So, makes sense to consolidate question responses in a blog post again. Here we go...

 

Baked goods: If it were up to me I'd be in favour, but I am international (long flights make for sad squashed cookies) and Australia's quarantine laws are super strict, so it's probably a no.

 

Gifts for family/pets: That's very sweet if a witch wants to, but by no means expected. Husbeast would probably appreciate pretty much anything edible or with a slightly geeky bent. Dawgies love treats, toys they tend to either mercilessly destroy, or if indestructible, ignore. They do love to play tug-o-war with one of those thick, soft knotted rope thingies, though. Kitteh... probably treats. She likes to play with toys, but the dogs get too much in her face. Anything with catnip would probably be confiscated by customs.

 

Testers v. larger sizes: Anything goes. My wishlist isn't very long at the moment, because lovely forumites have been so good to me. I do keep seeing the odd thing that makes me go "Ooh, must try that!" but then I don't add it to my wishlist and forget entirely what it was.

 

Social networking: I use FB, and I also have Twitter and LJ but don't use them at all so far.

 

Sizes Depending how it's sized, I can sometimes get away with an M in tshirts, but usually an L or XL is required to accommodate the bewbies. I prefer babydoll/fitted. As for PJ pants, the baggier the better!

 

Hallowe'en plans? Sadly, Hallowe'en doesn't get much play downunder. If it was a work day, I would try to organise a costume day at work, but there's not much you can do with a Sunday. I might look up some Hallowe'eny type recipes and see if I can make some festive food at least.

 

Mix CDs? Absolutely, I love music and discovering new stuff is a huge buzz for me!

 

Girliness I feel the same way as the person who mentioned that the word girly kind of has negative connotations (sqwook maybe? It was about a squizillion pages ago). To me, girly has associations of weakness and ditziness and an unwillingness to get your hands dirty, which is emphatically not me. To other people though, maybe girly more means that you like wearing makeup and pretty dresses and have too many shoes... in which case, sign me up. It's just that I also sometimes like wearing big ol' shitkicking boots instead of heels, or going paintballing instead of shopping.

 

Austen I love her stories in terms of plot and atmosphere, but I do find her writing style kind of heavy-going (incredibly long sentences and not always easy to follow). I think I already own all her novels, but I don't have any of the BBC series on DVD or anything, which would be kind of cool.

 

Tarot I don't have a set of cards, but I'm definitely interested in it.

 

Harry Potter house The sorting hat would probably waver over Ravenclaw before sticking me in Hufflepuff.

 

Guilty TV pleasures Ha, I admit to a shameful fascination with those low-rent "OMG! Cosmetic surgery DISASTERS!" type programs. I know, dismal. And Toddlers and Tiaras for pure car crash TV.

 

Costumes I don't really participate in any activities requiring costumes. Although I have been known to venture out of the house in a purple wig or a panda hat just for funsies.

 

Celebrity crush Alexander Skarsgard, mmm. I would violate that man six ways to Sunday. Hello there. And some of that. Britishy goodness. Girl crush.

 

Mix DVDs? Sure! Movies, TV, funny ads, whatever.

 

Widescreen or formatted? Not bothered, either's fine!

 

Music: I don't have a MP3 enabled player, but I can easily download the tracks onto my computer and just add them to my iPod. So either's fine.

 

Scented tarts? Love them! Those scented wax pellets are also good.

 

Lip balms? I like them, but I do have kind of a backlog at the moment.

 

Body mods? I have 3 ear piercings, and a small tattoo on my back, but that's it.

 

Booze I do drink but not often, and shipping booze to Australia is prohibited AFAIK.

 

Artist / art styles Kahlo Dupain Pissarro Namatjira Colbert Froud De Lempicka Lichtenstein oh dear I'd better stop now.

 

Snacks Anything savoury... rice crackers, nuts, cheese, olives. Dried fruit is good, if I need a sugar hit.

 

Ebooks I don't have an e-reader yet, I'm not sure whether it's for me or not. I should really look into it, because my ever-expanding library does my poor hubby's head in.

 

Nail polish Love it! I tend to go for earth tones and unusual neutrals, and I'm partial to sparkliness.

