Fittzwm

I am a mom living in Tacoma, WA. Former military, as is my husband. We have two boys (b.1992, 1999), a Border Collie (Malcolm the Reluctant) and two psycho cats (Vlad the Non-Impaler & Fiona the Impudent). All three beasties were rescued and have found their forever-home with us. We have a 100+ year old home and are always searching for cool things to make it more ours.

I love stitching and crafting with found objects. I do historic embroidery, as well as more current stitching. I don't quilt.

This is new to me, so I am building my likes and dislikes. If I post something as a new like/dislike after I receive it in a swap, unless it's reaaly contra to the tops of both list, it's a learning experience.

I do like:

• dark chocolate
• black licorice (is there really any other kind?? Red 'licorice' just doesn't work for me!)
• border collie art anything! I'm a sucker for that dog!
• retro items ( I remember many of them the first time around!)
• recycling - whether it's the fifth trip around the world for a padded envelope or recycling paper packing at the landfill. Use a few newer resoures to maximize the life of the old ones. Make a game out of many times a box or envelope has been used.
• embroidery
• found-object art
• dark humour
• fabric
• threads/flosses
• silk
• wool
• linen
• small, cute, USABLE items - kits packed in Altoids-like tins are always cool
• baking
• dogs & cats - if asked whether I am a dog person or a cat person, the answer is both. Rescue them from the shelter, from some horrible situation they are in - just save their life & the rewards will be immeasurable.
• For colours, I prefer rich shades of blue and green. True red will always be a hit!
• most hot drinks - #####coffee#####, cocoa. many teas
• I like scented candle in spicy aromas like cinnamon and vanilla . I seem to prefer the fall & winter scents over the spring & summer florals.

I DON'T like:

• peanut butter - I am not allergic, but it sickens me
• white chocolate - the greasy crap that's left over after all the good chocolate stuff has been removed.
• coconut - sickening to me
• tootsie pops & most other lollipops
• reality TV
• politics
• whiners
• craft foam - it stinks, really!
• uber-girly things - fairies, pixie dust, unicorns and the like - not my 'thing'
• princess-motif anything - especially Disney Princess
• I don't care for pastel colours.
• not a big fan of green tea, unless it has lots of citrus.

• dotee dolls. not sure why, but the do not appeal to me.

  Please refrain from sending me old, expired goods. If you thought it was old or icky, chances are that I will, too.

My tastes are very eclectic. It is easier to say what I don't enjoy.

Not a big fan of opera, country, rap/hip-hop, speed metal or 'hair bands'. David Lee Roth types really creep me out.

I love Big Band era jazz/swing. The Blues make me smile. Still love that funky '80s fun stuff. Flogging Molly will always be a fave.

I don't care for romance novels or much SF/fantasy. I prefer suspense, thriller & the like. Dean Koontz, Ridley Pearson, Ken Follett to name a few. I think Stephen King has jumped the literary shark.

NO MORE REALITY TV!!! toss Big Brother, Survivor, Wife Swap & their exploitative ilk right in the nearest trash bin. Please, I have enough drama in my life.

I watch TV for diversion. Education, too, on occasion. History Channel, TLC & Discovery rock.

Classic musicals - Brigadoon, West Side Story. We all know the songs & love 'em. I also totally love mindless action movies - great car chases, explosions & wafer-thin plots. Wow, I just described a Bruce Willis movie :)

I am an active member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA.) Yes, we re-create the nicer parts of history - 600-1600 - but it's just a hobby. I only wear 'funny clothes' at events, and can pass for a relatively normal person. This hobby kind of explains my love of historic needle work, although I am not sure which came first - SCA or historic embroidery.

I am not infatuated with mythical creatures and my house is not decorated like a wanna-be castle. I've been to enough real castles around the world to know this would be an exercise in futility.

Many of the values we hold dear in the SCA, honour, chivalry, and the like, would greatly improve the rest of the world if we practiced them all the time.

I am sort of a crafting hummingbird, never totally settling on one discipline. I've done ATCs, altered tins, and other crafty things. Sewing & needle arts are my first love. Still can't knit or crochet DAMN! I would love to learn I am up for a challenge.

Craft-wise, for the most part - jack of all trades, master of none. And that's fun!

Wish lists seem pretty popular. Whilst I am wishing, I shall ask for the world - For my 16 year old son to get his act together and figure out how to achieve what he wants from life. More realistic wishes:

• Foreign fun candies
• a magic filter around my home to obliterate peanut butter, coconut & white chocolate candy before it gets in my home
• little charms of various sorts - polymer, clay, metal, for embellishing things - tins, atc, journals, etc...
• a moment of sanity, on demand. ShannonElizabeth@ contributed to that with her awesome coffee cup she sent me. "wait until I finish this cup, then I'll worry about you."
• Small bento/lunchbox accessories - NOT hello Kitty
• things sent that show you actually read my profile. (seriously, that red coffee cup is divine)
• silk threads for embroidery. I have pretty decent access, but with so many beautiful colours, I can't pick just one.
• hand-dyed fabrics & thread, Adds such a cool dimension to a piece of work.
• acorns - more specifically, their unbroken caps. Don't ask...

Well, that's my wish list so far