Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go to last.fm immediately and create an account! Download the scrobbler! Link us to your account! If you reject this assignment, maybe just tell us what your mp3 player says you listen to a lot? Things that have been on serious repeat recently: American Idiot: the Original Broadway Cast Recording, The Airborne Toxic Event, Muse, Tom McRae, Okkervil River, Richard Thompson.

 

Is there any country you particularly like, or are interested in? Hungary, Italy, Norway, France, England, Greece, China, Morocco, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Peru, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and I'd like to visit Israel and Germany and Holland and Spain and Portugal and Korea and Singapore at some point... [Okay, top 6: Hungary because I loved Budapest, Italy because I loved Rome and Venice and Florence and basically everything, Norway because I want to see the fjords very badly (and I love glaciers), China because of my heritage and studies, and... France and England because I've always wanted to visit them and I know I'd love both their cities and their countryside. But I'm interested in tons of other places, too.]

 

Are you a foodie? I am! (In the loving-actual-food sense, anyway.) Or at least I'd like to think so.

 

Another question: Would you enjoy homemade bath products (bath salts, fizzies, etc.) and/or linen sprays? Esp. if scented with some of your favorite BPAL scents? Would I ever!

 

If you witch made you something and it didn't come out just right, would you still want it? Absolutely!

 

If you could see one concert right now, who would it be? Led Zeppelin, though I know it's basically impossible. I would say Muse, but I'm seeing them at Austin City Limits next month (finally!). There are a couple of Chinese bands I'd love to see (again). Hmm. Something more plausible... I know! Tom McRae. The guy has to come to the US sometime, right? Or I guess I could just go to England... I need to try to catch Christian Kane in concert sometime, too... at least he's in the right country.

 

Any sports fans in the house? What's your favorite sport/team/player? I'm not really much of a sports fan, alas. I do like figure skating a lot (current favorite figure skater is probably Adam Rippon or Daisuke Takahashi), and am secretly fond of hockey despite not really following it. It's my favorite team sport to see live, though. My loyalty goes to Minnesota teams, primarily.

 

For holidays, do you decorate? Would you like decorative stuff, weenie or otherwise? If so, do you lean towards the elegant, the crafty/folksy, or the more, erm, campy? I am not a huge holiday decorator, but I have been known to enjoy it on occasion. I like elegant the most, but crafty, folksy, and campy can all be appealing, depending.

 

Do you like journals/notebooks/sketchbooks? I do! I love journals, especially ones with blank paper or graph paper (though lined is also fine); I've actually been on the hunt for a tiny journal or notebook to carry around with me as my Moleskine is just about filled up. I like bigger ones, too! I also like sketchbooks, and have been thinking about getting back into pastels/pencils/charcoal -- I miss doing art (even though I'm not super great at it... but I enjoy it).

 

How do you feel about stationery, like nice pens or notepaper? And if you're in favor, do you prefer classic/contemporary or cutesy stuff? I LOVE stationary. LOVE. I definitely prefer classic/contemporary in stationary, elegant and clean, but sometimes cute stuff will appeal to me, and might well get used because I know the person I'm writing to likes it.

 

Would you like homemade preserves (e.g. marinated vegies, pickled onions, chilli jam?). I think so? I am sometimes iffy on pickled stuff, but the other two examples sound pretty good to me.

 

If you've got stuff on your BPAL wishlist, would partial bottles be okay? Of course! Generally I welcome bpal in whatever container it comes in. I love partials because it's fun to see the bottle art! But I love decants/imps and bottles, too. It's all good!

 

Say you were my witchee, and I found things on your wishlist that I could totally make. Would you want me to make it? Or would you rather it be purchased for you? Either is totally welcome!

 

If you could be any person, being, or animal from Fantasy what or who would you be? Hmm. Maybe Sophie Pendragon nee Hatter from the Diana Wynne Jones novels featuring her? Or Eddy from War for the Oaks!

 

If you could go back to any point in time, where, when, why? To visit, there are a lot of places that would be fun to see (assuming some way of dealing with language issues... and also possibly some way of disguising my sex and race...), but I don't think I'd want to go back to any point in the past and actually stay there and live out the rest of my life. I'm too attached to modern convenience, communication, medicine, travel, other technology, and social mores, and too much of a historian to have a utopian view of the past. The percentage chance of being anything but a starving peasant is just too low. However! If I were forced to choose a place and time... Tang Dynasty China (or perhaps Han Dynasty), Athens during the Age of Pericles, Shanghai in the 1920s and 30s, or Renaissance Italy.

 

Favorite Halloween Candy/Treat? In terms of typical things actually acquired during Trick-or-Treating: Snickers, Almond Joy, Reeses Pieces, Reese Peanut Butter Cups (I love the enormous holiday ones!), Peanut or Almond or Peanut Butter M&Ms, Andes Mints, those mini Toblerones, Hershey's milk chocolate with almonds, Almond Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kats. I also have a soft spot for Starburst, Nerds, Skittles, and Smarties. Seasonal foods: caramel apples and apple cider, apples in general, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin bread.

