This is just a collection of the Q&A posts I've made in the SW: Fall 2009 General Chatter threads (in typical OCPD-influenced alphabetical order).

 

- Any cooks? Could you use anything cooking related? Aprons? Cookbooks? Measuring Cups? Recipes? Herb/Spice containers? Fancy Spices? Dish Towels? Cocktail napkins? Amazing Beaded Pot Holders? Something else?

Me! Me! I love cooking, especially new things I've never tried. I'm always looking for new recipes, so cookbooks and recipes are never a bad idea. I'm very well stocked on towels and measuring cups, but I'm an herb and spice freak, so I'd never say no to fancy spices, herbs, olive oil, etc.

 

- Any gamers here? What kind? Board games? RPG? Miniature? MMORPG:

I loves me some games, of almost all varieties. I do love board games (Scrabble and Monopoly being my favourite), as well as video and computer games. I love multi-player video games, but prefer single-player computer games. I dig horror (Silent Hill is my absolute favourite horror game series), sci-fi, and adventure (Syberia, Myst, Riven, Longest Journey, Dreamfall, Dark Fall, etc).

 

- Any other steampunk fans/lovers?

I adore all things steampunk. In fact, I'd be itching to be in the steampunk swap, but I'm just not crafty enough. :\

 

- Any rabid sports fans out there? What teams do you root for?

The only American sport I like is hockey. (And oh, how I love hockey.) Of course, I'm a Red Wings girl.

 

- Are roasted pumpkin seeds and home made chex mix the best fall snack foods, or what?

Roasted pumpkin seeds are awesome, but I've never really liked chex mix.

 

- Are there any Gods, Goddess, or other mythological figures of whom you're particularly fond?

I've always adored Hades, as well as Nyx and several of her children, including Moros, the Keres, Thanatos, and Lyssa. (Have you noticed a theme here?)

 

- Are you an avid reader? What's your favorite book/series?

Avid? More like voracious! I try to read whenever I can. I have dozens of books loaded onto my iPhone, so whenever I have a few spare moments (in a queue, between classes), if there's nothing else I should be doing, I'm reading. That said, I can be kind of picky: I don't like romance or teen-themed books. However, anything scifi, (good) fantasy, or horror-related (especially zombies, straight-up horror, or vampires [except Twilight!]!) is safe. I don't really follow book series much, though I will read anything at all by Gaiman or Clive Barker. My GoodReads profile is a pretty good indicator of what I like to read. (Though there are hundreds of books I've read that I haven't gotten around to adding to my GR shelves yet!)

 

- Are you involved in any long-term, ambitious project? something like decorating your house or saving for a trip to the other end of the world, for example.:

Just this thing called "college." Blarg.

 

- Are you on any social networks (MySpace, Twitter, LJ, Facebook, Bebo, etc)? If so, make with the links!

Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal.

 

- As a witchee, would you prefer to have many little packages sent to you throughout the round with a not-so-big final package or fewer things throughout the round with one HUGE final package to seal the sweetness?

It really doesn't matter to me. Little things along the way is always nifty, but as I've said a bajillion times, it's just the thought that counts.

 

- Ball jointed dolls?

I collected them a bit as a kid, but it's not a big interest anymore.

 

- Coffee or Tea?

Tea, tea, and tea. I do love coffee, but it can't compare with good tea. That said, I do frequent Starbucks and some other coffee shops once or twice a week. I visit Starbucks about 3-4 times a week, but usually for non-coffee drinks, like their Tazo drinks (Green Tea Frappuccino, Earl Grey Latte, Green Tea Latte, and Green Iced Tea FTW). When Yule/Christmas rolls around, though, I can't resist having their Peppermint Mocha Twist 3-4 times a week. I'm awful.

 

- Could you use a 'travel' imp case? How many should it hold?

Wouldn't say no! I carry 5-6 decants or imps in my purse at any given time.

 

- Did you order anything from the most recent update?

Not yet, no, but I have my eyes on some things. It's a matter of finding the time to decide what to get, and in what form (bottle vs. decant, etc).

