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Secret Santa XIII - Unlucky for some but not for us


HexMachina
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It is that time of the year again, to sign up for the ASOIAF world-wide Secret Santa.

As a way of getting to know each other better and bringing us closer together, every year for the past 11 years we have had a Secret Santa "game" here at Westeros. It has been a great deal of fun, and I am proud to once again host it.

You do not need to celebrate Christmas to participate.

We do have a $50 US gift amount. Please be mindful that this doesn't include shipping. I highly recommend using a site such as Amazon to ship the gifts, as postage can be very expensive.

I say this every year, but it needs to be said again:  PLEASE ONLY SIGN UP IF YOU ARE SURE YOU CAN PARTICIPATE!  You have about a month to decide. 

You can see how previous years worked here and here and here and here

It works like this:

1) Sign up ASAP;  Answer at least one of the questionnaires either in the thread or send to me privately;  PM me your address, even if you have played before. Unless I have permission, I do not keep your addresses from year to year. 

2) Nov 20: I will use random.org to assign you a giftee; secretly find out everything you can about your giftee (questionnaire, reading their posts, etc); Buy gift(s);  Ship before Dec 1 (I will post shipping deadlines provided by the US Postal Service and others); PM me when you ship (I'm pretty anal about keeping track of things

3) Receive your gift--try to guess who it is from; Post in the thread about, even if you don't open it until Christmas, so your Santa doesn't worry that the gift was lost (this has happened, gifts have even been stolen, but Amazon replaced the stolen ones, another reason to use their service) or just PM me that your gift has arrived

The Santas:

@rocksniffer

@Fragile Bird

@Lany Freelove Cassandra

@Tywin et al.

@Lily Valley

@Mlle. Zabzie

@KiDisaster

@honeyed chicken - please confirm you would like to participate or not

Edited by HelenaExMachina
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hipping is at an all time high, so I have a list of links of places you can order from in various countries (you do not have to use these, it is just an extra thing I thought might help). If you know of any good sites for specific countries let me know and I will add them to the list.

US:  https://www.amazon.com/

Australia: http://shopping.kadaza.com.au/

 

Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/

http://www.shop.ca/

 

Germany: http://www.amazon.de/

 

Great Britian: http://www.amazon.co.uk/

 

India: http://shopping.rediff.com/shopping/index.html

http://www.homeshop18.com/

http://www.flipkart.com/

http://www.amazon.in/

For the best Geeky Gifts, two of my favorite sites ;) 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/

http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/

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Questionnaire: Favorite Type of Food (i.e. Italian, Mexican, McDonald's, Burger King, etc):

Favorite Scent (i.e. Fruity, Vanilla, Flowery, etc):
Favorite Hobby (i.e. Scrap booking, Photography, things you collect, etc):
Favorite books or types (romance, true store, mystery or just one you would like):
Favorite animal:
Favorite movies or types (romance, comedy or just a DVD/VHS you would like):
Favorite Music Artist/Type or a CD you would like:
Do you collect anything?
Is there anything (not expensive) you want or need?

What is your favorite:


a. Color?
b. Type of candy? 
c. Type of munchie?
d. Puzzle to do?

Do you collect anything for Christmas? (i.e. certain types of ornaments, nativities, snowmen...etc.) .

What type of hobbies do you have?

If you were going to theme Christmas with just one word... what would it be?

Big family Christmas with everyone down to 2nd cousins...or just immediate family in their jammies?

Favorite Christmas movie and why?

Religious or non-religious Christmas/Chaunaka/

If you could spend Christmas in any one of these places, which one would you choose and why:
a. A beach on a tropical island just a few very close family or friends, be lazy and open presents and then have a non traditional dinner including Pina Coladas and BBQ shrimp, wearing swimsuits, Bermuda shorts and tank tops
b. Tiny cabin in the woods, fire going, very rustic, warm and cozy with your close family and friends, wearing jeans and sweaters.
c. Biltmore Estates, full regalia, all glitter and glitz, all your close family and friends, wearing black tie and velvet
d. NYC Christmas, Park Avenue, last minute hustle and bustle, haute couture with a 4 course meal and champagne with 50 of your favorite people. Wearing, of course. the latest fashion favorites.

Favorite Christmas music

What is your Christmas morning like"

a. chaotic
b. slow and relaxed
c. organized, but fast paced
d. "Christmas is HOW SOON???!!!!"
e. all of the above.

Name something you want but will never buy for yourself, just because you cannot see yourself being that flamboyant.

What sizes do you wear (optional answer if you would prefer to not have clothing)

What colors are in your home:


What style is your home decorated in? (i.e. ethnic, country, southwestern...etc

Anything else your SS should know about you?

