Chickpea

I am vegan and an extremely particular eater, and so please don't send me anything edible, including candy and tea. I'd hate to waste whatever lovely thing you might send, but most likely I wouldn't use it.

And now to my regularly scheduled profile...

When I'm not in the kitchen trying out a recipe from Veganomicon, you'll find me singing karaoke with my husband, or cuddling my two cats. My favorite thing in the world is traveling. I love active vacations and also beautiful places to relax. I'm not into roughing it, but it doesn't have to be 5 stars either. I love Paris, wine country in Italy, especially the House Montali in Umbria, and Lucerne, Switzerland, which is one of the most charming places on the planet.

I work in touring children's theatre. I go to schools and perform plays for kids at assemblies. It's a wonderful job getting to act and also interact with kids. They always keep you guessing! One thing I've learned from children's theatre is that if a kid tells you they need to use the bathroom, even if it's in the middle of the play, let them leave. The other thing is kids are very literal. If you tell a kid to go on stage and scream bloody murder, you're going to have a child screaming at the top of her lungs, "Bloody murder! Bloody murder!" I'm originally from Iowa, where I attended the University of Iowa and received a bachelor's degree in theatre and a minor in English.

I am vegan, which means that in addition to eating an animal-free diet, I also eschew eggs and dairy. I don't buy leather or fur; I think animals should get to keep their skin. Veganism and animal rights are two things I'm very passionate about, and I love reading about these topics any chance I get. I think it's healthy for me and for our world. Working out, healthy eating, and organics are my passions. Taking five mile walks with my Ipod or listening to a Compassionate Cooks podcast while I lift weights is very relaxing and invigorating to me.

I love handmade local arts, but I'm not into "country" style crafts like the ones that were popular at craft shows in the '80's. I enjoy the new punky craft fairs geared towards women in their twenties and thirties. Etsy is also loads of fun. I like artwork that incorporates food with faces and attitudes. I don't know why, but angry cute things really make me laugh. I also like artwork that is heavily based on the natural world, like trees, birds, fruits, veggies, etc.

LIKES

• Deco tape
• Embroidered towels & napkins (especially anthropomorphic ones)
• Oven mitts
• Decole
• Goats & sheep
• Fun, kitschy, cool, or kawaii items to use in the kitchen
• Address labels
• Pylones of Paris
• Bento
• Pigs
• Owls
• Mushrooms
• Pussy willows
• Jewelry featuring birds and/or trees
• Purple
• Teal
• All shades of green
• Belly rings
• Imported goods from India & Japan
• My favorite flowers are birds of paradise
• Cherry blossoms
• Few things in this world make me happier than a day at Disneyland; although, I'm not into the Disney characters per say. I just love the place!

DISLIKES

• The fast food industry
• Cigarettes
• Fur (Unless it's still on the living, breathing animal, of course.)
• Leather
• Wool
• Feathers
• Gelatin

Wishlist:

I know I'll love anything you send my way, but here are some ideas if you're stuck.

• Something inexpensive from my Etsy favorites (See above)

• Gift cards to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods are always handy

• A contribution of any amount made in my name to Animal Acres

• If you are my swap partner and from the UK, I'd love any Dr. Who stuff. It's not really available in the States (except online). Stationery, stickers, anything really...

My musical tastes are varied, and on the karaoke floor I've been known to bust out "Baby Got Back" or "Rollout" on the same night as Tom Jones' "Delilah" or the Dixie Chicks' "Wide Open Spaces." As a skinny white girl, I take a lot of pleasure in singing dirty gangsta rap very quickly and surprising everyone in the bar. My favorite artists include: Indigo Girls, Dar Williams, John Corbett, Tom Jones, Scissor Sisters, Billy Joel, Ludacris, Keith Urban, and the Dixie Chicks.

Supersize Me, The Wizard of Oz, The Muppet Movie, Love Actually, Persepolis, and Team America World Police.

Little Britain (UK), Jekyll (UK), Biggest Loser (US & UK), The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Dr. Who (UK--the new series), and I still have a big soft spot for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Bob Ross.

Cooking, painting, photography, editing home videos & DVD's, and pop-up cards.

My favorite books include The China Study, Food Revolution, The Time Traveler's Wife, Hungry Planet, & Fast Food Nation. I read The Boxcar Children repeatedly growing up and the Tobey Heydon books by Rosamond Du Jardin, Paddington Bear, and the Ramona Quimby books, and I'm still quite fond of them.