NurseJana

7/11/2013 - I was away for nearly 2 months - so if I owe you something and I missed out on it, please let me know. Things kind of went crazy around here. No need to hash things out here, but there have been some major changes in my life and still have many more to come. Prayers and positive energies appreciated. I may not jump back into swap-bot as much as I used to be - but right now I hope the creative outlet will allow me some peace from time to time.

What can I say about me that won't completely bore you? I am a 29 year old single mother of two of the most wonderful kiddos on the planet (Yes, I'm bias. For more info on them - see their section!) I am a nurse and work in a long term care facility. I do so love my job, it is a blessing to be surrounded by such wonderful people! I love cooking, reading, writing, pen pals, drawing, sketching, painting, scrap booking, paper crafts, etc. etc. etc. I collect miniature figurines, anything elephant, pillowcases and I am hopelessly addicted to hoodies. I am newly divorced and working on 'finding myself' in this place I call life. Just trying to enjoy the flow of things and have a little fun before it is too late.

Oh, this child! Priscilla is 6 and her birthday is in January. She is the most head-strong and stubborn kid I have ever met (which she, of course, gets from her father!) She loves the colors hot pink, purple, teal green and orange. Her room is painted HOT pink and has black and white damask patterns in it. (Except on wash day - then it is teal green stripes with hot pink flowers?) She loves reading, writing, riding 4-wheelers and planning crazy, silly parties for her and her friends! She enjoys joining me for crafts and loves stickers, glitter, butterflies, wild prints, decorating envelopes and card making. She also enjoys pen-palling, with her current pen-pals being in Lithuania and one in Kentucky.

My little fella, Leighton, is 4! He starts Pre-K this year and I am so going to miss our morning snuggles! He loves being out side playing in the dirt and with his crazy dog, Molly. He recently learned how to ride a bike without training wheels so there is absolutely no stopping him once you get him outside now! He also enjoys crafts - but it is hard to get him to slow down long enough to create anything except a mess. He loves trains, cars, trucks, animals and dinosaurs. His favorite colors are blue and red.

I just recently had our television service turned back on. We went nearly 4 years with no television. The quiet in the house when the kids are here is deafening and I can only clean so much (...almost to OCD point somedays...lol). We rent Red-box movies regularly and we watch a little bit of everything. The kids have their collection of DVD's that we have played over and over and over and over and over... well you get the point. Usually on rerun around here is Heman, Thomas the Train, Popeye, GEM girls and Berenstein Bears. I love musicals and both the kids seem to enjoy them as well. We have watched The Sound of Music until we know it word for word and I recently purchased Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Grease and we are working on watching them the million times they deserve.

I enjoy scrapbooking, paper crafts, journaling and writing. I have dabbled some in sewing, but seeing as my sewing machine went ka-plut a while back I haven't been up to hand sewing much of anything. I am hoping that a new sewing machine is in my near future as the resident Princess needs some new curtains and pillowcases! I enjoy card making, ATC's, inchies, paper weaving, origami, making and deocrating envies, mail art, collage art, painting, journal making, drawing, sketching, photography, playing around with photo effects, and any other craft that seems fun at the moment. I used to pen-pal a lot more, but lost faith in the whole process somewhere along the way. I still continue writing one person back and forth and am always open to starting other pen-friendships. As long as the creative juices are flowing - I'm pretty darn well satisfied.

What would I like to receive?? Here are my demands: (I mean, my wish list!!) ;) Anything to make my kiddos smile! Mail Art MyCokeRewards Codes BOXTOPS for education (for the kiddos!) Pretty Envelopes ATC supplies Pretty paper Scrapbooking stickers Deco tape Ribbon Felt tip pens (that's the way to my heart! LOL) Gel Pens Pretty Napkins Magazine or book cut outs and pages Stamps Fabric Anything Elephants Small figurines Funky color nail polish Anything damask print! Notebooks/journals Lace Stickers Candles A million dollars (it's worth a try, right?)

I don't really have much I really dislike. If I get something I don't like I simply put it in my 'regift' stash and send it to someone who will appreciate it! I don't generally complain about anything I receive, with the exception that I get just plain out junk. That said, I don't really use the tea bag things... I'm a dedicated sweet tea drinker, but pretty picky about brand there. The only aversion (or complaint) I do have is receiving a package that smells like cigarettes or has cat/dog/any other species hair in it. I don't mind if you smoke or have pets, but please don't mail me your signature smoker scent as my little one is allergic and pets are cool but I don't need a DNA sample of their hair (or yours for that matter!) I'd not mention this, but has happened to me more than once now.

I'd list this under 'dislikes' but it seems fit it should have it's own special category. Everyone appreciates a well filled out profile... but when your list of "don't send me this..." and "dislikes" far out numbers the list of what you do like, well... I mean... if you don't want ATC's, note cards, paper crafts, supplies, keychains, yada yada yada...I mean, if you've listed everything on your dislikes list except a new car and a million dollars... MAYBE you are on the wrong site. I mean, really, if you don't like something you get - reuse it. There is someone out there who will appreciate it! ((And if you're like me, eventually you will wind up one short on a swap and that one thing that someone might have sent you had you not been so darn picky on your profile might have been the one thing you could have forwarded!))
My other pet peeve is people who give other's bad ratings without contacting them first. I am (hopefully) assuming that everyone is here for the same reason - to swap things - and that everyone intends to send when they sign up for a swap. I also think that it is only fair to at least contact people before giving a poor rating. I mean, if you are not satisfied with a swap - by all means, contact me. If I accidentally leave something out - please let me know! I will resend and probably very well so considering that you didn't rate me poorly. We are all human and all overlook things every now and then. Same goes with ratings. I know we all like to see a nice, new 5 rating with a heart every time we log on, but sometimes life takes you to rough places that aren't connected to the internet (As I well know now!)

Music is what keeps me going some days. I have such a wild, eclectic mix of music that it surprises people. I enjoy folk music, classical, grunge, alternative, country, heavy metal, rap, rock, jazz, christian, contemporary, jazz, contemporary christian, oldies, swing, and have a huge collection of movie soundtracks that I am hopelessly addicted to. I always love a good mixed CD trade, so if you would ever be interested in trading off some of your favorite songs for some of mine - let's do it!