jencallisto

posted 10/20/2010: Something I love that I can't always find in stores: Chocolate-covered cinnamon Altoids. Sooooo . . . if you were my witchee and if I managed to get childcare & went, is there anything in particular (from Violette Market) you'd be interested in? you can even check out the other crafters (like candle lab) at Craftin Outlaws to give me suggestions! I don't have time to look through all of those, but if anything seems appropriate, sure! I came home with some Dungeon Crawl and some Bedbugs yesterday. If you were my witchee, would you want some of either/both? Sure! Was there a question about Halloween hand sanitizers? If yes, then my answer is that I might well be interested, depending on the notes. Preferably in tiny containers. Would you want your witch to reveal herself? How? I really like it when my witch reveals (I would love to know who you are and gush at you and get to know you, my Witch, because you seem really awesome!), but if you prefer not to, I'll understand. How? Well, however you like! I have an idea for a crafty project, but if it should be "fail" would you want it? Yup! Are you interested in Halloween costumes for your pet(s)? No pets, and honestly I probably wouldn't put a pet in a costume, anyway, unless it were obvious that the pet really enjoyed or something. Today I got one of the Starbucks Halloween Bearista Bears - it's dressed like a werewolf! Is this something witchees might like? Sure, those are cute! Tartchef asks: Sandalwood Vanilla, all lovely & creamy & soft, like Gjetost Sweet Witchee, this beauty needs 4-6 weeks to cure, but once it's done, would you like a sliver? Heck yeah! Anyone else like fancy cheese? What kinds? HELL YES. Pretty much everything except blue cheeses or otherwise moldy cheeses (for example, I adore the soft, buttery middle of brie but don't like the rind), or things that smell or taste like burnt rubber (sadly, gjeltost is not for me). Do you prefer scented or unscented lotions/moisturizers? Scented, though I have to really like the scent and I prefer if the scent is not too strong, but lingers subtly (ideally, such that I can smell it for a long time, but soft enough that it doesn't bother other people). So....let's say that you're my witchee, and you have an affinity for widgets. Let's also pretend that I sent you one of these widgets, but in a form that has a very special personal significance to me. Would you find that to be touching (in a "Yay, now I'll always use this and think of my witch!" way) or tacky (in a "My witch is making this all about her!" way)? I would LOVE that! Have you had a chance to try Halloweenies? If so, which ones are you really really in love with this year? I haven't gotten to try all the decants I got (and with everyone talking about The Shadowy and the Sublime I've been somewhat wishing that I'd gotten that one to try, too), but of the ones I've tried, I've adored Pom II, Pom V, and Blue Pumpkin Floss (and I also really liked Pom IV and Lambswool 2010). I have a ton more to try, though. I'll attempt to get through the ones I have this week with the report! I know these have been mentioned before, prolly even in SW, but they sut came to my attention & I think they are very cool. Pocket shrines! Would you like one, made for a particular obsession of yours? Sure! Oooooh Witchee?? Would you like to try Paintbox Soapworks new soap? Ooh, yes, I would indeed! posted 10/9/2010: Addendum on amigurumi: a cactus or tree would be nifty! Or a hedgehog! Or a penguin! Or a shark! I need to know what color kitchen my witch has! Beige walls, warm tan stucco tiles, medium-dark wood, grey counters, black countertop on the island. If your witch worked for, say, Starbucks, would you like any coffee/instant coffee/tea? Sure! Are you in need of Roller bottles or anything of the like? "Need" is a strong word, but I'd like little ones, maybe decant-sized or so, possibly bit larger than that. Is there one scent that is your goto for comfort on a bad stressful day? For stress, Baku! I swear it's the equivalent of a half-hour massage -- I can actually feel my muscles relaxing and my head clearing. It's amazing. For cheering up, though, I tend to go for Aglaea, my very first BPAL love. It's so bright and warm and juicy and shimmering and gorgeous, it's hard to be unhappy in the face of it. Beets: Are insanely delicious when roasted. I like lentils, too! And potatoes and swiss chard and lettuce. And truffles and earthy mushrooms! Apparently dirt is yummy! What are you going to be for Halloween? I probably won't. All of my costumes are halfway across the country in boxes. ;_; Which is especially sad because I now live in the kind of neighborhood where lots of children trick o' treat, and I think it would be fun to dress up for them. My go-to costume is a succubus -- black bat wings and twisty horns, both dusted with gold, and a devil tail made of black and gold ribbon. Just found this : http://www.etsy.com/...ref=seller_info Oh God. The caramelized onions. The apple butter. The PUMPKIN BUTTER. It all sounds so fabulous. I wonder if my witchee would like any of those...hmm hmm. If I am your witchee, the answer is YES. I love stuff like this. A lot! *goes to update Etsy* [A ton of the Fusion Sweets caramels, marshmallows, and cookies sound incredible, too. Any size, samples, whatever, it's all good! ] Is there something just super random you like/enjoy/want/are ogling that has not been and will not be covered by any other questions, because it's just that WEIRD? I would LOVE poi, the kind good for a beginner. Also a long (12' or so), wide (~1' -- online they keep saying 3", but I know it's much wider than that, much wider than the rhythmic gymnastics ribbons, definitely) "ribbon" (thin satin or medium-weight silk -- because of the aerodynamics) on a stick, the kind used in Chinese ribbon dance, preferably in the color black, possibly a pair. Also, I like weaponry. I own an enormous double-headed throwing axe (best Valentine's Day present ever), a large machete, a pair of Hibben throwing knives, and several other small knives and daggers. I would adore something like a smaller pair of throwing axes, or more high-quality throwing knives, though nothing along these lines is likely to be in your price range... I've been wanting to start going to a gun range regularly, too. I'm not sure I actually want to own a gun (and I'm definitely never joining the NRA -- I'm all in favor of waiting periods, background checks, limiting the illegal supply, etc, and if they could make full-out gun control work, I'd probably be in favor of it) , but I think they're quite beautiful in a deadly, gorgeously engineered way, and I've decided that it's a smart life skill to have, being able to accurately shoot one. How are all the witchees fixed for purses--lunchbags, etc? I am super picky about purses (I only use one at a time and I have a lot of specifications -- black, exactly the right size, super sturdy, can go really casual or fairly fancy, and is easy to organize), but I like bags in general (tote bags, messenger bags, grocery bags, duffle bags, backpacks, luggage, etc), and a lunchbag could be awesome. Villainess has an update. Anyone wanting anything from it? I don't see the update per se on the website (the equivalent of BPAL's "new" page), but if we're talking about the current Black Labels: Mudslide sounds pretty neat, Birth Rite sounds yummy, Trauma sounds intriguing and fabulous, Quick or Dead? sounds interesting, and Smashing and Peachberry Custard sound AMAZING. Would you like a sugar skull decorated by your witch? Or do you like sugar skull stuff in general? A sugar skull decorated by my witch, perhaps. Sugar skull stuff in general is not really my style (ahhhhhhhhhh, colors nooooooooooooo), but I do like skeletons and skulls, especially animal skeletons and rock 'n' roll skulls (my undergrad dorm had the motto "Sport Death: Only Life Can Kill You" and banner based on the cover of a Hunter S Thompson novel (it was essentially a skull made of the colors and pattern of the American flag... ah, here: http://web.mit.edu/senior-house/www/images/sportdeath_vector.svg -- it's a bit, er, colorful for me, but super nostalgic!), but I liked them even before that... though they're a bit tricky sometimes because it's easy to make them ugly or too cliche... but sometimes they're fabulous). SCENT ADDICT IS DOING SOME HAUNT PRE-ORDERS. DO YOU WANT ANY HAUNT?? Oh wow, some of this looks AMAZING. Top choices: Lavender Spice Tea lip, The Old Cider Mill glossing oil. Most interested: Caramel Apple lip, Lavender Spice Tea lip, Golden Pumpkin sugar polish, Golden Pumpkin glossing oil, The Old Cider Mill glossing oil. Quite interested: Pumpkin Cake lip, Burying Tree sugar polish, Coffee Fiend sugar polish, Winter House perfume, Borgia perfume, Witch-Wife glossing oil. Possibly interested: Laffy Taffy lip, Winchester perfume. So, who here loves pomegranates? Are the good as a fruit, a flavoring or just a scent? Love is a bit strong (there are other fruit I love more... but that's more because I am crazy about fruit), but I like them a lot as all three. Also, I love their mythological significance. Now, I have a question for you. About notes. Which are your favourite ones? Do you have a kind of "note top ten?" Anything that works particularly well on you? Do you have a perfume category (foody, floral, aquatic, musky) that you favour? And are there any notes you have never tried, but think would work well on you? ... Surely I have provided enough info along these lines already? If not, please feel free to ask for more, dear Witch, especially if you have a particularly specific/directed question. I just can't think of anything to add offhand. Do you have a preferred weight of yarn to work in? Lace, sock, worsted, bulky, handspun with variation? Have not become a yarn user in the short time since the last yarn-related question. But in general, I tend to like lightweight yarn. Anyone like little seasonal decorative wreaths? Like gravevine wreaths embellished with silk flora, etc.? ... Possibly? I guess it may depend on the wreath? Do any witchees need a Snuggie? No, thanks. Unless the material were super, super soft and thin and sturdy and nice. Or it was homemade. The cuddle wrap appeals to me a bit more than the snuggie, for some reason, probably because it sounds a bit more versatile. Mostly I don't get cold, except when I'm really tired, but when I'm tired, I do very much enjoy snuggling down in a blanket, I must admit, especially if my environment is nice and cool. But usually after a little while I kick my feet out into the open air, because I often need quite a bit of air conditioning even in that state. Would you like to receive international magazines, even if you don't speak the language it's written in, just to ogle the pictures or for the novelty of it? If yes, what kind of magazines, or what magazines in particular? Sure! I'm... not sure. Anything it seems like I might like, really! So I was looking for some patterns for my sisters bday and found these (http://www.bpal.org/topic/70244-halloweenie-switch-witch/page__st__4050__p__1844128#entry1844128). If someone were to make you one, which one? #2! The hood is cute, unusual, and useful. #4 could be interesting and pretty, too, though definitely in a different color. If you were my witchee, would you mind a gift certificate where you'd have to do it old school style and mail it in with your order form? I wouldn't mind. Did you forget anything fun/interesting or find something new and exciting? ... Nothing I haven't already mentioned, as far as I can think of offhand. Though it occurs to me as I go to make my Inquisition order, I'd love to try their massage oils -- Ugh is at the top of the list, but also TKO and Aeris. I'm also contemplating The Fainting Couch Atmosphere Spray. (But I'll be waiting until after the round is over before acting on any of these urges... If there was one bottle you could have from the NYCC exclusives, what would it be None of them are must haves for me. Restaurant.com is having 90% off with code WOW. Any Witchee's have favorite restaurants that show up on it that they would like a GC from?? Not in particular, but I'm up for trying anything that sounds yummy. Is anyone interested in Dia de Los Muertos/Halloween-themed Lush products? The Calavera bath bomb looks AMAZING, the Witches' Ball bubble bar looks potentially awesome, Ghost sounds like it could be really lovely. Would you have interest in any of the new Christmas stuff from Lush? top choices: So White Bath Bomb, Iced Wine Jelly, Bon Bon Lip Scrub, Mandarin's Tea Party Soap. most interested: Angel's Delight Soap, Li'l Lush Pud Bath Bomb, Satsumo Santa Bath Bomb, So White Bath Bomb, Hokkaido Winter Bath, Gingerbread House Bubble Bar, Buche de Noel Cleanser, Iced Wine Jelly, Bon Bon Lip Scrub, Maple Taffy Lip Balm, Mandarin's Tea Party Soap, Snow Globe Soap. quite interested: Cinders Bath Bomb, Sugar Plum Fairy Scrub, Bearded Lady Bubble Bar, Glogg Shower Gel, Snow Fairy Lip Tint, Once a Year Massage Bar. possibly interested: Candy Cane Bubble Bar, Snow Fairy Shower Gel, Christmas Eve Bubble Bar, The Boog. If you could make a scent that represents where you live (or have lived), what would be the ingredients? Hrm. I don't think I know Austin well enough yet. I think my ideal Austin scent would include thunderstorms and lightning and hail. I think my least ideal Austin scent would include a lot of patchouli. Probably the most accurate Austin scent would include both of those, plus hipster cigarettes, barbeque sauce from the aggressively Texan suburbanites, and bluebonnets, the state flower, which grow along the sides of the highway in spring. La Jolla was salty sand and surfboard wax and sunscreen from the beach bums, cactus flower and torrey pine and ocean breeze from the natural environment, yachts and golf courses and backyard citrus trees from the posh part of town, laced with faint whiff of airplane fuel and machine gun smoke from the military bases. Stanford was Spicy Maya hot chocolate and espresso and pu-erh tea with condensed milk, steamed custard buns and almond croissants, light brown flagstones in the sun, leather and books, palm fronds and aloe plants and kumquats. Boston was damp, half-melted, slushy snow, sideways rain on the Charles River, autumn leaves and cobblestone streets and community gardens in spring, high tea and horchata, apple cobbler and creamsicle floats, and the scents of the Copley Square Farmers Market: sunflowers, lavender sachets, rosemary honey, heirloom tomatoes; cider doughnuts and foccacia and fresh-baked sweet potato bread consumed while sitting next to the fountain, dangling your feet in the water. And the Twin Cities were lilac buds on the first of May, crab apple blossoms and honeysuckle, juicy wild blackberries and Haralson apples picked right off the tree, clear lakes warm in summer and icy-chill in winter, cold dry snow, fresh wet snow, evergreens and birch bark and bonfires. My childhood was those background scents, plus the addition of five-spice, ginger, black tea, oolong tea, jasmine tea, Botan rice candy, black sesame candy, rose pastilles, apple juice, grape juice, orange juice, oranges, red bean soup, blueberry muffins, a fortune cookie, rosewood furniture, a Chinese dictionary, Chinese calligraphy paper and ink, osmanthus, mangoes, hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows, and a delicate openwork sandalwood fan. My teenaged years were those background scents, plus American Spirit cigarette smoke twined with clean boy musk seeped into black leather jacket, lemongrass, clove cigarettes, french fries dipped in chocolate shake, green park grass and rocky waterfalls, and an apple-cinnamon muffin and pot of hot coffee from Perkins.

