hippofairy

I am happily married (got married on 7/7/7 last year!) and have a little beagle, named Dottie. I'm definitely not a girly girl as i love to surf and snowboard. I live in Southern California, but lived a few years in the San Francisco bay area, and was born and raised in Hawaii. 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. (My husband and I went to Italy for our honeymoon last September!) 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). so, being an "aggie", i love bugs, plants, and animals. and, i have a pet tarantula named piggie. :) i am also a utilitarian, so i love stuff that is cute/beautiful/artsy and FUNCTIONAL. :)

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 what would she look like? a manatee! i think manatees are beautiful. and i love hippos so what could be a better name?

what I pledged

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 can try and put together something and resend). Much Mahalos!

Dashboard Confessional, Linkin Park, all Hawaiian, Christian, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Dance Hall Crashers, Weezer, Rock/Alternative, all Hawaiian, Christian,

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

Da Jesus Book, my NIV bible, Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman (author), the Chronicles of Narnia, graphic novels, classics,

and i love crafting and cooking/baking books and magazines too.

Nightmare before Christmas, Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, Dark Crystal, Disney (animated), 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)

NCIS, CSI, House, Heroes, Good Eats, Food Network, Travel Channel, and Fine Living, Martha Stewart, Sponge Bob Square Pants, The Muppets (Jim Henson), Invader Zim, Top Chef

paper crafts, including note cards and greeting cards,

beaded bracelets/necklaces,

badge/buttons,

Fimo/clay,

soy/beeswax candles,

and I've started sewing! (i just got a Brother sewing machine and have been making morsbags and stuffies)

i'm trying to learn crochet, but am having issues, with my tension.

white chocolate,

fruit/mint flavored chocolate,

sweet sour (no pineapple on my pizza please),

licorice,

pink (combined with other colors is okay),

cherry or licorice flavored or scented things,

melon/cantaloupe flavored or scented(i'm mildly allergic),

stuff that smells like smoke,

Cockroaches (they scare me!),

perfume/body sprays and make-up

any of my "dislikes" above,

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),

plain green tea (i have loads of Japanese tea that my mom buys for me, but flavored is okay),

tourist items (for example, cheesy magnets and t-shirts. i would prefer you send me something you would get for yourself),

candles & candle holders (i make my own),

wine glasses or shot glasses (since i don't drink i don't really have much use for them),

badge/buttons (i make those too),

calanders (i get oodles of them in the mail for free every year and i think i have enough for 2008),

recipes for seafood (my husband is highly allergic to all seafood),

stuff with feathers (i'm allergic to down),

and wool (it makes me itchy when i wear it, but for stuffies it's okay),

ATCs, dotees or matchboxes (they are so cute, but i don't know what to do with um).

ADDRESS LABELS!

University of Hawaii stuff (i'm an alumna and a huge fan of their football and men's basketball programs),

Christian stuff,

anything from Bitterfilms/Don Hertzfelt,

cute fuzzy cuddly things,

cute food related things,

Pon and Zi stuff,

candy (i love chocolate, but please do not send chocolate from April to September, as it gets really warm down here in Southern California and they'll get all melty),

buggy things especially damselflies and dragonflies (but no roaches!),

something the color of the ocean: blues and greens (blue is my favorite color, but i also like purple and green and any combination including any of the three with brown and white and black too),

kokeshi stuff,

menehune things,

sewing stuff (fabric, felt, buttons, thread, etc.),

beads/findings,

homemade body wash and lotion,

tea, herbal and decaf preferred but not a must,

something for my dog (she would love some treats or small toys),

shirts (i wear a big small or smallish medium. if in doubt, get the medium),

panties (small cotton low rise bikini or boycut. no thongs or Brazilian cut please!),

and craft/cooking books or magazines (anything that will help with my current crafts),

bookcrossing books,

postcards (i've just joined postcrossing... and please write a message on one of them!),

and bags,

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

I LOVE DIY KITS! (i'd like to try some new crafts. don't have any experience with any of these except the stuffies)

~ an amigurumi kit

~ a handbag/totebag kit

~ a stamp-carving kit

~ a cute sewing kit for a stuffie or feltie

~ an embroidery kit with some cute patterns

~ needle felting kit

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

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.