Bright Times

Not a lot of time this morning, I should really be getting ready to head out on my little trip. But I wore a new-to-me vintage dress yesterday, and pulled some chocolate chip meringue cookies from the oven this morning, and had to share before I left!

I purchased my dress from the wonderful Amber at Violet Folklore. The recipe for the meringue cookies is very simple, and a Martha Stewart recipe I actually don't feel is pretentious or overly complex, for once!



They're crisp with a tiny bit of chewiness, just perfect! My friend Nicole will love them! I hope you all have a good Monday. Cheers!

A First

My friend's second daughter just turned 1 year old this week and we had her birthday gathering this Saturday. She's a total cutie with big curious eyes and a mischievous smile just like her mama.

 

It was nice getting together with my girlfriends and having all their young ones running around. What's also nice is they all know I'm hands-off and that Auntie Celynne isn't going to be wiping away anybody's snot or gooey hands haha...

And lastly after all that, a quick outfit shot. I'm rather amazed I kept my skirt clean, considering the chocolate cake antics! I haven't worn these floral tights in ages and it was nice to break them out for a special occasion.

This week is my reading week and I'm taking advantage to go on a little road trip and visit some friends in the south of the province. I'm excited to go to the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto! I hope you all had a good weekend. Cheers!

Death's Display

I've been really occupied with school and family life lately and blogging has just slipped my mind. Today I'm sharing a slightly morbid photo, a shot of one of my deceased tarantulas. The reason I share this is because I am planning on displaying him in a shadow box, so I can continue to enjoy his beauty. To point out that even death can be beautiful, in its own way.



I found him just in time, so that I could pose him attractively. If you'll notice, one of his legs is missing. When I made my big move from Ottawa back to my hometown, his little foot became pinched and when he molted (the process by which spiders grow) he dropped the damaged leg and carried on perfectly. Spiders are amazingly hardy and adaptable. I had this little fellow - a male named Legs - for over 4 years. For a male of his species, that's quite a long life. It also explains why he looks a little haggard, he was an old man! It makes me sad that he died, but I'm also glad I can continue to admire him this way. Cheers!

Sprouting

As a culinary student, I love trying out new recipes, and new flavour combinations. When I saw this recipe for brussel sprout tacos, I had to give it a try. Since I had no small tortillas, I just opted to make it a wrap instead. I didn't have all the recommended ingredients on hand, but for a first casual attempt, it was still delicious. I hope to make it again with shallots like in the original, and add more tomatoes.

My grandmother gifted me another lovely crocheted blanket. Both she and my mother crochet and I'm slowly accumulating quite a few gorgeous pieces from each of them. Not to mention the ones I pick up at thrift stores and other such places, when they steal my heart. There's just something about a hand-made blanket or pillow, you know?

I'm still getting the hang of my new camera. I don't have to place my tripod as far anymore, and it's odd being so close to the camera. Eventually I should figure out a good place to stick it where I won't come out crooked or somehow warped looking. Cheers!

Twinkle

The outfits I wear with my two pairs of glasses differ drastically. When it's this pair, I tend to work with dark and earthy colours. The other pair, bright colours. I actually dreaded going back to wearing glasses again but this is fun.

My mother and I went out for another dog walk in the sunshine on Saturday. When it's cloudy out winter can be really gloomy and bland, but when the sun shines... It's so heart-achingly beautiful.

It's amazing how different the same place can look, depending on the sun and the clouds and the season. The last photo is one I took several hours after the others, when the sun was setting and more clouds had moved in. I expect there will be many more photos of this little bay in the year to come. Cheers!

Velvet Green

I bought this vintage green velvet jacket while I was in Paris. I love it. So of course I find every excuse and a half to break it out... like a Monday. Because what else can make a Monday that much better than a green velvet vintage jacket? Nothing...

Except maybe a sparkly lizard broach! Cheers!

Sunday Sunshine Dog Walk

I went to my parents' for Sunday brunch, and it was such a gorgeous day that my mother and I went for an extended dog walk with Scamp. Lake Nipissing has been frozen long enough that we can walk out on it no problem, and Scampy likes following the snowmobile trails.

Spoiled pooch got carried back to shore when he decided his little paws were momentarily cold. I think he just pretends so he can be carried, because he was perfectly fine with continuing our walk once my mother put him down again.

We finally made our way back to their little cabin home, and played an epic game of Scrabble. We both used all our tiles and finished with hearty scores! Definitely a nice Sunday. Cheers!