nekogrrl

2/4 Are you opposed to vegan baked goods? Or baked goods in general? No, and no. 2/3 I custom mix nail polish, a process called 'frankening'. If you were my witch, would you enjoy a custom 'franken', based on whatever colors/theme you chose? Don't wear polish, even on the toes. Since everyone is spending the same amount of money on this swap, would you be interested in seeing the cost breakdown of each item in your package? Not really. Do you like keys? Mmm. Keys. Do you like guessing who your witch is, or would you prefer to know? Do you mind knowing? I like to guess, but I don't obsessively cross names off a list. If he/she chooses to reveal before the round is over, that's okay. However my Witch prefers. If it's going to be obvious who your witch is, would you rather she played the ninja and sent one big box at the end, or smaller packages along the way? Up to Witch's preference. What color are your eyes? blue-green If you had to choose a color for a nightie to sleep in what color would it be? Well, like others I sleep in the altogether, but any of my favorite colors. 2/2 Would you like or accept an energetically-charged item or gift? Something that had power poured into it? If so, do you have a particular purpose that you'd prefer? (Love, protection, money, etc.) Yes, either money or luck pertaining to us finally doing something about our separation and putting in for a US permanent resident visa for the hubby. Do you have any significant upcoming events in your life you'd like something for? A child/yourself graduating from high school/college? Are you buying a new home or car soon? Moving in with someone/getting married? Taking a new job? Moving to a new part of the country/world? Birthday is in April, wedding anniversary is in May. If you want to, fine. If not, fine. Ooooh! BPAL's beloved alicia_stardust is having a contest! If you're my Witchee, would you like a chance to win these earrings? I don't know if copper would play nicely with my ears. They're gorgeous, though. How are we feeling about burlesque? Never tried it or seen it, but I think I'd be fine with it. Is there anything you're lusting after in the Villainess update? Not into Villainess, but can be enabled. Look to favorite notes to help you choose if you so desire. 2/1 and previous Would you use a natural sea sponge? No. They squick me out. Are you interested in bacon chocolate? No thanks. Fruit or nuts only in my chocolate. Coffee, hot chocolate, or tea? Tea, hot chocolate, coffee in that order, because I have no percolator to keep grinds out of my teeth. Would you like some of my favorite recipes? Sure! Would you like posters, pictures, art? Mmmm.. I'd rather choose these on my own, thanks. Would you like soaps? Especially from Paintbox? And ESPECIALLY the Valentines Special Edition Soaps?? Yes. New question--I'm calling this "could never happen in a million years": Your Witch is perusing the wares at a local yard sale. S/he looks down and sees [insert impossibly rare item that you've always wanted but could never afford] with a $5-10 sticker on it. Sheepishly s/he takes it to the guy behind the folding table. "Do you know what this is?" s/he inquires. The gentleman states that it belonged to his mother/sister/grandmother/Great Aunt Beulah and he thinks it's for, like, hair or something. With a trembling hand, s/hes pays the man and heads home with the inconceivable riches. So, what is this unobtainable miracle your Witch found? Uhm. I really don't know. Do you like salted caramels? Never had them, but am open to trying them. (I love caramels, so salted shouldn't be so bad, right?) Imagine that someone hands you their wallet and sends you into a really good bakery. They have everything, from breads to brownies, cookies to croissants, anything you could imagine, and you're allowed to pick out five things for yourself. What do you pick? Right out of the oven piping hot crusty bread. I will have jam and butter to do proper homage to said bread before devouring it. I can't turn down fresh choco-chip cookies, either. Or a properly fudgy brownie. And if they have cinnamon sugar-coated almonds.. It gets asked every round but sockdreams? Never been to SockDreams. However, I prefer right above or right below ankle socks. Do you like alcoholic beverages? If so, what is your preference (beer, wine, liquor...)? Prefer liquor. Will not turn down any kind of alcohol, though. Are you into steampunk? I do like steampunk. Check out the Amazon wishlist (search under my RL name or hoshigrrl) or etsy wishlist, and you'll see what i like.

