hippofairy

my crafty blog: http://365creepycrawlies.blogspot.com/

NOTE: I post pictures of my swaps on Flickr... so if you want to be surprised, don't look at the pictures!

My name is Jennifer, and I am a 34 year old Christian. I have a little 13 year old beagle named Dottie. I'm definitely NOT a girly girl (i love bugs, getting dirty, and surf and snowboard). I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but have lived in Los Angeles (for 6 years) and in the San Francisco Bay area (for 5 years), and recently returned back to the islands in 2012. I am an Asian American: half Okinawan and half Chinese and possibly enough Hawaiian to fill my little finger :). I love traveling and love all types of cultures and food. The highlights of my life are going to Italy, London, and Paris (my fav). I love baking, cooking, and eating! I love food so much that I've made it my job to protect it (i work as an Agriculture Specialist for the federal government). i love bugs, plants, and animals. :) i am also a utilitarian, so i love stuff that is cute/beautiful/artsy and FUNCTIONAL. :)

here's my other blog on Posterous. i've moved to Blogger. i find it easier to use. :)

and just to explain my user name: hippofairy... some one once asked me online if i was a big fat gay guy. no i'm not. my reasoning for my name is: if a hippo had a fairy godmother, what would she look like? a manatee! i think manatees are beautiful. and i love hippos so what could be a better name?

Also, i always aim for hearts and appreciate the same in return. i only send packages that i would love to receive. and i love to give hearts too. send me extras! :) i give hearts!

and, if you are supposed to receive a package from me and it hasn't arrived yet, please contact me before rating me a "no send." i will do what i can to fix the situation (like, if the package got lost in the mail, i will try and put together something and resend). Much Mahalos!

FAVORITE CRAFTS:

sewing (easy stuff like stuffies, totes), paper crafts (like bookmarks, notecards and greeting cards... and i've started making ATCs and inchies), beaded jewelry, pin back buttons, soy/beeswax candles

COLOR PREFERENCES:
ocean colors (blues and greens), night colors (purples, blacks/greys, starlight white), and forest (deep greens, browns)

my favorite websites / blogs:
Sew, Mama, Sew!
How About Orange...
the purl bee
One Pretty Thing
Feed Your Soul

and just for reference: i'm a pretty petite person (only 5 feet tall), so if sending bracelets and necklaces, go for the smaller size like (6.5 inch bracelets and 18-20 inch necklaces)

and clothing sizes: t-shirts & tanktops (men's small or women's large), socks (size 9-11), tanktops

and i also would love it if you would use a postcard as a swapcard. :) just write the swap, your Swapbot user ID, and a little note and put it in the package... and i will keep it forever! :) THANK YOU!

FOR THE ALICE IN WONDERLAND swap: i love the old, vintage Alice images... my favorite characters are THE WHITE RABBIT and THE CHESHIRE CAT. but, i like all the characters, except the new Johnny Depp Mad Hatter and the new Queen of Hearts. they're too creepy. i love tea and tea cups... mushrooms and hearts... and red roses. :)

For TEA swaps - I love tea. All and any kind. loose or bagged, but especially dessert, earl grey, herbal and decaf teas (since i like to drink tea all day)... and if possible,

AND... i reuse packaging. if you don't like reused/recycled packaging, please let me know and i will send your item in a new box or envelope.

I ALSO REGIFT. not all the time, and not often, but sometimes i get things that are very nice and clean and new, but not to my taste so i like to pass them along to somebody that will appreciate it more. and i don't mind getting regift items of the same. that said, I WILL NEVER REGIFT A HANDMADE ITEM. regifts are store-bought items that will not be used in my household, usually office supplies (like notepads and pens), stickers, and craft supplies. Like with the packaging deal, if you don't like regifted items and i am supposed to send to you, please let me know and i will honor your request.

