crescendo

UPDATE 6/18/19

I AM BACK! Hooray!!! After months of horrible debilitating depression, I am recovered thanks to many angels that came into my life or were already in my life. There is no way I can ever express just how grateful I am for all of the support and understanding I've gotten. I'm so excited to be able to swap again. It makes me do a happy dance. To those of you who checked on me and sent me happy mail and letters and all the love, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

UPDATE 3/23/19

Its hard to believe so much time has passed, I'm still working hard to get my health back and thank you so much to those of you who have sent me encouragement, it means the world to me. I'm so glad it is Spring, the daffodils are a sign of new life and regrowth. Hugs to you all. I want to start swapping again and getting back into seeing what the latest trends in art and crafts are these days! Anybody who wants to send me a message to get me back up to speed on the current stuff I would love a PM! I still have every intention to fulfill the open swap on my dashboard when I am able, and I appreciate all of you who have not dropped me from your groups, so that when I am back and able I can remember what groups I am in. I totally understand those of you who have had to drop me due to my being absent and having that open swap. My partner is so compassionate about understanding.

UPDATE 11/19/18

I'm starting to get a bit of my bearings back, I miss you all and swapbot soooo much. I feel so isolated not having the energy to send happy mail, but I was able to send out two pieces of mail today for the first time in months. Still trying to get a handle on the depression, but I am being patient with myself healing from grief. I just had to sell my mom's house of 50 years, the house I grew up in and am having real sadness letting go, I didn't expect to be so heartbroken. Mom is in assisted living, which also breaks my heart, as she is not thriving well there and is like a different person. It is weird to be entering crone stage of life myself while losing my childhood seems so acute. I think I skipped some steps in there someplace along the line emotionally. Its a weird transition, surreal. During this past 6 months I have had so many people leave my life, move away, get cancer or other serious illness...I wonder if others have struggled as much with change, or am I overly sensitive? Any words of wisdom if you've gone through this and come out the other side with your heart put back together? I'd love to hear from you via PM with any supportive words. thank you my swapbot family! I miss you.

UPDATE 7/18/18

I will not be able to be active on swapbot for a while, my 87 year old mother fell in her home and I find myself instantaneously a full time care giver. It is taking all the life force I have to stay strong to help her on her healing journey. I am having panic attacks and depression and just keeping my head above water.

If you would like to send my mom a get well card, I think it would uplift her spirits immensely. You can PM me for her address and I will log in periodically to check for messages. 87 years independent and poof, your autonomy can disappear in an instant. Be sure to relish every moment that you have health enough to wipe your own ass!

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Retired software engineer who is energized by peaceful nature environments, but drained by noise, crowds and hubbub. I live with my awesome husband among lots of fir trees.

I have an immature sense of humor at times (ok, all the time!) and am not offended at all by foul language, explicit music, fart jokes or anything like that. I just laugh and laugh at those things, heh.

I am allergic to perfumes or anything scented.

My interests include (but are not limited to): organic gardening, nature journaling, boating, goats, nature, trees, birds, graphic design, art, computers, cats, learning craft projects of all kinds, animals, outdoors, hiking, decorating, landscaping, science, spirituality, the body/mind/spirit connection, fitness, nutrition, Spinning (indoor cycling, not wool:), learning about the history and origins of all religions of the world.

I am a digital image and font hoarder.

I like making dangly charms to hang off of bookmarks, purses, journals, zippers, etc. Anyplace that needs a dangle. I like making prayer flags to string for the garden. I like to laminate bookmarks. Not as crazy as I used to be with my laminator. Hmmm, I should resurrect that...

I am currently obsessed with making stickers with my laser printer along with the Print and Cut feature of my Silhouette Cameo machine. I'm also currently fascinated with learning how to make bracelets like these . The other thing I went crazy hoarding last Black Friday was those Heidi Swapp foil sheets to do foiling on all the things.

Some of my favorite artistic mediums to work in are watercolor, pen/ink/watercolor journaling, digital graphic design, and pretty much will dabble with any type of painting and drawing. I love the drawing instruction books by Claudia Nice.

I love bright/saturated/vibrant/vivid colors.

