mari4212

On wet: Marzipan. This smells like sweet fresh marzipan, the kind my friend makes for me on occasion. I was a bit worried that the almond would go cherry on me, because I'm not fond of cherry scents, but this is staying very true almond. Initial drydown: Still almond, but the amber and a hint of the spices start swirling. Further on: spicy, sweet, amber and almond. The almond and spices make this somewhat foodie, but it doesn't smell like you're living in a bakery. Love it.

On wet: Sweet. Maybe a hint of opium, as it's the note I'm least familiar with, and a bit of soapy lily. Initial drydown: more of the same. I was hoping for the vanilla and sandalwood to make more of an appearance than they have at this point. Later: this fades down to not much after about two hours, without ever really getting much of a vanilla/sandalwood tone. Not really what I was hoping for from this blend.

Yum. On wet, the pine and juniper come out strongest, making for a pine-heavy green scent, with just a hint of something warm and sweet underneath. Initial drydown: after about five minutes, the pine recedes, and the vanilla and amber come out to play, with the pine scent felt more asan after-taste than anything else. I can see where this would smell amazing on a man, but it's soft enough for me to pull off as well. Later: This stays primarily vanilla-amber, with the pine undertones. The only thing I could wish for was more of a throw, as this is definitely a skin-scent. In all other respects, this is beautiful. Definitely more cuddly than sexy on me, though.

This is a soft dusty rose, with the light warm wood smell of sandalwood. The patchouli never really takes off, much to my pleasure here. It's a very gentle scent, and I wasn't expecting to enjoy it nearly so much as I am. Edited to add: It's twelve hours later, and I still have a trace of rose and sandalwood on my wrist. This doesn't have the strongest throw, but it's the longest a rose blend has lasted on me and still had a rose note discernable. I'm loving this blend a lot now.

On wet: I agree with reviewers who say this is very wet and juicy. There's definitely a strong berry-fruit tang to this, with the very rich and wet rose scent secondary. Initial drydown: Both scents calm down, and the rose becomes more prominent. When my wrists are away from me, there's almost a vanilla undertone. Later: As with most rose scents, it fades down fast, leaving mostly the pomegranate scent in its wake. Need to try this in my scent locket, or on my friend that loves rose scents.

I got this as a frimp, and from the note description, thought it was going to be far too dark and heavy for my tastes. Still, it didn't have jasmine in it, so it was at least worth a try. In the imp: surprisingly sweet. There's a slight smoky incense, and a bit of leather, but mostly what I was getting was a sweet edge. Not foodie-sweet, but sweet nonetheless. On me: Whatever that sweet note is, it's the strongest player here for me. Maybe the musk? Black Temple Burlesque troop was also sweeter than the notes would indicate on me. It's a soft-edged incense on me. I'll have to give some thought as to whether I'd use it enough to keep it, or just send it on into my swaps box.

On wet: fresh, lemon sweetness. Not sugary sweet, but there's definitely a hint of something sweet beneath the lemon. I was worried about the tea, because tea notes and I don't get along, but I'm not getting the sharp soapy scent I get with most tea notes. Initial drydown: lemonade. Good lemonade, tangy and sweet at the same time. This is very much a summer scent, simple, lightweight, and breezy.

I'm not sure what would give you the avocado note, but you might try Halfling, in the RPG section. Most reviews of that have it smelling like oatmeal or oatmeal cookies, which sounds like it would be right up your alley.

Oh, this is lovely. In the imp, there's honey, with a sharpness that I think is the chamomile. On me, the honey is dominant, with just a hint of herbal undertones. It's lighter and more innocent than O, good for summer days. A very soft and golden scent.

For vanilla/mint with a slight green tea scent, I'm surprised no one has suggested Green Tree Viper, from the Carnival Diabolique section, yet. Snake oil with green tea and four mints, and it smells like a light vanilla/mint blend on me, since tea notes never survive contact with my skin.

in the imp, and on wet: This is a green scent, with a bit of sweetness wending its way through. Initial drydown: There's a bit of lily of the valley in here, but it's coming across more as a lily of the valley soap, rather than the straight flower. Especially when I have the flowers sitting right next to me for comparison. I'm also getting the apple blossom as an undertone, which might be helping the scent turn to floral soap. Later drydown: within about 15 minutes, the soapiness clears away. Unfortunately, so does the lily of the valley. The strongest note coming off of my skin is an apple blossom. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely, and I'll probably keep and wear this imp a lot in the spring/summer. I was just really hoping for a lily of the valley scent that would actually show up on my skin. This doesn't do that.

