Usagi

1) Does anything, scent and / or product-wise, catch your eye from the Haus of Gloi summer drop? (https://www.hausofgloi.com/collections/summer) [you're free to pick stuff NOT from Summer as well, of course! ] Beguiled, The Briar Path, Cottage Flowers, Azure Dragon, and Zephyr sound wonderful-- and perhaps Selkie (I'm a sucker for Selkies). I'm not too familiar with their B&B stuff, but am always open to scrubs, soaps, and would be happy with samples of perfume or hair oil, too. 2) Yes, the rumors are true- I'll be in Paris this summer! Tell me up to five things you'd be happy to get from there, including any specific teas from Dammann Freres, my favorite french tea shop! (https://www.dammann.fr/en/#) First off, bony voyage! I hope you have an exceptionally amazing time, VioletChaos! Answering the question: Any of the jasmines, Jardin du Luxembourg, and Osmanthe D'Or jumped out at me. So many gorgeous-sounding teas... I recently discovered Khamilaluna and plan to place an order soon to get a present for my roommate. Is there anything you'd like from them? O.O All of the body creams, One Starry Night, Tangerine Dreams, Island Nectar, and Oatmeal Strawberry soaps, the Raspberry and cucumber scrubs. Bookmarking this site now... Early July, I will also be taking a trip, but to nowhere so flashy as Paris. I'm going back to the woods. However, middle of nowhere Mississippi does have one advantage - I can probably do some wildcrafting while I'm home. Dear Swapee, is there any small gift from mother nature that you'd like me see if I can source for you from old forests? Obviously no promises; but if I don't know what to look for, I certainly won't find. That sounds wonderful. Hope you have a vibrant, wonderful time reconnecting! After thinking on it, if there were anything to catch your eye out there that you felt "Oh, that would be cool for Usagi!" then I would like that. Otherwise, if you happened across a plant or tree seed that would survive hot, hot summers, and fairly cool winters, I would love to try to grow something from native to there-- non invasive, of course. Please don't send Kudzu. While I'm pretty sure the desert would fry it, better not to risk that... 😉 Although, a wildcrafter kudzu food or B&B thing might be cool. It's seems like an interesting plant. Also, pictures. Pictures of the nature would be lovely. Also, second question, ring sizes, obviously fingers are all different sizes, even on the same hand - do you wear rings on all your fingers? how about a range smallest to largest? I mainly wear rings on my right middle finger, pointer, and ring, and left middle finger. Occasionally I were a ring on my right pinkie. I think I did a range in the questionnaire... But, more specifically: pinkie 5.5-6, ring 7, middle and pointer 8? I think my thumb is an 8.5, just to have all the digits on there. If your Sprite were to gift you magical items or workings... a) Would you be interested in that? b) If so, what intention(s) would you appreciate most? a) Yes, that would be awesome, and b) healing, strength, adaption, perseverance-- not necessarily for me, but for the environment and my plants and trees in particular. Our effect on the environment and the weather pattern fall out has been a bit stressful on the living things around here. Would you be interested in a set of (rpg) dice? If so, what colors/aesthetic? Is it wrong that I don't tabletop, but would love some dice? The more-sided the merrier! I would love any dice in clear or translucent, with things inside. What's your favorite creature? Nature: Hedgehogs, cats, bats, California roof rats, seals, otters, sea dragons, jellyfish, PYGMY HIPPOOOOS; I met the most adorable tiny bearded dragon in Petsmart today... I like animals, in general. Supernatural: Dragons, Kelpies, Frank, and most of the other Beasts in the Fantastic Beasts movies, Humanoid supernatural: Mermaids, Selkies, Domovoi, Rusalka, Dryads, Naiads, Nereids, Fae. I'm very much Faerytale people positive. Do you like reading comics? If you haven't really read 'em, would you be interested in receiving a few that match your book genre preferences? Yes, I like reading comics, graphic novels, manga, manwha, and most anything with either pretty pictures or interesting stories. Yes, I would love comics I have not read-- though I do have a significant backlog of manga right now. I'm headed to Puerto Rico in July - anything particularly interesting you would like from there? Wow! Have a wonderful trip! I would love to see pictures of the beaches, or the plants. Would you be interested in receiving a small bottle of home infused whiskey aged from commercially produced moonshine? Any particular flavors you might enjoy (examples include orange chai or cinnamon chocolate or hot peppers)? If it would be good to bake or cook with, certainly, your suggestions sound aromatic and lovely. Would you be interested in homemade shortbread that fits your flavor preferences? I *would*, but we are heading into the warm time of year-- and by warm I mean hovering in the 110* for weeks at a time. Anything that is meltable will likely melt before I can get to it. On reflection, please, no shortbread. If your bday is during the swap, how are you planning to celebrate? My birthday is not during the swap, just a lot of unbirthdays. Likewise, how do you celebrate relevant spiritual holidays in this time period? I'll be marking Midsummer. Anything you want from the UK? I would, but those things are rather meltable (see: Cadbury's Marvelous Creations jelly popping candy bar). If, for some reason, you happen into a Tesco, I would adore a box of their Blackberry Nettle tea/infusion, if they still carry it. Seeds, y/n? Seeds are always a yes. Are you interested in skincare/shampoo/conditioner? Skincare: always. Shampoo and Conditioner: no, thank you. Are you interested in tights? If so, what thickness, style, and size? Footless tights, or leggings, sure. I think M/L, US. I'm open to all styles. Although for styles, nothing with nudity? I went to work with cherubs on my leggings once, and the children kept asking why I had a naked baby on my tights. Do you use tarot decks? Would you like to receive more - and if so, can you list the ones you already have? I love tarot decks and oracle cards. I have Dragon Tarot, Faery Wicca, Old Path, Wildwood, Llewellyn, Golden Art Nouveau, Egyptian, an Ancient China themed one (some of these are packed up, and I don't remember their official titles), some generic ones from Barnes &Noble. I've probably missed a couple. What do you think of the art on this website? https://www.printisdead.co.uk/ The aesthetic is gorgeous. I like the Black Cat, Starlight Witch's Cat, and the Star Mushrooms the best. Is loose leaf tea good, or do you prefer bagged? Loose leaf tea is great. But bagged is fine, too. I make arm warmers. I make them from sweaters I thrifted. They can be all one color, or stripes of different colors. They can be long, to the elbows, or shorter. If you would like a pair, tell me your favorite colors. Solids are more generally elegant, Stripes can be as wildly funky as you wish. Long? Short? Cashmere? Tell me your fingerless mitts arm warmer dreams. That is so cool! My arm warmer collection has been going unloved for a while. But fingerless gloves/mitts would be awesome for winter. I'm open to all the colors, or stripes. The one thing is they would need to be machine washable on warm. 6/2/22 PBSW Summer collection is live!!! Anything catch your eye? Scents: Crystalcore Hammocks and Holystones Red Cow The Longest Day and from the not summer collection: Wayfinder Capybaras and Yuzu Rhuby formats: soaps, sorbetto, oil. Sample or full-size, both awesome. 6/4/22 It's farmers market season in town and I have loads of lovely local artisans to shop from. Would you be interested in items from any of the following? The Rod Homestead (I love this one I helped fund her commercial kitchen) Well, now I'm hungry! The Raspberry Blood Orange and Grenadine simple syrups sound amazing. Working Class Coffee Their mission statement is awesome. I don't see anything that catches my eye. Philly Nuts Pine nuts would be awesome. 