Lonestarchild

August 2019: Gypsy at heart. Most prized possession: dog-eared passport because, oh my, the places I can go! Most adored human: she of the adventurous soul - my delightful, irreverent, 18yo daughter.

Home at the moment (but likely not much longer -- because it's been a year already and that's usually about my limit AND as I get older, it turns out that being able to see the ocean from my front porch is a requirement) is a huge 100+year old yellow house in a tiny little town in Virginia. In the past we've lived in Malta, Cambodia, Vanuatu, Ghana, Tanzania, and Australia.

My daughter and I travel ALOT. This summer (2019) we spent 3 months in Greece -- I was working in the refugee camp and she was volunteering at a vet clinic. We've been home about a week and, no kidding, last night we started talking about our next adventure!

Other than being constantly in need of new luggage, I'm a child rights lawyer and researcher. I research and write about child welfare and adoption.

I'm an artist wannabe. I don't have any special talent but I quilt, sew, do various kinds of needlework and have lately gotten into paper crafts.

1980 hair bands. Shameful but true.

Huge reader. We've spent most of the last 10 years living in developing countries where there is no such thing as TV -- that suits us fine because we are readers. Outlander fan, but I also like any historical fiction and lawyer/legal thrillers.

I also spend way more time than I should on Crosswords!

Random things that make me happy:

1. smell of new books
2. envies -- handmade and plain color storebought to decorate
3. pens & paper and stationary & stickers
4. beads & sequins & ribbons and funny/unusual things to attach to mixed media pieces of art
5. washi
6. handknitted socks! (or nice cotton/wool ones -- not the synthetic cutesy ones)
7. Crossword puzzles! (in the US: the ones from the Dollar Store make me happy! Also happy with freebies from the paper, just also include the answers please because I cheat.)
8. new/unused postcards (not tourist ones)
9. blank journals/notebooks - especially ones with recycled paper...pages are a little rough like newspaper, not slick & shiny
10. handmade pottery -- tiles and plates
11. Nancy Drew
12. Wooden spoons
13. bags -- any kind: small ones for pens and such and tote bags...all kinds of bags (fabric & leather, but not plastic)
14. Address labels -- for me (info only; no pics) or blank to send out
15. the ocean -- and ocean colors
16. envies of randomness!
17. old mags -- I cut them up for stuff so I don't care how new/old they are
18. paper scraps -- LOVE paper and anything at least as big as a postcard is awesome! . .

THINGS I CAN HAPPILY LIVE WITHOUT:

1. almost all the isms,
2. crimes against kids,
3. horror/gothic/vampire/scary stuff,
4. smelly lotions & potions,
5. tv,
6. spicy food,
7. caffeine free coke,
8. coffee,
9. cold weather,
10. make-up,
11. high heels,
12. fridge magnets, shot glasses, tourist spoons/thimbles, keychains and that sort of thing (even if it is a "requirement" of the swap -no sense wasting your money on it!),
13. Hello Kitty, kawaii and that sort of thing

IF YOU DON'T GET SOMETHING FROM ME, LET ME KNOW PLEASE.

Postcard Wishlist: Given the option, I'd rather came they blank/unused in an envie but naked is fine too. I don't really care what kind of card, but my most favorite are ones with children on them. I also really like interesting images, watercolors, birds, books, maps, animals, clocks....

Not a fan of tourist cards.

No Religious, Rude, Crude, or Mean cards please.

I like to recycle stuff -- Please don't be offended if I use newspapers or mag pages or other interesting materials for envies and mailers. Thanks!

** Please use the messaging system on SB and not my email account. My email is subject to review by third parties and I'd much rather my personal stuff not mix with my work stuff. Thank you!

It is possible that my cats, Oddly and Adler, will want to send you something as well. They have been known to include a cat hair or two in the envies. I do my best to avoid that -- cost of postage and all -- but they love to hang out on my desk (the better to see the squirrels in the yard and increase their chances of getting a cuddle). My apologies in advance if my mail arrives with a stray cat hair or two.

One of my 2020 challenges is to reuse as much of the SB packaging as I can -- envies and mailers. I want to upcycle envies by adding/re-doing/altering them in fun ways and put them back in the mailbox. Don't be surprised if you receive an envie that looks a little familiar! Open to private swaps with anyone interested in trading a few of these!