Sundown Sand Boa

The rain is coming down again today, so my pumpkin-picking trip with friend and baby is postponed until tomorrow. I don't mind too much, having a lazy day in my pajamas feels good. My parents, grandmother and I went for a dinner at my college's culinary-student run restaurant last evening. I was gifted a paid meal for four there and it was absolutely delicious.

Top - Thrifted from The Salvation Army

Dress as Skirt - Purchased from Sally Jane Vintage on Etsy

Leggings - Ardene's

Shoes - Gift from grandmother

It was a really nice way to end my week of mid-terms. Next week is reading week so I have no classes. Time to relax! I have one essay I want to work on but otherwise, I plan to spend my time relaxing, visiting friends and family, and making good food. I'm going to clean out of my animal room and attempt to organize it as best as I can. I still don't have a garden shed so I think I'll just box up my things and bring them over to my grandmother's, since she said I could store things there.

My lovely female Kenyan Sand Boa has finally reached her full adult size. From this point, she may get fatter, but she won't get much longer. She's such an adorable chunky little thing! I love my pretty Halloween, and I'm still glad I named her such, it's so fitting. But she's one of the snake-babies who's tank needs a cleaning so I'd best get on that. Cheers!

Another Day

I've fallen out of the habit of taking outfit photos - which is a shame because I've been wearing some pretty neat stuff lately - but I think part of it is due to the changing of the seasons. It's almost always windy out, and often cloudy or raining. And while I love Autumn, the smell, the crispness of the air, it doesn't really lend itself to my going out there in short sleeves for photos with my half-broken camera.

Necklace - Made by Me

T-shirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Belt - Ardene's

Skirt - Vintage from Kilo Shop in Paris

Mocassins - Sears

I suppose I can just start taking them indoors again like I did this photo back in early September. Eventually I won't have much choice either way. I'm spending a lot of time in my kitchen now, even more than usual. I'm trying to practice a lot of the recipes from school, which I think I mentioned before, but cooler weather always drives me to my kitchen.

This is some Scallop Seviche, with jalapeños and cherry tomatoes on a chiffonade of lettuce. It was actually really delicious and I'll definitely be making this dish again. I attempted to make a vegetable consommée this past weekend but due to some stupid mistakes I messed it up. I'll be trying again though, because I'm stubborn and it's something I really want to be able to do.



My parents were doing work on their bathroom late last week so my mother brought her ball python Fluffy to my place until they were done. I couldn't resist piling him in with my two boys, Galen and Rorschach. They make such a cute pile o' pythons!

I should probably start getting ready for my baking class this afternoon though. We're making the Choux Pastry Swans that I practiced last weekend. Should be a good class. Cheers!

Reptile Cameo

I've mentioned often how I have a collection of exotic pets, from tarantulas to snakes. Here are a few photos I took of one of my ball pythons, and my two adult crested geckos. The lilac bushes in the front yard are in full bloom and I knew it would make for a perfect backdrop for my reptilian darlings. I hope you like them!

They're frightening and gross to some people, but these animals are just beautiful to me. Total sweethearts too, they let me cover them with kisses without issue. If I made just one person see these animals in a new and positive light, then I did good. Hope you have a good weekend. Cheers!

Beautiful Tarantula

Most people would never refer to any spider as beautiful, but I really think my big boy deserves such a word. He's got such lovely colours, he really is pretty. My male Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma molted a few days ago, and I've just been waiting until I could get a good shot of him post-molt before showing you all the photos. I feel oddly proud, like a mother I suppose. The first photo is of him pre-molt on his back, preparing.



There you have it, a metallic purple-pink spider bigger than your hand. My handsome lad! It's taken four years for him to reach maturity, and he started off the size of a quarter. I'm a little sad that the darling turned out male since that really shortens their lifespan. Females can live up to twenty years, but this fellow only has a year or two left to go. I am definitely going to cry when he dies. I hope at least some of you can appreciate these photos. Cheers!

New Arachnids

Some of you may be aware of my large collection of pets, but today I've made two new additions to my little zoo. I already have 8 tarantulas, but most of them are either adults or in the late stages of being a juvenile. It's been a long time since I've had little baby T's around. So today - with a lucky opportunity to have them dropped off for free from Tarantula Canada - I got two slings, baby tarantulas.