222 Creations Very cute, but probably would not wear Carol's Epiphany The stamped raven and tree pendants are beautiful, and the little flower baubles; I'm intrigued by the idea of a leather ring. But I probably would not wear these. 6/5/22 I am learning to do embroidery. Would you possibly like a simple hand embroidered piece? Wow! Embroidery is such a great skill. I'm in awe of anyone with the patience and the skill to work a fine hand. If you would like this is there a simple favorite flower or summer symbol, like a bee? If you were so inclined, I'd love a tiny embroidery-- stars, or waves or a little sprig of this: Why is it so big?!!   What kind of sprite would you prefer? A ninja or to know the ID right away? Dear Sprite, your spriteliness is entirely up to you. You need to be comfortable and have fun, too. While I'd love to know specifically whom to thank at the end of the swap, if being a ninja is what your heart desires, I am content with putting oodles of gratitude out into the universe to an anonymous person (I wanted to use the word 'oodles'; it's not around much anymore). 6/6/22 Are you ok with shunga label art (bpal?) I am fine with shunga art-- unless it is on wearables. In which case, I'm fine with it on other people, but would not get use out of it, because I work with children, and that would not end well (see: cherub leggings above). I will, one day, have a poster of the Dancing Koi label, because it it awesome and makes me laugh. I dye yarn. Is custom yarn of interest to you? Yes. - If so, colors? I have various weights of wool, sport and dk cotton, cotton thread in 3/2 and 5/2, and light fingering weight bamboo rayon that dyes like a dream All the colors! But especially blue-greens and golden yellows. Oo, or orange... or maybe ultraviolet... So, yeah. All the colors. Any fiber is great, though I admit a special fondness for bamboo.  My European travels are expanding! Anything you want from Portugal or Berlin??? Probably nothing that would travel well. But, if you happen to be my Sprite, then I would love for you to find and try the famous Portuguese custard tarts that the nuns make (pais de nata, if tarts are your thing, otherwise nevermind) and then tell me what you thought of them. Most important of all, have an amazing adventure! My friend makes cool art with garbage, is there anything here you might like? https://www.garbageforgood.com/ That is so cool! I might like a pin. Or if there is an artist bio brochure about how your friend started and why they create their art this way, I'd love to have something like that to take to school and show the kids. Some of them already do upcycling kinds of things, and I think your friend and their vocation would be really inspirational to a lot of them. 6/8/22 Would you like items related to your astrological sign and if so what is it? Sure, I like the little bow and arrow for Sagittarius, or if you make/find something with the constellation on it, that's awesome, also-- or, like, your interpretation. That would be cool! My birthday is December 16, so there's also some people that say my sign is really that secret caduceus sign(Ophiuchus) that they put in between Sagittarius and Capricorn because of a change in astronomy since astrological signs were invented(or something like that). I'm a Sheep/Ram in Eastern, and I do love sheep (I think sheep are tied with geese for my favorite farm animal). On more unusual signs: I'm not sure of my Mayan sign, because it tells me different things depending on the site. I was either a crocodile, or possible a peacock. Those are two *very* different things. My Babylonian sign is, apparently, Pabilsag, and the symbol(Anzu-bird) is described as something like Frank from Fantastic Beasts-- which I am totally cool with. What do you think of plushies? I love plushies, all kinds of plushies. Are there any Korean or Japanese food/craft/self-care items you would be interested in in receiving? Tea, candy, spices, furikake-- always interested in trying new things. I'm going to try to make Kongjang, so if you happen to know of particularly spectacular dried black soybeans somewhere, please let me know. Is there anything for your garden or houseplants that you need, or would like (tiny, hand thrown cachepot for a prized astrophytum, etc.), or are you proudly black thumb and shun any plant that isn't resin? For my garden, solar light things are always cool, metal or ceramic plant name picks, hardy bulbs or seeds, squirrel deterrent ( )... As far as houseplants go, hangy things or hooks, tiny blibbets to decorate pots (I've got some itty bitty hedgehogs and figurines that hang off the lips of pots). I would love to say plants or cuttings themselves, but the extent to which they would be horribly dead by the time they got here is just way too cruel for that. I ordered my wish list rose in May (when it was only in the 80s), and the box-- when I opened it, direct from our awesome UPS person (so this is totally not on them)-- had a waft of what I would describe as infrared sauna air come out of it. Thank goodness rugosas are so hardy. How many books is too many books? There is no such thing as too many books, only not enough space. 6/13/22 I’m knitting up washcloths right now. Would you like some? Sure! I like to wash things... my face, the dishes. So long as they are washable, they will be appreciated. any spices you need/want? I’m fleshing out a Penzey's order!! I have no experience with Penzey's, but always appreciate spices. And from the sound of comments, they are fair trade and ecologically mindful. I am totally down. Your feelings on chocolate? Milk chocolate, Dark chocolate, White chocolate? with or without nuts? How about truffly goodness? I love chocolate, but not Hershey's. Unfortunately, chocolate will not survive the mail this time of year, unless it is in a jar. Tempering can only protect it so far, sadly. Do you want anything for your vehicle? Like bumper stickers or magnets? No, thank you. There is a Japanese street fair this weekend I'm going to try and hit up. Sadly I can't send you any fresh/hot treats from the food vendors; but there's often a lot of little other kinds of treats - any interest in Japanese fashion-ish items? (kanzashi hair pins, and other things made form old kimono fabric, fans, tenugui, etc?) Anything with kimono fabric sounds awesome! Or anything with maneki neko. Most importantly, just go and have fun; stay hydrated, eat a taiyaki or a shave ice, and enjoy yourself! I am afraid to send chocolate in this heat. What other things might you enjoy? Gourmet lollipops? Handmade Marshmallows (not by me LOL)? Flavored cotton candy? other ideas? Any of the above sound awesome (particularly cotton candy), dried fruit or fruit leather, dry goods mixes to make my own thing once it arrives, spices, Koolaid packets, recipes for your favorite sweet treat. I am pretty good with anything that won't be destroyed by a 120* mailbox. do you have any reservations about wearing leather, like in an accessory?? Leather is fine. So I took a "viking knitting" class (which is really wire weaving) and can now make necklaces and bracelets. Would you be interested in either one? IF SO What color wire would you like? (silver, gold, copper, blue, purple, yellow, green orange, black, turquoise, pink, so many colors.) I have THIS PACK among others. What length would you want (on either or both?) 1) that looks *awesome*. 2) any color is fine, but if you are asking, copper, orange, and blue-green would top my list. I'm not sure about lengths, anything beyond 7.5" should fit somewhere? What kind of fasteners do you like best (lobster claw, toggle clasp, magnetic?) and color of fasteners? (silver, gunmetal, copper, gold?) - some of the toggle clasps come in cool shapes. magnetic is cool, or hook and eye. But anything, really. Do you think a larger chunky one like a torc or a slimmer one? I can draw the wire down to different sizes with my draw plate. either/or.

