Mantia

I've reached the big 4-0 and married to a wonderful fella. No kids or pets, we have our hands full just taking care of ourselves. I'm a civil engineer by trade, but lately have only been working part time in that. I also sell a few crafts and do a little work doing diagrams for a craft publisher. I'm generally a shy, soft-spoken sort that prefers to sit back out of the way and just watch whatever madness is afoot. I do have a very wacked sense of humour and generally see things in a different light than the average person.

I have a wide range of tastes in music... just a few favorites: The Cure, Pink Floyd, Duran Duran, Tori Amos, Simon and Garfunkle, Bach, Sin Theory A, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rich Mullins, Gordon Lightfoot, Patsy Cline, Vangelis, Elbow, and the list goes on... :)

The Black Company series by Glen Cook, Jane Eyre by Bronte, The Redwall series by Jacques, anything by James Hogan (I highly recommend Kicking the Sacred Cow), City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke, and the list goes on... :)

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, South Pacific, The Fifth Element, Over the Hedge, just about anything sci-fi, just about anything in black and white (especially musicals), just about anything with Judi Dench, and the list goes on... :)

My favorite channel is PBS. I love British comedy (Waiting for God, Last of the Summer Wine, Fawlty Towers, etc.) and most sci-fi things (Fringe, Doctor Who, Babylon 5, Stargate, etc).

So many favorites, so little time! I crochet, tat, cross-stitch, embroider, bead, sew, needlepoint, glue things together, and am slowly learning to knit. My latest obsession is making far too many very eclectic felt birds decorated with beads, sequins, embroidery, and whatever happens to be within reach. :)

Things I Love: Anything handmade! I have always felt that the work and love that goes into handmade items make them far more valuable than the most expensive thing you can buy off the shelf. You will definitely make me happy if you send anything you've made yourself!!

Colors: I don't really have one favorite color. I generally prefer deep colors (forest green, burgandy, etc) to pastels and I also like earth tones. Most of my home is "decorated" with a mix of a little of this, a little of that. The kitchen is the only room with a theme--apples!

Animals: Elephants, fish, inchworms (especially with apples!), birds (especially peacocks, hummingbirds, and ducks), pretty much ALL mammals. I also think T-Bone from the Clifford cartoons is adorable!

Flowers: Daffodils are my absolute favorite, but I like all flowers.

Sweets: I love the sugary/sour candy like sweet tarts, spree, smarties, pixie sticks, etc.

Collect: I collect ATCs, handmade postcards, and other flat handmade items (drawings, embroidery, etc). I don't have a lot of room and I love how I can have tons to look thru in just one small binder!

There is very little that I actively dislike, but there are a couple things that I can't really use... strongly scented items irritate hubby's allergies so I can only use lightly scented things and I don't have any holes in my ears so any pierced earrings I receive are likely to be regifted.

OK TO SEND... I'm not easily offended, so it is perfectly fine to send any of these things to me:

• religious items or texts
• erotic pictures or texts
• "tasteless" jokes or items
• things from a smoking home (we don't smoke, but I grew up around it and don't have a problem with it)

Thing that will always make me smile!

• Anything handmade!
• Anything with elephants!
• Anything with apples!

General Wishlist:

• ATC's!!!
• Postcards (preferably handmade)
• Vests (preferably handmade) size 2x or 3x
• A copy of The Silver Nutmeg by Palmer Brown, even just to borrow! (I'd love to read it again, but it has become a collectible and is far outside my price range!)
• A learn to quill kit (used is fine)
• A learn to bobbin lace kit (used is fine)

I LOVE handmade postcards of any kind... even if the swap calls for store-bought cards, feel free to send handmade ones (I won't complain!). If you want to send your card in an envelope to keep it safe, that is fine with me. I love all postcards, both nekkid and clothed! :)

Other postcards I like to receive... zoo postcards, pictures of bridges or buildings, anything interesting. :)