In reverse order...

 

September 11th

 

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.)

 

Fine with most used wearables, other than like underwear and socks. I used to be weirded out by used shoes but became more accepting of them when I went vegan and wanted to stop buying new leather shoes. (When you have weirdly shaped feet, sometimes used leather is the best veg compromise you're going to get.)

 

Books & other media, I am more than fine with used. That's the way to go!

 

Kitchen stuff is a-okay used too.

 

Used cosmetics and soaps and stuff weird me out a little more. Pre-used bar soap would absolutely not get used in my house. (I have trouble sharing bar soap with people I'm related to!) Used perfume would obviously be fine though.

 

Do you have an Etsy shop? Do you know of any Etsy shops that are Switch Witch friendly?

 

No! I love buying on Etsy though.

 

A friend of mine makes wonderful jewelry that she sells partially through Etsy. Her shop is Lush Beads on Etsy. I feel like her spider jewelry might be perfect for some 'Weenies witchees...

 

Would a gift or a postcard from Disneyland make you squee with delight or puke into your mail box?

 

I am ambivalent about Disneyland! A postcard might be nice!

 

what are your favorite types of Halloween candy?

 

Hmm... peanut chews? When I was a kid, those mini heath bars were my favorite, but I've never found a vegan equivalent. Used to also love candy corn (and those little pumpkins made out of candy corn) but again, not vegan.

 

Oh, you know what else I really used to love? Those super cheap tasting milk chocolates in the foil shaped like pumpkins etc. That's actually what I think rice milk chocolate tastes like... kinda waxy and strange and yet oddly alluring.

 

Do you prefer soap or shower gel? Please give examples of your favorite scents or brands.

 

Hmm. I like both. In terms of what I own... I own way more bar soap. So much bar soap. Arcana soaps are almost always a hit with me-- Filthy Viking is my absolutely favorite thing in the whole entire to wash with.

 

I really do NOT love most of Lush's bar soaps. Though, it's been years since I tried a new one... the last new Lush soap I tried was Lily Savon when it first came out. (And boy did I hate that soap.)

 

How do you like your chocolate? For example with nuts, mint, peanut butter, caramel?

 

If it's vegan and it's chocolate, I will eat it. I have no sense of discrimination.

 

Dark chocolate + sea salt + anything else is basically always a particularly big win for me.

 

Beads! Do you use them? Would you want some? What sorts of beads do you like?

 

I flirted with beading at one point, actually due to another SW round. It's not a strength of mine and I probably wouldn't actually use beads you sent me, though I love beaded things.

 

Anyone here like caramels? Sea salted caramels?!?!

 

Caramel is something I adore, but it is rare to find it vegan. I've made it before several times and it's really not that hard (basically sub coconut milk for dairy cream, vegan margarine or coconut oil for butter, and presto) but I guess there's not much of a demand for it in the world.

 

Would you like a hand dyed or hand painted scarf or wrap or other item? If so, what colors/designs/fabrics do you like?

 

Sure! A scarf might be nice, assuming we're talking some light fabric here and not like painted wool. (For wool things, see my answer to knitted goods.) Like I said before, I'm pretty open about colors... earth tones, jewel tones, basically anything that's not sugary pink or white works for me.

 

This was a question before, but does anyone here like stones? Just pretty polished stones for use in whatever purposes?

 

Not really!

 

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September 10th

 

What #1 actor, director, author and/or musician are you obsessed with?

 

Hm. I don't trend towards obsession! At least not as far as celebrities are concerned. Really, I thought about this for like twenty minutes and the only person I can come up with is Stephen Fry. Man, do I love Stephen Fry.

 

are you interested in anything from the Villainness Bad Apples update?

 

I'd love to try the soaps of either Discord or Just Right. (Chances of me buying them for myself are exactly 0 though!)

 

If you have a pet, would he/she/they like to receive a treat or a toy as a gift? Does your pet have any dietary restrictions or other preferences w.r.t. said treat?

 

My guinea pigs don't really do much in the way of treats or toys. We've tried a couple of things that were supposed to be guinea pig specific (fruit twigs, I forget what else) and they're just totally disinterested.

 

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?

 

So I checked my wishlist for an answer to this and realized I really, really need to update it... my most wanteds are all things from the Weenies update of '08, which I decanted and tried all of. Doh!

 

I really wanted to try a lot of the Nutcracker & Scrooge scents last year but just didn't get my act together in time... those aren't really unobtainable but that's what comes to mind.

 

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?

 

The sad truth of the matter is that I already have so many prints that I could paper every bare inch of wall in my house twice.

 

If you are in to beauty and makeup related stuff, what kind of stuff do you like? What is your skintone and hair color? Are there any beauty products you've wanted to try but just never purchase?

 

I'm not into makeup at all.

 

I am, however, really looking for a light moisturizer that also has sunscreen in it. I'd like to try Origins' Brighter by Nature moisturizer but haven't worked up to shelling out the money for it yet. I have notoriously sensitive skin so would really like to try a sample of it before making a decision.

 

Do you like coffee or tea? Would you be interested in trying some different types?

 

Coffee: I freaking love coffee. Coffee is my happy place. Right now I only drink 1 cup a day (and no one else in my house drinks it at all) so if you send any, smaller amounts are probably better than larger amounts.

