FABULOUS FRIEND FRIDAY IS BACK!!!!!!!

Introducing...

....drum roll please....

Thoris Designs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Hello Dejah :) Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us about YOU!

I’m a crafty pirate extraordinaire. When I’m not painting, sculpting, knitting, sewing or drawing, I’m probably playing video games or figuring out how to make a new kind of scone. I love to cook and make up all kinds of recipes all the time. It’s one of my favorite things. The next best is feeding it to people.

I’ve got two beautiful children that do their best to drive me bananas, but that’s as it should be, I suppose. You can see my daughter modeling a number of items in my shop and I’ll be getting my son to do some soon.

I’m in love with everything frilly and girlie. As soon as I get my sewing machine I’ll be opening another shop to house all the clothes I want to sell, mostly focusing on costume like pieces for kids, but I want to be making ruffled, Victorian inspired clothing with a modern flare also. Expect giant purses and nifty clutches that you don’t actually have to clutch.

 Music is always in my life. I don’t even include it as one my favorite things in most cases because that’s a given. Like I don’t have to tell people I breathe I don’t tell them I love music. I have to have it when I’m working, especially when I’m doing work on the computer. Without it I get completely distracted and can’t focus.

 

2. What are your Etsy shop & Blog called? Where did that name come from?

My Etsy shop is Thoris Designs and is located at http://thorisdesigns.etsy.com. My blog, which features items in my shop, recipes I’ve made up, reviews for others I’ve tried, and anything else I’d like to blog about, is located at http://thorisdesigns.blogspot.com. I should really write for it more, but sometimes my computer access is limited. The name Thoris came from an association with my first name. My mom named me for a princess from a science fiction series called John Carter of Mars written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. He’s also famous for writing Tarzan. Dejah Thoris was a princess of Mars and married John Carter. Thoris Designs was born.

3. What was the last treasure that arrived in your mail?

The last thing I bought was from http://dennisanderson.etsy.com. A bar of Once Upon a Blue Moon Beer Soap for my brother (Blue Moon is his favorite beer) and a luscious Maple Crunch Lip Balm. They sent me a free Coconut balm too! I’ll definitely be buying more bath and body goodies from them in the future.

4. Where in the world would you like to visit? why?

I would love to visit Japan. I’m a huge fan of ancient Japanese culture and find the architecture, artwork, and fashions of the ancient Japanese deeply beautiful and alluring. The history of the samurai and the geisha are especially appealing to me and I love learning about their histories and customs.

I would also love to visit China, for much the same reasons. I would most love seeing the Great Wall of China and the tomb of Emperor Chin, who united the various states of China for the first time. He is most commonly known as the Emperor with the Terra Cotta Army. Fascinating!

5.  What 8 records or books {or combo} would you would take with you to a desert island?

Oh goodness, that’s not nearly enough choices. Okay, it would have to be at least eight of each and I’m going to cheat a little.

Music:

Tool – every album

Primus – every album

Rush – “Fly by Night”, “2112”, and “Moving Pictures”

Led Zeppelin – every album

Pink Floyd – “The Wall”

Across the Universe Soundtrack

The Smashing Pumpkins – every album up to “Machina”

And a Ben Harper and Jack Johnson mix album

Books: More Cheating

Lord of the Rings Series and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Narnia by CS Lewis

Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix

Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O’Shea

The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

All Chuck Palahniuk novels

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

The Gentlemen Bastards Series by Scott Lynch

Some of those series aren’t finished yet, so my exile will have to wait.

6. If you could go back and live in a past decade or century, when would you choose and why?

We so romanticize so much of the past. I love that I live in a time where things like electricity, indoor plumbing, hot water, and rapid communication are fairly common. I also like that I experience little prejudice as a woman in today’s society. However, I would love to have been a pirate captain at sea during the Golden Age of Piracy, minus the bad teeth and poor personal hygiene. Being a samurai would have been grand, with all the armor and the swords. I also love the fashions of Victorian times, the 1920’s and the 1940’s. I would, of course, have wanted to have all the freedoms I enjoy now during those times. I wish I could combine elements of all those times and make a world of my own, but alas, I visit them only in books. Except for the pirate thing. I really am a pirate.

7. What is your favorite thing about creating something by hand?

The magic! To take a few materials that are raw and unformed and turn them into something new and beautiful. When I’m knitting at the park or somewhere where my children are playing, I get asked by kids, “What are you doing?” all the time. I always answer, “Magic!”

 My second favorite thing is seeing people wear the stuff I make. Nothing is more flattering than seeing someone wear or use something I’ve made. I just made my friend a scarf that she wears almost every day. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside every time I see her in it.

8. Please list three of your favorite things. Why are they favorites?

I think I can safely exclude my favorite people here. They know who they are.
My three favorite things are:

Books: I learn from all sorts of books all sorts of nifty things and get to visit times, places, and people that might not even exist in our “real” world. I read so much it’s almost a bad habit. “Hello, my name is Dejah, and I’m addicted to reading.”

Tea Time: I have about forty different types of tea in stock at my house at all times. I bake scones from my own recipe and love having afternoon tea. Whenever I see a tea shop I HAVE to go inside. There’s just something wonderful, comforting, and timeless about tea and the wonderful circumstances that brought it to our attention so many centuries ago.

Writing: I love to write. I hope to someday be a published author and contribute my own fantasies to the lovely world of literature. To create a world outside of our own that can bring laughter, tears, and wonder to a reader is an amazing gift and I hope that I can someday give that to other people the way it’s been given to me by so many amazing authors.

9. What could you eat/drink every single day and never grow tired of?

I could eat seafood, blackberry cabernet sorbet, and homemade scones every day. I could drink any kind of black tea (especially chai), Jack Daniels whiskey, and strong coffee with French Vanilla creamer and never get tired of it.

10. What is your favorite place? Will you describe it to us?

My favorite place has more to do with the company than the location. It’s with my children and my friends. As long as I have them with me, everything will be alright.

Thanks so much Dejah! Good times! Make sure you visit Dejah's shop and blog! Give her lots and lots of love!!!! Mrs Woo says so!



P.S.

I'll be seein y'all later! I'm leavin on a jet plane! I'm going home to celebrate my mommy's 60th birthday! I'll be back in about two weeks, just in time for the last few days before CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!
If you wanna see where my home is google Charleston, SC....nothin' could be finer....