 

What are your favorite baked goods/homemade treats? Oh geez. I love basically everything. Brownies (especially mint, cream cheese, caramel/turtle, or peanut butter), other bars, cookies of pretty much all types, fudge, truffles, caramels, rice krispie bars, cinnamon rolls, friendship bread, quick bread (pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, etc), coffee cake, spice cake, pound cake, doughnuts, chocolate mousse, flourless chocolate cake, bete noire, strawberry shortcake, apple crumble, cherry pie, pear almond tart, tres leches cake, almond cake, carrot cake, scones (especially the small, tender, British kind), crumpets, rye bread, baguette, sourdough bread, pumpernickel, bagels... Yeah, basically everything.

 

How do you feel about short stories/films? I like them, and sometimes they are amazing. (I am generally drawn towards novels and full-length feature films a bit more, though.)

 

Would you be interested in a birth chart? Absolutely! I believe I was born around 9:20 am on 6/27/1978.

 

Favorite comfort re-reads: Anything and everything by Diana Wynne Jones, War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Soul Music and Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (also other Discworld novels), Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C Wrede, the Alanna books by Tamora Pierce, A Horse & His Boy and The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis (from the Chronicles of Narnia), The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper, The Emerald City of Oz by L Frank Baum, the Emily books and Rilla of Ingleside and A Tangled Web by LM Montgomery, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, several Julian F Thompson books, All-of-a-kind Family by Sydney Taylor, Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes by the Gilbreths, Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust, Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace, A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle, Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom and Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott, Changeover and The Tricksters by Margaret Mahy, The Obnoxious Jerks by Stephen Manes, the Sorcery Hill trilogy by Suzy McKee Charnas, Remember Me to Harold Square by Paula Danzinger, Deathtrap and Dinosaur by Jane McFann, Drawing Blood by Poppy Z Brite, So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Snow Crash and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, the Myth series and Phule's Company by Robert Asprin, Strong Poison and Gaudy Night and Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers... I'm sure I'm missing a ton of them, but this is a sampling, anyway.

 

Bpal storage? Is always welcome. I'd love an ammo box for imps/decants, especially, as previous wonderful witches have provided some lovely bottle storage. But more boxes for bottles are always welcome, too! (And boxes in general, definitely!)

 

What movie scared the bejeezus out of you as a child? Labyrinth, Ghostbusters (mostly just the Gatemaster/the Keymaster/Gozer stuff), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (the heart scene). I think this were all around the age of 8.

 

Name a couple of sites you frequent other than this one. Livejournal/Dreamwidth... Echo Bazaar... Those are the only ones I visit daily. I guess I check Ideeli fairly often, and I read Tom and Lorenzo at Project Rungay ~ weekly now that the season's going.

 

Do you like the Muppets? Which is your favorite? I do (I watched so much Muppet Babies as a kid!). My favorites are probably Rowlf and Animal, though I do like Kermit and Miss Piggy and Beaker and Fozzie and the Sam the Eagle, and many of the others as well.

 

If you could have any creature (real or imaginary) as a pet, what would it be? Possibly a jhereg from Steven Brust's Dragaera books, or Alanna's black cat (though I think that's probably cheating!). Maybe a dragon. As for real creatures, I don't know if a housecat can really be beat as a practical pet.

 

If you are in school now, what classes are you taking? Does anything you are currently studying really interest you? (if you are not in school, is there anything you are trying to learn?) I'm not in school right now, because I quit the PhD program I was in a little while back and am still kind of traumatized. I still like East Asian Studies and History (it was a Chinese History degree program) and libraries, I just don't want to deal with academia for the rest of my life. Things I'm trying to learn: see the "what hobby/craft I want to learn" question. Also possibly some graphic design or photography, and I'm thinking about librarian/archivist sorts of things.

 

Will you be going out of town during the round, or is there any other time during the round when it would not be ideal for you to receive a package from your Witch? I'll be out of town 9/28-10/6, but the SO and his housemates will be home, so packages can still safely arrive.

 

What animal would your daemon be? Alternately, your patronus. A big cat (panther or tiger or puma, probably) or possibly a raven, or quite likely a bear.

