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Maps and Legends

A blog by Em-

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She just sings whatever she's seen

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12 Days of Christmas 2019

Updated 11/21/19 What are you feelings about chocolate? Not the drink, but the candy. If you like it, what sort? I covered this pretty thoroughly in my questionnaire, but I love chocolate. I prefer milk and white to dark and I love fruit and nuts and other bits in, as well as truffles and other non-bar chocolates. Do you like animals? Any favourites? And would you like to receive framed animal photo’s? I do like animals, especially bats, owls, spiders, penguins, snakes, lizards, beetles. I probably would not have a place for a framed photo though. When it comes to art, would you like to receive printed art? If so: what style? I really don't have wall space. Any Trader Joe’s goodies you really love? I don't really have any faves. We have them locally, but not conveniently, so I don't go there often. for those folks who like candles/tarts/incense... what companies/scents do you favorite?? anything/place to strictly stay away from?? This is about the only time of year I burn candles, but I don't really need more. I don't do tarts and please DO NOT send me incense. If you wear jewelry, what's your style?? I tend to be pretty go big or go home with my jewelry. I like big dangly earrings and chunky necklaces and things with interesting astronomy themes. I do not wear gold or rings or earrings with posts. Would you like/do you need a smallish sized box I would paint? It could be very small or a little bigger to hold some bpal bottles or similar. I don't have a specific need, but if something calls to you, I am always happy for more little storage options. I would definitely prefer it not to have dividers or other customization, since I probably will not use it for bottles, but rather for jewelry or other things that are overrunning my dresser. If I were placing a Tentacle Kitty order, would you want a Little One to hop in the box for you? This is my own question, but I seriously lurve Tentacle Kitty. I am ordering the tortie one for my daughter, but I love the snowflake and santa hat ones in particular. What are your feelings about fruitcake? I make little mini-muffin bites with dried fruit that soaks in good quality booze for at least a month, not your average grocery store monstrosity. I always want to try anyone's fruitcake, so yes please! Do you care if a book is used or not? Not a bit. Do you use sugar or honey in your tea/coffee. If you only use one, would you like to try the other? I don't really, but I do like infused or different honey varietals and infused sugars for other purposes. Do you enjoy nuts? Most of the time I prefer nuts in mixes with other things - fruit, chocolate, that sort of thing or with spices. BUT, my husband LOVES nuts, so he would definitely be happy. What is your favorite category of candy (ie gummies, chocolates, pure sugar [like nerds or pixie sticks])? Probably chocolates and licorice (the rich black stuff, not fruity, but I also love jelly beans and allsorts). I'm also a fan of sour gummies. Are you interested in spices, herbs, or blends from Penzeys or similar? I have a lot already, so I'm probably good. If you have a favorite blend from someplace else, I'm definitely game. You find yourself in IKEA without proper adult supervision. Why do you get kindly escorted out by security and/or make your local evening news? Probably for sleeping on one of the couches covered by those furry white shirling rugs. How do you feel about bugs? I LOVE BUGS. Especially beetles and butterflies, but generally, I love bugs and bug related things (although maybe not like cricket flour or anything).

Em-

November 19, 2019

12 Days of Christmas 2018 Questions!

Updated 11/21/18 10:15 pm How would you feel about homebaked goodies (I'd be sure to mark them as such in the Box of 12 so that it could be opened on Night 1!)? If you WOULD want them, any allergies or preferences/likes/dislikes? All the baked goodies ALL OF THEM! (unless it has rye or dill) In particular I love fruitcake and it's relatives like stollen, gingerbread, just about anything that might be considered a "Christmas Cookie", rum/whiskey balls, etc. Do you have so much that you don't want anymore BPAL or would you be open to receiving BPAL/BPTP items in your end of the swap? Always open to more BPAL. I have an extensive wishlist that is (hopefully) relatively easily searchable and I will do my level best to keep it well updated.

Is your BPAL wishlist up to date? It is updated through the first BPTP Weenie update. I will try to update the rest this weekend.
If you were going to receive a music mix, do you have the capacity to play CDs or do I need to learn how to make an MP3 mix (and can you put one of those in a box? I would actually prefer CDs at this point, so have fun!

What is your favorite Christmas Character (Santa, Ruldolph, Elves, etc) and your favorite animal?
Probably the Grinch (I loved the new movie as well), or Scrooge or Heat Miser (yes, I am a sucker for a holiday redemption story, I guess). I also like snowmen and am a huge sucker for random animals with reindeer horns. I also love corgis, cats, bats, owls, and ravens. Oh and creepy crawlies like lizards and spiders and snakes.