 

Do you have any wish lists?

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Please complete the questionnaire and PM your address ASAP, as I have left things late so time is pressing for people to shop and ship!

(though i note most are US, i think only Birdie isn't...so shipping might not be too problematic)

 

Alternatively to the questionnaire, please post something brief describing yourself and the kind of things you like to give your Santa some ideas :) 

Happy gifting! 

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i'm in

questionnaire to follow...although anything local to your space is fine with me...foods, spices, maps, rocks

i will also say i am collecting hardback copies of ice and fire...i got dance and feast so far

 

eta: @HelenaExMachina you need to pin this in place of the one from last year...in my opinion ;)

 

Edited by rocksniffer
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On 11/18/2018 at 4:56 AM, rocksniffer said:

i'm in

questionnaire to follow...although anything local to your space is fine with me...foods, spices, maps, rocks

i will also say i am collecting hardback copies of ice and fire...i got dance and feast so far

 

eta: @HelenaExMachina you need to pin this in place of the one from last year...in my opinion ;)

 

I asked someone to pin it earlier , hopefully be done later today.

Your post reminded me that Fire and Blood is released tomorrow which may prove a good gift idea for some people.

 

Consider this a bump and reminder to get addresses and questionnaires in by this weekend

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Favorite Scent (i.e. Fruity, Vanilla, Flowery, etc): I don’t like most,
Favorite Hobby (i.e. Scrap booking, Photography, things you collect, etc): I’ve taken up painting. Trying out different mediums still. 
Favorite books or types (romance, true store, mystery or just one you would like): I like a wide variety. I have a Goodreads page that includes everything I read, even the crap stuff :P 
Favorite animal: cat or owl
Favorite movies or types (romance, comedy or just a DVD/VHS you would like): again, I like a variety.
Favorite Music Artist/Type or a CD you would like:
Do you collect anything? GoT figures, but I think I have them all now
Is there anything (not expensive) you want or need? Not really

What is your favorite:


a. Color?
b. Type of candy? 
c. Type of munchie?
d. Puzzle to do?

Do you collect anything for Christmas? (i.e. certain types of ornaments, nativities, snowmen...etc.) .

What type of hobbies do you have?

If you were going to theme Christmas with just one word... what would it be?

Big family Christmas with everyone down to 2nd cousins...or just immediate family in their jammies?

Favorite Christmas movie and why?

Religious or non-religious Christmas/Chaunaka/

If you could spend Christmas in any one of these places, which one would you choose and why:
a. A beach on a tropical island just a few very close family or friends, be lazy and open presents and then have a non traditional dinner including Pina Coladas and BBQ shrimp, wearing swimsuits, Bermuda shorts and tank tops
b. Tiny cabin in the woods, fire going, very rustic, warm and cozy with your close family and friends, wearing jeans and sweaters.
c. Biltmore Estates, full regalia, all glitter and glitz, all your close family and friends, wearing black tie and velvet
d. NYC Christmas, Park Avenue, last minute hustle and bustle, haute couture with a 4 course meal and champagne with 50 of your favorite people. Wearing, of course. the latest fashion favorites.

Favorite Christmas music

What is your Christmas morning like"


a. chaotic
b. slow and relaxed
c. organized, but fast paced
d. "Christmas is HOW SOON???!!!!"
e. all of the above.

Name something you want but will never buy for yourself, just because you cannot see yourself being that flamboyant.

What sizes do you wear (optional answer if you would prefer to not have clothing)

What colors are in your home:


What style is your home decorated in? (i.e. ethnic, country, southwestern...etc

Anything else your SS should know about you?

 

Do you have any wish lists?

Forget all that, let me make it simple:  I’m very picky about scented things so better to skip those. I don’t like fish, beer, wine or coffee, in fact I rarely drink any alcohol and we have all the movies and CDs we want. 

Feel free to check out my Goodreads page for book ideas. (I think it has my maiden name and last name hyphenated “Miller-“

I've taken up painting...not very good at it, and still experimenting with various mediums.

But what I really want is something regional (from your area!). Doesn’t matter much what it is (taking into account my dislikes above).  Easy-peasy.

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On 11/20/2018 at 9:53 AM, Lany Freelove Cassandra said:

Favorite Scent (i.e. Fruity, Vanilla, Flowery, etc): I don’t like most,
Favorite Hobby (i.e. Scrap booking, Photography, things you collect, etc): I’ve taken up painting. Trying out different mediums still. 
Favorite books or types (romance, true store, mystery or just one you would like): I like a wide variety. I have a Goodreads page that includes everything I read, even the crap stuff :P 
Favorite animal: cat or owl
Favorite movies or types (romance, comedy or just a DVD/VHS you would like): again, I like a variety.
Favorite Music Artist/Type or a CD you would like:
Do you collect anything? GoT figures, but I think I have them all now
Is there anything (not expensive) you want or need? Not really

What is your favorite:


a. Color?
b. Type of candy? 
c. Type of munchie?
d. Puzzle to do?