Dashboard Confessional, Linkin Park, Phillip Phillips, Bob Marley, Blink 182, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Dance Hall Crashers, Weezer, Green Day, fun., Rock/Alternative, all Hawaiian, Christian

stuff anywhere from classical to heavy metal, but not too much into rap/R&B, jazz or country.

all Harry Potter, books by Neil Gaiman (Coraline, the Graveyard book), books by John Green (a fault in our stars, an abundance of katherines), the twilight saga (my favorite is the uncompleted "midnight sun"), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Wicked, Da Jesus Book, my NIV bible, the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, Jane Austen, classics, and children's classics (Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, Narnia, Madeline, Paddington bear, James and the Giant Peach, Curious George, Charlotte's Web)

and more young adult, murder/mystery and fantasy... not so much into gushy romance or horror

and i love crafting (embroidery, paper crafts, sewing, recycle/repurpose, holiday specific) and cooking/baking books and magazines too.

AND i'm loving audiobooks on CD, too. especially radio theatre! :)

Films: Amelie, Coraline, Nightmare before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Harry Potter (all 8 fo them), Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, Bronson, WALL-E, Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, Dark Crystal, Lilo and Stitch, Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid, Casablanca, the Shining, Little Miss Sunshine, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the old 80s version), Labyrinth, films by Bitterfilms (like "billy's balloon" and "rejected"), Wallace and Gromit (and Shaun the Sheep), Hayao Miyazaki films (like Spirited Away and Totoro and Princess Mononoke), and I LOVE MUSICALS (like Singing in the Rain, the Sound of Music, Grease)

Television: The Walking Dead, NCIS, True Blood (mmm... Alcide), Eureka, Game of Thrones, Good Eats, Everyday Italian, Travel Channel, Fine Living, Martha Stewart, Sponge Bob Square Pants, The Muppets (Jim Henson), Invader Zim, Top Chef, Top Shot, CSI:Miami (i think it's the funniest show on TV!)

Favorite Actors / Actresses (meaning i'll probably watch the movie just because they're in it): Audrey Tautou, Ewan McGregor, Colin Firth, Christian Bale, Alan Rickman, James McAvoy, Tom Hardy,

Favorite Fictional Characters: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Dr. Carlisle Cullen (Twilight Saga), Professor Severus Snape (Harry Potter), Spiderman, Alcide Herveaux (True Blood), Obi Wan (Star Wars), Yoda :)

My favorite HOTTIES (yah, these guys make me weak): Ewan McGregor, Colin Firth, James McAvoy, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Joe Manganiello, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hardy, Mike Shinoda (from the band, Linkin Park)

WISH LIST

• HANDMADE STUFFIES / art dolls of: Coraline, Neil Gaiman, zombies (gross or cute), vampires (creepy or cute), Frankenweenie (Sparky or Victor), Harry Potter (and friends), Alice in Wonderland (and friends) and Little Red Riding Hood
• a wind-up music box/block like these in my collection
• teeny tiny miniature things (like doll house sized and itty bitty plastic animals. i got a new macro lens for my camera and i love taking pictures of tiny things!)
• Roving wool for needlefelting
• good quality stamp pads
• ANYTHING hippofairy (as in a hippo with wings... HIPPOs are my favorite animals.. and manatees)
• ANYTHING Alcide Herveaux (from True Blood)
• cloth / fabric napkins / handkerchiefs (trying to be a "green" household)
• variegated embroidery thread
• wooden or metal spork
• small or extra large utensils (wood or metal)
• embroidery transfer/tracing paper
• transfer pencil
• cameos
• fabric stamping ink pads
• 5 or 10 inch fabric squares in Christmas, Halloween, bugs, dogs, ocean/sea themed... and any other quilting cotton fabric! :)
• Postcards and stamps from the USPS: Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock, I Love Lucy, the Lone Ranger, the Simpsons, Pixar/Disney