 

Plushies I make them myself, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't cherish something my witch made for me

 

Crafts to learn I've been getting into silversmithing and still want to learn to set gemstones. I'm also interested in leadlighting and glass art. Someday I'll find the time...

 

Hallowe'en decorations Not much of an issue in Australia as Hallowe'en is still not widely celebrated. But my preference would probably be more on the spooky side - I could have lots of fun with that.

 

Ceramic decorations sounds pretty cool. I'd probably be more likely to use Christmas decorations than Hallowe'en though, simply because people don't tend to decorate for Hallowe'en here.

 

Mortar and pestles I like and use them. Though I already have two, plus an electric spice grinder, so I probably don't really need more.

 

Squicky things Not that there's likely to be any chance of finding it in a SW package, but... animal fur (I don't care if it's in fashion, just... no. Faux is okay though!). I also second clowns! Creepy as hell, especially Ronald McDonald. When I was a kid, if Mum and Dad bought me one of those little boxes of McDonald's cookies, I used to flush the Ronald McDonald ones down the toilet! He was so creepy to four year old me that I couldn't even bear to consume him in cookie form.

 

Etsy flexibility absolutely, if you can find something similar to a favourited item or are able to craft it yourself, that's awesomeness as far as I'm concerned. I'm a bit crap about maintaining my Etsy favourites anyway!

 

Make up I wear it, I buy it, I love it. Benefit and Stila are faves, though not cheap. I love nice skincare stuff too.

 

Disney movies So the princessy crap is not exactly empowering, but a lot of them can be fun. I love The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Up. Aladdin's good fun for the genie alone.

 

DVD/VCR/BluRay We have BluRay, which also plays regular DVDs. We may still have a VCR kicking around in a cupboard somewhere, not sure.

 

Custom icons I'm capable of making my own, but it would be kind of fun to be gifted them by a witch too.

 

Socks / Sock Dreams Hell yes! Love socks. I especially have a weakness for above-the-knee or knee-length stripey numbers in not-very-adult colour combinations. I prefer them in cotton rather than that fabric that feels like thick tights though, if you know what I mean? I’ve only ever had one pair of hand-knitted socks and I didn’t love them, but I think that’s because of the yarn they were made from – it made my feet feel kind of clammy. In a nice sock yarn, I’m sure hand-knitted would be awesome.

 

Comforting things Let’s see... I’d make myself a bowl of tomato soup (the canned stuff, fancy gourmet soup doesn’t cut it for me when it’s comfort I’m seeking) and some artery-hardening buttery toast. I’d curl up on the couch with the puppies and my snuggly brown blankie, and watch Amelie for the bazillionth time. Ahhhh! All better.

 

Horror movies/books I was a little surprised to see a couple of people mention Pan’s Labyrinth, because I don’t think of that as a ‘horror’ movie – I suppose it is a bit scary though! I love The Nightmare Before Christmas, though that too I don’t really find scary. I’m kind of a wimp about proper horror, maybe because I have too much of an over-active imagination! As for books, it’s not a genre I read much. I did read a scary –ish book called Heart Shaped Box (by... Joe somebody? The bookshop lady told me he was related to Stephen King. Nephew perhaps?) which I quite liked. And when I was about 11 or 12 I loved those Point Fiction books, which were pretty scary at the time

 

Name/description of custom blend I kind of blanked on this in the questionnaire, so let’s see if I can make a better attempt... One of my happiest things is cooking for the people I love, and standing around the kitchen chatting and laughing. So my custom blend is called Bitchin’ Kitchen – sweet wine, honey, olive oil and spices, underscored with skin musk and a whiff of splattered, well-loved cook books.

 

Comic books I’ve never got into them. That’s not to say I’m completely closed to the idea or anything, but the more traditional kind (Batman and whatnot) have never really appealed. There seems to be some pretty cool stuff out there now though that I would maybe like if I got into it.

