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I live in an old brick house with my husband and daughter. I love receiving (and sending) letters and special packages in the mail so this is very exciting to me!

My favorite season is Autumn, mostly for its beautiful colors, pumpkin patches, delicious harvest and Halloween!

My favorite places in the world are: Norway, Japan, California and ï¿¥100 stores

• Candies and stationery from around the world (especially Japan)

• Fountain and special pens (e.g. MUJI, 0.5 tips and under)

• Japanese/Kawaii: stickers, deco/washi tape and rubber stamps

• Drinking tea and sitting in cafes

• Watching films and eating popcorn

• Traveling and photography

• Vintage typewriters and handwritten letters

• Writing letters during thunderstorms

• Snowy days by the fire

• Watching movies with the candles burning

• Jumping on a trampoline

• Calligraphy and beautiful penmanship

• Breaking Bad

• Mad Men

• The Killing

• Homeland

• Parenthood

• Prison Break

• Horror and suspense

• Documentaries

• Woody Allen

• Alfred Hitchcock

• Ingmar Bergman

• Christopher Nolan

• Japanese candies and chocolates

• Milk chocolate treats

• Red velvet cupcakes

• Peach pie and coconut pie too!

• Interesting candies from around the world

• Flavored black tea and flavored rooibos (especially coconut & caramel)

• Coffee (beans) from around the world

• Ephemera (from 1960's and earlier): vintage postcards, photographs, letters, advertisements, letterhead

• Postal-themed items: stickers, rubber stamps, stationery, labels, notepads, stickies, journals, folders, wallets, stamps, postcards, etc.

• Rubber stamps: postal-themed, food, vintage or realistic cats

• Typewriter and/or accordion-themed items: stationery, notepads, journals, stickies, rubber stamps

• Pens: fountain/calligraphy pens, MUJI, fine-tipped pens (0.5 tip or less)

• Air mail stickers and labels

• Postage stamps: cats, postal-themed, typewriter-themed, accordion-themed, retro/vintage cars (especially, cheesy muscle cars), pin-ups, burlesque

• Candies from around the world

• Vintage/Retro hotel stationery or postcards (1800's - 1960's), and also cheesy muscle cars and pin-ups

• Books and magazines about poetry, writing or screenwriting

• Japanese paper craft books

• Miniature wooden spoons and tiny things (envelopes, miniature Japanese foods)

• Essential oils and aromatherapy supplies

• Things with cats on them (realistic looking cats more so than the cute or cartoony kind)

• Items with El Camino cars on them (love how cheesy they are!)

• Hand carved stamps and supplies (this is something I'm interested in getting into and would love some inspiration!)

• Journals and magazines from different countries

• Handknit envelopes

PLEASE do not send the following:

• No religious items

• No Mary Engelbright things

• No Disney or "cute" items (like puppy dogs with quotes or Anne Geddes pictures or Diddl or Winnie the Pooh), unless it's Kawaii

• No generic stickers (especially with animals or girly handbags or seasonal stickers)

• No sewing supplies or fabric (I have no need for them, unless it's Zakka style or Japanese/Kawaii fabric) or foam stickers/items

• No Twilight, Harry Potter or LOTR items (despite enjoying some of the movies, I have no use for these items)

• No generic teas (such as chamomile, orange pekoe, Early Grey)

• No black licorice

• No scrapbooking papers or generic, patterned paper or bits of paper or recipe cards (I have no use for these)

• No girly items or themes like handbags and shoes

• No puzzle magazines/books or Sudoku items

• No bath items or lotions, no magnets and no bookmarks

• No lip glosses or lipstick as I'm allergic to most brands/types

• No items that smell like smoke or covered in animal hair

[I hope I haven't offended anyone by this list but I know how much effort people put into their swaps and don't want their special items to go to waste. Thanks for your understanding!]

I won't hesitate to give out a heart rating as long as I feel an individual has gone beyond what was required of the swap (that is, beyond the minimum requirements). For example, if you took the time to read my profile to find things you thought I would truly enjoy OR if you were kind enough to add extras, NOT to just fill up the envelope, but because you thought they were items I might like and fit my profile, then you most certainly will earn a heart. ♥

Thanks very much. Happy swapping to you!

ANGELS:

@LittleRed - QUICK 5 Somethings #40

Special thanks again to @LittleRed for sending the most amazing package! ♥

Sometimes I just don't get it - why some people sign up for swaps when clearly, all they're doing is passing on their crappy items or things that they would never keep. I don't understand why people wouldn't even look at a person's profile, at least, this is how it appears to me when I get items that I clearly cannot use or have listed in the "No, thank you" section of my profile.

When I join a swap and am assigned partners, I try to create a package that I think the person would enjoy beginning with a look at their profile. I try to have fun with the package and prepare something that I would enjoy receiving. I know I'm fairly new to Swap Bot and I HAVE received some pretty amazing packages but I'm always shocked when I receive packages that seem to just be thrown together and without any real thought as to who the recipient will be.

I'm not perfect and know I won't always please the person I'm assigned to but at the very least, I will definitely put some time and thought into what I'm preparing.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but it's just so disappointing to receive some lacklustre package in exchange when I've tried to be thoughtful to my own partners.

Thanks for listening to my "little beef". If there are others out there who feel the same way (or partners that are unhappy with what they've received), please don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be happy to listen! Take care. xo