Coraline

I currently live in Nevada while I finish my grad degree in literature, but I love going back to the Pacific Northwest (where I grew up) as much as possible. I think growing up in Oregon is why I like stormy days, and grey skies better than too much sun! I love to curl up with a book and a cup of tea or coffee near a window on rainy days. I work at my university teaching freshman composition classes, and participate in our departments' graduate organization. Also, I've just started the first tentative steps of writing my dissertation. When I'm not reading for exams/classes or writing/grading papers, I like to read, watch TV, find random amusing websites, chat with friends over coffee, and work on crafts!

I like all sorts of music, but most of my favorites fall under "alternative," like The Decemberists, The Killers, Dead Man's Bones, The Shins, The Honey Trees, My Morning Jacket, Boy Eats Drum Machine, Nick Cave, The Mountain Goats, Ringside, and Eagle*Seagull. I was raised on folk, reggae and oldies, so my comfort music is ELO, Gordon Lightfoot, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Bob Marley or Johnny Clegg.

My mom and aunt were always working on crafts when I was growing up, so I guess I was doomed to continue the cycle. I can knit and crotchet basic things like blankets and scarfs, I'm getting into making stuffies (especially owl stuffies - ofr some reason, they are just the cutest!), and I really love altering things - ATCs, Altered Books, Cards, assorted wall hangings, etc. I also recently got interested in Dia De Los Muertos skeleton and calavera art, and, in a totally different direction, Steampunk art. I want to try sculpting altered doll heads next!

I love to read, and enjoy books in a range of genres. I enjoy atmospheric novels with well-developed characters and worlds. My favorites right now are fantasy, steampunk, young adult, SciFi, memoirs, etc. I'm currently reading "Boneshaker," by Cheri Priest. I also read a lot for school - those books tend to focus on literary theory, 20th century Ethnic American literature, memoirs, and postcolonial literature. Right now, I'm reading Jessica Hagedorn's " Danger and Beauty."

I like well-written television shows with strong female characters. My tivo is currently loaded up with "The Mentalist," "Castle," "Leverage," "In Plain Sight" (can't wait till it comes back on!), "NCIS," "The Closer," "White Collar" and "Burn Notice." My all-time favorites are "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Firefly," and "Doctor Who." And in my perfect world, "Dead Like Me" would never have been canceled.

I'd love to swap:

• ATCs

• altered art

• quilted art

• patches

• pins

• interesting notecards

• scrapbooking items

• altering items

• found objects

I love:

• fairies

• vintage things

• halloween themes (especially skulls or gargoyles)

• owls

• Octopuses (or Cephalopods/squids)

• Jellyfish and Cuttlefish

• sparkly things

• robots

• old-fashioned, Victorian, or artsy pictures of women

• cool rusty things

• mechanical or clockwork pieces

• things with wings

• anything steampunk

• dia de los Muertos art

• images of waterfalls, forests, quirky touristy places, mountains, deserts, machinery, street art, and interesting architecture and people, and abandoned buildings

• I also like to learn about interesting people, either contemporary or historical figures

I'm not a big fan of spiders. Also, I'm allergic to many scented soaps and perfumes and anything with juniper, so please save those for someone else - thanks!