impeus

I live in Yorkshire in England, and love the countryside and beautiful old architecture. Its great to be close to so many fantastic places, such as Saltaire, Haworth and Bradford.

I love to grow food in my garden, and to cook delicious meals from scratch.

I have worked for the same company for 10 years now. I manage a team of people looking after payments and cost analyses, and also manage finance system developments. I hate it really. I always imagined I'd get a job I could be passionate about, and put my heart and soul into. Although I make a lot of sacrifices for work, I can't wait until the day I start a family - I'll leave work and NEVER GO BACK!!!

I love to crochet and knit, but I'm not very good.

Altered Books are gorgeous, but I don't have time to commit to a big one any more, unfortunately. ATCs are a much more managable compromise! Inchies even more so!

I also like sewing, but it has to be simple. I have a sewing machine, but I think it is cleverer than I am.

I love bright colours and rainbows. I love mixing lots of bright colours together, like green and red and deep blue. I also love green and pink.

Stripes and polka dots make me happy.

I love notebooks and pens - you can never have enough!!

Buttons and beads and brads and eyelets and charms make me happy. So do ribbons and beautiful decorative fancy yarns.

I love the store Lush - they sell soaps and bath products etc. BUT I can't use products containing lanolin (I'm allergic), or linalool (my boyfriend is very very sensitive to even the faintest whiff of it). Favourites are sweet vanillary type scents.

I like to have hour-long indulgent baths, full of bubbles! I read New Scientist magazine in the bath, much to my boyfriend's annoyance, as its then all wrinkly and damp when he comes to read it!

I love to travel, wish I could do it more. We drive to and round Europe at least once a year, and also go snowboarding in the French alps.

One of my biggest passions at the moment is my school work. Although I work full time, I am also studying with the Open University. At this rate I should get my degree by 2012! Its really hard work sometimes, but I enjoy it and get a lot of satisfaction and a great sense of achievement.

There are some things I'm not so fond of. These include:

• Religious items
• Raisins, currants, sultanas etc. (they are evil)
• Cutesy animal stuff (though I do like nature & wildlife)
• Any kind of beauty products or cosmetics (unless non-linalool Lush/Bnever!)
• anything relating to illegal drug use (unless its a personal story of course)
• celebrity items
• TV related items (with the exception of Charlie & Lola, which I LOVE)
• male nudes, or even semi nudes

I love:

• Pens and notebooks
• Different teas (loose is great if well packaged)
• Charlie & Lola!
• diagrams and maps
• Mix CDs, especially by female artists, most especially by riot grrrl /indie bands
• herbs & spices
• ink pads
• large guage dpns
• brads, eyelets, buttons, beads, charms
• ribbon, decorative yarn
• beautiful fabrics (yes I know that's subjective)
• momji
• ANYTHING rainbow, or bright colours
• cherry blossom
• art like from artandghosts (check etsy)
• foreign language print
• shot glasses
• zines, especially personal zines
• goddess imagery
• I have a soft spot for female nudes
• items handmade with love

I've been a little behind recently, due to numerous unscheduled work trips away over the last month or so. The last one unexpectedly being all week long! I had to go buy toothpaste and underwear and a new suit!

As a result, I'm a tad late with a couple of swaps. Please rest assured that I WILL NOT flake, I'll just be a couple of days late. Really sorry about any inconvenience, but unfurtunately this is likely to continue with work for a while :(

Thank you very much for your understanding xxx