Wanda

I'm eccentric, happy and kind. Kind of an oddball, prone to flights of fancy and imagination. I'm a whimsical type of person who revels in nature, plants, trees and the wild.

My favorite season is Autumn. The air is both thick and thin with a magical pulse. It feels as though if I were to round a corner quick enough, I might catch sight of some little fae creature scurrying off into the weeds.

I'm a wife, mother and grandmother from South Texas. My interests include art - especially outsider type, drawn and painted by hand - native plants, herbs, parish life, history, cemeteries, blogging, playing video games (All Sims games, Viva Pinata, all Harvest Moon games, Fable 2, Animal Crossing, Oblivion...), vintage vinyl dolls, handmade doll clothes, posing my Barbie type dolls and taking photos of them, then adding dialog and posting them somewhere, and much more.

I'm trying to be healthier these days, and have lost 39 pounds in 2012, and hope to lose 30 more in 2013 - mostly by counting calories with the aid of an iPhone app. I bought a bike, too, and enjoy riding it for fun and exercise. You never know what kind of found objects you can find by the side of the road. I also just downloaded an iPhone app called "Run, Zombies!" which makes walking/running more fun - especially at night when it is cooler and the darkness adds to the dangerous zombie ambiance. :)

I like all things gardening, yard art, farming (very small scale), permaculture, ecology, nature and related subjects. I keep a flock of 28 chickens and sell fresh eggs regularly. Currently (Fall) I have okra producing abundantly, as well as plants I am hoping will produce soon, or continue to produce as their season winds down: tomatoes, cantalopes (finishing up), spaghetti squash, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, chiltepin peppers, pumpkins, basil, and some probably hopeless watermelons.

I have herbs and flowers (wild and domestic) and trees and bushes of all kinds and am mostly transitioning to Texas native species in new things I add.

Penpals

I penpalled like crazy many years ago, and am really interested in getting back into it on a small scale. If we have anything in common, send me a letter and I will gladly answer. :)

My favorite books

• The Bible, especially The Catholic Youth Bible

• all books by Michael D. O'Brien - I love his art, too.

• all books by Charles de Lint. He is the creator of the urban fantasy genre. I love both his YA books and his adult fiction.

• 11/22/63 by Stephen King

• Other favorite authors are Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games Trilogy), James Dashner (The Maze Runner YA series) and more, too numerous to list.

• books about permaculture and related subjects

• I like Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert,too, at the moment

• books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - His short story, Eyes of the Blue Dog is amazingly wonderful.

• The Twilight series

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

• I'm also fascinated by manga and have begun reading it like crazy from the library.

My favorite movies

The Passion of the Christ, My Family/Mi Familia, almost all of M. Knight Shayamalan's movies, and the oldies, -It's a Wonderful Life, You Can't Take it With You, Harvey, and others.

My favorite TV shows

Survivor, Top Chef, The Next Food Network Star, Project Runway, Top Design, Design Star, The Amazing Race, 19 Kids and Counting, CSI(Las Vegas), Modern Family, The Middle...

My favorite crafts to do

I like altered playing cards (poker size/same size as an ATC) with both the top left corner and the bottom right corner having the suit and number visable. Painting, drawing or collaging ATCs, postcards or 'odd sizes'. Creating zines or mostly anything with words/drawings put together creatively. Making little assembleges, collage, mixed media, also crochet, but only VERY simple things, and I have to be in the mood. I also do some quilting, but other than that, I really dislike sewing, although I would LOVE to receive sewn things like dolls, stuffed animals and especially doll clothes. But I would NOT want to make them, myself. Or at least not more than once a year. LOL! I also like whacko things like the various different kinds of shoes painted in bright pastels hanging from the tree in my old front yard.