 

- Do you like pinup art/images?

Love it!

 

- Do you like socks? Blankets? Wrist warmers? Arm warmers? Headband? Shawl? Or what kind of knitted thing would you love the most?

I'm not so sure about shawls, but I do dig socks, blankets, warmers, and that sort of thing. I wish I were craftier, so that I could whip something up.

 

- Do you Tweet? What is your Twitter name?

I'm Painted over on Twitter.

 

- Historical Period

I'm fascinated by all things Ancient Greece (ca. 1100-146 BC) and I adore all things Victorian-era. I am, unsurprisingly, a huge steampunk fan.

 

- Hot beverages other than tea/coffee?:

Mulled cider is awesome

 

- How do you feel about Dia de los Muertos? Are you interested in sugar skulls? Catrina (or other) skeleton figurines?

I love Dia de los Muertos, and I love me some sugar skulls. Catrina figures are particularly awesome!

 

- How do you feel about Halloween music? (mix CDs, what have you)

Love! Love, love, love!

 

- How do you feel about ghost stories? Do you like to tell the old tales around a campfire? Read true accounts on the web way past your bedtime? Do you like to pick up a good anthology of Poe stories on a blustery day? Or is all that too scary for you?

As I said before, I? I am a horror junkie, and that includes ghosts. One of my favourite things to do wen I visit a new city is to find out all I can (usually beforehand) about said city or area's supernatural/spooky history - especially possibly haunted locations I can visit.

 

- How do you scent your home: Tarts, reed diffusers, BPAL, candles?

I'm definitely a tart and candle girl (hush!). I don't actually have much experience with reed diffusers, but I hear they're awesome? I haven't found a way to diffuse BPAL that works for me - everything I've tried has failed in some way (not enough throw, doesn't waft, etc). I tend to prefer tarts; they seem to waft and last longer than candles.

 

- How do you take your tea? Black or with cream and/or sugar?

Depends on the tea! For example, I add a bit of soy or almond milk and a pinch of sugar crystals to, say, Irish Breakfast tea; while I don't usually add anything to white teas. I definitely add almond/soy milk or flavoured non-dairy creamers () and sugar to coffee. Black coffee is made of fail.

 

- If I send you whole spices or coffee beans, would you be able to grind them or would you prefer them preground for your convenience?

I have just about every spice grinder/grater known to man, and I can grind coffee beans as well, so whole spices/beans are perfectly fine - and so are pre-ground things!

 

-If you found the puzzle box from Hellraiser, what would you do with it? ( and would you be able to resist playing with it?)

Would I know what it is? If so, I'd definitely keep it! I actually had one (a replica, obviously), but I lost it during a move a few years ago (I was v. v. sad, of course). If I knew what it is, I certainly wouldn't tinker with it: I do love me some Clive Barker/Hellraiser, but I'd rather not have a face-to-face meeting with a Cenobite, thanks.

 

- Lavender ?

In small doses, I love it. I especially love fresh lavender things, like fresh lavender sachets. I do try to keep lavender essential oil or a strong lavender sachet on-hand, because it (along with peppermint) helps ward off a migraine if I catch it early enough.

 

- Of course, we're all going to be grateful no matter what our witches give us, but for the record, what is your anti-present? Tell us something that you think your future witch might give you that you absolutely, unequivocally DO. NOT. WANT.

In another SW-esque swap in which I participated, I mentioned that I don't like Twilight (there was a "Twilight or True Blood?" question), and think Meyer is little more than a fanfiction author. (No debating this here, plz.) My gifter thought it'd be funny to wrap everything in Twilight shirts, towels, etc, and include other Twilight things. Funny, I guess, but not my kind of joke. The only thing I'll ever request a Witch not send me is Twilight stuff, or anything else I explicitly mention I dislike.

 

- Olive Oil ?

I love, love, love olive oil, especially on fresh bread or a simple salad. I have an entire rack in my kitchen for flavoured/infused olive oils, and I love finding new ones.

 

- Pendants or Dangly Earrings?