A couple of my favorite color combos are blue and green, and also citrus colors combo of lime/lemon/orange

Themes I like:

♥ Bicycles

♥ Cats

♥ Red poppies

♥ Winter/Summer Solstice, Spring/Fall Equinox, Yule

♥ Lemons, limes, oranges (especially lemons)

♥ Sea Turtles (my sacred Totem animal)

♥ Toast with cute face

♥ Snails and garden slugs (cute ones, not actual slimy ones)

♥ Goats. Goats. Did I mention LOVING Goats?

♥ Spiritual, yoga, mandalas, prayer flags, personal growth, inspirational things, goal setting

♥ Hand letter or collage of these words and phrases: "Liberation", "Simplify", "Slow Down", "Routine", "Stay present", "Posture", or, "Stand up straight", "Chew Your Food", "Misery is not Effective".

♥ The Sun, the moon

♥ Haiku written by you

♥ Dandelions (both the flowers and the seed head); Daisies

♥ Strawberries with the foliage

♥ Anything Food with cute faces

♥ Old style Smokey the Bear

♥ Any items/art/craft that you are passionate about creating by hand -- I love to see everyone's creative side come out.

♥ Just mentioning goats again

A few ideas/inspirations for tangible items.

(handmade or gently used as well):

♥ Those little solar powered creatures that wobble when you set them on a bright windowsill

♥ Whirlygig/spinner/wind sock for my garden (dollar stores have these or would love handmade too)

♥ Unique/funky stickers from those sticker of the month subscription places like: pipsticks, stickii , etc. ; puffy vinyl stickers, single large stickers like/inspired by those from redbubble

♥ Fabric scraps, prints or solids - at least 6"x12" if ya got it

♥ Hand carved stamps

♥ Hand or dish towels in citrus colors of lime, lemon or orange (or combo)

♥ Washi rolls or samples with cats, outer space, Van Gogh

♥ Hand drawn/Painted ATCs

♥ Lined grocery list pad that says "Groceries" or "Shopping List" or something similar across top (ok to separate it into chunks if it makes mailing cheaper) or just send me a few pages from one of yours

♥ Altoids tin shrine

♥ Pura Vida inspired sliding knot bracelets like THESE

♥ Herbal or decaf tea ( not containing chamomile or hibiscus)

♥ Longshot: A few dollars worth of these lemon or strawberry 2 cent & 3 cent postage stamps that you can only buy in rolls of ten thousand . I thought maybe someone has a business that might have purchased rolls of these. See them HERE

Stranger Things, The Blacklist, Orphan Black, Big Bang Theory, Glee, New Girl, Covert Affairs, PBS, Good Eats, Alias, Scrubs, Frasier, Seinfeld, Southpark, Jeopardy, Science shows, documentaries in general, Daily Show, Sherlock, Elementary, Downton Abbey, Travelers, ,Sense8, Star Trek

Movies that I never get tired of watching:

You've Got Mail, Maid in Manhattan, Star Trek Insurrection, Star Trek Into Darkness, Chocolat, When Harry Met Sally, Legally Blonde, Bring It On, Groundhog Day, Zombie Land, Whip It, Juno, Big, Trading Places, Shawshank Redemption, Catch Me If You Can, The Equalizer, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Avengers genre

↓ For tea I drink herbal and decaf, but nothing containing chamomile or hibiscus (allergy).

↓ Please, NO bath/body products or scented candles or incense I am highly sensitive to chemically perfumed items, even just smelling them gives me a migraine. (things scented with authentic essential oils are OK)

↓ I don't need any blank journals or blank note/memo pads, don't need stationary, pens, or planner items. Especially, please, I beg of you, NO more page flags!! (lol).

↓ I don't need any pot holders.

↓ I am not into the altered/colorized vintage/victorian photographs of people, nor the Zetti style, nor steampunk. There is something about them that is just eery and disturbing to me. No children with wings, crowns or duncecaps. No cabbage rose/Victorian country style. I am not trying to criticize these styles if you love them, but they just are not my cup of tea and I cannot explain why they creep me out, they just do.

↓ No items that smell of cigarette smoke, or, especially don't try to cover it up with perfume (including scented dryer sheets -- triggers migraine -- sorry! I'd prefer to air out cigarette smoke than get a migraine!)

↓ No items that are the color "mauve" (I have a strange and passionate aversion to this color for whatever reason). The color "burgundy" or "wine" is a close runner up to disliking.

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