Little Swap Wishlist

Here is my wishlist for Little Swap over at My Little Pony Arena. I hope this is helpful to my future partner!

G1:

-- Minty
-- Medley
-- Princess Serena
-- Princess Tiffany
-- Princess Primrose
-- Princess Stardust
-- Princess Sunbeam
-- Glittering Gem
-- Skylark
-- Swirly Whirly
-- Braided Beauty
-- Mainsail
-- Shady
-- Glory
-- Baby Glory

G3:

-- Soda Float
-- Silver Song
-- Serendipity
-- Rarity
-- Morning Monarch
-- Coconut Cream
-- Marshmellow Coco
-- Mochanut
-- Butter Pop
-- Baby Butter Drop
-- Baby Tea Lily
-- Seascape
-- Fizzy Pop
-- Apple Spice
-- Candy Apple

G4:

-- Trixie*
-- Princess Luna* (I'd gladly welcome any version, but I *love* and *want* her Water Cuties one.)
-- Applebloom*
-- Sweetie Belle*
-- Scootaloo*
-- Princess Celestia
-- Nurse Redheart*
-- Shining Armor*
-- Cheerilee
-- I like all of the mane 6 and am fond of the CMM ponies. The only one I have in this style is Rainbow Dash.

Bold = my most wanted ponies; * means (for G4) I don't have any versions of that character.

Cross Country Swap

I'm doing a swap with Icecreamgirl over at MLP Arena. Our focus is on sending ponies and goodies that are not available to us at home. 

About Ponies:

Wishlist

G1:

• Hopscotch

A lovely and unusual color combination.

• Gypsy

One of my favorite Lady GaGa songs. Pony has beautiful colors and a unique symbol.

• Applejack (Collectors' Pose) 
• Baby Applejack

I collect versions of Applejack, so this baby is definitely appealing.

• Baby Lemon Drop
• Baby Hopscotch
• (UK) Moondancer

Wow! What unique colors!

• Cupcake

I did book blogging for three years; cupcakes were a running theme / symbol within that community.

• Shady

The so-soft version was one of my childhood ponies. This non-so soft version is neat looking.

• Rosette
• Candy Kisses
• Baby Stella
• Nice 'n Spicy
• Sweet Delight
• Cherry Sweet
• Vanilla Treat

I adore this whole set with their treat based symbols. Cherry Sweet and Sweet Delight are my favorites.

• Snowdrop
• Love Story

I like all of the romance ponies, but Love Story is the one who stands out most to me. I'm a romance novelist, so these just fit.

• Love-in-a-Mist
• Love Token
• Love Letter
• Sports Time
• Play Time
• Music Time
• Painting Time
• Baby School Bag
• Sweetheart
• Bright Eyes
• Melody

I did music competitions for roughly 25 years, so between her colors and her symbol, I definitely want Melody someday. "Unchained Melody" was the song I was known for in Karaoke contests. :)

• Hip Hop

Cute colors, a quirky symbol and a unique name. Very interesting!

• Mommy Meadowsweet
• Daddy Meadowsweet
• Baby Meadowsweet

I love this whole set but Mommy is my favorite with her beautiful butterfly symbol.

• Baby Susie

This was the nickname of my childhood Corgi. Her 'actual' name was Cuddles, so now there are two ponies I'll be looking for to remember her.

• Baby Katie
• Baby Lollipop
• Baby Ruby
• Baby Sapphire
• Baby Diamond

I love this set, but my gut says these are more expensive / harder to get. They're definitely a trio I want someday, though.

• Baby Splish
• Baby Splash
• Baby Splosh

I love this whole set, but Splish and Splash pull ahead just a little. I love Splish's cutie mark and the contrast of blue and orange, and I love the way Splash's symbol goes down her leg and any pony bright red / pink and green is generally a want for me anyway.

• Baby Stargaze
• Baby Snoozy

Rabbit or duck symbol are both totally fine.

• Baby Fun 'n Games / Gametime

I spent years as a D&D Dungeonmaster, so a pony with dice? I love it!