So, I realized belatedly that there seems to be a character-count limit in these blog posts, which meant that my earlier answers were cut off. So I've divided the answers into separate posts. The first is answers posted 9/13/2010 and before, the second (this one) is answers posted 9/13-24, and the next one will be for later answers. Addendum on artists: I like Ansel Adams and that style of black & white landscape. Also Edward Gorey. Addendum to things I keep meaning to buy but just haven't: a tape measure, one of those soft fabric ones for sewing, NOT a hardware one. Addendum to books: I'd love to read MeiLin's book: http://www.meilinmiranda.com/store/lovers-and-beloveds-paperback Also, I've been dying to try Rococo chocolates from the UK: http://rococochocolates.com/ -- particularly Caramelised Almonds Dark, Cardamom Dark, Cardamom White, Christmas Pudding Dark, Cinnamon Milk, Dark w/ Jasmine, Dark w/ Rose (or Milk, or Floral Bee), Dark w/ Violet, Earl Grey Dark, Lavender Dark, Morello Cherry Dark, Morrocan Mint Dark, Orange & Geranium Dark, Arabic Spices Dark, Rose Otto Milk, and Sea Salt Milk bars. Also Chocolate Stem Ginger, Flower Fondant Creams (Fiori e Cioccolata), Crystallised Rose Petals, English Rose Sweets, Turkish Delight, Frutti di Bosco, and any of the pralines or almonds or hazelnuts or wafers (the more interesting the better!) or truffles or mixed chocolates or marzipan or the "Mixed Clutch." How many bottles of BPAL do you have? 72 BPAL, 17 possets, 1 cobalt blends. Approximate, because all of my BPAL is at the old apartment -- I should be retrieving it in December. I'll probably get rid of a fair chunk of that... and then turn right around and buy some more. /o\ Of the books and music mentioned by voodoocatwoman in the thread, I think I'm only interested in the international music, and that only vaguely. Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong sounds interesting, but I am a stickler for reading things in order and would not want to have the 8th book of a series without having read the first 7. Is there any exercise program that you're interesting in learning? Meditation, Yoga, Pilates, Belly Dancing, Zumba ect? Or if you do any of these (or anything else sport related) are there any things you need/want? Candles, music, mats, water bottles ect? Yoga, Pilates, Pilates-Infused Yoga (my favorite, if taught well -- a DVD of this would be really neat), Tai Chi, Bellydance, and general Dance equipment would be welcome (I'd be up for trying Zumba), as would candles for Meditation and one of those metal water bottles that supposedly have no taste. Oh, and addendum to the "things I have been really wanting for a while but keep failing to buy"(the Exercise edition) -- a Camelbak! Or similar backpack water delivery system. I need to for these annoyingly hot and sunny climates if I'm ever going to actually leave the house, and they're good for vacations, too. I need exercise clothes, too (especially a good sports bra -- very very tricky), but those are hard enough for me to pick out, much less someone else, so don't worry about that. I could see maybe a sweatband being useful, though. Anyone else into Emily Autumn? I've heard of Emilie Autumn but I don't think I've heard any of the music, at least not in any context where it stuck. My impression is that her stuff is the kind of thing I should logically like, but might actually hate. Or might end up loving. Unclear. She's been a little overhyped to me, which is probably one of the main reasons I haven't gotten around to checking her out. (I have a perverse streak. It is not always convenient, but it is what it is.) But, dearest witchees and witches, do you like Girl Scout cookies? What kind? Hell yes! Thin mints are my very favorite, but I also love love love both types of the peanut butter ones. I like all of the others, too! What's your take on homemade apple butter? Want some? OMG YES. Do you like garlic? Do you REALLY like garlic? Would you want to try some really unusual garlic stuff, like garlic cheese or garlic fudge or garlic chocolate, etc., etc., etc.? Chocolate or sugar + garlic, well, I feel very dubious about it, but might try it just for the sake of saying I did. However, garlic cheese, garlic paste, any kind of savory garlic stuff -- BRING IT ON! Because I REALLY like garlic, oh yes I do. Can I talk to you about the living dead? How do you feel about Zombies? I am not obsessed with zombies, but I do have a mild affection for zombie stories and zombie paraphernalia in general. (Also, the way ChildofTime phrased the question really makes me want a button that says "Ask me about the zombie apocalypse!" on it in super cheery text. It would be awesome!) Do you have a deviantart print wishlist or favourites list? I don't, sorry. What kind of shoes do you need/want? What size shoes do you wear? Would you mind gently used shoes? I do not mind at all gently used shoes. My shoe size is 8W or 8 1/2, usually, though it depends some on the brand/style. Also they are kind of... high? Round? Not as flat in shape as some people's apparently are -- adjustable straps are a godsend. I used to joke that I wore my Docs so long that they conformed to that shape, if that helps. I prefer flats to heels (though wedges and some kinds of heels work pretty well -- I'm always excited when I find a heel that actually works for me and my weak ankles, it has to do with the balance -- usually not too high and definitely not stiletto). I like round-toed and square-toed, definitely not pointy-toed (though oval-toed can be okay). I like mary janes and strappy, relatively feminine-looking sandals. Some good boots would be awesome (I have wide calves, though, which limits the selection of the taller ones). Except for boots I prefer my shoes to be lightweight or vented or otherwise good for summer, due to living in a place that's almost always too warm for me.] Do you like paper dolls (new or vintage) or coloring in books? I do! I enjoy both of those... or at least having the material to do so. Love the Dover books. Anyone else have strong feelings about androids? I find them quite fascinating. I love 2046, Blade Runner, Data from Star Trek, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, etc. Do you like weird scary things as traditionally girly fashion items like heels and handbags? Well, yes, though like I said, the heels are a bit tricky, and I only use one purse at a time (which must be durable and well-organized and nice-enough looking for most situations). But in general, I really like girly-styled stuff with gothy themes and colors -- skirts, cute shoes, jewelry, etc -- and definitely am more likely to like those than traditionally girly themes and colors. "Gruesome," not so much, but scary and dark, yes. What song is on heavy rotation for you right now? Still have the same album on repeat, song most stuck in head probably "Are We the Waiting" or "City of the Dead." Galahad mentioned "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri in the thread -- prior to American Idiot (Broadway), that was probably my last song song obsession. Would you (assumin' you're a yarnie) be interested in a naturally-dyed yarn that's designed to very gradually fade with washing? Still not into yarn. Are you coveting any of the NYCC atmospheric sprays? Nope. If you could get any one thing hand-painted from your witch, what would it be and what would be on it? Probably an imp or bottle box, or jewelry box. But hand-painting things are in general awesome! I... have no idea what would be on it. Greek or Chinese goddesses, maybe? Anything, really! Do you collect stones/rocks? I'm talking like "semi" precious stones, ie moonstone, bloodstone, quartz ect. Are there any that you're looking for at the moment? Are you in need of a stone but don't know which kind? (many stones have a specific purpose, ie bloodstone helps when you're ill, moonstone is said to help conceive a child.) Yes. Well, "collect," is a strong term, but I love them. A wonderful previous witch sent me some lovely ones! I'm not looking for any in particular right now that I know of, but money/job luck, serenity, and clarity of mind would all be really helpful for me right now. What's your favorite Halloween Music? Bela Lugosi Is Dead! Also, Nick Cave, Loreena McKennitt, Dead Can Dance, Sisters of Mercy, etc. And classical music -- "Night on Bald Mountain," "In the Hall of the Mountain King," etc. (I like Grieg and Mussorgsky in general, too!) MAC Venomous Villains I don't wear of ton of makeup, it's true, but when I do, I adore MAC! And I really love the idea of that collection. The intense colors of Maleficent especially! (The nail lacquers and the plums! *swoon*) But most anything from that collection (or any MAC collection within the last few years, really) would be fun to try! New Question: Just curious, but if your witch was to make an amigurumi critter (or other plushie) just for you, what would it be? I'm open to lots of different animals. Off the top of my head -- bear, tiger or panther or other cat, octopus, spider, bat, wolf, coyote, raven, falcon or hawk or owl, super cute dog (I like terrier faces the best, but other dogs are good, too). Would you want a local/tourist item from your witch? Like a t-shirt, mug or shot glass? I would! Assuming the t-shirt was a babydoll or other curvy girl/woman cut! Mugs and shot glasses are a-ok, as are things like magnets (love magnets from different places!) and postcards or books. Local food would be kickass! Do you <3 the Last Unicorn and/or how badly do you want to try the new scents? VERY VERY BADLY OMG. (website for reference: http://www.conlanpress.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=C&Category_Code=CM) Who is your fav Disney Villian/villianess? How about hero/herione? (doesn't have to be specifically Disney though) I have a big soft spot for Ursula because I adore her song -- and her theatricality! (I do love Maleficent, too! And Cruella de Ville for the song about her, especially the Replacements covering it!) Favorite Disney heroine/hero/protagonist is Belle. Because she is smart and awesome and independent and compassionate and loves to read! I like a lot of them, though. If you have played before, what are some of the most memorable things you've gotten? What really made you go WOW? If you haven't played, same thing, but not limited to SW. I don't feel right answering this question. Suffice it to say that I've loved everything my previous Witches and Swap Faeries have ever sent me. Okay, who wants NAlloween and some Vampire Apothecary goodness? Probably... *goes to look*: NAlloween (http://www.nocturnealchemy.com/limited-edition.html): most interested: Hathor's Caramel Honey Tea, NAlloween Skarab Treasure Box. quite interested: Serpent of Chaos. possibly interested: The Black Pyramid, Devouress of the Dead, Tomb Robber, Deity Moon, Serapium of the Serapis. VApothecary (http://www.vapothecary.com/): Vampire Moon sounds amazing, and Pharoah Moon intriguing. I have to admit that I'm finding their prose kind of painful, and in need of a good edit... but possibly their scents will make up for that. As for the rest of the it: top choices: Masquerade Queen, Halloween 2010, Samhain, Hyphialtes, Sherbat, London. most interested: Masquerade Queen, Masquerade Drakon, Masquerade Lacroix, Victoria, Halloween 2010, All Hallows' Eve, Burning Jack, Halloween 2011, Samhain, Hyphialtes, Sherbat, Spooktacular, Pina Ghoulata, London. quite interested: Mina, Lothaire, Holger, Soren, Eidolon, The Lighthouse, Hungarian Snow, Count Choco, Bat's Brew, Mumiyah Cake, Nemisynthe, New Orleans, Salem. possibly interested: Masquerade King, D, Jacek, Viktor, Asylum, Vincent, Haunted House, Incorporeal, Ghost of the Moors, Riven, Vesper, Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Zerachiel, Uriel, Lycanthrope, Nikolav, Wraith Talbot, Sylverthrone, Silver Dust, Medusa, Zombie, Ahm Shere, Shroud, The Mummy, Tomb of the Undead, Rise of Anubis, Eternal Underworld, Devil Cake, Transylvania, Venice. Is there anything from Blooddrop that you want to try? GC? Halloween update? Sure! Let's see: Top choices: Incantation, Broomstick, Killing Time in Taipei, L'Shana Tova, Empress Ming Li Zho’s Sparkling Infusion for Happy Brightness, Frau Von Schtinklestein’s Partially Completed Barvarian Love Essence. I would also love to try the Eau Douce Floral & Herbal Facial Mist, Apricot Blossom Facial Toner, Lilac Glisten, Huile de Bain (bath oil) in Dollface or Peachskin, and Nectar Facial Serum. Autumn 2010: most interested: Hayride, Incantation. quite interested: Apples & Bones, Casting a Spell, Channeling Spirits, Ritual, Sinister, Things that go, "Bump!" in the Night, The Veil between Two Worlds, Walking Through Walls. possibly interested: Pink Pumpkin, Raising the Dead, The Ruby Cauldron, Seance. Other Limited Editions and exclusives: most interested: Filly, Dances of Vice. quite interested: Cafe Oblique, Merry Legs. possibly interested: Good Gyne, Kelpie, Pegasus. GCs: most interested: Bisou, Bonne Nuit, Broomstick, Citrouille, Delicieuse, Dollhouse, Eiffel Tower, I had a Pony, If Wishes Were Horses, Killing Time in Taipei, L'Shana Tova, Soleil, Empress Ming Li Zho’s Sparkling Infusion for Happy Brightness, Frau Von Schtinklestein’s Partially Completed Barvarian Love Essence. quite interested: Cafe Zazou, Dandelion Wine, Devonshire Cottage, Frida, Josephine, Les Madeleines, Mourning Dove, Pumpkin, Unlikely, White Pumpkin, Yellow Kimono, Dixie Elouise Adelaide Deschamps’ Perfectly Legal and Innocuous Kissing Cake. possibly interested: Buche de Noel, Diabolique, The Emerald Dragonfly of Whisperting's Bridge, Luna Moth, Melancholia, Ruffles, Bustles & Corsets, Star Light, Star Bright, Sultrylicious, The Zodiac Club, Madame Pompidou’s Elixir Secret pour les Maladies et Crises du Coeur. What's on your walls? Please show us up to three paintings/posters/whatever. If you love a painting so much that you would steal (to watch it with your greedy eyes) one, please share. I mostly fail to ever put anything up, but if I were to ever get around to it, I have a few pieces that would get first dibs on space. 