edenssixthday

What is your favorite cookie type? Snickerdoodles! I am a cookie monster. I love all cookies. I've got a soft spot in my heart /s] tummy for Trader Joe's vanilla Joe-Joe's. I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I love Ranger Cookies. I love Thin Mints and Trefoils. I love pretty much any kind of cookie that does not have raisins in it. I also don't like chocolate cookies (although chocolate bits in cookies are just fine). I also don't like gingersnaps. Villainess? I love Villainess, but I have a stash I'm working through right now, although I can always use Ennui Whipped. Are you a Miyazaki fan? Do you have all the films you like, or is your collection missing one? Is there any merchandise you want? Nope Do you wear lip gloss/lip balm? If so, what flavors/scents? All the time, but I have a huge stash I'm trying to use up. Except for the Fresh Sugar lip gloss I mentioned earlier... what is one thing you constantly keep with you that you constantly loose? Actually, one of the things I really like about myself is that I have a distinct sense of order, so I rarely lose anything, even when things are in a state of complete chaos. I hang my car keys up in the same place every day when I come home, for example. I never ever lose my car keys. I always know where my stuff is. My husband, on the other hand, constantly loses his wallet, his sunglasses, his cell phone, and his keyring. I honestly don't understand how that can happen, but I see it happen with a lot of people. I did lose a Fresh Sugar Lip Gloss in Shag over a year ago within a few days of buying it. I never did replace it because I keep hoping it'll pop up somewhere. It made me so sad because it was such a gorgeous color, and to this day I am really baffled as to how it just completely up-and-disappeared. are you into 80s movies (like i am ) if so, which are your favorites and who are your favorite characters? I LOVE '80s movies almost as much as I love new wave '80s music. Favorite '80s movies: PRETTY IN PINK (one of my all-time fave movies EVER), Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, HEATHERS, and even though it came out in '90, I'll add THE LINGUINI INCIDENT (with David Bowie!!! Pure love!!!) because it's my #1 all time favorite movie in the universe! I also loved Real Genius, Jumping Jack Flash, The Christmas Story, The Goonies, Ghostbusters, Dead Poets Society, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, A Room With A View, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Moonstruck, Beetlejuice, Stripes... there are SO MANY!!! One more -- you're going to laugh, but I LOVED Coal Miner's Daughter all because of Patsy Cline in the movie. I heart her, for sure. Favorite Characters: Oh, Duckie and Iona, of course! I also Jake Ryan. Ooooh, and Aiden Quinn in Desperately Seeking Susan. Such beautiful blue eyes... And of course John Cusack's character in everything he ever did. *sigh* ETA: I keep thinking of more great '80s movies that I loved -- Footloose, Flashdance, Back to the Future, National Lampoon's Vacation (and European Vacation and Christmas Vacation), Nine to Five, Splash, Revenge of the Nerds, BETTER OFF DEAD (how could I have forgotten that one?!?!), Say Anything, The Sure Thing, ... Oh man, I really really really miss the '80s. Fruit? Please don't send me fruit. Still, I do love a fresh, juicy mango or pineapple. Otherwise, I'm really not much into fruit. I'd rather eat vegetables. Shall I carry on again about my desperate love for beets? Or I could alternately go on and on about the joy of cabbage, green beans, sugar snap peas, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, parsnips, carrots, and so many other yummy veggies this world has to offer! Would a "gift" donation to one of the organizations/causes you support be a great gift, or a lame gift? Yes, but instead of the generic organizations I listed in my questionnaire, I would love donations to go to either the Kidney Cancer Association or to the Cat Care Society. How do you deal with stress? What's your favorite way to unwind? Hot, decadent bath (never a bubble bath -- don't like those!), followed by laying in my bed (or my hammock if it's nice outside and sunny) with a good book. You're given the opportunity to apprentice at any trade (or craft) of your choosing for the period of one year. Your mentor may be any currently living person. Which field of study would you choose, and who would be your mentor? I would love to mentor under the editor of a big publishing house -- any one will do. How do you feel about clothing/accessories made from animals? Anti-fur, leather, shells, etc.? Does even faux wig you out? Faux does not squick me out -- I have the BEST Elmo-fur coat I wear every winter. I don't mind leather, but I don't like real fur. I think shells are pretty, but I don't want any laying around my house. I am on an origami crane kick recently, so I wonder if anyone will be interested in origami crane earrings, origami crane in a glass vial (~1.2cm wide) phone charm/pendant or just a container filled with cranes of different sizes. This is really neat, but it's not really my style. Which of the seven deadly sins is most likely to be your undoing? Look at my posts in this topic -- they're pretty much all about food. Obviously, gluttony. Who is musically inclined? What instruments (voice counts) do you play? Piano, but I'm without one right now Anyone want a nickname and embroidered headband from PandaBite? It's a cute idea, but they'd give me a nickname like "old fat lady", so no. I have seen a lot of yankee candles haters..... personally i like yankee candle (some of them, anyway). do you or don't you, and if not, what candles do you like? I don't mind them. I have one called Harvest Leaves that I'm about to pull out and start using. But I don't need more candles -- I still haven't finished my autumn candles from last year. DarkCandles?: Actually, I would love to try some tarts from Dark Candles -- the autumn/halloween ones, in particular Are there any musicals you love? Yes, Moulin Rouge. I don't own it! I wouldn't mind if I did... Hint, hint! Somebody should poke my witch and point him/her the way of Blasphemy Scrubs. Those look wonderful! I love scrubs.

Shadowless Like Silence - This is a very dry-leafy scent, with a twist of decay. It's woodsy, too. I think it's very gender-neutral. The throw is low and the staying power is about average on me.