• UK Princess Sparkle 

No idea if this girl is common or really expensive, but I listed her since I collect Princess ponies in general. 

G1 Notes:

I am working on collecting the Princess ponies (Serena / Aquamarine, Tiffany / Pearl, etc.) I have Princess Sparkle / Amethyst and Sunbeam. I'm also collecting the Sundae Best ponies. I have Coco Berry & Swirly Whirly.

There is also one UK accessory I would be interested in: Princess Aquamarine's dragon, Prickles. (According to My Little Wiki, he's green.) Princess Serena is likely my most wanted pony in general, but since I want everything associated with her I figure I should list the dragon here since he's going to be harder to get then her. 

G2:

• Ivy
• Princess Silver Swirl
• Sky Skimmer
• Hip Holly
• Prince Blue Dream
• Princess Golden Dream
• Prince Fauna
• Princess Flora 
• Copper Glow
• Spring
• Princess Silver Rain

G3:

• Desert Blossom
• Silver Song
• Coconut Cream
• Coconut Grove
• Serendipity
• Morning Monarch
• Soda Float
• Butterpop
• Secret Wish
• Baby Tea Lily 

G4:

• Holly Dash
• Shining Armor
• Trixie
• Rarity 

(I need a normal one; I'm also looking for the one with glittery wings) (I have a Rarity & Fluttershy army because of the episode "Green Is Not Your Color", where it's implied they are best friends. Rarity is my favorite pony and Fluttershy is my bf's.) 

• Twilight Sparkle (unicorn, not princess)
• Applebloom
• Sweetie Belle
• Scootaloo
• Princess Luna
• Princess Celestia

Question: Did you guys get the g4 Water Cuties? I have Pinkie Pie, Diamond Mint and Rarity, but would love the others that were released.

Would you prefer one or two more expensive ponies or a few less expensive ones?

I'm totally happy either way. I'll let you know up front that I have no idea what value various ponies outside North America are worth. I've only been collecting since February, so yesterday was the first time I looked at them in detail. I also included ponies from gens 2, 3, and 4 which may be from pretty much any location. I wanted to ensure you have a good variety of ponies to choose from.

Who are the most wanted ponies on your wishlist? (I can't make promises, but I can try.)

For each generation, I have bolded ponies that I am especially interested in.

What flaws are acceptable to you?

• I  don't mind if a pony has had a slight trim. 
• Slight rubs to eyes, cheeks and symbols are not a big deal. 
• I don't mind if a pony has markings under their feet.
• General playwear doesn't usually upset me too much: 
• I generally tell people to use their gut instinct. Would you be happy with the pony? I likely will be as well. 

What flaws are not acceptable to you? 

• I prefer to avoid cancer. 
• I don't want anything that 'rattles' (it can mean they need a new tail and I don't have the skills to fix that yet); 
• I'd rather pass on large areas of regrind or staining. 
• I -prefer- ponies who have nice soft hair. I don't mind a bit of frizz or slightly messy curls, but I've learned that texture is a big deal to me--likely since I rely on that more than vision since I'm legally blind. I can see my ponies, but wanting to pick them up, brush them, etc. is important. 
• I don't care for ponies that do not smell clean. I -love- scented ponies, just to avoid any confusion there. 

I'll wrap this section with my usual disclaimer: I've never seen someone at the Arena give a pony as a gift in an unacceptable condition (unless that pony was intended as bait, which does not count) so I'm totally not worried. :)

Do you have any preference on which generation gets focused on? 

I was able to find the most solid information on g1 non-us ponies. However, I'm totally happy to receive ponies from any of the generations. I can tell you that I create stories with my g1s, I don't have any g2s yet, I use g3s to reflect parts of my life, and my favorite g4s are characters who are key to FiM. 

Favorite or Army ponies?

I collect Rarity and Fluttershy. My favorite ponies from other gens are Princess Serena (g1), Princess Silver Swirl (g2) and Desert Blossom (g3). 

If you have a choice, do you prefer g3 / g4 MIB or opened so there's room for more goodies in the box?

