auralily

Hello, all! I'm a 35 year old single woman living in the state of Missouri. As a kid I always loved grab bags because you never knew what you were going to get, and it seems like not much has changed! These days on the grand scale of things I suppose I fall somewhere between hippie and hipster, though how close I come to either depends entirely on the day :) I have a collection of vintage clothes and hats that spans everything from 20's flapper to 60's mod. I love cute shoes but hate to wear them and would live barefoot if I could. I love things that are a little dark, weird, and wonderful and think that unique is always beautiful. I live for live music and would probably be horrified if I added up the number of nights I've spent in dark, hidden away clubs.

I made the choice long ago to remain child free, but I love animals and I'm happy to go through life playing mother to fur babbies of the four legged variety. I currently have an exceedingly spoiled rescued Bassett Hound that owns my heart. I can't believe that two seperate families abandoned him in the first seven months of his life, but their lose is most definitely my gain :) With that in mind, anything Bassett Hound related will always be appreciated.

I'm a life long vegetarian (the only one in my family, and hasn't everyone spent years trying to figure that one out!). I like to cook and have been working on expanding my skills in that area.I love trying things from other countries or goodies that are local to your area.

I've had a life long love of travel and try to do it as often as possible. There's nothing quite like the feeling of stepping off of a plane in a place you've never seen before and I never get tired of it. Some of my favorite trips have been to New Orleans and Paris and the next thing I want to check off my bucket list is a trip to Ireland. My family is Irish/Native American and, while I've explored the Native American side of myself here in the US, I haven't gotten the same opportunity with Ireland just yet. I love getting the chance to experience new cultures so anything you can share of yours will be greatly appreciated, as well.

Please note, I have never and would never flake on a swap so if there's ever a time when a swap of mine is not received, please contact me first before rating so that I can send out a replacement as soon as possible.

Music is one of the great passions in my life and I love almost all kinds. The only types of music that have never appealled to me are country and opera. I'm particularly fond of indie/alternative rock and folk music. Some favorites are Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers, Florence and the Machine, The Lumineers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Of Monsters and Men, The Head and the Heart, The Milk Carton Kids, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bon Iver, Iron and Wine, Sia, Aimee Mann, The Punch Brothers, The Civil Wars, Judah and the Lion, The Old 97's... This could go on for quite awhile...

I'm always open to suggestions for new music so, anyone with suggestions will be welcomed with open arms!

My absolute favorite craft is making jewelry and I actually have a small business making pieces for a few boutiques. I work mostly with chain but have begun expanding out to some beadwork and bridal jewelry. I'm especially fond of working with unusual charms and repurposing vintage items. At this point I think jewelry making has become my favorite creative outlet and a great form of stress relief.

I love photography and I never go anywhere without a camera on hand. I also love to write and will go through phases when it's hard to put my pen down. As a result, I like to keep a selection of pretty or interesting journals nearby.

I'll try any craft once and I'm always open to a new hobby. For my next endeavor I'm currently trying to decide between soap making and some simple sewing. Anyone with any thoughts or suggestions, I welcome your expertise :)

Here's a few of my favorite things. Anything inspired by them will always be loved.

• Jewel tone colors (deep purple, magenta, teal, royal blue, red...well, you get the idea). Also silver, black, and grey

• Anything local to your area, even if it's a travel souvenir you think every tourist should have. I love to experience other places and cultures and there's no better way to do that than through the eyes of someone that lives there.

• Anything mythology related, especially Celtic mythology (Green Man in particular). I started studying Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythology as a child and I'm still fascinated to this day.

• Anything knit by hand. I can't do it, but I love to get it :) I'm particularly fond of things like arm warmers and long skinny scarves, but I'm happy with anything you can produce.

• Edgar Allan Poe

• Alphonse Mucha

• Paris

• Art Nouveau/ Art Deco

• Anything with a fleur de lis motif

• Vintage burlesque

• The Wizard of Oz

• Bassett Hounds. For obvious reasons :)

• Chocolate of all kinds

• Steampunk

• Fairies

• Edward Gorey

• Alice in Wonderland (Old school Mad Hatter is my absolute favorite)

• Museums and art galleries

• Anything from or inspired by my Etsy wishlist

• Retro pinups

• Day of the Dead/ Dia de los Muertos

• Fairy Tales. More along the lines of Grimm's than Disney, though. While lovely in their own right, I prefer my fairy tales on the darker side.

