InFlorida

11/7/2012 ~ Thanks to Vanne for being cool and understanding. ATC has been made and sent. Feels good to be back. I've just made a Christmas card swap, won't you join in? My house was filled with cards received from swap-bot swaps last year. It was pretty nice, and well...just pretty!.

11/1/2012 ~ Finally have a chance to come back after many months of total absence. Things happen, but life goes on. I owe an apology to my last partner. She still has not received her ATC. Writing to her tonight, and will make it right. With Christmas just around the corner, I am looking forward to getting into some card swaps.

1/12/2012 ~ Hello! Okay, so..my son has gone back to college. I miss him SO much. Thought it would get easier after a year but, nah. Our relative is out of the hospital, now waiting for a spot in an assisted living facility. Apparently there is lots of paperwork and waiting to be done. He also started his dialysis treatments. I have started to work on the "angeling" cards for my Vintage love swap and on other swaps I've signed up for. Hope this new year brings health and peace to all of you!

12/29/2011 ~ Another update and news. Our family member is still hospitalized but has stabilized somewhat. Looks like he will need dialysis 3x week forever :( The doctors are still not sure of the reason for the renal failure. I want to reiterate that I rated everything I received for Christmas cards and any any other Christmas-related swaps. Thank you to all the partners who sent their cards! I displayed them all and they looked great :) ~ I've received messages from two participants of my Vintage Love ATC swap who were, sadly, flaked on. I will be angeling them. I really hope this does not happen again....I will be posting the next installment of my Vintage ATC series this afternoon!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year. Cyber hugs!

12/16/2011 ~ Update I've opened and rated every single Christmas/Holiday/etc card received! Thank you, swap-bot partners! If I did not rate you, your card has not yet arrived. ........................................................................

If you know me, at all ~ you know I love Christmas! I signed up for many Christmas (and holidays) card swaps. Love receiving them in the mail. I wanted to let my partners know that the reason why I have not done much rating on these swaps is that a close family member has been hospitalized for 2 weeks now under pretty dire circumstances. Prior to his hospitalization, we were taking care of him and his home, and now have other issues to handle ...anyway it is a lengthy story. There is no diagnosis yet, but his kidneys have shut down and he is starting dialysis today. Long story short...I will get my mail opened and my ratings done asap, thank you for understanding. I did send all of my swaps on time, except 1, my Christmas express cards which went out today :( I hope that my partners understand the reason. Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season to all! Merry Christmas ~ Naya

Oh boy...I read a LOT. Favorites..let's see:

Tolkien - yep LOTR nerd!

A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin. (Winter is Coming!) Yep Big Fantasy Genre reader ... NOT science fiction.

The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End. Ken Follet rocks my world.

Harry Potter Series. I purchased the first copy of the last book ay my local Barnes and Noble store at midnight of the release day! Yay I was in the paper. I knew waiting in line all those hours was worth it! :)

The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who played with Fire. I have to get the last book in the series - The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Dan Brown - The DaVInci Code, The Lost Symbol.

Guy Gavriel Kay - The Fionavar Tapestry Trilogy, Sailing to Sarantium, A Song for Arbonne, The Last Light of the Sun. I recently finished reading his latest book "Under Heaven." It was pretty good.

Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel's Legacy Series

Phillipa Gregory's Historical Fiction

Most Amy Tan. The Hundred Secret Senses was great.

The Chronicles of Narnia.

Ann Rice - Her earlier works up to Taltos. I loved "The Witching Hour."

The Children of the Earth Series by Jean M. Auel is SO awesome. "The Land of the Painted Caves" finally came out, unfortunately reviews are not great. I'm going to wait a bit before purchasing it.

Usully if I've read the book, I find the movie seriously lacking. Anyway...movies:

Inception was actually quite fantastic.

Avatar

The Matrix (all variations)

All LOTR movies.

All Harry Potter movies. Of course. First Showing, First Day. :)

The Color Purple

Shakespeare in Love

24

Bones

Lost

True Blood

House

CSI

NCIS

Criminal Minds

Top Chef

The West Wing (I know it is an old series but I watch the reruns when I can.. It is just that good.)

Firefly, Stargate (all variations) - I know I said I dont read sci-fi but these series I like - and are now all cancelled, bah!

I rate my partners as soon as I receive the swap, barring something extremely unusual. If I did not rate you, it is because "it" has not yet arrived. Please feel free to email me with any questions! By the same token, if you have not received a swap from me - Please contact me prior to rating me down. I always send!

