her J's chart together all cozily for the purpose of seeing where the two energies intersect; what is driving the relationship.   Remember, he's a Scorpio Sun, Sagittarius Rising, Pisces Moon person She is a Leo Sun, Aquarian Moon, Gemini Rising person   She's--in those three areas--Fire and Air; he's Water and Fire. (but of course both charts are more complicated than that).   Now, remember that J. has that strong t square to his Pisces moon, probably the major aspect pattern in his chart (well, the Mystic Rectangle is pretty major too).   When we put the two charts on top of each other, we find another major t square happening. And this one is made of his Pisces Moon opposite her Virgo Mercury (and remember I said that the completion point for his natal t square is there in Virgo? Her mind, her discernment, in essence shows the way for that completion) and both of those points squaring his Mercury at the ascendant--which is conjunct her Neptune. In Sagittarius     Where would this t square find a completion point to work out all that energy--which is energy of mystery, intuition, imagination, fantasy? Within Gemini. The sign that is his 7th house sign of partnership, and her own sign of persona.   This bodes well for a relationship that is based somehow in intuitive sympathy and communication, both between the two of them, and in the outer world.   When we throw Chiron into the mix I can see a Grand Trine between the charts, which is very flowing energy, and it is a Grand Fire Trine: J's Chiron in Aries, kaki's Leo Sun, and the Neptune/Mercury Sagittarian aspect (plus his ascendant). The relationship is likely to be based in action (and fun action at that) and in healing; her Leo nature is embraced by his innate healing and nurturing instincts, and her presence in his life helps him work through any of those Chiron insecurities; it is as if they are both saying to each other "sure, I see you, and what I see is pretty great".   They have a Uranus/Mars conjunction (her Uranus, his Mars). This is very much a "omigod, I just fell in love" sort of energy between two people; it feels extremely hot, extremely compelling; it is the stuff the great romances are made of. Whether the great romance endures beyond the "let's leave everything and everyone and run away together" impulse depends on other things in the chart; you need stabilizing influences to have a Uranus relationship keep going. But kaki has an Aquarian moon (Uranus being the Aquarian ruler) so understands the Uranus energy in her heart. And this conjunction falls very close to her north node of the moon; it is as if it is fated; "something to help me understand my path in life" (which is through Scorpio energies; and J certainly has his fair share of Scorpio happening).   (I had an unsupported Uranus/Mars relationship once--that is, I had that lightning-bolt through the heart. I've been in and out of love many times in my long life, but I must say nothing felt like that one. And it was unsuitable in a dozen ways. It was, however, very vitalizing at all sorts of levels. Had I happened on this relationship earlier in my life I probably would have given up a lot to pursue it; as it was I was a little too wise and experienced to go for it--and the guy in question was much younger, with kids (as was I). The pangs of that, however, endured until, thank the goddess, the person left my area. *sigh*. Very instructive in what Uranus can do to an otherwise rational soul. Of course, the dude was a double Pisces.)   Probably a lot of crushes are Uranus or Neptune based.   But in this couple, the Uranus energy is simply part of a bigger picture, with many connections. That point of the Uranus/Mars conjunct is also opposite kaki's Chiron/Black Moon in Taurus; this relationship may help her claim or reclaim her very lusty and abundant and sensory center (on the surface she may appear kind of intellectually driven, but she has a lot of, um, juice and passion there beneath the surface). And it will certainly engage his power and sympathy (Ceres for him is also here close to Mars)   Her Aquarian Moon is trine his Libra Pluto (in the 10th house) which may give support to his career, or at any rate emotional understanding and by in and an open mind.   His Saturn is close to her ascendant. It may seem strange to think that Saturn connections are desireable in a love relationship, but they are, they help give long lasting relationships. We learn from our lovers and mates, and when we have Saturn working for us we learn well. (it isn't always fun, I must say, but it is good).   Her Juno is at his midheaven; he may (in his public guise) seem like her ideal partner; or she may foster his career with all his heart.   I haven't much knowledge or experience of the Davidson relationship chart concept, but hey, it's available on astro.com (the concept has something to do with creating the relationship's chart based on some mathematical relationship between the elements of the two charts). So I did it (or the computer did it) and the relationship chart thus produced looks pretty nice: a lot of concentration in the house of marriage, Juno and Ceres conjunct at the ascendant (your relationship, if you care, kaki, is, according to Davidson, a Libra with an Aquarian moon and Aquarius rising; full of intellectual delights and pleasures. The Libra sun, conjunct Venus and Pluto, falls in the 7th house.     So, what about J's current transits?   Well, the current Mercury retrograde is just across from his risingsign Mercury; so it is likely hitting him fairly hard. Could be great for "I have suddenly achieved intuitive understanding of my partnerships in life and of myself, this is great". Or it could be "where did I put my keys?"   Venus is also in transit through the 7th house, so it is a good time in partnerships in general, a lot of potential sweetness.   Jupiter is in the 2nd house conjunct his north node; good for expanding what is valued in the life, good for "I must really work on what I really care about and my true path in life".   Neptune and Uranus are both in the 3rd house (at the start and end) so there could be--well, original and sympathetic communication, and/or the people around him, particularly those "like siblings" are needful and eccentric (could work both ways for sure).   Saturn is in the 9th house. J. may have been experiencing some delays or disappointments involving long range travel, higher education, spiritual search...breaking beyond the boundaries of his life. And they are likely to continue for a while; this is a period of completion of one phase of his life; when Saturn hits his midheaven at the end of Virgo will be a harvest time--new responsiblities and possible success, or "okay, let's reconsider it all". (in a moment I'll see if I can see when that crossover into the 10th house is going to be happening--not for quite a while I think, Saturn doesn't sprint.) Looks like late October,2009.   Right now the Moon is conjunct Venus. Just for a moment. Pretty romantic.   (Kaki, by the way, is looking great these days, with Venus in her first house. Pluto is in J's first house, so he has a lot of power as people meet him and is garnering strong first impressions--can be negative sometimes, but I doubt it; mostly people should simply be charmed by the guy). Kaki has Jupiter in her 8th house currently, enhancing 8th house matters (sexuality, inheritance, joint opportunities, etc). Uranus is floating still in her 10th house (changes in career and in the public image); Neptune in the 9th house (good for intuitive studies) Mars is currently conjunct her Sun--lots of energy there. And Pluto is in her house of partnerships--well, could bring some strong people, some transformations. Trine her own Venus (that is good, and kind of sexy, actually). Saturn in the 4th: must pay attention to the home, the foundation, family, one's roots (this Saturn in Virgo period will be hitting a number of her planets in the 4th house; look to it as an opportunity for building for the future, kaki, don't let it get you into a state of "why can't I always do what I want?"--then you'll be fine.   Great charts. (I still haven't figured out why J's makes me smile; soooo strange.).
kakiphony

kakiphony

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my natal chart (jarvenpa May 2006)

And hello, kakiphony, whose foxy avi is awesome, welcome, my dear, to your Saturn return. Have you been feeling it?   Kakiphony's Saturn is in Leo conjunct her Sun in the 3rd house, opposing her 9th house moon in Aquarius, and if I am reading charts correctly she is just about exactly at the exact Saturn return point (the effect, though, goes on for some time on either side of the exact aspect).   Third house themes (and 9th house themes) would be where we'd expect to see kakiphony being nudged into a new status; actualizing communication skills? education? (relationships with siblings, those who are like siblings?). Figuring out where the network really is? Sometimes during the return things/people/places that were very important to us lose their central importance to make room for the new. This is not without grief and struggle, unless of course you are all wise and ascended and stuff (I wasn't). Ceres is also in the 3rd house, between Saturn and the Sun; she may have a gift for nuturing communications; she may have taken care of siblings or neighbors (or have been cared for herself by neighbors/siblings). As Saturn reconnects with Ceres any early lacks she may have felt (like "hey, there wasn't really ANY nuturing going on, often", or "well, that was needless sentimentality") is going to be tweaked a bit. Good thought for this period is "yes, I deserve admiration and care, and I can give admiration and care"   Since kakiphony has Saturn conjunct her sun, however, she may go through these changes with more ease than some (it feels familiar to her nature, or at least her conscious sense of who she is).   Okay, it might just be because writing is part of my soul, and I have the sun/moon opposition across the 3rd and 9th houses, so I could be projecting something here--but I must blurt out that when I looked at this chart the first thing I thought was "she's a writer".   There's that Uranus conjunct the north node in Scorpio in the 5th house. Okay, doesn't have to be writing, but for goodness sakes, something with the 5th ("it is your nature to go forth and gamble wildly!!") (nah. I think something more creative, but playful--which will be interesting for your Leo self and your Gemini rising and your Aquarian moon). Midheaven is in Aquarius. Come on now, surely things of the mind matter to you a lot, yes? Maybe???   With a Saturn/Sun 3rd house conjunct though, it may be that you had early doubts about your ability to communicate (3rd house) or even that the full shine of a dramatic Leo sun soul was shaded by demands (from parents, from life) for control, discipline, early responsiblity (for siblings, perhaps, given that this is the 3rd house). If this was so, the return of Saturn to his original place may, once it passes, leave you more certain of yourself in this arena. Saturn is one of the points of a T square (Uranus is the central point, squaring both moon and saturn and interestingly--well, actually you have a grand square, because Chiron makes the fourth point, in early Taurus, in the 11th house (wishes, and associations with friends/acquaintances).   (I can't believe how many forumites have Chiron in the 11th. Good grief. Early trauma in groups...I guess the brilliant, geeky kids have all flocked now to the BPAL forum and found comfort) (I'm frankly surprised my own Chiron is not in the 11th, actually)   Home ground, your roots, your traditional values, your refuge--4th house--is very intimately important in your chart, with Leo on the cusp (drama, generousity in the home) and lots of elegant Virgo going on (Venus, Mercury, Mars; Venus and Mercury are conjunct; you have a taste for the truly good in literature--this doesn't mean, by the way, that you can't enjoy trash, but that you really know authentically beautiful things, books, and so on--and have a home in which that sense of discernment is apparent). You may feel freest to express yourself in your home, or on your homeground, in your own territory (although with a 9th house moon you could certainly benefit from travel and widening your horizons in all ways). And you may have an elegance of discourse, or a tenderness (Venus conjunct Mercury), as well as the ability to take action. (mars in the 4th) on behalf of your roots or your home.   And you've got transformative and demanding Pluto in the 5th, in Libra (plus the Uranus/north node)(in Scorpio)...creativity (or love affairs, or children, or...) may be very much all or nothing affairs for you--there is the tendency to really go into something, and then...pause a long while--and then restart. (it's okay, really, creative flow--or love affairs--don't have to be all steady and boring, do they?)   Neptune in Sag in the 6th is super responsive to the environment (at a trivial level, you may have allergies and so on, at a more deep or metaphoric level, you need to have as little stress as you can manage--no, do not stress about this). This imaginative Neptune is in relation to practically everything else in your chart; when chosing (assuming you have a choice) work for pay (as opposed to career, which is Aquarian, and hey, you should be out there publishing something, I think...or, okay, traveling or teaching or thinking higher thoughts)--needs to use your imagination and/or be something in which you tangibly feel you are helping some poor unfortunates (of any species or anything: it can be saving paper clips from being thrown out, could be anything at all--the importance is how you perceive it. You must perceive that your tasks are imaginative and engaging or helpful and preferably all of those things. Or you will be miserable, and your health will show it.   Jupiter in the 12th is a real ace in the hole (it's in Taurus): this is kind of the last minute rescue, the fairy godperson who drops in when needed. Oddly, you may not be overtly cheerful (particularly with the Saturn/Sun conjunct) (and with the hopefulness of Jupiter kind of hidden from you) but there is this wonderful sort of second wind effect: all may seem over...and then, by golly, yes, I think she can do it! Jupiter very helpfully is trine to your Aquarian moon and to mars (inner self and action thereby facilitated), square to Venus (okay, a little bit of the brakes on--or, conversely, flashes of overenthusiasm) (Jupiter in Taurus might expand things like your taste for music)   Actually, rethink that comment on cheerfulness. A Gemini ascendant will at least appear very cheerful (and often younger than her years--an effect that can last well into your life).   kakiphony, if you are not a writer, kindly consider at least starting to keep a journal or something. During a Saturn return (in the 3rd house no less) would be an excellent time to do something like this in any case--and in your case I think particularly apt.
kakiphony

