TeaNi

internet issues just fyi, since the flooding here in north GA on 9-21-09 I have not had internet access at home. This is NOT affecting my swaps being sent out ontime, etc, as I am still able to get online at my mom's house and the public library, but it may mean I can't answer pm's AS promptly as usual (ie don't be surprised if it takes about 24-48 hours), it may also take a day or 2 to rate from the time I receive, and I'm not as chatty as usual in forums. I'm still here, though, checking in almost every day, getting the few swaps I'm in sent out on time, and rating/ thanking just as soon as I can:)

I rate fairly according to swap-bot's rating criteria. If I receive a swap that meets all posted swap requirements, including being sent on time, I rate a 5. If I personally feel the swap was special to me, and that actually happens a lot, I add a heart. For those that are new to swapping, and aren't aware, though, I'd just like to point out that it's generally considered very bad form to ask for hearts. If the swap does not meet requirements, including being unreasonably late, I'll rate a 3. If I feel a reasonable amount of time has gone by and I have not received anything I will contact you first before rating a 1. I try to reflect my swap experience honestly and fairly, not only for the benefit of the person sending to me, but for the rest of the s-b community.

To those I send to, I pledge to swap unto others as I would have swapped unto me; I'll send on time (and would pm you if for some extenuating circumstance I couldn't), I'll put effort into making swaps that I hope would make my partners smile, and you can always count on me to rate quickly (although I do not check my POB every single day). I hope those who receive from me will do the same!

These days I'm in less official swaps, and busy granting wishes for my favorite group:)

I also participate in other group wishlists and have so much fun granting wishes as well as finding happy surprises in my mail box!:)

HI! I'm Nicole. I know I have a lot of information here, not intended to overwhelm, but because I personally really like to "get to know" my swap-pals. It can be frustrating to me personally to get a partner, go to their profile, and find little to go on. However, for those of you who are the "less is more" sort, if you'll just please avoid the 3 items under "I'd rather not get these things", you could skip the rest of my ramblings, and we'll probably still be compatible ;) So...

about me: I'm a full-time wife and mom (I home educate my 2 girls, so, I'm truly full time!) ;) I graduated from university in '99. Our family as a whole is generally playful, noisy, and affectionate. We have 2 dogs and 2 outdoor cats. Our family is of mostly Mexican and Brazilian descent and I have traveled to those countries many times as well as to France, Canada, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and many U.S. states. I love to travel, even though I'm rather terrified of flying!:-P I can speak Portuguese and Spanish enough to be understood, though my grammar is atrocious.

I have a pen-pal (UK) who I've corresponded with regularly for 22 years (since grade school).

some stuff I like A-Z: ♥ art, animals, Appalachia, the Amish ♥ Bible study, books, botanical gardens, B&B's, beaches, (Romare) Bearden, bird watching ♥ collage, corduroys, Converse, cameras ♥ dollhouse minis, dancing, dominoes, (Ted) DeGrazia
♥ earth friendly items ♥ faith, family, foreign/ethnic folk art, fair trade, fis ladies (esp. J. B. Kennedy and before) ♥ gnomes, globes, "green" products & living, Greek/Mediterranean style ♥ Havaianas flip-flops, Halloween (cute, spooky or vintage, not gruesome/ gross) ♥ islands ♥ Jody coyote earrings, jeans ♥ kiwis, knit scarves, kawaii ♥ laughing, ladybugs ♥ music, movies, mushrooms, museums, map postcards, MS Pac-man ♥ nature walks, NYC, Nativity ♥ OWLS ♥ poetry, photography, parks, Parcheesi, poppies, Pixar animation, postcards, Paperchase products ♥ quirkiness, quotations ♥ roller skating, ROBOTS, rooibos teas, reusable shopping bags, re-purposed materials ♥ Statue of Liberty, strawberries, skateboarding (my daughter does it, I just support her sport!), socks (fun prints & cotton) ♥ trading pins (Disney or Olympic), tiger lilies, (vintage) typewriters & telephones, tea themed ♥ UNO, umbrellas ♥ vacations, Van Gogh, vintage imagery (1960's and before) ♥ whimsical woodland, Wonder Woman, wild flowers ♥ Xuxa ♥ yodelers, yo-yos ♥ zoos

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! I love jewelry, accessories, and household items made from re-purposed materials (like necklaces made from paper beads, purses made from juice boxes, bowls made from telephone wire, dishtowels made from old t-shirts, etc) :)

my collections ♥ wind up robots ♥ OWLS, ♥ map postcards, ♥ artwork for hanging on my walls ♥ books

animal imagery I especially like: owls, sparrows & woodland creatures, turtles, red ladybugs, snails, peacocks, camels, whales, pandas, donkeys, baby deer, crocodiles, otters, and many others.