 

Warm drinks I’m definitely a tea girl – I love Earl Grey and herbal blends the most. I don’t like milky drinks at all, so I can’t do hot chocolate or chai latte or anything like that, even though they smell good. I do occasionally drink an espresso, but I mostly avoid coffee because I don’t think it’s that good healthwise and I hate coffee breath

 

Symbols/totems I identify closely with dogs/wolves, but on a symbolic level I love bees and antelope – there’s something about both of them that speaks to my spirit. I also like the ankh and often wear it on pendants.

 

BPAL boxes I think I’m okay on this score... I bought a nice wooden display box for my BPALses. It is filling quite quickly though!

 

Fantasy character/animal/being Are we counting the True Blood universe? Because... I’ll be Sookie Stackhouse please. For obvious tall muscular Swedish reasons.

 

If you could go back to any point in time, where, when, why? I’d go back to 1930’s Mexico and be Frida Kahlo’s BFF, because she was awesome.

 

Hallowe’en treats As Hallowe’en is minor here, we don’t really see special Hallowe’en candy. I actually just yesterday got an email with Hallowe’en stuff from the specialist American grocery store I sometimes go to, and ZOMG! I’m going. If my witch sent me Hallowe’en candy (or recipes for Hallowe’en treats) that would be super fun.

 

What movie scared the bejeezus out of you as a child? I actually found The Wizard of Oz scary, but not for the witches - I thought that the Tinman and the Scarecrow were really super creepy looking (I still think scarecrows are really freaky!). I also remember being a bit creeped out by some parts of The Labyrinth, but I haven't seen it in a long while now so I don't remember which.

 

Name a couple of sites you frequent other than this one. The Oatmeal, Melbourne Water (I know it's really tragic, but we've been in drought for over 10 years and when it rains I like to check the water levels - GEEK ALERT! ), a few food blogs, numerous shopping sites.

 

If you could have any creature (real or imaginary) as a pet, what would it be? Nibbler from Futurama! And a unicorn to ride to work, the traffic is appalling (I assume unicorns can fly or magically teleport or something).

 

Do you like the Muppets? Which is your favorite? I *adore* the muppets! So very hard to pick a favourite. Animal, Statler and Waldorf, the Swedish Chef (bork!bork!bork!), the Spanish Dancing Chickens... heh. But most of all, the cat from

! It's something to do with the gleeful expression on his face as he goes by, it has me and my hubby in stitches every time.

 

Comfort Rereads? I reread books all the time! My husband hates it, because when he starts whining about how books are taking over the house and can't I just throw some out, I tell him no because I'll read them again. The ones I read over and over tend to be books that make me feel good, not super intellectual stuff.

 

Will you be going out of town? No plans to do so.

 

What animal would your daemon be? Alternately, your patronus. The quiz designates me a 'multi-faceted soul', which I find appropriate - I can be hard to pigeonhole. Of the animals suggested, elephant and wolf are the ones I feel strongest about.

 

What's YOUR favorite word? Hullaballoo

 

Steampunk, yay or nay? I like. I'd probably not wander about in a full outfit, but the aesthetic definitely appeals. I love steampunk jewellery.

 

Dried Honeycrisp apples? I would love these so damn much, but I can see non-packaged dried fruit getting confiscated by quarantine unfortunately

 

Knitted item would be lovely, maybe a scarf as my last witch made me a hat. Any sort of berry colour would be nice. No fibre allergies, although 100% wool can sometimes be kind of scratchy.

 

Gift Certificate: physical or email? Umm. Probably email, although gift certificates are kind of a tricky area in general, as not all etailers will ship to Australia.

 

Yankee Candles? Well, I've never had the opportunity to test any of their range, but I do like scented candles in general. A local candle chain, Dusk, used to make a scent called St Moritz (peppermint and sandalwood) which I adored, but then they went and discontinued it. I was a sad panda.

 

Zuni animal fetish Oh, those are kind of cool. Ram or deer, I think.

 

Glow in the dark radishes? Ha! Very cute - not the kind of thing you'd wear every day perhaps, but good for a giggle.

 

Cake or Frosting? Frosting is definitely the highlight.

 

Cake truffles? Sounds yummy!

 

Mini bath/body products? Sure. I probably won't be travelling anywhere before next year, but these are always handy to have.