kakiphony

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Winter Solstice Swap 2012

Wishlists/Favorites: Etsy Wishlist Amazon wishlist (If this link fails for some reason, the e-mail to search is the one listed on my questionnaire)     Yule UpdateI have not yet bought a thing since my husband's birthday is this week and all my extra pennies are going toward a super nice dinner out for him! I actually probably will not buy much from this one -- I might try and snag a decant or two after the whole thing has blown over and people are selling theirs off. Yule is just traditionally not my best scents. The things that intrigued me and that I'd like to smell are: Black Temple Burlesque Troupe (but I fear it will be a dark musk which is death for me), Gingerbread Temples (I do like ginger, but traditionally most Yule gingerbread scents have been too sweet/foody for me), Risalamande (I like almond, but tend to loathe cherry, so this is one I purely want to sniff in a TINY amount), Mrs. Grose (this could be one of those rare roses that works on me), Gacela of the Dark Death (this actually sounds like an awesome room/candle scent to me), Krampus (a traditional favorite, but I have aged back-ups so don't neeeeeed it.) I'm looking forward to the bptp update since winter makes me in the mood for bath products and I am drooling over that teaser picture Puddin' posted of a Spanked candle! If it's a Yule candle inquisition, I am afraid I will not be able to control myself.   Holiday things you miss? The one thing I've been whining about is that New Belgium has not released Frambozen in Michigan (at least it's not on the inventory lists I've seen at the bar). It's such a lovely seasonal treat. Otherwise, I miss my grandpa's peanut butter fudge. We have his recipe, but it never tastes the same. He must have had a secret he failed to pass down.   Where can I find your Q&A? Do you have a wishlist post/blog and does it link other things like Etsy/Amazon? I do believe that my two forum wishlists (the bpal one and the non-bpal general swap help one) are both linked in my signature. I'll put these questions in a blog post and link that as well. There are a TON of old blog posts with Q&As from several years worth of circular swaps as well. I'll throw amazon and etsy wishlist links onto the blog post which I will make for this swap.   So, if you were to come into an unexpected windfall (a huge amount of cash), what would you get for yourself? A really big windfall would go to paying off debt and making home repairs on the rental house we own so we could stand a better chance of selling it. Smaller windfalls would go toward smaller things: A month or two of unlimited yoga, a new yoga bag, jewelry, some new sweaters (I'm wanting to phase in some V and round necks so I'm not all turtlenecks all the time!), socks, bath scrubs or soaks, good tea, fancy chocolate, nice long underwear, etc.   Do you prefer votives, tarts, tapers or jar candles (if you are into candles)? My tart burner is MIA, so at the moment I prefer other varieties. Jars are nice because they are self contained and do well in the bathroom. Votives and pillars are both easy because I just throw them on a saucer and go! Tapers are a bit more bother because my candlesticks like to hide from me, but are so pretty when they're lit at a meal that they're almost always worth the hunt.   Any books you've been meaning to get for yourself but haven't yet? My amazon wishlist is pretty complete and up to date. Someone else mentioned the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and since I LOVE that site, I bet I'd also love the book.   Is there any Bath etailer that you want to try? That you love? What do you want from there? What's your favorite bath item? No etailer in particular, but I am open minded and love many of them. New to me or local to you is also great! We go through a LOT of bar soap in my house and in winter I do also use soak and scrubs.   Tea? I know there was a favorite foods ...but what about drinks? Hot Tea? Hot Cider? other hot beverages? what about perhaps one of those soups in a jar mix? Tea is always lovely. I drink loads of black tea and flavored black tea, oolong, and a bit of green. For herbal teas, I tend to like mint or licorice blends and dislike rooibos and rosehips. I have a mild chamomile allergy, so unless it's way far down on the ingredients, I avoid it. Lately, I've been having a hard time finding one of my favorite brands of ea: Kusmi. It used to be everywhere and now is nowhere! I love the Zoubrovka, Anastasia, Troika, Bouquet #108, and Prince Vladimir. Hot cider is lovely and is cocoa. And soup in a jar sounds fun!   Colors You Like/Dislike?I tend to prefer bright, cool, jewel tones (sapphire and cobalt, kelly and emerald, scarlet, deep turquoise), black and grey. Pastels are not my thing. Autumnal hues I like in small doses (orange, muted greens, browns, etc). They're OK, just look bad on me! I'll try to throw some photos/links on the blog post under this question.   Colors coming soon....   Do you have any fiber allergies? Nope!   sweet Solstice Sister, what color of nail polish would brighten your senses or make you smile? Glitter or no? I only paint my toes, never my fingers (it feels weird!) and I tend to like bright somewhat traditional colors: Red, hot pink, etc. I will occasionally also do bright blue, green or really dark blood red. No glitter and I like colors with coverage (not sheer). This is because I paint my toes to hide the fungus.   Socks? I wear a US shoe size 6.5 which usually puts me in the standard sock size (I think the sock size says 9 to 11?? It always confuses me. What I know is that most off-the-rack socks will fit me just fine.) I'm a fan of stripess and argyles in not too crazy colors, less a fan of cutesy designs (animals, cartoon things, etc). (Purple, red, blue, green, black, gray, etc = love. Orange, chartreuse, silver, gold, sparkles, not as much love.) I like knee socks. I like wool and wool blends, cotton and cotton blends. Smartwool is the gold standard, but too expensive. Sock Dreams makes some lovely styles and I do also like their OTK socks, but prefer the ones with more synthetic in them fro stretch since I have really scrawny legs and the more cotton kind tend to fall down. The slubby OTKs are great with boots. I also seriously heart tights and all the same color, pattern and material preferences apply.   Jewelry? Pierced Ears? Do you like necklaces/pendants? Bracelets? Rings? I love jewelry. My one planned indulgence beyond bpal and good soap is is jewelry from bpaler updates on etsy. I tend to wear mostly necklaces and earrings. Bracelets I wear rarely and the only rings I wear are my wedding band and engagement ring. For necklaces that are made to sit close to the collar bone I liked 16". I do wear turtlenecks in the winter, so some longer things designed to sit more in the mid-chest area be they strands of beads or single dangles are also lovely. Earrings I wear both studs and dangles, but I tend to prefer shorter dangles (because of the turtlenecks!)   Anything you're particularly wanting from the Lab/Post at the moment? How about GCs you keep meaning to get but never get around to? The GC I always want, but never seem to buy is Sudha Segara. I'm not DYING for anything, although that may change once we see the BPTP Yules...   Do you have any fandoms? Not really. I like Harry Potter all right and Twin Peaks, but I'm not an active fan girl of either.   Does anything from Two Timing Tart interest you? I've never heard of this seller before, so I'm not drooling. However, I'm always open to new things. I would say if it inspires you, just use my general likes/dislikes as a guide and have fun!   Does anything from Sock Dreams interest you? Many, many things. See my general comments about tights and socks. I think on my general wishlist (linked in signature) I have some Sock Dreams specific hints.   Any movies (holiday or otherwise) that you want to see but never get around to? Not that I can think of off the top of my head...   Do you need any smartphone accessories (case, skin, etc)? I am all set thanks!   Small samples of homemade booze? That would be lovely.   Is there anything from local farmer markets that would interest you? Soap, jam, syrup, spices, etc. Really, I'm game to try anything local to you that you think looks awesome!   Do you have a favorite animal (or breed of animal)? (Red) Foxes and crows/ravens.   Do you like stuffed toys/animals? I don't love them for myself, but I do keep a toybox at my house for visiting children. They tend to play with those items.   Would you like/want anything Disney-related, or from Disneyland? No thank you. Posted Today, 01:05 PM You know, I feel like I should revise/expand my Disney answer. I'm not a big fan of animated films -- Disney or otherwise. And I don't collect related merch. However, I love a lot of the old live action films that they used to re-run on Wonderful World of Disney when I was a kid: Davy Crockett, Swamp Fox, Thomasina, Pollyanna, One and Only Genuine Original Family Band, Swiss Family, Watcher In the Woods, Something Wicked This Way Comes, the Witch Mountain movies, etc.   Another question! How do people feel about puzzles? Board games? Any particular ones that you might like or have and would like additions to? I haven't built a jigsaw puzzle in years. I remember liking it, but having the clear table space might be an issue. I loathe Sudoku, but like crosswords. Someday I will complete the Holy Grail of Crosswords: An unaided NYTimes. The only games my husband and I own is Scrabble. We play occasionally, less often now that he works nights. I hate cards. I like Scattergories, but that game lives with my parents. We once in a great while play Cranium or Settlers of Cataan with my sister and her husband. I love Trivial Pursuit, but no one will play with me.   $10 Wal-Mart type thingamabob: Nothing in particular, but when I have an extra $10 in places like that I tend to buy peppermint gum, chocolate, lip balm or tea.   If you answered yes to any beverage-related questions, what exactly do you like in tea, coffee, alcohol, cocoa, cider, etc.? I think I have some good guidance on this in my general swap help post which is linked in my signature.   Stones? What color/types of stones, precious, semi precious or otherwise do you like? Lately I seem to be drawn to blue and blue/green stones: turquoise, prehnite, labradorite, moonstone, chalcedony, etc. I also always love carnelian, amber, jade (green and honey), hematite, citrine, and pearls.
kakiphony

kakiphony

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Fall 2012 Switch Witch Questions