 

According to the test (http://www.okcupid.com/tests/the-golden-compass-daemon-test): Multi-Faceted Soul: In a way, you are a truly balanced person. You have a good sense of self, but you have periods of worry and self doubt. You don't like to be alone a lot, but you don't like being constantly surrounded, either. You can be shy in some situations and bold in others. You can tell people how you feel, but you don't wear your heart on your sleeve. You aren't "TOO" anything: You aren't too shy, you aren't too aggressive, you aren't too extroverted, you aren't too introverted. However at any one time you can be any combination of these things. You tend to adapt yourself to match the situations in which you find yourself. You may be quiet and sensitive with some people, or joking and loud with others. These are all facets of your personality. People tend to perceive you as they want to perceive you. They may even tend to idealize you a bit. Then, when you do something that doesn't fit their concept of who you are (like have an outburst of anger, or a fit of shyness, or make an insensitive joke)they can be shocked and surprised. Does anyone know the real you? Your daemon would represent your multi-faceted and ever-changing personality, as well as people's tendency to idealize you. He or she would get angry when you did not, be calm and poised when you felt ruffled and anxious, and always be the voice of emotion and reason in your ear. Suggested forms: Swan, Elephant, Koala, Panda, Chameleon, Wolf." -- I think a wolf might be awesome. I quite like pandas and elephants, too, though I don't know that they'd be my ideal daemon/patronus.

 

According to a different test (http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/468082/what-is-your-daemon): "EAGLE or HAWK - your daemon may be some kind of bird of prey. Yours is a strong spirit, and a fierce sense of liberty. You cannot be confined. You may be shrewdly observant, and like to be aware of everything that goes on around you. You will fight fiercely for the things that are most important to you, and you are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Still, you are not vicious by nature and would prefer to be left in peace. You probably value your solitude very highly - not that you don't enjoy company, but sometimes you just need to be alone - otherwise you begin to feel caged in and confined. You might want to take a drive on your own, just to feel the road beneath you, or to sit alone on your balcony, watching the world go by." -- I could see having a hawk, definitely, or perhaps a falcon or an owl.

 

What's YOUR favorite word? Paradox! I love when things are contradictory and complex and paradoxical -- it's part of my truth.

 

Steampunk, yay or nay? If yay, what part appeals most? Yay! I especially like goth-steampunk hybrids in terms of colors and styles and moods. I like gears and keys as motifs; gears that work and add function are especially cool, but I do just like how they look as well, particularly if they are delicate and real. I am also by intrigued Victorian shapes in dresses and boots and such.

 

Would you like a bag of dried Honeycrisp apples? Ooooh, yes, please! Honeycrisp is one of my favorite apple varieties (and created by my home state, go Minnesota!). I love love love a good apple.

 

I like dried fruit in general, too. When I lived in a place that had Trader Joe's, I used to get this dried berry medley that had strawberries, blueberries, and cherries, YUM. I miss it so much. But I like other kinds of dried fruit as well! And fresh fruit, of course, and even canned fruit and frozen fruit... I am easy for fruit.

 

If you were to receive a knitted item (such as a scarf, hat, etc), what colors would you like? And do you have any sensitivies/allergies to any materials? I think I covered this preemptively in answers to previous questions. I don't have any specific allergies, but some wool is scratchy (while others are lovely), and I tend to prefer natural fibers, the softer the better, the more lightweight the better.

 

If I were to send you a gift certificate for something would you rather get a physical gift certificate in the mail? Or would you prefer an electronic one that you can use right away? Either's fine.

 

Favorite Yankee Candles? Or other brands' scents? (I make my own candles too, but sometimes have money to spend on others) I don't know much about Yankee Candles, but in general I like all the scents I like in BPAL, plus some of the more foody scents that sometimes go amiss on my skin. Spicy and vanilla-y is always good! Homemade candles would be most welcome, too!

 

Which brings me to a question: would you like a zuni animal fetish? And if so, what animal? Sure! Most likely a bear, but I would also be psyched for a mountain lion or wolf. A badger or mole or bobcat or snake or buffalo would also be neat... or eagle or coyote or turtle or frog or owl or bird... or deer or antelope or mountain sheep or elk or horse or beaver... (based on this site: http://www.pueblodirect.com/fetishmeanings.html) [looking at another site (http://www.sedonawolf.com/zuni.htm), I would add that I'd love a hawk or raven or fox, and would be interested in otter, moose, porcupine, opossum, crow. looking at a third site (http://www.indiansummer.com/fetishes.htm): spider and hummingbird both sound quite appealing, as do armadillo, cat, and whale. Color and texture and aesthetics are just as important to me as the animal.

 

And how does everyone feel about glow in the dark radishes? CUTE! I would totally wear those, assuming they were relatively light. I think they would go very well with my pro-tomato t-shirt.

 

What places to do you visit that you'd like a gift card to? Off the top of my head: Book People, Waterloo Records, Dreamhaven Books, B&N, Amazon, iTunes, Infusions of Tea, Chuao Chocolatier, World Market, Target, Bloomingdales/Macy's, Victoria's Secret, Lane Bryant, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sephora, Ulta, Lush, Starbucks, anywhere in the Austin area that sounds neat... Thinkgeek, Jinx.com, Blowfish (nsfw), Good Vibrations (nsfw), maybe Cafepress, maybe drugstore.com, etsy stores... It might also be neat to try something like Villainess or other e-tailers along those lines. Also, Sockdreams, because while I don't usually wear socks, I am intrigued by some of theirs.