Other imagery I like: strawberries, kiwi fruit, robots, tea themed, vintage housewife/motherhood/girlhood, 1940's, dance (popular). I also love anything that represents a mother with 2 daughters or 2 sisters (people, animals, objects, whatever).

dream destinations islands! The Greek Isles, New Zealand, Galapagos, Cabo Verde, British Isles, Hawaii, PEI, Madagascar, Indonesia...

Childhood nostalgia: Wonder Woman, Muppets, Snoopy, Smurfs, Alice in Wonderland, old Holly Hobby & classic storybook characters (Beatrix Potter, Pippi Longstocking, Anne of Green Gables, Little Prince, etc).

kawaii Don't find much in my area, so my girls and I get a kick out of receiving it. I think the foods with faces are pretty cute, and the little geisha dolls, ninja characters, and the wrestling brothers are adorable. The girls like Deery Lou, Keroppi the frog, Kuromi, pandas, and skeleton/spooky characters.

favorite color combos: blues & purples (all shades), rich cocoa brown, light blue and white, navy blue and white, bright citrus/tropical colors, shades of aqua/turquoise/teal. I like all colors of the rainbow; ♥ red: ladybugs, strawberries ♥ orange: citrus, tiger-lilies ♥ yellow: daffodils, lemons ♥ green: trees, sage, moss, money (ha-ha) ♥♥♥ blue, indigo, violet: pretty much everything! the only colors I don't like are what I call "poopy" colors like mustard, pea green, avocado, or rust (these are my mom's favorite colors, though, ;)!) Oh, and I don't wear yellows or greens (blue green/ turquoise is fine), though I like them otherwise; they aren't flattering on me.

My home: The walls of my home are mostly painted soft yellows & greens (maize & sage), & our furniture is mostly shades of brown, but my bedroom is painted light blue and white with b&w decor. I love bright cheerful accent colors- especially for my kitchen, real art work, and b&w photography. I enjoy things I can hang on the wall or use, less so things that sit on shelves. I also like cotton kitchen towels in bright, cheerful colors.

Favorite scents: sandalwood, chamomile, mint, fig, basil, ginger, bamboo, lime, the earth after it rains, fresh corn tortillas, & oddly enough, play-doh.

snacks: I like dried fruit/fruit leathers and organic or natural alternatives to sweets. I would like to try the different exotic flavored kit-kats. My favorite candies are kiwi gummies, tic-tac Chill Exotic Cherry, and Dentyne fire gum.

TEAS I used to be a big fan of drinking black teas, but I've cut back for the sake of my kidneys. Rooibos (red) and flavored green or white teas would be much appreciated since they don't have the same tannins or oxalic acid as black teas. My all time favorite tea is TAZO Organic Apple Red! I love it:) I'm also especially like mint green tea, jasmine green, green earl grey and the green chais!. For herbal teas, I like apple chamomile, or teas similar to "sleepytime". I would really love to try different flavors of Zhenna's Gypsy, Numi, and Mighty leaf brands of tea. My tea dislikes are anything with citrus or red fruits/berries (like the zingers), or anything with Mandarin Spice.

3 absolute no thank-yous:

1~ While I find them adorable, I'm allergic to cats, so please try not to send cat fur;-)

2~ I'm also allergic to wool :( even handling it makes my hands red and itchy

3~ please NO imagery/items that would be considered clearly pagan, occult, new-age, or religious other than Christian (i.e. no Hindu goddesses, Buddhas, tarot, pentagrams, etc) I thank you for respecting my personal beliefs on this, and will do the same for my partners whatever theirs may be :-)~I should also add that I usually open packages with my girls, so please keep it PG, or at least give me warning! ;)

Not so much/dislikes: The stuff below won't offend or make me itch, but in the interest of full disclosure, I feel I should be honest about what I have personal preferences not to acquire (i.e. would possibly re-swap).

the scents of vanilla, lavender, pine, or patchouli do not agree with me, nor do most extremely floral scents or coffee scented stuff... I dislike any coffee or licorice (blehk)..... I never use loose glitter for any purpose..... I try with nominal success to avoid "junk" foods..... No one in our home is really into most toddler TV characters (Dora, Blues Clues, Sesame Street, Care Bears, etc...), we don't use foamy shapes..... I do not participate in friendship books or anything similar, so please don't send any to me;)

I have too many: memo pads, ballpoint pens, pencils, erasers, body washes

please no more: classroom reward stickers (I don't have any use for them, even as "pass-ons"), expired products- eww. Please check use-by dates, I do :P.Please no nail polish, lip balm, bath items, or any other cosmetic/body products. My girls and husband have suffered from eczema off and on for years so our family has recently decided to go organic/ chemical free in all of our H & B products (no SLS, phosphates, fragrance, etc) so it's best not to send any of that stuff, thanks!

