My apologies for being absent. Crazy how time flies and life gets in the way of what we'd like to do. No excuses, just life.

However, a brief update on my absence!

• My son got remarried last October. My girls that I'd been raising now have the most amazing step-mom! I'm so thankful for her! She cannot have children of her own, so this was a God-send for all!

• We lost my Dad in September of 2021.

• A year and one week later, we lost my mother. I still cannot totally process the fact that she is gone. Her last day of chemo completed we returned to her house, only to experience a major heart attack from the chemo treatments. It's still a shock in many ways.

• Trying to keep my step-father going is a constant struggle.

• Mother's Day, 2023, my partner's Dad and Step-Mother showed up, and stayed...and stayed..and stayed. Very long story, but they have finally now left. If curious look up the definition of "mooch docking" without the nice RV! Anyway, much money & respect lost, but they are now gone.

• Been trying to sort life back out...money wise, free time wise, etc. Going from 8 people in the house to just the 2 of us again, I think we finally are getting over the shock of the last few years and getting OUR lives back!

• Started a Wax melt Business just a year ago while both working full time jobs. We had to try to find a way to make some extra money! It's going well! It's been so much fun!

• I'm looking forward to CREATING again, just for the sake of CREATING!

Postal Issues:

I have had mail reach it's destination with incorrect postage, despite having it weighed and checked at the mail counter. If this ever happens, please feel free to refuse or if you pay the difference, I ALWAYS reimburse!!

Our little post office is open only on afternoons, and the mail truck comes and picks up the outgoing mail anywhere from a half hour to forty five minutes before the office actually closes. So at times I may have mailed the swap at the post office, but it might not have the correct postmark on it.

Favorite Swaps: Skinny Cards, Chunky Pages, Inkbox (Cubes), Fat Book Pages, Binder Trading Cards, ATC Coins, Twinchies & Altered Playing Cards. In that order.

Ratings:

• I don't rate swaps on extras, I rate them on the actual swap item. It is appreciated, but not necessary to send extras in order to receive a good rating from me! If I send extras in your package, it is because I like to do it and have it at the time to share.

• Please let me know if I do something wrong BEFORE rating me, and I will do my best to fix it! Thanks!*

So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it"~Willy Wonka

I am a free spirit with an old soul. I am a very positive, upbeat person. I try to see the good in people & situations. I love nature, reading, quiet nights at home, and mysteries. My soul feels most at rest when I am near water. There is just something within me that longs to be there.

In my "work" life, I am a Director, Teacher, Counselor, Art Therapist, Mom of 3, "Jamaw" to 8.

• Would love to receive book pages, advertisements, etc. in other languages besides English! Also, maps or pieces of maps of other countries besides the United States!

• I am lately really into Nostalgia. Anything that reminds me of my childhood! Paper dolls have always been a favorite! Growing up in the 70's-the prints, colors, etc.

• Love Retro 50's & 60's art, Retro colors, Retro Pin-Up girls.

• LOVE Vintage Nursery Rhymes, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Fairy tales

• Love unusual/odd images..animal heads on portraits, zetti inspired, vintage freak show

• Vintage storybook illustrations, photos of children, circus, gypsy, postcards, maps

• Love to read & watch murder mysteries. Cozy mysteries, Agatha (Queen of mysteries!) I especially love British mysteries. Father Brown, Miss Marple

• Love unsolved mysteries, or mysterious creature sightings. Cryptids. I love the possibility that there are things still undiscovered!

• Vintage movie monsters, Nosferatu

• Not much into Disney except for Villains & NIghtmare Before Christmas - especially: Maleficent; Ursula, Captain Hook, Cruella De Vil and Queen of Hearts!

• LOVE the water!

• Love all things British!

"We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"..~Willy Wonka~

Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it happened~Dr. Suess"

I am in a lot of groups for several reasons.

They are generally a bit safer than public swaps AND I also have a little bit of crafting ADD! There are so many crafts I love doing and I never know when the mood will hit me to do something different!

One last thought...

I do angel my own swaps that I host, but sometimes it does take me a little while, so please be patient with me!