 

Cake or frosting? CAKE! Unless we're talking super spectacular (key component: not too sugary) frosting (cream cheese frosting, mmmmmmmmmmm), in which case, both!

 

Cake Truffles, interested? and if YES! Cake/icing/chocolate preferences: Yes! Cream cheese icing is my favorite, but I also like fudge and strawberry, anything that's not too super sweet, though I do also like glazes. Cake, I like pretty much alllllllllll cake.

 

Are you interested in mini bottles(under 100ml for hand luggage) of bath and body products? YES! I travel quite a bit, so these would be super useful. Especially if they definitely don't leak (based on sad prior experience).

 

Vampire shows, literature, etc? Yay or nay? A qualified yay. I definitely like my vampire stories on the dark side. Favorite vampire stories: Let the Right One In (the movie), Drawing Blood and Lost Souls by Poppy Z Brite, the Vampire: the Requiem game a friend of mine ran. Vampires do the opposite of sparkle. Seriously. Let's just say my favorite True Blood character is Eric because he is both super hot and deliciously amoral. I have not been impressed with the latest wave of vampire fiction -- Twilight is a huge no, Southern Vampire series by Harris is a huge no, Vampire Academy is a meh, Anita Blake (despite being kinda addictive) is a meh (except for Obsidian Butterfly because I loved Edward so); the Kim Harrison ones were pretty good but seemed to be kinda going downhill... I was okay with Interview with a Vampire but those went downhill too... But I am willing to try more! I like the idea of vampires, I like many things about them...

 

Would you prefer clothing or costume pieces? If so, what would items would you like? I have a very slight preference for clothing, but I love costume pieces, too, so both are very very welcome. I would LOVE a fascinator, and hair things are always good, and generally things like jewelry and fancy gloves.

 

If you play console video games, what game systems do you have and what games would you love to have? I do, though not super regularly. The Boys have all the current consoles and also a PS2. I suspect that any game I'd want, they'd already have bought, though; sorry. Ooh, unless you find a cheap copy of three kingdoms 8? And if we move into PC games, well, I play the Sims (3) and would love Sim related stuff or good games along those lines, or puzzle games, or old school games (I've been having a strange yearning to play Rampage, for example).

 

How do you all feel about flowers and plants? Flower and plant seeds? Drawings of flowers or plants? Pressed flowers? I am death to flowers and plants, sad as it makes me. I'm in a better place to take care of one now, though, so maybe I'd be up for giving it a shot. Maybe herbs for the kitchen? I would love drawings of flowers of plants, especially those kind of classical botanical drawings. Pressed flowers, or fresh flowers in a vase or something along those lines, would be lovely, too.

 

How do you feel about marzipan? I like it, though I can be picky about it. Pure marzipan can be a little overwhelming or too sweet, and fake almond flavoring is a sadness. But sometimes I really like it (especially if it's more almondy and less sweet)! I love almonds and natural almond flavored things in general.

 

If you could have 3 BPAL bottles fall (gently) out of the sky right this second that you've been looking for or pining for - which 3 would they be? Pumpkin Queen, Geek.Goth, Tomoe Gozen.

 

Are there any international treats that you love and have a hard time finding? Yummy Asian drinks and hard candies and black sesame candy! The more unusual Dolfin chocolate bars, Ritter butter biscuit chocolate bars. I'm sure there are more but that's what's occurring to me right now. [ETA: Also Ritter Cornflake bars, Ritter Whole Hazelnut bars, and Vosges Bars]

 

Are there any soundtracks that you'd like? Yes! 2046, In the Mood for Love, Fallen Angels (the Wong Kar-Wai film), Newcastle, Mysterious Skin, Brick, Whip It, Zombieland, Shortbus, Were the World Mine, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Across the Universe, Working (the musical), Guys and Dolls, Wicked, 1776, the current revival of Promises, Promises. I'm sure there are more, too. I'm fond of soundtracks!

 

Is there anything from the 'Ween BPTP update that you would like but haven't ordered for yourself? Ginger Skulls and Treatsy Bath Oil, but most likely I'll order those. Bogle looks interesting, as does An T-Samhuinn soap, and I'd love a little Slaugh to send to a friend of mine, and a bit of Halloween: New Orleans to try and to send to a different friend. Nut Crack Night and Samhain would both be lovely, as would Jack soap and Rimmon soap and Sagardoa soap, and Pumpkin Pie bath oil. I'd like to try Candy Corn Coated Candy Apple, but I don't know that it would work for me, so just a little bit.

 

If you are a crafter, would you like to receive supplies from your witch (beads, fabric, yarn/roving etc)? Sure!