Do you collect anything for Christmas? (i.e. certain types of ornaments, nativities, snowmen...etc.) .

What type of hobbies do you have?

If you were going to theme Christmas with just one word... what would it be?

Big family Christmas with everyone down to 2nd cousins...or just immediate family in their jammies?

Favorite Christmas movie and why?

Religious or non-religious Christmas/Chaunaka/

If you could spend Christmas in any one of these places, which one would you choose and why:
a. A beach on a tropical island just a few very close family or friends, be lazy and open presents and then have a non traditional dinner including Pina Coladas and BBQ shrimp, wearing swimsuits, Bermuda shorts and tank tops
b. Tiny cabin in the woods, fire going, very rustic, warm and cozy with your close family and friends, wearing jeans and sweaters.
c. Biltmore Estates, full regalia, all glitter and glitz, all your close family and friends, wearing black tie and velvet
d. NYC Christmas, Park Avenue, last minute hustle and bustle, haute couture with a 4 course meal and champagne with 50 of your favorite people. Wearing, of course. the latest fashion favorites.

Favorite Christmas music

What is your Christmas morning like"


a. chaotic
b. slow and relaxed
c. organized, but fast paced
d. "Christmas is HOW SOON???!!!!"
e. all of the above.

Name something you want but will never buy for yourself, just because you cannot see yourself being that flamboyant.

What sizes do you wear (optional answer if you would prefer to not have clothing)

What colors are in your home:


What style is your home decorated in? (i.e. ethnic, country, southwestern...etc

Anything else your SS should know about you?

 

Do you have any wish lists?

Forget all that, let me make it simple:  I’m very picky about scented things so better to skip those. I don’t like fish, beer, wine or coffee, in fact I rarely drink any alcohol and we have all the movies and CDs we want. 

Feel free to check out my Goodreads page for book ideas. (I think it has my maiden name and last name hyphenated “Miller-“

I've taken up painting...not very good at it, and still experimenting with various mediums.

But what I really want is something regional (from your area!). Doesn’t matter much what it is (taking into account my dislikes above).  Easy-peasy.

This was my biggest mistake when I did prior SS. I should have asked for regional gifts. Those are so awesome!!! I love seeing what people get. Now that we are in a different state where my mail has never been stolen I can participate again next year. 

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11 hours ago, Lady Olenna said:

This was my biggest mistake when I did prior SS. I should have asked for regional gifts. Those are so awesome!!! I love seeing what people get. Now that we are in a different state where my mail has never been stolen I can participate again next year. 

:( No Lady O this year? Say it ain't so! 

 

Still need details from @Tywin et al. @Mlle. ZabzieZabzieZabzieZabzieZZabzieZabzieZabzi @Fragile Bird and @rocksniffer

 

(Sorry about the Zabzie thing my phone is being odd)

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On 11/22/2018 at 4:48 AM, HelenaExMachina said:

:( No Lady O this year? Say it ain't so! 

 

Still need details from @Tywin et al. @Mlle. ZabzieZabzieZabzieZabzieZZabzieZabzieZabzi @Fragile Bird and @rocksniffer

 

(Sorry about the Zabzie thing my phone is being odd)

Are we still doing this with the low participation rate? 

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A family emergency has my Uncle out of sate and tied up at the moment, however he told me to post that he also is partial to local/regional gifts. I happen to know that local maps, rocks and artisan gifts, even homemade gifts are more important to him than anything else. Things like local spices are prized by Sniffer who does most of the cooking in our world. He also loves local candies & savory foods and other such items that can be safely shipped.

@HelenaExMachina I will PM you his address.

ETA: I see he had me repeat his original post I should have just copied it. Oh well, twice done is well done! :P

Edited by She who must be Obeyed
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Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. I want to echo the sentiments of Lany & Lady O up above. The best kind of gift to me is one that represents what you love about where you're from. Regional gifts are awesome. With that said, here's my questionnaire: 

Are you over 18? Yes.


Are you willing to ship internationally? Yes.


Favorite Type of Food (i.e. Italian, Mexican, McDonald's, Burger King, etc): Indian, Jamaican, Chinese


Favorite Candy (things that won't melt or go bad in mail) : Not much of a candy person aside from chocolate which, of course, melts. 


Favorite Scent (i.e. Fruity, Vanilla, Flowery, etc): Um...fresh & clean? 


