MiscNich

I am a Pennsylvania girl residing temporarily (I hope) in the hot, hot South, with my husband and three children. I love to work with my hands, doing anything -- from making cheese to rekeying locks.

While my husband was deployed during OIF in 2008, I tried to help pass the time by coming up with really bizarre care packages for him. I sent things like astronaut ice cream, a sandcastle kit (just add sand!), silly drawings, and Indian food. I kind of miss filling those boxes, so I am really intrigued by the premise of Swap-Bot. I look forward to participating!

I knit, crochet (albeit barely), and am learning to sew. I've also done a bit of beadwork and counted cross stitch in the past.

I really enjoy shopping in thrift stores. I try to upcycle materials when I can, making dresses for my daughters from interesting pillowcases, or reusing wooden purse handles from shabby, worn bags. My first sewing project when I was re-learning to use my sewing machine (after years of non-use) was a baby sling made from some 1970s floral print sheets.

I like really pretty or interesting/subversive crafts, but I like pretty, useful crafts the best.

I am a huge, theory-spouting "Lost" fan. I also like "Chuck," "Scrubs," "30 Rock," "Flight of the Conchords," and "Mad Men" (which I watch via Netflix; no Season 2 spoilers, please!).

Some of my favorites are Ben Folds/Ben Folds Five, Franz Ferdinand, 1990s angry teenage rock, Jenny Lewis, Spoon. There's very little music that I actively dislike, actually, except for maybe mainstream country, bubblegum pop, hair metal, and gross, misogynistic rap.

Jezebel, Television Without Pity, The Consumerist, Ikea Hacker, Re-Nest, and Netflix, where I spend an embarrassing lot of time finely tuning my queue.

I don't like to use the word "collection," per se, but I do buy a lot of bird-themed things. I also love a lot of 1970s stuff -- retro ogee prints, earth tones, mushrooms, owls, vintage paperbacks, etc.

I am pretty "old school." I like stuff like wooden toys, hot water bottles, and hand-powered appliances. I feel that the simplest, low-tech solution is often the best solution, both financially and environmentally.

I am crazy about "Lost," and would love any faux Oceanic, Ajira Air, or Dharma stuff!

Also, I LOVE Hershey's Chocolate Bars Filled With Green Tea Creme, if anyone happens to have access to them!

I'm not so big on neon colors, the 1980s, Harry Potter or Twilight or anything of the sort, Cathy-type humor, or Victorian novels. Don't want to hate on anyone who does like those things, but they hold little interest for me.

I don't mind getting things in recycled or repurposed packages filled with crumpled bags, newspaper, or shredded junk mail used as padding, and I hope you don't, either. I'd rather send/receive something in a weird package than a shiny new one, if I/you have something on hand that can be reused instead of spending money and resources on brand new stuff so that it looks nice. I will never send anything in seriously sketchy used materials, though -- nothing oily, deteriorating, or smelly!