sofiafenntatum

Hi! I have been away for a long time, and how I have missed swapping with you all. I am remarried now, so, I'm living a new life in a new city. I've updated my profile and I can't wait to swap with you all!

I live near the Oregon coast in a small town in the city of Corvallis with my husband and our senior rescue dog, Buddy. My daughter is grown now, and lives nearby while she attends college. I studied Cultural Anthropology and Social Psychology. We live in a valley surrounded by one of the largest national forests in the US, with mountains that can be seen in every direction. The vineyards in Oregon are breathtaking, especially Kingwood Estates. Living in the Willamette valley is great for wine tasting, visiting small breweries, and a thriving local art scene. I visit Portland, Salem, or Newport as often as I can. Unfortunately my state is on fire currently, but we are safe here in the valley.

I enjoy sending and receiving mail, both within the US and internationally, because it's fascinating to see a glimpse of what life is like elsewhere. I love to travel, although it has been limited to the US mainly, but we intend to travel internationally one day. It will be hard to choose where to go first! Germany is at the top of the list, as well as Italy, France, Spain, the UK, India, just to name a few.

I love all types of cards and postcards, especially of sunsets with landmarks or beautiful architecture in the background. I love art, just about any type aside from abstract. Mucha, Kahlo, Klimt, Rivera, Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Hiroshige are among my favorite artists. I love to receive cards that show what other places look like, even simple pictures. I would love it if you could write something about where you live and what life is like there. I also love languages other than English, so if you write something to me that would make my day!

I am really into painting, drawing, journaling, altered books and making jewelry. I don't scrapbook, I make altered books for my journaling. I save everything when we travel. I also do a lot of writing, I am currently working on a memoir.

General Wish List:

I am totally happy to receive found things, second hand, hand made, original art, or something that you already have that is listed on my profile wish list.

*Matryoska or nesting dolls, handmade dolls!

*Sugar skulls, Day of the Dead

*Coins, paper currency, hand made crafts/art, postage stamps, particularly in languages other than English.

*Pressed pennies.

*Spiritual/sacred items: prayer beads, miniature carvings, prayer cards
from all religions and cultures. Rosaries, malas, inexpensive medallions of patron saints or artwork on cards.

*Tarot card decks

*Postcards/cards; vintage, new, etc. Favorite themes: Art, religious temples, cathedrals, scenic views, people, famous landmarks, ruins, castles, cities, animals, and anything with languages other than English.

*Tea. I love all black and green teas, especially caramels or vanilla blends. I drink herbal tea in the evenings, all types. My only dislikes are plain green tea or rooibos.

• Chinese New Year type envelopes Hand made envelopes

*Nutcrackers, doves, reindeer

*Angels and Fairies

*Hand made decorations, coin purses, jewelry

*Anne Taintor type sarcasm

My new favorite thing to use in my swaps is pretty washi tape. I also discovered new Halloween themed washi tape that I cannot wait to use. I would love to add nice washi tape rolls to my collection. Holiday, whimsical, gold, flowers, etc. would be so appreciated!

• The animals I love most are foxes, dogs, wolves, horses, whales, elephants with trunks pointing skyward, dolphins, and hummingbirds, birds of all types. I also like some mythical creatures, such as phoenix's, dragon's, and unicorn or pegasus art.

My favorite colors tend to be in pairs. I love gold, bronze, copper, anything Autumn. Anything along the pink to dark fuschia spectrum with gold, or sky blue to Indigo spectrum, especially with combinations of gold or silver. I also love crimson red. I have different color schemes in every room, so anything I receive can be incorporated into my collection somewhere. I frame my favorite cards, others I pin around my very large world map, which I am marking with all of the places I have received mail from.

I particularly love day of the dead sugar skulls. All Souls Day is something I celebrate as well.

I also collect Christmas decorations and trinkets of all types. Especially ornaments that are shiny and sparkly that can be on display the rest of the year. I make crystal, glass, and painted wood and ceramic decorations every year for gifts, as well as crystal and glass bead bracelets with toggle clasps. Nice beads in glass or crystal would be much appreciated for crafting with, in any color.

I like kawaii, love sentimental circus (theres something about that rabbit), anime, etc, but not a fan of Disney characters, Harry Potter or Twilight themes.

Favorite books in fiction: The Handmaid's Tale, The House of the Spirits, The Book Thief, The Pearl That Broke It's Shell, The House on Mango Street, The Secret Language of Flowers, Tell The Wolves I'm Home, 100 years of Solitude, The Alchemist, The Red Tent, anything by Hemingway, Shakespeare, Toni Morrison, Jodi Piccoult, Anita Shreve, Isabel Allende, Vonnegut, Tolstoy...too many to list.

Also collect vintage Roald Dahl and Choose Your Own Adventure.

Non fiction: The Meme Machine, In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Meaning, Medicine and the 'Placebo Effect', The Psychopath Test, Man's Search For Meaning.

Favorite movie: Frida. Also, Amelie, Cloud Atlas, Something The Lord Made (with Alan Rickman), The Fountain, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Bladerunner, Say Anything, Practical Magic, Chef, The Age of Adaline, The Wedding Crashers.

For gift swap ideas, I absolutely love all things Halloween and Christmas. I love Autumn, and all the colors associated with it. I love candles, I use them every day, journals, especially handmade with pockets, books, book marks, and pretty or unique stationary and stickers. I like strange things, I am very eclectic and easy to please, especially if it is from other countries or something you made, and last but not least, vintage themed items.

Please don't send face masks, my sister is an amazing seamstress and has sent me enough to last a decade! Otherwise, anything hand made or chosen with me in mind will be treasured.

I love gardening, and I have a mini apothecary of essential oils. as well as herbs I dry and use in cooking and home remedies. I have studied reiki and other healing modalities. I am immersed in studying Jin Shin Jyutsu, and other studies. I am also a member of a local, committed, long term spiritual group.

Thanks for reading!