shinywen

Promise: I will always send out my swaps, and always rate. If for some reason you do not receive your swap in a timely manner, please contact me so I may resolve the situation with you.

So, on to who I am. Well.... I LOVE to laugh. I sleep too much or can't sleep at all. I have a new husband, 2 insane cats, a codependent dog, and a box turtle. I'm interested in the truth in all things, and I tend to think to much. I love words-- currently working as a freelance writer and editor. Bellydance runs through my soul but I've had to give it up for now to focus on grad school =(

Nature, art, and wild animals put me at peace. Well, domestic animals do too I guess. (When are they going to make "March of The Llamas", anyway?) Favorite animals are llamas, pufferfish, dolphins, and anything weird like the platypus. In fact with most anything, my rule is: The weirder, the better! So don't be afraid to send me crazy or bizarre stuff =)

I am working on my Master's degree in transpersonal psychology.

I have an Etsy business making wool hair ties that look like mini-dreadlocks, another for cards and papergoods, and I collect perfume oils (like BPAL). Yes, my apartment is full of wool, paper, and oil, and probably the most flammable property in southern Arizona.

Frank Herbert, Tom Robbins, Clive Barker, Lama Surya Das, Dan Simmons, Neil Gaiman, and funny books like Calvin and Hobbes, Get Fuzzy, and lolcat collections.

Dead Man, Boondock Saints, Amelie, Sirens, Fantastic Planet, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Thin Man, Totoro & Spirited Away

Lots of shows that aren't on any more that are much better commercial-free on DVD (viva la Netflix!), Turner Classic Movies, Dr. Who

I love working with raw wool and shiny fibers, and also paper. Mmmmm... paper. (Love BasicGrey, Imaginisce, BoBunny, My Mind's Eye stuff [which are paper and embellishment companies].) I'm a big fan of collage. I'm really more of a designer than an artist so I like to play with elements and see how things work together.

Right now I'm looking for grapefruit scents because I'm so tired all the time! I generally love dragonsblood, lemongrass, autumn spices, lavender, lily, apple, vanilla (although I'm picky about my vanilla, it has to be really good), and honey. My favorite perfumes come from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and The Body Shop. Not a fan of heavy rose, clove, powdery notes, or "dirty" notes (earth, tobacco, leather, etc).

Beck, Aphex Twin, Depeche Mode, VNV Nation, Iris, Dead Can Dance, Delerium, Conjure One, Royksopp, Balkan Beat Box, Talvin Singh, Bjork, Living End, Juno Reactor, Fischerspooner, Jane's Addiction, Erasure, old U2, Police, Zeppelin, DNB/chillout/EBM/trance/breaks/darkwave/industrial/oh my! I also severely miss WHFS circa 1992. Oh, and as a bellydancer, I LOVE world music, particularly middle eastern, east Indian, and Roma/Balkan. The only things I don't tend to like, or own much of, are country and gangsta rap.