1. A Sandman poster -- I can't find an image of it online, unfortunately, if I'm remembering it correctly (it lives halfway across the country in a closet, awaiting the day I have space for it). However, I think it's something like an amalgam of the colors of this poster combined with the artist (Amano) of this one: 2. Charles Vess Stardust prints -- I bought the original five-print set years and years ago at an sf/fantasy con art show. There are six of them now (I should really track down my number and order the sixth one), which can be seen here. They're all gorgeous, but this one is my very favorite: 3. Strangers in Paradise San Diego Comic-Con exclusive prints -- I have 2007, and I think 2009 as well: As for a painting I'd steal... Gosh. I am really not super knowledgeable about art, though I like a ton of it. Right now, I'm going to go with Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone. It is just incredibly beautiful, and I love its whole atmosphere and feel. Larger pics of all of these in my gallery. Who likes hair toys, and if so what kind? I love hair toys! I wear hair sticks most often, but I also like little snap clips for taming flyaways, no-snag elastics (in standard size (for ponytails) and mini size (for braided pigtails), and decorative hair pins and combs. I've been in the market for a fascinator, as well, and I like trying new types of hair toys. I wear the very occasional barrette or jaw clip, but they have to be able to handle a LOT of hair. Does any art we may send need to be child safe, either in the actually safe sense or the non X rated sense? Nope! Tasteful NSFW stuff is terrific; for example, I love vintage pinups. In the knitted/crocheted things area, would you want wrist warmers, 1/2 gloves, a neck warmer(the kind that pretty much just goes around your neck and maybe fastens instead of being long and loose like a scarf), slippers, or hats? The only one of these that really appeals to me is slippers. How do you feel about altered/recycled/upcycled items of clothing or accessories? Love 'em! What is your favourite habitat and climate to live in? How about to visit? (ie. forest, canyons, mountains, by the beach; temperate, tropical...) I like visiting just about all climates/habitats, but I prefer my exposure to super hot, super humid climates to be very (very) limited. I like super temperate climates also (especially the ones with cooler temperatures), dry or rainy, though in the end I prefer to live more long-term in places with active, real, true, full seasons -- real snow in the winter, real wet, green spring, real fall with foliage, real summer with warmth and such (though that could be as short as possible, the shorter the better) and good strong thunderstorms. I like weather. I like oceans, but I like rivers even more, and I love love love lakes. I adore mountains (glaciers and snowy peaks and evergreen forests! okay I like the other ones, too) and classic woods and forests, and I have a soft spot for plains and landscapes that glaciers left behind. I enjoy canyons, badlands, mesas, and rocky deserts, as well, but more for visiting than for living. My favorite climate that I've lived in (out of Minnesota, Boston, the Bay Area, San Diego, and Austin) was Minnesota's (with Boston second and the Bay Area third), and Austin's my least favorite, though San Diego's in the running for least favorite as well. What do you wish you could make/craft if you had the know-how and supplies? Specifically, which particular items? Soap (of various types, mostly bar soap), bath bombs, really bubbly bubble bath, candles, hair treatments. Jewelry -- I enjoy soldering! Canning, perhaps. I would be interested in a truffle-making book, and a candy-making book (and supplies). Possibly clothes (especially awesome skirts). Musical instrument making would be neat. Possibly metalworking. I'd like to get back into photography. Ooh, and calligraphy! And visual art in general. How do people feel about edible arrangements? www.ediblearrangements.com: They look really yummy! Anyone need address/phone type books? I could use one. I wondered if my witch or any witch would enjoy things like nice pens to draw with or anything similar? YES! For those who are yarnies, would you like other-than-yarn witchery? Hooks, needles? Preference of material? Do you use/would you like handmade stitch markers, etc.? Nope. Lipbalms: flavor preferences? tube/squeazything type or lip pots? Citrus, mango, melon, watermelon, apple, peach, apricot, berry, cherry, pomegranate, rose, mint, honey, lychee... Possibly others that aren't coming to mind at the moment. Tube, definitely, but I'd try a pot if the lip balm is especially awesome. Does anyone do altered books? Would you be interested in old books to alter? Any type or title in particular? I've never tried it, but it sounds like an interesting thing to try! Did someone ask about incense yet? Would you like some? Something to store or burn it in? What scents? What form? Incense might be nice, but I'd need a holder (unless it is small cone incense, which I have a small holder for thanks to my wonderful Dollar Store Swap Faery) and I am not really into the traditional ritual/worship blends from any faith or practice. But if there are scents that sound like they might appeal based on my perfume note preferences, I'd be up for trying them! Any oddball free things you collect or would want saved for you? Not that I can think of offhand. Matchbooks, maybe? Pretty business cards or postcard ads? Possibly free city reader type magazines if they have a particularly interesting articles? Soaps : do you like them? What brands? What scents? Anything you're dying to try? I do. Anything I like in perfume notes will probably make good soap, and I might even like some florals better as soap (like the ones that tend to go floral anyway). Citrus is probably my all-time favorite soap scent, including related things like lemongrass and verbena (though I like most other citrus scents more than I like straight-up lemon). I like other fruits a lot, too, and some foody notes like spices and vanilla and honey and ginger, some herbs (rosemary is one of my favorites, but others as well), and some florals (rose, lilac, lavender, osmanthus, cherry blossom). I prefer bar soap and hand soap pumps to shower/bath gel. Scents to avoid: violet, plumeria and other strong Hawaiian florals, straight-up lemon, anise/licorice, and probably cake/bakery-type scents. I am also not very into minty/fresh/clean/masculine sorts of scents for soap (though the very occasional aquatic will capture my fancy), and orange blossom is iffy. Do you read/like fantasy? What kind of books or authors do you love? Which one would you like to read? Would you like gifts related to it? Yes, although I'm much more into urban fantasy and near-future (often dystopian) sf and speculative fiction than epic/high fantasy these days. Related gifts could be neat. For some specifics about which books and authors I love, see my answer to the "comfort re-reads" question. If I were to pick One Fantasy Novel I currently want to read that I don't yet own, I guess I'd go with... Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Pon. If we're including sf and speculative fiction, then probably The Windup Girl by Paolo Baciaglupi. New Event Exclusives: Most interested: none of them are must-haves, thank goodness. Quite interested: Sibyl, The Elephantine Colossus, The White Lady of Durand Eastman Park. Possibly interested: The Lady of Lake Ronkonkoma. If you happened to be my Witchee, is there something you'd like from the Arcana Halloween update? I have no idea if Arcana works on my skin. Perfume Oil unless noted. Most interested: Kincardine, Ruby Crow, Sleepy Hollow, Skeleton Key soap, Straitjacket soap. Quite interested: Dancing in the Boneyard, Haint, Little Ghoulie, Skeleton Key, Straitjacket, Stretched on Your Grave, Sleepy Hollow soap. Possibly interested: Caffeinated Death, Dia de los Muertos, Guy Fawkes, Zombie's Cucumber, Dead Reckoning Soap, Dia de los Muertos soap. Is there anything you want from the Violette Market update? I've never tried Violette Market and would love to! I'm sure there are lots of things from the other collections I would like as well, but here's from the four that I think are the most recent (soaps or perfumes are both welcome): Most interested: Marty (Magic Fingers) McVay, Doc Brown's Medicines and Elixirs, Miss Julia Star, Miss Lily Mae, Miss Susanna West, Sophia Peabody, Pink Golden Apple Quite interested: Miss Scarlet Foster, Lydia's Firefly Lanterns, Beggar's Night, Calaveras Chocolate, Calaveras Pasteles, Glowing Jack O' Lantern, Golden Autumn, Witch's Apple, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sleepy Hollow Churchyard, Washington Irving, Lisbon Seaport, Spice Island, The East Indies, Lost at Sea, Witch Mermaids. Possibly interested: Diablo Canyon, Ghost Town, Diablo Skull, Vincentio The Coffin Maker, Black Moon Saloon, Bag of Bones, Mick (Magic Pistol) McVay, Sheriff Lonestar, Ms Dolly's Frock Shop, Ms Kitty's Cathouse, Pumpkin Lanterns, Miss Bella Wyatt, Miss Bonnie Rue, Miss Danie Doe, Zarya Occultist and Tarot Card Reader, Raven's Midnight Pumpkin Patch, Gertrude's Half-Haunted Bake Shop, Calaveras Negro, Ghost Dancer, Spirit Cakes, Sugar Shock, Autumn Bonfire, Boston Tea Party, Faith, The Reef Journals, South Winds of the Atlantic, The Captain's Quarters, Eye of the Hurricane, Ghost of the Virgin Bride, The Sea Dragon, Under the Pacific Waters, The Cargo Ship's Rescue. Is there anything you would like from Conjure Oils general catalogue or the new updates that isn't already on your wishlist? The solid perfume sounds interesting. Soap sounds fabulous -- all four of this month's sound yummy -- in vague order of interest: Oshun, Perfect Pumpkin, The Light Crone, and La Calavera - the Skull. And... oh god, this took forever, but it was fun: Top desires: Four Leaf Clover, Chai Spice Tea, Luscious Grapefruit, Perfect Pumpkin, Blue Rose, Antique Rose Attar, All Night Long, La Flamme, Cornucopia, Ca$h Flow, Money House Blessing, Prosperity, Fire of Inspiration, Healing Way, Joy Joy Joy, Meditation, Mermaid's Tears, Most Peaceful, Wepawet's Read Opener, Friendship, Happy Home, 777, Fast Luck, Attract, Job Finder, Prosper, Has No Hanna, Crucible of Courage, Repelling, Safe Journey, Mercury Retrograde, Poet's Potion, Libra, Scorpio, Sun, Venus, Naima, April - Pink Moon, June - Rose Mead Moon, August - First Fruits Moon, The Light Mother, The Light Queen, Jin - Metal, Talker, Mari, Heaven Shiner - Above, Wisdom, La Cafetera (coffee), El Melon (the melon), Las Cerezas (the cherries), La Palma (the palm tree), La Pera (the pear), La Estrella (the star), Jade Dragon, The Pernicious Parasol, Amaterasu - She Who Illuminates Heaven, Jezebel - Sanctify Sexuality, Sarasvati - Indian Goddess of Art and Intellect, Loki - Giant Mischief, Maneki Neko - Beckoning Cat, Sacred Heart of Jesus - Agape, Oshun - Beautiful Orisa of Sweetness, Patron of Love, Mabon - Autumnal Equinox, Cherry Red Lipstick, InjureAle, Sloe Gin Fizzy, Blood Type O Limited Editions and Newfangled Notions: Most interested: Haunted Hayride 2010, Four Leaf Clover, Rabbit's Foot, Step on a Crack, The Whore on Tour - Wine Country. Quite interested: Abbadon, Dagwanoenyent, Mara, Pazuzu, Alien Autopsy 2010, Calavera de Azúcar 2010, Hänsel und Gretel 2010, Sweet Death 2010, Witching Hour 2010, Guardian Angel, Lucky 13, Malocchio, Shattered Mirror, Snake Eyes, Miss Lucy's All Dolled Up. Possibly interested: Glasya Labolas, Incubus, Lucifer, Ol' Scratch, Satanel, Succubus, Abandoned Morgue 2010, Punkin' Head 2010, Black Cat Crossed My Path, Fu Lions Guarding the Front Gate, Lucky Horseshoe, The Devil Made Me Do It, 666, All-Hallows Resurrected, Lucky Bastard's Friday the 13th Blues - August. Apothecary: Most interested: Chai Spice Tea, Luscious Grapefruit, Perfect Pumpkin, Sweetest Strawberry, Blue Rose, Aged Leather, Egyptian Cinnamon, Indonesian Clove Bud, Antique Rose Attar, French Lavender, Madagascar Vanilla. Quite interested: Lightning & Rain, Black Tea, Coconut Milk, Raw Honey, Sugared Milk, Calla Lily, Mimosa (Acacia), Night Queen, Golden Amber, Iranian Pomegranate, Old World Jasmine, Tunisian Neroli. Possibly interested: Tomato Leaf, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Champa Bouquet, Pink Lotus, Dragon's Blood, Ethiopian Frankincense, Sweet Myrrh, Egyptian Musk, Mysore Sandalwood. Book of Shadows: Most interested: All Night Long, Forgive Me, Handfasting, Heartbreak Balm, La Flamme, Night Witch, Cornucopia, Easy Life, Lady Luck, Lucky #13, Lucky Hand, Bayberry, Ca$h Flow, Gnome's Gold, Millionaire's Mansion, Money House Blessing, Prosperity, Anointing, Esbat, Fire of Inspiration, Healing Way, Joy Joy Joy, Knowledge Supreme, Meditation, Mermaid's Tears, Most Peaceful, Wepawet's Road Opener, Dragon's Fire, Jinx Smasher. Quite interested: Delightful, Pleasure & Pain, Lucky Charm, Guardian Angel, Kyphi, Banishing, Evil-B-Gone. Possibly interested: As You Please, Bewitching, Enchanting Spirit, Faery Wings, Sabbat, Witches' Flying. Hoodoo: Most interested: Friendship, Happy Home, 777, Fast Luck, Attract, Bling Bling, Job Finder, Money, Money Magnet, Prosper, Has No Hanna, Crucible of Courage, Personal Power, Success, Protection, Repelling, Safe Journey, St Michael the Archangel. Quite interested: Come to Me, High John the Conqueror, Black Cat #13, Make a Wish, Van Van, Boss Fix, Protect My Money, Faith, Hope, Charity, Strength, Zip It. Possibly interested: Follow Me Boy!, Love Drawing, Reconcile, Pay Me Now!, 23rd Psalm, Abramelin, Blessings, Dream True, Espiritista, Lord's Prayer, Sacred, Serenity Prayer, Uncrossing, Return to Sender. Via Carpathia: Most interested: Blood Type O, Immortal. Quite interested: Bat's Blood, Dove's Blood, The Countess. Possibly interested: Blood Type A, Blood Type AB, Blood Type B, Love Eternal, Vampire Kisses. GCs: Most interested: Mercury Retrograde, Poet's Potion, Gemini, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio, Full Moon, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Naima, Tahia, Hand of Fatima, Radio Bastet, January - Ice Moon, April - Pink Moon, June - Rose Mead Moon, August - First Fruits Moon, The Light Mother, The Light Queen, Jin - Metal, Black Heart of Innocence, Talker, Mari, Heaven Shiner - Above, Shining Flame - South, Love, Wisdom, La Cafetera (coffee), El Melon (the melon), La Muñeca (the doll), Las Cerezas (the cherries), La Palma (the palm tree), La Pera (the pear), La Rosa (the rose), El Sol (the sun), La Estrella (the star), Bête Noire Brew, Jade Dragon, The Pernicious Parasol, Amaterasu - She Who Illuminates Heaven, Aphrodite - Greek Goddess of Love, Athena - Greek Goddess of Wisdom & War, Demeter - Greek Great Mother Goddess of Bounty, Eve - Biblical Temptress, Hera - Goddess of Women and Matrimony, Jezebel - Sanctify Sexuality, Kwan Yin - Chinese Bodhisattva of Compassion, Lillith - Primal Female, Nuit - The Celestial Cow, Persephone - Queen of the Underworld, Salome - Dance of the Seven Veils, Sarasvati - Indian Goddess of Art and Intellect, Shakti- Feminine Power Unleashed, Whore Of Babylon - Sacred Slut, Marie LaVeau- New Orleans Voodoo Queen, Beast of Babylon - The Whore's Apocalyptic Steed, Dionysus - Intoxicating Ecstasy, Ganesha - Elephant-Headed Block Buster, Loki - Giant Mischief, Maneki Neko - Beckoning Cat, Sacred Heart of Jesus - Agape, Obatala - Orisa of Peace, Patron of Humanity, Oshun - Beautiful Orisa of Sweetness, Patron of Love, Shango - Orisa of Thunder, Patron of Drumming and Dance, Yemaya - Orisa of the Ocean, Patron of Women and Witchcraft, Litha - Summer Solstice, Lammas - August 1, Mabon - Autumnal Equinox, Bathtub Gin, Cherry Red Lipstick, InjureAle, Sloe Gin Fizzy. Quite interested: Glamour, Aries, Taurus, Leo, Sagittarius, Waxing Moon, Waning Moon, Blue Moon, Jamila, Samia, Serena, May - Flower Moon, July - Thunder Moon, September - Harvest Moon, October - Blood Moon, The Shadow