I love you. I need you in my life. If you can't think of any purpose at all for being here, think of that one. Without you, my life would be that much emptier, and I'm not the only one who feels that way. We're not put here to necessarily make big, sweeping changes to society. Not everyone can find the cure to cancer or pull children from burning buildings or save the world from terrorism. We're here to make a difference in any way we can, even if it's just what seems like a small way. Every person you've made smile in your life, every person you've hugged, every person you've given encouraging words to realizes your importance. You've made a difference in the lives of those people, even if you never see them again. You've made an imprint, and the day you leave this world is the day that someone's heart breaks, mine at the very least. @Gayle

@earthnk "Each day is not a gimme. It's a special. I look at it as a blank canvas, how can I color it my way. Swapping is one of my pretty colors."

only you can create your art. no one will ever do it the way you do. if you never create another thing, the world will be a lesser place, because no one can replace you!

I always rate... however, if you have sent me something, and it has had plenty of time to arrive, but I haven't rated, please PM me and let me know. I try very hard to keep my swaps near my pc until I've rated... but occasionally I do make a mistake and forget. I promise not to be mad at you for checking:) and to look around very carefully before replying, in case it somehow got set aside. it doesn't mean i didn't love it.. more likely my kids attacked. heh.
for those reading my etsy wishlist: it is there to give you ideas of what i like... most of it is expensive... i would rather you create something in a similar style, than buy... (like an atc where someone is wearing an outfit of the style of the listing, rather than actually buying me the outfit. i totally don't expect anyone to purchase anything, and really don't do etsy swaps...).

ok, if you're about to read this, be warned: i'm like a river, in that i ramble on, around corners, and under bridges... and when you read my profile, it takes along trip to only go a short distance. if i was capable of staying on topic or making it more organized i would... take some aspirin, get some coffee, and proceed:

there was a lot of poly clay listed here... there may be again in the future... just not now...I would say i do more card making than anything because there's a nice little stamp store near here with workshops every week. acrylic painting, ;) rubber stamping, , earring making, just about everything else, in some way..... for some reason winter always seems to be about crocheting and knifting(that's not a typo. i can't knit. takes too long. not enough patience... but i love my knifty knitter). i love making cards, but rarely send them, and love making dotees, but don't do it often. i love atcs. i'm missing collecting them, but haven't felt inspired to make them lately. I don't do a lot with polymer clay lately, but every time i get stuck on a project, i revert back to it... if you can't make it work another way, it's still possible with clay. i also am loving epoxy over clay right now... i have a project i saw recently with a clay heart, inbedded with watch gears, covered in epoxy. i can't wait to try it... maybe with some alcohol inks for color... it was a necklace.

tv
dollhouse, battlestar gallactica,chuck, castle), buffy, angel, true blood, inuyasha(dvds) I wish firefly hadn't been canceled. dr.horrible, the guild (do those last 2 count, since they are internet based shows?).. everything else is just blues clues and dora for my kids...

Books
the scarlet pimpernel, by baroness orczy, a girl of the limberlost, by gene straton porter, anything by john kovalic(I'm not a gamer, but my hubby is, so it's hilarious), craft books that follow somerset types, and many other craft books, and i love classics with good endings... frances hodges burnett, gene straton porter, louisa may alcott, etc. nearly anything fantasy: forgotten realms, terry brooks (especially magic kingdomof landover), Roger zelazny (the best!), the occasional dragonlance, Stephenie Meyer (especially the host), l j Smith, Charlaine Harris, Frank perretti, tolkkein, narnia, i adore madeliene l'engle!

Music
Mostly Cristian harder rock, like tait, anberlin, and kutless, newsboys. oh, and Rich Mullins! I LOVE Rich Mullins!!

I am a mother of 2 gorgeous little girls, married... I'm a spirit-filled born again christian. I LOVE to craft!! and I do most crafts, in one way or another. i've discovered you can use most every craft with polymer clay in some way. I love the word, "love." (as well as love itself). I once wrote the word over and over, in as many different ways i could alter my handwriting, and discovered you can't make that word not beautiful. I have no pets. i have always loved animals, but have decided i will not own a pet until i have a backyard, and i believe my kids are ready to help with care. I love to write, but will probably never join a creative writing swap, because i never share what i've written with anyone i'm not very close too, until about 6 months after I've written it, because it's too new, and close to my heart. I love to rollerblade, but rarely get a chance to. I love anything celestial that's not astrology... (the dislike of astrology is partly because of my religion, and partly because of my dislike of being both a crab and a disease, even though the disease was named later...) and I love the night sky, even though twilight is my favorite part of the day, especially in summer when the fireflies are out showing a closer version of the stars. I love fantasy. my favorite time is twilight during summer. I also love dragonflies. and find poetry in many things in life.remember,YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH STARS, MOONS, AND SUNS!!! i love glow-in-the-dark. i love a large variety of themes and color combos. vintage, victorian, lacey, flowery, all nature. i love leaves in all colors, even orange! i love velvety fabrics, and anything that when you touch it is so soft as to make you want to rub it on your face. that's how i shop... by touch.

