I am female from Chicago, USA, have no children, but have been a host parent to international high school students. I'm married to a Danish guy. We met on the site www.interpals.net, so yes, we were penpals. No pets right now, but I love cats.

About my husband Martin: 36, loves traveling (really interested in France and Scotland right now), old castles, funny stuff/comedy, black socks, Star Wars, WWII, strong licorice, chocolate, Lord of the Rings, old coins, medieval history, Knights Templar, stories about haunted places, lost treasure, snacks (pretzels, corn chips, nuts, strong licorice, sweet candies). He's a college student and works at a grocery store.

What I really like/want:

Belgian and fancy chocolates (and Cadbury) / cute Etsy stuff (kawaii softies, stationary, flower/tree magnets) / hand-dyed embroidery floss / lace / things related to travel / mythology/folklore related items / handmade paper dolls and cloth dolls / kawaii stationary and envelopes / unusual cookie cutters (not the average that can be found at any store-looking for mermaids, Eiffel Tower, music notes) / fun socks (I have a ton and everyone gets a kick out of them!) / professional art supplies (crayons, paints, pastels, charcoal pencils) / things related to the 20s era/flappers/silent films / black light theatre (Czech Republic) / images of historical sites, castles, old ruins / cute journals / interesting quotes

I like to travel. So far, I have been to the following countries: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and several U.S. states.

My favorite holidays are: Halloween and Christmas. Although, I like most any holiday. Particularly if I get a day off work. :) I also like Valentine's Day and Easter decorations. And I love spring and fall.

Favorite colors are medium green or turquoise blue. I like bright colors, dark purples, reds, blues, greens, pastels, earthy tones and black/white combinations.

I like getting postcards, with the stamp on them, and if they have some writing in another language, even better, but I'm not a postcard collector. I'm learning Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish so I can write at a basic level with these languages.

What I like to read: non-fiction books / some historical fiction / travel books and travel memoirs / origins of words (English and other languages) / how-to crafts / vegan and raw vegan cookbooks / business books (mainly about leadership or management).

Things I dislike:

bling bling / country stuff / reptiles / celebrities / political / dollar store items / big box stores (Wal-Mart, McDonalds's, etc.) / religious (However, I strongly believe in religious tolerance. I just don't want religion pushed on me. That being said, feel free to send me your religious creations if that's what the swap calls for, regardless if you are Christian, pagan, Buddhist, etc. I would strongly prefer no pentagram images.) / cutesy sayings / knick-knacks / fiction books, especially best sellers / dirty, creepy, cheap stuff / -anything that will make me sick (i.e., edibles with dye (ick!), gluten-containing items) / -smoke (I am severely allergic to cigarette smoke!)

I am not a flaker so if for some reason you don't receive something from me and you should have, PM me immediately. It will get resent, even if I have to remake whatever it was. Things do get lost in the mail and Chicago is notorious for that. In fact, I've been flaked on several times (during my first year on here). The one that upset me the most was a round robin chunky book. My book had made all the rounds and on the very last one, the person kept it and deleted her profile. That book had been all around the world. Why someone would do that, I guess I will never know, but all I can say is I truly hope it made her more happier to have that book than it would have made me. So please...don't do that to me again...or I will cry...and do you want to make me cry???

lacuna coil, theatre of tragedy, within temptation, leaves eyes

I do not like country or death metal, but I will listen to almost anything else, including opera and rap.

I don't have any favorite movies. I have a short attention span so movies are not my thing. Sorry. However, I do like movies such as Dark City, Blade, etc.

I don't watch a lot of T.V., but here is what I have watched: 24, Supernatural, the 4400, Project Runway, and I used to love the X-Files. I enjoyed watching the travel channel, especially shows on Europe and its architecture. Every so often the Internet will cooperate and I can watch an episode of Dracula or Supernatural.

-embroidery (not cross-stitch but pretty much anything else, particularly crewel and ribbon / dollmaking (paper and cloth) / Christmas ornaments / collage / mixed media / seasonal (favorites are Christmas, Halloween, spring, and fall) / photography (travel, nature and black & white)

I do have a wool allergy, but I can stand a bit of wool in my yarn.

Crafts I would like to try are:

soapmaking / candlemaking / Ukranian egg art / cake decorating / needlefelting / making chocolates/pastries / lacemaking / origami / watercolors / and many more I can't think of right now.