Updated 9/1/10:

 

Switch Witch Questionnaire

 

Forum Name: tartchef

Full Name: Hayley J. Croom

Email Address: tartchef@yahoo.com

Mailing Address: 931 Wayne Ave, York, PA 17403

 

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Basic Info

Birthday: May 23, 1973

Pets: Dust bunnies, a stray cat that lives on the front porch & the birds at the feeders

Children: One 4.5-year-old boy, aka Tiny C/The Tiny/Captain Goofball

Religious orientation: Spiritual agnostic with a side of Buddhism

Favorite Holiday: Christmas? Mostly for the food, really…

Occupation/Major in school: Desk jockey, soap-maker & pastry chef, but I studied psychology, comparative religions & fine art. And animal husbandry.

Living arrangement (by yourself, with roommates, etc): With the DH & aforementioned goofball

Livejournal/Blog/Website: http://tinyurl.com/p...worksonfacebook

Organizations/Causes/Activities (Things you belong to or causes you believe in): Anything that works towards tolerance, equality, justice & sustainable living gets my vote

 

 

BPAL

Favorite BPAL oils: The original Aries, Tzadikim Nistarim, Daiyu, Ahathoor, The East, Valentine of Rome, Judith & Holofernes, Hod, Hermes Trismegistus

Favorite notes: Frankincense, black pepper, carnation, spikenard, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, beeswax, tea, tobacco, olive blossom…

Favorite non-BPAL perfumes: I’m pretty BPAL-loyal, but Arcana’s Holy Terror & Haunt’s Batik were worth bottles.

Least favorite notes: Rose, lilies, civet, dirt, most vetivers & dragons bloods

Least favorite non-BPAL perfumes: Just about anything you’d find at the mall

If Beth made a custom blend for you, what would the notes be, and what would you want the label art to look like? Frankincense, black pepper, carnation, spikenard, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, beeswax, tea, tobacco, olive blossom… She’s done combinations of a few of these, but man o day, what I wouldn’t give for a bottle with everything blended together… The label would be sepia-toned with a series of botanical drawings in varying transparencies overlaying each other. There’d be a bit of hand-tinting, and a few fine details in bronze ink.

 

Clothing & Jewelry

Hair type: Straight, thick & fine; wash & go, mostly, but I’m looking for a good natural styling putty/paste now my hair’s short

Skin Type: Combination, prone to hormonal breakouts

Allergies (specifically B&B related): No cocoa butter in my facial products, plz.

Other things to avoid: SLSs, -bens, -cones, animal testing

Tub, shower or both? Both, but my bathtub sucks

Favorite bath & beauty products: Organic jojoba oil, non-foody scrubs, hydrosols

Clothing Style/Fave garments: Funky but casual, with an emphasis on natural materials & stuff I can wear/wash to death. My daily uniform is usually a Tshirt/long sweater over a knee-length skirt with pockets. Over-the-knee/knee-high socks & tights as the weather demands. Clogs, high lace-up boots or those funky sport flats.

Favorite clothing colors/colors to wear: Bonus points for muddy/antiqued colors – gunmetal, all kinds of grey, olive, oatmeal, chocolate brown, washed out red, deep plum, but shots of chartreuse are allowed

Type(s) of jewelry worn: EAR CUFFS.... I have no piercings, and have only 2 decent pairs of cuffs to my name. I do like wide wrist cuffs & bracelets, but don’t wear them often at all.

Ring/wrist/collar size: Ring size 7 or so/6.5 inches/15-inch neck

Jewelry - gold or silver? Silver, brass, copper, bronze, anything that looks old & worn.…

Do you have any allergies to metal? Nope

Favorite gemstones: Marcasite, moonstones, peridot, carnelian, amber, dark grey/green/purple freshwater pearls

Sock/Shoe Size: 9 ½/10, on the wider side

 

Lifestyle

Style/home decoration style: Arts & Crafts/Craftsman meets IKEA, natural colors & materials

Favorite decorating colors: Green! Wood tones, deep rust, coffee brown, shots of cream & scarlet red.

