Do you like s'mores and s'mores-flavored things?

not particularly since I don't really like marshmallows or graham crackers.

 

Would you enjoy receiving cute but useful items like colorful kitchen utensils/gadgets, or bento supplies? (boxes, chopsticks, accessories, etc?) What about things like spice mixes (homemade, or Penzey's for example)?

Sure on the kitchen utensils/gadgets (might update this in my blog entry with specifics once I know what I do and don't receive in the UnBirthday swap) *EDIT: I'd like a cherry/olive pitter, please, I really miss my old one... and I could still use a small coffee grinder or mortar and pestle*, I like to have a lot of those. Bento stuff... not sure. Sometimes I'm into style over substance with food, but not always. Could definitely use some pretty chopsticks though. Spice mixes... it depends. I'd rather get a good version of an "established" spice mix (like garam masala, Chinese 5 spice powder, ras al hanout, or herbes de provence) than something that was like... "throw these 7 things on a potroast and it will be good," because I kind of like to figure that out for myself, if that makes sense.

 

What's the neatest freebie you've gotten? It can be cool or thoughtful or just totally unexpected, and not limited to BPALdom.

My memory is not in tip-top shape right now so I can't come up with one good example. In general, after I lost everything (including 98% of my BPAL collection) in the Bastrop fire a little over a year ago, I was very impressed with the generosity of various forumites. I posted an ISO for my "most loved and lost," of course saying that I had paypal at the ready, but so many people refused payment and just sent me bottles for free. I'm still so grateful for this!

 

Do you like cute, seasonal or fluffy PJ bottoms? Like they sell at Target, Old Navy (they have had cute Halloween ones!) If so, what size do you wear?

no fluffy ones. Otherwise, yes, please! I wear something between a 14 and 18 depending on the brand, so I guess size XL would be the safest bet in terms of size.

 

What kind of chocolate do you like? Nuts, no nuts, white,dark, etc?

I said in my original questionnaire that I prefer dark or white chocolate to milk chocolate, but that doesn't mean I dislike it, just that I like it less. I guess I'm not much for chocolate-covered cherries (and again, my questionnaire and one of the questions above mention my dislike of marshmallows), but otherwise, whatever! And again, this is covered by my questionnaire, but I'm cool with weird additions like lavender or rose or curry (just no wasabi since I also mentioned my dislike of that!). Nuts are also fine, I guess my favorite nuts to have in chocolate are almonds or hazelnuts.

 

I live near a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Penzeys! What does your little heart desire from any or all of these places?

Hmm... I also have access to Whole Foods and Penzey's, and I think a Trader Joe's is opening up nearby too. I need some tamarind paste for making pad thai at home... if any of those stores have that, that's cool. I also hear good things all of the time about various sweets at Trader Joe's, so if they have something you think I'd like, I'd love to try it! Oh, and I'd love some Vietnamese/Saigon cinnamon from Penzey's or in general (but only Vietnamese/Saigon cinnamon, not regular old cinnamon).

 

Are home made foods acceptable or does the idea of eating strange mailed food disturb you?

Pretty sure I mentioned my love of homemade goodies in the original questionnaire!

 

I just gave you $20 and sent you into a "has everything" store ala Walmart and told you that you have to come out having spent it all, and none of it on anything you need. What would you buy? Be as specific as possible!

I'd probably spend it all on nail polish. As mentioned in my original questionnaire, I basically would like any color but purple (just because I already have enough purple polish). I'd love to have a good nude color that wasn't too sheer if we're talking specifics, but I love fun colors too!

 

What kind of cuisines do you like? And, what are your favorite restaurants?

cuisines... mentioned in questionnaire so more details there, but I love Indian, Vietnamese, and Mexican (I think I just said Tex-Mex in the questionnaire but I actually love Interior Mexican too) the most I think. But I like basically everything else too except for Ethiopian food which I've had a couple of bad experiences with. Favorite restaurants: I'm not much for chain restaurants. If I had to pick something, it would be Chili's (because there is one in my small town and we sometimes go since there aren't that many dinner choices), or Macaroni Grill because it seems okay. My actual favorite restaurants are probably Magnolia Cafe and Enoteca Vespaio in Austin.

