Pumpkin?

Food and drink: Yes please. "Pumpkin spice", "real pumpkin", or both...all the things are good.
Scents: I got a lot of pumpkin scents last year, so I'm going easier on them this season. I would enjoy trying a few more, though.
Decor: I have some cute pumpkin candleholders from last year. In general, I'm not looking for large pieces of home decor because I already have a lot of stuff.

Booze?

Yes please! I like craft beer (especially stouts and porters, plus interesting flavors), cider, mead, peaty whisk[e]y, bourbon, absinthe, red wine (especially merlots and malbecs) and rieslings. My partner has similar tastes, too.

Want anything from Yellowstone? Be it postcards, key chains, shot glasses, pint glasses, or huckleberry what have you?

I've never had huckleberry stuff before, I don't think. That sounds good!

I know there is a question about "decorating style", but if you're comfortable, could you should us some photos of your spaces? For those of us who like to art and craft, it can be nice to have a visual sense of decorating style!

I'd rather not post pictures of my space, although I'm very happy with the way it's looked since we did massive cleaning last fall. One of my friends said our dining room looked like a medieval feast hall and I'd say that's accurate (in small scale). Lots of vintage wood details, some handmade furniture, and all kinds of projects around. Ok, so medieval feast hall meets maker culture.

For those of you who don't drink alcohol, can you specify if you live with any drinkers or ever have alcohol on hand for guests, vs. abstaining and preferring not to have it around at all?

I do drink.

Are you a fan of the TV show Penny Dreadful?

I've never seen it.

What are your coffee and tea preferences? Do you prefer one, the other, both, or neither (and if it's neither, what about things like hot cider and cocoa)? Loose leaf or bags, whole bean or ground? Is caffeine OK? Any gadgetry you're in need of? Any brands or flavors that you particularly love, loathe, or want to try?

I tend to drink more tea at home and more coffee at work (but I drink a fair amount of tea at work too.) I *love* caffeine. I drink a lot of black tea, but I enjoy green and white tea, and I *love* oolong. I like flavored tea, and I'm learning to appreciate plain teas from different places (like the different Darjeeling tea estates.) I also love yerba mate, guayusa, rooibos, honeybush, hibiscus, and other herbal teas. The only thing I don't drink a lot of are camomile teas and other kinds of "bedtime" teas. I drink loose tea and tea in bags, and I have enough gadgetry for that.

I also enjoy coffee. I really like dark roasts without cream or sugar, but I also enjoy the lighter roasts because they have more caffeine. Any coffee I get would need to be ground for french press or Turkish style - I don't have a grinder at home.

Hot cocoa and cider - also yummy! I really like mulled cider in the fall and winter.

I enjoy tea from Teabox, Just Add Honey, Adagio, David's, TeaGschwendner, the Coffee and Tea Exchange, Design-a-Tea...I'm spoiled - there are a lot of tea shops in Chicago! I've had a couple of things from Lupicia in a swap box and I would love to try more. Also from Blue Raven Teas.

What's your sense of humor like? Do you enjoy puns? Play on words? Dirty humor? Dry humor? Who are some of your favorite comedians?

All of the above! I tend towards a little goofy and surreal, and dark comedy too. Monty Python, Terry Pratchett, Horrible Histories, the Muppet Show (haven't seen the new one yet), Invader Zim...

Do you like board games? If so, which ones? Traditional or more unique? (like Settlers of Catan, Small World, Red Dragon Inn, etc)

I like Settlers, Forbidden Island, Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards, as well as card games like Fluxx, Exploding Kittens, and Cards Against Humanity. (OK, now you know my sense of humor. )

Is there anything that you specifically do NOT want to receive?

Large home decor items (although storage is *always* useful)

Plain or fun socks?

Fun socks always! Although I wear boots a lot of the time, so my socks aren't always visible. I like stripey socks, geeky socks, knee socks, over the knee socks, and sock thigh highs.

Name one (or as many as you would like) thing you would like to learn more about?

I need to learn more about programming Arduino microcontrollers. I'd like to learn more about electronic circuits.

What one thing you would like to do more of

Dance! I sometimes go to a freeform dance event in Chicago, but I'd like to take lessons in modern again.

What are some things that fascinate you? Or, What would you like to know more about?

Space, planetary science, history, cultures...I'd love to have more in-depth knowledge of 3D printing, and also business strategy.

Would you like any cookie butter (just to be clear, store-bought, not home-made, and does contain wheat since it's, y'know, cookie butter)?

I've never had cookie butter, but I have a sweet tooth of doom, so that sounds great.

Is there any particular piece (or pieces) of art (painting, photograph, etc) that speaks to you in some way?

I love Pre-Raphaelite art. Waterhouse's Lady of Shalott paintings are wonderful, and I like "The Magic Circle" a lot too. (I'm getting a bottle of the scent. ) Also, Mucha's "Dance". The carved stone on the threshold of Newgrange (Bru na Boinne). La Tene Celtic jewelry (Ok, we're veering away from paintings here. I'm often drawn to 3D works of art, or at least pieces with texture.)

What kinds of things would you like from the Lilith BPAL or BPTP update (or are you joining a decant circle?)

I joined a decant circle.

Do you want to received knit or crocheted items? If so, could you describe or even link to a couple of items similar to what you would like to receive?

That would be great! I would enjoy knit or crocheted arm warmers, fingerless gloves, leg warmers (that's a thing, right?), or plushies/amigurumi. I love handmade stuff!

What thing do you want to do (or get) but you keep putting off for one reason or another?

I'd like to bake some cookies. (No really, that was the first thing I thought of.)

Would you like anything from Lush?

