SarahZeitgeist

I'm a full-time marketing writer/editor, mom to a wonderful little boy (two years old), crafter, avid reader and writer of fiction and occasional poetry. I love to cook (but on my own terms! Making dinner after work is still a chore, somehow...), I like puzzles (jigsaw, crossword - anything but those horrible captured-ring puzzles), and I secretly love girly (non-shooting) video/computer games. I'm addicted to politics the way most people are addicted to sports. I live in Seattle, Washington.

I have a Bachelor's degree in English literature, and am considering going back for my PhD. I also studied classical Greek and Latin, and I love languages.

Authors: Jane Austen, Jasper Fforde, Neil Gaiman, JRR Tolkein, Wallace Stevens, William Blake, Terry Pratchett, Chaim Potok, Agatha Christie, Alan Moore, Roger Zelazny

Books: The Red Tent (Anita Diamant), Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones), The Secrets of Jin-Shei (Alma Alexander), The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon), Dune (Frank Herbert)

Sci/fi, fantasy, the New Weird, horror (creepy, not gory), ghost stories, rousing maritime adventures, plucky heroines defying traditional gender roles, good character/relationship studies, steampunk/Victoriana, Gothic, with a dash of romance.

Buffy, Angel, Firefly, House M.D., Animaniacs, The Tick, Masterpiece Theatre, The Simpsons

The Lord of the Rings, The Secret of Roan Inish, any costume drama (especially Merchant-Ivory), Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, Antonia's Line, Arsenic & Old Lace, Batman Begins, Bend it Like Beckham, Chocolat, Cold Comfort Farm, Elizabeth, A Fish Called Wanda, Gosford Park, In the Name of the Father, MirrorMask, Moulin Rouge, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Princess Mononoke, Raise the Red Lantern, Run Lola, Run, Secrets & Lies, Shakespeare in Love, Sleepy Hollow (& Tim Burton in general), Wallace & Gromit, Widow's Peak, Monty Python/Eddie Izzard-style comedy

Knitting: I prefer natural fibers. I like to knit socks, but have a difficult time finishing them. Lately, I knit simpler patterns that I can put down and pick up without too much backtracking. I love natural-colored wool, neutrals, and heathers, but I also love playing with color - a skein of jewel-toned sari silk can be the perfect antidote to a grey day!

Quilting: I'm just getting into this, although I've sewn for many years, and I've always loved playing with fabric. Fat quarters will never, ever go amiss. I like the line of Olivia the Pig prints, but other than that I stick mostly with florals, geometrics, and abstracts. Batiks and tone-on-tone are favorites. I like brighter colors in fabric than I do in yarn; I'm less likely to go for neutrals here. I'm very intriqued by crazy quilting, but I haven't tried it yet.

Paper/mixed-media; collage/card-making/scrapbooking: I can't resist a grab-bag. Packs of fancy papers are a weakness of mine.

Journaling: Journals of all kinds are welcome; I will definitely fill them up. I use both blank and lined. I write with fountain pens, so ink is certainly welcome. I use pencils for sketching.

Spinning: Silk/Merino blends - I can't get enough of them! But really, any natural fiber is wonderful.

Bath Products: I've just started making some bath salts and facial scrubs and am anxious to try soap - I've done melt & pour, and am scouring thrift stores for pots to use in cold-process. Essential oils would be wonderful, as would pretty pots and jars to put things in.

Other: I did some beading/jewelry years ago, and am interested in taking it up again.

I'm very curious about book-binding; I'm just starting to investigate it.

I have an FO photo set in Flickr, if you want more ideas. Also a couple of very embarrassing stash sets.

I'm not interested in xmas, easter, or guardian angels. I don't care for artificial cherry flavors.

Folk music, of both the Childe ballads and American work/protest song varieties. Sea shanties. Tori Amos, Indigo Girls, David Bowie, Nick Cave, Great Big Sea, Ani DiFranco, Belly, Johnny Cash, Neko Case, Pulp, The Ramones, The Sisters of Mercy, The Smiths.

Mostly blues and greens, although I do have my pink days. Pair it up with a neutral, and I'll be thrilled! I'm a summer (if you remember all that personal color nonsense from the 80s), and I tend to stay in that palette.

Coffee! (an iced vente nonfat latte, please)

Tea - herbal, mostly, but I'll try anything.

Sangria

Mulled wine or cider

Mexican hot chocolate

Chocolate: the darker, the better

Basil

Soup

Crusty bread

Fresh berries

Peaches

Apple or Pumpkin Butter

rainy days, lazy days, berries, silver, sparkly things, sepia-toned photos, semi-colons, fairy tales.