Sexy time? Sure! Toys, accessories, erotica is all good by me. Candy? I just got a pound of salt water taffy from Shriver's in Ocean City NJ. If my witch would like to send me more, please feel free (but no licorice-flavored. ) Caramels are yummy, and fruit and nuts in chocolate are good. Chilies are not. RenFaires/ComicCons? I dress up for the RenFaire, but have never made it to a ComicCon. Gadgetry? I probably need a case for my iPod. Screen protectors probably wouldn't be amiss either. Perhaps a nice pair of earbuds for the cold day in hell warm day in spring I have to crank up the lawn mower. Computer and cell phone are covered. Gently used CD/DVDs? Sure! Mix CD? Sure! Top 5: Well, I tend to listen to albums when I'm on the computer, so these are my 'currently rotating albums': Anastacia - Heavy Rotation; Chris Cornell - Scream; Mozart L'Opera Rock; Apulanta - Kilia; Caravan Palace - eponymous; Vienna Teng - Inland Territory; Onmyou-za - Kongo; Apocalyptica - Cult. International/US regional gifts: Sure! Knitted things? Sure! Mardi Gras fan? Eeeeh, not really. But then, I've never been or seen it, so if I ever do, that may change.

I got this in imp form because while rose is generally a death note for me, I wanted to see if the other notes would keep it in check. Let us say.. no. In the imp, all I smell is rose. Wet on skin, I get a tantalizing glimpse of what I had hoped this perfume to be: slightly rosy with patchouli and sandalwood dirtying it up and keeping it from taking over. Then the rose whips out a pair of pistols and shoots the patchouli and sandalwood dead. Frankincense tries to be a hero, but gets cut down for its efforts. The neroli and orris root cower in a corner, and as frankincense is getting shot, make a run for it. Rose doesn't give them a chance. Victorious, rose then proceeds to turn powdery and AMP. Wait, is there a cat? And did it just pee on my wrists?

This is an amazing perfume. Wet I very much get the sense of a smith standing at his forge quenching an iron sword in water. I can literally almost taste the metallic bite. (No, I'm not licking the perfume. I lick toads instead.) As it dries, it never really loses that metallic edge. The blood fades a little bit, but in general this doesn't morph very much. This is very masculine, and I'd love to test it out on my husband.

This scent (so far) has disappointed me more than worked. I was really hoping for something.. more ambery/peppery. Which still could happen, as I don't think this has finished completely morphing. Right now, the rose and honey are prominent, and it's slightly gag-making. The amber is there, which is preventing me from completely washing this off and.. *sniffs* ... *sniffs again* Oh hai thar pepper! Okay, now this blend is into spicy floral, and it's /much/ better than the initial wet to drydown phase. This will be a keeper after all. Hopefully as it ages the spice will be more prominent.

Mmmm, another definite like for me. I was a little leery of this one because 'white' florals usually amp like crazy on me. These florals were kept in check by the juniper and pear. I definitely get the 'silver' idea, and love this perfume more than I thought.

I was hesitant about trying this one because so far out of the 'sunlight' blends I've tried (Sol Invictus, Sportive Sun come to mind specifically) or blends which have some of those notes in them (Velvet Tiger) they haven't worked. At all. So I was really surprised when it did. Wet, there was a definite ORANGE smell which I suspect was the frangipani as it really reminded me of Velvet Tiger. It was luckily not the 'getitoffgetitoff' type though, which I suspect was due to the ambers. On drydown it became a touch metallic, but still was a very 'warm' kind of scent, which stuck fairly close to the skin. (Which, if I like it, it usually does. If I exude scent, I'm usually gagging.) Definite bottle.

In decant - O HAI CARAMEL. When it hits my skin it instantly morphs into.. sex. The musk is most prominent on me, and is sweetened by the honey and vanilla. Caramel is nowhere to be sniffed. There's also a hint of herbal.. something. It tempers the sweetness and makes it.. better than bearable, it enhances and turns it into something quite lovely. On repeated huffing, the patchouli and ylang ylang show up, which warms up the musk. The caramel kind of wafts in and out, but doesn't go dominant. Definitely bottle-worthy.