Basic Info Birthday: 6/30/70 Pets: one kitty, two cute Shih Tzu pups Children: No thanks Religious orientation: Christian witchcraft Favorite Holiday: Halloween, of course! Occupation/Major in school: I work in finance. I have an undergrad degree in Writing and for my grad degree I majored in ancient Greek Living arrangement (by yourself, with roommates, etc): I live with my husband and our critters Livejournal/Blog/Website: n/a Organizations/Causes/Activities (Things you belong to or causes you believe in): Kidney Cancer Association, The Cat Care Society BPAL Favorite BPAL oils: Hollywood Babylon, Tamora, Glasgow, Fae, Perversion, Lust v7, Samhain, Chrysanthemum Moon, Snake Charmer, Bon Vivant Favorite notes: rose geranium, sassafras, sandalwood (not white sandalwood), vanilla, bourbon vanilla, vetiver, opium, patchouli, dark myrrh (not light myrrh!), strawberry, red musk, cake, salty/murky/seaweedy aquatics, amber, Egyptian musk, frankincense, blackberry Favorite non-BPAL perfumes: Armani Code for women, LUSH Karma, Arcana Puppy Kisses, Villainess Quick or Dead, LUSH Honey I Washed the Kids, LUSH American Cream, Thierry Mugler Alien, Aquolina Pink Sugar (I already have all of these, but they give an idea of what I like) Least favorite notes: lavender, dirt, earth, rotting anything, linen, mold/mildew (as in Shadwell. Ewww!), dust, black musk, dark musk, chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, burnt sugar, tiger lily, lily of the valley, most florals, actually (but I like rose, rose geranium), fresh-water aquatics, green notes (e.g., grass, dandelion) Least favorite non-BPAL perfumes: Any of the ones that call themselves "fresh" -- they all smell like bug spray to me, e.g. Clinique "Happy" Clothing & Jewelry Hair type: shoulder-length, dry, naturally curly/frizzy. I'm about to cut it short again. Skin Type: light, oily but not acne-prone Allergies (specifically B&B related): n/a Other things to avoid: I have a skin care routing I'm happy with, same with hair care products. I don't have any plans to use anything other than what I already use! I avoid products with parabens and sodium laureth sulfates (with the exception of the occasional Isle of Eden product) Tub, shower or both? Both - but I LOVE baths, the more decadent, the better! Favorite bath & beauty products: SpaTherapy (etsy) - I love all of their products! Bella Lucce's masks and bath products are to die for. Jessicurl hair cleansing/styling products are a staple. I mostly wear MAC cosmetics. I love Villainess and Arcana for soap, scrubs, and perfume. I use Fresh Umbrian Clay (Sephora product) for cleansing my skin almost daily. I'm DYING for a full size of Too Faced's Lash Injection mascara (since all I have is a sample size). Bella Lucce's Starfruit & Banana Butterbath Creme is TO DIE FOR (and I'm all out...boohoo!), I would love more bath creme from Isle of Eden -- so great for shaving! Clothing Style/Fave garments: I have no idea how to describe my sense of style -- one friend called it "conservative", another friend says my style reminds her of Stevie Nicks, another friend said it's kind of "normal funky" (whatever that means!). I do like things that are not typical, and I love to add a splash of creativity and uniqueness to my wardrobe/accessories. I also insist on being comfortable! I guess there's a little preppy bohemian in me, if that's possible. I tend to wear flowing skirts and tops, and don't often wear jeans/t-shirts. I'm definitely not a sneakers and b-ball hat kind of girl. I never wear that stuff unless I'm exercising. Favorite clothing colors/colors to wear: Black, red, blue, purple, hot pink. I wear them as primary colors -- no rose, lilac, or sky blues for me! I'm really picky about patterns. T-shirt size and preference (standard, babydoll, tank, cami, etc): 3x, and I prefer any of those styles, but camis/tanks usually just get worn to bed Type(s) of jewelry worn: rings, earrings, necklaces/pendants -- I wear those every day. I occasionally wear bracelets. I love dangly earrings but don't have many Ring/wrist/collar size: Ring size = 9-10 (depending on the finger), no idea what my wrist size is! I like necklaces that are 17" or longer. Jewelry - gold or silver? always silver Do you have any allergies to metal? no Favorite gemstones: rainbow moonstone, aquamarine, smoky topaz, eudiolite, garnet, peridot, citrine, green amber, and I've been looking for a stone that's a pretty, bright, true red (but not a ruby) Pierced ears, stretched ears, neither? Pierced -- always looking for tiny silver hoops for my upper ear piercings Sock/Shoe Size: Womens size 10 shoes Lifestyle Style/home decoration style: Transitional. We're not stuffy at all since chances are our dogs will puke on the furniture again before week's end. So we can't be stuck-up and stuffy in our decorating/style. We're have more of a comfortable/cozy/lived-in type of transitional style. Favorite decorating colors: cream, toffee brown, brick red, dark olive green, dark gold -- most of the decorating in our house was based off the colors in this poster: http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Bailes-Rusos...rs_i325397_.htm Things you collect: BPAL (of course), organizational items (I love the Container Store!), books, music CDs; I would LOVE to start a collection of vegetable/fruit parchment bowls from Margaret Dorfman. I'd love to have a bunch to display on a shelf. Favorite music: trip-hop, shoegazer, chick music, '80s retro-alternative (Portishead, Jem, Imogen Heap/Frou Frou, Daughter Darling, Sneaker Pimps, One Dove/Dot Allison, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Garbage, Emiliana Torrini, Sara McLachlan, Heather Nova, Kate Bush, Happy Rhodes, Paula Cole, Portishead, Massive Attack, Duran Duran, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Erasure, The Church, Alison Moyet/Yaz, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Tears for Fears, Sinead O'Connor, Berlin, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, etc.) Least favorite music: country, hip-hop, r&b, Dave Matthews Band, REM, Sting, Phil Collins, Coldplay, and Van Morrison Vegetarian/Vegan?: (Please be as specific as possible to reduce confusion!) Nope. Other food restrictions: n/a Favorite flavors: strawberry, vanilla, orange, grape, pomegranate, rose, lavender (yep, I hate it in perfume, but I love it in chocolate!), orange-and-dark-chocolate combos, and foods that are full of strange and exotic spices and non-Western flavors. Favorite foods/drinks: Indian vegetarian samosas, creme brulee, Nehi peach soda, Qdoba's five-cheese nachos, shawarma, a good lemon drop martini, country-friend steak, and a nice piece of chilean sea bass in a lemon-butter-caper sauce. Favorite authors/genres: I love quality literature - Margaret Atwood, Annie Dillard, Madeleine L'Engle, Anne Lamott, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Hardy, Gustave Flaubert, John Irving, Richard Selzer, etc. But I also love vampire/supernatural trash fiction (LOVED the Sookie Stackhouse books, Twilight, the Women of the Otherworld series, etc.), and I'm also getting into quality sci-fi (the kind that makes you think!): Frank Herbert, Orson Scott Card, Mary Doria Russell, also enjoy Neil Gaiman, but otherwise I'm not much into fantasy. Laurie Notaro is my favorite humor writer. Least favorite authors/genres: I hate John Updike and Lyndsay Sands' books. I don't like John Grisham thrillers or The Five People You Meet in Heaven or Da Vinci Code kind of crap. Books/authors you'd like to read, but haven't yet: Actually, I'm looking for suggestions for new authors...got any? How do you feel about receiving gently used books as gifts? I'd LOVE it! I'd even take heavily used, beat-up books as gifts. Favorite stores (including clothing stores): I'm not much of an in-person shopper, but I do love the MAC store, Sephora, and LUSH. Would love some work clothes from Talbots. Favorite online stores (including B&B stores): MAC, Sephora, LUSH, Villainess, Magical Omaha (mostly for the Arcana products), Sur La Table, The Container Store Magazines you subscribe to: Martha Stewart's Living, Better Homes & Gardens Magazines you like, but don't subscribe to: Christianity Today, Biblical Archaeology Review Favorite movies: The Linguini Incident, Harold & Maude, Muriel's Wedding, Pretty in Pink, A Room With a View, Priscilla Queen of the Desert Favorite TV show(s): Twin Peaks, Arrested Development, Dexter, True Blood, The Amazing Race, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Firefly, Grey's Anatomy Hobbies/crafts done: I'm not much into crafts. I do enjoy playing with my B&B products, reading, making attempts at photography, and traveling (the more exotic/non-Western the locale, the happier I am) Wishlists BPAL Wish List (including SW/SF Help): http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=12...p;&do=findComment&comment=1503995 Other website Wish lists (amazon.com, etsy.com, etc): Amazon = http://amzn.com/w/JT368EFE63BX (can also be found using my old email address srthatch@comcast.net) Bookmooch = http://www.bookmooch.com/m/bio/edenssixthday Etsy - I don't have a w/l on etsy right now, but my favorite sellers are SpaTherapy and Stardust. I'd love ANYTHING by either of them. Random Questions: - On a scale of 1-5, how organized are you? I'd say I'm a 3.5 or 4 (with 5 being the most organized). I'm more organized at work (4.5) since I'm paid to keep me and my boss organized. - Where, outside of the U.S. would you love to visit? (if you're international, this can be anywhere) Turkey. I'd love to do a river cruise of Eastern Europe. India. Greece. Afghanistan. Lebanon. Cyprus. I'd love to go back to a few places like Israel, Scotland, Switzerland, Central America. - Do people tell you that you act older, younger, or your age? Younger, definitely. I'm very immature! - Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yes. Once. In the dark in the Rio Grande with my sister and her dog Jesus. It was great until I got scared by "alien" flashing lights in the super-rural area we were in. - Do you wear pajamas to places other than at your house? I did when I was at Burning Man a few years back. Other than that, I just *wish* I could. - Your least favorite feature about yourself: My fat. I've named it Mavis. - Do you live in a neighborhood or in the middle of nowhere? I have the joy of living in a nice suburban neighborhood 1/2 block away from thousands upon thousands of acres of open space that overlooks the Rocky Mountain Front Range. I see amazing views every day and hear the coyotes and find deer hoofprints in the snow in my front yard in the winter. Yet I'm also close to a Container Store, Home Depot, and Sonic. I love it! - Do you like to shop? YES! If I had the money, there's not much out there I wouldn't buy. - If you were a shoe, what would you be and why? I'd be a Fluevog because they're unique and they manage to combine eccentricity with class, and they're expensive - If you were on death row, what would you request for your last meal? The charred black soul of my executioner - They're making a bio-pic based on your life. Who's portraying you? Toni Collette, who played Muriel in "Muriel's Wedding" - If Beth made a custom blend for you, what would the notes be, and what would you want the label art to look like? It would be Frankincense, Myrrh, Amber, Egyptian Musk and a hint of Tangerine and the label art would be something exotic and Middle Eastern. And shiny. - Sunrise or sunset? Sunset - Has a stranger ever told you that you did something really well? What was it? Yes. I've had strangers tell me I'm a good writer. I got a job in college as a writing tutor that way after a stranger heard me at a reading. - Do you like garage sales (boot sales)? Not really. I don't need more junk in my house. I need have a garage sale to get rid of my junk, but I don't like throwing the garage sale, either. So much work! - Something that you never buy for yourself, but you’d love to have: A bottle of Agatha Bois Carnival Wax perfume in Druglord; A Margaret Dorfman parchment bowl (I love the "purple" potato, scallion, watermelon, and well, all of them!); Also, anything from Isle of Eden. - I like to slather my food in …: Queso and green chile - State fairs or carnivals? Depends what state! I'd take the Minnesota State Fair over just about anything. Here in Colorado the State Fair sucks, so I'll choose the carnival. Plus, carnivals have that creep-factor, which is always kind of fun. - Do you like to splash in puddles after it rains? Did the thought make you smile? Yes! I love splashing in puddles WHILE it rains! But not if I'm wearing my work shoes. Notes (Here's where you can add additional information you'd like your Switch Witch to know!): I'm not in this for the gettin', I love the being a witch part more than anything. Of course I enjoy the getting part, but that's not why I do this, so don't stress yourself out if my answers are vague or you don't have enough details about who I am and what I'm about. Also, I love soap. Good, high-quality soap...but not Villainess, please. Mmm...soap. Also, I'm a huge fan of Starbucks. I love their green tea lattes and pumpkin spice lattes. Mmm!