Recently discovered Zentangles and I'm pretty much hooked. Love 'em.

I have also (quite by accident) "discovered" the Steampunk art genre, and I have to say, I find it very visually appealling. Such whimsy & creativity!

I have developed a great love for ATC's as well and have started a nice little collection. I do both mixed media/collage and hand painted/drawn cards. I will always give each card the attention and care that I would want to receive. I rather give my partner extra time to send their swap rather than to receive something haphazardly made due to a "rush." If you are interested in a private ATC swap, PM me!

I love to cook and try to innovate in the kitchen. I enjoy trying out new recipes, regional and ethnic cuisines. My son is now a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University so I am always looking for treats and such to send to him. Yeah, I'm an empty nester :(

I am always looking for new spices and spice blends as well salts, flavored honey and interesting syrups.

I enjoy travel, both here in the US and overseas. We try to "go" somewhere every year.

I have an old dog and a fat cat.

I love to paint, but have not touched a canvas in a very long time.

Oh I love Scrabble and Apples to Apples.

Love photography, and take tons of pictures.

I enjoy going to art festivals and museums and "people watching."

Ren Faires are a must!

I love all things ancient. Especially Egyptian culture, history, art, architecture. To a slightly lesser extent other old civilizations ~ Greek, Roman, Cathars, Gaul, Etruscan, Prehistoric, you get the idea...

Old cemeteries fascinate me. I make a point to visit them when we go places. Pere LeChaise in Paris was amazing. Bonaventure in Savannah as well.

I guess in keeping with my love of "old" things... old churches are interesting to me. Maybe it is a purely historical, or architectural, or anthropological interest. Maybe something else.

Old/Vintage Cookbooks

Seashells off Sanibel Island and Captiva beaches. I have quite a collection, all picked up during our vacations there.

Masks. Clay or metal of some ethnic or cultural interest.

Kachina dolls. Wish I could afford more of them.

Interesting ethnic pottery or figurines. No mass-produced commercial stuff.

Russian nesting/Stacking dolls (Matryosha)

Christmas ornaments and Santas. Eye catching, different, original ideas. I love cloisonne ornaments!

Interesting keys and locks

"Chick flicks"

Romance novels

Pink

Frills, Ruffles & the like.

Cute stuff, kawaii, girlie stuff

Licorice

Olives

Graphic novels/Manga

Gargoyles!

Loose tea & tea combinations. Zero teabags.

Dijon/Grainy mustards

Orchids. We have hundreds of them.

Ocarinas

Vintage Medical Books, Journals and Instruments

Vintage brass intruments

Hand-made, carved flutes, whistles

Small ornamental, display-type swords/daggers

Likes:

Funky Reading Glasses +1.25/+1.50 I go through these like crazy, and keep a pair everywhere!

Long Memo Pads. Im always making notes!

ATC Supplies: Sheer ribbon, scrapbook embellishments, notecards, craft glue/glue sticks, fine-tiped color pens/markers, Interesting paper/ephemera, things like that.

Books: Fantasy, Cookbooks, Thrillers

Edibles: Sugar-free gum & citrus/sour candies, herb/spices/spice mixes, dark chocolate.

Miscellaneous: Taper candles, votive candles & holders (not vanilla or gadenia) lavender is nice, uncented is nice too! Light scents.

Dislikes:

white/milk chocolate, licorice, beads, lotions, silk flowers, makeup, romance novels, political opinion books, girly/pink things, hair accesories.

I like all sorts! Except country not so much, oh I don't like rap.

80's music. Lots of this in my Ipod! Hall & Oates' "Say it isn't so" and Amy Grant's "I will Remember You" get played a lot.

Instrumental Jazz (Count Basie, Jaco Pastorius, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James) The song "I Remember Clifford" and Vocalese (I love the New York Voices!)

Oldies & Classic Rock. Beatles.

Classical & Selected Opera arias (Nessun Dorma from Turandot is a favorite, Tosca and Carmen.)

More "modern" music: I adore Coldplay and Lighthouse Manifesto.

Selected Latin music. It is more by song than by artist. Carlos Vives - Carito, Juanes - Me Enamora, Cabas - Ya no eres mi bombon.

My absolute favorite from this genre is a ballad by Celia Cruz titled "Te Busco." It was the last song from a rather mediocre movie called "Lantana" starring that guy from the TV series "Without a Trace." It is quite beautiful. Give it a listen, even if you do not understand the words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuYqAPIN88I