waldenpond2

I am a high school English teacher taking time off to prepare for our first baby -- due in September!. I love reading, books, language and learning languages, nature, knitting, tea, and colorful, cozy things.

Adore:
Thoreau, Emerson, Jon Krakauer, Amy Tan, David Mas Masumoto, and LouAnne Johnson

General Favorites:
Cat's Eye, Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the Dragonriders of Pern series, Mists of Avalon, Gone with the Wind, and The Lamplighter by Maria Susanna Cummins - a book that is sadly out of print but was written by one of the most famous and popular American authoresses of the mid-nineteenth century.

Young Adult Favorites:
Hunger Games trilogy, Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy, Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Alanna Song of the Lioness series, Harry Potter series.

Children's Lit:
Little House in the Big Woods, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Little Princess, The Secret Garden, the Ramona series, Antoine de Saint Exupery, Tove Jansson's Moomintroll, Roald Dahl, and most sweet children's literature.

• traveling! I went to Alaska recently -- a gorgeous place. Glaciers, the Arctic Circle -- my heart goes pitter-pat. I'd love to visit New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, and the Baltic / Scandinavia someday, too.

• languages -- currently learning Icelandic from a book and disc. There do not seem to be many Icelandic folks in my part of the country with whom to practice! :)

• running, baking, cooking

• making paper crafts, carving stamps, and knitting. I know how to knit, purl, and decrease, which limits me to scarves, baby blankets, and hats. Someday I will learn how to slip slip knit, increase, and use double-pointed needles.

• beginning to learn: crochet, sewing, and quilling. I'd like to learn how to needle-felt -- it looks like fun.

• collecting stamps, domestic and foreign, to use in making gift tags.

• landscape and nature photography -- especially in macro

• organizing -- it's therapeutic!

I love tiny, pretty pieces of beach glass and small, unusual stones/ pebbles. A collection is displayed on my bookshelves.

I'm enamored by paper tags large and small, sparkly and solid, patterned and embossed, circles, scalloped, shipping, oh... how I love tags!

I also collect:

• stickers and embellishments: ribbons, flowers, charms, or sparklies. Please, no foam.

• sewing-related: vintage or unusual buttons for my doll-making exploits, lovely ribbons and trim, unusual cotton lace, pretty fabric, nice felt, or soft yarn.

• vintage children's paperback pictures, wooden thread spools, miniature glass vials, small tins, charms, and altered matchboxes.

• sweet koalas and orangutans, charming hand-drawn turtles, elephants... Apples, aprons, tea towels, gingham, red-checks, and other pioneer-y things

• the original Rainbow Brite and Care Bears from the '80s.

My sense of aesthetics is characterized as "charming, lovely, and nature-inspired."

My favorite colors are all the shades of blue, green, and purple. And rosy, deep raspberry pink. Rainbows and peacock colors: blue - turquoise - green - brown. And peppermint red and white stripes or polka dots!

• Christmas. Cute snowmen, cozy hot chocolate, sparkling lights, gorgeous wrappings... my very favorite holiday followed by Valentine's Day!

• TEA!: adore flavored fruity, black, rooibos red, and unusual teas from overseas. My favorite so far is a chocolate-flavored black tea (with real black and white swirled chocolate hearts) from Italy. Loose tea, bagged tea, tea tins... all wonderful -- especially loose tea. Just include a little note telling me what's in the loose leaf, please! Please, no green tea, licorice, anise or "spice" flavoring.

• scents: balsam, pine, cedar, lavender, sage, rosemary (woodsy or smoke scents) apple, citrus, peach, chocolate mint -- actually, chocolate, period.

• dandelions and trees, flower fairies or fairy gardens, or for flowers: magnolia, columbine, rose geranium, sweet pea, freesia, Iceland poppies

• hand-made bookmarks, carved stamps -- any hand-made crafts that show thought, care, and the maker's delight.

• nickel-free hand-made earrings or jewelry. Sparkly or felt pins and brooches.

• Kate and Will ephemera

• Baker's twine and washi tape -- it does a crafter's heart good.

• address labels, glue dots, flocking or embossing powder, or Magnolia Tilda stamps.

• running images, inspiration, tips, etc. I didn't realize how much I take breathing for granted each moment until... I can't.

• comics and cartoons: Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Zits, and Mutts.

• Becky Kelly, Tasha Tudor, and Suzy's Zoo: delicate, charming, and lovely artwork.

• nature art: Andy Goldsworthy, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Group of Seven, and Thomas Kinkade.

• anything mail, calligraphy, script, or sealing wax-related.

• Victorian vintage: high tea ephemera, ladylike gloves, or costume jewelry -- I enjoy high tea and go as a special treat a few times a year.

• Kawaii, Sanrio (Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars), Disney's Beauty & the Beast and Pocahontas, and Moomintroll. Hallmark's Hoops and Yoyo make me chortle with glee!

• brightly colored and unusual school supplies or student reward stickers. It never fails to get a grin when I put scented scratch 'n' sniff stickers on homework. :)

• Enya, Adele, Yo-Yo Ma

• paper-related items: cards, postcards, ATCs, envelopes, pretty bookmarks, etc

• stamp gift tags (or gift tags in general)

• cupcake toppers

• button jewelry

• yarn-wrapped wreaths (this is a time-intensive one)

• other things within my ability -- just ask. :)

For my Dear Husband, if you so choose :)

He likes European soccer, especially Chelsea / Manchester. The Simpsons or Futurama. Maple leaves. Ghost chilies (crazy guy!).

To send.

To receive