 

Find your iPod (or other MP3 device), put it on shuffle/random. What are the first five songs to come up? First ten, just 'cause it's fun: "Here Comes a Regular" by The Replacements, "Raise the Dead" by Phantom Planet, "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, "Singing In My Sleep" by The Chills, "End of the Day" by Beck, "Everybody Hurts" by REM, "Disarm" by the Smashing Pumpkins, "The Small Print" by Muse, "Sometime Around Midnight" by The Airborne Toxic Event, "So Cruel" by U2.

 

Baked goods: Love 'em! Though I, too, forgot to mention that I don't eat artificial sweetners.

 

Gifts for others in the house: No need to include anything specific for them. They'll probably help consume any yummy things sent, and any good books might well get passed on to the SO, whose taste in books is very similar to mine, but we have no pets and my SO & housemates are not particularly covetous.

 

Small testers vs one or two big things? No preference! Both are terrific.

 

Groupons/deals/gift certificates: Sure! Austin metro area; I also do a lot of my shopping online.

 

Social networks: LJ and Twitter are both jencallisto, though I haven't posted in awhile (though you'll get a pretty good idea of me from my older posts, probably) and I don't really use Twitter for anything but playing Echo Bazaar. I do have a Facebook, but I don't really use it much, either.

 

Clothing sizes: XL, in general (women's sizes). If a top is stretchy enough, or cut in a particular way, sometimes size L. (For example, in BPTP and Jinx.com shirts, I'm almost always an XL. For skirts I'm in the size 16-18 range at the moment. I don't usually wear unisex clothes b/c I'm far too curvy, and some styles of women's clothes also don't really work (hence one of the reasons I basically never wear pants except for pajama pants). Stretchy is good, shape is good. Anything that's basically just a rectangle won't work; anything that assumes I'm a B-cup or don't have hips also won't work, anything top that's too long is iffy (I'm rather short and have a relatively short torso -- the longer length tees tend to look strange on me). (For example, I love some of the shirt designs on Threadless, but have sadly discovered I can't wear their women's tees at all because they're too square and not stretchy enough for my body shape.) Also, an addendum to my Questionnaire -- I know I said I usually wear skirts, and that's true, but I would adore pajama bottoms for lounging around the house, especially ones made of thinner material. XL in those, I believe, or possibly XXL. I like nightgowns and long nightshirts and such, too. Actually, just in general, material as light as possible -- I overheat really easily.

 

Mix cds: YES! I love love love getting new music to try listening to. [it occurs to me I should've mentioned this in the "least favorite music" part of the Questionnaire -- I'm pretty averse to pop country music (it often falls into the "bubblegum pop" category in my head even though I guess it's technically country), though I like some bluegrass and old school, classic country a lot. In the "favorite music" part, I forgot to note that I love oldies! And the album I'm currently listening to over and over is American Idiot: Original Broadway Cast Recording because I saw the musical (twice!) in NYC last month and absolutely adored it.]

 

Halloween plans? Nothing is planned yet, so who knows.

 

How does everyone feel about handmade soft things? Whether they are plushies, knit scarves, gloves, etc? I'd adore plushies! Scarves and gloves... well. I live in a part of Texas, where winter is like a mythical creature. I'd much prefer to be cold than to be warm, but I don't get to be cold very often here. So thick scarves and gloves would get almost no use (sometimes I go to Minnesota for the winter holidays, but even then the really thick ones are not my preferred style). Thin ones, especially if made out of super-soft, non-scratchy material, I might get more use out of, and would probably just enjoy more. I also like knee-high (or higher) socks to wear with my skirts sometimes, though, if those count as soft things, and also shawls. I know those are a bit of a commitment to hand-knit, though.

 

Girlieness: The definition of girly is kind of confusing sometimes. I guess I'm more girly than some, with the skirt-wearing and long hair and affection for baths and all, but I don't really think of myself as girly. I like dark colors! I am too lazy to primp! So I don't know. Addedum: I don't wear heels unless they are super well-balanced and sturdy; overall I much prefer flats. I don't really like the color pink in most cases. I like some shiny, sparkly thing, but honestly I tend to prefer things to be pretty and elegant or in-your-face -- for example, I prefer most of my punk/goth stuff without the sparkles. Also, I am a huge book and gamer geek, though honestly I know plenty of book and gamer geeks who are pretty girly, much more than I am, so. Yeah. All a bit confusing because people have such different ideas of what it means. For example, when I say I don't primp, I mean sometimes I leave the house without having brushed my hair and sometimes I forget to use even basic lip balm to make my lips less cracked, much less anything like lip gloss or other actual cosmetics. Even for special occasions I don't usually do much more than brush my hair and put on lip gloss, and that's only if I remember, which I usually don't. And I never shave my legs or pluck my eyebrows or anything along those lines.