Nine chances outta ten, unless I already have Rarity, Fluttershy or Desert Blossom loose in whatever version is being sent, the first thing I'm gonna do to that MIB pony is open it up. I generally prefer loose ponies and I don't have a ton of space. 

Do any of the ponies you are listing have special meaning to you that you would like to share? 

I have included notes on anything that has meaning, that I like for a specific reason, etc.

Sweets & Treats:

Sweet & Treats preferences (likes / dislikes) (do you want chocolate, candies, chips / cheesies, cookies, etc. What are your flavor preferences?)

Chocolate: I like milk and white chocolate. I'm neutral on dark chocolate. I love anything that mixes chocolate with peanut butter or hazelnut. I like chocolate mixed with peanuts and almonds. I like chocolate with caramel as long as it's soft, rather than really sticky or chewy. I like chocolate used in combination with cookies, wafer, etc.

Dislikes: Anything that has really sticky, chewy filling. Anything is filled with coconut. (Love the smell, hate the taste and texture.) Anything filled with stuff that's really hard when bitten into. (We have a bar over her called Skor that's like that.)

Candy: I like fruit candies (skittles, starburst, jelly beans). I love candies that have flavor in the center (gushers, Maynard's juicy sqirts), I like cinnamon candy as long as it's not tearjerker hot.

Dislikes: Black licorice, anything intensely hot, anything extremely sour. 

Chips / Cheesies: I'll try pretty much any flavor that isn't really, really hot or overly smokey. I like regular chips, wavy chips, kettle chips and cheesies. I also like pretzels (regular or flavored) and many types of flavored crackers (Cheese or Peanut Butter Ritz, wheat thins, Triscuits, etc.)

Dislikes: Anything extremely hot, spicy, or smokey. Xtreme BBQ, Sweet Chili Heat, anything Jhalepino? I'll pass. 

Cookies: I like most types of cookies. I particularly love soft, chewy ones, ones that have filling in the middle, or ones that involve peanut butter or chocolate.

Dislikes: I don't think I've tried any cookies I've -hated-... But I don't care for really hard cookies, ones that have sticky fruit stuff on top and filling in the middle, or plain digestives. They're not on the same level as the 'dislikes' in the other categories, but I may as well list them.

Do you have any allergies?

No allergies here.

Do you like coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cuppacino? 

I love tea and hot chocolate. I tend to use bagged tea, not loose. (I don't have the right kinda tea maker.)

Would you have any interest in a mug / cup / travel mug? 

I collect unique mugs, cups and travel mugs, so a new one is always welcome.

About Cultural / Iconic Items:

What kinds of local souvenirs would interest you? (Music, keychains, stickers, post cards, notebooks / pens / bookmarks, small plush, Canadian written book / book about this area (I'd need genre preferences for the former), pamphlets for key tourist attractions, photos from my area, menus, tickets, etc. from local venues?, Canadian themed stamps, samples of Canadian coins (nickel, dime, quarter, loony, twoney) 

I collect coloring books, keychains, stickers, mugs, plushies and dolls. I love to read and spend a good amount of time with my iPod. Seeing photography, post cards, brochures, etc. from other places is something I've found interesting since childhood. It can also be useful if I ever use an area when writing.

Would you be interested in images with recipes...?

I'm not really a cook, but I find learning about food in other places really interesting. What we eat in various parts of the world is a large part of what makes different places unique.

Random:

Do you want the extras to focus purely on things from UK culture, or is it okay to mix in things I think you might find fun?

I'm totally fine either way. One thought that came to me this afternoon was that even if we send things for other interests or collections, it will likely be different then what is available locally anyway.

Do you collect anything other than MLP / have any non-MLP hobbies I should be aware of? I may or may not be able to incorporate them into the box. 

I like Sailor Moon, Monster High, InuYasha, DC and Marvel Comics, gaming merchandise, pokemon figures and plushies, Jem, He-Man, She-Ra, Thundercats and Zelfs. One thing I've never listed on here is collecting Harry Potter stuff; I'd be silly not to mention that now.