Other themes / lovely goodies

• Paris & French themed goodies :) Paris is a marvelous place and i can't get enough of it!
• shabby chic (especially blues, greens, reds and blacks, antiqued silver and bronze): damask, toile, chandeliers, Eiffel Tower, fleur de lis, trees, birds, flowers, crystals, dragonflies, silhouettes, lily of the valley
• anything from my ETSY FAVORITES!
• VAMPIRES! yes, i like Twilight and True Blood, but i really love all vampires. :) yay for Nosferatu! and i love bats, too.
• ZOMBIES! i'm terrified of them. yes, really. i run regularly to prepare myself for the zombie apocalypse. don't laugh. i'm ready. are you? :p
• Twilight stuff (I like Carlisle, Edward, and Alice the most... and in that order.),
• steampunk (keys, watch parts, cogs / gears, bolts, little metal things, lace, typewriters, guns, bullets, handcuffs, cameras, test tubes, petri dishes, tiny bottles, etc)
• mameshiba! and Totoro (especially chibi and kurosuke)
• books (i'm trying to read 2 books a month... and reading and releasing many of the books. i love Bookcrossing!) and audiobooks on CD
• University of Hawaii stuff (i'm an alumna and a huge fan of their football program),
• Christian (not Catholic) stuff,
• anything from Bitterfilms/Don Hertzfelt,
• candy and chocolate (i love love love dark dark chocolate, but please only send chocolate wrapped in a plastic bag (between the months of November thru February). Hawaii is very warm and they might get all melty),
• insect/buggy things, especially damselflies (my fav), dragonflies, spiders and cicadas (but no roaches!),
• kokeshi (Japanese) or menehune things (they're like the Hawaiian Leprechaun),
• homemade body wash and lotion,
• TEA (any kind. loose or bagged, but especially herbal and decaf teas since i like to drink tea all day)... and if possible, 2 teabags of the same tea (i like to share teas with my husband)
• something for my dog (she would love some treats or small toys),
• SHIRTS (i wear a mens small or womens large. (i don't like to wear my clothes tight), panties (medium cotton low rise bikini or boycut. no thongs or Brazilian cut please!), and i prefer light colors (white vs black)
• and craft/cooking books or magazines (anything that will help with my current crafts),

and i'd love you forever if you sent me a pair of knitted/crocheted socks (cotton or bamboo, not wool)!!!!

CRAFT GOODIES:

• FABRIC! (cotton please! fat quarters or scraps or bigger... damask, toile, food/cooking/baking, fruits/veggies, science, bugs, ocean, bold florals, turtles, asian, blues, greens, purples, browns, London/Paris/Italy, echino, Jennifer Moore, Robert Kaufman, Alexander Henry, Joel Dewberry, Amy Butler, Japanese import), paisley
• sewing stuff (buttons, sewing and embroidery thread, etc.),
• fabric ink (stamp ink and pens)
• beads (crystal and pretty glass only) & antique brass/silver/gold findings,
• I LOVE DIY KITS! i admit, i have crafting A.D.D.... i have a totally short attention span! and tend to buy lots of supplies and then end up moving on to the next project... go from sewing to paper crafting to polymer clay... so kits are good for me, since i can finish one and move on to the next. :)
  
  1. a needle felting kit
  2. a handbag/totebag kit
  3. a stamp-carving kit
  4. a cute sewing kit for a stuffie or feltie
  5. an embroidery kit with some cute patterns

but i'm pretty easy to please, so if you like it... i probably will too!

POSTCARDS! i'm hippofairy on postcrossing.com
i have also uploaded many of the postcards i've sent and received in my flickr photostream, so i'd appreciate it if you could look at what i already have and send me something new. :) Please send them stamped, dated, and written on. PLEASE do not cover up the description of the postcard on the back with a sticker or address label. i like to read that little bit of information... if you are adding the stickers or labels, please put it below the text. THANKS! i prefer store-bought cards, and love all postcards, but i especially like to get postcards of FOOD, recipes, HOLIDAYS (and birthday), beautiful scenic tourist cards, famous landmarks, CELEBRITIES/famous people (presidents, actors, actresses, musicians, queens/kings/princesses/princes), real animals (especially BUGS), story/legends, flags, landmarks, BIG letters that spell out the name of the place and have pictures in them, MAPS, transportation (stuff like airplanes, airports, ships, cruise ships, seaports, trains, and train stations), 3D, SPORTS (especially OLYMPICS and football), and license plates. Cavallini and Chronicle Books publish some of my favorite postcards! see some of my favorites from postcrossing. i'd love to get some view cards or map cards from your area/country with a short message about it. :) i like mail art and fun handmade postcards, but... Please do not send me advertising cards (unless the subject is listed in my likes) or notecards.