How do you feel generally about gently-used items? This can be anything from books to clothes to jewelry to perfumes to bath salts etc. If you're okay with some kinds but not others, please be specific.
Not a problem on any level, so long as it is not gross or stanky or something. Do you have strong feelings about fruitcake? Keeping in mind that we are talking about fruitcake made with a mix of fruit that will have been soaking in spiced bourbon and Kraken rum for about 4 weeks once it is baked with added hazelnuts, pecans and candied ginger and mandarin peel. Not, like, the round brick that used to come in a tin with people skating on the front. My own bias is probably obvious here - I love to try other people's fruitcakes, since we all do it a little differently. How do you feel about slippers? Socks? Slipper Socks? I have an actual current need for new slippers - I prefer ones that are easy to slip on and that have rubber soles so that a) I don't slip on non-carpeted floors and b ) so I can run outside in them to get the mail or scuttle to the detached garage. I also love socks, mostly crew length or knee high. Slipper socks are actually a hard no, because they have all of the negatives of both just socks or slippers. Is there anywhere you would just love a gift card to? AMC cinemas, Amazon, Torrid, anyplace for soaps/lotions/scrubs that you think I absolutely need to try, Sock Dreams, Starbucks... New Question for a Monday Morning (no actual connection to a Monday morning, but whatever): HAIR. HAIR THINGS. How do you feel about shampoo, conditioners, hair "products," hair "stuff" a la barrettes, combs, clips, headbands, etc. ... or, more far afield, fun color things, tiaras, unicorn horns, or any other things you might use in your hair? My hair is super super short right now and not my natural color - if there's a pomade you love for getting nice firm, but not crunchy spiky looks, that would be cool, but otherwise I'm good on product. My daughter (Lilith's partner in crime on the Hooligan Witches label for reference) has super long thick fine blond hair and she is my excuse for things like hair gloss and she does love her a nice tiara or headband with cat ears or horns and fun ponytail holders and the like that won't get wear on my end. What about hair falls? This I would absolutely love if I actually had enough hair to attach them to. Which I don't so I'm kind of out of luck here as well. Is there anything related to the performing arts that you'd maybe like something inspired by? Say a favorite musical or a passionate love for the Nutcracker or a need for a Diva coffee mug or Shakespeare inspired lip balm? I have a passionate love of A Christmas Carol and also snarky Shakespeare merch (I already have the Shakespearean insults mug. ; ). Do you Tee Turtle (https://www.teeturtle.com/), and if so, what size for shirts? I love Tee Turtle - I'm a 2XL Womens. I especially like the bookworm and coffee ones, dark colors and Harry Potter references are a bonus. I also love the plushies and keep meaning to order a grab bag for my daughter. Haus of Gloi's Yule is up, do any of them look good to you (or past or perennial), and which medium do you like best? I love everything I've tried by them - my preference would be soap, pumpkin butter and bubbling scrub in that order. In terms of scents - Rosy Cheeked and Hearth both look fab.

Em-

November 16, 2018

12 Days of Christmas 2016

UPDATED 11/18

I love crocheting, it's my favorite hobby. Can I make you a scarf/cowl/sweater/lap blanket to keep you wintery-warm!?

Absolutely! I am not much of a cowl wearer, but otherwise, bring on all the homemade goodies, especially since yarn-craft and I do not get along.

How do you feel about knit socks? (Plain stockinette, lacework, cables, etc). Are there any other hand knit items you'd especially like? (Mittens, fingerless gloves, hats, etc).

Yes please! Fingerless gloves are another desire of mine.

How do you feel about amigurumi (i.e. little crochet toys), either characters from a fandom, wee animals, or as decorations?

I don't really have feelings about them, to be honest, which is a good excuse to show me why they are awesome! (This is as good a time as any to mention that I forgot to include Ghostbusters on my list of beloved fandoms.)

What kind of snacks do you like? Does dried fruit or crunchy dried vegetables sound appealing? Do you like (raw) honey? Jerky? Jam? What sort of local products do you like to receive as gifts? If you're familiar with products in the Pacific Northwest, is there anything specific you'd like to try?

I love dried fruit/veg/nut combos. I love honey, like good jerky, jam is fab. The only thing that jumps out at me from PNW that I wouldn't want is salmon anything. Otherwise, I love to try local snacks, bread mixes, that sort of thing.

If there's one place you could go in the world, where and why?

I really want to go to Australia and New Zealand. Truly, I want to go everywhere, but that's my next big desire.

What sort of dollar store items do you always get a kick out of?

I inevitably get distracted by the wall of tacky jewelry, but I never actually buy anything.

Do you like to receive plants or gardening stuff? Do you grow plants? What's your favourite flower, if you have one?

I would not want gardening stuff or plants. I generally prefer not to receive things I will inevitably kill. Calla lilies are my favorite flower.

If you had a custom perfume/beauty/bath product made for you, what would it be and what would the scent description look like? (everything from prose to the specific selection of notes)

Something spicy/creamy/red musky. Text would be a silly bit of poetry.

I love drawing! Either fanart chibis on the tablet or portrait work in graphite pencil... but it's been a while..so I'd love to use this as an excuse to draw something for you! If you could commission an art piece, would you choose traditional or digital artwork- and what would it be of?

I...have no idea. Sorry, that is totally unhelpful. Maybe sketches of my kids?

Have we already answered questions about Christmas tree themes for this year?
We always do a tree, but it's not themed. Generally, we do a combo of modern bright colors, ornaments from my childhood, things my kids have made, souvenirs from vacations, and whatever characters my kids are currently into.