Do you like items that are home made? 

Absolutely! I'm always flattered (and often amazed!) when people take the time to make something for me.

Would you prefer your box's wrapping, decor, etc. to reflect your personal interests and favorite colors, or icons, themes and colors that reflect the UK?

I'm fine either way. Decorate the box / presents / etc. whatever way you find the most fun. :)

Have you done a cross country swap with someone from the UK before? Are there any UK goodies that you enjoyed in the past and would like to get again?

This will be my first time swapping outside of North America. I did mention my aunt and grandma sending each other stuff, but that was chocolate, face cream, etc. I didn't pay much attention. 

Do you want the outside of your box decorated or left plain? Or are you neutral? 

Do whatever works for you. :) Nine chances outta ten the box you send me will get sent to the drugstore downtown and I will pick it up there. We have a community mailbox, so most parcels don't come directly to my home. 

MLP Arena Easter Swap Wishlist

Well, it looks like I'm participating in my very first pony related swap! :) This swap is Easter themed, so I decided to go with a bit different color scheme then I normally do here. Below you will find my wishlist, a repeat of my preferences (originally posted on the MLP Arena Easter Swap Thread) and the answers to any questions that get asked throughout the swap. (They'll also be on the thread, but I'll put them here too for convenience.)

Let's get this started! :)

G1

Narrowing this down was hard...

Minty

Butterscotch

Applejack

Glory

Moondancer

Posey

Medley

Fizzy

Coco Berry

Princess Primrose

Baby Paws

Chatterbox (Sweet Talkin' Pony: Pink)

G2

I like G2 but don't know much about it...

Clever Clover

Ivy

Sundance

Sky Skimmer

G3

Like G1, narrowing this was a challenge...

Soda Float

Butter Pop

Desert Blossom

Coconut Cream

Coconut Grove

Tea Leaf

Tea Lily

Banjo Blue

Applejack

Marshmallow Coco

Morning Monarch

Silver Rain

Seascape

Flippity Flop

G4

This was actually one of the gens where I had trouble coming up with ponies!

Rarity (Any except Water Cuties & Styling Strands)

Fluttershy (Any but Breezie set & Styling Strands)

Applebloom

Sweetie Belle

Scootaloo

Sunset Shimmer

(Glittery) Wysteria

Nurse Redheart

Trixie

Photo Finish

Princess Celestia

Princess Luna

Q: Do you have any allergies?

A: No. Nothing to worry about there. :)

Q: What are your favorite fragrance and candy / sweets likes & dislikes?

A: Smells I love include: coconut, fruits & berries (watermelon, strawberry and peach are all great), vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon. I don't mind floral scents as long as they aren't incredibly strong.

As for candy and sweets: My favorite combinations are peanut butter x chocolate and hazelnut x chocolate. I adore jelly beans, m&ms, jolly ranchers, Maynard's Juicy Squirts (though they've been a pain to find recently.) and dark side skittles. My favorite Easter specific candy is Cadbury Mini Eggs, though I've meant to try a Butterfinger Egg at some point. I also adore anything with white chocolate. (I love candy. Can you tell?) 

I don't like: Anything with black licorice. I love the smell of coconut, but hate its taste and texture. Candies that involve really sticky fillings like toffee or chewy caramel are usually a pass. Anything super sour or really spicy / hot probably isn't for me, either. 

Q: What are your bobbies?

A: I am an aspiring novelist. (Fantasy & paranormal romance). I love to read and am slowly transitioning my collection from book shelves to my Kindle Paperwhite. (Then the ponies can have the shelves!) I love video games--especially RPGs. I'm subscribed to Arcade Block, a monthly service that sends out video game themed collectibles. I am an avid tea drinker who loves unique mugs. I like to color, so I'm always looking for art supplies and interesting new books to work my way through. I find it a good way to relax when I have writer's block. 

Q: Do you have any pets?

