bobilani

1/25/12 - I am now caught up on all ratings. Thank you for your patience! :)

12/22/11 - A note to all my partners or anyone trying to get in touch with me. I won't be online as often as before probably at least through the upcoming week. I've had to place my teen daughter in an inpatient treatment program for mental health issues two days ago. This program also requires me and my husband to go in for group therapy a few times a week. Prayers, thoughts, lighting a candle or anything like that is very much appreciated. Regarding my swaps...they should still make it out on time. I may be a little slow with ratings or answering pm's, please be patient with me. I didn't plan for this to happen - especially right before Christmas, which is hard. Thanks for reading.

bobilani ~ pronounced "bobby-lonny"

Please let me know if a swap hasn't arrived before leaving feedback - as it is very important to me to make sure you receive your swap - and please see the last section of my profile for more info about my swaps - thank you!

I live in California with my hubby, daughter (age 14) and our fur family which includes a fluffy cat, a stripe-y cat, a bunny (whom I lovingly refer to as Commander BunBun), a guinea pig, and a fish. I love Disneyland and can often be found there haunting the Mansion.

I'm forever chipping away at a college education and have no clue as to what I actually want to major in. When people ask me what I want to be, my usual answer is "an airship pirate."

I used to have a long section here listing all the bands I like, but you know what? I like so many that it has become rather silly to try to list everything. I listen to all sorts of stuff and have favorite bands from just about every genre. Music is a huge part of my life - especially being involved with dance. I will say that three bands that I have loved since I was a young teen are Oingo Boingo, Erasure and Alphaville...they are still on rotation in my car. I'm also a big fan of Abney Park and Dead Man's Party (an Oingo Boingo tribute band that is so close to the real thing, you'd swear you were watching Danny Elfman perform - seriously, they are that awesome).

I love this song, video and message - Free Hugs Campaign

I love movies and have so many favorites. I literally have stacks upon stacks of dvd's and am a member of Netflix with several hundred movies in my queue. I could be here all day listing everything so I'll sum up by saying Labyrinth is my all time favorite movie. Also coming in near the top of the list would be movies by Disney (esp. animated) and Tim Burton. I'm also a nut for all the Harry Potter films. And yes, I'm one of those people who talk a lot in movie quotes...some of my favorites...

"This is the captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then -- explode." ~ Captain Malcolm Reynolds - Serenity

"Ray, if someone asks you if you are a god, you say YES!" ~ Winston - Ghostbusters

"Nothing? Nothing? Tra la la?" ~ Jareth - Labyrinth

"Sharks are like dogs, they only bite when you touch their private parts." ~ Ula - 50 First Dates

Donnie Darko: I made a new friend today.
Dr. Thurman: Real or imaginary?
Donnie: Imaginary.

Firefly, Doctor Who, Psych, Monk, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, The Walking Dead, Being Human, Criminal Minds, Columbo, The Nanny, Dance Moms. Crime/Detective type shows. Stuff on the TLC channel and Adult Swim. And a bunch of other stuff. I probably watch too much TV.

Cartoons!!! :)

I no longer get the travel channel - so bummed! - but that used to be a favorite too.

Did I mention Firefly? Ah yes. I did. Just making sure. Seriously. Addicted. Why do they always cancel the brilliant shows?

Writing, dance, photography, designing and making jewelry and accessories, costume design, making stuffies/plush, drawing, painting, stamping, collage, working with anything sparkly or shiny such as rhinestones/glitter/sequins or steampunk elements, stamped metal, just about anything from the Klutz book series ("kids" crafts are so much fun!), crocheting (learning), bookmarks/bookthongs, ATC's, zines, dotee dolls, trinket/treasure boxes, altered books/journals/scrapbooks.

I love to write! ZINES! Short stories, journal entries, blogs, letters, poetry and lists. I'm a member of listography.com - an awesome site if you love to make lists, and NaNoWriMo.

Other hobbies include procrastinating, eating chocolate and singing in my car.