When it comes to makeup, what is your coloring? Fair, dark? Sensitive skin? Eye color? Hair color? Style....funky, natural? Any additional makeup info?
Fair with ruddy cheeks. Blue eyes. Dyed dark red hair. Makeup style is definitely funky - if I want to look natural, I just don't wear makeup. Otherwise, I usually do a bit of powder foundation, vibrant eye shadow crayon and black or blue/black mascara (note I DO NOT need more black mascara). Then a red or berry or burgundy lip color. I don't wear blush or lip liner or usually eye liner, although I will play with that sometimes. I am always in the market for more bold eye or lip colors, nail polishes (glitter is good) and could legit use a "glue" for loose powder shadow.

Is there any craft or hobby that you are interested in trying?
There's nothing I'm particularly jonsing for at the moment, but I've been a little curious about needle felting if there's an all inclusive kit you like. My daughter also loves crafty stuff, so things we could work on together would be fun.

Would anyone mind bath and body works items? Such as hand sanitizer, lotion, candles, car scents or soap?
I love their lotions and shower gel and some of their specialty spa stuff. I also love their candles, perhaps a bit too much.

Any Lush showergel (or other product) you'd like to try? I sort of collect their showergels, mostly from The Kitchen. So if there's anything you'd like to try, now's the time to tell!
My fave Lush products are their bath products, which I have no current ability to use, sadly. I don't care for their soap at all, their shower gels are okay. I do love me some Lemony Flutter, though.

Do you like licorice or would you like to try it? Would you prefer salt or sweet?
ALL THE LICORICE!!! I generally prefer sweet, but like salty if it is combined with something sweet (Nemi gave me some chocolate covered salty licorice last year that was AMAZING.)

I live in The Netherlands but I will visit England soon and might pay a visit to Germany. Anything special from here that you'd like to try?
Magnets, jewelry, local sweets and candy are among my travel related loves.

is you BPAL wishlist updated? If not: please do!
I will try to get that taken care of ASAP.

Do you like office supplies like pens, pencils, highlighters, sticky notes, etc?
I particularly love pens in all sorts of colors and sticky notes.

How do you feel about spicy, cheesy, or sour snacks?
Sure! I particularly like cheesy..

Would you like any cook-able mixes like for soup or baked goods, cooking ingredients like spices, sugars, salts, oils, or cooking gadgets?
Absolutely!

Would you prefer bar soaps or bath gel?
I marginally prefer soap, just because I'm more likely to grab it to use.

Candles, wax melts, or incense - yea or nay?
Candles are fine, although I am kind of drowning in them. Please no incense or wax melts.

Jewelry - any preference about length of necklaces, earrings, etc?
The bigger and bolder the better. I do not wear post earrings, though. Otherwise, in terms of length, anything goes.

Sweeteners:
I don't do artificial sweeteners.Honey, agave, other actual sugar alternatives are fine. No stevia or stuff like that though.

Handmade items & homemade food:
Absolutely!

Shakespearean swag:
This is my question, so I am pretty well set, but yes, I do love me some random Shakespeare.

Favorite Christmas story:
A Christmas Carol all day long, the book, adaptations, everything other than the Jim Carrey version.

Numbered packages or random:
Whatever you prefer, Snow Angel.

Goodreads or other wish lists:
Everything is in my swap help blog entry linked in my sig..

Books in a series-- in order?
If books are pretty much standalone, like Discworld or a lot of police procedural series, I am cool with random entries. For anything that is truly serial and the series is meant to tell a full story together, then I want them in order.

Trader Joe's:
I have one super close but I never actually go there, so it is fair game.(I love cookie butter ; -)

Shoe size
US womens 8, socks are wonderful

I'm going to San Diego next week. Are there any souvenirs from there you'd like? How about any little souvenirs in general that you appreciate receiving?
I can't think of anything SD specific, to be honest, but see above re my usual souvenirs.

Do you like Steampunk? Would you be interested in any jewelry inspired by steampunk?
I yes and yes! The biggest catch is a lot of steampunk jewelry I see is very gold/bronze based.

I make paper albums and journals. Would you be interested in receiving something like that? Would you like some other type of handmade paper craft?
I have so many journals that I never get around to using, so I should probably pass.

Are you currently ISO any BPAL new or otherwise? What are your top 10 scents?
I a not ISO anything in particular right now. I will try to get my wishlist updated ASAP. I listed a lot of my faves in my survey, I think.

Black Friday will be a thing during this swap, anything you might want that will be on awesome sale?
I'm sure there will be some deals on movies or games that are up my alley, but there's nothing specific I can think of (I tend to avoid any offline black Friday shopping).