A: I have two little dogs (Coco and Maggie) and a chinchilla (Daisy). Unfortunately, Coco has many allergies and I have to be very careful what I feed him. Maggie will eat anything, though! (Sometimes that can be scary! She ate the adapter for a Wii U Gamepad once!)

Q: Do you collect anything else? 

A: Mugs, keychains, stickers, coloring books, various blind bags, dolls, and plushies. I like Disney Princesses (fav. char: Belle), Monster High (fav. char: Ghoulia), Hello Kitty, MLP (of course), Ninja Turtles, anything gaming related (especially Final Fantasy, Zelda, Pokemon (Shaymin, Pikachu, Eevee) or Mario), Sailor Moon (fav. char: Jupiter), InuYasha (fav char: Naraku), DC Comics in general (fav. char:. Poison Ivy), Marvel comics in general (fav. char: Thor) and any of the cartoons I grew up with: He-Man, She-Ra, ThunderCats and Jem. The latest things I've wanted to try / check out are Zelfs (most wanted: Catsby, Howlette, Webina, Jack Snap, L'il D) and Shopkins, but neither of these seem to want to show up here.

Q: What are your favorite colors?

A: Pink, blue, purple and green. Either bright tones or pastels work fine with these. There really isn't a color I don't like, though, unless its all muddy and washed out or something. (I loved Rarity's "camo" outfit during "Dragon Quest". I sat there thinking "Yep, that would be me.") I also love anything with animal print or glitter.

Q: Anything else that might help out your partner?

A: I think I've mostly covered it. I've tried to give both broad and specific ideas so that this can be as easy or challenging as someone wants it to be. I certainly don't wanna be that person who is impossible to shop for. :) One thing I can tell you is that I'm generally not a jewelry or hair clips kinda person. I have bad vision and limited use of my right hand which makes stuff like chokers, earrings, bracelets and brettes become items I only use on very rare occasion. 

Q: What Flaws Are / Aren't Acceptable To You?

A: For the most part, if a pony looks nice I'm going to be happy with it. I realize that these were designed and intended to be children's toys, so they aren't necessarily going to be perfect. I am in the absolute infancy of collecting ponies, so I'm certainly not trying to get them new in box. 

On the other hand, I'd rather avoid anything that has "cancer" (I've heard it can spread?), or that rattles (had a pony from a flea market that did that and I ended up sending it back in a bag with a bunch of stuff. May sound silly, but for some reason that weirded me out.) To be clear: I'm pretty sure no one would send something with either of these issues, but they're things I would rather avoid, so I listed them anyway. 

I don't mind if something has had a slight trim, or if certain hair colors are not as vibrant as they once were. (If memory serves me, pale pink is rather prone to this?) Note: I would *prefer* that Posey have pink hair, I'm not as worried about Coco Berry. The difference lies entirely in reasons I'm listing them. (Posey reminds me of Fluttershy; Coco Berry is a reference to my dog, who is a pigmented albino--white fur pink skin. So the pink to white ratio isn't *as* vital there.)

The short version: I've watched a lot of swap threads and never seen a pony arrive in a condition I would find unacceptable (unless it was bait deliberately sent for customizing). So overall, I'm not too worried here. :) 

Q: Would you be happy to receive one or two expensive items from your list, or lots of little items?

A: I will be happy either way. I'm still learning the value of all the different ponies, so I'm willing to trust that whoever gets my name will make me a nice box. Again: I haven't seen any in the threads I've looked at where they weren't well done, so I'm not even remotely worried.

Q: Would you like a custom as part of your box? 

A: There are some extremely talented people here at the Arena. If someone chooses to include something he or she made, that's wonderful. The best part of doing a swap is the fact that I get a box from someone else with things they chose for me. If someone wants to make something, I think that's incredibly thoughtful. :)

I will add Q&A for any additional questions that get asked during the swap here. Might as well keep everything in one convenient place. :) 

***

Okay! I've triple checked the names of all the ponies. I've made sure all my Q&A make sense. Time to send this off and then get it linked in my Arena sig and on the Easter Swap thread. :)

Journal: My Pony-tastic Birthday Shopping Spree!