Wet: The sandalwood is coming out strongest, with a hint of something floral, possibly the heliotrope. Initial drydown: sandalwood and amber, the florals are disappearing. I can already tell that this is going to be a skin scent, one I have to be up close to to really smell well. Drydown: As it drys it sweetens. The florals never really come out, but they, plus the vanilla and honey, are adding a soft creamy tone to the sandalwood and amber combination. This is a warm, golden scent, good for combating a cold and rainy day like today. Keeper, but I don't think I'll need more than my imp.

For coffee scents, my go-to is Miskatonic University, in the Picnic in Arkham category. It's scent description is old wood halls, irish coffee, and dusty books, and on me it turns into an almost hazelnut coffee scent. No tobacco, but you could layer something like Antykytheria Mechanism, which has tobacco smoke as a major note, over it to get a combination. If you look in the swaps section, you might also be able to find Arabian Dance, from this past Yuletide. It's notes are listed as: Leather, coffee, hazelnut, tobacco, and Middle Eastern spices.. It has the coffee and tobacco scents you're looking for, though briefly glancing at the reviews, it seems like you'd also be getting a hefty dosage of leather as well.

In the imp: sweetly floral, an undertone that might be the tonka. On wet: The sweet pea is coming out strongest, along with a hint of the sage's herbal sharpness. This stays very close to the skin. Drydown: there may be an edge of warmth coming out from the tonka and musk, but mostly this is a very soft sweet pea floral, with the sage playing a bit underneath. It's a good spring/summer light scent, I think.

In the imp: Woody, with benzoin and tonka blending to give it a bit of a sweet vanillaish edge. On wet: I'm really getting a sweet woods and benzoin scent here. Initial drydown: something sweeter and lighter is popping up now, something that lends an almost candied sweetness to the woods and the benzoin. Final drydown: It's official, lilac musk is Sir-Not-Appearing in this perfume. What I get instead is a light but caramelly sweetness over some background woods, like a lighter Agrat-Bat-Mahlat. Not one I'll pull out often, but nice to have around.

In the imp: lovely lily and ginger. On wet: This smells like a high quality floral bar soap, or generic floral perfume. Something sharp and a bit sneeze-worthy. The lily seems to be pulling the same kind of trick that tea notes tend to play on me, and going sharp and soapy. Drydown: After a while it loses the worst of the sharpness, and the ginger comes out, but this is never going to be a favorite of mine. Swaps box.

On wet: Lime! Very much lime, with a bit of sweetness that has me thinking of lime jello, sadly. Drydown: After a bit, the lime dies back to where it's still present, but not overpowering. I'm not picking up any lilac, sadly, as that's one of my favorite florals, but on the other hand, the tea note isn't going to total soap on me either, which tea notes tend to do. Instead, there's the soft white musk and a light citrus note. It's pleasant, but I already have perfumes that have similar notes, ones that I prefer over Whitechapel's lime. I think I'll end up tossing this one into the swaps box.

I received this as a frimp in my latest lab purchase. In the imp: sharp, greenish. Between the imp scent, and the lab description including patchouli and vetiver, I wasn't expecting much from this, but I thought I should try it out anyway, as you can never tell from the imp how it will play out on the skin. On wet: There's a sharp, clean scent that lasts for a few minutes, probably the lime and yuzu citrus notes playing out. They die out fast, though. Drydown: This ends up reminding me of both Dee and Old Scratch, especially Old Scratch, probably because of the wood and lavender notes. As I love both of those scents, I think this is going to be a definite keeper. In general, I consider this a soft, gender-neutral scent. It smells great on me, but I think it would be fantastic on a guy.

I just got this imp thanks to the generosity of my SW, MotherKat. Wet and on, it blooms very heavily sweet for a few minutes, really amping a lovely sweetened cream scent. Initial drydown: That first intense bloom dies off a bit, and I'm left with a sweet cream on top of a linen note similar to that of Antique Lace, without the vanilla. I can see where people are getting marshmallow out of this scent.