I love snail mail & am easily pleased, so other than the dislikes I've listed above, I'm mostly happy with anything pleasant. Unusual things I would never think of would be cool, too. But here are some things, in no particular order, that I'm craving for those (like me) who want lists & info!;-) For all of these, when appropriate, gently used or passed on is fine by me!:)

♥ anything handmade with TLC by you for me would be so special! (just no wool, please) I especially like handmade things that are useful rather than simply decorative, for example: notecards, dishcloths, jewelry, magnets, journals, hand knit (cotton) socks:)

♥ COKE rewards codes (unused) found on bottle caps of coke products (Sprite, Barqs, Minute Maid, etc). You could either mail me the caps or e-mail me the codes:)

♥ anything, handmade or pre-fab, related to the original Addams family TV show

♥ any dollhouse miniatures (1:12) or rement (out of the box is fine by me);

♥♥♥ robots and owls!

♥ any fun/ pretty/ unique rubber or clear stamps; hand carved or storebought; used fine

♥ any nice art pens for art journaling (black or colors) esp. a Gelly roll stardust pen

♥ anything to encourage nature study and journaling (such as lovely journals, drawing pencils, nature themed ephemera or supplies (seasons, animals, weather, botanica, etc), field guides, etc...

♥ fun reusable shopping bags (store bought or handmade), I esp. like the nylon ones that fold up into their own little pouch

♥ any children's books in Portuguese (yes, I realize this is obscure, but ya' never know what oddities people have lying around;P)

♥ any book or CD from my amazon wishlist would be such a treat (used is fantastic)

♥ likewise, anything from my etsy favorites would be lovely

♥ any fair trade/eco-friendly/ organic or otherwise "green" products you like and would share

♥ anything Peacefrogs - esp. a sticker for my car (any solid color, USA, soccer)

♥ I'd also like a "life is good" sticker

♥ photo booth pictures (if you know who/when/where the photos were taken, please include this info, bu if not, that's OK, too!)

♥ very old photographs (pre 1960, the older the better)

♥ old PASTE magazine Cd's (#s 1-22)

♥ teas flavored rooibos or green versions of typically black teas like chai or earl grey

♥ any good memoirs or other non fiction books you have finished and wouldn't mind passing on to me

♥ Christian items such as: Bible verse stickers, devotionals, Christian books for adults or young girls, used DVDs / CDs you've enjoyed & would pass on

♥ knitting supplies of my own: 100%cotton yarn (any color) and bamboo needles of any size (with a "head" please). I'm trying to learn along with my girls

♥ embossing powders (any colors, especially need blues, greens, light violet, pink, gold)

♥ books or information on simple living/ homesteading/ self sufficiency/ the Amish

♥ colorful, cylindrical tins that look "vintage" or have writing in languages other than English (no rusty tins, please)

♥ a purse sized umbrella

♥ anything "penny" themed for my mom, whose name is Penny:)

♥ andything having to do with the following animals: monotremes (platypuses & echnidas), ocean rays, foxes, blue whales

♥ any family friendly DVD (G or PG only) that still plays well

♥ cds of Christmas music

To be honest I'm really not too diverse in terms of being crafty, although I have a great appreciation for people who are. I mostly stick to paper crafts.

I am trying to learn to knit along with my daughters who are taking lessons and would love some supplies of my own: 100% cotton, bamboo, or hemp yarn in any color and bamboo needles in any size with a "head"

I keep a collage journal of found images; I think it's like what people refer to as a "gluebook" on a sort of grand scale. I'm beginning to get into "art" journaling, could use some inspiration and supplies (art pens). I'd also like to begin keeping a nature journal sometime soon...

More of a hobby than a craft; I also have a contemporary dollhouse that is a looong term ongoing project so I love 1:12 dollhouse minis.