The Little Sparrow - The scent of this took me right back to the 1970s. It smells exactly like a hairspray my mom used to use way back when. I was hoping for some sandalwood loveliness, but my skin chemistry is doing crazy things to this one. Oh well, you win some and you lose some.

Carlin - This is a very dark, heavy, green scent. It's not as heavy as winter holly and mistletoe type scents, but it's not as bright as summertime grass and dandelion scents. It's got a dark, deep, and almost murky feel to it. It's actually one of the nicer "green" scents I've encountered, but it's still too green for me.

A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove. Lambs-Wool - This smells like a sweet and very spicy apple cider, but it's more apple-y than cider-y, if that makes sense at all. The nutmeg in this is particularly strong. I don't smell the milky note others are getting. It starts out smelling like an autumn potpourri, but the longer it's on my skin, the more complex and pretty it gets. People who love apples and spices are going to really like this one!

Bite Me - This opens up with the sharp, overwhelming bite of almond. As soon as it dries down, the almond disappears and what's left is a very subtle, faint scent that smells entirely of caramel. I don't like to eat caramel and I don't like to smell like caramel. I feel like it smells a bit wonky on me, too, but it turns turn rancid as it does in most other caramel blends. Still, this one just isn't for me. I'll bet caramel foody-lovers could really enjoy it!

Lord Ruthven - This is a strong aquatic cologne scent. It starts off fairly pungent and the blood note gives it a tang that's sort of "off" with the cologne and leather, but as the scent dries down, it turns into a really lovely masculine aquatic and leather scent. It layers quite nicely with Villainess Pearl Diver, by the way! I could definitely see this smelling fantastic on the right guy. It had great wear length, really sticks to the skin even after a shower, and the sillage is quite strong.