Some swap item ideas

• ethnic
• folk art
• outsider art
• anything to do with street art of any kind or
  graffiti on train cars
• trees in art, especially crooked or twirly limbed trees
• Zetti anything
• zines
• mixed media art
• altered playing cards
• paintings done on newspaper or similar prints
• vintage, but not Victorian, lacey style
• kitschy
• weird
• YARN any kind or color, thrifted or partial skeins are fine (for yarn bombing).
• key cap covers of all kinds - cute, artsy, shaped, etc.
• funky and retro things all make me happy.
• I like sock monkeys of all kinds
• homemade sewn stuffed animals or dolls
• poem written by you
• stationery pads
• stationery
• bee items
• chicken themed things
• blank recipe cards
• recipes for low calorie main dishes or side dishes and crockpot meals (I actually prefer recipes to be written or printed on paper, not on cards, since I put them in a binder, scrapbook style.)
• store bought Twilight postcards
• gnome items
• veggie garden themes
• veggie things
• farm themes
• acorn themed things
• notecards with envelopes
• kitchen towels of any color(s) (my kitchen is boring white...sigh)
• tote bags
• zip bags
• anthromorphic animals or veggies or fruit or plants
• Ruby Gloom things
• Emily the Strange things
• Manga and Anime
• blind box (or package) items (opened or not...your doubles, for instance) - almost any kind...Lego, Hello Kitty, Littlest Pet Shop, LaLaLoopsy...ETC.
• anything I can use for bento (decorative picks, dividers, small cute containers, rice molds, egg molds, etc.)
• serving trays
• all kinds of dishes
• rick rack - all sizes/colors
• wine charms - mismatched singles are GREAT; it doesn't have to be a set
• ribbon grabbies especially with patterned ribbons, but solids are good, too
• charms, embellishments, trinkets
• empty blue bottles (wine, Arizona tea, etc.) for my bottle tree
• an empty heart-shaped candy box, any size, but especially large ones
• cupcake toppers - handmade or not
• figural vases
• zines
• books: anything decent (as in no erotic or hate-type books) They can be used, but in good condition, please.
• a white-out pen
• flavored teas
• Our Lady of Guadalupe items
• stencils (used or home made is fine)
• hand carved stamps
• vintage vinyl dolls
• doll clothes (for 6" - 18" vinyl 'toddler' (non-baby) dolls and for Barbies/Kens), especially vintage or handmade doll clothes.
• miniatures 1:6 scale (like Barbie sizes) or 1:12 scale (for petite Blythe types) - scale doesn't have to be totally accurate - either bought items or crafted from clay or re-purposed items.
• I like jewelry, and my ears are pierced. My favorite styles are ethnic, organic, Celtic, and/or big and chunky, or unusual styles (zippers, charms, etc.) bracelets, earrings and necklaces mostly.
• homemade soap
• figural/guest soaps
• Celtic motif things
• anything 'tree' themed
• tree of life theme
• faerie lore
• faerie themed things that are not frilly or girly-girl, all kinds of fae such as goblins, elves, etc.
• religious art of all faiths
• anything with the initial 'W'
• anything 'artsy'
• small bottles of acrylic paint, any color
• eyeglasses cords or whatever they are called. Usually strings of beads that connect to each side of your glasses, so you can take them off and they hang around your neck. Any style or color.
• pillowcases, homemade or store bought, any color or print. Can be only one or a set.
• Re-ment items (doesn't have to be a set; single pieces are fine)
• Woodsy embellishments and things like leaves, trees, acorns, etc. (not real ones)
• collage sheets and images (many are offered free for printing on Flickr)
• altered boxes
• anything Frida Kahlo
• decorative garden doo-dads
• I LOVE Little Red Riding Hood Items
• Almost any fairy tale themed thing
• Especially Snow White and Rose Red - I'd love to have the children's book of that - used, even in fair condition would totally ROCK!
• Gift cards to Walmart or HEB or Amazon
• Any little doll (but not dotees) or action figure or animal
• Heart shaped rocks (found, not the made and polished kind)
• I have no problem with thrifted stuff in good condition.

Dislikes

• Disney items
• gummy candy
• sour or tart candy
• licorice candy
• Dotee dolls
• Not really into bling, girly-girl, animal prints, furry stuff, glam, etc.

My favorite colors

Greens, reds, and mostly dark, bright (but not neon) or jewel tones, as opposed to pastels, for most things. I also love plaid!

Halloween Preferences:

I love Halloween!!! But not bloody, gory, devil or anti-Christian (like upside down crosses, etc.). I'm not crazy about ouija boards either.

My favorites are:

• Pumpkins, bats, black cats, owls, ravens/crows, jack-o-lanterns, or other "veggie people"

• Vintage look type of style is cool, too.

• I LOVE altered vintage photos used for Halloween things...like witch hats on people, etc.

• Skeletons, both regular ones and Dia de los Muertos style

• Flat cardboard type decorations and orange or black crepe paper streamers

• Halloween papers

• Cloth ribbons in orange and black prints

• Orange or black rick-rack, lace or braid.

• Halloween collage sheets or collage elements...there are many free ones offered on Flickr, if your printer prints them well.

• Ruby Gloom or Emily the Strange things

• creepy or twirly limbed tree items

• cemetery, grave or tombstone themed things

• metal embelishment pieces

• Most things, barring the things I said I don't like at the top of this catagory.

Christmas Preferences:

I don't think there is anything Christmas-y (or other winter holiday themed) that I would dislike, except the spelling of Christmas as 'Xmas', or anything off-color or warped. Favorite themes would be...

• Nativity (or any part of it)

• Posada

• Elves

• Vintage look

• Christmas collage sheets or various collage elements.

• etc.

• If we are in a swap together and the Christmas or Winter theme is unspecified, you are more than welcome to send me art in YOUR favorite winter holiday celebration. I am not offended by receiving Yule, Hanukkah, Kwaanza or other art work. :)

WAITING FOR SWAPS & TAGS

These are all from several years ago...

• Ashlee03 - Profile Surprise in trade for Tamagotchi v.3 (10/15/08) (FLAKED)

• Banshee - Halloween Tag - black cat (9/21 ... mailed 10/3/08 from Brazil, she said. It never arrived.) (FLAKED)

• Japanese Flute Music from Phoenyx 2007 or 2008 (FLAKED)

• sock monkey from Magasary 2007 or 2008 (FLAKED)

FORUM TAGS TO BE SENT:

• ashlee03 - Pick Two forum tag - apple basket note pad and grapes note pad PLUS Tamagotchi v.3 (SENT 10/15)(Never acknowledged)