Do you like s'mores and s'mores-flavored things? I am not a huge fan. I prefer those components all separately, especially the chocolate. Marshmallows really only get used in my house in cocoa (the tiny ones) and rice krispie treats (the big ones). Graham crackers are pretty much just for my toddler nephew.   What's the neatest freebie you've gotten? It can be cool or thoughtful or just totally unexpected, and not limited to BPALdom. I have come to expect loveliness from bpal people, but a recent freebie that blew me away was from a beer rep. Usually they just bring handfuls of crappy free t-shirts to the bar and give them to customers. But this rep remembered meeting me and brought me a special women's cut sweatshirt in the right size. He won my undying affection and staunch support of his brand with his thoughtfulness. He also told my husband, "Think of me every time your wife wears this" which we both laugh about every time I put the thing on!   Would you enjoy receiving cute but useful items like colorful kitchen utensils/gadgets, or bento supplies? (boxes, chopsticks, accessories, etc?) What about things like spice mixes (homemade, or Penzey's for example) Yes! I love anything food/kitchen related   Do you like cute, seasonal or fluffy PJ bottoms? Like they sell at Target, Old Navy (they have had cute Halloween ones!) If so, what size do you wear? I like them, and especially love them if they are flannel OR if they are yoga pant style. I wear a size small. I also love those flannel lined satin ones you see sometimes. They are the very best because they have the coziness of flannel, but allow you to actually turn over in bed at night. (Flannel pjs on flannel sheets is like velcro...)   What kind of chocolate do you like? Nuts, no nuts, white,dark, etc? Dark by preference, but will certainly not turn my nose up at milk or white. I like nuts, spices, and almost anything else you want to put in. I even like fruit (although not so much raisins) and fruit flavors (orange chocolate is divine, as is raspberry jam filling). I also like peanut butter, coconut and "cream" (as that in mallo cups).   I live near a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Penzeys! What does your little heart desire from any or all of these places? The biggest things I miss from WF and TJ are the snack foods I can pretend are marginally healthy but are so tasty: tamari almonds, wasabi peas, thai lime cashews, sesame honey cashews, wasabi almonds, etc. I also miss simmer sauces and interesting BBQ sauces, salsas and jams. Again, prepared things I could pretend were marginally healthier than regular grocery store options. Our co-op is good, but just doesn't have the same huge varieties of these things, or of the good chocolate bars that were at every WF checkout lane. We also miss having a TJs close for decent and drinkable cheap wine. We love our local wineries, but their prices are significantly higher than 2 Buck Chuck!   Are home made foods acceptable or does the idea of eating strange mailed food disturb you? Homemade foods would rock my world.   I just gave you $20 and sent you into a "has everything" store ala Walmart and told you that you have to come out having spent it all, and none of it on anything you need. What would you buy? Be as specific as possible! At least one decent chocolate bar, a pair of pretty striped or patterned socks or tights (work appropriate so more like stripes or argyle than cartoon characters), and probably yet another bottle of ibuprofen for the work desk drawer. (I'm totally the office drug dealer -- everyone comes to me for headache meds.)   What kind of cuisines do you like? (I mentioned this in my ?aire but curious what my witch may like)And, what are your favorite restaurants? I love middle eastern food (dolmehs, hummus, baba ganouj, keftas, things flavored with pine nuts, cinnamon, lemon, tahini and rosewater, etc), Indian, and Ethiopian. I'm not a huge fan of most American Chinese (that ghastly sweet red sauce makes me cringe), but adore this black bean sauce the guys at the Chinese buffet in my hometown put on shellfish (which they make especially for my husband). I also like cajun/creole cuisine, Jamaican spices, and Thai. Really, I'm just a fan of FLAVOR. My favorite restaurants are all local places: Stella, Pearl's, Om, Poppycock's, and Fou Fou. Down in GR I seriously adore the food at Brewery Vivant.   I'm from Canada - is there anything specifically a witchee might like that is only available here? KitKat, Smarties, Mackintosh's toffee. From the UK, I have an inordinate fondness for TimeOut bars mainly based on nostalgia.   what are your "fandoms" and would you like a t-shirt from TeeFury if an appropriate one came up? I have a passing affection for Harry Potter (where I am a SlytherClaw -- I always thought I was Ravenclaw, but apparently there's a good bit of Slytherin in me too.) I don't really fangirl anything per se though. BUT I have seen fandom related TeeFury shirts I should wear. I've liked ones that play on Labyrinth, BSG, Harry Potter, etc.   Do you have an eReader and if so which one? Kindle Classic Keyboard   Do you like candles, or tart burners, or something? If so, what's your favorite scent to burn? I prefer candles to tarts (can't find my tart burner) and like either clean or spicy fragrances. To give you an idea, I have historically liked the citrus/sage jar candles from Yankee and love Stonehenge (favorite), Istanbul, Tuscany, Black Forest and Burl Wood from Archipelago Botanicals.   Marzipan? I would try it. Not sure I've ever had it!   Would you be interested in washable/reusable muslin “paper” towels (basically muslin squares hemmed around the edge)? Maybe in some sort of box to put on your kitchen or bathroom counter? Yes, yes, yes! Green cleaning products are always really nice. I just wish I could find a green alternative to the sponges with the scrubby on one side.   Do you drink alcohol and if so, would you be OK with your witch sending you homemade infused vodka? Yes and yes. We'd get the most use out of pepper or olive infused (for bloody marys), but would try any flavor!   If you get me (or a fellow Aussie, if there are any playing this round) as a witch or witch's minion, would you like to try some Australian specialties, such as TimTams (delicious chocolately cookies), Caramello Koalas (koala shaped chocolates filled with gloopy caramel), Australian native spices or anything like that? I honestly don't know a lot about Australian foods. All those sound good and I am open to surprises.   If your witch is a knitter, crocheter or sewer, is there a particular type of garment you would love to receive (hat, scarf, wrap, cowl, socks, fingerless gloves, arm warmers etc)? Anything really. I am in awe of people who can manage needles. I tried and had them taken away from me... Scarves, wraps, cowls, socks and arm warmers would get the most use. Fingerless gloves, not so much unless they went far up the arm. A hat would get use, but I have a very small head!   Is there anyone else in your house (kids, pets, partner) that would really appreciate a small gift being included for them in the switchwitchy haul so they don't feel left out? The only other person in my house is J and he does not need special attention. He steals from me shamelessly anyway. (And I share. Because I love him.)   Since it's been mentioned several times, and I've also offered to nacho witch some, would you you like to receive wild rice and or maple syrup? I promise to include recipe ideas with the wild rice. I love wild rice! And maple syrup! (I make a killer mushroom with wild rice soup.)   I have 5 bushels of tomatoes sitting in the kitchen right now that are supposed to turn into red sauce tomorrow, so would anyone like a basic red sauce (spaghetti sauce) to make its way to them? I would be delighted.   Some of your favorite artists? Classic and modern? I like the pre-Raphaelites, but my husband does not. He likes Norman Rockwell, but I'm not a huge fan. I also like portraits, especially John Singer Sargent.   If you could have an image or certain subject painted for you on any type of "canvas" (on a box, on paper, on a canvas, and so on) - could you point your witch to some of these images? I don't have a specific image in mine, but I am drawn to foxes and ravens/crows. If you peruse my etsy favorites, you'll see that I've hearted some various art related things with both of those animals.   Is there a GC scent that's been on your list for ages but keeps falling off the bottom of your order because of the LEs? Sudha Segara. I use it mainly for layering and so it always gets short shrift.   Nail Polishes? Nail polish makes my fingers feel like they are asphyxiating, so I do not use it. I will paint my toe nails in the summer so I can wear sandals (they are gnarly and need camouflage), but as we go into winter I am leaving them polishless again and working on ways to get rid of the gnarl.   Would you be interested in having a bat adopted in your name? I think that would be lovely, although I'm a little off bats this summer after a lot of people I know had to have rabies shots because they slept in rooms/cabins where bats might have been.   How would you feel about a taste of (insert witch location here) box? Ecstatic.   Stuffed things: yea or nay? Stuffed olives, yay! Stuffed animal plush toys: Nay (unless they are really specific -- the knitted Mrs. Holiday Squirrel I got last Christmas is still much loved). But, in general, I don't sleep with or display stuffed things. They tend to get shoved in the toy box for child visitors.   New Question: mix-in-a-jar? How to you feel about cookie or cake or soup mixes that come in jars and you just add, like, an egg or water or what have you? I am game.   Would you be interested in beer, wine, or other specialty beverages from your Witch's area? Yes, but I will caution that shipping it can be a big pain. Use loads of bubble wrap and ziplock bags. Trust me.   Are there any crafts/skills you've wanted to learn but haven't gotten around to? And if so, would you be interested in supplies and tutorials? I am learning to sew. Tutorial, simple patterns, fabric, trim, thread, etc all welcome. Although they may not get used for a while or may get trashed if I do experiment with them!   Who here would be happy to get a lil' sumthin sumthin from Adagio Teas? I am always happy to receive good tea.   Do you Ravelry? And if so, what's your handle over there? Would you be interested in gift patterns from your queue? I have an account, but it is for stalking since I am not a knitter.   I live near this very cool Retro store (retrodrygoods.com) (you can order online too) - are there things from it that would make you squee if your witch sent them? Ack! I love that store! J and I always stopped to browse when we drove though. I always loved the aprons, candy (Bit o' Honey! Maple Buns! Clove gum! Mallo-Cups!), and tees (still mad I have never been able to find Save Ferris in a medium girly cut!)   Who likes Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses? I have never tried them!   What does your kitchen look like? Colors/style? Boring and blah. It's almost 100% white (cabinets, walls, appliances) with a wood floor and granite counters. Rental chic but nice counters. I tend to use bright colored towels etc (read! teal! sapphire! emerald! kelly green!) I really want a big rug for it, but they're so expensive!   Witchee, what are your favorite quotes? From The Magus, by John Fowles: There comes a time in each life like a point of fulcrum. At that time you must accept yourself. It is not anymore what you will become. It is what you are and always will be.   From Descent Into Hell, by Charles Williams: Rarity was one form of delight and frequency another. A thing could even be beautiful because it did not happen, or rather the not-happening could be beautiful. So long always as joy was not rashly pinned to the happening; so long as you accepted what joys the universe offered and did not seek to compel the universe to offer you joys of your own definition.   I am also still head over heels in love with the poem You Who Never Arrived by Rilke:   You who never arrived in my arms, Beloved, who were lost from the start, I don't even know what songs would please you. I have given up trying to recognize you in the surging wave of the next moment. All the immense images in me -- the far-off, deeply-felt landscape, cities, towers, and bridges, and unsuspected turns in the path, and those powerful lands that were once pulsing with the life of the gods-- all rise within me to mean you, who forever elude me.   You, Beloved, who are all the gardens I have ever gazed at, longing. An open window in a country house-- , and you almost stepped out, pensive, to meet me. Streets that I chanced upon,-- you had just walked down them and vanished. And sometimes, in a shop, the mirrors were still dizzy with your presence and, startled, gave back my too-sudden image. Who knows? Perhaps the same bird echoed through both of us yesterday, separate, in the evening...   Put your iPod/MP3 player/what-have-you on random and list the first 10 songs it plays! My iPod has not been charged in ages. I will come back to this promise!   What's one random thing you really like and one random thing you really dislike? Like: Pink pepper in black tea blends. Dislike: Coriander in beer.   Are there any herbs that you haven't been able to lay hands on that I could send you? There's an herbal shop I really like here in NYC called Flower Power (flowerpower.net) that has quite a wide selection. Nothing in particular.   If there are no "witchy" shops near you, is there anything I can pick up for you from Enchantments? I can't think of anything, but I'll always take intent candles or really good, well researched books.   Hey Witchee! I want to send you a delivery. It could be cupcakes from a local bakery, it could be a singing hugging bear-a-gram, it could be a bouquet of flowers. But it will be something that you need to be there to receive. a) Are you OK with "special deliveries"? *waggles eyebrows* B..) Is the address in your questionnaire the best place to reach you for said deliveries? c) If the delivery requires a phone number (as say, some florists do) would you be OK with that information being tracked down by your Witch or asked of you anonymously? It's hard for me to be home and I work in a somewhat fishbowl atmosphere. Things that I can just say are "from a friend" without a whole lot of explanation (like flowers) are fine to send to me at work. Things that are embarrassing or require more explanation (singing telegrams) are probably a bad idea. And if you need the work info or phone, I am happy to supply it. If it's edible, there's also the possibility of having it delivered to my husband at the bar where I could pick it up after work. There's always someone there to sign.   What are some things you are OK with receiving gently used or homemade, and some things you absolutely do not want if they are gently used or homemade? I am absolutely fine with gently used and homemade.   And now a new question: I live near a Mast General Store (mastgeneralstore.com). It has lots of vintage-y toys, southern foods (jams, jellies, spices) and vintage candy. Is there anything I can get for you? Any interesting jams, spices etc are always welcome. For vintage candy, I prefer chocolate, toffee, or caramel based things to fruit chew type things.   Do you have any Fall or Halloween traditions? Just enjoying the season!   Ninjas or Pirates? Generally pirates, but I have a thing for ninja squirrels.   I have an extra room spray and 2 extra bath oils (one Cephalopod, one Exhibit Hall Fatigue) from Dragon*Con - would anybody like a decant? I would love one, but it has been my experience that decanted room sprays leak like crazy.   Witchee, would you like it if I made you a "mix tape" of songs that I think you might like? And if so, would you prefer mp3 or CD format? I would be delighted. mp3s preferred over cds. My car actually does still have a tape deck too.   I know it is totally the wrong season (for most of us), but do you like/have space to garden? If so, what do you like to grow? I can't actually garden in my yard, so I've been all about container herbs this year. I'd love some chia herb garden type things for the kitchen. I'd also like to get some air purifying plants for my house.   I'm about to be near a Lush store next week, is there anything you might like from there? I think there are wishlist items in my Swap faery help post (old name for Switch Witch -- but I keep updating that post!). If not, I like Lush soaps and bath bombs/bubbles best. Don't love their facial care stuff and don't use lotion.   Songs that you keep meaning to buy but never get round to it? Honestly, I don't buy music. That's my husband's territory. He buys music and I buy books. It works for us.   Movies that you love but forgot to put in your questionaire? I'm sure there are many, but I can't think of them.   Any favorite Bath & Body Works scents/products? I feel bad saying this, but I generally don't like B&BW. I'm much more apt to lust after bar soap or candles from Whole Foods, a farmer's market or your local health food store!   Haus of Gloi is offering custom perfumes - would you like one? What would your ideal blend be? Hmm. Can I say not sure? My preferred base note is almost always patchouli, but there are plenty of patchoulis I hate (Shadow, for example, was awful on me). The fact that her only patchouli is labeled "dark" scares me a bit. I like aged, mellow patchoulis -- if it's too aggressive it won't work. That said, if I were taking the gamble I'd go with the Dark Patchouli base, with leather, ginger and honey/beeswax. Or possibly Dark patchouli, ginger, blood orange and honey/beeswax. Or maybe the same basic blends, but with a wood like mahogany rather than the patchouli?   Any Bath, Body or nutritional type items you would love to try from a Natural and Organic food store (similar to Whole Foods) that you don't buy because they are a bit too pricey? I continually eye all the fun nut snack blends, nut bars, chocolate bars, bar soaps, shave creams (Dr. Bronner makes shave cream!), and tinted lip balms at my co-op. I also often look at nut butters and hemp powder for smoothies. (I like protein powders, but hate that they have sweetener, even if it is stevia.)   OK, so those of you who said you wouldn't mind receiving (sneakily packaged!) beer or wine: Tell me of your taste preferences. Dry/sweet? Red/white? Lager/ale/porter/stout? Fruit? Spice? Hops? Sour (brettanomyces, etc)? To answer my own question... I like almost all types of beer, my one no-no is that I think beer flavored with coriander tastes like feet. I'm also not fond of super sweet fruit beers (but love things that make judicious use of fruit like New Belgium's seasonal raspberry brown ale - Frambozen). I've become more of a hop head lately, but am not exclusively a high IBU girl. I have also recently started to sort of appreciate some sour beers. To give you an idea of my taste in those: I like Escoffier by New Belgium and Brewery Vivant, Flamboyant Red by Arbor and Micromegas by Greenbush, but I hate most of the Jolly Pumpkin sours. Farmhouse ales I like. Otherwise, ale/lager, stout, porter, brown, I like it all! For wine, I like dry whites (unoaked or mildly oaked non-buttery chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, etc) and dry reds (pinot, cabs, syrah, malbec -- not super fond of most merlots as I think they have a funk). In general, I HATE sweet wine and even semi-dry is too darn sweet for me. I like (dry!) bubbly too. I also tend to like drier malbec roses.   Witchee, will you be gone from your normal mailing address at any point during the round? Not that I know of now. If plans develop I will post in the thread.   Are you a Disney fan or does even thinking about Disney make your head hurt? If you're into Disney, would you like something from the Happiest Place on Earth ? I'm sort of ambivalent. I like some of the movies and enjoyed Disney as a kid. I think I'd enjoy taking my nephew. But I'm not a fan either and can't ever see J and I going there on vacation.   dear witchee, would you, could you use an electric candle warmer? Probably not?   Do you lust after some new socks/tights? Always!   Do you have a forum buddy? Someone who knows you and/or your tastes well enough to answer questions on your behalf? No particular buddy, but the GUSP ladies know me fairly well.   If you are on Livejournal, would you appreciate LJ stuff like paid time, custom userheads, stuff like that? If you are NOT on LJ but are on other sites that have similar paid-for services (Flickr, for example?) would you, and what are those sites/etc? I think I'm covered for all the paid stuff I would use.   if you are into tarot, what is your favorite card? I don't know enough to say. But I would love to learn!   would you like your own set of handmade rune stones or worry stones? I know nothing about runes, but would love to learn. I'm actually pretty set for worry stones as I live 5 blocks from the beach!   Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cider, or none of the above? Tea, with the very occasional cup of cocoa. I do love spicy, pepper dark chocolate cocoa though!   Gum, hard candy, soft candy, or none of the above? Peppermint gum!   Loose tea or tea bags? Do you need anything for your loose tea? (Filters, presses, etc.) I love both loose and bagged teas. I could always use more of the cup sized bags (like tea*sac brand). I love the unbleached find best.   Do you do Goodreads or LibraryThing or a site like that? If so, can I see your to-read list, please? I do, but they are wildly neglected and would not be of much use. I'm kakiphony on both I think.   Are you a gamer (of any sort - video, casual, tabletop) and are there any games you want? Nope.   Do you like coffee? If so, what kinds? Flavored, fancy, basic? Beans or ground? I have cut waaaaaay back (to the point of almost zero) on my coffee consumption. It upsets my stomach. That said, when I break down and want a cup I like African beans (Ethiopian and Tanzanian Peaberry are my favorites, whole bean.   Would a Starbucks gift card make you happy or do you prefer your local place? Sadly, the only local Starbucks is in my grocery store. I never go there because they just seem...not very bright.   Would you be interested in BPTP CANDY? YES.   CUSTOM-Made Pottery?? yea or nay? coffee mugs, rustic or more elegant? a set of bowls? soap dish? bird feeder? something alltogether different? and lastly, good colors for glazes...? I would love it! I like both rustic and elegant styles, and can always use mugs (I love the kind with a wide base and a kind of waist in the middle and then a wide top so you get the initial cooling of the tea, but the stuff below the waist stays warmer) and bowls -- big, small, nuts to soup to serving sizes. I'm covered for soap dishes. I have never owned a bird feeder and don't know if I'm trustworthy enough to keep it filled. For glazes, I love blues, greens and purples. Also, red!   Name one movie you keep meaning to buy, but just never get around to getting? Labyrinth   are there any if MeiLin's books (e-book or print) you'd be interested in? I only have the first book of Lovers and Beloveds and would not mind reading more.   If you like tea, what kinds? I drink mainly black tea blends (early grey or various stripes, Lady Londonderry, Sunday morning, almost all the Kusmi tea Russianblends, etc) and oolongs (love Monkey picked, Six Summits, Thai Mountain, etc). I rarely drink green tea and LOATHE anything with hibiscus or rose hips. Chamomile is too closely related to ragweed for me to drink it without allergy issues cropping up. For herbals, I like mint, licorice and ginger blends.   Zombies; Yay or Nay? Yay?   If you have cats, do they like catnip toys? If you have doggies, would they like a super-reinforced canvas toy with a squeaker in it? No pets.   If you have kids, what are they into? No kids.   How do you feel about wearable knitted lace? Shawls, wraps, and the like? I like it as long as it's not too froo-froo or doily like.   Looking at the warehouse, I notice that our lovely Greenwoodtree is able to do chart readings and/or forecasts at a very reasonable rate. Is this something you would want? I would be delighted.   I live in Japan. Anything you would be interested in from there? Mainly food and tea related things, maybe art or pottery? Probably not stationery as I'm not a letter writer.   Candy Corn: yes, no? I actually am not terribly fond of it. It kind of makes my teeth hurt. Of course, I frequently push half of most deserts away saying they're too sweet.   What is your holy grail "I'd kill to just have one drop in an imp" bpal scent? Sacrifice.   Are there any existing Weenies that you have your eye on, but haven't gotten around to getting I bought decants of all the things I wanted to try, but haven't sniffed them yet. Once I sniff one may stand out, but for now I'm set.   if you wear earrings, do you have pierced ears? Traditional one hole in each lobe piercings. I tend to wear studs or delicate and not super long dangles.   You are meeting up with someone on a casual lunch/early afternoon thing. This person is someone you want to impress/look good for (for whatever reason, not necessarily romantic, and not necessarily for business either). What would you look like, given the contents of your wardrobe/etc? Depends on where we are meeting. If it's at a casual place (like my husband's bar) I'd wear my favorite jeans with a wide brown, big buckled belt, a tank top under one of my favorite form fitting button down blouses (one is navy, and very classic Oxford and one is a green foliage patterned western style snap-front from Ann taylor -- I wear them unbuttoned just enough for the tank to show in a contrasting color), with my Artemis necklace, and either my red Naturalista mary janes or a pair of black boots. If it's a fancier meeting or a work meeting, I'd wear my dark gray tweed skirt which is knee length with buttoned pleats at the knees, a black merino turtleneck sweater, black sweater tights, and either black Josef Seibel low heeled mary janes or black boots with my Lolth's Web (minus the spider).   You are to be let loose in a clothing store of your choice, to pick a full outfit, down to the shoes, the accessories, etc. and things would be altered to fit you if needed. What store would that be, and what would you look like? I'd go for a tailored, conservative work clothes type store since tailored and relatively simple/conservative is my go-to look. (I've often said that Katharine is the Hepburn who is my style icon rather than Audrey.) For the sake of making this concrete let's pick J Crew, and I'm picking pieces I could mix and match with my current wardrobe in order to be cost effective (so I'm picking a blouse and a tank rather than a turtleneck even though I wear more turtlenecks): safari trousers in grey, stretch suiting tank in black, dream yoga cardigan in black, stretch perfect shirt in bright hydrangea, red snakeskin loafers, pearls and matching earrings, red hobo bag, ribbed tights in black, red cat's eye sunglasses, timex military watch, and drake's scarf in red.   You open a box from the post office to reveal the 3 things you want most right now. What are they? (caveats: size doesn't matter, but they have to be tangible/buyable). A big (6' minimum) round area rug for my kitchen, knee high black boots that fit my skinny chicken legs, and several pairs of sweater tights in various sorta conservative yet fun patterns.   WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH YOUR ASS OFF!!! movies, comedians, black humor, your partner, a comic strip? what? Black and/or quirky/bizarre humor. I am NOT a fan of physical comedy -- I like my wit dry and verbal. I also don't like humiliation comedy.   If you posted any kind of link in your original questionnaire, PLEASE post them again or put a link to SW Help in your signature. Etsy Profile and Favorites Amazon wishlist   The end of this month I'm going to Scarefest, the big horror and paranormal con in Kentucky. (www.scarefest.com) If I were your witch, is there anything you would like from there (skull jewelry, art prints from an artist that catch your eye, etc), or anyone whose autograph or photo or such you would dig?   My new job is at a consignment store where we have all kinds of designer brands for very reasonable prices. Are there designer clothes/purses/sunglasses that you desire/love? (Give some indication as to your "style" as well. For example, do you like bohemian-style frocks in lavender? Crossbody purses in black? Sunglasses that are round and bug-like?) Designer names aren't a huge thing for me, but I love silk scarves and big black or tortoiseshell sunglasses. Think Jackie O and Tammy Faye style.   I realize that we had a similar question in the ?aire, but I need you Witchee-s to list at least 5 items, each ranging $20 and under from Amazon.com or Walmart.com.   In the meantime, let me know what you like to do on the Internet to kill time. Flash games? What are your daily websites/blog visits, or favorite YouTube videos? I have over 200 blogs in my RSS (google reader) feed.   And what are your favourite characters from your fandoms? I'm just not a huge fangirl.   My Little Pony... Cute or meh? Meh. Extremely meh.   Lip balm - tube or tin? Either!   Would you like to receive a journal or sketchbook? How about other pretty paper goods like post-its, notepads, bookmarks, letter paper/envelopes? I probably would not get much use out of anything pretty -- but sticky notes are always useful. Also, a magnetic list that sticks to the refrigerator would get used.   Are you interested in audiobooks? If so, any specific titles? Not really. Not enough car time or bus time any more.   Bar soaps with some scrubby bits, yes or no? Sure!   Do you need any small electronic gadgets like flash drives and the like? A keychain flashlight is all I can think of.   Would you like a pair of knitted socks? Absolutely   Do you have any use for knitted dishcloths, facecloths, etc, especially if they were fandom related? Kitchen dish cloths are always welcome, fandom or otherwise.   Do you subscribe to any sample boxes, and if so, which ones? Would you like to receive some samples? I have a Birch Box subscription, but would love some samples of green products etc.   do you have a problem with nudes??? If not, do you prefer male or female? I don't have a problem with them, but they're not really my style either.   Paintbox Soapworks: Interested in anything from her? I would love to try soaps or scrubs. The scents that most appeal to me are: Gingermilk, The Queen is Dead, Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, This Charming Man and The Englishman   are there any other e-tailers you're desperately wanting to try? if so, any specific items/scents/etc? I can always use more Villainess and I think I have scent preferences in the old Swap Faery thing linked in my signature. I'm desperate for nothing, but happy to try anything!   ThinkGeek: anything interesting to you on there? Not really my style although I've long eyed the light saber umbrellas for my husband   What's one thing you want, right now, that you're having difficulty finding? Boots that fit my chicken legs.   Who here is going to be picking up JK Rowling's new book on Thursday? I'll read, but have no compulsion to buy it Thursday.   What do you do to take care of yourself when you're having a rough day (sick, life not going your way, whatever)? Comfort food, a warm bath and a comfort read.
kakiphony

kakiphony

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Winter Holiday Fun Swap Questions & Answers (2011)

