motes

Speedy driver. Mandolin (and banjo, now.) player. Siamese-cat caretaker. Toe stubber, backscrubber. Comix-maker, and occasional hip-shaker. Often tardy despite the best of intentions. International Jet-Set Girl (I particularly loved Iceland!). Unapologetic feminist. Lover of stripey socks (I should buy stock in sockdreams.com; I love them) and all things weird and unusual. I love baths and natural body care products (but please know that synthetic fragrances in bath products almost always trigger migraines for me. If it says "fragrance" anywhere on the ingredient label, even if it also says "all natural," chances are really high I won't be able to use it. Weirdly, the two exceptions I've found so far are LUSH products, and I've been able to wear some BPAL--I think because those are essential oils rather than synthetic. Anyway, if you're curious or concerned and just want to check before sending, please feel free to pm. I assure you that I very much appreciate the effort on your part!) and am into making soap! Cruelty-free products are very important to me; I'm a vegetarian but I do consume dairy and have a fondness for good, unusual chocolate (if you've read Steve Almond's Candyfreak, you'll know what I mean).

I have an offbeat, quirky style which I get to show a little at my eggheaded day job (which I like very much). I'm interested in stuff that defies traditional gender stereotypes. I read a fair amount (now that I'm done with graduate school I can read for fun again!) and I am trying to become a Scrabble freak (really!). I have penpals, I like funky Japanese and Korean writing paper, and I love art, particularly modern work, and Frida Kahlo (of course) is one of my favorites. I also love Keith Haring's work. I'm into graphic novels, especially the Sandman series, but I like Craig Thompson's work, Alison Bechdel's, Seth's, Julie Doucet's...

I also am very into rollerderby (I'm the head ref with my local league!). I'm based in New England and am affiliated with Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, where we have a women's derby team, a men's derby team, and an all-women ref squad. I'm very proud of all of these facts.

So, good to send: art materials, including pens or markers, funky chunky yarn (wool is OK), fabric (especially anything with funky or mod patterns), quirky socks (especially if I can skate in them), Halloween stuff is always welcome as is pretty much anything to do with roller derby or skating, cute goth, monster, or zombie stuff (I'm not so into gore), coffee, tea, candy, homemade items are welcome (I do have pierced ears, so earrings are OK), and I have a crazy fondness for locally made natural soaps (I used to sell soap and I learned how to make it as well), ...and, really, I'm more into things that you pick that you think I'd like than writing a list of things I want. I always get a kick out of swaps where my partner's obviously had some fun picking out or making things! Surprise me!

Also, I really love ampersands (this thing: & ).

(Please, a request: include a little note when you're sending things along with your name and the name of the swap...I'm a terrible guesser!)

the cure, the clash, billy bragg, björk, husker du/bob mould/sugar, david byrne, depeche mode, the ditty bops, the dresden dolls, elliott smith, jonathan richman, joy division, bauhaus, kmfdm, moby, morrissey, new order, nine inch nails, peter gabriel, pj harvey, r.e.m., radiohead, sugarcubes, talking heads, siouxsie & the banshees, the magnetic fields, the mountain goats, the pixies, the smiths, and the lucksmiths...to name just a few!

I guess you could say I'm mostly alternative with a wide stripe of goth. I love the aesthetics of goth--fashion and makeup--and it's where I started when I first started buying music 20 years ago.

I play (to varying degrees) mandolin, banjo, guitar, electric bass, and someone's lent me a drum kit....

Amelie! (But I also like Alien, Starship Troopers, Party Monster, Breakfast on Pluto, Wildcats--my tastes are hugely wide-ranging!)

Law & Order (original, CI, SVU...), Homicide: Life on the Street, Nip/Tuck, House MD, Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends...um...I don't have TV! It's all through Netflix! I like Dexter, NCIS (they have the cutest goth forensic scientist on that show!), Bones (little cheer goes up for Zack finishing his Ph.D.--I know what that feels like! But boo on this bombshell season finale!), and Criminal Minds (kinda love Dr. Reid!). (Are you seeing a trend here?) I loved Carnivale. I even got into Heroes (but, of course, I like the villains more than the heroes...)

Zines (I've done a minicomic called BOOTY for about 12 years! I love Microns and mostly work in B&W, but I'm trying to expand a little!), knitting (though I've been knitting for years I can't seem to make anything other than scarves!), and some card-making. I'm a printmaker (primarily linocut with acrylic inks), I sew and I make soap and stuffies (though not together, obviously)...and I run a monster millinery business (mymonsterhat.com) that I officially launched last year.

I try to rate as soon as swaps arrive, and if I haven't rated you for a swap by the deadline, please feel free to pm me to ask why I haven't rated. I will not rate a 1 or a 3 without contacting you, and I won't rate a 1 or a 3 without good reasons, but in that same spirit if you're going to be late sending a swap, please, please make the extra effort to pm me to let me know. (It really does make a difference.)

As an extension of that, if you haven't received a swap from me and the deadline has passed, please just message me to check in before rating me a 1. I take deadlines and swapping seriously--I think my rating can speak to that--especially because I know what it feels like to expect something and not have it arrive! Please give me the benefit of the doubt and contact me before rating.

Also, I recycle packaging whenever I can--I do try to remove other people's addresses from recycled packages, but let me know if you're concerned.

Sarah--smokyquartz1980--THANK YOU for angeling the Barbie Gone Wild swap! She's here and I don't know how to rate you for angeling, but HEARTS BIGTIME for you, not only for angeling but also because the doll's fantastic and reminds me of Blade Runner!!!