 

I'm from Canada - is there anything specifically a witchee might like that is only available here?

don't think poutine is really ship-able, so maybe maple syrup?

 

What are your "fandoms" and would you like a t-shirt from TeeFury if an appropriate one came up?

not really a "fandom" type person, so this doesn't really apply to me.

 

Do you have an eReader and if so which one?

nope.

 

Do you like candles, or tart burners, or something? If so, what's your favorite scent to burn?

candles not tarts, and I'm pretty eclectic about scents ( I like a good variety of smells from vanilla cupcake type to woodsy cedar stuff to lavender herby stuff), though I don't really like the "holiday spice" type.

 

Marzipan?

not really a fan.

 

Would you be interested in washable/reusable muslin “paper” towels (basically muslin squares hemmed around the edge)? Maybe in some sort of box to put on your kitchen or bathroom counter?

not so much, thanks.

 

Do you drink alcohol and if so, would you be OK with your witch sending you homemade infused vodka? Also, does your state allow alcohol to be shipped through the mail?.

I do drink alcohol, and preferences are detailed in my questionnaire. As someone else has mentioned, liquor is not supposed to be mailed to Texas, though I know I got some airline-bottle-size stuff from skyelyric (you rebel you!) in last year's Winter Holiday Fun Swap, so I guess it's possible.

 

If you get me (or a fellow Aussie, if there are any playing this round) as a witch or witch's minion, would you like to try some Australian specialties, such as TimTams (delicious chocolately cookies), Caramello Koalas (koala shaped chocolates filled with gloopy caramel), Australian native spices or anything like that?

not so much into TimTams. Caramello Koalas sound nice. Australian native spices sound really cool!

 

If your witch is a knitter, crocheter or sewer, is there a particular type of garment you would love to receive (hat, scarf, wrap, cowl, socks, fingerless gloves, arm warmers etc)?

would really love fingerless gloves. scarf would be nice though I have a lot of them already and it's not that cold where I live. arm-warmers sound intriguing as well.

 

Is there anyone else in your house (kids, pets, partner) that would really appreciate a small gift being included for them in the switchwitchy haul so they don't feel left out?

My Schipperke dog, Potemkin, wouldn't mind some kind of squeaky toy without stuffing -- a cloth toy is fine, just not a cloth one with fluffy stuff inside (well, actually he'd love one WITH stuffing but that doesn't work out too well). My two kitties, Marisol and Penelope, would like to try some of that Kitty Demon Crack (superstrong catnip I've heard about on-forum) if anyone has access to that. My husband will probably get to try some of any food I receive anyway. He also especially likes tea of just about any kind, but then again, so do I.

 

How would you feel about a taste of (insert witch location here) box?

Sounds good to me!

 

Since it's been mentioned several times, and I've also offered to nacho witch some, would you you like to receive wild rice and or maple syrup? I promise to include recipe ideas with the wild rice.

yes, that'd be great!

 

I have 5 bushels of tomatoes sitting in the kitchen right now that are supposed to turn into red sauce tomorrow, so would anyone like a basic red sauce (spaghetti sauce) to make its way to them?

That'd also be great!

 

Would you be interested in having a bat adopted in your name?

Usually I say no to charity stuff but this is actually really cool, so sure.

 

Some of your favorite artists? Classic and modern?

(I know for a fact that this isn't really representative, but will try to type something anyway)

• Andy Warhol's earlier, advertising-type stuff (example)
  
• Odilon Redon
  
• Mucha's stuff that isn't advertisements
  
• Jules Olitski
  
• My husband really likes Rothko and Cy Twombly and I'm also a fan to some extent
  

 

(I may edit this later in my blog entry with more examples.)

 

If you could have an image or certain subject painted for you on any type of "canvas" (on a box, on paper, on a canvas, and so on) - could you point your witch to some of these images?

I'm not really interested in this, sorry.

 

Is there a GC scent that's been on your list for ages but keeps falling off the bottom of your order because of the LEs?

