Because My Toes Are Cold!

Hello there, and welcome to user need_socks' LiveJournal!

What is this thing I'm looking at?
need_socks is a project specific journal for a girl in the Pacific Northwest, USA, who has a sock addiction. Seriously. I have a ridiculous and mostly irrational dependency on socks. I also love receiving mail, and sending my own; I think posting things to people through the US Postal Service is a great and often-overlooked way to connect to our fellow people. For more on who I am, check out my user info!

Thus, this journal is the center for connecting me with others for a hostage exchange; socks for care packages. Posts will include pictures of socks received, thank you's sent (reserved for posting until the recipient get them, so as not to spoil the surprise), as well as content relating to my ridiculous sock collection and habit.

So, what do you need me for?
I, as you may be able to guess, need socks. I dislike white socks. If you send me white cotton tube socks, I will do Bad Things to them, take pics (or it didn't happen) and post them here. So, you should use this once in a lifetime opportunity to buy THE MOST STUPID socks you can find and send them via mail to me.

Now, why would I do that?
1. When are you every going to wear those nauseating Pepto-Bismol-colored sparkly embroidered Tinkerbell socks your grandmother gave you last Christmas? That's right, never. But I love all socks except white cotton tube socks, and will cherish them and wear them to my college classes with gusto.
2. I wear a size 7 women's shoe, and am therefore easy to find socks for. I like all sorts. You will never offend or disappoint me with socks (unless they are white cotton tube socks).
3. Posting socks is very easy. You can even put them in padded envelopes which are very easy to mail. If you need help with getting me socks, I refer you over here.
4. You will gain internet notoriety. I'll post your socks and thank you mailing to this journal for all the world's viewing pleasure!

What are you gonna do for me?
I love, love, love sending care packages and thank yous via the USPS. Therefore, for each pair of socks received, I will post a thank you mailing. What may comprise a thank you mailing, you ask?

1. I am a really good baker. Refer to my "goodies" tag for proof.
2. I like to draw, even if I'm not very good. I like to draw ponies, rock stars, and slash. I will try to draw anything for especially ridiculous socks, though. You can see a little of that on the art journal listed below under my contacts.
3. For those of you hailing from the Dethklok fandom, I'd love to thank you with fulfilling art or fiction requests. And rest assured that your mailing will be filled with fangirling!
4. One of my circus-freak-talents is calligraphy. I'd be happy to fulfill requests to scribe something you love or want! Plus, there's nothing quite like receiving a really beautiful written thank you note in your mailing.
5. I like shopping for inane, cute things to fill care packages with. Things like stickers, pens, pencils, that sort of thing. I also live in Eugene, Oregon and many wonderful things come from here, such as Yogi Tea, which may make appearances in mailings.
6. Love you forever.

Thank you mailings may contain any combination of the above, but I guarantee they will be worth mailing a pair of socks to me.



Contacts:
To get started, you'll need a mailing address. You can contact me directly through LiveJournal as comments to this post or through messages.

This is a quick guide to answer any questions about sending me socks!

Shopping
You may shop online, but far funner is to go out and support your local businesses. If you like, take some friends. Or maybe a camera to document your shopping adventure. Will you buy the Tonka Truck print socks, or the jellyfish print ones? What does your face look like during this difficult decision-making process? Does the clerk look like Joan Rivers? How will we know if there are no pictures??

But what will I buy?
I wear a women's shoe size of seven. I don't expect much; my existing collection has a lot of spendy socks like SmartWools and you're not to be worried about buying me inexpensive socks. Cheap ones tend to be the most hilarious, anyways!

If you're worried about my taste, or about not giving me a pair I already own, please refer to my collection directory. If you really want to get specific, I have general requests listed under my requests tag!

I need your address!
Contact me through any means you see fit. Many, many different flavors of contact info are available through LJ and through the listing on my main directory post. Then, off to the post office with you! They can give you padded document envelopes which are manila in color and very cost effective for sending socks. Feel free to enclose a note, perhaps giving me a hint as to what you might like in a thank you mailing, or declaring your undying love for me and your burning desire to have a fleet of children by me. Either-or, really.

At some point, you may be wondering exactly how many pairs of stupid socks I own. Or, you may be planning on sending me some and are concerned I may already have those glitter-covered purple unicorn socks. For reference, entertainment, and posterity, the Sock Directory!

( I love socks! )

This post will serve to chronicle socks received and thank you mailings sent since the start of this journal!

27 January 2009: Socks from Grandmother (Baltimore, MD) [link].
       Thank you mailing sent 6 February 2009. [link].

04 February 2009: Socks from internet friends Mr. S and Mr. J (WA) [link].
      Thank you mailing sent 6 February 2009 [link].

13 February 2009: Socks from crimsonroux (CA) [link].
      Thank you mailing sent 16 February 2009. [link].

22 February 2009: Socks delivered in-person from Wrangler Caitlin (WA) [link].
      Thank you mailing sent 24 March 2009.

25 February 2009: Socks from terryxart (CT) [link].
      Thank you mailing sent 24 March 2009. [link].

06 March 2009: Socks from Mr. Nate, a.k.a. Mr. Awesome (WV)[link].
      Thank you mailing sent 24 March 2009.

04 April 2009: Socks from geeknextdoor (CA) [link].
      Thank you mailing sent 14 April 2009.

08 April 2009: Birthday! [link].
     Socks from cold_in_siberia (OR)
     Socks and silliness from Mom (WA)
     Socks and art from igloomy (CA)
        Thank you mailing sent 14 April 2009.

09 April 2009: Socks from ninamori_san (IL) [link].
     Thank you mailing sent 14 April 2009.

I came home from classes today to find a totally unexpected and wonderful package in my mail! The awesome ninamori_san from one of my livejournal communities saw these socks and thought of me!

( Spring has Sprung in Sockland! )

Today is my 21st Birthday! And of course, in typical fashion, I am getting tipsy and admiring all the beautiful birthday socks I've received!

( Happy Birthday to Me! )

One of the amazing, crazy, beautiful things the Internet does is reconnect people who have been out of touch for years! Way back in middle school in Washington state, I had a great friend. We talked on phones, practiced British accents, all kinds of shenanigans. She moved away to California in 7th grade, and though I visited her and she me, we lost touch as we got older.

Untilgeeknextdoor got in touch with me via this very journal and sent me some kickass new socks!

( Pampered Tootsies Ahead! )

I'm slowly finishing getting my entire pre-existing collection posted along with all the amazing new acquisitions!

So, here we go:

( One Sock, Two Socks, Pink Socks, Blue Socks! )

So, some of you may know that I am a hopeless internet nerd, and that I spend a lot of time in what I like to call (fondly) "The Dregs of the Internet". Anyways, I generally bring back fun pictures, lulzy miscellany, and every once in a great while, a wonderful new friend.

Mr. Nate Teh Awesome is one of these people. And to PROVE it, he has sent me some amazing socks!

( I'm Gonna be the Best Sock Assassin EVAR! )

The most wonderful cheerleader and supportive goddess I have the pleasure of being friends with has sent me SOCKS! And very dangerously, she has sent me Christmas Socks. Why dangerous? Because I already have a tendency to sing Christmas tunes at all times of the year...

But she sent me a CD, too! So hopefully some new music will chase the Jingle Bells right outta my head.

( Merry Sock-a-days! )