Things you collect: Dust… DH has an enormous record collection, and we love old travel posters. Bonus points for anything Chicago/train related. There’s an obscure deep olive green series of Lord Nelson pottery that we’re in love with….

Favorite music: Oh crap. Too much to list here. Currently rocking Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros, Bach cello suites, White Rabbits, Nick Cave/Grinderman, Tom Waits…

Least favorite music: Over-produced pop/emo/rap. EZ listening. Musicals.

Vegetarian/Vegan?: (Please be as specific as possible to reduce confusion!) Vegetarian with serious lapses. I am horrifically allergic to chicken & turkey, and don’t do red meat at all. I do eat a good bit of fish (esp sushi), and bacon & sausage & pate are my undoing. I do wear leather, but no fur, please.

Other food restrictions: No artificial sweeteners or MSG, plz.

Favorite flavors: Ginger, tea, blackberry, black currant, lavender, rosemary, black pepper

Favorite foods/drinks: Sushi, Cornish ice cream, Christmas pudding, organic/fair trade, micro-roasted coffee, Ceylon/Assam tea with milk, homegrown tomatoes on homemade bread with salt & pepper, chaat papri, mezze platters, Panang curry with tofu, a good Ploughman’s with Branston Pickle, good dark chocolate

Favorite authors/genres: Tolkien, Hemingway, Ondaatje, Ray Bradbury, Amanda Barrett, Willa Cather, Ayn Rand, Dorothy Sayers, Patrick O’Brien, Philip Pullman, Joan Aiken… I like a ripping good yarn, a good dose of escapism & adventure, but the writing has to be quality.

Least favorite authors/genres: Romance, chick lit, most of what passes for mystery/suspense/true crime.

Books/authors you'd like to read, but haven't yet:

How do you feel about receiving gently used books as gifts? LOVE IT.

Favorite stores (including clothing stores): Cost Plus & IKEA, neither of which are convenient anymore. Target & Old Navy (a love/hate relationship, really). Farmers markets, roadside stands, the tiny ethnic shops/markets in Chicago, Mitsuwa.

Favorite online stores (including B&B stores): SockDreams. Etsy (I’m under tartchef 7 paintboxsoapworks). MountainRoseHerbs. Bramble Berry.

Magazines you subscribe to: Eating Well. Saveur. LadyBug

Magazines you like, but don't subscribe to: Donna Hay – I buy it every month, but can’t bear the $125+ for an actual subscription…

Favorite movies: Lawrence of Arabia, LotR, anything Miyazaki, Master & Commander, The Princess Bride, There Will Be Blood, Good Night and Good Luck, anything Wes Anderson, Indiana Jones (yes, even the new one), Star Trek (yes, even the new one), Bond (Connery will always be my favorite, but Daniel Craig is welcome anytime), sweeping Merchant-Ivory-esque pieces… yeah. Lots.

Favorite TV show(s): Not so much. Carnivale. Mad Men. LOST. DH has me watching Fringe & Arrested Development lately…

Hobbies/crafts done: Soapsoapsoap, crocheting, sewing, novice knitting, gardening, and some day I want to get back to cello lessons & drawing/painting…

 

Wishlists

BPAL Wish List (including SW/SF Help): in my forum signature

Other website Wish lists (amazon.com, etsy.com, etc): under Wishes, Whims & Other Desires in my sig

 

Random Questions:

- On a scale of 1-5, how organized are you? Sometimes 4.75, sometimes 2. I either have it nailed shut or have near-total FAIL.

 

- Where, outside of the U.S. would you love to visit? (if you're international, this can be anywhere) Scotland, the rest of England I haven’t seen, New Zealand, Oz, Japan, Tibet, Nepal, Scandinavia, Iceland… anywhere cool & green & mountainous/coastal will do

 

- Do people tell you that you act older, younger, or your age? Both – apparently I look younger than 36, but act much older… Two kids & two marriages will do that, I guess.