Homemade stuff specifics:
Would you be interested in:
- Dried honeycrisp apples Yes
- Applesauce (with red hots for sweetness and cinnamon) Yes
- Rose petal liqueur Yes!
- Blackberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, or Peach Jam Yes!
- garlic dill pickles Yes
- raw honey from bees on our property Yes!
- Baked or homemade goods Always. Of particular interest from the list are rum balls, cranberry bars, fudge and trail mix. If you make extra fab brownies or breads, that's cool too.
- handsewn project bags or makeup bags? If you have thematic fabric or the desire to make something that fits with my fandoms, that would be super, but I don't really need them in general. Of particular interest would be Harry Potter, Doctor Who, NMBC, MLP. Bigger bags that could hold some of my daughter's huge MLP collection would actually be pretty fab.
- yarn, roving, batts, fiber? No thank you.
- any cross stitch items like a small wall hanging or bookmark? Bookmarks, dishtowels, pillows, other usable things would be great. I don't have much wall space for hangings, though.
- if you said you'd want a knitted item, are there any particular favorite patterns you'd like - I have no idea and am not on ravelry or relevantly on pinteroist. I am not real big on cable-knit or that sort of classic texture, though. For some reason, I now have an image of some sort of cephalopod texture and would be all over something like that, though. In terms of colors, any of the jewel tones I mention in my survey, especially black/gray/purples/teal.

If you said you liked candles/incense/etc., what are your favorite scents for such things?
I love anything evergreeny this time of year, or spicy foody kind of scents.

Do you like to cook and would you be interested in cookbooks?
I do cook, but I have a lot of cookbooks. I do love quirky fannish ones, though. I have Dining with the Doctor.

Do you like games (board/card), and if so for how many players?
Yes! I would particularly be interested in games that can be played with 2-3 players as well as larger groups.

If you have a Goodreads "to read" list, are those mostly books that you do not have and would like copies of, or are those mostly books that you already have piled on your shelves/lurking in your e-reader?
I have tried to break down what I have and what I want via an "on-my-shelves" sub-category. Anything on my to-read list that is not so marked is something I would be happy to receive, whether it specifically says "want a copy" or not.

Do you have a wood-burning fireplace or fire pit, and if so would you like handmade firestarters or scenting bundles to throw on it? (think bundles of apple wood chips and cinnamon bark, or little wax/herb/paper bundles with a wick)
Technically we have both fireplace and a metal fire bowl thing, although we have never used the former and rarely use the latter. I wouldn't necessarily be opposed, but these sound like the sort of thing I would acquire and never remember to use.

What animals do you think are considered cute?
Penguins, owls, birds generally, bats, lizards, seals, and I have a fondness for arctic animals specifically - white foxes, wolves, polar bears, etc.

You mentioned scarves in your questionnaire. Are you referring to a chunky thick keep-me-warm-in-a-snowstorm scarf, or a light and lacy could-be-warm-if-I-wound-it-a-hundred-times scarf?
I don't think I did, actually. But generally, I like big shawl like winter scarves more than light lacy scarves.

I stalked your etsy and noticed you like gemstones in jewellery!
If yes, what's a list of your favorite semi-precious gemstones?

Sapphires, garnets, moonstone...honestly, I care more about color and overall style than gemstones themselves.

And what is your ring size in US?
I really would prefer not to receive rings. Sorry! I can barely wear my wedding and engagement rings anymore, let alone others.

Would you like to receive a photography print? My pictures are mainly of animals or landscapes. What would you prefer? Any favourite animals you'd like to receive a picture of? Would you also like to receive postcards?
These are beautiful, but outside of owls or birds that I could share with my daughter, I really don't have wall space right now.

Thinking about your package arriving and unwrapping, would you prefer more foody items or more non-foody things?
Non-foody, please. Some food items are wonderful, but I would prefer that less than half be treats, thanks!

Name a handful of things you would LOVE to see in your 12 Days gifts!
Jewelry, books, a mix cd of seasonal music, fun sparkly decorations, socks or arm warmers... Grabbing this from the thread, but I also love fandom blind bags, incl. Lego!

Anybody else pay attention to Solstice Scents?
Nope. I am a BPAL only gal and do not wear anything else.

If I were go get my shit together to actually bake before December 7, would you have any interest in fruitcake?
My own question, so the YES I LOVE IT answer can probably be assumed, but yes, I love fruitcake - even the stereotypical brick - but especially people's different recipes. I go pretty much gaga over any holiday fruit bread - panatella, stollen, etc.

If I were still feeling the alcoholic spirit and decided to make boozy chocolate balls of some sort, do you have a preference for bourbon, rum or Irish whiskey?
I have no real preference. In terms of drinking, I lean toward whiskeys, but all the booze is welcome over here.