 

Tea: I used to be a big tea drinker but it's fallen by the wayside somehow. I still love a good chai, but don't really care for straight up black teas anymore. You know what I am up for lately though? Tisanes. I'm trying to limit my caffeine (pregnancy and whatnot) but get bored of sucking down water all day, so non-caffeinated stuff is welcome...

 

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)

 

Hm. Not that I can think of. I usually buy music by artists I love more or less right away.

 

On the other hand, I am always, always looking for new music, so don't feel like you can't send me any just because I can't think of any in particular.

 

MP3s or CDs are best. I love records but really don't have the room to store any more of them than I already have.

 

Are you going away for any part of this round?

 

Not sure if it falls quite within the confines of the round, but I am planning to be out of town for a day or two around Thanksgiving. Other than that, probably not!

 

Would you like to receive a mix-CD from your Witch?

 

Sure!

 

If your witch were going somewhere on a vacation during the round, would you want a little souvenir?

 

Magnets & postcards are always welcome.

 

Do you enjoy any outdoor activities? Do you have a favorite form of "exercise"?

 

Yes! I love just walking outside and spend a lot of time visiting state parks, etc, with my family. I'm also a bike commuter (~8 miles a day) and would really like to expand that into a bigger hobby because man do I love riding my bike.

 

Pre-babies I used to run a lot, and I miss that, but I really can't find the time these days.

 

Any witchee's with a ravelry account have any favourited patterns that cost money that would be a welcome gift?

 

No ravelry account!

 

Do you work/study at a desk and enjoy interesting or cute office supplies?

 

Sure! Especially pens. My workplace is really tight fisted about giving out pens. (Isn't that weird?) And notepads. And like, I could use a pen cup or something too. Um... pretty much any cute office supplies would go to use around here. (The cuter the better, so my two very male cubicle mates don't steal them.)

 

Witchee, are you a fan of musicals? If so, which ones?

 

Yes! And I'm not choosy. I love them all, from the classics like Fiddler and Annie Get Your Gun, etc, up to more contemporary things like RENT and well... I guess RENT's not contemporary anymore, is it?... whatever is contemporary now, I probably like it.

 

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September 9th

 

Do you like to burn incense? If so, what are your favorite kinds...sticks? cones? resins? What are your favorite scents?

 

Incense (and indeed, anything that makes smoke) tends to cause respiratory sadness for me. :/ Which is a bummer, because I love incense. My mom used to make her own when I was little and so I have a lasting fondness for it. I like cones because, well, they're cute, and I like more or less the same scents I like in perfumes... resinous things, dragon's blood and such, lavender, some florals, no patchouli, etc.

 

Harry Potter - a fan? If so, what house are you?

 

I'm a fan. Probably Ravenclaw.

 

If you were to receive a gift card, what places would you like to get one from?

 

Hmm... probably boring ol' Amazon, or if you could figure out how to buy one online, for my local bookstore, Bookshop Santa Cruz.

 

Is there a particular myth/folktale/legend/fairytale/godstory that you're drawn to?

 

Not really any one in particular. I love European fairy tales (Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian etc) and Greek & Roman mythology and am lately fascinated by Russian fairy tales.

 

If you RP, tabletop, forum, or otherwise... Do you have any original characters you'd like to see art of? If so, please give information! Even if it's a link to a web page or a profile or picture!

 

I don't, but what a cool idea!

 

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!

 

I'd love to just see the future, near or otherwise. What will things be like in a hundred years? A thousand? I hate the idea that I'll never know how the story ends, so to speak.

 

When you are having a really rough day, what do you like to do/have to make it a little brighter?

 

Take a bubble bath with my two year old. That sounds weird, but it's the best thing ever because a. I get to take a bath, something that almost never happens if I try to do it solo, and b. my kid is so cute and funny in the bath. It's really just sweet and funny and calming, and plus we all smell nice afterwards.

 

What are your thoughts on comics? Any you like? Any you have been wanting to try? Favorite characters?

 

I was a big comic reader in college, then came to a screeching halt somewhere in my senior year and never picked up again. Some of my old favorites were Fables, Transmetropolitan and really most things by Warren Ellis (when he's not totally phoning it in), anything anything by Ariel Schrag...

 

Are you musical? Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? If not, what do you wish you could play or do?

 

I sing, and that's about it. I've sang in various choirs, which is fun, and in musicals, which is the best thing ever and which I wish I could do again. (I'm not a great singer by any means, but I sound really good in a group and am l-o-u-d, so I am an excellent chorus member!)

 

I adore music but have just never really known where to start with instruments. Someday I'd like to play an instrument-- ANY instrument-- but though I've tried things here and there, I haven't shown any aptitude for it at all.

 

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'm very interested in gardening, but haven't ever succesfully done it. (Once I grew marigolds for my mom, but that's it.) What I'd really like to grow are vegetables and/or herbs, edible things. Right now I have a tiny postage stamp back yard though with seriously maybe 8 ft x 2 ft of soil in it, so anything I tried to grow would probably have to be in containers....

 

Do you decorate for Halloween? Is your decorating taste elegant, kitschy and fun, or scary?

 

Not really! My decorating style trends towards "extremely lazy" so seasonal decorations are something I basically never get around to. Anything that was meant for outside would have to be more elegant, less kitschy.

 

Witchee, do you have any symbols or totems that have special meaning for you?

 

Nothing comes to mind. Hmm, I'm kind of striking out on this set of questions!

 

Is anyone fond of programs like Adopt a Tree/Highway/Library/Manatee/Acre of Rainforest/etc?:

 

Yes!