Moving Time

I've gone silent again the last few weeks. My life has been rather stressful and topsy turvy. I've elected to move early, for several reasons. A large one being that my apartment has an increasingly serious cockroach problem and I am not willing to wait around another month as it just gets worse. My parents have found me a wonderful little two bedroom apartment on the edge of town, very near my grandmother's, which I'm very happy about. The official move is Tuesday, so most of my belongings are already packed up.

I have been up to things other than stressing though. I baked up a Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing back around St-Patty's day. It's the third time I make the recipe and it's amazing every time, probably one of my most favourite cakes. I also finished up this round of belly dance classes. I'm really going to miss dancing with my ladies, but it's time to move on.



I met Laura way back when we both started taking belly dance classes in January of 2012. I thought she looked like a really groovy lady, and like someone I'd like to get to know. So I wrote up my name and number on a piece of paper and introduced myself, saying I'd like to try and be friends. It may have been dorky, but it worked, and we're great friends now. I'm really going to miss her, and my other friends here. But there are plenty of people in Sturgeon who are looking forward to having me there, old friends I'll be able to catch up with and strengthen those relationships. My future is looking really good. I'm about to head out and say goodbye to some more of my friends now though. I hope you are all having a lovely Easter weekend. Cheers!

Bright Shiny Winter

I had some free time between shifts at the restaurant today, so I took a walk down to Dow's Lake. I'm glad I did, it's so lovely out, and supposed to be so all weekend. Spring is well on its way! It's still nippy enough to wear my super fluffy earmuffs though, and that makes me happy.

I have to be getting ready for the second half of today's split-shifts though, so I hope you are all having a good Friday and that you have a lovely weekend too. Cheers!

Braided

It's windy out today, and instead of just sticking my hair up in a bun like I tend to do, I gave myself braided pig tails. They tend to make me feel childish but I like 'em anyway. Just as how I like things with garish patterns and bright colours. Whoever owned this top before me - it was actually probably a dress - hacked off the bottom of it a little unevenly but that doesn't stop me wearing it.

Top - Thrifted from Value Village

Jeggings - Hue, from Fancy Sox

Leather Boots - Thrifted from Value Village

I've been on a roll with outfits this last little while... I'm not exactly certain what's brought this about but I hope it keeps up. Now I have to pack up the wee baby gecko that was in one of my recent posts to bring it to the pet store. It's the last baby from the last clutch hatched out from my breeding crested gecko pair. I separated the adults last summer though so no new babies this year.

That's definitely a good thing because I don't need to deal with incubating eggs or itty witty babies while moving, that's for certain. No matter how cute the wee things are when they're fresh from the egg. I'll have to keep a tight reign on myself once I have moved though, because I'll have more space for critters in my next home. I just have to keep reminding myself that my currents beasties are still getting bigger and are going to require more room in the eventual future. But anyway, I hope you're having a good day. Cheers!

Earthy

I didn't actually leave my apartment wearing this, but I thrifted these corduroy pants yesterday and I just had to wear them. I now officially own two pairs of pants! Is this some sort of slow pants revolution? Mayhaps, mayhaps... I feel very 70's in this outfit though, I think it's the high-waisted pants and the earth tones that do it.

Top - Thrifted from Value Village

Pants - Thrifted from Value Village

Moccasins - Sears

Necklace - Made by me

Once again I haven't got much to say. I'm in limbo now, waiting for many things to pass. Mostly I'm looking forward to finally moving back home. I'll still be sad to leave here, but I really hate waiting for changes too. Once I start something, I like having it done yesterday, if you know what I mean.

My makeup will be a tad excessive for going in to work this evening but eh, I have fun playing around with different colours and shades. Half the time I feel like I make myself look like I've got a black eye but sometimes it works out haha. I hope you're all having a good week. Cheers!

Geckotastic

Not much to say today, just sharing some photos I took yesterday. I have one baby gecko left from my last clutch, and the pet shop will be buying it off me this week. It's an adorable wee thing, and I could probably keep it easily enough, but I'm going to part with it now before I get too attached. The other three crested geckos are more than enough for the time being.

Ah what my cat would give for a few free moments to play with that nifty wiggly toy thing! He's good about obeying me when I'm around but he's gotten himself into a few pickles while on his own. Which is why the animals have their own room now. I hope you all have a good start to your week. Cheers!

Culinary Cel

I got the official offer of acceptance yesterday. I'll be attending the Culinary Management program back home as of September. It's still funny to think that just a few weeks ago, this was the last direction I thought my life would be headed. I'm going to miss a lot of people here in Ottawa. I've developed some wonderful friendships with amazing people. But my life is leading me elsewhere, hopefully someplace that will allow me to continue to grow and thrive.

Dress - Gift

Vest - Thrifted from Value Village

Boots - Can't remember

I really needed these years to myself though, to grow into who I am, without being warped by the preconceptions of people around me. The idea of moving home always used to bother me because it felt like giving up, like 'crawling back' because I couldn't manage it elsewhere, but I'm doing the furthest from that. I'm headed to something, with goals in mind and achievements under my belt. I can hold my head high, and that's important to me.

This transition isn't going to be easy, but they're called 'growing pains' for a reason. I'm really looking forward to being back in school, and learning everything to become a real Chef and how to run a kitchen. After working in a few places with absolutely horrifying management - bakery and library alike - I know that I'll never be able to settle with being someone's underling. This is going to give me the knowledge I need to run the show and call the shots and do it all the right way.

I still don't feel old enough to really be in that sort of position but people younger than me have done grander things. The only thing keeping me from such accomplishments is myself, and I'm not about to stand in my own way. There's a lot of hard work in my future; blood, sweat and tears. But it's going to be worth it. This really is something I'm passionate about, and I feel like it's the right direction for me. I'm still scared, but not as much as I used to be. I'm excited now. The next two months are just going to crawl past because I'm waiting to leave, but I have a feeling everything else is going to blow past me in a flash like my time at the Cordon Bleu did. Time flies when you're having fun, after all. I hope you're all having a good weekend. Cheers!