Em-

October 31, 2016

~Snow Bunny Quests~

NEW QUESTIONS ADDED 11.21 3:30 ish Milk or dark chocolate: Yes please! I like to think that I prefer dark, but really, secretly, I think I like milk just a little better, and I prefer bits in (crispies, caramel, fruit, etc). White is nice too. Sooo. Yules. Those just happened. What are you interested in, Bunny? I ordered everything that I'm seriously interested in and have updated my wishlist with what I didn't order. Coin purses: I think I already answered this one, but I probably wouldn't get much use out of one. If your fox were to knit something for you, would it be a lacy shawl or a pair of socks? Yes please! I really truly would love either. Would anyone else be interested in a soap dish or something like that? I don't really have a use (or a place) for one, honestly. Are you a Harry Potter fan? If so, which house do you identify with, and why? Would you want knitted things/replicas/accessories in your house colours? YES! I'm mostly Ravenclaw, with a side of either Gryffindor or Slytherin, depending on who's sorting. I would love a house scarf, as I think I already mentioned. Are there any Yules from *PAST* years that you're interested in trying? Including past winter inquisitions? There's nothing that screams at me, but what I want to try is in my wishlist. Let's talk about fruit! Do you like dried fruit or h ate it? Like some but not others? I'm not opposed to it, but dried fruit is not something I'd ever actively seek out unless I'm making fruitcake. I do LOVE fruitcake. How do you feel about cherries? Prefer the sweet or tart versions? Dried? Jam? Salsa? Hot sauce? BBQ sauce? All your cherries are belong to me. I'm not so into hot sauce, though. Bunnies! What is your general philosophy about patterns for accessories such as socks, scarves, and tights? Do you like solids? Stripes? Polka dots? Weird patterns like harlequin-type stuff? Any of the above? Patterns are love. Random not-so-patterns are also love. Bunny, are you interested in anything from Geek Chic Cosmetics? I've never heard of them. I do wear makeup, but other than a nice blue-black mascara, I'm pretty set at the moment. Chile, yay or nay? Herm. Neither? I like a little heat, but I'm set for spicy chocolate and it's not a flavor I actively seek out otherwise. Would you rather have an early reveal, or would you prefer one close to the end of the round? I do love me a surprise, but so long as you reveal at some point, I'm good either way. Stuffed microbes from Think Geek LOVE THEM! Every year I covet the Christmas boxes. Baking supplies? I think I've covered this pretty well? Anniversary Update! Does anything interest you, Bunny? The only one I didn't order was Midnight, since the jasmine has the potential to be fatal. I'd love a sniffie of that one, otherwise, I'm set. Cthulhu, yes or no? Of course! NEW QUESTIONS ADDED 11.7 @ 2:00ish A question: reveal, yes or no? Please yes! I hate not knowing who to thank! I do love the suspense of wondering who is sending to me, though. I usually reveal in the last shipment. Any favorite cuddly characters? I used to be really into Sanrio, but not so much anymore. I love Uglydolls. And Kermit. But mostly I just like soft cuddly things. I don't really collect anything anymore. Charity gifts? Either fair-trade type stuff, or virtual type gifts, like vaccinations or school supplies being bought on your behalf, or something along those lines? Sure. Bunny, are you interested in tarts from Two Timing Tart? What scents, if any, are you interested in? Wow, those look amazing. I'd be interested in trying tarts or candles of any of the following: Insomniac, Tease, Teatime With Mary Pickford, Innocence, Bombshell, ANY of the autumn or winter seasonals, Exp 3 or 5, Sex Kitten, Pornography Do you need any holiday recipes? Is there something in particular that you'd like baked or made for you? And for those of you doing the no sugar/low sugar, etc. thing these days, how about savory things? I don't *need* any holiday recipes, but I'd love any you'd like to share, along with just about any baked goods. I like savories as well as sweets, but there's *no* need to avoid sugar. Speaking about candles, how much do you look forward to the BPTP candles that will be launched on Etsy? I don't know if there will be other scents than the Samhain and Pumpkin Cookie one, but is there a specific one you are longing for? Both Samhain and Pumpkin Cookie sound amazing. Does anyone have issues with gently used things like books, etc.? Not at all! Are you a big ol' nerd for any particular subject? Science, math, linguistics, etc? Or particular authors/fandoms? Not really. The book post I linked below probably answers this best. I am sort of into Harry Potter fandom, but not madly. Probably my nerdiest passion is Shakespearian adaptations, like Kurasawa's Ran and Throne of Blood, Rosencranz and Gildenstern are Dead and the like. Bunnies, how do you feel about lemon-flavored items, like lemon marmalade, lemon curd, lemon pound cake, or lemon cookies? All your lemon are belong to me. Fingerless mittens or full mitts? Er...I've never had fingerless, so I have no idea! Although reading some of the comments to this one, it would seem that I need some fingerless gloves for those days when it's frakkin cold in my office and I can no longer use my space heater because it keeps tripping the breaker. Not that I'm bitter about that or anything. Pink? I don't hate pink, especially if it veers toward raspberry/purply, but it's definitely not a fave. Thematic scarves? Extrapolating from the Tom Baker scarf discussion, I am not enough of a Doctor Who fan to covet this particular scarf, but I would love a Hogwarts house scarf! Ravenclaw or Slytherin, or Slytherclaw (which would work well with the movie colors). What are your opinions on traditional holiday cookie flavorings? I'm thinking anise and cardamom in particular. I'm not sure my love for anise and cardamom can be adequately conveyed through the written word. BRING THEM ON!!!!! Do you like artisan oils and vinegars? Very much. I have rather a surplus of EVOO at the moment though. I keep meaning to make my own infused oils and can never gather the right supplies (bottles and such). In terms of vinegars, I love love love them. Any crafty pursuits you’ve been dying to experiment with? Would you like a little kit of something you’ve never tried? Do you need any particular items for your new or existing stash? I would love to learn to knit, but I fail miserably at any yarncraft I try. I have done needlepoint in the past and am pretty good at it, but I haven't done it in years. 