Pendants! My ears are pierced, but I don't wear dangly earrings often. I'm almost always wearing at least one necklace/pendant. (I'm wearing three right now!) I'm particularly fond of steampunk pendants (and earrings, actually).

 

- Vampires or Werewolves? Or some other monster?:

Monsters are made of awesome. I prefer vampires to werewolves, but I do like most critters of the monstrous variety.

 

- What are your plans for Halloween? Have you made any yet? Do you have any traditions?

It's just barely September! I haven't a clue what I might be doing for Hallowe'en yet.

 

- What's your favorite animal? (You can have more than one.)

Do dragons count? I love all things dragon. After dragons, I'd say dragonflies and cats.

 

- What's your favorite color?

I love shades of green-yellow (like #99EF0E, 94DF1B, etc) and bright orange (like #FF981F, #FFC30F, #FFBE0F, etc), and also bright-light blue (like azure [#007FFF], Brandeis blue [#0070FF], #3FA0FF, #1FAFFF, etc). As is probably obvious, I adore bright, bold, vivid colours.

 

- What GC scent have you been putting off getting since it'll "always be there"?

Pretty much anything GC on my wishlist.

 

- What is your favourite flower (or plant)?

I can preface this by saying that I love flowers in general. I always have 7-8 flowering plants and/or vases of flowers in my apt. at any given time. As with everything, I love bright, bold, flowers - red and blue especially. As for specific flowers, I'm fondest of red Snapdragons; Lilies (especially the St Bernard's, Wood, Turk's Cap, Leopard, Japanese, and Eater lilies); Oleander; Lily of the Valley; Scarlet Pimpernel (really only the blue SP, A. arvensis Forma azurea); Mediterranean stork's bill (so shiny!); Dragon Arum/Voodoo Lily (from a distance! ); Red trillium; Pink Arum Lily; and (white) Calla lily (which is funny, since I hate calla lily in perfumes). Don't even get me started on trees!

 

- What is your favorite Halloween icon?:

It's impossible to choose! Bats, ghosts, vampires, goblins, cemetery things, I love them all!

 

- What is your favorite pie, my dear SW's?

Heavily-spiced pumpkin pie!

 

- What mythical or fantastic race of creatures (dragons, unicorns, griffins, elves, dwarves, faeries, etc.) do you most identify with, and why

Oh, where to start. I love everything dragon-related (especially Chinese and Japanese dragons, but Western and other dragons are awesome, too!), and I've always been fond of faeries, and also water spirits/creatures, like ondines/undines, nymphs, oceanids, etc. I'm a mythology geek (especially Greek, Roman, and Celtic & Irish Gaelic) as well, and I've always had an affinity for the Moirae/Parcae and the Keres/Ceres (what does the latter say about me, I wonder?).

 

- What sort of odd or regional foods do you crave?

I live in an area with a very large Middle Eastern population, so ME/Indian food is plentiful (if not technically regional), and I love it! I have a fattoush and/or chicken shish taouk sandwich for lunch at least once a week. Al Shallal in Dearborn Heights also has the most amazing chicken w/garlic and cilantro dish.

 

- When you receive your SW packages...do you like receiving things that are individually wrapped inside? or unwrapped? or both?

I must admit, individually-wrapped things in tissue paper are made of awesome, but it really doesn't matter: wrapped or unwrapped, it's all about the thought.

 

- Who here is LOVING Warehouse 13?

I've heard awesome things, but haven't had time to check it out.

 

- Who likes coloring books?

I do! I find repetitious activities like colouring fantastically relaxing. I must admit, I do have colouring books that I break out once in a while. :X

 

- Would any witches be interested in home-made sewn type crafts? If so, what type? (e.g. tote bags, pillowcases, laptop covers, etc.:

I love crafty things! I have special pillow-cases (with sewn-in spots for little scent disks - they're awesome!), but everything else is, er, awesome.

 

-Your one absolute favorite, BPAL:

There's no way to choose just one! King of Spades and Snow White are tied for my absolute favourite, and lately, Hungry Ghost Moon, Schwarzer Mond, and Dorian have been rounding out the top five.