mandylou

I'm a 32 yo homemaker to 3 very active children, ages, 10, 8, and 4...and we just found out we're expecting baby number 4 in September...and it's a GIRL!!! My DH and I have been married for just over 11 years. (Oct 25th.) I spin, create my own fiber blends, knit and crochet and make beaded stitch markers! I love the outdoors and gardening, though I have very little property around our home to do so. I love animals too...used to raise angora rabbits and have ALWAYS wanted a horse....now that I'm spinning and working with fibers, I would LOVE to have a small flock of sheep as well as a few alpacas. We have two kitties, Gracie, and her daughter, Angel.

My absolute favorite craft is spinning. I love almost all fibers, except most longwools, cotton, course mohair and hemp. They just don't do anything for me! I ADORE angora, silk(not by itself, but in a blend), bamboo, alpaca and any fine wool.

As for colors...I'm up for just about anything!! I LOVE rainbow dyed wools... If you could see my stash, you would see a rainbow and then some. I also love natural colors.

I'm an advanced beginner knitter(self-taught). I love to knit scarves, mittens; mostly small items that don't take a long time. ;) I like to knit with handspun yarns best. But if it's a pretty yarn, I will use it!

I also like to crochet in between the knitting and spinning, but not as much as I used to...I think I have a little arthritis kicking in, so too much crocheting makes my hands hurt...a LOT.

I do like to make beaded bookmarks and bracelets and stitch markers for knitters, so glass beads, charms and spacers are always nice.

I like a nice mixture of music....Christian(Rebecca St. James, Delirious, Third Day, etc...), Nickel Creek, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, lots of Country. I love to sing while I'm washing the dishes and cleaning....makes it more enjoyable and it goes by faster!!

I love reading Love Inspired or Steeple Hill romance novels...just clean, short stories that make you smile! I also love Stephen Lawhead novels...wonderful author...but my husband has all of those!!! I often like mysteries...too...really any novels that aren't raunchy.

Oh, where do I start here!!?? My favorite movie of all time is Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightley. I could watch it every day and never grow weary of it!! I love all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, anything with Mandy Moore, Kate & Leopold, Hidalgo, King Kong(newest), Count of Monte Cristo. You get the idea! I won't watch anything that has to do with horror or an overabundance of swearing!

During the winter, my husband and I have a few series we keep up on, but in the summer, there's just too much to do, so the TV is usually off during the day, except for a few cartoons for the kids here and there. Then if we're not too tired, my husband and I like to watch a movie from our collection or borrow from our neighbor's collection. My favorite series are Lost, Grey's Anatomy, House, all of the CSI's, Bones, Extreme Home Makeover, Chuck, Dollhouse, Castle and Heroes. If we had cable, I would be watching Home & Garden channel often, as well as the Discovery channel...oh and probably Animal Planet too!

I am not a picky person when it comes to the items my partner sends. I am really starting to enjoy teas of all flavors, LOVE hot chocolate and am starting to like coffee, but don't have a coffeemaker yet.

I LOVE GUMMI candies...especially the sour ones!!

For other swaps...my only request is that there be nothing to do with Halloween or anything pagan.

I love candles and candle holders. The only scent I do not like is melon/cantaloupe! When I was pregnant with my 2nd child, this scent made me very nauseous and still does!!

Handmade greeting cards are awesome too!

Oh...and I love pretty angel/woman figurines, hair ties and bobby pin type clips for my hair.

Gardening items are a plus...I have a very small property and I'm trying to fill it up with flowerbeds! So seeds, bulbs and cute resin animals are always welcome.

I love anything with flowers(especially sunflowers, cosmos and daisies), cute bugs, butterflies, bunnies, horses...OH...and sheep.

Since I am pregnant with my 4th, I may join a child/infant swap or 2... Today, May 19th, we found out we're having a GIRL!! Her name will be Kendall Leigh. I think I'd like to decorate the nursery as follows... pale yellow walls with my close-up flower photos framed all over. Not positive on this yet though...will update when this is finalized! Think I need to wait until I start my baby registry!