1. So... someone has gifted you a $20 gift card from Walgreen's to ONLY use on things for yourself. No necessities here. What do you buy? Depends on whether I'm pmsing or not. If yes, probably chocolate. (My Walgreen's has Green & Blacks dark cocoa and I keep 'em in my desk drawer and eat 1-2 squares a day after lunch. I also love those Lindt squares and the orange and pepper chocolate bars.) If I'm not pmsing, I might actually buy makeup. Maybe an eyeliner or two. I've been occasionally practicing lining my upper lid lately and all I have is a Revlon Timeliner in a sort of neutral brown shade (it's ooooold and probably discontinued). I like that it's soft and not pokey, but I could probably use a different color or two. Either that, or I'd buy more foundation wedges or foundation (Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer in Light to Neutral).     2. I live near a brick and morter location for a really, really good spice store. Would you use cooking spices and if you would, what would you need? (It's Penzey's if you want to Google it.) I am another one who totally loves Penzy's. I love a lot of their blends like Zatar, Rogan Josh, Balti and Garam Masala. I also use a lot of the Adobo, ground chipotle and the smoked Paprika. And I'm sure there are lots of other great ones!   3. Do you like knitted goods? If so, what would you like, what colors, and do you have any sensitivites or preference when it comes to type of yarn (ex: wool: yay or nay? Do you prefer machine washable materials? Do you not care?)? Yes. Yes I do quite like them. The most useful colors for my wardrobe are probably black, scarlet, kelly green, emerald green and turquoise. But I also love all blues, fierce orange, gray and purple. I love all fibers except those that shed (no angora, please!)   4. Hey swap partner... could you use a new mug? I can always use mugs, and also aluminum water bottles. For some reason my husband leaves those all over the country-side.   5. Is there any sort of regional food/drink/treat you miss or have always wanted to try? I can't think of anything in particular, but in general I love regional foods and things that are local to my witch. It's like a vacation in a box!   6. Do you do a Christmas tree? If yes is it themed or specially colored or do you just have all different ornaments and such? Usually we do, although I really want a fake one this year because I am sick of vacuuming needles. It's not themed -- unless you count all of our childhood ornaments as a theme!     7. Would you like a special ornament? Ornaments are always a good present at Christmas. There's no certain special kind I covet though.   8. Tim Tams. Yay or nay? Yay!   9. Now, a question of my own: I know some people are squicked out at the idea of eating things that other people make, or the thought of deep fried cookies sends them into cardiac arrest. If you were my fox, would you like to receive some homemade goodies, or would you prefer that your goodies came from the store? Points to signature... I will eat anything you send me. Truly.   10. Would any Bunny like to receive Holiday serving bowls, trays, platters etc...? Winter/Christmas or Thanksgiving/Fall themed? Bunny would not mind. I don't use them super often, but I do go to holiday parties and occasionally have one of my own. It never hurts to have some nice serving items in the cupboard. I can always use more big bowls too.     11. My lovely fluffy Snow Bunny, would you like a body scrub made by me? If so, what scent(s) would you like, if you had to think along the lines of essential oils? And would you prefer sugar or salt? A dryer scrub or one that's more oily/moist? Absolutely! I like a slightly looser/more oily scrub (think Smooch rather than Smack). I like lavender and orange essential oils and even a little rose. I also like woody/resinous scents.     12. Dear snow bunny, do you like candles? If yes, then what kind? Scented (what scents), unscented, what colors, do you like them plain/painted on the outside/with decorations attached to the surface/sculpted? Pasted from the candle relevant questions from my Hallowe'en round questions: I like the ease of the self contained candle, so I would vote for a jar. Color would matter less to me than scent. I'm imagining something with lavender and lemon which would make my bathroom smell clean and fresh. Maybe some sweet grass or sage thrown in there as well. I really love the Luna scent from Archipelago Botanicals. It's lemon verbena, lavender and thyme -- very clean and fresh. I also love the Stonehenge scent from the same company - smoked cedarwood, bermot and amber. It is very comforting and warm without being cloying. For the Christmas season I also like AB's Black Forest candles which are douglas fir, ebony wood and black currant. From Yankee, I like the Sage Citrus which is also really clean and fresh.   13. Also what do you think of little soaps? I know most people don't use soaps nowadays but I love the chocolate/vanilla/cocoa/butter/sugar combo scents that I see at beauty stores.... I use a TON of bar soap. You can never go wrong sending me soap.   14. Socks! Slippers! Do you love them or not really wear them? If you love them, do you also love Sock Dreams? I have a ridiculous pair of multi-colored crocheted slippers my brother bought for me in a Native village in Alaska. They aren't really warm enough and I often layer then with socks. Slippers and socks are LOVE. And SockDreams is like Planet Love Fest. I covet, covet, covet a lot of their tights (usually the fairly plain black, grey and plain colored ones since I wear them to work. But the subtle patterns of the bamboo ones are just my new favorite thing. And someday I will own wool tights. Yes I will. The preeeeeeecccccciiiiiioooooooouuuuuussssssssssssss.)   15. Would you wear something like this if your Fox were to knit you one? If so, what color? Yes. See the color preferences in answer to #3. I try to keep my wardrobe fairly blendy.     16. New question: talk to me of coffee. Whole bean? Ground? Flavored, not flavored? Decaf, whole caff? Favorite roasters? Drip, french press, keurig? BRING ON THE TEA? Whole bean coffee, not flavored. I like African blends. But really, TEA is my thing. I tend to drink 1-2 cups per day, usually oolong or black (or flavored black).   17. Who else here loves or would like to try Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics? If so, what would you like? Not for me, thanks.   18. Have you tried anything from Cocoa Pink and if so, what products and scents do you like or would like to try? Never tried anything. Her drama makes me shudder.     19. Anybody into nail polish? Any color or formula preferences? I don't really paint my nails. It makes them feel suffocated.     20. If you found a $50 bill on the ground and were to place a Lab order, what would be in it? (And shipping is free through the magical BPAL unicorn!) Cut and pasted from Hallowe'en round: $50, huh?... Ok, here's the breakdown (I did three, one for bpal, one for bptp and one for the ideal world where you could combine orders from both sites)   BPAL 1 imp pack -$22 Contents: White Rider, Red Rider, Black Rider, Tombstone, Anne Bonnie & War Then I would dither between a bottle of Safari ($28) and a replacement bottle of Vixen ($17.50). But, in the end, I'd probably go with Vixen so I had that extra $10 to buy two or three (depending on whether I want to come in just under or just over the $50) more imps: Velvet, Suhha Segara and O   BPTP Soap: Port au Prince, Shub, & Snake oil ($8.50 x 3= $25.50) Librarian t-shirt ($20) Then I'd throw in a couple of magnets to get me to $50     Combined 1 imp pack as above ($22) Soap: Shub (but I'd dither between that and P au P) Bottle of Vixen   21. Is there any particular holiday DVD that you don't have that you would like to own? I wouldn't mind having Miracle on 34th Street (the OLD version).   22. How do you feel about superheros? Are you a Marvel or DC fan? Do you have a favorite hero? I am ambivalent. I mean, I like them, but have no allegiances.   23. Would my bunny like anything in particular from Lush? I do have access to an actual Lush store, and also wouldn't mind ordering retro items online. There is a too-long list in my Swap Faery Help post which is linked in my signature.   24. Would you like a Paintbox from Paintbox Soapworks? If so, which scents? If I had to make my own combination it would actually end up looking very similar to The Old Masters Set. Definitely Charming Man, Blackbird and Englishman; but I might swap out Dead Leaves and GFM for Queen is Dead and Beet It or Gingermilk.   25. Do you have kids (or kid-like pets) who your fox may want to take into account, either in terms of a little extra goody or simple safety? There is only J, and he'll totally just take whatever he wants anyway. (Food items and bar soap get shared between us automatically.)   26. How do you feel about honey/beeswax? Would you like any? Hmm...interesting honey would be appreciated, but I'm not sure what I'd do with beeswax.   27. Are you a Trader Joe's fan, who either doesn't have a store nearby or just loves their stuff and has a wishlist? I miss TJs. I became addicted in law school and have been essentially without for YEARS. We usually make at least one four hour car trip a year just because we can. I especially love and miss: the nuts! (Thai Lime Chili Cashews and sesame honey cashews are freaking amazing. The plain Wasabi Almonds and plain Tamari are also good, but the Wasabi Tamari are out of this world.) I also adore a lot of their sauces (Moroccan Tangine, Thai Peanut, Punjab Spinach, all three colors of Thai sauce and Tahini rock my socks). Lots of the wine is more than drinkable for the price (dry, dry, DRY wine). The cheese and frozen stuff is also fantastic, but much less shippable.   28. The Paintbox Soapworks Yules are up, or at least round one is (updates coming throughout the week). Interested in anything? I think Yuletide Mariner sounds pretty fab and Snoggin sounds nice and comforting. I've actually never tried her stuff, so I have no preferences for soap vs. scrub etc. except to say that washy things like soaps and scrubs get used more than pampering things like lotions or creams.     29. If I were to place ONE LAST Weenie order, (uh, which I will) what would you want me to include for you? (presuming that is that the order can get here in time, bites nails) I honestly didn't even read the 'weenies very closely this year to avoid temptation.     30. Will you be away for any part of the round? I don't think so, but if a mini-vacation materializes, I'll be sure to let my fox know.   31. Anyone else with an Etsy store and a member of Tradeaholics (or you could join) and interested in bartering for gifts for their bunny? Everything in my shop is up for trade. I'm not a member and am not crafty.   31. What type of books do you like? Dying to read anything? My amazon list is linked in my questionnaire.   32. If you like Christmas music (or any other holiday music, for that matter), what kind of style do you like? Traditional? Modern and poppy? Indie? Answered on original questionnaire.   33. Do you enjoy things that taste like roses? For example chewing gum, turkish delight, delicious goo that you eat by the spoonful out of a glass jar (and they all taste of rose. Yes, we have all these in Greece.) I have never tried any, but would be game.   34. Also, same question about mastic. Would you be interested in trying it out? (If yes, any preferences? for example you wold prefer to try the chewing gum, the turkish delight, an Easter bun (I can go hunting, some companies make them all year round although it's not the same as the bakery Easter ones ), the raw resin itself, anything?) See above.   35. i live in the city of the chicken wing. if i were to send you something savory, what's your heat tolerance (or sweet and heat for that matter). Pretty darn hot. Not inferno, but above medium.   If your fox/bunny were to gift you with a giftcard from anywhere, as in any store foodwise, music wise etc. what giftcard would you like? Amazon is by far the most practical because it can go to kindle titles or other random items. I'd also be all over one to a favorite e-tailer, like Villainess, Elements & Artifacts, Mother Moon Gems, Joystreet or Orbiting Saturn Designs. Or sock dreams, because a girl can always use more black tights.   My numbering got all buggered up when I left for my anniversary. Sorry. If I miss anything you need, dear Fox, please just let me know (sneakily, of course!)   If I were to send you chocolate is there anything I should avoid as in nuts, cherries etc.? Also, what are some of your favorite holiday candies? Nothing to avoid, although I'm not super fond of gummies or marshmallows (marshmallow cream I love, but regular marshmallows taste like foam). I like toffee, fudge, peanut butter fudge, caramels (salted for the win!) as well as spiced nuts.   Does anything from Fusion Sweets interest you? All of the caramels look amazing and even though I just said I don't love marshmallows, the orange-chocolate ones look interesting. The lollypops don't really do anything for me.   Interested in anything from the Elements and Artifacts Yule update? I think I have favorited most things on etsy. I'm feeling a little guilty for not ordering the necklace that matched the earrings I snagged, but I'm glad to see someone else loved it. Really, I love all Alicia's stuff. Of course, I also really love items from some of our other jewelry makers on etsy (MotherMoon, Orbiting Saturn Designs and JoyStreet.)   Do you prefer dark or milk chocolate? Generally dark, although I will eat either.   reveal, yes or no? That is entirely up to my fox and I will be happy either way.   Any favorite cuddly characters? My husband? Umm...I like foxes. And rabbits.   Moxie Nouveau groupon? Groupon? What? There was a groupon? I have never tried her scents, but the few I have sniff tested have been nice. The customs seem especially interesting.   what's your favourite colour? Teal. Or scarlet. or black. Or electric blue. Unless it's kelly green. Or flame orange....   Your favourite gemstone? I don't really have one. I like blue tones, green and flame tones. Also, amber. And pearls. Really, I like it all except really brown/muddy stones.   Your favourite animal (real or imaginary)? Foxes! (Also, rabbits.)   And do you have any intense phobias? Nope.   Are you Nano-ing this month, bunny? If so, how would you feel about merch/donations to the cause? I am not participating.   Do you like/need boxes for perfume/knicknacks? I can always use boxes, but they are more apt to be for things like jewelry (earring and necklace storage of some sort would be aces) than perfume.   What are your opinions on traditional holiday cookie flavorings? I'm thinking anise and cardamom in particular. Love   Do you like artisan oils and vinegars? Yes.   Bunny, could you use a 2012 calendar, and, if so, do you like big monthly ones or the page-a-day type? I actually just bought this one for my office.     Charity gifts? Either fair-trade type stuff, or virtual type gifts, like vaccinations or school supplies being bought on your behalf, or something along those lines? I heart all those options.   Bunny, are you interested in tarts from Two Timing Tart? What scents, if any, are you interested in? I do not have a tart burner.   Do you need any holiday recipies? Is there something in particular that you'd like baked or made for you? And for those of you doing the no sugar/low sugar, etc. thing these days, how about savory things? I do not have any requests, but sweet or savory are both appreciated.   Speaking about candles, how much do you look forward to the BPTP candles that will be launched on Etsy? I don't know if there will be other scents than the Samhain and Pumpkin Cookie one, but is there a specific one you are longing for? I am interested in them, especially Samhain. My usual scent preferences will guide my squee.   Does anyone have issues with gently used things like books, etc.? I love gently used everything.   Are you a big ol' nerd for any particular subject? Science, math, linguistics, etc? Or particular authors/fandoms? Not really, although I do love things about food and the local food movement.   Bunnies, how do you feel about lemon-flavored items, like lemon marmalade, lemon curd, lemon pound cake, or lemon cookies? Love them.   fingerless mittens or full mitts? Fingerless for work and house wear. Full for actually being outside.   Do you like coin purses? Yes. Although, I tend to lose them and use them for things other than coins (like earrings or hair ties or safety pins or credit cards). Right now I am carrying this big wallet in the Jade/Orange color with the matching little orange coin purse. But the coin purse is my credit card holder, so change is loose in my big bag.   If your fox were to knit something for you, would it be a lacy shawl or a pair of socks? Either would be fabulous! I will say that socks would probably get MORE use, but a shawl would not be LOVED any less. Also, the non-lacy shawls someone posted are extra fabulous because they look nice and warm.   Would anyone else be interested in a soap dish or something like that? I do not need one. I have three of the metal ones Villainess used to sell and they are the best ever. They keep the soap up out of water and their open mesh design prevents any water from pooling and helps the soap dry quickly. I am so sad they don't carry them any more because I loved giving them as presents with the soap!   Are there any Yules from *PAST* years that you're interested in trying? Including past winter inquisitions? I can't think of any, but I have a new appreciation for pine/woodsy scents, especially paired with "cold." I wouldn't mind trying some of the old ones along those lines.   Are you a Harry Potter fan? If so, which house do you identify with, and why? Would you want knitted things/replicas/accessories in your house colours? I have always thought of myself as a Ravenclaw. That said, I got sorted as Slytherin at Pottermore and don't think it's wrong. I could rock out either house scarf.   Let's talk about fruit! Do you like dried fruit or h ate it? Like some but not others? I like almost all dried fruit except bananas. Those are just ick.   How do you feel about cherries? Prefer the sweet or tart versions? Dried? Jam? Salsa? Hot sauce? BBQ sauce? I live in the land of cherries (hence, why I asked this), so please don't send me any!   What is your general philosophy about patterns for accessories such as socks, scarves, and tights? Do you like solids? Stripes? Polka dots? Weird patterns like harlequin-type stuff? Any of the above? I like both solid and pattern. Striped socks are a wardrobe staple for me.   chile, yay or nay? I am very pro chile. I love chili in chocolate (and hot cocoa) as well as in lots and lots of savory foods. We bought some really excellent chile flakes and powder last time we were in New Mexico and I am sad that the bags are getting low. I also cook with a lot of smoked chiles (everything from paprika to adobo and chipotle).     Would you rather have an early reveal, or would you prefer one close to the end of the round? This is totally up to my witch. I really have no preference. In most SW rounds I've personally sent out 2-4 boxes and revealed at the end. However, because of how this round is structured, I think I'm going to do one box at the end. But hopefully my bunny will know I exist long before then, even if zie doesn't get mail for a while!
kakiphony

kakiphony

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Switch Witch Questions & Answers, Compiled II (Fall 2011)