In the Bottle: buttery, savory pastry, with sweet honey and a hint of floral in the wings. wet: Herbal honey floral, almost a nostalgic medicinal, and a hint of buttery grains. dry: powdery honey, a touch resinous, with soft floral, and a dash of grain scent that smells-- for all intents and purposes-- like buttered popcorn. I'm so glad I let this rest before reviewing it. When it initially arrived from the mail, It smelled like straight up, Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly jelly beans from bottle to drydown-- until it started to fade, when there was just the merest promise of gorgeous honey and Champaca blossom. A few days of rest has made all the difference, and the honey is wafting, gracefully, towards center stage with a small bouquet of Champaca, while the basmati (which still smells, strangely, like buttered popcorn jelly beans) claps, good-humoredly, from stage right-- until the very drydown, when he tried to jump down center and go "ta-DAAA!"

In the bottle: "icy" grapefruit-apple, with floral undertones. Wet: apple, with a tang of citrus, and some of BPAL's icy notes, over a slightly heady, almost fizzy floral. It's sweet, and a bit heady. Dry: It's very perfumy. Heady floral and apple, with just the last tang of citrus remaining. The label is adorable.

"Vibrant" and "glowing" is right! This scent is lively, and warm. The cinnamon is sweet with tobacco undertones, streaked through with zips of ginger. The red pepper is a barely there roundness, and everything is encompassed, beautifully, in a soft red musk. It was lighter on me than many of the other musk hair glosses I've tried. The scent lasted about a day in my hair, before fading gently out. Initially, it felt like a relative of East Indian Palace atmosphere spray-- probably because of the gorgeous sweet cinnamon musk. For reference: three spritzes in 30+" of straight fine hair, of which there is a fair amount. Combed through damp hair, lightly blow dried, hair worn lose and in a braid.