 

Vampire shows, literature, etc? I like most vampire stuff. I've probably already adequately expressed that I'm a True Blood fan. Twilight and Vampire Diaries I can take or leave. The Anne Rice stuff is cool. To my shame, I've never watched Buffy I keep meaning to buy a box set.

 

Video games we have a Wii... the only game I'm really keen to get at the moment is the oldskool Super Mario for Wii. I love Super Mario, the tune is even my ringtone sometimes.

 

Flowers/plants/seeds I like the idea of this, but unless you're also in Australia, dear witch, all things botanical are sadly verboten.

 

Marzipan? is not really for me - I find it a little sickly.

 

3 dream BPALs: Lessee... I'm dead keen for some Rose Red, really hoping it's back in the Yules this year. And ever since I was gifted a few drops by the lovely TwilightEyes, I've been jonesing for more Banshee Beat, but this is somewhat unrealistic given the stuff's rarer than dodo poo. From the GC, I've been meaning for ages to buy a bottle of Lucy's Kiss, and I also need a backup of Schrodinger's Cat. That's four. Oh well.

 

International treats From the US, I like Reese's, Almond Joys, York peppermint patties (thanks Tarty!) and those savoury pretzel chunk snack things. Oh, and Old Bay (thanks greylen!). From the UK, Jaffa Cakes and Walker's crisps, and I love plain McVities digestives, but I can get those in the supermarket. I love everything German except for Kloese, and especially Lebkuchen.

 

BPTP 'ween update Actually, I haven't ordered anything yet, purely because it all looks wonderful and I need to set aside some time to go through it all and prioritise.

 

Soundtracks Hmm, I'm not sure about that... haven't seen many movies lately to covet soundtracks. I could kind of do with a new copy of the Amelie soundtrack, my constant use and abuse of the current one has rendered it scratchified and skippy in certain places.

 

Last.fm I don't have an account there, but if this issue is important to you, dear witch, just let me know and I'll go make one.

 

Any countries you're interested in? Only freakin' all of them! I love to travel soooo much... if only Australia wasn't so far from everywhere that it costs a fortune in airfares. So in no particular order, here is a list of countries that interest me. Let's start with Europe: Germany (again), Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Poland, Russia, France, Spain, Slovenia, Norway, UK (again). Africa: Malawi, Morocco, Uganda. North and South America: Cuba (again), Canada, USA (particularly Oregon and Kentucky, don't know why), Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Haiti, Guatemala. Asia: India (again), Korea, Iran. Oceania: New Zealand, Palau. I've probably left some out, but you get the idea.

 

Homemade bath products absolutely!

 

If you witch made you something and it didn't come out just right, would you still want it? Definitely! I think slightly goofy, not-quite-as-intended things are actually really special.

 

Are you a foodie? Yeah... with a chef for a Dad it's pretty unavoidable. I'm not too wanky about it though - I like simple food with fresh ingredients.

 

Sport I'm not hugely into sport to be honest (bad Aussie!). Husband loves golf, cricket and Australian Rules football. I don't mind going and watching sport live, but watching it on TV makes me want to stab my eyeballs after about 20 minutes.

 

Holiday decorations Christmas is really the only holiday I decorate for, but I do love decorating for Christmas. My husband indulges me on my annual trips to The Christmas Cave. I like quite traditional stuff for Christmas.

 

Journals/notebooks/sketchbooks? Absolutely! *love* I prefer unlined though, because I like to combine both writing and sketching.

 

Partials are fine by me! I love so many BPALs that the chances of me ever using a full bottle are pretty limited anyway.

 

latest lab update? Ummm, I already went kind of nuts on the weenie update, with bottles and decants, so I'm probably good there. Though I didn't order a decant of Los Angeles and now I kind of wish I had.

 

Craft kits Why not? I'll give anything crafty a go.

 

Handmade v. purchased Dear and special witch, whatever is right for you is right for me. If you're a crafter I would be thrilled and honoured to receive handmade gifts. But if you're the anti-craft, that's fine too - not everybody's into making things. I will appreciate whatever you send, truly.