2012 calendar? Not really. We get really nice freebies through our zoo membership, so I'm set for my wall calendar. A page a day calendar could be fun if my Fox sees something that just screams my name, otherwise, I'm good, calendar wise. NEW QUESTIONS ADDED 11.4 @ 3:00ish Stealing coldandsleepy's idea to put the new ones first: What was the best holiday present you ever got? Oh wow. A couple of years ago my husband managed to completely and utterly surprise me with a stained glass window that is the perfect complement to one we already had hanging in our living room, which is awesome, both in terms of how well he knows me, how hard it was to find, and the fact that I had ABSOLUTELY no idea. And last year he managed to shock both my son and I with a piano. Also, our daughter was arguably conceived on/around our 13th wedding anniversary. Bunny, what scent are you desperately wanting to be resurrected this year with the Anniversary update? Hrm. I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess, in terms of wishes, I'd go with King of Spades. Or the original Lugnasadah or Mabon. Groupon for Moxie Nouveau! Dear Bunneh, is this something that would interest you? Honestly, I'm pretty much a BPAL loyalist. I've tried half a dozen or so other companies and just never like them as much as I do my BPAL. Bun-bun, what's your favourite colour? Purple! (Real purple, not lavender) Your favourite gemstone? Honestly, as long as it's sparkly and has pretty colors, I don't really have a favorite, per se. I love big chunky rocks of just about any sort. Your favourite animal (real or imaginary)? Dragons! And spiders and bats and squids and frogs and lizards and penguins and...oh hell. I'm the mom who continues to buy her kid the 1000th stuffed animal because we don't have that species of buffalo yet. In terms of animals to live with, definitely cats and fish and frogs and lizards. And do you have any intense phobias? Not really. I'm not fond of bees or wasps or other stingy things in my immediate presense, but I love representations of bees. Facebook/twitter: I use my real name on facbook and pretty much only friend people I actually know and/or have had an extensive online relationship with. I'm emandink on twitter. Are you Nano-ing this month, bunny? If so, how would you feel about merch/donations to the cause? Not this year, sadly. Do you like/need boxes for perfume/knicknacks? I like them perhaps a little too much - I actually have some extra boxes, as I moved my BPAL to a cabinet a few years ago. Coffee or tea? With caffine or without? Flavors (if so, what?) or no? Whole bean/ground/loose leaf/bags? Yes please! Coffee must have caffiene, tea can go whichever way it chooses. Love flavored coffee (vanilla/fruity/caramel/spicy), but only if ground, otherwise, love wholebean dark roasts with fruity/caramel notes. Flavored tea strongly preferred - similar likes + chocolate! Coffee grinding preferences as noted, tea bags are more convenient, but I am fully equiped for a wonderful loose leaf tea. Do you have a strong preference for any sort of bath and body product brands (i.e. etailer/etsy type cos, department store/specialty brands like Lush) or are you cool with anything that doesn't smell like Bunnybane? I try to stick with small/woman owned companies where I can, but if you find something that seems right up my alley at Target, I will be thrilled no matter what. ______________________________________________ Good golly y'all! I'm going to throw this out up front because I totally forgot to mention it in my survey - please do not send me anything with artificial sweeteners. I can sometimes tolerate stevia, but a lot of them give me migraines and I just don't like them. I try to avoid HFCS as well, but I'd rather have something loaded with that than sucrolose or acesulfame. 1. $20 from Walgreens... I'd surely start in the makeup/nail polish aisle and would probably pick up some sort of totally impractical color(s) in one or both areas. Then, if I take it seriously and stay with the fun (as opposed to picking up one of the vitamin supplements I'm low on or something), then I'd probably grab some fun sparkly markers or pens (I love brightly colored sharpies), and then hit the chocolate aisle - depending on what I have left over and my mood, I'd either grab a Cadbury fruit and nut, some Lindt truffles, a marshmallow santa or whatever new strange chocolate caramel concoction is on sale. Or maybe HoHos. 2. I live near a brick and morter location for a really, really good spice store. Would you use cooking spices and if you would, what would you need? (It's Penzey's if you want to Google it.) I got the giant bakers gift crate for Christmas last year. So, er, nothing from that one, I guess. In general, except for curries, I tend to prefer solo herbs and spices to blends, and I have pretty good coverage at the moment for the basics, but I do love the idea. (And for starfish, I think? Their cinnamons are, indeed, amazing.) 