I was given a bottle of Phantom Cow, and on me it smelled like herb butter/milk. Nice, but not me. I've been meaning to toss it back up on Pay it Forward, so it won't be completely impossible to find. Since you mentioned goat's milk in particular, have you tried to find one of last year's Yules? Mother Shub's Spiced Lait de Chevre? That was a goat's milk eggnog, and it might still be relatively findable.

I'm a natural redhead, and there are several resinous/spicy scents I love, like Chimera, Velvet, or The Lion. But I also like sweet/soft florals and vanillas, especially things like Mouse's Sad and Long Tale, Lyonnesse, and TKO. Of course, I don't really fit the firey/sultry redhead stereotype, as I'm normally pigeonholed as the sweet peacemaker instead. My older sister is far more the firey redhead, and she loves resins and spices.

On wet: This is sweet and musky, I think the strongest notes coming out so far are the honey/caramel and red musk. The red musk is the one musk that doesn't tend to play well on me, and I think this is pulling the same thing. There's something about this scent that's making me feel like I should be sneezing. Drydown: much the same. It's sweet, but overly musky for me. I think this is swaps-bound.

Since the other entry was getting ridiculously long, I thought I'd answer the newer questions here. So, starting with the questions from the 11th, One Concert Gaelic Storm or Carrie Newcomer. They're too different to compare directly. Soundtracks St. Trinians, either movie. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The Brandy version of Rogers' and Hamerstein's Cinderella Erm, a lot of the others I could think of I've already gotten out of the library. Music shuffle Yoda ~ Weird Al Don't Cry for me, Argentina ~ Madonna (from the motion picture soundtrack of Evita) When Napi Roasted Gophers ~ Jack Gladstone Anakin and Padme theme ~ John Williams The Wisdom of Snow ~ Trans Siberian Orchestra The Gathering of Spirits ~ Carrie Newcomer Anastasia Prologue ~ Anastasia Soundtrack Seven Years in Tibet ~ John Williams Attack at the Wall (score) ~ Mulan Santa Fe ~ Rent Soundtrack So apparently my random button like Star Wars, soundtracks, and instrumental music. With a tiny bit of modern folk to round it off. Craft Supplies Love. Especially stones to use for wire-wrapping, as I have more yarn bits than I know what to do with right now. BPTP update I haven't ordered any of it for myself. The Sagardoa soap looks interesting, but nothing else there is super appealing. I keep meaning to get the Snake Oil bath oil, but I haven't done so yet. International Treats I will never turn down more Tim Tams, or the English digestive biscuits, but no, there's nothing I'm craving. 3 BPAL Bottles falling into my hands The Harp of C'Noc whatshisface, Womb Furie, Dee. Marzipan Yummy, especially when coated in milk chocolate. Flowers and plants Awesome in all forms. Console Games Don't play any of them. Vampires, shows, books A big nay for me. Vampires never really caught my imagination. Cake Truffles I'm not a huge cake person. But carrot cake, with cream cheese icing, and white chocolate/milk chocolate coating does sound good. Journals/Notebooks I already have a couple that I barely use. Sketchbooks would get handed over to my sister or brother, both of whom are more focused on traditional art mediums Decorate for Holidays Not much, but a bit. My personal taste is more towards the elegant, with bits of silliness. Sports Not my thing. Foodie I like cooking and I like a lot of food/baked goods scents in candles and such. Imperfect gifts I'd still love it. Imperfections give character, and a lot of time the flaw can become my favorite part of it. Heaven knows, a lot of times people have said that they loved the random quick fixes I added to something more than the original concept. Homemade bath products Would love intensely. Countries I'm interested in Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Greece, Israel. Listen to often No MP3 player, but the 5 star auto ratings on my computer suggest Carrie Newcomer, random Disney soundtracks, and Celtic music are highest. Sending/receiving letters Would love this. Last vacation Does picking up my little brother from college count? It's mostly been visiting family members, and we haven't done that much in recent years. Microsoft or Apple Microsoft. I had a couple horrible experiences with Macs with college lab assignments and not being compatible with my own computer, so I'm rather prejudiced against Macs now. Spices Savory: Garlic, Rosemary, Ginger Sweet: Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg. Tea Cosy Not really, I tend to brew by the cup instead of the pot. Chocolate and Bacon I've never really liked bacon to begin with. Maple Sugar Candy Would love. My mother was born in Vermont and spent part of her childhood there, and she passed along the love of real maple sugar and syrup. Listed all BPALs No, I don't have any place where they've all been listed, and I wouldn't know where to start listing them all, since I've passed so many along in swaps without reviewing if I didn't like them. Contact I don't exactly crave contact, but I'd appreciate hearing