Continuing in a second post in case there really is a length limit:   Do you like scary books? What's the best/scariest thing you've ever read? Sure! Or, at least I like them better than scary movies. I'm not a huge gore person, but psychological and mystery with slight horror overtones are cool with me. I don't love Stephen King although I did love The Eye of the Dragon and about 75% of the Dark Tower series.     Are you interested in anything in the latest round of Lab auctions on eBay? I don't look at them so as to avoid temptation.   What favorite song(s) would you think would translate into a cool or unique scent? Hmm...???? As with paintings, I fear that if translated into scent in any way that would make sense they wouldn't smell so good on me. I do think a scent based The Gambler could be cool: The scent of a warm summer's evening, leather train seats, well handled cards, a bottle of whiskey and cigarette smoke.   Anyone interested in VApothecary's Halloween update? Again, I didn't look. But just because I don't look doesn't mean I wouldn't like something. It just means I can't be specific because I try to avoid temptation. On any of these, if there's something you think I would love, I would be game.   Interested in anything from the Beaver Moon Lunacy update? The beaver traditionally is way too sweet for me.   I sent you with $20 into a drugstore/Walmart (nothing too fancy/imported/expensive, just your average selection), and you are restricted only to the candy aisle. What would you blow it on? The higher end chocolate bars: Green & Black, Ghiradelli squares or Lindt orange or chili.     What is your favorite kind of cookie? I don't really have one. I love warm chocolate chip ones, toffee ones, snickerdoodles, shortbread, etc.   How many boxes are you hoping for? I have no preference and already feel plenty spoiled.   How do you feel about loose leaf tea in baggies? I mean, I have a TON of loose leaf, would it be okay if I send you samples in some zip lock baggies? Or is that something that would squick you out? It would not squick me in the slightest, although I would appreciate it being labeled.   How would you feel about getting a custom poster with your favorite quote on it and some cool graphics? I'm an architecture student and can print posters (provided I make them) at pretty much any size using Adobe Illustrator at a low price. Also if you would be interested in this, what quotes would you like? It sounds cool, but I have no idea what I would pick!     Is there anything you would want from NYCC, something you'd like your witch to ask me to pick up? Not in particular.   The best thing I ever ate...: Pumpkin creme brulee. Or really good parmesan cheese.   Mac using witchees, what computers do you use? What peripherals/accessories do you have and what would you LIKE to have? What do you use your computer for? I have a MacBook Pro and an oooooooooold Shuffle. Supposedly I'm getting an iPhone this month (the 4, not the 4S).   Do you like listening to audiobooks? Would you like to receive one, and if you would, what sort of audiobook would you like--or is there a particular audiobook you've been meaning to get? I do like them. I find that I actually dislike novels and prefer memoir/biography type audio books.     Do you like liquorice? If so, hard or soft? Sweet or salt? Normally salted or so salt it pulls your face into a fishy shape? And which shapes do you like? Like, but not love. But I also like all kinds -- salted is kind of a cool and unusual treat. Black and red are both a-ok.     Are there any DIY / Crafty / Free / Budget items you'd love to get but haven't noted yet? (Or, maybe you'd just like to emphasize something you may have only noted in passing?) Can't think of anything...   Do you own a DSLR camera? Are you interested in a minky camera strap like these? What about anything from Photojojo? My camera is a 5 year old digital elph and is not worth a strap.   Is anybody else into film photography? Interested in receiving film, supplies, etc from Lomography? I actually know how to hand develop and everything, but haven't owned a film camera in years and years. :sigh: College memories. My only C was in my independent study photography class.   Are you musically inclined? Do you play an instrument or sing? If so, what? I am the opposite of musical.     Does anyone else like collector Barbies? I think some are neat, but I'm not a collector.   What small everyday items would you like, that you keep forgetting to get? ??? I have no idea. The lint roller idea was good though. I always need those. And toothbrushes!   Tarot No thanks. I have a set and don't need another.   Tell me about something you like, and why you like it. Books! Because they take me outside my own life and entertain me.   If you're the MMU type of Witchee, what Geek Chic Cosmetics tickle your fancy? I don't know what MMU is.   Would any witchees be interested inQuinn Popcorn? Similarly, I have no idea what that is.     Who likes silly items from Archie McPhee??? The useful ones.   Nocturne Alchemy's NAlloween Pt. 2 update is live here! (And for a few days, last month's update too.) What do you want? ??? I refuse to look on the grounds that I don't need temptation.     What are you drooling over from the Sock Dreams Halloween stuff? The stuff I liked best is now sold out. Silly me for not looking sooner. I do like the OTC skulls.   Luck charms? I used to carry crystals in my bra. I haven't carried anything in ages. I'd love a St. Christopher medal for flying.     For those of you that like candles, do you like stuff from Yankee Candle? And if you had to choose, tarts or candles? Candles. I do like some of their scents, but I HATE the store. It gives me allergy attacks to smell so many smells in one place. (I can't go in Bath and Bodyworks either.)   Is there a movie you want so badly that you don’t own now? Not that can think of.   Is there a song on Itunes that you haven’t downloaded yet? Nope   Is there a rare book you’ve always wanted? Not always, but I can't find my copy of The Stray (by Betsy Wyeth) and it's bumming me out.   Is there anything you want to buy yourself but have been too embarrassed (R rated or pg)? Umm...yes. And that's all I'm saying.   Have you seen the Lush holiday update? Do you like the look of anything from there? I have not looked. See my prior statements about not need temptation.   if you were my witchee, would you want some of my hot nuts my candied nuts my nuts covered in butter and brown sugar candied walnuts? Yes!       October 1st   Is there anything you either didn't like or had never heard of that you're now curious to try thanks to the discussion in this thread? I can't think of anything, but ????? maybe there was? If so, I probably already mentioned it in the questions on this blog.     Would you be interested in the #occupywallstreet scent? A sniffie/decant, but not a whole bottle.   Do Paintbox Soapworks' Goat's Milk Hand and Body Creams sound like something you'd like to try? I could use a good non-greasy hand cream for my desk drawer at work for the winter. I need cream after washing my hands or they crack.     Witchee, would you like anything from this particular Haunt update? Not in particular. In fact, I didn't even look at it so as not to be tempted. In general, I'm sure I'd love the same stuff from her I would from anywhere else: Soap, scrubs, etc. But I have no burning desire.   Who's interested in Halloween: Montreal? Interested to sniff, but pretty sure it wouldn't actually work on me.   You get a package in the mail containing 3 things you have really wanted more than anything else you've mentioned so far in this thread. (they are all reasonably priced of course! ~$20 or less apiece). What are they? Answered in thread as follows: 1) The practical answer: Tights. Black or subtle patterns (work appropriate). Warm is a bonus. (Size small or a/b or whatever.) (I will be buying these for myself, but I can never have too many pairs. I wear skirts about 2 days out of 5 in the winter and I always wear tights with them.) 2) The obvious answer: Bar soap. I don't care where it's from as long as it smells nice. (There is nothing I use up faster than bar soap.) 3) ??? I'm having trouble coming up with a third thing. Something beautiful or tasty? Jewelry? A scarf? A print? Some tea? Hot cocoa? Caramels? Dark chocolate? Crackers? Olives? You decide what that is!   how do you feel about hemp? jewelry, soap, etc? Not so keen on the jewelry but soap would be cool.       What kind of purse do you prefer? Leather, cloth? over the shoulder or crossbody, or something that can do either? Do you like bold bright prints with fun things, or monochrome, solid colours? This is a complicated question. Much more so than it should be. For work: I prefer a bag large enough to hold all my usual purse stuff PLUS my 15" MacBookPro PLUS a decent sized tupperware container (for my lunch) PLUS a pair of shoes. Right now I am carrying Queen Bee Bags market tote which, sadly, seems to be a discontinued style. It's probably about the size of a Trucker but rather than having a messenger bag flap the top is open (closes with two snaps) and has like their fabric totes (which seem to be a bit larger. It's bright red vinyl with an adorable blue and green vine design. I <3 it. The only drawback is that because the top stays open, it's vulnerable to rain. Also, the handles are a wee bit too short when I wear my big winter pea coat. I have determined that I do like a tote style better than a messenger because I find the flaps on a messenger to be a pain. However, I do like the messenger style straps. Why does no one make a tote with a cross-body strap?   For everyday: I prefer a smaller bag (no computer or shoes to log around!), but one that is still big enough for: My pocket book (the blast bird in jade/orange), a travel umbrella, and my kindle and/or a decent sized book plus random crap. Currently, I carry an old Victorinox black bag which is an earlier (like 6+ years old) version of the Teardrop Monosling. It is the most functional bag I have ever owned and will probably out-live me. The biggest drawback is that it is just not cute. (Also, I kind of wish the strap was designed so that the bag was carried at the hip rather than behind me. It's a pain to have to drag it around every time I want in it. If it carried at the hip, I could get in and out of it without having to take it off or pull it around and strangle myself.)   In general things that get a bag bonus points for me: Bright colors; Subtle, cheeky or non-twee patterns; washable; the ability to be carried cross body OR over the shoulder; padded or ergonomic straps (but by adjusting the strap -- two sets of straps is ugly); an easily reachable pocket for my cell phone and keys (the Victorinox WINS at this with the cell phone pouch on the strap); at least one zipper pocket; being water proof/resistant or having at least one such pocket.   julep maven monthly boxes: I do not know what this is.   Your favorite restaurant or type of food to eat out. Would you use a restaurant.com voucher? Groupon? I would, but I don't do chain restaurants and my area is not exactly online deal friendly.   Like commercial socks? What does that mean? Socks with cartoon characters? No. Brand name socks? SmartWool is the best thing ever.   What kind of bear is best? I answered this in the thread, but in general ???? Who the heck differentiates bear varieties within a swap? This question is just bizarre.   Is anyone interested in reading The Night Circus? Sure?   Hershey's Pumpkin Spice kisses? They sound kind of foul.   I have a not-so-secret love for The Broship of the Rings. Are there any prints from her store you'd like? Nope.   Who here likes Stephanie Pui-Min Law's artwork? Never hear of her before this thread.   Do you drink wine? Yes but NOT sweet wine.   Is it just me who is nervous at revealing herself to her witchee, and finding out who her witch is?! I have nerves of steel.   Witches, did you lament NOT getting one of the condom case/imp cases that got released with the courtesan series??? No. They were cool, but not work appropriate.   I recently saw candy corn in non-candy corn flavors like CHOCOLATE and CARAMEL APPLE. It's not a fancy brand, I just saw it in the drugstore, but who here would like something like that? Ugh. No candy corn of any stripe thanks.     JONES SODA CO has LE soda packs for The Guild, Buffy, D&D, So Cute, etc. Would you be interested in these, Witchee? Sadly, no. I try really hard not to drink soda. If you sent these, J would snarf them and he REALLY needs to lay off the soda.   It'sBanned Books Week! Are there any books on the list you'd be interested in checking out? Any I haven't read. I think my amazon wishlist if pretty up to date.   I have just been enlightened to THESE. Are these flavors relevant to your interests? Maybe Dead Sexy, Rose Citrus or Clove? I'm just afraid these would make me lick my lips, which just makes dryness worse.       What is something people are always surprised to learn about you? I am a high school drop-out. (I left to go to college after my sophomore year.)   So who else watched Babylon 5? Me. Sorta. I watched a few seasons and then had no cable. I'm trying a rewatch now, but season 1 is slower than I remembered.   If you had to decide what your stripper name was, what would it be? I have no idea.   Sooooo Witchees, have you ever taken that particular personality test? If so, are you an Analytical, a Driver, an Expressive or an Amiable? It said expressive. I have no idea if that's right or not.   Is anyone else afraid of or creepy out by dummies/puppets/Muppets/etc? Other things you're squicked/freaked by that's best left by the wayside? I'm not really freaked out by much.   what level of contact were you hoping for? I really and truly did not care.   Your favorite restaurant or type of food to eat out. Would you use a restaurant.com voucher? Groupon? I like all food, which seems like a cop-out answer, but it's not. Really, I just like GOOD food. That tends to mean ethnic or food from small, non-chain restaurants. Here in TC some of my favorites are Patisserie Amie, 7 Monks ('cause J works there), Bay Leaf, Stella, Amical, Zakey's, Thatsa' Pizza, Red Ginger and Firefly. In Fort Collins I used to love Lucile's, Fish, Charco-Broiler, Austin's, Coopersmith's, etc. I like coupons quite a bit, but they rarely have them for the kind of places I like to go.   Are there any local museums/attractions you keep never getting around to going to? I don't think we have many "attractions" besides the train in the park and the state parks!   Is there any kind of international candy you love or would like to try? I'm not picky. If my witch loves it, I might too! From the the UK/Australia I like flake and Time Out Bars and Aero Bars (espe. mint and orange sounds good).   Is there any cheesy/non-cheesy Canadian stuff you'd be interested in? Umm...??? Maple syrup? Wine? Whisky? I'm honestly not sure what is uniquely Canadian. If my is Canadian s/he could teach me!   If you were to go here and create your very own chocolate bar, what might it have in it? Answered in thread where I said peppers /w raspberry or orange w/ ginger. DARK.   Is there anything you're wanting from LPMP? Nope. I'd never heard of them to be honest.   say you stumbled into Camp Half Blood (or whatever the Roman camp ends up being named <bounces in anticipation>), which god claims you? I'd want to say Athena, but really probably someone completely unexpected. Maybe Hades!     Is there anything you'd like from the Mütter Museum Store? I can't think of anything, but I've never been there so...????   I just noticed that Cocoa Pink has 5 ml Perfume Atomizers. Yay or nay? Scents you would like? Scents you would NOT like? Sadly, I would not use one.   If you're interested in a handmade pouch/cover for an item you have (phones, tablets, books, keys, kettles...), what would your ideal pouch/cover have? Design, material, additional functionality/features like pockets or lights or secret hidey-holes? I'm not sure I have anything to cover...   Would you like a photo collage based around your interests/favorite colors/favorite themes? Any art my witch makes for me will be loved.   If you're crafty, are you interested in spoonfeather? And if so, what things there delight your eyes? I am not crafty, but custom fabrics make me wish I was! (Yes, I may have spent more than a few hours there designing fabrics for the corsets, jackets and skirts I will never actually be able to sew for myself.)     Colors! What are your favorite colors and what colors do you not like? Pictures and links, people! I like jewel tones and bright colors. I loathe brown.   What is your favorite word? I don't have one.   What are the feelings on arm warmers? Color, style, texture, length? I think they're nifty, but have never owned a pair. Therefore I do not have any set preferences.   Do you like tarts? tealights? jar candles? votives? I tend to like candles that are self contained so I don't have to get wax off a bowl or plate. So jars are great, as are votives that come in a holder. I no longer own a tart burner.   What's your favorite flavor? Sour, sweet, bitter, salty? Umami! Really, I'm a savory girl rather than a sweet one. So out of your list, salty would be closest.   So, are there any online gaming witchees who covet purchasable in-game items or other gamer-y stuff? (yup, geek question) I don't online game, so no.   Anyone doing anything cool for Mabon (or the start of fall, if you aren't pagan? Maybe babysit?   What is your favorite coffee blend at Starbucks? If you don't have one, what is your favorite roast of coffee? I do not have one. But I tend to like medium roasts (so not too light, but also not burnt) although I do like a dark roast Ethiopian. However, at Starbucks I am partial to chai and to the Earl Grey lattes thing they don't advertise any more. Was it called a London Fog? It was yummy. Also, the dear, departed spiced apple cider which was apple cider, chai spice and whipped cream.   Stuff you've been meaning to do: Get a hair cut (trim), mow the lawn (it's been wet), wash windows in preparation for storm windows, but the plastic kits to insulate storm windows and measure and buy insulated curtains.   Would you be interested in regional jams, jellies, or other preserves? Yes!   Do you have any bedtime rituals? Is there any particular product you have to apply or a certain shirt you wear or an act you perform to get you in the "bedtime" mood? Besides washing my face and flossing + brushing my teeth, not really.   Are you interested in today's/any recent Tee Fury shirts? I don't know what day that was asked and I really don't keep track of them from day to day. If my witch is into them and sees one s/he thinks is perfect, I know I'd love it. But I probably won't watch them or make notes about any I think are awesome.   Princess Bride? Yay or nay? Yay. I have the book, but not the movie.   What's your favorite classic fairytale, witches I don't have a single favorite. I do like the Grimm Brothers versions.   how do you feel about ethical animal fiber, i.e. wool and the like? Just fine.   What about little wee creatures for your desk or mantel? Probably not.   Look down. What are you wearing, right now? I answered this in the thread over the weekend, but I'll answer again now since I think the contrast (or lack thereof) between work me and weekend me might be interesting. From the bottom up: Black Naturalizer flat MaryJanes; black argyle socks, black and white houndstooth plaid slacks, a black drapey necked long sleeved shirt (old, from Banana Republic but looks a lot like this with a slightly higher neckline), a charcoal grey wool overshirt from Eileen Fisher (can't find a picture, but it's styled like a classic button down shirt, but made from lightweight merino suiting material so it's clearly a casual jacket-like piece), and red blood drop earrings from Elements and Artifacts.   Kerchiefs? They look cool, but would undoubtedly slide out of my hair like everything else does. A stocking cap works better because I can rug it down.   It's the weekend, and you find yourself without a single chore or responsibility for a few hours. Right this very moment, what's the one thing you would do if you could do anything? Either read or watch an episode of a show that I am behind on (most likely Sons of Anarchy or In Plain Sight at the moment.)
kakiphony

kakiphony

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Updated Fall 2011 SW Questionnaire