Feeding The Dead - This opens up with a definite warm, foody cake and yeasty beer scent. It's kind of nice, but kind of weird. And then it dries down into the most gorgeous, warm, dry incense scent. I keep catching wafts of it and I'm truly in love. I would also love for my man to smell like this. I can't even begin to put into words how surprised I am by this one and how much I love it.

Knock-A-Dolly - I had almost the exact opposite experience of the first reviewer! To me, this is all cinnamon sugar and very little to no Samhain. I'm quite disappointed, as I love Samhain to bits and pieces. This cinnamon sugar scent is nice, but not what I want my house to smell like.

The Last Squished Jellybean - Licorice jellybeans are my favorite! This is definitely a sugar- and gel-laden black licorice jellybean. I also smell something slightly minty in it, too. In a way, it kind of reminds me of the GC Absinthe (but it's definitely not a dupe -- just has some similar qualities). I'm so excited to have this. I love smelling like black licorice and sugar. Delicious!

Lucy, Kissed - This is a heavy, dark, red musk scent. The red musk definitely dominates, but it's deepened and thickened by the other dark notes in this blend. There's a very raw and earthy feel about this blend, almost primal. It's a fascinating scent, certain to get better with age, and likely to be loved by those who enjoy red musk and dark, sinister scents.

Pumpkin IV (2009) - Black musk is one of my death notes, so I didn't have high hopes for this blend, despite loving myrrh and clove. On my skin, I don't smell the pumpkin at all. From the very beginning it's all stinky black musk with the kick of spicy clove. It's got some amazing throw, too. I wish I wore black musk better! I wish I could smell the rest of this, but I just can't get past that musk. So sad!

Pumpkin I (2009) - The honey is so lovely with the pumpkin note! The almond doesn't bite me in the nose the way most almond blends do. It's so well-balanced and just lovely. The musk brings a depth and warmth to it that compliment the golden warmth of the pumpkin, honey, and almond. I smell the faintest trace of spice, too. Someone said this smells like a honey spice cookie. Make that a honey spice pumpkin cookie, and I agree! This is a really lovely Pumpkin Patch blend. But like most of the other PP's this season, it disappears off my skin within minutes.

Pumpkin II (2009) - Mmm.... buttery, warm, rich, sweet pumpkin and the scent of deep, dry woods and leaves. Tea rose, red sandalwood, and rosewood can all be such sharp, pungent notes, but the pumpkin really balances them out to create a unique and lovely fragrance. The only problem is that after only 10 minutes on my skin, this dries down to a soft pumpkin and dirt scent, which just doesn't work for me at all.

Pupkin III (2009) - This one opened with a blast of sweet, warm, buttery pumpkin, followed quickly by the weird and lovely aromas of rosemary and tomato with a hint of evergreen behind them. It was a really unique, herbal type scent until five minutes later, when it disappeared with the exception of a soft hint of earthy pumpkin on my skin.

Countess Dolingen of Gratz - On me, this is a fresh, wintery blast of ozone. Even an hour after it dries down, the ozone is still what I smell wafting around me, but when I sniff my skin up close, I can detect a slight hint of woods. It's actually a really nice ozone scent and I do like it.

Clarimonde - GORGEOUS!!! Based on the scent description, I didn't think it was going to be anything special, but it's stunning. I actually didn't pick up rose from this at all -- if there's rose in it, it's not the typical BPAL rose. It smells more like Egyptian musk than skin musk, too. It's rich and warm and wow, I'm still just amazed to read there are roses in this. I wouldn't be surprised to find out if there's some amber in it, too. Just lovely, truly stunning.

