So it has come to my attention that I don't have one of these lists! Time to fix that. This post is a mishmash of questions pulled from various places and questionnaires.

 

Describe three things decorating your bed room/living space

Bookcases, cat toys, and IKEA Helmers. Decorating is more than a little beyond me.

 

How do you feel about nail polish?

Funny you should mention nail polish. The aforementioned Helmers? Are specifically for nail polish! Love it as long as it's a non-traditional color/finish like blue, green, glitter, holo, duochrome, etc. I don't wear pinks, reds, corals, nudes, or pretty much any other traditional, safe colors, and I'm not big on creams. I *loved* Urban Decay's early stuff!

 

Do you have any crafty hobbies where you might be able to use little related goodies? (beads, yarn, etc.)

I occasionally (like once every two or three years) crochet scarves. I would love to learn how to knit, but other than that, I stopped doing my crafty hobbies a few years ago when my wrists were having problems even though they're doing better nowadays.

 

Collections?

Black cats, bats, skulls, and rats. These are all year-round and everything (notepads, coffee mugs, stickers, whatever) loves. I'm also starting to collect robot magnets so I can have a ROBOT MAGNET ARMY on my fridge. So far, I have one.

 

Candles! Yea? Nay? Tarts?

Neither. Open flames + my monsters = SINGED KITTY FACES. And smelling like burning.

 

Who's up for baking?

No, thank you. I have a weird Thing with baked goods: Whether they're homemade or store-bought, they just sit there and never get eaten unless I take them to work and give them to coworkers. I have unopened Girl Scout cookies from last year.

 

Books! Physical or ebook, and anything in particular that you're looking for?

Either! I don't have a Nook/Kindle, but I have an iPhone with a Kindle reader. I love left-leaning political books (Matt Taiibi! *swoon*), mysteries (I keep meaning to pick up some Chelsea Cain), and cookbooks. Oh, and Neal Stephenson (I only have _Snowcrash_ and _Zodiac_) and Neil Gaiman. And I would love to get more into graphic novels and comics that aren't Marvel or DC (current favorites: Irredeemable, Incorruptible, Chew, and A Voice in the Dark. I loved _Red Son_ because of the alternate take on the Superman mythos, but I'm really tired of the big universes in comics, so I'm looking more towards indies nowadays).

 

Any small things you could use?

Hair claws. I have a *lot* of hair and have plenty of hair *ties*, but I'm now working on claws. I have *one*. Also office supplies: Things like fun pens, Post-Its, binder clips. I have a weird obsession with office supplies in general and pens in particular.

 

Do any of you also have a fondness for vintage bits and bobs?

I like them, but they almost inevitably end up in storage.

 

Do you have an eReader?

I have an iPhone with a Kindle app. Is that close enough?

 

How do you feel about other perfume etailers?

As long as it's oil-based and not alcohol-based, it's fantastic! I have some stay-away notes, though: Vetiver, anything with the word "white," banana, aquatics, anything described as "airy" or "ethereal," civet, opium, anything evergreen-y, wood, benzoin, honey. Things I love: Red musk, black musk, citrus, violet, carnation, dragon's blood, fruit blossoms of pretty much every variety (but especially orange blossom and neroli!), non-white sandalwood, champaca, resiny stuff. I'm starting to love gardenia and jasmine, but it's slow going.

 

Other than fragrance oils/perfumes what is your number one (or a tie between 2-3) favorite type of toiletry or scenty item?

Lotion (body butter and hand cream also get lumped into this) and bath oils that can be used in place of lotion. Dry skin like whoa over here. I can't use bar soap, though. So itchy!

 

Pirates or ninjas?

Both! I live in an area with a rather legendary piratical past.

 

Zombies – love, hate, obsessed, don't care, think they're coming for us any day now, other immediate/passionate thoughts?

Longstanding fascination but not anywhere near as obsessed as my brother. My favorite movie during the early '80s (until I saw _A Nightmare on Elm Street_ in high school) was _Night of the Living Dead_ (and yes, I'm still a horror fan!).

 

Favorite Disney villain?

I'm not sure I have one. Maybe the Red Queen? I'm actually not a huge Disney fan in general, but I'm obsessed with all things _Alice in Wonderland_. Original book, tarot cards, coffee mugs, BPAL, SyFy adaptation -- you name it, if it's AiW, I love it! (Exception: The Tim Burton version. I don't *hate* it. I just don't *love* it.)

 

Is there any BPAL oil that you are dying to get your hands on? It doesn't have to be a rare, just something you really want to try?

Not really. I have a bit of a take-it-as-it-comes stance on BPAL nowadays: I'll try whatever comes my way, but I've tried so many that I think I've tried all of the GC stuff I desperately wanted to try, and I haven't really been paying attention to the new stuff lately because I have tons of stuff I love already! (And then there's the part where the last several times there was a BPAL oil I wanted, it turned out I already had it in my collection.)