Switch Witch Questionnaire   Censored the first section for posting on the blog. My Witch should have it. It has not changed.   ====================   Basic Info   Birthday: August 9 Pets: None Children: None Religious orientation: ???? None? Roman Catholic? I have no idea most days. Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving -- all the good food and none of the stress of gift-giving to people I don’t know/like, and no religious component about which to feel conflicted. Occupation/Major in school: I was a lawyer. Now I am a fundraiser/grant writer for a private arts camp/boarding high school. Living arrangement (by yourself, with roommates, etc): With my husband, the infamous J. Livejournal/Blog/Website: http://kakiphony.livejournal.com/ (It’s mostly friends-locked, but I friend all bpal people.) I’m also kakiphony on twitter. Organizations/Causes/Activities (Things you belong to or causes you believe in): The arts, public libraries, land conservation, solar energy and community theatre.   BPAL Favorite BPAL oils: Vixen, Hetairae, Tintagel, O, Sudha Segara, Samhainophobia, the Lion, Anne Bonnie, Spanked, TKO, Safari and Lucifer Favorite notes: Patchouli, orange blossom, ginger, honey, non-cherry pipe tobacco, leather, deep woods, rich and spicy vanillas Favorite non-BPAL perfumes: Hippie Chic by DSL. I used to like Devilish by Arcana, but lately it seems cloying. Least favorite notes: Most florals (I tend to like fruit blossoms, but no other florals) and all aquatic notes. I loathe cherry. All musk except red turns old man on me. Least favorite non-BPAL perfumes: ??? I have no idea. I don’t really wear perfume except bpal and DSL.   If Beth made a custom blend for you, what would the notes be, and what would you want the label art to look like?: The base would be bpal’s amazing patchouli and a little leather or a deep wood (cedar?). Over the top it would have something for sweetness and femininity (bourbon vanilla? honey? a sweet fruit blossom floral? all of those?) with a little spice to make it interesting (ginger? cinnamon? saffron?) It would be kin to Vixen (but more refined and less obviously sexy) and Hetairae (but a little kickier from spice).   I’ve often described my favorite bpals as if they are pieces of jewelry: Vixen is a big pendant made of carnelian or garnet or ruby that rests in my cleavage and Hetairae is a classic pearl necklace. My signature scent would be a delicate and feminine yet warm and fiery statement necklace. Something like this: http://www.etsy.com/transaction/41295233 or this: http://www.etsy.com/transaction/57593232 The art would be a portrait of me -- but looking gorgeous!   Clothing & Jewelry Hair type: Long, fine, relatively thin and very, VERY straight. I wear it up a lot, but need really small scale hair accessories because there is so little of it. I often have two small braids in the front that I then pull back with the rest of the loose hair in clips with the clasp like on this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/81299408/hair-barrette?ref=cat3_gallery_10 Skin Type: Sensitive/combination Allergies (specifically B&B related): None Other things to avoid: None. I’m easy. Really. Tub, shower or both? Both. Favorite bath & beauty products: For baths, my husband and I go through a lot of bar soap and really love nicely scented ones. Favorites include Villainess, Prairieland Herbs and Faerie Made. I’ve wanted to try Paintbox for a while. Really, most of the handmade soap places from etsy and local farmer’s markets appeal to me. I also like scrubs (Villainess is my traditional favorite, but I’m game to try anything) and bath oils/bubble baths. I’m not a big lotion person because I‘m generally too short on time in the morning to use it! Clothing Style/Fave garments: I’m a fairly conservative dresser with occasional moments of flair. In the non-summer months I tend to wear a lot of silk and knit scarves and dress up my business-casual with fun jewelry. I wear a lot of merino wool turtlenecks, long sleeved t’s, plain skirts and jeans. I’d LIVE in a black turtleneck sweater if I could. I love, love, good tights! Favorite clothing colors/colors to wear: My wardrobe mainly consists of black, with red, plum, green, turquoise and bright blue as accents. Type(s) of jewelry worn: I wear lots of necklaces and earrings -- very few bracelets because they never come small enough for my wrists and the only rings I wear are my wedding and engagement rings. Ring/wrist/collar size: My ring fingers are a small 5, but those are taken. For other fingers I would guess a ., Wrist: 6.5 inches with the tape flush, Neck: 13 inches with the tape flush. My favorite necklaces tend to be between 16 (the ones I wear with open neck shirts) and 18-20 (the ones I wear with turtlenecks only). Jewelry - gold or silver? Either or! I also like bronze. Do you have any allergies to metal?: Nope. Favorite gemstones: I go in two directions: Very cool and/or very fiery. I love green and blue stones (jade, emerald, peridot, turquoise, etc) but also warm fiery ones (carnelian, garnet, ruby, citrine, etc). I also like pearls. I also like the occasional amethyst. Really, I’m not picky. Sock/Shoe Size: I wear a US 6.5 or 7 shoe. My feet are rather narrow, so socks with lots of stretch are good.   Lifestyle Style/home decoration style: None? I’m not a decorator. I hate to dust and most decorations seem to require it. Our house has art on the walls, but no knick-knacks. The only holiday decorating I do is a Christmas tree. Favorite decorating colors: Red for accents and pale/cool tones (grey, blue, etc) for the walls. Things you collect: I am trying very hard to stop collecting books. Truthfully, I’m not a “collector” of things. I acquire things I love (see: books, scarves, jewelry), but don’t set out to collect any of it. The closest I come is micro-brewery/bar t-shirts. I tend to buy one whenever I visit a new place. Favorite music: I have eclectic tastes: Americana, alt-country, folk, folk-rock, 80s pop and punk, 90s grunge, etc. Least favorite music: Nashville country Vegetarian/Vegan?: (Please be as specific as possible to reduce confusion!) Nope. I am omnivorous. Other food restrictions: None. Favorite flavors: I don’t play favorites. But some things I particularly love include: olives, tahini (and hummus with lots of tahini), smoked fish, avocados, dried fruit, beets, ginger, dark chocolate, cashews, almonds, raspberry, mango, cheese and dill. Favorite foods/drinks: I love oolong and black teas. I’m also a huge beer and wine nut. See above for some favorite foods. Really, there’s not much I don’t like except sweet pickles! Favorite authors/genres: I read a lot of sci-fi/fantasy and “literary” fiction. I also like memoir, especially food/travel memoir. Least favorite authors/genres: I don’t read a lot of fact heavy non-fiction, but really I’ll read anything. Books/authors you'd like to read, but haven't yet: I’ll attach links to wishlists at the end. There are too many books I want to read to list them all out. How do you feel about receiving gently used books as gifts? I LOVE it. Love with a big fat hug and smooch love. I also love kindle books or .pdf files. Favorite stores (including clothing stores): Brick and mortar stores I love visiting include Trader Joe’s, TJ Maxx (I’m a bargain shopper, when I shop), book stores, independent tea/coffee stores, massive liquor stores and tiny artist’s boutiques. The truth is, I’m not much of a shopper except online. Favorite online stores (including B&B stores): I love: Etsy(!), Villainess, Garnet Hill, Sock Dreams, Territory Ahead, ModCloth (I never buy, but I drool), Soap Box, Elementals, Lush, Fantasy Bath, Sierra Trading Post, Powell’s and Amazon. And many more that my brain is running away from right now lest I do something bad like go and shop! Magazines you subscribe to: None Magazines you like, but don't subscribe to: Vanity Fair, Cook’s Illustrated. I also love Apex and really need to buy a kindle subscription at some point, although I’m sad Cat V. is no longer editing. Favorite movies: The Linguini Incident, Grosse Pointe Blank, The Big Chill Favorite TV show(s): Intelligence, Buffy, Twin Peaks, Deadwood, Arrested Development, Jonathan Creek, the first few seasons of Monarch of the Glen Hobbies/crafts done: None. I am the anti-crafter who has hands made entirely of thumbs. But I SO admire others’ crafting skills. I would kill to be able to knit or make jewelry.   Wishlists BPAL Wish List (including SW/SF Help): Bpal list: http://www.bpal.org/topic/127-wishlist/page__st__250__p__314638#entry314638 Switch Witch help: http://www.bpal.org/topic/11202-what-products-are-you-dying-to-try/page__st__75__p__355821#entry355821   Other website Wish lists (amazon.com, etc): Amazon (this has not been updated since I got the kindle): http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&id=24QL8Q5NB9IBS (If this fails it uses my main e-mail, above) Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/people/kakiphony/favorites (This has lots of sold stuff and crazy expensive stuff on it. This is so I remember stores/items for eventual custom orders. You know, when I win the lottery!)   Random Questions: - On a scale of 1-5, how organized are you? Depends. Sometimes I am a 5 (wherein 5 is the highest) with notes and files and systems. Sometimes I am a 1, with piles and lost items and procrastination. I go to extremes.   - Where, outside of the U.S. would you love to visit? (if you're international, this can be anywhere) Everywhere. No really, everywhere. I’d like to go back to England and go to Ireland; Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Costa Rica, all over the Caribbean... The problem (besides not having the vacation time or money!) is that I HATE to fly!   - Do people tell you that you act older, younger, or your age? Act older, look younger.   - What animal do you feel like the most? On a daily basis I don't really feel like an animal at all -- I'm a human and quite pleased to be one. That said, I have had recurring dreams in which I am a fox. During the dreams I do fox-like things such as catch fish out of streams and play with other foxes.   - Your favorite feature about yourself: My favorite feature one day tends to be the same thing I hate the most the next. Examples: One day I love my hair for being super shiny and soft. The next I bemoan it as stick straight and full of split ends. Or my eyebrows: I love that they are thick and define my face. The next day I think they are too bushy and hard to tame. In general, the things I always like most about my are intangibles: My brain; my laugh; my ability to love.   - Do you live in a neighborhood or in the middle of nowhere? Neighborhood -- Old Town to be exact in a house built in 1899.   - If you were a tree, what would you be and why? I'd like to say a silver birch or an aspen because I think they're gorgeous -- I love the pale, slender trunk and the whispering leaves. I'd also quite like to be a cedar, fragrant with crazy twisted, low branches perfect for sitting on or climbing. But in reality I'm probably more like a mulberry -- a scrub tree that grows anywhere and litters the whole with loads of messy fruit that really isn't very good to eat.   -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. Under $10: I have no idea if these are under or over $10, but they must be somewhat close... A cheap onion chopper and an insulated to-go style cup for iced tea/coffee (the kind with the re-useable straw) Over $10: A case for business cards.   - Has a stranger ever told you that you did something really well? What was it? I’ve had little old ladies tell me, unprompted, that I am a great reader at church and a good actress. I think they just like the fact that they can hear/understand me.   - Do you like garage sales (boot sales)? Yes, but in small doses. After about an hour I’m tired of smelling mothballs and my hands feel grimey.   - I like to slather my food in …: Rooster Sauce!   - State fairs or carnivals? Is there a difference? I guess for sheer size, state fairs. I like the exhibits and some food (I don’t like cotton candy or fried dough), but HATE roller coasters.   Notes (Here's where you can add additional information you'd like your Switch Witch to know!): I think that covers it, but if you have questions, just ask!
kakiphony

kakiphony

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Switch Witch Questions & Answers, Compiled