What's your favorite product(s) at Trader Joe's? We don't have TJ's in Colorado! I know... it's practically criminal that TJ's hasn't come here! Do you have any idea how hard it is to live somewhere with TJ's in town and then to move to a new place and spent the next 10 years without a TJ's for a thousand miles around??? Okay, my favorite TJ's items that I try to pick up whenever I'm near a TJs: ~ Vanilla Joe-Joe's. (vanilla cookie with vanilla bean filling). No chocolate Joe-Joe's, please! I have a total of 3 stale vanilla Joe-Joe's in a ziploc bag in my cupboard because I failed at hitting up TJ's when I was in LA in July. I need Joe-Joe's!!! ~TJ's 500mg peppermint chewable melatonin. Do you know that at the Whole Foods around here, I can't find less than 2 or 3mg melatonin? It's stupid when TJ's has 1/2 mg melatonin for only $4 for 100 tabletss! ~TJ's Roasted Pepitas. There's nothing quite like them anywhere. Fortunately, I'm stocked up on them right now, so I don't need any, but seriously, if you live near a TJ's and you haven't tried their roasted pepitas, get some and toss a few in a salad. They're sooo good! ~TJ's dried fruit bars -- they're like fruit roll-ups done TJ's style. I love all the flavors. They're so yummy. ~TJ's chili-pineapple in the dried fruits section. Mmmm...delish! There's pretty much nothing from TJ's that I don't love. I really wish they'd open a store in Colorado! It's no fair that they won't come here. Also, who mentioned Pad Thai? Now I'm craving it. Have you noticed most of my posts are about food? I must be really hungry. All the time. what's autumn like in your neck of the woods? what do you love and/or hate about it? I love early- to mid-Autumn weather in Colorado. I love the warm sun and cool air. I love the changing colors of the trees. I love being able to hang out in my hammock and read while snuggled under a blanket. I especially love it when my nephew and dogs join me, although we don't get much reading done in that instance. I love taking walks through the mountains or the plains during this gorgeous Autumn weather. What I don't like is that even though the leaves do change color here, we don't get a lot of variety in fall colors and we don't get much in the way of the extremely bright, vivid colors like you get in Minnesota/Wisconsin or New England. If you drive into the mountains for a lovely fall day, you'll mostly see evergreens and golden aspens and not much else in the way of pretty colors. Some people love it, but I miss the oranges and bright yellows and golds and crimsons and cinnamon colors you see in other places. Plus, I don't like that it can be gorgeous here on the plains, but if you drive into the mountains for a drive to see the pretty fall colors, you may just end up getting snowed on instead. It's happened to me a few times. So that's what I love/dislike about fall here. There you go. Now you know. Is there a store that you love which does not have a location near you (but that has a physical presence somewhere, not just online? Why do you love it so much? Aside from the aforementioned Trader Joe's, my favorite store that is 1,000 miles away is Halloweentown in Burbank, CA. I could spend hours and hours and thousands of dollars in that store. It is so much fun! I especially love their jewelry, the raven necklaces in particular and the hearse earrings. Most looking forward to in teh Weenies? I've sniffed them all since I ran a decant group, but I haven't tried them all yet. I'm especially looking forward to layering Suck It with Lick It. They're both sitting on my desk waiting for Sarah to wear off my skin so I can try them together. Sadly, Boo goes wonky on my skin, so I'm really looking forward to trying it in my oil burner. Also, I had no idea about the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movie. Where do you guys find out about this stuff? I'm always so behind the times. What mythical or fantastic race of creatures (dragons, unicorns, griffins, elves, dwarves, faeries, etc.) do you most identify with, and why? I've never thought about this. I'm really not much into fantasy, but I do LOVE cheezeball unicorns and squished fairies. How do you feel about Dia de los Muertos? Are you interested in sugar skulls? Catrina (or other) skeleton figurines? I would love DDLM stuff! A friend made a sugar skull for me 3 years ago to put out for my precious kitty Wayne, who passed away a month prior. When she gave it to me, I cried. It meant so much. I lost two relatives this year (my aunt and my grandfather), so sugar skulls in honor of them would be very touching and really wonderful...but not required since I hadn't even thought about it before now. Do you have a favorite poem or poet? For the most part, I actually don't enjoy poetry. However, there are a few poets out there that I like: Rilke, Rumi, Sharon Olds, Galway Kinnell, and my sister's poetry, which kicks some serious @$$. I don't know why I never got into poetry, but unless it's song lyrics, I don't usually "get it" in that to me, poetry is rarely emotional/moving/meaningful. Super villain or vigilante? If you're going to put one in a box, I'll take the super villain. I think it would be so much fun to Rob banks and art museums and threaten the destruction of the entire universe. I couldn't imagine being a vigilante about anyone or anything...unless someone hurt my dogs. Then I'd definitely want to be the hand of justice. If your witch were to either write something for you or put together a collection of ghost stories, would you rather have it in writing, recorded as an oral telling, or both? I don't know if I know any. Shame on me! I think I just lost goth points. Oh wait... I never had any! Also, I would freaking LOVE an oral telling of as many ghost stories or any creepy stories. That would rock! If you had the funds to commission an original painting for yourself, what would it be of? I would commission something by Susan Faye. I love the Halloween-themed designs she has up right now. Her custom portraits are just so whimsical and wonderful. They all make me so super happy! one of those with me and my husband and our gray kitty and our b&w corn dogs would be so wonderful! She did this custom portrait of my friend Maz and her kitties, and I just love it to bits and pieces. Pirates or Ninjas: Vampires. Or scary nuns. Lolcats....yeah or nay? Oh yes. They're hilarious! Would you like to receive something of this nature (sweet diva boxes) from your witch? Probably not. Are there any Gods, Goddess, or other mythological figures of whom you're particularly fond? I'm not particularly drawn to any specific gods, goddesses, mythological figures, but I am fascinated by all of them. I purchased The Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods, & Goddesses last spring, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. I read through an entry or two every night before bed and I am learning so much! I am really interested in all of them and the cultures behind them. Does anyone have any symbols they consider to be personally significant or talismanic? The triquetra. Like this piece I have on my back:

The Last Rose of Summer - This is a lovely scent, full of many of my favorite notes. It's hard to say if the sandalwood, the orris, or the frankincense is the dominant note -- they all seem to be in the forefront with the rose not far behind them. It's a very dry, floral scent, kind of in the way tea rose is a dry rose (but it's not tea-rosy at all). Okay, I was going to try to pass this on, but the more I wear it, the more I'm drawn to it. I think with the frank and orris and patch, it'll age quite nicely, too.

Julie Stone - Hey, wait! There's no rotting mold in here! This is linen and cucumber...or something green and squishy. It's actually kind of nice! Not at all what I was expecting.

Suck It - I was super excited about this scent, and it turns out it's every bit as wonderful as I hoped. It's sweet, sugary, maraschino cherries and booze. Mmmm! Also, it really does layer gorgeously well with Lick It. Sadly, it lasts on my skin for 5 minutes. Literally. After 5 minutes on my skin, there's not a trace left. I've tried it several times, and no matter how much I slather, it disappears instantly. There's nothing in the scent that grounds it to my skin. However, it's just too yummilicious (especially layered with Lick It) not to wear in a scent locket or use it in my burner. I'm glad I got a bottle and I'm keeping it!

Cristina - I tried this on without reading the ingredient list, and was surprised at how foody it is. I had it in my head that it was going to be an ethereal floral...and it is, but it's foody, too. And now I know why -- chestnuts! It's definitely the scent of warm, roasted chestnuts. I wish I smelled the juniper berries in there, too, as I think those two notes would go together super well, but I can't smell the berries for the life of me. Behind the scent of warm, roasted chestnuts is the ethereal musky-floral blend I was anticipating from this one. It's actually a really lovely blend. I can't normally wear foody scents, but this one works on me. I'm surprised at how much I like it. After drydown, the throw is pretty weak, though, and the wear length is fairly short.