Wow. Sniffing the bottle, I worried that this would be too powdery. Initial application in hair, it was high-pitched, but not loud-- like the whisper of vanilla pipe smoke left hanging in a room. It warmed more with wear, becoming an almost vanilla musk wood scent. The vanilla smoke became a sort of skin musk reminder of borrowing someone's sweater on a cool night-- someone with delicious taste in scent. It reminded me, in turns, of The Girl, then Brom Bones. I think it was because of the warm vanilla skin musk feeling Le Coucher took on after a couple of hours. This scent lasted a full two days between washes, and smelled wonderful throughout. For reference: two spritzes of gloss on damp, 30+" straight, fine hair, of which there is fair amount. Combed through, blow dried, then worn as usual (up, down, all around, in the sun and wind).

An aparche for the Eleusinian goddesses: a crystalline, uplifting blend of white pomegranate, golden grapes, apricot, black fig, and lemon and orange rind.  (Fresh from the post this morning) In the bottle, it spicy floral and juicy fruits. Wet, the scent of pomegranate, and spiced pear hard candies? There's a hint of sweet citrus, and some sort of musky herbal; a bit of horehound, or catnip. Right now, it is absolutely gorgeous-- bright and burgeoning, but not overpowering. Dry: It relaxes into a lightly spiced, pale golden fruit scent, pomegranate and warm citrus at the fore. Stunning.

Are you okay with homemade food? Yes. So long as it's not something that is going to go off on the way. Baked goods might be a pass, given that it seems like we are going to have a continuance of hot weather(by which I mean 100+ days), with the addition of humidity . Candies, canned or preserved, dried things, spice mixes, and anything like that should be okay, though-- just nothing that will melt or mold. If you are okay with decorations, do you have a preference to table-top, wall hanging or window decorations? I love decorations of all sorts. How do you feel about stationary and/or papercrafting supplies? I love them. How do you feel about kitschy/silly Halloween jewelry? It's fun. One thing I think I forgot in my questionnaire, though, is I don't have pierced ears. So, as awesome as the Halloween earrings are, those are not for me. Would you like a Halloween wreath? I'd love one. I had an absolutely gorgeous one made by a kind forumite, but it had dried gourds on it and it kind of died last year. What rares are you dying to try??? Pink Moon 2017 and Vanilla Orchid SN? I missed them earlier this year, and would just like to sniff them, really. Other than that, my wishlist is pretty extensive. Comic books and graphic novels: are awesome. Would you like to receive anything related to: Disney? Sure! If so, any favorite characters? Ariel for favorite princess, and all her awesome aquatic friends. This is not so much characters-- but since NMBC is Disney now, that whole shebang(if I had to pick favorites, it would be Oogie, Lock, Shock, and Barrel; because they have the best songs ). And to be more specific about Disney: How do you feel about Beauty and the beast? I loved the animated movie as a kid, have not seen the new live action. Belle would be a close runner up for favorite princess( because she's not a mermaid), along with Jasmine. Plus, books, inventions, and talking crockery are all awesome. And what about Harry Potter related items? Harry Potter is awesome. Would especially adore Frank, or other magical creature-centric, anything. Hogwarts House is Gryffindor, last time I checked. Ilvermorny house is Thunderbird. My patronus is(although I don't necessarily agree, I'm definitely not mad about it)... a brown hare. Well, I laughed, anyway. Luna's got a hare, too. So, I'm in good bunny company. Pokemon? Any favorites? I like Pokemon! Haven't played anything but Go in a million years, but I do still sort of collect the TCG cards ( because I buy them for treasure box, and sometimes there are doubles that are just too cute ). Pokemon are awesome. Top-of-my-head favorite are: Dratini, Jigglypuff, Charmander, Mew, Ditto, Shaymin, and Mimikyu. A full favorites list would encompass probably a tenth of all Pokemon released so far, and that would be a bit ridiculous. I just like cute magical creatures with soulful eyes. Is there any thing, category, or brand from which you would absolutely NOT like to receive things (ie., you're overrun with candy corn, you don't do scents outside of BPAL, or if you ever see another Stephen King item, it will be too soon)? I hate Hershey's chocolate.Not really into Stephen King books, don't do slasher films, or the Saw franchise, FNaF, and I would rather not have anything made of bone or exoskeleton. What kinds of art/art medium do you most enjoy, or would you most like to receive, in the context of this swap? I love watercolor, and tiny figurines, but am also a big fan of the written word, imagery and rhyming. I'd love any art that looked old/aged, kind of dark fantasy or Victorian spooky, or seemingly normal images where something is just subtlely off-- especially *old* photos. Think Disneyland Haunted House or the pics in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiars Bath & Body Works - love them or hate them? If the former, fave product types? I like them. I don't really go there anymore, so whatever awesome packaging they come out with this year in the form of pockets backs, soap dispensers, or candles would be awesome to see-- and (although probably waaaayy too early in the season) someone told me their fir tree candle is amazing. I'm in Japan, is there anything specific from here you would be interested in? Sailor Moon gachapon? San-X stuff, yuzu anything, and those seaweed caramels that I will probably never find again. I'm in The Netherlands. Is there anything from The Netherlands/Europe that you're interested in? Salmiak knotsen, Cassis, Roos Vicee, Potter's droppastilles... if you had access to drabbelkoek, and could send just a tin of those, I would be happy with that for all 13 nights, because it would make my mam's day. My dad might love you forever if you sent a roll of Droste pastilles. From Europe in general, Cadbury's Marvellous Creations with the popping candy and jelly babies (although this is probably the one thing on this list that I *can* actually order from here). How would you feel about receiving a hand-painted container for your bpal and/or other treasures? if you are on board with that, would you want a big wood box (~50 bottles), a small wood box (~20 bottles) or a tin for carrying imps around? I love boxes; whatever size you wanted to make. If you were to receive something hand knit, what type of item would you like? hat, cowl, handwarmers, etc. and what color(s)? Handmade anything is awesome! Fall leaf colors, or watery blues/greens Nail wraps - yay or nay? Would including a small manicure set to go with them help? I've never gotten around to trying them, but have seen some totally adorable patterns, and would totally be up to check them out. I don't know if a manicure set would help?

