Peony

( a note about my move- I'll be leaving Ptown Nov 4th, so I'm slowing down on swapping around then. Also changing my address to Vieques 3 weeks before I go, ensuring all my swaps get to me. So if you are sending to me and it's the Vieques address it might take me a bit longer to rate you, but don't worry- it'll happen. Thanks!)

I'm lucky to live in two of the most beautiful places on earth- half the year (cold months) on the small island of Vieques in the Caribbean and the other half (warm months)in Provincetown, Cape Cod. I live with my husband, dog and cat. We have a restaurant in Vieques and work at restaurants when we're on the Cape. I have recently started a bath product business as well, it's so awesome to figure out how to make your own products- like learning to cook on another planet!

The main reason I'm on Swap-bot is to make myself be creative, if I don't have a good reason, and a deadline, other things get in the way. A very close second is- I love going to the post office and seeing what wonderful presents have arrived!

Bath and body products are my current passion- lotion, soaps, shampoo, conditioner,shaving cream... When I'm not working on that I love making jewelry (tribal/gypsy/vintage style)- I've been incorporating shells I find on the beach. Also art journaling, mailart, mixed media collage, playing in my planner, abstract acrylic painting, photography (and messing with the images with a million photo apps). New at carving rubber stamps, I'm not great at it, but I'm having fun. I'd LOVE to learn how make stained glass art and do glass blowing someday. Also enamel and soldered jewelry sounds like a fun thing to try.

This is some art that inspires me. Check out my Pinterest to see links to the artists.

I didn't think it was relevant for a while here, but I might join a swap or two about suggesting books/movies/shows. Like I told my husband on our first date- I love to be entertained.

Books

I read mostly fiction, some of my favorite authors and books are-

The Good Earth, Crimson Petal and the White, Jane Austen, The Collector, Thomas Perry, Laura Kinsale, The Time Traveler's Wife, Outlander, Tana French, Living Dead Girl, The Handmaids Tale, Earth Abides, Room, A Song of Ice and Fire books, The Long Walk, The Power of One, Chelsea Cain, Georgette Heyer, Gillian Flynn, Sunshine, Wayward Pines series

TV

I love a good TV show, to me that means character/story arcs throughout the series. If you watch a random episode here or there it won't be easy to understand-

Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars, Carnivale, Buffy, Firefly, Sherlock, The Killing, The Wire, Deadwood, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights, Luther, Rectify, Arrested Development, Freaks and Geeks, My So Called Life, The Office (UK), Community, The League,

Movies

I'm sure I'm going to forget some of my favorites, but here are a few I love-

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Heathers, True Romance, Amelie, Being John Malkovitch, Blue Velvet, Memento, The Usual Suspects, Breakfast Club, Fargo, Leon (The Professional), Dangerous Liaisons, Thelma and Louise,

Music

I can't imagine I will be doing music swaps, if I do I'll put some music here.

Checking out my Pinterest boards will give you a good idea of things I think are awesome. Frida Kahlo is my style icon, postal related items, office supplies like ledger paper and security envelopes, postage stamps, bohemian/gypsy style stuff, Indian and Russian style onion dome architecture, water gardens, conservatories, alliteration, fancy wrought iron gates and windows, wood grain, peeling/chipped paint on wood, beautiful handwriting, calligraphy, cool fonts, typewritten things, dainty vintage tea cups, tea parties, menu planning, beach combing, the scent of Lush bath products, Apothecary bottles, jars and labels, cabinets of curiosities.

Food/Drink

Earl and Lady Grey tea, herbal tea, spicy/chai tea, exotic tea flavors like flowers/spices, but I enjoy most flavors of tea as long as they're fresh. Terry's chocolate oranges, maple candy, anise flavored candy.

No coffee or green tea please.

Plants/Flowers

roses, peonies, dahlias, poppies, succulents, ferns, gnarly oak trees, moss, lichen, lithops,water lilies, lotus, carnivorous plants, plant life under the sea.

Places

Cape Cod, San Francisco, New Orleans, Puerto Rico, the UK, India, Egypt, Greece, Morocco, Istanbul, St Petersburg, Sicily, Venice, Amalfi coast

Colors

I've been loving bright pink lately, true red, vintage aqua, turquoise, teal... Any shade of blue actually. All shades of white and gray. Current shades of brights and pastels.

Postcards

My favorite kind of postcards are handmade by you!

Naked is more fun than in an envelope for all postcards. Interesting stamps are always appreciated.

Vintage/vintage looking postcards are awesome. Love the ones with wavy edges like stamps.

Any places on my favorites list.

Photos of- mail related things, old cameras/typewriters, tea cups/a tea party, cemeteries,wrought iron gates/fences, creepy trees, interesting mailboxes/doors/windows/paths, old abandoned places/things, beautiful and crumbling architecture.

Animals

mongoose, chihuahuas, hippos, elephants, birds, beetles, cicadas, jellyfish, octopuses, sea urchins...

Glitter (it ends up all over the place), cigarette smoke, cutesy-country-crafts, Mary Englebreit, sunflowers, snowmen, teddy bears, clowns, animal print, cows, Disney characters (with the exception being Snow White), holiday themed items, sports, rhinestone/Diva/princess/"bling" style stuff, children's items. Not a fan of the color orange, muddy colors, orange/green/brown color combo, peach. I am getting sick of seeing mustaches and glasses as design elements.

• I have a filofax a5 planner in bright pink, anything for that would be awesome (the paper is 5.5x8.5 inches), I like using bright, colorful, happy items in it.

• Office Supplies-fun/cute: erasers, labels, pens...

• Silly/cute Asian stickers

• Swap-Bot swag

• Photos- taken with a Holga/Polaroid/lomo/old style camera, or digitally altered- my favorite subjects are: cemeteries,wrought iron gates/fences, trees, interesting mailboxes/doors/windows/paths, old abandoned places/things, exotic (to this American) places/people, nature...

• Ledger Paper (new or used with beautiful writing)

• Stencils or fun mark making items for abstract/mixed media painting.

• Security Envelopes

• Botanical and entomological illustrations

• Anthropologie, Plumo, Free People or Toast catalogs-I love the images for collage and envelope making.

• Sewing pattern paper. Love to collage with it.

• Vintage/Old lace ribbons, handkerchiefs and doilies

• Vintage carved mother of pearl buttons