I sold my bottle of No. 93 Engine this summer (I was trying to raise money to buy my nephew a graduation present), and really miss it. I'd also like to acquire bottles of Mr. Jaquel, Tombstone, Eat Me, and Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo at some point.

 

I've been getting into indie nail polish brands recently. What's your favorite indie brand of nail polish? Or what's your favorite mainstream brand of nail polish? Or are you not big on polish?

I'm really into sparkly nail polish. I like the look of a lot of the stuff carried on the llarowe website but haven't tried much. I also recently came across Rainbow Honey's website and I really want to try "Sakura Matsui Namesake," "Mare of the Moon," and "Pinkie Promise" (I wouldn't mind the smaller sample-type size if that'd work better for you). Oh, and I really want to try Dollish Polish Dino-mite Yoshi. Whew!

 

mix-in-a-jar? How to you feel about cookie or cake or soup mixes that come in jars and you just add, like, an egg or water or what have you?

not really my thing. I mean, if it's really good, I'll just be sad that I can never replicate it again, right?

 

Would you be interested in beer, wine, or other specialty beverages from your Witch's area?

Yes, that'd be fine, please see the questionnaire for specifics on alcohol/drink preferences.

 

Are there any crafts/skills you've wanted to learn but haven't gotten around to? And if so, would you be interested in supplies and tutorials?

nope. I'm lazy and have little free time.

 

Who here would be happy to get a lil' sumthin sumthin from Adagio Teas?

Sure, I'm interested in prettymuch whatever as long as it isn't super-fruity/acidic/sour. I love hot tea and so does my husband... I'm drinking a cup of jasmine green tea right now!

 

Do you Ravelry? And if so, what's your handle over there? Would you be interested in gift patterns from your queue?

Nope.

 

I live near this very cool Retro store (you can order online too) - are there things from it that would make you squee if your witch sent them?

• 
   
  
• classic cherry towels
  
• popsicle girl earrings
  
• peppermint bark bar
   
  

Who likes Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses?

Sorry, I don't really like Pumpkin Spice anything

 

What does your kitchen look like? Colors/style?

I don't think my kitchen has a specific style or colour scheme. Since my house burned down last September and I'm fairly into cooking (uh, those aren't related in the least!), I needed to stock it up with useful stuff pretty quickly after we stopped being homeless. So it's a mixture of charity stuff we received without picking it out, grab-what-you-can-from-the-free-pile, and "OMG -- renters' insurance money came, must fill in what we didn't receive from charity right away!" I guess that means that getting kitchen stuff for me will be easy since nothing matches or anything?

 

Witchee, what are your favorite quotes?

Stuff I have in my info on facebook: "She's a hypnotist collector, and you are a walking antique" (Bob Dylan), "before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. after enlightenment: chop wood, carry water." (Lao Tzu ?), "a coward dies a thousand deaths" (apparently a Shakespeare paraphrase, not sure where this version comes from originally). I used to also be partial to "I'm a disturbed and bitter herb like salt water and parsley" which is from a Deltron 3030 song, but that might be a little snarky for me these days since I'm trying to do the responsible adult thing and all. Finally, I think I have the Belle and Sebastian paraphrase "(s)he dances in secret, (s)he's a part-time punk" as my description on twitter, which may still be technically true. I'm sure I have even more but that's probably enough for now!

 

Put your iPod/MP3 player/what-have-you on random and list the first 10 songs it plays!

I can't do that; I just got a new computer and hadn't updated itunes on my old one for forever (since the sound stopped working on my old computer well before it died), so I have no idea whether I can transfer my music library when they take stuff off of the hard drive of my old dead computer, or what. And I haven't used an ipod or mp3 player since my house burned down last year

 

Hey Witchee! I want to send you a delivery. It could be cupcakes from a local bakery, it could be a singing hugging bear-a-gram, it could be a bouquet of flowers. But it will be something that you need to be there to receive.a) Are you OK with "special deliveries"? *waggles eyebrows* Is the address in your questionnaire the best place to reach you for said deliveries?c) If the delivery requires a phone number (as say, some florists do) would you be OK with that information being tracked down by your Witch or asked of you anonymously?

