Please note - my last name has an "e" in it.

I'm a Midwesterner in my late 30s, and I love sweater weather and rainy days. I'm a skeptic and an ethical vegan. I'm also ace. I live with my cat, my bird, and zero other humans.

I'm a fountain pen enthusiast, and I have a burgeoning sticker and washi tape collection that I am trying to use up in my journal. I'm a hobby jumper (my half-completed and just-needs-finishing-touches craft projects could be their own collection at this point), but I tend to gravitate towards fiber (knitting, crochet, and cross-stitch) and paper (calligraphy, zine-making, collage, and junk journaling). In addition to reading, journaling, and crafting, I enjoy playing solo tabletop RPGs.

Prompts if you need something to write about

--What are you excited about right now?
--What's your favorite hobby?
--What are you currently reading / watching / listening to, and do you like it? Why or why not?
--Who's your favorite artist, or what's your favorite work of art?
--What's something unusual or little-known about where you live?
--Do you have a favorite word (not necessarily something you say a lot, just one that you like)? If so, what is it?

Likes / yes please:

--Cats, raccoons, opossums, and frogs
--Witchy / creepy-cute vibes
--Mermaids
--Cozy vibes / fall themes
--Unusual roadside attractions
--Anything nature-related
--Bright colors
--Funky patterns
--Plants and florals
--Rainbows / rainbow order
--Art postcards (although I'm happy receiving any postcards!)
--Zines, especially pocket mod / mini zines
--Anything related to books and reading
--Interesting quotes / book passages

Dislikes / no thanks:

--AI-generated art or writing
--Anything related to meat, hunting, or fishing
--Anything scented (it will probably trigger a migraine)
--Items with religious themes
--Anything related to specific holidays (except Halloween - Halloween is always fine), unless it’s a holiday-themed swap
--For swaps of unused items (sticker sheets, blank postcards, etc.), I’d prefer not to receive items with licensed characters or media franchises (Disney, Sanrio, etc.). If you want to use those items to write or decorate snail mail to me, though, feel free!

I go through reading phases. Science fiction and fantasy are my staples, but I also read romance, literary fiction, historical fiction, and really anything that has a description that sounds interesting.

I have a hard time choosing favorite books, but my comfort reads include:

--the Locked Tomb series by Tamsin Muir
--The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
--the Murderbot Diaries and the Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells
--anything by KJ Charles, AJ Demas, or Alexandra Rowland

Some books that I've read in the last couple of years that I can't stop thinking about are:

--The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
--Dune by Frank Herbert
--The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
--Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
--The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
--Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read
--I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Most of the podcasts I listen to involve someone doing research on a topic and then telling a co-host about it. The podcasts I listen to regularly include:

--Maintenance Phase
--If Books Could Kill
--Scamfluencers
--You're Wrong About
--Decoder Ring