camelsamba

Mom of 3, wife of 1. Grew up mostly in New Mexico, went to Rice University in Houston, currently live in Michigan.

I pledge to rate - but sometimes I forget. If you think I've forgotten you, please send me a message!

Right now my favorite artist is Carrie Newcomer. I enjoy mellow, acoustic, female singer-songwriters. Other genres I like are folk, celtic, world music (esp instrumental), acoustic, mellow jazz, and kid-friendly silly songs!

My true loves are needlework like counted cross-stitch, blackwork, hardanger, etc. I've been making ATCs since summer 2008, and enjoy making fabric / needlework ATCs. Fun! I also enjoy handmade postcards (and love to receive handmade ones in postcard exchanges!), but my fabric postcard skills have not yet caught up to fabric ATCs.

I'm currently making ceramic tile for my kitchen and do some other handbuilding. Before that, I dabbled in mosaics (from stained glass - I took 'classes' with a serious mosaic artist) and various other things.

I'm a blues and greens kind of gal! I like botanicals and nature-inspired items, or abstract/geometric/swirly stuff. I also like maps, stamps, zebras, okapi, fish, interestingly shaped leaves (like bloodroot - have you seen a bloodroot leaf? very cool!), etc.

We don't have a TV, but I have watched some recent series on DVD. I'm hoping to catch up on the last series of Foyle's War soon! And I really enjoy watching Backyardigans with my boys. :^)

My favorite books are mysteries, especially when they incorporate an interest of mine (cooking, needlework, etc) without it being too forced. I just learned about the term "cozy mysteries" and that pretty much sums up the kind I like (not too much gore or sleaze).

And I've been reading quite a bit of young adult fiction to keep ahead of my boys or find books they might enjoy. If you haven't read The Mysterious Benedict Society books, you should!

This will probably never be relevant, since I mostly swap ATCs and postcards, but I'm allergic to avocados and shrimp.

For postcards: I ADORE handmade postcards!! But if you don't make your own, I also like maps, native plants or animals, quirky local sites, artsy stuff.

For recipe swaps, I have recipe boxes for 3x5 and 4x6 cards, and a file folder for 8.5x11 paper. So I'm flexible on formats. I love to cook from fresh & seasonal ingredients, and I like ethnic recipes and "food with flavors" (interesting spices). And chocolate - I loves me some chocolate!

(for Kids ATC): I have 3 boys, all under 11. They enjoy lego, robots, dragons, knights and castles, and stuff like that. The younger 2 are into sports (soccer, flag football, basketball, etc.).

Not keen to receive Disney, overly cutesy, pagan, wiccan, goth, or erotica. But it's not like I'll faint in horror or defriend you or anything, those just aren't themes that appeal to me.