Queen, The Light Crone, Boreas - North Wind, Zephyrus - West Wind, Notus - South Wind, Huo - Fire, Blue Fire, Fetch, GodSelf, Quakoralina, Nimue, Self, Power, Passion, Knowledge, Liberty, El Alacran (the scorpion), La Herradura (the horseshoe), La Luna (the moon), El Cacto (the cactus), La Maceta (the flowerpot), La Calavera (the skull), La Corona (the crown), Earl Black, Pirate's Breakfast, Gears of Imagination, Artemis - Greek Virgin of the Moon & Hunt, Astarte - Middle Eastern Goddess of Sexuality, Bastet - Egyptian Goddess of Cats & Perfumery, Brigid - Celtic Goddess of Fire and Inspiration, Coatlicue - Serpent Skirt, Aztec Mother Goddess, Inanna - Sumerian Goddess of Sex, War and Fertility, Kali Ma - Black Mother of Time, Lakshmi - Indian Goddess of Wealth, Morrigan - Celtic Goddess of Death and Magic, Pomba Gira - Primal Vamp, Baron Samedi - Haitian Lwa of the Dead, Freyr - Bountiful Harvest, Zeus - Ruler of Mt. Olympus, Agallu - Orisa of the Volcano, Patron of Transportation, Ochossi - Orisa of the Hunt, Patron of Law Enforcement, Beltane - May 1, Samhain - October 31, Flapper. Possibly interested: Glitch, Shapeshifter, Virgo, Capricorn, Pisces, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Nadia, Nagwa, Nejla, Zeinat, March - Storm Moon, November - Frost Moon, December - Full Long Nights Moon, The Light Maiden, Menstrual Blood, The Dark Maiden, The Dark Crone, Eurus - The East Wind, Anemoi - The Four Winds, Tu - Earth, Shui - Water, Mu - Wood, Kala, Melek Taus, Anna, Arddu, Star Finder, - East, Water Maker - West, Black Mother - North, Guardian of the Gates - Center, Sex, Pride, Law, El Árbol (the tree), La Hoja (the leaf), El Loro (the parrot), La Bruja (the witch), La Muerte (death), El Corazon (the heart), El Diablito (the little devil), La Sirena (the siren), Kraken Up!, Tempus Fugit Torte, Aradia - Bella Strega, Circe - Master Sorceress, Cleopatra - Seductress Extraordinaire, Epona - Celtic Horse Goddess, Erinyes - The Angry Ones, Eriskegal - Sumerian Queen of the Underworld, Erzulie Freda - Coquettish Lwa of Beauty, Finery and Love, Freya - Norse Goddess of Love and Witchcraft, Green Tara - Tibetan Bodhisattva of Action, Hecate - Goddess of the Dark Moon and the Crossroads, Isis - Egyptian Goddess of the World, Joan of Arc - Warrior Maiden, Nepthys - Egyptian Goddess of Darkness, Pele - Polynesian Goddess of the Volcano, Pharaoh Hatshepsut - Queen Regnant, Vajrayogini - Indestructible Diamond, Aunt Caroline Dye - Rootworker par excellence, Apollo - Divine Healer, Fenrir - Wolf of the Apocalypse, Hades - Underworld King, Horus - Holy Child, Odin - One-Eyed AllFather, Shiva - The Auspicious One, Thor - God of Thunder, Thoth- Egyptian God of Magic and Communication, Eleggua - Orisa of Communication, Patron of Crossroads, Ogun - Orisa of Iron and War, Patron of Laborers, Oya - Orisa of the Winds of Change, Patron of the Marketplace, Olokun - Orisa of Health and Wealth, Patron of the Depths, Ostara - Spring Equinox, Yule - Winter Solstice, Imbolc - February 2, Floozy, Fox Trot, Lindy Hop, Shave and a Haircut, Vaudeville. Artists: Caillebotte, Magritte, Severini Poet: Jacques Prévert -- preferably in French, especially if you can find French with facing English translation. Uh. I know my Amazon wishlist is a bit all over the place. Some of it is research (hence all the military stuff)? And most of it is just random. http://www.sephora.com/registry/list.jhtml?giftlistId=gl1106209601 Do you have a favorite quotation? Song lyric? Book passage? WhateverthehecktheycalltheanonymousregionalwisdomthingiePROVERB! Just one? Oh dear. When I was in high school I went with "success is the best revenge," but I'm not sure I believe that one anymore. I'm much more of a "happiness is the best revenge" sort of person now. What is a bpal scent that you've been dying to try for awhile but just can't find? (A scent where even a tester would do) I haven't really been putting particular effort into find them, but I guess: Storyville, Ho Ho Ho, Fairy Wine, Fairy Market, Tokyo Stomp? Most of the stuff on my wishlist I'd be fine with just testers of, really. Is there anything you would like that can be delivered over the internet? Things like fanfic recs, cat macros, mp3s you are looking for, how-to or amusing videos, things like that. Hmm. Maybe? Picspams, perhaps? Icons and graphics and such. Reviews of things, maybe? How-to videos sound amusing/useful... I don't know. I'm not that into macros/gifs and the like. I do like fanfic but tend to keep my fandom life separate from my real life -- contact me if you want more details about my fandom life. I'm not much into pirating, but things like mix cds delivered over the internet, or possibly things that are impossible to find, might be okay. Or, of course, stuff bought and sent electronically, also cool. NaNoWriMo? I'll probably be doing the mini version. Though it is possible that this is the year I'll do the standard version. We'll see. How do you feek about silly, funny knick-knack, dollar store stuff, stickers, magnets etc? Would you like receiving that kind of stuff or rather not? They can be fun! I like stickers and magnets, and I like some dollar store stuff. I'm not super into having knick-knacks just for the sake of having knick-knacks, but if one is especially appropriate for me, I'm game. Is there a specific book you've been wanting to get but haven't found the time or the opportunity to? I can't think of anything that's not on my Amazon wishlist. Possibly the Absolute Sandmans or the Limited Edition Hardcovers of Umbrella Academy. Do you read mangas/watch animes? Which ones? Do you have a particular favourite? Would you like to receive managas or anything related to them? Yes, I like both, as I've mentioned in previous answers. Favorite anime (off the top of my head): Studio Ghibli (Whisper of the Heart, Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, etc), Here Is Greenwood, Kino's Journey, Escaflowne, Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler), Kimagure Orange Road, Rurouni Kenshin, Witch Hunter Robin; I seem to remember enjoying RahXephon, too. Of these, I only own the Ghibli, Here Is Greenwood, and Escaflowne and would love to have the rest of them. I also have a soft spot for Kenichi and Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu because the SO loves them so (he has copies). Favorite manga: Saiyuki, Inu Yasha (which I only own in Japanese and would love to have in English), Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Here Is Greenwood, From Eroica with Love (which I don't own yet -- I borrowed a friend's)... I also enjoyed the first volumes of Fruits Basket, Death Note, and Descendants of Darkness, and would be interested in more. And I've been meaning to pick up (manga or anime or whatever form they're in) Hikaru no Go, Saiyuki Gaiden, and Azumanga Daioh. And maybe Initial D. I'd love manga or anime or stuff related to any of these (stickers, cards, figurines, plushies, scrolls, prints, cels, etc)! Are you open to receiving things that are not on your wishlist, maybe something your Witch thinks you might like? Yes, of course! For BPAL, there's also the list of what I already have, so there's likely no need to get me any of those. But my wishlists are not at all exhaustive, and surprises are always fun! What would your last meal be if it could be anything in the world (sky is the limit, drinks too, the whole shebang)? A modified version of my answer to this question from a previous round: My mother's five-spice chicken drumsticks, spare ribs, and garlic spinach; steamed sole with ginger and scallions, dry fried beef flat rice noodles, tea eggs and shanghai soup dumplings and Beijing-style street vendor dumplings; the salt-crusted red snapper from Balthazar; mashed potatoes with chanterelles and morels, roasted baby brussels sprouts in browned butter, fresh sauteed young pea tips, dry fried green beans, and an Outback Steakhouse salad (it's all about the shredded cheddar and their amazing croutons) with ranch dressing; Cherry Coke, chrysanthemum tea with rock sugar, Chuao Chocolatier Spicy Maya hot chocolate from Coupa Cafe, sweet doujiang (Chinese soymilk that is nothing like the soymilk that can be acquired her in the States -- hot or cold depending on the season); dan ta (egg custard cup tarts -- perfectly cooked and fresh out of the oven), custard apple, fresh lychees, a perfect mango, a perfect Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple, and the warm chocolate pudding cake from Legal Sea Foods. Because I am a glutton. If you have something on a wishlist that we could craft INSTEAD of buying, though it might not end up identical to the wishlist thing, would it be okay to craft it instead? Obviously we don't want to copy anyone else's design, but if we can replicate the flavour or intent that you like without stepping on toes? Of course that's fine! Welcome, even! OK, I know that lots of folks love socks. Do you have a preference of length? Materials? Patterns? Knee high, over the knee, thigh high, tights. Soft, thin, stretchy materials (my calves are quite wide). Pattern-wise, I tend to like stripes or lace. I'm open to other patterns, though. I usually wear them with boots, but I think it's possible that some thin stockings or tights could go with other kinds of shoes. I don't wear socks that often, but I do like some styles. How do people feel about word magnets? (Example: here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/42179176/magnetic-poetry-sets-1-and-2) And if you like them, would you like a theme (like a particular book/movie/tv show with specific words and character names) or just general words to make sentances out of? I like them! As for a theme... um, surprise me, I guess? If you could have any costume, or if you aren't into costumes, necklace or other accessory, from any movie character, what would it be? Off the top of my head, I'd say one of Arwen's dresses, either the red and black one, or the dark navy blue (or black? it can be hard to tell in pictures) velvet one. Or, ooh, that red dress Lucy Lawless has been wearing as Lucretia in the Spartacus: Blood and Sand promos. Spectacular. Which Weenies do you want, but HAVE'NT gotten? Hmmmmmm? (See previous related answers.) How do you feel about samples/decants of things other than BPAL? Soap slices, lotion/scrub/shower gel decants, single use make-up/beauty products, etc. Love 'em, generally! What are you guys going to be aiming for in the Inquisition? Or do you just plan on ordering individual items? I'll probably just order a Treat set w/ Ginger Skulls. I'm super tempted by the babydoll scoop neck tissue tees, but I don't love the color of Treat so I'll probably end up with Trick. I'm also tempted by Bogle but I'll probably manage to restrain myself. If I were to knit a scarf, would you prefer a skinny one, or a wide one? A short one, that when wrapped once around your neck will just tuck under your jacket, or a long one, at least to your waist? A wide and long one, of very thin material. Don't like scarves? Would a rectangular shawl or triangular shawl be more to your taste? I'd prefer a shawl over a scarf (though I do quite like scarves in appropriate situations) -- triangular would be fabulous (especially if rounded or flared or some other pretty shape), but rectangular is nice too. How do you feel about recipes? What kind of a cook/baker are you? Are you happiest calling for delivery or microwaving a lean cuisine? Or will Food Network be asking you to host their new program? If I send you something home made would you like the reciepe for it? If you are someone who doesn't want baked goods sent, would you like a collection of some of my favorite recipes? How about home made mixes or kits? Kind of like the cookie in a jar thing, where you would need to add the perishable ingredients? I love recipes and always want more of them! I follow directions well, and sometimes my experiments succeed. I love cooking theory and food history. I like the idea of (homemade or not) mixes or kits, too. We had some tea related questions, but here's another: if you are a tea lover, what are your flavor preferences? Green? Black? Herbal (I know, technically those are NOT teas, but tisanes)? Flavored blacks/greens? I like all types of teas -- green, black, white, herbal, rooibus, mate, mint, oolong, pu-erh, etc, etc. I am not super into fruit-flavored teas... except when I am (feel free to try me!). My favorite teas: Earl Grey (with or without lavender or other variations), chrysanthemum tea with rock sugar, mint tea, genmaicha, rose tea, chocolate mint rooibus, linden flower tea, pu-erh with condensed milk, roasted barley tea, English breakfast (with lots of milk and sugar), Eight Treasures tea (babaocha), and lots of different kinds of chai. I also quite like oolong and jasmine and most green and white and black teas of various types, especially the classic East Asian styles. Are there any particular movies, tv shows or cd’s that you’ve been meaning to buy for years but just never got round to getting? Would you mind a gently used dvd/cd if your witch had it or could get it?? I love gently used stuff! Let's see... Undertow by Tool (had it on tape in high school, lost in in a disastrous punctured-Coke-can-in-book-bag incident, never got around to replacing it). Adventures in Babysitting (for the nostalgia!). Gummi Bears, Animaniacs, Sesame Street, wishing they would just put out Muppet Babies on dvd already, damn it (more nostalgia). The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr (one of the best single-season shows ever). Monty Python's Flying Circus, plus Life of Brian and Holy Grail (another piece of high school nostagia). More recent stuff: Life (the tv show), and Life on Mars UK, and Queer as Folk (both US and UK), and Sarah Jane Adventures. Would you like a custom/altered toy either from a seller or from your witch (like My Little Pony, or a Barbie or any particular toy that can be changed?) Heck yeah! I loved both of those as a kid and ones that were more in line with my current tastes would be delightful! Anyone else feel this way? Do you like the candy apple, candy corn or pumpkin spice kisses? I have no idea. I'd up for trying them, though! Especially candy apple and pumpkin spice. Witchee, do you like jewelry that looks back? No, I generally avoid it. The only one I like even a little is this one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/56384398/sterling-silver-gothic-steampunk-evil -- which is blue, and the eye shape is kind of neat. Hmm, and this one is pretty interesting, too: http://www.etsy.com/listing/55999738/gothic-steampunk-evil-eye-pendant-with -- mostly for the wire-wrap stuff around the eye, which is a really cool shape. But these are something I'd wear for a costume or theme, not as every day pieces. And none of the others appeal to me at all, though they're better than the standard eye beads, which I basically just dislike (they kind of give me the creeps, and not in a good way). [some of the non-eye pendants in the same etsy shop are pretty