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Date Joined: June 25, 2010
Last Online: December 10, 2023 Country: United States Etsy Favorites Sticker Wish List |
-December 2023-
After a loooong absence, I'm coming back to share swaps and surprises and grant wishes with my dear long-distance happy mail friends. My life is just so much better when regularly connecting with you all. I look forward to catching up.♥
Hello. Welcome to my profile. My name is Phillaine. I live with my sweetheart and our two (magic!) hypoallergenic Siberian cats in a cozy home surrounded by magnificent old oak and maple trees. I'm getting all cozy and snuggled in for hibernation season with another long Minnesota winter, and I've never been happier to have big beautiful windows. ♥
I LOVE to be outside: my happiness is directly tied to the amount of time I spend outdoors. My heart's home is in the North Woods, and I aspire to build a little house of my own in the forest someday.
🌈My FAVORITE things to do on swap-bot are granting wishes in wish list groups and sending profile-based swaps and surprises. 💌
Thank you for joining me here and taking the time to peruse my thoughts. 💗
I'll be working on updating my profile over the next few months as well. :)
Things I Enjoy Doing (verbs!)
reading, exploring, traveling, making things (so many things!), 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, playing games like Scrabble, Boggle, Huggermugger, Taboo, Scattergories,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, compelling 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, stones and fossils (like spectrolite, moonstone, onyx, ammolite, etc.), sea glass, trains, bicycles, tricycles, unicycles and penny-farthings, clocks, mechanisms, rube-goldberg machines, typewriters, strawberries, raspberries, Blythe, photography, many things that are considered "strange," "peculiar," or "dark," I find intriguing 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 exploring the ways that colors transform in combination with one another.
Some favorite sounds are rain on a 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 wait around to be "saved" . I'd love to hear your recommendations!
As for "grown-up" books, I like original 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). Ever since I got a kindle, my reading has increased at least threefold (I'm nearly at 150 books for the year so far)! Being able to check out e-books from the library has been literally life-changing for me. Much recommended for anyone who has mobility issues or difficulty getting out and about regularly.
Music, Movies, and Television
Johnny Cash, Regina Spektor, Madeleine Peyroux, Leonard Cohen, Steve Earle, Elvis, Tom Waits, The Ramones, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Queen, 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 • Bottle Shock • 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 • Get Out • 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. I'm thinking 'tis the season to catch up on 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, very small fabric or paper 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! ♥
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.
November Wishes Sent
Make a Wish
@LadyJo
@susieq11
@anicka22
Wonderful Wishes
@Poohtat
@MiRdLHWY43
@fishsteak
@kiddomerriweather
@Highlander18
October Wishes Sent
Make a Wish
@susieq11
@sassafrass
@Giddyanni
Wonderful Wishes
@lindseyjae
@kiddomerriweather
@autist
@BusyB
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Comments
Happy to see you back! XOXO
Thank you for the lovely Snowflake address labels for the Wonderful Wishes group!! They got here slowly but they got here!!
from USA Happy Mail
Thank you for your sweet letter and pretty letterhead. Love hearing from you! And the envie is sooo cute
OMGosh! I'm so glad you didn't have, but wanted the raccoon sampler! I'm just loving Aimee's samplers. I made her felt gnome for a swap recently and I loved it. I found her Star Wars characters felt kit at a local discount store and picked up a couple. I didn't realize that they were hers until a few weeks later. They are so much fun. I've known about her for years, but have only done a few patterns here and there. I think I may make one of her pre-printed dolls in the near future. I'm so happy that you love the gift!
Hi Phillaine! Thanks so much for the sweet deer postcards and stickers for WW December! Love the starry envelope too! I owe you some mail which I hope to get to soon!! Thanks for thinking of me (as always!) xoxo
❤️❤️❤️❤️ Thank you very much for WW Nov wishes - oh so cute whale sticker and love the breaching whale pc!
Thank you for the sakura cards for my November WW. They're so cute!
Make A Wish November Thank you so very very much for the fun map handmade envelopes! I really like these! I love map item things. Thank you for the birthday card as well. Love the dog with the letter. Fun! I had a nice birthday month. It all went so fast1
Thank you for the adorable Tokyo stickers in a decorated air mail envelope! OMG how cute! Thank you for sending to me for Make A Wish November! If you can bear with me a little, I will write you a note about the trip!! xoxo