• Halloween
• Christmas and Chanukah (I grew up celebrating both and I still do)
• The Haunted Mansion (Disneyland)
• Steampunk items (think airships and airship pirates, clock/watch pieces, goggles, skeleton keys, monocles, pocket watches...anything!)
• Cats, black cats, owls, crows and bats
• Haunted houses, ghosts, the macabre, cemeteries...anything considered spooky or darkly whimsical.
• Alice in Wonderland
• Harry Potter
• Tim Burton, Edward Gorey, Vincent Price, Edgar Allan Poe, Neil Gaiman
• Disneyland and most of Disney - especially the villains (Maleficent, Scar, Hades, Yzma are favorites)
• Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride
• Firefly/Serenity - anything to do with the show or movie - I'm a huge fan!
• Birds (owls, sparrows, crows, seagulls, etc.) and woodland critters
• Red pandas (so cute!)
• Monsters, zombies, goblins - cute whimsical ones are preferred, but it's all good.
• Recipes - cupcake, dessert, vegetarian are favorites, but anything is welcome.
• Vintage items
• Interesting ephemera
• Zines
• Dia de los Muertos
• Stripes and swirls - Tim Burton-y type
• Things having to do with my zodiac sign - Cancer
• Long letters and lists
• Teacups and teapots
• Maps
• Geekery
• Cupcakes
• The 60's
• The 80's
• Red and black roses
• Plumeria, hibiscus, tropical flowers
• Cherry blossoms
• Tiki Culture, Hawaiiana, Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room
• Beach, surf culture
• Seashells, sea glass, sand dollars
• Octopuses, manatees, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, seahorses
• Pirate, nautical themes
• Gnomes
• Robots - cute/funny or sad/lonely ones
• Vintage pin-up girls
• Socks - striped, argyle
• Lip balms/glosses - love unique flavors (there are some awesome ones on etsy), but also love the basics like vanilla, strawberry, etc.
• Rain, clouds, stormy skies
• Photography - color, b&w, infrared, lomo, holga - it's all good :)
• Lanterns, lampposts, chandeliers and rooftops
• Celestial (moon, stars, sun)
• Hearts - love whimsical shaped ones
• Sparklie stuff like sequins, rhinestones, crystals, beads, charms, etc.
• Moonstone and Labradorite
• Postcards - written on or blank in an envelope. I don't mind either way.
• Note cards or stationery that feature something that I like or in one of my favorite colors.
• Moleskine notebooks - prefer unlined
• Circus/Carnival themed things (no clowns)...more along the lines of vintage, fantasy or Tim Burtonesque...not the traditional type.
• Moroccan inspired things
• Sharpies - various widths and colors, though black very fine point is what I tend to use most.
• Woodland - owls, rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs, deer, cute little critters, birds, trees, pinecones, leaves, etc.
• Candles - see scents below
• LUSH - Vanillary perfume

TEA...I love individual, sealed tea bags in various flavors, especially vanilla, chai and chamomile. I love most of the fall/winter themed teas and I stock up on them so I can drink them year round. I prefer spicy flavors (chai, cinnamon, ginger, etc.) over fruit, but I do like apple and orange variations. Please, no licorice flavor.

MUNCHIES...Mambas, chocolate covered caramels, chocolate/peanut butter combo, Almond Joy, candies with marshmallows, m&m's (plain, peanut or peanut butter), fruit flavored Mentos, Orange TicTacs, sour or sweet peach candies.

SCENTS...vanilla, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, apple or apple spice, cookies/sweet smells and pink grapefruit (I usually use pink grapefruit in the summer - it's a nice scent on a hot day). I'm a big believer of the healing power of essential oils and always have bottles of frankincense and lavender near by. I also love the smell of old books, ice rinks, and water rides.

FABRIC...I love fabric! Halloween, Hawaiian and batiks, beachy, celestial, vintage looking, velvet, stripes or swirls, anything that has to do with one of my favorite things or colors.