appealing, though.] Anne Taintor, anyone? I really like Anne Taintor! My favorite journal ever acquired was this one: http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/She-Had-Not-Yet-Decided-Whether-to-Use-Her-Power-for-Good-or-for-Evil/429537/product.html -- great size and weight for carrying around, and the image/words are perfect for me. I would use those forever if I could. I also have a "there was nothing passive about her aggression" magnet and adore it. I like a lot of the other Anne Taintor designs and products too! Which web comics do you enjoy? I don't follow any of them regularly (I am generally pretty bad at keeping up with things I have to wait for). I am fairly amused by several when pointed at them: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, xkcd, Questionable Content, Penny Arcade, Dinosaur Comics, Piled Higher and Deeper, A Softer World, Cat and Girl, Wondermark, Order of the Stick... I'm sure there are more that are slipping my mind at the moment. In the past I enjoyed Sluggy Freelance, Megatoyko, Boy Meets Boy, Sinfest, Lethal Doses, Something Positive, Exploitation Now, Girl Genius (in print graphic novel form)... some of those are defunct, some of those I may someday catch up on. There was also one written and drawn by three (or two? it's all very fuzzy) women in the early 2000s about a spaceship that I really liked, but I can't remember the name of it (it may have involved the world grrrl? *wracks brain*). I was sad when that domain expired. Is there anything from the Possets' Hallowe'en update you're lusting after? The Girls Love Ginger! And Betsy the Cat, Ghost, The Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Possibly: Autumnal Equinox, Charlemagne, Gypsy Grave, Halloween, Marnie, Melanie, Naked Lady, Phantome, Pumpkin PURP, PumPom, Scythe, Wraith. I have no idea if Possets will work on me. But those four sound the most appealing. Who is your favorite soap etailer? I'm not sure I have one. I'd love to try Paintbox Soapworks and Villainess, of course! But there are plenty of others I'd like to try, too. What kind of make-up do you wear? What colors? Is there anything you'd like to try but haven't yet? See my previous answer about make-up for kinds. As for colors, I like dark red and dark berry lip colors, and vibrant jewel-tone eyeshadow and also shimmery neutral eyeshadow. I have dark brown eyes, if that helps. I'd like to get more into lip stains and lip plumpers, maybe? I've been considering getting an eyebrow brush/comb? Oh, and I've been wanting to try out Kat Von D's lipsticks and eyeshadows (her dark red lipsticks and awesome eyeshadow palette colors have a lot of potential). What about vintage decoration items, teacups, etc etc? I like vintage (and vintage-y) things! What interests you from the latest lab update? None of the Dawn scents really appeal, and I'm waiting for my stuff from decant circles shows up before making a pronouncement about the Halloween BPAL scents. Except I know that I'd love love LOVE to try The Heraeon of Argos. Of the forum only stuff, I would love to try Lilith's Tea Party. I'm also really interested in trying Mabon 2010, and possibly also Wildfire 2010. Do you have a place where you list all the BPAL you have or have tried? Yup, there's a list of all the BPAL I've ever had in my possession in my blog. I don't have a list of everything I've tried, but I'm pretty sure I've posted reviews of everything I've tried, so looking for that using the search function should be a way to see. With regards to your gifts, would you prefer your presents' awesomeness evenly spread out (several packages of pretty terrific things) over the round or a slow build-up of awesomeness (going up from pretty cool things to something super-duper cool at the end) to go out with a bang? Do you have a preference? Either! Do you crave many Ecards and contact or are you okay with little contact from your Witch? I like some contact but I don't need massive amounts to be happy. Just the fact the my Witch sent me one at the beginning of the round is lovely! <3 And totally enough, if that's what works for my Witch, though more contact would be totally fine, too. Whatever you like. It is a comfort to simply know that you exist. Who would be on your top 5 (IE famous people you’d date/have relations with) Well, a longer list is under the question "Mancandy" and "Womancandy," but if I had to narrow it down to five, today I think my answers would be: 1. Stark Sands. He was high on the list but not quite this high after I saw him in Generation Kill, but now that I've seen him in two musicals -- and have been playing the cd of one of those musicals constantly; I seriously love his voice -- he's moved up the stack dramatically (he plays guitar in American Idiot, even -- it's... incredibly hot). I am such a sucker for musicians. 2. Jon Huertas. Between Generation Kill and Castle... *swoon* 3. Drew Barrymore. She's basically the perfect combination of cute and quirky and sexy and beautiful. She also strikes me as fun, creative, and smart. These are all things I really, really like. 4. Clea DuVall. She's just incredibly hot, and so, so compelling in any role that she's in. 5. Tie! Alexander Skarsgard or Naveen Andrews. Between Generation Kill and True Blood, it is basically impossible for me to deny Alexander Skarsgard's appeal; also he sort of reminds me of my favorite ex-SO (I get on really well with my exes in general), so that's both a point in his favor and yet a bit strange. Naveen Andrews, though... the man is fine, and super intense, and seems to have a very strong sense of self. HOT. What is your position on the chocolate & bacon flavor combination? It's tasty, but not the be-all-end-all. At least, I tried the Vosges bar and it was good but didn't usurp the Barcelona bar as my favorite Vosges. I do want to try super-crispy bacon (the way I like it) freshly dipped in good dark chocolate sometime, though, but I suspect I'm just going to have to make it myself because it wouldn't travel well. Do you like maple sugar candy? Love it! If you are a tea-drinker do you need a tea-cozie for your pot? Ooh, that would be neat! Go to your spice cabinet, what are the three most used spices? Cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper. If black pepper doesn't count, then garlic salt. The boy uses a lot of TexJoy. Microsoft or Apple? Apple. I do also like Unix-based systems, but am not currently running one (unless you count Mac OS X's Unix back end -- one of the reasons I like Macs now, true multi-tasking is delicious). Where was your last vacation? What did you like most? Fort Davis, Texas. The cooler temperatures and dry air -- and also the pretty, pretty, gorgeously dramatic thunderstorm we got. Would you appreciate receiving handwritten letters and/or postcards (anonymous or not)? How about sending them? Yes, and yes. Would you like something you have to make yourself? Quite possibly! Assuming it's something I'm interested in doing anyway and/or is not tooooooo time consuming/complicated/extensive. Are you allergic to any food things?? Blue cheese. Do you hate any food things with a passion?? "Hate with a passion" is a bit strong, but I'm not very fond of licorice, roasted red peppers, green peppers, or green olives. Would you be opposed to receiving a digital version (via email) of a magazine you like but don't subscribe to...you know, in the interest of saving a tree? I would not be opposed at all! Chocolate or other types of candy? I love dark chocolate (both with and without inclusions), and I love milk chocolate with nuts in (or other inclusions), and I love dark milk, and I love spicy chocolate and chocolate w/ sea salt, and I like some white chocolate and plain milk chocolate. I also like non-chocolate candy -- smarties, skittles, starburst, hard candy (lemon drops and the like), mints, those Chinese rice paper candies, those sugar-coated shaped jellies (the orange slices and watermelon rings, for example), black sesame candy, pocky... I'm always up for trying new candy. ETA: I ADORE toffee! And I'm fond of saltwater taffy. And pralines, YUM! For tea drinkers, do you prefer loose leaf or tea bags? I like both, but I'm on the lookout for an infuser at the moment. If you would enjoy something of a knitted persuasion, do you have a preference on type of thing? Since making a scarf for someone who has 10 might be a smidge excessive? Also, how do people feel about shawls? I'm pretty sure I've covered this in detail in a prior question about knit things. I'd love a shawl -- I especially like the lacy ones. For all knit things, the thinner the better. I am serious about this. Thick knit things are very unlikely to get used. Well. Unless they are too soft to resist... Is there a TV, movie or literary character that you are a lot alike, or would like to be alike? Offhand, I think I'd like to be Sophie Hatter/Pendragon from Howl's Moving Castle, or perhaps Millie from the Chrestomanci books, or perhaps Maree from Deep Secret (both from books by Diana Wynne Jones) -- all strong-willed, practical women who nonetheless have more than a touch of magic to them. Is there anything you need for your kitchen, ie measuring cups, spoons, grater, ect? A hand-held orange juicer, the kind that squeezes. A really good can opener, perhaps. A small (thin) rubber spatula. A tea ball/infuser or packet of fillable tea bags. Silicone muffin cups, silicone cookie sheets. A popsicle making kit. Cool cookie cutters and candy molds (and soap molds). Music, DO you prefer Live or Studio? Edited or explicit? I love both studio recordings (especially if they aren't overproduced) and live recordings (assuming it's a good, high-quality, well-balanced recording). Explicit for me, please -- edited is... not my style. I am very much against censorship, and I appreciate a well-used expletive and/or shocking content, and would be sad if they were excised. If you are an animal lover, is there a specific type/breed that you love most? I like all types of (real) bears as well as panda bears, I love black cats, maltese and siamese (and related/similar breeds) cats, and most especially, I love classic black-and-grey(-and-white) domestic shorthairs (American shorthair style mackerel silver tabbies, basically). I like ravens and hawks and falcons, and big cats, especially and tigers and pumas and black panthers. I am not usually a dog person, but I have a soft spot for Westland Terriers and Scotties. Also flowers and plants- If you like flowers/plants, do you have a favorite(s)? I am generally not to be trusted with live plants (though I do have more time than I used to... maybe a plants with super clear instructions?), but I do like flowers and plants. Favorite flowers: lilacs, roses, honeysuckle, osmanthus, cherry blossom, apple blossom. I also like tulips, daffodils, irises, ladyslippers, orchids, water lilies and lotuses. As for non-flowering plants, I like herbs and aloe and vegetable plants (useful plants, in other words), bamboo, and cacti. And trees, of course. I love trees. Classic trees, evergreens, unusual trees. I like them all! Let's say, hypothetically speaking, that you have some children/spawn (1 or more), and, hypothetically speaking, your witch would like to spoil them a little but knows nothing of kids these days. What do they like or dislike? Also is there anything a (sane) adult might think they would like that you don't think is appropriate for whatever reason? (I'm thinking of things like temp tattoos, make up, things that make noise, or anything else that might be bad for non-obvious reasons.) No children here. Unless you count the Boys (grown-up children as they are), who like anime and video games and sweets.

In the decant: Spice cake. Fresh on the skin: Similar, but darker and not actually all that foody. 3 minutes in: It's tingling a bit, but it's on the inside of my elbow rather than on my wrist, so that's probably why. Also, it's got a distinct scent of cigarettes in the very center of the fragrance. Odd. 7 minutes in: Wow, this is strong. Long throw, too. Very dark, warm and sinuous. 15 minutes in: This feels very familiar to me -- dark, slightly spicy vanilla and musk, hardly sweet at all and somehow quite exotic and mysterious as well as comforting. 40 minutes in: This is pretty stable. Nice, if not quite inspiring. 2 hours in: ... More and more musk, less and less of anything else. Laundryish. Damn. Verdict: Nice enough, but not super compelling. Faded to just musk really fast. One phrase: Vanilla musk.

In the decant: Floral Necco wafers. Fresh on the skin: Floral-fruit soap. There's something about this one that disagrees with me. It smells like something very distinct that I'm not a fan of. Plumeria, perhaps? Coconut? Something tropical, but not as nice as that implies. This is oddly creamy, too. 5 minutes in: Yup, tropical-floral soap. Light and sweet, but somehow also sour and cloying. This is... really not good. One of those scents I could totally see other people liking, and it's so close to something I might actually love, but that little bit of wrongness makes me want to recoil. 1 hour in: Well, it's stable. Unfortunately. 2 hours in: Very unfortunately. 3 hours in: Stable, indeed. I think it's morphing a bit, but it's hard to me to tell because I'm still sort of recoiling. 4 hours in: Uck. Worse and worse. Verdict: Almost lovely but instead kind of really disastrous. One phrase: Tropical floral soap.

In the decant: Spicy, sweet, dark. Fresh on the skin: Spicy, sweet, Christmassy in the best possible way. I love clove! Which is good because there is a lot of it. 5 minutes in: This is delicious, it smells just like spicy plum pudding. Or what I would imagine spicy plum pudding smells like, anyway. Quite strong, medium-to-long throw. Warm and spicy and comforting and just sweet enough. 15 minutes in: Still quite prominent, but not overpowering. I think it's the fruit that keeps this from being more of a room scent... though it does lean in that direction regardless. I like this, though. Spicy and plummy and Chrsitmassy! I'm not really that into Christmas as a religious thing or as a holiday, but I do love the smells! 30 minutes in: Warm, sweet, spice. The plum is still there but has moved a little more to the background. 5 hours later: Faded down to a faint sweet-spicy scent. Verdict: I like this a lot, though it might be a bit more of a room scent than a personal scent. Very nice, though. I may need a botttle! One word: Christmassy!

In the decant: Smarties and Jolly Ranchers. Yummy! Fresh on the skin: Lime jello. Sugary and light and delicious! 5 minutes in: Sweet and tart and pretty. 15 minutes in: Precisely. Really very pretty, and somehow sugary without being too sweet. 30 minutes in: Super delicious. Warming up a little, taking on a slightly deeper scent. 2.5 hours in: Faded down to powdery sweetness, almost laundryish but not quite. That was fast. Unfortunate. 3 hours in: Yup, laundry. Alas. Verdict: Love the candy of the first hour or so, but it faded to laundry really fast. One word: Candy.