 

Fave soap etailer? I love Tarty's Paintbox Soapworks stuff - I have tried (or have standing by) Orange Crush, Gingermilk, A Walk in the Woods, The Olive Tree, White Cotton Sheets, Resolution, Sweet Cheeks and they are all pretty awesome. I haven't tried Villainess or Haus of Gloi, they sound nice too.

 

Vintage homewares / decorations hell yeah!

 

With regards to your gifts, would you prefer your presents' awesomeness evenly spread out (several packages of pretty terrific things) over the round or a slow build-up of awesomeness (going up from pretty cool things to something super-duper cool at the end) to go out with a bang? Do you have a preference? Again, whatever works for you, witch of mine. And whatever fits best with your plans and budget.

 

Makeup prefs I think I already mentioned my abiding fondness for Benefit. I also like MAC, Stila and any of those online mineral pigment blenders. I'm very pale, and bright lips make me look either like a clown or a toddler who got into Mommy's makeup bag, so I wear neutral lips and concentrate more on eye makeup.

 

Contact prefs Semi-regular contact is nice if my witch can manage it, but I'll try not to be too needy if s/he needs some downtime now and again. Life happens, right?

 

Do you have a place where you list all the BPAL you have or have tried? Scentbase (which is awesome, yay for Cam!), but I've been slack about updating it for awhile now. I will try to set aside some time to do that.

 

Maple candy Never had any, but I'd give it a try, oh yes I would.

 

Bacon+chocolate As above!

 

Tea-cozies Don't have a tea cozie, but if my witch sent one I'd use it. I kind of have a small tea pot collection going, so there are various shapes and sizes in the mix.

 

 

Unwelcome foods Fish and bananas. Lucky for me I wasn’t born in a small pacific island nation huh?

 

Digital subscriptions If I’m honest with myself, I’d forget to read it. So probably a no on this one.

 

Chocolate or other types of candy? I like both. I’m fond of sour candies, and anything chocolately that is not sullied by raisins. I don’t dislike raisins, but they shouldn’t be in chocolate. Nuts and chocolate are good, especially hazelnut. Nom! I’m not a huge fan of liqueur chocolates though.

 

Lloose leaf or tea bags? Tea bags are nice for convenience’s sake, and I’d probably use them more frequently because I can take them to work. Loose leaf is nice too though, and feels more special. It might be harder to get through Aussie quarantine though.

 

Knitted / crocheted items My last witchee sent me a knitted hat, so if my witch is a knitter, socks or a scarf or a shawl would be awesome. I’m only a beginner knitter myself, so I’ll be impressed by pretty much anything.

 

Is there a TV, movie or literary character that you are a lot alike, or would like to be alike? Hubs and I were watching the movie “The Blind Side” the other night and he turned to me at one point and said, ‘My god... she’s exactly like you!’ in relation to Sandra Bullock’s character. So make of that what you will. Caring but bossy, I suppose!

 

Kitchen items? I would like a microplane zester. Or one of those little triangular tools that you strip bits out of carrots and cucumbers with so that they look like little flowers when you cut them. Or I could always use more measuring spoons.

 

Music, DO you prefer Live or Studio? Edited or explicit? Both studio and live are great, they have different things to offer. I prefer explicit to edited – you know exactly what they’re saying anyway, so I don’t see the point in blanking out the profanity. If I don’t like the content of a song, I’ll just not listen to it, rather than wanting some watered-down version.

 

Animal type/breed My dogs are both pointer types, but that doesn’t mean breeding is an important consideration for me. Bella may possibly be purebred, but Wile E. is definitely of questionable pedigree, and they’re both shelter dogs. Bonnie is a purebred British Shorthair (we adopted her for $50 from a breeder who couldn’t breed with her because she was too small for the standard. She even has a few show ribbons in a drawer somewhere – from before we got her). I admit her breed makes especially adorable cats (chubby and stumpy and oh-so-floofy) but I’d love her just as much if she was a basic moggie too. So what I’m trying to say, in a long and rambling fashion, is that I respect breed characteristics but breeding is not particularly important to me personally.

 

Favourite flowers/plants Flowers: Sunflowers, tulips, cherry blossom. Trees: Maples, Ghost Gums, Chinese Elms. Plants: Ferns. Herbs.

