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!

Spring Flowers

Unfortunately it's still too early - and mostly too cold - for real spring flowers, but I sure looked and felt springy in this outfit yesterday! The sunshine and warmth was lovely after all the cold rainy days we've been having lately. I was even able to go bare legged! This year's first bare-leg day!

Cardigan - Thrifted from Value Village

Dress - Thrifted from Value Village

Mocassins - Highway Trading Post

Vintage Glasses - Young Jane's in Ottawa

It's set to rain again this evening and into tomorrow, but I don't mind too much. I'm happy because my landlord's given me permission to make a little garden and set up a compost box. Already I've got the box set up - just an old wooden rabbit hutch from which I ripped the bottom, and hauled into the yard from the back field. If it weren't windy as hell and about to rain at any moment, I'd be out piling stuff into it already.

I'm trying to fill my spare time best as I can until I start working at a local bakery in a few weeks - if nothing changes between now and then - but I can't keep baking so much! I'm packing on more weight than I'm happy about and having tasty sweet things laying about doesn't help. I still feel good about my body, but if I get much heavier and bigger, I won't for long. I'm feeding myself plenty of tasty fresh veggies and trying to enjoy more time outside. No punishing myself, no depriving myself. I'm just giving myself more of good things, because my body and mind respond better to that. I hope you're all having a good week. Cheers!

Mustard Greens

Tomorrow I have an interview at a local bakery, which if I'm lucky will lead to a good job. I've got my fingers crossed! They were looking for someone with two to three years experience but I'm hoping my Basic Pastry certificate will help me out there. Clearly I'm good enough to at least call in for an interview. We'll see how it goes.

Blouse - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Belt - Second-hand shop

Shoes - Bayshore Mall, years ago

It's raining like mad outside, has been since last night, and it's supposed to keep raining for several days. My front door has been leaking too, which is rather unpleasant but at least it's nothing extremely serious and it should be fixed soon enough. I just wish it would stop precipitating long enough for me to go biking again! If it's not snow, it's rain, and if not rain, snow! Bleh!

It was a gorgeous day yesterday, but I woke earlier than usual to spend time with my friend and her baby, and after a large sushi meal that evening all I wanted to do was nap. I slept right through the time I'd planned to go biking haha, but ah well, I guess I needed it. There's a whole summer ahead for me to enjoy outdoors. I hope you are all having a good week. Cheers!

Just Peachy

Not a whole lot to say today, but at least I've got an outfit to show you. If I hadn't slept so late - again - maybe I'd have more tasty food photos to share too, but I'm slowly turning nocturnal. Waking up at noon really puts a wrench in food-related productivity for me.

 Sweater - Thrifted from Value Village

Tank top - Fairweather

Pants - Thrifted from Value Village

Mocassins - Sears

I might get ambitious a little later and whip up a batch of croissants dough, to shape tomorrow, but we'll see. Putting on a full face of makeup is accomplishment enough for this lazy Sunday. I foresee plenty of hot coffee and an afternoon of gaming and not much else today.

These photos were taken in my newly set up living room. I have a lot of knickknacks and strange collectibles and tons of stuff up on the walls. It may seem a little overwhelming to some, but this is what feels like home to me and I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope you all had a good weekend. Cheers!

Snow and Quiche

Just days after I bought myself a new bicycle, it started to snow. And snow. And snow. And it's still snowing. I'm glad I was able to get out for at least one bike ride before it all started falling. As usual, I've been taking this time to stay indoors and bake and cook. I made a poppy seed loaf yesterday, and baked up a tomato basil quiche today.

I cheated and used a store-bought frozen pie crust, but seeing as how this is the first time I make this recipe, I wanted to be certain the filling was worth the effort of my making a crust from scratch. When I make this again in the future - which I most certainly will, because it was delicious - I'll definitely take the time to make a crust myself. Onions and green peppers layer the bottom, bathed in egg-mayo goodness, covered with bread crumbs and basil, and then a layer of tomato slices and pepper jack cheese. Delish! I hope you all had a good week. Cheers!

Snakes in a Kitchen

Tomorrow makes it a week my having lived in my new apartment and it's really starting to feel like home now. I still have some boxes to unpack, but most of it is photos and nicknacks, nothing particularly crucial to my ability to live in my home. I have a lot of organizing ahead of me, but at least I don't live in box-central anymore. My snake babies don't seem to have been at all affected by the move either, and that's relieving.

 Top - Gifted from Heather

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Ball Pythons - Mother Nature

Even my toes are multicoloured! I really don't look like what most people probably think a snake enthusiast should look haha... I stopped worrying what people thought of my appearance a long time ago though, and it'd be hard to go back to blandness.

It's hard to believe I've had these boys for about four years now. They're such sweeties, as are all my snakes. My animal room is all set up for them now, and I just need to unpack my sewing machine and set up my craft station and the room will essentially be finished too. I love that I'm a lady who sews and keeps snakes, who loves shoes and collects animal furs and other odd 'morbid' bits and bobs. A personality made of bright juxtapositions. Speaking of which, I have more boxes of bones to unpack. Cheers!

New View

Well the move went mostly without a hitch. One of my tarantulas did get a foot pinched near the tip, but I'm hoping once it molts that it will be okay. If not, I may have to take some drastic action, but I'll cross that bridge when I reach it. I'm still up to my eyeballs in boxes and chaos but at least I'm 'home'. I've spent the last two nights sleeping at my grandmother's until there's some modicum of sense in this place but I think tonight I'll finally be able to sleep here.



This is the view directly outside my door. No busy street, no buses, no homeless people, no trash bins. Just peaceful field and forest. I am near the highway, but frankly it's nothing in comparison to when I lived just two blocks behind a superhighway haha. It's going to take some getting used to, but I believe I'll be very happy here. I'm looking forward to the summer with friends and family, and starting school in the fall. I hope you are all having a good week. Cheers!