 

Are you into Austen's books? Yup, I love Pride & Prejudice, and I like her other books, too.

 

Do you read Tarot cards? If not, would you be interested? I own a Haindl deck and really like it, but I don't really do much actual reading. I wouldn't mind getting more into it and there are some really pretty decks I'd be interested in trying. I am not, I will note, a believer per se -- I am essentially agnostic on the subject -- but I find them fascinating.

 

So for those of you who are into Harry Potter at all, which house do you think you'd be sorted into? I am so Ravenclaw it's not even funny.

 

What, if anything, is your guilty TV watching pleasure? I'm not much into feeling guilty about the things I enjoy. The few reality shows I watch, perhaps (Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars). I watch a ton of scripted TV, too. I guess of those, True Blood would be the closest a guilty pleasure? But mostly, I am proud to claim the shows I watch!

 

If you cosplay or need a costume for your bellydance/burlesque hobby (or any other hobby which needs dressup/different from your normal wear), is there anything you need/want for it? The only thing I'm currently doing along these lines in goth clubbing (and that not as often as I'd like, either); anything along those lines would be adored. Skirts that twirl (and yet aren't pleated at the waist) are always desired (especially if they are black, but some other colors might be good, too). I've been thinking about getting back into bellydancing, so accessories for that might be neat. If I can find a LARP group around here, then I'll probably have more costuming needs then... Oh, and Renfaire sorts of things are also always welcome.

 

E-books: I generally prefer actual, physical books, but I would be all right with e-books if my Witch sees something he or she would particularly want me to have in that format. It's possible I'll someday get a Kindle or whatnot.

 

DVDs: Do you prefer widescreen or formatted? Widescreen.

 

Music: Any preference towards MP3 or CD? I like having the physical cds, but I like mp3s, too.

 

Do you like scented tarts? Sure? I might need a burner, though.

 

Lip balms? Definitely!

 

Do you have any body mods? If so, do you need any new jewelry, o-rings, plugs, etc (and if so, what size, length, etc)? Do you like pro-body mod stickers? Just regular old pierced ears, here. I always like dangly earrings. I have no idea what pro-body-mod stickers would be like but if they're pretty I might like them -- I think body mods can look really cool on the right person, especially tattoos but also some piercings.

 

Booze. Do you drink it, would you like some? I like some booze (dessert wine is my favorite, but I also like wine just in general and floofy girly drinks -- Sex on the Beach, White Russians, B-52s, blackberry mojitos, that sort of thing; also hard cider), but I don't think it can be shipped into Texas without a permit or something like that. Alas. However! I will note that booze-flavored stuff would be quite welcome! (I make delicious Baileys balls (a variation on rum balls), for example).

 

What is your favorite artist or art style? I like a ton of art styles. Off the top of my head: Mucha, Waterhouse, Arthur Rackham, surrealists, traditional Chinese art and calligraphy and jadework and dark wood furniture, Huang Yong Ping (and some other contemporary Chinese artists), black and white photography... I like a much wider range than that, though. Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's work is quite beautiful, and I like at least some things by both Charles Vess and Dave McKean.

 

Mancandy: Current Top 13s (changes pretty much whenever you ask me, because I have a hard time deciding on anything; also in no particular order): Stark Sands, Alexander Skarsgard, Jon Huertas, Naveen Andrews, Kevin Zegers, Clive Owen, Christian Kane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Reynolds, John Cho, Brian Viglione. Womancandy: Drew Barrymore, Clea DuVall, Angelina Jolie, Angela Bassett, Julianne Moore, Monica Belluci, Lucy Liu, Noa Tishby, Christina Hendricks, Amanda Seyfried, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Beyonce.

 

Nail polish: I'm usually too lazy, but I do like the idea of it. A really striking, intense dark red would be especially appreciated, but also blues, greens, purples, metallics, and dark iridescents. I'm not that into glitters, though, but a particularly nice one in black or dark colors might work.

 

Question!: What is your favourite snack food, something you could grab any time? Nuts! Especially almonds and peanuts (honey-roasted, spicy, just plain, etc), but I like mixed nuts, too. Fruit! So many different kinds of fruit. Also sesame sticks, garlic rye chips, sharp cheddar cheese (or herbed cream cheese, or pepperjack) and crackers or triscuits, baked sour cream and cheddar potato chips, veggie chips. And, well, chocolate. I find chocolate with nuts in is especially satisfying! I like greek yogurt with honey, also, and granola. Oh, and toast with butter or peanut butter or honey or preserves! And I have an unfortunate weakness for cheetos. And reeses pieces and peanut butter cups. And a lot of other stuff, too!

 

For those who decorate for Halloween, do you prefer cute decorations or creepy ones? I don't do much decorating, but I think I'm mostly more into creepy than cute, but cute is sometimes good, too. Creepy and cute is awesome. I think spooky is even better than creepy, but I prefer elegant to all of those.