In the decant: Sweet, warm, a little spicy, a little fruity. Fresh on the skin: Very very fruity. Candyish, sugary, but with a warm, round base. Yummy! The sugar's a bit scary, though. 5 minutes in: The sugar's not backing down, which makes the whole thing a little cloying. I'm having a bit of the caramel problem; possibly some combination of the pumpkin + mango + pumpkin + sugar cane. I do get a distinct light citrus-and-ginger at the edge of the scent, which I quite like, but I wish it were a lot stronger. 10 minutes in: Fuzzy, warm, sugary. A very orange scent. I'm not sure the amber is playing nice for me today. 15 minutes in: Oh, hey. I think I spoke too soon! The sillage on this is gorgeous! There's still a bit of not-quite-appetizing fuzz right near my wrist, but I think the scent as a whole is becoming something quite pretty. 30 minutes in: Still a bit syrupy, alas. Fairly pretty in a warm way, though. 1 hours in: Still warm and rather sugary and syrupy. The pumpkin's really coming out. 2.5 hours in: Fuzzy, sweet, still a bit syrupy but now it's almost chocolatey. The super-sweet cheap kind made with high fructose corn syrup. Doh. 4 hours in: Fuzzy, sweet, vaguely like cheap chocolate syrup, yup. Not what I was hoping for. 9 hours later: The chocolate syrup is still around. Verdict: There's a rather pretty stage in the middle, but the sugar shock at the very beginning and the cheap chocolate that it settles into fairly quickly make it not really wearable for me, sadly. And I had such high hopes for this one. One word: Syrupy.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go to last.fm immediately and create an account! Download the scrobbler! Link us to your account! If you reject this assignment, maybe just tell us what your mp3 player says you listen to a lot? Things that have been on serious repeat recently: American Idiot: the Original Broadway Cast Recording, The Airborne Toxic Event, Muse, Tom McRae, Okkervil River, Richard Thompson. Is there any country you particularly like, or are interested in? Hungary, Italy, Norway, France, England, Greece, China, Morocco, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Peru, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and I'd like to visit Israel and Germany and Holland and Spain and Portugal and Korea and Singapore at some point... [Okay, top 6: Hungary because I loved Budapest, Italy because I loved Rome and Venice and Florence and basically everything, Norway because I want to see the fjords very badly (and I love glaciers), China because of my heritage and studies, and... France and England because I've always wanted to visit them and I know I'd love both their cities and their countryside. But I'm interested in tons of other places, too.] Are you a foodie? I am! (In the loving-actual-food sense, anyway.) Or at least I'd like to think so. Another question: Would you enjoy homemade bath products (bath salts, fizzies, etc.) and/or linen sprays? Esp. if scented with some of your favorite BPAL scents? Would I ever! If you witch made you something and it didn't come out just right, would you still want it? Absolutely! If you could see one concert right now, who would it be? Led Zeppelin, though I know it's basically impossible. I would say Muse, but I'm seeing them at Austin City Limits next month (finally!). There are a couple of Chinese bands I'd love to see (again). Hmm. Something more plausible... I know! Tom McRae. The guy has to come to the US sometime, right? Or I guess I could just go to England... I need to try to catch Christian Kane in concert sometime, too... at least he's in the right country. Any sports fans in the house? What's your favorite sport/team/player? I'm not really much of a sports fan, alas. I do like figure skating a lot (current favorite figure skater is probably Adam Rippon or Daisuke Takahashi), and am secretly fond of hockey despite not really following it. It's my favorite team sport to see live, though. My loyalty goes to Minnesota teams, primarily. For holidays, do you decorate? Would you like decorative stuff, weenie or otherwise? If so, do you lean towards the elegant, the crafty/folksy, or the more, erm, campy? I am not a huge holiday decorator, but I have been known to enjoy it on occasion. I like elegant the most, but crafty, folksy, and campy can all be appealing, depending. Do you like journals/notebooks/sketchbooks? I do! I love journals, especially ones with blank paper or graph paper (though lined is also fine); I've actually been on the hunt for a tiny journal or notebook to carry around with me as my Moleskine is just about filled up. I like bigger ones, too! I also like sketchbooks, and have been thinking about getting back into pastels/pencils/charcoal -- I miss doing art (even though I'm not super great at it... but I enjoy it). How do you feel about stationery, like nice pens or notepaper? And if you're in favor, do you prefer classic/contemporary or cutesy stuff? I LOVE stationary. LOVE. I definitely prefer classic/contemporary in stationary, elegant and clean, but sometimes cute stuff will appeal to me, and might well get used because I know the person I'm writing to likes it. Would you like homemade preserves (e.g. marinated vegies, pickled onions, chilli jam?). I think so? I am sometimes iffy on pickled stuff, but the other two examples sound pretty good to me. If you've got stuff on your BPAL wishlist, would partial bottles be okay? Of course! Generally I welcome bpal in whatever container it comes in. I love partials because it's fun to see the bottle art! But I love decants/imps and bottles, too. It's all good! Say you were my witchee, and I found things on your wishlist that I could totally make. Would you want me to make it? Or would you rather it be purchased for you? Either is totally welcome! If you could be any person, being, or animal from Fantasy what or who would you be? Hmm. Maybe Sophie Pendragon nee Hatter from the Diana Wynne Jones novels featuring her? Or Eddy from War for the Oaks! If you could go back to any point in time, where, when, why? To visit, there are a lot of places that would be fun to see (assuming some way of dealing with language issues... and also possibly some way of disguising my sex and race...), but I don't think I'd want to go back to any point in the past and actually stay there and live out the rest of my life. I'm too attached to modern convenience, communication, medicine, travel, other technology, and social mores, and too much of a historian to have a utopian view of the past. The percentage chance of being anything but a starving peasant is just too low. However! If I were forced to choose a place and time... Tang Dynasty China (or perhaps Han Dynasty), Athens during the Age of Pericles, Shanghai in the 1920s and 30s, or Renaissance Italy. Favorite Halloween Candy/Treat? In terms of typical things actually acquired during Trick-or-Treating: Snickers, Almond Joy, Reeses Pieces, Reese Peanut Butter Cups (I love the enormous holiday ones!), Peanut or Almond or Peanut Butter M&Ms, Andes Mints, those mini Toblerones, Hershey's milk chocolate with almonds, Almond Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kats. I also have a soft spot for Starburst, Nerds, Skittles, and Smarties. Seasonal foods: caramel apples and apple cider, apples in general, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin bread. What are your favorite baked goods/homemade treats? Oh geez. I love basically everything. Brownies (especially mint, cream cheese, caramel/turtle, or peanut butter), other bars, cookies of pretty much all types, fudge, truffles, caramels, rice krispie bars, cinnamon rolls, friendship bread, quick bread (pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, etc), coffee cake, spice cake, pound cake, doughnuts, chocolate mousse, flourless chocolate cake, bete noire, strawberry shortcake, apple crumble, cherry pie, pear almond tart, tres leches cake, almond cake, carrot cake, scones (especially the small, tender, British kind), crumpets, rye bread, baguette, sourdough bread, pumpernickel, bagels... Yeah, basically everything. How do you feel about short stories/films? I like them, and sometimes they are amazing. (I am generally drawn towards novels and full-length feature films a bit more, though.) Would you be interested in a birth chart? Absolutely! I believe I was born around 9:20 am on 6/27/1978. Favorite comfort re-reads: Anything and everything by Diana Wynne Jones, War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Soul Music and Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (also other Discworld novels), Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C Wrede, the Alanna books by Tamora Pierce, A Horse & His Boy and The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis (from the Chronicles of Narnia), The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper, The Emerald City of Oz by L Frank Baum, the Emily books and Rilla of Ingleside and A Tangled Web by LM Montgomery, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, several Julian F Thompson books, All-of-a-kind Family by Sydney Taylor, Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes by the Gilbreths, Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust, Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace, A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle, Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom and Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott, Changeover and The Tricksters by Margaret Mahy, The Obnoxious Jerks by Stephen Manes, the Sorcery Hill trilogy by Suzy McKee Charnas, Remember Me to Harold Square by Paula Danzinger, Deathtrap and Dinosaur by Jane McFann, Drawing Blood by Poppy Z Brite, So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Snow Crash and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, the Myth series and Phule's Company by Robert Asprin, Strong Poison and Gaudy Night and Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers... I'm sure I'm missing a ton of them, but this is a sampling, anyway. Bpal storage? Is always welcome. I'd love an ammo box for imps/decants, especially, as previous wonderful witches have provided some lovely bottle storage. But more boxes for bottles are always welcome, too! (And boxes in general, definitely!) What movie scared the bejeezus out of you as a child? Labyrinth, Ghostbusters (mostly just the Gatemaster/the Keymaster/Gozer stuff), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (the heart scene). I think this were all around the age of 8. Name a couple of sites you frequent other than this one. Livejournal/Dreamwidth... Echo Bazaar... Those are the only ones I visit daily. I guess I check Ideeli fairly often, and I read Tom and Lorenzo at Project Rungay ~ weekly now that the season's going. Do you like the Muppets? Which is your favorite? I do (I watched so much Muppet Babies as a kid!). My favorites are probably Rowlf and Animal, though I do like Kermit and Miss Piggy and Beaker and Fozzie and the Sam the Eagle, and many of the others as well. If you could have any creature (real or imaginary) as a pet, what would it be? Possibly a jhereg from Steven Brust's Dragaera books, or Alanna's black cat (though I think that's probably cheating!). Maybe a dragon. As for real creatures, I don't know if a housecat can really be beat as a practical pet. If you are in school now, what classes are you taking? Does anything you are currently studying really interest you? (if you are not in school, is there anything you are trying to learn?) I'm not in school right now, because I quit the PhD program I was in a little while back and am still kind of traumatized. I still like East Asian Studies and History (it was a Chinese History degree program) and libraries, I just don't want to deal with academia for the rest of my life. Things I'm trying to learn: see the "what hobby/craft I want to learn" question. Also possibly some graphic design or photography, and I'm thinking about librarian/archivist sorts of things. Will you be going out of town during the round, or is there any other time during the round when it would not be ideal for you to receive a package from your Witch? I'll be out of town 9/28-10/6, but the SO and his housemates will be home, so packages can still safely arrive. What animal would your daemon be? Alternately, your patronus. A big cat (panther or tiger or puma, probably) or possibly a raven, or quite likely a bear. According to the test (http://www.okcupid.com/tests/the-golden-compass-daemon-test): Multi-Faceted Soul: In a way, you are a truly balanced person. You have a good sense of self, but you have periods of worry and self doubt. You don't like to be alone a lot, but you don't like being constantly surrounded, either. You can be shy in some situations and bold in others. You can tell people how you feel, but you don't wear your heart on your sleeve. You aren't "TOO" anything: You aren't too shy, you aren't too aggressive, you aren't too extroverted, you aren't too introverted. However at any one time you can be any combination of these things. You tend to adapt yourself to match the situations in which you find yourself. You may be quiet and sensitive with some people, or joking and loud with others. These are all facets of your personality. People tend to perceive you as they want to perceive you. They may even tend to idealize you a bit. Then, when you do something that doesn't fit their concept of who you are (like have an outburst of anger, or a fit of shyness, or make an insensitive joke)they can be shocked and surprised. Does anyone know the real you? Your daemon would represent your multi-faceted and ever-changing personality, as well as people's tendency to idealize you. He or she would get angry when you did not, be calm and poised when you felt ruffled and anxious, and always be the voice of emotion and reason in your ear. Suggested forms: Swan, Elephant, Koala, Panda, Chameleon, Wolf." -- I think a wolf might be awesome. I quite like pandas and elephants, too, though I don't know that they'd be my ideal daemon/patronus. According to a different test (http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/468082/what-is-your-daemon): "EAGLE or HAWK - your daemon may be some kind of bird of prey. Yours is a strong spirit, and a fierce sense of liberty. You cannot be confined. You may be shrewdly observant, and like to be aware of everything that goes on around you. You will fight fiercely for the things that are most important to you, and you are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Still, you are not vicious by nature and would prefer to be left in peace. You probably value your solitude very highly - not that you don't enjoy company, but sometimes you just need to be alone - otherwise you begin to feel caged in and confined. You might want to take a drive on your own, just to feel the road beneath you, or to sit alone on your balcony, watching the world go by." -- I could see having a hawk, definitely, or perhaps a falcon or an owl. What's YOUR favorite word? Paradox! I love when things are contradictory and complex and paradoxical -- it's part of my truth. Steampunk, yay or nay? If yay, what part appeals most? Yay! I especially like goth-steampunk hybrids in terms of colors and styles and moods. I like gears and keys as motifs; gears that work and add function are especially cool, but I do just like how they look as well, particularly if they are delicate and real. I am also by intrigued Victorian shapes in dresses and boots and such. Would you like a bag of dried Honeycrisp apples? Ooooh, yes, please! Honeycrisp is one of my favorite apple varieties (and created by my home state, go Minnesota!). I love love love a good apple. I like dried fruit in general, too. When I lived in a place that had Trader Joe's, I used to get this dried berry medley that had strawberries, blueberries, and cherries, YUM. I miss it so much. But I like other kinds of dried fruit as well! And fresh fruit, of course, and even canned fruit and frozen fruit... I am easy for fruit. If you were to receive a knitted item (such as a scarf, hat, etc), what colors would you like? And do you have any sensitivies/allergies to any materials? I think I covered this preemptively in answers to previous questions. I don't have any specific allergies, but some wool is scratchy (while others are lovely), and I tend to prefer natural fibers, the softer the better, the more lightweight the better. If I were to send you a gift certificate for something would you rather get a physical gift certificate in the mail? Or would you prefer an electronic one that you can use right away? Either's fine. Favorite Yankee Candles? Or other brands' scents? (I make my own candles too, but sometimes have money to spend on others) I don't know much about Yankee Candles, but in general I like all the scents I like in BPAL, plus some of the more foody scents that sometimes go amiss on my skin. Spicy and vanilla-y is always good! Homemade candles would be most welcome, too! Which brings me to a question: would you like a zuni animal fetish? And if so, what animal? Sure! Most likely a bear, but I would also be psyched for a mountain lion or wolf. A badger or mole or bobcat or snake or buffalo would also be neat... or eagle or coyote or turtle or frog or