 

- Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yep, and I’d happily do it again in a fairly secluded setting.

 

- Do you wear pajamas to places other than at your house? No way – I’ll pop out to the curb in my yoga pants, but that’s it.

 

- Your least favorite feature about yourself: My pot belly – see the 2 kids part. My stomach muscles separated & all my flab rides right there. Reeeal attractive. A-line skirts are my friend.

 

- Do you live in a neighborhood or in the middle of nowhere? In a ridiculously twee neighborhood in an otherwise shabby/shady part of the city. Folks usually don’t even know our street exists, and are blown away by the quaint architecture & porch-sitting, baby dandling, neighborly atmosphere. If we lived anywhere else, I’d probably hate this redneck excuse for a city.

 

- Do you like to shop? Honestly… yes, but not for very long. I’d rather spend an hour or two in one or two good stores than all day shop-hopping. Online, shopping, on the other hand, I adore.

 

- If you were a shoe, what would you be and why? A clog – sturdy, practical, maybe a little clunky, but cute in my own way.

 

- They're making a bio-pic based on your life. Who's portraying you? Enya, but she’d have to spend a year with some English bakers first to get the physique & the attitude down…

 

-Have you ever thought, "oh, I'm going to get myself one of those one of these days" but then never do? List 1 under $10 and 1 over $10. A new potato peeler/ice cream scoop to replace the ones I gacked for the soap business … A new rug for my office.

 

- Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise, but only just. Any time the birds are singing like mad.

 

- Has a stranger ever told you that you did something really well? What was it? Handled the multi-headed hydra that is my life J Baked. Handled my son’s tantrum. Talked someone through using a computer system. Ignored the haters & did my own damn thing.

 

- Do you like garage sales (boot sales)? Sometimes… the ones in Chicago were always worthwhile.

 

- I like to slather my food in …: attention? I am partial to good sea salt & fresh black pepper…

 

- State fairs or carnivals? Oh yes – especially the livestock/agricultural buildings, saltwater taffy, funnel cakes, & fried fish sandwiches on thick white bread.

 

- Do you like to splash in puddles after it rains? Did the thought make you smile? Why wait til after? One of my favorite memories is when Tiny C & I went out in a summer downpour & tore up & down the sidewalk in our bare feet.

 

 

Notes (Here's where you can add additional information you'd like your Switch Witch to know!): Oh Witchy, my Witchy. I’m a mom. Draw me a stick figure on a piece of newsprint & I’ll love you forever. I rarely spoil myself, and DH & I are both fairly practical, low-key sorts, so my expectations are most forgiving. Please send me a ping once in a while so I know you’re out there, but don’t worry about showering me with packages. I’m just happy to be here.

 

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Forum Information (Everything written below this line is removed before questionnaires are forwarded, and is only meant to help out the Ringleaders.)

 

Are you willing to ship internationally?: Alas, I have to say no for this round L

 

Date you Joined the Forum: September 1, 2006

 

If you joined under 2 months ago, do you have a history/feedback under Ebay, MUA, etc (please list):

 

Have you participated in Switch Witch/SwapFaery/BirthdaySprite before?: Yes

If yes, who did you send to/receive from: Lilly/chimera87; girasol/VCW

Please talk about your past experiences and, if applicable, give us feedback on your most recent SW: LOVED IT. Fraught with a bit of nail-biting at one point, but I like to think I’ve calmed down a bit & can embrace the Zen of SW.

 

Favorite Witches: Not fair J

 

As a Witch (giver), how much contact do you usually keep with a Witchee? Pretty high – e-cards, multiple packages

As a Witchee (receiver), do you have any preferences regarding the level of contact from a Witch? I like to feel loved… ninja Witches make me sad.

 

(Note: Mentors are separate from your Switch Witches. New witches will be paired up with more experienced witches to help them learn the ropes)

Please choose only one; don't select to be a Mentor and matched with one.

Do you want to be a Mentor Witch this round? Sure!

Do you want to be matched with a Mentor Witch? No, thanks!