*This was originally posted as a brag thread at My Little Pony Arena

Today I got to spend the day shopping in the city (Kingston) and had lunch with my parents. I saved up money (some my own, some birthday funds) and went a little pony-crazy.

There were several stores that I wanted to go to originally: Claire's, Spencer's, Target, Neat Things, Toys R Us, and WalMart. (Plus Penningtons for clothes, but that's not what we're here for. I *did* get a beautiful leather jacket, a nice green and white shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans with neat designs on them there, though.) Moving along...

I decided that the first stop I would make in the mall was Claire's and that turned out to be a good idea:

This bag actually managed to surprise me twice. I was initally drawn to it because it was glittery and MLP. Then I found out that it was 50% off, securing it's purchase. Because of the rainbow colors, I automatically assumed the bag had Rainbow Dash on it. Imagine my shock when I pulled it out at home and realized that Rarity was on the front!! That made me even happier that I'd bought it.

Claire's also had three plushies in stock: Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. I decided to get Rarity and Fluttershy since I want to collect various things that have them on it. I got another amazing deal: I only paid $6 for Fluttershy! I don't know why Rarity wasn't on sale, but considering I saved $12 on the bag and $6 on Fluttershy I didn't feel too guilty about splurging on her.

Over at Target, all the MLP stuff was on sale for 20% off since they are pulling outta Canada. This is where the bulk of my spending took place. To put it in perspective: I didn't go anywhere outside the mall. The only other place I bought pony stuff after this was over at Neat Things, and we'll get to that.

 

I've been told, if you're going to collect G4 you have to accept that you're going to have a lot of Pinkie Pies. Well, I didn't have one yet and this set came with two ponies so it seemed like a pretty good deal to me. I would far rather have found a brushable Celestia or Luna, but I suppose Princess Gold Lily will do for now.

I'm so glad Jay didn't send these. They were $15 each on Amazon.ca and I got them for $10. i really love the designs on the legs of the Cutie Mark Magic ponies, so when I had a choice between this Fluttershy or the Friendship Charm Wings one. I had a lot of ponies I wanted, so i picked my favorite. (I like her normal wings better, especially with the design work--kinda reminds me of Ringlet.) Plus, the Breezies are cute and I now have a Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy done in this style.

Speaking of Rainbow Dash, here she is. I wish they'd had more of the regular CMM ponies. It would have been much kinder on my wallet, even with the 20% off sale on all of this stuff. I'm just starting, so there are a LOT of characters i want or need. Anyway, I think the CMM designs look great on Rainbow Dash, especially since the designers don't really go for full show accuracy with her anyway. (Which is fine, imo: pony lovers like to style hair. I'll get my accuracy fix by getting her Funko Vinyl.)

Honey Rays isn't learning how to shave. I promise! How the heck did that slip by me when I was taking pictures?! Anyway, I got her this way since this is the way she comes. I'll be able to see if I like the way these wings work if I decide to ppen her package up. (More likey -when-. I buy my ponies to be enjoyed outta the box. That Rarity bag is to hold any little pony accessories, actually.)

I went out today figuring that I would likely find Water Cutie Rarity, and I did. I went out hoping I would find Diamond Mint. (I was actually hoping I'd find a couple: I know people are looking for her.) She was on a different shelf but I somehow spotted her and it was quite a juggling act making sure I did not set her down again. At first I wasn't going to get Pinkie since I was getting her with Gold Lily. But as I went through all the ponies and chose what I was getting, that one lone Pinkie Pie Water Cutie kept staring at me. I was taking the other two and for whatever reason I could not leave her there by herself.

This one is not MLP, but I did get her at Target (I paid $14 Canadian!! Wow!) I love Elissabat's colors. She reminds me of my World of Warcraft character for some reason. Monster High has expanded far to much for me to keep up with it, so I don't collect it nearly as aggressively as I first planned to. But I love getting the occasional doll, and I think Elissabat will make a nice addition to my doll shelf.