3. Do you like knitted goods? If so, what would you like, what colors, and do you have any sensitivites or preference when it comes to type of yarn (ex: wool: yay or nay? Do you prefer machine washable materials? Do you not care?)? Absolutely love knitted goods. Strongly prefer machine washable and soft, but I'm not allergic to wool or anything. I am all about dark colors and jewel tones - black, grey, purple, green, blue, red. Not so much orange, yellow or pink...or white or brown. 4. Hey swap partner... could you use a new mug? I can always use a new mug, size large. 5. Is there any sort of regional food/drink/treat you miss or have always wanted to try? I love flavored/varietal honeys and those maple sugar leaves. Are those regional? Also, Indian and British sweets. In general, I would love to try anything that my Fox considers her regional specialties. 6. Do you do a Christmas tree? If yes is it themed or specially colored or do you just have all different ornaments and such? We do do a tree and it is a total mishmash of things from my childhood, ornaments gifted to the kids (lots of snowmen and alligators, and snowgators...long story) and just pretty things we've purchased over the years. 7. Would you like a special ornament? Sure! We tend to do cute, but not "country", fwiw. 8. Tim Tams. Yay or nay? Yes please! 9. I know some people are squicked out at the idea of eating things that other people make, or the thought of deep fried cookies sends them into cardiac arrest. If you were my fox, would you like to receive some homemade goodies, or would you prefer that your goodies came from the store? I would love homemade goodies. Maybe not deep fried cookies, though. 10. Would any Bunny like to receive Holiday serving bowls, trays, platters etc...? Winter/Christmas or Thanksgiving/Fall themed? Sure! I host Thanksgiving every year and Christmas Eve dinner and love holiday themed dishes. 11. My lovely fluffy Snow Bunny, would you like a body scrub made by me? If so, what scent(s) would you like, if you had to think along the lines of essential oils? And would you prefer sugar or salt? A dryer scrub or one that's more oily/moist? Ooh, absolutely. I love scrubs (oily/moist sugar typically, although I wouldn't say no to a citrussy salt scrub). I think I covered my general scent preferences pretty well in my questionaire, but holiday scents I particularly like are grapefruit + pine/spruce or sweet/cookie type scents with pine/spruce. 12. Dear snow bunny, do you like candles? If yes, then what kind? Scented (what scents), unscented, what colors, do you like them plain/painted on the outside/with decorations attached to the surface/sculpted? Love candles, especially this time of year (holiday cookie/christmas tree/spicy are alwaus good, although not so much cinnamon). I tend to prefer jar candles or votives, since I have kids and need to keep them out of the way. 13. Also what do you think of little soaps? I know most people don't use soaps nowadays but I love the chocolate/vanilla/cocoa/butter/sugar combo scents that I see at beauty stores.... Love them! 14. Socks! Slippers! Do you love them or not really wear them? If you love them, do you also love Sock Dreams? Love socks (generally not more than knee highs, though, and generally in the colors I listed above or holiday. Holiday socks are love!), love Sock Dreams (especially BBella). I do wear slippers, but I'm pretty particular about them, so that could be tough. 15. Would you wear something like http://www.ravelry.c...astic-cowl]this if your Fox were to knit you one? If so, what color? Hrm. That's not really my style, to be honest, unless it were big enough to use as a shawl instead. 16. New question: talk to me of coffee. Whole bean? Ground? Flavored, not flavored? Decaf, whole caff? Favorite roasters? Drip, french press, keurig? BRING ON THE TEA? Whole bean dark roast or flavored ground. Whole caff. (We have a grind and brew combo where you can't just switch out beans.) Locally, I like Beanetics, but I'm really not that picky. Tea is love and I'm all about the seasonal flavors and chocolate blends here, bags or loose. 17. Who else here loves or would like to try Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics? If so, what would you like? I've never heard of them. 18. Have you tried anything from Cocoa Pink and if so, what products and scents do you like or would like to try? I haven't. I'm not really that into hair stuff, as it's short and pretty low maintainance. 19. Anybody into nail polish? Any color or formula preferences? I like painting my toenails (my fingers never last long enough to make it worthwhile, to be honest), but I'm not "into" it, per se. I'd love a cool sparkly blue or green (and I do covet the Muppet colors that someone's supposed to be coming out with soonish), but it's not something anyone should go out of their way for. 20. If you found a $50 bill on the ground and were to place a Lab order, what would be in it? (And shipping is free through the magical BPAL unicorn!) Hmmmm. That's a tough one. Probably Tattered Lace and Ein Kuss Von Krampus from Dark Delacacies. 21. Is there any particular holiday DVD that you don't have that you would like to own? Nothing jumps to mind, as we tend to buy/tivo stuff as we get the itch for it. 22. How do you feel about superheros? Are you a Marvel or DC fan? Do you have a favorite hero? Generally I tend to be more of a Vertigo (Sandman/Hellblazer/Preacher/that sort) of gal. So, DC, I guess. I'm not so much into superheroes as I am darker graphic novel type comics. 23. would you like a Paintbox from Paintbox Soapworks? If so, which scents? That looks awesome, but I try to avoid glycerine soaps. 24. Do you have kids (or kid-like pets) who your fox may want to take into account, either in terms of a little extra goody or simple safety? 