RunawayOctober

I'm a 20-something stay-at-home-mama of two beautiful and rambunctious little boys, 1.25 and 3.25 years old. I strive to keep my sanity amongst the chaos of my brood which also includes my husband/gamer nerd, a Great Dane pup named Fable, two mutt cats, and an aquarium full of fish.

I love to read, blog, play video games, camp, cook, craft, dream and make things grow. I do think I'd garden more if I didn't live in the Valley of Eternal Sunstroke.

I'm terribly shy and love the interaction I get from social networks such as this, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I'm quirky, short and easy to laugh, but moody as the weather. My mind processes too many things and goes wonky to the humor of us all - myself included.

Hey wait - I'm just a regular ol' mom like the rest of them. :-D

I love all alternative/rock and country. I've also been known to give in to my girly side with Sia, Norah Jones and Jewel. I'd like to look into more Indie stuff but have no idea where to start.

I am also a huge sucker for classical guitar and anything acoustic.

Sewing is my number one craft and I enjoy making toys and clothes for my kiddos most. Home decor comes next. Since I spend all my days with the littles, I'm also quite proficient at macaroni necklaces and egg carton caterpillars. If gardening and cooking count as a craft, then add those to my list too. I also dabble in crochet, screen-printing and beading. I'm trying to learn how to knit.

I'm not a master at any of my crafts but I do try my very hardest - even if it means ripping out every seam in a project to do it over. Some stuff I'm just new at too. Although I'm not an expert I make sure that everything handcrafted is something I have a hard time parting with. Usually I'd rather keep it than send it but that's all part of the fun!!

STEAMPUNK! My favorite colors are blue, green, earth tones, and pink.
I love retro prints, geometrics, polkadots, paisleys and stripes. Only big, bold, unusual florals though. My favorite fabrics are natural ones such as linen, cotton or wool. I'm a total fiber snob as working with synthetics makes my fingers bleed so I stick to cotton, bamboo and animal fibers mostly.

I collect hippos, hedgehogs, bottle caps, and have an affinity for all things "modern" and "contemporary". I could spend days and days in an Ikea store, or drooling over European design magazines. Did I mention Steampunk yet?I love pleats, jumpers and smocks. I love cherries, pin-up girls, anything Celtic or goddess based. I love orchids and cherry blossoms too.

My family makes fun of me for my ridiculously large collection of notebooks, journals and kitchen gadgets.

Check out my blog or my wists for an idea of what strikes my fancy. :D

Yellow looks really bad on me
No pastels or gold anything either
Hello Kitty, Coca-Cola etc - nothing "brand name" I guess you could say
No bath or body products please
Clowns

Kind of in order of preference but not really.

Fabric - for general sewing/quilting or large scraps for crafting
Nursing Necklaces/Bracelets
Steampunk
Altered Recipe Boxes and lined recipe cards!
Knitting and Crochet Supplies - Yarn, needles, markers, cases, etc
Sewing supplies - seam rippers, thread, fabric wheels, buttons, snaps, notions, etc
Aprons! Apron Patterns too.
Anything with Hippos or Hedgehogs
I heart typography! So anything with letters or words (especially large ones) or cool fonts
Stationary
Address labels (return or "To:"), Tissue Paper, blank card stock - stuff for packing up swaps
Gel Pens and colored Sharpies
Ribbon
Stickers
Books/Mags on crafting or decorating
Books from my Amazon Wishlist (for me or the kids)
Wool roving for felting (I'm gonna try it at least once :-D )
Anything for little boys (or my 20something husband. they usually have the same interests. :D )
Cute journals or notebooks
Flower Seeds - for a dry climate
Pagan or Celtic items

• If it's handcrafted by you I'm sure to like it.
• Anything organic, fair trade or sustainable is a plus.

Thanks for looking!

I prefer full aprons that can stand the heat of the kitchen. One layer of fabric just can't contain the mess. I also love aprons that can stand other abuse such as kids yanking on them complaining that dinner isn't ready fast enough or my husband being a goofball and trying to fit it over his noggin. Sturdy sturdy sturdy! I can't stress enough how much torture my aprons get. I wear them all day, not just for cooking! :D

I love ruffles, anything super girly without going into the baby pink range, Spice! Pizazz! Something that makes my non-domestically-inclined friends go "Hey! That's awesome!" Pockets please, and a dishtowel loop is oh so handy.