Teacher

I live in Sydney, Australia and have two grown sons, one of whom has just got married. Life seems to go quickly.

I am originally English and moved here 21 years ago with my family for only a year but never went back! I work part time as a teacher's aide in a boys high school. Great fun most of the time.

My interest/obsessions are postcrossing, writing letters (love getting mail), reading (I am never without a book), football (soccer), travelling, movies, a really good cup of tea, being with friends.

I love reading - such a relaxing hobby. I read every day and enjoy any suggestions from others - a new favourite author may be found! My favourite genres tend to be crime/mystery (I have had a craze on Scandinavian crime novels recently), historical and contemporary fiction. I also love audio books and listen to these instead of the radio or music. My e book is always in my bag when I'm out and about with a "real" book at home for bed time reading.

I also belong to a tea tasting group which meets at various tea shops, listens to talks about tea or visits local markets (to buy more tea) - I am very fussy about how it is made etc. Something to do with being English I suppose!

I love postcrossing - going out to the mail box is my favourite part of the day so swap-bot will hopefully add to my obsession.

LIKES

• Postcards - written, stamped and sent naked or unwritten if sending in an envelope with other items.

• Tea - any flavoured black tea(Earl Grey, French Earl Grey, any type of breakfast etc) green, jasmine, pepper/mint (wrapped for Aussie customs!) Please, only these sorts of tea - no other herbal tea,

To clarify a common misunderstanding, you can send me tea through the mail, customs will let it travel, just as long as it is wrapped

• Hot chocolate - any flavour.

• Magazines - recipe, general woman's interest (not just celebrity and fashion), reading.

• Bookmarks

• Pretty stationary - note cards, letter sets, envelopes

• Confectionery - chocolate and most types of sweets

• Tea (dish) towels.

• Football (soccer) related especially anything to do with the English national team, David Beckham or Manchester United

• Items for the bath or shower

• Recipes - send me a recipe from your country, one you have tried from a magazine etc

• Unused/unfranked Australian stamps

• Address labels

• Reading logs

• Books - audio books as well

POSTCARD LIKES

• Multiple cards from all over the world e.g Nouvelles Images, Russian and Dutch multiples
• Maxicards. These are cards with a stamp and special cancellation mark on the front of the card,
• UK/USPS stamp cards,
• Book Covers,
• Harry Potter,
• Children's book illustration cards,
• Recipe cards especially with the recipe printed on the front.
• Any Olympic/world sporting event card e.g Soccer World Cup, Commonwealth Games etc,
• Russian artists Polina Yakovleva and Anna Petrova,
• Belorussian artist Leonid Afremov,
• Teacups, teapots, kettles.

FAVOURITE BOOK AUTHORS

Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson, Kate Atkinson, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, P.D James, Peter James, Henning Mankell, Camilla Lackberg, Jo Nesbo, Jussi Adler-Olsen.

If you are sending a book or audio CD I have a link to my book depository wish list for those books I haven't got yet - quite a few are under $10 and no postage charges.

DISLIKES

• Any fruit tea,
• Chai tea
• Herbal tea not mentioned above
• Coffee,
• Costume jewelery,
• Key rings/magnets,
• Hard sweets,
• Halloween - for religious reasons.
• I also have no use for craft items (stickers, scrap booking, paper etc) - thanks.

POSTCARD DISLIKES

• Handmade,
• Ad/free,
• Internet cards eg Zazzle, Touchnote,
• Written postcards sent in an envelope.

BOOK DISLIKES

Sci-fi, horror, western, romance, anything about vampires, fantasy.

FLAKERS

CHRiSTiEBABY or xtieebabyy for a letter filled with joy - appears to be a double profiler too.

Skblevins07 (Sam Blevins) for a letter filled with joy.

This swap was angled by Sternenfee.

zombiehedgehog (brittany silva) 4 weeks, 4 letters, 4 partners #2 - partial suspended too.

thelittlegreenden (Crystal Kastl) for a letter from your favourite character.

lovelyred203 (Melissa Hanlon) 4 weeks, 4 letters, 4 partners #3

duckydoom (Rachel Bardwell) Relax and Pamper Book Lovers Style International.

This swap was angled by whereswaldo.

JanaChristin (Jana-Christin Strohmeier) Recipe Journal Swap#2

Rebecca Clouthier (Rebs76) 2nd Quarter Reading Log 2014

Sam R. (s9861948) I Want A Postcard Pal. This was angled by daydayhappy

NON RATERS

BeruangMadu (Karina Supardi) for Penpals Letters Swap (International) #2

Onelove4 (Nohea March) for A New Penpal - 1 Person from 1 country

Prettyheart (Hilary Lin) for I Love Postcards - member's fav #2

Crafts4me (Valerie Fein) for 1st Quarter Reading Log 2014

Iamnotthisgirl (Nicola Tyson) Private Swap