Wherein you will find more than you *ever* wanted to know about my urge to put things on wishlists. Goodreads Etsy Amazon Pinterest Deviantart

Question 1: If I made some ephemeral art that was meant to be burned as the sacrifice, would you have a safe place to do that (a fireplace, a backyard, a bbq grill lol)? Nothing big, maybe 6 inches tall. I have places to safely burn things, but I don't know how I would feel about burning someone's art, regardless of intention. I could give it a shot, though? Question 2: Would you want something from this website for your "light"? They're local to me and do beautiful work and I get a 20% discount. ha ha So if you see something you love, speak up. http://www.curiouscustoms.com/homey/ I think that the cloud wall sconce and the patterns on the sun and waterwave lanterns are beautiful, but I would not want anyone to spend that much on anything for me. If those came in a nightlight, that would be awesome. Would people want a relaxing CD or a recording of the rainforest, or are people looking for things like mix CDs or something from a favorite artist. I'd love a relaxing or contemplative CD. I have a lot of nature ambiance CDs already, so maybe not so much that. Mix CDs are always welcome, or music recommendations. Someone mentioned windchimes in the thread, and-- as awesome as they are-- my habitat eats them. We get really high winds out here on kind of a regular basis, so any wind music thing would have to live indoors. Would you, Snowflake, be interested in getting a bracelet or pendant necklace as a "charm" for banishment or protection or shifting energy or brining in luck? If so, what's your preference (bracelet, necklace pendant), size (wrist size, chain length), what metals to you prefer (copper, sterling silver?), and what colors /stones do you have an affinity for? I am always interested in shiny things, especially jewelry shiny things. Anything that also has properties is a welcome bonus. Wrist size is average? 7", I think. I prefer necklaces be either really short or really long. Midlength things tend to either bounce on-- or become wedged in-- my cleavage. Yes, I have been clocked in the teeth by my own necklace on occasion. So many sad pandas. I like copper and brass, silver is great so is gold. I like the metallic color that is somewhere between brass and rosegold. The list of beloved stones would be *really* long, but apatite, moonstone, labradorite, fluorite, unakite, kabamba jasper, carnelian, chalcedony, sugilite, prehnite, bloodstone, clear quartz, and opals are just a few. I like blues and greens a lot, and things that look like clear water droplets, or milky and translucent stones. Stones are awesome, and seashells, and metal, and colored glass, gum wrappers... I'm a magpie.

