dabble

I work in marketing for a non-profit educational book publisher here in New York City. I've moved around a bit and have also lived in Boston, Istanbul, Austin, Houston and Los Angeles. I'm a vegetarian (no fish/seafood or meat by-products for any food-related swaps i do. Dairy is okay tho'. LOVE peanut butter stuff. Also like coconut (food not smell) and dark chocolate.

I love the local farmer's market and parks here in Brooklyn, and I try to stay in tune with what's going on in my local community.

As for things I collect, the only formal collection that I have are vintage spin tops. Some are even just fun or unique, not vintage. Toys are always fun for me. I think I'm just a big kid at heart.

I'm just starting a kokeshi doll collection, and in general, love all things Japanese!

Otherwise, I like deer and birds and lady bugs. Cute baking items are fun too! I love cupcakes -- the edible kind! Mmmm...cupcakes!

Just ran across tofu hanari recently as well and have to go get a little stuffed one for myself.

Absolutely my family, friends and fiance, but beyond that I love dogs. I have a terrier mix named JJ and a cockapoo named Cali. I'm a total dog person.

I put together my blog alittledabble.blogspot.com as a way to take more time to do creative things and pay attention to all those little things that make me happy.

Oh, and I'm a tech geek too!

I love modern art. Really edgy and experimental stuff sometimes. Favorites include Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, George Rodrigue, and Mark Rothko. There's a great Rothko chapel at the Menil Collection in Houston.

Have you ever checked out goodreads.com? I'm hooked! My favorite books are contemporary fiction -- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Forever by Pete Hamill, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. On occasion I'll read a memoir like Eat, Pray, Love. Not into mass market books usually -- ie: harlequin type romances or too cheesy mysteries.

I like to experiment and try lots of different things when it comes to art. In fact, I sometimes have trouble staying focused on just one thing!

I always want to learn something new, but my mediums of choice are: painting with acrylics, pen and ink drawings, prisma colors, photography, jewelry making, collage, block prints, decoupage, and more... I'd really love to learn to sew with a sewing machine. Right now I just sew stuff by hand, but that doesn't stop me!

I travel when I can. Most recently, I've squeezed in personal trips around business travel as I go to the UK on occasion for work and travel around the US too.

As for exotic destinations, India, Japan, Vietnam and Brazil were favorites. I also got to travel to Greece a few times when I was living in Turkey, and both countries are very beautiful.

A travel-themed swap would be fun, though I'd have to dig up old photos from my trips.

Though not as exotic given that I live in NYC, Banff in the Canadian Rockies, Hawaii, and both Big Sur and Lake Tahoe in California have been my favorite destinations in North America.