from you regularly. Top Five famous people I'd date Elijah Wood Ewan McGregor Christopher Judge John Cho Karl Urban Make up I'm pretty sure I answered this elsewhere, but I'm pretty minimal in terms of makeup. I rarely wear it, though I should at least pick up a good foundation. Timing of presents I have absolutely no preferences, this is at your disposal, witch of mine. Vintage items Lack of storage space means I'll say no. I'm currently living in my parents home, and hoping to move out to a shared apartment. I'll be lucky to find space for all my books. Favorite Soap etailer I haven't actually tried any soap etailer, though I'd love to try both Tarty's stuff and Villainess. Making things on my wishlist I'd love that, if you can do it. That would just give it all the more meaning. Some assembly required gifts I love learning crafts, or putting my own stamp on things, so yes, that sounds great. Partial bottles As long as there's more than a drop or so in there, I'd love partials. Homemade preserves Sounds interesting. Stationary I'm not sure I'd get much use out of stationary paper. I'd love good pens. Latest Lab updates Counting both the Dawn stuff and the Weenie, I'm interested in both Mother and Maiden from the Dawn series. From the Weenie, Lambswool, Boo, Flor de Muerte, and Pumpkin Latte Chocolate, or other candy I love chocolate, milk chocolate by preference. I also love some of the more old-fashioned candies, like toffee, divinity (especially rosewater flavored), and marzipan. I've been spoiled by having a candymaker for a friend. In terms of modern, commercial candies, I love malt balls, Andes mints, and truffles of all sorts. Tea, loose-leaf or bagged I drink both kinds, year round. There are times I like the convenience of a bag, and times I love the ritual of brewing loose leaves. In terms of flavors, I love Earl Grey and Lady Grey, and a lot of flavored black teas, like vanilla or blueberry. I love Adagio's Valentine's blend. ...I also like the powdered chai tea blends. I haven't had much luck brewing chai from scratch, and I love a good chai. (Yes I know, good chai and the random powdered mixes seems a contradiction in terms.) I love a cheap approximation of chai, then. Knitted items I never remember to make things for myself. I'd love a shawl, or socks, as I haven't taught myself how to do socks yet. Keep getting distracted by baby blankets for people. Character I resemble Book-wise, Vicky Austin, from Madeline L'Engle's books, especially from around Ring of Endless Light or Troubling a Star. TV: possibly Beverly Crusher, from Star Trek TNG. Kitchen things I have multiple relatives who tend to store things and then give them to people when they're moving out and establishing themselves, I'm probably set for most things. Music I don't have a preference as to live or studio, as they're both doing separate things. And the music I'm listening to mostly doesn't have explicit lyrics to get censored, but I'd prefer it not being censored, as that's interfering with the artist's conception of the song. If it's explicit, I just won't listen to it around small children or people whom I know don't like that kind of language. Animal lover breeds I'm all for generic cat love, especially since my family tends to adopt ours from the stray cat population. Both of ours currently are part Bengal, and I do admit that I love their graceful lines and friendliness. Favorite quotes/lines I've linked my livejournal, correct? There's a side panel with many favored quotes. I'll think of several others I wanted to mention immediately after I hit post, you understand. Oh, but special points go to this line, from The Little Prince: "Others may forget this, but you must not. You remain, forever, responsible for what you have tamed." The entire passage with the Fox is beautiful, but that line resonates deeply. Hard-to-find BPAL I haven't been really looking hard for it, but I would like to try either Were-puppy or Cake Smash. I wouldn't want to try something that was vanishingly rare, because then I'd love it and not be able to find more. Hypothetical Children I don't have any children, so you don't have to worry about that. Interesting things on the net I am actively involved in fandom, and would love fanfic recs for different series/media that I'm involved in. I especially love women getting to be awesome, people being competent at their jobs, and fics where friendships are important. Cat macros/interesting graphs on graphjam/pretty fanvids in shows that I like you can also consider always awesome. If you want specifics on fandoms I like, scroll back through my lj and interests, or send me another e-mail. Last Meal Start off with mushroom tarts and rolls with either a good cinnamon/honey butter or pate to spread on top. Lobster bisque with a spinach salad and herbed bread for the next course, followed by spinach gnocchi with nutmeg sauce and either orange-glazed beets or cranberry sauce as a side. Dessert would be either a fruit crisp or chocolate-filled croissants. Or both. Mulled cider or hot tea to go next to everything. And then I'd die in a dairy-filled coma. I tend to eat those foods separately for a reason, as they're all so rich.

