Dr Who? Probably not. I last watched Dr. Who in the late 80's, so my Doctor is Tom Baker. There are a few things I might like, such as a Dr. Who scarf or the TARDIS cookie jar, but for the most part I do not consider myself part of the fandom.

 

How much do you like lipbalm? I rely on it. Flavored or unflavored? Flavored. What are your favorite brands and flavors? Mostly I use Haunt lip lust, in a number of flavors. I have quite a stock on hand already, though. But if you come across some vanilla mint Chapstick, hmmmmm.

 

Do you like and wear lipgloss? No, I don't use lipgloss. If yes, what colours? n/a

 

For those of you whose wishlists contain only BPALs, are there any other perfume companies you like or would like to try out? Well, first of all, I haven't created a BPAL wishlist. I have a fair amount of Nocturne Alchemy perfumes; most of the other ones I have are "commercial", alcohol-based perfumes. I don't really have any other perfume companies that I want to try out.

 

Your feelings on Adagio teas: If you've never had anything from them, would you be open to trying them? If you HAVE had them and like them, name some favorites blends. And if you had them and dislike them, can you name a few *other* tea companies you're into? I'm open to getting some Adagio teas. I don't really have any favorite blends, although I dislike teas that are too sweet. (I really don't like Market Spice tea from the Pike Place Market in Seattle – I find it unbearably cloying.)

 

What about coffee? Would you like to get coffee send to you? Whole bean or ground? What are some varieties and/or flavors you enjoy. Tea is probably a better choice than coffee, since I don't brew coffee at home.

 

Who is your favourite female of all time? Historical, literary, ANYTHING, and why? The first one that came to mind was Zenobia of Palmyra. Like Cleopatra VII of Egypt, she managed to hold off the Romans for a while before being conquered. There's also Hypatia of Alexandria, the neo-Platonist philosopher and mathematician (although her end was horrific). In the Middle Ages, Christine de Pisan comes to mind (supported herself and her children with her writing, and defended women's capabilities), and I have a fondness for Julian of Norwich. Then there's my eleven-times-great-grandmother, Mary Dyer. She ended up as a religious martyr in 17^th-century Boston for refusing to "repent" her Quaker faith – or, if you prefer, for being an uppity female who twice returned to Boston after being exiled and told never to return.

 

If you were a Disney princess you would be? I don't want to be a Disney princess. I want to be Mary Poppins!

 

Would you like a seashell from Florida? If you have a nice specimen that you're willing to part with, sure. But I also live in Florida.

 

What craft project do you currently have on your docket or that you want to start? And that craft goodies would be welcome? I haven't had time to do any crafting in a long time, and I don't have any projects pending. I probably wouldn't have a use for craft goodies.

 

If you could have one rare BPAL, what would you choose? I don't really have any rare BPALs that I want to acquire. I might want to sniff some of the legendary ones (Storyville, etc.) just to see what the fuss is about, but I don't crave any of them.

 

Are you kinky? Nope. Really, quite boring.

 

Do you enjoy scented candles? Certain sizes that you like? What kind of scents or brands? Yes, I like scented candles, and I'm not particular about the size/shape. My very favorite ones are Diptyque's Baies scent and Rigaud's Tournesol scent, but those are a little pricey for Switch Witch. And anyway, I have far too many candles on hand already, waiting to be burned.

 

Thoughts about South Africa? Have you been here, would you like to go? Would you like to receive anything South African? I have not been to South Africa and it isn't high on my list of places to go. However, there is one shop that whenever I go in there, I spend a noticeable amount of time looking at the Zulu telephone wire baskets.

 

Do you like Sockdreams? If so, what styles would you prefer? (You can also link your wishlist.) My main concern with socks is the circumference of my calves (about 16.25 inches). I would need the "suitable for large calves" styles from Sockdreams if they were knee socks. That explains why most of my socks are ankle socks.