I'm always in need of various colors of embroidery floss, felt squares and fat quarters.

Ephemera for ATC's is always appreciated - paper scraps, interesting photos, magazine clippings, old book pages, etc.

I love all colors, I really do. Here are some of my top favorites...

• RED!! - especially deep reds like crimson and cherry
• Green - especially olive, sage and lime
• Blue - especially navy and aqua
• Love the combo of Red and Aqua!
• Burnt Orange
• Black
• Mustard
• Colors of fall/autumn
• Champagne
• Gray
• Brown
• Black & White, Black & Red, Black & Gray combos
• Pink - especially deep pink and pink champagne
• Purple, violet, lavender
• The colors in a sunset
• Light, airy colors
• Metallic - silver, pewter, gunmetal, copper, brass and vintage gold

I love, love, LOVE to read! When I was a kid, my parents would reward me for things by asking if I wanted to go to the toy store or the bookstore. I always chose the bookstore. It is magical to me! :) My favorite genres are young adult, children's literature, sci-fi and fantasy (especially with a steampunk theme), art and photography books, recipe books (especially dessert!), manga, comics, classics and fiction/literature. Some favorite authors include Neil Gaiman, Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Gorey and Francesca Lia Block. I also love short story compilations and lots of different magazines and zines.

I don't like to be negative, but after swapping for a while I feel there is a need for this "do not send" list. If I do happen to get something in a swap that I can't use, I will pass it on or donate it, so you don't have to worry about it being tossed away.

• I'm very sensitive to and have an allergy to cigarette smoke - If you smoke and are sending to me, I just ask that you please PM me to let me know so that I can open the package outdoors and let it air out if necessary. Thank you for understanding! It will help prevent a severe migraine. Also, you don't need to put a dryer sheet in with the package - those things are worse than the smoke! Unless it's an unscented one, then it would probably be okay to add. :)
• Please don't send perfume or spray it on swaps. I can only tolerate certain scents, so better to be on the safe side.
• Makeup - I rarely wear it...but I do like lip glosses and balms (see my love section above).
• Earrings - unfortunately, my ears are too sensitive to all metals.
• Religious items that are meant for the purpose of conversion...for example, a pamphlet about why I should believe x,y, or z.
• Mary Engelbreit stuff
• Clowns
• Black licorice
• Artificial sweetener
• Gum
• Mint flavor - especially wintergreen. I do like some mints, but it's very rare that I eat it.
• Gel pens because they smear too much
• Glitter - I have enough, probably too much.
• Animal heads on human bodies...I don't get that kind of art...kinda creeps me out...and not in a good way.
• Country farm-ish type decor
• Bloody, gory stuff (my taste is for dark, whimsical and creepy - not for slasher/torture type stuff).
• Rude things and sayings...things like Happy Bunny come to mind as an example...there is enough anger and frustration in the world without having it spelled out on items we use. Spread joy instead! Make Cupcakes...Not War! :)

I have been swapping for about 5 years now. I always send my swaps, so if something has not arrived to you in a reasonable amount of time, please pm me so I have a chance to re-send. It's very important to me that my partners receive their swaps! :) Also, if you are sending to me and are going to be late, that's cool...just pm me to let me know so I don't worry that it got lost in the mail or something. I totally understand that life gets really busy and things come up that we haven't planned for. On that note, if I am going to be late, I will pm you before the deadline to let you know (and beg for mercy LOL). I believe that this is supposed to be a fun hobby so I stay away from drama and such :) If you have any questions, just pm me! Thank you for reading :)

Reminders to myself...

• Signed up for A Few Of My Favorite Things WTA #32 Profile Surprise (winner called after 12/20/11) - Sent 1/11/12
• Signed up for bLackListed WTA December - winner called at end of month. - ordered an Etsy gift for winner on 1/11/12
• Signed up for Geek Swap Central WTA #17: pen pal letter (winner drawn on Nov. 4) - Sent 12/10/11