Paintbox Soapworks: Red Right Hand sounds amazing. Creeping Horror looks amazing. Pink Sand, Sky Blue Sky, Tiger Bar, Mister Blue Sky, Gardensong, April Fool, and the Summerhouse seem like they could all be fabulous, and Whiskers is a favorite. I love PBSW soaps and sorbettos. Dia de los Muertos: Don't really celebrate it, but I like the aesthetic, and appreciate the practice of remembering and honoring departed loved ones in such awesome, happy ways. So totally send those calacas and flor de muerto seeds over here, if you are so inclined. Handknit items: Totally! Whether it's wearable of decorative, hand done anything is always much appreciated, especially fall-themed. Are there any fandoms or specific collectible genres you would appreciate things of/for(ex: you collect shot glasses, or the ninth Doctor is your bae)? Books, blank journals, plants/seeds, and have been wanting to expand my strange and old photo/card collection. Probably more things, but don't even know right now. Dresden Files, LotR Pokemon, Dr. Who, Harry Potter(was sorted into Gryffindor, would probably be Ravenclaw, IRL, got sorted into Hufflepuff once[probably because they asked me questions about gardening and finding things, which are now Hufflepuff characteristics?], have nothing against Slytherin, except that the logistics of having to live in a dungeon for any length of time would drive me insane-- dungeons have no windows), Legend of Zelda, Sailor Moon, bunch of other stuff. I'm not a hardcore fangirl on anything, but I fringe and enjoy lots of fandoms from the sidelines-- like Monster/Ever After High. Though I did just discover that there is a TV show of Ash vs. the Evil Dead, and my immediate drive was that I *needed* that, stat. Thankfully, I have honed my impulse control, for fear of becoming well-merched, but homeless. But you can bet that when that paycheck gets deposited next week, the awesomeness of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi *will* be my treat. *mwahahahaha* Do you have a favorite Fall/Halloween symbol? Mine is bats. Bats all the time, doesn't even need to be seasonal. Cats, leaves, hedgehogs and creepy trees are also awesome. First, talk to me about soaps- do you like them, and what kinds of scents/lather/varieties do you like? I like soap, so long as it doesn't have any skin irritants, like SLS. Bar soap, soap scrub or whip; it's all good. I like the same kinds of scents I tend to like in perfume, I guess. Second, tell me about teas! Favorites? Anything you'd like to try? Tea is awesome. A really good jasmine tea is my favorite, I go for green over black, generally, and I seem to have developed a caffeine sensitivity over the past couple of years. This means a good decaf is even more appreciated. Herbal infusions are great, too. Not such a big fan of rooibos. Lastly, I go to Renn Faire- is there anything from there you might like? Beautiful costuming bits? Oh, and there always seem to be vendors with really nice perfume or aromatherapy oils and incense. Also, I don't know if all Ren' Faires have this, but the people with the poundy thing where you make your own amulet, and the ladies say 'Well struck, my lord!' every time the mallet falls? That's the best. What Weenie of year's past are you seeking from the lab? Hmm... Magnificent Autumn, Witch-Bride, Apple IV, Witch Riding a Dragon, A Witches' Sabbath, Young Woman Appealing to a Witch, Portrait of an Unidentified Man as Mephistopheles, and Dead Leaves, Frankincense and Copal. I think? Just testers or decants, mostly. Can you tell I pretty much missed out on Weenies last year? Are you a shawl wearer- and if you don't wear one now, would you? Yes, I am a shawl/scarf wearer. drapy, lovely shawls for wrapping around shoulders, and fluffy, cozy scarves that you can wrap to keep your neck warm and still have hangy bits. Scarves need to have good neck, coverage, though. The super scrawny scarves that may as well be a necklace, I don't get much use out of, sadly. Other than that, fabric and knit shawls/scarves are all wonderful. Tell me about LUSH- do you like them? If so, what are some of your favorite things from there? Particularly fond scents or products? Stuff you can't stand? Sandstone soap is the only specific thing I can think of off the top of my head. But I have loved their massage bars, lotions, fresh masks(Brazen Honey FTW), face cleansers(like Aqua Marina), and scrub bars(Buffy!) in the past. I just haven't been to a Lush in a long time, and have no idea what they have. For the Record, Emperor of Ice cream was once my one true Lush Love. If that were a scent, I would spray it all over everything, and then also wear it. I don't have a tub, so bath things will be lost on me(though I did use a snowman, once, to make my underwear drawer smell *amazing*. I apologize if that is TMI). I tend to avoid the SLS soaps (even though I *love* the scent of Honey, I Washed the Kids[or, at least, used to?]), and the solid shampoos. The little lip balm things are nice, and I've been curious about some of their perfume scents. So, in this swap, you open a goodie every day. I have seen this gift direction done several different ways, but I am interested in which you are most keen to do. Would you rather: A. have strict direction as to which gift is to be opened on which day(aka the number system)? B.have a few gifts that are meant to be opened on specific days (ex: *this* one is for Halloween night only), but the rest be your choice? C. have a free-for-all, grab bag-style box of goodies, where you are the sole arbiter of your goodie grabbing destiny(everything is wrapped but you pick the gift you want to open each day)? D. be surprised? D! Whatever works best for you. Who else goes for decorating with sass? For the past few years, I have decorated with an ever decreasing half-hearted hope that there will be trick-or-treaters and awesome. Perhaps, what I need is some sass... I live in Japan, is there anything from there you would specifically want? Stationary(esp. Sentimental Circus), yuzu-flavored things, pictures of beautiful naturescaps-- like the Niyodo River or Ishigaki or Yakushima, .3 pilot pens in burgundy? To be honest, I'm not sure. If you think I would enjoy it, I'm sure I will. Pumpkin Spice or No Pumpkin Spice? I really hope I did not miss this in my questionnaire, but I have a food allergy to allspice, which is often found in pumpkin pie mix. Also, someone was kind enough to bring me home a Pumpkin Spice Latte last week-- which is usually the one no-fail pumpkin thing-- and it made me physically ill. That's fine. They seem to have been getting progressively sweeter the past few years, anyway. I'm just going to go see if the one Starbucks in the city has Frappulas again this year-- because Frappulas are delicious and involve raspberry. That's a very long winded way of saying 'no' on pumpkin spice edibles. Scented goods, on the other hand, are a definite possibility. So long as there is no buttery baked good-ness. B&BW Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin used to be a loved scent, once upon a time. Scents like that are A-OK. Milk, white, and/or Dark Chocolate? All the chocolate, so long as it isn't Hershey's chocolate, and doesn't taste like Hershey's chocolate. Do you like Yankee Candle? Anything you want from there? I don't dislike Yankee Candles, but I'm not into them enough to have any specific thing I want from them. Anything you have your eye on at BPTP? I didn't even know there'd been an update until this question. The Serpentine, Jeune Femme Nourrissant une Licorne, Chastity with the Unicorn, and Portrait of a Young Woman with a Unicorn all sound lovely. But, again, I'm not pining over any of them, and would probably be quite pleased with a tester or decant. Bath & Body Works I liked them way back when the freesia actually smelled like freesias. Then they had that reformulation thing, and everything smelled all perfumey and synthetic to me. Their Halloween line is usually super cute, though, and baby bacs or tiny,anti-bac lotions to take to