Shipped!  I hope my partner likes her box:)

That's pretty crazy, but I may actually have that beat! 

I saw an add for an item in a magazine that I got in 1989, and I scraped together the money and sent them my order and payment in mid to late 1989.  I never got my item, and eventually gave up on ever getting it.  I was home from college the summer of 2001, and I was picking up the mail one day.  It's just junk mail for my parents, a few random stray bills, and this one yellowed letter with a bunch of postal stamps on it including several "Return to Sender" marks.  The address was in my childhood handwriting.  It was the missing order, and it only took 12 years to make it back to me!

It's good to know that I'm doing it right:)  I was only in one other swap a long time ago.  It was a partner exchange swap(we shipped to each other).  I went all out, but my partner probably had to use some very creative accounting to get what she sent me to meet the minimum.  I think she was in a few other swaps, and sent me leftover bits and pieces from them.  I thought I'd just gone a bit too crazy since there wasn't a brag thread for that one so I had no idea what anybody else got, and that sticking strictly to the spending limit was normal:/  This is the first swap I've joined since then, and I'm just trying to to figure it all out:p  I tend to lean on the side of spoiling people when it comes to presents, so her package was a bit of a surprise to me. 

Regardless of what I get, I have had a lot of fun shopping:)  And as a bonus, I found a bunch of fun new places around town that I never knew about!  I really hope my partner likes what I got her:)


I have been all over the place looking for stickers, and I thought I'd share some of my findings for anybody who might be having a hard time finding a decent sticker supply nearby.  I have found a few unexpected places with a pretty decent selection of stickers. 

Target always has a few nice stickers.  Seasonal ones and character stickers are in the card section, usually at the endcaps.  Non seasonal stickers and scrap book style stickers are always near the office supplies/wrapping paper area.

Party supply stores often have sticker favors that you won't find other places.

Bookstores can be a good source if they carry other stationary items.

Hallmark Cards actually has their own line of stickers, and they're actually pretty fun!  I found a few really nice sets there:)

Dollar stores can have some interesting selections, depending on the dollar store.

I checked TRU and found a few packs of stickers by the party supplies.  Lot of character stickers there.

Drug stores and super markets are another place you can find small clusters of stickers.  Usually by the card section, sometimes by the seasonal items.

I'm sorry to hear about your job:(

Check out some bunnies licking:
http://cheezburger.com/7086096640

A few questions I'm hoping my partner will answer:


Do you collect anything besides ponies?

What kinds of items would you like to see as extras?

Would things like interesting stationary or pens/pencils be interesting?

Do you have any hobbies?

Do you do any arts or crafts, and would you like to see some supplies in your box?

I got a request for some more info about my extras wants, so here it goes!  Sorry I'm a bit lazy about copying all the questions:p  I think I've got most of them answered below:


Animals I particularly like:
Hedgehogs
Bunnies
Owls
Kiwis

I also like woodland critters, fantasy creatures, sea creatures(including sharks:p), dragonflies, and pretty much anything cute.  Figures, stuffed animals, stationary, office supplies like paper clips/push pins/magnets, and pretty much anything else involving cute animals, particularly bunnies, owls, hedgehogs, or kiwis would always be a very happy surprise!  Most items on my sticker wantlist would be welcomed in other forms as extras as well.  I am in need of some cute push pins right now if you find some.

I like small things. Usually the smaller the better.  I collect tiny figures, small stuffed animals, Re-Ment, tiny glass animals, and all sorts of wee things.  Space is always a premium here, so smaller is almost always better:p

I've gotten really into decorating for Halloween, so I spend a good portion of my year thinking about what I'm going to do when it rolls around again.  I've even started keeping a few tiny Halloween things out year round, so small Halloween-ish items are generally always welcome.  Little figures or very small stuffed animals(particularly black cats) are always fun.  A few favorite Halloween things include spooky trees, haunted houses, black cats, pumpkins, and simple(non-cartoony) ghosts.  Not as big a fan of human monsters like witches, Frankenstein, vampires, mummies, etc.  I also don't like gory stuff, so no body parts, bloody things, etc please.  Vintage from the 80s is cool here too:p  Halloween stuff would be welcomed, but don't feel like this needs to be a Halloween exchange.  There's lots of other stuff on my wantlist too.

I collect Christmas ornaments. Any of the items on my sticker "loves" work just fine for Christmas ornaments too, as do nice ornaments from local attractions.  I like glass ornaments(blown glass in particular) and metal ornaments.  I don't like plastic/resin ornaments as much.

Since it's Easter right now, and I LOVE bunnies, I welcome all bunny related items whether or not they have anything to do with Easter.  I also love Peeps as a candy and as a theme.  They make Peep stuffed animals, keychains, tshirts, stickers, chapstick, and all sorts of other items.  I am goddessofPEEP after all:p  Easter is my season!