Amber is 8, and Cheyenne is 6. I'm listing them in case i join a swap for my kids. if this isn't, please feel free to skip this :D. Cheyenne is autistic,but no longer on a special diet, so they can have treats now. Amber loves anything she can play creatively with, she loves to act out stories. She is an extremely active child, and loves to exercise to get muscles.She is fascinated with Rapunzel, and wants to have the longest hair of any girl on earth. hair accessories are great! she loves art of all kinds, and likes to make her own books. she loves anything that lights up. both love flashlights, and glowing things.Amber has gotten a recent fascination with cats, my little pony, wild krats (pbs), and anything that shows or teaches about animals. taken to the library, 99% of the time she will check out a book that teaches her something (about animals, how the body works, etc) rather than a story. cheyenne loves small stuffed toys, especially frogs and duckys, lightning mcqueen, wall-e, buzz lightyear, aliens of varying kinds, and musical things. Cheyenne loves to dance! They both love pbs characters... if it's a character, they'll love it. Amber even has a lorax toy(dr suess) and a po toy she refers to as 'little brothers'. and they love books, amber for the stories, and cheyenne loves pictures and flipping pages, so sturdy is good. o, and veggie tales! both love dressing up. Cheyenne loves circles. her first word, said this past summer, was 'circle!' then she proceeded to paint a couple of them on a t-shirt!

I have just started a new hobby (august '10) i'm taking up belly dance. i'm very interested in coins to sew on outfits, and things that are belly dance themed. also, any beaded fringes or things like that i can sew on! :) I collect most crafts, and most craft items! I also collect storage stuff, especially all sizes and kinds of trunks! i have a million altoids tins, but would love altered ones. if you need altoids tins, pm me! we'll set up a trade! i'll never use all these! (but note, they are the newer ones with the raise in the lids). i do not often get to display fragile items, because cheyenne loves to climb. I love anything travel based, like old map motifs, and anything paris related. i would love to go there someday, to sit in a cafe, visit the eiffel tower, and the louvre! I love art. I think my 2 favorite paintings are van gogh's starry night (love starry night over the rhone too), and picasso's mother and child(which is very different than most picassos.)i used to love thomas kinkade, but after having worked in a gallery full or it, and seeing it everywhere i turn, i'm not that fond of it anymore, with the exception of twilight cottage. my newest, and therefore smallest collection is dragonflies. I love fairies, but haven't really started collecting them yet... i don't know why. and castles. my favorite colors are blue, black, dark purple (my current hair color. manic panic purple haze. i'm loving it!) , deep mauve, blue toned greens, and chocolate brown.i don't really like teal and brown together, but love both in they're own rite. i prefer silver over gold, in most cases. i've never been fond of orange, but lately i've been really into the brown aged look, that is kinda orangish. like the old maps, or the stuff in a great many altered books. like the colors on the book: altered art, by terry taylor. I love that book!! I like milk and white chocolate, but not dark. I like most fruity flavors, except banana. I love chai, and flavored coffees (without cinnamon). i seldom drink unflavored coffee. I also like teas and spiced cider (cinnamon's ok in these). i love any cold-brewed coffee!! my favorite regular flavors of coffee are fudge, caramel, black raspberry(but not chocolate raspberry) and creme brulee. i don't like hazelnut or vanilla flavored coffee(unless mixed with something else, including each other), but i love vanilla in everything else. I love chai!I've never met a chai I didn't like. I am diabetic, but I don't like anything sugar free, except soda. I figure if i'm going to have a treat, I'll find a way to fit it into my meal plan. sugar free knock offs, just aren't as good! fragrances, i love lavender, vanilla, and jasmine. pine is a major favorite at christmas, but only if it really smells like a pine tree... pinesol smell doesn't cut it, smell-wise.I love the smell of roses, as long as it isn't overly strong. rose scent tends to be very gentle.