This starts off almost pure creamy honey/caramel on me, like a lighter O. After a few minutes, I get a bit of the sharp apple scent under the honey and caramel, like someone cut a caramel apple up into slices for you to eat. And the drydown remains the caramel/apple scent. It's nice, but not spectacular.

I'll try to remember to add to this regularly. Newer answers at the bottom of the page. Baked Goods I'd love, and promptly share with my family. I've got a friend who's in the process of testing various candies before he starts selling them on etsy, and my family is used to eating fun things that come in the mail. If you send me something delicious, please send me the recipe as well, since I love to bake and will want to try them out myself. Family Prezzies I don't have a significant other or child of my own, but I do live with my parents and a disabled sister, as well as two cats, and I don't think any of them will mind if they get something. My SW can always send me an e-card or something on specifics of what they'd like. Bottles/lots of little samples I'd prefer a bunch of samples, honestly. I make imps last forever anyway, and I tend to prefer to try a lot of things versus making a few big purchases. Social Networking I'm on facebook, but never use it for anything, and I've just locked it down a lot more than it used to be. I am on both LJ and Dreamwidth, using the mari4212 username there as well, where I'm very active, just not in the lj bpal communities. And if anyone wants a Dreamwidth code to get a free journal there, pm me, as I have several I can send you. Girly vs. Not Girly: I tend to use the word feminine to describe myself, since I don't like the connotations of girly. In many ways, I am traditionally feminine, I live in skirts, I have long hair that I tend to pull back in braids and buns, I like to knit, I like to cook, I enjoy small children. I will wear pink, if it's a blue-toned pink and I'm pairing it with grey or khaki colors. But I'm geeky feminine who will curl up in a tree with a book and a cat for hours, and I go for comfortable slip-on shoes that won't hurt my feet. I don't own any makeup that wasn't given to me, and I mostly like looking at sparkles on other people, not myself. Groupons probably not. Gift cards to practical stores (or unpractical ones so that I have the excuse to spoil myself), I'd probably use, but not the groupons. Mix CDs are love, and how I've been exposed to a lot of my favorite artists. If my witchee' and my taste in music overlap at all, I'll probably make one myself for him/her. T-shirt/pj sizes: I don't wear pj bottoms at all, so no. T-shirts I'm a medium/medium petite normally, depending on how generously they allow for bustlines, as I am rather blessed in that department. But, as with pjs, I don't normally wear a lot of t-shirts. I like the more formal/classical cut blouses and knit tops. In fitted clothing without much stretch, I can be a large based solely on bustline clearances. Most retailers don't seem to believe in a ten-inch difference between bustline and waistline. Jane Austin Love the books. I need to re-read Persuasion and Northanger Abbey soon, it's been a while since I read those two. Tarot Cards Don't currently have a deck, but I would like to get one in the future. I'm a sucker for good art/an interesting storyline on the cards. Which Hogwarts house: Hufflepuff like no tomorrow. I actually lead Hufflepuff house for my school HP club, and loved every minute of it. Soft stuff I'd love anything handknit. I'm a knitter myself, but I can't do cables yet, and I get distracted by projects for other people and rarely make anything for myself. What, if anything, is your guilty TV watching pleasure? I don't call them guilty pleasures, but the shows I currently watch are NCIS, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Merlin, and Project Runway. 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? I do SCA/Renfaire events, and could always use more fabric. I've got plans to make myself a good side-laced kirtle in the future. Celebrity crush?: Erm. Probably Colin Morgan, in looks. For the voice, Patrick Stewart, Anthony Stewart Head, Ian McKellan. When I was younger, I had a major crush on Levar Burton, because he was in both Star Trek TNG and Reading Rainbow, and I was watching both at the time. What about [mixed or otherwise] DVDs? Not high on my wishlist, but I wouldn't say no. DVDs: Do you prefer widescreen or formatted? No preference. Music: Any preference towards MP3 or CD? CDs prefered, I don't have an ipod/mp3 player outside of my laptop. Do you like scented tarts? Sure. Vanilla/foodie scents almost always work, as does anything lavender, coffee, or chocolate. Florals, keep it to rose, honeysuckle, and lilac. Lip balms? Not a major thing for me, but I don't object to them. 