This is the strongest Yule scent I've tried so far. Initial reaction wet is boozy and sweet. While it's drying, a cozy warmth starts coming out. Oh, I finally figured out what this is reminding me of - pink grapefruit. I will have to say this is the strangest scent between notes listed and what I'm sniffing, which is fizzy sugared pink grapefruit booze. I like it, but it's only decant-worthy.

Initial wet impression comes across as very fresh and cold. Almost herbal. Drydown: This scent is disappearing quickly, which is sad. I was hoping for some appearance from the ambers and woods. I'm going to try this scent again, as I think I had the highest hopes for this out of the Yules I wanted to try.

Sniffing the decant, the first thing I think is 'orange Sweetart'. When it first goes on, yes, very much orange Sweetart, but that almost immediately changes to a dark, sweet scent. And then it disappears. Wait, there it is, a dark piney scent I can only smell if I shove my arm into my nose. This disappears way too quickly to warrant spending money on.

This was one of the ones I was really hoping would be awesome on me. Sadly, I get a very cologne-y scent from wet through to drydown. I have no idea why exactly it does this to me, as musks are usually my friends. Might be the leaves and/or camellia. After drydown (about 30+ minutes in) I start picking up on the musks, but nothing else. The camellia may be sweetening the musks, but it's nothing obvious to my nose. This goes off to swaps.

Tried this today - I think I like it. The first thing to come out was the lemon verbena - it smelled very much like lemon Pledge. That phase lasted.. mm.. 15-30 minutes, and then morphed into a softly spicy resiny scent. Must be the frankincense and myrrh mixing with the patchouli. I don't really get any of the florals, at least not to where I can specifically pick them out. I did get a mental picture of a lit menorah once it went into the spicy resin phase. Very warm and comforting.

A seductive, serpentine white scent, elusive, crystalline, and spellbinding: white amber, silver birch, immortelle, davana, pale musk, star jasmine, and ylang ylang. Okay, usually perfumes with sweet, cloying florals I skip cause.. I hate sweet, cloying florals. I got an imp of this to try hoping the musk and amber (which usually smell awesome on me) would keep the jasmine in check. Sigh. I was wrong. Oh, how wrong I was. This turned out to be a gaggingly sweet musk/jasmine combo, with a bit of amber warming it up. IIRC, there also was a hint of vanilla to this, which added to the sweetness. The scent was strong (of course, since I didn't like it) and lasted well throughout the day. On the bright side, I don't think I'll have too much trouble unloading this.

Do you use henna at all (hair or skin)? Yes, please see wishlist post below. What about 2010 Wall calenders? Or 2010 journals or appointment diaries? What subject? Got one already, but thanks. What are your thoughts on Halloween decorations? Need more! I prefer paper or cute sculptures/candles/whatever. Nothing that makes noise when you pass it - I will break it. Do you collect new/used stamps? Will you like to get stamps on your mails? Sure! Tea lovers, loose or bag? Paraphernalia? Either, and please. Would you object to annonomous postcards (real ones) from your witch before the big reveal??? Nope. Do you drink alcohol? Wine, beer or liquor? What is your favorite wine/beer/mixer? Yes. All three, preferences being riesling, Purple Haze, Kirin, some of the Sam Adams .. and I'm partial to strawberry daquiris and mojitos. Yum. Do you like to find out there's a package on the way or to receive a tracking number to stalk, or do you prefer surprise packages? However my witch prefers, is fine with me. If I were your witch, and I wanted to make you a spell or mojo bag, would you be into that? And, if you were, would you want it for something like love, prosperity or luck? Or would you want it for a certain element? Or would you want it for something more personal- and what might that be? Sure. Something which focuses on business, luck, or general prosperity would be good. Do you wear lip gloss/lip balm? If so, what flavors/scents? Not so much, but anything from Burt's Bees wouldn't go amiss. What are your favorite fruits? Er.. what don't I like? Crunchy, crisp apples, pears, bananas, blueberries, grapes, oranges in winter, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwis, pineapple, plums, peaches, nectarines. I like dried dates, mango and papaya. What is your favorite cookie type? Chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles. Oh, and sand tarts. Mmm. Sand tarts. What mythical or fantastic race of creatures (dragons, unicorns, griffins, elves, dwarves, faeries, etc.) do you most identify with, and why? I'm definitely an elf. Love the woods, kind of fey, and I've roleplayed one either online or RL for.. 15 years now. Which of the seven deadly sins is most likely to be your undoing? Three-way between Lust, Sloth and Pride. Are there any Gods, Goddess, or other mythological figures of whom you're particularly fond? Freya, the Morrigan, and Ameterasu. Who is musically inclined? What instruments (voice counts) do you play? Would you enjoy sheet music? I sing, used to play flute. Oh, and currently play handbells. Sheet music? Eeeeh, if it's really nifty. If you're caught in front of the tv, what are you watching? any of the CSIs, Fringe, Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, Heroes, Burn Notice, WWE RAW, LOST, or anything which happens to catch my eye.