 

Do you need hair accessories? Nope. As I said on my questionnaire, my hair spits out hair ornaments & accessories. If so, what kind or color? n/a

What is your favorite shade of blue? I like most shades of blue. Sky, Caribbean, teal, peacock, electric, royal, sapphire, aqua, turquoise. I like gray-blues. Navy blue is OK, too. The ones I don't like are the ones "on the border". Periwinkle drives me crazy trying to decide if it's blue or lavender. I also don't like blue-green shades that remind me of my parents' 1963 Pontiac station wagon (which make picking out a peacock or teal shade a little tricky – stay towards the blue side).

 

Do you have any kitchen gadgets (a SodaStream, a Kuerig/Tassimo) that you want mix things for? No.

 

If you were to start learning something new (intellectual or craft or hobby), what would it be? Craft, probably spinning, hand-dyeing, and weaving. Maybe metalworking (as in jewelry making) and enameling. Intellectually, there are some languages I'd like to tackle. Perhaps taking on Japanese or Old Icelandic again, or Irish, ancient Greek, classical Chinese, French, Lushootseed, or a host of others. Or brushing up on my German.

What about candy? Do you have a sweet tooth? My sweet tooth seems to be diminishing a little, but yes, I like candy. Dark chocolates are best; I also love caramels, so dark chocolate-covered caramels are usually made of win.

 

Do you have an e-reader? What kind? Would you like to get ebooks? I have the Kindle app on my iPad. I generally use it only for things that are not available in print editions, or for things like free downloads of classic books or ones that are out-of-print and difficult to acquire (The Three Musketeers, The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, etc.)

 

If your witch is an extremely crafty sort, and she were to send all kinds of homemade foody goodies and handmade crafty stuff - what are items you would NOT LOVE to receive. Please dont hedge on this one...some of us are serious crafters and will be making most of what we send! Homemade foody goodies could be problematic this time of year. I'd hate for a package of goodies to "go bad" in the summer heat. Other crafty stuff that won't melt down or spoil – sure!

 

Witchee dear, do you like video games? Are there any you want to play? Do you have a large library? I quit doing video games about the era of Donkey Kong. I am not into gaming.

 

Do you have something you do, without fail, as a personal daily habit/ritual? (Examples: pen-and-paper journal keeping, tea/coffee drinking, morning yoga, nightly bedtime reading. I'm kind of thinking on things that would be dear to you and might need small supplies or could use certain extras. ) No, not really.

 

Do you wear nailpolish? What colors do you tend to go for? What are your favorite brands? Are you open to trying indie brands? I never get around to using the nail polish that I already have.

 

Name three BPAL scents you have tried, but are dying to get more of. Well, there's Monastery in the Mountains. My decant of that smelled good when I accidentally stepped on it and smashed it. I might like more King Mandarin, also.

 

Do you still write real letters on nice stationary to people you like/love? I don't write letters, but sometimes I do use those correspondence cards made of thick pasteboard for short notes. Crane Stationery usually has some nice color combinations.

 

Have you ever tried anything from Paintbox Soapworks? Which products or scents would you prefer? I like Tartchef's products. However, I already have a large stash of soap that I'm trying to use up, including some Paintbox Soapworks bars. I don't particularly care for sugar scrubs (as in, somehow they don't get used) and there are other lotions that I like better than the slips.

 

Do you like/have space to garden? If so, what do you grow? The closest I come to gardening is the two neglected rosemary bushes next to the front door. And the neglected birds of paradise in the flower beds. (Fortunately, these all seem to thrive on neglect.)

 

Do you like sample sized things? Think lipgloss, mascara, bodylotion, scrubs, mini candles, and so forth. I tend not to use cosmetic and toiletry samples. I have my routine with my usual brands. The one exception might be sample sizes of shower gels and scrubs – those I sometimes use for travel.

 

Have you tried Fortune Cookie Soap? What products or scents would you like? I am not at all familiar with that company.

 

Do you use solid soaps at all? Yes, all the time. If so, what kind do or don't you like? My favorites are by Pre de Provence, especially the linden, sage, and lavender scents. But I have quite a stash of soap on hand already that I'm trying to use up.

 

Have you ever tried Cocoa Pink? If you are curious about it, what looks interesting to you? I haven't tried Cocoa Pink and I'm not particularly interested in them.

