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!

Hiding From Snow

Well it snowed most of yesterday and late into the night, and there's more snow than you can poke a stick at out there now. I can just imagine what a mess it would be if all the snow that's fallen this winter hadn't periodically melted away before this, because it's back above my knees again without that. My cat is a little miffed that the snow has filled his little passage out on the terrace where he likes to hang out, but soon enough he'll have ample space to run and cavort.

 

Top - Can't remember

Skirt - Thrifted

Sandals - Thrifted

I'm going to be leaving Ottawa. Everything that's been happening in the last year or so has been hinting that my time here is done and I've finally made the decision. I gave my notice to my landlord, and I'll be moving back to my home town in two months or so. Sooner if I'm lucky. It was a really difficult decision, and there's a lot here I'm going to miss, but there's a lot there that I'm looking forward to as well. It's going to be wonderful being around my family again, instead of four and a half hours away.

I'm particularly looking forward to being near my grandmother again. She's a sweet woman and I haven't seen enough of her these last few years. Not to mention my friends, some of whom have wee baby daughters I'll get to see grow up now. But my plan is to attend college in the next city over - I'm still waiting on the official acceptance into the program, fingers crossed - and I'm looking forward to that. It's going to progress me further into the food industry and help me achieve my dream of eventually opening my own place. But today is another snow day, so I'm off to place so video games and drink too much coffee. Cheers!

Fruity

It's hovering just above freezing outside and it feels like Spring is on the way. Too bad it's still going to be months before winter's grip finally releases us and the weather starts to really warm up again. At times like these, I dress extra colourfully, to try and keep myself cheered up in this time of drab greys and whites and muddy browns out there. I guess my baking desires are along the same lines because I've been making strawberry tarts over the last few days.

T-shirt - Can't remember

Skirt - Gift from Heather

Shoes - Thrifted

I've had a lot of spare time on my hands - for reasons I won't go into because they're bumming me out right now - and I can only sit around playing video games for so long before I start going loopy. I cleaned the heck out of my apartment yesterday, which really needed doing. I don't know why I avoid it for so long, when it doesn't take that much time. Really it only takes about as long to clean this place, mopped floors and all, as it does to make a tart from scratch.

I made the mini tarts a few days ago and the full-sized tart this evening. Its recipe was from my Cordon Bleu pastry book. We saw the Chef make it during class but we didn't make it during our practical because it's so simple. I fought a little with the crust dough, and I'm not exactly certain why it was misbehaving, but it seems to have turned out well enough. I had some left-over dough and baked up a few mini tarts today too and the one I ate - with extra whipped cream - tasted just fine.

Not counting an apron, I baked dressed like this. I unfortunately managed to burn my right arm taking the tart crust from the oven but I'm getting used to having burns at some degree of healing somewhere on my arms or hands most of the time now. But now that my baking is done and the kitchen is all cleaned up, I think I'll crack a beer and go back to playing video games for a while. I hope you all had a good start to the week. 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!