First sniff: gaggingly sweet. This does not particularly bode well. Wet: The honey is /so/ cloying. Not what I was hoping for. Dry: On me, the honey took over the blend completely. I don't get any herbs out of this mostly; they're waaaaaay in the background. Verdict: off to swaps.

Here are some non-linkable wishlists from some of my favorite sites: Witch - please note that probably most if not all of my Fyrrinae wishlist list full sizes - I'd rather have mini/sample sizes. And while on the subject of makeup, I'd like a really good natural brush kit. Chagrin Valley Soap Co.: Full size shampoo bars - Herb Garden, Extra Honey Beer & Egg Sample shampoo bars - Nettle, Olive Babassu, Rosemary Lavender Aloe, their new Ayurvedic one if it's available Full size soap bars - Apples and Spice (more than one..), Avocado Oats and Shea, Coffee Spice, Cornmeal and Honey, Honey Beer, Peppermint Twist. Sample soap bars - Honey Butter, Herbal Mist, Cucumber Lime, Chocolate Orange Twist, Chamomile and Calendula, Aloe x3, Java Spice, Juniper Comfrey Mint, Marsh Mallow & Lemongrass, Patchouli Herb, Scarbarough Fair, Sea Salt & Seaweed, Shea Rose Clay, Sweet Basil. Mehandi: 500g of Yemen BAQ henna Root Shooter ETA: If I'm going to be bitten by the sewing bug like I have been, something like this would be nice. I'm not sure I like that particular one, but it at least gives you an idea of what I'm looking for. This sewing box is nice, but I don't want all the stuff in it. The Handi-Bobs though would be AWESOME. And I have a cute pincushion linked in my Etsy.

Here is the updated link to my Etsy wishlist. It's also posted in my signature.

