mamato2blondies

Crafty mama, 37 years old, living in the UK with my husband and 2 daughters, aged 9 and 7.

I am currently working as a teaching assistant specifically with children with some degree of special educational need, but am about to apply to do an on-the-job teacher training course, something about which I am passionate. I was a lawyer before I had the children, but did not find the long hours/stress compatible with being a mum, so became a stay-at-home mum until my younger daughter was ready to go to pre-school. I have never regretted this decision.

Middle of the road, late 60's, 70's, 80's are faves. I particularly like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Bread, Supertramp, ELO, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, George Michael, and my all-time favourite band is Fleetwood Mac - have seen them in concert both in the States and the U.K.

Chick flicks: Dirty Dancing, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Tootsie, 9 to 5.

Brat Pack movies: The Breakfast Club, St Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink.

Comedies: The 40 year-old Virgin, The Wedding Singer, Juno.

ER, CSI, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs - crime/hospital dramas!!

I love rock documentaries.

Cookery programmes, particularly shows like Masterchef.

All papercrafts, sewing, baking, card making.

I LOVE making minibooks, am an erstwhile scrapper, but these days prefer card making and minibooks. I love stamping, and like making quick cards with quirky stamps - love the Imaginisce range of little stamps, and also Basic Grey stamps. Love VersaColor ink cubes.

I like all kinds of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and am always willing to try new flavours. I particularly like mint tea, fruity teas, and teas to relax, like camomile.

I love very dark chocolate, the higher the cocoa content, the better. I also love nutty chocolate and minty chocolate.

I like Gustav Klimt, Antoni Gaudi, Jackson Pollock, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, Elisabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney.

I love the colour pink, and love the combination of bright pink and green, and bright pink and turquoise.

I love most floral things, and although I am a child of the 70s, I am a bit of a hippie at heart. I don't like vintage, but I LOVE retro/kitsch.

I love baking and am an experimental cook. I DO follow recipes, but am equally happy to try the 'chuck-it-all-in' method of cookery!!

I adore cute and quirky stationery; I am a stationery fiend. I love post-its, Sharpies, coloured staples, Sakura gel pens, paper punches, 'thank you' notes.

I love Martha Stewart Living magazine, and have a lovely friend in the States who sends this to me every month, in exchange for a UK interiors magazine!

I love good swappers! I try really hard to take people's profile 'likes' into account when putting a swap together, and I hope other swappers will do the same for me. I will always try and personalise a swap to take into account people's preferences, where the scope of the swap allows this.

I enjoy reading, particularly biographies, and always have at least a couple of books on the go. I have to read before I go to sleep, and often fall asleep over a book!

I love Miffy, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Are You My Mother?, anything by Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake illustrations, Snoopy and Peanuts, Charlie & Lola.

I have two beautiful daughters, one very girly 9 year-old, who adores Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Camp Rock, and most things on Nick, and a gorgeous 7 year-old tomboy who plays football, rugby and cricket, but is very dainty and, even with her very short hair, still looks like a little girl!

I read The Guardian newspaper every day; I prefer to have a paper copy, but if I can't get one, I read it online. I have a fairly liberal attitude to most things, and would describe myself as a humanist.

If you don't receive something from me, it doesn't mean I haven't sent it!! I am not a flaker, and I will willingly send again anything that has not been received first time round. I value my 5 rating, and would ask that, if you think you should have received something from me, and have not, PLEASE send me a PM or email :-) Thank you xx

I hesitate to give a long list of dislikes, but I thought it might be helpful to swap partners to give some pointers about things I'm not so keen on!

I don't like receiving parcels that smell smoky or as if they've been sitting in the kitchen.

Animal hairs are a no-no as my younger daughter and husband are allergic to some pet fur - particularly cat fur and rodent fur.

I don't like vintage/sepia-type things - it's just not to my taste, and would be more appreciated by someone else!

We don't really eat sweets/candy. Chocolate is OK, though!!

I don't really like glittery things.