2 kids (8 year old boy, 18 month old girl, he tends to inherit all wee toys, stickers and to share in appropriate snacky things). Also 2 cats, but they tend to stick to themselves and actually don't really do the treat thing. Same with the fish/snails and the hermit crab. 25. Lush? I love the Buche de Noel cleanser, Lemony Flutter and I tend to like a lot of the holiday bubble bar scents, so long as they aren't floral (I haven't had a chance to go through this year's offerings though). I don't like their soaps at all, which makes me sad, since they tend to sound delightful. 26. Honey/Beeswax? Honey is an absolute yes. Not sure what I'd do with beeswax, but if it came with suggestions, I'd be game, I guess. 27. TJs - we have them around here but they are always horribly crowded on the weekends and I can just never be bothered. I do really like their crumpets, though. 28. Paintbox Yulies? - So, while I'm not up for the soaps, scrubs and lotion are always good. Snoggin sounds devine, as does Comfort and Joy. White Snow, Bright Snow and the Victorious Sun sound nice too...For that matter, looking at the rest of the LEs, Avast, Guy Faukes, Indian Summer and Smiling Jack all sound lovely. 29. If I were to place ONE LAST Weenie order, (uh, which I will) what would you want me to include for you? (presuming that is that the order can get here in time, bites nails)? I did a pretty good job on this year's Weenies on my on. The stuff on my wishlist is pretty much stuff I just want to sniff. This is prolly as good a place as any to mention that I know my WL is pretty heavy on harder to find/LE type stuff. While I always love BPAL, I totally don't expect it. Will you be away for any part of the round? Nope. Anyone else with an Etsy store and a member of Tradeaholics (or you could join) and interested in bartering for gifts for their bunny? Nope. What type of books do you like? Dying to read anything? I adore books. I keep a running list of everything I've read throughout the year here in my .org blog - it goes back to 2007, I think. Yeep. I may just make a new post with my answers to the Bookworm swap, to be honest, since that's prolly the easiest way to keep track of things (here!. But I do love interesting, not too sappy, holiday stories. And I'm jonsing for some Authurian legends at the moment for some reason (not MZB, as I've either read or have on my to read shelves many of her books). Also, I love a Kindle, if that matters. ;-) If you like Christmas music (or anyother holiday music, for that matter), what kind of style do you like? Traditional? Modern and poppy? Indie? I love Christmas and holiday music and I'm a sucker for modern/indie compilations. I have a lot of holiday music though (I wanna say 300+ songs on my iPod), but I haven't gotten anything in the past couple of years. Do you enjoy things that taste like roses? For example chewing gum, turkish delight, delicious goo that you eat by the spoonful out of a glass jar (and they all taste of rose. Yes, we have all these in Greece.) I do! Lavender as well. I don't really chew gum though. Also, same question about mastic. Would you be interested in trying it out? (If yes, any preferences? for example you would prefer to try the chewing gum, the turkish delight, an Easter bun, the raw resin itself, anything?) I don't think I've ever tried it, but I'm always up for new experiences. I live in the city of the chickenwing. If I were to send you something savory, what's your heat tolerance (or sweet and heat for that matter)? I like things spicy, but not necessarily hot, if that makes any sense? Nothing more than a "medium", basically. I do love sweet-spicy combos (chili chocolate, baked goods, etc, but mostly if I can actually taste the flavors). That being said, I'm really not a huge fan of the chickenwing. If your fox/bunny were to gift you with a giftcard from anywhere, as in any store food wise, music wise etc. what giftcard would you like? Amazon is always good, as is Starbucks, since I do like to treat myself there ocassionally. Other online only options would be Sock Dreams, Soap Box, Villainess, someplace similar that my Fox wants to surprise me with. I'm always up for discovering new places. Lego would be fun too. If I were to send you chocolate is there anything I should avoid as in nuts, cherries etc.? Also, what are some of your favorite holiday candies? I'm not real nuts about nuts (HA!), unless there's lots of dried fruit and other stuff (e.g., the aforementioned fruit & nut bar). I love caramel, marshmallow, cherries, other fruity bits. Also, despite not being a huge fan of nuts, I do love marzipan. One thing I've learned about myself recently is that while I do love high quality chocolate (or moderate, even) with bits in, I don't like things that are too outlandish, like curry or fennel. My love affair with Vosges is suffering for this fact, as I like their caramels and truffles, but not so much the candy bars. In terms of holiday faves, divinity, fudge, peppermint chocolates, marzipan and I love me a marshmallow santa. Does anything from FusionSweets interest you? The caramel marshmallows sound AMAZEBALLS. As do the chocolate orange marshmallows. If I were to do a pick 4, I'd choose the chocolate marshmallow, grasshopper, lavender and vanilla. For caramels, the apple cider, lemon ginger, star anice etc, and French lavender honey all sound fabulous. But I have alot of caramels about right now, so the marshmallows would definitely be my first choice. Interested in anything from the Elements and Artifacts Yule update? I almost bought these yesterday. Everything else I wanted is long gone. Mulling spices? I love mulling spices, but unless my Fox likes to make their own amazing blend, I have a jar of Penzy's on hand for this season.

Em-

November 1, 2011