I'd love to try their soap and bath bombs. Plus I'm still looking for good shampoo and conditioner, so I'm up for trying theirs.

Do you prefer hand-made or store-bought?

Either is great, depending on what my witch is up for. Really, the coolest thing is the thought put into the item. Please don't feel like you have to spend lots of money *or* time on me.

SPICY! Scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "oh, that's a bit too much black pepper for me" and 10 being "ghost pepper? scorpion pepper? I laugh at these! I love as much heat as you can throw my way!" Where are you?

6-7. I love spicy food, but I like it to have flavor beyond "tastes like burning!"

What is your BPAL "Holy Grail"?

Glowing Vulva, and a bottle of Hesiod's Phoenix (I have two decants). I'm interested in Banshee Beat/OGBB too.

Analog or Digital? Or Both?

Books: Analog
Music: Both
Fabrication/Making: Both

What scents from other perfume companies are you really wanting to have in your collection and or are just really wanting to test? Companies like NAVA, Arcana, Solstice Scents, Possets, Haus of Gloi etc.....?

I've got a long non-BPAL wish list... right now, I'd particularly enjoy bottles of Subatomic Whiskey Particle from ZOMG Smells, Amber Ombre #2 from NAVA, and a custom from Haus of Gloi - Blood Orange, Dark Patchouli, Tonka, and White Amber. A lot of times I'm totally happy with sample sizes, though.

Do you have an affinity for any specific animals?
Hawks and ravens

Kitchen Needs or Wants?
I could use a salad spinner and a dutch oven.

Makeup! Do you like it, would you want some? If so what brands do you like to wear?
I do wear makeup - more than I used to, for sure. I recently went to Sephora to learn to do a professional look, so I'm pretty covered in the "subtle" department. I would enjoy some fun mineral eyeshadow (I already have Urban Decay primer) and really good black eyeliner.

Chocolate fiends ahoy! What kind of chocolate do you like? Do you like any other things in it or just plain good ole chocolate?
I like pretty much all good chocolate. I especially like dark chocolate - I think the darkest I've had is 88% cacao, which is so delicious. I like plain chocolate and chocolate with fruit, nuts, and spices in it. I like truffles. I also like unusual chocolate, like chocolate with bacon in it. (Yummy!)

Would you be opposed to receiving a ton of Halloween themed items?
I don't know about a "ton", as storage space is an issue, but I do love Halloween and would enjoy some Halloween stuff.

Would you be interested in any special little thing I might be able to pick up from the Great Lakes Bat Festival this Saturday? Both Janell Cannon (author of Stellaluna and other kids' books) and Fiona Reid (illustrator for lots of animal field guides) will be there, so would you possibly be interested in something like an autographed copy of Stellaluna or one of Cannon's or Reid's other books? Or something from the Organization for Bat Conservation, like a shirt or other swag?
I know this is past, but bats are pretty cute!

What items from the Weenie update interest you, should you have to option of getting anything as a gift from your Witch??? Would you be ok with decants, or bottles?
I've got decants of a bunch of stuff on the way, and a bottle of The Magic Circle. I would still enjoy decants of October, Sonnet D'Automne, The Unquiet Grave, The White Witch, Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vanilla, and Myrrh, and Dead Leaves, Honey, and Oudh.

What's your favorite scary movie? Or movies, either way. If you don't like horror, what are your favorite movies to watch this time of year?
I'm about to go see Crimson Peak, and am excited about this! I used to not like horror, but I'm starting to a lot more. I like smart, psychological, atmospheric, and Gothic stuff. Also funny, potentially in a twisted way. (I loved Cabin in the Woods, for example.) I've seen a lot of bad horror movies too, especially the kind of things that get MST3K'ed. There's a horror theater company in Chicago called Wildclaw that I really like, too.

Blu-ray or DVD?
I think I can play both.

Game systems - console or computer? Mac/PC? Which console?
I really don't play video or computer games right now. My partner has a PS3, but also doesn't have a lot of time to game.[/b]

Are you dressing up for Halloween and if so do you need any accessories for if?
I'm going to be a Jedi, I think. I don't have a lightsaber yet![/b]

Talk to me about bags, what kinds do you like? Sizes and styles?
I just bought a fairly large purse - the kind of thing that I could put a book into, so I don't have to carry a separate backpack. I previously had avoided bags that were too large because I didn't want them to get too heavy. I'm good on bags for now, I think.

What are your favorite fandoms and do you want to receive anything related to such?
Lord of the Rings, Matrix, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Invader Zim, Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, Hunger Games, Divergent...yes please!

What are you planning to order from the Weenies update?[/b]
[What I have on the way:
From BPAL:
5mls:
The Magic Circle
Decants:
Second Spring
The Vampire Bride
Apple III
Bonfire
Graveyard Dirt Redux
A Witch Riding on a Dragon
Depart Pour Le Sabbat
La Femme de Satan
Pan Twardowski and the Devil
From BPTP:
Decants of all the hair glosses
Decant of Dr. Janice

I would still enjoy decants of October, Sonnet D'Automne, The Unquiet Grave, The White Witch, Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vanilla, and Myrrh, Dead Leaves, Honey, and Oudh, The Witches' Rout, La Ronde du Sabbat, and Portrait of an Unidentified Man as Mephistopheles

The Last Huzzah of the NY Renaissance Faire happens this weekend and I'm going! Is there anything you might want? (Besides a turkey leg, which won't ship well!)

I'm guessing Ren Faire season is done everywhere, but in case of similar shopping, I would enjoy a chemise to go with my wench wear, a tankard and strap for my belt, and jewelry, incense, and witchy stuff is always good.