The Habitat of the Wild Stella

Greetings, all!

Long timey, no writey. Why? I don't know. Last weekend I went to WI and I've had a cold for the last TWO WEEKS.

This week is my "spring" break, so maybe I will write more often. I hope to thrift a lot.

Some of you might be wondering how to locate the Wild Stella-Dog. A rare species, this mixed breed can mostly be found on our couch:

(The couch is rapidly deteriorating. Anyone want to get rid of a brown leather sofa?!)

She also likes laps:


Like wolves and jackals, Stella-Dogs often inhabit laundry piles as well.


The den of the Wild Bobo-Dog:


Stella enjoys only the finest Innova food:

(Note the raccoon penis bone on the windowsill; a must for every kitchen.)

While pitbulls have a very tough persona, Stella is a fairly fearful girl. Her nemesis is the stove:


Unfortunately, between our coffee roasting and cooking activities, the smoke alarms go off quite frequently. Even the wildest beast-dog must retreat until the noisy threat passes:


It's much safer upstairs.


Stella-Dogs especially enjoy disgusting bones:


But some toys, this one a gift from KB, Stella loves TOO much.




Wild beasts of course can be found outdoors.

(With dog-cousin Ari in our backyard.)

Today we walked north on the West River Road. (The University of Minnesota West Bank is visible, with downtown Minneapolis behind.)


Here the Wild Bobo did not appreciate the loud noises from the Highway 94 bridge above.




She prefers beautiful scenery:


But pitbull/boxer mixes do not have a lot of fur or fat to keep them warm. After our cold walk, the Wild Stella found a cozy sunbeam to nap under, not unlike a ferocious cat.




I hope this critter post helps you locate the Wild Stella-Dogs in your own neighborhood!


Lovies,
Wendell!

The Como Zoo and Conservatory

Happy President's Day weekend, y'all!

I hope everyone is feeling smoov. R and I have had a very social weekend, including my inaugural broom ball game:


It was really fun! R made two goals. But now my legs hurt from falling and I have a bruise on my knee.

Happy Valentine's Day! We had a great meal at home:

My first attempt at making crab legs; highly recommended!

These last two weeks in Minnesota have been pretty warm. We can all pretend that spring is here, but it's totally going to snow and get freezing again. When this happens, I recommend heading out to the free Como Conservatory and Zoo!

Sis KB and her fancy new bag in the foreground:


A sleeping sloth:


My nephew and god-child Baby B! (He was pretty tired by this point.)


Fun with the macro lens and the orchids:


Baby B enjoyed them too!


The flower building:


Some of the zoo animals are outside, however.

We wondered if the lady lion was expecting.

The American Bison!


A mama and baby giraffe:


Back indoors, a crazy monkey:




Leaf-cutting ants, which were so cool!


And a new heebie-jeebie inducing critter:


The Tanzanian Tailless Whip Scorpion!


Apparently these African dudes are fairly harmless; capable of pinching people but more likely to run away instead! They eat insects and make good pets! Yikes.

For some reason in my eight-plus years of living in Minneapolis, I have never been to the Como Conservatory! It was so humid and lovely in the buildings, and of course great to hang out with KB and Baby B and check out some critters.

So in a few weeks when everything still looks like this:


Hasten to the Como Zoo and Conservatory for a little of this:


xooxox
Wendell!

The Holy of Holies, Thrift Store Edition

Happy weekend, all!

Today I got the hankerin' to hit a thrift store. After calling three people to join me, I decided I might as well combine thrifting with a grocery store run on nearby Lake Street. Therefore, I hastened solo to Savers.

I was encouraged by their denim collection. As usual, I found some designer brands; Earl Jeans and a pair of Seven for All Mankind. They were not in my size. Anyway, I went through the sweaters, long sleeved tops, workout clothes, dresses and finally, skirts.

Anyone who knows me probably has noticed that in the summertime, I primarily wear one skirt at all times:

Summer 2007


Spring 2008

Yes, I even wore the Lux denim skirt on my wedding day on August 12, 2006! (Note as well the ever-present Caboodle, a gift from GH! At this point I had put on foundation, two types of concealer, eyebrow pencil and am dabbing imperfections with loose powder before patting down everything with pressed powder. In case you were interested.)


GH was the original owner of the skirt too! The garment was originally sold at Urban Outfitters when she bought it for around $60. Unfortunately it was too big, so being the awesome friend she is, GH gave the skirt to me! I don't know when...2004? 2005?

But as I'm sure you've guessed, today I found a nearly identical skirt at Savers!


The new one is darker in color and a size bigger:


Also it is not threadbare and falling apart like the original!


Obviously I will keep wearing the old one until it explodes. But for real, when I found the Lux skirt today I almost teared up! There are few garments in my wardrobe that are flattering and super comfortable and practical, that I love and would wear daily. I'm so thankful to have found one for $7.99!

So, I say, keep thrifting! But prices at Goodwill, Savers, etc. are going up because more folks are shopping at them to save money. Whatevs! If you're in the mood to dig, I highly recommend shopping pre-owned. Because maybe, like I did today, you will find EXACTLY what you are dreaming of finding!

xooxxoxo
Wendell!

Marmot Day!

Dear Critter Readers,



Happy Groundhog's Day! This historic date, February 2nd, marks the fourth anniversary of Wendell's Critter Corner!

It was so cold here this morning I fear I already know Punxatawney Phil's prediction!

xoxoxo
Wendell!