 

Do you like Lush? If so, what is your favorite product that is currently available, also, what is a product that you love but has been discontinued? Lush is one company that has never "grabbed" me. I walked into a Lush store recently, walked around and sniffed some of the soaps, and walked back out again without any twinges of regret.

 

Do witches prefer the answers posted here, but a more cherry-picked number of questions answered, or a more exhaustive list posted in the blog, which means posting here much less? I would find it easier to use a single location such as a blog (although I'm pretty sure I'll end up with at least two blog posts for this round, simply because of the number of questions!). The main thing is that my witchee answer at least some of the questions, somewhere.

 

Anyone a fan of Shiro Cosmetics? Any particular products? Eye shadow pigments in general? Another company that I'm not familiar with. Plus I don't use color cosmetics such as eye shadow and blush.

 

Are there any companies, products, or items you boycott? (For example: some folks boycott Nestle, MicroSoft, cashews, Kraft, and so on.) Walmart. Chik-fil-a (but that's not difficult, since I'm usually near their locations only on Sundays!). Also Hobby Lobby, Papa John's, and Domino's. Applebee's, even though I think that problem was only with their New York City franchisee. My other problem with them is that I think their menu is boring. I wish I was disciplined enough to boycott Monsanto and their products – but there are so darn many of them!

 

As I am in Japan, what sort of things would you like from there? Those exotic flavors of Kit Kat bars that have popped up in previous swaps look intriguing. And if you happen to find a really pretty obi . . . . . (Most of the ones I've bought are fukuru obis from about the 1970s. But there are some nice maru obis out there, too.)

 

Since FB and the FB Gusp group (and the BPAL Sorority which is quiet) have become gathering places...what are some of your favorite Facebook pages you like? Most of the Facebook pages I like are for business such as restaurants or small companies/stores. For cultural/political/humor, I mostly rely on my friends like share the stuff they like.

 

Do you read literature/culture blogs or websites of any kind? I'm thinking about anything that would help a putative witch to get a sense of what your current tastes in books, movies, games, genres, approaches to culture and literature and so forth are. No, I'm not a regular reader of blogs.

 

How do you feel about traditional picnics (namely the intimate table for two variety)? Old-fashioned basket or something more utilitarian (cooler/insulated bag)? Both. The cooler or insulated bag is needed in order to keep the cold stuff cold – no food poisoning here! A traditional hamper is cute for things like dishes, cutlery, tablecloths, and room temperature food such as the crackers to go with the cheese in the cooler! (See the Picnic at Ascot company for examples.)

 

If you were put in a room with 100 random other people the same age and sex as you, from your country, in what way do you think you would be different from the average? Shorter. Fatter. Childless (and therefore grandchildless, too). Higher IQ and have read a lot more. More liberal politically. Let's not go into religious beliefs & opinions. I probably wouldn't find more than one other engineer in the room, either.

 

Haus of Gloi did a Reverie update! Do any of them interest you? (Or anything else up currently?) I have not looked at the update.

 

Witchee, do you cook? I'm not doing any cooking now. I need to get back to doing that. Do you do all the cooking? I would if any cooking got done in this household. Is it a chore or a pleasure? I'd probably classify it as a pleasure if I got around to doing any cooking.

 

Which reading level do you prefer to read in YA or Adult? Or even both? The real question would be "is it well-written and interesting?" I read both, depending on whether it's a book that I want to read. I read something not too long ago about how the most interesting and challenging topics were showing up in YA literature rather than so-called "adult" literature.

 

What colors/style is your kitchen decor? Emerald/forest green with some yellow and burnt orange. Kind of French country – there are a few roosters decorating the room. And do you entertain in your home? No.

 

Are your ears pierced? No, and I have no plans to get them pierced.

 

Do you like stuffies/stuffed animals/art doll type thingies? No, thank you. I've reached the age where I consider them clutter more than anything. (Unless hand-crafted stuffed animals or dolls are my Witch's specialty, in which case I would be honored to received one.)