I do not cross-stitch, do embroidery, quilt, or sew, so I really have no use for supplies pertaining to those crafts. Please don't waste perfectly good supplies on me:)

However, any fabric having to do with my favorite things (esp. owls and robots!) would be welcome, as I can use it to cover books, or get my mom or oldest daughter to make things for me (they do sew on request;P).

I do not personally scrapbook, but my daughters like to, so I'll help them. If someone would like to "share their stash" they like scrapbook embellishments of the following themes: Disney, skateboarding, swimming, soccer, tap/jazz dance, gymnastics, piano, singing, baking/sweets, holidays, anything cute or kawaii-ish, Bible/Christian.

I do greatly admire other people's crafts and art, and would truly cherish anything handmade that anyone wanted to send me.

This is some info for swaps that are geared towards our children. My girls are my constant companions, and get really excited when I receive a swap. Anyone who puts in some little thing appropriate for sharing with them in my swaps automatically scores big with me:)

We try to stay away from aspartame (found in most sugar free products). Sugar is fine in moderation, though!:)

Please no nail polish, lip balm, bath items, or any other cosmetic/body products. They've both suffered from severe eczema off and on over the years and our family has recently decided to go organic and chemical free in all of our H & B products- thanks!:)

things they both love: anything handmade just for them, amigurumi/ stuffies/ dotees, Disney trading pins, unused webkinz codes, fun socks, polka dots, anything kawaii-ish, and since they have just begun knitting, skeins of 100% cotton yarn, and bamboo needles with a "head".

My oldest girl, RM is 12 (10/96) & more sporty and quirky than typical girly. She's my right hand, a great planner and organizer, a "type A" perfectionist, hard on herself, with high standards, but also a nurturer, very caring. She enjoys unusual sports and activities like skateboarding, riding her unicycle, pogo sticks and stilts, and hoolahoops, as well as music (piano, singing, her i-pod), baking, reading books of comic strips like "Baby Blues" and "Zits". Her favorite colors are red, blue, green, black, orange, & any color other than pink. Although in her personal style she is not froufrou girly, she is into experimenting with fashion and she likes trendy accessories (hats, arm warmers, etc) and quirky-cute-retro stuff. She also likes Christian-teen stuff, Eeyore, rainclouds and lightning bolts, LOL catz, and she collects odd bubble machine creatures and tech decks. She loves the old TV shows I Love Lucy and The Addams Family, which she is weirdly obsessed with. She has taken piano for 6+ yrs, so she very much identifies herself with music and loves things with images of musical notes or piano keys. She is super into skateboarding, too, and has even competed. She has just begun learning to knit with her sister. People she admires include Bethany Hamilton and Dolly Parton. For t-shirt purposes, she wears a girls 12-14, or juniors small.

My youngest girl, LB is 7 (6/02) and very girly, but also a daredevil with an adventurous spirit. She is the comedian in our family and makes us laugh everyday. She loves all dogs and says she wants to train service dogs when she's "big":). She also loves kittens, dolphins, horses, and any other cute animals (no creepy crawlies). She collects music boxes. She likes watching musicals (Annie, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Shirley Temple, etc) and playing with her American Girl doll and her Barbies & dressing them up (so clothes for 18" dolls and Barbies, even gently used but clean, are always appreciated). Her favorite colors are sparkly, pink, purple, blue, & red. She has just begun learning to knit with her sister as of June '09, and has just begun piano lessons. She loves tap dancing. She can always use fun socks (girls large), and would be thrilled if anyone sent her any Littlest Pet shop animals(out of the packaging/gently used is fine) or other similar little plastic animal figures. For t-shirt purposes, her clothing size is a girls 10-12 (yes, she is outrageously tall for her age, people find it hard to believe she is only 7!) She is really into Nate the Great books and other easy chapter books, and has recently discovered Legos.

I can't forget an honorable mention of my husband, Charlie, the only "boy" in our home. He's a fun loving, easy going, hard working Brazilian guy who loves soccer, adidas, Pink Floyd, F-1 racing, turtles, old style nautical (ships), pool (billiards), and his family, of course! That's him in a nutshell. I'm working on a long term project of decorating a guys billiards room for him and his friends to hang out in, and would love postcards in any of those themes to put on a cork board for him.

I'm crazy for map postcards!. I don't mind receiving multiples either! Please send me map postcards- I'm officially addicted and they are a surefire way to my heart!