Are you interested in things like home remedies for ailments, cleaning solutions, etc.? Sure. If you do any kind of craft, could you use supplies? What kind? knitting needles, yarn, amazing fabric, pinking shears, cool thimbles or pincushins, jewelery making supplies, beads, etc.? Neat fabric would be nice, a cute pincushion, and pins (straight) to go in said pincushion. Oh, and good fabric cutting scissors. What's your favorite pain-relief remedy or ritual? I pop a few advil, rub on some Ugh massage oil, and then grab a heating pad. Sometimes I’ll swap between ice and heat, but when I go to bed, it’s always heat. Do sounds make you happy? What ambient noises make you smile? Trains rumbling by. When you receive your SW packages...do you like receiving things that are individually wrapped inside? or unwrapped? or both? Both. 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. Uh. Can’t think of anything right now. What BPAL scent have you never tried but always wanted to? What scent have you tried and LOVED, and haven't been able to get more of and why? Right now, my untrieds are the ones EVERYONE wants: Storyville, Spanked, Pinched, F54. I know we're all scent sensitive here. What are your favorite non-perfume smells? Day in the life stuff? I love the smell of coffee. And cookies. Coffee drinkers, what types of beans to you like? Kona, Sumatra, Kenya..etc. How do you like them roasted? Do you like flavors, such as hazelnut, vanilla, etc. in your coffee? This is probably a redundant one. But – prefer medium to light roasts, and unless it’s Cool Café Blues, no flavors. Who has a birthday falling in this round? Not me. For those of us who like chocolate, do you like anything /in/ your chocolate, like fruit, nuts, or for the more daring among us, chilies? I think another redundancy – anything but spicy/hot stuff. No chiles. Are there any childhood shows/movies/games/books/etc. that still hold a really special place in your heart? SESAME STREET. I /still/ quote that show. Also 3-2-1 Contact, and Square One, and Electric Company. (T-I-O-N! Shun, shun, shun shun!) Also love the Muppets. Labyrinth was awesome, The Dark Crystal still scares the shit out of me. (No, it’s not scary, but my 5-year-old self still quails when the hag comes on the screen..) There has been a lot of talk about chocolate, but none about Candy! What is your favorite Candy? What candy do you hate? LOVE peppermint and spearmint hard candies. I like black/red/other flavors of licorice, thin-shelled Jordan almonds, Haribo brand gummy bears. Not fond of peanut butter candy. Do you have a Blu-Ray player? No. Do you have any objections to receiving downloads? Is your internet connection fast enough for you to download large files like music easily? Are there any songs, albums, movies, or TV shows that you can't find/haven't been released that you want? No objections to d/ls. It is fast enough to get what I want. (Sometimes, the space left on my computer before I dump over to the external is too small, though.) 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? I don’t care. I’m not going to argue. What is your idea of the perfect evening at home? I’m either reading or on the computer with some good music. Or, I’m watching TV. Are you on any social networks (MySpace, Twitter, LJ, Facebook, Bebo, etc)? If so, make with the links! Are you open to new friends? On LJ but I really don’t update much. What kind of socks? Preferably ones which stop right below the ankle. How often do you update your wishlist? I really don’t have one as I’m the type who gets what they want right when they want it. Makes buying for me difficult. May I help you fill out your costuming wardrobe (assuming you costume)? Are there articles you are seeking to enhance your a) Halloween costume, Renfest attire, c) Cosplay, d) Steampunk accouterment? I would love a long-tailed corset from damselinthisdress, but ‘off-rack’ she rarely has something in my size. Plus, I’m losing weight, so I’d hate for it to go to waste. But I’m always looking at jewelry and hair things as my hair needs change. I’ve bookmarked a few to give you ideas on etsy - massagegirl So, who has a store or ETSY shop or knows of a shop of a fellow BPALer that everybody needs to check out? Cyrenemyst and siyaha09. Who are your favorite artists/illustrators/art periods? I just like art. No favorites. What's your stance on cranberries? Dried is yummy. I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with fresh. Do you mind receiving used (in good condition, of course) CDs or DVDs? (I know this question was on the questionnaire about books, but I didn't see one for DVDs or CDs.) Of course. Do you have a crush on anyone famous? Do you have a crush on any literary characters? Would you like fanfiction or fan art based on this/these people? Nathan Fillion. No fanfiction though – I can take care of that. You're at home, or out, and you want a snack. Something that will get you through to the next meal, or through to the end of school or what ever. What do you grab? The trail mix I make. Do you have a favorite bpal bottle art? The Warrior Queens are totally awesome. Also like Sunbird, Black Butterfly Moon, and the Shungas. Are there any decants from the Halloweenies, Literary Vampires, Gris Grimly, or Hellboy that you would be interested in receiving? Nope. Have ordered all those already or can test them at Will Call.

BPAL: (imps only unless noted otherwise) Panacea: TKO Bitch Grr Ugh Seduction Safari Gaiman: Bilquis Famine War Steamworks: Phoenix Steamworks The Coil No. 93 Engine The Obsidian Widow Somnium: Temple of Dreams Nanshe Somnus Carnavale Diabolique: The Phantom Calliope Melisande, The Puppet Mistress Asp Viper Green Tree Viper Habu Coral Snake Australian Copperhead Western Diamondback Katanyia, The Clockwork Woman (bottle) The Wild Men Wulric The Illustrated Woman (bottle) Trading Post: Goblin Squirt of Alchemical Laboratory and Erebos 4 oz of Down The Rabbit Hole and Queen's Croquet Ground Goldfish Pool locket Carnaval Diabolique locket 8 oz of all massage oils Etsy wishlist can be found here. Still working on the Amazon wishlist.