work would not go amiss. Also, someone told me they had a very tree-smelling Christmas candle(not that this has anything to do with Falloween). Sockdreams I believe there are several pair on the 'Wearables' list in my Amazon wishlist. But, honestly, I destroy socks. You would probably be better off getting yourself some lovely Sockdreams socks, and getting me some of those cute, cheapie three-use socks from the craft store. It's sad. edit: I just added some things of Sockdreams to the Amazon thing, possibly because I cannot resist making neverending lists of shiny things-- but hopefully to help give you an idea of the kinds of socks that I should absolutely not be wearing because they would be an instant Mortal Kombat fatality at my hands--err-- feet. I'd like to make some baked goods, would you like some? And if you have any food allergies what can I use as substitute? Baked goods are delicious, and I would love to try your baked goods. But, please bear in mind that it is still hovering at just over and under 100* here in Bumblemoo, and will likely continue to stay in the high 90s until the end of October/mid-November, at which point there will be a sudden freeze-- because this is how it rolls out here. But, I'm willing to risk it if you are. As far as allergies go, I am allergic to tomatoes and tomato products-- which doesn't always extend to ketchup, but sometimes, and so I tend to avoid all the lycopene goodness of that particular food, just in case. I have no idea what you would substitute tomatoes with, but let's go with ... CUCUMBER! One can never have too much cucumber. More problematically(and more likely, in baking), Allspice is not my friend. Pumpkin spice mix is, therefor, also not my friend, and pumpkin pie-- regardless of whether the mix has Allspice in it or not-- is also a no-go, because something about the flavor/texture combo causes my gastric system to rebel, and my throat closes up. Please do feel free to replace pumpkin spice with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, ginger, sugar, saffron almond meal, or any combination of the above. P.S. You are awesome and thoughtful just for asking this, whether or not you are my Scarecrow, because food allergies suck, and baked goods are awesome. The Witch is In/Out sign? There is a distinct likelihood that I not only own a revolving tagged signboard of this, but a similarly themed t-shirt, and one that says "Witch and Famous". If it wasn't going to immediately get clocked for what word it was replacing, there is a possibility that I'd be on the lookout for a shirt that said "I'm not *a* witch, I'm THE Witch, and that's Ms. Witch to you." But I digress. These signy things are awesome, as are the Halloween countdown ones. Anything special you want from the Target dollar spot? The Target Dollar Spot is like a magical stationary, sticker, and back-to-school teaching supply wonderland. I don't get into Target very often, but I'm sure their Halloween stuff must be ACE. I'll totally take anything you want to send me. A- far as not-necessarily-Halloween that may or may not be on clearance by now(the lady said two weeks, and that was a month ago...) all that stationery and planner stuff that had little leaves and flowers in muted mints, teals, and peaches? Yeah, that. Other than that, cool stick pins, post-its, totally random useful office supplies and home decor/organizational stuff... Seriously, it is only slightly more safe leaving me to roam things like the Target Dollar Spot than it is to let me loose in a used book store. I live in The Netherlands. If there's anything in particular that you'd like to get from here, now's the time to tell! Salmiak lollies, honing drop, zwart witjes, original roosvicee, cassis(or cassis/zwarte bessen flavored anything), wine gums... I'd be happy with most snoep, actually. Most of the other stuff I can think of would be either really large, really heavy, or technically illegal to send. What is your stance on Glitter? I don't mind glitter at all-- even when it falls off. I just walk around pretending I shed faery sparkles for a while. Also, if you have a Goodreads or other online reading log, does it include a wishlist? Otherwise, is it safe to assume books on the 'to-read' section are wishlist items? Or are you less into keeping a physical copy of the book, and instead prefer to turn to the awesomeness of the library to get your to-read need accomplished. My Goodreads and Amazon both have dedicated wishlist sections. I think Goodreads is largely manga right now, though(because I am lazy and don't sync things). how about art? (Small/mailing safe sizes, course) Sure! I think there are some ideas on my Etsy list. But I'd love just about anything you wanted to make for me, too. Tea lovers, what do you like from Whittard? English Rose, White Peony, Black Currant, Jasmine, Jasmine pearls-- and, I've never had them but, Cherry Blossom, Pear Guava, Bohemian Raspberry, all the hot chocolate, and Orange Blossom sound kind of awesome. Shiro Cosmetics? I apologize, I did not see this question until someone mentioned it. Everything on the site looks awesome, but especially the duochrome shadows, Elemental Glows, Darth Side of the Moon, Blood of my Enemies, and Felix Felicis. I had a really long list of specific shadows I'd love a sample of... but then I was an idiot and paged out of the list I was making. Moon Prism Power, Apparatus, Lost Daughters, and Maiden Queen were among them ,though, I'm pretty sure. Dearest Pumpkin - how much are you wedded to wishlists, say I have some read once books which I think you might like based on what you've read in the past, but there is nothing of the sort on your current Goodreads "to read" list? I would definitely be interested in things not on my wishlist, if you think that I'd like them. The only exceptions to this would be Anita Blake, Stieg Larsson, Song of Ice and Fire, and Twilight. I want none of these, please. Anita Blake because a lot of it began to feel like smut and horrible things for shock value, rather than plot structure. Stieg Larsson and SoIaF because multiple people who know me well say that-- as good as they are-- I will not be okay with them, and sparklepires because a librarian friend actually gifted me the entire series, because I needed to read it, just so I would know. I am pretty much game for anything else, that isn't a festival of non-con, gore, or animal cruelty. Also, I don't mind if the books are less 'like new', and more 'slightly manky'. The best books are not always the shiny, pristine ones. How do you feel about reading series out of order? Obviously not in situations where the subsequent books are part of the same story arc where you will be totally lost and frustrated if you haven't read all of them, but say, standalone stories which are technically part of a series and which might obliquely reference past books, but not in such as way as to spoil the plot of the book which I happen to have in my possession that you might like. I have no problem with this, at all. I read books out of order all the time. Would you be interested in a Halloween themed short story anthology? Sure! Is there a limit to the number of books you'd like to receive? There is no such things as "too many books", "only not enough space" and "not enough years left in life." I have long surpassed the not enough years freak out, and I will *find* space. Oh yes. Have you read Movies in 15 Minutes by our very own Cleolinda? Would you like to? I've read a couple of them... on Livejournal? but a lot of the movies listed in the table of contents are not my cup of tea. So I will pass. It still floors me, though, how many fabulously talented people there are on the forum. That's so awesome. Question: What kind of phone do you have? I need to know.... I have a Amazon Fire Phone-- which I flung off of a blanket and up into the air last month, shattering the screen... It *was* a pretty awesome phone. I will probably be breaking down and start paying installments on a Galaxy Note 7 at next month's paycheck.