Agreed with angelamaria (I think, this attempted multi-quote got out of hand quickly ) that "Cupcakes are good, singing hugging bear-a-gram is not, flowers are good." Also agreed that if this is to happen, you may want to try my work address (at least for deliveries between 7:30am and 3:30pm central time Monday-Friday)... I'm in and out of the office fairly often, but there are usually other people there during normal business hours so cupcakes or flowers would be safe until I returned to the office. Saturdays I am almost never at home after 1pm (so I guess I could have a Saturday morning home delivery if it arrived between like 10am and 1pm, haha), Sundays I'm usually home but what would you have delivered to me on Sunday?

 

What are some things you are OK with receiving gently used or homemade, and some things you absolutely do not want if they are gently used or homemade? I agree with yewberry: "I don't care much about gentleness. For the most part, if it's not covered with bodily fluids, I'm pretty much okay with it." Again, most of the stuff that I own is used due to the whole disaster recovery process, and I also worked at thrift stores for several years before getting a "professional" job, so used is more than okay with me!

 

I'm about to be near a Lush store next week, is there anything you might like from there?

Oh, thank you for asking this so I didn't have to!!! I do use Lush skincare, but since that's part of an everyday regimen for me I'm pretty well set there. The shower gels I know I like are the Olive Branch, Flying Fox, Happy Hippy, Slammer, and Freeze. I'd also like to try It's Raining Men, B Never too Busy to Be Beautiful, Back for Breakfast, Flying Saucers, Happy 4 Sad, Dirty, Chai, and Tramp. As for bubble bars, any would be cool, actually, but particularly yuzu & cocoa, rose jam, Dorothy, Pop in the Bath, Happy Bubble, Temple of Truth, Phoenix, or Hot Toddy. Well, and I wouldn't say no to a Fairy Jasmine, Twilight, Ne Worry Pas, or Dragon's Egg bath bomb either, though I prefer bubble bars to bath bombs. Soaps I'd like: Dirty, Lust, Lily Savon, Red Rooster, Canadian Maple, Demon in the Dark (love this one!), Honey Waffle.

 

Songs that you keep meaning to buy but never get round to it?

I don't think I've ever bought songs ... I guess I'm "an old."

 

Movies that you love but forgot to put in your questionaire?

again, not into owning movies, sorry.

 

Name one movie you keep meaning to buy, but just never get around to getting?

please see above question.

 

Any favorite Bath & Body Works scents/products?

I used to like their "Rice Flower & Shea" stuff (bodywash/shower gel specifically), but I don't think that's usually available these days. I guess if I was to pick something from there I would want a candle that was something other than a holiday spice/pumpkin spice type scent.

 

Haus of Gloi is offering custom perfumes - would you like one? What would your ideal blend be?

Okay. I came up with lavender, orange blossom, clove, and labdanum. Will edit if I think of more possibilities.

 

Any Bath, Body or nutritional type items you would love to try from a Natural and Organic food store (similar to Whole Foods) that you don't buy because they are a bit too pricey?

Another one I may need to update after some thought. I do like honey quite a bit and go through it quickly, so that'd probably be a safe bet!

 

What's one random thing you really like and one random thing you really dislike?

dislike: zombies. I actually don't like horror movies/gore in general, but I know that zombies are popular independently from those. Random like: address labels, like to put on outgoing mail so I don't have to write my address every time. Even if you just printed some out from your computer or something, I'd like that.

 

Are there any herbs that you haven't been able to lay hands on that I could send you? There's an herbal shop I really like here in NYC called Flower Power that has quite a wide selection.

Maybe some juniper berries or valerian root?

 

If there are no "witchy" shops near you, is there anything I can pick up for you from Enchantments?

Conquering Glory oil sounds interesting. Leo oil might be nice. I probably need Lucky Job oil, sigh.