 

Do you have a favorite quotation? Song lyric? Book passage? Proverb? "Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." (attributed variously to Walt Whitman or Helen Keller) It sums up the way I want to live, and this is where my avatar and screen name come from too - sunflowers always turn to face the sun, and if you make a literal translation of the Spanish for sunflower, that's what it means, turn to the sun (girar = to turn, sol = sun).

 

Spawn preferences? ♫ Spawn-free , as free as the wind blows… ♪

 

Is there anything you would like that can be delivered over the internet? Things like fanfic recs, cat macros, mp3s you are looking for, how-to or amusing videos, things like that. Funny YouTube recs are always good. And I do love a good LOLcat.

 

Last meal One of Dad’s roasts – the comfort of the familiar.

 

NaNoWriMo? Never tried it. The idea appeals in theory, but I know myself well enough to know I’d never have the discipline.

 

Dollar store knick knacks Are cute, but pls don’t overdo it, dear witch – I’m not the greatest housekeeper in the world, so I try to avoid clutter where I can.

 

Manga/anime The only one I ever remember having watched is Astro Boy!

 

Are you open to receiving things that are not on your wishlist, maybe something your Witch thinks you might like? Sure! Try me.

 

Crafting instead of buying (slight differences notwithstanding) Go for it.

 

Sock preferencesI really like long ones (above the knee or knee length) but I always have use for ankle socks too.

 

How do people feel about word magnets I think they’re great!

 

Scarf preferences I’m not too fussy really. I guess I’d like something fairly long, maybe skinny to medium in width. But honestly, not picky.

 

Recipes Love them, pls share your faves if you’d like to.

 

What kind of a cook/baker are you? A reckless one! No, not really. But while I respect recipes to an extent, if I think it would taste better with more chilli or I feel like chucking in a handful of rosemary, you better believe I’m gonna do it. Experimental is a good term for my approach, I suppose.

 

Are you happiest calling for delivery or microwaving a lean cuisine, Or will Food Network be asking you to host their new program? I really like cooking, but the Mr and I tend to be time poor, so I’m not always in the mood to be creative in the kitchen. I’m not a snob about food – if you have all day to simmer a homemade soup then that’s all well and good, but convenience foods have their place.

 

If I send you something home made would you like the recipe for it? Sure, if you’re willing to share. But if the recipe is a treasured one from your great Granny that you’d rather keep just in the family, that’s cool too.

 

How about home made mixes or kits? Kind Sounds great, but again with the customs/quarantine thing.

 

Tea prefs I like most herbal teas, especially lemon or gingery ones. I like flavoured black teas, particularly Earl Grey, and my favourite tea company makes a crème brulee flavoured black tea which is ZOMGAMAZING. Green tea... TBH, it’s hit and miss with me. I like the jasmine ones usually, but I find green teas in general can be kind of bitter.

 

Are there any particular movies, tv shows or cd’s that you’ve been meaning to buy for years but just never got round to getting? Would you mind a gently used dvd/cd if your witch had it or could get it?? Yes! Along with a few things I have on VHS or DVD but would love to get on blu ray. There’s a few on my Amazon wishlist. I would die of happiness if my witch sent me Fraggle Rock DVDs. And yeah, used is fine.

 

Possets update Never tried Possets. Frankly I’m reluctant to try any other perfume oil retailers than BPAL, because I’m already doing enough damage just with BPAL.

 

Would you like a custom/altered toy I’ve seen Roogna’s tricked-out MLPs and I think they’re awesome! I’d like something like that if it was arty like Roogna’s stuff, but in general I’m not really a collector.

 

Do you like the candy apple, candy corn or pumpkin spice kisses? Haven’t tried any of them, but I’d like to.

 

Anne Taintor, anyone? Sure, I love retro!

 

Which web comics do you enjoy? Natalie Dee, Married to the Sea, The Oatmeal, Hyperbole and a Half.

 

Who likes hair toys, and if so what kind? Yeah, I like little silk flowers and nice clips. Alligator or Ibis clips always come in handy.

 

Does any art we may send need to be child safe, either in the actually safe sense or the non X rated sense? Nope, no need to censor or child-proof anything that comes my way.

