Hello everybody :) I used to be a 'heavy' writer, as we used to call it, when I was younger. I had so many penpals, I just loved to open my mailbox. Nowadays, as I grew older (hmhm), these contacts didn't last. I mean, not all contacts .. I still have great penfriends which became friends for life since I've been to their weddings and all ... Internet is a great medium but I miss snailmail. So, saw this website and thought I wanted to join it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My home

I live together with my man Frederick, we have a dog (black labrador called Bacho) and 2 cats (street cats called Satan & Nitro). I have a big family so spending much time with them. We just bought our own house, we still have a lot of work to do so sometimes time flies by. Hopefully soon some kids will fill up the house :)

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Update May

So, chaos is my life, no tables in the house, no safe space for crafting, dust and sand everywhere, what did we do? :) Hope soon I'l find time for swaps again cuz it's so much fun to be around here!

Really looking for decorating magazines (used is okay as well) or decorating ideas :)

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Hobbies and work

I like gardening (I loooove to grow my own vegetables, I like herbs and fruit plants, don't care so much for flowers), running with the dog, going to the movies, dancing and reading books (my man says I almost eat books!). When I feel like pampering myself I love to read in my bath :) Of course I don't have a bath yet but I just have to be patient. Aaah, heaven with the smell of vanilla, chocolate, cookies or red berries! When I find some time I like to make personalised items, either on the computer or by hand like mugs, house-numbers .. I like to travel to explore cities, Belgian cities or cities abroad. I love Berlin, Paris, Haifa, Carcasonne, I still want to visit Porto and Warsawa.

I work as a tutor in a daycentre for adults with mental retardation, I have to do workshops with them and my favourite one is 'the creative club' and I can always use some ideas or tools for it, my people love to work with wooden items to sand, paint or re-decorate.

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I still have a thing for

• stickers & deco / washi tape (with words, with prints, with smileys, for kids, ...)

• clear stamps, rubber stamps (words, pictures)

• notecards /postcards (blanc, any language)

• ribbons (soft feeling, nice colours)

• pens (any colour, I like it when they write 'thick')

... the more original the better, so please skip the cute and popular stuff like Hello Kitty.

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What I do love is

[small pieces of fabric with nice prints] to 'pimp' my T-shirts with

[handmade items] kinda like everything handmade because someone loved to make it

[scarfs] as long as they feel 'soft'

[address stickers] ask for my new address!

[crafting ideas] as long as there are pictures or examples included

[wall stickers with quotes] for this I love the sweet significant quotes, not the funny ones.

[sewing patterns] easy patterns for useable things like bags, dolls, pillows, ...

[Paris] prints, cards, paper, patterns ... anything with Paris on is fun to get. Why? Because we'll always have Paris :)

[lip balm] I like them 'with a taste', just lip balm, not lip stick or lip gloss, don't use those.

[paper stuff] any style, any print, lettersets

[typical things from your home town] except postcards!

[kitchen tools] like tea towels, oven mitt, pot holders with nice / funny prints

[things with my name on - Leen -] stickers, stamps, pens, ...

[home decoration magazines] new or used, as long as they don't go back to the 80ies :) Even cut out articles are okay.

[cotton tote bags] not the small ones, they must be 'practical', handmade, with prints & colours, free ones with advertising ...

[surprises!]

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I collect

1. ear rings (I love long ear rings, colourfull, special, handmade, funny ones).
2. shot glasses (with city names on it, no brand marks).
3. egg cups.

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Food & Drinks

I like dark and milk chocolate with or without filling, any wrapped sweets, minty things and sugar free chewing gum. I also would love recipes for pasta, fish and tajine. I like all kinds of fruit tea and all sorts of instant cappuccino.

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Colours

I love the colours pink, purple, eggshell and lime green or anything in between.

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The pets would like ...

My dog Bacho likes every toy that squeaks and food he can chew on. I like the small treats I can use for his training. The cats like all small treats and small toys that tinkle.

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And last but not least

My all time favourite band is Take That, so if you find anything about them it would be just fun to get :) When we're talking solo-careers of the guys, I absolutely like Robbie Williams.

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What I absolutely don't like is

• postcards, city - country related (I had to collect hem for my uncle, I don't like to collect things and then give it away, that's why)

• necklaces (I don't wear them often so they're gonna be not used and that's a shame)

• rings (cannot wear them at work)

• brand marks (why should something be better if there's a well known name on it?)

• the smell of lavender and coconut (bad memories, nothing against the plants or fruit)

• the colours black, grey, blue and orange (they are simply not made for me)

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Private swap

[ A postcard from my country for a postcard from your country as my uncle is still maximizing his collection :) I'm really sorry but he's got already too many from Spain, France and Italy!]

[I have some old and pretty postage stamps of Belgium ... anyone interested?]

[ Any suggestions, message me!]