Straylight

I currently work as a children's librarian in the Indianapolis area. Thus, I have a certain fondness for children's literature themes (think classic Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit, Eric Carle books, Margaret Wise Brown books, etc.)

I love nature and the outdoors. My husband and I try to go camping at least once a year (preferably more often than that), and we have kayaks we take out regularly as well. I greatly enjoy hiking in the mountains and I'm fascinated by the wildlife one can find there. I do love the beach/ocean as well, though.

My favorite season is Fall. Watching the trees change color is always fun... but not as nice as smelling the woodsmoke of your first fall bonfire.

My favorite holiday is Halloween (I'm told I have a slightly gothic tendency at times), and we usually throw a big costume party for our friends each year.

ALLERGIES -- To my knowledge, I have none!

I've been crafting in my spare time for years, and my interests in that realm are pretty far reaching.

At the moment we have only 3 pets. Juniper, Al, and Nickledemus.

Juniper is an 'all-american mutt.' We think she's a mix of... well, we have no clue what breeds. She's a small/medium sized puppy that we found at a shelter adoption event in late summer of '09. She's the first dog I've ever owned and she's won my heart.

Al is my leopard gecko. Would you believe she was a yard-sale find? Her owner was moving to CA and couldn't take her with, so I gladly adopted her. She's been mine for 9 or 10 years now.

And last, but certainly not least, is Nickledemus. He's my dumbo rattie! He is a beautiful silver-pearl color, and he's been living with us for almost 3 years now.

Black is a good favorite with which to start. After that, I prefer cool colors with deep blues and greens being my favorite. Anything ranging from an indigo verging on violet to a vivid leaf or fern green color.

However, I do love the colors of autumn. Bold or deep reds, oranges, and yellows are wonderful when mixed... a memory of autumn and flames.

Bold colors always thrill me. I tend to shy away from pastels, but they have their uses, too, from time to time. I don't particularly like pink for much of anything. I do not like neon colors or colors/patterns that look like they belong in the 70s.

I tend to prefer silver over gold where metallics are concerned.

I've tried a little bit of most things including cross-stitch, quilting, sewing, needle tatting, batik & tie dye, spinning (drop spindle primarily), beading, candle making, scrapbooking & photography, rubber stamping and even some knitting and painting. Most recently, I've discovered crochet. I love making things with my hands.

My favorite crafts would probably be nearly anything dealing with fabrics (sewing, batik, quilting, etc) crocheting and digital photography.

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Forever and ever, 'The Crow' has been my favorite movie. Along with it, though, I present to you some other favorites:

'V for Vendetta'

'Six-String Samurai'

'Edward Scissorhands' (Pretty much anything by Tim Burton is an instant favorite. Oh, and almost anything with Johnny Depp, too.)

'Shaun of the Dead'

'Stardust'

'Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

"Labyrinth"

This will be another tough one as I like a wide range of music.

I grew up listening to folk music ranging from Pete Seeger to John McCutcheon, with a bunch of other things in the mix. I also learned to play the fiddle so I could join in my parents' jam-sessions with friends.

Since then, my tastes have expanded quite a bit. I enjoy various types of techno, classic rock, hard rock, some metal (usually symphonic metal), alternative, musicals, some classical, occasionally blues... very rarely country or rap (almost never).

Other, more specific include:

Halestorm, Massive Attack, Orbital, Evanescence, Skrillex, Midnight Syndicate (mostly for Halloween purposes, but fun to listen to at any time when you're in a dark mood), Nine Inch Nails (I prefer Reznor's older stuff, though... i.e. Halos 2, 5, and 8), Aerosmith, Mumford & Sons, The Chieftains, Enigma or Enya (for when I'm in a quiet mood)

This list will be under occasional modification as it barely begins to scratch the surface of my interests, music-wise.

I'm hazarding a dangerous subject for me... Books. Once I get started on this topic, it can be hard to stop me.

Let's start with genre. I prefer Science-Fiction and Fantasy with a heavy emphasis on Cyberpunk. I also enjoy a good Horror or Thriller novel from time to time.

Some of my favorite authors include Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, Pat Cadigan, Peter Watts, Roger Zelazny, George R. R. Martin, Elizabeth Bear, David Eddings, C.J. Cherryh, Jennifer Roberson, Richard K. Morgan, Poppy Z. Brite, Stephen King, Joe Hill, Lewis Carroll, Jeff Noon.... I'm sure this list will change and morph over time.

My all-time favorite Cyberpunk book is "Snow Crash" with "Synners" pulling a close second.

Maybe I should just list 'wild animals in general' as this favorite. Here are a few at the top of my list (real and mythical):

dragons (eastern and western), dragonflies, ravens (and crows), ratties, cats (large and small), wolves, red-tailed hawks, salamanders & newts, luna moths, gargoyles....

... of the seemingly Random Variety!

I adore dark chocolate, tea (looseleaf or bagged) and tea accessories (teapots, teacups, etc.), almost anything having to do with nature, thunderstorms (I LOVE a good storm), skulls, candles, feathers (natural color, not dyed), lavender (the herb or scent), traveling, camping, mountains, beaches, bonfires, late nights, the full moon, stars, wandering along city streets in the late evening, concerts, board/card games (yes, I'm on Board Game Geek), beautiful fabrics and yarns, spending time with good friends....

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop me a note and ask. I truly appreciate when people take the time to try and tailor their swaps to meet their partner's profile. I know I have a tendency to ramble, and what I've said may need clarification... Don't hesitate to ask!

May you all have a great year and enjoy some truly amazing swaps!