Colouring? It was never my favorite activity when I was young, but I’m mildly amused by the adult coloring fad that’s going around. It could be a fun, low key hobby. I’d try it if you’re in to it, but don’t go out of your way.

Wishlists? My etsy favorites and pinterest boards are linked in my signature. If you’d like a more traditional wishlist, I can set up a pinterest board or an amazon list. If you want me to look at a specific store, I’m also happy to just list things that interest me in my SW blog.

Lush? Lush is how I initially found BPAL, but I stopped using them as my product tastes moved towards more natural things. I don’t shop there anymore, but there are things that I wouldn’t mind getting if you do. Specifically, I’m a sucker for bubble bars and I’m always on the lookout for solid products that I can use to avoid the whole 3-1-1 thing with TSA (e.g. Tooth Tabs and Shampoo Bars – never tried the tooth tabs; for hair stuff I liked Jungle, New, and Reincarnate. Looks like they may have a new dark hair one called Copperhead or some such). I’m not sure which things in particular are UK exclusives.

Crochet? I live in the deep south, so most crocheted items aren’t great for me because they don’t play well with our weather. If you crochet and have an idea for something you think I’d like and that would be appropriate for warm temps, I’m always thrilled with handmade stuff.

Allergies? I'm allergic to cigarette smoke.

Comics/Graphic Novels? I have two shelves of unreads, but I’d still be thrilled to get Transmet, Sandman, Love & Rockets, or something you find personally exciting. I am also a huge webcomic fan (I have 20 “daily reads” plus assorted others that I read when I’m bored). Queen of Wands, Something Positive, & Templar, AZ are/were faves.

Nail Polish? I am drowning in nail polish, so I’ll skip it unless it’s something awesome

Crafty? Hello, my name is Vanesa, and I am the anti-craft. My perfectionism and lack of hand eye coordination don’t lead to particular skillfulness in the craft department.

BPTP Products? Sure, but I tend to stick to decants because I never get through them all. Bath products, scrubs, atmo sprays, and hair glosses would all be cool. I once got a tissue tee as a gift that was very comfy. I’ve never tried their nail polish or jewelry, but I could be persuaded. Heh.

Nail Wraps? No thanks. More trouble than they’re worth for me.

Teas/Spices/Spice Rubs/Specialty Ingredients from a local tea & spice shop?
I’m pretty overloaded on spices these days, so it would have to be something special. Tea would have to be ok for breastfeeding moms to drink (so many tea ingredients mess with supply L ). I can do loose or bagged. I love unusual ingredients of all sorts, so feel free to send specialty ingredients. Stuff for baking is usually good. I’m also trying to experiment with more whole grains (no rice or quinoa please). Local stuff is always a winner. Hmm, let’s see, related items: For other hot beverages, no coffee since I have access to insane amounts (my grandparents own a coffee farm). We drink a lot of hot chocolate. Anything in single serve packs is usually good.

Speaking of spices - where's your spicy/heat threshold? (scale of 1 - 10 - 1 being nothing more than black pepper, 10 being ghost pepper+) I can handle 8-10, but I’m really happier in the 5-7 realm. It’s important to me that it be spicy and flavorful. I really hate foods that substitute heat when the flavor is boring. Also, I hate spicy chocolate. I can’t handle anything that would transfer the heat to my fingers right now because it causes trouble when I’m breastfeeding (spicy nipple anyone?)

Preferred book format? Physical, PDF, Kindle, etc? I like physical books. I spend so much time in front of a screen that books are a necessary escape. I do read Meilin’s Intimate History, but that’s pretty much it for long-form fiction in an electronic format.


Handmade critters? Not really my bag, but it might be fun if you could make something baby safe for the kiddo. It would have to be something that could stand up to being chewed ‘cause he’s entering the stick everything in his mouth phase. He’s too young to have favorite animals or creatures, but he’s already been given a lot of fox, dinosaur, lion, hedgehog, and elephant themed items, so those critters would certainly fit in.

Since this is the Spring Fools' round, is there anything that goes with the theme of April Fool's Day or spring that might be fun to add to your package? Not in to April Fool’s at all (I get serious vicarious embarrassment when watching other people get subjected to pranks. It’s super anxiety inducing). I do love spring because it means we’re one step closer to summer, which is my favorite season. I’m sort of a plant murderer, so seeds may not be a great idea. A plant that can stand up to some abuse would be fine. Cut flowers are always nice (no lilies, please, I’m allergic). What I could really use is solar powered string lights or garden lights (the kind that are just a light on a stake that sticks in the ground). Our new place doesn’t seem to have an outdoor plug.