owl or bird... or deer or antelope or mountain sheep or elk or horse or beaver... (based on this site: http://www.pueblodirect.com/fetishmeanings.html) [looking at another site (http://www.sedonawolf.com/zuni.htm), I would add that I'd love a hawk or raven or fox, and would be interested in otter, moose, porcupine, opossum, crow. looking at a third site (http://www.indiansummer.com/fetishes.htm): spider and hummingbird both sound quite appealing, as do armadillo, cat, and whale. Color and texture and aesthetics are just as important to me as the animal. And how does everyone feel about glow in the dark radishes? CUTE! I would totally wear those, assuming they were relatively light. I think they would go very well with my pro-tomato t-shirt. What places to do you visit that you'd like a gift card to? Off the top of my head: Book People, Waterloo Records, Dreamhaven Books, B&N, Amazon, iTunes, Infusions of Tea, Chuao Chocolatier, World Market, Target, Bloomingdales/Macy's, Victoria's Secret, Lane Bryant, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sephora, Ulta, Lush, Starbucks, anywhere in the Austin area that sounds neat... Thinkgeek, Jinx.com, Blowfish (nsfw), Good Vibrations (nsfw), maybe Cafepress, maybe drugstore.com, etsy stores... It might also be neat to try something like Villainess or other e-tailers along those lines. Also, Sockdreams, because while I don't usually wear socks, I am intrigued by some of theirs. Cake or frosting? CAKE! Unless we're talking super spectacular (key component: not too sugary) frosting (cream cheese frosting, mmmmmmmmmmm), in which case, both! Cake Truffles, interested? and if YES! Cake/icing/chocolate preferences: Yes! Cream cheese icing is my favorite, but I also like fudge and strawberry, anything that's not too super sweet, though I do also like glazes. Cake, I like pretty much alllllllllll cake. Are you interested in mini bottles(under 100ml for hand luggage) of bath and body products? YES! I travel quite a bit, so these would be super useful. Especially if they definitely don't leak (based on sad prior experience). Vampire shows, literature, etc? Yay or nay? A qualified yay. I definitely like my vampire stories on the dark side. Favorite vampire stories: Let the Right One In (the movie), Drawing Blood and Lost Souls by Poppy Z Brite, the Vampire: the Requiem game a friend of mine ran. Vampires do the opposite of sparkle. Seriously. Let's just say my favorite True Blood character is Eric because he is both super hot and deliciously amoral. I have not been impressed with the latest wave of vampire fiction -- Twilight is a huge no, Southern Vampire series by Harris is a huge no, Vampire Academy is a meh, Anita Blake (despite being kinda addictive) is a meh (except for Obsidian Butterfly because I loved Edward so); the Kim Harrison ones were pretty good but seemed to be kinda going downhill... I was okay with Interview with a Vampire but those went downhill too... But I am willing to try more! I like the idea of vampires, I like many things about them... Would you prefer clothing or costume pieces? If so, what would items would you like? I have a very slight preference for clothing, but I love costume pieces, too, so both are very very welcome. I would LOVE a fascinator, and hair things are always good, and generally things like jewelry and fancy gloves. If you play console video games, what game systems do you have and what games would you love to have? I do, though not super regularly. The Boys have all the current consoles and also a PS2. I suspect that any game I'd want, they'd already have bought, though; sorry. Ooh, unless you find a cheap copy of three kingdoms 8? And if we move into PC games, well, I play the Sims (3) and would love Sim related stuff or good games along those lines, or puzzle games, or old school games (I've been having a strange yearning to play Rampage, for example). How do you all feel about flowers and plants? Flower and plant seeds? Drawings of flowers or plants? Pressed flowers? I am death to flowers and plants, sad as it makes me. I'm in a better place to take care of one now, though, so maybe I'd be up for giving it a shot. Maybe herbs for the kitchen? I would love drawings of flowers of plants, especially those kind of classical botanical drawings. Pressed flowers, or fresh flowers in a vase or something along those lines, would be lovely, too. How do you feel about marzipan? I like it, though I can be picky about it. Pure marzipan can be a little overwhelming or too sweet, and fake almond flavoring is a sadness. But sometimes I really like it (especially if it's more almondy and less sweet)! I love almonds and natural almond flavored things in general. If you could have 3 BPAL bottles fall (gently) out of the sky right this second that you've been looking for or pining for - which 3 would they be? Pumpkin Queen, Geek.Goth, Tomoe Gozen. Are there any international treats that you love and have a hard time finding? Yummy Asian drinks and hard candies and black sesame candy! The more unusual Dolfin chocolate bars, Ritter butter biscuit chocolate bars. I'm sure there are more but that's what's occurring to me right now. [ETA: Also Ritter Cornflake bars, Ritter Whole Hazelnut bars, and Vosges Bars] Are there any soundtracks that you'd like? Yes! 2046, In the Mood for Love, Fallen Angels (the Wong Kar-Wai film), Newcastle, Mysterious Skin, Brick, Whip It, Zombieland, Shortbus, Were the World Mine, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Across the Universe, Working (the musical), Guys and Dolls, Wicked, 1776, the current revival of Promises, Promises. I'm sure there are more, too. I'm fond of soundtracks! Is there anything from the 'Ween BPTP update that you would like but haven't ordered for yourself? Ginger Skulls and Treatsy Bath Oil, but most likely I'll order those. Bogle looks interesting, as does An T-Samhuinn soap, and I'd love a little Slaugh to send to a friend of mine, and a bit of Halloween: New Orleans to try and to send to a different friend. Nut Crack Night and Samhain would both be lovely, as would Jack soap and Rimmon soap and Sagardoa soap, and Pumpkin Pie bath oil. I'd like to try Candy Corn Coated Candy Apple, but I don't know that it would work for me, so just a little bit. If you are a crafter, would you like to receive supplies from your witch (beads, fabric, yarn/roving etc)? Sure! Find your iPod (or other MP3 device), put it on shuffle/random. What are the first five songs to come up? First ten, just 'cause it's fun: "Here Comes a Regular" by The Replacements, "Raise the Dead" by Phantom Planet, "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, "Singing In My Sleep" by The Chills, "End of the Day" by Beck, "Everybody Hurts" by REM, "Disarm" by the Smashing Pumpkins, "The Small Print" by Muse, "Sometime Around Midnight" by The Airborne Toxic Event, "So Cruel" by U2. Baked goods: Love 'em! Though I, too, forgot to mention that I don't eat artificial sweetners. Gifts for others in the house: No need to include anything specific for them. They'll probably help consume any yummy things sent, and any good books might well get passed on to the SO, whose taste in books is very similar to mine, but we have no pets and my SO & housemates are not particularly covetous. Small testers vs one or two big things? No preference! Both are terrific. Groupons/deals/gift certificates: Sure! Austin metro area; I also do a lot of my shopping online. Social networks: LJ and Twitter are both jencallisto, though I haven't posted in awhile (though you'll get a pretty good idea of me from my older posts, probably) and I don't really use Twitter for anything but playing Echo Bazaar. I do have a Facebook, but I don't really use it much, either. Clothing sizes: XL, in general (women's sizes). If a top is stretchy enough, or cut in a particular way, sometimes size L. (For example, in BPTP and Jinx.com shirts, I'm almost always an XL. For skirts I'm in the size 16-18 range at the moment. I don't usually wear unisex clothes b/c I'm far too curvy, and some styles of women's clothes also don't really work (hence one of the reasons I basically never wear pants except for pajama pants). Stretchy is good, shape is good. Anything that's basically just a rectangle won't work; anything that assumes I'm a B-cup or don't have hips also won't work, anything top that's too long is iffy (I'm rather short and have a relatively short torso -- the longer length tees tend to look strange on me). (For example, I love some of the shirt designs on Threadless, but have sadly discovered I can't wear their women's tees at all because they're too square and not stretchy enough for my body shape.) Also, an addendum to my Questionnaire -- I know I said I usually wear skirts, and that's true, but I would adore pajama bottoms for lounging around the house, especially ones made of thinner material. XL in those, I believe, or possibly XXL. I like nightgowns and long nightshirts and such, too. Actually, just in general, material as light as possible -- I overheat really easily. Mix cds: YES! I love love love getting new music to try listening to. [it occurs to me I should've mentioned this in the "least favorite music" part of the Questionnaire -- I'm pretty averse to pop country music (it often falls into the "bubblegum pop" category in my head even though I guess it's technically country), though I like some bluegrass and old school, classic country a lot. In the "favorite music" part, I forgot to note that I love oldies! And the album I'm currently listening to over and over is American Idiot: Original Broadway Cast Recording because I saw the musical (twice!) in NYC last month and absolutely adored it.] Halloween plans? Nothing is planned yet, so who knows. How does everyone feel about handmade soft things? Whether they are plushies, knit scarves, gloves, etc? I'd adore plushies! Scarves and gloves... well. I live in a part of Texas, where winter is like a mythical creature. I'd much prefer to be cold than to be warm, but I don't get to be cold very often here. So thick scarves and gloves would get almost no use (sometimes I go to Minnesota for the winter holidays, but even then the really thick ones are not my preferred style). Thin ones, especially if made out of super-soft, non-scratchy material, I might get more use out of, and would probably just enjoy more. I also like knee-high (or higher) socks to wear with my skirts sometimes, though, if those count as soft things, and also shawls. I know those are a bit of a commitment to hand-knit, though. Girlieness: The definition of girly is kind of confusing sometimes. I guess I'm more girly than some, with the skirt-wearing and long hair and affection for baths and all, but I don't really think of myself as girly. I like dark colors! I am too lazy to primp! So I don't know. Addedum: I don't wear heels unless they are super well-balanced and sturdy; overall I much prefer flats. I don't really like the color pink in most cases. I like some shiny, sparkly thing, but honestly I tend to prefer things to be pretty and elegant or in-your-face -- for example, I prefer most of my punk/goth stuff without the sparkles. Also, I am a huge book and gamer geek, though honestly I know plenty of book and gamer geeks who are pretty girly, much more than I am, so. Yeah. All a bit confusing because people have such different ideas of what it means. For example, when I say I don't primp, I mean sometimes I leave the house without having brushed my hair and sometimes I forget to use even basic lip balm to make my lips less cracked, much less anything like lip gloss or other actual cosmetics. Even for special occasions I don't usually do much more than brush my hair and put on lip gloss, and that's only if I remember, which I usually don't. And I never shave my legs or pluck my eyebrows or anything along those lines. Are you into Austen's books? Yup, I love Pride & Prejudice, and I like her other books, too. Do you read Tarot cards? If not, would you be interested? I own a Haindl deck and really like it, but I don't really do much actual reading. I wouldn't mind getting more into it and there are some really pretty decks I'd be interested in trying. I am not, I will note, a believer per se -- I am essentially agnostic on the subject -- but I find them fascinating. So for those of you who are into Harry Potter at all, which house do you think you'd be sorted into? I am so Ravenclaw it's not even funny. What, if anything, is your guilty TV watching pleasure? I'm not much into feeling guilty about the things I enjoy. The few reality shows I watch, perhaps (Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars). I watch a ton of scripted TV, too. I guess of those, True Blood would be the closest a guilty pleasure? But mostly, I am proud to claim the shows I watch! If you cosplay or need a costume for your bellydance/burlesque hobby (or any other hobby which needs dressup/different from your normal wear), is there anything you need/want for it? The only thing I'm currently doing along these lines in goth clubbing (and that not as often as I'd like, either); anything along those lines would be adored. Skirts that twirl (and yet aren't pleated at the waist) are always desired (especially if they are black, but some other colors might be good, too). I've been thinking about getting back into bellydancing, so accessories for that might be neat. If I can find a LARP group around here, then I'll probably have more costuming needs then... Oh, and Renfaire sorts of things are also always welcome. E-books: I generally prefer actual, physical books, but I would be all right with e-books if my Witch sees something he or she would particularly want me to have in that format. It's possible I'll someday get a Kindle or whatnot. DVDs: Do you prefer widescreen or formatted? Widescreen. Music: Any preference towards MP3 or CD? I like having the physical cds, but I like mp3s, too. Do you like scented tarts? Sure? I might need a burner, though. Lip balms? Definitely! Do you have any body mods? If so, do you need any new jewelry, o-rings, plugs, etc (and if so, what size, length, etc)? Do you like pro-body mod stickers? Just regular old pierced ears, here. I always like dangly earrings. I have no idea what pro-body-mod stickers would be like but if they're pretty I might like them -- I think body mods can look really cool on the right person, especially tattoos but also some piercings. Booze. Do you drink it, would you like some? I like some booze (dessert wine is my favorite, but I also like wine just in general and floofy girly drinks -- Sex on the Beach, White Russians, B-52s, blackberry mojitos, that sort of thing; also hard cider), but I don't think it can be shipped into Texas without a permit or something like that. Alas. However! I will note that booze-flavored stuff would be quite welcome! (I make delicious Baileys balls (a variation on rum balls), for example). What is your favorite artist or art style? I like a ton of art styles. Off the top of my head: Mucha, Waterhouse, Arthur Rackham, surrealists, traditional Chinese art and calligraphy and jadework and dark wood furniture, Huang Yong Ping (and some other contemporary Chinese artists), black and white photography... I like a much wider range than that, though. Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's work is quite beautiful, and I like at least some things by both Charles Vess and Dave McKean. Mancandy: Current Top 13s (changes pretty much whenever you ask me, because I have a hard time deciding on anything; also in no particular order): Stark Sands, Alexander Skarsgard, Jon Huertas, Naveen Andrews, Kevin Zegers, Clive Owen, Christian Kane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Reynolds, John Cho, Brian Viglione. Womancandy: Drew Barrymore, Clea DuVall, Angelina Jolie, Angela Bassett, Julianne Moore, Monica Belluci, Lucy Liu, Noa Tishby, Christina Hendricks, Amanda Seyfried, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Beyonce. Nail polish: I'm usually too lazy, but I do like the idea of it. A really striking, intense dark red would be especially appreciated, but also blues, greens, purples, metallics, and dark iridescents. I'm not that into glitters, though, but a particularly nice one in black or dark colors might work. Question!: What is your favourite snack food, something you could grab any time? Nuts! Especially almonds and peanuts (honey-roasted, spicy, just plain, etc), but I like mixed nuts, too. Fruit! So many different kinds of fruit. Also sesame sticks, garlic rye chips, sharp cheddar cheese (or herbed cream cheese, or pepperjack) and crackers or triscuits, baked sour cream and cheddar potato chips, veggie chips. And, well, chocolate. I find chocolate with nuts in is especially satisfying! I like greek yogurt with honey, also, and granola. Oh, and toast with butter or peanut butter or honey or preserves! And I have an unfortunate weakness for cheetos. And reeses pieces and peanut butter cups. And a lot of other stuff, too! For those who decorate for Halloween, do you prefer cute decorations or creepy ones? I don't do much decorating, but I think I'm mostly more into creepy than cute, but cute is sometimes good, too. Creepy and cute is awesome. I think spooky is even better than creepy, but I prefer elegant to all of those. Also, as part of the cute-or-creepy question, would you want hand made, molded, glazed (by yours truly!) ceramic decorations (napkin rings, potporri/tart warmers, etc) to add to your stock? Sure! And, separately, how do you feel about mortars and pestles? I would love a mortar and pestle set. What hobby/craft would you like to learn how to do? Soap making, bath supply making, jewelry making. If we're talking about skills, too, then I desperately want to start taking dance lessons again, modern/contemporary, ballroom, bellydance, flamenco, tap, maybe even hip hop... Also, yoga and pilates. I've been planning to buy a car soon, so maybe auto mechanics, and i've been wanted to take a motorcycle safety course for years now, though who knows when that'll ever happen. Oh, and I always want to become a better cook. And brush up on/learn new languages! Learning Italian's currently highest on my list, but also I want to brush up on my French and learn Ancient Greek. Possibly also Latin and Hebrew. I'm... not sure I really want to brush up on my Chinese, but I probably should. Is there anything you have a phobia of, or that would make you go "squick" if you saw it in a package? Hrm. I can't think of anything that's not something that probably most people would find squicky (and I like some things other people don't, like spiders, though are other kinds of bugs and creepy crawlies I don't particularly like). Oh, yes, I'm not very fond of clowns, though I don't know that I'd call it a phobia, per se. Personally, I would love getting something similar to one of my favorites, even if it is not the same - what say all of you? How picky are you? Generally I'm in favor of things that are similar but not necessarily exactly the same. Do you wear make up? Hardly ever, but I do wear lip gloss occasionally, and I experiment with lipstick, lip liner, lip stains, etc every once in a while. I wear blush very occasionally, too, and bronzer might be good for shading, and powder for controlling shine (my skin is East Asian, medium-tan-ish, warm undertone, combination). Eyeshadow and eyeliner, I like, but almost never wear (and yet I covet it!); mascara I basically don't wear, as it interferes with my glasses. Disney movies, Yay or Nay, and favourites if you do like them? I like them, in general. Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite, though I do like Lady and the Tramp and the Robin Hood with the foxes a lot, too. And I tend to really like Pixar movies -- Up and Ratatouille are my favorites of those. (And I love Miyazaki (and other Studio Ghibli) movies! I like quite a lot of anime and manga in general.) And, as a secondary question, I adore icons for LJ/dreamwidth/forums/etc use, but suck at making them myself. Anyone else in the same boat, who would like custom icons as a gift? Yes, indeed! DVD, BluRay, VHS: I don't have a VHS player; DVD or BluRay are both fine. What is something you use to comfort yourself when feeling yucky, depressed, or in pain? Music (listening to it, or singing), tea, chocolate (sometimes hot chocolate), bath w/ salts/bubbles/bath bombs/bath oils/scents/etc, re-reading my favorite books or stories, going out to one of my favorite restaurants for a comfort meal, watching (or re-watching) a movie I know I'll like, sometimes going somewhere pretty and sitting with a book... A massage if I can get one. Oh, and I also have a gel eye mask that feels pretty good and can help with headaches; ice packs or cool cloths help sometimes, too, or sitting near a fan, because I overheat so easily. And ginger ale or mint tea sometimes helps with stomachaches, while very localized heat sometimes helps with cramps. Plus, BPAL's Baku scent can relax my whole body if I'm feeling too tense or wound up. Socks? I wear socks very rarely. When I do, I prefer knee-high socks (in dark, gothy colors), though I'd be interested in trying thigh-high ones, also (stretchy ones in both cases, because I have fairly wide calves and thighs, and thinner is generally better than thicker). I do wear regular black socks with my Docs, as well, but they're boring and black for a reason, and are almost completely obscured by the boots. I guess I might wear fun socks with my Docs as long as the colors and themes are dark & gothy? Mostly I wear sandals, though, the curse of living in an overly warm climate. ETA: Oh! I do have one sock-related desire: I once had a pair of super super soft lightweight crochet lace tights (in black of course) that I adored until they developed a hole in the toe; I would love something like that, either as tights or perhaps as knee highs or thigh highs. Favorite Halloween/Scary movies? I'm not really into scary movies or horror movies or whatnot (I had a terribly active imagination when younger and so tons of things scared me; I'm better able to deal with such things now but still don't tend to specifically seek it out), though I do like some supernatural sorts of things. Movies along those lines that I really like: Nightmare Before Christmas (if it counts?) and Zombieland on the more lighthearted side, 28 Days Later and Let the Right One In on the more serious side. I think Let the Right One In is probably the best, and darkest, vampire story I've ever seen or read, and it's all in the atmosphere and psychological/mental/logical aspects of the situation. Brilliant. Scary books? I'm not super into horror but I do like some things that are fairly dark. Favorite book in the ~ horror genre: Drawing Blood by Poppy Z Brite. What would the name of your custom blend be? The description? The Ultimate Tea Party: Mismatched tea served in a mismatched tea set, in a mismatched garden. Mismatched, yes, but perfect. (Notes: Chrysanthemum, rock sugar, lychee, osmanthus, peach, peach blossom, Honeycrisp apple, Pink Lady apple, Asian pear, blood orange, lime, verbena, sweet rose, French lavender, lilac, honeysuckle, Madagascar vanilla, Morrocan mint and sage tea with honey, earl grey tea, and amber. The label art would be a tea party where the tea set would have a mix of all different styles of tea cup.) COMIC BOOKS. Do you read them? Are there any series you like, or some you would like to try? I do read them, though I'm bad about keeping up properly. I've read all of Sandman and all of Strangers in Paradise, those are probably my two favorites. I like Runaways (the Marvel comic), but I'm behind, and I'm interested in some DC characters/groups/storylines (Batman and the rest of the Batfamily (I have a soft spot for Robins and former Robins, and The Long Halloween is amazing), Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Teen Titans and Young Justice, etc, but it's hard to know how to really get into it just because canon's so huge. I loved Kingdom Come. I've read a little of Fables and a little of Y the Last Man and enjoyed them both and will probably continue at some point, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I don't think I need copies of those two, though, I'm pretty sure I can borrow from friends. Other comics I've really liked: Blue Monday, Hopeless Savages, JtHM, Charm School, Global Frequency, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Umbrella Academy, Castle Waiting; I liked Promethea for a while but lost track of it, I liked the part of Preacher I read but got bogged down about 2/3 of the way through while following it, and though I own the rest I still haven't read it. I enjoyed the early issues of Little Gloomy, Gloomcookie, and Courtney Crumrin, though apparently not enough to keep up with them. I liked Persepolis a whole lot, though it's not really a series, exactly. I'm always up for trying new comics! I've been wanting to try Transmetropolitan and Powers and Irredeemable, if that helps? I also like manga, though I'm bad at keeping up with that, too -- I loved Here Is Greenwood and Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Saiyuki and Inuyasha I own a bunch of and really adore but aren't all the way through yet, I read the first volume of Fruits Basket and enjoyed it (and wouldn't mind more of that), and I've been meaning to get into Black Butler -- I saw some of the anime and now want to see more of that and also read the manga. I also wouldn't mind trying out Full Metal Alchemist, perhaps, or other manga you think I might like based on those data points. Warm drinks! It's probably obvious from my previous answers that I love them, right? Coffee (spiked or not!), hot chocolate, hot apple cider, tea and rooibos and tisanes. If you look at the answers to previous rounds of SW questions in my blog, I go into lots of detail about the kinds of tea I like. Do you have a special symbol or totem that is meaningful to you? Bears. My last name means bear in Chinese, so I feel especially close to them, and I appreciate the somewhat complex/contradictory symbolism attached to them -- intuition, strength, protection. I also had a Lilith pendant for awhile that really spoke to me, and I'm fairly fond of the tree of life. Oops! Just realized that I meant to go back and fill in the answer to this question in the Questionnaire, but forgot, so here it is: Have you ever thought, "oh, I'm going to get myself one of those one of these days" but then never do? List 1 under $10 and 1 over $10. Under $10: hot water bottle (or heating pad, though those are a bit more expensive), bathtub pillow. Over $10: a set of decanting supplies, a bike, a black lace parasol. Oh, and a massage. I need a massage so badly. [i have also been wanting: silicone baking sheets and muffin cups, a decent manual hand orange juicer, a kit for making popsicles, and a teapot.] [Oh, and incidentally, books about Austin, travel books or history books or whatnot, would be most welcome because I just moved here late last year and am still getting to know the area.] Which 5 celebrities are on your "LIST"? Christian Kane -- down-to-earth, tough but sweet, gorgeous voice, gorgeous hair, can kick serious ass Jon Huertas -- dead hot, nice build, endearing sense of humor Naveen Andrews -- beautiful, incredibly hot, passionate Bob Bryar -- super talented and sturdy and sweet and quiet and stubborn Drew Barrymore -- adorable and fun and sweet and real, and with a sensual streak that absolutely works for me Next five: Kevin Zegers -- pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty, exudes sensuality, takes risks Clive Owen -- has a wryness about him that is extremely appealing, plus the magnificent combination of direct and rough and reserved and focused and all-around amazing Joaquin Phoenix -- maybe crazy but also crazy intense and super, super, super hot Clea DuVall -- is just hot, not to mention truly engaging and full of personality Angelina Jolie -- confident, interesting, has this aura of pure, luscious sex about her I could go on and on (I didn't even get to most of the musicians!), but I'll content myself with this.

In the decant: Sweet, cloying, fruity alcohol. Fresh on the skin: Very alcoholic, very fruity. 5 minutes in: Warm, fruity, alcoholic in a round way. Kinda dark for fruit. 10 minutes in: Basically, an alcoholic red fruit lollipop. I'm not sure where the redness comes from, given that the only fruits listed are pineapple and lemon, but I'm not complaining! 20 minutes in: Warm, alcoholic, fruity lollipop, yup. 40 minutes in: Rounded, fruity lollipop. I like this reasonably well so far. 1 hour in: Red fruit, hard candy, pretty pretty pretty. 2 hours in: Sweet, red, shiny fruity candy. But light and not at all cloying. I love this! 3 hours in: Fading to a light, airy version of itself. Still love it. 4 hours in: Still a bit candy-ish, but almost gone. 5 hours in: Tiny bit of sweetness left, but basically gone. 6 hours in: That last little bit is hanging on, but probably not for long. Verdict: Delicious! I want more. Lots more! One word: Lollipop.

In the decant: Spicy-sweet dark. Fresh on the skin: Sweet cream, powder, something sharp. 5 minutes in: Rounding out, still a bit powdery. Oddly fruity. 10 minutes in: Creamy and dark. Quite nice. 15 minutes in: This is really, really pretty! A little powdery for me, but warm and creamy in a not-plasticky way and really very nice. 30 minutes in: Pretty, creamy, warm, dark. Still like this. 45 minutes in: Creamy, sweet, dark, warm, light. Still nice! 1 hour in: Going a little plasticky around the edges, unfortunately. 2 hours in: Still creamy and dark, still kinda plasticky. Hrm. 3 hours in: Mostly fuzzy plastic, maybe something that's sort of a bitter musk. Sad. 4 hours in: Faded sweet musk. 5 hours in: Fuzzy and almost gone. 6 hours in: Tiniest hint left, but basically gone. Verdict: Quite pretty until it turns to plastic and musk. Wish it stayed at the half-hour to 45 minutes in version of the scent. One phrase: Dark cream.

In the decant: Perfumey, hard to make out any specific notes. Fresh on the skin: Bitter and sour and uck. There's some sweetness to it, but it's hard to get to it. 5 minutes in: Uck. Powdery and perfumey and bitter and sweet in a cloying way and ew. Not my style. 15 minutes in: The opium is taking over for me, I think. There's a sweetness and a bunch of other things -- very complex and well blended -- but the opium is standing in the way. The other stuff is trying to bloom, and I'm hoping it keeps coming. But basically right now this smells like icky, overly strong soap. 20 minutes in: Cloying and stuffy. Not a fan. 30 minutes in: Yup. 1 hours in: Still all opium and bitter florals and ick. 2 hours in: Opium and bitter, cloying florals. Hate. 3 hours in: Lots of musk now, soap and armpit. Don't much like this stage, either. 4 hours in: Yup. Armpit. 5 hours in: Still going strong. Armpit. Verdict: Ew. It is never good when "fades to armpit" is an improvement. This was probably the biggest disappointment of the C2E2s for me -- so many potentially wonderful notes (I even like jasmine! And honeycomb and amber and bergamot and clove and dark fruits are all often lovely, and skin musk and tobacco leaf and gunpowder and narcissus and tarragon all could've been fine!), so monstrous on my skin. I really need to remember that opium is one of those notes I hate that amp on me. One word: Cloying.

In the decant: Bright green fresh-cut grass, a little sweet. Fresh on the skin: Sweet, green, fresh-cut grass and sweet, bright yellow dandelions. Spring! 5 minutes in: Sweet, fresh, green grass and yellow pollen. Makes me want to sneeze, a bit, but I like it! 10 minutes in: Sweet and fresh and pretty! 20 minutes in: A little excessive on the pollen side, maybe, but I still like this. Kinda fascinating. Similar grass to Dog Days of Summer, I think. 30 minutes in: Sweet, green, soft, bright. A bit of... something else. Almost aquatic. The metal, perhaps. 1 hour in: Bright and green, a bit astringent. 2 hours in: Bright and green, gone quite aquatic. 3 hours in: Green and almost all aquatic now. Soap, but a nice enough soap. Fresh. 4 hours in: Green soap. 5.5 hours in: Yup. Light and fresh green soap, but still green soap. Quite nice compared to other things. Verdict: Pretty in a lot of ways, almost too evocative because of the pollen, and the soap it becomes isn't ideal. And yet, I liked it, overall. Especially the sweet, fresh grass at the beginning. One word: Spring.

In the decant: Clean and sweet. Fresh on the skin: Huh. Basically yeah, hair gel and aftershave. And shaving cream. Actually, especially shaving cream. 5 minutes in: Yup, stuff like shaving cream and such. Huh. 15 minutes in: Shaving cream, yup. 35 minutes in: Still shaving cream. I... don't think this is for me. 1 hour in: Seriously shaving cream. Chemical cleaner. Meh. 2 hours in: It's going a bit musky. Still not my style. 3 hours in: Light, chemically musk. Soapy. Almost gone. Not a fan. 4 hours in: Ditto. 5 hours in: Yup. Verdict: Peculiar. Not my style. I only very rarely like clean" scents (I am much more likely to loathe them, but every once in a great while, one will surprise me), and shaving cream in definitely not a step in the right direction. One phrase: Shaving cream.

In the decant: Bright gin. Fresh on the skin: Bright, sweet, a little bubbly, a little bitter. Kinda delightful! 5 minutes in: Fresh and bright, I really like this! 20 minutes in: Fresh and bright and delicately sweet, a tiny bit fizzy. Pretty! 1 hour in: Pure, light fizz. I like! 2 hours in: Just the tiniest hint of gin fizz left. That was fast! 3 hours in: Still a hint of bright fizz. I like this, but it doesn't last long. 4 hours in: Gone. Verdict: Fizzy and fresh and bright -- delightful! Wish it didn't fade so fast. Still, the surprise love out of the C2E2 scents for me. Refreshing and good for summer. One word: Fizzy!

In the decant: Dark and sour and sweet -- frankly, kind of foul. Fresh on the skin: Sour and sharp and dark and cloying and musty. Very strong and kind of disturbing. 5 minutes: This is kind of turning my stomach. 8 minutes later: And it also made me sneeze. 15 minutes later: Just, ew. Sweet in the ickiest way possible. 20 minutes later: It is almost hilarious how much this makes me recoil. 40 minutes later: Fuzzy musk, almost chocolatey. Hrm. Not as bad as before, maybe? 1 hour in: Cheap chocolate. Strange. 2 hours in: Ditto. 3 hours in: Still going. Quite sweet. Verdict: Icky-sweet. Unfortunately, too much like the description. Made fake, cheap chocolate smell like relief. One phrase: Sour-sweet ick.