Dearest Witch: I'm putting my SW thread answers (so far) here for your benefit. Also, I'll be updating my questionnaire with more helpful info. Or at least I'll try to. Are you interested in things like home remedies for ailments, cleaning solutions, etc.? Yes. I prefer using all-natural, non-toxic, bio-friendly products for just about everything, if possible. If you do any kind of craft, could you use supplies? What kind? knitting needles, yarn, amazing fabric, pinking shears, cool thimbles or pincushins, jewelery making supplies, beads, etc.? I'm so non-crafty! No supplies needed...unless you want to send me pipettes for decanting BPAL! What's your favorite pain-relief remedy or ritual? Depends what it is. For medical reasons, I have a really hard swallowing pills, so Advil and Tylenol are usually out (unless they're in liquid form). I find a hot bath, sleep, and a heating pad along with exercise/stretching/yoga for body aches/pains will work on most things. Do sounds make you happy? What ambient noises make you smile? Windchimes and the sound of rolling waves -- my favorite two sounds in the world. Even better when they're together. Also the sound of my puppies as they ran down the hallway. It sounds like a herd of wild Shih Tzu elephants, but their happy noises make me soooo happy! When you receive your SW packages...do you like receiving things that are individually wrapped inside? or unwrapped? or both? I kind of prefer when people use less wrapping products -- it's better for the environment. Of course, we're all going to be grateful no matter what our witches give us, but for the record, what is your anti-present? Tell us something that you think your future witch might give you that you absolutely, unequivocally DO. NOT. WANT. I really don't want tea. I have so much tea that people gift me, and I don't drink most of it because I'm really extra-super picky about my tea. Please don't send me tea. Or socks -- I don't want socks. Also, I don't want anything with caramel in it. Caramel is soooo grossss!!! What BPAL scent have you never tried but always wanted to? What scent have you tried and LOVED, and haven't been able to get more of and why? See my wishlist. The ones with asterisks (*) are the ones I haven't tried and desperately want to because they're impossible to find! The one I loved and can't find more of beyond the few drops I got is Three Jacks. I love it so much. I know we're all scent sensitive here. What are your favorite non-perfume smells? Day in the life stuff? Restaurant smells -- when you walk by a restaurant and want to walk in because the smell coming out of it is so yummy. Also, there's a store here in town that always burns incense, and when I walk by it, it smells awesome. I love the smell of a snowy winter morning and I love the smell of the ocean, particularly in the morning or late at night. The scent of my freshly-bathed dogs. I love kissing their little clean and powder-fresh furry faces! Coffee drinkers, what types of beans to you like? Kona, Sumatra, Kenya..etc. How do you like them roasted? Do you like flavors, such as hazelnut, vanilla, etc. in your coffee? I am not picky about the type of bean. I prefer light-roast coffee. However, I don't have a coffee maker at home, so I don't want to receive coffee unless it's a Starbucks GC. Who has a birthday falling in this round? Not me! For those of us who like chocolate, do you like anything /in/ your chocolate, like fruit, nuts, or for the more daring among us, chilies? I like cherries, chilis, and orange/orange peel in my chocolate. I really like unique chocolates with things like beets, bacon, and saffron in the chocolate. I only eat dark chocolate, and the more exotic, the better. Vosges is an excellent brand of chocolate. Are there any childhood shows/movies/games/books/etc. that still hold a really special place in your heart? Books I'd love to read again: Beat the Turtle Drum, The Gammage Cup, Those Miller Girls, the entire Little House on the Prairie series Books I have read again: A Diamond in the Window, How the Red Fern Grows, The Bridge to Terabithia Movies from childhood that I love: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz Super power? My first answer was that I want to be invisible. But really, I've been thinking about it and I want to be immortal. It drives me crazy that I won't get to see what the world's like in 100 years, 200 years, etc. I really want to stick around forever. If I send you whole spices or coffee beans, would you be able to grind them or would you prefer them preground for your convenience? Pre-ground spices. Please don't send coffee. For the tea and coffee drinkers: Opinion on tea- and/or coffee-related accessories/etc? (Teaware, sugar crystals, infusers, tea chests, etc) Accessories sound like fun! Yes, please! Especially things like artisan rock sugars and honey sticks (I really want to try blackberry honey sticks, lavender-infused honey sticks, and other flavors of honey sticks. Mmmm!) How do you take your coffee (or tea)? Black or with cream and/or sugar? I like my coffee like I like my men: white, sweet, and creamy. Ha ha ha ha ha! Restaurants you'd like a gift certificate to on Restaurant.com? Bonefish Grill, Mimi's Cafe, P.F. Changs, Pei Wei In your perfect world it is chocolate and...? In my perfect world, it's vanilla. It's chocolate only if there's no vanilla. How do you scent your home: tarts, reed diffusers, BPAL, candles? Yes, all of the above. Nene's Kitchen Melts are the wax tarts I prefer. They're amazing! I love WoodWicks candles. I have yet to find a reed diffuser that works really well. What's your favorite dessert treat? Ice cream? Cake? Pie? Fudge brownie cake with pie flavored ice cream on top? Cake. White cake with white frosting. LOTS of white frosting. I don't eat chocolate cake and I rarely eat brownies or fudge. Too chocolatey. Do you believe we control our destiny, or does our destiny control us? Both. What one thing that is missing from your life would you like to have above all else? Skinniness What was your favouritest job ever, and why? The job where I've been working for the past 8 years. I love it because the work stays interesting, I'm continually challenged, I am respected, I have responsibility, I have a great boss, my coworkers are fun/intelligent/competent/capable and we're all friends, we've got a fully stocked kitchen for breakfast and lunch daily, and in highly profitable years they take us on fun trips to Mexico. What isn't there to love? Which three albums would you take to your apocalypse bolt hole and how would you power the generator? Three albums: Hounds of Love by Kate Bush, Finally Woken by Jem, Us by Peter Gabriel (if I could take four, I'd bring The Joshua Tree by U2) Powering the generator: I'd rely on my husband to do it What GC scent have you been putting off getting since it'll "always be there"? New Orleans Any cooks? Could you use anything cooking related? Aprons? Cookbooks? Measuring Cups? Recipes? Herb/Spice containers? Fancy Spices? Dish Towels? Cocktail napkins? Amazing Beaded Pot Holders? (like from our very own Pottersville! ) Something else? I can always use the cookbooks I have on my amazon wishlist. I love holiday-themed dish towels and kitchen decorations. I love fancy spices! Are you an avid reader? What's your favorite book/series? Yes. I'm reading all the time. I generally read about 2-3 books a week. I'm currently reading the Ender series by Scott Orson Card and loving it. Most recently, I read the Sookie Stackhouse books and loved them. I also am enjoying the Women of the Otherworld series. I love quality literature, but I also love trash fiction. I'm not snobby about literature. I have nothing to prove to anyone. What's your favorite candy to stock up on at Halloween? Runts. What are your phobias? Oh, I have so many! I won't swim water where I can't see the bottom in case of shark or pirahna attack. Yes, seriously. I hate driving through tunnels or over bridges. I can't stand getting stuck in traffic beneath a