I'm 24 and I've never not lived in New York. I have a useless liberal arts degree (in playwriting/fiction) and am doomed to work at secretarial type jobs forever, probably.

Other things I like (in artwork or not) include: various animals (especially owls, cats, snails, armadillos, and seals), the ocean (especially when accompanied by palm trees), blue and green tones (which I have to try and get away from using all the time in my own art...), orchids, cupcakes, and fruit (I think cross-sectioned citrus fruits are beautiful, even if I don't really like to eat them).

I am perpetually smitten with dangly and hoop earrings. I've had my ears pierced for nine-ish years, and the novelty still hasn't worn off.

I love getting and sending mail---I always had pen pals as a kid, and I did some Land Mail Art Objects and swaps in high school, and I'm thrilled to be getting back into it. I love letters, and receiving artwork of any kind in my mailbox makes me a very happy puppy.

a little of everything, but some of my favourites are: The Mountain Goats, Elliott Smith, Liz Phair, Veruca Salt, the Dresden Dolls, Say Hi to Your Mom, Okkervil River, Cake, the Thermals, Metric...

I also have a lot of love for my local classic rock station.

I'm always looking for new music, so mix CDs of your favourites will always be accepted with love. ;)

I love childrens' and YA books (my favourite classes that I took in college were in children's lit/writing for children). I love the Harry Potter books to pieces, as well as Garth Nix's Sabriel books, the His Dark Materials trilogy, and the Series of Unfortunate Events books (which take up almost an entire shelf on my bookshelf, but they're so pretty!).

If I had to pick a "favourite author," I'd probably have to say Connie Willis.

I'm also a Stephen King fan---not because I'm hugely into horror, but just because I like his style, especially the way I can tell when I read some of his novels that music and TV and movies and books are really important to him. (And they are to me, too.)

My mom instilled a lot of love for sci-fi and fantasy novels in me as a kid, so I have a special place in my heart for genre fiction, especially if it's sharp and humourous, like Terry Pratchett's Discword books, or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I love Kurt Vonnegut, too.

One of my favourite things that I've ever read, ever, was Neil Gaiman's epic "Sandman" graphic novel collection. I read each volume perched on crappy folding chairs in a Barnes & Noble in Manhattan in 2003, and I'd never have gotten out of college without them, I think.

the Lord of the Rings trilogy. the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which I saw way, way too many times. I like Kevin Smith a lot, mostly for Chasing Amy. I love anything directed by Christopher Guest (Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman, etc.) I never thought I'd love a zombie movie until I saw Shaun of the Dead. (and 28 Days Later amazed me, too.) I was in elementary school during a really good time for Big Disney Summer movies like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Lion King, so those are all embedded firmly in my mind, especially the song lyrics. "Part of Your World" sing-along, anyone?

The Office (US), Supernatural, Veronica Mars, Friday Night Lights, The Simpsons, Prison Break, Reaper, Bones, Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, Buffy, Wonderfalls, Slings & Arrows, Carnivàle, Rome, Stargate: Atlantis, Psych, MASH

I've been making ATCs for a while now, and I love them. Papercrafting is my main love at the moment---so any papers, images, text, or various other bits and bobs for collaging, etc. will be put to good use!

I'm also enjoying (and trying to get better at) crocheting, sewing, and jewelery making.