I DON'T WRITE TO THIS BE PICKY... just to let you have more information about me and what i don't care for. if you put your heart into the package i will be happy with anything you put together for me.

• address labels (i'm moving in a couple months)
• coffee (i don't have a coffee maker)
• paper crafts covered in tape. please if you send me a handmade postcard or ATC, just send it in an envelope and don't cover it in packing tape. i just don't like how it looks. i feel like it takes away from the beauty beneath.
• stuff that smells like smoke (i'm allergic to tobacco),
• earrings (don't have pierced ears. well, i have one on the top of my right ear, but i have a stud for that one already that meets my work uniform standards),
• candles & candle holders (i make my own),
• wine glasses or shot glasses (since i don't drink alcohol, i don't really have much use for them),
• pinback buttons (i have tons of these all over my backpack and bags, so i don't need any more right now... and i make those too),
• calenders (i get oodles of them in the mail for free every year),
• recipes for seafood (my husband is highly allergic to all seafood),
• feathers (i'm allergic to down),
• dotees (they are so cute, but i don't know what to do with um),
• white chocolate, fruit or mint flavored chocolate, sweet sour (no pineapple on my pizza please), licorice, cherry, melon/cantaloupe (allergic), artificial sweeteners
• really pink stuff (combined with other colors is okay),
• clowns and dolls with human faces (i find them creepy!),
• Cockroaches (they scare me!),
• cosmetics, like perfume/body sprays and make-up, (don't wear or use. my nose is too sensitive!)
• coasters (got lots of them!)

I've been on Swap-bot for a while, and have had a few experiences with flakers. I haven't gotten angels for these swaps yet.

Will you angel for me?
* If My Life Were a Movie swap. - flaked by monket and i sent my partner my package and it got returned. all the other participants in the swap flaked. so, i still have the package i made up, if someone wants to swap! :)

*susieq11 *wickedred *earthnk *Crunchysews *Vendetti * stringofviolets * marilavado * cbpoole * IWuvCuteStuff * mina79 * ninta * grimmlynn * momwithahook * craftygirl * paflip25 * Justmeth81 * Dragonfli * ogma * DebP * cauchy81sk * MrsAnnaSue * jacani * LaurenRhodes * 17papergoddess * Barbara * ButterflyPrincess * groundhoggirl * mindy * Susi * IlonaH * homeandheart * TC

If you are swapping with me from a foreign country (anywhere other than the USA):

Please do not send any of the following to the United States, since they are restricted or prohibited in international mail: * Alcoholic beverages:
U.S. Postal Service regulations prohibit sending alcoholic beverages through the mail (18 U.S.C. 1716(f)). * Other restricted/prohibited items:
There are other categories of merchandise whose importation is also restricted or prohibited. These include, but are not limited to certain foodstuffs (meats/meat products, fresh fruit), certain domesticated and wild animals, some plants (seeds and other propagative material), products made from endangered species, narcotics, and certain weapons. (The Customs regulations governing these classes of merchandise may be found in Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 12.)

Most of the items that are prohibited or restricted are regulated by other government agencies; the Customs Service enforces those regulations on their behalf at American ports of entry. The penalties for attempting to enter restricted or prohibited merchandise vary according to which law has been violated and, in some cases, can be severe.

A more complete list of prohibited and restricted articles is available in our brochure, Know Before You Go, which lists the agencies whose import regulations—governing, for example, hunting trophies, flowers, or small arms—Customs enforces. Please request this publication from your local Customs office if you have detailed inquiries about products or merchandise you suspect may be prohibited or restricted.

Additional information on importing merchandise can be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website at www.cbp.gov