Well, I thought I was new here, but apparently I signed up for this site waaaay back in 2016 and did nothing!🤦🏻‍♀️

I am back, 10 years later!!! 🙋🏻‍♀️

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¡Hola! 👋🏽 Hello!

My name is Catherine, but my friends call me Cat. I will answer to either and even “Bro” as I have been recently called by my kids. I only have one daughter, but I consider my niece and nephew my kids too since they were all so close in age, and I took care of them just as much.

I currently live on the Oregon coast, southwest of Portland, but was born and raised in the San Diego county area. We are actually in the middle of transitioning back to California to be closer to family.

I am 49, Mexican American, and Cherokee. I’ve been married for about 6 years and my daughter is an adult with Autism and my two furry children are pugs.

It’s been a rough past few years for us. My husband has had five strokes in the past three years, so now I am his full time caregiver as well as for my daughter. It has taken a toll on my mental health, but I completely rely on prayer and Jesus for strength. My doctor suggested I start making time for myself and picking up old hobbies I haven’t made time for to help combat my mental health struggles.

So, I’ve recently joined a book club, and would like to get back into journaling and pen paling, and then I recently found out about swaps!! Please be patient with me as I discover what type of swaps I want to do. For now, I think I start of simple. 💌📫💌📫💌📫💌📫💌📫💌📫💌📫💌📫💌

What I Would Like to Swap:

1) Single Greeting Card

What the heck do I mean by that?! I’m so glad you asked, lemme explain. My swap partner will pick a single greeting card; new, vintage, floral, encouraging, whatever genre is fine. DO NOT SEND BLANK!! Write, doodle or craft whatever you would like on the inside. Decorate with whatever your little heart desires. I will be sending little ephemera extras in this swap, but do not expect my partner to. That’s your choice, just be mindful of the weight of the envelope so I don’t have to pay for it please. I in turn, will show the same respect.

2)Blind Book Swap

This is a book of YOUR choosing. Doesn’t have to be any of MY favorite genres. Let’s surprise each other! Doesn’t have to be a new book. I tend to send books I’ve completed. Please make sure it’s in decent condition is clean and doesn’t smell like cigarettes. I don’t mind if it’s annotated.

3)Printed Paper Napkins

Any patterned paper napkins that you could easily use for paper crafts.

4)Stickers

Who doesn’t love stickers?! I LOVE Kawaii stickers, but will also love any kind. I just don’t like vulgar stickers with cursing or gender specific anatomy parts. Also please no stickers that are not cheerful or happy or positive. I get people have dry or sarcastic humor, I am one of them, but I’m just choosing to be more happy and positive these days. Thanks for your understanding.

5)Paper, Paper, Paper

Any kind of paper product that we can use for crafting; stationary, scraps of craft paper, stamped paper, food box cut outs of neat-o clip art, junk mail mailers with cool graphics, plastic food wrappers that look cool(I know, it’s not paper), old stamps, envelopes. I think you get the idea.

That’s all I’m going to list for now. I will update this as I become a more seasoned swapper. This is why I’m NOT going to put a “What I don’t Want” list, because I don’t know what I don’t even know yet as a swapper. 🤓

I have been a book nerd since grade school! My mother was my enabler by shoving a Little Golden Books in my face to keep me occupied in the seat of the grocery cart so I wouldn’t interfere with her weekly chore. Then I progressed to the Sweet Pickles book club in the 80’s Anyone else besides me remember those books? Then I got into Nancy Drew Sweet Valley High books and the Goosebumps series. I really needed out in my Jr High English class, falling in love the Brontë Sisters, Jane Austin. Then my mindset focused more on being a “cool kid” in school, and my raging hormones left pleasure reading in the dust. I started reading again when my daughter was a toddler, then stopped because, well Mom stuff.

Favorite Books

My current favorite book genres are Fiction; thriller, Romance, trying out fantasy. I just started reading again, but back when I would indulge in books, my go to’s were always The Dr Kay Scarpetta true crime series by Patricia Cornwell. I also would read and still do like slow burn 🔥 romance. I really don’t care for anything spicier than 🌶️🌶️🌶️. But I don’t judge my sisters who love smut. You do YOU Boo!! 🫶🏽

Currently Reading

I dove back in head first in the deep end! For the month of May, I am reading:

1. Asiri and the Amari by Natalia Hernandez

2. Cash (Lucky River Ranch #1) by Jessica Peterson

3. Strangers In the Villa by Robyn Harding

4. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

5. Accordion Eulogies by Noe Alvarez

6. Daughter of Fortune by Isabelle Allende

7. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby

Crafting Favorites

I genuinely love all things paper! I love card making, stamping, journaling, sketching, coloring. I would like to try water color. I used to pen pal domestically and internationally before I was a Momma and a wife. That is something I would like to get back into.

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 As I stated earlier, I am new to this site and do not yet have a rank, but I would like to take this time to state what you can expect from me as a swapper, and hopefully I may receive that in return from future fellow swappers.

1. I put quality crafting into all my swaps.

2. I will always mail my swaps on time.

3. I always return messages promptly.

4. My heart is more giving than expecting.

5. I am an open and reliable friend.

Other Interests and Info about me:

❤️I love ALL genres of music, depends on my mood really. 🧡 I love films more than TV. Not that much of a TV show watcher, but in the morning, I do love CBS mornings with Gayle King, and love Friday nights with Keith Morrison!! IYKYK 💛The types of movies I will always pick first are Rom-Coms, and I do love comedies, and have way too many favorite comedians to list. Tina & Amy are my top faves though. I do occasionally like watching a horror film, but more often than not has to be at home and, DURING THE DAY! 💚I love going out to eat and new places and making it a social event; with family, girlfriends, dates with my kids.💙I love family get togethers, hosting dinners, ( not so much dishes) ,playing card games, really any good quality time with my favorite people.💜I love going on road trips, weekend getaway’s, and have plans to visit Europe again.

Well, I guess I should wrap this up here? Please feel free to message me if you have any constructive critiques on how to better improve my profile! 🤓 I am always open to growing, learning and trying new or different ways of doing things!

Hope You All Have a Blessed Day!