 

Also, as part of the cute-or-creepy question, would you want hand made, molded, glazed (by yours truly!) ceramic decorations (napkin rings, potporri/tart warmers, etc) to add to your stock? Sure!

 

And, separately, how do you feel about mortars and pestles? I would love a mortar and pestle set.

 

What hobby/craft would you like to learn how to do? Soap making, bath supply making, jewelry making. If we're talking about skills, too, then I desperately want to start taking dance lessons again, modern/contemporary, ballroom, bellydance, flamenco, tap, maybe even hip hop... Also, yoga and pilates. I've been planning to buy a car soon, so maybe auto mechanics, and i've been wanted to take a motorcycle safety course for years now, though who knows when that'll ever happen. Oh, and I always want to become a better cook. And brush up on/learn new languages! Learning Italian's currently highest on my list, but also I want to brush up on my French and learn Ancient Greek. Possibly also Latin and Hebrew. I'm... not sure I really want to brush up on my Chinese, but I probably should.

 

Is there anything you have a phobia of, or that would make you go "squick" if you saw it in a package? Hrm. I can't think of anything that's not something that probably most people would find squicky (and I like some things other people don't, like spiders, though are other kinds of bugs and creepy crawlies I don't particularly like). Oh, yes, I'm not very fond of clowns, though I don't know that I'd call it a phobia, per se.

 

Personally, I would love getting something similar to one of my favorites, even if it is not the same - what say all of you? How picky are you? Generally I'm in favor of things that are similar but not necessarily exactly the same.

 

Do you wear make up? Hardly ever, but I do wear lip gloss occasionally, and I experiment with lipstick, lip liner, lip stains, etc every once in a while. I wear blush very occasionally, too, and bronzer might be good for shading, and powder for controlling shine (my skin is East Asian, medium-tan-ish, warm undertone, combination). Eyeshadow and eyeliner, I like, but almost never wear (and yet I covet it!); mascara I basically don't wear, as it interferes with my glasses.

 

Disney movies, Yay or Nay, and favourites if you do like them? I like them, in general. Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite, though I do like Lady and the Tramp and the Robin Hood with the foxes a lot, too. And I tend to really like Pixar movies -- Up and Ratatouille are my favorites of those. (And I love Miyazaki (and other Studio Ghibli) movies! I like quite a lot of anime and manga in general.)

 

And, as a secondary question, I adore icons for LJ/dreamwidth/forums/etc use, but suck at making them myself. Anyone else in the same boat, who would like custom icons as a gift? Yes, indeed!

 

DVD, BluRay, VHS: I don't have a VHS player; DVD or BluRay are both fine.

 

What is something you use to comfort yourself when feeling yucky, depressed, or in pain? Music (listening to it, or singing), tea, chocolate (sometimes hot chocolate), bath w/ salts/bubbles/bath bombs/bath oils/scents/etc, re-reading my favorite books or stories, going out to one of my favorite restaurants for a comfort meal, watching (or re-watching) a movie I know I'll like, sometimes going somewhere pretty and sitting with a book... A massage if I can get one. Oh, and I also have a gel eye mask that feels pretty good and can help with headaches; ice packs or cool cloths help sometimes, too, or sitting near a fan, because I overheat so easily. And ginger ale or mint tea sometimes helps with stomachaches, while very localized heat sometimes helps with cramps. Plus, BPAL's Baku scent can relax my whole body if I'm feeling too tense or wound up.

 

Socks? I wear socks very rarely. When I do, I prefer knee-high socks (in dark, gothy colors), though I'd be interested in trying thigh-high ones, also (stretchy ones in both cases, because I have fairly wide calves and thighs, and thinner is generally better than thicker). I do wear regular black socks with my Docs, as well, but they're boring and black for a reason, and are almost completely obscured by the boots. I guess I might wear fun socks with my Docs as long as the colors and themes are dark & gothy? Mostly I wear sandals, though, the curse of living in an overly warm climate. ETA: Oh! I do have one sock-related desire: I once had a pair of super super soft lightweight crochet lace tights (in black of course) that I adored until they developed a hole in the toe; I would love something like that, either as tights or perhaps as knee highs or thigh highs.

 

Favorite Halloween/Scary movies? I'm not really into scary movies or horror movies or whatnot (I had a terribly active imagination when younger and so tons of things scared me; I'm better able to deal with such things now but still don't tend to specifically seek it out), though I do like some supernatural sorts of things. Movies along those lines that I really like: Nightmare Before Christmas (if it counts?) and Zombieland on the more lighthearted side, 28 Days Later and Let the Right One In on the more serious side. I think Let the Right One In is probably the best, and darkest, vampire story I've ever seen or read, and it's all in the atmosphere and psychological/mental/logical aspects of the situation. Brilliant.