The top one is a Hapalopus sp. Colombia large aka Pumpkin patch tarantula. The bottom one is a Cyriocosmus elegans aka Trinidad dwarf tarantula. They're both less than 1/4" in size right now, but they'll grow to several inches in size. I'm so very happy to have these little ones under my care, they'll grow into beautiful adults. I hope you're all having a good weekend. Cheers!

Ssssweet Things

What a day I've had! I won't go into details because it's stressed me out enough, but suffice to say I am very unhappy with the Government of Canada, how they run this country, and how they treat their citizens. So on a lighter note... feast your eyes on some of the tasty sweet things I've been baking up in class this past week, and shots of my gorgeous Jewel the female albino checkered garter snake.



The above are a Pithivers and six overstuffed Chaussons aux Pommes (apple turnovers) made with puff pastry dough. The top pastry is filled with an almond cream and I'm really quite pleased with how it turned out. The only hitch was the little "petals" should be round rather than pointy.



I can't believe what a big girl my sweet Jewel is turning into! I remember when she was barely as big 'round as a pencil and now she's such a chunky spunky thing. She just gets prettier the more she grows, with those gorgeous yellows and lavenders in her scales.



Lastly, here's one you all probably recognize. I baked this Black Forest cake on Friday. I even made the chocolate shavings! It was a really fun practical that day and I'm happy with how it came out, even if I wound up not using nearly enough simple syrup to soak the cake layers and it turned out a tad too dry. Live and learn! I won't be making that mistake again. Anyhow, that's that for now. I hope you've had a good Monday and your week goes well. Cheers!

Off to the Circus

The owner of Pet Circus on Bank street here in Ottawa bought up my last baby crested gecko - other than Toffee, my very first hatchling.  Until the last two eggs hatch out anyway. I took a few photos before I sent the little critter off.



I really adore these little lizards, and it was harder sending this one off to a pet store than it was to give them away to friends and family. I won't get to know how this one grows up or know if whoever purchases it will be a responsible owner. I can't imagine how it feels to be a dog breeder and trying to find puppies a good home! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this gecko interlude. Cheers!

Morning Hatchlings

I was already having an absolutely wonderful Saturday when I got an extra little gift. Two more crested gecko eggs hatched this morning, and out popped more adorable little crestie babies. The last two that hatched out have already found homes - with my father and a cousin - so I wonder if any more of my friends will fall under the crested gecko spell and want to adopt these little guys too. I snapped a few quick photos before settling them into their new home.



Aren't they the cutest little things? I really hope the left one keeps some of its orange colouring, that would be fantastic. I thought it would be difficult getting rid of them - I can't keep them all - but it's actually neat this way because I get to enjoy them while they're itty bitty teency weency before anybody else. Then I see them off before enjoying more itty bitty teency weencies. I've finally seperated my male from the female though, so depending on when they last got busy, she'll be done laying in the next one to eight months. Anyway, I should be getting ready for my women's social. I hope you're all having a really great weekend. Cheers!

Another Newbie

You might recall a little less than a month ago when I shared photos of my first ever crested gecko hatchling. Well yesterday I got home from work to discover that an egg from the next clutch had hatched during the afternoon! I was thrilled, and I'm in love with the wee thing already. Its clutch-mate (since crested geckos lay 2 eggs at a time) still has yet to hatch, but I figure it'll join its sibling in another few days. Before photos of the new baby gecko though, here's a new outfit.

Top - Fairweather

Skirt - No idea, some mall shop

Leggings - Sirens, I think

Sandals - Thrifted from Value Village

I wore this last Saturday to help my friend Chrissy (who took these photos) start packing up her apartment. In retrospect, wearing a white top while packing was kind of a bad idea and I wound up getting pretty dusty, but nothing a good wash won't clear up. I bought this orange tube skirt and one in pink for $5 each, only to realize they're near transparent. I wore this orange one as a tube top a little while ago actually, so while I can't wear them on their own, they're still proving very useful for light layering. Now if only I'd noticed my leggings were uneven...

