Pumpkin: Pumpkin scents do not work on my skin. Home scents would be OK, though. And I love pumpkin based foods.

 

Canned goods: YES PLEASE!! ALL YOUR CANNED GOODS ARE BELONG TO ME!!

 

Dr. Who: Dr. who? Sorry... Bad pun. I don't watch much TV.

 

Lipbalm: yes. No weird flavors like beer or dill pickles, but otherwise I'm pretty open. My favorite brand is a local company, but really, I like them all.

 

Lipgloss: sure! Looking for the perfect, sheer neutral red stain. Not so much the brownish or orange-ish or frosted/pale colors, but I'm all about lip gloss, tinted balms, and lip stains. Like a little obsessed, even.

 

Other than BPALs: I love Sapphire and the vanilla-y ones from Nocturne Alchemy. Arcana's Morphine is big favorite. I also would love to try more from Violette Market and Haunt. I've never tried anything from Alkemia or however its spelled, but those sound pretty interesting, too. Im a fan of Blonde Suede and St. Valentine from DSH. As far as mainstream companies, I do like Poison, but otherwise I like TokyoMilk and I'd like to try maybe Tom Ford Oud and/or vanilla ones. And maybe Jo Malone, but its not like a burning desire or anything. I LOVE Blooddrop's Lyrical Horse and would love to try more of the Carousel Horses.

 

Adagio teas: IDK. I pretty much drink Tazo Chai (preferably the Organic, but def. not the Decaf!)

 

Coffee: I don't usually drink coffee and I don't think I'd like pumpkin coffee, but I do like New Orleans style chicory coffee and I'm fond of the occasional mocha. I've got a drip style coffee maker, but I haven't used it in years.

 

Favorite Female of All Time: uh... Eve? According to the story, she had Paradise, but gave it up for knowledge. I like certain aspects of Marie Antoinette. I'd love to have my own Petite Trianon.

 

 

Disney Princess: would have to be Merida, because I was really mouthy like that as a kid. Plus, we're kind of hair twins.

 

Current Craft Projects: Jewelry design, natural indigo Shibori dyeing, making simple clothing, wire-wrapping gemstones and fossils, basic leather work, making stuff with feathers including barrettes, jewelry, and quill pens, drawing, painting. Craft supplies always welcome! Especially rough gems, feathers, leather and fur scraps, tiny bottles and tins, cool old jewelry I can canniblize, embroidery floss, vintage lace and fabric trims (or new, actually), natural fibers, dried herbs, beeswax, cocoa butter... If you can make stuff with it, I can probably use it! I have tons more ideas on my questionnaire.

 

One rare BPAL: Banshee Beat

 

 

Are you kinky? I could be persuaded... What have you got in mind? Hahahahaha. I'm married for 12 years with 2 kids... Is a sex dream kinky?

 

Scented candles: I've had a few that I enjoyed, but can't remember the brand or scent or anything. I prefer mostly natural-ish subtle scents for home. I'm open to trying pretty much anything (except aquatics and leather), but things that are too strong or girly will be bitched about by my super-smeller husband.

 

South Africa: I love handmade, regional specialties of all kinds from pretty much anywhere. I'm not familiar with what might come from South Africa, but I love beads and hand printed cloth, shells, whatever is special about where you live.

 

Sock Dreams: I don't know. I only wear socks when I have to. But I like soft, tall ones. Pretty much any color but purple and preferably without pictures of actual things (like cats and stuff) on them. Patterns are OK and crazy colors are fine, too.

 

Hair accessories: yes to hair accessories. Not into bows or cutesy stuff, but I use everything from barrettes to headbands to elastics to forks to old combs to spin pins. Any metals or natural looking materials like wood or tortoise shell. I got some awesome seashell bobbies that I LOVE and wouldn't mind having more. Colors would probably be OK, but not like kids' stuff.

 

Favorite Shade of Blue: all of them. ok... Maybe not Wedgewood Blue (cool grey blue), but every other kind of blue, I love. Blue and green are my favorite colors. Think peacock colors.

 

Kitchen Gadgets: not really. A good crockpot cookbook? But only if its one you know and love.