I love collecting postcards, magnets, pencils, mini(and regular sized) decks of cards, and pretty much any touristy item from interesting places.  I also collect squished pennies of tourist attractions.  I *really* love roadside places like the world's biggest ball of twine, or Wall Drug:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2216
The crazier the better. And any trinkets from roadside attractions are ALWAYS welcome.
This site lists all the crazy attractions by state if you're looking for an adventure:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

I also love Scotland, so anything from there would make my day.

I also like local legends like Big Foot, Champ, Jackalopes, or the Loch Ness Monster.  I'd love some wacky stuff involving those, or books about the local legends.  Or post cards.  Anything really.  Don't be afraid to send me weird stuff, as long as it's not disgusting or in bad taste(Big Foot poop or something like that).

I love Doctor Who with the exception of the 11th Doctor. I have a fairly large collection of Doctor Who stuff already, but if it's got David Tennant on it, I don't care if I get doubles(or triples, or more:p).  If it's got David Tennant on it, I don't care what it is, or if I already have it, I'm going to love it.  I also particularly like Dalek and K9 items.  Not as fond of Cybermen.  Stickers, pencils, figures, toys, books, whatever.  Always fun!

I cook a lot, so a copy of any of your favorite recipes would be very much welcomed if you've got the time:)  So would cookbooks, but those usually aren't cheap to buy or to ship.

Candies I like:
Sour Patch Kids and Sour Watermelons
Dark chocolate(favorite fillings - caramel and mint, but plain is great too!)
Hershey's kisses
Twix
Snickers
Jelly Bellies(and other jelly beans)
Gummies
Peeps(they have chocolate dipped ones now, and they're AWESOME!)
Just a reminder - if you ship chocolate(or anything that melts), seal it in a plastic baggie separate from the rest of the stuff.  It was over 80 degrees here today, and it's supposed to be breaking records on Friday!  Looks like we've got an early summer coming:p

Allergies:
Strongly scented vanilla and floral items
Fake butter flavoring

Things I'd rather not get:
Ballet/tutus/tiaras/fru-fru stuff
Make up
Nail polish
Socks
Hair accessories
Earrings
Bath stuff(it's ok, but not exciting)
Religious or political items
Cheap novelty chocolate(it usually tastes awful)
White chocolate
Vanilla or floral scented items

Hope that helps!


More questions came in:
Are you interested in surprise stickers I choose because I like them?  Or are you mostly interested in the stickers on your list?
As long as it's not on my "do not want" list, I'm sure it will be lovely.  Though, my "loves" list is so long, finding something that ISN'T on it is probably going to be a challenge:p

Do you like canvas tote bags with some cute pattern or design?
In theory yes, but I don't think I'll end up using them.  We have a lot of random bags around the house that have been collected through the years.


Do you like deco tape?
Probably not as exciting as other things on my wishlist.  I wouldn't be upset to see it, but there are other things that would be a bigger hit:)

DO you have any fuzzie buddies aka Pets?
Sadly not at this time:(  We're thinking about getting a new pet, but haven't yet.

If you are a fan of MLP FIM, do you like the trading cards and/or blind bags?
I like FIM, and I'd always be happy to get any items I don't have.  I have Waves 1, 3, and 4 complete of the blind bags.  I have *nothing* from any other wave, so feel free to go crazy if you have a source for Waves 2, and anything 5 or over.  I also have very few cards, so I'd be happy to get a few packs of those.

Oh, and if I had to choose a favorite FIM character, it would be Princess Luna.

If you do like blindbags/cards, is there any youre looking for?
Blind bags wave 2 and anything wave 5 and over.

Do you like legos/megablocks/knex? such as the blindbag, minifigures, or small kits, or perticular items/themes?
There's a Lego style Doctor Who series from a company called Character Building.  I collect those, however I have most of the ones I want from the regular blind bags.  However, I am looking for a single 10th Doctor with his accessories(screwdriver).  That would most likely have to be an ebay purchase to get him singly.  I am also looking for pretty much everything in this set:
http://doctorwhotoys.net/elevendoctorsmicrofigures.htm
Not sure when it's coming out, but it could be any time:p

Other Lego blind bags, not as interesting.  I do collect Nanoblocks, but those aren't blind bag items.  Nanoblocks are like mini Legos:
http://www.mynanoblock.com/site/
You can often find them at TRU and some hobby stores.  They come in two kinds of sets.  The animal sets come in little bags and run somewhere in the neighborhood of $7-$12 depending on the store.  The landmark series comes in small boxes and run $13-$20ish depending on the store.  I have the rabbit, dog, ducks, dolphin, and a few others I can't remember.  I also have the German and French castles(can't remember their exact names).

