theshyone

Hello! I am new here and very excited to begin participating. I have been looking at this website for well over a year and finally found the courage just to make the leap and create an account (so thanks for taking the time to look through my profile).

I love exchanging letters (snail mail), goodies, and the like through the mail, and have been trying to get my various family members and friends to do it with me over the past year or two. However, not everyone is interested (shocker, I know), so I am hoping this will be that creative outlet for me :)

My favorite thing about my life is being the mom to my young adult daughter. We do many (read: most) things together, like going to museums, libraries, parks, road trips, and shopping. She even got me into K-pop over a decade ago and many of our adventures include K-pop in some form. She keeps me young, or at least reminds me to keep a more youthful frame of mind, especially with things like being hopeful, optimistic, and trying to not get too cynical about life. We own a precious, but bully of a doggo. He is a rescue Doberman who thinks he rules the world, cause he does. He bullies us with his aggressive cuddles and then his disdain when he is done with us.

Some other things I enjoy doing include scrapbooking, knitting, sewing, reading, journaling (I have kept a journal since I was 11 years old), photography, cross-stitching, polymer clay, and gardening (both indoor and out). Because of scrapbooking I have a large stationary, sticker, and whatnot collection, but I am ALWAYS looking to add to it! So I guess, add collecting stationary-like things to the list of things I like to do. Things I don't enjoy doing include cooking (although I tolerate baking because - sugar), cleaning/chores, exercise (although I do it because it is good for me or some nonsense like that), and talking on the phone. Things I want to learn in the near future include crocheting and digital scrapbooking (I am sure I will add to this list in the future).

As I am a newbie, I am sure this section will morph, be updated, and deepen over time. But as for now, one of the most important things to know about swapping with me is that several people in my household have pretty severe asthma, so no strong smelling anything. I prefer most everything as fragrance-free as possible. I know it is impossible to live completely fragrance-free, but we do a pretty decent job at it in this household. Much appreciated in advance.

--Letters (snail mail), whatever form it comes in, like quick post cards, long in-depth letters, and everything in between. I love learning about/connecting with others, so I am really interested in pen palling (I've seen the term pen friends floating around this site. While I have not heard of that term before, it sounds lovely).

--All things stationary-related, like papers, stickers, washi tape, die cuts, pens, markers, coloring pages, post cards, sticky notes, inks, stamps, punches (you get it, the list goes on. Plus you may know of something fabulous that I have yet to discover. I am always willing to learn about other forms of stationary-related goodies).

--Regarding the above love of stationary, I love all sorts of themes, including cutesy/Kawaii (my daughter has been collecting stickers for almost 2 decades now, so our cute collection is nothing to sneeze at), animals, food, botanicals, vintage, people, holidays, cartoons (in short, I rarely meet a sticker/washi tape/sticky note that I do not love). That being said, I'm not into gory, horror, or scary (I spook easily!)

--Anything plant related (I recently went from 4 plants to over 100 in about a year's time. I'm a little addicted). I can discuss anything plant related ad nauseam, so beware :)

--Anything book/learning related (I love learning and you will usually find my nose buried in a book. I also find the smell and environs of libraries comforting and will definitely hide in one when stressed). It would be easier to write the list of things I don't like to read, which is horror/gory. Other than that, I am willing to give most literature genres a try.

--All things art and craft related. The other place I escape to when stressed is the museum (it is a safe space, surrounded by beautiful things). I, myself, cannot draw a proper stick figure, but truly appreciate others' artistic endeavors.

--Music is another destresser for me. I have very eclectic music interests, being raised by parents with very dissimilar music tastes, I learned to love many diverse genres. This includes, but is not limited to: jazz, blues, classical, opera, pop, rock, rap, hip hop, folk, and yes, even "elevator music." I also like to challenge myself with music i don't appreciate right away. I give it some time, see if it will grow on me. And lastly, the above mentioned K-pop, with which I share a love of with my daughter. Should any of you share a similar interest in K-pop, but have no where to rant about it, let me know! We can rant away together :)

--Old movies, I love older movies (we're talking the "Golden Era of Hollywood" and older), especially musicals. I danced throughout childhood and adolescence and admire the dancing skills of others. I also enjoy really bad sci-fi, from like the 50's and 60's (you know, the kind that is so bad that it is good?). I don't tend to do dramas, as life has enough dramatics in it for me, so I don't usually find it entertaining to watch. And again, no horror/gory/scary movies (unless it is a silly/funny spoof of one).

--Tea is acceptable (for me to share with my family...I drink it to bond with my family, but may or may not enjoy the liquid myself. We look for different teas for the family to try when traveling, or even going to a new store, and that has been a lot of fun).

--Some beauty related items, pampering oneself is always lovely. But again, the scents can be an issue. I have pretty dry skin that thinks it is constantly at war with the world at large. I try to convince it otherwise, but it mostly does not listen!

--Items from differing cultures, backgrounds, and the like. I grew up as a military brat, living in many places overseas, before returning stateside as an older child. I loved it, learning about people, cultures, viewpoints! I am interested in just about anything on this topic, such as stories, personal experiences, your love for your own culture, food, candies, traditions, trinkets, post cards, whatever, I am not picky when it comes to what people want to share about their culture. I love it all

-Similar to the topic above, within the U.S. there are different cultures, varying from region to region, state to state, even city to city. I adore roadtripping across the country and immersing myself in the culture, lifestyle, and experiences in different parts of the U.S. So please feel free to share your love of your state/city with me, in any form that floats your boat.

--That is all for now, I will update, clean up, add to this list in the future, as I gain more experience and know-how with this site and swapping!

-It bears repeating that I prefer all items entering my home to be as fragrance free as possible, as several members of my family have more severe asthma and cannot breath with most scents assaulting their lungs.

--As for other dislikes, being a newbie I do not have an extensive list as of yet. I have listed some things above in my loves/likes section (as exceptions to what I enjoy). But as for a more in-depth list, I am not sure what is possible to dislike yet, so appreciate, in advance, your patience with me as I learn the site and become more experienced with swapping. I will update this list in the future..