margeux

I joined swapbot for the ability to create/craft without having to commit to any more long-term correspondences. I am NOT looking to take on anymore new pen pals; I am currently at capacity!

I enjoy the ease (and free-ness!) of digital swaps. That being said, I am super selective about international swaps and most type 3s right now, due to their cost.

★ IF I HAVEN'T RATED YOU: I'm sorry! Please remind me and I'll get right to it!

★ IF YOU'RE MISSING A SWAP FROM ME: Oh no! I never mark a swap as sent until it's been dropped at the post office. My small town mail service can be a little wonky sometimes, so please get in contact with me as soon as possible so we can sort things out! I will resend if necessary.

Margeux: thirty-something; old soul, old ways.

Raised in small-town central Florida; currently living in the high desert of western Colorado.

Happily taken, and child-free by choice. We've got a sweet, old pup named Sandy (an Australian Shepherd) and a spunky, young cat named Nugget (a long-haired torbie).

Advocating for a slow, intentional, seasonal, natural, and simple lifestyle. My partner and I hope to homestead one-day.

Scorpio sun, Capricorn moon, Leo rising. I am a witch. My practice focuses on the seasons/wheel of the year, wellbeing (for myself, those I love, and the collective), and finding the magic in the mundane. I am open to hearing about anyyy faith/path (or lack thereof), so long as you aren't condemning mine in the process.

"Moon" was my first word. I adore her.

I love putting pen to paper, and have been known to blab on and on. I am an avid snail mailer, writing long letters to pen pals worldwide. I love learning the stories of others, and it's the correspondence that's most important to me, not the goodies.

I also journal my thoughts regularly and have developed a (mostly) daily practice. I use a plain, spiral bound notebook and a black ballpoint pen; I usually write between two and four pages. I write mostly for self-discovery, reflection + awareness, and to soothe/self-mother.

I studied art history (with a concentration in late medieval devotional imagery) and received my degree from a small, liberal arts university in Florida. My thesis was entitled, "Christ's Blood and the Side Wound as Fountain, Body, Mouth, and Door: Late Medieval Devotional Imagery in British Library's MS Egerton 1821." (The manuscript has been digitalized and can be viewed through the BL's online catalog.) // My favorite artist is Giotto (b. 1267), and my favorite work is his fresco cycle in the Scrovengi Chapel (Padua, 1305), especially the lamentation panel.

I have a special fondness for the number thirteen.

My partner is a biodynamic farmer by trade and we both love to "save the season" as much as possible by preserving food (canning, dehydrating, fermenting, etc). Also, plants are medicine. We often make our own salves, balms, tinctures, etc. We try to live naturally and with as little impact to the earth as possible.

My favorite day of the whole year is Mabon, the autumn equinox.

"Making do" is a big and constant theme in my life. There's so much waste in the world, and I try my best to be as low-impact as possible. I source as much as I can, when needed, secondhand. Trying hard to "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." (This also applies to my art/crafting; see below.)

I enjoy cooking/baking. I am mostly vegetarian, and usually prefer savory/salty over sweet.

I live booze-free; ditched alcohol back in December 2017.

I take A LOT of photographs, a quick way to document life. I want to get better about pairing my photography with my words, and gaining the courage to share them as memoir.

I love hiking and the outdoors; nature is my church.

I feel at home with all things old and/or odd, the more bizarre the better. Quite comfortable with the macabre, too. I also adore boring... boring postcards, boring art, boring letters, boring architecture, boring photographs, etc.

I appreciate having my perspective shifted/changed.

I enjoy reading, though I'm slow at it, and am really trying to bolster the habit in 2020. I get most of my books from the library or secondhand bookshops, and rarely buy new. I write in/annotate books when I can.

I am so, so grateful for all my international adventures (I miss Italyyy), but these days I enjoy exploring more locally, within my own area and the rest of this state.

For more about me, check out my instagram + my postcrossing profile.

I appreciate how crafty my family was growing up. (For years we all had to make our holiday gifts, and I love that.) Many, many moons ago I made jewelry. In most recent years, though, I've been working with paper, usually making stationery and other things to send to my pen pals. Basic collaging is a great way for me to use up paper scraps. I like rubber stamping and handlettering, too. My style is mostly minimal, and some kraft paper is almost always invloved. I also use A LOT of upcycled/repurposed materials. Trash to treasure, baby!

I art journal and memory-keep, too, though quite infrequently. Working to change that this year.

I enjoy practical crocheting. I usually make things we can use to replace the more conventional items in our home... washcloths, dishrags, trivets, market totes, catch-all baskets, etc.

I believe in mending my clothing, and have really embraced the visible variety. I stitch very intuitively.

A good DIY project is always fun, too. Most recently, my partner & I built a vinyl storage bin.

I have a deep appreciation for traditional crafting like wood carving, timber framing, leather working, basket weaving, blacksmithing, sewing clothes, pottery, etc.

Visit my creative container over on instagram.

in no particular order...

COLORS
- blackkkkkkkk, and grey
- neutrals, earth tones
- lavender, eggplant
- mustard
- kraft paper (haha)
- plant dye, of any kind

THEMES
- hiking, camping, landscapes (especially mountains)
- space, the stars
- plants, trees, flowers, vegetables, also herbalism
- food, cooking, baking
- animals: cat, otter, platypus, bat, giraffe, zebra
- art history, especially medieval
- homesteading, self-sufficiency, low-impact living
- travel, maps, Italy
- divination, astrology, esoterica, etc ("witchy")
- seasons, especially autumn + winter
- Alice in Wonderland
- books/reading

TO RECEIVE
- anything handmade (especially practical things I can use to replace commercially-made items)
- washi samples
- new/unused postage
- book recommendations/reviews
- tarot/divination readings
- seeds (organic + homegrown is best)
- artwork/prints (your own or otherwise)
- vintage book pages and illustrations
- stickers
- interesting paper scraps, textured paper bits (for collaging)
- recipes
- bookmarks
- patches
- usable fabric scraps (for visible mending)
- embroidery floss, thread
- artist trading cards + coins
- postcards
- music playlists
- tags/tickets (especially vintage)
- poetry/short stories/any creative writing
- used/postmarked postage
- ink stamps and prints of your own ink stamps
*** Feel free to send me any destash/lightly used items, just make sure it's something you'd be happy receiving, too.

• intolerance, people who think they're entitled
• alcohol, caffeine, pharmaceuticals, chemicals
• politics, being told what I can and cannot do
• makeup/cosmetics
• commercialized, conventional holidays (like Christmas, Easter, Valentine's, etc)
• kawaii, overly girly stuff
• puffy stickers
• temporary tattoos
• washi with words/quotes
• too many bright/bold colors, but tie-dye is okay

I prefer them dated, written, and stamped aka NOT blank and NOT in an envelope (unless they're vintage and already written on).

Current Collections
- botanical gardens/spaces
- national parks
- flamingos
- black and white
- Holiday Inn promotional, vintage or new
- old seed catalog orders
- Anderson Design Group
- Lantern Press
- old travel parks, motels, interesting lodging
- any vintage with weird/mysterious messages
- anything boring, quirky
- handmade from upcycled cardboard food packaging

Tea ~~ I avoid conventional tea bags, and caffeine. I prefer looseleaf, natural/organic/wild-foraged herbal blends. (Please label with ingredients and shelf-life! And feel free to reach out if you have any questions.) If you happen to grow your own medicinals, too, let's arrange a private tea swap!

Food ~~ NOT looking to receive any food items at the moment; thank you!