LadyTbird

Hi! I'm a 50-something gal who loves to be creative. I've been married 38 years, and have one daughter, a student in college. I'm a registered nurse who works in home health care, and am an occasional freelance writer. Slowly working on another degree in history, simply because I love learning about the past and how it impacts our very complicated present. I live outside of a small town, and love the quiet here, though I love to visit big cities, too. My hobbies include crafting, scrapbooking, genealogy, gardening, decorating, traveling, reading, and hiking. I have two dogs who occasionally rule the roost, and a cat who currently resides with our daughter who stole her away!

NOTE: I will always send the item(s) for my swaps. If for some reason you haven't received them, or there's another problem, please contact me. I'll do whatever I can to make it right. Likewise, if you're having a problem with sending your swap, please just let me know!!

ALSO: I love swapping, not just for what I get (though that's fun), but because it motivates me to be creative and I love to send things to others. Please, please, please...do not worry that your swap will be judged or critiqued by me. I'm open to most anything, and it's fun to see what other people create!

I'm a collector of:
-vintage quilts -Amish quilts -primitive redware -vintage Coca-Cola items -handmade baskets -vintage nurse items (advertising, etc.) -30s/40s/50s kitchen items

My decorating tastes run from primitive to country to farmhouse to vintage to 40s/50s retro, or as my daughter always says, "if it's old or looks old, she'll probably like it!"

I'm a Christian who believes God loves all of us, no exceptions, and was serious about that loving one another thing.

I like to create all sorts of things. I especially enjoy trying to combine my love of family history with crafting in some way. I enjoy repurposing/reusing things on hand. Stenciling, quilting (mostly wall quilts), cross stitch, collage, and simple woodworking are things I've been doing lately. I love artist trading cards, but I really have grown to love making tags. I think the slightly larger size leaves me more room to experiment. I'd love to become better at embroidery, and finally received a loom for Christmas so I can try my hand at weaving. I have come to the conclusion that I am unable to learn to knit or crochet after several failed attempts to do so! I have finally learned how to use my Cricut machine, so I may incorporate some things I make with that in my swaps.

Likes: old barns, the smell of citrus and sheets dried on the line, 1930s feedsack fabric (reproduction or the real thing), national parks, bookmarks, lambs, miniature gardens, a good cheeseburger, red & white kitchens, a good belly laugh, morning glories & peonies, border collies, mountain views, little white churches, wildlife sightings, denim blue, musicals, thoughtful conversations, and a good night's sleep.

Dislikes: goth/skulls, the smell of tobacco/marijuana smoke or cheap perfume/air fresheners, racism, bigotry of any kind, an inability to forgive, anything too cutesy/juvenile, neon colors, and broccoli.

I love music. It's been a part of my life since I was young, beginning piano lessons when I was five, then learning to play both the flute and bassoon in later years. I can honestly say my favorite songs or pieces have come from almost any genre of music, from classical to rock to opera to folk to bluegrass to hymns to musical theater to rhythm & blues--even rap. You never know what might move you. That being said, probably some of my favorites are in the singer/songwriter category. Think James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell.

I love to travel, and have been fortunate enough to have visited 47 of the 50 United States, most of the Canadian Provinces, and a bit of Mexico. My only visit "across the pond" was to London.

My favorite places include:

Alaska, Texas (especially central TX and the Hill Country), Montana/Idaho (especially Yellowstone National Park), the Great Smoky Mountains, Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, Canada, Chicago, Northern Michigan, and the Maine coast.

I have a few trips I dream about making:

Scotland, Ireland, England (outside of London--especially the Yorkshire area, since many of my ancestors came from there), Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria