lololocoforever

June 24, 2021: Update regarding my recent 3

This morning I received my first 3, and I am shocked, to say the least. I just want to let everyone know that I do send my swaps on time, and this is the first I've ever had any issue with a swap taking so long to get to its destination. I take great pride in the swaps I send out, and I put love into each and every one of them. I hope that is apparent to all of my past, present, and future partners. The only thing I can think of that delayed this swap is that I do live in a fairly rural area. There is some farmland, and the post office that the majority of my mail goes through is a one man show. Lol it is so small that the "open" hours are like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get. I've never had a problem with my outgoing mail, but there's been multiple times I just never received mail (my cousin's wedding invitation! lol, and a letter from my mom from over a year ago is still out in the ether somewhere floating around). Amazon 2-day prime is a joke for our area, it still takes over a week for things to get to us. In any case, all this is to say, if something from me is taking a long time to arrive, please be patient. Once I put my swaps in the mailbox, it is out of my control. I just hope that this was a one time fluke. Thank you!!

Hello! My name is Lauren. I've been a fan of snail mail since the first grade, which was many a moon ago. Since then I've had a handful of pen pals, obsessed over Postcrossing, and even married a mailman!

In my free time you will always catch me: reading, watching Netflix and Youtube, trying out new recipes, listening to audiobooks (mostly young adult) and podcasts (mostly true crime), playing Disney Tsum Tsum and Mahjong on my phone, and trolling the swap meets for deals on the weekends.

I'm an unashamed bargain hunter, and I love Dollar Tree, 99 Cent Store, and Daiso. I recently moved to Tennessee, and I've discovered the wonderland that is Ollie's. I also love to find treasures at the thrift store, as well.

Elephants - at one point I had a collection of over 500 elephant items!

Otters- They are so adorable, and I want to swim with otters one day.

Pineapples- I may or may not eat these everyday. I also like pineapple patterned things, too.

Gudetama

Emojis

Butterflies- I'm trying to plant some flowers that will attract more to my yard. I think they're beautiful, and my dog loves to chase them.

Crochet - I'm trying to learn amigurumi.

Cross Stitch- I've been doing this for years, and it is always so relaxing for me.

Dirty Pour Painting- Also very relaxing and satisfying.

Polymer Clay

Resin

Calligraphy- Both classic and modern hand lettering.

Origami- Mostly the cute little puffy stars.

Gilmore Girls

Little House on the Prairie

How I Met Your Mother

Pete Yorn

Empire of the Sun

The Shins

Phil Wickham

Coldplay

I'm currently in the process of starting my own backyard garden for the first time. It is quite a project, but I'm sure the results will be rewarding.

I'm planting all the things and hoping for the best.

If anyone also gardens, please let me know what you plant, as well as any tips or tricks you've learned along the way.

I'd love to give/get seeds from others at some point- that would make a fun swap.

Another hobby of mine is learning languages. I'm currently studying Korean and Spanish.

If anyone speaks these languages and receives me as a swap partner, please share some words with translations for me! Or if you have something with writing in these languages, and you'd be willing to share, please include that if you so choose. Even if it something random like a grocery advertisement. :)

Due to digestive issues (IBD) I've had to focus on homemade food. Most of what I eat is made from scratch with ingredients that are basic and clean. Learning to cook for myself and experiment with recipes has actually been an adventure. Most of the time I ask for small kitchen appliances as gifts. Bread maker, Instapot, ice cream maker, etc. Haha.

If you have a favorite recipe, please share it with me! Even if I need to make some ingredient substitutions or changes, I'd love to see what everyone else is cooking up. You could even tell me something about the recipe, too. Where you got it, when you cook it (is it for a special occasion?), what you pair it with? Bonus points for Instapot recipes and air fryer recipes. But anything is heartily welcomed.

I recently got a shaved ice machine for the summer. If you have any suggestions, I'm going to be having some fun with it for the foreseeable future. :)

If you get me for a swap that requires a surprise, I am overjoyed with anything you send. However, here's some things I particularly like:

-anything kawaii -anything with Korean writing on it -scrapbooking stuffs -recipe cards (with or without recipes on them) -sticky notes