From the Depths

This dress has been hanging in the back of my closet since this spring, but I think I've only worn it twice before. It's a shame be cause it really is a lovely dress, but I need to be in a particular mood to go about wearing an outfit with no real colours.

Dress - Purchased at Ragtime Vintage
Leggings - Ardene's

I can now also officially say that I have a "cascade" of hair. I keep being surprised by how long my hair is now. About six years ago, my hair was only an inch long, and I would spike it with coloured gels. Oh, being a teen!

The dress is a little large on me now - which drives home to me again how much weight I've lost since last winter - but it ties in the back which pretty much takes care of that.

I spent a large chunk of time today re-arranging the animal room and moving some of my tarantulas into larger terrariums. I think things went surprisingly well, considering I moved two of my larger and more skittish spiders. My hands did itch for a while afterward though. They used to use tarantula bristles in itching powder, I can see why! Definitely going to wear some latex gloves next time.

The shelves full of terrariums in the animal room. 

My Chilean Rose/Grammostola rosea tarantula, Leona.

My Spider-morph Ball python/Python regius, Rorschach.

I came really close to purchasing another crested gecko (I already have 3) at the pet store today. It was orange with creamy yellow sides and big fat black dalmation spots. But I restrained myself, go me!

I hope you're all having a good week so far! Cheers!

Sky Above Earth Below

I always wind up dressed in earthy tones most of the time. I just have a deep affinity for mossy greens and rich browns and tans. I especially like this skirt because, while it looks and feels like suede, it's actually just some man-made machine-washable fabric, so I don't have to worry about dirtying it like I do the skirt from this post.

Tank Top - Fairweather

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Leggings - Sirens

I didn't manage to get a good photo of it, but there are tassels hanging down on the left side of the skirt, and they are knotted with others that cross half the rear upper part of the skirt too.

I've been using Lush's hard shampoo Godiva lately, and it's been doing wonders for my hair. At first I was a little wary about their products, since they cost quite a bit more than what I had been used to buying, but everything is well worth the price.

Everything is made with natural ingredients, in small batches, by hand. You even get a sticker on things like shampoo or toner, with the name and face of whoever it is that made your particularly batch of whatever-it-is.

I thought hard shampoo would be strange, but with hair as long as mine, it's great! I used to use sooo much liquid shampoo and conditioner, wasting a lot that fell to the bottom of the shower, but one bar of hard shampoo lasts me months and months. If you're looking for good, natural, hand-made products (a large majority of them Vegan friendly!) and you haven't already checked out Lush's products, I definitely suggest you do! I know I'm never going to stop using their stuff.

Oh! And I made another necklace today, this time re-using a lonely earing who's mate I had lost a while back. I added an extra ring and turned it into a pendant. I'm almost tempted to keep it actually, but that defeats the purpose of this whole thing.

Anyway, time for me to watch one of the gypsy films that Milla suggested in her post... Cheers!

Cold Winds Blowing

I'm tired, I think winter and life is taking its toll on me. I'll be happy when the new year gets here. This year has been a bit of a train wreck for me and there's lots of cleaning up to do.

Sweater - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Tights - Fancy Sox

This outfit kept me very warm. It was cold today, and the wind made it horribly colder, but this skirt is heavy and thick and was great against the chill. This was the first time I wore it and I definitely chose the right day. It also has a wonderful swing to it, and twirls wonderfully.

My cat managed to knock over and smash my tall mirror yesterday, so I got another and mounted it to the wall today. I thought the nails it was hanging from were ugly, so I covered them with two sea shells, and it looks much better.



I'm wearing more of my bug-jewelry, this time earings made with beetles in resin. I had another pair like this but lost one of them, which is too bad. I've got necklaces and several bracelets with bugs in resin like this, I really dig them.

Anyway, I'm going to try and relax and forget about all the things waiting for me in the future. Cheers...

Gypsies always move on

I'm leaving tomorrow, to go visit relatives back home. I'll only be away two nights, but that's internet-less time for me as we'll be staying at my grandparents'. I have a very long drive ahead of me - which usually takes 4 1/2 hours but will likely take 6 with holiday traffic - before I get to relax with family.

Shirt - Smartset

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Leg Warmers - Ardene's

I put together a plate of the truffles I made, to give to my grandmother. They're not the prettiest truffles you've ever seen but they're definitely delicious. Coffee, orange, lemon ginger, cayenne, coconut rum, mint and salted peanut butter flavours, so tasty!



I picked up this skirt at Value Village last night. I had some spare time and figured I should take advantage of another 30% off coupon before it expired on the 24th. I got a couple other good finds, but my closet is so terribly full, I think I may have to go through it and part with some of my less-worn items.

I've got a dozen necklaces listed in my Etsy shop now, and I think I'm going to leave it at that. Or at least try. I really enjoy making the pieces, regardless of whether they sell, and I still have some awesome beads laying around!

 

I likely won't be posting again until after I get home on Sunday, so I'm going to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope this weekend is full of smiles, warmth, love and joy for you all! Cheers!

Cosmic Spider Jewelry

That's the name of my new Etsy shop! I finally opened it last night and listed some of my necklaces. Hopefully this goes somewhere for me... but if not, it'll have been a learning experience! Plus I'll have a bunch of jewelry to give to my friends. :)

Monday night we got together for a little party, welcoming our friend Minda back for the holidays. She recently moved from Ottawa out to San Francisco! We made home made veggie tacos. :)

The only photo where I don't look like a dork!