Favorite Hobby (i.e. Scrap booking, Photography, things you collect, etc): Board games & video games, trying new craft beers. 


Favorite books or types (romance, true store, mystery or just one you would like): Fantasy & Sci-Fi. Historical fiction is also very cool. 


Favorite animal: Dragonflies, otters, birds. 


Favorite movies or types (romance, comedy or just a DVD/VHS you would like): I like pretty much all kinds of movies. Most partial to dramas I suppose.


Favorite Color : Green


Favorite Music Artist/Type or a CD you would like: Coheed & Cambria is my favorite band, but my taste in music is pretty wide. I don't really like metal or country but other than that. 


Do you collect anything? Nope, not really. 


Is there anything (not expensive) you want or need? One can always use more socks. 


Anything else you would like your SS to know about you: I'm gonna love anything you decide to send me so don't even worry about it :) Also I'm allergic to mango just in case that crops up for any reason. 


Questionnaire 2
2. What is your favorite:

a. Color? Green
b. Type of candy? Chocolate
c. Type of munchie? Pretzels
d. Puzzle to do? Logic puzzles. 

3. Do you collect anything for Christmas? (i.e. certain types of ornaments, nativities, snowmen...etc.): Nope, not really. 

4. What type of hobbies do you have? I play video games and board games quite a bit, listen to audiobooks. I enjoy cooking and baking. 


5. If you were going to theme Christmas with just one word... what would it be? Madness. 

6. Big family Christmas with everyone down to 2nd cousins...or just immediate family in their jammies? The latter is better, but it's almost always the former. 


7. Favorite Christmas movie and why? A Christmas Story because it's A Christmas Story. 

8. Religious or non-religious Christmas/Chaunaka/: Non-religious. 

9. If you could spend Christmas in any one of these places, which one would you choose and why:
a. A beach on a tropical island just a few very close family or friends, be lazy and open presents and then have a non traditional dinner including Pina Coladas and BBQ shrimp, wearing swimsuits, Bermuda shorts and tank tops
b. Tiny cabin in the woods, fire going, very rustic, warm and cozy with your close family and friends, wearing jeans and sweaters.
c. Biltmore Estates, full regalia, all glitter and glitz, all your close family and friends, wearing black tie and velvet
d. NYC Christmas, Park Avenue, last minute hustle and bustle, haute couture with a 4 course meal and champagne with 50 of your favorite people. Wearing, of course. the latest fashion favorites.

B sounds pretty great. 

10. Favorite Christmas music
Old Blue Eyes. 

11. What is your Christmas morning like

a. chaotic
b. slow and relaxed
c. organized, but fast paced
d. "Christmas is HOW SOON???!!!!"
e. all of the above.
 
A, always A. 

12. Name something you want but will never buy for yourself, just because you cannot see yourself being that flamboyant: Can't think of anything that fits this description. 

13. What sizes do you wear (optional answer if you would prefer to not have clothing)
clothes: XL for shirts. 

14. What colors are in your:
a. Bedroom?
White, blue, grey. 
b: kitchen?
White
c. living room?
White, brown
15. What style is your home decorated in? (i.e. ethnic, country, southwestern...etc)
None in particular. 
 
Anything else your SS should know about you? Answered up top :) 

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Ok, I am finally being forced to sit still at a pedicure so I will try to answer the survey, more or less. Don’t know how to copy on my phone. I will add stuff as I go back and forth looking at surveys.

I was going to say, you can send some candy but not too much. All stuff welcome. One packet only, Christmas is too full of sweets. You don’t need to send candy at all.

I will ship overseas, absolutely. Your package will probably be late.

I’m 64, but as goofy as any kid.

My hobbies are knitting, reading, walking and playing Pokémon Go. A knitting pattern for a shawl that your mom/granny/auntie or you like to make? I knit stuff for our church knitting ministry, which we hand out to the sick. Lots of people have patterns that they make over and over because they are easy or nice.

Something cute from Pokémon? All kinds of cute little items out there.

Local, regional stuff works. I live alone so do all the cooking. A spice and a recipe?

I drink tea. So does rocksniffer, btw. A tea you like? I’d be willing to try it!

A Christmas ornament. I’ll put it on the tree!

A Terry Pratchett book from a certain series, used is ok. I will list the ones I have later today. There is a hardcover series produced by a publisher not available here so when I go to the UK, or Worldcon, I pick up volumes.

Any cookbook from the Great British Baking show. That could be the entire gift!

My fav color is blue. My house is decorated in basic chaos style.

I love mystery novels (try the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, it’s great!) I also love audiobooks. Find a used cd set of something interesting!

More later...

 

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