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? I don't even have pierced ears. Booze. Do you drink it, would you like some I'm not a huge drinker, and it seems like it would be really heavy and hard to ship. If you're really set on this, honey mead or hard cider by preference. I don't drink beer at all. What is your favorite artist or art style? (including if you have links to favorite pictures/paintings/photographs) I've got links in my kaboodle to art posters I loved, but in general terms, I like Pre-Raphelites and other similar styles in painting. I also love Ansel Adams' photography, and pictures which indulge my science geekery, like space photos or biology/natural world prints. What is your favourite snack food, something you could grab any time? Candied nuts (go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/Sirutka and ask him to make up a batch for Margaret for the stuff I'm in love with) or chocolate covered espresso beans if I'm in a sweet mood. Cheez-its, fruit leather, or straight dried fruit otherwise. Ebooks I really prefer my books in paper form. I don't have a Kindle or other ebook reader. Nail Polish: I favorited a couple of the BPTP polishes. I can only wear nail polish on my toes. Soft/plushie things: Giant microbes are awesome. I'm not really looking for anything else, as I've already had to pare down my former stuffed animal collection to only a very few. New crafts I'm mostly looking to refine my current crafts. I want to learn how to knit cables, and I want to learn how to knit socks/manage double pointed needles, as my other knitted projects are all mostly large flat things, like baby blankets, or sweaters knit on circular needles. Squicks Most of my squicks I don't think you could mail anywhere, or would have any reason to do so. Maggots are a major squick. When you go to an etsy wishlist, it will tell you what things are sold. If you click on the sold item, sometimes it will give options that are similar to what was sold, but not identical, would you like the similar item or prefer not to get it at all unless it's the same item? How picky are you? Not super picky. If the similar item really is similar in tones and construction to the item I've wishlisted, I'll probably still like it. Makeup Not really. I should pick up some foundation and basic essentials someday, but most of the time I don't wear anything more than lotion/sunblock on my face. Disney movies A nostalgic yay. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Mulan, Fantasia 2000 of the Disney canon. I also loved Quest for Camelot and Anastasia, though they weren't technically Disney works. DVD/VCR player Only DVDs. Custom icons Probably not. I have more icons than I have room for on lj and dreamwidth already. Socks Someone asked this question and I had to look up sockdreams. Now the answer is yes, but mostly tights/thigh highs. Knee socks hit weird on me, and I don't need any more ankle socks. Tights and long socks, especially with moving into colder weather, I can really appreciate. Comfort time If I'm stressed/upset, I'll clean something, normally the grout in the kitchen or polishing the silver coffee set. If I'm sad/upset, I'll curl up with either a book or a sufficiently angsty fanfic, and I'll purge through that and a cup of tea. Or I'll cry on my mother's (or a friend's) shoulder. And actually, if you go to my lj and scroll back through the posts, the care and feeding meme will tell you a lot about this. Halloween/Scary books/movies I'm not into the scary films/books genre at all. That said, The Stepford Wives struck me as one of the most terrifying books I've ever read. Loss of identity is freaky-making. (Oh, and I make an exception for all Stephen Moffat written Doctor Who episodes. They're scary, but I love them anyway.) Custom Blend[ I couldn't figure this out in the original survey either. It would probably contain beeswax, leather-bound books, amber, rosewood, and either tonka or vanilla. Possibly name it after a famous library. comic books I'm not really a picture oriented