carladallas

I grew up an "oil brat", traveling around the world. I'm married, with two teenage daughters and a medium dog. We live in Texas and love to travel. I've tried to be as detailed as possible in my profile. In each section I have my likes and dislikes. At the end I have some other general stuff on colors, themes, etc.

PM me if you have any questions!

Ethnic, Folk, some Country. Specific artists: Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, Sheryl Crow, Patty Loveless, Nora Jones, Ophra Haza, Gypsy Kings.

NO rap, hardcore / acid rock, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson type music.

I love to read!!!! Red Tent, Cold Mountain, Geek Love, Smilla's Sense of Snow, anything by Isabel Allende, anything by Annie Proulx, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Life of Pi, anything by John Irving.

NO self help books, relationship books, diet books please!

Amelie, Frida, A Very Long Engagement, Kite Runner, Out of Africa, Dear Frankie, Tender Mercies, Chocolat, Shakespeare in Love, Places in the Heart, Whale Rider.

NOT really into Hollywood movies, definitely no zombie / scary / slasher movies.

I guess HGTV, I don't watch much television, mostly I get movies on netflix. I know virtually nothing about current sitcoms, drama's, etc.

jewelry making; "repujado" (Spanish colonial artform embossing on thin sheets of tin/silver/pewter); lampwork; photography; alebrijes (fantastical paper mache animals). NO kits or plastic stuff please!

In GENERAL my interests are anything vintage, cultural artifacts, literature, wild west (the real west, not the cheezy stuff); the deep south, things that reflect the local culture, traditions, etc (whether that's Boston or Bentonville Arkansas!).

DETAILS.....FAVORITES

Colors: deep purple, saphire blue, turquoise, pale yellow, deep red, off-white, gray-pink, black,

Collections:

• sand from all over the world
• little boxes
• tiny nativity sets
• crosses
• buddha stuff
• funky heart shaped stuff
• anything Frida Kahlo
• matchbooks--the freebies from restaurants, bars, etc.
• religious candles
• traditional looking teacup with saucer
• mismatched wine glasses
• mismatched black and white coffee cups

Things I really like:

• anything "ethnic", especially from Latin America, India, Middle East and Eastern Europe
• books (fiction mostly)
• organizer stuff (drawers, boxes, dividers, gadgety stuff)
• natural fabrics (can be brightly colored) such as linen, cotton, silk
• candles, both scented and unscented, all sizes and shapes
• lotions and soaps in citrusy scents, also "grass" or "rain" scented
• funky unique stuff that's local to your area, whether that's candy, soda, artifacts, etc.
• religious stuff of all faiths (hindu, buddhist, christian, catholic, etc.), not preachy stuff, mostly the imagery (if in doubt, don't send)

I really love anything that's handmade, painted, embroidered, etc.

PATTERNS AND MOTIFS I LIKE:

• hearts
• spirals
• ethnic
• moon
• "natural" ie. shells, trees, flowers
• maps
• delft
• asian
• eye / evil eye
• circles / dots
• loteria
• clocks
• fleur de lis
• leaves
• snowflakes
• irises

In GENERAL I'm not crazy about animal prints, cartoon characters, patriotic themes, religious themes (except in a cultural way, hard to explain).

Yukky Colors: Olive green, orange, chartreuse, anything neon/glow in the dark, most yellows

NO "Collectibles"! ie. wizard of oz, betty boop, sports teams, disney, pez, etc.

NO CLOWNS PLEASE! They've always scared me...

Other DISLIKES: "cutesy" designs with dogs, cats, etc., vintage or real stuff from the 60's or 70's (I was there, it wasn't so great the first time around...), animal print stuff, stuff along the lines of "princess/diva/queen", self-help books

I'm 'into' fresh ingredients and simple dishes when I cook. I don't like using cans, premixes or artificial flavorings. I love all sorts of spices and especially fresh herbs. I'm not a good improviser and generally make menus and use a cookbook rather than improvise. I have a small collection of excellent cookbooks that focus on fresh, easy, etc.

I do like candy, chocolates, snacks etc. but try to stay away from them (because I like them TOO much...)

I like all flavors of coffee and teas, prefer the teas individually sealed. I love hot chocolate and other drinks such as mate, atole, ovaltine, etc.

I would like ingredients and recipes for any and all sorts of ethnic foods including Asian (Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese), Middle Eastern/Mediterannean (Greek, Lebanese, Persian), African (Nigerian, Ethiopian), South American (Bolivian, Argentine, Venezuelan), European (Italian, French, Spanish).