bridge. I'm claustrophobic, especially in broken elevators and mazes of any kind. What is your favourite flower (or plant)? I love all pretty flowers, but I'm particularly fond of the bleeding heart. Duct tape purses and wallets and things are pretty darned cool. Who else thinks so? I think they're very cool, but I don't want any. An anonymous benefactor gives you $500 (or an equivalent amount of money in your currency of choice) with the following stipulations. You must spend all of it within a week: any money left unspent must be returned. You must spend at least half of the money on yourself. You may not use it to pay off debts or bills of any kind. What do you do with the money? I buy a nice, fancy new purse and shoes. If there's any leftover, I'll go to lunch when I'm done shopping. Then I'll buy my dogs a new toy or two. Who likes coloring books? Not me Do you have a Good Reads profile? If so, make with the link! If you don't have one, go make one! http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1349972 You're in the kitchen at the end of a pay period and groceries are pretty scarce. Do you take the five ingredients you find first and make something fabulous, or do you order take out? Well, that's not been a problem in years. back when I was in college, I'd eat whatever I had and make something not-so-fabulous. Now, I'd just order delivery and put it on the credit card. If you could decorate/redecorate any 1 room in your home, what would it be and how would you decorate it? My basement family room. I don't know what I'd do, which is why we haven't done much. Now, if I could remodel any room, it would be our kitchen/dining room area because it's such a small area and we'd like to make it more functional. Any rabid sports fans out there? What teams do you root for? I'm a rabid fan of the Puppy Bowl! What's your favorite animal? (You can have more than one.) PUPPIES! KITTIES!!! This is how the world ends... zombie apocalypse, robot uprising, alien invasion, return of the elder gods... which doomsday scenario do you prefer (or make your own!)? Alien invasion, of course. Or maybe some horrible disease. Or a giant meteor. I'm a huge fan of cheezy disaster movies (especially the cheeziest made-for-t.v. disaster movies), and kind of would love to see ALL of them happen at once: massive earthquakes, meteor destruction, supervolcano explosions, instant ice-age, and bugs that eat everything. In the year 2525... if man is still alive... what sort of future do you imagine? (apologies to anyone who gets that song stuck in their head!) Let's see... I'll be 55, and life will be good because I will have FINALLY paid off my student loans! Do you believe in magic (or magick, if you prefer)? What does it mean to you? I can't really answer this without a long essay, but yes, it's very important to me. If you found the puzzle box from Hellraiser, what would you do with it? ( and would you be able to resist playing with it? ) I have no idea what this means. Do you like pinup art/images? No. Definitely not. What are your plans for Halloween? Have you made any yet? Do you have any traditions? Was hoping to go to New Orleans to visit friends and party on Halloween (and go to the Anne Rice Vampire Ball!), but lack of vacation funds is keeping us home. I don't think we'll do much -- decorate the house, dress up, hand out candy. Who are your BPAL forum buddies? You know, people I could conspire with to Witch you! alicia_stardust, moonminx, schackjj, honeycat, filigree_shadow, karen What is your favorite color? I don't really discriminate. I love all colors. Currently, I'm a little partial to red -- dark, brick red. For clothing, I lean toward primary colors. For decorating, I like muted colors, neutrals and earthtones with a splash of red. Any other steampunk fans/lovers? I'm so sick of steampunk Describe your ideal picnic lunch. Where would you go? Who (if anyone, and yes there can be multiple people) would accompany you? What sort of food would you take? And, of course, if a picnic lunch sounds like a horrible idea, feel free to say so! I'd go to Chataqua Park in Boulder and bring my husband and dogs. Knowing us, we'd talk in advance of preparing a fun homemade picnic lunch, but in the end, we'd probably just drive through KFC and bring it with us. Any Gamers here? What kind? Board games? RPG? Miniature? MMORPG? I'm not remotely a gamer and have no interest in becoming one. Is anyone playing this round of SW into ABJ? (asian ball jointed dolls) I have no idea what this is and don't want to know. What is your favorite Halloween icon? I don't have a favorite icon unless you're talking about avatar-icons, in which case, it's my batty bat! Oh, and two-headed babies. Imagine that you're given a shoebox-sized time capsule, and you are asked to put any number of items in the box that symbolize who you are. The items can be may be anything you can imagine, and money is no object, but they must fit within the box. Which items do you choose?I'd fill it up with photos. My family, friends, dogs, places I've traveled, etc. pretty much reveal who I am. Are you involved in any long-term, ambitious project? something like decorating your house or saving for a trip to the other end of the world, for example. Saving money for a trip for my 40th birthday next year. Favorite kind or take out kinda burger? Whats your burger preference? Veggie,meat or ???? In-N-Out! If there's not an In-N-Out around, then Smashburger. Otherwise, I don't really eat burgers. Whats your favorite childhood toy? Whatever I could find in the fields outside -- sticks, ladybugs, tadpoles, crickets. Or books. I tended to spend a lot of time reading books. And making mud pies. If you have a pet, what kind of gifts would be good for them? Beggin' Strips, Pupperoni, any sort of dog cookie, and fluffy, plush squeaky toys or rope toys for small/medium-sized dogs. Do you Tweet? What is your Twitter name? n/a Are you on Ravelry? What is your Ravelry name? n/a What are everyone's favorite Halloween-y/Autumn-y/spooky movies? Honestly, I have no idea. Most spooky movies are pretty hokey. There aren't many I've found that are actually scary. Are there any you don't own but would like to? I just finished reading "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and would love to see the film. I've never seen some of the classics like The Exorcist and Poltergeist and Halloween. I'd love to see those. I've also never seen any Stephen King movies except for Misery, so that's something I'd enjoy, too. Are roasted pumpkin seeds and home made chex mix the best fall snack foods, or what? Don't like chex mix unless there is spicy chili, etc. involved, but I LOVE Trader Joe's Roasted Pepitas. They're the best things EVER! Whats your favorite pie, my dear SW's? Coconut cream pie, rhubarb-strawberry, and that awesome peppermint mousse pie that Village Inn bakes during holiday season What kinda socks ar you wearing tonight? I don't really wear socks unless I've just put a ton of lotion on my feet. Do you like socks? Blankets? Wrist warmers? Arm warmers? Headband? Shawl? Or what kind of knitted thing would you love the most? I love blankets. LOVE 'EM. I don't like socks or arm/wrist warmers or headbands. I love shawls. I would love a knitted shawl or warm winter fingergless (or half-finger) gloves. How do you feel about ghost stories? Do you like to tell the old tales around a campfire? Read true accounts on the web way past your bedtime? Do you like to pick up a good anthology of Poe stories on a blustery day? Or is all that too scary for you? I love ghost stories, but I find I don't have much time for them. I recently read Something Wicked This Way Comes and LOVED IT. So creepy! Who here is LOVING Warehouse 13? What is this??? Nother question! Coffee or Tea? For gifts, neither really. Sorry. I'm just too picky about my tea and I don't have a coffee maker! Interested in locally produced products? Food, skincare or both? Olive oil? Lavender oils or soaps? Yes, I love locally produced stuff. I don't like lavender scented items (unless it's food, like lavender-infused honey or chocolate). I love local food, skincare, b&b, etc. Does anyone in here wear a lot of dangly earrings or collect pendants of all kinds?? How about hair clips or pony tail band things? I collect jewelry -- I have tons of earrings and pendants/necklaces. I prefer matching sets. I don't like other people to give me stuff for my hair b/c I'm too picky. What is your favourite historical period? 