Pet owners - would you like any kind of toy or supply for your pet? Maybe. Toys wouldn’t be a good idea, but a consumable treat very early in the round would be fine. He’s not projected to be with us for much longer L

Geek paraphernalia! Hmm, this is a hard one. On the one hand, I’m totally geeky. On the other hand, I tend not to like the type of items that seem to be available to show geeky interests. I don’t like knick knacks, home décor wouldn’t be a good choice because most of our stuff is more formal, I don’t carry bags/purses, I don’t generally wear t-shirts that have things on them (although I have a BPAL shirt that was gifted that I love, so who knows), and geeky jewelry tends to be more cutesy than I generally go for. The best bet for geekiness would be kid’s stuff (e.g. clothes, toys, or science and computer programming baby books – they do exist!) or maybe practical geekery (I can always use durable cell phone charging cables, innovative methods for cleaning the computer, solar chargers for portable electronics, or emergency preparedness items). As far as geeky interests/fandoms, hubby and I are both into Star Trek, I read a lot of sci-fi/fantasy (my fav authors should be listed in one of these answers somewhere), and we’re both fans of nifty astronomy, women in STEM, and internet/computer themed stuff. Does Reading Rainbow count as geeky? I’d break my t-shirt rules for Reading Rainbow.

Any yarn, plastic, metal, or fabric sensitivities? Nothing specific, but I do struggle with finding some yarn scratchy.

Pretty stationery/note cards Cards that I could use for swaps like this would be very useful. Pretty paper is gorgeous, but I never really have anything to do with it.

If you could have any BPALs right now (GC, LE, HTF) what would they be? To be honest, I’m sort of drowning in perfume. If you could find Needle in a Haystack, I’d be thrilled. Otherwise, there’s nothing I’m really dying for.

Any places you would like gift cards from? Amazon, PaintBox SoapWorks, Thriftbooks.com, Trader Joes, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Ureshii, local spas (Bumblelane or Paris Parker in Baton Rouge, Woodhouse or Lux in New Orleans), any stores that you think “wow, she’d love this!”

Do you wear make-up? Any brands you like? Color preferences? I’ve never quite figured out how to use make up well.

Junk food and candy? It certainly won’t be wasted, but I just did a candy swap so it’s not something I’m hankering for.

Witchee, regarding your fave TV shows, would you be interested in the associated DVDs? Fan books? Only one I can think of would be Myth Busters. We’ve got the 10^th Anniversary Collection, but I’d love any of the other DVD collections.

Kitchen Stuff I’ve got a pretty well stocked kitchen, but there are some random items I’d enjoy if you happen to bump in to them: a nice pastry brush, a butter dish that would be ok in a hot climate, a 2+ cup anchor hocking measuring cup (one of the classic ones with the red numbers), one of those Alton Brown style plunger measuring cups, a nice apron that is fairly full coverage, and pretty/practical table linens (napkins, tablecloths, placemats, etc). Tiny juice glasses or a set of zombie glasses would also be winners at our house. Black, silver, grey, or blue are usually the best choices for kitchen stuff.

Garden/Plants I think I addressed this pretty well above. Unkillable, child/dog safe plants would be ok. I definitely need some solar powered lights. Mosquito killing/repelling items are also a pro for us.

If I were to make you something based on one or more interests mentioned in your Q'aire/blog, would you prefer something you could wear, something that hangs on a wall, or something that sits on a shelf (or couch or wherever) ? Huh, hard question. I’d say something that I could wear or use would be best. I need throw pillows if that’s your skill set (grey, black, or red). That said, I’m all for paintings or other hangable art work if that’s what you do best. I love other people’s talents.

Are you in need of BPAL storage? Nope. I’ve got my BPAL storage sorted. Other types of attractive storage might be useful, though. I’ve been looking for pretty apothecary type jars for cotton balls and bath goodies in my bathroom (relatively short cause they have to fit on the shelf). I’m also looking for something attractive to hold non-refrigerated produce like onions, potatoes, and bananas.

Do you like candles? Incense? Wax melts? No thanks. I don’t use incense or wax melts, and I may be guilty of having an entire shelf of candles I haven’t used yet

BAGS! Do you like/want/need any kind of bags? I don’t use purses, and I’m pretty stocked up on totes. The only kind of bags I could really use are bags for travel. I’m dying for a weekender bag in canvas or leather if you happen to have one lying around (ha!) and little zip pouches or dopp kits could be useful. I tend to like the type of travel bags that you could imagine Don Draper using – classic, leather or dark canvas, tailored, masculine.