• Tim Burton. Except, strangely enough, his version of Alice in Wonderland. I do love Nightmare Before Christmas, though.

• Sock monkeys

• Skeleton keys

• Vintage tattoo art

• Candles

• Flavored coffees, hot chocolate, and cider

• Regional candy or candy from outside the US

• Christmas ornaments

• Lipbalm/ lip gloss. Also, red lipstick. I've been looking for the perfect shade of red forever and the search is still ongoing

• Warm, fuzzy socks. I live in these year round

• Penguins

• Bath and body products. Body wash or scrub, foot scrub, and hand lotion. I have a real love for Bath and Body Works hand lotion and Philosophy Snow Angel anything is a long time favorite.

• Water and green scents in bath and body products, perfumes, candles, etc. I prefer crisp, clean scents over anything. Light floral scents also work. I love trying new perfumes and change day to day based on my mood

• Nail polish, especially in unusual colors

• Owls

• Ravens

• Mardi Gras masks

• Mermaids

• Gerbera dasies (the brighter the better), cherry blossoms, and sunflowers

• Vintage carnival/circus themes. Just no clowns please. I think I may have been damaged by watching 'IT' as a child :)

• Skulls of all kinds. Sugar skulls, anatomical, and even the cutsie kind with bows

• Anything handmade. I love seeing the fabulous things that other people are capable of creating. Whatever your favorite craft may be, I'd love to see an example of what you make.

• Halloween. This is one of my favorite holidays and I love pretty much everything about it. I prefer more adult decorative items to kiddie things, but pretty much anything Halloween will be loved.

• Woodland themes. Foxes, hedgehogs, deer... I think you get the picture :) There are so many cute things out now and I love them all.

• Interesting or unusual charms, pendants, and other supplies for jewelry making.

• Octopuses and anchors

• Travel themed items. Anything that features vintage travel posters, Route 66, Airstream trailers, etc...

• Unused vintage or interesting and unusual postage stamps. I actually use these in my jewelry making, mostly for pendants.

• Funko Pop figures. I started off receiving these as gifts and have ended up with a collection of them. Any figures from my favorite fandoms would be loved.

• Anything Harley Quinn related

• Pretty or interesting spiral bound journals

• For Pagan or Wiccan swaps, I like working with stones and crystals, candles, and herbs. I also love Goddess representations in all forms and symbols of protection. I'm particularly drawn to the Celtic and Greek pantheons. Really, though, anything give in a spirit of light and love will be appreciated :)

• Tea. I've tried a lot of different kinds but I've just never developed the taste for it.

• Anything vanilla or musk scented. It gives me headaches so I just can't have it.

• Hello Kitty or My Little Pony

• I'm not a religious person, so nothing with a religious theme unless they are Wiccan or pagan

• Teacher or reward stickers

• Knitting or crochet supplies. I've tried both before and just can't get into it.

• Nothing that smells like smoke. I have allergies and this definitely gets them acting up.

I absolutely love old black and white movies! Anything Alfred Hitchcock or from The Thin Man series are definite favorites and it never feels like Christmas until I've seen the 1953 version of A Christmas Carol.

My taste in movies tends to be wide and varied but, in general, I tend to lean toward mysteries, horror movies, or comedies. I've got a strange fondness for Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, and The Boondock Saints is a long time favorite

I'm currently following Hannibal, Walking Dead, Penny Dreadful, Fargo, Bates Motel, Grimm, American Horror Story, and Orange is the New Black. And, looking at that list, it definitely seems like I should be a much less cheerful person than I actually am :)

I also love Sherlock, Big Bang Theory, most anything created by Joss Whedon (I still feel the need to marathon Firefly on sick and snow days), and can occasionally become fascinated with the Food Network.