Halloween Round 2011   From the Weenie Update....what are you most wanting to try? Surprisingly, my list isn't insanely long! I'm always keen to try Samhainophobia because it's a traditional favorite, and this year Golden Apple of the Sun and Elegy IX: The Autumnal sound like they might work on me. Also, Expressive Head, although the art freaks me the heck out.   Who's into nail polish? What colors/brands? I am not super into nail polish simply because I almost never paint my fingernails. Having polish on them makes them feel like they are suffocating and I end up peeling it off. However, I do paint my toe nails in the summer because I have some really ugly nails from the Reynaud's I have no preferred brands, but like reds, hot pinks, and dark plums/maroon etc.   Is there a quote (or lyric or part of a poem) that really resonates with you or is your favorite? I have a couple of favorites...   From The Magus, by John Fowles: There comes a time in each life like a point of fulcrum. At that time you must accept yourself. It is not anymore what you will become. It is what you are and always will be.   From Descent Into Hell, by Charles Williams: Rarity was one form of delight and frequency another. A thing could even be beautiful because it did not happen, or rather the not-happening could be beautiful. So long always as joy was not rashly pinned to the happening; so long as you accepted what joys the universe offered and did not seek to compel the universe to offer you joys of your own definition.   I am also still head over heels in love with the poem You Who Never Arrived by Rilke:   You who never arrived in my arms, Beloved, who were lost from the start, I don't even know what songs would please you. I have given up trying to recognize you in the surging wave of the next moment. All the immense images in me -- the far-off, deeply-felt landscape, cities, towers, and bridges, and unsuspected turns in the path, and those powerful lands that were once pulsing with the life of the gods-- all rise within me to mean you, who forever elude me.   You, Beloved, who are all the gardens I have ever gazed at, longing. An open window in a country house-- , and you almost stepped out, pensive, to meet me. Streets that I chanced upon,-- you had just walked down them and vanished. And sometimes, in a shop, the mirrors were still dizzy with your presence and, startled, gave back my too-sudden image. Who knows? Perhaps the same bird echoed through both of us yesterday, separate, in the evening...   Dream candle? Scent, color, type (tealight, votive, pillar, jar, etc.), throw... I like the ease of the self contained candle, so I would vote for a jar. Color would matter less to me than scent. I'm imagining something with lavender and lemon which would make my bathroom smell clean and fresh. Maybe some sweet grass or sage thrown in there as well.   Do you like knitted goodies? If so, what would you like and what colors? I am so not picky. If you knit for me, I'll be impressed and grateful no matter what. Seriously. Scarves, hats (my head is quite small, if you need a measurement, I'll take one), mittens, gloves, socks, arm warmers, leg warmers, shawls, an eye glass case, pot holders.... I will be impressed. I like turquoise, blue, red, back, plumb, dark green, kelly green... Again, I'm not picky.   Would you be interested in homemade edibles that are NOT sweets? Any specifics? I'm not picky is clearly the chorus to my song... But yes, I am interested in anything you make as long as it's not sweet pickles. (I like dill and spicy, but sweet pickled things just seem wrong to me.) That would include everything from pretzels and bread to mustard and jam and vinegar and and and... If you can dream it up, I'll probably gush over it.   What GC do you live in mortal terror of the lab discontinuing, but never get around to buying? The only two I live in terror of disappearing are Vixen and Hetairae, my two every day scents. I normally have back-up bottles of both to alleviate just such fears, but am currently out (eep!) of Vixen. (The back-up bottles lived in a box that we think was lost in our move. It also had J's electric razors in it!)   Yo, yarnies! Do you Ravelry? If so, who are you over thar? Anti-crafter, because I have no skillz.   Social Media? kakiphony on lj and twitter. I'm in the big list of friending on the GUSP Facebook page as well. Everything is locked down, but just tell me you're a bpaler and you will be added.   Do you have wishlists for non-BPAL e-tailers? And if so, could you provide a link or a list? I included amazon, etsy and the original flavor switch witch help thread post on my questionnaire.   Witchee, do you use a PC or a Mac? Mac   What is your favorite animal? Foxes!   What are you going to be for Halloween? I don't think I'll dress up this year. I may, in fact, be traveling that day.   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.) Maybe a fox? A raven? A tree? I have no idea. If you need inspiration, you could weed through my insanely long etsy wishlist. That should give you a better picture of my taste. How do you feel about nick-knacks? They are for dust. Dust is evil. Therefore they are evil.   What traditions (family, holiday, or otherwise) are important to you? A silly one: At holidays we take pictures of a squirrel candle doing silly/fun things and send them to my brother. He lives in Alaska, rarely comes home, and the squirrel has kind of become his stand-in.   Do you like going to the movies? Yes, but I very rarely go.   What are your favorite restaurants? I really like local places. Here in TC I am in love with the Bay Leaf, Amical, Stella, Lil' Bo, Chez Peres and Pangaea Pizza. (Google them and drool. Seriously.) We don't do chains much, but will occasionally pop into Olive Garden, Olgas (which may be an MI chain only), Chipotle or Qdoba, etc.   Do you play any video games? Nope.   Do you like any anime? I know not of anime. This does not mean I could not be enabled, just that I am currently not into it.   Do you have an E-reader/iPad/something similar that you need a cover/case for? I have a kindle, but it already has a snazzy black leather cover.   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? You might have to peel me off the ceiling I could be jumping up and down so much. Really. I love jewelry. I am cheap as heck about buying new clothes and rely on jewelry to jazz up my basics. I <3 it sooooo much. (This also might be a good place to mention that in addition to delicate dangly earrings and hoops which I mentioned on the questionnaire, I've recently been wearing a lot of simple post earrings. This is partly because I seem to have lost one of everything but some post pearls, but also because they're easy and nice and conservative for at work. Also, I tend to lose them less than dangles.)   How would you like to receive some of your Witch's favorite recipes, tailored to your likes/dietary restrictions? And specific wants? I adore recipes. I have an awesome Longaberger basket recipe box which holds the cards and has a flat surface to place them on while you cook. I love it. I also have a three ring binder with recipes inside plastic sleeves which I also think is the best thing ever -- it lays flat and the plastic protects the recipes from spills.   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 don't need dedicated smelly boxes (the kind with the styrofoam for imps), but could always use more generic boxes (without the imp/bottle holders in them) that can be for smellies OR jewelry OR hair ties OR keepsakes etc. I dislike clutter, so I love boxes as cute clutter hiders.   Muppets: yea or nay? Yay! My favorites are Statler and Waldorf. I wanna be one of them when I grow up. (Why are all the cool grumpy people men? I also want to be Red Foreman and Dr. Cox. We need a grumpy woman for me to emulate!)   Do you have an affinity for Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, and other comic strips? If so, which is your favorite? Not really.   Favorite Mythological Creature?: Trickster foxes.   Do you like hair things barrettes, headbands, flowers Barrettes and soft scrunchy like things that can be used for pony tails or buns. I linked to the type of barrette I use the most on the questionnaire. Headbands and those awesome scarf-like things that act like headbands are nice, but are always too big for my head and slide out of my hair. (My hair is super straight/fine which means it is soft and slippery.)   Do you like to burn incense? If so, what are your favorite kinds...sticks? cones? resins? What are your favorite scents? On occasion, when I have nice stuff. I only have a stick holder at the moment, but would not be opposed to other kinds if I had the proper equipment in/with which to burn it. I really like the Fred Soll resin sticks -- especially Amber Honey, Pinon, Copal, Ginger/Ginseng and all the Sage varieties. I also used to have some "smokeless" Japanese style incense that I loved.   - Harry Potter - a fan? If so, what house are you? Yes. Ravenclaw all the way! (And I prefer book Ravenclaw colors of blue and bronze to the movie colors of blue and silver.)   - If you were to receive a gift card, what places would you like to get one from? ??? Anywhere you think I'd enjoy? Amazon is always good since I can buy e-books, but really, I will love anything.   Is there a particular myth/folktale/legend/fairytale/godstory that you're drawn to? Hmm...Too many? I am drawn to tales of the Medusa, classic Grimm's fairy tales, Tam Lin... I could list paragraphs. Suffice it to say that I love fairy tales and Greek myth.   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 do not do these things.   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! The (first) World's Fair in London in 1851.   When you are having a really rough day, what do you like to do/have to make it a little brighter? A cup of tea, a good book, a thunder storm, some time with my husband, a silly tv show... The usual little pleasures that make life worth living.   What are your thoughts on comics? Any you like? Any you have been wanting to try? Favorite characters? I read XKCD and Questionable Content daily. Otherwise, I have never really gotten into comics. This is not to say I am not interested, just that I would need to be enabled. I will say that the two graphic novel type things I keep meaning to read, but never do are Sandman and Fables. However, I have a feeling that I will have my usual reaction which is: Someone should novelize this for more detail...   Are you musical? Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? If not, what do you wish you could play or do? I am about as musical as I am crafty, which is to say, not at all. If I could magically be granted ability I'd choose to be able to sing rather than play an instrument. I cannot carry a tune in a bucket.   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 do not mainly because I am not allowed to dig in my yard. I used to have a gorgeous garden with herbs and vegetables back in the day. I would like to learn to container garden or have an indoor herb garden or even just indoor plants (I love jade plants), but I seem to have a black thumb indoors. Outdoors, I can't kill things. Inside, I can't keep anything alive.   Do you decorate for Halloween? Is your decorating taste elegant, kitschy and fun, or scary? I do not, mainly because I am lazy and if I did the decorations would stay up until Christmas, gather dust and annoy me. The one place I would like to add some personal flair is my office. I currently have white walls. But I am scared to bring art in because I work at an arts academy and am sure to be judged on whatever I hang!   Witchee, do you have any symbols or totems that have special meaning for you? Not in particular. I like foxes, rabbits, ravens, owls and trees. But I just like them, they don't mean anything special.   Is anyone fond of programs like Adopt a Tree/Highway/Library/Manatee/Acre of Rainforest/etc?: I am not super familiar with them, but anything that supports libraries warms the cockles of my heart.   What #1 actor, director, author and/or musician are you obsessed with? None really. I suppose the closest would be David Byrne, David Bowie and Fred Eaglesmith because I think everything they put out is brilliant. But I don't think I really fangirl any of them   Are you interested in anything from the Villainness Bad Apples update? All of it? The best sounding ones to me are: Discord and Twistappel. But this gives me a place to say something I think I forgot to mention on my questionnaire: While my tastes in perfume scents are somewhat narrow, my taste in soap scents is much more broad. While I can't do musk or fruits or florals in perfume, I can handle them in soap. I think it's because the soap scent does not linger as much and trigger my sneeze reflex. So I enjoy things like apple soap, or (mild) jasmine tea soap whereas I would never buy those scents in perfume.   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? No pets!   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? I think top on my "I'll never get to them" list are most of the bath oils from bptp. I just don't use bath oil enough to justify the cost of a bottle when my budget is still so tight. Also, probably the Riders (White, Red, Black). I like leather, but since it's less work appropriate it always goes to the bottom of the list.   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? Nothing in particular, but I love art. As I said, my office walls are completely empty and my bedroom walls are pretty bare too. No max size. I like big stuff, but I can often find a spot for wee things too.   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 a makeup idiot. The only cosmetic I wear daily is clear mascara -- and I use that as brow tamer!   Do you like coffee or tea? Would you be interested in trying some different types? Like both and am always open to tasty drinks. I think I covered this on the questionnaire. If you need more guidance ask in an e-card or e-mail and I'll elaborate further.   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 really. My husband buys a LOT of music (he goes through iTunes gift cards the way I go through Amazon ones!) so we have almost everything I want.   Are you going away for any part of this round? I may be in Massachusetts over the weekend of October 30th, but it will be a short trip. Like 3 days away, max.   Would you like to receive a mix-CD from your Witch? Sure. I bet my husband would like it too. He still loves making them.   If your witch were going somewhere on a vacation during the round, would you want a little souvenir? If my witch saw something that had Kaki written all over it and had room in her luggage, I would certainly not object!   Do you enjoy any outdoor activities? Do you have a favorite form of "exercise"? I like walking along the river and the beach and swimming. I wish I could say I loved exercise, but I am a lazy, lazy thing.   Any witchee's with a ravelry account have any favourited patterns that cost money that would be a welcome gift? Crafting skills are beyond me.   Do you work/study at a desk and enjoy interesting or cute office supplies? I have a desk in my office and office supplies are always a pain to obtain around here. (I have to requisition them from a shop and turn in receipts.) So cute office supplies would not be turned away.   Witchee, are you a fan of musicals? If so, which ones? Yes, but I am picky and weird. I like OLD musicals -- the Rodgers and Hammerstein/Hart types ones. I love: Gigi, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Camelot, Annie, etc. I do NOT like Wicked or Rent. The only Sondheim I can stand is West Side Story. In general, I prefer musicals with witty, funny songs to those with "pretty" songs designed for diva voices.   I am fond of the thrift. Do you mind lightly used goods? Please be specific! For instance, I'm a little squicked by used clothing, but I don't mind any other used goods (i.e. books, glassware, games, DVDs, whatever.) I am very fond of thrift. I don't think much squicks me but used socks, shoes and panties. Media, clothes, scarves, kitchenware, etc. are all things I buy vintage all the time.   Do you have an Etsy shop? Do you know of any Etsy shops that are Switch Witch friendly? I do not, but I think ALL the forum member shops are SW friendly. I love supporting our members!   Would a gift or a postcard from Disneyland make you squee with delight or puke into your mail box? A postcard would make me smile, but most Disney merchandise would not thrill me. It wouldn't make me puke, but I probably would not squee. Now HP merch might get more of a squee, specifically HP merch that isn't logo based or could be used/worn in real life and which might or might not even guess was HP (like a striped scarf or other related but not obvious things).   what are your favorite types of Halloween candy? Tiny payday candy bars. Honestly, I try very not to keep too much candy in my house because we eat it. This is bad because we have the self control of 2 year olds.   Do you prefer soap or shower gel? Please give examples of your favorite scents or brands. Bar soap. Again, I think I covered this is in the questionnaire, but if you need more specific guidance, just ask.   How do you like your chocolate? For example with nuts, mint, peanut butter, caramel? I prefer dark to light and I like nuts, toffee, fruit, ginger, pepper...everything really.   Beads! Do you use them? Would you want some? What sorts of beads do you like? I only need beads in the form of already assembled pieces. I have no crafting skills.   Anyone here like caramels? Sea salted caramels?!?! Yes and yes.   Would you like a hand dyed or hand painted scarf or wrap or other item? If so, what colors/designs/fabrics do you like? That sounds lovely. I actually have loads of scarves on my etsy wishlist which would give a good guide as to the colors I like. In general, I like bright colors, especially blues, greens and red. I also like plums and burgundy and black. I tend to prefer natural fibers (wool, cotton, silk) and HATE fibers that shed (mohair is the devil).   This was a question before, but does anyone here like stones? Just pretty polished stones for use in whatever purposes? Yes, but I have TUBS of them. Seriously. If you send me more stones, J might kill you.   And another question; anyone like anything in particular from Think Geek? I have no idea. I almost never look at that site because I actually forget about it...   Pinterest, do you have boards you want to share or are you following anyone with great boards you want to share? I did not even know what it was until the question was asked. So, no.   Would you like to receive e-books? And if so, in what format? Sure. I have a kindle, so that works best. I can supposedly make it take other formats, but have yet to experiment with that.   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 kids.   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 like the plain square on the best and then the gathered one with long strap. I tend to like bags I can wear across my chest, so tiny handles and I do not get along. (But overly long straps make me angry too since I'm short and I don't want a bag that hits my knees.)   Are there are patterns, motifs, etc that you especially like? I'm not really sure what this means...   Witchee, would you be interested in having a special tea cup/coffee mug/glass to drink out of? I do like mugs, and tend to prefer, taller ones that have the kind of hip bend in them to short squat ones -- I think the shape helps keep things warm longer.   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? I think I addressed this on the questionnaire and in my general SW help post. If you need more clarification, feel free to ask.   How would you feel about kitchen towels and other similar household objects, if they are pretty or a souvenir? I like them. Kitchen towels get grimey really fast in my world, so having replacements is lovely.   How did you dress up for your last party or compulsory-formal-dress occasion? Does this mean dress up as in nice clothes or dress up as in costumes? Umm...last nice clothes occasion I wore my one and only little black dress (wool jersey, long sleeved, empire waist, short skirt) with a triple strand of pearls and heels. Last costumed event I went as a pirate and wore my silk wedding coat.   Do you enjoy puzzles/riddles? (Cryptograms, Sudoku, Crossword, Jigsaw, etc) I like crosswords, but find Sudoku to be utterly horrifying. Math for fun? Umm, no. I rarely do jigsaw puzzles EXCEPT with small children who visit me. So low-piece-count puzzles are always welcome for my toy box. (Yes, I have a toy box. I try to keep it stocked with new coloring books, crayons, washable markers, puzzles, dress-up clothes, stuffed animals, and other little games for the kids when they come over. Because I am the best auntie EVER.)   Can you sum yourself (whether it be personality, life's goals, ethics, whatever) in 10 words or less? No.   How about little bottles of booze? Ya wanna? What kind? Sure. But not things like pucker or schnapps, just real booze that you tend to mix with things (even if it's only ice), like scotch or whisky or gin or vodka. I'm actually kind a booze snob though, so this may actually be more trouble than it's worth for me. (I like Grey Goose, Hendrick's, Jamesons, single malts, etc.)   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 like them and even on days I think they're too sweet, J loves 'em. It is warm in the summer here, but I think we're past the season of melted mail.   Also, what about mochi? Love it, hate it, baffled by it? I have never had it to my recollection.   Anything from the update ya'll are liking? BPTP UPDATE I updated my wishlist.   Does anyone like kimchi? I do. I like most fermented vegetables.   Would you be interested in a sample box(from somewhere like Birchbox or loosebutton)? I certainly would not be opposed.   You have to place a Lab and Trading Post order. Right fuckin' now. No spending limits. What do you buy? Bottles of Vixen and Hetairae and everything on my wishlist. (You did say no limit!) If I decided to be frugal even with no limit, I'd probably buy Vixen, Morocco, Sudha Segara, Safari and an imp pack or two from bpal and the red t-shirt, a pair of yoga pants, and Morocco bath oil, the soaps and Eye of Newt and Howlet's Wing from bptp.   Paintbox Soapworks - anything you're interested in, in general or from the latest update? I have quite a bit of it on my etsy favorites list. In general, I want to try any/all of it. I may look at it again and mark a few more scents.   Do you guys have any sports that you follow obsessively? How about favorite teams and/or athletes Obessively, no. But I do end up watching Detroit sports (Tigers, Red Wings, Lions) and Notre Dame football with the husband and family.   How do you feel about notebooks/journals/stationery? Anything you need or particularly like? I love notebooks and journals, but am honestly pretty well stocked right now. I could always use sticky notes and I've wanted one of those grocery list pads that magnetizes to the refrigerator for ages.   Does confetti/glitter make you angry or fill you with glee? Neither if it is contained. If it gets all over everything I go crazy with the vacuum cleaner.   