person, so I tend to feel that a comic book distracts me from the important words. warm drinks Love them. Tea, chai, coffee, mulled cider, all awesome. symbol/totem Cats, if only because they love me back as much as I love them. Dragonflies. I love gryphons and gargoyles. symbols include claddaghs and celtic knotwork. Tarot-wise, I'm always drawn to the symbolism of the Strength card, the young girl and the lion. BPAL box I bought two dark wood boxes with knotwork carvings over the summer, but I could use a third. Nothing big, and I don't need something that holds a lot of bottles, as I mostly have imps. Any person/animal from fantasy I'd either be someone in Narnia, or a gryphon. If we count sci-fi in alongside straight fantasy, I'd have to go with someone in the Star Trek universe, just because I fell in love with the series when I was a very young girl. Back in time I've fallen in love with Ptolomeic Alexandria/Egypt due to Jo Graham's writing, so I'd love to visit there. Halloween Candy Candy corn. Homemade Baked Goods/treats Gingerbread with lemon curd. white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, apple crisp, Moravian spice cookies. Muppets Okay, confession time dear Witch. I was raised on Star Trek, Muppets, Madeline L'Engle, and C.S. Lewis. So, erm, yeah, they've left their marks. Liberal idealist Episcopalian with a tendency towards silliness and a love of both science and religion pretty much sums me up. I love all muppets, but my favorite two were Gonzo and Kermit. Astrological charts I'd love to see what comes up, as long as you can do/bribe someone to do the interpretation as well. Feel free to send me a card or something asking birth date details. Comfort Re-reads It's almost easier to ask what I don't re-read. Favorite authors include Mercedes Lackey, Terry Pratchett, CS Lewis, Madeline L'Engle, Jo Graham, Naomi Novik, Eric Flint and Stephen Jay Gould. I'll read and re-read them till the cows come home. I also re-read Sherlock Holmes and Jane Austin on a regular basis. Any creature as pet I'm having enough trouble typing with a cat walking over my keyboard, I don't want to think what would happen if I added a dragon into the mix. I think I'll stick with my mundane kitties. Plans to be away during SW None at the moment. Even if I personally was gone for a bit, someone in my family would be there to receive anything. And possibly eat it for me if it tasted good. Currently learning This will be the first year I've not been in school since I was about 3. I would love to learn to speak another language, though. I'm torn between something modern and semi-practical like Spanish or French, or going for Ancient Hebrew or Greek to indulge my religion geek. Daemon I ended up as an Independent soul, and of the animals listed, Snow Leopard would definitely be my pick. Huge kitty that I could curl up with without any worries. What's not to love? Patronus Either an otter or a fox. Steampunk, yay or nay I'm not so much into the technology and gears, but there's a part of me that really enjoys the aesthetic. And hey, I wander around in ankle to floor length skirts and fitted shirts all the time, so the fashion can be fun. dried Honeycrisp apples This sounds amazing. I love apples anyway, and I like dried fruit. knitted items I'd prefer in my favorite colors, the cool side of the spectrum. My winter coat is cream with a dark blue lining, if you plan on making hats/scarves/gloves to go with. Gift certificate I don't have much of a preference as to physical or e-mail. I'm planning on moving across country if I can get a job come January, so e-mail might be less likely to get lost. Places for certificates Borders, Barnes and Noble, Target, etc. Food-wise, I'm most likely to use an Olive Garden gift certificate. Candle scents I love the lavender-vanilla scents, and a lot of the ones that smell like baked goods. Florals, I like lavender, as I've mentioned, as well as rose, honeysuckle, lilac, and lily of the valley. I personally prefer either soy or beeswax candles to traditional parafen wax candles. Beeswax candles I love them straight up, no additional scents to hide the delicious beeswax smell. Zuni animal fetishes Not really my thing. Glow in the dark radishes Also not really my thing. Plus, I don't have pierced ears. Cake or Frosting Not really a huge fan of either, unless you're talking carrot cake with cream cheese icing, or cheesecake of some description.