 

Knitted/crocheted things Yup, pretty much anything.

 

How do you feel about altered/recycled/upcycled items of clothing or accessories? Fun, love it.

 

Violette Market see ‘Possets’...

 

Favourite habitat and climate to live in? How about to visit? (ie. forest, canyons, mountains, by the beach; temperate, tropical...) I think my preferred climate doesn’t exist anywhere! I like the temperate climate in Melbourne, but I wish the extremes were less... uh, extreme. Specifically, if the temperature never went above 28C, like, ever, I would be so happy. But I also don’t want Antarctic winters.

 

What do you wish you could make/craft if you had the know-how and supplies? Specifically, which particular items? Silver jewellery (as in not just wire-wrapping and stuff, but hand-smithed jewellery). I’ve taken a basic course, but still need to practise lots and learn how to set stones.

 

Conjure Oils See ‘Possets’ and ‘Violette Market’...

 

Book Fair/Comic Con scents I’m trying very hard not to obsess over event exclusives (or even read the descriptions). That way madness lies.

 

Address /phone books Not really... I love the idea, but I end up never using them. I have several dotted around the house with maybe 4 or 5 addresses in them.

 

Do you read/like fantasy? I like Gaiman and Harry Potter. Other than that I haven’t read a hell of a lot of fantasy, but I’m definitely open to it. If my witch is a fantasy reader, I’d love some recommendations.

 

Soaps Yes, love ‘em! I want to try all Tarty’s fall LEs from Paintbox Soapworks, and I’d love to try some more of the Slips and Sorbettos too. I’ve been holding off ordering anything though, because I know Paintbox is a favourite with Switch Witchers! And I keep meaning to try Villainess and some of the other Etsy B&B etailers too. I’ll get around to it sometime. There’s only so much soap one person can use.

 

Arcana see Possets, Violette Market, Conjure Oils...

 

BPAL bottles? Will have to count when I go home. But I would guesstimate somewhere around 80 – 100 maybe?

 

Exercise programs I’m probably okay on this score. I’m not patient enough for yoga, and my dog stared at me like I was a freak while I tried to do a Zumba video once. I think I’ll just stick with my dog walks and my treadmill, I’m to uncoordinated for most everything else.

 

Emily Autumn? Haven’t heard of her. Will Google later.

 

Girl Scout cookies? We don’t have Girl Scouts here, we have Girl Guides. Which is kind of the same thing, except that their cookies SUCK. Well not really, but they are very plain. US Girl Scout cookies sound awesome by comparison.

 

What's your take on homemade apple butter? Want some?Yes please!

 

Garlic Love it. I think I prefer it in savoury things, but I’ve never tried garlic chocolate or anything so I suppose I can’t say definitively that I wouldn’t like it.

 

Zombies? They interest me from a professional perspective! Srsly, whoever’s doing their PR is kicking ass, their brand awareness has skyrocketed in the past few years Co-branding with Jane Austen was a smart move for both of them.

 

Blooddrop See Possets, Violette Market, Conjure Oils, Arcana...

 

Shoes I love them. I wouldn’t expect my witch to buy them for me though!

 

Do you like paper dolls (new or vintage) or coloring in books? Never thought much about paper dolls... vintage ones would probably be cool to scrapbook with though. Colouring books I loved as a kid, but they triggered my random OCD tendencies. If I went outside the lines by accident, you’d better believe that whole page was getting ripped out of the book.

 

Do you like weird scary things as traditionally girly fashion items like heels and handbags? I kinda do! I enjoy freaking people out on occasion.

 

What song is on heavy rotation for you right now? At the moment, it’s everything on Billy Bragg and Wilco’s Mermaid Avenue album. I had a copy years ago that got stolen out of DH’s car when we lived in a crappy neighbourhood, but I re-purchased it recently and I’m loving re-acquainting myself with it.

 

Are you coveting any of the NYCC atmospheric sprays? British Blondes sounds good.

 

If you could get any one thing hand-painted from your witch, what would it be and what would be on it? Anything really. I love receiving other people’s artwork!

 

Naturally-dyed yarn Oh dear god yes.

