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Date Joined: June 25, 2010
Last Online: April 10, 2021 Country: United States Etsy Favorites Amazon Wishlist Profile-Based Swaps |
I am grateful for my swap-bot friends and thank you all for helping me to feel connected to the world this past year. Every letter you sent or time you reached out made my life better. Thank you!
Hello. Welcome to my profile. My name is Phillaine. I live with my sweetheart and our two (magic!) hypoallergenic Siberian cats in a city that's pretty great as far as cities go. My heart's home is in the North Woods, and I aspire to build a tiny cabin to incorporate into our woodland adventures at the family homestead. At the same time, I am very happy to be living in my first-ever (rental) HOUSE which is charming and wonderful and crooked and a century old and in need of lots of love, which I supply with great enthusiasm.
I LOVE to be outside: my happiness is directly tied to the amount of time I spend outdoors. I am thrilled that I now have the opportunity to do work in the yard any and all times that the weather is fine, and I'll never come close to running out of things to do. Also, I'm fortunate to live near an enormous wilderness area which I'm eager to explore.
My current focus is on creating an environment and lifestyle that will support my health and growth. Thank you for joining me here and taking the time to peruse my thoughts.
Things I Enjoy Doing (verbs!)
reading, exploring, traveling, making things (so many things!), planning, being spontaneous (yes, both), making lists, solving problems, visiting with people, being outdoors, taking photos, gardening, baking, cooking, painting, embroidery, crocheting, sewing, paper crafting (e.g. collage, stationery, envelopes and mailers, pocket letters, flipbooks), customizing and photographing Blythe dolls, carving rubber stamps, preparing and sending happy mail by post, writing fairly brief letters and occasional journal entries, solving sudoku and jigsaw puzzles (though I never buy them), playing games like Scrabble, Boggle, Huggermugger, Taboo, Scattergories, Tetris, Alhambra, Arkham Horror, and Skyrim, cuddling up with my kitties while watching shows and working on and/or coming up with ideas for more projects. I am in absolutely no danger of running out of projects. ;)
Things which Interest me (nouns!)
Many sorts of art, literature, and music, folk tales, fairy tales, myths, and legends, intriguing illustrations, thunderstorms, Autumn, Spring, cats of all kinds, wildlife, trees, flowers, etc. (some favorite plants include oak, maple, birch, boxwood, and willow trees, iris, poppies, pansies, columbines, lilies, morning glories, bachelor buttons, clover, bluebells, and magnolias), botanical gardens, orchards, vegetable gardens, rainbows, mischievous fairies, phoenixes, cryptozoology, dinosaurs, TARDIS, Totoro and his umbrella, semi-precious stones and fossils (like spectrolite, moonstone, onyx, ammolite, etc.), sea glass, trains, bicycles, tricycles, unicycles and penny-farthings, clocks, mechanisms, typewriters, strawberries, raspberries, Blythe, photography, many things that are considered "strange," "peculiar," or "dark," I find interesting and sometimes beautiful.
Five Senses
I love ALL of these colors:
Some favorites are autumnal tones, black/greys, All kinds of blues, turquoise, reds, greens, purples-- I do tend to be drawn to more deep, earthy, or rich colors and don't do much with many pastels or neon/day-glo colors.
I especially enjoy ways that colors transform in combination with one another.
Some favorite sounds are rain on a metal rooftop, a crackling wood-burning fire, the sound of lighting a wooden match and the sound of the flame being extinguished by a breath, the songs of crickets and coquis, and the indescribable calm experienced while parasailing.
Some of my favorite flavors/scents are: genuine maple syrup and vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, and clover; I adore the flavors and, accordingly, the aromas of garlic and curry. I'm crazy about the smell of coffee beans, but can't drink coffee. My favorite scents that are definitely NOT for eating are probably the smell of a wood-burning fire, a forest after rain, and certain cats (the smell reminds me of my grandma's house and our visits there). No eating fire, forests, or kitties.
The cool stone faces of cliffs and canyons, the feel of my hands working through soil and stones or sorting through big bins of buttons, seeds, grain, or other smooth things, cozy homemade quilts of cotton, and the feeling of modal fabrics are all extremely soothing and comforting to me.
Books
Too many to mention! Like I said, I collect myths, folk tales, fairy tales, and legends. Those are my favorites. I have a great fascination with and passion for children's literature. I especially adore Le Petit Prince and The Neverending Story, and reread Heidi and the Little House books every so often when nostalgia attacks ♥. Some favorite fairy tales (off the top of my head) include The White Cat, Puss in Boots, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Blockhead Hans, and Hansel and Gretel; I'm always in search of stories where the girls and women are clever and play active roles rather than being basically powerless victims who are "saved" by a man. I'd love to hear your recommendations!
As for "grown-up" books, I like interesting fiction that features unique characters and storytelling (my favorite I can think of off-hand is Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut), quirky old books on things like etiquette and education, "vintage," unusual, and vegan cookbooks (I'm not vegan, but am allergic to milk, so this helps). I also enjoy modern nonfiction, especially cultural anthropology and self-help/psychology books (e.g. Blink by Malcom Gladwell and The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker) as well as books on mindfulness and meditation (e.g. Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh).
