SaintUrsula

I was born and mostly raised in California. Lived for a few years in Kansas, where my grandfather was from, and am currently living in Denver, Colorado. I admit I am a Californian (Northern!) at heart, but there's so much more of the world to see that I am not really in any hurry to land back there. Plus, it's so freaking expensive.

The farthest out of the US I've ever been is Vancouver, British Columbia. Which is to say, right over the border. I hope to do some traveling in the future, but so far it just hasn't worked out. I love things from other countries - any other countries!

Places I want to go/have an interest in (the short version is "everywhere" but here's the top few):

• Italy
• Spain
• China
• Argentina

But I have managed to see a fair amount of the US, as you can see here:

I am intensely interested in languages. I am currently learning Dutch ... my boyfriend and I might find ourselves in Belgium in a couple of years. I like to be prepared, and also, I'll take any excuse to learn something.

I love to do all sorts of arts and crafts. I draw. I've dabbled in painting (oil and watercolor). I knit. I crochet. I carve rubber stamps. I do papercutting. I've made some small books. I take photographs. I am rediscovering my love for mailing decorated envelopes. I am pretty much just constantly making things.

I used to work in a couple of bookstores, but since then my reading has tapered off (due mostly to my reading budget tapering off ...). Some favorites are:

• The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
• The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
• House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
• A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
• The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian (though I'm only 4 books in)

If you're interested in more about my reading habits, or what I'm currently reading and you're on librarything or goodreads, feel free to check my info out or friend me there.

Things I love:

Clocks
Pembroke Welsh Corgis
Photography
Maps
Coffee
Wolves
Different types of papers
Cheesecake
Handmade soap
The ocean/shells/sea glass
Peaches
Vanilla
Old movies
Postage stamps
Tea
Anything in Chinese or related to Chinese culture
Travel-related items
Ephemera

Things I like:

Buttons
Octopuses/Squids
Dark/white chocolate
Caramel/Butterscotch/Dulce de Leche
Dia de los Muertos/sugar skulls
Plants (if you're thinking about sending seeds, it would be great if it's something easy to grow and that will work in a small space)
Cats
Cirque du Soleil
The number 13
Soccer, particularly Italian Serie A (AC Milan)
Tennis (my favorite player is Rafael Nadal) Motorcycles
Vintage things or things with a vintage/nostalgic feel - old photos, skeleton keys, old papers
Matryoshkas (Russian nesting dolls)
James Dean
Hot chocolate

Things I don't like:

Licorice
Spiders
Clowns
Bananas
Cinnamon
Frilly things
I'm not really into Disney

Favorite colors: green (especially emerald/kelly), dark blues, pink
Least favorite color: orange

I like a challenge, so you can probably send me any type of craft-making item and I'll figure out something to do with it.

Lately, I've started getting into mail art more heavily. I'm hoping to venture into the world of artistamps, but I'm a little daunted by it all. If you do these, I'd love to see them!

• Battlestar Galactica
• Dexter
• Survivor
• The Amazing Race