And now, at least, we come to my Neat Things purchases. Here they are:

The can of Cherry Fizz Rainbow Dash pop was obscenely expensive at $5 + tax, but it has a story attached to it. I had gone to the back and found the Applejack plush ($10) and decided I would get her since I hadn't found anything else Applejack related and the price seemed fair. When I got to the counter, the cashier had his little brother with him and as it turned out he was into FiM. So I stood there talking to the two of them since the store wasn't busy. The little guy pointed out the drink and was all excited about it. Since the kid was only 7 or 8, I wasn't going to just walk outta there and not get it. $5 to make him feel he "helped" was money well spent. For anyone curious, the drink reminds me of Mountain Dew Code Red, which I love. (And can't find up here for some reason.) It's too pricey to be a substitute for that, but was fun to buy once.

And now, at last, we get to the elephant (err, Rarity...) in the room. I saw her when I bought Applejack and my drink, but I'd just spent nearly $100 at Target. I had lunch (Taco Bell) and then decided I would rather buy her than go to TRU since I'd already spent a good chunk of change on MLP stuff today. And she is every bit as massive and amazing as she appears. They had her and Applejack in this size, but since it's Rarity and Fluttershy I collect, the choice wasn't too difficult.

Anyway, that sums up my totally awesome Valentines and Birthday gifts, and my amazing day of shopping.

What did I "learn"? (I can't resist...)

1. I'm a sucker ponies "pleading looks" from the toy shelf. I absolutely couldn't bring myself to abandon that Pinkie Pie. I'll have to be aware of this in the future.

2. I'm not as crazy about the POP ponies as I thought I would be. I still want their playsets since (if I understand right) they'll work with 3" ponies, but it's brushables I want as my actual "play" ponies.

3. I love plushies. Oh wait, I knew that already.

So, yeah. If it wasn't completely obvious, I had a totally amazing birthday!! I got tons of awesome pony stuff, had Taco Bell for lunch (I'm addicted to the Cheesy Gordita Crunch) and got a beautiful leather coat from my parents. How awesome is that? :D 

Journal: My Little Valentines Day (2015)

*This was originally posted on the Brag Arena over at My Little Pony Arena. The date listed her reflects when I received the gifts.

Valentines Day was last Saturday, and then my birthday was on the 16th. My boyfriend, Jay, knows I've gotten very into MLP. He watches Friendship is Magic with me. (We're actually watching the series together and don't watch ahead of each other. Since I only discovered it in January, and he works, we're still only half way through season 2.) Anyway... We decided to get each other a variety of gifts for Valentines, so of course my gift box had a few pony items in it.

Twilight Sparkle may not be my favorite character, but we definitely share a few quirks. Jay got me the Friendship is MAgic Official Guidebook since I collect books on pretty much any subject that interests me. I quite like this one. It has some interesting interviews, lots of good artwork, song lyrics and is well made.

The next things that I received were the Cutie Mark Crusader Doodle Book and a 96 pack of crayola Crayons. I love coloring and activity books. I like to use them as a way to untangle my thoughts when I am working on plotting or revising my novels. So when I saw this I knew I had to have it, and it's better in every way than I could have expected. I haven't started it yet--I'm trying to decide whether crayon is the medium I want to use--but I can't wait to get going.

The only pony Jay and I agree on is Fluttershy. She is our favorite overall. (Talking strictly FiM main characters here.) So when I saw this adorable Styling Strands version and put it on my birthday list, I was fairly sure it would be among the things I got. I was right.

And then there is Rarity, who is dead last for Jay and nearly tied with Fluttershy for me. I had listed the Rarity Styling Strands but figured he would not get two of them. (They're $22 on Amazon.ca). But when the box with Fluttershy came it was massive and that's because Rarity was in there two. Jay said he "Didn't want Fluttershy to make the journey alone."

And here they are together, freed from the confines of their plastic prisons. So cute! They're friends on the show and now they can be friends on my shelf, too. :) I think it's pretty awesome that my first two ponies, the very beginnings of a hobby I'm really growing to love more with each passing day, were a gift from one of the people I love most. <3 How beautiful is that? :)