Music, Movies, and Television
Johnny Cash, Regina Spektor, Madeleine Peyroux, Leonard Cohen, Steve Earle, Elvis, Tom Waits, The Ramones, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, The Beatles, Joan Jett, Mika, Mumford and Sons, Trampled by Turtles, Flight of the Conchords, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Patsy Cline, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Led Zeppelin, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Sting, U2, Cher (mostly in person--she's a delightful entertainer), Lady Gaga...I enjoy a wide variety of music. I get nostalgic and a little homesick (in a good way) when I listen to the old Grand Ole Opry Country Classics and Blues and Bluegrass and Folk music. ♥
The Addams Family • Addams Family Values • Amélie • The Apartment • Batman Returns • Beetlejuice • Best in Show • Blast From the Past • Clue • Coco • Coraline • The Dark Knight • Death Becomes Her • Despicable Me • Django Unchained • Edward Scissorhands • The Fantastic Mr. Fox • The Good, The Bad, and Huckleberry Hound • The Goonies • Harold and Maude • Heathers • Hocus Pocus • Isle of Dogs • Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle • Knives Out • The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra • A Mighty Wind • Moana • My Big Fat Greek Wedding • My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 • My Neighbor Totoro • The Neverending Story • The Nightmare Before Christmas • O Brother, Where Art Thou? • Parasite • The Princess Bride • The Producers (1967) • Quigley Down Under • Romy and Michele's High School Reunion • The Shawshank Redemption • Sing • The Skeleton Key • Stand By Me • The Triplets of Belleville • Up • The Wedding Singer • Who Framed Roger Rabbit? • Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) • The Witches (1990) • Wreck it Ralph • X-Men • Young Frankenstein • Zootopia
Dr. Who, Schitt's Creek, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Bones, Charmed, Arrested Development, Hannibal, Grace & Frankie, The Blacklist, Leverage, The Wire, Breakout Kings, Orange is the New Black, Wentworth, House, Pushing Daisies, Once Upon a Time, The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, Modern Family, Community, RuPaul's Drag Race, Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, House Hunters, Fixer-Upper, Property Brothers, Love it or List it, all sorts of HGTV shows. I also enjoy documentaries. Lately, I've been especially enjoying The Great British Baking Show. BAKE!
Yes Please! (also refer to interests):
I have a great appreciation for things which are both useful and beautiful.
I'm always looking to swap for wishlist items, tools and supplies I'd like for my studio and current projects, and interesting unused U.S. postage stamps I can incorporate into mail art. If you're interested in setting up a private swap, please contact me via PM.
No thanks:
Please don't send me anything involving violence or gore, political or religious things (spiritual/inspirational=fine, just not religious), or any food or beverage items, makeup, or other personal care items (unless it's something specifically on my Etsy or Amazon wishlist). Thank you.
As for the following things, I simply don't care for them and don't have any use for them, so they'd be better saved for someone who will appreciate them:
touristy or ad postcards, small fabric scraps, kids' craft supplies, foam/puffy/"3D" stickers, sequins, glitter, bling, items that are frilly, over-the-top cutesy, Americana, "country charm," "glam/fashionista," sports, wedding, or baby-themed
I can't use anything made of wool (fabric, felt, yarns, etc.) because it makes me SUPER itchy. :(
Most importantly, please don't send me anything smelling of smoke, mildew, or strong perfumes (I have allergies). Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to read my profile and learn a little bit about me and what I like. It really means a lot to me to know you put such thought and care into your parcels; it makes them personal and meaningful rather than simply transactional. It's the difference that can totally make someone's day. I always read the profiles of my partners for this reason; it's one of my favorite things about swap-bot. So, thanks again! ♥
Hello, everyone!
I just made a chart with the new USPS postage rates to print out on an index card, and thought I'd share. Feel free to copy, print, and distribute however you like.
Happy Mailing!
♥ Phillaine
This section is where I keep notes on outstanding swaps/tags/wishes/RAKs/WTAs to make sure everything arrives safely; I always send my swaps on time and try to rate as soon as I can after receiving from my partners.
PLEASE contact me before rating if you haven't received from me or the envelope is damaged; I'm happy to re-send if something gets lost or torn up in the post.
April Wishes Sent
Make a Wish
RAK group
Wishlist
Wonderful Wishes
@grammypammy
@kiddomerriweather
March Wishes Sent
Make a Wish
@anicka22
@susieq11
@user6937
RAKs Only
Wonderful Wishes
@CajunLady
@Lonestarchild
@kiddomerriweather
@lindseyjae
February Wishes Sent
Make a Wish
@susieq11 rec'd 2/25
@anicka22
RAKs Only
@AZmom875 rec'd 2/9
Wonderful Wishes
@kiddomerriweather rec'd 2/2
@susieq11 rec'd 2/25
@TryshaH81
@BusyB rec'd 2/27
January Wishes Sent
Make a Wish
@susieq11
@anicka22
@dartha
@Pikkis
@CrystalZ rec'd 2/28
Wonderful Wishes
@Poohtat
@Lonestarchild
@Autist
@lindseyjae
@kiddomerriweather
@TryshaH81
@grammypammy rec'd 2/28
@LadyJo
@LahDeeDah
@fishsteak
@Highlander18
@tcornell
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Comments
Make a Wish - March! Thanks for the bunch of Xmas stickers - I'll look forward to using these :)
WW Jan I thanked you in the WW group but forgot to post here. Thank you for the adorable gecko washi. So cute.
Thank you soooo much for the amazing amount if pretty washitape. It is sooooo beautiful. Thank you so very, very much!!! Just on a day I could use something nice, this awesome mail arrived. Thank you very, very much
Thank you for the neon happy mail you sent me for my March WW! It definitely made my day!
Hiya! Thanks so much for the March wish! The alphabet stickers are perfect - such cute (& spring!) colors!
Your "garden" sounds lovely! Thank you for the pretty card. March WW
Thank you for the gorgeous book themed stationery for Make A Wish March!!!!! My two favorite things combined! I adore the pink mail art envelope - pink is my favorite color, book washi, and cactus stamps - so so pretty. Total Spring mood. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the weekend! xoxo
Thank you so much for all the happy mail stickers and your letter. Mail from you always cheers me up, especially during a dark rainy day. Thank you for thinking of me!