what games and characters from those games do you LOVE like, if you have any, your MOST favorites?
I play Pokemon, and I do have a few favorites.  I particularly like Shaymin(the green hedgehog of course!).  Always been a fan of Pikachu as well.  If you go for something Pokemon related, please go for something small.  They make a lot of larger toys, and I just don't have the room!  I'd probably rather not get too many stickers from Pokemon.  Again, I wouldn't be upset to see them, but there are so many other items that I'd probably find a bit more exciting:)  Though, if you find a bunch of Shaymin stickers, I'm cool with that:)  Hedgehogs AND Pokemon:)



Do you collect anything besides ponies?
Oh yes.  A partial list:
Bunny, hedgehog, and owl items.  Pretty much anything as long as it's cute.  Bonus points if it's small:)
Small stuffed animals
Steiff stuffed animals
Tiny glass figures
Squished pennies from tourist attractions I visit
Anything with David Tennant on it
Doctor Who stuff in particular David Tennant items, Daleks, and K-9
Terrible, terrible movies.  I'm talking the really silly awful stuff like Sharktopus and Troll 2(look it up, it's so bad they made a film about how bad it is).  Stupid silly fun, not regular movies that just aren't any good.  If it's likely to make an appearance on the website badmovies.org, it's probably what I'm looking for. 
Christmas ornaments
Loch Ness Monster/sea serpent stuff
Books about ghost stories or local legends
Tourist knick-knacks from places I visit including magnets, decks of cards, postcards, and small decorative items
Cookbooks, in particular those little booklet style ones you find at the grocery store checkout counter
Sea shells(in moderation)
Magic the Gathering cards.  Used to be really into them, not so much anymore, but I do like to get the odd booster pack to see what's going on in the game and to have a bit of fun opening them:)
Halloween stuff, though I'm a bit picky about any of the big stuff.  Little figures and tiny stuffed animals will probably be a hit.  Vintage stuff from the 80s is also usually cool too:)
I have a tiny collection of 3D silver charms.  I don't actually wear them, but I do like to have them on display if they're really cute.
Stuff from Scotland
Re-Ment, and Re-Ment style items, in particular the dishes/housewares sets, not so much the food unless it's special themed like bunny/mushroom/etc themed.
Anything that's tiny and cute.
Glass animals and other decorative items
Barbapapa




What kinds of items would you like to see as extras?
Lots of things would be great.  I collect A LOT of things, so there's a lot of options there.  It's really hard to say what I'd actively like to get, so I'll just go with what items would probably be the biggest hits.

Small, cute stuffed animals of my favorite animals(bunny, hedgehog, owl, kiwi) would be most welcomed.
Doctor Who stuff as long as Matt Smith isn't on it
Anything with David Tennant on it. ANYTHING.  Honestly, you stick a David Tennant item in the box, the whole box will be an instant hit:p  Sad, but true.
Cute little figures I can put on my desk of any of my favorite things will always be a happy surprise
I'd like a bit of candy, but I'm trying to eat a bit healthier after the holidays.  So I'd like "it's a treat!" amounts, not massive amounts of candy.
I wouldn't mind one of those booklet style cookbooks from the grocery store, particularly one for Easter treats and meals.
I have been buying some hand crafted stuff from Etsy and other places lately, and a lot of the time I like it more than most things you can buy in stores.  If you have a particular talent in making something, I'm always happy to have something handmade.  No worries if you're not, but a hand crafted item will find a very happy home with me:) 


Would things like cute stationary or pens/pencils be interesting?
I'm always in need of post it notes and pads of paper.  And pens/pencils.  Cute office items like paper clips, pads of paper, pencils, pens, post it notes, and whatever else would be a happy addition to the box.

Do you have any hobbies?
I cook a lot, though that's less of a hobby and more of a job since I have to get dinner on the table every night:p I'm always looking for more cookbooks that have healthy/fast/tasty recipes in them.
The vast majority of my hobbies involve collecting things.  I play some video games.  I'm into some arty things mostly origami and jewelry making.   

Do you do any arts or crafts, and would you like to see some supplies in your box?
Most of the stuff I need wouldn't be particularly exciting in a swap box, but I wouldn't mind a nice pack of origami paper. 

Do you like moustache stuff?
I have no particular objection to it, but I'd probably rather not get anything like that:p

I've been to Traverse City.  It's a really nice place!  Lots of cherries:p  I love places like that!

I mostly grew up in Detroit.   I don't miss the snow, but  I do miss not having to worry about getting heat stroke driving to the grocery store in November:p 

And I am loving the sticker access right now.  When I lived in Indiana waaaay back I used to go to a similar store that sold stickers and other little goodies(stuffed animals, pencils, novelty erasers, etc), but that was at the peak of the sticker craze.  I haven't seen many stores like it since.  I'm probably going to have to pick up a few things for myself when I go.  You know, to support the local economy:p