Fabulous witches and witchees, perhaps you all could note of you've received MeiLin's goodies? Or if you want? I have actually read quite a bit of her things already. I tend to buy them when she posts 'em.   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'm not a huge fan. I keep a few around the house for when kids visit, but I don't buy them for myself.   how interested would you be on somewhat personalized bottle cap labels? Like these that I did? I don't really have enough bottles to justify them. I tend to keep a REALLY minimal stash. I don't usually have more on hand than I think I can actually wear within 6 months,   When you're miserably sick (*sniffle, cough!*) what are the things that comfort you the most? Soup - especially miso soup. I buy those little miso packets and use them to make broth for ramen or I buy the Annie Chung's miso with the big fat noodles which is SO good (but so full of sodium it is a sickness treat only). Also, Pho -- with loads and loads of cilantro, spouts, lime and rooster sauce. And hot toddies (Jamesons with water, lemon and sugar -- hot.)   What constitutes ultimate luxury to you? (go crazy!) Staying in a swank hotel with a deep bathtub with jets, having loads of bath bombs/oils to use in it, a stack of books or movies to watch and ordering room service. Many bonus points if the room service comes from a good restaurant.   Really, eating out and being able to order whatever I feel like from appetizers to booze to dessert feels pretty darn luxurious to me.   What do you really NOT want? Umm?????? I have no idea.   interested in anything from Lush? I'm pretty sure there's a Lush section on my non-bpal/switch help post wishlist thing which is linked in my sig. and again in the questionnaire.   Do you blog? Would you like a header for your blog, a layout, etc? Just on lj. I don't think a layout there would be very useful for me. However, I am thinking (seriously) of opening a vintage book shop on etsy. If my witch has experience with etsy banners, help in that regard would be swell.   Would you be interested in a handmade bookmark? Sure, as long as my witch is ok with the fact that I'll probably lose it within a month!   do you like chex puppy chow or muddie buddies (ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, PB, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, chex cereal)? would you want to get some from your witch / nacho witch? I like it all and would eat it. Also, J would eat it. In fact, we might fight over who eats it.   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 would like one. Sadly, there are not many. Usually the closest to me are in Grand Rapids, which is 1.5 to 2 hours and just too far to drive. So unless it was for a retail chain or something like that, it probably is a no-go. I miss Groupon. We had such good ones in Fort Collins.   do you like real sugar skulls? Things with sugar skull designs? Yes and yes. I especially like the really colorful ones.   Who here adores meringue? Like/enjoy yes, adore might be a little much though.   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 try to cook at least 4 nights a week. However, that has been tough lately since J is working nights at the taproom and when he has a night off, he usually wants to take me out. So, what I have been cooking has been less individual meals than batches of things I can freeze and then re-heat in single portions. A cookbook designed for that would be aces. I could also always use things to teach me more about cooking decent: Indian, Thai, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Russian and Hungarian (my latest obsession). Little kitchen gadgets are always welcome as are spices, etc. Really, you can't go wrong with any sort of cooking/food related item with me. I love to eat (and eat well) and in order to do that, I need to cook!   New question: How do you feel about maple syrup? Real maple syrup is amazing and one of the reasons I think a higher power must exist.   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 can't get that link to work, but in general I think they are pretty cool. I received an amazing one in the Altered Altoid tin exchange which houses my rosary and is pretty amazing. It has Queen of Heaven imagery and my words from an old I Believe thread.   Do you like Star Wars? Original Trilogy? Prequels? Spin-offs? Favorite characters? Like, but am not obsessed with. I didn't really like the prequels (the story of Anakin was a lot better in my head) and have never seen/read the spin-offs. I would eventually like to read the Timothy Zahn books.   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 all of it. I also like venison jerky. And buffalo. And sausage!   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. A warning is nice, but maybe not 100% necessary.   Doctor Who? Yay or nay? (please don't make me cry by saying nay) I am just starting to watch the first season of the "new" episodes (the season with Rose). It's OK. It doesn't blow me away yet, but is good for when I am ironing or something for back ground noise.   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? I think these will find a home that loves them more than my house.   Anyone love Buffy/Angel? I loved Buffy while it was on and the first season of Angel. I soured on Angel pretty quickly. I still enjoy Buffy, but am probably not a fangirl.   How would you feel about gummies? Like, gummy bears? Gummy werewolves? Gummy vampires? I don't hate them, but quite honestly they would probably be eaten by my small children friends rather than by me.   How would you feel about a totally original Gela-skin for your laptop/iPod/phone? Stickers? Decals? I don't need one for my kindle and I do not have an iPad or iPhone. My laptop is worked issued, so stickers are a no-no.   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? Dark fairy tales and skulls all the way. BUT I don't watch horror movies.   Are your ears pierced, Witchee? Do you have any other piercings? Would you like to receive any items of jewelry for these piercings? I have traditional pierced ears (one hole in each lobe).   How do you all feel about Whoopie Pies? Love.   Are you looking for a certain kind of DVDs to spruce up your collection right now? My collection is very wee. I can't think of anything in particular, but really any of the traditional 80s movie staples (Pretty in Pink, etc, Goonies, etc) would be awesome and get watched.   Does anyone like postcards? Is anyone willing to be a Nacho witch for postcards? I like them all right. Don't think my area really offers any...   Anyone going to see any good concerts this fall? Nothing on my schedule until the Nutcracker at Christmas.   Do you like Star Trek? Original TV series, films, spinoff series, etc? Favorite characters? Yes. I like Original, TNG, the new film and Deep Space 9. Never watched voyager. Still love Dr. McCoy the best. He got all the best lines.   Witchee, would you like a framed photograph and of what? Sure! I have no concrete ideas of what... Classic shots of New Orleans and Boston are always good, as are shots of famous bookstores.   Do you wear t-shirts? Are there particular things you like on them? Would you like one designed by your Witch? And, if you don't mind saying, what size t-shirt do you wear? Yes. I also love long sleeved t-shirts and thermal t-shirts. I have no real preferences as to design except to say that I don't love anything too cutesy. (Example: I have an old Naughty t-shirt from the lab I never wear because it is too cutesy for me. The Lab shirt I wear the most is the old Mead Moon with the distressed honey comb on it. I tend to like abstract designs, or simple designs like ravens or owls. I think my etsy has some t-shirts in it that are a good style guide.) I tend to wear either a small or a medium - GIRL CUT. (I have hips. Regular or straight cut t-shirts bunch on them.) The choice between small and medium and based less on overall fit than on length. I like them long enough to cover my waist and not ride up. If my witch wants, I can measure a few of my favorites so you know just how long that should be in an ideal world.   How do you feel about pumpkin scented things? Not perfume related, but soap, candles, etc.... I like it. Especially with ginger and spice!   Has anyone else heard of or does anyone else love Glamourkin? I had not heard of them, but looked, loved and favorited!   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 in particular, but I do love the uniqueness of international things. Little stuff like chocolate, tea, cookies etc. Chances are, if it's unique to where you are and I can't get it here, I will squee over it.   Dear witchee, if you answered 'Mac' to the Mac/PC question previously issued by another participant, please tell me what kind of computer you have, what peripherals you own (like the wireless trackpad, wireless vs/wired keyboard and mouse), and whether you're interested in Apple-related items (stickers, keychains, other things with the logo, etc). I have a work issued MacBook Pro. 15 inch? Is that the smallest? I don't own any peripherals. I'm not a huge Apple accessory person, but my husband very much is. He has an Apple sticker on his car!   SOCK PREFERENCES? I think I sorta covered this on my swap faery help post, but I like knee socks, rights and mid-calf socks. Stripes and argyle and other designs are great. I like some stretch because I have chicken legs and they stay up better. Really, I just love socks.   Would you like/wear a pair of these? http://www.ravelry.c...rary/yoga-socks If so, what color? The would be nice for yoga AND for on my (slippery) stairs! I like blue, green turquoise, black, purple, red....   Is there anyone here who likes toe socks? You know, those socks with a place for each toe? Sadly, they tend to give me blisters because I curl my toes.   What strange misc. items would you love to receive that you just haven't gotten for yourself?: This one is throwing me for a loop. I think it's all covered in my various wishlists? If not, maybe a more specific question? I just can't figure out how to answer this. Sorry!   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? I don't really use polish except occasionally on my toes. Chemicals don't bother me. I don't really know what Franken Polish is.   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 have enough lip balm to last me for a good decade. That said, if you can find a lip balm that accentuates my natural color in the way the old CoverGirl lip balms in the pale green tube (they came in pale, medium and dark and were billed as "working with your natural lip color") did, I would love it. The Burt's Bees kind of sort of does, but not really. And most tinted ones sit on the lips funny -- they cover natural color not accentuate it. That silly CG stuff was THE BEST and the only lip color I used faithfully. I am so sad it got discontinued. I used the medium and was devoted to it. (I should specify that this stuff came out some time between 1997 and 2000 and was discontinued around 2001 or 2002.)   Would you be interested in getting fountain pen inks or art supplies via JetPens and or DickBlick? (I know I have a wishlist on JetPens and just love using fountain pens in my artwork) I am not neat enough to use a fountain pen. My favorite pens in the whole world are Pilot Precise V5 Extra Fine Rolling Ball -- the kind with the little window in them to show the ink level. I always, always need them and my husband and I fight over them. I steal his and he steals mine. They are the best pen for preventing hand cramps and writing fatigue for me.   -For those interested in watercolors, how would you feel about getting a palette filled with paint from my watercolor tubes but not getting the paint tube itself? (kind of like this but without the covers for the compartments and bigger http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream) I am so no artistic. However, sidewalk chalk, finger paints and washable markers could live in the toy box at my house for my nephew and god-daughter.   -How do you feel about getting art supplies in general? (copic markers, watercolor, brushes, paint, sketchbooks etc.) See above. I'm not artistic, but I do try to keep some kid-friendly coloring books and supplies about for when I have small visitors.   -How do you feel about Threadless tshirts? I like the less cutesy, more abstract ones. However, as we're approaching winter I really like long sleeved Ts the best. Does threadless make any? I seem to live in my two brewery (Equinox and Odell) long sleeve thermal Ts every weekend all winter.   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? Honestly? Probably vitamins and calcium! I'd be tempted by the "salon only" shampoos and conditioners that they carry illegally(?) but would probably end up being practical.   Darling Witchee, would you enjoy farmer's market pickled veggies (green beans, garlic, asparagus, etc) or fresh canned peaches or something of that nature? YES.   Do you prefer color or white photographs? Nature or abstract? Generally, I like color better because I think it pops more on a wall. I like nature better, but I also like abstract nature. Example: My husband took a picture of the inside of a tree covered in vines. The light shines through the leaves turning them gold and shiny. It's gorgeous.   would you be interested in something like this? https://lostcrates.com/how-it-works In theory yes, but not stationary. I just don't use it enough. The idea of a quiz generated box of stuff is fun though.   Amigurumi, yes or no? Sadly, no.     I have a question! What are some of your favorite paintings? (famous or undiscovered?) Feel free to link to examples! I like the Pre-Raphaelites, especially Rossetti's Beata Beatrix. I also like portraits -- John Singer Sargent is a favorite. I especially love Madam X. (I also really like his Girl Fishing -- all that lovely blue!)   If you could have an image painted for you - sky is the limit - what would it be? I have no idea.   Name your 3 favorite scents for candles I really love the Luna scent from Archipelago Botanicals. It's lemon verbena, lavender and thyme -- very clean and fresh. I also love the Stonehenge scent from the same company - smoked cedarwood, bermot and amber. It is very comforting and warm without being cloying. For the Christmas season I also like AB's Black Forest candles which are douglas fir, ebony wood and black currant. From Yankee, I like the Sage Citrus which is also really clean and fresh.   Name your 3 favorite types/flavors of tea Oolong Earl Grey Lady Londonderry   Would you like any ecotools makeup brushes? They're kinda one of my favorite things ever, and they're animal-friendly and the handles are bamboo. And to top it all off, they work really well for applying makeup. I don't really use makeup, so probably not.   Do you like Legos? Especially mini-fig key chains, Lego block keychains, small Lego sets, etc? I'm not a lego fiend.   Since the previous question about "what would you buy from the Lab if you had unlimited funds, etc" left WAY too much to the imagination with no limitations (my answer was pretty much BUY ALL THE THINGS!), what would you do if you found a $50 bill on the ground and a nagging voice in the back of your mind told you that you HAD to spend it on BPAL or else face Death. Also, say they had free shipping (LOL) so don't factor that in. What would you get? And spend it all! Or as close to $50 as you can get. $50, huh?... Ok, here's the breakdown (I did three, one for bpal, one for bptp and one for the ideal world where you could combine orders from both sites)   BPAL 1 imp pack -$22 Contents: White Rider, Red Rider, Black Rider, Tombstone, Anne Bonnie & War Then I would dither between a bottle of Safari ($28) and a replacement bottle of Vixen ($17.50). But, in the end, I'd probably go with Vixen so I had that extra $10 to buy two or three (depending on whether I want to come in just under or just over the $50) more imps: Velvet, Suhha Segara and O   BPTP Soap: Port au Prince, Shub, & Snake oil ($8.50 x 3= $25.50) Librarian t-shirt ($20) Then I'd throw in a couple of magnets to get me to $50     Combined 1 imp pack as above ($22) Soap: Shub (but I'd dither between that and P au P) Bottle of Vixen     Are there any characters that you love or identify with? Answered with quotes in the thread ---> Quotes from Maggie Smith Dowager Countess Grantham on Downton Abbey.   A question! If you are crafty, what's your personal art style? I'm not talking just about what art you like to look at, but what kind of art do you like creating? Do you have a "process" while you're creating beauty? I am the opposite of craft.   Are there any Arcana Weenies that you MUST HAVE? I haven't even looked at them. But I tend to like their soap way better than their perfume.   So what say you? IS an "unexpected" visit/in-person witching OK? Hmmm. I want to say yes, but given where I live making an unexpected visit would be rather impractical since we're near nowhere. I would think a little notice would make the visit easier since I could have fresh sheets on the guest bed.   Cthulhu: yay or nay? Generally yay, although I do think squid may be inching into the over-played territory.   Is there something that you wish you could do, but you keep putting it off? Hmm...Travel? Pay off debt? Build bookshelves in the little bedroom? Cut my hair?   Put your current mp3player (I am the anti-apple, so no ipod ), winamp playlist, what have you, on shuffle, list the first 10 songs: My iPod has been dead for months and I rarely listen to music. I know that's totally unhelpful, but its true. My office is in a public radio building that hosts a news station and a classical station. One or the other is on all the time.   Witchee, have you made (or are you planning to make) any Lab or Trading post orders soon? And if you did (or plan to), you should share what you're getting If I do, it will only be for my witchee. I'm not planning on buying for me any time soon.   Do you have any interest in rocks? Not like, polished colorful stones.. but like... rocks. With geologic significance! Only the ones I pick up myself on the beach.   If your witch were to knit you a scarf/shawl/cowl, which would you prefer, and what features would you want? Would you prefer something light and drape-y or thick and warm? What kind of colors would you prefer? Do you have any fiber allergies or preferences? That is kind of like asking me what kind of cheese I want! I do think thick and warm is probably more practical for me than light and drape-y since my office and house both tend to be super cold and drafty. I like jewel tones (blue, green, turquoise, red), black and grey. The only fiber preference I have is for something that does not shed. Mohair and the like are just such a mess.   If you have a pet, could you please post a photo of it? I really need to see what your pet, if you have one, looks like. No pets, although I was tempted to post a picture of J!   Do you like/own/wear/want fairy wings or something of the like? I do not own, I do like, but don't really want. Back in the days when I did loads of renaissance festivals when J was active the wands, they would have been perfect. Now, I'm afraid they'd never get used.   How do you feel about terrariums? I have never thought about them enough to have feelings.   What's your favorite horror movie? Watcher in the Woods. Yes, Disney horror is about my speed.   If your witch was the practical type and wanted to include one or more of your everyday essentials, what would those include? I'm talking about the bath products, lotions, face lotions, teas, food, etc that you really use every day. This was actually my question, but I did answer it anyway: Nice bar soap, Suave Rosemary/Mint shampoo/conditioner, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming cleanser, Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Toner, 2% beta gel & Clear Regular strength treatment, no rub contact solution, clear mascara, oolong tea, Clif bars (esp. chocolate mint and crunchy peanut butter) and Rooster Sauce.   Jane Austen .. Yay or Nay? Yay, but not obsessive fan girl yay. More like gentle appreciation yay.   I put up quotes I love in my office and studio to get me going, They range from goofy to sarcastic to inspirational... Are you interested in a hand painted quote? Do you have one in mind, or a topic in mind? I am not opposed. I can't think of a specific topic. I tend to photocopy Dilbert strips for my office...   Do you like period or period-styled paraphernalia? Stuff like postcards, notecards, jewelry, office supplies, what-have-you? Yes! Especially jewelry and clothing, but office supplies might be kind of cool.   If you like manga, comics, and/or graphic novels, what is it about them that you like, in general? The story, the art/style, etc? I have never gotten into them.   If you could choose a Smack, what would it have in it? See my swap faery help list. I think I set out some wishlist smack combos there.   if you could have a salon scent made, based on any artwork(s) what would it be? Oddly, I don't think I would. You see, the kind of art I like really doesn't translate into the way I like to smell. I like resinous fiery scents, but I like green, blue and cool toned art. I'm afraid my favorite art would all be floral, aquatic or herbal, none of which I wear well.   Are you scientifically curious and/or process-oriented? Would you like a project-type gift that allowed you do do something like make soap from scratch, take and (nontoxic-ly) develop photographs using a pinhole camera, use plant dyes on yarn or fabric, etc.? I think I'd enjoy making soap or something like that -- after all, I like to cook and it seems similar to me. But anything more artistic like photography or yarn dying is probably beyond my crafty capabilities.   What's 'your' song/your theme song? Evil Woman by ELO. Or Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers. Or Watching the Detective by Elvis Costello. My song with my husband is I Love Being Here With You as sung by Peggy Lee.   What would be your superpower? Reading minds.   Witchee, would you like a gently used BPAL tshirt? Sure would. I am a fan of gently used in general.   Do you like homemade snack mixes? I know Puppy Chow was mentioned in a previous question, but what about healthier and more natural type snacks like granola or trail mix? You can put a lot of delicious and fun things into trail mix, yeah? If you say "Sure, I'd love some!" what kinds of things do you like/not like in those kinds of snacks, ie coconut flakes, raisins, certain nuts (allergies??), candy, etc. Give us your list of DO's and DON'Ts! Really, I like everything. I do like my trail mix fairly heavy on the nuts and light on the fruit/choc chips/candy, but there was this one trail mix at Sunflower in CO that had chocolate covered sesame seeds in it that was amazing. I also like pepitas. And tamari nuts and wasabi nuts and peas.   Do you like charm bracelets? If you had a bracelet, what sort of charms would you want on it? Favorite hobbies, symbols, whatever? I don't tend to wear bracelets because my wrists are so tiny I can never find them to fit. That said, if I were given charms I would like: books, a bike, a raven, a fox, a tree, a moon and stuff like that.
kakiphony

kakiphony

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