 

Ninjas or Pirates?

ninjas

 

I have an extra room spray and 2 extra bath oils (one Cephalopod, one Exhibit Hall Fatigue) from Dragon*Con - would anybody like a decant?

that would be great, especially the Cephalopod!

 

I live near a Mast General Store. It has lots of vintage-y toys, southern foods (jams, jellies, spices) and vintage candy. Is there anything I can get for you?

I like jams and jellies (no jalapeno jelly though, just not my thing). I dunno if they have these, but my husband loves apple butter and I love cherry butter. I also wouldn't mind trying different types of salsa. But the only thing I liked pickled is pickles (cucumbers), and not the sweet kind, either!

 

Do you have any Fall or Halloween traditions?

not really. My husband and I would like to stay home on Halloween and have trick-or-treaters, but we usually only get one or two groups no matter where we live. This year we are going to a Leonard Cohen concert on Halloween! Back on topic, I do like to get a pumpkin, but for the last couple of years I've bought a pretty one (I like the white-ish ones) and left it as-is rather than carving a jack-o-lantern.

 

Witchee, will you be gone from your normal mailing address at any point during the round?

Not that I know of. If I am it will only be for one night (might go to visit some friends a couple of hours away), which shouldn't really affect anything, right?

 

Are you a Disney fan or does even thinking about Disney make your head hurt? If you're into Disney, would you like something from the Happiest Place on Earth ?

ambivalent about Disney, really.

 

Also, I think I missed a question about "stuffed things" that seemed to be referring to stuffed animals...

so yep, stuffed animals would be fine. Might prefer something a bit "quirkier" than a plain white bunny or plain brown bear or something, but otherwise, sure.

 

[answer to detailed alcohol preference question is here in brackets:

 

Here is some more info about my beer preferences:

I like doppelbocks, pale ales, amber/red ales, belgians (but not really Chimay), tripels, some hefeweizens, and IPAs. My husband likes stouts (oatmeal stout and milk stout as well, maybe not so much chocolate stout) and porters (especially coffee porters) as well as these things. I also liked the one raspberry lambic I've tried, but it was more like drinking a jam than trying a new beer. Examples of brands/specific beers I like: Newcastle, Magic Hat #9, Thirsty Goat, Spaten Optimator, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Delirium Tremens, Maredsous, Red Hook ESB. My favorite brewery in my state is probably Live Oak, though I like St. Arnold and Real Ale (Devil's Backbone was really good recently) too. Out of state, I also really like some of the New Belgium stuff like their recent Belgo and Ranger offerings. I probably do NOT want to try a sour beer. I also do NOT like barleywine style.

 

With wine I'm not so picky maybe. Reds: I like Chianti best I think. I also like Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah, Cabernet, Tempranillo (might have spelled that wrong), and Malbec. I feel like I'm leaving out some other dark red wine but oh well (EDIT: yep, pinot noir!). White: I like Pinot Grigio, Viognier (again, that might be spelled wrong, don't want to google alcohol stuff on my work computer to get correct spelling), Rieslings that aren't too sweet, Vinho Verde, Cava, Prosecco.

 

Wouldn't mind trying some fruit wines. My father-in-law used to make elderberry wine and I liked it okay, but that's the only fruit wine I've tried.

 

I like mead in theory but when I had it in the house it has just languished since I'm rarely in the mood to drink such a sweet alcoholic drink.]

 

mixtape?

Maybe, if you have some stuff you think I might like to listen to whilst driving around rural areas for my job. In the form of a CD, please, if you decide to do this.

 

space to garden?

after losing my home to fire for the second time, I decided to give up on having plants, much less edible ones or pretty flowers. So no thanks on such things.

 

socks/tights?

I have enough socks that just come up to the ankle. Otherwise I like most socks. I could use more argyle ones I think. I do wear socks with silly stuff on them, and I do wear kneesocks if they fit on big calves (I know SockDreams has a whole category for that). I think I'd rather pick out my own tights though... so socks it is!

 

electric candle warmer:

nope, I can have open flames both at home and at work, so I'm good, thanks.

 

are there any of MeiLin's books (e-book or print) you'd be interested in?