Getting dressed that day made me realize how few shorter tops I actually have that aren't long-sleeved. I went through a phase where everything had to cover my butt, which is fine and dandy, but sometimes I want something that doesn't have the ability to stretch near-to-my-knees. Methinks I'll have to do a spot of thrifting to remedy this sometime soon. And now... the gecko babeh!

This photo is slightly blurred - I apologize - but I didn't think it would be very polite to blind the wee thing with a camera flash not hours out of its egg. You can see that the egg on the left is much bigger than the empty one on the right because it's still full of gecko cuteness. The eggs grow and expand as the little geckos do, so once they're empty they tend to collapse into themselves, unlike hard-shelled bird eggs.

I really love this last photo because you can see that the baby is still all wrinkly in its newness. If I'm really lucky I'll go home today to find that the second egg has hatched open. It was still intact when I left at lunch time though. It's so exciting knowing there's a little life in there, I can't wait to see what it looks like. I hope you're all having a good week so far. Cheers!

New Arrival

I spent my weekend out in the wilds of Québec, and had an absolutely amazing time. We were camped out on the tippy top of a small mountain, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. The weather was gorgeous and we couldn't have asked for better. I mean really, what more can you ask for when you crawl out of your tent to this kind of view?



And on top of having a totally amazing weekend, I got to come home to a new baby crested gecko. The eggs I had been incubating finally hatched - of course while I was away - and I was delighted to find a new little life in my home. Sadly one of the two seems to have escaped. I'm hoping it just hid somewhere and that I will find it soon. Admittedly I am worried that my cat ate it. Hopefully not! The one that didn't escape is adorable. I think I might name it Toffee.



The sun is shining and my heart is filled with joy and love. My mind has been expanded and my eyes have seen new sights like none before. I hope you all had a weekend as great as mine. Cheers!

Sunny Saturday

Ah sunshine! Such wonderful stuff after all the gloom we've had this week. I am happy to be able to wear this new romper so quickly after purchasing it just yesterday. For a mere $20, how could I say no to such a sweet little strawberry print? Which of course I only now realize I did not photograph up close. Oops... until the next wearing I guess! It was too sunny on my terrace to get decent shots anyway so it'll be a good excuse to wear this again soon.

Romper - Sears

Sandals  - Sears

It's not often I buy new clothes, but I treated myself. The sandals are also new from yesterday, comfy reliable ones in which I hope to be able to trek many summer city sidewalks. I'm going on spontaneous walks on my own again finally... winter had killed that habit but I've got someone to wander around with sometimes now and he's wonderful walking company. It helped remind me I really enjoy it.

Apparently tonight there's going to be a 'super moon'. It's going to be super extra close to the planet, something that happens every 14 months or so. Supposedly it's not going to be an impressive one as super moons go, but it's still going to look much bigger than it usually does. I hope I don't forget to go have a gander! The skies are supposed to be mostly clear, at least.



After he figured out that the chalk wasn't some evil form of punishment for an unknown crime, Caramel decided to join me in the sunshine. He was rolling around happily in the dust, soaking in the warmth and getting all grubby. I don't blame him, it felt so nice. In fact, after I'm done writing this, I'm going back out there to read in the sun for a bit. Then I'm off to my women's tea social for the afternoon. Who knows what adventures the evening will bring me! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend. Cheers!

One Less Frog

I've mentioned more than once in my blog posts that I have a wacky variety (and number) of pets in my apartment. Up until this week, I'd had two gray tree frogs. I found one of them dead in the tank on Tuesday, which was a bummer to say the least. It was just a frog, and I didn't cry over it, but my heart still sank in my chest. A little light in the world had gone out.

People have a hard time understand how or why I have such a passion for these animals. I know my frogs or geckos or tarantulas don't love me. They are not consciously aware of me beyond my being some giant looming shape that sometimes picks them up and drops food into their containers. And while the death of my frog did not bring tears to my eyes, I was still saddened.

