Oh hai Witchy! You are a saint for wading through all this self-indulgent prattle...

Who are your favorite artists/illustrators/art periods?

I am a sucker for Japanese block prints, ukiyo-e - Hiroshige and Hokusai, anything involving the sea, snow or rain... I love botanical prints, and old advertising posters - especially Chicago/Columbian Exposition & railway travel posters like this.

My favorite painting, I think, is Breton's The Song of the Lark. When we lived in Chicago & had an Institute membership, I would go to the museum just to visit it. It's much bigger than the link really captures - big enough to get lost in. I love the light, the colors, that look of rapt attention, how the girl is completely transported, however briefly, away from work & hardship by the liquid twitter of the lark... I also adore the book, for what it's worth

Cranberries?

Oh yes. In all shapes, sizes & formats!

Do you mind receiving used (in good condition, of course) CDs or DVDs?

As long as it's playable, I actually prefer used - the bulk of our extensive collection of music & movies is second-hand.

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?

Not a big fan fic/art person, thanks. But, since you asked, a Christian Bale/Clive Owen sandwich with a kilted Ewan McGregor on the side, plz.

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?

Home: cheese, grapes, bread/crackers, or a bowl of pretzels & whatever dried fruit I have floating around... Out & about: drinkable yoghurts, Clif bars... Road tripping: Pizza-flavored Combos, peanut-butter M&Ms

Do you have a favorite BPAL bottle art?

Chrysanthemum Moon has always been one of my favorites, and Tamamo-no-mae. I like the simplicity of the 2006 Yules, as well.

Is there ONE scent that you are just dying for from the Halloween update?

TATTIE BOGLE. It may well smell like utter fail on me, but the association with my childhood is too strong to not at least try to find it...

Are there any decants from the Halloweenies, Literary Vampires, Gris Grimly, or Hellboy that you would be interested in receiving?

I have a few Weenies on my wishlist, yes...

What's autumn like in your neck of the woods? What do you love and/or hate about it?

Autumn in PA is actually pretty nice - it's a long, slow slide into winter, unlike Chicago (2 weeks between tropical heat & bone-chilling cold). We live in a part of the state that does a lot of harvest festivals, corn mazes, pick-your-own apples, and the like. We're just on the edge of the Appalachian foothills, so there are lots of nice rolling hills that showcase the changing leaves - if we get a sudden cold snap, the colors really pop. The weather fluctuates a lot, so I'll have both my wooly socks and my floaty summer skirts in rotation for a while. I love when the nights get chilly - lots of folks have backyard firepits/chimenias around here, and there's nothing like the smell of maple wood smoke

Trader Joe's?

I'm more of a Treasure Island kind of girl... anyone?

Any Amy Brown art fans?

Cute, but ultimately not quite my style...

How do you feel about Halloween music? (mix CDs, what have you)

Gads, no. I worked FAR too long in retail to enjoy seasonal music, as a whole.

Who else is reeeeeally looking forward to Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland?

I am conflicted. The promo pictures look freakishly over-processed - I hope it's not that garishly CG... Now, Where the Wild Things Are, on the other hand...

Is there a store that you love which does not have a location near you (but that has a physical presence somewhere, not just online? Why do you love it so much?

Cost Plus/World Market! Imported goodies, pick-your-own 6-packs, really interesting Christmas decorations, no-brainer last-minute gifts... Mitsuwa, Patel Brothers, all the great ethnic stores in Chicago...

If you're caught in front of the tv, what are you watching?

Very unlikely, but on the rare chance I get the TV to myself, it's very likely LotR - either the movie or the Making Of documentaries. Yeah. Dork Alert!

Lolcats....yeah or nay?

Yay! Not a rabid fan, but they are a welcome laugh during the workday...

What is your favorite creepy folk story or legend?

If your witch were to either write something for you or put together a collection of ghost stories, would you rather have it in writing, recorded as an oral telling, or both?