Irmuhlay

Hey!

I'm a 26-year-old working in software, and I moved to London from a rural part of England in the summer - both for my new job and to live with my boyfriend. I participated in Reddit Gifts for 5 years, so was really sad to see it go - but I'm looking forward to trying out Givin' Gifts and hoping that I'll enjoy it just as much. I use some of the gifts I've received from previous exchanges pretty much every day - my favourite chopping board, my living room rug, some cloth face masks homemade by my gifter, etc... I'm definitely a fan of a practical gift!

I've got a lot of hobbies, and love to be doing something with my free time. I'm a keen-but-not-very-strong swimmer. I love to cook (I've got more vegetarian cookbooks than any one person realistically needs). I enjoy a good boardgame (current favourites are Codenames, Patchwork and Railroad Ink), I mostly play them with my boyfriend but sometimes we host games nights - we've got quite a collection between us. I also do crosswords/other paper and pen puzzles before bed every night, and I'm a big fan of trivia shows - I've been on 4 of them so far, and I'm hoping to go on more soon. I'm also into a lot of arty/crafty things, and I like trying new creative things - recently I've done pottery painting, hook and loop rug making, upholstery, kintsugi, needle felting, acrylic painting, watercolour painting, embroidery, darning, knitting, sewing and have unsuccessfully attempted crochet several times (I just don't get it). I've got a couple of drawing lessons booked for the near future too.

I'm a big fan of retro/mid-century stuff - I love going to secondhand shops and finding cool/quirky things at bargain prices. Most of my furniture is secondhand, as is a lot of my cookware and servingware. My boyfriend and I are currently working on making our new place more homely, so recently I've been looking for more ornaments and artwork to brighten the place up. I like colourful things, and interesting textures and bold patterns.

I'm a pescatarian (no meat or shellfish please!), and I don't drink alcohol. I also don't drive, and I'm a renter. I have a skin condition so please avoid soaps/toiletries etc. My favourite colour is mustard yellow. I'm also part of an interfaith couple - my boyfriend is Jewish and I'm from an atheist family that celebrates a secular Christmas - over the next couple of months, I'll be celebrating Chanukah, Christmas and the New Year. I'm very open to secondhand and homemade gifts, and I'm also curious about things that are new to me - maybe there's a holiday tradition that's unique to your country?

If you'd like to know anything else, feel free to ask!