1st century Palestine What other hot beverages everyone likes for fall? Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, FTW!!! Oregon Chai, marzipan cocoa (or any sort of gourmet cocoa) Did you order anything from the most recent update? Yep, I couldn't run a decant group, so I got decants of everything I wanted. I'd already tried most of it and knew what I was to like/not like. Hideous Heart = YUM! Vampires or Werewolves? Or some other monster? I like both, but prefer vampires, especially cheezy vampires What sort of odd or regional foods do you crave? crawfish etouffe (NOLA), beignets (NOLA), ketchup chips (Canada), beet chips (TN?), fried cheese curds (MN/WI), It's-It (San Francisco), local honeys, local candies, anything from Mike's Pastries in Boston, and just about anything from other countries that you don't typically find in the U.S. Oh, also -- and this is IMPORTANT!!! I don't have a Trader Joe's in my state or any of the surrounding states! I know, it's a CRIME!!! If you have a TJ's near you, I would DIE for some vanilla Joe-Joe's. They are absolutely my #1 favorite cookie in the world. Whenever I travel, I make sure to stop at a TJ's and I make sure my luggage is big enough to bring 2-4 boxes home with me. Also, TJ's has this 500 mg peppermint-flavored melatonin. I love that stuff. I can't find anything less than 2-3 mg melatonin here, but TJ's 500 mg melatonin is all I need. So I stock up that, too, when I travel. I also like their dried fruit bars (like fruit roll-ups, but TJ's brand -- any flavor). I currently have 3 Joe-Joe's left (not boxes, but a total of 3 cookies, and they're stale. So this is something I would DEARLY love! ETA: No, I do not have a Blu-Ray player, but if you want to buy me one, my husband would be so happy he might want to marry you. I forgot to mention that one thing I love are foo dogs in small statue form (anything from really small to ~10" tall) or on stationary or foo dog stickers or foo dog patterned cloth or anything that has to do with the Chinese foo dog. My husband loves foo dogs, too. They remind us of our cute little spoiled little Shih Tzus. Actually, I would LOVE Foo Dog stationary or note cards. I also love things that are wacky, goofy, and make people laugh. A good example would be this knitted chicken hat (http://alohamedia.net/otherweb/chicken-viking-hat.jpg). I have wanted one of these for several years, even though it would give me the worst hat-head. I'm dying for one of these! Same with flavors -- I love to taste things that aren't typical -- like rose pastilles or violet mints or lavender chocolate. Those are all sweet things, but they give you an idea. I am one of those "I'll try anything once" people and if you sent me fried cicadas or chocolate-covered crickets, I'd probably try them because I just love to try novelty foods that are weird and wacky and sometimes, they're really delicious. Not that I WANT chocolate-covered insects...I'm just saying that to show how much I like trying novelty foods. Could you use a 'travel' imp case? How many should it hold? Not really. I use a small tin or just let them float around in my purse or pocket. Or in a pinch, I tuck it into my bra. Then again, maybe a nicely-lined case would work better for me than the brassiere method. As a witchee, would you prefer to have many little packages sent to you throughout the round with a not-so-big final package or fewer things throughout the round with one huge final package to seal the sweetness? Okay, I'd be happy with anything, but really, I think many little package would be great. That's what I love to do for my witchee, too...unless she prefers the one big package. Perfect evening at home: My perfect evening at home would involve my husband going out with his friends (since I NEVER have "alone time"), and me curling up with the dogs, a good book, some Chinese delivery, and as long as I'm dreaming....a big white-on-white cake. It's the simple things in life! How often do I update my bpal w/l? I update my BPAL wishlist semi-regularly. It is currently updated, though, as are my MUA wishlist (user name: edenssixthday), my bookmooch wishlist (user name: edenssixthday), and my amazon wishlist (email address srthatch at comcast dot net). Favorite candy: My favorite candy is Runts. It's not exotic or exciting or unique, but I LOVE me some Runts! Pretty much anything that's sugary and fruity, like SweetTarts and Spree and Smarties. I don't eat them often, but I really love them. I also love really good quality chocolate truffles -- like you find at Moonstruck Chocolates (www.moonstruckchocolate.com). I just don't like anything with caramel. Do you mind receiving used (in good condition, of course) CDs or DVDs? Not at all, as long as they work well and don't skip! I think it's best to buy used -- reuse and recycle and all that. what's your stance on cranberries? Mmmm... I make the most awesome "drunken cranberries" recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas (involving Grand Marnier...so yummy!). Anyway, I like cranberries when they're somehow involved with sugar. Non-sugary cranberries are too tart. I love the color cranberry, too. It's a lovely shade of red. Do you have a crush on anyone famous? Do you have a crush on any literary characters? Would you like fanfiction or fan art based on this/these people? I do have crushes, but since I don't want fanfic or art or tchotchkes or anything based on them, I'm not going to divulge. Plus, a couple would be embarrassing. Except for Eric.... mmmm.... Eric Northman. You're at home, or out, and you want a snack. Something that will get you through to the next meal, or through to the end of school or what ever. What do you grab? If I'm at home, I generally grab a Power Crunch Bar. If I'm out, I either go hungry, or I splurge. I have never been known to stop at the market and pick up a bag of carrots to get me through to the next meal. I'd rather get a bean burrito from Taco Bell. (I freaking LOVE those nasty little things -- with 3 packs of mild sauce) or I go to Starbucks and get a piadini or a piece of coffee cake. This inability to snack healthily is one of the reasons I have so much trouble losing weight. Also, dear Witch, I have so far failed to mention that in addition to my absurd love for beets and sugar (and sugar beets), I loooove anything pumpkin. And this is the time of year for it. I was at Williams Sonoma the other day and they had this pumpkin pecan waffle mix. Stuff like that rocks my socks. Oddly enough, the only pumpkin thing I really truly dislike is pumpkin pie. I've never met a pumpkin pie I liked. Actually, now that I think of it, I may have failed to inform you of my absurd love for beets. I love beets. all types of beets and all thing beets. I have beet perfume from Demeter, beet-flavored lip balm, a lovely giant knitted beet a friend made as a get-well gift, another cute little felted beet-thingy another friend made, a beet wine-bottle charm, and more. I even went and got myself a beet tattoo on my ankle. Beets rock my world in so many ways. I love their color, their taste, their texture. Pickled beets are my favorite to eat, or a piece of flatbread with roasted beets and chevre, or carrot cake with shredded beets substituted for the carrots (and the batter is SUCH a pretty color before it bakes!) Beets FTW!!!

Dear Witch: In case you didn't see it in the massive SW thread, alterosen would like you to send her a PM. See here: http://www.bpal.org/index.php?s=&showt...t&p=1556712 Thanks! I wish I knew what she was up to. XOXO