first off, if you send me something on this list, no big deal. i tend to ramble. it's easy to get my words mixed up...lol. this list is just here to, hopefully, help. I don't like any of the following: dark chocolate, chamomile tea(although chamomile is very good with other flavors! i tried a chamomile apple tea recently, and it's become a favorite!) , blood and gore, anything horror (which makes my tv faves seem odd), plastic beads(mind you, these are loose beads. if you make me something that has plastic beads, i will love it as much as if they were gemstones, because you made it for me!), or anything that combines peanut butter and chocolate. (no bakes don't count. don't know why... maybe because it's cocoa, not real chocolate. i love no bakes... i've got an awesome recipe! but it's too hard to share, because none of the measurements are exact... sigh..)i wont even kiss my hubby after he's eaten a reeses, until the smell is off his breath!! and I DON'T like sculpey III. darn stuff is waaay too brittle after baking. too many broken projects. i like a lot of sculpey brand stuff, but not that!I'm not fond of neon colors, but if it glows in the dark, i don't care what color it is! I love glowing things! i also don't like anything halloween related (witches, skulls, skeletons, monsters). and i dislike the word 'shrine' if you send me a shrine, just call it something else to me. (altered filled box, memorial, etc...) tarot cards. i think they are very pretty, but i will never willingly own any, for reasons of beliefs.

also, i never, never, never watch the news, so i'm not particularly interested in newspapers, except the comics. comics are awesome! chances are i may not even want to discuss the news. the only thing they ever show to everybody is the bad. brings me down. not worth the time. if there's nothing i can do to help, what good is there for me to know?

i'm also very particular about chap sticks/lip balms. basically, i like it if it really seems to heal, but don't like plain waxy(that doesn't say medicated. you know, the very cheapest most basic chap sticks) or odd flavors... if i like the flavor, it might having me gnawing on my lips more, which defeats the purpose.

I would love an atc with a belly dancer on it! atcs. if you want to send me one, or you want to send your collection, i want them. i love sitting and looking at all the beautiful art at my fingertips!!! i know i'll never get it, but i may as well list it. i'd love an altered book. i think they are amazingly beautiful. they are also a lot of hard work, and i doubt i'll ever get to finishing mine...i'm really into ephemera (especially old pictures), (love old books, but i have too many), clock images and clock parts images, and clock parts, and victorian style picture. stuff from other countries. i would adore books and letters written in some language besides english, but if you write it, please send a translation too, so i have some idea what you're talking about...lol. in fact, i would absolutely LOVE that!!! also, old keys... images of keys, key charms, skeleton keys. just don't send your car keys... kinda hard to drive it without them... ;) rubber stamps, mounted or not,especially celestial or faces/ladies. I also love pretty detailed scenes like gardens or mountains. i can always use more. poetry books. i love poetry books, especially used ones. older books have character. and if i don't like the poetry, i can always alter the book! i also have trouble with the notion of paying full price for a new book. (but if you want to send a new book, i won't complain. i will love it. i'll just let it develop character with me.) and loving steam-punk right now. watch parts are awesome! I keep telling myself i'm going to go antique store shopping for them, or garage sale-ing, but i never do. feather pens. i love images of quill pens. i've never owned one, and don't know what i'd do with it if i had one, but i love seeing them. they are sooooo beautiful! o, and kokopeli!!! i dont know why, but i love kokopeli! and i don't actually own anything kokopeli, since i used the charm that was the only thing i had on a gift for someone one christmas.

and i love music notes and images of instruments.ooo, i've always wanted a velvety crazy quilt pillow! even a tiny one.i'm fascinated by crazy quilting! i remember a swap once, where you take a journal, bought, or handmade, and put writing prompts every few pages. i love to write, but rarely sit and do it anymore. i think i'd love to get a journal that prompts me to write, and dream! maybe with a little art on random pages(even just a doodle. i've been known to journal on the art on the cover of a journal...[incidentally, when that journal ran out, i bought another just like it. it was dark blue, with a lady playing..i think it was a lute, in front of an open window at night... beautiful!]) i would ADORE something like that!! i love crazy quilt anything!!! i would love ernie and evie the envie stuffies, or hannari tofu. i'm not a huge kawaii fan, or a tofu fan in general, but that's so cute! i guess cause it looks so huggable! i'm hugely into owls right now!

MJR: swiss cheese

@ColorInFusion : something poly clay