 

Learn something new? I really enjoy interesting non-fiction. I'd love to learn a little more about natural dyes, particularly Shibori. I'd also like to learn more about edible gardening and advanced jewelry making. Metaphysical type stuff, too especially gems and tarot.

 

Candy: I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but I do eat some candy occasionally. I like orange chocolates, Reese's Cups, super sour candies, really good butterscotch. Can't think of anything else at the moment.

 

E-reader: I don't have a dedicated e-reader, but I have an iPad and iPhone and wouldn't mind having some books to read.

 

Anything handmade that I wouldn't want: I really can't think of anything I wouldn't want. I do prefer natural fibers for knitted and crochet things that are worn close to the skin.

Video Games: I have a Wii, but not that many games. I'd love to have some fun games for that and used ones would be perfectly fine with me! I also have a Big Fish Games account. I like to play adventure and puzzle games that use my brain rather than trigger finger.

 

Personal Daily Ritual: I start every day with a HUGE glass of hot chai. I try to wash my face every night. It's usually just toner or facial wipes. Swipe of lip balm and slathering of BPAL before bed.

 

Nail polish: if you find something really crazy cool, sure... I don't wear much polish and its usually just on my toes. I also think that the polishes get together and have little polish babies in there because I have more than I will ever use.

 

BPALs tried and want more: Tamora, Temple Viper, Underpants, Boomslang, Jabberwocky, Elizabeth of Bohemia, Womb Furie, Samhain, How Doth the Little Crocodile, Oakmoss SN, White Sage SN, I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting.

 

Do you write real letters: no, but I use tons of little notebooks and sketchbooks.

 

Paintbox Soapworks: Beet it, High in the 70s, April Fool, Hearthside. I'm sure there are more that I'd love, but those are my favorites so far. I especially adore Beet it and Hearthside. Love the sorbettos and soaps.

 

Gardening: Yes. I grow a veggie garden and I try to focus my gardening efforts on edibles and aromatics. I wouldn't mind having something that was just pretty or interesting, but things that need fussing over likely won't survive.

 

Sample size things: YES! Just... Yes. I love to sample all the things!

 

Fortune Cookie Soaps: never tried, but would be open.

 

Solid soap: yes. My favorites are Quinquereme of Nineveh by Lush, High in the 70s and Beet It from PBSW and Mystere Sea Salt by Naples Soap Co. There was also a charcoal one I got that I adored, but I can't remember where it came from. I LOVE sea salt soap and charcoal soap, but I'm open to trying pretty much anything. Again, leather and aquatic scents don't work very well for me.

 

Cocoa Pink: I've seen, but not tried their stuff. I don't take baths (although my kids do), but I wouldn't mind trying their other things as long as they fall within my scent likes and dislikes.

 

Lush: the charcoal based face cleansers look kind of interesting and some of the curly hair stuff. I'm sure that there's tons more I would try. Quinquereme of Nineveh soap is one of my all-time favorite bath products ever, but I've only ever gotten a sample. I've never even seen it for sale.

 

100 people in a room... What makes me different:

 

I'm going to answer this with as much honesty as I can muster.

 

The obvious differences are that I have very long, curly hair. I also rarely wear make-up, although I like to wear it. I'm really small. Only about 5 feet 1 inch tall and 115 lbs. I look and act much younger than my age.

 

The not so obvious differences. Trying to think of how to say this without sounding like an a-hole... My IQ is too high to measure by most of the quick, basic IQ tests. I don't know my actual IQ score, but its 99th percentile. It would definitely put me in the minority in a random sample of Americans, but in good company here. Most of the time, I try to hide it a little because it tends to piss people off. I also have ADHD and a math learning disability that makes even simple math somewhat difficult for me. I have two children with special needs. I have an incredibly incredibly sick, completely un-PC, absolutely ruthless sense of humor that I rarely share because most people wouldn't understand that I don't necessarily share the same viewpoint as my sense of humor.

 

Do I want questions answered here or in a blog? I've enjoyed reading responses here, but I know it would be handy to have the answers all in one place, especially if you had dietary restrictions or allergies or just things that you don't want or can't have.