Akuma? It smells more like one of those sweets-loving demons from manga/anime. It has a similar vibe to ( gorgeous, and lamentably DCed) Succubus. The trading Post has the Demon's School atmo. spray. Smutty Goblin hair gloss (though it's LE), reminds me of a dark, potentially demonic, carnival. And, as Balame mentioned already-- though LE-- if you can get your hands on the Infernal Lover, that's some sexy demon there. Pandemonium is pretty devilishly sexy, too.

1.Ladies and gents, if you're comfortable receiving clothing, what size(s)? Any particular types of clothing (skirts, oversized t-shirts for crafting, work clothing)? How do you feel about shoes that were bought, worn once, and never brought out of the closet again? Ditto this for anyone else in your household who might appreciate wearables. 2.How do you feel about socks that were very briefly on fresh-out-of-the-shower feet & then removed when it was discovered they didn't fit? 3.How do you feel about vinyl designer toys? (Ex super7, kidrobot, etc) 4.What kind of makeup and/or nail polish would you be interested in receiving? What kind of colors do you like? 5.Speaking of books, are there any books you WOULD NOT READ if something happened to fall into your package? 6.Are there any other hoarders collectors of nail polish? 7. Any hobbies/crafts you would really like supplies for? Similarly, any that you just *really* don't need more stuff of? 8.Are you interested in anything for your kitchen? Pots/pans/gadgets/small appliances/etc. 9.How about fashion accessories??? 10. Used makeup? 11.Would you like to try anything that may not be so easily available in your country, for those of you who may get an international person? 12.Kids' stuff? 13.Are there any styles/colors of handbags you won't carry? 14.Do you play video games & would you be interested in recieving games? If yes, what systems do you have & what types of games do you like? 15.Are you a BPAL only person, or do you wear other perfumes as well? 16.Do you have pets and if so what? 17.Bath/beauty stuff? Ie oils, salts, bubbles? Masks, bb creams? 18.How does everyone feel about CDs and DVDs? Any preferences? 19.Yarn, Y/N? 20.Hey, how do people feel about stripes? Say, black and white stripes? 21.If you are interested in receiving homemade baked goods, do you have any favorites or limitations not mentioned in your questionnaire? Would you like a full list of ingredients included? 22.If you are interested in receiving clothing, would you like any belts, sweatpants, or slippers? And do you have color/style preferences? 23.If you are interested in receiving books, would you like to receive ebooks? As in, book files I'd send you on a USB drive, that you can read on your computer or e-reader. If so, do you have a format preference (epub/mobi/pdf/etc)? 24.Do you have any use for a potpourri container, a bright purple reusable water bottle, or a Massage Envy gift card? 25.Do you collect anything? 26.Do you have any interest or use for anything tarot-related? 27.Do you like cats? 28.How do you feel about barely-used candles? 29.For books, how do you feel about classics? 30.Do YOU want some fabric? If so, please mention any colors/patterns/materials you DON'T want and I'll do the rest! 31.How about fashion accessories??? 32.Do you (or do you know someone) who plays Magic? Or would like a 200 (or so) card starter pack? 33.Other similar games of any interest, say Pokemon or Harry Potter? 34. How do you feel about hair and skincare items? Anything you particularly use? 35.How do folks who have said they like books feel about getting a book mid-series? 36.Any use for gold/platinum/gemstone cleaner? 37. Is there a BPAL unicorn that you have been lusting over?

bottle: PEAR , with a fizzy musk underneath, and just a hint of the lemon beneath the sweetness of the pear. wet: juicy, juicy pear, and it seems to have been soaked in subtle lemon water, then laid on a cool, light-colored, effervescent musk. dry: lingering sweetness of ripe pear, and just a hint of musk.

bottle: strawberry-jasmine-white-chocolate-candy-fiesta! wet: really syrupy berry floral cream. It kind of reminds me of a more floral Weeping Branches Moon-- it has that same heady, hard candy, fruit scent. dry:sweet, fruity, perfumey; just very nice and reminiscent of burgeoning spring things. This has a good deal of lasting power and throw; like walking around in an awesome sweets shop.

bottle: dark, leathery musk, and just a bit of herbal patchouli, maybe; it’s almost sweet and a little smoky. wet: it’s very different; warmer, more comfortable, the leather just adds the merest hint of skin warmth. There is a musk that’s low key, but swirling with another note that's a bit powdery, then something that’s almost floral but not-- it could be daemonorops? I don’t know... The presentation is just very well-blended, and it is difficult to pick any notes standing out. dry:there are musks going on; one the citrusy kind of slightly powdered black musk, and--underneath-- just a bit of the chemically, sort of high-pitched, tang that white musk usually gives me. The leather has mostly faded, and either the honey or the cream is lending a slight sweetness. Overall, this blend is a lot lighter and warmer than expected. The honey and cream temper the leather and musk to create a rounder, friendlier whole. Yes, the dragon is a creeper, but he's a *lovable* creeper-- and has no camera, so no worries about things ending up on the 'net. Oh, wait... If you are hesitating on account of the leather, Creeper's leather is extremely smooth and soft, and all of the notes come together into an extremely wearable scent.