esthergum

I love to take pictures with my awesome Nikon N75 but film is expensive so now I use my awesome Nikon D50 more often these days. I excel at portraiture but will take pictures of everything and anything. I usually use natural light, but am starting to teach myself flash with my new amazing SB-600 (P.S. my mom is awesome).

Once I get rolling, I can talk for hours.

I love to read and do laundry. I'm very particular about my laundry and how I do it. I have one favorite detergent, one favorite fabric softener (that I can't seem to find anywhere anymore!), certain things must be folded a certain way, etc.

I will only eat my spaghettios cold. I make lots of lists that I never finish and I'll do puzzles for hours, especially if they involve words or letters. I sit and find cheap plane tickets to both domestic and exotic destinations I'll probably never see, even if I'm not going anywhere.

I am a Navy brat and like it that way! I'm very proud of my dad for what he does and what he continues to do. My husband and I are currently living in Florida (where we are both from) but he is in the Navy (stick with what you know, haha!) so we won't be here much longer. We have three wonderful cats who constantly make us laugh and a new wonderful apartment that is severely lacking wall decoration/color.

I try to balance my time as evenly as possible between here and the UK. I love anything British - from the telly shows to the music to the food. If anyone wants to attempt to send me some J2O, I will be forever grateful, as long as it's not the apple one.

I will someday be a librarian but until then, I'm getting my ducks in a row.

I'm really a lover of all music, from country to rap and anything in between. I do especially love a lot of alternative, "indie," and Brit music.

Honestly it's easier to say what I don't like than what I do because it's so varied. I definitely do not like Jimmy Buffet, old country (Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, etc.), hardcore gangsta rap, Mariah Carey, and most mass market pop.

Artists I will never tire of: Depeche Mode, Reverend and the Makers, Kaiser Chiefs, She Wants Revenge, Editors, Aqua (seriously, how can you not?), Jeff Buckley, Better Than Ezra, We Are Scientists

If it's in a foreign language, I'll probably love it, no matter what they're really saying. Marc Anthony can do no wrong, I don't care that he looks like Skeletor. I even like some reggaeton, as horrible as it is.

Eli Stone, New Amsterdam (Bring it back!), America's Next Top Model (how can you not love trashy drama?), Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Gavin and Stacey (Bring this back too!), Project Runway, One Tree Hill...I don't have cable so I stick to a few shows I like and leave it at that.

I'm in love with documentaries, shows that teach you something. I am constantly watching some crime investigation show, a BBC documentary, something from Discovery Health, etc. I wish I could subscribe to just the History Channel.

• Bright colors
• Anything polka dot or striped
• Paper - any type of paper. I absolutely love scrapbooking paper. I don't scrapbook but the paper is fantastic.
• Writing instruments - any color pens, pencils, markers...especially sharpies
• Things shaped like animals - my chicken candle is one of my favorite possessions. I don't like candles, but I just love the fact that it's shaped like a chicken. I have a wire cat and two coconut monkeys.
• If it's from Target and bright, I'll probably love it.
• Stickers!

• Brown. It's boring. Brown combined with a bright color is great, in small amounts. But brown, yuck.
• Candles
• Vanilla/ginger bread/etc smelly things
• Disney cartoon things - Mickey, Tinkerbell, etc.
• Swaps that barely incorporate the theme. Why bother if you're not going to actually do it?

I'm a narcoleptic finally in a stage of semi-maintenance. Now that I'm AWAKE I'm finding I'm far more creative than I ever imagined! I can actually create things from scratch and draw, etc.

I'm starting to make ATCs and I just love them! I'm big on bright colors, patterns, exact lines. I love creating something out of scraps. I'm not huge on embellishments - brads, eyelets, lace, etc. I'm very geometrical.

My only issue so far is even if measure a straight line with a ruler, it's still a diagonal straight line. I can't cut a true size/line to save my life! So if anyone receives an ATC from me and it's crooked or too small/slightly too big, I sincerely apologize. My arms and head are apparently crooked. :-P

If anyone wants to do a private ATC swap, just PM me! I'm always up for it. If you're experienced with ATCs and have some tips or tools of the trade a newbie like me could use, please feel free to tell me! You won't be stepping on any toes, I can use all the help I can get.

I always try to go above and beyond in detail, time, and effort for all of my swaps. Even with a CD mix, I like to create a nifty cover or track listing. I like to send things I'd love to receive in return.