 

Scary books? I'm not super into horror but I do like some things that are fairly dark. Favorite book in the ~ horror genre: Drawing Blood by Poppy Z Brite.

 

What would the name of your custom blend be? The description? The Ultimate Tea Party: Mismatched tea served in a mismatched tea set, in a mismatched garden. Mismatched, yes, but perfect. (Notes: Chrysanthemum, rock sugar, lychee, osmanthus, peach, peach blossom, Honeycrisp apple, Pink Lady apple, Asian pear, blood orange, lime, verbena, sweet rose, French lavender, lilac, honeysuckle, Madagascar vanilla, Morrocan mint and sage tea with honey, earl grey tea, and amber. The label art would be a tea party where the tea set would have a mix of all different styles of tea cup.)

 

COMIC BOOKS. Do you read them? Are there any series you like, or some you would like to try? I do read them, though I'm bad about keeping up properly. I've read all of Sandman and all of Strangers in Paradise, those are probably my two favorites. I like Runaways (the Marvel comic), but I'm behind, and I'm interested in some DC characters/groups/storylines (Batman and the rest of the Batfamily (I have a soft spot for Robins and former Robins, and The Long Halloween is amazing), Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Teen Titans and Young Justice, etc, but it's hard to know how to really get into it just because canon's so huge. I loved Kingdom Come. I've read a little of Fables and a little of Y the Last Man and enjoyed them both and will probably continue at some point, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I don't think I need copies of those two, though, I'm pretty sure I can borrow from friends. Other comics I've really liked: Blue Monday, Hopeless Savages, JtHM, Charm School, Global Frequency, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Umbrella Academy, Castle Waiting; I liked Promethea for a while but lost track of it, I liked the part of Preacher I read but got bogged down about 2/3 of the way through while following it, and though I own the rest I still haven't read it. I enjoyed the early issues of Little Gloomy, Gloomcookie, and Courtney Crumrin, though apparently not enough to keep up with them. I liked Persepolis a whole lot, though it's not really a series, exactly. I'm always up for trying new comics! I've been wanting to try Transmetropolitan and Powers and Irredeemable, if that helps?

 

I also like manga, though I'm bad at keeping up with that, too -- I loved Here Is Greenwood and Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Saiyuki and Inuyasha I own a bunch of and really adore but aren't all the way through yet, I read the first volume of Fruits Basket and enjoyed it (and wouldn't mind more of that), and I've been meaning to get into Black Butler -- I saw some of the anime and now want to see more of that and also read the manga. I also wouldn't mind trying out Full Metal Alchemist, perhaps, or other manga you think I might like based on those data points.

 

Warm drinks! It's probably obvious from my previous answers that I love them, right? Coffee (spiked or not!), hot chocolate, hot apple cider, tea and rooibos and tisanes. If you look at the answers to previous rounds of SW questions in my blog, I go into lots of detail about the kinds of tea I like.

 

Do you have a special symbol or totem that is meaningful to you? Bears. My last name means bear in Chinese, so I feel especially close to them, and I appreciate the somewhat complex/contradictory symbolism attached to them -- intuition, strength, protection. I also had a Lilith pendant for awhile that really spoke to me, and I'm fairly fond of the tree of life.

 

Oops! Just realized that I meant to go back and fill in the answer to this question in the Questionnaire, but forgot, so here it is:

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.

Under $10: hot water bottle (or heating pad, though those are a bit more expensive), bathtub pillow. Over $10: a set of decanting supplies, a bike, a black lace parasol. Oh, and a massage. I need a massage so badly. [i have also been wanting: silicone baking sheets and muffin cups, a decent manual hand orange juicer, a kit for making popsicles, and a teapot.] [Oh, and incidentally, books about Austin, travel books or history books or whatnot, would be most welcome because I just moved here late last year and am still getting to know the area.]

 

Which 5 celebrities are on your "LIST"?

Christian Kane -- down-to-earth, tough but sweet, gorgeous voice, gorgeous hair, can kick serious ass

Jon Huertas -- dead hot, nice build, endearing sense of humor

Naveen Andrews -- beautiful, incredibly hot, passionate

Bob Bryar -- super talented and sturdy and sweet and quiet and stubborn

Drew Barrymore -- adorable and fun and sweet and real, and with a sensual streak that absolutely works for me

 

Next five:

Kevin Zegers -- pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty, exudes sensuality, takes risks

Clive Owen -- has a wryness about him that is extremely appealing, plus the magnificent combination of direct and rough and reserved and focused and all-around amazing

Joaquin Phoenix -- maybe crazy but also crazy intense and super, super, super hot

Clea DuVall -- is just hot, not to mention truly engaging and full of personality

Angelina Jolie -- confident, interesting, has this aura of pure, luscious sex about her

 

I could go on and on (I didn't even get to most of the musicians!), but I'll content myself with this.