What style of bag from here (if any) would you like? You can easily narrow down the choices on the side menu - but I only want to know the style, not the pattern! Neat store, but see above. With that in mind, the clutches are probably the only thing that would see use.

Here's a question. I make handmade journals/albums/smashbooks/junk journals. Would you be interested in anything like that? Sure. I don’t have any immediate use for such a thing, but I do love handmade stuff.

If you like Harry Potter stuff, what house do you belong in? If you like Game of Thrones, what family? Not my fandom. Sorry.

What's your favorite animal/totem? Would you be interested in a small figurine of said animal from this etsy user? Pretty stuff, but probably not for me.

Anything exciting to you in PBSW's Spring Collection? April Fool and Bramble & Apple both sound lovely. I like bath streusel and her sample size sorbettos.

Witchee, are you interested in this kind of music (it's one of my favorites)[Tartanic - uncivilized]? I do enjoy Tartanic. I’m a ren faire fan and my hubby’s ancestry is half Scottish, so we enjoy that sort of thing. If you’re familiar with a lot of ren faire musicians, we’re also big on Rambling Sailors.

Oh dear Witchee, how do you feel about Sakura Matsuri? Do you like Green Tea and Sakura flavored desserts/treats? Decorations or jewelry with a cherry blossom theme? Indifferent? It’s not something I’m excited by, but I also haven’t had much exposure

Hey, witchee! If I were to send you a garment, what size would I send?
Usually an 18/20, but I’m a petite plus size hour glass, so standard sizes can be funky. Happy to look at a size chart if you want me to

It's Hottie Friday, witches and witchees! Name a famous crush or five Oh gosh, this is something I always struggle with. Um, let’s see:
1. Gina Torres
2. George Clooney (didn’t like him before, but he’s aged well)
3. Idris Elba
4. Paul Newman
5. Angelina Jolie

Also - what are the last 5 songs that appeared on your random or shuffle music list.
I only stream during the day, so I’ll have to come back to this. I’m pretty eclectic, though.

If you should happen to be my witchee, are there any items in my store that you would like? Nut-Made by LisaNut Hmm, looks like most of them would really be suited to colder places than here, so probably not.

Oh Witchee, have you seen the kimono tops that are all the rage right now? Would you like one? I will sew you one if you do, just tell me if you're a fringe or lace edge or plain edge type of person- I have your color picks from your questionnaire, unless you'd like it in something different than those? Kimono and dolman sleeves are usually a no for me. I could probably pull it off as a robe, in which case lace would be nice but not necessary.

I was thinking about busting out the sculpy clay - I sometimes like to make cute little fantasy miniature sculpture, like fairy doors, or miniature garden gnomes for potted plants, or I've even made a couple of tiny smaug's based on this cartoon. If you were my witchee, how would you feel about receiving some tiny fantasy art for your home? Any preference between a fairy door, or a garden gnome, a tiny fairy box, or something like smaug? Smaug is pretty cute. A fairy door would probably be my second choice.

If you won a gift certificate for $100 (Or similar amount in your country) that could be used ANYWHERE what would you get? Massage and a pedicure.

Something that you look forward to each spring, or that when you see it (hear it/smell it/taste it, etc) you think "Yes! Spring is here!" or something along those lines! Mardi Gras. When I first moved to Louisiana it was one of my favorite things about the season. I lived in a neighborhood (the one we just moved back to actually) with a parade, so a few weeks before the parade people would start cleaning up their yards, decorating for the parade, and generally coming out of their winter cocoon. The neighborhood is one where people spend a lot of time on their porches, and it seems like the parade prep often marked the return to porch sitting.

Witchee, how do you feel about this type of garment? What color & size would you like? (keep in-mind it does say it runs one size big!) Huh, not my usual jam, but it looks super comfy. Based on the reviews, I think a large in black should work.

Are there any mythical creatures that you're really into and that you would enjoy gifts relating to? Hmm, not really. Although, I do have a random soft-spot for recipes based on fantasy novels, so if you have hobbit inspired food related stuff why not?

Returning to the music question I skipped, here are the last five songs played by the streaming radio station I listen to:
1. Chanson d'Acadie - Beausoleil
2. Love Me or Leave Me - Nina Simone
3. Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple
4. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - Al Green
5. Life by the Drop - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble