SusyB

Update - We are back from 3 weeks family vacation in UK. I love Ireland!!!!! I would move tomorrow if I could.
This week - 3 days of beach camping with kids and their friends. Takes 3 days of prepping camping gear, food prep, etc. but it will be well worth it. Sad part is I can't take any craft supplies because everything smells like campfire after the trip. What will I do for 3 days? Oh well, I'll just have to relax and enjoy the beach.

I am on the road to redemption. Yes, I'm back on swapbot fixing the swaps I flaked on. Please notice the latest ratings. The job is still crazy hours but I've realized that stealing some time away from work and family for crafting is important for me. So again I ask your patience as I slowly rebuild my good swapping reputation. I only have 1 more swaps to fix. I'm working on it now plus 2 others that I will send out regardless of ratings. Thank you to all who have been helping me get back on the right track. I really appreciate the confidence you have in me to do the right thing and I will!

I am a 1st grade teacher, mother of 3 (15, 12, 9), some what liberal (I live in California), want to live greener, happily married to the BEST man in the world, person who is seeking to give outlet to a beginning love of crafts. I am challenging myself to try new crafts and meet new people.

Loves: peanut butter cups & heath bars, sugar cookies, polka dots, blue, the beach, sunday morning breakfast, reading in p.j.'s all day long, sushi, simple pleasures, suduko, thrift store shopping, reading mysteries, and so much more.

My style is a mixture of shabby chic, modern, natural, classic. When in doubt, think of the beach on a winter day (winter white, pale blue, navy, gray, natural wood, sand). I collect sea glass & white rocks off the beach.
I love the vintage, sommerset style and I prefer homemade to store bought any day. Please feel free to let your creativity out when you swap with me.

Dislikes: Clowns, cheese, pornography, and smoking. I'm not a very dark person; so I'm not really into the creatures of the night (except for Edward - but he's not truely dark),

I believe myself to be spiritual and moral; however I would rather not discuss faith.

Wish list - I love craftiness, please feel free to use your talents with me and make homemade swaps. Embelishments of any kind- charms, small flowers, buttons, etc. I've been admiring homemade flowers quite a bit but haven't been able to make any that I like myself.

Tags - any decorated tags are great

Small Bee stamp

birds (please no crows or chickens- they scare me),

bookmarks(I love to read!!!),

jewlery (I can dream) - silver or antique looking, I prefer simpler, less bling

pins for my book bag

seasonal decorations for home & classroom,

magnets,

swap cards

scrapbook anything,

little stuffies/plushies (cat, bird,owl, elephant, bee, monster, etc),

wired ribbon (actually any ribbon),

notecards & letter sets (I like to include letters with my swaps)

charms (including hand made for charm bracelet

homemade soap,

antique hankies (I have 3 right now),

I would love to receive a re-do scrabble tile pendant, bottle top pendant, or glass tile pendant.

I use small notebooks all the time and can always use more.

garlands (don't have any yet, but willing to swap these) - would love mini banner to decorate craft area

If anyone can sew, I'm in desperate need of fabric folder to put letter writing stuff in so it stays organized when I travel - kind of like a big tea wallet, but for paper

Clothing size - I'm very short (just shy of 5 feet) but after 3 kids I'm probably a medium size. Would love so rethrifted/refashioned t-shirts or tank tops.

Colors - my favorite is blue but I love almost any colors; some other favorites - copper, rich red, the greens found in a forest, brown & blue, brown & aqua, black & white, pink & green, blue & rust, any fall colors.

Seasons- Halloween and winter (even though where I live it is never cold)

I realize that what I send someone may not always be something they wish to keep after the swap. I have no problems with re-gifting. In that spirit, I have occasionally used items I have received, as part of a different swap. I will try to credit the original sender but I do sometimes forget. I mean no disrespect by re-gifting, I just don't want items to be wasted in a drawer when they could continue brightening someone's day.

We just started getting Netflicks with our Wii. It's become addictive to watch whole series in a weekend. I love all chick flicks (Pride & Prejudice, You've Got Mail, Chocolate) and cheesy movies (Tremors!!!). LOVE Glee, Mentalist, Bones, Psyche, Heroes, etc.

I've started doing some swaps for children/ families so need to up date: My husband Greg - also teacher, thinks I'm crazy to swap but supportive (mostly), loving man. Loves golf & cooking (yes that's right)

Olivia (15) - soccer, dance, small charms, yellow, gum, iphone, looking forward to learning to drive (oh lord help me)

Harrison (12) - music (plays guitar & just started piano), soccer, mythology, Percy Jackson books, Wii, soccer, basketball.

Parker (9) - soccer, silly sense of humor, food (he'll eat anything - loves corn dogs and sushi), Wii, history (right now egyptian and romans).

Cats (my husband also makes fun that I'm a cat lady - but we only have 1 - see note below) Missy - hand raised (mom killed when she was 3 days old), short haired, black beauty with fiesty attitude. George - my beloved baby snuck out an open window and met a coyote. We are all missing him terribly. (I hate coyotes!)

I really try to make a swap that my partner would like. Feel free to let me know if there are any problems and I will try to fix right away. I greatly appreciate partners taking the time to rate; that way I know they have received the swap. I always rate :) I'm my worse critic and I have been known to redo a swap if it doesn't come out how I like. I'm also slow; often ideas take a while to come to me. I will pm anytime I'm late or there is a problem. Effort is always greatly appreciated.

I have a few available if anyone would like.

I love mysteries!!!!! I prefer books by women authors but I'm open. I rarely read science fiction, fantasy, or romance novels (guess I live it, why read it). I also like craft books. My grandfather was an author of fiction books about the RAF for boys (kinda like the Hardy Boys). I never met him so I think this is sort of my connection with him. Please keep an eye open for books by Robert Bowen. thanks