Other types of postcards I would enjoy include scenic multi-view, islands, water scenes (beaches, waterfalls, etc), owls, turtles, cute animals, fine art, children in ethnic cultural dress, soccer, F-1, old style nautical, jet planes, storybook illustrations, people, dance, vintage, skateboarding, "legend of", Amish, Appalachia, nature scenes)

states I need:

woot! I have 49 states and D.C. now, I only need New Hampshire

check out my friend @Puchita and click on her flickr to see her amazing mapcard collection; I aspire to someday have an equally impressive one!:) (and to post the collection I do have on flickr, too)

books I love to read and set a yearly goal of 24 books read (not including Bible Study and children's books). I truly enjoy Bible study and find great peace in reading scripture. Memoirs, and non fiction seem to be my primary choices for a good read these days, such as: The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert, Riding in Cars with Boys and Looking for Mary by Beverly Donoffrio, Child of the Jungle by Sabine Kuegler, Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet, The Big Rumpus by Ayun Halliday, Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight and Scribbling the Cat by Alexandra Fuller, and Crunchy Cons. Certain fiction does stand among my favorites, though, including: The Way of a Pilgrim, The Little Prince, The Road, Time Traveler's Wife, The Shack, Wolf Whistle, The Red Tent, and everything I've read by the authors C.S. Lewis, Tom Robbins, Loisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery & J.D. Salinger to name a few.

music I enjoy a bit of nearly everything including Rock, singer-songwriters, reggae, various world music- especially Brazilian MPB and bossa-nova, Christian (gospel and contemporary), some R&B, country, classical, and even a bit of rap. I don't like anything that would be described as "hardcore", though, be it rock, metal, electronica, rap, etc... Some all time favorite artists include: Ben Harper, Johnny Cash, Al Green, Dolly Parton, Bob Marley, Billy Joel, Queen, Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Seu Jorge, the Weepies, Marisa Monte, Patsy Cline, the Ramones, the Beatles, the Cure, Crowded House, the Puppini Sisters, Fiona Apple, Gabriel O Pensador, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Jackson 5, Cafe Quijano, Cesaria Evora, and I harbor an embarrassing love for ABBA and the BeeGees ♥

movies I mostly like movies that are uplifting, either in a thoughtful or just plain silly way, but occasionally something slightly "dark" might slip in, but no horror! some faves: Life is Beautiful, It's a Wonderful Life, Amelie, Cinema Paradiso, Citizen Ruth, Edward Scissorhands, Garden State, Whale Rider, IL Postino, Big Lebowski, Traffic, Blow, Election, O Auto da Compadecida, Big Fish, Grease, When Harry Met Sally, Howards End, Little Miss Sunshine, Mars Attacks, O Brother Where Art Thou, Sound of Music, Forest Gump, A Day without a Mexican, Muriel's Wedding, Punch-drunk Love, A Room With a View, Nacho Libre, Wall-E, The Fox and the Child, Man on Wire

I don't like to sit and watch much tv; the only shows I actually do are LOST, 18 Kids and Counting, and Dancing with the Stars. As I putter around the house I do catch bits and pieces of certain programs that my husband and daughters like to watch including: The Addams family, I Love Lucy, Charlie & Lola, American Idol, GLOBO (Brazilian TV), and CNN.

Thanks for stopping by;)

I am open to doing one on one trades with well rated US swappers, and postcard or small envie trades with well rated international swappers:)

Notes to self:

Promises that were never fulfilled:

Won Cheap Postage Group random envie WTA on 11-05-08. never received from:

@mustxbexfate

Won More Tea for Me Group WTA on 12-14-08. never received from:

@Craftybeachgirl

@Fairyfufu

@nieceDenise

swaps I never received (last I checked, all these are from people no longer active on s-b):

@lovedrunktears Quotecard Postcard #7

@radiosilents Polaroid + Quote swap

@Ashamel (host) You've got to be kidding me!

@butterflybear Pure cuteness swap! (angeled)

@butterflybear Funky Postcards

@Suonghuong Polka Dot Wishlist Swap (angeled)

@AnnieOakleaves Garden Gnome Swap (angeled)

@luxygrl83 Filled to go coffee cup

@jade240 Pink cat ATC swap

@SheSins Altered Playing Card swap #2

@Marionsmom Stuff a flat rate box with goodies

@Dalwil Robot ATCs

@jacklemmonpie Quotecard postcard #12

@Rudenun Tribute to Walter Sobchak postcard

@CraftyDez 4th of July matchbox- 32 ct (angeled)

@Bluebird small envelope profile cram

@jhalbert26 magazine article & cup of tea Intl

@andrealove private 8x10 envie profile surprise

@motox I need my morning cup of black tea