 

Shiro Cosmetics: these are awesome! I really don't wear makeup very often, but For eyes, i like rich jewel tones, non-pastel pinks, and those kind of nude-but-better colors. For lips, I like bright-ish, sheer colors in traditional lip colors. Not so into browns, fantasy colors, or pale/frosted colors. I like to experiment, so don't worry about buying something "wrong".

 

Anything you boycott: Hobby Lobby. Otherwise, I try to be somewhat conscientious with my purchases, but I'm not that picky. However, I'm not that big on animal parts that involve killing the animal expressly for me. I don't mind using animal parts that are from meat production, ethically culled, found, or vintage..

 

Favorite FB pages: I'm Jodi Manis on Facebook. You are welcome to friend me.

 

Do you read literature / etc. blogs: no, I just don't have much time. If I had some suggestions, I might.

 

Do you like picnics: there's no such thing as an intimate, 2-person picnic in my life, but yes, we do enjoy the occasional picnic.

 

Haus of Gloi: it actually all sounds good! I really love lemony scents and there are lots of them. I'd prefer the bath products to the oils, but wouldn't say no to any of it. Just no leather or aquatics.

 

VM: the dirty cotton candy, patchouli vanilla cotton candy, sugared incense cotton candy, heliotrope penny candy, Powdered sweet smoke penny candy, sugared patch penny candy, tahitian vanilla penny candy, vanilla mint penny candy, Butter Cow and Milkmaid all sound good, and I'd love a lemony, creamy, vanilla-y coconut-y something or a chocolatey vanilla-y, rosy, resiny something, or a tomato leaf-y, cucumber-y, minty, rose water-y something. I could go on...

 

Anything you collect from places you visit! Seashells, driftwood, feathers, rocks, crystals, minerals... Stuff like that. Occasionally a t-shirt.

 

Empire Edibles? Looks delicious. The Empress of India fudge looks good. And the hot chocolate sticks. Especially the spicy ones.

 

3 books you want to read: The Magician King by Lev Grossman. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris

 

Is there a literary character you identify with? Not really a literary character, but Hollis Gillespie has always kind of resonated with me.

 

Tabletop Games? My kids are just now getting old enough to play games. Most of the games we have are taken apart and played with and pieces lost.

 

What is your sense of humor? Dry, dumb, sick. I don't necessarily think absurdity is funny and Monty Python style humor doesn't really do "it" for me.

 

Anything from X country? I would LOVE to have anything that is special about wherever you are from. Spice mixes, canned goods, folk art, particular crafts, sweets, whatever you like that is special to where you live.

 

Most recent BPAL update? They all look interesting! But I can't do leather or aquatics. So there are a couple that won't work at all. I'd really like to try to bath oils, though, from BPTP update.

 

Gift cards? Vouchers? Sure. iTunes gift card would be appreciated. Joann, michaels, and starbucks would all be used.

 

Maximum size for a painting? Maybe 7 feet by 7 feet? We have quite a bit of blank wall space.

 

Favorite object owned? Probably my china cabinet. It is beautiful. It's fairly old, I think. And it has the most amazing curved glass pieces in the front. I use it for my cabinet of curiosities since I don't have china! Although I do have very modern cut crystal wine glasses in there.

 

Is there someone on forums who knows you really well? Not really. Lookingglass and a few others have met me in real life, but only a couple of times.

 

Do you like wax melts or tarts? Not really. I don't have a burner or anything.

Hot Chocolate? Yes, please! I'm not so into flavored varieties, unless it were completely natural. Especially no mint, please. Bad experience with peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate, yeah... No thanks.

 

Spoon fudge? IDK, never had it! Why not!

 

Moona Lisa? Yes please! Enable me. I got a bare whiff of something chocolate-y from her that was heavenly.

 

Any BPALs that you thought you'd love because of the imagery that didn't work? Perversion! It was like waking up in the back of a hot car with a hangover from girly drinks. And Ventriloquist's Dummy. The notes sounded like Win, I loved the concept. But it was gawdawful on me. Like I almost retched. Smells good on my mom, though.

 

Starbucks? Sure.