What was your favouritest job ever, and why? Well, I love my job as a massage therapist, but my other favorite job was working as a barista in a Barnie’s Coffee & Tea store. Which three albums would you take to your apocalypse bolt hole and how would you power the generator? They Might Be Giants – Flood; The Doors – Strange Days; Miyavi – Gagaku. Millions of gerbils and wheels. What GC scent have you been putting off getting since it'll "always be there"? TKO, Snake Oil, and the Chakras, but I got an imp pack of those since they’re now discontinued. Do wish I could have gotten a full bottle set. Are you interested in things like home remedies for ailments, cleaning solutions, etc.? Sure thing. The more natural I can make my home, the better off we’ll be, right? Super power? I would love the ability to fly. 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? Well, since I don’t have a grinder.. (or you could be super-nice and get the whole shebang..) For the tea and coffee drinkers: Opinion on tea- and/or coffee-related accessories/etc? (Teaware, sugar crystals, infusers, tea chests, etc)How do you take your coffee (or tea)? Black or with cream and/or sugar? Uhm, I have enough tea/coffee accessories for the moment. As to how I take coffee/tea? Coffee with brown/raw sugar, tea with honey. Restaurants you'd like a gift certificate to on Restaurant.com? Eeeh, I don’t eat out often. In your perfect world it is chocolate and...? smooth, thick caramel, or a truffle, or fruit and nuts. How do you scent your home: tarts, reed diffusers, BPAL, candles? BPTP room sprays or through the massage oils (heavy scent). What's your favorite dessert treat? Ice cream? Cake? Pie? Fudge brownie cake with pie flavored ice cream on top? I’ll have to say ice cream. DQ is a weekly treat during the summer. Do you believe we control our destiny, or does our destiny control us? Both. What one thing that is missing from your life would you like to have above all else? My husband in the same country for longer than a month.