 

If you have played before, what are some of the most memorable things you've gotten? What really made you go WOW? If you haven't played, same thing, but not limited to SW. My former witch Tarty was so good to me! She made me an awesome slouchy woolly hat that I adore. She found me some kerokerokeroppi stickers to heal the trauma I suffered at the age of 11 when my collection was stolen. She sent me Napoleon Dynamite sweatbands! And many other awesome things, but those ones particularly tickled me.

 

Do you collect stones/rocks? I'm talking like "semi" precious stones, ie moonstone, bloodstone, quartz ect. Not so much at the moment... I am hoping to take another silver smithing workshop to learn to set stones though.

 

Amigurumi critter Ephelant or bumblebee please!

 

Local/tourist item? Yez! The cheesier the better.

 

Venomous Villains? I took a look and most of it looks pretty awesome. But with my skin tone, colours that dark and rich would truly make me look like a cartoon villain. Good for Hallowe’en, but maybe not for everyday.

 

Last Unicorn? You know, I saw the movie as a kid and didn’t like it so much. I think it was just a little too bittersweet for my eight year old self. I’d love to read the book though, and I’m definitely interested in the scents once I know what the notes are.

 

If you could make a scent that represents where you live (or have lived), what would be the ingredients? Ooh, fun question! Let’s see...

 

Perth: Salt air, baked asphalt, hibiscus and sunscreen.

 

Tasmania: Ozone, woodsmoke, sassafras, rich earth and a breath of eucalyptus.

 

Adelaide: Wine, butter, amber and dry grass.

 

London: Tea roses, beeswax, sugar cookies and soot.

 

Melbourne: Cafe latte, vanilla, spice and frost.

 

Are you in need of Roller bottles or anything of the like? I have some roller bottles, but they’re 5-10ml ones... I’d love some teeny imp-sized ones!

 

Is there one scent that is your goto for comfort on a bad stressful day? Like the perfume equivilent of a security blankie? Oberon or The Lights of Men’s Lives are my comfort scents (Oberon smells like the bubble baths my Mum used to run for me when I was little, and TLOML just smells like all things cosy). And when things have been crappy and I really need a happy, pants-free day, I turn to Black Cat. It hasn’t let me down.

 

What are you going to be for Halloween? Probably nothing But a friend’s having a costume party in November, for which I’m leaning toward Morticia.

 

Random weird things I covet Dia de los Muertos anything would be awesome.

 

Villainess update I’d be glad to try anything from Villainess.

 

Purses--lunchbags, etc? I love purses, fabric shopping bags, etc. Husband would argue I have too many, but I disagree.

 

Favourite notes Between what's listed in my profile and my questionnaire, my witch should have a pretty good idea of the notes that work for me. But if there's one thing I've learned through my BPAL-worship, it's that I can rarely assume a scent will or won't work based on the list of notes alone... so I'm open to trying anything.

 

Sugar skulls That would be cool! I love la Dia de los Muertos, it's philosophy and the associated imagery and paraphernalia. I find Mexican culture really interesting in general, and I really like the Mexican idea of death as just another stage of life.

 

So, who here loves pomegranates? Are the good as a fruit, a flavoring or just a scent? All of the above, I love pomegranate! The story of Demeter and how she came to spend half of the year with Hades after eating pomegranate seeds is my favourite Greek legend.

 

Haunt Update? Never tried it. Sounds pretty popular though!

 

Do you have a preferred weight of yarn to work in? Lace, sock, worsted, bulky, handspun with variation? I'm new to knitting, so I'll have a crack at anything. I particularly like soft, chunky yarns though - they're so snuggly! I'm not a big fan of the ones that have knobbly bits attached to them though.

 

Anyone like little seasonal decorative wreaths? Like gravevine wreaths embellished with silk flora, etc.? Sure, sounds pretty.

 

Snuggies? No thanks... I have a nice squishy brown blankie I huddle under - we're LIKETHIS, me and my blankie. I like to think that, as a semi-intelligent bipedal hominid, things such as walking to the kitchen with a blanket draped over my shoulders or extricating my hands to change the TV channel are not beyond my powers of problem solving.