 

Do you want to see things in your box for your significant other/spouse/kids/fish/whatever? Or do you want to keep it allll about you?

No spouse and no kids. Two kitties, though. Edgar is happy if something is sent in a box regardless of what it is or whether it's for him. He loves biting -- but not chewing -- the edges of boxes. Oscar loves mesh bags of stuff that he can flip around. He's currently playing with a random mesh drawstring bag with dried rose petals that he dug out of a box somewhere. He's been at it for about an hour. I will clearly be vacuuming once he finishes disemboweling it!

 

We've had a lot of questions about coffee and tea - how do you feel about other things? Cocoa, spicing for ciders, flavoring to add to water is what I mean?

Yes! All of it!

 

Do you have a general swap-related help post somewhere?

This is it.

 

Do you have Etsy/Amazon wishlists linked somewhere?

Amazon: http://amzn.com/w/ZM7VETPCE38L

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/people/meaganola/favorites/items-i-love

 

Do you have a Tumblr/Pinterest you'd share with everyone (these can be really informative as to style?)

Not really. I have both, but they're pretty much abandoned at this point. I don't think I've even *looked* at Pinterest in at least six months, and I have no clue how to use Tumblr.

 

Favorite candles, companies and/or candle scents?

Candles are a no-go. I tend to go for BPAL Atmos sprays and incense when I want to scent my living space.

 

Favorite kinds of tea (flavors, companies)

Pretty much all kinds, especially herbal, berry, and Earl Grey variations. Loose or bags, doesn't matter. Decaf preferred just so I can drink it ALL DAY. I'm not sure I have favorite brands because I tend to be able to find something I like from every brand! I drink a ton of Stash mainly because I have easy access to their company stores and can get every flavor they make year-round.

 

Any of the Villainess autumn or winter soaps appeal? Another soap company you'd like more?

Bar soap and I do not get along. Shower gels are my thing. I would love to try pretty much any indie shower gel because that's where I want to start sending my bath products money!

 

Do you like knitted items? If so, any fiber sensitivities/allergies? What kinds of items would you like?

Yes! And I seem to have outgrown my wool allergy! Hats, gloves, scarves, whatever!

 

Words, Numbers or Spatial manipulation?

Words. I *love* crossword puzzles!

 

Anything you do NOT want?

Banana anything. Scent, flavor, color -- hate it all.

 

What are some of your favorite Holiday symbols?

Valentine's Day: I just like the color hot hot pink/fuchsia. I'm not sure there's a symbol for it that I gravitate towards. St. Patrick's Day: Everything. I make an exception for my hatred of the color orange once a year for this day. Easter: Bunnies! Halloween: Black cats, bats, rats, and skulls (I love Halloween!). Winter holidays: Snowflakes. It seems like things get glittery in the winter, and I love glittery stuff, too.

 

Bulk-Foods Section Goodies: Yea or Nay? Let's assume they're all individually packaged, and clearly labeled with what they are.

Yay! I love the bulk section.

 

Would a mixed CD be something you would enjoy? If so, who are some favorite artists, what style of music do you enjoy, and/or would you prefer a valentine/romantic theme or general mix?

Yes! I'm very much removed from the current music scene, although that's not for any particular reason. I've been listening to a lot of Billy Bragg, Thermals, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, and Against Me! lately. I'm looking forward to March because that's when I break out ALL OF THE POGUES. I will listen to any style -- punk, rock, mid-20th century jazz (Charlie Parker! Dizzy Gillespie! Chet Baker! Dave Brubeck!), country (I tend to go for older stuff, like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Willie Nelson), rap (especially lefty political stuff like Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and The Coup), folk music (my kind of punk owes its soul to Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie)... I'll listen to just about everything once. I'm not big on soft, romantic music. Or reggae.

 

Do you like incense?

Yes! I currently use stick and cone. Resin kind of confuses me, although I would love to give it a shot if I had good instructions. I used to have a really neat powder incense burner -- Sweet Rock? Something like that -- and it would be neat to have one again, although I have no idea where I got it in the first place.

 

if I were to find a small bottle of alcohol, would you be interested, and if yes, of what?

Sure! I'm not really particular on type of alcohol because I love to try new things, but local anything is fantstic (not just alcohol! Tea, incense, paper, magnets -- you name it, I'm interested!).

 

Dear Valentine, I will hopefully be going to Portland this weekend for the Rose Garden Arena Monster Jam (I'm having to work 7 days in a row at 14 hours each in order to get the weekend off specifically to go there) -- is there anything Portland related that you desire?

A meet up! I'm already here!