 We had wine coming out of our ears, everybody brought a bottle.
Too bad I don't drink wine!

Making tortillas!

Nobody smiles bigger than me!

I'm taking my parents out to Perkins for dinner tonight, as one of their Christmas gifts. My mother's been wanting to eat there for ages and it just never happens, she was definitely happy to hear where we were going! I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Cheers!

Falling Behind

This is once again an outfit from another day, yesterday. I just hope I don't keep falling behind like this, it could mean disaster for me hah. I imagine things will slow down again after the holidays, but who knows.

Crop top - Thrifted from Value Village

Tank top - Fearweather

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

And another necklace... I'd be ahead with these if I didn't somehow keep being busy all day long everyday lately! Plus I made some as gifts.... At least it's fun! I think I'll have enough to list on Etsy soon, but I just need to think of a name for my shop...

Cheers!

Upper Canada Village - Alight at Night

So as I mentioned in today's first post, I went to Upper Canada Village this evening to go see all the Christmas lights. I got to wear my "new" Grandpa Sweater (as I fondly call it) that I also thrifted on Tuesday.

Sweater - Thrifted at Value Village

Shirt - Smartset

Skirt - Thrifted at Value Village

Tights - Sirens

Leg warmers - Ardene's

We picked a wonderful night to go it seems, as there was no wind and it wasn't too cold. It also helped that we picked up some fresh hot chocolate as we wandered through the village though!

Such cool buttons!

The Upper Canada Village is really amazing. They're all real buildings that were moved from their original place of foundation, and brought to this site. The furthest from which came any of the buildings was 53kms, making them all local.

It's awesome to stop and think about the fact that these buildings were built by the not-so-distant ancestors of the local people. Everything from the bakery, to an inn, the church, post office, tin smith and masonic temple... All local historical buildings preserved in the village.

My father, with and without flash hah. Snow!

We decided we really need to go back in the summer months. During the summer, the place is a fully functional village, with people "living" there all season round, going about the tasks of days gone by. The old fashioned bakery sells bread to visitors, using flour milled on site in the historical mill using water from the St-Laurent River that the village faces.





I had an absolutely amazing weekend, I hope you did too. Cheers!

Bright as the Sun

I finally have my perfect yellow sweater! It's big! It's snuggly! It's obnoxiously yellow! It's wonderful! I've been wanting a yellow sweater just like this for ages and ages, and when I went thrifting with my friend Kirsten on Tuesday, I found it!

Sweater - Thrifted from Value Village

T-shirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Leggings and Leg Warmers - Ardene's

This is actually Saturday's outfit, but I spent the entire day making truffles with my friends so by the time I got home, I just wasn't in the mood to make a post. But from noon to about 9:30pm last evening, the four of us devoted all our time to truffle-making, and we each left with about 75 assorted truffles.

I sadly didn't have the presence of mind to bring my camera, but others took photos so I may post some of those once they're available. And now about this skirt... I also picked it up thrifting Tuesday. However, I'd gone to the same thrift store a few weeks earlier, and had tried it on and wound up leaving it behind. I saw it again Tuesday, and happened to have a 30% discount coupon, and figured if it was still around for me to find, it must mean I should take it home!




I think I dressed so brightly to counter the previous day's more oatmeal-like outfit. But it's most definitely not the first time I dress in neon. It's just nice to dress bright and happy in the middle of winter, everything is so brown and blah..

And this yellow sweater definitely has HAPPY written all over it. I'm actually surprised I didn't get it covered in chocolate, which would have been rather disastrous hah. I also wore another of my soon-to-sell (attempt to anyway) necklaces, and it definitely jived with all the bright colours.

Anyhow, I'm off to spend this evening at Upper Canada Village with the parents, looking at all the Christmas lights they set up. I should hopefully - if my batteries don't die again - have some nice photos from that. Cheers!

Pizza and Necklaces

I'm wearing one of the sweaters I picked up at the Value Village with my friend Kirsten last evening. I've been in sore need of more long sleeved but not super heavy sweaters and this one is great.

Sweater - Value Village

Skirt - Smartset, purchased years ago

Tights - Fancy Sox

Leg Warmers - Ardene's

I was actually cutting tags from my purchases today before doing laundry, and came upon one of the original tags. A skirt I'd bought still had its original price tag on it... and my eyes nearly fell out at the sight. I spent less on everything I bought last night (3 skirts, 3 sweaters, 1 night gown and 1 blouse) than what this one skirt sold for originally. Thrifting. Best. Thing. Ever.

How awesome is that?

I made some pizza from scratch for supper this evening. I used to work in a pizza shop back when I was in high school and I picked up the skill of flinging dough. I enjoy being in the kitchen though, making food is always fun, and eating it is even better! This one was super tasty, with pesto sauce, artichoke hearts, tomato, black olives, red sheppard peppers, goat feta and mozzarella.

I also made a few more necklaces. I picked up enough beads at the Sassy Bead shop in the market to make about a dozen or so pieces, and then snatched up some different colours of hemp thread. I'll be good to go for a while.









I'm going to be making some truffles with friends tomorrow, which should be fun. And chocolaty. Very chocolaty. Hope you all have a great weekend too! Cheers!