What are everyone's favorite Halloween-y/Autumn-y/spooky movies? Are there any you don't own but would like to? I’m not exactly a movie kind of person. (I have.. about 6 movies on my shelf I have yet to watch, including Pan’s Labyrinth. ) Although, I will have to say Goonies rocks. (and I don’t think I or my husband have it, either.) Are roasted pumpkin seeds and home made chex mix the best fall snack foods, or what? I would probably make all-natural trail mix with papayas and coconut and mangoes, along with the usual raw pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, and sunflower kernels. Whats your favorite pie, my dear SW's? Apple, then a tie between blueberry and cherry. NO PUMPKIN. What kinda socks ar you wearing tonight? It’s too freaking hot for socks. Do you like socks? Blankets? Wrist warmers? Arm warmers? Headband? Shawl? Or what kind of knitted thing would you love the most? Socks are cool. Wrist/arm warmers too. Probably wouldn’t wear a shawl, and my husband and I have enough blankets to open a B&B. 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? I love ghost stories.  Who here is LOVING Warehouse 13? I wouldn’t say loving, but if it’s on I don’t say no. Nother question! Coffee or Tea? *laughs* Reminds me of this one camp song the counselors did one year: “something about being a counselor, there’s nothing I’d rather be, but if I weren’t a counselor..” random person: ‘A flight attendant I’d be! Coffee, tea or me? Here’s your throw-up bag!’ Both, if I had a coffeemaker. I especially love Barnie’s Coffee & Tea Co. Cool Café Blues, Mocha Java, and Haitian Bleu. (I won’t say no to Hawaiian Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain, either) As for tea products.. I love peppermint tea. And green tea. Interested in locally produced products? Food, skincare or both?Olive oil? Lavender oils or soaps? Locally produced anything is good.  Does anyone in here wear a lot of dangly earrings or collect pendants of all kinds?? How about hair clips or pony tail band things? I like dangly earrings, and pendants. Neat hair clips/pony tail things are /always/ appreciated. What is your favourite historical period? Don’t have one. What other hot beverages everyone likes for fall? Not a fan of hot beverages in general, due to being easily overheated and living in a warmer climate. That being said, I do like hot chocolate every now and then. Did you order anything from the most recent update? I picked up Summer’s Last Will and Samhain at the DSWC the other week. I want Suck It and the Fool. Still testing the Literary Vampires. Vampires or Werewolves? Or some other monster? Vampires. What sort of odd or regional foods do you crave? Hoagies/cheesesteaks from Leo’s in Sharon Hill, PA. Birch beer, TastyKakes, and Canada Dry vanilla cream soda. Any Gamers here? What kind? Board games? RPG? Miniature? MMORPG? Board games are fun. I also kind of hang around a MUSH, but don’t do much RPing anymore. Also did live-action RP for a while, but have kind of lost interest/money to play. Is anyone playing this round of SW into ABJ? (asian ball jointed dolls) Newp. What is your favorite Halloween icon? Imagine that you're given a shoebox-sized time capsule, and you are asked to put any number of items in the box that symbolize who you are. The items can be may be anything you can imagine, and money is no object, but they must fit within the box. Which items do you choose? Uhm. I am no good with questions like this. 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. Right now am saving to move the household in storage to GA (and the husband, too.) Favorite kind or take out kinda burger? Whats your burger preference? Veggie,meat or ???? If I’m in the mood for it, nothing beats a well-done beef burger, topped with provolone or monty jack or cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, relish, and lettuce. Whats your favorite childhood toy? I have a few of them.. a stuffed purple bunny that was given to me when I was three, my ragged Barkley dog, Bunnyball (basically a soft ball with ears and a bunny face), and later on my cute wrinkled forehead stuffed puppy Cuddles. If you have a pet, what kind of gifts would be good for them? No pets. I live vicariously when I visit my sister and her boston terrier Olivia. Do you Tweet? What is your Twitter name? No, I haven’t drunk the Koolaid yet. Are you on Ravelry? What is your Ravelry name? I don’t knit/crochet, so no. Do you like pinup art/images? I love to look, but I’m not a collector. What are your plans for Halloween? Have you made any yet? Do you have any traditions? Dunno what I’m doing for Halloween. Tempted to help take my nephews around town. Who are your BPAL forum buddies? You know, people I could conspire with to Witch you! Previous witch was Sheyona, but I’m more of a lurker. What is your favorite color? Currently hunter green. I also likes purple and blue. Any other steampunk fans/lovers? I like the aesthetic, and will wear little touches like hair clips and pendants and earrings, but am not into the entire look, as I generally have no where to wear it. Describe your ideal picnic lunch. Where would you go? Who (if anyone, and yes there can be multiple people) would accompany you? What sort of food would you take? And, of course, if a picnic lunch sounds like a horrible idea, feel free to say so! As long as there is a blanket to spread upon the ground so I don’t break out from the grass, picnics are a wonderful idea. My ideal picnic place would be a nice grassy spot under a big tree for shade. Food would be typical picnic fare, or something like burgers generally fresh off the grill. If it were romantic, just my husband would be there. If it were friendly, I’d take the husband and