These creatures captivate me, their very existence is a joy and wonder. Have you ever stopped to think how absolutely amazing it is that these little frogs can be frozen solid and thaw out to continue life as usual? If a human freezes, we die, that's it. These frogs not only live through that, it's part of their natural life cycle! They really are amazing creatures, from their little suction-cup-like gripping feet to their sticky tongues and color-changing skin.

The closest frog in the photo above is the one that died. I'll miss hearing them sing to each other. I'll miss how delicate it was compared to its larger companion, which allowed it to snuggle up to the tiny fake leaves in its tank. I'll miss my frog, and there's nothing wrong with that. I just wish more people could understand that even a life as tiny as a frog's can be precious. Cheers...

Gratuitous Tarantulas

I think the title is enough of a warning there! My tarantulas are a lot like my children. I know that's a stretch, but I've raised some of them from the size of my pinky fingernail to the size of my palm and they're still growing. You get attached with the effort and care that involves.

One of my largest tarantulas has recently molted - discarding its exoskeleton to grow larger - and has developed more of his mature colours. He's just absolutely gorgeous and I have to share. Hopefully someone out there enjoys these next photos and I don't frighten anyone off! I'll keep them smaller in the post, but they're available in large format on my Flickr so click away if you're brave!

The first purple-pink one is Pumpkin, the large one that recently molted. There's a clear ruler on the outside of his tank on the left, and his upper left foot is near the 5" mark, the give you an idea of his size. The other little fellow - he's only about 2" in leg span - is Dmitry. I just love his copper colour.

Up top is Thor, my very first tarantula. The black thing is a pop bottle cap, and when I first got him, he was small enough to fit inside it completely and have room to spare. He's also going to grow very large, but is of a more slow-growing species and it'll be another 4-6 years before Thor is as large as Pumpkin. Next is Houdini (because he magically makes his food disappear) standing over a blue pop bottle cap. Tarantulas don't weave webs but they do produce silk, and as you can see, they can make a lot of it.

Hard as it may be to believe, I croon over these things like people croon over babies. I actually call them that half-jokingly; my tarantula babies. They just fill me with awe and wonder and curiosity. I could watch them for hours, they're such fascinating creatures. Anyway, if you got this far, yay! Thanks for tagging along with the crazy Spider Lady. Cheers!

Happy New Year! I'm still here!

I'm not quite certain how it happened, but I kinda stopped posting for a little while. I'd even gone out of my way to make certain I had saved up outfits to post while I was at my parents' place. And I even read some blogs while I was there. Yet somehow the thought to write my own posts never came to mind.



I just got back from Montreal today, having spent my New Year's Eve there with a friend. I'm not quite in the mood to write a whole post yet, but here's a photo of my cat Caramel and I, at my parents'. I brought him (as well as my two geckos and two tree frogs) with me for a visit. And my bangs! I'm still in constant battle with my cowlick, but I dig it. I hope you've all had wonderful holidays. Cheers!

Bang on?

I need your help! After hanging out around here, I've got the itch for bangs. Currently they're grown out and blend in with the rest of my hair. I had bangs as a kid up until I was about 12 (I'm the kid on the left, when I was 6, see?) but not since. And now I am contemplating them again. What do you all think? Should I take the plunge and try out bangs again?

Top - Gifted from Heather

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Flats - Aredene's

I'm just terribly worried they'll give me chipmunk-face and I'll hate it. I have never dyed my hair, never layered it, or really done all that much to it at all. It's never been curled and has only seen a straightener twice. I feel like I need some sort of fresh hair change but I'm so worried I'll hate it. And I can't exactly instantly re-grow 5 years worth of hair after cutting it off.

Sorry to those of you who get the heebie-jeebies from snakes! But I do so love my silly Rorschach. He's a spider morph ball python, and a total big baby. He curls up like that when he's frightened. I'm looking forward to Sunday because a friend of mine is coming over to meet the zoo. I always love showing off my peculiar pets.

I'm baking a cake tonight, having dinner with my grandparents tomorrow, and then spending Sunday with my friend... I feel so blessed lately. So many wonderful people and things are coming into my life. It's amazing to be surrounded by so much love and warmth. I hope you all have as wonderful a weekend as I plan on having! Much love to you all, cheers!