I've heard tell of a garlic cookbook of some kind... that sounds nice!

 

Are you a gamer (of any sort - video, casual, tabletop) and are there any games you want?

Not a gamer per se, but I wouldn't mind receiving the current Trivial Pursuit, or Perquackey (you can get used older editions of Perquackey for cheaper though, and that'd be fine with me).

 

Would you be interested in BPTP CANDY?

it'd be okay but I'm not super-enthused about it.

 

Do you like coffee? If so, what kinds? Flavored, fancy, basic? Beans or ground?

sure. My favorite flavored coffees are cinnamon and coconut. ground would be better unless you are getting me a coffee grinder.

 

Would a Starbucks gift card make you happy or do you prefer your local place?

Starbucks gift card would be good. I'm an equal opportunity caffeine drinker!

 

CUSTOM-Made Pottery?? yea or nay? coffee mugs, rustic or more elegant? a set of bowls? soap dish? bird feeder? something alltogether different? and lastly, good colors for glazes...? [/size]

Coffee mug(s) (either rustic or elegant would be fine) or bowl(s) would be best. As for color, I think blue/brown or black/green would be nice.

 

Do you have a forum buddy? Someone who knows you and/or your tastes well enough to answer questions on your behalf?

don't think so.

 

If you are on Livejournal, would you appreciate LJ stuff like paid time, custom userheads, stuff like that? If you are NOT on LJ but are on other sites that have similar paid-for services (Flickr, for example?) would you, and what are those sites/etc?

don't think I need anything like this.

 

if you are into tarot, what is your favorite card? And another question: would you like your own set of handmade rune stones or worry stones?

The Queen of Wands is the court card corresponding to my zodiac symbol, and also my favorite card. I think I even considered getting a tattoo of that card at some point, but that was when I was waaaaaaay more into tarot... by choice I haven't read tarot in 10 years or so, and haven't owned a deck since 2008, I probably won't ever start up again. Oh, and I guess no on the rune stones/worry stones... I wouldn't use rune stones, and I'm not sure what a set of worry stones rather than a single worry stone would mean/would be used for.

 

Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cider, or none of the above?

Not really a cider person except for hard cider (I loved Hard Core cider but don't think it exists anymore, like Strongbow okay these days). Love tea of almost all kinds (though I don't usually make iced tea at home), like coffee and hot chocolate.

 

Gum, hard candy, soft candy, or none of the above?

The only time I chew gum is when I chop onions (because it helps with the crying), and I have enough gum for that. I think I'm more into chocolate (preferences for this have already been detailed) than other types of candy, but I'll edit this in my blog if I think of anything in particular that I'd like candy-wise. *EDIT* as of 9/25/12 I remembered more stuff: I like Tootsie Roll pops (the suckers, I mean), Chupa-Chups (especially the strawberry & cream ones), and vanilla tootsie rolls if those still exist.

 

Loose tea or tea bags? Do you need anything for your loose tea?

I prefer tea bags out of laziness... I have a lot of loose tea that I don't use because of this. But maybe if I had a good tea ball I would use loose tea more?

 

Do you do Goodreads or LibraryThing or a site like that? If so, can I see your to-read list, please?

Nope. My amazon wishlist should give you a pretty good idea though... and I mentioned a few books in my questionnaire that I want to read the most.

 

If you have cats, do they like catnip toys? If you have doggies, would they like a super-reinforced canvas toy with a squeaker in it?

cats would love catnip toys. my dog loves to rip stuffing out of toys, but might not be able to do that with a "super-reinforced" one, so maybe.

 

If you have kids, what are they into?

no kids.

 

How do you feel about wearable knitted lace? Shawls, wraps, and the like?

not sure. I don't even know what that would look like.

 

I notice that our lovely Greenwoodtree is able to do chart readings and/or forecasts at a very reasonable rate. Is this something you would want?

That would be so, so awesome! I have my official birth certificate so I know exactly when I was born, so please ask if you need this info!!!

 

Witch: after this I'm probably going to start a new blog entry as a "Switch Witch answers part II" or whatever, because this is already so, so long!