my best friend and her husband and just have a nice day out. You're in the kitchen at the end of a pay period and groceries are pretty scarce. Do you take the five ingredients you find first and make something fabulous, or do you order take out? Depends on if I think the first five ingredients could be thrown together. (which is why I always have fixings for a recipe of chicken stir fry in the house) If I don’t, then takeout. If you could decorate/redecorate any 1 room in your home, what would it be and how would you decorate it? Meh. Happy (mostly, I need more counterspace in the kitchen, but that’s remodel, not redecorate) with the house. Any rabid sports fans out there? What teams do you root for? Not a sports fan. What's your favorite animal? (You can have more than one.) I have always liked giraffes. Ever since I can remember, I have had two little glass ones on my childhood jewelry box. Which is the extent of my collection. This is how the world ends... zombie apocalypse, robot uprising, alien invasion, return of the elder gods... which doomsday scenario do you prefer (or make your own!)? Some say the world ends in fire, some in ice. In the year 2525... if man is still alive... what sort of future do you imagine? (apologies to anyone who gets that song stuck in their head!) *returns fire with Talking Heads* Same as it ever was. Do you believe in magic (or magick, if you prefer)? What does it mean to you? Yes. Longer answer later. If you found the puzzle box from Hellraiser, what would you do with it? ( and would you be able to resist playing with it? ) Having never seen Hellraiser, I’d probably play with it. At least poke it with a stick. 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? (like from our very own Pottersville! ) Something else? Your favorite recipes would be nice. Also, cookbooks wouldn’t go amiss. Looking for Taste of Home Annual Recipes ’96 , ’98 – ’03. I also saw an interesting vegetarian cookbook in Whole Foods the other day, but don’t remember title/author. Nothing fancy or time consuming in the kitchen, please. I like to cook, but would rather read or watch TV. oh, and if there are any lunch idea cookbooks out there.. gimme! Are you an avid reader? What's your favorite book/series?What's your favorite candy to stock up on at Halloween? LOVE reading. Diana Gabaldon, George RR Martin are two authors whose books I do not have. No stocking up on candy, trying to lose weight. What are your phobias? I am TERRIFIED of spiders. Mild fear of heights. What is your favourite flower (or plant)? Daisies and roses are neat. Although please do not give me a plant to take care of, as I have a black thumb. (How my pachira tree is surviving is really beyond me.) I would be interested, however, in fake flower arrangements to prettify my dining room table. (Or, if you’re uber creative, it doesn’t necessarily have to be flowers.) Duct tape purses and wallets and things are pretty darned cool. Who else thinks so? Yes, but my husband the fashion whore would rather die than be seen with me with a duct tape purse. An anonymous benefactor gives you $500 (or an equivalent amount of money in your currency of choice) with the following stipulations. You must spend all of it within a week: any money left unspent must be returned. You must spend at least half of the money on yourself. You may not use it to pay off debts or bills of any kind. What do you do with the money? Go hogwild on reading material. (finish off collecting Preacher and Fables and jack of fables, and Hatter M for starters..) Buy actual copies of some of the harder to find albums in my mp3 collection (because they’re either Japanese or European). Uhm.. yeah. That’s it so far. Who likes coloring books? They’re neat. Dunno if I actually want one, with crayons (since I have none). Are you an avid reader? What's your favorite book/series? Uhm, yes. A million times yes. I would rather read than do almost anything. I can name favorite authors, which will give you a better idea of the type of books I read, rather than me trying to name all the books I read.. Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Jaime Delano, Jill Thompson, Charles DeLint, Diana Gabaldon, Nancy Madore, Jaqueline Carey, Emma Bull, Ellen Datlow, J. Michael Strazinsky, Joss whedon, and many others I’m not coming up with off the top of my head. Do you have a Good Reads profile? If so, make with the link! If you don't have one, go make one! No.

First sniff: Oooh, this is interesting - sharp and green. This could be spiffy! Wet on skin: AAAAAAAAAAUGH floral. So gaggingly FLORAL. Dry on skin: The nasty floral has toned down, but it's still a heavy overtone, making this smell like rotting greenery. This is not for me. Off to swap pile!

In imp: warm floral incense. Wet on skin: Orangey floral. Drydown: The incense note I picked up on on initial sniff is coming out in full force, and it's not mixing well with the floral. It's becoming powdery, probably from the amber. Dry: Aroo? Uhm, that disappeared fast. I get very minor lingering florals, and a bit of the powdery amber, but I have to sniff hard to get it. Verdict: Meh. I like Sportive Sun better. Glad i got a chance to try it, though.

Got this in a swap, decant-style. In imp: rich chocolate caramel. Wet on skin: rich chocolate caramel, which almost immediately morphs into a heavy smoke scent. I can almost /taste/ the smoke. It has a sweet edge to it which I attribute to the caramel. There is no chocolate here. Sad. The smoke seems to be the predominant scent, and I was hoping for more of an even blend. Verdict: For the first.. 2 minutes on skin, I was gearing up to hunt down a bottle. But then the Smoke Monster reared its head, and like Mr. Eko, I'm going down.